[SE] not my cup of venom

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

“What if, and hear me out here,” she motioned towards Fangorn and Sila, “I simply beat the shit out of it?”

A customary response to an age-old question volleyed by the Honeybee, but the void shithead thing staring them down seemed rather nonplussed and unbothered by the situation. She much preferred the rock slider version of this particular asswipe, but this one was a little more noticeable with its purple, parasitic vibe going on.

The dragon hovered nearby, then cast a wide berth of fire to rain down upon the snake, which stopped it in its tracks momentarily, as Melita began to pluck out assorted weapons at her disposal. “Maybe the arrows then,” she muttered, mostly to herself, as Fangorn hovered near her ankles, grumbling in discontent.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Aithne

I see how this is gonna go

Aithne has spent most of her time in the Climb exploring the Burrows. Today, though, she ranges along the Crust, exploring the Lava Pits that call to her with their ethereal red glow. In her fyrhund shift, she roams happily, skipping and hopping over the smaller pools, enjoying the heat that they throw off. Even in the height of Longheat, she finds that she can't be too warm. She hopes that wherever she ends up for Deepfrost will be pleasant, even if it won't be able to compare to the summer.

The girl picks up a sound that does not belong in the Lava Pits and course-corrects to hear towards the voice. Upon seeing a woman plucking at assorted weapons, she shifts; she has no interest in being hunted today. In her Ancient form, she strides towards the stranger, perching herself on a nearby rock and studying the void creature and its huntress. "Oh, are we hunting?" she asks cheerfully, studying her nails. "What all you got?"

Touch me and you'll never be alone

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Fangorn grumbled something low, granting Melita enough time to glance back over her shoulder and see the stranger approaching. The bitter, twisted little part of her wondered if she’d have to rally her weapon and pinpoint it on the unfamiliar woman – but then there was nothing but cheer and a study of her nails.

Snorting, but not underestimating for a moment, she cast a slight wave of her hand in the direction of the void beast slinking along the rock, now crawling above, but in better range. “Shadow serpent,” came the easy response and not much else, and uncertain about what the Ancient thought about constructing or doing, if anything at all, Melita took the fire arrow from her quiver, and proceeded to launch it straight at the vicious little viper.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Aithne

I see how this is gonna go

Fortunately, the stranger doesn't seem inclined to attack her, instead focusing her attention on the void creature nearby. Aithne looks it over with an air of interest. The shadow serpent is a creature that might once have been a rock slider, but is now corrupt beyond recognition. It's enormous, with little wings where one might assume its ears to be - not that they seem very useful, seeing as it can't seem to fly. Probably for the best.

Aithne hops from her rock, stalking forward until she's level with the other woman, watching as a fire arrow launches into the air and straight at the viper. Her own abilities are limited, but she does have her fyrhund shift - not that she's inclined to get close to the void creature when the woman beside her is shooting arrows at it. What if she misses? "Can I help?" she asks. "I can shift into a fyrhund, but I don't have weapons."

Touch me and you'll never be alone

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

The fire pieced into the creature, and it bellowed, letting forth an inscrutable screech. Melita gave zero fucks, already beginning to arm herself once more, when the stranger approached closer. Help rather than a hindrance was all well and good though, despite her reservations, not underestimating anyone for a moment. “How about I knock the shithead down, and then you can go ham?” It must’ve been fun for the Ancients to go a bit wild on things – had to be part of the charm.

Figuring that plan was for the best, she loosened another arrow, this time lightning based, and tried not to shudder at the elemental prowess sparking and sizzling. It punctured into the beast, who upon electrocution, immediately fell and flailed on the ground.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Aithne

I can feel the flames on my skin

Aithne grins at the thought of, as the stranger said, 'going ham.' "Sure," she says, all mischief and mayhem, and with a moment's thought, she shifts. As a fyrhund, she is hell incarnate, all cracked-stone pelt and bleeding lava. With glowing eyes, she offers a canine grin to the woman, then bounds towards their now-shared prey. The viper falls to the ground, flailing as electricity wracks its body, and Aithne waits patiently until the last of the lightning flickers out.

Then, she strikes.

Lunging forward, she goes straight for the beast's throat, her teeth bared and glistening. As she makes contact, she feels a surge of glee. She might not intend to eat the void creature - who knows what it would do to her to do so - but she can certainly delight in the killing of it, in feeling the life flee its body and its blood spill over the ground. It's a certain kind of high, better than any drug she's found, and she feels herself nearing it as she attempts to rip out the creature's throat.

Crimson-red paint on my lips

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

It wasn’t very often that the Honeybee witnessed someone else desecrate a creature, but she’d been willing to take turns. The fyrhund is a nice little touch of vengeful, pernicious actions, and after a few moments the demigod clapped, granting the beast a round of applause to echo off of cavern walls. “Nice!” She proclaimed, in case the Ancient wasn’t certain.

Tilting her head and watching the blood flow, presuming the stranger wasn’t going to eat the nasty little fucker, she hummed under her breath, delighted with the carnage. “Can you set it on fire too?” If not, no biggie, Melita was perfectly capable.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Aithne

I see how this is gonna go

Aithne rips out the beast's throat and is rewarded by a round of applause, which both surprises and thrills her in equal measure. When she shifts back into her Ancient form, sauntering towards the stranger, it is with a mouth stained violet with the creature's blood. "Thanks," she smirks, returning to her rock, where she sits prettily before spitting out a mouthful - just in case the viper was poisonous.

At the woman's query, Aithne shakes her head. "No fire," she says. Yet. One day, perhaps, she will demonstrate some level of mastery over the element, but for now, she is remarkably fire-free. In the meantime, though, she wipes her mouth on the back of one hand. "Those arrows of yours should do it, though."

Touch me and you'll never be alone

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Well, that was unfortunate in Melita’s eyes, but then again, she figured most Ancients would eventually have that ability anyway – seemed to be somewhat of a staple for them. Unbothered by all the blood stains and such, the Honeybee shrugged, snagging at her quiver of arrows and drawing the elemental fire from it. It flared and flickered, one of her favorite portions and pieces, as she drew it along her bow.

Within a moment, she’d notched and let it fly – watching as it arced gracefully before plunging into the decimated creature, searing it almost immediately. It would take a little longer for it to be completely consumed into ash and bone, but nonetheless, a satisfying outcome. “Thanks for the help,” she offered. “I’m Melita,” realizing that amidst all the shared devastation and ruin, they hadn’t actually introduced themselves.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Aithne

I see how this is gonna go

One of these days, Aithne is sure, she will have access to fire. For now, though, she has to content herself with watching as the stranger's arrow sets the void creature aflame. She lounges idly on her rock, inspecting the fire that licks up from the dead viper, utterly unbothered by the blood still marring her face or the dirt underneath her nails.

"Oh, I'm Aithne," she says, grinning at the other woman. "Your arrows are kind of badass," she adds, eyeing the weaponry with appreciation. She doesn't have any of her own to carry just yet, though she suspects that daggers are going to be more her thing than a bow. It just seems like so much to carry, and if she shifts, she'd have to leave it behind.

Touch me and you'll never be alone

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

“Thanks,” she grinned, as she’d always been rather proud of her bow and arrows. “Remi made them for me.” Years upon years ago, back when he could contort and create, and well before demigod parameters had altered his means and measures. “Bet you can always get something similar from Dygra,” or some shit – she’d never paid much attention to the Ancient’s goddess. She had enough to do on her own front.

Shrugging, content with the outcome of everything, she gave an idle wave. “Guess I’ll see you around out there. Good luck with stuff.” Then she ushered Sila and Fangorn onwards, heading out of the Climb’s caverns and back towards the Firecracker, ready to initiate more shenanigans across Caido.

[FIN]

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life