The first time Saturn hears it their blood runs cold.
A monster, they were called. A demon.
Saturn looks down at their hands and stares at the blood soaking into their skin. They could feel it seeping into every crevice, every follicle.
A ghost of a whisper passed their ear.
Their vision focused on the body beneath them. It was an human man. In his mid-twenties and highly respected amongst the elves as a trader of knowledge. Something the elves were always willing to receive.
The man had broad shoulders and a chiseled face. He was handsome. But that wasn't what was on Saturn's mind.
The man had said something to Saturn and something in them just.
They had lunged at the man, teeth bared and eyes alight with rage. They don't remember why. Everything had gone red and when they came to the elves were whispering.
Saturn looked at the man's lifeless eyes, frozen in terror. His mouth agape with a silent scream. His forehead caved in and his throat ripped apart. Blood was steadily pooling around them as they lifted their head to face the growing crowd.
The whispers were louder but still unintelligible.
Every single elf was staring with horror and disgust. Staring at Saturn with suspicion and mistrust. As if they were an abomination.
Whispers grew in volume and the faces morphed into featureless white canvases that didn't move but the voices came from each one of them.
Everything started growing dark around them and the whispers grew to chants.
Saturn wakes in a cold sweat, eyes wide with fear. They make no sound as they slip from the tent them and Damaia shared and creep into the night of the Hinterlands.
They hate waking her up and didn't know if they were ready to tell her just yet. Though they doubted they ever would be. They were too afraid of how she would react. Would Damaia look at Saturn with that same look of disgust? Would she call them a monster too? It was surprising enough to learn that she adored their beast form, but that didn't mean she would care for a killer.
Saturn had grown to care for Damaia and they couldn't handle her hating them too.
They can't stop seeing all the blood and the faces. The looks of disgust.
They squeeze their eyes shut and try to ignore the whispers that creep into their mind. The demons won't have them, no matter how badly they want those nightmares gone. How badly they want the blood washed away.
Saturn sits at the edge of the river and hums a comforting song. It always seemed to help ward off the demons as Saturn started to only focus on the tune. Keeping it quiet but still loud enough to hear to the trained ear.
They looked up to the stars that blanketed the sky and let the tears flow.
Borrowed Damaia from @marquis1305
