Down with the Sickness

Everything had been lost, even some of her family members had seemed to disappear from the face of the world. Cough, cough, cough. A growl rumbled in the chest of the beast, followed by more coughing and a whimper of pain. Even now her mysterious illness haunted her. No longer could she hide in her old den in the red forest, avoiding assassins and family alike. No, she had to be accountable, she had to face the ire of her family. Requiem would no doubt be pissed at her disappearance, she had done her best to stay hidden from her beloved. In the early days of her sickness he had done his best with Atropos to find a cure for whatever it was that ailed her, he protected and shielded her, and done his best to keep her family together. When it became clear that her illness had no fix, Lurid had slipped away from them in the night. In her mind, it was better to slip away and die in peace than to force her family to mourn her twice. Over the seasons, she began to mend, save for a lingering cough she couldn't shake. During her sickness she had grown thin, and had to rebuild herself. Now, she returned home to the Antiox. It seemed so much more dark and cold now that her family had gone, the ghost of Mirovis lingering in the labyrinthine hallways. How could it have been taken so easily? No mortal force could have stolen it with the ease that sickness had. Another coughing spell stopped her in her tracks, this one so hard it caused her to gag and spit, ending with a weak growl of irritation. Of course it would have been illness or death that took everything from her, only the gods would dare to stand in her way. Dwelling on it would only cause rage and madness, instead she focused on what was left of her pack and family.

Requiem had not been here in some time, she could tell by the scent of him. It was faint, but there, showing he did come back and check the ship rather often. How lost he must be. Shame filled her heart and mind, making her look down at alabaster paws in a girlish expression of her guilt. Lurid would have her kingdom, one day, for now she assumed she must repair her mate. To do that, she had to find him. With a deep breath, as deep as she could muster without coughing, Lurid let out a call meant only for the crimson devil. She could find the other members of her family soon enough, her only focus was Requiem. She refused to let the thought that he may have abandoned her like the rest of them had enter her mind, he had always been faithful to her. There was a brief moment when she thought he would, but she would not entertain such foolishness. He was not Alastor, he would not lose faith in her. Their love was real, and she put her faith in it. Requiem would come to her, she had to believe he would, otherwise there was no point in trying to come home. He was her Haihefa, the dark lord of her heart, he had to come.