#and the western air temple from a.tla

[sylleblosscm]

XVI Headcanons 3 : The Third One.

The Fleuret line has borne the Eikon of Seraph in its first daughters going back countless generations. While not strictly royalty, the nature of this Eikon afforded the family their own following. As I’ve touched on before, the Fleurets of old were nomadic by circumstance; after all, Seraph’s blessing may only be rendered in person. They’d sleep in towns, and in encampments between, relying on the goodness of strangers and, steadily more over time, the growing community of people who would leave their worldly possessions behind and travel alongside them.

It is these people who made up the first generation of Tenebraeans. Upon deciding to hide Seraph away, the Dominant of the time found an abandoned cliffscape. Well secluded, they built off the remains of ruins that appeared to be old as time itself. Nigh endless tunnels drilled into the cliffside, with pulley elevators to get from level to level. Bridges constructed over dozens of years. Plateaus with small fields, enough to farm their own agriculture. Waterfalls and streams, sun and shade, and of course plenty of room for Seraph to spread her wings in safety. 

The image that once brought comfort far and wide vanished from memory as loyalists worked to remove every trace of their revered Eikon. No longer did mothers of sick children and children of wounded soldiers look out the window, praying for a maiden with pale skin and fair hair, a flowing gown of white stained at the hem with dirt. Still, within the hidden halls of Tenebrae, it is a beloved image which persists.

It leaves a foul taste in Luna’s mouth to carry it forth. Even still, she wears those traditional long dresses, though no longer for travel; often the pure white fabric is indeed stained at the hem, but from leisurely strolls in her garden, not from wandering from place to place, bringing her healing touch to the needy. To covet a symbol that, in her view, no longer stands for anything is anguish. For all light Seraph once shone onto the world, her family has failed to sustain it. 

Considering this, it’s not impossible that more Eikons might exist, lost to time. Hidden, stolen, or simply refusing to choose their Dominant until…

Oh, and speaking of other Eikons.

I’m branching off of @infideliis' idea about Ravus becoming the Eikon of Alexander the Protector, because of-fucking-course I need to talk about how much Luna loves her brother. 

Since their bloodline was chosen by Seraph, not a single boy has been born to it. To call Ravus a surprise would be to understate beyond the telling of it. But of course, of course Sylva loved him. So what if she could not one day pass on her Eikon to him? He was perfect in every way.

Then, of course, Sylva finally gave birth to a daughter. Lunafreya was coveted from a young age; smothered, even. While Tenebrae looked to her, she looked to Ravus. She never sensed a hint of disdain from him. He never seemed to blame her for her circumstances. On the day Sylva died, the entire community held its breath for a new Dominant to awaken.

And awaken the new Dominant did. Only, it wasn’t the one they all expected. 

Alexander the Protector is, by the more devout members of the community, seen as a bad omen. A sign that this happy, untouched corner of the World will be disrupted and Seraph will need the protection. Try as they might, their remaining loyalists scoured Valisthea for any mention of this Eikon, only to return empty-handed. He is believed to be something new.

Even still, this awakening barely raised his baby sister’s brow. To Luna, Ravus was always a protector. Her sword, her shield and her very legs when she couldn’t stand. If there is indeed an Eikon of Protection, he would find no better Dominant in all Valisthea.