#-lahabrea laughter continues-

[ofdarklands]

Z - ...

>song

coming from my youth's extensive dog phase: my long travels companion! ready for all modes of transportation! flying, driving, sailing, it can do it all. love them

i'm sure astute pokemon enjoyers can guess where the base shape originally came from

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Riven stayed where she was, her eyes never leaving the gruesome sight in front of her. Six years, and the High Seraph's corpse was still decaying, having not completely become worm food as of yet. The spirit that had inhabited the body had fled--but even then Riven knew better. Auracite still littered the floor of Ultima's prison, and Riven knew the aether in the air was filled with whispers. One last legacy of the High Seraph--her corpse an agent of corruption for anyone who dared to pick up a crystal or stayed too long.

"You didn't have to follow me." She said aloud. Behind her, Sebastian materialized out of the darkness.

"We all agreed you're not going anywhere without a bodyguard now. Not after what happened." He responded, coming up alongside her. "Come to make sure she's dead, then?"

"Yes." Riven responded. "I had wanted...no. I needed to see it with my own eyes." Sebastian came up alongside her, lifting one of his arms to give her a reassuring half-hug.

"Don't blame you." Wind aether was active around his own mouth and nose--a mirror of Riven's spell. The gunbreaker turned his gaze to Ultima's remains, wrinkling his nose at the sight.

"The last thing any of us would have expected was her getting involved again." Riven closed her eyes at Sebastian's words, the still-fresh memories of Athena rising to the forefront of her thoughts. Of the bloody godsdamned Heart of Sabik, now in Claudien's hands--and Sharlayan's as a whole. Not the outcome she wanted. Inhaling, she leaned against the comforting wall that was Sebastian.

"I don't suppose I could ask you to burn the Monastery with one of your fireballs, could I?" She asked. Sebastian barked with laughter.

"I wish I could. But then I sense we'd get in a lot of trouble." He replied. "The jungle is taking it in, Riven, don't worry. In a few years--and if the gods will it, a natural disaster or two--nobody will ever find this place." Sebastian sobered then, gently rubbing Riven's upper arm.

"She really frightened you, didn't she?" His voice was gentle. The 'she' not being Ultima--but Athena. Riven closed her eyes.

"Yes." Even now, thinking of the patience that Lahabrea's wife had...waiting all those millennia, the literal perfect example of the patient spider in its web, and only too late had Riven realized she'd walked right into it. A small blessing then, that Athena technically had died before Riven's arrival in Elpis and becoming 'Azem's familiar'. Riven was started from her thoughts by Sebastian gently squeezing her arm.

"Hey." He said. "Come on. There's nothing here."

"Seb..." Riven whispered. "What if there's...more of Ultima out there? Something other than that Heart, than the auracite..." She licked her lips, nerves twisting her stomach. Sebastian was silent for several moments.

"We've been doing a good job of dealing with it so far." Riven looked up at him, and Sebastian gave her a reassuring smile. "And if there is--we just keep doing what we're doing. Besides, I sincerely doubt the High Seraph would have suffered any kin." Riven was quiet for several moments, considering this.

"You're probably right." Exhaling, she snuffed out the fireball.

"Come on." Sebastian gently urged. "Let's go back to the surface. And I see how pale you are, you haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" Riven let herself be led back up the stairs, only half-hearing Sebastian's fussing. The temptation to turn her head and look back was strong, and she gripped her sworn-brother's hand tighter.

Stay dead. Stay dead and in whatever hell you were sent to.

------

(continued from here)