#taranth

[scifi2feature]

[featherbloodsisters]

Three Siblings

Taranth laid back on the ground littered with the other bodies, feeling the darkness approaching as he glanced at the death wound. It was the second time he'd go into the egg, and he'd be more engulfed by the shadows of death... Taranth wondered if Lucierin or Luna had started to guess at their true nature. He doubted Luna's twin had yet. Luna was probably too oblivious to notice that she had stopped using shadow altogether, and instead her abilities of flame were traveling closer and closer to the Light with every rebirth, it was no mistake that she had lost her memories one time, it erased the only thing that might have kept her in the shadows. Lucierin was carefully balancing her abilities. She might have actually figured it out, somehow controlled her deaths and rebirths. He wondered what he would do now and a summoned a small flame of light and shadow at his finger tips that slowly engulfed him.

So much was going on in the Broken Isles, this lost battle was only one example. Perhaps change his appearance again. Would Kit recognize him if he appeared as a priest at Judessa's doorstep? Would he die if the Twilights achieved their way? Or would he just exist still as the Old Gods devoured everything around him. He was a phoenix, he would merely wait until everything was destroyed and then rise again... no matter how dark his flames were, they still burned with the heat of creation. It was a stupid mistake dying here, he had been trying to avoid combat altogether. But what else was he to do? He had broken his bonds and tried to live without them. Too closely he followed Grandfather's memories and had gotten lost on the wrong side of the war. It would be nice to see Kit again, he wondered if she found Evirin yet.

It had been so long... His body was shrinking, going into the egg, and he sighed, wondering who it was that would pick him up this time. How far into the shadows would this hatching take him?

Luna whistled happily as she traversed the roads of Azuna, Eriesa floating beside her. "They should have left at Midsummer," the unborn Val'kyr muttered as she glanced behind her. "What was that?" the flower knight asked as she plopped a flower crown on her companion's head. "We seemed to have gotten more following us," her companion said, "Looks like some of the kids from the Court decided to come along." The phoenix paused, putting a hand over her eyes as she looked behind them. "The King will be happy," she chewed the inside of her cheek, "Er... once I find the King... I'm almost completely certain that we're going the wrong way..." "We've been going the wrong way for a month," the Val'kyr crossed her arms, "We need to leave this flooded place and go up there!" she pointed up to Dalaran, "From there we can contact someone in the Wings and find out where Theravir is." "But I can't fly everyone up there." "There's these nice people," Eriesa said slowly, "You give them some money, they use their winged beasts to get you where you need to go." Luna shook her head, "There are too many Faeries, we can't just leave them here. Nope, we'll have to walk." Eriesa held up a finger and stepped away for a moment, going behind a rock. Luna tilted her head as she heard the screaming and cursing as her companion went through the litany of profanity and then smiled as she floated back. "Alright, we'll go find a mage. Buy a portal. Right? Right," the Val'kyr growled as she floated past, "Come on!" "If I didn't lose the communicator, I bet the King would come to us..." "Luna. Shut. Up."

Lucierin threw a knife at the target board, frowning as she examined the map again. They were almost done with Stormheim, just one or two more errands. Vel was more than likely beyond angry for her refusal to check in. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, then immediately regretting it as the memories of the cursed sailor came flowing back. It wasn't just the treasure it was tempting her with. "I refuse," she whispered to it, "You just keep your ultimate power to yourself, I've got absolutely no use for it." She flipped her hair behind her ears, grown out so that she could pull feathers more easily... Rubes had more than a few potions using them as ingredients now. Luce walked past her table of poison experiments, grimacing at the after taste of her latest creation. "Too slow for combat, but not bad for assassination... I'll die in a week, better let Zelus and Teera know what to do." She walked out of her quarters and onto the deck of the ship, looking up at the jade green flags waving against the black sails. "Looks like we have a fair wind Captain!" one of her crew yelled as she walked past him, "We'll make good ground today." "Good. Has Ethillis come down from the crow's nest yet?" She looked over the sea, not really waiting for an answer as she crossed her arms. "Something's coming," she muttered, "I hope someone else noticed for once."

[featherbloodsisters]

[araidnestarblood]

The Price of Stars

She stepped quietly through the snow, her footsteps barely leaving a mark as she came to the cave door.

"Stop right there," a young voice said and the white-cloaked figure looked up, sadly smiling at the human girl that had the bow trained on her, "This is property of..."

"It's alright Rosie," a smooth voice said and a tanned hand placed itself on her shoulder as Taranth looked down, "Luna said that you had to abandon us."

Araidne took down her hood and shook her head, and he nodded, "So it was true about your voice. Why are you here?" he jumped down to where she was, "And why aren't you approaching Kit?"

She chewed her bottom lip and took his hand, placing something warm and fluttery in it.

Taranth stared at her, closing his hand over the object, "Then even after that, he lied to us?"

Araidne frowned, then took out a note that he snatched with his other hand and read.

"He didn't lie, but he didn't realize that his antidote would not work..." Taranth swallowed, "But how did..." he asked before she pointed at the note and he looked back, "It is an antidote made specifically for one person. For another, it would act as a further poison. Adding this bit of light will be able to neutralize that and force it to work as intended. It is all that I can do to save her, any further interference on my part will mark her by those I sought to protect my children from." He frowned as he turned back to her, "And how are you sure that it will work?" he demanded.

Araidne had tears in her eyes as she leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned away, lifting her hood before walking back into the snowstorm.

"Why don't you trust Kit?"

She paused, then looked back, another sad smile on her face.

Taranth heard the answer, even if it wasn't spoken aloud.

"Because she no longer needs to pay for my crimes. And if she knew, she would carry the burden of them... I cannot allow her to do that."

"She'll find out, even with us keeping her from it. And then she'll follow you." Araidne turned away, vanishing into the snow.

Taranth stared after her, hearing that unspoken answer as well.

"Keep her away. The next time there will be no way to save her."