Maeve gritted her teeth, enduring the painful wait as centuries of desire boiled inside her. The upcoming duel was her shot at settling the score with her mom, Nix. The weight of endless torment—abuse, neglect, and pure suffering—exploded in the thunderous strikes Maeve threw at Nix. Each hit echoed through the Northern border of Sidra, a raw reflection of her seething resentment.
Nix, chilling at the core of the decaying Vampire Tree roots, underwent a shift. Subtle but big, her form changed, arms evening out, and her stature growing. With three arms on each side, she stood just below twelve meters, rocking a fiery gown like a flame cape, even in the sparse winds of the battleground. Her once-pale skin turned ominous black, and her eyes glowed gold, matching the strip down her nose.
"Mae Mae, breaking my Veil was commendable. But this show? It’s pretty damn impressive darling," Nix said, twirling her black hair and eyeing Maeve. Standing about twenty meters away, Maeve's cloak danced like a shadow, hiding her daggers and forcing Nix on the defensive. She'd reversed her cloak, wearing it inside out from the start, letting the Void seep out around her.
"I hate killing my children," Nix declared. "But I guess that's just how it is now-a-days." She vanished, popping up behind Maeve. The top arm on her left side lifted, conjuring a long black sword with a curved blade, two meters of metallic fierceness, the hilt wrapped in white leather. Nix grabbed it, slashing through Maeve with a wicked grin and excitement lighting up her eyes.
"MAE MAE, YOU BEAUTIFUL CHILD!" Nix raised the top arm on her right side, summoning another sword, identical to the first. She swung them in a quick dance, cutting through Maeve multiple times before stopping. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Nix bellowed.
Maeve shot a piercing look back at her mom, silver eyes locking onto hers, making Nix stumble. The wicked smile grew, and Maeve darted backward, creating a bit of space. "Swords won't cut it now, will they?" Nix's swords vanished on cue, replaced by rings materializing on each of her fingers across all six arms, about twelve rings in total, scattered randomly. "Magic it is, then."
Nix let loose a storm of spells, a kaleidoscope of colors streaking through the air. Lightning cracked in every direction, fire erupted from her fingertips, and black tendrils lashed out like whips. Every magic element got thrown out thrice over, spells zooming toward Maeve. With quick precision, Maeve danced around, scattering into misshapen, odd lengths of smoke. Her form expanded and opened with holes, creating a bizarre scene—a black fog blanket spreading over the grassy area leading down to Taurean Village.
Maeve stretched herself thin, dodging her mother's relentless spell barrage. She extended further and further over the village, and when Nix finally ceased, Maeve appeared so stretched and hole-ridden that it seemed like Nix hit every spell. In reality, Maeve dodged every single one.
Without a nose, you could still sense Nix scrunching it in disgust. She was repulsed by what just went down. Even she couldn't stretch herself that thin into a shadow, not even in the perpetual twilight. To witness her daughter pull off such a feat while dodging her own attacks made her sick. Nix slowly stepped forward, heading toward the village as Maeve shifted back into a more solid form.
Maeve descended behind one of the few buildings still standing amidst the rubble Nix's spells created. Seeing Taurean Village in ruins tore Maeve apart, inside and out. Seventy-six years spent here, learning to be a better hunter, training alongside fierce adventurers. Decades of friendships turned family, and now those memories were reduced to smoke, sludge, and rubble. It was almost too much for her.
Emotions weren't Maeve's forte. She rarely showed them, not even with Zero. Affection wasn't her thing. It wasn't repulsion or regret toward Zero; it was her upbringing. Her mother was strict, almost tormenting, but Maeve couldn't see it that way. Emotions weren't weakness, but showing them could make you seem weak, and weakness was something Maeve refused to display. Overcoming obstacles was fine, but hardship, that's what shattered her. The more she bottled it up, the more it unraveled. Add family like Zero into the mix, who could cry over a cow he never met, on an island he hadn't visited in a decade, and Maeve's emotional cocktail became explosive. Moments like this were when Maeve came undone.
Nix continued her descent toward the village, adjusting the rings on her fingers. Maeve appeared above her, silhouette glowing in the dimming moonlight. The spell holding the moon in place activated, shrouding both suns in the Void, darkening the twilight by the hour. Soon, total darkness would engulf Arrithia unless Maeve stopped her mother. Nix smiled at her daughter, fire dress expanding, flames reaching out like fiery hands, igniting the grass below.
The moon cast an eerie glow as Nix inhaled deeply. Her ribs unfolded, exposing her skeletal form as black smoke filled her chest cavity. The grass around her turned from green to yellow to ash as she sucked the oxygen from it. She held her breath, waiting for Maeve's move, but Maeve just hovered in front of the moon, swaying in the high altitude. Nix, growing uncomfortable, expanded her gown, absorbing more oxygen from the withering trees and grass. Her ribs snapped off, skeletal form breaking apart, and a ball of black smoke enveloped her. A loud gulp filled the air, and the smoke disappeared. Nix returned to normal, her gown concealing the area where her ribs used to be. She looked up at Maeve. "Sorry, darling, you know how much I hate waiting." Nix exhaled roughly, smoke billowing from her nose. "But I'm not sorry about your little village."
When Nix exhaled a second time, black and purple flames erupted from her mouth, engulfing Taurean Village and reaching all the way to Amapá. In seconds, the entire North and Northeastern section of Sidra turned into a blazing realm of black and purple flames. The intense heat melted stone, bricks, glass, burned away wood, consumed trees, wildlife, vampires, hidden survivors, and even the clouds. The once-bustling area now burned bright white, visible even from the heavens.
Nix inhaled deeply, blowing the ash, smoke, and dust into the air. Opening her gown, she sucked it all inside, clearing the area to take in the devastation. With a smile, she looked around, savoring the stench of death and decay that filled the air. "Ahh, thanks for the idea, Xayddryrth, that felt amazing."
Maeve remained unfazed, having sheltered herself in the Void of her cloak. However, the cloak was now gone, burnt to nothingness like the rest of the area. Taurean Village, reduced to even less than before, pushed her to a breaking point.
Cracking her neck, Maeve's long curled horns darkened to a deep black, making her pale red skin seem to glow. Her leather armor showed significant wear, with kneepads that looked untouched, and like Zero, she didn't wear shoes. Gripping her daggers, they began to glow, transforming into two halves of a silver rapier. Clapping them together, the silver blade turned black as they fused. The oval hilt concealed her hand, creating a plain-looking rapier, but the intense aura emanating from it hinted that Maeve wasn't holding the rapier; it was holding her.
"You fucking bitch," Maeve declared with a firmness that matched the intensity in her eyes, her mouth salivating like a feral animal. "I’m gonna devour you whole."
Maeve gritted her teeth, enduring the painful wait as centuries of desire boiled inside her. The upcoming duel was her shot at settling the score with her mom, Nix. The weight of endless torment—abuse, neglect, and pure suffering—exploded in the thunderous strikes Maeve threw at Nix. Each hit echoed through the Northern border of Sidra, a raw reflection of her seething resentment.
Nix, chilling at the core of the decaying Vampire Tree roots, underwent a shift. Subtle but big, her form changed, arms evening out, and her stature growing. With three arms on each side, she stood just below twelve meters, rocking a fiery gown like a flame cape, even in the sparse winds of the battleground. Her once-pale skin turned ominous black, and her eyes glowed gold, matching the strip down her nose.
"Mae Mae, breaking my Veil was commendable. But this show? It’s pretty damn impressive darling," Nix said, twirling her black hair and eyeing Maeve. Standing about twenty meters away, Maeve's cloak danced like a shadow, hiding her daggers and forcing Nix on the defensive. She'd reversed her cloak, wearing it inside out from the start, letting the Void seep out around her.
"I hate killing my children," Nix declared. "But I guess that's just how it is now-a-days." She vanished, popping up behind Maeve. The top arm on her left side lifted, conjuring a long black sword with a curved blade, two meters of metallic fierceness, the hilt wrapped in white leather. Nix grabbed it, slashing through Maeve with a wicked grin and excitement lighting up her eyes.
"MAE MAE, YOU BEAUTIFUL CHILD!" Nix raised the top arm on her right side, summoning another sword, identical to the first. She swung them in a quick dance, cutting through Maeve multiple times before stopping. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Nix bellowed.
Maeve shot a piercing look back at her mom, silver eyes locking onto hers, making Nix stumble. The wicked smile grew, and Maeve darted backward, creating a bit of space. "Swords won't cut it now, will they?" Nix's swords vanished on cue, replaced by rings materializing on each of her fingers across all six arms, about twelve rings in total, scattered randomly. "Magic it is, then."
Nix let loose a storm of spells, a kaleidoscope of colors streaking through the air. Lightning cracked in every direction, fire erupted from her fingertips, and black tendrils lashed out like whips. Every magic element got thrown out thrice over, spells zooming toward Maeve. With quick precision, Maeve danced around, scattering into misshapen, odd lengths of smoke. Her form expanded and opened with holes, creating a bizarre scene—a black fog blanket spreading over the grassy area leading down to Taurean Village.
Maeve stretched herself thin, dodging her mother's relentless spell barrage. She extended further and further over the village, and when Nix finally ceased, Maeve appeared so stretched and hole-ridden that it seemed like Nix hit every spell. In reality, Maeve dodged every single one.
Without a nose, you could still sense Nix scrunching it in disgust. She was repulsed by what just went down. Even she couldn't stretch herself that thin into a shadow, not even in the perpetual twilight. To witness her daughter pull off such a feat while dodging her own attacks made her sick. Nix slowly stepped forward, heading toward the village as Maeve shifted back into a more solid form.
Maeve descended behind one of the few buildings still standing amidst the rubble Nix's spells created. Seeing Taurean Village in ruins tore Maeve apart, inside and out. Seventy-six years spent here, learning to be a better hunter, training alongside fierce adventurers. Decades of friendships turned family, and now those memories were reduced to smoke, sludge, and rubble. It was almost too much for her.
Emotions weren't Maeve's forte. She rarely showed them, not even with Zero. Affection wasn't her thing. It wasn't repulsion or regret toward Zero; it was her upbringing. Her mother was strict, almost tormenting, but Maeve couldn't see it that way. Emotions weren't weakness, but showing them could make you seem weak, and weakness was something Maeve refused to display. Overcoming obstacles was fine, but hardship, that's what shattered her. The more she bottled it up, the more it unraveled. Add family like Zero into the mix, who could cry over a cow he never met, on an island he hadn't visited in a decade, and Maeve's emotional cocktail became explosive. Moments like this were when Maeve came undone.
Nix continued her descent toward the village, adjusting the rings on her fingers. Maeve appeared above her, silhouette glowing in the dimming moonlight. The spell holding the moon in place activated, shrouding both suns in the Void, darkening the twilight by the hour. Soon, total darkness would engulf Arrithia unless Maeve stopped her mother. Nix smiled at her daughter, fire dress expanding, flames reaching out like fiery hands, igniting the grass below.
The moon cast an eerie glow as Nix inhaled deeply. Her ribs unfolded, exposing her skeletal form as black smoke filled her chest cavity. The grass around her turned from green to yellow to ash as she sucked the oxygen from it. She held her breath, waiting for Maeve's move, but Maeve just hovered in front of the moon, swaying in the high altitude. Nix, growing uncomfortable, expanded her gown, absorbing more oxygen from the withering trees and grass. Her ribs snapped off, skeletal form breaking apart, and a ball of black smoke enveloped her. A loud gulp filled the air, and the smoke disappeared. Nix returned to normal, her gown concealing the area where her ribs used to be. She looked up at Maeve. "Sorry, darling, you know how much I hate waiting." Nix exhaled roughly, smoke billowing from her nose. "But I'm not sorry about your little village."
When Nix exhaled a second time, black and purple flames erupted from her mouth, engulfing Taurean Village and reaching all the way to Amapá. In seconds, the entire North and Northeastern section of Sidra turned into a blazing realm of black and purple flames. The intense heat melted stone, bricks, glass, burned away wood, consumed trees, wildlife, vampires, hidden survivors, and even the clouds. The once-bustling area now burned bright white, visible even from the heavens.
Nix inhaled deeply, blowing the ash, smoke, and dust into the air. Opening her gown, she sucked it all inside, clearing the area to take in the devastation. With a smile, she looked around, savoring the stench of death and decay that filled the air. "Ahh, thanks for the idea, Xayddryrth, that felt amazing."
Maeve remained unfazed, having sheltered herself in the Void of her cloak. However, the cloak was now gone, burnt to nothingness like the rest of the area. Taurean Village, reduced to even less than before, pushed her to a breaking point.
Cracking her neck, Maeve's long curled horns darkened to a deep black, making her pale red skin seem to glow. Her leather armor showed significant wear, with kneepads that looked untouched, and like Zero, she didn't wear shoes. Gripping her daggers, they began to glow, transforming into two halves of a silver rapier. Clapping them together, the silver blade turned black as they fused. The oval hilt concealed her hand, creating a plain-looking rapier, but the intense aura emanating from it hinted that Maeve wasn't holding the rapier; it was holding her.
"You fucking bitch," Maeve declared with a firmness that matched the intensity in her eyes, her mouth salivating like a feral animal. "I’m gonna devour you whole."
