#serha

Eldra had not rested for the past two days, not since being woken up at 4 am by a red alert detailing a sudden peak in Neautra in the eastern provinces and hundreds of messages by distressed hunters. It had been two days and they still didn't understand what happened in the small town once called Edreyl. They couldn't contact the hunter unit stationed near the town, all comms in the region were down due to the high Neautra levels, but the satellite images that managed to make their way back to the HQ were distressing, the entire town and many miles in its radius…gone, blasted out of existence, Eldra had never seen anything like this, not in her days as huntress not in the records of their archive. The good thing, if you could even call it that, is that they’ve yet to detect any demon activity coming from the region…yet. 

Tired and shaking from her 10th cup of coffee of the day she made her way into the State council room. The urgent meeting had been called in the past hour and Eldra had to rush to the Imperial Palace at the heart of Izeriath city. She sighed before the heavy white door as the guards opened it to her and she stepped inside the oppressive round table. 

The State council was limited to only the ministers of each region, the Emperor and the two Royal Huntressess, Eldra and Serha, though the former could only be present in video format. 

The ministers were all discussing in rushed tones to each other, and the emperor had his distinguished ever angry looking face. Eldra bowed before them before sitting next to the projection of Serha, who gave her a small nod. 

“Now that we are all here” The Emperor said “Royal Huntressess, what news do you bring?” he said, staring down at the two drakin women. 

Serha soke first, swallowing hard 

“Nothing yet…your majesty” she said the ministers murmured in disappointment and anxiety “this is…we have never seen this before, levels this high…” 

Eldra nodded

“thought there has been no demon activity signs yet!” She was quick to add “And this amount of Neautra may even lure them to that region, making it easier to hunt them down” 

“But what are we dealing with is the question royal huntress” the minister of Atriste, the region affected spoke, his video image was greatly affected by the Neautra and often would glitch out  “if a new portal is opening right in the middle of Izeriath” 

“I doubt that “ Serha  intervened “ A portal would have already started to consume matter, and from our satellites we can see it’s more or less stable” she said “whatever it was isn't putting more energy out”

Not that we can see anyway Eldra thought bitter, their equipment couldn't even process the amount of energy being read, stopping at the highest number it could handle, and had not yet decreased. 

“either way…to get a better view of what's going on in the blast zone, we need to get in there our comms with the nearby units are still down, and besides…i don’t think even with our best gear a mortal could survive for long in this amount of Neautra.” She said grimm. 

The discussion continued, no progress being made other than the obvious quarantine of the zone. Suddenly, the one channel that was off lit up, the room went into silence, this seat was never taken, for it was simply honorary. It was the seat for God. 

But instead of God, the one on the other side wasn't her, it was a dark blue spirit, its ethereal mane flowed behind it gracefully, particles, orbs, all floated around it as if the being had its own gravity. 

Everyone stood up and bowed towards the being in one swift movement, the spirt stared at them, its face expressionless, its eyes empty sockets of light. 

“Great Emissary” The Emperor spoke “ speak your word, what do we owe you your presence”

“Ruler of men”  the spirits voice was ethereal, like a loud whisper, a chorus of voices neither male nor female “ the contract has been broken, your kin’s cruelty has gone too far”

None spoke, all too stunned, confused

“ Our kind has been slaughtered time and time by the greed of men seeking to become gods, we tolerated it for they have brought on their demise by trespassing the sacred bound” the spirit continued “yet now despite the transgression, this cannot be ignored.”

“ Great one, what do you mean?” Eldra raised her head pleading, the spirits eyes burned into her skull, she felt overwhelmed from looking at it 

“ Our God, Shadlan, has been murdered, murdered by a mortal” 

It was a heavy silence, heavier than before, the emperor's eyes shot wide.Shock permeated everyone in the room, Eldra fell on her chair again. 

“No- No no mortal has the strength to do so!” Eidon pleaded 

“no mortal should have this strength, yet it has happened and Her remains now  poison the land she once loved” The spirit said solemn

Eldra looked at Serha, her face was pale as she cupped her face in pure horror. Eldra rested her head on her own hands, the exhaustion and shock taking over, what did that mean for them all? for the world? Who had the power to kill a god? how did they not see it sooner?

“This sin cannot go unpunished, your hands will not be cleaned by water but by your blood. If that means the end of this era, then so it shall be. We will not interfere further” 

“ What you- “ Eidon started to speak getting up from his chair when suddenly a high pitched scream filled the room. 

Eldra clutched her head falling against the table in a pained gasp. The scream continued, agonizing, painful, it felt like her entire body was being ripped apart by the sound, her mind becoming one with the pain. 

The scream stopped

She loved you 

The voice was furious, its anger bleed into Eldra, clawed at her chest, ripped her skin. 

She loved your pitiful kind and you kill her 

HOW DARE YOU 

The pain increased, sorrow, anger, pain, loss larger than Eldra could handle, tears streamed down her face as she gripped her head, she had to tear it open, pull her brain out, stop the feelings stop the pain

There will be no mercy, there will be no peace

not until she’s avenged. 

This is your last crime, mortals, this is my declaration, I will not rest until the very last of you is gone, until my sister is avenged with your DEATH. 

The pressure left, and Eldra vision slowly returned, she was breathing hard, she had blood and hair on her hands from pulling on her scalp. Slowly she managed to turn her head without being wrecked with nausea, to assess the state of the others. Many were unconscious, those that were online, had disconnected. She locked eyes with the emperor’s haunted gaze.