chaos and control | druig ✔︎

23 | captivate

23 | we're a mess, you and I, 

but the truth is, 

you captivate me in ways no soul ever will

2023 - Tiamut's place of emergence

"What's happening to the water?" Hestia pointed over at the sea that was starting to move, waves forming at a rapid pace. The waves grew higher and higher, the island in the middle of the ocean breaking apart and washing away.

"I don't know. Maybe it's Tiamut." Druig muttered gazing at the sea.

Suddenly, something rose from the ocean floor, glowing bright red and making the ground rumble from beneath them. The two didn't have to ask each other what was happening now. Even before the surface tension of the water broke, both knew that Tiamut was emerging, and that they were too late. Druig couldn't put it to sleep, and Hestia couldn't extinguish the Celestial from inside.

Pieces of rock fell down as Tiamut rose out of the water, his gold and stone-like 'skin' shining in the sun and the light of the volcano.

"Which one do you think is his head?" Hestia turned to Druig. "I mean, there's like three different things sticking out of the water right now, but I can't really see which is which."

Druig merely rolled his eyes at her and chuckled. He didn't know either. The Celestial was so gigantic, that it would be nearly impossible to see from the ground, where its head was located.

"Oh! Do you think that might be it?" She pointed in the direction she thought might be Tiamut's head. "It has those big lights as eyes. Didn't Ajak say that Arishem has those too?"

Druig squinted his eyes at the lump of rock rising from the ocean floor. "It does look like a head, to be fair." He nodded, impressed.

Hestia spotted something further along the beach and she pulled Druig with her, still using his arm to stabilise herself. She almost tripped over her own legs, but Druig held her up, saving her from a nasty fall.

"Was it really necessary to pull me away?" He asked, looking over at her.

"Yes." Hestia simply said. "I don't wanna miss this." She pulled him along, leaning on him at the same time, meaning they weren't going super fast. Eventually they reached the others. Phastos was standing right in front of Ikaris, who was stuck on the ground by something Phastos had created, golden ropes holding him in place.

"I like this." Hestia complemented Phastos, who laughed back at her. "Oh, me too." He held his arm up, summoning rings, and Ikaris groaned, being held down by the ropes that were tightening, causing him to fall face first.

"Come on, Sersi." Hestia heard Phastos mutter under his breath, still praying the woman would make it. "Come on."

By now, five fingers had seemed to have risen from the sea, holding the volcano in its palm. Slowly but surely, the fingers grew, lifting out of the ocean. The crater of the volcano had started to break apart, revealing a golden surface underneath.