The Greatest Power Of Life

The greatest power of life

Is held not by those who live it

Not by the sun or star or moon

By the parrot or owl or angel

It is held by the dead

The yellow feathers drifting along the wind

The one who sang his last note

Said 'I am dead' said 'dont follow me'

And who was ignored

For the living kneel before the feet of the dead

Stand before his grave

It is not the survivors who truly win

But the canary who watched from afar

Floating above the wind

'Go home' you said 'its over'

And he did not listen

He said 'this is the end, this is home' he said

There is a ring in his feathers

Rose gold, pink and yellow

There is a bound on his soul

On his flesh and his blood

And yet it is he who holds true strength

He who lives amongst the coal

Not the miners who failed to heed him

But the songbird who warned them

Reblog and put in the tags if you've ever experienced a popular romantic trope in real life and the story behind it

Some Hermes headcannons because he is the best part of season two.

- he is really good at languages. He can speak the most major language for each Empire. Pix is also teaching him various minor / dead languages.

- speaking of Pix, Hermes absolutely LOVES Pix's lessons about history and mythology. Hes wandered off into the catacombs one too many times so Pix taught him how to get around.

- one more about Pix. Joel and Sausage gave up and hired Pix to tutor Hermes in all subjects because he is the only one he'll listen to (Hermes still is doing much better in his history lessons).

- Hermes has not only read, but memorized the book of profecies from season one.

- yes, he jokes about how some of the old soverigns remind him of his family.

- the citizens of both Sanctuary and Stratos adore him. A small festival is held in town square every time he goes back to Sanctuary.

- he wanted to learn how to bake his favourite cookies, but he doesnt know his way around a kitchen.

- grandpa Eddie loved him very much, but he is NOT allowed to touch his tools in the forge.

- Hermes loved to talk to the villagers under stratos. They adore him, and will help him no matter what.

Apparently Ive decided that Hermes is a big history nut. Good for him.

Fictional polytheism idea;

God is just some pretty gay person- he is in love with all of him friends and they are all in love with him (its a gay friend group, what else would they be?)

They have little to no cosmic power, their friends have a lot.

Every once in a while they're just like "hey wouldn't it be funny...." or "it would be so fucked if [describes humanity]"

And then his friends make it happen becaude they dont know how to flirt.

Bomus points if said friends try to court him by copying their favourite human things, regardless of if said things have anything to do with romance to humans.

Son

It’s been a thousand years since her son died.

The world changed, the people changed, and she created no other child. Why should she? Having reached perfection once… why try again? 

But here he was.

Standing before her, just as he’d always been.

This wasn’t the badlands, this wasn’t Mezalea-- but there was its king. He was dressed differently, wearing a short toga with a green sash. Still, there was her son… placing an armor stand in her jungle.

And then he was gone, disappeared off into the distance.

Not to his mesa, she’d checked. She knew the land’s new king--- the younger child of the ocean. But, just like her son, he was different. 

She watched the strange item her son had given her. 

She wrapped herself around it, placing life into its wooden bones, draping it in a cloak of the beautiful magenta of her son’s mesa. 

‘Hermes,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘Son of Stratos, son of Sanctuary.’

“Father?” The protector held the child tight to his chest. Maybe, She decided, she could love her son’s beloved too.

It’s been a thousand years since her son died.

It’s been a moment since her grandson spoke.