Dec 20 2023, 02:11 PM
Like a true sun, the light and heat of Hydra bore through his thin fur most uncomfortably. As the sand whisked and seethed around them in whips of hot air, he found himself lost in thought, red eyes glazed as he stared toward a large, bare patch of windswept sand; they were between two of the dunes, and while nothing about the location felt worthwhile, they had traveled through the arid choke to find it.
Beside him, Totum struggled through the sand with their long legs, brushing some of it aside as if looking for something or simply reminiscing. Astraea's ear flicked at the sound, and though he was aware of the presence and what they were doing, the unbearable heat had him locked in a memory: before, his skin had been too pale for typical daylight and he had burned easily. It was that burning sensation that distracted him now. A muscle on his back twitched and he pulled himself into the present with a deep inhale—even the air tasted too hot—and he turned to Totum, eyes squinting against the light reflected tenfold off the sand.
Not even this accursed deer body could withstand the heat.
"This must be it," he said after a moment, watching the black creature as it studied the sands.
"Yes," they replied, their voice a mix of high and low tones. "I wouldn't forget it," came the higher tone, feminine: the Warrior. "I know," replied the lower tone, masculine but far more gentle: the Beast.
"Now that this wretched place has been subdued, we can once again make use of..." Astraea started, but his voice trailed off as he eyes swept back to the barren plateau of sand between the dunes.
"The Dreamer's realm," the Beast said, but Warrior corrected him by adding, "Where it is make or break! The Dreamer and his little dogs are true masters of their craft." Her voice was excited, but Beast's sounded solemn when he said, "I wonder if the Gembounds knew..." He spoke almost above her, past her, their voices tangled. The Gembounds had done so much for him, no, for both of them. He did not want to subject them to this. Warrior grunted at the dismissal of her words.
"Hmm, yes," Astraea hummed, almost absently. It was as if his head were still bobbing above the waters of the past. But as Beast's words registered with him, his attention turned back to the lanky being. "Knew what? That they were being used? These sands require blood as much as anything else, and more so, the magic spent to reawaken it." He glanced down to where his hooves sank into the silky sand, shifting some of it to watch the light glint off each grain. "It is long overdue."
Each stone they crushed, each one that died... it was all for this.
"Come, let us venture to the Underforge. Skahan will make quick work of the Maw," he said with finality, and Totum nodded; together, they turned to be rid of the heat and sand.
"Don't call them little dogs," warned Beast's voice as they walked away, leaving the empty sands to sleep and dream for a little longer. "You are too soft on them!" she snapped back, but their bickering faded into the hiss of heated air.
Beside him, Totum struggled through the sand with their long legs, brushing some of it aside as if looking for something or simply reminiscing. Astraea's ear flicked at the sound, and though he was aware of the presence and what they were doing, the unbearable heat had him locked in a memory: before, his skin had been too pale for typical daylight and he had burned easily. It was that burning sensation that distracted him now. A muscle on his back twitched and he pulled himself into the present with a deep inhale—even the air tasted too hot—and he turned to Totum, eyes squinting against the light reflected tenfold off the sand.
Not even this accursed deer body could withstand the heat.
"This must be it," he said after a moment, watching the black creature as it studied the sands.
"Yes," they replied, their voice a mix of high and low tones. "I wouldn't forget it," came the higher tone, feminine: the Warrior. "I know," replied the lower tone, masculine but far more gentle: the Beast.
"Now that this wretched place has been subdued, we can once again make use of..." Astraea started, but his voice trailed off as he eyes swept back to the barren plateau of sand between the dunes.
"The Dreamer's realm," the Beast said, but Warrior corrected him by adding, "Where it is make or break! The Dreamer and his little dogs are true masters of their craft." Her voice was excited, but Beast's sounded solemn when he said, "I wonder if the Gembounds knew..." He spoke almost above her, past her, their voices tangled. The Gembounds had done so much for him, no, for both of them. He did not want to subject them to this. Warrior grunted at the dismissal of her words.
"Hmm, yes," Astraea hummed, almost absently. It was as if his head were still bobbing above the waters of the past. But as Beast's words registered with him, his attention turned back to the lanky being. "Knew what? That they were being used? These sands require blood as much as anything else, and more so, the magic spent to reawaken it." He glanced down to where his hooves sank into the silky sand, shifting some of it to watch the light glint off each grain. "It is long overdue."
Each stone they crushed, each one that died... it was all for this.
"Come, let us venture to the Underforge. Skahan will make quick work of the Maw," he said with finality, and Totum nodded; together, they turned to be rid of the heat and sand.
"Don't call them little dogs," warned Beast's voice as they walked away, leaving the empty sands to sleep and dream for a little longer. "You are too soft on them!" she snapped back, but their bickering faded into the hiss of heated air.