Botanical Valkyries | [Diana][Jahan][TRAINING]

a grand pyramid made of clear, crystalline glass.

it was a wonder of the world; hidden away in the vastness of the desert. she had hardly been. even though it had been here for some time. the fragile temple housed an aviary of grand proportions with gardens fit to make even the flowers blush with envy. moonlight poured through the crystal walls, creating prismacolor beams that lingered about the air like auroras. it was a beautiful sight. though she expected no less of one from what came from jahanghir’s vision.

she strolls down the pathway, listening to the gentle birdsong of the night. a familiar sight greets her eyes. an old friend— perched upon a gilded rod in all her magnificence. how it had felt like years since she had last laid eyes on her. it brought her back to her youth. a much simpler time. she reaches her hand out to her, stroking the feathers of her breast.

“hey,” she whispers, “you found me, huh?” her lashes flutter as the warmth in her chest grows. the vulture leans into her touch with eagerness. diana could tell that she was weary in her age. but she looked good, healthy. “it’s good to see you.” it wouldn’t be long until bellona returned to her nest, she knew. unsure how many years left she had to live, it was comforting that she had made the journey.

turning on her heel to make her way further down the path, she beckons her. “come.” with little hesitation, bellona hobbled down her perch before taking flight. diana strolled a short distance before catching sight of someone unexpected.

she lingered for a moment behind the manicured brush. thin, bleached linens then sweep the ground below her. like a silent spectre, she moves behind him, placing her hand on his back as she moves round to his side. her fingers trace down his arm to his hand, bringing it up only to place a small pouch in his palm. it was half filled with a mixture of seeds.

“seems you’re in luck.”

ever since she met him, it always seemed she was finding him at his times of need. no matter how grand or insignificant they were. she didn’t mind. if anything, it was refreshing to see that he was— in all his display of magnificence— still flawed. she smiles, softly as she did. in a way, she wished to veil this part of him from the world. to cherish it for herself.

there is a fondness in her eyes in the way she looks at him. a tenderness as she tucks a length of thick, raven hair behind his ear, away from his face. she smiles more, only for a second before trailing off to the near fountain. her journey stops short at its edges and she sits herself upon the edge, watching as the songbirds flit around him. the light from the pool reflected off her eyes in speckles of glimmering starlight.

“you haven’t worked with them much lately, have you?”