Ever speaking the Venom and the strange instance with Ikigai he had only gotten more and more unsettled with the state of the world. They sunk more and more into darkness with just the faintest of lights coming through during the day. Steaks of light and the ever present full moon gave them light to see by, but that didn't mean he was able to rest easy. Sleep was hard to come by and he had put everything on pause. He couldn't even imagine attempting to build his family in this kind of world so until things went back to normal things were going to be put on hold. As much as he wanted all of these things, he didn't want to risk bringing his children into this.

He walked through the pale trees of the forest after finishing his usual patrol, nearing the shrine that had been such a fixture of much of his life, and was about to pass by it like any other day when he heard a whisper of a voice that he didn't immediately recognize. It made his steps slow uncertainly, and his emerald eyes searched the trees, trying to figure out where the voice had come from and who had spoken to him. He was about to brush it off, wondering if perhaps he had just mistaken a rustle of branches as a voice, but he heard it again, louder and more clear than before.

"Plague." The whisper sounded like it was right behind him and it made his hackles raise as he spun around to face whoever it was, but when he turned around there was no one there. A chill settled over him and his eyes scanned the trees while he tried to place the voice and why it felt so familiar. It was someone he certainly had known at one time, but it was hard to place, like it had been a long, long time since he heard it last. Whatever it was he tried to brush it off, assuming that his lack of sleep was finally catching up to him.

Plague | Viridis | Procella

Part of her felt like the shrine had been reclaimed, but the bigger part of her knew better than that. She hadn’t ever been scarce here, near the shrine was where the meetings were held and she meditated everyday by the waters edge. The shrine was much different than the ocean. Especially now with the strange occurrences and the glow that had crept onto the land as the sun was darkened. She felt like the shrine and the water beneath were darker than the rest of the eternal night. Like a shadow lived here now. The Empress found herself unintentionally avoiding it when she would normally seek out the location. Nothing was right anymore.

The ivory trees were luminescent under the moon these days, but it was the feeling of wind in a still forest that put a chill up her spine as she lay sunset eyes searched the canopy. Then behind her she heard someone whispering. Venom turned about face, her hackles raised and her quills sticking straight up as she was confronted by…. Nothing.

She shook her head, but at the same time heard a voice again behind her. Letting her frustration rule over her fear she turned again and saw Pague. Though it certainly hadn’t been his voice she heard. ”Plague,” She greeted him softly, skirting past trees as she neared him. He looked exactly like she felt.

Plague's ears flicked uncertainly as he sighed and turned to try and continue on his way, hoping that whatever tricks his mind might have been playing were done. When he turned his gaze landed on Venom and he felt some relief in having his sister here. He had never really had any qualms with being on his own, especially not when he was within the pack's lands, but everything was more unnerving than he'd really want to admit. "Venom," he said affectionately in response, giving her a tired smile. He met her half way and was about to say something else when that voice returned.

"Children."

His hackles bristled and he looked behind him again with a frown his ears flicking back again. The voice sounded so real, so familiar, but he still couldn't place it... Or maybe his mind was just too far into denial to really consider why it sounded familiar. It sounded like someone was behind him, whispering in his ear, but when he looked behind him nothing was there besides the swarms of fire flies. With a worried look on his face, he looked back toward Venom, saying, "Did you hear anything?" Was he just hearing things or was there something else going on?

Plague | Viridis | Procella

Nothing seemed real anymore, the endless night and the glow to the world was almost like the end. Like day really would not break and they were on a slow march towards their doom. Venom felt the temptation to give up hope and admit that the end of their lives were nigh, but the stronger part of her held out hope for the next generation. Venom never claimed to be able to see into the future, and this was not the first time she felt like she was facing the end of the world. When the volcano erupted, the never ending winter, and now eternal night.

Plague caught sight of her as well and met her in the middle with an affectionate greeting as they both felt relief at finding one another. A chill went over both of them, and Venom tried to ignore the sound of a familiar voice in her ear. She could see Plague shudder as much as she did. Both of them were set on edge. ”Yes, but I think I heard it as much as I think I imagined it.” She continued, her own sunset gaze searching the darkness of the forest.

He gave a small nod when she said that she thought she had heard it or possibly imagined it. That was how he felt as well, but he just wished that he could place why the voice sounded so familiar. As he looked around the forest they stood in it seemed like more and more fireflies began to appear till everywhere he looked there was clusters of the blue, floating motes of light. Every branch of every tree was dotted with them and the world was lit up with the odd blue hue. The whispers in his ears kept getting louder and louder until they reached a point where he could make out a few more words. "Have you truly fallen so far that you've forgotten me...?" The recognition finally clicked and a chill ran down his spine as a slight smile he had tried to keep on his lips faded. His brows pulled together and he looked through the trees again. "It... It sounds like father, but... That's not possible." He knew that some of his siblings had seen Archon in dreams or trances or whatever it was that got them to such a state, but that had never been an experience for him. He hadn't heard his father's voice since before he died and hearing it now... He didn't know what to make of it.

Plague | Viridis | Procella

Nothing felt right, not the feeling of eyes on her, nor the disembodied voice that whispered in their ears. Whatever was going on was far deeper than either of them could fully understand. Maybe it was the end of the world and everything was getting to her head. But the whispers grew louder instead of softer standing here with her brother, and however hard she listened the words would not reveal themself to her. There was a familiarity to the feeling that settled over the clearing one of home, but she was already home.

Plague spoke again, and claimed it was their sire that called out to them tonight. Venom felt her brow furrow as she looked away from Plague and into the night, as if Archon would materialize in front of them. ”Is it not?” She asked softly. They had both seen incredible things this winter, how much of a stretch was it to hear their father’s voice on the wind?

Plague

The voice fades, leaving you wondering if you had heard anything at all. In it's absence however you can't seem to quit shivering, even though you aren't cold.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Venom

You can't quit shivering, even though you aren't cold. When you turn toward your companion you see that he, too, is overcome by shivers. How odd and coincidental.

A cold wind blew through as Venom questioned whether it was really all that impossible for them to be hearing their father now. He frowned, shivering lightly against the wind as he looked though the trees again with her, half expecting the figure of Archon to be standing there watching them. He supposed in the grand scheme of everything else they had experienced this season it wasn't all that farfetched, but why their father? Why now? He could hardly even remember Archon at this point and hearing him now... it was perhaps more unsettling than it should be.

But just as suddenly as they came the whispers were gone and his ears fell back uncertainly. Had he even heard them? Or was whatever this was just playing tricks on his mind? He shivered again even though the wind had died down, the chill feeling like it had sunk straight through to his bones. He shifted closer to Venom, pressing his side into hers to try to find some kind of warmth, but it was like a shiver he just couldn't shake. "We should get somewhere warm," he mentioned, his teeth chattering lightly from the constant shivers that shook him.

Plague | Viridis | Procella

Venom didn’t know what to believe these days. The Empress was witness to many supernatural occurences in her life, including world ending events that they seemed to overcome. She hoped deep down this was the same, they just needed to endure. She spoke the possibilities and a wing blew through the forest. The air wasn’t cold but Venom was suddenly shivering like she hadn’t ever before. Sunset gaze lifted to Plague, his own body obviously trembling as much as she was. Her teeth clicked together and she immediately leaned into his shoulder.

Plague pressed his body against hers, but she didn’t feel any relief with the closeness. He warned they should seek out shelter, and at that moment all she wanted was to curl in the great hall next to the hearth with her piles of furs. ”What is happening, Plague?” She spoke through her shivering lips. She knew he didn’t have any more of an answer than she did.

It Continues for Plague...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

It Continues for Venom...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...