[hider=Because too long]A new start then. Or maybe not. It was hard to say whether or not it had lived any sort of life before. It probably had though. How else would its first breath invoked such a familiar feeling? How else could it be so certain that it had once looked different from its current form? Well… several ways came to mind, but it could neither prove nor deny any of them. Best to not dwell on them and fall further behind Nera who was already slowing down so it could just barely keep pace. 

Same with the vague flashes that came when it tried to remember anything else about itself. They revealed nothing and only elicited a deep sense of loneliness that it did not enjoy in the slightest… so dismissed. No more thinking about what might have been, time to only look forward!

Looking around the room, it’s not the vast expanse with ominous red light above that catches its attention, but the sight of other wispy figures. Were they any different from it, and if so how? Why did it care? It cocked its head slightly at the thought, and thought about why… 

Muttering something, it seemed surprised at the sound of its own voice and began to experiment with the sounds it could make before moving onto actual words. Hm… how odd. It had no memories of ever holding conversations, or learning the language it currently spoke. It simply inherently, apparently, knew that words were associated with meanings and this was one of the ways interaction was possible. What other things did it simply inherently understand?

Well apparently the flight or fight response it mused quietly to itself after the terrifying demonstration by Nera. Or how that response could go right out the window. 

It felt itself freeze up for a moment as Nera began to change. Its metaphorical hackles rose as something cranked her features past charming, and then the mind numbing terror set in as she was warped and twisted into some bestial horror. She hadn’t become some eldritch abomination that was unrecognizable, and that just made it all the worse. It only realized the comfort her presence offered when it was turned into crushing despair and blinding pain. Thoughts of resistance crumbled in moments, but more than the wish for this to end was the small desire to see more. How would she use that strange blade she grasped? Would she simply watch as her presence scoured them from existence? Morbid thoughts perhaps, but unsurprising given they were born mostly from terror.

Remembering to breathe as the immense weight simply disappeared like… well it couldn’t really think of an apt comparison, so as abruptly as Nera had warped. Cocking its head, it felt a fresh surge of interest at her words. They would face more things like her in the future? And be powerful enough to defeat them?!? It tried to imagine what that would be like, but considering its only experience with anything like her had been terror and near crippling pain… Well, it couldn’t really envision such a future all that well.

Questions though? Oh yes, it had a lot of questions. Many of them likely unimportant save for satisfying its own desire to know more though… It seemed some might not appreciate it spewing forth every question it could think of at the moment, and the most useful question had already been asked, in a way, it supposed. 

Leaving though… it supposed there might be some meaning to explore around, but it felt… dubious at that? Surely if this was Nera’s realm like she claimed, then the Goddess was well aware of what laid within it? Would it not be faster to ask the Goddess if there was anything to know, or any place she was not yet familiar with? Although asking for permission might very well have Nera point out such places in need of exploration it supposed. 

Wandering off alone though? The idea of wandering through this ruins brought the unwelcome lonliness it had tried to forget about back up, and it shivered a bit at the unwelcome feeling. No, being alone in a strange place was not going on its things to do list any time soon. It would wait for the others.[/hider]

Well that answer hadn’t been terribly surprising. Her realm, her rules, but ultimately hiding away from the darkness outside. It wondered if allowing them to leave her realm would invite some of the darkness in in return though. Maybe hurling them out wouldn’t allow for a connection to form? Well she probably thought of such things already, and it was only a question for its personal satisfaction, so best to ask later if it got the chance.

It followed after her, and though the staircase was grand, it had already gazed at it for quite some time. What interested was what laid below, hidden by the floor when at a distance. It almost wished it hadn’t been so curious as it stared into the abyss that swallowed all light. It wasn’t anything like the crashing wave of fear that had paralyzed it when Nera had warped and twisted, but the unease it felt looking downwards was just as gripping. 

If it weren’t for Nera’s voice, it might have kept staring until it simply decided to tip forward and fall in. It doubted the experience would have been very pleasant, and focused on the Goddess’ voice instead as she began to explain things and fill in some of the things it wanted to know. If their colorations were blank though, would absorbing the sorrow of those below not affect them adversely? Or would the desire Nera mentioned twist and bend whatever they took in to best help them? 

It wanted to ask these things, but the Goddess was not yet finished, and simply interrupting her at this point felt inappropriate. There was a gravitas to her actions, even if it tilted its head in confusion. She wanted to know its name? Was it supposed to think of one right now? How did one go about choosing a na-

Its thoughts were frozen for a moment by the chill of her touch. Then washed away by the undeniable power that seemed to course through its wispy form, coalescing it into itself before giving it definition and form. It was aware the power it had been granted was miniscule compared to the Goddess’ own, but even a fragment was infinitely more than it had moments ago and something to be desperately treasured. 

It became aware of the fact it had eyes when it blinked and felt eyelids shut and open. There wasn’t much time for it to marvel at the change as it was only the first ripple of changes caused by Nera's. It felt like a shock raced out from its eyes, leaving it more complete where the sensation passed. It reached up as the sensation raced down its neck, and though its wispy hand could not do much, it marveled at the light sensation on its face for a moment. Looking down, it watched as the thin beam of light override the indistinct silhouette that had given it shape and left a body of flesh in its passing. 

The light didn’t disappear when it had a new body though, leaving it briefly confused before it swayed unsteadily. A familiar face it could do nothing but stare at as they got further away, ignoring the pleas to stay that poured forth. Soft laughter filling its ears that faded to a steady beep, one among many others. The sensation of a small hand held in its own, fragile and weak, but so warm. An overwhelming sense of loss that forced it to its knees more effectively than Nera’s terrifying appearance.

There was a dull thud as it slammed its head against the floor, and the light at its feet sputtered before flowing over its body once more, wrapping it in a fairly heavy cloak. A heavily scarred hand reached up and drew the hood over its head before it finally dared to look up and around at the others. Three red orbs glowed faintly from within the shadowed hood and they stopped to look at each of the souls before it finally stood, albeit a bit slowly. Turning around and walking towards Nera was done carefully as it got used to its more solid form, but it managed a bow to the one that had gifted all of this to it.

“Ihosha,” it eventually murmured before raising its head to look at Nera, “thank you for giving it.”