blue lips, blue veins

// the pictures in his mind arose and began to breathe // careful son, you got dreamer's plans // love cannot fit inside a theory // if I open up my eyes, there'll be no more turning back because everything will change and it all will fade to black  

[dario-the-deer]

Explain the Infinite [pt 2]

[x]

Dario watched with a soft expression, standing a fair distance out of Milae's line of vision. The level of attentiveness the goat provided was a pleasant reminder of life prior to the events of the last day, and it pained him to have to break the moment.

"You do so much for everyone else... should you not be resting as well?" The deer approached slowly, his hands tucked into the pockets of a pair of pants he managed to stash away in Yun's bag. He stopped a few paces from his partner, head cocked slightly to the side as he gazed upon the pair. "It's been a day. You need to sleep, Milae."

[foresight-botgd]

"I know." He leaned back wearily again, hoof lowering to rest on Juro's long upper arm. He could feel the adrenaline and motion of his muscles cool and stiffen in his body, which made sitting upright a chore. "I was helping the Warden feed and water him...she struggled to even change his clothes. Then I had to update Moirai. I'm afraid I left him fretting for far too long." Milae wagged the journal in the air, as though if he didn't, Dario wouldn't now what he was referring to.

[dario-the-deer]

"I think Moirai will be okay. You worry too much - he thinks the world of you." Dario laughed, running along the grass as he lowered himself to sit in it, legs crossed in front of Milae and Juro. "At least I think he does. Maybe he's just always that excited... reminds me a lot of Yun."

The stag stared off into the distance, at nothing in particular. The sounds were muted in comparison to the carnage just recently past; the colors of the day felt brighter in contrast.

"I miss him a lot, Milae."

[foresight-botgd]

Milae gave a very soft chuckle, turning a few pages of the journal.

Juro Jin (U-131504051814): Yun's back. Jumped too soon after TD--recovering. Timeline stable.

"Any more or less than the last few times?" The jibe was gentle; Dario knew personally that Milae ached for Yun, even if he'd never expounded on his own feelings very much.

[dario-the-deer]

"More... I think." While his tone was light, Dario's face betrayed him - his eyes were caught by a pair of Rebellion soldiers nearly sprinting to one another, each catching the other in a tight embrace. The half-breed felt his heart ache in his chest. "Part of me tried not to think about it too much when we didn't know what was going to happen. I wasn't... I wasn't sure we'd get another chance."

Dario shifted his sitting position slightly forward, giving him an opportunity to rest a hand on Milae's leg. There was an uneasy calm in his head - one he hadn't contended with in many years, but he would learn to welcome it. The stag managed to bring his full gaze upon the goat, cracking what most of a genuine smile he could muster.

"I suppose we should, uh... we should talk about what happened. Milae, I'm..." His voice broke in his throat, but Dario swallowed and carried on, attempting to quell his shaky hands. "...I'm sorry. You had every right to know what we were up against, both with Kezia and with me. I wasn't honest with you, and that will haunt me for a long time. I see the lengths that you and Nala and Juro and Lila went to for my own sake, and it kills me to think about. I don't know, I just think... I was scared. I was scared, and I'm sorry for that."

[foresight-botgd]

Milae quickly caught his hand under Dario's. "I cannot hold any of the actions you made under the stress of battle under too much scrutiny." The point of his hoof that mimicked a thumb rubbed across Dario's fresh, healed skin. "I am the one who should apologize, for the choices I made that affected your entire life...and death," he added moodily. But his expression was still full of love and relief, and his hoarse voice grew even more shaky. "I am just glad you're alright. I thought...I thought I had lost you for good. I didn't know what I was going to do."

[dario-the-deer]

Explain the Infinite [pt 2]

[x]

Dario watched with a soft expression, standing a fair distance out of Milae's line of vision. The level of attentiveness the goat provided was a pleasant reminder of life prior to the events of the last day, and it pained him to have to break the moment.

"You do so much for everyone else... should you not be resting as well?" The deer approached slowly, his hands tucked into the pockets of a pair of pants he managed to stash away in Yun's bag. He stopped a few paces from his partner, head cocked slightly to the side as he gazed upon the pair. "It's been a day. You need to sleep, Milae."

[foresight-botgd]

"I know." He leaned back wearily again, hoof lowering to rest on Juro's long upper arm. He could feel the adrenaline and motion of his muscles cool and stiffen in his body, which made sitting upright a chore. "I was helping the Warden feed and water him...she struggled to even change his clothes. Then I had to update Moirai. I'm afraid I left him fretting for far too long." Milae wagged the journal in the air, as though if he didn't, Dario wouldn't now what he was referring to.

[dario-the-deer]

"I think Moirai will be okay. You worry too much - he thinks the world of you." Dario laughed, running along the grass as he lowered himself to sit in it, legs crossed in front of Milae and Juro. "At least I think he does. Maybe he's just always that excited... reminds me a lot of Yun."

The stag stared off into the distance, at nothing in particular. The sounds were muted in comparison to the carnage just recently past; the colors of the day felt brighter in contrast.

"I miss him a lot, Milae."

[foresight-botgd]

Milae gave a very soft chuckle, turning a few pages of the journal.

Juro Jin (U-131504051814): Yun's back. Jumped too soon after TD--recovering. Timeline stable.

"Any more or less than the last few times?" The jibe was gentle; Dario knew personally that Milae ached for Yun, even if he'd never expounded on his own feelings very much.

[dario-the-deer]

Explain the Infinite [pt 2]

[x]

Dario watched with a soft expression, standing a fair distance out of Milae's line of vision. The level of attentiveness the goat provided was a pleasant reminder of life prior to the events of the last day, and it pained him to have to break the moment.

"You do so much for everyone else... should you not be resting as well?" The deer approached slowly, his hands tucked into the pockets of a pair of pants he managed to stash away in Yun's bag. He stopped a few paces from his partner, head cocked slightly to the side as he gazed upon the pair. "It's been a day. You need to sleep, Milae."

[foresight-botgd]

"I know." He leaned back wearily again, hoof lowering to rest on Juro's long upper arm. He could feel the adrenaline and motion of his muscles cool and stiffen in his body, which made sitting upright a chore. "I was helping the Warden feed and water him...she struggled to even change his clothes. Then I had to update Moirai. I'm afraid I left him fretting for far too long." Milae wagged the journal in the air, as though if he didn't, Dario wouldn't now what he was referring to.

[foresight-botgd]

Explain the Infinite

Yun Milae (U-00000001): And when we arrived back at the guard tower, the Warden was there, in Juro's body, holding Dario as though she meant to keep him held together, because he was entirely frozen. Turned to stone.

MOIRAI: what!!! how!!!

Yun Milae (U-00000001): I suspect because of her triumph over her uncle, she had found some way to wield his power. At the time, I thought it a horrible idea, but it was likely the one thing that saved Dario's life--Vox's too.

MOIRAI: so what happened next?

Milae took a steadying breath and sat back against the curve of Juro's body, laying peacefully on a bedroll stretched out over thick grass. Milae had declined both of them a cot, since they would be more useful for the wounded, to keep them elevated away from dirt and insects. For now, the only thing either Bookkeeper or seidkonur needed was rest. The goat shifted his journal on his knee and stroked Virion without looking, who was nestled into the back of his shirt, neck draped across his shoulders and tail feathers spilling like a banner over his chest.

Yun Milae (U-00000001): There was some initial confusion about why Liam was with us, especially without Lila or the Warden knowing what had happened. In the midst of our explanations...Dario crumbled. Broke into shards, right through Juro's fingers. It is...not an image I will easily forget.

MOIRAI: oh no...

Yun Milae (U-00000001): Thankfully it was only for a moment. As we were in shock,Tree noticed that the back of Vox's neck began to bleed.

MOIRAI: why was that?

Yun Milae (U-00000001): Because of how I had taken him from his timeline...just as I had Dario. I recognized it as well: the ritual that had more in common than I first thought. My hoofprint on his neck. A tree of light exploded into being at the bottom of the hill, and from it, Dario was reborn. Whole, alive...safe.

MOIRAI: ;w; so he's ok now??

Yun Milae (U-00000001): He is being thoroughly inspected by healers just to be safe, but yes, I believe he is perfectly fine now. No injuries, and most importantly, no fallen god haunting his mind. I had the Warden ensure it for me before she left to rest in Liam's consciousness.

MOIRAI: im glad things worked out. i was really scared everything had fallen apart when i got locked out of the demiurge's story

Yun Milae (U-00000001): In a way, I am glad it was something you were able to discover. It reassures us that this attempted claim to godhood is not something that will easily occur ever again. I mourn for the demon that lost its life in the process, but things could have been much worse, and for that I am grateful. Who knows? Perhaps he was fighting her from the inside, and assisting us in our victory.

MOIRAI: maybe...i think ill do more research on him. maybe if i find his files from the simulation, i can tell him what happened, see if he's ok. and if not...ill make sure he isnt forgotten

Yun Milae (U-00000001): I'm sure you can. I would not be surprised if he is thriving in other timelines as well.

MOIRAI: oh he might be! i can catalogue demiurge appearances and cross-reference them with hc falling in other threads. maybe i'll find some patterns to use in the future

MOIRAI: oh kiroku is waking up--i need to make him breakfast before he tries making it himself. he's exhausted orz

MOIRAI: we'll catch up later but you should rest too ok?

Yun Milae (U-00000001): I will. Þakki, Moirai.

MOIRAI: sjáumst síðar!

Juro shifted his head slightly, and Milae stiffened, watching him attentively. He did not yet wake, and Milae settled, brushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes.

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 3]

[x]

"Yeah... litla geit. I'm really proud of that kid."

Dario couldn't shake the image of Yun from his mind - visions of him training with Milae, while the stag took careful refuge next to Juro, practically unable to keep still with anxiety. There was so much pride to be shared amongst the seidkonur and his predecessor.

"Before you go- is there anything you want me to tell Milae?" The deer fully faced Duri, watching her expression as he asked. "I get it if that's... weird, but I thought I'd ask."

[foresight-botgd]

"Nah."

[dario-the-deer]

“Hah, understood.”

Dario fell silent - his knowledge of the relationship between Duri and Milae had always been from a single perspective. He couldn’t trust that the goat had always been a reliable narrator. The pair lingered in the still-darkening space for a moment longer while Dario found himself staring in her direction.

“I’ll keep him reined in, as much as one can, anyway. I’ve never met a more stubborn goat in my entire life.”

The warmth grew; there was a feeling of imminence. Dario felt his attachment to this place weakening by the second.

“Hey… thanks for everything.” The stag met her eyes with a warm smile. “I won’t pretend that I know your entire life’s story, but I know that you meant something to someone I love, and I just want you to know that I’m grateful.”

[foresight-botgd]

Duri nodded once in acknowledgment, and again, that mysterious invisible appearance of something else. "Take care of yourself. You still have a place in this story. Things will probably get fuckin' wild for you with both goats around, but not anything you can't handle. Follow your heart, live for yourself and those that love you...some mushy shit like that. 'Kay?" The sky began to lighten with lilacs and greens on the horizon behind her, the breeze growing stronger.

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 3]

[x]

"Yeah... litla geit. I'm really proud of that kid."

Dario couldn't shake the image of Yun from his mind - visions of him training with Milae, while the stag took careful refuge next to Juro, practically unable to keep still with anxiety. There was so much pride to be shared amongst the seidkonur and his predecessor.

"Before you go- is there anything you want me to tell Milae?" The deer fully faced Duri, watching her expression as he asked. "I get it if that's... weird, but I thought I'd ask."

[foresight-botgd]

"Nah."

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 2]

[x]

"Evening, ma'am."

The hooves had stopped, just shy of where Dario could glean any information as to who had entered his home. A shadow of her form was cast onto the floor in front of him; a somewhat familiar shape.

"Luca. Is he here?"

"Right there, with his mum."

The elk motioned as he spoke, and before Dario could prepare himself further, a female Caprinae took quick steps into the room, acknowledging the stag and his mother.

"Anita. Dario."

The younger half-breed was taken aback; this couldn't be who he thought it might be. He'd heard of stories - Milae recounted them many times, in passion, in anger, and in memoriam. He knew he could be wrong, but the name left his lips before he could stop himself from speaking.

"Duri?"

[foresight-botgd]

With an expression that could only be described as a shit-eating grin, the auburn alpaca pulled the strap of a shoulder bag over her head and tossed it on the table, and it slid to rest in front of Dario. "Hey, deer man." Her ears and neck were extremely tall, much taller than Milae's, and she had a thick, curly, woolen crest that ran up her neck and seemed to explode just above her bright blue eyes. Her clothes were homespun and travel-worn. She leaned on the chair across from Dario, not sitting, just folding her arms across its back and crossing her ankles. "Well, damn! Didn't think I'd ever get to see you. How you feelin'?"

[dario-the-deer]

He was stunned. His jaw was slack, and it took him a moment before he shook his head, pulling himself back to the present.

"I'm... fine? No, wait, I'm dead. I mean, you're dead. Wait." The stag paused, putting his fingers to rest on the sides of his skull as he took a deep breath. "I've... heard so much about you."

Dario watched Anita get up slowly in his peripheral vision; he instinctually went for her hand as she pulled away, but she gave his own a small squeeze before moving out of the room with Luca. The pair were alone.

"I... I don't know what's going on here. I died, Duri. Is this the afterlife? Why are my parents saying I can go back?" His face fully melted into his hands, his elbows resting on his legs and he slumped forward. "I feel fine. This doesn't feel different from when I was alive, but this isn't my home. My parents... are gone, they have to be. Are we all dead together? Do families go to the same place when they die? Oh my Gods, will I never see the Arnasons again?"

His breathing accelerated, fingers tapping against his forehead before he shot upright, falling backwards into the bed and sprawling out his arms with a deep sigh.

"Why am I asking you this? You don't know. You're not real. None of this is real."

[foresight-botgd]

"Andaðu, kid." Duri's hoof tapped on the ground thoughtfully. "Yes, you're dead. But even if nothing in this house is real, the situation you're in definitely is."

She tilted her head at Dario. "First off, the being that Liam has turned into. You don't know what It is, I don't know what It is--Hel, I don't even think It knows what It is either. But It was born of familiarity. A creature to contend with a fallen god, a force that can enter a demon's mind...a person that still knows you. We know just enough about these things that we can put the pieces together.

"The covenants between mortals and...well, not, depend on consent. Whether you make a deal with a devil to gain power, or allow an angel to bring you back from the brink of death, or even if you speak a loaded incantation to save someone you love..." The corner of her mouth turned up wryly. "They require consent, both ways. They always have. Demons can steal each other's names and gods can sabotage each other in a million and one ways, but mortals are different. So strong of willed are we that we need permission to let them fuck with us. Even a Catalyst's bond needs constant, express displays of love. The reason Kezia is always doomed to fail. Bitch." Duri kicked the chair around smoothly and sat in it the way Milae always did, both feet off the floor, hocks folded and tucked underneath herself. "I don't think this thing operates much differently. Especially knowing Liam. He always hated not having a choice, and I don't think It enjoyed the fact that you were essentially coerced this whole time." She shrugged. "Technically, you've already both made an agreement. You both made the choices you needed to. But It's not a god of death--you know what one of those are like. It could only agree to forge the path back for you. Which, I guess, is the second thing--now that you're out of Its reach, it's up to you to find It and come back."

Duri regarded him, and Dario glimpsed something ancient within, like a nesting doll harboring many other forms. "What do you think that might look like for you?"

[dario-the-deer]

He took a long time to answer - or at least what felt like a long time to him, within a space where the concept of time had limited carryover from his plane of origin. Dario's hands had fallen into his lap by this point, fingers knocking against one another in perfect synchronization. Duri's words played on a loop in his head, and he seemed to whisper his inner thoughts aloud under his breath until his eyes shot open. The stag looked up to the Caprinae.

"Hey. Come walk with me."

--

The road the pair of half-breeds followed was eerily unsettling the further they wandered from Dario's home. The light of the sunset was dying second by second, leaving them to proceed in quickly diminishing visibility.

"I don't know... if it'll be here." The air around them felt as if it were growing rapidly colder; Dario rubbed his arms as he took large strides. "But I can't think of anything else."

The path diverted and slowly degraded as the stag's memory of it grew less clear - the time it would have taken them back home would have been substantially longer, but with the advantage of his own perception being projected before him, the multitude of hours was condensed into an impossible set of minutes.

Before Duri could respond, they had arrived. Dario stood staring ahead, eyes fixated on a handcart just off the side of the path, with a spoke visibly damaged.

"This... was where I made a choice. An agreement with myself, I think... to help someone, despite everything I've known telling me that wasn't a good idea." His speech was incredibly soft; passionately warm. "I chose him, and that decision gave me a life that I'm not ready to leave just yet."

[foresight-botgd]

Duri stepped forward, legs lanky in the long mountain grass, and kicked the wheel irreverently, hearing the entire cart groan in protest. "It's funny. In making a selfless decision that slowed you down, I'd argue that you gave everyone a life. If not for the deer, then nothing for the goat. If not for the goat, then nothing for the father. If not for the father, then nothing for the son. And if not for the son, then nothing for the deer." The twilight had quickly darkened into night, stars twinkling mischievously. The noise of summer insects dwindled into gentle crickets. "Seems like you really did yourself a favor, huh?"

The alpaca leaned a hip on the cart, eyeing Dario. "He's gonna let you down again, you know," she said nonchalantly. "He's a fucking stubborn snob that can't see past his own nose." Duri snorted. "There's a reason I turned him down in every timeline. Well, almost every."

[dario-the-deer]

"If I ever needed a reason to wonder if I was just making you up, I can say for certain now I must have." Dario chuckled, looping her not-at-all-veiled assessment of Milae in his head. "A fair judgement, but I've learned how to be his eyes when he gets a bit short-sighted."

Dario looked upon Duri with sadness - here was one of the few individuals to have ever existed that knew Yun Milae in the way that he knew him. To know of her fate before this encounter brought an unmistakable gravity to the conversation.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened, with you two." Dario knocked some small rocks with his hoof, unable to look at Duri. "I'm sure I'm probably the last one you want to talk to, especially about him, but there's got to be a reason I knew to come here. There has to be a reason it's you I'm talking to right now."

The stag looked up to the stars, taking in the quiet around them. The air had cooled even further, but it proved to no longer be a bother to him.

"I knew what I was getting into, at the end there, with Kalmah. My dad taught me that when I was just on the cusp of adulthood, when I was getting into fights. Had a particularly bad one that left me with some pretty bad bruises, and he couldn't let me get more hurt than I already was. Scared the shit out of me, so I never ended up using it."

Dario rubbed his hands together, feeling the rough, calloused skin as if it were the first time.

"When I tried to save Vox, I thought for a second that I'd be able to get myself out of it too. I couldn't afford to make that mistake a second time, so when I went in, I did so with the understanding that I was going to die... but seeing my parents, seeing you... I'm reminded of what I've left behind, and it may be selfish to say, but I... I miss it."

[foresight-botgd]

Duri twisted her snout softly, with regret. "Yeah. I miss it too. And there was a lot I didn't get to see. I witnessed way fewer miracles than you have, that's for sure."

She looked off into the hazy distance. "It's fine. It was all doomed for me from the beginning. Milae was always making the wrong choice trying to save me, but sometimes you have to make forty-seven thousand, eight hundred and twelve mistakes before you get it right. You know? Two mistakes ain't shit. You get to stick the landing early."

[dario-the-deer]

Dario followed her gaze to the shrouded, seemingly endless expanse beyond them. His heart ached at the thought of Milae’s attempts in vain to change the course of time - a familiar trend in the goat’s life.

“Yeah… I suppose so.”

The stag felt his bones warm; a surprising sensation for a deer in the grips of death. He wanted so badly to stay - to learn more about Duri, to live an afterlife long lost - but he knew it couldn’t last.

“I think… we’re supposed to make these mistakes, Duri. Forty-seven thousand might seem like a lot, but knowing him, I’m sure he wishes it were more. Hah, if I’m being honest, I don’t know that I would be any different.”

He exhaled, watching his breath leave his mouth in the frigid air. The moisture collecting in his eyes was freezing quicker than his face could keep it warm.

“Hey, my mom and dad. I know they aren’t… you know. But can you tell them I said goodbye? And that I love them?”

[foresight-botgd]

"On one condition." Duri squinted an eye at the deer. "When he comes back, tell that new little time jumping shit not to fuck up. And...and thanks for wrecking Frigga, and that I'm sorry for missing him. He was kinda occupied last time I saw him."

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 2]

[x]

"Evening, ma'am."

The hooves had stopped, just shy of where Dario could glean any information as to who had entered his home. A shadow of her form was cast onto the floor in front of him; a somewhat familiar shape.

"Luca. Is he here?"

"Right there, with his mum."

The elk motioned as he spoke, and before Dario could prepare himself further, a female Caprinae took quick steps into the room, acknowledging the stag and his mother.

"Anita. Dario."

The younger half-breed was taken aback; this couldn't be who he thought it might be. He'd heard of stories - Milae recounted them many times, in passion, in anger, and in memoriam. He knew he could be wrong, but the name left his lips before he could stop himself from speaking.

"Duri?"

[foresight-botgd]

With an expression that could only be described as a shit-eating grin, the auburn alpaca pulled the strap of a shoulder bag over her head and tossed it on the table, and it slid to rest in front of Dario. "Hey, deer man." Her ears and neck were extremely tall, much taller than Milae's, and she had a thick, curly, woolen crest that ran up her neck and seemed to explode just above her bright blue eyes. Her clothes were homespun and travel-worn. She leaned on the chair across from Dario, not sitting, just folding her arms across its back and crossing her ankles. "Well, damn! Didn't think I'd ever get to see you. How you feelin'?"

[dario-the-deer]

He was stunned. His jaw was slack, and it took him a moment before he shook his head, pulling himself back to the present.

"I'm... fine? No, wait, I'm dead. I mean, you're dead. Wait." The stag paused, putting his fingers to rest on the sides of his skull as he took a deep breath. "I've... heard so much about you."

Dario watched Anita get up slowly in his peripheral vision; he instinctually went for her hand as she pulled away, but she gave his own a small squeeze before moving out of the room with Luca. The pair were alone.

"I... I don't know what's going on here. I died, Duri. Is this the afterlife? Why are my parents saying I can go back?" His face fully melted into his hands, his elbows resting on his legs and he slumped forward. "I feel fine. This doesn't feel different from when I was alive, but this isn't my home. My parents... are gone, they have to be. Are we all dead together? Do families go to the same place when they die? Oh my Gods, will I never see the Arnasons again?"

His breathing accelerated, fingers tapping against his forehead before he shot upright, falling backwards into the bed and sprawling out his arms with a deep sigh.

"Why am I asking you this? You don't know. You're not real. None of this is real."

[foresight-botgd]

"Andaðu, kid." Duri's hoof tapped on the ground thoughtfully. "Yes, you're dead. But even if nothing in this house is real, the situation you're in definitely is."

She tilted her head at Dario. "First off, the being that Liam has turned into. You don't know what It is, I don't know what It is--Hel, I don't even think It knows what It is either. But It was born of familiarity. A creature to contend with a fallen god, a force that can enter a demon's mind...a person that still knows you. We know just enough about these things that we can put the pieces together.

"The covenants between mortals and...well, not, depend on consent. Whether you make a deal with a devil to gain power, or allow an angel to bring you back from the brink of death, or even if you speak a loaded incantation to save someone you love..." The corner of her mouth turned up wryly. "They require consent, both ways. They always have. Demons can steal each other's names and gods can sabotage each other in a million and one ways, but mortals are different. So strong of willed are we that we need permission to let them fuck with us. Even a Catalyst's bond needs constant, express displays of love. The reason Kezia is always doomed to fail. Bitch." Duri kicked the chair around smoothly and sat in it the way Milae always did, both feet off the floor, hocks folded and tucked underneath herself. "I don't think this thing operates much differently. Especially knowing Liam. He always hated not having a choice, and I don't think It enjoyed the fact that you were essentially coerced this whole time." She shrugged. "Technically, you've already both made an agreement. You both made the choices you needed to. But It's not a god of death--you know what one of those are like. It could only agree to forge the path back for you. Which, I guess, is the second thing--now that you're out of Its reach, it's up to you to find It and come back."

Duri regarded him, and Dario glimpsed something ancient within, like a nesting doll harboring many other forms. "What do you think that might look like for you?"

[dario-the-deer]

He took a long time to answer - or at least what felt like a long time to him, within a space where the concept of time had limited carryover from his plane of origin. Dario's hands had fallen into his lap by this point, fingers knocking against one another in perfect synchronization. Duri's words played on a loop in his head, and he seemed to whisper his inner thoughts aloud under his breath until his eyes shot open. The stag looked up to the Caprinae.

"Hey. Come walk with me."

--

The road the pair of half-breeds followed was eerily unsettling the further they wandered from Dario's home. The light of the sunset was dying second by second, leaving them to proceed in quickly diminishing visibility.

"I don't know... if it'll be here." The air around them felt as if it were growing rapidly colder; Dario rubbed his arms as he took large strides. "But I can't think of anything else."

The path diverted and slowly degraded as the stag's memory of it grew less clear - the time it would have taken them back home would have been substantially longer, but with the advantage of his own perception being projected before him, the multitude of hours was condensed into an impossible set of minutes.

Before Duri could respond, they had arrived. Dario stood staring ahead, eyes fixated on a handcart just off the side of the path, with a spoke visibly damaged.

"This... was where I made a choice. An agreement with myself, I think... to help someone, despite everything I've known telling me that wasn't a good idea." His speech was incredibly soft; passionately warm. "I chose him, and that decision gave me a life that I'm not ready to leave just yet."

[foresight-botgd]

Duri stepped forward, legs lanky in the long mountain grass, and kicked the wheel irreverently, hearing the entire cart groan in protest. "It's funny. In making a selfless decision that slowed you down, I'd argue that you gave everyone a life. If not for the deer, then nothing for the goat. If not for the goat, then nothing for the father. If not for the father, then nothing for the son. And if not for the son, then nothing for the deer." The twilight had quickly darkened into night, stars twinkling mischievously. The noise of summer insects dwindled into gentle crickets. "Seems like you really did yourself a favor, huh?"

The alpaca leaned a hip on the cart, eyeing Dario. "He's gonna let you down again, you know," she said nonchalantly. "He's a fucking stubborn snob that can't see past his own nose." Duri snorted. "There's a reason I turned him down in every timeline. Well, almost every."

[dario-the-deer]

"If I ever needed a reason to wonder if I was just making you up, I can say for certain now I must have." Dario chuckled, looping her not-at-all-veiled assessment of Milae in his head. "A fair judgement, but I've learned how to be his eyes when he gets a bit short-sighted."

Dario looked upon Duri with sadness - here was one of the few individuals to have ever existed that knew Yun Milae in the way that he knew him. To know of her fate before this encounter brought an unmistakable gravity to the conversation.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened, with you two." Dario knocked some small rocks with his hoof, unable to look at Duri. "I'm sure I'm probably the last one you want to talk to, especially about him, but there's got to be a reason I knew to come here. There has to be a reason it's you I'm talking to right now."

The stag looked up to the stars, taking in the quiet around them. The air had cooled even further, but it proved to no longer be a bother to him.

"I knew what I was getting into, at the end there, with Kalmah. My dad taught me that when I was just on the cusp of adulthood, when I was getting into fights. Had a particularly bad one that left me with some pretty bad bruises, and he couldn't let me get more hurt than I already was. Scared the shit out of me, so I never ended up using it."

Dario rubbed his hands together, feeling the rough, calloused skin as if it were the first time.

"When I tried to save Vox, I thought for a second that I'd be able to get myself out of it too. I couldn't afford to make that mistake a second time, so when I went in, I did so with the understanding that I was going to die... but seeing my parents, seeing you... I'm reminded of what I've left behind, and it may be selfish to say, but I... I miss it."

[foresight-botgd]

Duri twisted her snout softly, with regret. "Yeah. I miss it too. And there was a lot I didn't get to see. I witnessed way fewer miracles than you have, that's for sure."

She looked off into the hazy distance. "It's fine. It was all doomed for me from the beginning. Milae was always making the wrong choice trying to save me, but sometimes you have to make forty-seven thousand, eight hundred and twelve mistakes before you get it right. You know? Two mistakes ain't shit. You get to stick the landing early."

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 2]

[x]

"Evening, ma'am."

The hooves had stopped, just shy of where Dario could glean any information as to who had entered his home. A shadow of her form was cast onto the floor in front of him; a somewhat familiar shape.

"Luca. Is he here?"

"Right there, with his mum."

The elk motioned as he spoke, and before Dario could prepare himself further, a female Caprinae took quick steps into the room, acknowledging the stag and his mother.

"Anita. Dario."

The younger half-breed was taken aback; this couldn't be who he thought it might be. He'd heard of stories - Milae recounted them many times, in passion, in anger, and in memoriam. He knew he could be wrong, but the name left his lips before he could stop himself from speaking.

"Duri?"

[foresight-botgd]

With an expression that could only be described as a shit-eating grin, the auburn alpaca pulled the strap of a shoulder bag over her head and tossed it on the table, and it slid to rest in front of Dario. "Hey, deer man." Her ears and neck were extremely tall, much taller than Milae's, and she had a thick, curly, woolen crest that ran up her neck and seemed to explode just above her bright blue eyes. Her clothes were homespun and travel-worn. She leaned on the chair across from Dario, not sitting, just folding her arms across its back and crossing her ankles. "Well, damn! Didn't think I'd ever get to see you. How you feelin'?"

[dario-the-deer]

He was stunned. His jaw was slack, and it took him a moment before he shook his head, pulling himself back to the present.

"I'm... fine? No, wait, I'm dead. I mean, you're dead. Wait." The stag paused, putting his fingers to rest on the sides of his skull as he took a deep breath. "I've... heard so much about you."

Dario watched Anita get up slowly in his peripheral vision; he instinctually went for her hand as she pulled away, but she gave his own a small squeeze before moving out of the room with Luca. The pair were alone.

"I... I don't know what's going on here. I died, Duri. Is this the afterlife? Why are my parents saying I can go back?" His face fully melted into his hands, his elbows resting on his legs and he slumped forward. "I feel fine. This doesn't feel different from when I was alive, but this isn't my home. My parents... are gone, they have to be. Are we all dead together? Do families go to the same place when they die? Oh my Gods, will I never see the Arnasons again?"

His breathing accelerated, fingers tapping against his forehead before he shot upright, falling backwards into the bed and sprawling out his arms with a deep sigh.

"Why am I asking you this? You don't know. You're not real. None of this is real."

[foresight-botgd]

"Andaðu, kid." Duri's hoof tapped on the ground thoughtfully. "Yes, you're dead. But even if nothing in this house is real, the situation you're in definitely is."

She tilted her head at Dario. "First off, the being that Liam has turned into. You don't know what It is, I don't know what It is--Hel, I don't even think It knows what It is either. But It was born of familiarity. A creature to contend with a fallen god, a force that can enter a demon's mind...a person that still knows you. We know just enough about these things that we can put the pieces together.

"The covenants between mortals and...well, not, depend on consent. Whether you make a deal with a devil to gain power, or allow an angel to bring you back from the brink of death, or even if you speak a loaded incantation to save someone you love..." The corner of her mouth turned up wryly. "They require consent, both ways. They always have. Demons can steal each other's names and gods can sabotage each other in a million and one ways, but mortals are different. So strong of willed are we that we need permission to let them fuck with us. Even a Catalyst's bond needs constant, express displays of love. The reason Kezia is always doomed to fail. Bitch." Duri kicked the chair around smoothly and sat in it the way Milae always did, both feet off the floor, hocks folded and tucked underneath herself. "I don't think this thing operates much differently. Especially knowing Liam. He always hated not having a choice, and I don't think It enjoyed the fact that you were essentially coerced this whole time." She shrugged. "Technically, you've already both made an agreement. You both made the choices you needed to. But It's not a god of death--you know what one of those are like. It could only agree to forge the path back for you. Which, I guess, is the second thing--now that you're out of Its reach, it's up to you to find It and come back."

Duri regarded him, and Dario glimpsed something ancient within, like a nesting doll harboring many other forms. "What do you think that might look like for you?"

[dario-the-deer]

He took a long time to answer - or at least what felt like a long time to him, within a space where the concept of time had limited carryover from his plane of origin. Dario's hands had fallen into his lap by this point, fingers knocking against one another in perfect synchronization. Duri's words played on a loop in his head, and he seemed to whisper his inner thoughts aloud under his breath until his eyes shot open. The stag looked up to the Caprinae.

"Hey. Come walk with me."

--

The road the pair of half-breeds followed was eerily unsettling the further they wandered from Dario's home. The light of the sunset was dying second by second, leaving them to proceed in quickly diminishing visibility.

"I don't know... if it'll be here." The air around them felt as if it were growing rapidly colder; Dario rubbed his arms as he took large strides. "But I can't think of anything else."

The path diverted and slowly degraded as the stag's memory of it grew less clear - the time it would have taken them back home would have been substantially longer, but with the advantage of his own perception being projected before him, the multitude of hours was condensed into an impossible set of minutes.

Before Duri could respond, they had arrived. Dario stood staring ahead, eyes fixated on a handcart just off the side of the path, with a spoke visibly damaged.

"This... was where I made a choice. An agreement with myself, I think... to help someone, despite everything I've known telling me that wasn't a good idea." His speech was incredibly soft; passionately warm. "I chose him, and that decision gave me a life that I'm not ready to leave just yet."

[foresight-botgd]

Duri stepped forward, legs lanky in the long mountain grass, and kicked the wheel irreverently, hearing the entire cart groan in protest. "It's funny. In making a selfless decision that slowed you down, I'd argue that you gave everyone a life. If not for the deer, then nothing for the goat. If not for the goat, then nothing for the father. If not for the father, then nothing for the son. And if not for the son, then nothing for the deer." The twilight had quickly darkened into night, stars twinkling mischievously. The noise of summer insects dwindled into gentle crickets. "Seems like you really did yourself a favor, huh?"

The alpaca leaned a hip on the cart, eyeing Dario. "He's gonna let you down again, you know," she said nonchalantly. "He's a fucking stubborn snob that can't see past his own nose." Duri snorted. "There's a reason I turned him down in every timeline. Well, almost every."

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 2]

[x]

"Evening, ma'am."

The hooves had stopped, just shy of where Dario could glean any information as to who had entered his home. A shadow of her form was cast onto the floor in front of him; a somewhat familiar shape.

"Luca. Is he here?"

"Right there, with his mum."

The elk motioned as he spoke, and before Dario could prepare himself further, a female Caprinae took quick steps into the room, acknowledging the stag and his mother.

"Anita. Dario."

The younger half-breed was taken aback; this couldn't be who he thought it might be. He'd heard of stories - Milae recounted them many times, in passion, in anger, and in memoriam. He knew he could be wrong, but the name left his lips before he could stop himself from speaking.

"Duri?"

[foresight-botgd]

With an expression that could only be described as a shit-eating grin, the auburn alpaca pulled the strap of a shoulder bag over her head and tossed it on the table, and it slid to rest in front of Dario. "Hey, deer man." Her ears and neck were extremely tall, much taller than Milae's, and she had a thick, curly, woolen crest that ran up her neck and seemed to explode just above her bright blue eyes. Her clothes were homespun and travel-worn. She leaned on the chair across from Dario, not sitting, just folding her arms across its back and crossing her ankles. "Well, damn! Didn't think I'd ever get to see you. How you feelin'?"

[dario-the-deer]

He was stunned. His jaw was slack, and it took him a moment before he shook his head, pulling himself back to the present.

"I'm... fine? No, wait, I'm dead. I mean, you're dead. Wait." The stag paused, putting his fingers to rest on the sides of his skull as he took a deep breath. "I've... heard so much about you."

Dario watched Anita get up slowly in his peripheral vision; he instinctually went for her hand as she pulled away, but she gave his own a small squeeze before moving out of the room with Luca. The pair were alone.

"I... I don't know what's going on here. I died, Duri. Is this the afterlife? Why are my parents saying I can go back?" His face fully melted into his hands, his elbows resting on his legs and he slumped forward. "I feel fine. This doesn't feel different from when I was alive, but this isn't my home. My parents... are gone, they have to be. Are we all dead together? Do families go to the same place when they die? Oh my Gods, will I never see the Arnasons again?"

His breathing accelerated, fingers tapping against his forehead before he shot upright, falling backwards into the bed and sprawling out his arms with a deep sigh.

"Why am I asking you this? You don't know. You're not real. None of this is real."

[foresight-botgd]

"Andaðu, kid." Duri's hoof tapped on the ground thoughtfully. "Yes, you're dead. But even if nothing in this house is real, the situation you're in definitely is."

She tilted her head at Dario. "First off, the being that Liam has turned into. You don't know what It is, I don't know what It is--Hel, I don't even think It knows what It is either. But It was born of familiarity. A creature to contend with a fallen god, a force that can enter a demon's mind...a person that still knows you. We know just enough about these things that we can put the pieces together.

"The covenants between mortals and...well, not, depend on consent. Whether you make a deal with a devil to gain power, or allow an angel to bring you back from the brink of death, or even if you speak a loaded incantation to save someone you love..." The corner of her mouth turned up wryly. "They require consent, both ways. They always have. Demons can steal each other's names and gods can sabotage each other in a million and one ways, but mortals are different. So strong of willed are we that we need permission to let them fuck with us. Even a Catalyst's bond needs constant, express displays of love. The reason Kezia is always doomed to fail. Bitch." Duri kicked the chair around smoothly and sat in it the way Milae always did, both feet off the floor, hocks folded and tucked underneath herself. "I don't think this thing operates much differently. Especially knowing Liam. He always hated not having a choice, and I don't think It enjoyed the fact that you were essentially coerced this whole time." She shrugged. "Technically, you've already both made an agreement. You both made the choices you needed to. But It's not a god of death--you know what one of those are like. It could only agree to forge the path back for you. Which, I guess, is the second thing--now that you're out of Its reach, it's up to you to find It and come back."

Duri regarded him, and Dario glimpsed something ancient within, like a nesting doll harboring many other forms. "What do you think that might look like for you?"

[dario-the-deer]

No Lamb Was Lost [Pt 2]

[x]

"Evening, ma'am."

The hooves had stopped, just shy of where Dario could glean any information as to who had entered his home. A shadow of her form was cast onto the floor in front of him; a somewhat familiar shape.

"Luca. Is he here?"

"Right there, with his mum."

The elk motioned as he spoke, and before Dario could prepare himself further, a female Caprinae took quick steps into the room, acknowledging the stag and his mother.

"Anita. Dario."

The younger half-breed was taken aback; this couldn't be who he thought it might be. He'd heard of stories - Milae recounted them many times, in passion, in anger, and in memoriam. He knew he could be wrong, but the name left his lips before he could stop himself from speaking.

"Duri?"

[foresight-botgd]

With an expression that could only be described as a shit-eating grin, the auburn alpaca pulled the strap of a shoulder bag over her head and tossed it on the table, and it slid to rest in front of Dario. "Hey, deer man." Her ears and neck were extremely tall, much taller than Milae's, and she had a thick, curly, woolen crest that ran up her neck and seemed to explode just above her bright blue eyes. Her clothes were homespun and travel-worn. She leaned on the chair across from Dario, not sitting, just folding her arms across its back and crossing her ankles. "Well, damn! Didn't think I'd ever get to see you. How you feelin'?"

[foresight-botgd]

Blackout [pt 4]

[previous]

Milae pointed mutely straight ahead of them, about thirty degrees upwards. The was-Liam followed the direction of his hoof, and they all heard a sub-audible trill, almost like echolocation. The brief outline of a massive golden ring flared in the distance, then dimmed again. It nodded in understanding, or something approximating it, and its huge wings briefly paused beating to let it fall slightly behind Daybreak while still keeping pace. They would keep going, as fast as they could, and the deity behind them would ensure that Kezia did not strike them out of the muddy sky.

"How can we trust you?" Liam accused, twisting around entirely to look the thing in the face.

It focused on him, second pair of eyes widening to match its first. It knew exactly why Liam could trust it. Why wouldn't Liam trust it? Did he have a choice? Liam pressed closer to Vox again; his hackles were standing up stiffly on end. It turned to stare off into the darkness. A many-voiced scream was rising in pitch and volume, eldritch body rustling and rattling in the blackness around them, but impossible to see in the terrible weather. It hoped they were ready to go as fast as they'd ever gone in their lives.

[scoutvox]

He knew they could be engulfed by the Tyrant at any moment - each second they waited was a second closer to the grave, and Vox had proven time and time again that he wasn't ready to bury himself or anyone he loved just yet.

"I'll explain all of this when we get back, I promise, Liam!" Vox shouted, hand shaking as he pivoted slightly to meet his son's vision. "For now, we have to fucking go!"

Vox leaned forward, tapping Daybreak's back as he mentally reached out to her.

Go, above the horizon. Go fast. Get us home.

Without hesitation, the dragon aligned herself with the previously illuminated glow. Wings bounding against tense air in scarlet skies, she pressed forward, carrying the trio of father, son, and seidkonur as fast as she could muster.

[foresight-botgd]

The first loop of the Tyrant's body came out of nowhere, rising up from underneath them, it forced Daybreak to dive sharply to avoid it. The insectoid legs were pummeling the dust as though they were running through the air, in time with the many rotted wings along its back thrusting together in waves. Their guardian rose to be above them, rolling and striking the closest section of its adversary away once they were far enough away, leaving a scorching chain-shaped brand the length of a longship across her flank. With the attack, another ghostly flash of gold illuminated the sky, and revealed the Tyrant Eternal in all of her horrific, angelic glory, contorted and beautiful, miles and miles of her between them and safety.

The once-was-Liam ended up beneath Daybreak, dorsal side facing down, and pulsed its wings upwards powerfully, forcing the dragon upwards with a gust, and another swath of Illuminar flesh sailed between the two of them, chased away again by another divine strike. It then darted off and disappeared momentarily before the next obstacle silhouetted in a narrow flash, and the wormlike lower part of Kezia was torn asunder as though with a knife fit for a titan to use. The trio ducked and hid their faces from the splatter of otherworldly viscera as Daybreak sailed through the new opening, throat swelling with a roar.

[scoutvox]

Wiping away the grotesque onslaught of entrails, the scout remained firm in leaning forward and focused on the horizon. Daybreak maintained a steady speed as another horrific, piercing cry emitted from below. Vox watched as Milae raised a hoof to one ear in an attempt to cut any amount of the painfully shrill sound; he could feel Liam do the same. A few seconds passed before an upheaving force slammed the dragon and her riders from below, throwing Daybreak into a half-roll and lifting Liam and Milae off of the saddle that Vox managed to maintain a grip on.

As if by instinct, Vox turned to throw his arm around Liam's torso before he was out of reach, but the angle at which he had to twist was just slightly past where his center of gravity would allow - he felt himself slide. He was able to successfully pull Liam in with his limb tightly wrapped around the young man's chest, but he was now hanging by his one hand as Daybreak fought against the updraft to correct her positioning. The scout made the fatal mistake of looking down; there was no sign of the goat.

Milae- Milae!

[foresight-botgd]

Liam strained to reach up past Vox, claws digging into leather, and looked down to his father, unintentionally bumping foreheads in the chaos. "Hold on," he said loudly, and then whistled sharply out the corner of his mouth. Daybreak responded, immediately rolling in the opposite direction, and caused both of them to tumble and slide back towards the saddle. This time it was Liam that caught Vox around the under-arms, heaving him back up into the seat and they re-oriented themselves.

As the world spun back upright, the Tyrant's coils shifted once again, and revealed the winged figure approaching from below, its ambient light brightening as it approached. Just as Liam also began to panic about Milae, it swooped close and revealed the half-breed goat curled up in its arms, tiny in proportion, and the Arnasons both helped maneuver Milae back to the saddle, holding him tightly. They feared that he was unconscious or even dead for a terrifying second, but he was fine--just completely shell-shocked from the experience. He shakily pushed himself upright, struggling to focus. His scars were pulsing gold, reflecting off of their faces as the opening through time drew ever closer.

"Keep--keep going," he said hoarsely, "keep going, we have to make it through." He looked at the not-Liam, and they seemed to resolve something they were still communicating about. "If the opening does not close, and Kezia follows us--"

She won't.

"She might," he insisted.

If they lingered, she might. They needed to fly straight, no matter what happened next. Trust it. It peeled away once more, and in its wake, another chain began to trail, lengthening with every flap of its wings. The head of the Tyrant lay between them and the Golden Timeline, and it began to face them, huge segments colliding and bending to accommodate the wide turn, massive mouth now expanded with limb-like segments that uncurled like a demented starfish, seeking its prey.

"No matter what happens next," Liam repeated under his breath.

[scoutvox]

Vox's respirations were quick and heavy as his eyes locked on the unfathomable beast before them - he could feel a palpable fear shared amongst the trio on dragonback, and with sweat dampening his brow, he connected with Daybreak once more.

We're so close, just push on. Don't stop for anything.

His eyes followed the chain, his chest experiencing a swell of pride in the midst of incomprehensible tension. His arm found Liam's leg beside him, once again blurring the perception of where his own blood existed in the harsh, hostile atmosphere surrounding them. The scout took a brief moment to close his eyes and hear the howling winds around them before exhaling deeply.

"We're getting out," his voice was filled with a confidence new to him. His vision was set forward. "No matter what happens next."

[foresight-botgd]

Daybreak's long roar rang in their ears; she pushed off of an incoming, spindly leg as tall as a tower and used its momentum to thrust herself forward. Milae yelped at the movement, but he seized it and turned it into a full-throated yell, lost mostly to the wind until Liam joined the war cry, raw and piercing, far louder than the goat's.

The sound that answered from the abomination before them was blistering, it was everything and nothing, it was cold earth in their mouths, it was the death rattle of their loved ones, it was the sun bleaching their abandoned homes, it was the ring of the last time their names would be spoken aloud. It was finality incarnate.

Why would you struggle against the end? it scorned. I have become death. Of myself there will be many, a fathomless tide. Why would you wade through decades more of pain and heartbreak? Why would you fight the inevitable?

But the creature streaking towards her on wings of black and gold took after the dragon riders and filled its own lungs. The echo of its shout counteracted the utter despair of the Tyrant, the sounds of strangers singing the same hearty song, the wail of a healthy baby entering the world, the first kiss of anxious new lovers, the burst of a lively, warm household on a freezing face, the giddy dance of the farmer in a miracle thunderstorm. The roar of a Rebellion, chained together in solidarity, battering against every injustice holding them back.

Because, their guardian answered, the beating hearts in our chest demand it. There would always be another triumph. There would always be more laughter. And so long as there was cruelty, there would always be more love.

You may be endless...but so are we.

Once-Liam--still-Liam, still-Nala, still-Verðandi--surged forward like an arrow from a bowshot, spinning fearlessly into the monstrosity's maw, and as she curled backwards in agony, light blazed through the back of her throat, and it exploded outwards, and they saw a perfect path through the long, bloody hole in the Tyrant's mouth through to the circular golden gateway beyond.

[scoutvox]

The outward projection of bright light and viscera gave way to their objective; Vox could barely keep his eyes open enough to take it in, with a hurricane of debris and wind battering the riders and their dragon. Attempting to maintain as low of a profile as possible, the scout leaned against Milae and reached behind him to ensure his son was still there.

"One last push, we've got this, Daybreak!"

The crew pushed onward - as the began their final approach, Vox found his eyes wandering to the dark, clouded expanse below. The scene they had only just fled from was entirely different from the timeline he called home, but was all to similar in tandem. He existed as a mirror; a projection of another life in limbo that, to the best of his knowledge, was no longer of this world.

Seems to be a pattern.

His eyes lifted and focused forward. He couldn't think about what was being left behind... or who.

[foresight-botgd]

The Tyrant's countless fangs passed above and below them, and for a long, terrifying moment, there was only a beating, failing pulse, and darkness. Darkness. Darkness.

Then gold.

Daybreak's wings reflected the brilliant spinning rays in a rainbow of colors, and as they all looked away to protect their eyes, they caught the angelic being in their peripheral, catching up to their rear through the flesh of the Tyrant disintegrating into dust. As it did so, it locked eyes with Vox, and the scout felt every close moment he'd had with Liam in a sequential flash, along with ones he was positive he hadn't experienced yet. It was going to be alright.

Bye, Dad. Thanks for everything.

Before anyone could speak, or try to stop it, no-longer-Liam's wings beat forward in a powerful thrust, creating a wave of wind that filled Daybreak's wings and lurched her through the storm into the portal, forcing them back to their timeline.

[foresight-botgd]

Blackout [pt 4]

[previous]

Milae pointed mutely straight ahead of them, about thirty degrees upwards. The was-Liam followed the direction of his hoof, and they all heard a sub-audible trill, almost like echolocation. The brief outline of a massive golden ring flared in the distance, then dimmed again. It nodded in understanding, or something approximating it, and its huge wings briefly paused beating to let it fall slightly behind Daybreak while still keeping pace. They would keep going, as fast as they could, and the deity behind them would ensure that Kezia did not strike them out of the muddy sky.

"How can we trust you?" Liam accused, twisting around entirely to look the thing in the face.

It focused on him, second pair of eyes widening to match its first. It knew exactly why Liam could trust it. Why wouldn't Liam trust it? Did he have a choice? Liam pressed closer to Vox again; his hackles were standing up stiffly on end. It turned to stare off into the darkness. A many-voiced scream was rising in pitch and volume, eldritch body rustling and rattling in the blackness around them, but impossible to see in the terrible weather. It hoped they were ready to go as fast as they'd ever gone in their lives.

[scoutvox]

He knew they could be engulfed by the Tyrant at any moment - each second they waited was a second closer to the grave, and Vox had proven time and time again that he wasn't ready to bury himself or anyone he loved just yet.

"I'll explain all of this when we get back, I promise, Liam!" Vox shouted, hand shaking as he pivoted slightly to meet his son's vision. "For now, we have to fucking go!"

Vox leaned forward, tapping Daybreak's back as he mentally reached out to her.

Go, above the horizon. Go fast. Get us home.

Without hesitation, the dragon aligned herself with the previously illuminated glow. Wings bounding against tense air in scarlet skies, she pressed forward, carrying the trio of father, son, and seidkonur as fast as she could muster.

[foresight-botgd]

The first loop of the Tyrant's body came out of nowhere, rising up from underneath them, it forced Daybreak to dive sharply to avoid it. The insectoid legs were pummeling the dust as though they were running through the air, in time with the many rotted wings along its back thrusting together in waves. Their guardian rose to be above them, rolling and striking the closest section of its adversary away once they were far enough away, leaving a scorching chain-shaped brand the length of a longship across her flank. With the attack, another ghostly flash of gold illuminated the sky, and revealed the Tyrant Eternal in all of her horrific, angelic glory, contorted and beautiful, miles and miles of her between them and safety.

The once-was-Liam ended up beneath Daybreak, dorsal side facing down, and pulsed its wings upwards powerfully, forcing the dragon upwards with a gust, and another swath of Illuminar flesh sailed between the two of them, chased away again by another divine strike. It then darted off and disappeared momentarily before the next obstacle silhouetted in a narrow flash, and the wormlike lower part of Kezia was torn asunder as though with a knife fit for a titan to use. The trio ducked and hid their faces from the splatter of otherworldly viscera as Daybreak sailed through the new opening, throat swelling with a roar.

[scoutvox]

Wiping away the grotesque onslaught of entrails, the scout remained firm in leaning forward and focused on the horizon. Daybreak maintained a steady speed as another horrific, piercing cry emitted from below. Vox watched as Milae raised a hoof to one ear in an attempt to cut any amount of the painfully shrill sound; he could feel Liam do the same. A few seconds passed before an upheaving force slammed the dragon and her riders from below, throwing Daybreak into a half-roll and lifting Liam and Milae off of the saddle that Vox managed to maintain a grip on.

As if by instinct, Vox turned to throw his arm around Liam's torso before he was out of reach, but the angle at which he had to twist was just slightly past where his center of gravity would allow - he felt himself slide. He was able to successfully pull Liam in with his limb tightly wrapped around the young man's chest, but he was now hanging by his one hand as Daybreak fought against the updraft to correct her positioning. The scout made the fatal mistake of looking down; there was no sign of the goat.

Milae- Milae!

[foresight-botgd]

Liam strained to reach up past Vox, claws digging into leather, and looked down to his father, unintentionally bumping foreheads in the chaos. "Hold on," he said loudly, and then whistled sharply out the corner of his mouth. Daybreak responded, immediately rolling in the opposite direction, and caused both of them to tumble and slide back towards the saddle. This time it was Liam that caught Vox around the under-arms, heaving him back up into the seat and they re-oriented themselves.

As the world spun back upright, the Tyrant's coils shifted once again, and revealed the winged figure approaching from below, its ambient light brightening as it approached. Just as Liam also began to panic about Milae, it swooped close and revealed the half-breed goat curled up in its arms, tiny in proportion, and the Arnasons both helped maneuver Milae back to the saddle, holding him tightly. They feared that he was unconscious or even dead for a terrifying second, but he was fine--just completely shell-shocked from the experience. He shakily pushed himself upright, struggling to focus. His scars were pulsing gold, reflecting off of their faces as the opening through time drew ever closer.

"Keep--keep going," he said hoarsely, "keep going, we have to make it through." He looked at the not-Liam, and they seemed to resolve something they were still communicating about. "If the opening does not close, and Kezia follows us--"

She won't.

"She might," he insisted.

If they lingered, she might. They needed to fly straight, no matter what happened next. Trust it. It peeled away once more, and in its wake, another chain began to trail, lengthening with every flap of its wings. The head of the Tyrant lay between them and the Golden Timeline, and it began to face them, huge segments colliding and bending to accommodate the wide turn, massive mouth now expanded with limb-like segments that uncurled like a demented starfish, seeking its prey.

"No matter what happens next," Liam repeated under his breath.

[scoutvox]

Vox's respirations were quick and heavy as his eyes locked on the unfathomable beast before them - he could feel a palpable fear shared amongst the trio on dragonback, and with sweat dampening his brow, he connected with Daybreak once more.

We're so close, just push on. Don't stop for anything.

His eyes followed the chain, his chest experiencing a swell of pride in the midst of incomprehensible tension. His arm found Liam's leg beside him, once again blurring the perception of where his own blood existed in the harsh, hostile atmosphere surrounding them. The scout took a brief moment to close his eyes and hear the howling winds around them before exhaling deeply.

"We're getting out," his voice was filled with a confidence new to him. His vision was set forward. "No matter what happens next."

[foresight-botgd]

Daybreak's long roar rang in their ears; she pushed off of an incoming, spindly leg as tall as a tower and used its momentum to thrust herself forward. Milae yelped at the movement, but he seized it and turned it into a full-throated yell, lost mostly to the wind until Liam joined the war cry, raw and piercing, far louder than the goat's.

The sound that answered from the abomination before them was blistering, it was everything and nothing, it was cold earth in their mouths, it was the death rattle of their loved ones, it was the sun bleaching their abandoned homes, it was the ring of the last time their names would be spoken aloud. It was finality incarnate.

Why would you struggle against the end? it scorned. I have become death. Of myself there will be many, a fathomless tide. Why would you wade through decades more of pain and heartbreak? Why would you fight the inevitable?

But the creature streaking towards her on wings of black and gold took after the dragon riders and filled its own lungs. The echo of its shout counteracted the utter despair of the Tyrant, the sounds of strangers singing the same hearty song, the wail of a healthy baby entering the world, the first kiss of anxious new lovers, the burst of a lively, warm household on a freezing face, the giddy dance of the farmer in a miracle thunderstorm. The roar of a Rebellion, chained together in solidarity, battering against every injustice holding them back.

Because, their guardian answered, the beating hearts in our chest demand it. There would always be another triumph. There would always be more laughter. And so long as there was cruelty, there would always be more love.

You may be endless...but so are we.

Once-Liam--still-Liam, still-Nala, still-Verðandi--surged forward like an arrow from a bowshot, spinning fearlessly into the monstrosity's maw, and as she curled backwards in agony, light blazed through the back of her throat, and it exploded outwards, and they saw a perfect path through the long, bloody hole in the Tyrant's mouth through to the circular golden gateway beyond.

[foresight-botgd]

Blackout [pt 4]

[previous]

Milae pointed mutely straight ahead of them, about thirty degrees upwards. The was-Liam followed the direction of his hoof, and they all heard a sub-audible trill, almost like echolocation. The brief outline of a massive golden ring flared in the distance, then dimmed again. It nodded in understanding, or something approximating it, and its huge wings briefly paused beating to let it fall slightly behind Daybreak while still keeping pace. They would keep going, as fast as they could, and the deity behind them would ensure that Kezia did not strike them out of the muddy sky.

"How can we trust you?" Liam accused, twisting around entirely to look the thing in the face.

It focused on him, second pair of eyes widening to match its first. It knew exactly why Liam could trust it. Why wouldn't Liam trust it? Did he have a choice? Liam pressed closer to Vox again; his hackles were standing up stiffly on end. It turned to stare off into the darkness. A many-voiced scream was rising in pitch and volume, eldritch body rustling and rattling in the blackness around them, but impossible to see in the terrible weather. It hoped they were ready to go as fast as they'd ever gone in their lives.

[scoutvox]

He knew they could be engulfed by the Tyrant at any moment - each second they waited was a second closer to the grave, and Vox had proven time and time again that he wasn't ready to bury himself or anyone he loved just yet.

"I'll explain all of this when we get back, I promise, Liam!" Vox shouted, hand shaking as he pivoted slightly to meet his son's vision. "For now, we have to fucking go!"

Vox leaned forward, tapping Daybreak's back as he mentally reached out to her.

Go, above the horizon. Go fast. Get us home.

Without hesitation, the dragon aligned herself with the previously illuminated glow. Wings bounding against tense air in scarlet skies, she pressed forward, carrying the trio of father, son, and seidkonur as fast as she could muster.

[foresight-botgd]

The first loop of the Tyrant's body came out of nowhere, rising up from underneath them, it forced Daybreak to dive sharply to avoid it. The insectoid legs were pummeling the dust as though they were running through the air, in time with the many rotted wings along its back thrusting together in waves. Their guardian rose to be above them, rolling and striking the closest section of its adversary away once they were far enough away, leaving a scorching chain-shaped brand the length of a longship across her flank. With the attack, another ghostly flash of gold illuminated the sky, and revealed the Tyrant Eternal in all of her horrific, angelic glory, contorted and beautiful, miles and miles of her between them and safety.

The once-was-Liam ended up beneath Daybreak, dorsal side facing down, and pulsed its wings upwards powerfully, forcing the dragon upwards with a gust, and another swath of Illuminar flesh sailed between the two of them, chased away again by another divine strike. It then darted off and disappeared momentarily before the next obstacle silhouetted in a narrow flash, and the wormlike lower part of Kezia was torn asunder as though with a knife fit for a titan to use. The trio ducked and hid their faces from the splatter of otherworldly viscera as Daybreak sailed through the new opening, throat swelling with a roar.

[scoutvox]

Wiping away the grotesque onslaught of entrails, the scout remained firm in leaning forward and focused on the horizon. Daybreak maintained a steady speed as another horrific, piercing cry emitted from below. Vox watched as Milae raised a hoof to one ear in an attempt to cut any amount of the painfully shrill sound; he could feel Liam do the same. A few seconds passed before an upheaving force slammed the dragon and her riders from below, throwing Daybreak into a half-roll and lifting Liam and Milae off of the saddle that Vox managed to maintain a grip on.

As if by instinct, Vox turned to throw his arm around Liam's torso before he was out of reach, but the angle at which he had to twist was just slightly past where his center of gravity would allow - he felt himself slide. He was able to successfully pull Liam in with his limb tightly wrapped around the young man's chest, but he was now hanging by his one hand as Daybreak fought against the updraft to correct her positioning. The scout made the fatal mistake of looking down; there was no sign of the goat.

Milae- Milae!

[foresight-botgd]

Liam strained to reach up past Vox, claws digging into leather, and looked down to his father, unintentionally bumping foreheads in the chaos. "Hold on," he said loudly, and then whistled sharply out the corner of his mouth. Daybreak responded, immediately rolling in the opposite direction, and caused both of them to tumble and slide back towards the saddle. This time it was Liam that caught Vox around the under-arms, heaving him back up into the seat and they re-oriented themselves.

As the world spun back upright, the Tyrant's coils shifted once again, and revealed the winged figure approaching from below, its ambient light brightening as it approached. Just as Liam also began to panic about Milae, it swooped close and revealed the half-breed goat curled up in its arms, tiny in proportion, and the Arnasons both helped maneuver Milae back to the saddle, holding him tightly. They feared that he was unconscious or even dead for a terrifying second, but he was fine--just completely shell-shocked from the experience. He shakily pushed himself upright, struggling to focus. His scars were pulsing gold, reflecting off of their faces as the opening through time drew ever closer.

"Keep--keep going," he said hoarsely, "keep going, we have to make it through." He looked at the not-Liam, and they seemed to resolve something they were still communicating about. "If the opening does not close, and Kezia follows us--"

She won't.

"She might," he insisted.

If they lingered, she might. They needed to fly straight, no matter what happened next. Trust it. It peeled away once more, and in its wake, another chain began to trail, lengthening with every flap of its wings. The head of the Tyrant lay between them and the Golden Timeline, and it began to face them, huge segments colliding and bending to accommodate the wide turn, massive mouth now expanded with limb-like segments that uncurled like a demented starfish, seeking its prey.

"No matter what happens next," Liam repeated under his breath.

[foresight-botgd]

Blackout [pt 4]

[previous]

Milae pointed mutely straight ahead of them, about thirty degrees upwards. The was-Liam followed the direction of his hoof, and they all heard a sub-audible trill, almost like echolocation. The brief outline of a massive golden ring flared in the distance, then dimmed again. It nodded in understanding, or something approximating it, and its huge wings briefly paused beating to let it fall slightly behind Daybreak while still keeping pace. They would keep going, as fast as they could, and the deity behind them would ensure that Kezia did not strike them out of the muddy sky.

"How can we trust you?" Liam accused, twisting around entirely to look the thing in the face.

It focused on him, second pair of eyes widening to match its first. It knew exactly why Liam could trust it. Why wouldn't Liam trust it? Did he have a choice? Liam pressed closer to Vox again; his hackles were standing up stiffly on end. It turned to stare off into the darkness. A many-voiced scream was rising in pitch and volume, eldritch body rustling and rattling in the blackness around them, but impossible to see in the terrible weather. It hoped they were ready to go as fast as they'd ever gone in their lives.

[scoutvox]

He knew they could be engulfed by the Tyrant at any moment - each second they waited was a second closer to the grave, and Vox had proven time and time again that he wasn't ready to bury himself or anyone he loved just yet.

"I'll explain all of this when we get back, I promise, Liam!" Vox shouted, hand shaking as he pivoted slightly to meet his son's vision. "For now, we have to fucking go!"

Vox leaned forward, tapping Daybreak's back as he mentally reached out to her.

Go, above the horizon. Go fast. Get us home.

Without hesitation, the dragon aligned herself with the previously illuminated glow. Wings bounding against tense air in scarlet skies, she pressed forward, carrying the trio of father, son, and seidkonur as fast as she could muster.

[foresight-botgd]

The first loop of the Tyrant's body came out of nowhere, rising up from underneath them, it forced Daybreak to dive sharply to avoid it. The insectoid legs were pummeling the dust as though they were running through the air, in time with the many rotted wings along its back thrusting together in waves. Their guardian rose to be above them, rolling and striking the closest section of its adversary away once they were far enough away, leaving a scorching chain-shaped brand the length of a longship across her flank. With the attack, another ghostly flash of gold illuminated the sky, and revealed the Tyrant Eternal in all of her horrific, angelic glory, contorted and beautiful, miles and miles of her between them and safety.

The once-was-Liam ended up beneath Daybreak, dorsal side facing down, and pulsed its wings upwards powerfully, forcing the dragon upwards with a gust, and another swath of Illuminar flesh sailed between the two of them, chased away again by another divine strike. It then darted off and disappeared momentarily before the next obstacle silhouetted in a narrow flash, and the wormlike lower part of Kezia was torn asunder as though with a knife fit for a titan to use. The trio ducked and hid their faces from the splatter of otherworldly viscera as Daybreak sailed through the new opening, throat swelling with a roar.

[foresight-botgd]

Blackout [pt 4]

[previous]

Milae pointed mutely straight ahead of them, about thirty degrees upwards. The was-Liam followed the direction of his hoof, and they all heard a sub-audible trill, almost like echolocation. The brief outline of a massive golden ring flared in the distance, then dimmed again. It nodded in understanding, or something approximating it, and its huge wings briefly paused beating to let it fall slightly behind Daybreak while still keeping pace. They would keep going, as fast as they could, and the deity behind them would ensure that Kezia did not strike them out of the muddy sky.

"How can we trust you?" Liam accused, twisting around entirely to look the thing in the face.

It focused on him, second pair of eyes widening to match its first. It knew exactly why Liam could trust it. Why wouldn't Liam trust it? Did he have a choice? Liam pressed closer to Vox again; his hackles were standing up stiffly on end. It turned to stare off into the darkness. A many-voiced scream was rising in pitch and volume, eldritch body rustling and rattling in the blackness around them, but impossible to see in the terrible weather. It hoped they were ready to go as fast as they'd ever gone in their lives.

[scoutvox]

Blackout [Pt 3]

[x]

Vox was stunned into silence. Their surroundings were desolate, to be certain, but to the level that Liam was describing didn't seem to immediately compute to him. Hearing the names of his wife, of his daughter - to know that there was a world where he couldn't do enough to save them nearly sent him into a spiral. He felt his stomach churn as the nausea grew; wanting to comfort his child, but recognizing that he could not dwell here longer than was necessary.

"I'm... sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, buddy."

The scout couldn't look at his son; he deflected his vision away and to the ground, taking note of patches of blood that were too frequently spotting the earth around them. This was a nightmare, and he was only witnessing the tail end of it. Liam lived through it; arguably a worse fate than death, and now having to recount it to a man that seemingly hadn't even been looking for him.

"Did... did anyone survive? I didn't see it for myself, but when they told me that you- sorry, when, uh, Liam came here... I had to wonder what reason he would have had to do it."

Vox looked back towards the crevice, feeling the same visceral fear he'd known back in his own time.

"I take it you haven't seen him, from what you've told me... the, uh, other Liam."

[foresight-botgd]

"No."

The young man looked resigned, thoroughly defeated and so, so small. His wet green eyes bounced between Vox and Daybreak again; there was a small flicker of an expression as he landed on an idea, and he opened his mouth, and closed it again. His next words took an enormous amount of effort to speak. "Can't you just...if you need to go back and you don't find him..."

Vox. Milae was speaking to him quietly through the network. I long wondered if again I was faced with the choice of doing what I did with you, what I would end up deciding. And I think now, with everything that has transpired here, I am sure that I would make that same decision a thousand times over if I had to. Would you?

[scoutvox]

He could only stare at his son in the red light; bathed in a terrifying glow of a world Vox could never imagine for himself, let along his child, but it was a horrifying reality. The distant screeching from the expansive opening in the earth continued, echoing against the walls of the cavern and ruined stone structures around them. Nothing could be done here; nobody could be saved here. It was clear to Vox as he continued to study the young man before him. The lines of moisture running down Liam's cheeks drove daggers through the scout's heart in a way that it could only impact a father. Milae's transmission was heavy; it was real, and it was finite, but the answer was obvious.

"In every lifetime."

This was his son. Liam would always be his son. The child who begged for stories of his father's journeys and adventures with the Rebellion; the child who clamored on the back of his Uncle Dario for a deer-back ride, gripping playfully at the stag's antlers as they bounded through the overgrown gardens of their home. The child who kept a watchful presence over his sister in her most formative years... the years the scout had not been around to see. The child who had every reason in the world to distance himself from his father, but chose to stand before him now, pride swallowed and desperate.

The young man who gave up everything in a moment of resilience, fear, and an unwillingness to yield. This was his son.

His throat was constricted, along with his heart. The pressure of every emotion he could possibly feel in this moment threatened to drive him to his knees, but Tree's words resonated softly in his head.

You are mine... we are a family. Always.

He launched himself forward once more, pulling Liam against him with the last of his waning strength. Vox couldn't compose himself enough to speak, but it didn't matter. He gave everything to ensure that the love he felt was conveyed beyond words, cradling the back of his son's head and burying his face against the top.

There was no time to wait here - the losses were immeasurable, and they could not... would not be added to the casualties. Vox maintained his embrace of Liam, clearing his throat before managing to emit anything in a soft tone.

"You're coming back with us, bud. I promise."

[foresight-botgd]

The hands around Liam felt like a long-forgotten dream; strangely familiar, but still brand-new. He embraced Vox back just as hard, claws nearly tearing at clothing, heavily sniffing into the hug. The relief he felt was explosive, like a burst dam breaking free.

"I swear I'll still help you look for the other one. What did he--"

The ground shook violently once more, enough to throw everyone off their feet and to the burned soil. As they scrambled back upright, the guard wall towering above them cracked in several places and began to tumble. Liam dragged Vox by the scruff backwards, both of them sprinting away as it toppled to the ground, burying the body behind them in dust and stone. The roars from underground became deafening, gaining an new, otherworldly tone, and several strobing golden flashes could be seen from the depths below.

"What the Hel is that--!" Liam gasped.

"Vox!!" Milae was corralling a panicking Daybreak into remaining on the ground, at her extreme displeasure. "Come on!!"

[scoutvox]

The scout managed to keep pace with his son, ushering him frantically to Daybreak and Milae. His long-standing fear of dragons was immediately superseded by the present threat in the void; a threat met with an energy that felt strikingly familiar.

Vox bounded atop the dragon with the movement and conviction of a man twenty years younger, gripping Liam's forearm and using his weight to quickly pull him up and behind him. The violent cries from below continued as Vox placed his head next to Milae's ear, who was now settled in front of him.

"What changed? Do you know what's happening?"

[foresight-botgd]

Milae looked back at him with white-walled eyes. "Not a clue. Let's go."

Daybreak took off at the same angle she landed at, away from the city in order to gain altitude before needing to cross the divide once more. As they climbed higher and higher, the disturbance at the center grew even stronger, bolts of energy striking at the hole's edges, the smoke and haze swirling in a cyclone just over it.

A windy howl filled the air, and from the underground, darkness bloomed and surged upwards. Everything went pitch-black and still, save for the very faint outline of the bloody sun in the sky behind them. The trio held their breath, hoping it was done. There was nothing but Daybreak's flapping wings for nearly a full minute.

Gold.

Void.

Gold. Void.

Two halos. Darkness.

A roar like thunder. An explosion of dawn-colored sparks. Darkness.

The strike of chain against flesh. Amber flashes. Darkness.

The outline of a figure more monstrous than the Tyrant, with countless rows of rotted wings running down its entire back, poised to strike mid-air. Darkness.

The twisted creature struck backwards, outlined in honey-gold light, with a flying humanoid shape minuscule in comparison surging after her, his own wings spread like a striking hawk. Darkness.

A flying chain big enough to anchor a ship materialized out of the new night, flying overhead as everyone ducked and Daybreak screeched. It hit its maximum length and the tension flung it back inwards, re-lighting the scene once more, revealing its small owner facing the beast again, holding the chain in both hands with a long length of loose lead between each clawed fist. Black horns, gold eyes, black wings, gold hair, black tail. The new Tyrant's jaws yawned wide, dripped with ichor, and lunged. Darkness.

Liam had a death grip on Vox's shoulders. "Dad--!?"

"Blóð guða…" Milae panted, lungs heaving. "Tie us all to Daybreak. We have to get out of here. Now."

[scoutvox]

Vox had one arm tightly holding Liam's leg against him, while the other reached past Milae and held as tightly as possible - the bombardment of visual and aural stimuli had been overwhelming, but they had to focus. A difficult endeavor, as the cognitive dissonance of seeing his son engage with a new manifestation of the Grand Illuminar while he was also seated behind him was far too much to grasp.

"Daybreak, push." The scout leaned forward, feeling Liam do the same as they began ascending further. He scanned the looming darkness below, fighting the soaring sickness in his gut that searched for any sign that his son was out there. "I don't suppose there is much we can do to help here, so we just need to find our way back out."

He continued to cling to the dragon carrying them as he took a moment to attempt contact. He couldn't know if it was transmitting, or that he could hear and comprehend it in his current state, but he had to try.

Liam, I don't need a response... but we're here, bud. Come back to us safe, okay?

[foresight-botgd]

The son behind him, in turn, was watching the scene with impossibly wide eyes. Light struck again, and it showed the Tyrant Eternal's jaws being wrangled backwards with chain like a bridle, godlike flesh sizzling and exploding and smoking at all points of contact. What was once Kezia gave a horrific scream, and all of her massive wings beat in mind-bending synchronicity, body looping several times across itself and getting entirely too close to Daybreak several times. Everything grew dark again.

A point of light exploded out of the fog ahead of them and shot towards them, too fast to avoid by any wide berth. Milae swore; he pulled Daybreak to the right, her wings banking so hard that they were completely vertical. In turn, the approaching object barely slipped past them, and rotated its own feathered wings in the exact same manner, caught in each other's slipstreams.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Shed feathers hung in the violent winds holding them aloft. As it was thrown past them, the once-was-Liam peered at them with an expression matching Liam's. A cut across his face in a similar place spilled molten gold blood. Liam's jaw dropped, and Milae's ears pinned back entirely to his neck. For the first time since the tomb, Vox felt his entire being suffused in a familiar, terrifying, glorious presence. There was nowhere else either of them needed to be but right here, in this very moment. But with unimaginable joy, he also knew a panicked rage, he shouldn't have come, was he crazy? What was he doing here!? WHAT WAS HE DOING HERE!? HE NEEDED TO GO!!!

Its four eyes shifted to Liam, and the shockwave of realization hit both of them like a tidal wave. Oh shit.

"Oh shit," Liam gasped.

Daybreak rocked dangerously as both beings passed each other, and the no-longer-Liam tumbled in the dragon's draft before stabilizing and catching back up to them, alternating wingbeats with her so as not to send them both careening into the void. All three of her riders were clearing their ears of a painful ringing left by its strange way of communication, and it apologized, but they were not safe here. They needed to return the way they came, and it would protect them while they did so. Liam turned away from it to look back at Vox in bewilderment, the aura from the creature beside them catching off the fringes of his hair and the curve of his face. It wasn't clear whether or not Milae understood; he seemed to be praying constantly and consistently under his breath.