The victorious smirk carved into her marred countenance never once appeared to falter, perpetually holding its claim over her facial features ever since her successful encounter with the dappled queen that now upheld the crown she had discarded only months before. While the realization of it all stung--the knowledge that her home was currently occupied by complete and utter strangers who knew not how sacred the forest was to her family, the porcelain phantom could not remain bitter over it for it had been her own fault for abandoning it in the first place. No--the paladin could not help but admire the silver sovereign for her apparent dedication as a superior figure and for her ability to pick up the pieces she had left behind, molding it into something far greater than Artemis could have accomplished as a leader at that moment in time. The queen had earned a fraction of the prodigy?s respect for the potential that emanated from her silver pores, and Artemis could not help but ponder over whether or not the woman should receive her temporary allegiance for that very reason. After all, it appeared that Glaciem no longer reigned supreme over the island; it was high time for a new era--a new era that the pallid babe had every intention of being a part of.
Lengthy strides brought the poised paladin through the mouth of a particularly intriguing cavern, mismatched amethyst and silver gaze ravaging what little she could make of the cave?s interior that was illuminated by the natural light filtering through the entrance. All previous trains of thought ebbed away from the premises of her mind as curiosity gripped her by the reigns, forcing her onward and down the slight slope of the cave as she proceeded with an air of caution and wonder, velveteen nostrils quivering with the intake of scents foreign to her. Abruptly, her attention was ensnared by the faintest blue glow radiating from the walls of the cavern, pupils dilating slightly out of wariness towards the unknown; was it poisonous? Sluggishly, she pivoted to face the wall adjacent to her, defenses falling into place as she lowered her skull and inclined her muzzle towards the strange vegetation littering the cave?s interior, outstretching tentatively towards it until her nose was within a few inches? proximity of the substance. Brows furrowed slightly upon her forehead as she inhaled, sensing nothing particularly astonishing about the scent--it surely smelled like a normal mushroom, yet it obviously was not. Not wanting to test the boundaries any further, the paladin wrenched herself away from the multitude of fungi set before her, diverting her attention elsewhere as she idly continued to explore the depths of the cavern.
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