CW:

Um... Awnya POVs and someone being tied up more. We... huh.... this chapter is oddly very clean. BUT there are such FUCKING emotions here. Things we did not expect to write and hurt like guck to re-read and edit. But in good ways.

I try to scream through the gag as I watch her go, filling it with furious pain that she’d refused to let me communicate more than the most basic emotions. But The big cunt’s gotten my Amwella in her grip now and squeezed it to shut me up.

A hissing of her horrid Riftwalking song, and I know Lyra is gone.

Then jade eyes drift back to mine.

I glare through tears at the big cunt. And to my surprise she just… sighs, then settles on the floor beside me. For a while she is content to just sit… let me stew and tremble at the things I just heard.

Furthonois called in the favor Lyra owed them, for me. For the stupid Fae girl who thought to free a few thousand souls from their blighted slave trade. Now Lyra’s going to break that oath. Offer herself up in my stead. And this big horrid cunt is just going to let her do it!?!

Why!?! Why didn’t Lyra speak a word!?! How… how were they communicating!?! None of Thendra’s soul extensions touched Lyra but for that little fight in the middle of things!

I glare my frustrations at Thendra.

“How long has it been?” She purrs. “Since you’ve seen another of your kind?”

I sort of… growl. It sounds so stupid, but… it’s all I have. As I realize how she also… just… somehow saw through that lie too. Knows just how alone I am.

She nods like… like I answered. “And have you found…”

Her voice trails off as my pain and anger at my kind flares up… tendrils seems to… to…

Oh.

She… She can sense my emotions through this touch!?! Maybe… maybe more!?! I wriggle and squirm. Fight to… to get free of both her grip and these bindings around my wrists and ankles and–

She grips my soul tighter, and a tooth about half as long as my Amwella snaps out, lays itself across my soul’s core. Not cutting, just… a statement. Stop struggling or I’ll pin you in place with this.

I slump and… and try to empty my mind. Clear out any thoughts relating to… well anything. Just… just let my oldest not Fae songs wriggle through me.

“I’ve sworn an oath to keep you here and safe until the sunrise.” Thendra murmurs, “Then I will personally ensure you are able to leave this city in as good of health as you are now.”

That… What? She… she’s not going to like… kill or enslave me or sell me off?

She eyes me, smirks at what is obvious disbelief painted across my features. “I would not cause Lyra such useless pain by breaking this promise to her.”

In a fury I just… toss aside restraint and scream my thoughts as loudly as possible through my soul. You… You wretched horrid CUNT! Useless pain? What!?! You’ve been carving her up like some blighted meal to take bite after bite after–

“Consider…” She leans in close, face filled with such amusement and terrible mocking that I flinch back. Thoughts cut off into a muddle. “Who was it that came to rob her of her form and songs? Who stole her last lover from her?”

I growl again, recover my courage and try to lean closer in challenge. The Fae, my people. But their horrible actions do not excuse what you’ve done to her. What… what you mean to do!

I feel tears bubbling up again at… at the images of Lyra kneeling before this Rift’s horrid god and… and… and letting it…

WHY!?!?! Why let her sacrifice herself for me!?!

Thendra's face seems to… to glow with such victorious pride. “Lyra does not mean to die for you, Fae. She means to slaughter for ME.”

I freeze, feel my eyes go wide. S– Slaughter? You… you can’t mean…

Jade eyes shimmer in such disgusting delight. “My Lyra is going to devour a god tonight.”

* * *

The weird staff preens and coos at my touch. Whispers and begs for me to keep it close and let it feast. The sting from the little Blight-Bug in this stick would kill almost anyone in the Rifts…

Except me. Of course. The song it wails is just a sad little echo from my beloved ocean.

It’s… not something I expected a Fae to carry. Much less… much less Awnya. But if I’m to Reave the god of Theradas? I don’t mind bringing help.

Their soul is certainly big enough for every single jellyfish I carry and more besides. So I’ll need more weapons than just this staff. Maybe… maybe even a blighted leviathan if I can figure out a way to carry one back here!

Next I find Awnya’s little bug dagger.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Such an odd and happy thing. It drew no blood when she stabbed me, but the little sleepy spirit inside was more than happy to slip the blade into my soul and turn her Amwella into some kind of paralyzing shock.

The last tool is… the worst and hardest to claim.

I’d left it in the belly of a thing that now drifts between the Rifts. An old friend I’d wounded and probably killed. Just… just another soul blighted by my love and affections.

I sigh and gurgle to my jellyfish. Make sure I come back? Don’t let me forget to return when I begin swimming in the ocean? My Riftwalks won’t work since the place will be drowning in it so…

They yip and coo in joy and affections and… and love. But that’s fine. They’re made of literal Rot and Ruin. Worst I can do to them is send them back to their home in the Blight. Almost… just… kinda wish I could stay there with them. But… First I’ll make sure Awnya’s safe. Then… if I somehow survive this… maybe I'll go back to that sea.

Deep breath.

Enough stalling.

So I hiss open a Rift, and step back into the cold damp chamber where I killed my watcher.

Immediately I’m met with a rumble, and a hiss from the manor. A warning laid clear to me.

Go away.

I can’t help but… but sob a little as I sense the vibrancy and life in it! Weave such joy into a gurgling song of greetings and apology and sorrow. Begging my old friend to just… to let me pass.

I’m so sorry I hurt you! I need to get something I left here. Need it to save a golden-souled Fae from–

The rumbles jerk to a stop. A… a hiss of confusion and… protectiveness?

A gurgle of questions. Clarifications. Promises to never hurt them again and to heal any harm left from my painful weaving. And… How do you know a golden souled Fae? How could she have gotten to you?

A long pause as it considers me. Senses my soul alongside my promises and ugly songs.

I’m just here for a tooth to bite into prey with, then I’ll leave you alone forever! I mean to save the Golden-Eyed Fae from a bigger monster than me! Please let me enter. I… I know the door won’t stop me. But this is your… um… well it’s your belly and I will not come inside unless you welcome me again.

Another pause, Then the gateway disappears, and I am bathed in warmth and light and life.

No Rot, no Ruin, no Blight. Only terrible memories and agony of past mistakes.

Deep breath and… and I’m both so relieved and confused at what this could all mean. I… I know the manor’s bubbles can clear Rot and Ruin. Which… which means…

I step forward carefully. Staff in one hand, knife in the other. Pull my hood down and scarf away to make sure my vision is clear.

Is Lenelope alive?

A scrubble of sound, then I hear voices, spot… Huh…?

I gurgle a song of hiding as three figures wander into the main room. A greenish and striped fluffy person and soul, a short purplish lady with floopy ears, and a horned person with midnight colored fur. Chatting happily as they pass through, then move into a side hallway. None the wiser to my presence.

Who… who are they? How did they get here!?!

I swallow, push away all the rising memories. The manor knows Awnya. She… she probably brought people here. Don’t know why but… it’s fine. Just… giving them a home. That seems like a thing she would do.

Deep breath and I’m about to make a quiet request for it to take me to the vault so I can get my sword and leave these people to their happiness.

“Awnya?” A soft voice calls out.

I jerk out of her way as she enters the main area. Feel… feel the stave and knife slip from my fingers as Naranggas reach out to touch and hold–

My Watcher

My Tretion

My Beloved Bou–

I stumble back, hissing my song of hiding now as I stare in horror at her soul. Not as blue. Fuzzy, with much smaller tendrils than it should have. No curse.

The manor gave her a soul? SAVED HER!?!

I’m whimpering my hiding song now as I turn to…

Run. Move fast and hard and stay hidden!!!

I beg my old home to make me a key, and it rumbles a reply. And bubbles from the familiar seashell shape. Then I’m running again. I… I need to… to get the sword and… and leave!

Find a door. Shut and unlock, then open. The big weapon is where I left it. Top shelf of the back right aisle. I'm barely halfway through the room before I’m letting my tendrils grab it.

Need to… need to get out and back to Theradas without letting her know I’m–

I turn to leave, but freeze in horror as I spot the figure standing in the doorway. The dropped stave and blade in her hands, eyes narrowed and perfect tendrils wriggling in worry and anger, she casts about vault. Murmurs a few guttural sounds of command to…

Rumbles shake the room a little as bubbles rise up, clamp down on my ankles.

No no no no no please! Let me go! I can’t stay here! I whimper through my song. But the manor refuses to let me go, in fact it does the opposite. Bubbles wriggle out from the wall to clamp down on my shoulders. Solidify into a hug.

Or… or restraints.

Tretion notices this, sees the odd invisible shape her manor clutches, raises the staff to point at my vague location. Hisses a few words of… of question in the old manor’s language.

I growl and wriggle, pleas turn into a demand and… and almost threats. But… my inability to hurt them again is clear in my ugly little songs.

My body shudders as I just… gurgle a Riftwalking screech amidst my hiding melody. But… but it’s like trying to take in a gasp of seawater instead of air! I can’t even shift locations within the manor!?!

The bubbles hug tighter as my song falls into a tongueless weeping wail for…to please let me go!!! Don’t… don’t let her see me. Not like this. I slip down to the floor at some point, try to scrabble back as she approaches.

My tongueless mouth and all my scars suddenly writhing and itching at the thought.

Not… not after I’ve become a monster!!!

“Where is Awnya?” She demands at my location.

My everything stops. She knows Awnya? She… she’s been with…

I wriggle more with twice the fury, try and have my Naranggas squeeze and… and push at the bubbles and… and…

LET ME GO!!!

The red brand of the Furthonois begins to howl in fury at the manor that would restrain me.

No! STOP! I try to warn through the song. A pleading thing that… that this brand will flair up and hurt them! Sting all who would think to capture or enslave me.

“Who…?” Tretion murmurs, moving to carefully squat before me. “Why does my manor not want me to hurt you? Why did it even let you in here? Where is Awnya!?!”

The curse of the Old Road twists to embolden my soul. Draws predator power and instincts to–

Naranggas still… and… and I have to fight to stop them from reaching out to the watcher. I gurgle and hiss, turn all my attention to restraining them! Keeping my nearly three dozen soul tails from just… just wrapping about her soul and–

But in doing so I lose my hiding song.

And in a sudden panic I close my eyes and twist it into another Reaver’s Riftwalk, its ferocity emboldened by the curse I earned. My song slamming up against the manor as I snarl my desire for freedom at its blighted will!

A gasp, then a clatter as the two weapons fall from my watcher’s hands.

“Lyra!?!”

I can’t stop the sob that wracks me as I hear her whisper my name. Pour that pain and anger and sadness into my pleading wail.

Even through closed eyes I feel her shuffle closer, and then I’m letting out a hissing growling warning through my song.

Stay back!

“Beloved…? I… It’s…” She chokes out.

I… I can’t love you! Not again! WON'T HURT YOU EVER AGAIN!!!

She moves closer, reaching out…

STAY AWAY!

Soft cold hand on my cheek. A whisper of subtle songcraft seems to weave about her, a gift from a Fae to their lover...?

“It’s okay.” She can barely whisper through her own tears.

Such a song of love and devotion weaves through every part of this watcher!!! Years and years of it that thrum and pulse proudly and openly of Awnya's love for this amazing soul before me!

For a moment I think the Manor will break beneath my melody emboldened by that spiteful brand or… or will break me against itself.

“I… I can’t believe you’re–”

But it does neither… Instead, it lets me go.

There is a hiss and rush of power, and I’m falling. I twist, turn to look down. Tretion and the manor are gone and… and I can see the city of sand and spice twinkling miles and miles below.

A long pause passes as I bask in the open skies. Letting the last moments' truths wash through me as I fall. I sob in… in such joy and terror and…

T– Tretion’s ALIVE!!! And… and her and Awnya have… They're together!?!

I shout such ROARING JOY into the empty night as my Naranggas grasp at the blade that falls with me.

They have each other! Found their happiness!!!

The sword is so light now… barely a whisper of weight to my sea of tendrils. And… and I can already feel its soulfire snuggling up to my limbs. Showing me the Amwella channels I can embolden the blade to weave itself with soul shredding death.

Thendra will keep Awnya safe till morning. Tell her how horrid I am. Make her leave and go back to Tretion. And… and together they can be happy!

KEEP BEING HAPPY!!!

The images of that bring such wonderful tears to my eyes. Scene of my two old lovers finding peace and love and... and such... such perfect things with each other! Safe and snug in their manor between the Rifts! This causes me to weep with a joy that very nearly cracks my soul and mind in twine.

But... then I remember the storm, and the path laid out to me. How... how some wretched godthing THINKS TO TAKE THIS FROM THEM!?!

I hiss a quick Riftwalk, and crash down atop the temple. My soul filled to bursting with a thrumming passion to pour my everything into protecting what they’ve built together.

Just let this stupid broken little monster clear the way. Let me REAVE and end the stupid soul that would try to steal life and happiness from the two women I owe more than anything else in this wretched Dream.

Then... if I somehow survive... I can leave.

Go back to my beloved sea so I can't hurt any of them ever again!