Darkness enveloped him like a shroud, pressing in against his alabaster hide. Bright little stars tried their hardest to pierce the veil, twinkling high over the water; some banded together in rivers of milky sky-light, some tried to outshine all the rest on their own. The moon was full overhead, lingering near one of those starshine eddies, looking to any casual observer like a stone in the path of a celestial stream.

Except Argemmon was entirely focused on the sound of his own breathing, head held high but with his warm brown eyes closed against the celestial splendor above, and so in this moment he was neither casual nor observant.

The mottled stallion stood fetlock-deep in a rippling pool at the base of a waterfall in Laipawa's central canyon, unmoving since the hours when he'd watched the sun sink into slumber beneath the peaks on either side. Before him the water rolled gently over ruddy stone, its soft rushing noise a comfort to him. In daylight the sandy soil here was beautiful shade of crimson, but at night the color faded away.

The island was alive.

Life was so obvious here. Everything wanted so desperately to show that it was alive, that it was precious, that it must be preserved. Life flowed so easily, so abundantly through this place that it couldn't be silenced by the darkness each night, it just couldn't.

But it couldn't speak, either – so was he listening in vain?

He felt alive, too — more than he'd ever felt before. But he could not shake the loneliness of his recent ascension. This meditation was half to calm him, to ease the anxiety gnawing at him each day as he performed a role he'd never trained for —

— and partly some sort of plea for validation from the island itself, as though Laipawa could bear communion to him through the caress of her fresh waters.




notes: for birdorcages (nokomis) ♥

NOKOMIS.

loose-eyed in morning, sunlight covered over, wading in sight of fire.

Trees gently waivered with each breath she took; the lands that flowed around her had shifted, that much was apparent. She was relieved that storm clouds had not rolled through, for she was unsure if she could bare to see the islands so distraught at the notion of losing their King. It must have been anticipated all along, she mused. Closing on the former chapter, and ready and waiting for whatever was supposed to come next. What that would be, the mare couldn't be sure. But she couldn't be impatient, and knew such things would be revealed precisely when they were ready to.

What had drawn her into the canyon itself, she wasn't so sure. Be it far from Nokomis to ignore that which the islands wished to reveal to her, however, and so the mare embarked on the steady journey; she found herself being led along by a parade of dancing fireflies, almost certain that they were attempting to take her somewhere. It was peaceful here, something she realized she had not been seeing in the trees and the cascades as of late. After all, such precious lands needed protecting, and with no one to step into such a role, unrest and upset would be apparent in the way the winds disturbed the foliage. This hadn't been the case for a few days now, and the mare had certainly started to take notice.

Her eyes followed along the gentle flow of creekbed; often low in tide this time of year, the mare noticed that it seemed fuller than usual, able to bring her along to where she was destined to step into a new future. Eventually, a figure came into her sight - and as soon as she was close enough, she knew the islands no longer needed to hold their breath.

"You." Nokomis eyed the stallion, and could almost feel how the flora surrounding seemed to grow calm. She knew who he was, almost immediately. Just as tides rose and fell, so did Kings; a new wave had come crashing through Liapawa. "What do you call yourself?"

timeline: autumn, year 1
tagged: hazel
notes: very excited <3
word count: 348

Her words cut through the tranquil fog of his meditation like a blunt knife, rending him from his reflections and setting him firmly back in the realm of the living.

Argemmon turned only his dark head to look at the speaker, exhaling sharply as the world came back into focus.

Tall, and leggy. Brightly marked. Unmistakable.

Her scent on the air was one he recognized, but not one he knew by name.

One of Cerus's?

Argemmon had spent nearly a fortnight looking for them — for whomever remained from the little roan's brief reign. She had evaded him that entire time.

To see her now in the flesh was, he knew, a great honor bestowed by her: if she had not been born to these labyrinthine jungles, then she had spent enough time with them to have mastered them, and for this she had already earned a great deal of his respect.

Still, he had a sneaking suspicion of her identity — something Ibika had told him, the story of a princess in exile, living deep in the emerald shadows of the island kingdoms like a ghost for the sake of her people's foolishness.

"I am Argemmon," he offered. "Son of Koki'on." He paused, regarding her carefully, then added, "It is my scent which lingers on Laipawa now, not Cerus's."

He suspected her reaction might tell him a great deal about her, and quieted.

NOKOMIS.

loose-eyed in morning, sunlight covered over, wading in sight of fire.

It was a relief, to come across flesh and bone in this manner. She could feel her own tension ease, just as the flora seemed to soften . . . she had been wondering why there was such lack of unrest within their world, what with Cerus simply vanishing. Although, it was not so outlandish to think that the tides were simply making way for what was to come next. For who was to come.

"Mmm." Nokomis had very little argument against such a claim. After all, the mare had not known the former king for very long, therefore holding very little opinion on his disappearance. These lands needed someone to look after them, and while Nokomis did her part, she could never consider such total responsibility for herself.

Now the name, it was interesting. Nokomis had grown up knowing of many different island bands; advised against interacting with some, and not others, it certainly built a divide amongst those who had lived on the island for many generations. The mare never understood the separations, nor the qualms with those wishing to keep outsiders from blending together, and it intrigued her to learn that his heritage was well-rooted into such ideals. It was yet to be seen what he himself thought of those who swam from the main land, but Nokomis would hold tongue on the matter until he presented the matter.

"You seem to have arrived just when Laipawa needed you." It was enough for the mare, all that she needed to feel as though the trees and the stones were content. The mare bowed her head respectfully. "I am Nokomis. Daughter of Luna."

timeline: autumn, year 1
tagged: hazel
notes: xo
word count: 272

Indeed, it was she.

Her eyes carried the wisdom of ancient forests, gems of the sun and the sea glittering brightly from her ruddy face, itself the color of the sand and clay upon which they stood.

In the depths of her peculiar gaze, Argemmon saw both strength and peace, honed in the crucible of adversity like complimentary sides of a blade. Here stood a mare who had weathered the storm, her spirit akin to the resilient blooms that adorned the island's verdant heart.

"Nokomis," he spoke softly, his voice low and gentle like the breeze that stirred the leaves around them. He gestured towards the shimmering stars above, turning his body finally to face her. "Like the stars that etch their constellations upon the night's canvas, you leave an indelible mark upon the weave of our island's history."

By all accounts, she had been destined to it, her path cut more clearly than his had ever been —

— and still, she'd found her own way.

Argemmon's eyes widened in a moment of realization.

She was a guide.

Laipawa brought her to him just as he begged for clarity of purpose, and her words —

When Laipawa needed you.

"This is no chance meeting," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

The mottled stallion took a step towards her, his brown eyes bright and sharply focused. His clarity was coming. He could feel it coming.

"Laipawa has carried you to me like a whisper on a breeze," he observed. "Hide away no longer, Nokomis. You are no whisper; you are a melody, a weaver of Her untold tales. Will you raise your voice, and give me counsel?"

He was certain: before him stood the Singer.

NOKOMIS.

loose-eyed in morning, sunlight covered over, wading in sight of fire.

In the way which the stars in the skies twinkled above them, the way the air surrounding seemed to settle with ease - it was clear Nokomis was home, at last.

Her King, Argemmon, had finally stepped in to lay claim, and Laipawa was clearly pleased. She had to admit that she was pleased as well - the mare, having been left alone to perpetual exile from what was once her home gave her the inner peace she needed, that which she deserved. And almost instantly she understood precisely what these lands had in store for her. Of course, the skies and trees had plans for her all along; finally providing her with a clear path, the mare was more than eager to step into her new role.

"It has been a long time since I have been allowed to set foot here," she told him, though he had already assumed as much. Merely to reiterate the significance of her being here. "But, it is apparent that I never truly left. I am still deeply embedded in the tree roots. I believe that will be quite beneficial for you, for us and the fate of your herd."

Nokomis then bowed her head, briefly bending down upon one knee as a sign of respect for the stallion who had finally taken his rightful place amongst royalty.

"I will gladly give whatever you shall desire of me."

timeline: autumn, year 1
tagged: hazel
notes: -
word count: 233

As Nokomis spoke, her words carried the weight of generations past, woven into the very fabric of the island. Argemmon stood before her, absorbing her presence like cracked earth drinking in the rain after a long drought. He listened with a reverence that matched the solemnity of the moment, understanding that the threads of fate were aligning in ways he had never foreseen.

But then, foresight was the Oracle's job.

He nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering, as if acknowledging the ancestral spirits that danced within her. "Nokomis, daughter of Luna," he began, his voice a river's current, steady and unwavering, "you are the voice that echoes through the canopies, a thread that binds the stories of our ancestors to the hopes of our future."

His words held a weight that matched the gravity of their roles, and the weight of the crown he bore. "Your wisdom shall be the compass by which I steer our course. Your voice shall guide us through the labyrinth of challenges that lie ahead."

Argemmon's language belied a gentle correction of perspective: this was not his herd; it was theirs, as Laipawans both.

As he spoke, a sense of purpose settled upon him like the morning mist, both comforting and invigorating. He extended a graceful nod towards Nokomis, acknowledging her as a partner in this journey. "With the stars as our witnesses and Laipawa as our canvas, I hereby name you as the Oracle of this land."

In that moment, Argemmon could feel the bond between them solidify, a connection forged not just by circumstance, but by the shared dedication to their land, their people, and the destiny that awaited them.




notes: end here? we ADORE her ♥

NOKOMIS.

loose-eyed in morning, sunlight covered over, wading in sight of fire.

Streams in Liapawa all flow together, as she will be keen to teach unto others - and to follow any particular path on the island, it seemed all lead back around, into one another. Nokomis had returned to the grounds where she once stood a prodigy, now fully realized as the Oracle she was always destined to become. Her faith had not faltered, not for the years spent in exile, and finally paying off for the benefit of a new generation.

While things have truly come full circle, it was apparent to Nokomis that something new was just beginning. The streams that overlapped began to push over fresh stone, in turn paving a brand new path for their future. United now under Argemmon's leadership, the remaining natives on the island could feel some sense of safety and security at last.

To be able to share her capabilities with such a congregation, it was only everything she had been raised for.

"I do not claim to know right from wrong - only what the islands wish to be true." A sudden smirk, the mare uncertain if her King was entirely aware of what he was getting into with her as council. "But I do believe she has delivered me unto you for this exact role."

timeline: autumn, year 1
tagged: hazel
notes: glad to finish this here! <3
word count: 212