well this is embarassing

The Empress didn’t leave her borders alone for very long, most of her time was spent on these trails. Venom didn’t like to give herself down time, and loping steadily on the borders gave her plenty of time to think to herself. Too much time, she thought deeply on many subjects that weighed heavily on her. The looming birth of Habari and the splitting of Ashen’s ranks perhaps the most heavily. Knowing Ashen’s reach was going even further excited her, but she felt the turmoil that lingered between herself and her cousin.

The future was filled with uncertainty and Venom had little visibility to decipher the path ahead. Toxicity and her insight evoked many different thoughts in Venom. Her sister pledged to grow the family line as soon as she could, where the Empress herself had barely touched the thought of her own heir. Venom knew one day the task would present itself, it seemed as though she’d ignored how quickly that time was approaching.

She became immediately uncomfortable with the thought as the scent of Azure overwhelmed her. Eyes widened slightly in surprise as she tried to forget about her wandering thoughts as she searched for the Armada’s prince. This was not a place that she would normally find him, and that set up a red flag as she surged forward. He was only a few strides away, his face mangled and his body exhausted.

”The fuck, Azure!” She exclaimed before her brain could catch up to her mouth. She was at his side without hesitation, pressing against him as she offered her support. ”Come on we’ve got to get you fixed up. Can you make it to your den?” Venom didn’t think about calling a healer, though he was obviously going to need one. He was still bleeding, and her first instinct was to get him cleaned and the bleeding stopped.