Leaving the remnants of their last battle behind—an expanse of jagged pillars and shattered crystal—the pair moved toward the distant exit at the far end of the chamber. Vivienne had returned to her formless self, her many heads and serpentine body now a shifting mass of shadows and tendrils, a form that felt more natural, more her. It was closer to what she'd once known, her default before all this.
In her previous life, she'd been a victim, always afraid of violence—never the instigator, always the one to cower, to flee. She had been weak, soft. It had been easier to let others dominate, to let them dictate the terms of her survival.
But here, in this new world, it was different.
Each battle had a distinct urgency, a sharp edge that Vivienne had never known. Every fight was a matter of life or death, where the stakes were far higher than mere survival. It was eat or be eaten, win or perish. She could feel the raw hunger inside her, pulsing beneath her skin, pushing her forward, urging her to embrace the violence. The thrill of it, the adrenaline, surged through her with each passing moment. Every strike, every clash, every splintering bone or crack in the air sent tingles across her shifting form.
This world, with its endless dangers and chaos, had unleashed something inside of her. A hunger for destruction that she couldn't quite contain. She wanted it. Craved it. The power—the sheer, unbridled power she could tap into with a thought—was intoxicating.
"Something’s different," she murmured, her voice distant, even to herself. Rava glanced sideways, catching the look in Vivienne's eyes—a predatory gleam that hadn't been there before.
"You okay?" Rava asked, still walking, though she watched Vivienne closely, her brow furrowing. Despite the banter between them, Rava was no fool. She had noticed the way Vivienne had changed. The unspoken tension that lingered just beneath the surface, like a storm waiting to break.
Vivienne’s form rippled in response, but she didn't answer right away. The air between them was thick with the unspoken understanding that something had shifted—not just in the world, but in Vivienne herself. She had seen the way her companion moved, the way she fought; Rava had been a perfect partner, in more ways than one. But Vivienne was starting to realize something: this world was breaking her down and remaking her in its own image. And she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to stop it.
"We’ll talk about it later," Vivienne replied, her voice carrying a faint edge of something darker. Something deeper.
Rava didn’t press further, though her instincts itched with the knowledge that they were both changed, even if they didn’t fully understand how yet. They had faced the wraiths together, but that had only been the beginning. There was a much greater threat out there, one that was going to force them both to confront what they were becoming.
The exit loomed closer now, a jagged archway framed by the remnants of the crumbling ruins. Beyond it lay a narrow path, winding through the remains of shattered stone and the sharp silhouette of the world outside. The day was fading, the sky overhead a bruised purple, heavy with the weight of impending darkness.
“Tch. I was hoping we’d catch a little daylight before we made it out,” Rava muttered with a halfhearted shrug, scanning the fading light overhead.
Vivienne didn’t hear her, though. She was too busy absorbing the world around her—quite literally, thanks to her panoramic sight. The forest that stretched out before them was an endless expanse of vibrant green, alive with the buzz of nature. The air was thick with the hum of aether, something she could feel coursing through her, mingling with the environment. She could sense the tempest aether, a faint, restless energy flowing through the wind, and the loam aether, rich and nourishing, that bolstered the life around them. The trees stood tall, their roots burrowing deep into the earth, drawing sustenance from the very essence of the land.
It was beautiful. Absolutely stunning.
And, strangely enough, it looked delicious.
The thought crossed her mind before she could push it away. She didn’t know whether it was the remnants of her hunger or the new, insatiable craving that had started to burn inside her, but the vibrant energy of the forest made her want to consume, to absorb, to take it all in. She had never felt this… starved before.
Her gaze lifted, and for a moment, she forgot about everything else.
The sky above had darkened, but it wasn’t the fading light that caught her attention—it was the three moons hanging in the heavens. They were staggered across the sky, each one a different size and hue, casting their cold, pale light down upon the earth. One moon was blood-red, like a living ember suspended in the heavens. Another was a piercing, electric blue, its surface gleaming with the promise of untold energy. The last was a soft yellow, almost sickly in its glow, but still mesmerising. Together, they created a surreal, otherworldly tapestry in the sky.
Vivienne couldn’t help but wonder about them. What did they mean for Nymoria? The red moon could be rich in iron, its light a reflection of molten metal deep beneath the surface. The blue one—perhaps it was infused with titanium, a strong and unyielding presence in the skies. And the yellow moon... that one felt different. Sulphur, maybe? Or something else entirely?
She thought about how the presence of three moons would undoubtedly affect the tides and rhythms of the world, the currents of aether, the shifts in the natural order. The possibilities were dizzying, and yet, she couldn’t stop herself from pondering them.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear Rava calling to her.
“Vivienne?” Rava’s voice finally broke through the silence, snapping Vivienne back to the present. “You alive over there?”
Vivienne blinked, momentarily disoriented, then focused on Rava. The lekine stood a few paces away, arms crossed, her expression a mix of amusement and impatience.
“What is it?” Vivienne asked, her voice steady but distant, as if still tethered to the strange pull of the sky above.
Rava tilted her head, an eyebrow arching with mild curiosity. “You’ve been staring at the sky for a while. What’s caught your attention?”
Vivienne hesitated, the strange, gnawing hunger still simmering within her. But she pushed it down, focusing instead on the moons overhead. “The moons. Three of them. It’s strange... fascinating, really.”
Rava let out a low chuckle, her eyes softening just slightly. “Is it? They've been in the sky my whole life. Most of the old stories say they’re the bodies of primordial gods.”
Vivienne’s interest piqued. “Akhenna… Is she one of them?”
Rava nodded, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Yeah. The blue one? That’s Heraline, the Goddess of Dusk. The yellow one is Praxus, the God of Order. And the red one—” Rava’s gaze lingered on the crimson moon, the pale light reflecting a strange gleam in her eyes. “That’s Akhenna, the Goddess of Chaos. She’s been known to stir up a lot of trouble, if you can believe it.”
Vivienne’s gaze shifted back to the sky, the moons now seeming less like distant celestial objects and more like sentinels watching from above. “What about the others?”
Rava’s expression shifted, a flicker of reverence crossing her face. “The bright star that gives us day—that’s Yenhr, the Goddess of Dawn. Her light brings warmth and energy to the world. Then there’s Gorvahra, the progenitor. She’s said to have slumbered on Nymoria longer than any mortal has recorded history. No one knows for sure what happened to her, but the giants still remember her name.”
“I see,” Vivienne replied, her voice distant as her gaze wandered over the strange, moonlit landscape. She was still lost in thought, her mind swirling with the strange pull of the world around her.
Rava sighed, pulling herself out of her own thoughts with an exaggerated groan. “We should get moving. I haven’t slept in days, and I don’t exactly want to find myself crashing in an aetherbeast-infested ruin.” She glanced down at herself, looking far from pleased with her current state. “Also, I can’t run around naked forever. Need to find something to wear.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Vivienne teased, turning her head with a sly grin. “I think you look rather good like that.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Rava shot her a sharp look, her lips pressed into a frown, but Vivienne caught the twitch at the corner of her mouth—a subtle sign that the lekine was hiding a smile. “You’re impossible,” Rava muttered, rolling her eyes.
Vivienne’s smile lingered as she turned her focus back to the vast forest before them. “Oh, come on. There’s nothing wrong with a little fun.”
Rava snorted, shaking her head as she started walking toward the dense undergrowth. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” But despite the mockery in her voice, there was no real venom behind it.
Vivienne followed after her, the sounds of the forest surrounding them as they made their way deeper into the wilderness. The light from the three moons bathed the path ahead in a pale glow, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly across the earth. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint hum of aether, a reminder that their world was still brimming with life and power, even after the battle they had just left behind.
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, but Vivienne’s thoughts still lingered on Rava’s earlier words. Gods… Primordial deities who shaped the world and whose names still echoed through the lands. She’d learned a lot in such a short time, but something about the way Rava spoke of them left her unsettled. There was a weight to those names, something ancient and powerful that Vivienne felt, deep in her bones.
“So, Gorvahra, huh?” Vivienne finally broke the silence, her voice laced with curiosity. “The progenitor. Who worships him?”
“Her.” Rava glanced over her shoulder, her expression thoughtful. “The seven titans don’t so much worship her as much revere her. A healthy fear and respect for the mother of the land and the first people. They remember her. They still tell stories, pass down legends. There’s something… reverent about their tales. You get the sense they think she’s still out there, waiting or watching.”
“Waiting for what?” Vivienne asked, her brow furrowed.
“Who knows,” Rava replied with a shrug. “It’s just something the giants say. They’re a superstitious bunch, but their stories are always wrapped in truth. Just gotta know how to listen.”
Vivienne nodded slowly, her thoughts drifting again. The air seemed heavier now, the sense of an unseen force lingering just beyond the horizon. She shook her head, brushing the feeling aside. There was no time to get lost in things she couldn’t see or understand—not yet.
“How do you know which way we’re going?” Vivienne asked, sliding up beside Rava. The cool, moonlit air seemed to settle around them as the silence of the forest wrapped them in its embrace.
Rava glanced over at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Mm, I’m a hunter of sorts. Can’t go getting lost while tracking my quarry, can I?” Her voice carried a touch of pride, but also a knowing calm. She shifted her gaze to the path ahead, scanning the terrain with practised ease.
Vivienne raised an eyebrow. “You’re a hunter?”
“Something like that,” Rava replied with a nonchalant shrug, her eyes sharp as she swept them over the foliage. “But I’m not tracking deer or rabbits. I hunt something far more dangerous... sometimes.” She stopped briefly, crouching to inspect the ground, running a finger along a faintly glowing trail of aether that lingered in the air. “I know how to read the signs of the land. The way the wind shifts, how the plants grow, where the animals linger—every detail tells me something.”
Vivienne watched, intrigued by the ease with which Rava read the world around her. “And what does this tell you now?”
Rava rose, brushing dirt from her hands as she continued walking. “This way,” she said, pointing forward. “There’s a small settlement northward. Few aetherbeasts have been around here recently. And there’s a telltale shift in the breeze—someone’s been through here. Recently.”
Vivienne couldn’t help but feel impressed. “That’s… impressive.”
Rava chuckled, her eyes glinting with amusement. “It’s not magic, just observation. We all have our strengths.”
Vivienne fell into step beside her, the faint hum of aether pulsing in the air, its presence constantly tugging at her senses. She couldn’t help but be drawn to it, feeling the pull of the world around her with a clarity that unsettled her at times. But it was also a comfort—something constant, something she could understand, even if only just.
“So,” Vivienne began, her voice soft but inquisitive, “what’s the settlement like? You said it was ‘small.’ Who lives there?”
Rava’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something unspoken crossing her face. “It’s a mix of locals—some villagers, a few who are more… hardened. They don’t take kindly to strangers, so we’ll have to be careful.”
Vivienne cocked her head. “Are we ‘strangers’?”
“Depends who you ask,” Rava replied. “To most, we’d be just that. But you? Well… you’re not exactly ‘normal,’ are you?”
Vivienne’s eyes narrowed, but she held her tongue. Rava had a knack for stirring up thoughts she didn’t want to confront, slipping past her defenses with a quiet candour that was oddly disarming. Annoying, sure, but there was no malice in it—just a straightforward honesty that Vivienne found difficult to resent.
“But yes,” Rava said, her tone darkening, “unfortunately, we’re in the Aegis Sovereignty now. At best, they’ll have… unpleasant things to say about me.”
Vivienne chuckled lightly, though there was a curious edge to it. “What? Are you some kind of criminal?”
“In a way, yes.” The bluntness of Rava’s reply cut through Vivienne’s amusement.
“Oh,” Vivienne said, her voice losing its playfulness.
“They don’t take kindly to a lekine wandering without a chaperone.” Rava’s amber eyes flicked to Vivienne, assessing her reaction. “In Aegis, we’re expected to live and work where we’re told. Anything else is… frowned upon.” She hesitated, as if weighing how much to reveal, before continuing. “And on top of that, I’m from an enemy nation.”
Vivienne frowned, her formless silhouette shifting subtly. “Is that why you ended up in those ruins?”
“Yes.” Rava exhaled heavily, the tension in her shoulders visibly softening as she spoke. “I was hunting someone—someone who doesn’t belong in this world any longer. I failed, got captured, and instead of executing me outright, the humans decided it’d be more entertaining to throw me into the bowels of a fallen ruin. Forced me into my beast form, cut me off from my aether, and left me with no way out.”
Her voice was steady, but the weight of her words hung in the air like a storm cloud. Vivienne could feel the anger simmering beneath the surface, restrained but potent, and she found herself quietly admiring the lekine’s resilience.
“That’s… barbaric,” Vivienne murmured, her gaze drifting to the forest canopy. “Even for them.”
Rava shrugged, a bitter smirk tugging at her lips. “Cruelty is second nature to Aegis. They thrive on control—breaking people is just part of the system.”
Vivienne’s gaze lingered on Rava, the lekine’s words sinking into her mind like stones in water. She let out a low hum, her voice laced with curiosity and something softer—empathy, perhaps. “That’s a special kind of cruelty. Throwing you away like that, just for sport.”
Rava’s lips curled into a wry smile, though there was no humour in it. “Cruelty is a currency in Aegis. They trade in it freely. ”
Rava cast another curious glance at the literal walking nightmare, parsing her response. “You seemed to be deep in thought.”
“I’m just trying to decide whether your story makes me want to avoid them or eat them.” She said without a hint of humour.
Rava snorted at that, but the humour in her reaction was short-lived. Her amber eyes darkened as she glanced ahead. “Well I won’t stand in your way. They’ve made their bed.”
“And you’ve made your escape,” Vivienne noted, her formless body rippling as she drifted a step closer. “Survived, even when they wanted you to rot. That’s no small feat.”
Rava shrugged, the motion tense, but there was a flicker of pride in her voice. “Surviving is what we lekine do best. Even when the odds are stacked against us.”
For a moment, the two fell into a silence, the only sound the crunch of their footsteps on the forest floor. The atmosphere was thick, the remnants of their earlier battle still weighing heavily on their minds. But the oppressive aura of the ruins had begun to fade, replaced by the subtle hum of life that surrounded them in the forest.
Vivienne broke the silence, her voice softer this time. “This person you were hunting. Did they have something to do with all of this? The ruins, the humans, the… mess?”
Rava’s jaw tightened, and she didn’t look at Vivienne when she answered. “Yes and no. They’re part of a much bigger mess. One that goes beyond Aegis or the ruins. I don’t know if I’ll ever catch up to them, but if I do…”
Her voice trailed off, leaving the threat unspoken but heavy in the air.
Vivienne’s form shifted slightly, her silhouette growing darker. “I’ve got plenty of room for grudges. If you need help, I’m here.”
Rava glanced at her, a flicker of surprise breaking through her usual guarded expression. But she didn’t say thank you. She just nodded, her features hardening again. “We’ll see.”
Before Vivienne could press further, the forest began to shift. The wind carried a strange sound—like whispers, faint and distant, but undeniably present. The trees ahead seemed to bend ever so slightly, their shapes distorted by a faint, pulsing light coming from deeper within the woods.
“Do you hear that?” Vivienne asked, her voice low.
Rava nodded, her hand instinctively going to her side where a weapon should have been. “I don’t like it.”
The pulsing light grew brighter, the whispers turning into a faint chant, though the words were indecipherable. Both of them tensed, their bodies readying for a fight as they crept forward.
As they pushed through the underbrush, the source of the light came into view—a ring of standing stones, ancient and worn, glowing faintly with etched sigils that pulsed in rhythm with the chanting. Aether hung thick in the air, almost suffocating in its intensity.
And within the massive circle were over two dozen people in robes, their faces obscured, each notably shorter than Rava herself.
Rava’s ears flattened, her body taut with unease. “This isn’t good.”
Vivienne tilted her head, her voice oddly calm. “Maybe it’s another sign.”
Rava shot her a sharp look. “Or a trap.”
Vivienne’s smile curled, predatory and faintly amused. “What’s the difference?”