what's left of the night sky.

"Let's kill him!"

"Who hurts you?"

"It's just one life to take."

"There are more of them?"

"Put your emotions aside."

"Your life now is in my hand."

"We're the ones who carry on."

"We gotta stab him in the eye."

"I'm so glad we see eye to eye."

"If nobody hurts you, be silent."

"For, after all, you're just a man."

"One day, you might understand."

"This way, you can't cross the line."

"The blood we shed, it never dries."

"We are not to let them die in vain!"

"Show him that we're deadly, ha ha!"

"Maybe you and I can make a deal?"

"This way, you get what you wanted."

"This way, you won't disappoint me."

"I'll remind you, I saw you as a friend."

"No backup, no chance for support…"

"Yes, you shall be the final man to die."

"And our comrades will not die in vain!"

"We're just travelers. We come in peace."

"But I warned ya’, and you failed the test."

"And when I kill you, then my pain is over."

"You won’t live through this day, now die!"

"Mark my words now, this is not the end."

"He's still a threat until he's dead. Finish it."

"Show me how great is your will to survive."

"Straight ahead, that is who we're fighting."

"Attack from behind, keep distance in mind!"

"It's almost too perfect, too good to be true."

"No dying on me, now. Defeat is not allowed."

"And if we're defeated, they’re good as dead."

"Remember them when the fire begins to fade."

"Our foe must be thwarted right here and now."

"No bloodshed in here today. A trade, you see?"

"That’s just like you, why should I be surprised?"

"You’ve grown soft, your dead friends can attest."

"What gives you the right to deal a pain so deep?"

"I can't believe this cave has all this for us to keep."

"We must move quickly, we don't have much time."

"You're dying here and now. Escape is not allowed."

"Don't you know that pain you sow is pain you reap?"

"I've gotta hand it to you both, this is quite the treat."

"There are enough sheep here to feed the entire fleet."

"A trade, you see? Take from you like you took from me."

"I'll give you our finest treasure, so long as we leave alive."

"A wine so fresh, you'd never wanna eat human flesh, again."

"This way, when all is over you'll keep yours and I'll keep mine."

"You came to my home to steal, but now you'll become my meal."

"Unlike you, every time someone dies, I'm left to deal with the strain."

"You were reckless, sentimental at best. That's not a teaching of mine."

"Since you claim you're so much wiser, why's your life spent all alone?"

"At least I know what I'm fighting for, while you're fighting to be known."

"What good would killing do when mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use?"

Zora was well aware of peculiarities that they didn't fully talk about just because no one could really relate to the specifics of having such an inhuman form at the core of it - despite their appearances.

So being able to be open about such things with Clear was genuinely refreshing, a real treat as far as they were concerned.

It was a rare privilege to have a friend like Zora who understood, as cosmic beings who existed outside the usual strata of supernatural or earthly divine seemed excruciatingly rare. And as friends, he liked knowing he could be someone they could confide in just as much.

However they were or weren't affected by the heat, the leafy canopy that blotted out the harshest of the sun's rays came with welcome relief, pocketing his hands in his hoodie's single, front pocket.

Atieno continued to look over the invitation for a bit.

"Well I don't know if having ice powers is magic or not but its all I have to offer you." he said as he hummed gently and he looked back at the target and he did wonder what to do to help the other with his issue. "I don't know if ice would do anything but like I said I can try to do my best." he replied.

FOREWORD INCOMING !!    CURRENTLY  accepting txts !!

ahmya makes a dramatic way of mocking the words in the text that are read out loud instead of looked at. it takes a moment before she rolls her eyes up, and then types back in light movements.

[ txt ] : don't piss me off @hypenotist 😤

several long hours later, and how she loathes herself for having to text back this series.

[ txt ] : 🥴 🤢 🤮

If only she was there to hear the obnoxious way he'd sing the tease if in person, but the message transmitted the cadence just fine. Of course, that wasn't quite the point as he'd since gone enroute to her museum after the proceeding message had been received.

Granted, he wasn't completely sure how much help he'd be as a non-magical being, but Ahyma was. He could help her devise counter spells, just not cast them.

Since having helped himself inside, he knocked against the doorframe of what was beginnings of Ahyma's assuredly extensive offices.

This shouldn’t have been happening. It never had happened before. Surely, Nunnally could not fully control it, but she was not that powerless. And yet, it seemed these were not only “her creatures”, not only created or detached from her, but something new, drawn to her… or rather to him?

Her blue eyes widened, showing a mixture of surprise and faint terror. Or perhaps it was not terror at all, but the quiet acceptance of pain yet to come. Nunnally looked at him, shaking her head as her fair hair drifted around her neck. She should run; or perhaps make him run. But Nunnally felt pinned in place, helpless, unable to believe she could truly command what was unfolding in front of her eyes.

“It should be happening…” – she whispered, only dimly aware that the words had slipped past her lips and made themselves heard.

By the look of surprise on the woman's visage, he wondered if this hadn't been precedented by her, let alone part of any plan. By all rights, these beings looked like run-of-the-mill bodyguards, there to do as they were charged. Yet, he somehow had a feeling that she was an excuse, and maybe he was the intended target. Bait and switch, as it was.

Huffing to himself, Clear decided that the sternest action was the simplest. Raising his arm, shutting one eye, an Eye impaled by nails and fastened in place by a ring of filigree manifested several inches below his cusp, the entity that dwelt within caused it to shine erratically, excitedly. The Eye jerked in the direction of one of the wayward demons, light swirling at the pupil before a sound like a hammer smashed on a sleigh bell sounded, a light flashing.

Then, the body the demon had possessed collapsed bonelessly to the ground, breathing and blinking, but devoid of the demon that had inhabited it.