K. A. Banglay

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of all women across the globe, past and present, because gosh misogyny and gender inequality is hard, even to this day. 🫶🥹

I can only hope (and work) for a future where everyone is treated fairly, because I know we can get it, someday.

Anyway, thank you Ulysse for calling your mom on that special day (not that he doesn’t call her frequently!). Romanian Mother’s day supposed to be the first Sunday of March but I think he celebrates it on the 8th ^^

I’m sure Ariane would love to spend time with her baby boy, but oh well, my lovely Aussie queen is stuck where she is-

        Being alone in the forest in the middle of the night was already frightening, but being alone in the forest in the middle of the night with strange music coming from nowhere was much worse.         Azenor wanted to ignore it, tell herself it was just a joke, a hallucination. If she focused on anything but the music, it would go away.         Alas, apart from observing the almost complete darkness, she felt nothing: Not the grass beneath her hooves, nor the scent of the surrounding pine trees, nor the flavor of whatever food she might have eaten last.         Sight and hearing were the only things that reminded her that she was alive. And even then, it was an exageration; the low notes on the piano resonated, yes, but she saw nothing except a few glimmers here and there. No matter how hard she looked, it made no sense. Where was the moon and its fireflies?

        Searching for light, she progressed through the woods to the rhythm of the melody. She was familiar with it, but could not put a name on it...

        Finally, the world grew brighter, a faint but sufficient gray.         Punctuated by a pair of menacing red eyes emerging from between the branches.

        Her soul of a prey reacted instantly.         Her legs moved without asking her permission, drawing breaths far too quickly so as not to faint mid-run. If that happened, she knew the growls behind her would catch up.

        It was all in vain, though. With every stumble, every tree struck, every burning breath, the monster gained ground.

        And ground was what lacked.         A clod of dirt fell into the void when Azenor almost ran further than the cliff floor.

        Another growl echoed.

        She was too scared to turn around.         Her legs, which had served her so well until then, felt as if they were rooted to the ground. Unable to take a step back, what use, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed fangs longer than her fingers and fur even blacker than the moonless night.         A hot breath caressed her nape, and without her knowing what to do, she screamed the name of the one she recognized as her best friend.         Then finally the pain came:         With classical music in the background, her own blood choked her scream.

        Curtains close, light in the room.

        The breath she took tore her throat apart.         All her senses were blurred.         The music had stopped, yes, the brutal beating of her heart, no. The dizziness and nausea would not go away, and yet the feeling of lying down soothed her, just as closing her eyes to escape the light did.         At last, she noticed chocolate and her name, spoken by a hoarse but comforting voice.

        Gradually, she was able to distinguish the words 'safe', 'nightmare', and...

        -"Breathe in and out, slowly..."

        She obeyed, weak and trembling, but she obeyed. She matched her breathing to that of the person beside her, and spent long minutes imitating them, through the few tears of panic that still escaped her.         When she finally regained a semblance of calm, she opened her eyes and surrendered to the mercy of emeralds and snowflakes on red soil.         Kay looked at her with more worry than she had ever seen her express. A worry quickly replaced by relief.

        -"Thank Devil, you're fine..." The musician let out with a pained laugh. "Do you want some space, yes or no?"

        Never, not when Kay smelled of chocolate and, above all, looked nothing like the lycanthrope she was supposed to be. Physically human, nothing like one of those wild, bloodthirsty beasts.         Azenor, still trembling, shook her head and even approached, intrigued by the comforting scent. Her friend could not help but smile, immediately understanding the situation. From her pocket, she grabbed the treat carrying that delicious scent.

        -"I took this out to comfort you with the smell, but it was just a stupid idea; it didn't do any good. Do you want it now?"

        Azenor did not hear much, except for the question, which she answered by slowly extending her hand. The next second, she was nibbling at the bar, curled up in a ball, but as reassured as she could be.

        -"Ah, well, it's good to bring food for you!" Amused, the werewolf sat down in a anything but feminine manner, facing the artist. "You scared me... I was too focused on my piece to notice you fell asleep... Damn, I did well to take a break when you had your nightmare."

        ...Piece?         Azenor looked over the werewolf's shoulder to make out the rest of the music room, immersed in a subdued atmosphere. In its center, a piano.         It came back to her. She accompanied Kay for the afternoon, each with their own occupations, namely, drawing instruments for one and practicing a certain music for the other.

        And the music in question?...

        -"Y-You..." Her voice was also trembling, but she managed to whisper the rest: "What did you play ?..."

        "...'I Dovregubbens Hall'-" She stopped mid-explanation, on the verge of slapping herself. "'In the Hall of the Mountain King' if the translated name rings a bell?"

        Not at all, but it was not surprising; she knew so much songs without ever having known their names in the first place. A smile seemed like the right answer, judging by the one Kay gave her in return.

        -"Do you want me to take you to the infirmary or-"         That time, it was Azenor who cut her off with a gesture of her hand.

        -"Thanks."

        -"It's okay, I'll stay with you just in case, but I'm glad this is over."

        Oh, she could not have said it better herself…

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Author’s Note: