Alabastrine Shrine

Venom’s thin frame drifted through the darkness towards the border of Ashen and the Armada. The Empress had much on her mind, from the obvious going on around her. The eternal night, the creeping, spreading, and growing clusters of crystals and mushrooms. The tingle at the base of her skull that made her feel like someone was whispering to her whenever she turned around. The glowing blood that fell from the eyes and ears of those she loved as those same crystals and fungus overtook. The woman was nearly convinced this was indeed the end of the world. If they were to survive this, if they were to thrive, they needed to strengthen their bonds of the Empire.

White gloved paws carried her to the edge of the glowing white forest, the ever full moon beaming down at her through the bright borealis in the skies. Mists curled around her paws and the bright pink crystals that surrounded her. A soft sigh left her lips as she sat back to her haunches and called out for Sirius to meet with her.

The Warlord was a grim man these days. With the sun entirely gone, and the world an endless twilight, it seemed there was only more grimness to come. The approaching birth of Azure’s kids filled him with worry and grief, and the ailments of his pack haunted him. He would do anything to save his wolves from this.

Venoms call surprised him, but perhaps he should have expected it. He needed to see how his allies were fairing, even if there was little he could do to help them. He could not save his own wolves, let alone hers - but he would never ignore her call. He pulled himself painfully to his paws, tossing his head in an attempt to rid himself from the mushrooms that dampened his hearing and sight. Of course, a few shakes did nothing. With a bitter grunt, he fell into a limping trott and pulled himself towards Venom, finding her at his borders. A glance found no sign of mushrooms or crystals on her face. “Venom?” he asked softly [i] are you well?” [/b]

There were very few wolves that Venom could trust without fail and the top of her list was Plague, Hattori, and Sirius. Hattori was ailing, she knew it even if his symptoms hadn’t truly revealed themselves to her. The Empress’s children were ailing too, some of them physically but especially Kuroki in his observation of his father and Shogun. Her right hand was not the only wolf to bear symptoms of this mess that descended onto Boreas and the world.

Venom wasn’t left to wait at the border for very long, but she was a little surprised to see Seer’s glowing features as he approached. The fungus that grew from him glowing, disrupting his sight and she could only guess his hearing. A much more visible sign of infection than that which held her husband. ”Sirius,” she offered a somber greeting in return. ”I am well, but Ashen and the Empire as a whole are certainly not.” She looked him up and down as if to prove her point.

“I’m glad to see it” he said with feeling, looking at the familiar form of his empress. His eyes moving up and down for any hint of this strange disease, and finding none. Her words having already confirmed the fact. She had escaped this curse, thank goodness.

“The Armada is not doing well either.” He said with a shaky sigh. Sirius had never been a good patient. He could not bear moments passing without filling them. With so many of his pack ill, and their stores barely holding it together after the flooding… things were looking dire indeed. “Venom, little one.” he said, the old endearment one that had not fit her for a long time. “I would see you survive this, if I could. If things get worse, I will help you find a way out of here. You must live.” He whispered, his lips turning into a regretful grimace.

The Empress was safe as of yet, but if she had to be made to guess the woman would not be so lucky going forward. The disease seemed communicable and it was only a matter of time before she contracted some form of it with how frequent it happened around her. Sirius, Hattori… she hadn’t heard news from Habari or Fenmyre as to their leader’s status. The Empire was crumbling in her paws and she could do nothing to save it.

Sirius offered his own tale, the Armada was doing no better than Ashen in this dire time. Then he looked at her, and for a moment Venom thought that he was losing his mind. He spoke seriously. Venom shook her head. ”I am the captain of this ship, and I would proudly go dwn with it.” She returned in similar fashion. ”I hope I wont have to look to our youths too early…” Worry crossed her features. ”I have not even appointed an heir to the throne yet.” And that was her most concerning worry.

Her answer did not surprise him, but it saddened him all the same. He would see Venom live, see this piece of his old world survive this. A piece of the woman who always held too much space in his complicated heart. “The Armada has many young children to take my place if needs come, but I would spare them that responsibility so soon.” assuming of course that there was anyone left once this strange illness had taken them.

He shook his head, old and sad, and reached out a paw to Venom. “Come what may, Venom, I love you as my own. I always have, I always will.” He said softly, sentimental in the light of his weaknesses.