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The Tired One
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Sprite & Atmav
It was a brisk early morning, the ocean breeze moving along the beaches as the Heliopolis began to cast its warming light along Galbar. The Selka were just beginning to stir as the light pierced their eyes, forcing them to begin another day of hunting for fish and doing not much else. The sounds of crashing waves was all there was, a cloudless sky to make the day’s forecast seem all too pleasant for the simple desires of the Selka. However, tales of growing aggression and inner turmoil from the Grottu ran up and down the coast, along with the tale of the woman who seemed to have bested the mighty Yimbo.
Yet, that was all those were, tales to make other worried, which the Selka were mostly certainly not. They were merely too carefree in their lives to be so worried about things that may not come to them, though the story of an aggressive tribe were more pressing than the latter.
As the Selka rose and began to conduct their daily activities, a tall being appeared on a dune with white skin and a dark sword. Wings of a starry night extended, contrasting against the morning sky and the beings own form. It was then that the Selka gathered together and pointed, whispering to each other on the strange horned woman that appeared before them. Then they heard the creature speak in a hushed tone, nearly inaudible to the group.
“Are you sure that this plan will work, Sprite? I don’t think you thought this through all the way.”
“Shush, just wait and see!”
“A-hem,” A tiny, high pitched voiced cleared its throat. From behind the mighty form of the woman, a small, translucent girl flew out. She stopped suddenly in front of the woman and turned to the crowd of Selka, her face grim and serious. Her posture was stiff and proper, even though she was flying.
“Behold, mortals, the First Queen, the Ageless Ancient, the Royal… Royalty, Goddess Atmav.” The tiny woman paused, her eyes scanning over the crowd coldly, “She, in her endless splendor, has decided that you may, in fact, hold the smallest potential to improve. And so, in her great generosity, she has decided to take you under her wing made of stars. You will be under her protection, and none shall ever lay a finger on you.”
The Selka gave a collective confused look as murmurs ran up and down the crowd. They looked to each other, unsure of what to make of the display of the tiny one. However, one stepped forward, holding his head high and giving an angered look at the little one and Atmav. It seemed that he was the leader of this tribe and he bared his teeth and his hands clenched into fists.
“I have heard stories of the lady of white. She is a murderer! We do not need the protection from her! We only need the mighty Yimbo to protect us and she will not beat him twice!”
The words made Atmav shift a bit, her own hands clenching as it seemed that she stared into the very soul of the Selka who opposed her. Her wings spread to all they could and she held up her blade, the scarlet energy moving with it as her face morphed into one of disgust.
“A murderer? Foolish mortal.” Sprite spat out the words in disgust, “Every single action the First Queen takes is merely a step in a thousand kilometre path, a path toward salvation. Her Holiness Atmav only purges those who have been foreseen to carry a great evil inside their souls. Now, spout no more blasphemy, Male.”
Another murmur ran through the crowd, talk of the aggression of the Grottu and whether to believe the likes of the small creature that they have never seen. However, the male did not move, continuing to hold his proud posture, letting out a hiss before looking back to his people. He seemed to think for a moment.
“Then what of the many of our kind that she killed in her bout with Yimbo?! That does not change that she killed those who did not deserve such a death. I heard that children died that day!”
“You pretend to impose your shortsighted mind upon that of the Great Queen? You hold so much hubris in your heart that you would think yourself wiser than the Gods? Perhaps, Lady Atmav, we should leave these vermin to r-”
The tiny woman froze and turned her head around to look at the mighty woman. The smaller one shook and shivered, “B-But, Queen Atmav, w-!” She fell silent again, and after a moment, took in a deep breath and turned back to the Selka. “Male,” She began and exhaled, her posture drooping a little, “Queen Atmav appreciates the strength of your will. She sees potential in you, and grants you the benefit of asking one question to her. She will answer in her own voice. Rejoice, mortal. You may ask whatever it is you wish to know, now.”
The male’s proud seemed to falter for a moment as he looked at the sand for a moment, eyes shifting before his gaze went back to the mighty woman. “Is it true that you bested Yimbo?,” he asked, his voice silencing any talk that may have been in the crowd. Many seemed to show a look of expectation, awaiting the answer.
“Indeed, I have” Atmav said, her voice conveying power as she began to step down the sand dune, dragging the great blade behind her. “I have bested Yimbo. And I have deemed him unworthy to be your protector. I shall take to that role myself, all that I require is a show of loyalty that you may not make the same mistakes the Grottu have. They are lost, sheep hiding behind a tyrant. I am merciful, the Grottu are not.” She stood over the male, not bothering to move her head down to meet his gaze. Atmav raised her blade up and rested it on the male’s shoulder, the weight causing the man to wince.
“You will not make the mistake the Grottu have,” Atmav said, sliding the blade of his shoulder, leaving a small cut.
The male merely gave a desperate look between the mighty woman and her small companion, unsure of what to do.
The small woman merely looked dispassionately at the male and nodded, “On your knees, all of you.”
The Selka gave one last look before falling to his knees. Shortly, the others began to fall to their knees, one by one as Atmav looked over them. A smile came to her face as she looked at the crowd before her head turned to Sprite for a moment, having to hold in laughter before she steadied herself. A moment passed before Atmav rested her hands on the hilt of her sword.
“You may rise,” she said, the Selka obeying and slowly getting to their feet, some showing signs of fear and shock. “Now, go about your daily business,” Atmav ordered, turning away from the Selka and bringing the blade of her sword to rest upon her shoulder as she approached Sprite.
”How did that work?” She asked, holding in laughter.
Sprite kept her watchful gaze on the Selka as they dispersed, and then turned around as well and cracked a wide grin and muffled her own laughter, “C-Come on! Let’s go home! T… They can’t see us like this!” She said amongst chuckles and giggles.
“But a Queen can’t abandon her subjects, right?” Atmav giggled, looking around to make sure the Selka were doing whatever it was that they normally did. It seemed that they were just doing things to have fun, or at least have as much fun with the likes of Atmav around. Her head swiveled back to Sprite, letting out a light laugh.
A few moments passed and eventually the muffled snickering subsided, and now there was only silence as the two stood there, higher than the Selka.
“... Well this is awkward,” whispered Sprite in Atmav’s ear, “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never been in charge before,” Atmav whispered back, looking down for a moment to try and think of something suitable to do. “What are some queenly things to do?” She asked is a hurried whisper, looking back at the Selka.
“Well, uh… Order the construction of a house! A palace! Or… Recruit a personal guard? Or, or, organize a feast! With yummy food!”
“... I like your thinking,” Atmav said with a light laugh before turning her body to the Selka, clearing her throat. She inspected the Selka before shaking her head a bit, however, her eyes did spot the familiar figure of the male she had given a cut. Her feet moved through the sand, her presence demanding the attention of the nearby Selka and as she approached, the male gave a frightened look before falling upon his knees once more.
“Gather your strongest men, today, we will build me a proper place to rule from,” she commanded, the male looking up with a looking of confusion. It was almost as if she did not make herself clear and she gave a frown as he did not make move another muscle. She planted her sword in the sand in front of him, causing him to jerk backwards out of fear. “I will await at the top of the dune,” Atmav stated before turning away from the group and walking back to her position.
When she reached Sprite once more, she gave a curious motion before asking, “I hope I did not overdo it.”
“Naaah, you did just fine, Attie!” Sprite whispered back excitedly, flying up to Atmav’s shoulder and perching herself there.
Suddenly, the male and a group of five others approached Atmav, looking up to the massive woman who merely stared at them with her eyeless face. She seemed to give a look of disappointment, looking each of the few over before shaking her head with a sigh. The men looked to each other and shifted nervously, as Atmav pushed past them and cleared her throat.
“My people! I have a task for us all. Those who are not hunting today will help in my construction,” Atmav said, her voice clear and powerful as she turned toward the nearby forest and began walking. The Selka gave a confused look before a majority began to follow her off the beach, moving inland a bit farther than they would on any normal day. When they reached the edge of the forest, they could see their new Queen already hacking into a tree with her sword. Each swing took a larger part of the tree and soon enough the tree come crashing to the ground.
Atmav turned to the Selka, watching with mixed expressions of curiosity and fright, before she gave an order. “Drag it back to the beach and when you do come back and grab another,” she commanded before moving to another tree to repeat the process. The entire tribe moved forward, cautiously before their hands gripped the fallen tree and began the arduous process of dragging it back the beach.
Five more times did they do this and six times did they begin to break the branches off of the trees before their queen returned to help. She commanded and led, digging large holes into the sand and standing the trunk of the trees into them where they would stand tall and proud. It would be Atmav who did most of the work, the lifting and the aligning larger branches between the great trunks. She would bend branches around each other, interlocking them to form a roof and walls. It was said that she became so entranced in the construction of her great structure that she did not realize that the Selka merely watched, observing her and doing what their daily routines of hunting and playing.
Her building of green and brown stood at the top of a dune, gazing upon the ocean as it rolled in and out.
Eventually, she began to dig up wet sand and place it along the woven walls of home, building it along the interior between the trunks. It was dusk by the time she finished building and Atmav stood at a hollow doorway, beaming with pride at the building. There was a moment of silence as she stared into it before turning to the Selka, many of which had dispersed back along the beach but had not moved with the schools of fish out of fear of the woman hunting them down.
“My people! This house is where I shall rule from! You are all allowed to share it with me to stay out of whatever harsh weather may come our way or to consult me on any matters,” Atmav announced, only met with a stunning silence from the people.
At that moment, Sprite flew in front of Atmav and huffed, “Tsk, you mortals! Show respect for the great achievements of your Queen Atmav! She has begun the process of taming these lands, all for your sake and salvation. Rejoice! Long Live Queen Atmav!” The Selka watched Sprite, and she frowned and her eyes narrowed, she balled up her tiny fists and stomped on the air, before raising her fist to the air and then bringing it down with extreme conviction to her chest, “Repeat with me, mortals! Long Live Queen Atmav!
Slowly the crowd began to follow the example of Sprite, chanting words as Atmav beamed with pride as their chants became the only thing she could hear. She raised up a hand to bring the crowd to silence, her smile still showing as she began to speak, “My people, this is the dawn of a new age! Our lands will flourish and our expansion will come, both by land and sea. Tonight you may rest, but tomorrow we shall feast and celebrate the rise of a new dynasty!”
The crowd began the chant again, “Long live Queen Atmav!” It was in this moment that Atmav allowed herself to be taken by their reverence, knowing that she was no god but feeling as an idol of worship. Eventually, she turned and walked into her home, dragging her sword all the way to back of the structure before sitting. She was very much happy.
“Sprite, you make me the happiest, y’know that?” Atmav said.
Sprite looked around the hall and toward the entrance for a few moments, and turned with an excited grin to face Atmav when she realized no one had followed or was watching. In a flash, she flew and pressed her head against Atmav’s cheek, wrapping her arms around her face. “Aaaw my big strong bestie, I love you too!” She said happily, giving Atmav several small kisses.
Atmav let out a light laugh, accepting Sprite’s appreciation without any resistance before she leaned against the wall of her home. “I have no clue how any of this worked,” she admitted crossing her arms as she let out another small laugh.
Sprite made a little happy noise and flew a few inches away, putting her hands behind her back, “Me neither! Dummies, I guess. On the other hand, you’re now a Goddess, apparently!”
“I think they obeyed out of fear, in my opinion,” Atmav said her head turning away from Sprite for a few moments as she thought to herself. “I... don’t know what to do now. I have never been a leader before,” she continued, her smile fading a bit as the situation began to settle into her mind.
“Huh,” Sprite brought a finger up to her mouth in thought, “Maybe, make sure they’re safe? We did say we’d save them, or something.”
“Then that is what I will do, thank you, Sprite,” Atmav said, her light smile coming back at the suggestion. She leaned forward, her head close to Sprite before speaking once more, “Promise me that you will help me lead so long as I may live.”
“Of course!!! Who do you take me for?? Someone who’d cheat on you with the first rival king we meet?” Sprite giggled and sat down cross legged on top of Atmav’s head, “They’d have to give me tons and tons of things for me to even consider cheating on my Atmav!”
The larger woman leaned back, smiling widely before she said, “Thank you.”
The dice hate me and I don't know whether I deserve it or not
I have decided! Playing as a Lizardfolk warlock would be the most ridiculous thing to chose, but Hexblade will keep it within a believable realm for a big scary lizard on the front line!
I am going to be a Lizardfolk, probably a warlock or ranger (Party Composition permitting). I have yet to decide on which one is more ridiculous.
Eurysthenes
Eurysthenes pondered. With one so hateful and hated trapped within, would it become more so? Or would the opposite happen? There was a hesitancy within This One to whether a being of such atrocity could change from any attempts to sway it over. That was the reason they had ended the likes of Vakk, unredeemable and unwilling of compromise. However, Vakk was now in a powerless situation, Eurysthenes knew this much and it was with this that it might be able to demand That One to some form of change. Eurysthenes’ mind went over the dissonant thought of a reformed Vakk before the idea was quickly cast aside at the memories of past pain Vakk had committed.
Yet, the simple of idea of reforming and reforming such a loathsome being continued to persist, and Eurysthenes knew that Vakk would seemingly do whatever it needed in order to survive. It knew that Vakk had not come to This One out of choice, but rather a despair of survival and sheer unwillingness to accept defeat. That much was clear, and it was with such desperation that made Eurysthenes believe that there could be some hope for Vakk. Though, the doubt still plagued its mind, unknowing if Vakk would trick This One or use the same magic to control its mind like it had before.
As thoughts began to formulate once more, the chiming voices of That One came back, ”You have been silent for some time, Eurysthenes.”
This One would have glared at Vakk if one could cast such a thing to something which occupied the same eye space. ”To you, yes. Why do you speak?”
”I am trapped in your body for the time being. I’d rather not allow myself to go mad through silence,” Vakk chimed, selfishly wanting Eurysthenes’ attention just so it did not suffer. The soul was right next to Eurysthenes own, pushing for the further scrutiny that the other had just given in to giving Vakk.
There was only a moment of silence before the voices spoke once more, ”Do you really think that you can ignore me and expect me to go away?”
Eurysthenes denied the observance of Vakk with a thought. [color=8ao886]”Longing and expecting are two different things, Vakk. Which raises the subject of when you get a new form and leave.”[/color]
”I will leave when I please,” Vakk said simply.
”No you won't,” This One said, forcing Vakk to feel the very real boundaries that kept it strapped into the form it hated so. The suffocating bonds of a foolishly heavy will to live.
”One doesn't abandon their problems so easily.”
There was a stubborn silence for a few brief moments before That One let out what sounded like many sighs at once. ”You may be right, but we both do not desire to be bound together. We both have plans that need to be tended to. You have.... Whatever it is you do in this maze, and I have a thief to give punishment to.”
As Vakk mentioned punishment, Eurysthenes caught sight of what That One really intended.
”Alas, Vakk, the terms I propose run parallel to your… punishment. Would one who witnessed it call it that.” it said. The words “terms I propose” hung between them, coaxing Vakk to acknowledge them.
”Terms? What terms?” Vakk questioned, many voices giving various levels of displeasure to the word. Its soul moved needlessly closer to inquire about what Eurysthenes may have meant with those ‘terms’.
Holding Vakk at arm's length, This One said, ”You will change your ways. I'm not asking for a new Vakk entirely, rather than one lacking spite and hatred. You will treat others as you would like to be treated, and show restraint when appropriate.”
There was a scoff followed by an insidious laughter that showed no end to whatever hysterical joke That One found. ”I did not take you for a jester, Eurysthenes,” Vakk said, some voices still laughing in the background. For a few moments, Vakk was calming itself, chuckling a light bit more before finally speaking with a many winded asserting, ”I did not change for K’nell when he offered me death. What makes you think that I will submit to you, jester?”
It seemed that ‘Jester’ was going to be a new nickname for Eurysthenes, giving Vakk much apparent satisfaction as the voices continued to giggle and laugh in their deceptive ways. This One frowned, not a thing of sadness, but one of disappointment.
”This,” it said, gesturing to the two souls in the one body, ”Would death not be better?”
The laughter of the voices suddenly came to halt, a moment of contemplation fell up them with the silence Vakk brought. ”I suppose not…” That One took a few moments of sickening thought, the soul feeling around the form of Eurysthenes for a bit, clearly looking for a nonexistent exit. When it was done, the soul meandered back to its spot next to Eurysthenes, who smiled smugly at it. Small victories.
”And how do you suppose I mend my ways?” Vakk asked.
This One sighed and took a step back. ”Oh Vakk, where would one start when correcting something so thoroughly wrong?” it asked, defeatedly. ”Your problems are… greater than the Architect. Tell me. What's something you think would be reprehensible?”
There was a long pause of silence, Vakk thinking for a good bit. It let out a long drawn out sigh before it admitted one of the many faults That One, ”I suppose my anger could be improved upon.” There was a light touch of Vakk’s soul against Eurysthenes own, pushing closer and closer as it seemingly bore into the very puzzling nature of the god, and felt nothing but tension.
”Perhaps if I could control my impulses, I would become one who is not tormented by ‘spite and hatred’ as you put it.”
”This is indeed a place to begin, though you must see more clearly, go with decisiveness,” it said. To Vakk, it would be clear that it was talking of trying and doing, advising the path of action rather than ifs and buts.
”But I am already decisive in nature, or so I thought,” That One contemplated, taking a moment to think of its past deeds and actions that were made out of blinded anger. Vakk let out a huff, the soul slowly moving away from Eurysthenes before settling down with a clear hit of impatience and annoyance.
This One significantly relaxed as Vakk moved away. The distance, while small, was welcome right now. ”Not so in the decisions to change,” it said.
”That is because I am being forced,” Vakk said in a simple manner, before sighing at the situation that it was in. If That One could shake its head it would, impatience growing as time seemed to drag on for the two.
”Now, how do we begin?”
”Practice,” it said, scooping some material out of the wall as if it were sand and silt.
With the wall material was combined the idea of something where there is nothing, claws, feathers, and finally, the subtle inclusion of anger where emotion had not yet existed. It was the combination of these things that made the Aroiox. Great colourful wings unfurling from a feathery torso, scaly appendages with angry claws. From the face, a proboscis-esque beak, filled with rows of quill teeth.
”And patience and fairness must be shown to these beings,” Eurysthenes said.
”And so I shall, because I no longer will have to worry about my anger,” That One commented, its voices far more relaxed and neutral as it observed the creatures that the two had made. They were not large beings, but Vakk’s anger made them stronger than one may perceive above the colorful plumage of the people. Even now, it could see see some of them fighting amongst each other like savages to display their dominance over the other.
Vakk could not help but feel a twinge of regret for pawning off its aggression into beings so new to this world, forcing a saddened sigh to emanate from Vakk. ”Without the anger, I can feel my own sadness and regret. I do not like the things I have done, Eurysthenes, the things anger has caused.” That One said, its words far more nuanced as the voices spoke in harmony.
A subtle shift in This One could be perceived. An uncertainty, perhaps of Vakk’s intentions, perhaps of its previous judgement against it. ”And so you must. This is the key to forgiveness and reformation. A sighting of the slight, even when it is ever so slight.”
That One could not help but watch them, the Aroiox flashed their teeth to one another and fought one another. However, through the brute strength and anger, there could be a sly cunning as the eyes focused on potential advantages. They were children of two cunning gods, capable of great anger yet also tempered by what seemed to be an endlessly tactical mind. Vakk felt a great pride towards their creation.
”I will speak to them. And we shall guide them.”
”And when you are new, they shall be let into Galbar in order to remind you why a change was made.”
Sprite & Atmav
It was quiet. Very quiet. In the distance, a single cicada sang its song, another responding with some delay.
Sprite was laying face down on Atmav’s toned belly, her face in between two of the abs. She mumbled and blew onto Atmav’s skin, then giggled quietly when Atmav moved her hand and put it on top of her, pressing her tightly against the warmth of her belly.
Atmav groaned lightly in her sleep and mumbled something, but quickly she went back to normal. Her hand remained heavily on top of Sprite, though. The body of the large woman shifted a bit, the hand moving away from Sprite’s small body before stretching into the air. Her body lurched upwards only a small bit as Atmav yawned, groggily rubbing her hand over the front of her face. The toned arms held her up, not enough to disturb Sprite’s little spot, but enough.
She gazed down upon Sprite before cocking her head to the side, inspecting what Sprite was doing in her stomach. “Sprite, what are you doing?”
Sprite looked up for a split moment before pressing her face back against Atmav’s skin, this time playfully biting into it. However, there was no immediate reaction from Atmav this time.
“Why are you biting me?” Atmav asked with a light laugh.
Sprite chuckled and looked up again, then crawled all the way up to Atmav’s chin and rested her own tiny chin on top of it. “I have successfully tamed youu! I bit you suuper violently and you did nothing but laugh, Attie! Now, heed my order my pet! Pet me!”
“You didn’t even break my skin, Sprite,”Atmav chuckled before scooping the small one up in her hand, sitting up in the process. She gazed upon the little one with a smile before crossing her legs, shaking her head with a laugh. “You continue to make me laugh, Sprite,” the warrior said lightly as her gaze eventually shifted to outside the cave.
Sprite merely gave Atmav a coy smile as she hugged the woman’s thumb and pressed her tiny body against it. “Boo, getting distracted by looking outside the window when you have a pretty girl wrapped around your thumb!”
“A pretty girl cannot do much with other than talk to,” Atmav observes before her stomach let out a light growl of attention. The winged one could not help but let out a sigh before looking back at Sprite with a more neutral face. She shook her head once more, this time not in a playful manner but in a way to focus herself on an important task. “I will need to go get food,” she said, her voice losing the playful hint that Sprite had heard.
Sprite pursed her lips and frowned, before nodding. “Okay, where are we going?”
“You are not going anywhere, Sprite. You are too small and I don’t want to risk you getting lost. I will hunt alone,” Atmav said sternly. Slowly, lowering the hand to the ground, Atmav gestured for Sprite to move off.
Sprite looked at Atmav, mortified. She went pale and stammered, “B-But-!”
“I won’t be gone for long. I just don’t want that risk to be present and I would take you with me, but if something were to happen to you, I think I might slip back to a dark place that I do not want to go back to,” Atmav said before looking around the ground. She picked up several stones and moved them about, stacking them on one another before holding Sprite to it. A small hut made of rock against the wall of the cave. “When I get back, I will do whatever you say. Okay?”
Sprite pouted, but nodded and stepped off of Atmav’s hand, “Okay, but don’t take too long!”
“I promise,” Atmav said lightly before standing, tuning and walking to the entrance of the cave before looking back at Sprite one last time. Her hand brought the orvium blade out of the ground, dragging it across the dirt as she walked. “I promise,” she repeated before her starlight wings spread to launch Atmav into the air. She soared above the trees and out of sight in a matter of moments, leaving Sprite by her lonesome.
It had been a really long while. So long, in fact, that the shadows cast by the pretty light of day had shifted position!
She couldn’t stand it any longer. She had to do something, anything. And so Sprite paced in front of the rock hut made for her by Atmav. After some seconds, she froze and nodded to herself. She looked into her own translucent body and saw in the center of it all, her core. A solid fragment of a soul.
“Good! I’m so smart, very smart! I bet the others never thought of carrying their cores inside of their own projections. That’s ‘cause I’m reaaally smart, aren’t I?” She asked no one in particular, expecting an answer. After a few moments, she giggled and turned and walked toward the exit of the cave.
She walked and walked, passing by huge. normal-sized rocks, and then bathing in the warm light, and the delving into the waist-high maze of grass leaves.
Eventually, she reached the foot of a tree and looked up. Her eyes lit up and she stretched her arms upward. Of course, that made no difference.
“Ooh, that apple looks good! Maybe I could get it for Atmav!” She muttered to herself, chuckling.
Of course, reaching for it made no difference, as one would have to stack dozens of Sprites to even graze the skin of the red, juicy fruit. She realized this soon and drooped sadly.
“Wait-”
She perked back up, eyes sparkling with an intense silver glow and mouth contorted into a proud smirk, “My core is floating inside me, so… Maybe…” She closed her eyes and focused, and indeed! After a moment, Sprite began floating too. “Yay!”
From then on it was smooth sailing. Sprite flew up to the apple and dislodged it, making it fall to the ground far below. It might get a little bruised, but it didn’t matter to her. Food was food, and her best friend was hungry!
When she flew back down to the apple and stood on it, she noticed something… Odd.
The skin seemed to be bubbling, and something was pushing at it from inside the apple.
“Something inside… Apple… Squirming…” Sprite hummed and pressed a finger against her lips in thought. “Oh no… A wor-”
At that instant, a huge worm burst forth, bits of juicy apple flying everywhere! Sprite gasped and fell backwards, off the apple and onto the grassy ground. “Ahh!” She yelped before landing in a thick patch of grass.
She could barely see the apple, but she knew. She caught snippets of it.The green, absurdly long insect wiggled and shook and squirmed out of its hole. Sprite caught glimpses of it sneaking about on the surface of the apple.
It was terrifying, and Sprite knew.
She had to tame it.
She crouched behind a wide blade of grass and waited for the worm to slither near her, and when it did… She jumped onto it!
“Aagh, take this you big juicy bug!” She screamed and growled, wrapping her arms and legs around the insect as hard as her projected body could.
The worm froze and then immediately started wriggling and jerking around. At one point, it started rolling, crushing tiny silver under its weight numerous times, until she let go, panting.
“H-Hey, you beat me you fat sorry excuse of flesh… I give up…” She said breathlessly as the worm recovered its composure.
In this moment of calm, Sprite saw its true size. It was easily over a foot long. “... How did you even fit inside that apple, you freakdo? Wa-Wait! Don’t come any closer…!” She gasped and sat up as the worm slowly made its way toward her.
“C-Come on now, we can negotiate! I don’t have a reaaal body, so I’m not tasty!”
It rudely ignored her, and Sprite huffed and crossed her arms, “Figures, take a girl for the ride of her life and then ignore her. Boo!”
The worm started struggling. It tried to get closer to Sprite, but it only managed to do jerky motions. That’s how Sprite noticed… it was getting pulled back!
“What! No way!” She gasped, jumping up to her feet and running around the worm. She saw it, a long tongue wrapped around the worm’s midsection.
“Oh boyy! You’re about to get eaten, wormie! How do you feel about thaat? Scared? Excited? Scared and excited, perhaps? That’s the best combination I assure you!” She giggled and slapped her hand on the huge worm’s back. It shuddered and redoubled its efforts at resisting the pull of the tongue, which disappeared well above the ceiling of thick grass leaves.
“Oh, you don’t wanna be eaten? Ugh, fiiine, I’ll help you out, but ooonly if you let me ride you.” The worm didn’t respond. “Oh goooooods, you’re a such a lobcock. Fiiine.” She groaned and rolled her eyes.
Near them, there was a mature rose. So Sprite walked over to the flower and broke off the longest thorn she saw, then calmly walked back to the scene of the epic struggle between the worm and the tongue. In a lame, lazy movement, she pierced the tongue with the thorn.
Blood gushed out, a high-pitched cry came from nearby, and the tongue retreated.
The worm calmed down and, after a long moment, turned to Sprite. It slithered its large head towards her, but in a different manner this time. More docile than before. Sprite smirked and, once the worm’s head bumped into her, she pet it.
“Hah, recognizing your master now! You’re mine, Wormie! And I will call you… Worm… ox. Wormox shall be your mighty name! My steed! Hah hah hah!” She laughed proudly, hands on her hips as she struck a power pose. an intense ray of light seemed to shine upon her in that beautiful, intense moment…
Until Wormox bumped into her again and she tripped and fell on her bum.
“Ouchie.”
She stood up, patted at her clothes even though that was not necessary given she was merely a projection, and mounted her new steed. Wormox the Worm.
“To the Atmavian Cave, Wormox!”
It immediately set off for the apple it had burst forth from. Sprite groaned.
By the time Atmav had arrived, carrying her sword and carrying the corpse of a buck which had a blood running down its neck. What she saw confused her, random objects littered the cave and she cocked her head before looking around for Sprite, not initially seeing her among the clutter. She saw flower petals, twigs, a ruined apple, leaves, and somehow a mud pile. Despite the confusion, Atmav stabbed her blade into the ground before hoisting the deer up.
Cautiously, Atmav stepped over the clutter, before depositing the corpse at the back of the cave. Her head swiveled around to inspect the clover, walking over it slowly as she scanned for her small friend, growing worried when she could not see her. Atmav began to show signs of panic, not wanting to be left alone to her own mind once more.
“S-Sprite?” Atmav called with a slightly worried voice.
The silence grew thick. It could almost be touched, and its walls encroached into Atmav’s territory, little by little, until…
“PWAHH!” Atmav jumped at the noise.
Sprite burst forth from under the mud pile, with her a rather large worm. She was sporting a huge grin on her face as she turned to look at Atmav. The worm retreated back into the mud pile.
“Oh hey, Attie! I brought all these things for you! I give them to you, a symbol of my undying loove.” She drew out the last word, forming a heart with her fingers and placing it against her own chest. She and her clothes were spotless in spite of being in a mud pile.
Atmav let out a sigh of relief before kneeling down Sprite, a soft smile present on her face. “You are cute, I will give you that,” Atmav said with a light laugh before she moved back to the buck, beginning to rip fur off of the corpse to expose the bloody insides of the creature. The winged one took a sizable piece of meat out of the body, turning to Sprite and taking a large bite of it. Her lips smacked as she chewed on the raw piece of meat.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, Sprite,” Atmav said, speaking with a full mouth though still clearly happy.
Sprite watched Atmav eat, her mouth open in a little ‘o’. After a while, closed her mouth and tilted her head, “You like raw meat? People cook their food generally, probably.”
Atmav stopped eating for a moment, swallowing what she had in her mouth before looking away in an embarrassed manner. “I- I don’t know how to start a fire,” she admitted before she took another bite out of the lump of meat.
“Oh,” Sprite chuckled and shrugged, “I don’t know either! Let’s call one of your servants to have them start it for us! SERVANT!”
“I don’t have any servants,” Atmav commented with a light laugh as she ripped another lump of meat out of the buck. She shrugged before continuing, “Not like I need one or anything, I know how to take care of myself,” she said through another bite.
“But you don’t know how to make a fire, silly! Besides, you end up covered in blood and yucky stuff. I think you like feeling dirty.” Sprite smirked and floated over to Atmav, the worm suddenly popping out of the mud pile and following her on land.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Atmav said, her head looking up at the roof of the cave in thought before continuing, “I guess I am just used to being covered in blood.” She took another bite, blood from the meat, dripping onto her chest. She did nothing to clean it off, allowing it to sink into her skin as she ate. “Besides, if I feel as if it’s too much I can just go wash myself.”
“Or, I could wash you.” Sprite said with a grin, pressing herself against the posterior of Atmav’s right shoulder, peeking out of the top to watch her eat.
“I suppose you could. Though, I do not see why I would need another to wash me,” Atmav said, looking at the body of the buck before letting out a huff. “Shame I cannot eat all of that. It’s a lot of meat that’s going to spoil,” she complained, as she finished stuffing herself. Atmav licked the blood off of her hands, the crimson being taken away to reveal her sturdy white hands.
“You can’t reach you back, can you? I can make that suuper clean for you.” She said, her tiny, bright eyes looking up at Atmav’s face.
Atmav seemed to think for a moment, nodding head, “You have a point… Maybe I can stop by the ocean when I get rid of the body.” She finished lapping the blood off her hands before holding up a hand for Sprite to step on to, which Sprite happily did, sitting down cross legged in the center of Atmav’s palm.
“What do you do with bodies? Do you have a private ditch to throw them in? Maybe an entire graveyard? That’d be kinda creepy, but interesting, and…” Sprite didn’t stop speaking, droning on and on for ages.
Atmav merely listened on to the droning words of Sprite, finding mild entertainment from her friend’s little rant. Eventually, she set Sprite back upon her shoulder, silencing her for a mere moment as Atmav got to her feet in silence. “I will show you,” Atmav stated before picking up the buck by its throat and dragging it to the cave entrance.
“Hold on tight,” Atmav advised.
Both hands gripped the skin of the beast tightly as Atmav began to spin, the speed slowly increasing until the corpse took little effort to keep lifted. Then, Atmav released the body and sent it soaring into the treeline, the sound of crashing branches and surprised birds came shortly after. The larger woman gave a small laugh before turning her gaze to Sprite’s position on her shoulder, “Do you think that was a good throw?”
Sprite had the widest, biggest, shiniest grin ever plastered on her face. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes wide and shaky with excitement, and she was breathing heavily, “W-Wow, Attie, you really are strong!”
Atmav has an equally large smile on her face at the compliment, letting out a light laugh as she went over to her normal sitting spot. “I don’t want to gloat, but I did lift a giant beast much heavier than that,” she stated proudly before sitting down, having to push some rubbish out of the way. She looked at Sprite before continuing, “The sword is also pretty heavy. So there’s that.”
Sprite’s eyes went over to the sword, but quickly turned back to Atmav, where she let her jaw hang open slightly, “Oooah… So that explains why you can carry me so easily! Aw, my big strong owner! Is calling you ‘owner’ weird? I think that’s a bit weird, but I like it. Owner, bestie... Same thing, really!” Sprite chuckled and cuddled up against Atmav’s neck.
“You can call me whatever you want, Sprite,” Atmav said softly, leaning her head over the soul fragment and putting a hand around her. It was a simple gesture that amounted to a hug, but it was a sign of Atmav’s favor nonetheless.
Sprite smiled and closed her eyes, “I’m having fun, are you?” She asked softly.
“Much,” Atmav answered, continuing her previous tone before letting out a sigh of satisfaction. “I would be happy to stay like this until Vakk destroys me,” she continued, a light hint of sadness coming to her voice as she knew that her joy would end once Vakk came for her. It was almost too good to last, in her mind.
“Ah, you dummy,” Sprite sighed and shook her head, “Vakk will never destroy you! I’m here to protect you, so is Wormox! And we can get many more loyal servants to protect you! All hail Queen Atmav, or something.”
Atmav gave out a chuckle before looking at the ceiling of the cave, a simple thought formulating in her head and burrowing deep into her core. She gave a wide smile before she spoke with a certain joyful lust clouding her tone.
“Queen Atmav… I rather like the sound of that.”
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