“Lay said they would be back by morning. The sun has nearly risen. Where are they?” Ammy growled impatiently pacing in front of the thick covering of the cave. Yggdrasil had Alina and the guard laying down against the caves back wall, having cleaned their wounds and given them water. The boy had yet to awaken, and the guard ensured he was comfortable against him.
The seer sighed. “They may find another place to settle down for the day Ammy. Come sit and rest for now.”
The blond snapped her teeth irritably, knowing that worrying would not make it better. She sat, stiff and hands folded in front of her, brow knit in concentration. Alina watched her from across the small fire. “You….are Layrion’s sister yes?”
Gold eyes met green, and Ammy considered the Human her sister had talked of fondly for the first time. “I am. My name is Ammy, and you are Alina. I am sorry for your loss.” Her gaze flicked to the carefully covered body of Kiran. Alina nodded slowly, hand rubbing slowly over her belly.
“I am grateful you all came...when you did. At least my child will get to see life.”
Yggdrasil turned his covered gaze towards her, as if regarding her despite not being able to see her. “What will you name him?”
Alina looked up in surprise at the Seer. “H-him..?”
Yggdrasil’s mouth opened slightly and Ammy sighed, shaking her head. “They didn’t know Yggdrasil.”
He looked panicked, ready to sit up and apologize profusely when Alina brought her hand up to her mouth and sobbed, tears streaming freely as her other hand clutched her stomach. She seemed to curl in on herself, crying as broken words echoed in the cave. “A baby…..boy…..my beautiful baby boy….”
Ammy glanced at Yggdrasil, nodding that he should comfort the woman. He sighed softly, sitting next to her and rubbing her shoulders gently, mindful of her wound. “He is very strong. Like his father and yourself. He will be a blessed child.” Alina finally looked up at him.
“You’re the one who sees the future, aren’t you?” Her voice was soft, tired from the events of the day.
“Yes. I apologize...had I been closer, I might have been able to stop this.” Ammy frowned but said nothing.
Alina shook her head. “It is not your fault. But tell me….will my..son. Will he be happy?”
Yggdrasil was silent for a long time, face tilted towards her stomach. “He will be wayward and headstrong, causing trouble where he goes. But he will be beloved and cherished.”
Alina smiled, her gaze drifting back towards the blanketed form of Kiran. “I will cherish him until the end of my days. I can do that.”
Ammy watched in silence, a part of her admiring how the woman could speak of a future so recently after losing her present. Her thoughts were interrupted as two figures pushed into the cave, forms smoking as the sunlight was covered once more. Ammy was up in a moment, rushing forward- fear coursing through her at the sight of the two Icchorians.
Layrion panted heavily, supporting Rune who had one hand clutched to his left eye. His teeth were bared in anger, holding onto Layrion only out of necessity to stand. As soon as they were inside they collapsed, Rune rolled to his side with a yelp of pain, his inner beast filling the cave with thick growls of pain. The guard and Alina watched in mild horror as he thrashed about, the gold hissing as it fought his beast forms appearance. The sun had done damage to the two warriors, their skin rolled and seemed to bubble for moments after they fell to the ground.
Layrion supported herself on her elbows and knees, her body wracked with pain as she fought back her transformation. Gold claws dug into the sand covered floor, blood dripping slowly from her temple. Ammy tried to approach her, but she batted her away. “Help Rune…..his eye….” She bit down as a low growl pushed its way from her chest. “..It’s gone…..”
Yggdrasil stood, mind racing. They needed blood- and needed it quickly. Alina and the guard would need to be moved- the beasts of the two Icchorians would not be able to distinguish friend from foe. He turned on his heel. “You both need to get outside now. I’m sorry, it is not safe in here. Please.” He helped them up, edging them out of the cave. He did not flinch as the sun touched his armor. “Stay nearby and do not come in until I say it is safe. Do you understand?”
The guard helped Alina sit. “Yes Master Icchorian.”
Yggdrasil closed the opening and turned, watching Ammy struggle to subdue Rune as she pulled at the golden armor on him. “Hold still! Rune fight it a little bit longer.”
“We don’t have anything for them to feed from. The sun is too high, I won’t be able to hunt.” Yggdrasil mused, approaching Layrion.
The white haired Icchorian growled as she tried to right herself. “It was a trap...we knew it….” She sat back against the cave wall. “My injuries are not as bad as his….” Her eye was closed as she concentrated on soothing the beast inside.
“And the Hunters?”
Her eye snapped open. “Dead.”
Yggdrasil nodded, his mind working once again. “I don’t suppose you happened to drag any of them back with you did you?”
Layrion narrowed her gaze, glancing down at Rune who was finally free of the golden armor and who’s beast was breaking free. Dark green scales sprouted, starting from his arms and neck and quickly covering his skin as his bones popped out of place from his Human form. Giant black claws scraped at the walls and floor as Ammy moved out of the way. With a pained and dull roar, the cavern was filled with the form of a dragon, wings bent and broken, dark blood spilling from its left eye.
“That fool rushed before we were able to assess their strength. I was barely able to break through to him when they attacked.”
“But neither of you changed to fight.” Yggdrasil commented gently.
“We didn’t need to.” She watched as Ammy reached out, soothing the beast that snapped its jaws in pain. “There was no time anyway. We should have left them alone and come back. But…” She trailed off, her gaze falling now to Kiran. “Their commander said monsters like us will never bring peace. I am afraid we proved him right.”
Yggdrasil frowned. “No. He is not right. We are trying for peace. We can not give up simply due to the actions of others.”
Layrion grunted in agreement, as she shifted. “I suppose.” She gritted her teeth, growling in the effort it took for the pain to recede enough that she could think. “We need to feed….but my bonded is silent.”
Yggdrasil tilted his head towards Rune. “As is his. I’m not even sure he’ll be able to reach out to his.” She looked up at Yggdrasil.
“We need the Lust soon. But we need something to feed from before then. I am afraid for Alina.” The Seer nodded. If the Lust were to consume the two of them and there be nothing to sate the thirst, Alina and the other two Humans would be in danger. Ammy stood, surprisingly calm as she stepped away from Rune.
“There is something….” She straightened, hands folded in front of her, indicating her discomfort at what she was to say. “There is someone you can feed from. But you won’t like it.”
Layrion looked up at her sister, eye narrowed. “Who?”
Yggdrasil’s mouth dropped open a bit as he realized her implication. “You can’t mean…”
Ammy stood tall, head held high. “Rune needs it. You need it Layrion. And soon or you won’t be able to control it anymore.”
Layrion growled lowly. “What are you talking about? Who?” She barked as another shudder went through her. A tremor wracked her form and a familiar feeling settled in the base of her stomach. She lurched forward, gasping as her head swam with a biting hunger.
Yggdrasil tensed, leaning down. “They’ve Sinned. Layrion hold off. We have to find someone first.”
Ammy dropped her hands to her side. “We have someone. Layrion you must drink from that man over there. His blood is still good.” She indicated the covered body in the far corner.
Layrion’s sharp gaze snapped to Ammy is disbelief, even as her pupils dilated. “Kiran? You want me to drink from Kiran?!” She snapped out, anger laced in the intense hunger. “I will not drink from him!”
“You hardly have any choice in this! He’s dead! He doesn’t need it!” Ammy snapped back, her anger matching that of her sisters.
“He was my friend, I can’t do that to him!” Layrion groaned lowly, her claws digging into the dirt once more.
Ammy watched with a cold gaze, frowning. “I am not going to let you lose yourself.” She turned, glancing at Rune once- who’s single gold eye watched in silent contemplation, jaw open revealing sharp rows of teeth. Ammy walked over, pulling back the cloth that lay over Kiran. Suddenly sunlight filled the room for a moment, a mangled cry stopping her. Layrion and Rune hissed, their skin still sensitive to the light.
Alina stood at the cave entrance, her eyes widened in horror. “Stop! What are you doing?!” She heaved in her effort to come inside. Yggdrasil moved quickly, crossing the room and pinning Rune’s beast form down. It took everything he had to still the dragon, who shook with the need to get to the blood that lured him so close.
Ammy looked over her shoulder. “Go back outside Human. This is necessary. We need his blood.”
Alina shook her head, tears of anger streaking her dirty face. “You can’t! He is my husband! You can’t eat him!”
Ammy snorted softly as she set the cloth aside. “He was your husband. Not anymore.” The soft growls that issued from Layrion grew louder, the golden armor she still wore starting to shake and smoke in the effort to restrain her. Even still, her labored breathing still held her own voice, not yet lost to the beast.
“I….will not…..drink….from my friend….” Dual voices spoke, one being Layrion’s and the other a deeper tremor that shook the ground. Alina gasped, stepping back having noticed the state she was in.
“L-layrion….” She held a hand around her stomach as she watched the Icchorian struggling to push herself away from the Human.
Ammy watched, face blank. “You see? This is what drives us to drink your blood. We need it to stay in these bodies. If we don’t….well…” She indicated Rune who fought fiercely against Yggdrasil to get to Alina. “We lose ourselves.” Ammy knelt down. “Even in this state my sister holds to her loyalty. Foolish and headstrong, like our brothers.”
Alina watched Ammy gently brush the blood matted hair of her sister from her face. Layrion shuddered, a clawed hand coming up to scratch at the golden breastplate, ripping it off. She gasped for air, the restriction finally gone. Alina sobbed, seeing the once proud and invincible woman she had come to know as a dear friend struggle to not lose what made her..Human.
The young mother-to-be clenched her fist, crossing the room and kneeling at her husband’s side. She took up his hand in hers, holding his palm to her cheek once more, feeling how cold and heavy it was- nothing like the warmth of the boy she had grown to love. She closed her eyes, kissing his palm as she slowly set his hand down. “Goodbye my love. I will raise our son knowing you. How strong you were, and how brave you were to protect me. I love you.” She leant down kissing his cheek before turning to Ammy, her eyes finding Layrion’s struggling form. She felt her throat swell up, nodding at Ammy once before leaving the cave, slipping out without so much as a sigh.
Ammy sagged in relief, losing herself for a moment. She did not want to have to kill innocent Humans, but if her sister couldn’t save herself, she would do what she had to to ensure she lived. She moved quickly, picking up Kiran’s body with some effort and moving him between the two injured Icchorians, turning him face down on the cave floor. “Yggdrasil...let him go. Watch the opening.”
Yggdrasil sighed in relief at getting to release the scaled beast, moving quickly to block the cave’s opening. Rune growled, straightening up, his single eye glued to the still form on the cave floor. Ammy looked to Layrion as the dragon struggle to sit up.
“Sister. Answer the thirst. Quickly so that you may heal. We have to move at nightfall. More Hunters will come from Leben Festung. We can not wait here.”
Layrion pushed herself up, her golden gaze broken as she looked at the still form of Miran. Memories of the man in his youth fought through the haze of the beast, and she roared her frustration at her own weakness. Never before had she tried to resist so hard. Never before had this thirst felt like the curse that it was. For the first time in her life, Layrion cried at what she had to do, regret filling her as she crawled forward- sinking her sharp teeth into his back. She hated the taste as it filled her mouth- not at all like the life giving fluid that she had drank so many times before. It burned her throat, sinking down into the pit that formed in her stomach. As she drank, the rattling of her armor settled, her skin fizzling quietly as it smoothed over into the smooth pale color of her normal hue. She grew still, lying halfway onto the man she had once called friend, her shoulders shaking in silent sobs.
Ammy’s gaze softened. She was not able to relate to what Layrion felt, that much was true. But her pain was shared, and it was intense as was everything when it came to her sister. Her sorrow was as palpable as the fresh blood that flowed, heavy in the air. Yggdrasil stood subdued, until he frowned, tilting his head at Rune.
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