Private Tales The Descent

[Kthell]

(A continuation of Tenrof, Kouri , and Kthell’s journey from “The Great Ones” thread. Easier to watch!)​

As the trio sustained their descent into the shadowed depths, Kthell heard a low laugh from Tenrof. The walls then rumbled as if in challenge before a sickly green aura surrounded them. The cat’s ears flattened instinctively, tail whipping wildly behind her, as she let free a hiss, daring the presence to approach. It danced around them, stalking them in the dark.​

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To be honest.. this is more of what Kthell had been expecting upon her arrival to the City. Perhaps something more welcoming of a cousin, however. She could feel its malevolence and knew that she, Kouri, and Tenrof were not wanted.​

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Great. At least it wasn’t a dragon.​

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Her tall companion looked to her then, asking her to watch over the young thing if he was separated. Their deal reestablished. If she cared for Kouri, helped him survive whatever lay waiting, Tenrof will guide her to the Voidheart practitioner. Her freedom could be much sooner than expected.​

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Hesitant and not wishing to complete this alone, she replied, “Yes.” The cat’s glowing eyes shifted to rest on Kouri, curiously, before Tenrof spoke yet again.​

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'He will be your end, Hserik," he said.​

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And then he was gone, his final, quick words of ‘I’ll be back.’ ringing in the abyss. The green mist receded and all the two could hear was the rumbling from the draconic titan far above. Hserik. That was their immediate threat, she reckoned.​

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Kouri reached for her and Kthell swam towards the young spirit in the air. She allowed her own protective aura to dissipate now that they were far from the ash and falling debris. And, really, her energy would be best used conservatively here.​

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She felt the spirit cling to her back, digging its fingers through her fur. Kthell felt her heart warm. Damnit.​

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They reached a tree branch. The cat found that odd.​

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Looking down, she took in the scene of a dimly lit pond. It was a scene she should did not expect far below the surface. Perhaps a subterranean cavern? But how did trees grow without sunlight?​

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“Kouri.. one moment,” Kthell said, closing her eyes. She shone for a moment, collar flaring to life, as her body elongated and grew wider, though not terribly so. Just enough for the spirit to ride comfortably. As the cat settled into her form, she looked over her shoulder. “Hold tight.” A quick step and one nimble landing later, the two were on the plush ground. The orb of light sat just above Kouri and provided a fair bit of viewing distance. The cat watched for the green aura where the light gave way to darkness.​

​

“Point the way.”​

 

[Kouri]

It could do nothing but yelp as it tried to regain its footing, the mass at its feet shifing and moving to accomodate. Holding on for dear life, clutching on with more strength than it should have, it breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Once Kthell reached solid ground, did the spirit disembark from its ride. Brushing itself down in a manner quite human, it followed the cat's gaze, the light fading into darkness. Then to the body of water at its feed. Then back to the cat.

...What could it do? Rather, what should it do?

But a child's curiosity was still a powerful thing, and off it went, guided by its own childish impulses. It trotted until reaching the uttermost edge of the light. It could see nothing, and nothing stared back. What could it do?

It cried out. A soft voice echoing in the darkness.

"Kuuuuu~"

Holding its hands to its mouth instinctively, it cried again. For anything to respond. For a sound other than its own voice. For a moment there was nothing except the echo of Kouri's own voice, and the light of Kthell's magic.

And to the surprise of both, something called back.

A booming rumble, as if the earth had awoke at the cry. The pond shimmered with azure lights, dancing beneath the water's surface in a display of illumination. Then the tree beside them glowed, a brighter blue than the lights in the water. Tendrils seemed to snake up and down the mottled brown trunk as if it were coming alive.

The earth did not shake, but to the two's senses it made little difference. A tremendous mental pressure that drew a long whine from young Kouri as it tried to make sense of what happened. Then came the voice. Worn with an age that seemed like a mountain, rumbling with a vastness like the skies.

"We shall all remember the night..."

"When I lost Seivr to the Great Storm..."

And a memory unlike any struck the two's minds, plunging them into a trance like death itself.

Ere' we go! Hehe.

 

[Kthell]

Kthell followed close behind the spirit, paws soft against the earth, and winced as Kouri cried out into the darkness. What was it calling for, she wondered? Tenrof had asked her to protect the babe, but.. for what? Even Kouri didn’t seem to know by the way it had looked at her.​

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There was rumbling yet again, which the cat first attributed to the dragon. But then the tree and pond began to glow, sparking to life in a brilliant, ethereal display. Still, many a beautiful thing could be dangerous.​

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True to her word, Kthell moved to stand protectively between the tree and Kouri, back arched and ears lowered. Although a good hand taller and longer than before, she was hardly intimidating. It was at least an endearing display.​

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Something entered her mind then. She fought against it, the whispers in her own skull growing in volume as they panicked and pushed against the invading force. “Stay.. out..” she spat with a deep guttural growl. It did nothing.​

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Kthell was soon overwhelmed – she was too weak under the enchantments - and the voice that came from the presence overtook her consciousness. She threw an apologetic look to Kouri, mewling, before her sight and senses shifted to view an unfamiliar memory.​

 

[Kouri]

Kouri found itself buckling under the sheer weight of the memory, the emotions, the sensations overwhelming its small, tender mind. But view these memories it would. The dying spirit within these echoes ensured it so. But what would normally be a full memory was eroded by the passage of time. The Laws were absolute, and would not be denied.

And so echoes of this memory were all it would see, but to Kouri, it was crushing nonetheless.

In the nameless land.

In the world without civilization.

There was a forest. Vast, verdant, vivid.

Its reach was endless, to both the Heavens and the Earth.

The elements kept balance, of fire and ice. Wind and water. Life and death.

But over them all, whose Light reached to the ends of the horizon, was the Spirit Tree, ever-vigilant in its watch. Its children, Spirit Guardians, would make these lands their home, nurturing and caring for the elements.

For time immemorial did this balance endure, the forest without a name flourishing under its mighty shadow.

One sudden day, came the Great Storm. A terrible wrath of the skies, clouds darkening with black rage, unleashing their abrupt fury in flashes of forked light. They roared their anger with thunderous claps, like the judgement of an angry god. While the Spirit Tree endured, as it always would, its sires were not so fortunate.

Born from feathers shed from the Tree's own branches, one such mote was wrenched from its perch, flying into the stormy night...

Then it ended, leaving both with more questions than answers. Only the azure lights that danced in the river's surface remained. Kouri, reeling from the lash of the memory, could only whimper and whine as it struggled to its feet. But it would not fall.

Even as young as it was, the spirit of its original birth parent flowed within its core, giving it the strength to organize itself... somewhat. It teetered off the edge of the pond in a drunken haze, falling into the water with a small splash. Fortunate that it was a pond, rather than a stream, but still it flailed about for a moment before standing up again, more lucid than before.

More fortunate, that this one motion would light their next destination.

The azure lights within the water converged onto the foreign entity, motes of light sinking into the glowing white substance that was Kouri's legs.

And then, the young spirit felt something it would require to survive in the trials ahead.

Strength.

And then it could see. Past the darkness and into the path of wildlife beyond. Away from what reach Kthell's light could offer. It could see in the dark, a trait attributed to a species of animal that, ironically, was what Kthell was. A cat.

Kouri, crawling out of the pond and shaking off the water from itself, pointed to a place it could see - somewhere in the paths ahead, lay a core of light. Dim, but it flowed and fluctuated with waves of luminescent white. Turning to the feline, Kouri tried its best to indicate she follow.

"Kuu! Kuuuu!"

Not that it was articulate. Still a child, after all.

 

[Tenrof]

They were called Serpent Titans.

Enormous serpentine beasts that roamed the world in a bygone age, their sheer size was the talk of legends, often mistaken for dragons and other massive reptiles, and just as well-lived, if not more so. The energies that sustained their bodies was even claimed to be divinity, the Titans descended from gods themselves. None of this could be proven, but Tenrof could attest to that very longevity.

Even kept as a prison for uncountable eons, this beast of ancient times had yet to die. Even expended as it was from the dragon, Drakormir's awakening, it was able to match the Shadow with what remnants of its will it could manifest, a feat only possible due to the intricacies of the magic involved in the snake's transition into the prison it became.

He snapped the neck of one such apparition, a serpent formed from oily green smoke. But very real, despite its appearance. Serpent Titans were also ruled by emotion, as much as their physiology would alternate between shade and light for cold and warm. Rage transformed them into cold, vengeful avatars of destruction, even more terrifying than a dragon of similar size. Love and warmth was the opposite, turning them docile. But when said warmth was taken from these creatures by force, did a monster like Hserik arise.

His breath was poison. The mere presence sapped the life and form of everything near it, into rotten sludge that ate into whatever it touched. His fangs were adamantine, full of vile hate and even deadlier poison, a blight that was incurable and unlike his breath, could poison magic itself, degrading and even corrupting the energies sustaining it.

A fearsome foe that ravaged entire cities, and a name whispered in fear amongst legends and monsters alike.

Even as it was, few could hope to stand against such a monstrosity.

Tenrof was one who could. He had faced far, far worse.

Against these dregs of what was once a titanic monster? The serpent could only cast out the Shadow back into the world, unable to injure or even damage the entity in their short fight in the endless darkness that was Hserik's prison. The titan knew it was pointless, but even on its last legs, it would not refuse a prime opportunity to strike at the shadow, if only to take meaningless gratification. It was already dying; might as well make something out of it.

"A pity, Hserik, that you cannot see past the rage in your heart." Began the Shadow, floating in the empty space. He could break his way out of here quickly enough, but would be expedited if he could... provoke this creature.

"But wholly understandable, give--"

"SILENCE!"

And quite easily accomplished, as he found himself hurtling through the void and back into reality. Specifically the deserts where the battle between Beast and Man had already begun.

Hserik could only hiss and snarl in the darkness that remained. It truly was pointless. Much like swatting and batting at the skies. The shadow was known to be uncompromising, relentless. All the more terrifying when he was set off.

The genocide he committed in a single night attested to that.

No... he desired now to inflict a pain on the Shadow only he himself had felt. To such a logical entity, that meant plans. Plans required pieces. Remove them off the board, and the scheme would fall apart. What fortune, that they were in his reach. Quite literally.

"Now... time to enjoy what scant life I have left."

 

[Kthell]

As the vision pierced through Kthell’s mind, the cat closed her eyes. Not that it mattered. Whether they were open or closed, the memory of this.. creature fully enveloped her consciousness.​

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A world unlike any she’d seen with a great Tree showering the earth in light. Terror in the skies. Considering what was shone to her, Kthell could only assume she was viewing Kouri’s ancestor and its apparent fall. And how the child came to be here, now. The importance of Kouri and its survival pressed heavily on her mind.​

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She’d found herself in a real pickle this time. Come here looking for a release to the stars, ended up babysitting some kind of ethereal creature. All in day’s work. If she wasn’t frozen from the memory, she would’ve keeled over in laughter.​

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As the vision ended abruptly, Kthell shook her head, wincing, and brought a paw up to rub at her cheeks. A splash. Her eyes opened to watch as Kouri fell into the sparkling pond. She waited for a few moments, grooming herself. Just long enough to see if the child could pull itself back up.​

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And it did, now invigorated with the gift from the waters. It peered into the darkness and pointed at a faint light in the distance, crying at her. Yawning instinctually, she nodded. “Yes, yes,” came her reply. “Move along, Kouri. I’m right behind you.”​

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With that, Kthell began to walk on, glancing behind her as if waiting for the child to take the lead. As her eyes returned forward, her thoughts wandered to Tenrof and she felt a fleeting pang of worry.​

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She hoped she was merely babysitting and not adopting the creature.​

 

[Kouri]

That was as good as it would get.

With a little skip in its step, Kouri trotted into the dark, no longer afraid, no longer blind. There was thick foliage before it, but both Kthell and Kouri's sizes would prove to their advantage, navigating the brushes, high grass, flowers, and tree roots. The magic orb's soft glow also highlighted some of their surroundings, providing a background to examine and wonder upon.

Above them, first and foremost, was a curious night sky. Despite being underground, the expanse of black, and the twinkle of stars upon its canvas was undoubtedly a faithful representation of the night sky. Devoid of a moon, yet still the twinkle of the stars seemed so real. But invisible to the two, supporting this 'sky' was an enormous ribcage, so large to the two, it might as well been mountains, if they could see. The body of what was once a mighty and titanic serpent.

Kouri found itself to the source of the glow quite quickly, the light dimming the closer it approached. Up a small hill, supported by rocks piled into a pedestal of sorts, was the source; a glowing orb, the white shimmer turning into a soft, molten gold glimmer as Kouri stood before it, mere inches away.. Pulses of energy flowed from it, even as the inquisitive spirit guardian picked it up, regardless of warnings. It was a pretty thing, and quite immersive in its patterns.

Then Kouri felt it, a slight drain, a leech. A bit of the glow from the young spirit flowed into the orb, and without warning, the object let out a brief flash of light and air, ruffling the trees and flora around them. To Kouri's amazement, it started to float, levitate in the air. Both Kthell and Kouri then heard a voice, that seemed to resound both inside their heads, and yet seem as audible as if they were spoken out aloud.

"My strength returns..."

A soft, melodic voice, alike to Kouri in how adolescent it was.

"I am Xeivn. The Wisp of the Willows."

It hovered over the spirit guardian, then over to Kthell, almost mirroring Kouri in its curiosity, but with a voice to properly articulate, unlike the young spirit who could only speak the one word.

"Kuu?"

"The half-sibling of our mother tree, and a creature of the beyond... are you here to restore what was once whole?"

 

[Kthell]

Then Kouri took off.​

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Kthell increased her pace to follow close enough behind, nearly on the child’s heels. As their surroundings began to shift and open into a large cavern, her eyes trailed upwards to take in the sky.​

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Sky? That was.. wrong.​

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Her eyes narrowed at the beauty above them. It was fake. It had to be. She felt the celestial ache of the skies above as she always did; however, she could only assume the illusion above them was just that – an illusion. The pull of the stars far above them must be what tugged at her insides, not this fake. What good was it to create such a mirror below ground?​

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As Kouri approached the shimmering sphere, Kthell returned her attention to it and swiftly closed the distance. Toddlers tended to get in so much trouble without constant eyes.​

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The small creature touched the strange orb and, after a moment, the cat watched as its intelligence became clear. As if exhaling, there was a bright gust of light and air before it rose above them. The voice came next. Kthell would have been angry, but she’d already had her mind invaded once in the depths. At this point, it was expected to happen.​

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“Xeivn, then,” the cat replied aloud. “I’ve been tasked to assist Kouri.” A pause. “You haven’t attempted to rip us to shreds yet, so I expect.. yes. We are here to restore what was once whole, as you say.”​

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Another pause.​

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“What is that, exactly?”​

 

[Kouri]

"Ah, I forget. That was eons ago. Time in this... prison blurs the memory. How did you come down here? To the Prison of Hserik, Serpent Titan of Hate?"

It flew around them, to glean what it could from their auras. To see what entity could influence enough to bring them down to this place. It was a place to contain threats that no longer mattered to the world anymore, and definitely not a place to be visited.

Then it sensed it. A familial aura.

"I suspected... the Shadow has sent you here. He has long sworn to bring to Mother's grave a means to let her children endure. And he did it..."

Then the land shook beneath the three, prompting Kouri to look behind them, back to the thick foliage of dark wood and grass. There was rustling, movement in those tall grass, but it did not seem friendly. Furthermore, a creaking alerted them to the skies, where the night sky had begun to... move. Shift and bend in ways the skies had no ability to. As if it were coming alive.

"Kuu?"

Xeivn's light flickered in warning. "The Serpent wakes! He knows intruders are in his domain. Come!"

In front of the three, just a bit further from Xeivn's pedestal, once covered by more rock, the stone crumbled away to reveal an altar of some sort. An ambient blue energy wafted from it, eerily similar to Xeivn's own energy. The wisp dove into this strange monument, and the azure glow intensified. It rose like a pillar, forming a swirling portal. The wisp's voice echoed from it.

"Come! We will have to hurry.The Serpent's snakes have a poison that corrodes all sense of self. You will be a slave to its will!"

Kouri only knew that danger was coming. And it wasn't strong enough to tackle anything yet. So it did the smart thing, escaping. With a firm "Kuuuu!" It dove for the portal, vanishing from sight.

"Feline of Beyond! Come! I promise to explain what I can, to escape from this place!"

Kthell sorry bout my own absence. School is starting, and all that. Got tied up

 

[Kthell]

No worries! I got slowed down again as well. It’s just that time of year.

-----------------------------

Before Kthell could even respond, Xeivn had its answer. It correctly guessed the shadow-thing, which prompted a sharp nod from the cat. “You are correct,” she said. “He led us down here and.. disappeared. Expect it’s all thanks to..” A pause. “Hserik.” The name felt odd on her tongue. Unfamiliar.

As if on cue, the ground and sky began to shift and quake unnaturally. The cat let out a soft exhale under her breath and leapt to stand protectively near Kouri. The wisp’s warnings fell on alert ears and Kthell turned slightly to peer into the darkness. She was interested. A dark titan of hatred. Mother Tree. Magics she’d never tasted before.

At Xeivn’s urging, the cat returned her attention to just catch the sight of Kouri leaping into the portal. As if the wisp knew her mind, there came reassurance. Kthell wrinkled her nose and stood, bounding for her escape.

“There is no choice, is there?” she muttered as she slipped through the portal.

 

[Kouri]

The experience was a feeling Kouri did not... like. It was nothing like that Shadow whom had brought it into existence. At least that one it could touch. Even though it felt very slippery, it could touch that, and the Shadow meant protection. A shield against the evils of the world.

This one was just bad. It was practically blind, tossed through space and jerked this way and that, not even able to feel the wind, only the sensation of being pulled towards something, and quite harshly at that. Its cries for aid were silent, though comedic to watch for both the cat and the wisp.

"KUUUUUuuuUUuuUUUUU!"

Kthell however, would only feel as if she were once again one with the infinite, eldritch void. But alas, it was not true unity, only a passage. A conduit between spaces. Although the avatars of Hserik did try to snatch them, these apparitions could not enter the passage, for it held powers just as old as the great serpent, but with a primal, nature energy that was anathema to it, that of hate and rage given shape and form.

And so the two were tossed for what seemed like minutes, even seconds, before being popped out another opening like a frog from a pond. Poor Kouri met his match once again, the cold water completely dousing it. Though it halted the momentum cold, it did not stop the water from being cold. It did its best to keep afloat. It flailed with all limbs, desperately trying to stay above the water.

"KUUUUUU - BRBRBRBRB!"

Xeivn simply hovered over to the young spirit. This time her voice was audible, the nature spirit glowing with every word. She made no effort to hide her amusement.

"Kouri? The water goes up to your knees."

It froze. Then it slowly righted itself, indeed feeling the liquid pool around its knees. Barely a puddle, although it did lead out to a much deeper pond, Kouri had landed just near the edge, in a small space where the water had pooled into a more shallow area. It did its best to look unaffected.

Even that composure shattered when its gazed was soon torn upwards, at a tree that had no business being that size, in a cavern such as this. The size of this subterranean chamber also warranted mention, but that paled in comparison to the world tree before them. As if it were holding up the very earth itself, with every hold, crevice in its viridescent bark gleaming with the same cerulean glow that Kouri was emanating, but with an age that carried a physical presence.

Xeivn bobbed up and down. "This is a Spirit Tree. One of many that dotted this world, before the age of men, before the age of those dragons, Drakormir and Nezha. They nurtured this land when it was young, giving strength to its earth through the power of the Sun, sprouting life of both flora and fauna to populate the lands. But its strength is all but spent."

The wisp bobbed to the black cat, as Kouri dumbly stepped out of the pool, almost mesmerized by the towering monolith of wood and spirit before it. It called to the forest sprite, as if it were a sibling. As lifeless as Xeivn had claimed it was, only Kouri would be able to see it was not dead. But it could not be called otherwise, either.

Such a deep trance could only be called a sleep like death.

"Bound Void, I can only assume the Shadow has sent you here, so I shall be quick and brief." said Xeivn, addressing Kthell directly.

"If you desire to escape from the prison that is around us, and the magic that binds you here, aid Kouri in gathering the essence of this Spirit Tree's energy, gathered naturally over the centuries in different locations. In exchange, you will be transported back to the surface. Niwalis willing, the Shadow has yet to be claimed by the Herald of Magic."

An event that unknown to them all, had unfortunately passed already. But also unbeknownst to them, a solution was also within reach. If they had the patience and temperament to find it, of course.

 

[Kthell]

As Kouri thrashed during their travel, the cat bobbed along serenely. It felt nearly.. what was the word she’d heard her masters use.. nostalgic. Like climbing into a warm blanket next to a lazy fireplace on a chilly day.​

Her body relaxed and began to lengthen in the passageway, and she could feel her bonds pressing urgently into her fur to keep her still. In that brief moment, she almost felt her form fall away into glittering tendrils of shadow and lidless, astral eyes.​

And then they were thrown towards a pond, the cat landing in the deeper end. She promptly yowled, swallowed water, and leapt from the water with her fur standing on end. Annoyed, she began to groom her paws and face, tail lashing, though she spared a glance to Kouri to ensure the creature was safe.​

Mid paw lick, Kthell’s gaze drew upwards towards the cavern and the world tree. She paused at its brilliance and, as if on cue, the wisp made its way towards her. The feline brought her paw down, stretched, and gave a quick, almost dog-like shake.​

As Xeivn addressed her, she canted her head. “I came here expecting one thing and will be doing another,” she replied. “But that’s the way of things, mn? At least I'm not facing a dragon.. but we've traded one enemy for another.” The name Hserik flared in her mind.​

Kthell’s eyes shifted to Kouri. “Do I have a living compass?"​

 

[Kouri]

Xeivn spun around them in a circle, using what magic it could to perform a small act of alteration a stone's throw away, the flat, brown earth carving patterns of blue until it resembled a map.

"The Spirit Tree's lingering energies have manifested as individual elements of power, molded by the Serpent's prison into concentrated ingots. I will lead you to them."

Kouri had fully dried itself by then, still a mite spiteful of its landing, but the sheer majesty of the dormant tree still held its attention. Even in that deathly trance, the young forest spirit could still feel a connection with this gigantic entity. A link almost subconscious, a sense of familiarity that was most alien to this young spirit. But why?

Xeivn had noticed this mental turmoil, being a former part of the Spirit Tree itself before it had fallen. But the elements took priority, and highlighted three areas.



Xeivn hovered at the near center of the map, a piece of land with a lake before it, coincidentally where the nearest dot was located.

"This, where you have landed, is Lake Valjin. A lake formed when the Tree's essence gathered here. At the far edges of this lake lies the Flowing Heart. You cannot see it from this distance, but it hovers above the lake itself, generating water at a very slow pace. Young Kouri seems to have found it rather quickly."

Indeed, Kouri had pinpointed it almost immediately, not by sight, but by senses foreign to its own. Almost like it was finding a missing piece of itself, despite being whole in body and spirit. It was a haunting, luring melody, heard to no ears but his own.

"Kuu...?"

Xeivn then hovered closer to Kthell, examining the collar that bound this piece of Void to the material realm. "...Such powerful bindings." it mused, hovering to and fro as it observed the magics within the material. Perhaps with the elements gathered it could... weaken these bonds however it could. it could only be undone by an entity such as the Shadow.... or the Titan Serpent.

Even weakened, the potency of the dying titan's venom could corrode magic itself. But Hserik had made his hate for said Shadow clear, and any allies or those who had contact the snake would consider an enemy. So it decided to sweeten the deal for the feline, to ensure its cooperation. It was admittedly far-fetched as an option, but with even one of the elements fueling the wisp, it could be pulled into possibility.

"Bring the elements, and perhaps your bonds can be undone, in part, Bound Void. The bulk of your seals may remain, but loosening them can yet be possible."

 

[Kthell]

As Xeivn danced around them, Kthell took her attention from Kouri to watch the flowering map. She pranced towards it and padded along each line carefully, taking care to remember it closely. Although the spirit confirmed it would lead them.. Tenrof had said he would act as a guide. And the shade was no longer with them. Tonight’s circumstances were leaving the cat without much trust.​

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Golden eyes shifted to Kouri as it Kuu’d softly to itself. Such an interesting creature Kouri was. It was exciting to think that, after all this was over, Kthell may have an ally far greater than she’d expected. Take herself. Wonderful things come in small packages.​

​

At that, the cat chuckled quietly before blinking at the hovering Xeivn. Far in her thoughts, Kthell had not noticed its approach. “Yes,” she replied, bringing a back leg up to scratch at the collar. “To think some elves could’ve done something like this.” There was thinly veiled spite in her voice. “Something powerful must’ve taught them this sort of magic long, long ago. Perhaps when the Tree still ruled, if elves lived then.”​

​

At its deal-sweetener, Kthell grinned at Xeivn. “So many promises have been made tonight. First by the Shadow and now by you. We will see if any ring true,” she said as she stood. “Perhaps I am a lesser evil to whatever Hserik is, mn?” A pause. “Let us be off then.”​

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The cat sauntered over to Kouri and rubbed against its side, tail flicking.​

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​

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[Kouri]

Xeivn hovered to the area directly opposite the lake. "Come. the Earthen Veinroot is this way." Said direction was covered by thick, high grass and other flora. But Kouri could see past them, the path almost subconsciously clear to the young wood spirit. Instincts older than it beckoned one arm forward, hand spread wide and pointed directly at the grass.

The foliage seemingly parted of their own will, revealing a path of stone and earth which led across more bodies of water.

But here Xeivn had yet another part to play. All the while Kouri's connection to its heritage grew slightly deeper, it had managed to pierce a part of the enchantments which bound the eldritch cat. Partly to garner more of its trust, for the spirit needed to secure this feline's full cooperation, but also to prove to the cat it had the capability. It simply lacked the appropriate.... keys.

But doing so would tax it heavily. And yet it would still try. The Shadow always acted with logic and reason. If it believed the Serpent could be laid to rest with the aid of these two individuals, then so be it. "Feline of the Void. To prove my authenticity, I may be able to work around your bindings, immediately. I cannot go against it as of yet, but by taking it at a certain angle..."

It started to glow, tapping into what lingered of the Great Spirit Tree's primal auger, letting magic as old as the world seep into the cat's bindings like setting balm on a wound. While it was still incapable of loosening the feline's enchantments, its attempts involved forming a connection into the bindings itself. A right angle approach, as opposed to direct contrast.

 

[Kthell]

Kthell gave a sharp nod as Xeivn led she and Kouri onward. The child seemed to part the foliage with a mere pointed hand, which prompted a cant of the cat’s head. Her attention was then drawn back to Xeivn as the spirit called for her.​

​

"Feline of the Void. To prove my authenticity, I may be able to work around your bindings, immediately. I cannot go against it as of yet, but by taking it at a certain angle..."​

​

Kthell, curious, approached the now glowing spirit, ears and tail both high. Then she felt.. something. At first, uncomfortable warmth. The runes of her collar brightened and she felt the leather tighten around her throat. She shrunk back, ears flattening, and let free an instinctual hiss.​

​

As soon as the hiss left her, the warmth subsided into a.. nostalgic chill. She shivered – her tail poofed briefly – and her eyes closed as she took in the sensation. Kthell had only felt something akin to this a handful of times since she was forcibly brought to this world, and most of those experiences were with her original captors experimenting with other voidlings.​

​

The light around her throat dimmed as her collar’s runes disappeared. The cat’s eyes opened and she settled her gaze on Xeivn. “I.. do feel different. What have you done?”​

 

[Kouri]

"I... was not too sure of what I attempted would succeed. Magic has definitely changed in the world above."

The wisp, now dimmer than a firefly, slowly hovered over to a watchful Kouri, as the spirit's senses began to sharpen.

"You can now tap into your origin, the very plane you have been separated from as a source of energy. I must admit, aside from the Shadow himself, you are the second entity of the Beyond I have ever interacted with in any way. But this is one-sided."

The wisp urged Kouri to stop for a moment, as it addressed the feline and what changes it had invoked on her.

"Imagine a river being blocked by a rock. What I have done enables you to move the rock to let the currents seep through. But you cannot use this current to return to your origin. Your bindings keep you restrained still."

Then, it seeped directly into Kouri's own body, the spirit still homing in onto the other elements. Xeivn had spent much of its power and that of the tree's lingering own to forge the connection. For now, it would reside in Kouri's own body, using the spirit's own energies to replenish itself, and also be ready when the two would find the elements.

Kouri was so fixed on its objective it did not register the infusion, even as its steps took a lighter footing, its movements more energetic and fluid. It hopped onto the path, gesturing at Kthell to follow.

"Kuuu?'

Now at this point, you can dictate a little how the adventure can proceed! Add encounters, sights, interactions with NPCs of your own making! We can RP round one another, if so you wish