The Muse

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Crime Scene

”Wait. Allow me to assist,"

As the group turned to follow Ayel, Flynn paused, his attention caught by a new addition. He furrowed his brows for a moment, confused as to who this man was and why he was so eager to help.

“Do you know anything about what has happened?” he blurted out, green eyes narrowed, losing all formalities of introduction. Before the stranger could answer the question, however, Ayel was on the move. There was little time to waste, so Flynn followed, and the rest of the group fell in stride.

Moving through the streets of Dawnhaven, he kept a steady pace beside Ayel, tension lining his jaw. His mind raced with various scenarios of what could have happened in between the time he left the tavern and now.

"Your highness, this would go much faster if you allow me to use this one as a mount."

With a deadpan expression, Flynn gave the nobleman a sidelong look. “Ayel, don’t be ridicul—”

Daphne's sharp venom aimed at Ayel cut him off, and he fought the urge to smirk. He silently appreciated it, though he gave no outward indication of approval—or disapproval.

"This one, as you call it, is a woman whose name is Daphne and who is friendly enough to help me. Please pay some respect. Otherwise... wouldn't it be more appropriate if you 'ride' on me ? Just as a suggestion, of course."

The ill-dressed man’s bizarre logic gave Flynn pause, and he shot a quick glance back at him for a moment. Ride on him instead? Why would he offer such a thing? At the very least, it seemed Daphne knew him, which was… probably good? In truth, Flynn barely knew Daphne too. She had only just introduced herself to him hours ago. The only person he truly knew was Ayel, which was unsettling. This group was chaotic, to say the least. Where was Orion when he needed him most?

“Enough.” Flynn finally said, his voice cold. He had no time for pride or petty rivalries, not when lives—Amaya’s life—hung in the balance.

Putting the heated exchanges out of his mind, he refocused on the path ahead and listened to Valthyr’s account of the attack, which sent a chill down his spine. Silently, he cursed himself for leaving the tavern. He should have never left Amaya on her own, even if she had been escorted by guards and in plain view of the entire town. It was naive to think she would be safe here.

At the very least, it was good to hear from Valthyr that Amaya and Elara had escaped the gruesome encounter. But anxiety persisted. The safety of the town weighed heavily on him—the feral blightborn would need to be found and subdued—but his thoughts turned sharply to Amaya. He needed to find her, to see for himself that she was truly safe and unharmed.

Despite hearing Ayel struggling to breathe properly as they ran, Flynn pushed onward, refusing to slow down. Keeping up his nightly runs around the lake had clearly done him well.

As they drew closer to the scene, Flynn’s unease grew and his pace slowed. The sight that greeted them was worse than he had anticipated. A Priestess of Seluna came into view, standing alone amidst the devastation. His brows knit with concern as his gaze settled on the glinting tower of ice, splattered with blood and illuminated by the pale moonlight. Beside it lay a headless body sprawled on the cleared ground, a dark pool of blood pooling beneath.

Flynn’s chest tightened. Amaya’s volatile magic had created the crystalline sculpture, he had no doubt—the image of their ice-coated cabin flashing through his mind. Had she been forced to wield her power defensively? Or had she lost control entirely?

He froze for a moment, taking in the scene as his gaze darted between the body and the Priestess. He realized then that he had not met the blonde woman, though her attire clearly designated her as a Priestess of Seluna. Why was she here—alone?

“Priestess, what happened here? Are you hurt?” his asked, voice firm but not unkind. “This man claims to have seen the crime. Did you as well?” he asked, gesturing to Valthyr before returning his attention to the Priestess.

As he waited for her response, his eyes moved past her, trying to see into the darkness of the forest beyond. He scanned the area and gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it if the creature who had done the damage decided to return.

---

_{Interactions: Ayel @Dezuel, Daphne @PrinceAlexus, Valthyr @Fetzen, Nathaniel @Echotech71, Katherine @SpicyMeatball}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

@enmuni Looks great! Go ahead and post her in the character tab :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Elara's Home

As the silver-haired handmaiden appeared, her pale blue eyes meeting Kira’s fiery orange ones, Kira’s heart thundered wildly against her chest. The pull was immediate, primal, nearly overpowering—the urge to close the distance between them, shove Elara back inside, slam the door, tear her open and— ‘Stop.’ She dug her nails into her palm, grounding herself as her humanity wavered.

Yet, beneath the monstrous urge, the human part of her faltered when Elara spoke. The ache of memory was sharper than hunger.

Elara didn’t recognize her. Kira’s heart sank, a deep, wrenching ache that hollowed her out.

Of course, she didn’t. Why would she? They had been children, teenagers back then, sharing brief moments that Kira had clung to like a lifeline. Elara’s kindness had been a beacon during those turbulent times, but Elara had just been herself—warm, patient, unknowingly life-saving. Kira had just been another face to help pass the time within frigid castle walls.

A coldness glazed over Kira’s eyes as the realization settled in her chest, twisting like a blade. A shift in her mental state triggered, a defense mechanism snapping into place. ‘Foolish. Foolish to let herself slip into sentimentality, leaving her heart exposed. She knew better than that.

Kira’s walls rose again, locking the vulnerable parts of her heart away, out of reach. Elara was better off not remembering her anyway. Safer. This would become another wound Kira would carry alone, as she always had.

Uncontrollably, her gaze flicked to Elara’s neck, her pulse visible beneath pale skin. The sight of her jugular—pulsing, delicate, sweet—sent a shiver of hunger and shame down Kira’s spine. Her jaw tightened as she dragged her eyes back to Elara’s, fighting to regain control. She blinked, realizing she’d let the silence stretch for longer than natural.

“Elara.” Kira’s voice came out colder than she’d intended, sharp and restrained. It was better that way, she told herself, but the name burned on her tongue, a ghost of the warmth it once held. A part of her hated the bitterness there, but it felt necessary—armor against both the beast within and the ache that Elara’s lack of recognition caused.

While most people likely knew Elara even if she didn’t know them, Kira’s choice to address her by only her first name was a misstep—a lapse in formal expectations between strangers. To Kira, they weren’t strangers at all.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, her gaze briefly drifting past Elara into the warm, open space beyond the door. Returning her attention to the handmaiden, Kira couldn’t help but to search those pale blue eyes for a flicker of recognition again. But there was nothing. No spark. No remembrance. Nothing.

Something within her—that traumatized child within—still wished for it. She wanted to be seen. To be remembered. To be wanted. Goddess, it ached. After all these years, it still ached.

The ache in her chest turned dangerous, molten anger bubbling up to fill the hollow space.

She clenched one of her fists tighter, her nails biting into her palms. She could feel it building, the simmering rage entwined with old wounds and fresh disappointment. All stoked by the feral beast who wished to be let loose.

“I saw what happened in the forest,” she finally said, trying her best to distract herself. “And I can smell the blood.” Her eyes flicked past Elara into the home again, the scent still thick in the air. “Do you need help? A healer?”

The words came out steady, but an image flashed in her mind—her lips on Elara’s neck, fangs sinking in as the warmth of blood filled her senses. Bliss.

Her eyes settled on Elara again, forcing herself to root her feet into the cold, solid ground.

She wouldn’t retreat, not yet. Instead, she waited, watching Elara, her heart torn between wanting to protect her and the feral desire to overpower her.

And she despised herself for it.

---

_{Interactions: Elara @Qia}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Elara's Home

Kira moved silently away from the temple, her orange gaze fixed on Flynn’s back as she trailed him from a healthy distance. His quick pace suggested urgency and she wondered if he was aware of whatever it was that she had caught wind of, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to the world around him. Foolish.

As the town square came into view, she broke off from the path, sticking close to the shadows of the buildings instead. In the midst of a crowd was the last place she wanted to be, especially right now. Before she could leave, a sharp, shrieking voice pierced through the air. She winced at the sound, her eyes quickly finding that miserable nobleman again. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, watching as he struggled to pull a torch down. She moved her attention to Flynn briefly, noting the Prince’s own narrowed eyes honing in on the man. ‘Good’ she thought, ‘He can take care of that disaster.’

At the moment, she was far more likely to make a meal of the man than tolerate his presence. Without Orion, there was little that stood in her way.

Refocusing on the metallic scent, Kira continued westward, pulled away from the crowded center and toward the quieter western outskirts. Several minutes later, she found herself stepping off the beaten path, her boots sinking into nearly three feet of untouched snow as she moved into the forest that lay between a residential area and the Seluna temple.

Hearing the faint sound of voices calling to one another, Kira slowed her pace until she had them in view. She paused, crouching near a tree in the thickest part of the woods. Her glowing eyes cut through the darkness, betraying her location, though the group before her seemed to have other priorities.

She blinked as she took in the scene. An area where snow had been entirely cleared from the ground, and in the center of it, massive and unnatural ice stalagmites jutted upward from the ground. Blood splattered across its crystalline surface. At its base, the source of what she had been tracking—the body of a headless guard, his lifeblood staining the frozen ground.

Kira’s fangs ached, her body humming with the primal need to feed. Her tongue brushed her lower lip as she fought to suppress the feral hunger clawing within. But her gaze flicked to the figures nearby: two guards, one covered in blood splatter, and a Seluna Priestess kneeling beside the body. Feeding now would be reckless—dangerous.

She closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to focus. Logic had to win out over this damned instinct. Slowly, she took a deep breath, tuning into the blood smells swirling through the area. Several scents intermingled, but one stood out, faint yet distinct—a trail leading north. Hearing the group's discussion, her eyes snapped open again.

The Princess was missing?

Her gaze moved to the bloodied guard. ‘What happened here?’ she wondered, though by the look on the other two people's faces, they didn’t seem to know either. Her gaze shifted north, pondering who or what it was that fled this gruesome scene into the residential area.

Deciding to let the guards and Priestess deal with their crime scene, Kira turned and began to follow the secondary blood trail. Her insides screamed at her to turn around—_{slit all their throats and feast instead}—but she willed herself to move on. Shattering her final chance at grasping some semblance of a “normal” life would be devastating.

Eventually, the trail led her to a home she didn’t recognize, but it caused her to stop dead in her tracks, about twenty feet away from the front door. The hunger surged, sharper this time, causing her breath to catch in her throat. Another scent mingled with the first one now, one she couldn't ignore, rushing over her senses like a tidal wave.

Elara.

Kira’s lips pressed into a thin line, her heart beginning to race as she recognized the distinct, maddening smell of the handmaiden’s blood. Not fresh—still coursing beneath her skin—but unmistakable to Kira. For two long months she had gone out of her way to avoid Elara, knowing full well the struggle it brought. Whatever ran in her veins was like a siren's song, igniting the beast within like nothing else. It clawed to get closer every time she was near.

“Fuck,” Kira muttered under her breath, her fiery gaze fixated on the door ahead.

Her thoughts raced, connecting the dots. Elara could usually be found near the Princess. Was it the Princesses blood trail that led her here? Why were they here if the Princess was wounded? Or was it someone else Elara was harboring? Hopefully, not the culprit who had caused that guard to lose his head.

Kira flexed her fists, jaw clenching as she tried to steady herself. She needed to confirm if the Princess was here, if she was hurt—or if Elara needed help. The least she could do would be to return Elara’s kindness… She forced a slow, deep breath, willing herself to suppress the hunger clawing at her insides.

‘You can control this. You have to.’

Steeling herself, she approached the door, her heart pounding in her chest. For the first time in what felt like years, an unfamiliar sensation of nervousness pulled at her. She hesitated—not because of danger, but because of her own volatile nature. There were few people in the world that Kira cared to protect. Elara was one of them. Possibly the only one.

Slowly, she raised her hand and knocked, the sound sharp in the quiet. As she waited, muscles tense, she braced herself, silently telling herself she could handle this.

---

_{Interactions: Elara @Qia, Amaya @c3p-0h}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Town Square

As Ayel tossed the torch onto the ground with casual disregard, Flynn’s eyes flicked up toward the night sky. Silently, he asked the Goddess, ‘Why?’ Of course Ayel would do such a thing. Flynn should have known to phrase his words better, this was his fault. Ayel had always taken things quite literally.

Thoroughly annoyed, Flynn bent to pick up the torch himself, ensuring it didn’t accidentally light anything on fire. He held it for a moment, suppressing the overwhelming urge to glare at Ayel and let out a frustrated sigh, then handed it off to a nearby guard who hurried to return it to its proper place. Dusting off his hands, Flynn forced himself to remain composed as Ayel launched into a frantic explanation.

As Ayel spoke, detailing a supposed attack, a murder, and—most horrifyingly—Amaya’s disappearance, Flynn’s chest tightened. His heartbeat quickened and his stomach churned. Taken? HOW? She had guards. Elara had been with her. She was in a crowd, surrounded by at least half the town!

Gadez had actually been telling the truth?

Guilt twisted in his chest, alongside growing fear. The blood drained from his face as Ayel’s words sank in, the weight of them suffocating.

As Ayel requested control to organize a search, Flynn couldn’t help but let out a sharp exhale through his nose, his patience thinning. Why did it have to be Ayel delivering this news? He had never liked Ayel and he had been plagued by the entire Raunefeldt family for most of his life. Flynn loathed the man’s pompous attitude, knowing full well his disdain for commoners, Lunarians and blight-born alike. And yet, Ayel was currently the only one he knew of who had answers, leaving Flynn little choice.

The Goddesses had to be playing some sort of sick joke.

When Ayel finished, Flynn inhaled deeply, forcing calm into his voice. "Thank you, Ayel," he said, curt but polite despite the storm brewing inside him. He could still hear his father’s voice, steady and commanding, echoing in his mind: “Never panic, Flynn. It does no good for the people to see their ruler falter. They look to you for strength.” His father’s lessons had been harsh at times, but necessary. A ruler who panicked was a ruler who lost control.

Turning to the guard who had taken the torch, Flynn issued a firm command. "Inform the Commanders. I want a search party assembled immediately. Go." The guard saluted and sprinted off toward the eastern gate without hesitation.

As Flynn’s gaze swept the square, he caught sight of Daphne exiting the inn with a man he recognized from the group surrounding Amaya earlier. Flynn’s voice cut through the air. "Daphne! With me. Something's happened."

His eyes narrowed in on the stranger next to Daphne then, noting the way he wore little clothing for how cold it was out. “You too.” he commanded, gesturing for the man to join him with Daphne and Ayel. “You were with the Princess earlier, weren’t you?”

Before letting the man answer, Flynn shifted his gaze back to Ayel. His instincts told him to send Ayel away, but he needed answers. Unfortunately, this irksome nobleman was his only lead. And if Ayel had been exaggerating or lying, Flynn wanted him there to face the immediate consequences.

“Ayel,” Flynn said, his voice steely, “you said you know where the body is? Lead us there. Now.”

---

_{Interactions: Ayel @Dezuel, Daphne @PrinceAlexus, Valthyr @Fetzen}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Hot Springs / Townsquare

Kira brushed strands of damp hair away from her face and tugged her coat tighter as she stole one last glance at Orion and Sya. Their conversation continued to flow with ease, and a small part of her hesitated, urging her to stay. Keep talking. Make “friends.” This was what she had wanted, wasn’t it? A chance at connection, at finding community after two years of solitude. Yet, the idea felt threatening and unnatural. Solace, isolation—they were familiar, safe. Despite herself, she turned away, her boots tapping against the stone steps as she climbed.

Halfway up, the world shifted.

Like a brick wall slamming into her senses, she froze mid-step. Her eyes dilated as every nerve in her body sharpened. A faint, metallic tang carried on the breeze—a scent she knew too well. Iron. Blood.

Her gaze flicked back toward Orion. From the stairs, she studied him, searching for any sign that he, too, had noticed it. But he remained engrossed in conversation, his expression unbothered. Then, she realized, Orion wasn’t like her. It was because she was a blood-fed blight-born that this scent called to her so strongly. Whatever type of blight-born he was, his instincts didn’t seem as attuned to blood as hers.

Tearing her gaze from Orion, she resumed her steps, a battle beginning to rage within. Every instinct screamed at her to follow the scent, to find its source, to sate the hunger that had been part of her existence for years. Yet her human side—the fragile piece that still clung to normalcy—wondered why. Why was she smelling blood? Why so close to town? Maybe it was just a hunter returning with a kill, the blood fresh from the field. No… She knew this scent didn’t belong to an animal. It was human.

Kira exhaled slowly in an attempt to steady herself as she slipped back into the temple. Quiet voices echoed down the halls, but she ignored them. As she passed, her eyes briefly caught the figure of Gadez speaking to the Priestess down a hallway. Out of curiosity, she raised an amused eyebrow. The Priestess sure did seem rather friendly with that man, but Kira couldn’t stay to find out why. The metallic scent lingered in her mind, pulling her towards the exit.

Without a word, she hurried back outside. The scent grew stronger, vivid and tantalizing. Her tongue flicked across her fangs as she nearly salivated, the hunger clawing its way to the surface.

Following a trail of fresh footprints, her boots crunched against ice as she moved further into town. Near the square, she spotted the Prince and that insufferable nobleman speaking, their exchange tense enough to draw the crowd’s attention. The air felt charged, a static tension rippling through the people around them. Kira’s gaze flicked briefly to the scene, but she didn’t stop to listen. Not now. Her focus was singular.

The scent led her westward, pulling her deeper into the outskirts of Dawnhaven, the town’s hum fading as she drew closer to the source.

---

_{Mentions: Orion @Qia, Sya @PrinceAlexus, Ayel, Gadez @Dezuel, Tia @c3p-0h}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Town Square

To an onlooker, Flynn might’ve appeared calm, his expression neutral and composed, but inside, unease coiled tightly in his chest. His steps leaving the temple were brisk, though he did everything in his power not to appear rushed. Gadez’s cryptic words lingered in his mind, each syllable replaying over and over again. Resting atop his sword hilt, his left hand tightened its grip out of frustration. He refused to give that puppeteer’s words weight enough to visibly rattle him.

But the possibility, the mere suggestion that something might have happened to Amaya, gnawed at him. Despite his best efforts to ignore it, something inside told him Gadez wasn’t lying—this time.

As he grew closer to the town square, a frantic voice sliced through the air. Flynn’s steps faltered for a moment as he listened, his stomach twisting.

"Grab your pitchforks! Torches! Find the culprits! Hide your children! The monsters are real!"

Flynn sighed heavily as Ayel’s voice rang out with exaggerated drama. Unfortunately, he knew that voice anywhere. The voice that had grated him since childhood—one that he had been hoping to avoid for much longer.

"Find the blightborn murderers and I shall pay for your drinks for the next three days at the inn! I told you they couldn't be trusted!"

‘Murderers?’ he thought, his sense of dread growing. Had something happened or was this another one of Ayel’s dramatic meltdowns? Nonetheless, the insinuations were a disaster waiting to ignite. Ayel wasn’t just making a scene; he was stoking the embers of fear and suspicion.

"Prince Flynn in his goodness has tried to shield them! And they have exploited it! Spread out! Look for the lunaris princess! Leave no peasant home unturned! Find the guilty blightborn monsters! With me!"

‘Look for Amaya? Is she missing?’ His heartbeat picked up pace.

As he approached Ayel, Flynn tightened his jaw, forcing himself to maintain the calm facade he’d become so adept at projecting. Every instinct screamed at him to break into a run toward the tavern, to find Amaya, to confirm she was safe, but he couldn’t ignore the scene Ayel was stirring up. The townsfolk began muttering among themselves, a mix of confusion and unease rippling through the crowd as they warily eyed Ayel. This fire needed to be doused before it could spread.

"Ayel." His voice cut through the crowd noise like a blade, cold and commanding. The chatter of the townsfolk hushed, their wary gazes snapping toward the prince.

“What are you doing?” Flynn stepped closer, his posture straight, his eyes narrowed as he locked eyes with the flailing nobleman. “Put the torch down.” Flynn commanded, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken consequences. “This is not an Aurelian battleground. Inciting fear, chaos, and violence is not how we do things. Now—tell me exactly what happened.”

Flynn’s gaze bored into Ayel, making it clear that his antics wouldn’t be tolerated. The tension in the air was palpable, and the gathered crowd watched in silence, awaiting the nobleman’s response.

---

_{Interactions: Ayel @Dezuel}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Aelios Temple

Flynn's thoughts scattered at the sound of approaching footsteps. His eyes snapped up, landing on the blonde puppeteer from earlier in the day. Flynn narrowed his eyes, instinctively wary. What was he doing here? Stalking him? Ready with another round of cryptic nonsense? Flynn was in no mood for theatrics.

But then, Gadez spoke.

To Flynn’s surprise, his hushed, urgent tone carried no trace of mockery. The expression on his face was grim, with no sign of that menacing smile he so often wore. Despite Flynn’s best efforts to remain unaffected by this lunatic, a knot of anxiety began to form in his chest.

Princess Maize preyed upon by a wolf. The mere suggestion set him on edge. But was Gadez talking about Nyla, whom he brought on stage and called a Princess, or did he actually mean Amaya?

His mind flashed to his last interaction with Amaya, recalling the dark-haired stranger—the way he had smiled at her. The thought made his jaw tighten.

Flynn remained silent, untrusting but unwilling to dismiss the warning outright. When Gadez moved past him, Flynn paused, glancing back, debating whether or not to investigate further. ‘Why tell me this?’ He wondered. ‘What game is he playing now?’

Flynn frowned, his gaze flicking between the puppeteer and the door to Tia’s room, where Gadez stopped to knock. ‘What is his business with Tia? Do they know each other?’ The question added to his growing pile of doubts about the Priestess. What else had she neglected to tell him?

Deciding not to linger, Flynn turned away. ‘He’s just trying to get under my skin,’ he told himself, refusing to give Gadez the satisfaction of a reaction. Still… If there was even the slightest chance Amaya was in danger…. His pace quickened. He had intended to find Amaya after this anyway. Surely, he would find her back at the tavern, and this feeling of sudden dread would have been for nothing. And he would learn not to take this man's words seriously.

Without a word, Flynn continued back down the hall. His footsteps grew heavier as he descended the corridor, doubt creeping into the corners of his mind. Whether or not Gadez spoke the truth, Flynn needed to find Amaya.

Suddenly, a sharp pain at his temples made him wince. His thoughts, already scattered, grew muddled as a voice pressed into his mind—a woman’s prayer? As he rounded the corner, the source of the voice came into view.

There, standing over the brazier, was the blonde woman who had tried to hide behind Tia earlier. Her horns glinted in the firelight, tail flicking behind her. Flynn’s eyes narrowed slightly, observing the way she held her arm out over the flame, close enough that the heat would surely sear her skin. But she didn’t flinch.

As he listened to the prayer weaving its way into his thoughts, he couldn’t help but notice its elegance. This was not a desperate plea of someone borrowing faith for comfort—it was the practiced devotion of a true Priestess. It struck him then—the voice he was hearing was hers. Her words were not spoken aloud, and yet, they resounded in his mind with remarkable clarity. Somehow, she appeared unaware of her psychic projection, her focus entirely consumed by anguish.

His eyes swept over her again, noting the Priestess garb she wore, which he had thought to be a simple loan from Tia. But now, when she wasn’t hiding, he saw the way she carried herself, her posture, her familiarity with the flame. She wasn’t just wearing the robes—she belonged in them.

‘She must have come to Dawnhaven to aid Tia.’ He thought, his brows drawing together in empathy. Had the clergy sent a blight-born Priestess, or had she been taken by the blight during her journey here? Whatever had happened, it hadn’t seemed to strip her of her connection to Aelios.

He noticed the second woman then, golden-haired like the blight-born woman—the Champion of Aelios. The realization dawned on her face as she, too, seemed to hear the prayer. As the Champion moved toward the blight-born, realization settled on him—they were twins. Sisters, despite the stark contrast between them now.

Flynn watched as the Champion reached for the woman, pulling her arm away from the brazier before the heat could leave a more permanent mark. The interruption seemed to break the psychic connection, and Flynn’s mind began to clear, the headache fading into only a dull ache.

“You don’t need to repent for what you’ve become,” he said calmly, his green eyes softening as he took a few steps forward, revealing that he had heard her prayer. “I can’t speak for the Goddess,” he met her gaze, his eyes flicking to the Champion briefly before returning to the blight-born woman. “But, you are welcome here.”

He offered them a small nod before turning and leaving the temple, his mind racing once more. He’d need to ask Tia about this one later, as well as Gadez. And then there was the matter of interviewing the blight-born Priestess before their departure for the blight lands.

But first, Amaya. He would return to the tavern for her, just as he had promised.

---

_{Interactions: Gadez @Dezuel, Ranni, Dyna @Queen Arya}

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Just FYI - I put in the Dawnhaven map below the world map in the characters tab :)

Realms of Sun & Shadow

Location: Hot Springs

Kira barely had time to react as Sya’s embrace engulfed her, warm and damp from the water of the hot spring. Her entire body stiffened in shock, her arms awkwardly hovering mid-air as she froze, unable to process the sudden skin-to-scale contact. What was she supposed to do? Pat her back? Return the hug? Say something?

Before she could decide, Sya released her and slithered toward Orion. Kira blinked, part of her stunned at Sya’s boldness, the other half entirely fixated on Orion’s reaction. Her gaze darted to him, noting the way water slicked off Sya’s body and soaked into his clothes as she wrapped him in a similarly overzealous hug. It was almost comical, if only Kira could have shaken the discomfort that now overwhelmed her senses. This level of personal invasion, she hadn’t experienced in years, and was completely caught off guard.

Kira’s eyes flickered back to Sya, who now seemed utterly carefree, her mood lifted as she reclined with her drink in hand. The innkeeper's gratefulness tugged at something within—maybe guilt, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. Kira’s defense of her had simply been incidental, driven by her seething disdain for that pompous nobleman. It wasn’t about friendship.

It wasn’t as if she disliked Sya, but she didn’t particularly like her either. She was nice enough, sure, but Kira wouldn’t go as far as to call her a friend. That felt… excessive. If standing up to an arrogant idiot was all it took to earn someone’s friendship, Sya’s standards were far too low. Or perhaps Kira’s were far too high. She’d always been careful about who she let close, wary of people’s intentions, and that cautiousness left her unsure of how to handle someone as open and impulsive as Sya.

The water suddenly felt stifling, and Kira realized with growing clarity that her time in the hot spring had run its course. She shifted, rising from the water with a quiet grace, “I’d better get going.” she said, moving toward the edge of the spring. The crisp air bit at her skin as she stepped out, her naked body quickly heading for her neatly folded clothes. With her back to the others, Kira hurriedly dried off and dressed, focusing on the motions as a way to push down the lingering awkwardness.

---

_{Interactions: Orion @Qia, Sya @PrinceAlexus}