#prae clementia

[mzargentum]

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter X | Crimson Jade

Chapter IX | Chapter X | Chapter XI

Word Count: 2,031

Warnings: Violence, gore, death

“Very good?”, Lunafreya grimaced at her elder brother in disbelief. 

“Very good?! Those troopers are out there hunting our sister for that fiend Chancellor Izunia and you’re congratulating them?!”

The grief stricken 18 year old stormed toward the Niflheim commander enraged by his seemingly nonchalant attitude toward the situation.

“Of course not”, Ravus replied in irritation, “but what am I to tell them?!”

“Call off the serach!! If they find her then-”.

“I know”, the 22 year old cut off his hysterical sister. “But calling them off will only bring suspicion toward us”.

“The Pythoness would not remain blind to this”, Gentiana softly chimed in. “Any harm that would come to the Oracle would warrant her to return”.

Luna sighed in frustration knowing the messenger in black was right. Muerlin would surely come back if she knew any of them were in danger.

“We must have hope...and trust the Pythoness will find her way home”.

“There’s no sign of her, Captain!!”, a trooper shouted toward his superior as they slowly trudged through the wilderness in search for their silver haired target whom was silently perched in a nearby tree behind many branches.

Unfortunately, that jump took a lot out of her as well as spraining her ankle. She was in no position to take any of them on so her only option would be to wait it out.

After some time, the silver haired fugitive had fallen asleep only to be startled by a sudden cracking sound. A small shriek escaped her throat as she plummeted from the tree, tumbling onto the ground below unknowing alerting a wandering cyborg.

“Shit”, the frustrated teen swore under her breath as she noticed a slight pain from a large cut upon her leg.

As she tore a piece of fabric from her leggings off to treat her wound, a brief disturbance in the wind caught her attention.

There was silence until...

*whirrrrr*

A sharp gasp escaped her throat as she ducked just before an axe blade sliced the side of the tree she was sitting against.

The pain from her leg disabled her ability to stand and she couldn’t concentrate enough to use her powers, leaving her seemingly helpless to the cyborg’s advances.

As the magetik axeman rose his weapon to deliver his final blow against the wounded girl, Muerlin shut her eyes before shielding her face unable to watch her impending doom.

But...

Nothing happened.

Upon hesitantly peeling her eyes open, Muerlin discovered the malfunctioning cyborg staring at a blade perturbing through its abdomen before releasing a piercing screech before disappearing into a cloud of pitch smoke revealing its attacker.

“P...Prae?”

Muerlin stuttered in disbelief as her friend dropped the stolen imperial sword on the ground, before darting toward the young fugitive.

“Are you okay?”, the seemingly exhausted Prae asked examining her wound. “Does it hurt?”

“N-no, but...”.

“Here”, Prae continued pulling out a potion holding it over Muerlin’s wound until it shattered and disappeared along with the cut.

“Thanks...”, Muerlin mumbled.

“Can you walk?”, Prae asked as she began to help her friend up off the ground.

“Uh...yeah”, the silver haired girl replied as she dusted her clothes off.

“Let’s go”, the jade eyed girl turned behind them frantically looked around to see if they were being followed. “They’ll be here soon”.

“R-right...”, Muerlin nodded as they took off deeper into the Tenebraen wilderness.

That night...

Ravus, Lunafreya and Gentiana sat in the drawing room in silence. The only light was the glow of the fireplace and the moonlit sky from their open window.

“Commander. There is no sign of the girl. What are your instructions?”, a trooper asked Ravus over the radio.

Luna shot her brother a pained glare knowing that he wouldn’t call of the hunt for their sister rather than merely delaying them, although she knew it was all he could do.

“Set up your posts. No use in wandering aimlessly”.

“But...sir...wouldn’t we have a better chance of finding her while she’s most likely dormant?”

“To give her a better chance of finding you in the dark and picking off your men one by one? Or have you forgotten what she did at the academy?”

“I...well, uh...”, the trooper stammered.

“But if you’re so certain of your safety, then be my guest. Every member of your troop that’s lost is on your head”.

“Uh...y-yes, sir. We’ll set up, sir”, the trooper finally complied.

“And what would be his punishment for finding her?”, Lunafreya sarcastically asked her elder brother. “A medal?”

“Lunafreya...”, Ravus glared toward his angry sister, absolutely fed up with her implications.

“Who are you saving with this mere delay?”, Lunafreya continued, “your men or our sister?”

“Just what’re you implying”, Ravus rose his voice.

“That our sister is some sort of killer”.

“Is her beheading a man in a locker room not the reason why we are here now?”, the commander harshly replied.

“She was defending her friend!!!”

“SHE LOST CONTROL!!!”, the commander stood abruptly, his chair toppling over to the floor.

“You don’t care what happens to her, do you?”, Lunafreya, still firmly planted in her seat, calmly asked.

“I do. I love her just as much as you. Do not forget she is my sister too”, Ravus defended, “but the world sees the Pythoness as a threat and will not take murder in such ferocity with a slap on the wrist”.

“...the world fears what it does not understand and will turn it into a threat to keep from being wrong”, Luna replied firmly.

“Muerlin is no more a threat than you or I...and one day she will prove it to the world”.

Lunafreya’s calm demeanor ultimately settled the Niflheim commander, though the tension and worry was still evident.

“O, King of the Forests”, Gentiana prayed as she turned toward the night sky, “guide the Pythoness through the storm”.

In a small cave deep miles away from the palace...

Prae silently sat in across from Muerlin as the young wizard summoned small bolts of lightning to illuminate their camp.

She hadn’t said much of anything the entire day. She barely made any eye contact.

Muerlin figured that it wouldn’t have been the best time to discuss the situation given that most of the day was spent running from imperial troops, but the chaos had seemed to die down for the time being so now her only obstacle was to figure out how to start this...

“Prae-”.

“What am I doing here”, the jade eyed girl cut her off, clearly already knowing what she was going to say.

“Um...yeah...”.

“I’ve honestly been thinking about that all day”, she replied in her regular cheery voice, much to Muerlin’s surprise. “I mean...you’re the Pythoness and all so you wouldn’t really need me anymore, buuuut then I thought ‘Prae, this girl can’t even pass math without you let alone take on a whole army and even if-’”.

The rambling girl suddenly stopped once she saw the utterly confused look on Muerlin’s face.

“...well, anyway...I couldn’t just abandon you...after what you did for me”, Prae admitted. “I mean...you risked everything to save my skin...and if I would’ve listened to you when you told me not to go, this probably never would’ve happened...I feel like I owe you that much...besides...”, she turned toward the silver haired girl with a sweet smile, her jade eyes twinkling against the flame...

“You’re my best friend”.

Prae could clearly see the tears brewing in Muerlin’s teal eyes. After all the constant lies she told, the burden she put on Tenebrae, everything she lost...she still had Prae.

This overwhelming love sent Muerlin into hysterical sobbing, to which Prae comforted with her warm embrace as the Pythoness got some well deserved rest...finally.

The next morning, the Muerlin was shaken awoke by the frantic Prae.

“Muerlin!”, she panted, “Muerlin, wake up!”

Eyes shooting open, the silver haired girl forced the sleepiness from her vision to witness a bloody scratch upon Prae’s cheek.

“What happened?”, Muerlin worriedly asked her friend.

“A bullet grazed me. The imperials are coming. I was able to throw them off for a while, but it won’t hold them for long. We need to move”, she stammered lifting her groggy friend to her feet before leaving the cave behind.

“Where to?”, Muerlin asked as they dashed through the wilds.

“There’s a small village down the river. Everyday they have farmers sending trucks all throughout Eos to sell produce”, Prae explained in pants. “We can hitch a ride”.

“How do we get there?”

“I know a shortcut. There’s a bridge nearby that’ll take us over the river. It’ll cut our time in half”.

“Alright”, Muerlin agreed, “piece of ca-GAAHK!!!”

Prae suddenly slid to a halt as she heard Muerlin collapse to the ground.

“MUERLIN!!”, the jade eyed girl cried upon seeing the two bullet wounds on her shoulder and abdomen and the hoard of imperials suddenly in view in the distance.

“Oh, no...no, no, no”, Prae panted as she lifted her friend to her feet, hurriedly trudging along with Muerlin’s arm over her shoulder.

Prae could feel her friend weakening as the harsh strain Muerlin was putting on her body to run caused her to bleed out quicker, but they were so close to the bridge.

They just had to get across to find a place to hide. “Come on, Muerlin”, Prae pleaded as she felt her friend consciousness start to fade. “Don’t give up on me now. We can make it. We can-AAGH!!”

Prae shrieked as the gunshots became louder and louder, the imperials footsteps against the dirt becoming more and more prominent.

“WE CAN MAKE IT!!!”, Prae desperately tried to hide the fear in her voice as she began to sob. “I WON’T LET YOU DIE HERE, DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!  I WON’T LET YOU!!!”

“AH-AGH!!!”, the panicked jade eyed girl screamed as a sudden gunshot pierced her eardrums causing her to body to jolt just enough for the barely conscious Muerlin to slip from her grip and tumble off the edge of the rickety bridge.

“NO!”, Prae shouted as she immediately clutched onto Muerlin’s wrist. “GOTCHA!!”, she panted as she began to try to steadily hoist her friend back up. “I gotcha”.

“HALT THERE!!!”, a boisterous voice echoed, catching the jade eyed girl’s attention from the end of the bridge.

“WE HAVE YOU CORNERED!!!”, the imperial trooper shouted at the startled Prae. “SURRENDER OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!!!”

Hot tears began to build in Prae’s jade eyes as she stared down the barrels of several guns pointed directly at her.

“THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!! GIVE US THE PYTHONESS ON THE COUNT OF 5 OR WE WILL SHOOT!!!”

Prae’s mind raced vigorously. The fear embedded into her heart as she stared the reaper in his face. Her life could end here...on this bridge...in mere seconds. Her family, her friends, her hopes and dreams, gone just like that...but...

“Prae...”, a weakened whisper averted the 15 year old’s attention to her dear friend that dangled underneath her, thousands of feet above the roaring waters at the waterfall’s base.

“Pull me up...”.

“5!!!”

The tears Prae held back finally began to slide down her cheeks as she graced her dearest and more cherished friend with a smile.

“No...”.

“What?”, Muerlin weakly exclaimed as her vision still blurred from her blood loss.

“4!!!”

“You gave up your life here to save me...I owe you for that...remember?”

“No...”, Muerlin frantically shook her head as Prae’s tears fell upon her face.

“3!!!” The troopers all cocked their weapons in unison.

“NO, NO WAIT!!!”, Muerlin screamed toward them.

“Don’t worry”, Prae tried to reassure her friend, “the Pythoness was said to have natural healing abilities so you’ll be alright”.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN!!!”

“2!!!!”

“NO, PLEASE, DON’T!!!”, Muerlin desperately pleaded to the soldiers.

“Muerlin...”.

The Pythoness averted her gaze back to her friend whom still wore the sweetest smile. Like she was happy.

“...get home”.

“WAIT!!”, Muerlin begged as she slipped from her friend’s grasp and began to plummet to the waters below.

*bang*

“PRAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

Tagging: @digitalkanvas @insomniasix @aquathemermaidstripper @glacian-apocalypse @a-new-recipehhh @dizzymoogle @prettyprompto

[mzargentum]

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter IX | To The Edge

Chapter VIII | Chapter IX | Chapter X

Word Count: 2,210

Warning: Light violence.

1 hour.

That’s all it took for the chaos to ensue.

For the once peaceful Tenebrae streets to be swarmed with Niflheim soldiers and magetik troopers.

All fixated on one goal.

“FIND THE PYTHONESS!!!”

Lunafreya peered into the hallway from her room watching as the soldiers raced up and down the corridors in search of her missing sister.

The smell of sulfur and smoke polluted the air, finding its way to her window.

Troopers stormed into the residents in fleets. Aimlessly swinging their axes on the innocent and helpless citizens.

Soldiers destroying homes, businesses, ripping everything they touched to shreds....

It was like the first invasion all over again.

Except this time, their target was Muerlin.

Her little sister.

Throughout all of this, that was her main concern...

Where was she?

Was she alright?

Lunafreya never feared what Muerlin was. She was her sister.

She was aware of the good the Pythoness could do, let alone the good within her heart...

...but the world wasn’t ready to see this yet...

...and now...

...they may never be.

“…t…that was…lightning…y…y-your hands…“.

“…you…you look just like her…Eirenne….“

“you’re....the Pythoness”.

Those three words...

...that shaky frightened voice...

...ringing through Muerlin’s mind as she raced home.

Drenched in the crimson of her best friend’s deceased abuser.

His corpse still right where she left it.

Mutilated. Beheaded.

Her hands still shook as the images of her sending through his back. She remembers feeling his spine. Slick with his blood. The disturbing warmth of his insides.

The frantic beating of his heart as the lightning tore it to pieces. The fragments of brain matter still dangling from her silver locks.

It all etched into her skull. She did that...all of that. With nothing, but her bare hands...and her mind.

That wicked piece of scum deserved a bitter judgement, but...what kind of person destroyed a soul so effortlessly...with no remorse. It wasn’t even a mercy kill...rather than the mere thirst for blood and the orgasmic screams of a dying man.

The daemon inside of her enjoyed this.

Enjoyed feeling his pain.

Enjoyed the fear in dear Prae’s innocent eyes. Poor sweet Prae...

How could she have hurt her more? The so called friend she knew all this year was just a rouse to shield her from the monster she actually was...and she still ended up with blood on her precious face.

She should’ve known...she would never be able to be happy.

Daemons don’t know happiness...only pain.

Distracted by her thoughts, Muerlin was unaware of the fact that she had been followed for her vision had suddenly been shrouded by pitch black.

Crippled by gut wrenching fear, she couldn’t even bring herself to scream...

She couldn’t feel the ground beneath her feet...

It seemed like the end...

Perhaps...that wasn’t a bad thing...

Perhaps...that was what was best for everyone...

“MUERLIN!!!”

A familiar voice sent the girl’s eyes shooting open only to be blinded by the glare of the speckled ivory that coated the walls as she found herself in the warm embrace of Lunafreya on the balcony to her room.

“By the Gods, I thought I had lost you”, the Oracle sobbed as she clung to her younger sibling. “Are you unharmed?”, the blue eyed blonde frantically searched her sister for wounds.

“L-Luna?”, the befuddled princess mumbled toward her relieved sister. “But how did...?”

“Worry not, dear Muerlinian”, a soft voice echoed from behind them. Muerlin turned to see the smiling Gentiana behind her. “You are safe once more”.

The messenger’s shimmering brown eyes gracing the bloodstained girl with her undying devotion and kindness. Muerlin had always felt safe in her presence.

“Thank you, Gentiana”, Lunafreya gratefully smiled to the woman in black.

“However, safe now as you may be, it will only be temporary. You will not have much time”, the woman warned the two.

Much to Muerlin’s dismay, she was right. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers found her. However, the silver haired princess had already made her peace.

“Just turn me in...”, she mumbled, her head hung low.

“W-what?!”, Lunafreya stuttered to her sister’s request.

“I will only cause more damage. I can’t drag you down with me...”, Muerlin explained. She couldn’t bare it if anything happened to her beloved sister. “It’s what mother would’ve wanted...”.

“Absolutely not”, Lunafreya abruptly stated.

“Luna, this isn’t your burden to bare”, Muerlin tried to reason with her sister, to no avail.

“That’s not up to you”, the young Oracle firmly stated as she scoured through her drawers.

“But Luna-!”

“This is not up for debate!”, the blonde shouted toward her sister shutting her up immediately. “The Empire has taken enough from me. I’ll be damned by the Gods if I let them take you too!!”

Muerlin stood in silence. There was nothing to say. There was nothing to do, but surrender.

“Here”, Luna hurriedly handed her a long sleeved grey top and black leggings. “You need to change or they’ll spot you for miles”.

Muerlin simply starred at her sister, stunned by the sudden fear of the gravity of the situation at hand.

She would have to leave her home...with nowhere else to go.

“Muerlin, hurry!”, Lunafreya shrieked before a sudden pounding on her door sent a chill up the girls’ spines.

“In there!”, the Oracle whispered as she began to shove the frightened teal eyed girl into her wardrobe. “Quickly!”

Once Muerlin was out of sight, the young blonde hastily made her way to the door. A crack in between the doors of the wardrobe made it impossible for the nosey child not to peak.

“Brother?”, Luna greeted the panting Ravus in confusion. “What is the matter?”

“Where is she?”, the intimidating young man barked at his younger sister whom was trying to play dumb.

“Where is who?”

“None of your little games, sister!!”, Ravus shouted in irritation having none of Lunafreya’s lying. “Where is Muerlin?!” As he began entering the room, Luna stepped in front of him in the direction of the wardrobe, halting his entry.

“I do not know. She hasn’t come to me”, she firmly replied. “Please leave”.

Ravus’ eyes wandered about her room. He was not believing her story in the slightest and Lunafreya knew. She also knew Ravus was no moron especially once his eyes landed upon the wardrobe behind her.

His gaze never wavered.

Muerlin’s fragile heart pounded viciously in her head once her teal iris’ came into contact with his icy stare between the crack in the wardrobe doors. Her blood chilled though she was covered in sweat.

“Do I have to repeat myself?”, Lunafreya suddenly interrupted his trance though his eyes still remained fixed on the silver haired girl within the wardrobe.

“You know...if she returns, you cannot shield her from what’s to come”, the commander softly yet firmly stated before shifting his gaze to his baby blue eyed sister. “They will come for her and they will find her”.

“And if you are the one to find her”, the virtually tearful Oracle began to ask her cold-hearted brother, “what will you do?”

“Deliver her to Chancellor Izunia personally”, he admitted wholeheartedly.

Fighting off bitter tears, Muerlin pulled her gaze away from the crack.

“SHE IS OUT SISTER!!!”, Lunafreya screamed as she furiously shoved her brother. “MOTHER NEVER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THIS!!!” 

“I know”, the man softly affirmed, taking the tearful girls hand into both of his. “So don’t let me find her...”, he whispered before letting go of her hand, finally taking his leave.

As he rounded the corner of the hallway, Lunafreya looked toward her palm in silence. Her tears fading. 

“I won’t...”.

After finally getting dressed, Lunafreya and Muerlin made their way out of the room toward the back corridor of the palace. There were no roads and no houses in that direction, so there were minimal soldiers patrolling.

The soldiers had seemingly abandoned their search on this side of the palace so they could move a bit more quickly although there were enough soldiers patrolling the hallways and searching around the rooms for the task to be less than simple.

“How far now?”, Muerlin quietly asked her older sister.

“Just down this hall”, Lunafreya informed before peaking around the corner only to silently curse the two magetik troopers pacing back and forth down the hallway.

“How’re we supposed to get past them?”, Muerlin fearfully asked clutching onto her sister’s arm.

“I can create a distraction”, the blonde stated as she fished through her dress pockets.

“What?? How?”, a hint of worry filling the silver haired girl’s lungs. “You’re not planning anything stupid, are you?”

“Of course not”, Luna affirmed. “Ravus would be furious”.

“No, he wouldn’t”, Muerlin growled in irritation at the mere thought of the Niflheim commander. “He wouldn’t give less than two behemoth shits. He would probably kill us himself. He doesn’t care about us...”

A light sigh slid from the young Oracle’s nostrils before taking Muerlin’s dainty bronze hand, placing a rather large switchblade onto her palm.

“Ravus cares a lot more than you think”, the smiling Lunafreya reassured her confused sister.

“Where’d you get this...?”, Muerlin stammered at her usually so innocent and sweet sister.

“It doesn’t matter now”, Luna shook her head, gently tightening her grip on her sister’s hand. “What matters now is this moment...because it will be our last together”.

Finally giving into her despair of the situation, light tears began to stream down Muerlin’s bronze cheeks. “I don’t wanna go, Luna...”

“Nor do I want you to go...but the Gods have bigger plans for you beyond Tenebrae. You have far more power than you will ever know...but it is what you hold inside your heart that makes that power great”, Luna’s soft voice soothed her sister.

“So I need you to promise me, no matter what happened, take to the light and never look back”, Luna smiled. “Show the world the real Muerlinian Zephyr.

Muerlin’s tears faded though her heart melted. Clutching onto the knife, before looking back toward Luna’s baby blue iris’.

“I....I promi-LOOK OUT!!!”, Muerlin suddenly shrieked, pulling her sister’s head down as a giant axe came swinging toward the wall in the place of where her neck would’ve been.

As the magitek axeman viciously yanked his weapon from the wall, Muerlin furiously shifted her gaze back to the cyborg sending a telekinetic pulse toward it, hurling its body to the side wall of the hallway only to alert anymore nearby troopers of their location.

“RUN, MUERLIN!!!”, Lunafreya screamed as her sister hesitantly shuffled toward the hall, not wanting to abandon her sister. “GO!!!!”, Luna screamed once more as her remorseful sister took off in a sprint down the hall.

Soldiers and cyborgs alike hot on her tail. More and more appearing from rooms and other corridors.

Guns ablaze lightly grazing her flesh as she swiftly bobbed and weaved around corners never looking behind to the adversaries on her rear.

After one final turn, there it was.

At the end of the hallway, Queen Sylva’s study. Untouched since that horrid day.

Muerlin vowed never to enter and it tore her to shreds knowing this was the only way out of this hell.

The rage and anguish of what she was about to do increased her speed, her aching legs carrying her like the wind.

She had reached the point of no return, it had to be done...

“I’m sorry...”, Muerlin softly panted as she hurled a wave of telekinetic energy toward the door blowing most of the wall out creating a gaping hole in the entrance just before flying in making her way toward the balcony.

The short length between the door and the balcony felt like an eternity.

This was it. Her final moments as a Nox Flueret.

All at once, her grief creeped upon her.

She never got to actually reconcile with Ravus...

Never got to apologize to Prae...

Say goodbye to Luna...

She only wished for a bullet to actually hit the right spot, but...a promise is a promise.

“DO NOT LET HER JUMP!!”, a soldier shouted before Muerlin leaped from the marble floors toward the balcony.

The momentum of her sprint carrying her over the railing.

A few more shots were fired just before she cleared the rails in a desperate attempt to sedate her, but to no avail.

“NOOO!!!”

A trooper shouted in frustration as their silver haired target disappeared into the fog below.

“GET A SEARCH PARTY DOWN THERE, PRONTO!!! WE CAN’T LET HER ESCAPE!!!”, the trooper ordered before the wave of cyborgs darted down the corridor.

“Commander”, the trooper soon called over the radio in defeat.

“What is it?”, Ravus answered, slight anxiety in his voice, as Lunafreya and Gentiana fearfully stood awaiting the news.

“We...we lost her, sir. She got away...”.

A sigh of relief escaped the Oracle’s lungs.

“We have search parties scouring the area. We’ve blocked off all transport exits. She cannot have gone far”, the trooper confidently spoke, reinitiating the worry inside of their hearts.

“Very good. Keep me updated”, Ravus replied before turning toward his younger sister.

His icy gaze melting over to held back tears as his agony flooded over.

Tagging: @digitalkanvas @insomniasix @aquathemermaidstripper @glacian-apocalypse @a-new-recipehhh @dizzymoogle @prettyprompto

[mzargentum]

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter VIII | What Happened To You?

Chapter VII | Chapter VIII | Chapter IX

Word Count: 1,872

Warning: Violence, abuse, gore, death

The bruises.

They never went away.

Two.

Four.

Seven.

Entire limbs would be covered when you were near me.

But I knew.

I knew what was happening to you.

You didn’t want to tell me.

You didn’t want to admit that even the brightest of them all could feel pain.

You wanted to give me something to believe in.

I believed you deserved better.

I knew it.

I was going to see to it.

Free you from the filth that hurt you.

One way...or another.

No matter how hard he screamed...

No matter how much he bled...

*ring ring*

*ring ring*

“You gonna take that?”

Prae didn’t answer. She just stared at the screen as the device sang in her palm.

Eirenne was starting to get fed up. He called her every hour nonstop and would blow up her phone if she didn’t answer once.

No matter what she was doing or who she was with.

Plus, the bruises were multiplying. Eirenne rarely saw them nowadays, but Prae was giving and returning less hugs. Distancing herself from people to keep from touching them.

She winced at nearly every motion.

Constantly complained about being in some sort of pain. Frankly, it was infuriating the silver haired princess.

And it needed to stop.

“No...no, it’s fine. I told him where I would be today”, Prae finally replied declining the call, slipping it back into her pocket.

“Okay”.

As they returned to their studies...

*ring ring*

*ring ring*

“Ugh, come on, man!!”, the Tenebraen princess slammed her fist down on the table, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“I know, I’m sorry”, Prae scrambled for her device. “He’s enthusiastic”.

“He’s a pest!” Eirenne shouted breaking down her friend’s defense. “Honestly, what is so important that he has to be in your ear 24/7? He doesn’t even care that you’re in school most of the day!!”

Prae averted her exhausted gaze from her friend’s teal iris’ to her phone.

“His voice is probably plastered in your head by now. He can wait a few more hours”.

“Yeah...yeah...you’re right”, Prae agreed. Her voice heightening, seemingly, along with her mood and shutting her phone off for good.

“Attagirl”, Eirenne teased her friend ruffling her short, fluffy hair, sending cute little giggles floating from her throat. “Besides, I saw you first. It’s my turn to love you”.

“Yeah...he’ll be fine. He can wait a little while”, Prae affirmed as she plopped her cellular into her bag.

Finally, things were back to normal.

Days went on and Prae seemed to be back to her completely cheery self. Their conversations went back to being 90% Prae rambling like usual and Eirenne providing snarky commentary when she felt it was needed, entertaining and annoying her friend at the same time.

It was how it should be.

They were both happy.

“Uuuugggghhhh, why do we have to study during study hall anyway?”, Eirenne complained as the girls made their way to the school library.

“You’re kidding, right? That’s probably the laziest question you’ve ever asked me”, Prae judged her friend’s sluggish manner.

“It’s not like you need to study anyway, you’re doing just fine”.

“Well, duh, I know I don’t”, Prae triumphantly beamed as they sat down. “But if you don’t graduate with me and I have to hear you bitch and moan about having to take all of your classes over again, that’ll give me a permanent headache”.

“Thanks”, Eirenne chuckled.

“I mean, you do realize you have to pass math to graduate, right?”

“Unfortunately, I’m aware that I have to know how to multiply 2 and 7 to be considered a functioning adult”, the silver haired teen sarcastically joked.

“What is 2 times 7?”

“27″.

“...I can’t help you”, Prae shut the textbook in defeat sending Eirenne into a fit of laughter before being shushed by their classmates around them at the other tables.

“Shut up, stupid”, Prae whispered also in a small laughing fit. “You’re gonna get us in....”, Prae’s eyes suddenly widened and as she stared behind her friend, “...trouble”.

Confused, Eirenne turns around to see a young man dressed in black and red outside the window behind them, staring intensely at Prae.

He was a rather dashing young man from what Eirenne could see.

Fair toned skin, amber eyes, short and nicely combed.....maroon hair?

Wait...no. It can’t be...

Eirenne’s body stiffened. Her palms grew sweaty. It couldn’t be him...it’s been years.

How could he have found her? But....he didn’t seem to care for the silver haired girl rather than her innocent jade eyed friend.

“Who’s that...?”, Eirenne asked with gritted teeth, balling up one of her fists.

“My boyfriend”, Prae replied, evident fear in her voice.

Still bitterly staring at Prae, the man made his way to the back of the building.

“Um...I should go see if he’s okay”, Prae stammered as she stood from her seat.

“Wait, are you serious?!” Eirenne loudly whispered. “Did you see the look on his face?”

“It’s fine”, Prae reassured her worried friend, “he’s probably just a little bitter about me ignoring his calls. I’ll just set this straight and be right back. No sweat”.

“Really. No sweat”. Eirenne was clearly unconvinced.

“I promise. I’ll be back in a second”, the jade eyed girl smiled toward her friend before sneaking toward the bathrooms in the back of the building.

It couldn’t have been him...he was too young. His hair was much shorter...his clothes looked less...lived in, but that stare...those eyes. 

Regardless of who he was, Prae was afraid...she was never afraid of anything...and what kind of coward would Eirenne be if she allowed anything to happen to her best friend?

Once the librarian retreated into her office, Eirenne silently followed her friend down the corridor to the bathrooms.

They were under construction due to foundation problems. Part of the girl’s bathroom had caved in on a student some time ago killing her.

Because of overcrowding, they were in the process of adding showers to the bathrooms, but because of the incident production had been delayed for some time.

The light flickered, but it was mostly dark. The walls had cracks for days as well as the floors and ceiling. There had been multiple cave ins around the sides of the hallway leading toward the bathrooms. Looked like no one had even bothered trying to fix it.

As Eirenne approached the bathrooms, she noticed the floors coated in water and the closer to got to her destination, she could hear voices coming from the girl’s bathroom.

Not wanting to cause alarm, she crept closer to get a view of the two of them standing by the showers...

“Stop lying to me...”.

“I’m not, sweetie, I promi-AGH!”

Eirenne lightly jumped upon hearing the slap to Prae’s flesh. Her blood beginning to boil one thousand degrees a second.

“Don’t give me that, you little whore!”

“I’m not lying to you! I’ve been here all day, you can ask Eir-egh! Gghk!”

“I’m not asking that little freak friend of yours shit”, the vicious character growled with his fist clasped upon Prae’s throat.

Desperately pawing at his wrist, tears began to stream down her fair cheeks.

“Please...I can’t breat-AH!”. A shriek sailed from her lungs as her back was slammed against the linoleum wall.

“Good”, the man hissed glaring down upon Prae. His amber gaze shifting to a lustrous gold. Like a viper squeezing the life out of his helpless prey.

“Beg for me to let you go...”.

“Please...”, Prae pleaded as he tightened his grip. “I...I can’t...breathe”.

“Yeah, just like that...”, the man hissed. “You’re gonna show me what you’re really worth alive...You filthy whore...”, the young man licked his lips before unbuttoning his shirt.

“..Pl-please, no...I-I won’t ever ignore your calls again...I swear..”, Prae helplessly whimpered as the man yanked her panties clean from her body, emitting a pained cry from the innocent Prae.

Eirenne, paralyzed at the end of the shower, began to lightly pant as her overheating blood shifted to a black. The pain keeping her to her knees as she watched her friend abuser in action...had he ever done this before?

Prae would’ve told her....wouldn’t she?

A sudden sizzling caught the attention of the silver haired girl as the white gloves coating her hands began to burn away revealing her blackened hands.

The daemonic energy within their contents infecting the rest of her body, taking over her mind, making her lose control.

With all her might she fought to keep her head....don’t lose control....don’t lose control...don’t lose...

All went silent as the young girl clasped her eyes shut....her heartbeat bursting through her eardrums.

The only other distinctive sound...

...was the clinking of metal...

...from a belt.

“RRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”

A monstrous roar echoed throughout the room, before...

“AAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!” A blood curdling scream from the jade eyed girl upon the hand perturbing from her boyfriend’s stomach.

The man looked down toward the intrusion of his abdomen before returning his gaze to Prae whom was still in his grasp. 

Regurgitating blood upon her face before shakily turning to see the fanged teen, black veins pulsating throughout her face.

Her blackened daemonic stare paralyzing him.

“You can rot with the rest of them...”, the daemon girl growled before pulling her arm back to where her hand was within his wound.

Shifting her hand upward, his violent screams pulsated through the bathroom as Eirenne inched her way through his body, her arm intruding the his internal anatomy until she reached his heart.

Clutching onto the cardiac organ, squeezing it, a field of electricity wrapped about it, sending violent jolts throughout ripping it to shreds. 

The pulsations causing him to finally release the mortified Prae whom was now trapped to watch him gag on his own crimson. 

Blood seeping into the cracks of the linoleum below.

Once she was released, Eirenne withdrew her arm from his body causing him to crash to the floor upon his knees in front of the tearful Prae. 

Clinging to life by a thread, he slowly reached for the terrified girl just before the daemon girl summoned a telekinetic force field in the center of his brain, instantly expanding it sending shards of blood and brain throughout the entire bathroom.

Finally, sending him collapsing dead to the floor...

All that was left...was Prae.

On the floor, panting in fear, in front of her abuser’s mutilated corpse...

...and her best friend...finally realizing the truth...

“...t...that was...lightning...y...y-your hands...”.

Her stuttering voice began to soothe Eirenne back to her normal state.

Her eyes and veins returning to their proper hue...

“...you...you look just like her...Eirenne....”.

The silver haired girl merely stared at her friend, panting vigorously...

“...you’re...”.

“...the Pythoness...”.

A sudden shriek startled the girls. Abruptly turning around to see the librarian dash from the bathroom screaming for help down the corridor.

The frightened bloodstained girl sent a telekinetic pulse through the side wall.

“EIRENNE!!!”, Prae shouted toward her friend to no avail.

She had to get home.

The secret was out...

Muerlinian Zephyr was in Tenebrae.

The Pythoness was reborn.

Tagging: @digitalkanvas @insomniasix @aquathemermaidstripper @glacian-apocalypse @a-new-recipehhh @dizzymoogle @prettyprompto

[mzargentum]

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter VI | Split

Chapter V | Chapter VI | Chapter VII

Word Count: 1,190

Trigger Warning: Self-harm.

A/N: Italics are still memories in this chapter.

My hands.

They still shake from the cold.

They shouldn’t be able to shake at all.

I shouldn’t be here.

When you let me go...

...my vision faded.

Yet, here I am.

To trudge through my own mind.

Remembering.

Regretting.

Wishing that you were all wrong that day...

                      “...and legend says that one day, Ramuh will choose another successor host for his daughter’s spirit”, Prae droned on in fascination about her history topic to Eirenne, whom was virtually uninterested.

“Are you even listening to me?”, Prae sighed toward the dazed princess.

“Yeah”, Eirenne nonchalantly replied.

“Then what did I just say?”

“Thaaaaaat Ramuh’s daughter has awful taste in men”, the silver haired girl teased.

“Nice”, Prae replied in a lightly annoyed tone. Keeping Eirenne interested in anything remotely involving the Astrals seemed futile.

“C’mon, Prae”, Eirenne lightly sighed. “Y’know I don’t really care about this stuff. All this tragic Shakespeare In The Park crap puts me to sleep”.

“Eirenne Nox Flueret, as younger sister of the Oracle, you of all people should know better”.

“Oh, here comes Mother Prae with another one”, Eirenne mocked her friend before she continued her rant.

“You can’t tell me that you don’t find Asteria the slightest bit impressive”.

“Are we sure about that?”

“She gave her spirit back to her father to one day return to help rid Eos of the daemons”.

“While allowing herself to become part daemon”.

“She sacrificed herself to save her father and kingdom”.

“Which wouldn’t have needed saving if she would’ve listened to daddy”.

“She is a legendary goddess!”

“That gave her virginity to the devil!”

“Why do always have to see the worst in everything?!”

“BECAUSE I DON’T IDEALIZE MONSTERS!!!”, Eirenne finally snapped slamming her fist down upon the table much to her friend’s surprise.

“You’re wrong about her...”, Prae quietly spoke. “The Pythoness-”.

“Is a witch”, Eirenne abruptly cut her off. “She’s half daemon, Prae. Y’know, the things that come out at night and slaughter countless innocence. Why do you think no one even goes to Willownoire? She’s the monster that hides under our beds...what good could you possibly see in that?”

“...a lot more than you, obviously”.

“You’re damn right...”, Eirenne huffed before scooping up her bag and storming away from her friend toward House Flueret, desperately fighting off the tears welding in her eyes.

Do you know why I used to wear gloves everyday?

Well...I’m sure you do now.

But you never really noticed...

All that time.

And you never asked why.

I was happy you didn’t...

You were never supposed to see these pitch black hands...

...the daemon essence that circulates through these tainted veins.

You were never supposed to know...

They used to cover my fingertips...

...but the more skin they covered, the longer the gloves got.

First the tips...

...then the knuckles...

...now just above the wrist...

...just above this...print.

This damned thing.

It haunts me daily.

Reminds me of...him.

You would’ve asked about the scar if you saw...

...you would’ve cried...

...like Luna did.

“Come on....dammit”, Eirenne winced as she furiously scratched upon her wrist.

Her breath shortened in heavy sobs as her eyes burned from the waterfalls cascading down her bronze cheeks.

Her flesh slowly began to tear as she viciously hacked away with her nails.

Teeth marks randomly coated the edges from her occasional desperate gnaws at her tattoo.

She could hear him in her head...that sinister chuckle ringing through her ears.

Driving her to insanity.

“Get out of my head...”, the 14 year old growled in the night. “Get out...”.

Itching faster and harder into her flesh to distract herself from his voice, the pain was so unbearable...but his voice still invaded her psyche.

She couldn’t take this anymore...

It was time for drastic action...

“Y...Y-You won’t.....h....have me”, the disturbed teen shuttered as she clutched onto a small letter opener knife sitting upon her nightstand.

The anxiety of what she was about to do drove her to hysteria...as she began to chuckle. 

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” She asked the voice roaming in her head only to be answered by a soft sensual “Muerlin”.

“GET OUT!!!”, the girl shrieked as she jammed the knife deep into her wrist, coating her plush sheets and pillows with her crimson.

“GET OUT!!!”, she repeated once more as she drove the knife into her wrist again and again and again.

Tasting the blood that shot aimlessly from her veins.

“MUERLIN, NO!!!”

A horrified Lunafreya shouted as she clutched onto her younger sister’s wrist before she could bring the knife back down.

“NO!!! DON’T TOUCH ME!!!”, the panicked girl fought to retrieve her arm from Luna’s grip.

“MUERLIN, PUT IT DOWN!!!”

“NO!!!”, the girl continued to shriek as the veins in her face began to fade to black, blood vessels bursting within her eyes.

“Blessed Stars of life and light...”, the Oracle lightly chanted noticing her sister’s powers beginning to wreak fatal havoc upon her mind, while gently placing her forehead against the frantic teen’s.

“...deliver us from darkness blight”.

A subtle glow emitting between them.

And after mere moments...

...the young princess relaxed. Dropping the blood stained knife to the floor...

“Muerlin?”, the concerned Lunafreya softly called to her sister whom was silently watching as her wound healed...revealing that damned tattoo once more.

“No...”, the disturbed young girl sobbed in defeat. “Why did you do it?!” She cried flailing in her sister’s grasp.

“Because you were killing yourself, Muerlin!!”, Lunafreya replied trying to get ahold of her little sister.

“Just let me die!!!”

“I would never!!!”

“I’m a monster!!!”

“YOU ARE MY SISTER!!!”, Luna shouted finally silencing the frantic girl.

“...I hear him in my sleep”, she finally admitted behind the tears. “He turned me into a monster...he taunts me”.

“He will NOT take you!!! Do you understand?!” Luna’s voice was firm. Backed by light sobs. “As long as I’m here, I will never let him harm you ever again. I swear it”.

Finally surrendering to her sister’s love, the young princess gave into her tears before burying her drenched face into Lunafreya’s warm embrace, slowly falling asleep within her arms.

That night...

I saw Luna cry for the first time since Mother died...

...Ravus...well. I didn’t see much of him...but I could hear outside his room.

I’m still so afraid to know what he thought of me...what he thinks...

What do you think Luna?

Now...

After all of this.

Am I still your sister?

Do you still love me like you did before?

I can no longer feel you in my mind...

...is it because I’m barely strong enough to move? Let alone think...

Or have you joined brother in despising me for the trouble I caused?

For the monster I am...

...for the abomination he made me into...

Do you see me as a goddess?

...or do you look for me under your bed at night...just like everyone else?

Am I still the Muerlin you seek to protect?

...or am I the Pythoness...you’re meant to destroy?

                        Tagging: @digitalkanvas @insomniasix @aquathemermaidstripper @glacian-apocalypse @dizzymoogle @prettyprompto @a-new-recipehhh

[mzargentum]

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter V | Forgiveness & Mercy

Chapter IV | Chapter V | Chapter VI

Word Count: 1,173

A/N: The italics are flashbacks of memories, everything else is Muerlin’s thoughts in the present.

A/N: This one is mostly for “Easter Egg” purposes so it is a lot shorter than the other chapters.

I’m sorry.

For what I am.

For what being me has caused.

I tried to lie.

Tried to hide in this illusion of someone...

...someone who could be...better.

Someone you could count on.

A shoulder for your tears to roll onto.

Alas...

The only tears are the bitter ones I shed for you.

Prae...

“Eirenne!!”

A light shove against the shoulder startled the 14 year old, yanking her lagoon eyes to the jade stare of the girl sitting across from her.

“You were doing it again”, the girl lightly giggled at her disoriented friend.

Eirenne, still dazed from the abrupt interruption of her daydream, blinked in confusion.

“Doing what?”

“That thing you do when you’re bored”. The girl replied with a raise of her eyebrow.

Eirenne sighed slumping over the textbook in front of her.

“Is history supposed to really excite me...?”

“It is if you want to pass our test at the end of the week”, the girl retorted reminding her friend of why they were even studying in the first place.

“That actually makes it less exciting”, the lazy princess whined as her forehead comes down onto the thick textbook with a loud thunk.

“Eirenne”, the 15 year old rolled her eyes to her unenthused friend, “history is just as important as literature or math. It’s how we connect ourselves to the rest of the world”.

“How is listening to someone drone on about some beardy old dude with a stick and a kingdom that no one is even allowed to go to supposed to connect us to the rest of the world?” Eirenne smirked at her friend seeing absolutely no importance to their current subject. Only to receive a stern bop to her crown with a small book from her jade eyed friend.

“Because the Astrals are our Gods, stupid”, she retorted. “They created the world and us and protect it so dummies like you can shove cookies in your mouth all day. Your sister is the Oracle. You should know that”.

“Ughhh...”, Eirenne groaned toward her feisty friend. “Asshole”.

“Oh, hush”, the short haired girl hissed returning her gaze to her book. “It was only a tap”.

“So mean...”, the silver haired girl teased with a pout. Also returning her gaze to the book in front of her.

With a light sigh and eye roll, the slightly annoyed jade eyed girl finally gave in. Like she always ended up doing.

“Alright, look...”, she started, regaining her friend’s attention.

“I’ll give you my macarons at lunch ONLY IF you finished studying, deal?”

“...what flavor are they?”, Eirenne squinted her lagoon orbs in suspicion.

“Green tea...”, the girl mumbled.

With a gasp loud enough to draw the attention of everyone else in the class, the suddenly elated princess shouted “DEAL!” before scooping up her pencil furiously scribbling notes in her journal much to her friend’s amusement.

“Dummy”, she giggled toward her sweet toothed friend. “And make sure you get everything. I’ll be checking to make sure. Okay?”

With an eyeroll and a playful smirk, the young Princess complied.

“Yes, Prae”.

Back then...

It wasn’t even that long ago.

You were right.

I was stupid.

I am stupid.

What would Luna have said that day?

Would she have been as proud as the day we met?

Do you remember?

Do you Prae?

If you knew this would be where we would end up...

...tell me...

...would you have really stayed?

“Class”, a lighthearted voice rang throughout the classroom. “We have a new student joining us today”.

A light giggle floated from the woman’s throat upon a sudden small tug against her skirt.

“She’s a little shy, but we’re going to give her a nice warm welcome, aren’t we everybody?”

“Yes, ma’am”, all the children replied.

“Alright, everyone. This is Eirenne”, the teacher gleefully announced.

“Hi, Eirenne”, the class greeted the shy 8 year old whom barely poked her head from behind her teacher, only catching the gaze of a few students.

Upon her view, most of the students’ eyes widened upon the sight of her sparkling silver hair and her teal iris’.

Did she really look THAT weird? But frozen in fear, she couldn’t look away. Overwhelmed by sudden insecurities of her appearance, she could feel her anxiety begin to display itself in the form of hot tears welding in her eyes, until...

“IS THAT YOUR REAL HAIR?!”

An abrupt shriek startled the young princess, averting her attention to the far right of the class. A few students up front turned around to face a small girl with short pale brown hair and big boisterous jade eyes nearly standing in her seat smiling wide toward the frightened child.

“Y...yes”, Eirenne mumbled.

“IT’S SOOOOOO PRETTY!!!”

“Th-thanks”, the silver haired girl lightly blushed still stunned by the random compliment from a stranger.

“Teacher, can Eirenne sit by me?! Pleeeeeeease?!”, the girl begged bouncing in her chair.

“Sure she can”, the woman giggled, “if she wants to”.

“You wanna come sit by me?”, the bombastic child asked the timid newcomer while patting the desk next to hers, closest to the window.

“O-okay”, Eirenne nodded with a light smile before slowly making her way to her seat.

“Alright. All settled”, the woman continued gleefully. “Now class, let’s begin. Everyone take out your workbooks”.

“Yes, ma’am”, the class replied in unison.

Not long after, as Eirenne was nose deep into her work, she lightly jumped to the abrupt placement of folded piece of paper next to her hand.

Warped with confusion, the young Eirenne cautiously unfolded the paper revealing a cursive note that read:

“Do you want to be my friend?”

Wide eyed, the silver haired girl averted her gaze to her smiling jade eyed classmate.

She didn’t seem like she was messing with her or anything...maybe she really wanted to be her friend?

Besides, it wasn’t like the young princess didn’t like her. She was nice.

With that, returning the smile, the timid girl nodded in response.

“I’m Prae”, the girl finally introduced herself in a whisper with twinkling eyes and a proud grin. “Prae Clementia”.

A sudden warmth arouse within the girl’s small body for she remembered her big sister’s words from the night before...

Lunafreya’s voice ringing within her mind: “They will run from all over to speak to you...what would you say back?”

“I’m Eirenne Nox Flueret”, she replied with a light whisper. “Nice to meet you”.

That was the day it all started.

The day the Astral’s sealed your fate.

Basically...

...the day you died.

If only I would have known.

If only...I could’ve stopped this.

If only...I never left Niflheim...

There’s no escaping what I am...

The monster that ruined you.

I am cursed with this burden...I destroy...my hands are black for a reason.

And it’s because of that reason...that I can never see you again.

I just hope that once the smoke clears...

...and you’ve finally gotten to relax...

...you find it in your heart to hear my plea...

...Prae...

...forgive me.

Tagging: @digitalkanvas @insomniasix @aquathemermaidstripper @glacian-apocalypse @dizzymoogle @prettyprompto @a-new-recipehhh

(If you would like to be tagged, let me know. ^^)

[insomniasix]

😱😱😱😱😱 Ardyn, Prae, MUERLIN!!!!! I loveee thisss babeh!!! Can't wait to see what's next.. (really hope Ardyn gets what he deserves, he really pissed me off:

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter XI | Repine

Chapter X | Chapter XI

Word Count: 4,800

Warnings: None.

With a sharp gasp…

Muerlin’s lagoon eyes shot open. Her pupils contracting at the bright morning glow as she hacked the excess water from her lungs onto her chest, leaning forward into a sitting position to catch her breath.

As her vision corrected, she examined her blood stained shirt, but in confusion for she felt no pain.

Peering into her damp and distressed shirt, she noticed her abdomen was bare as well as her shoulder, though the holes from the bullets still remained.

Upon examining her person, she starred curiously at her pitch black hands. She couldn’t remember where she had placed her gloves, but nothing on her person, but the clothes on her back, it appeared she didn’t have them.

Her gaze shifted to her right hand…and she was fixated on it for some reason. Like it was trying to tell her something…like it harbored a secret for her to uncover.

And then it hit her….

“Prae…”.

Keep reading

[insomniasix]

I didn't need my heart anyways..

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter V | Forgiveness & Mercy

Chapter IV | Chapter V

Word Count: 1,173

A/N: The italics are flashbacks of memories, everything else is Muerlin’s thoughts in the present.

A/N: This one is mostly for “Easter Egg” purposes so it is a lot shorter than the other chapters.

I’m sorry.

For what I am.

For what being me has caused.

I tried to lie.

Tried to hide in this illusion of someone…

…someone who could be…better.

Someone you could count on.

A shoulder for your tears to roll onto.

Alas…

The only tears are the bitter ones I shed for you.

Prae…

Keep reading

[insomniasix]

Duudee, I knew I shouldn't have read that at work.. Praaee 😭😭😭

The Stormsender’s Daughter | Chapter X | Crimson Jade

Chapter IX | Chapter X

Word Count: 2,031

Warnings: Violence, gore, death

“Very good?”, Lunafreya grimaced at her elder brother in disbelief. 

“Very good?! Those troopers are out there hunting our sister for that fiend Chancellor Izunia and you’re congratulating them?!”

The grief stricken 18 year old stormed toward the Niflheim commander enraged by his seemingly nonchalant attitude toward the situation.

“Of course not”, Ravus replied in irritation, “but what am I to tell them?!”

“Call off the serach!! If they find her then-”.

“I know”, the 22 year old cut off his hysterical sister. “But calling them off will only bring suspicion toward us”.

“The Pythoness would not remain blind to this”, Gentiana softly chimed in. “Any harm that would come to the Oracle would warrant her to return”.

Luna sighed in frustration knowing the messenger in black was right. Muerlin would surely come back if she knew any of them were in danger.

“We must have hope…and trust the Pythoness will find her way home”.

Keep reading