And here we are!!! The Arc 1 final!!! there will be NOOOO delay between this and Arc 2's start. In fact.... it's ALL already written and just being edited for releases!

Content warning:

Threat of self-harm/suicide, The end of Arc 1

Thendra’s still awake as I arrive back in her chambers. From the aching in my arm I am certain that the last Reaver broke it before her body decided to finally die. But… When I woke up it was wonderful and perfect. And as I run a talon along my face searching for scars, I find it smooth and unbroken.

I know this could be my last night alive. That… that Thendra might keep her promise and end me. But… She let me kill Twital before. Seems… I don’t know! Awnya had called it a waste. But Thendra only purred…

“Was it?” She had asked.

Bulderii stands across from her as they both look down over a scroll or map or… something stupid. I stop just past the big doorway and look between them, Naranggas strangely calm.

They both look up, eyes rolling over my Amwella that must sing of such recent violence. Thendra lets out a purring laugh. Jade eyes alight with… with such amusement and hungry joy.

“Leave us, Bulderii.”

Thendra’s most trusted Reaver nods, and exits without a word.

I wait a moment, just… turn my glare up at Thendra. I stand here feeling a roiling hatred for my wretched dark goddess alongside such… Well, I don’t know what this is.

I’ve never felt this odd mix of emotions.

“What am I?” I ask her as flatly as I can.

She smirks, dark teeth sparkling. “My Little Fae.”

I let my tails flail about in agitation at her willful attempts to keep me upset by avoiding the answer. At… at toying with me like a large panther would a mouse. I take a deep breath, trying to slow the building rage.

“Tell me why.” I say after a pause. “These past few days. Why did you do it? Why did you send me out to be hunted and…” I grit my teeth, push past the memories. “Why did you let me butcher Twital for this tail and… and then kill her? Let me kill all of them?”

Thendra’s smile widens at that last part. But she doesn’t answer.

“Dreamer’s Tits, Thendra!” I hiss, my control slipping. Voice a mix between anger and panic and... and worse things bubbling up. “Those aren't the things you do to a slave!”

She pushes off the desk, walks within range of my tendrils. “If you know the answer, then why ask?”

I work very very hard not to let my tails cut and bite and rip. But… but as her own Amwella swirls into view, I understand just how small and helpless they’d be if it came to such a contest with her. That if I were to ever try such a thing, she would simply… overwhelm me. Both in flesh and soul and Naranggas. Could probably pluck my Amwella free with barely any trouble.

“Because I want to hear you say it.” I feel my voice begin to crack and shake as I step closer to her. Let that enormous soul wrap farther around me.

Not in challenge… but… but I don’t know what I mean by this!!! I don't know what these feelings are!

“I need to hear you say it. What am I to you?”

She reaches down, but… stops before touching my chin. Instead… Instead rests her huge hand on my shoulder.

“My Reaver.” She purrs.

I fight the jolt of emotions that rise up at those words. She’s a horrible Dreamer Blighted Monster!!! She… she’s forced me to learn songs that slowly kill me. Sent monsters to savage my body and soul!

And now she wants to turn me into one of her… her…

I look down, watch as the tears fall and drip down onto the maimed talon.

But… Why does it make my heart sing!?!

Why does it fill me with such Dreamer Cursed joy to hear her call me that!?!

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WHY CAN’T I HATE HER MORE THAN I LOVE HER!?!

I… I just… fall forward. Let my head bump into Thendra’s chest as a sobbing shaking mess overwhelms me. Feel the hatred and desires and pain all crash through me and begin to drown my mind and soul.

She wasn’t punishing me, she wasn’t angry or upset! She was hurting me to… to… change me. To break and tear and mold all those old weak things into… into whatever I am now.

Still hers. Just… Not a slave!

“Sing, My Lyra.” My wretched dark goddess purrs.

Oh Dreamer’s Tits I… Her command is just for a song. Any song I want. So I let it all out, let my discordant sobbing symphony roll and echo through the halls of the manor as her fingers move up to weave soft possessive patterns through my hair.

I… I don’t know how long this lasts. But eventually she’s wrapping big arms around me, moving hands to support my legs as she lifts me. Lets my head rest against her collarbone and neck as my own arms cling desperately at her. My song softens, and she can sense so well that it’s coming to a close.

“Would you like to stop?” She asks anyway.

I nod, and she purrs an end to my haunting melody. Her soul fully wraps around mine now, what seems like an endless swarm of large tendrils curl and dance with my little three as she pulls me close. Only denying her core from touching mine.

“I want to… to still…” I stammer. “I want you to–”

“In the morning.” She thrums. “After your mind catches up with your soul's healing.”

“Pl– Please.” I wrap myself around her tighter, “Let me stay here.” I murmur and even sink teeth into her collarbone, but… gently.

“These trials and testings are over, little Reaver.” She purrs. “You may rest anywhere in this manor, including here.”

That brings another bout of sobs as she turns to carry me into her bed.

The spiced warmth and the wondrous pressure of my dark goddess’ arms around me give a better night’s sleep than I had in weeks. My legs wrap around hers as much as they can. Face and lips and as much of me as I can press into her. Even… even my Amwella thrums and pulses as close as it can to her's. Thendra had purred a warning when I first tried that, used a big tendril to push it off, but… also wrapped about it with one another to hold it in a little crook of the thing.

But… eventually I do stir, and consciousness brings waking nightmares.

Thendra must have twisted in the night, now lies on her back, arms no longer around me but up and resting about her head. And in the dark of the windowless room my mind allows bubbling horrors to tear at my thoughts. Phantom pains of clawing and biting and smothering beneath weights of monsters and angry Fae unravelings overwhelm me. I find myself falling back into a withered mess of sobs, shaking and fighting so hard to not disturb my dark goddess.

She doesn’t seem to wake, or if that isn’t so she makes no motions to comfort me.

In those moments I ache for Awnya’s warmth and care and confidence. Through tears I smile at the memory of her… her desire to show me the wider places beyond these dark halls. How… how… She still wants me to leave this place. Will fight to protect me.

I find myself sitting up, and just… staring down at Thendra’s thrumming form. Visions of that dead Fae flash, and my horrible mind plagues me by exchanging that body with Awnya’s.

Of… of what my dark goddess would do if she stole me away.

Talon twitches. Unborn maggots perk up. And I’m crawling, moving to straddle her waist as best I can. Then I place the three remaining digits of that talon directly over her heart.

And I wait. Consider… consider how best to protect the wonderful Fae who wishes nothing more than to help me. To… to save me?

So stupid.

I don’t need saving.

I chose this.

But her? She latched herself to me and tempts my dark goddess to wroth.

It’s an odd thing, how often Thendra is so unreadable to me. Even as her soul's core brushed my own in past feedings. Maybe it’s just my tired and stress filled mind. Maybe I’m so broken in these moments I make up understanding where there is none.

But… as I feel her heart thrum from a quiet sleeping pulse, to a slightly increased pace that signals awareness, I allow my eyes to close and senses be enveloped by my Amwella sight. Watch as her tendrils slowly move from lazy drifting to an alert stillness, then a creeping to surround the little soulflame astride her.

I open my eyes, and find glowing jade locked on mine. She does not speak, does not move. Not out of fear, or even curiosity. She just… waits.

Like she knows my thoughts and is simply letting me speak them.

“I need you to promise me something.” I whisper with a voice more steady than my previous emotional turmoil should allow. “Promise me that you won’t kill Awnya.”

She stares up at me, and I read her unspoken words as… Or?

A steadying breath, then I threaten her with the only power I have. “Or I’ll make you kill me.”

A long pause as I wait for her anger. Or laughter or… something. Something to show me that… that she understands how much this means to me. Knows that I will give my everything to keep Awnya safe.

Twitch twitch the talon goes, almost…. Almost hard enough to draw blood.

She moves then, like… well I’m not sure. I’ve seen her go faster. But this is a simple thing, she just reaches out to grip that talon by the wrist, and pulls me down so that I’m sprawled over her while keeping that arm restrained. I have to use my other talon to prop myself up and stop from smacking my face into her chest.

Then with a slower movement, she gently takes my cheek in her other hand and pulls me up to face her.

“Why?”

It’s… it doesn’t seem like a question. More of a demand. Not soft, but… not hard and cold either. Just… prompting a simple answer.

“Because…” I stumble to try and find my reasons. “She’s important to me.”

Thendra purrs, waiting… waiting…

“Will you promise me?” I whisper.

“Tell me why.” She demands again.

“I… I told you. She… She’s…” I stammer. But… but I can't make sense of her questions. Is she trying to convince me that I… that I don’t? Or that I shouldn’t?

“If she were to die, even without my hand being involved, you would shatter.” She supplies with the same tone one might use to teach a child learning of a thing for the first time.

I go still. Her words bring up my waking nightmares and terrors.

“So we must keep her safe and bound to you.” Thendra releases my chin, relaxes back. Then her eyes drift closed.

“Wh– what?”

“By curse or seduction. I care not which.” Thendra purrs.

“I won’t curse her.” I hiss.

Thendra shrugs. “Her presence is a boon, regardless. So long as she doesn’t steal you away.”

“And if she does?”

Thendra opens one eye, smiles at me in such a… a horrible way. Just like… just like that first day in the Dreamer’s Wood, then her eyes drift to my tendrils. “Would you let her?”

“I… I don’t know.” I look away. “Maybe. But… not for long.”

I’m too tired and emotionally ravaged to care, or so I think. But when Thendra’s purring laugh rolls through her and over me I can’t help but tremble as she closes that eye again.

“You said it yourself. Your songs are your soul. You can no more leave them behind than live without your heart.”

“So if… if we left for a while. You… you wouldn’t...”

Her eyes open to look back down to me, a light warning in her tone. “That would depend on the nature and speed at which you are returned to me.”

I gulp. Oh. I may not be a slave, but… I’m still her’s. Maybe… maybe even more now than ever before…

“And consider, Reaver.” She purrs, “Those wounds you left upon her the last time you chose to get too close.”

Flashes of bleeding soulfire bubble up to consume me for a moment as I blubber out. “Wh– what do you mean?”

She doesn’t answer. Simply… closes her eyes and releases the talon. After enough time has passed I lay my head down upon her chest. Let the soft slow pace of her heart at rest lull me back into sleep as my mind chews and worries over her threats and words.

Thanks so much for reading!!!!! I know this story is a mess born of the muck of my soul, but it means the world that it can be rewoven and shaped into a story to be consumed and enjoyed by others!!!

And welcome to the end of

Arc 1: To Break a Fae

I REALLY hope you've all enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Arc 2 will be up soon sooooo BE PREPARED!!!

<3<3<3

And JUST like with Sun Spoken Turn these comments are TOTALLY open to Character Q&A things alongside any other things you might be wandering!!!

ARC 2 starts on schedule (within the week, first chapters are already done and ready to upload)!!!