[center][img] https://i.imgur.com/P2IyNrh.png [/img] [img] https://i.imgur.com/jhDY9La.png [/img] [h3] Reunited[/h3][/center] [hr] Ayre ran. Free from further distractions. Free from any burdens. Her apron’s strings trailed in the wind she left as she descended down the long flight of steps, twirling and twirling down into the depths of the tree. She knew the types that lived there. Deep folk, short and stout and the goblins who had always reigned supreme. Seldom did elfkind venture there but she had never heard of any terrible going ons. That in itself was a small comfort at least but she still could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. Despite her heart threatening to pound out of her chest and her lungs gasping for air, Ayre descended further. She came to an abrupt stop and nearly fell when she reached the bottom and a long hallway. She placed a hand onto the wall and caught her breath for a moment. Then a smell wafted her way, sulfur tinged with blood. She nearly gagged and looked down the hall to see… Dark blotches on the floor, lumps in the distance. She walked nearer, throwing caution to the wind. She had never seen blood before. What struck her was how dark the color was. How it dried darker. How, across a wall and ceiling, it was a sight out of some macabre nightmare. When you dreamt of something you knew existed but have never seen. She felt sick and then a crushing wave of panic overwhelmed her. “Ida…” She murmured, eyes going wide as she scanned the corpses. Deep folk guards. One had a… “Ida!” she shouted, looking away from the severed and crushed head. She ran now, through the doorway and found the carnage had not traveled far. Guards had fought something that gashed their leather armor, that tore limbs off in grisly fashion. The town before her was burning, thick blotches of smoke wafted up into the endless heights of the roots of the Great Tree. Ayre felt like she couldn’t breath and her world began to spin. “IDA!” she screamed. Someone screamed back. “Help…!” The voice shouted, coming from the town. She ran towards the voice, unsteady on her feet. Maybe it was Ida? She had to have hope, but that panic laced her core with fear. She could feel the heat as she came nearer, the roaring inferno of a blazing fire… How it called out to her. She shook her head and covered her face with her apron as she entered the streets. “Help me!” Came the voice again, down a nearby alleyway, just above the din of the fire. She rounded the corner and… It wasn’t Ida. “Heeeelpppp…” A cat-like creature mimicked, before it took another bite of a goblin. Blood gushed from its maw as it bit and chew and chew. The crack of bones breaking in its mouth, so audible in her ears. It was like she was hearing sound for the first time. It paused to look up at her, rippling muscle along its back flexing. It seemed to smile with glee as it opened its mouth to unleash some dying scream of someone once alive. Ayre stumbled backwards, sheer horror gripping her tight. Seeing this, with a flick of its boney tail, it began to approach her one step after another and Ayre could no longer move. She couldn’t breathe. It's dark mane was caked with drying blood. Its crimson eyes were unlike anything she had ever seen and she knew they would haunt her in those fleeting moments before it... It had killed. Murdered. It had gone against the Goddesses teachings. Life was sacred. Life was… Living. Not dead. Not butchered and eaten. Not slain like she was about to. Her knees began to wobble. Ayre felt her heart threaten to burst out of her chest. She felt herself take a quick breath and she had to force herself to exhale as the thing began to lower itself, getting into a crouch. It watched her with such hungry eyes. Unknowable depths of pure malice in those eyes, made Ayre realize that it was perfectly capable of thinking. Of knowing its actions. It wanted to kill her. It wanted to eat her and yet, she found it so hard to grasp the same. Even if she could move, would she break everything she had ever known? What would it make her? Flames licked at her memory. A burning so bright she had immolated. She had died, only to be born anew. Right? Didn’t that mean… The thing pounced with silent glee and Ayre’s hand rose to shield herself. She thought of Ida in that moment, of a time they played in the mud as kids. Father said they looked like two goblins who had had a rough day. She smiled as the thing slammed into a spear of fire. Her smile faded as the thing let out a terrible scream, landing just before her in a burning heap. The flames, her flames, so bright and warm wrapped around the monster. Burnt hair and flesh came forth and she cringed back, the flame winking out in a response. The monster was left blackened and spasming, with its black blood pooling underneath in acrid smoke. Ayre watched in silence as its spasming slowed, along with its labored breath. It grew still and she fell to her knees. Grief, pain, hate, regret- it all hit her at once and she gripped her head as hot tears streamed down her face. How could anyone go on like this? How could they deal with what they’d done? It felt like she would be consumed by her emotions and burn up all over again into roaring cinders. Worst of all, she knew she deserved it. “Ayre…?” Came a voice that cut through the air. She looked up and then twisted her body around to see… “Ida…?” She gasped, a burst of joy cutting through her like a knife. She rose and made to the sister she once knew but after a few steps she paused. Ida looked much the same and yet not. What struck her immediately were her blue eyes, so vivid underneath her frost colored horn. The more glaring observation was that Ida was covered in splotches of dried black blood. Like small voids on her too pale skin and her too pale fur and her too pale hair. “Ayre,” Ida began, her voice hitched as she took a step towards her. “It’s you. It’s really you.” “Is it you?” Ayre asked, joy turning to concern as they walked to each other. “Of course it is.” Ida said, her arms outstretched to wrap tight around Ayre. Ayre returned the gesture and felt as if she was beginning to sob again. Two things occurred to her at that moment. Ida was freezing and her sister was already retreating from her grip. She let go as Ida stumbled back as if stung by something. Ayre went to grab her but Ida exclaimed, “N-No!” and waved her off. Ayre felt as if she had been struck across the face, her hand paused in midair as she watched Ida steady herself. “No…” Ida said, her face failing to hide some hidden pain. “Please. Don’t touch me just yet.” “Why!” Ayre blurted, letting her hand drop to her side. She couldn’t believe this. Ida blinked and in one second, composed herself. “Ayre. I am not the same. It may be difficult to accept but I was given a gift by a Goddess. I am of the Frost now and heat… It won't do me good, sister.” Ayre heard the regret in her voice. Some deep guilt over losing the right of touch. Ayre only wanted to scream. She gritted her teeth in response. “You were given a gift by a goddess? And now you can’t touch people?” she asked, anger in her voice. “Yes.” Ida said with a simple shrug. Ayre realized then, that a great irony had occurred. It was almost unbelievable. No one would believe it, not until they saw and were made to understand. What would their father think? Ayre began to chuckle and then she burst out into laughter. It was some great jest by the Gods. It had to be. “What’s so funny?” Ida asked, taking a step forward again. Ayre rubbed the bridge of her nose and said, “You are of Frost and I am of the Pyre, Ida.” She flicked her hand forth and from the sadness blooming in her heart, she wove a small flame into being. Ida stared and then her own tears came, shattering as ice as they hit the blood soaked stone beneath. [hider=Summary] Ayre races to find Ida in a now burning town in the dark of Arbor’s roots. She faces an outer beast spawn and reckons with her emotions. Ida arrives and the two meet once again, coming to a difficult revelation. [/hider]