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Three agonizing weeks have passed since Ivy injured her eye it stung like hell, but it finally healed.
Ivy grumbles as she walks into a wall. "I hate this!" She declares. "I have only half of my vision remaining, and I'm constantly running into walls." Ullr who's laying on top of Ivy mumbles in agreement. "Mommy has a hard time walking it makes me sad." Ivy purrs at his gentle words and Angela raises her head. "That is kind my dear." Ullr just nods triumphantly.
Leaves rustle at the den's entrance, Ivy turns her head just in time to watch with her remaining eye as Luna drags a rabbit inside. "That's on the bigger side." Ivy comments her voice dry. Luna nods. "There are two more outside the den." She mutters pointing at the entrance. Angela nods and goes outside followed by Luna and a few moments later they drag the other rabbits inside. Ivy's mouth starts to water as she stares down at the prey. "Well no time in waiting. Let's eat." Ullr mews from the side practically bouncing around. The others nod in agreement.
Ivy's claws itch in self-conscious embarrassment as she once again walks into a tree who seems to mock her while also receiving curses from the annoyed fox. She walks back in a straight line to her den's entrance before spinning around to look at Ullr. I can do this. The thought races through her mind repeating endlessly. Slowly she stalks forward barely dodging a tree in her way as Ullr moves to the side a bit. Ivy's heart stutters as she almost trips over a branch, barely steadying herself. Her eye glances around looking for Ullr, stopping the moment it spots him. She surges onwards barely avoiding two other trees, but luck always runs out at some point as she face-plants into bark. "Great, just great," Ivy hisses. She returns to the den's entrance her body making sure she collides with another tree on her way. She spins around furious at herself while looking for Ullr. She spots him tries to get to him inevitably walks into something returns. Rinse and repeat all day long.
Ivy collapses into her mossy nest her body screaming in pain. Her mind is otherwise content, she made it to Ullr two times of course making sure that she walked into something else on her way back to the den's entrance. She flexed her claws and unflexed them a moment later. Ullr crawled in beside her pressing his body flat against Ivy. "Soft," he mumbled. Ivy smiled at him remembering the days of sorrow and fury when Ullr wasn't with her.
Ivy checked on the salamander's core three days later. It's purified. Nodding to herself she gently grabbed it before biting down. Mana seeped into her extending her limits but not by much. Content she crawled out of the den with ease, having finally grown accustomed to her one eyed vision. Her other eye could once again be opened, but Ullr was so frightened she decided to keep it closed. Her instincts to hunt were ablaze tugging at her manifesting as another form of her, one which she walked straight through. Ivy inhaled deeply nitpicking different scents as they washed over her like a tidal wave. One scent made her mouth water: mouse. Flexing her claws she tracked the scent through shrubbery until she spotted it. Brown and fluffy nibbling away at a fruit unaware of the danger lurking behind it. Ivy bunched her muscles and dived onto the little ball of fur her jaws snapping shut around the mouse. Bones crunched and flesh ripped as her throat worked the creature down.
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Abaddon slammed his fist on the table anger radiating of him in waves each stronger than the last. "What do you mean my daughter was found dead?" His voice booming glass rattling. "Also sir," the messenger continued. "The monster she was transporting has escaped." Abaddon clenched his jaw grabbing the messenger by the neck and lifting him in the air. With his free hand he drew his sword and stabbed the man in the gut before sliding his blade all the way down. Blood splattered on the clean floor staining it a deep crimson red. His hand let go dropping the corpse with a sickening thud. "Clean this mess up." He growled at the maids before storming off.
Abaddon went down wet sticky stairs to the castle dungeon. He walked past rows of animals some pregnant others half dead. Briefly stopping at one of the cells he peered inside at the three male frost foxes and one female barely hanging on three sets of litters all fighting for the little milk she had. These things are pathetic. He shrugged and continued towards a heavy iron door and opened it, its hinges protesting.
Slowly a tiny scarred black head turned, its bright red feline eyes narrowing into two discs of red burning with unadulterated hate. The long black tail behind it twisting in serpentine motions. Heavy chains holding its paws and wings in place, while a muzzle constricted it jaw from opening. A low growl escaped its lips. "Oh, someone is feeling defiant today." The king smiled, his voice eerily as sweet as honey. His feet brought him up to the creature. He smiled a toothy grin at it, and without warning he slammed his hand across the creature's head making it slam into the ground. Pained whimpers exploded through the room. "Don't make me repeat myself," Abaddon smiled. "I have your life in my hand I choose if you die or not." He took a breath. "I don't care if you're a dragon. You will bow down to me like everyone else." The dragon scrambled upright and hurled itself at the king, but the chains snag it back. Abaddon laughs. "Stop being so stubborn and submit." He hissed finally losing his cool as he kicks the dragon in his right wing bones snapping. The dragon screeches in pain desperately trying to crawl away. Abaddon surges forward plucking the dragon from the ground quickly slamming it into a wall. "I know where your mother lives. Do you really want me to retrieve her head to show you my patience is wearing thin?" The baby dragon's eyes widened a low terrified growl raising from his neck. "Submit then!" The king screams dropping the dragon and kicking it in the stomach. "If you don't bow down now I will remove your damn horns and bring your mother's severed head." Silent whimpers of defeat escaped from the dragon as it struggled to be upright. The dragon stared at the king war waging in its eyes only for it to bow down. "That's more like it." He commented. Walking over he lifted the dragon's head seeing the fear in its eyes filled him with glee. "You're weak, a liability to your mother if she had raised you. So be grateful," he let go. "As you will be my greatest tool."
Abaddon walked outside the door sending a cleric inside to heal the dragon now named no:1. Slowly he made his way to his personal gallery of treasures he acquired himself. Glass caskets lined the walls containing everything from his father's severed head to still living rare slave species hung up. There whimpering calmed down his aching nerves as he gazed at his greatest treasure. A massive stuffed black dragon stood tall in the center of the room. Its jaw opened in a cry. Red eyes opened in terror, grief and unbridled rage, and in between its legs: shards of a black egg.
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Tsalice peered down into a lake, Ivy's mother standing beside her also gazing down into the shimmering water. The liquid was churning showing Ivy in her den curled around Ullr, Angela joining them and Luna snuggled up next to Ullr for the first time. Tsalice looked back at her tales, the one she had used to create Ivy's new body had grown back a little after Ivy lost her eye. She turned her head to look down at the female fox beside her. "Hailey, I'm curious," Tsalice's voice rang out filled with intrigue. "Why the name Ivy?" Ivy's mother looked up at the goddess. "She was born in a nest made from ivy strands and it was winter at the time," Hailey paused. "I had heard some creatures linked ivy to winter. Tsalice shouldn't you know this since you're our god?" Tsalice chuckled amused. "I know everything about the species of my followers, but I can't look into the reason you do things the way you do them. Even I don't know everything." Hailey nodded at her answer, turning her gaze back to the lake. "I hope my daughter doesn't get lost in the sea of revenge. It's a dark place." She said quietly. I understand her worry. It's indeed a very dark place. Tsalice thought with a shiver going down her spine.
A bit later when Tsalice was alone, an ominous black pair of wings rose from the ground before opening. A black dragon even bigger than Tsalice appeared before her, heavy chains hanging from each leg. Its blueish-red colored feline eyes narrowing on her, a long sharp bone protrusion ended its tail. "Hello Tsalice." His voice rumbled low and gravely. "Hello Doroadum, back to complain about the human king?" Doroadum laughter boomed across the area. "You know me so well." He glanced down at Hailey and briefly nodded at her. "That brat is torturing one of my children into submission by threatening his already murdered mother." A sigh escapes his lips. "He has so many creatures bending to his will already and it's still increasing." Tsalice nodded adding something herself. "Another newborn has joined me today because of him. He breeds them like insects and entirely disregards their health." Tsalice's tails lashes out in irritation leaving deep threatening scores in the white snow. "Well I have somebody out there that's hell-bent on ending his life." The dragon nods. "I know."
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Ivy's mind raced, there was another salamander before her and she wanted to kill it. Her ears twitched and she felt the rather large amount of mana leave her body. The earth under the creature churned before two massive blocks of earth rose from it. The salamander whips its dumbfounded head around not realizing the danger it was in. Numerous spikes exploded towards the direction of the monster. It looks so much like a jaw. Ivy remarked before waving her tail as the jaw like structure slammed shut. The salamander gargled in pain as the sound of bones snapping filled the air, its head collapsed shortly after blood oozing out of its jaw.
Ivy narrowed her eyes staying in place for a couple of heartbeats only approaching after she was sure that it was dead. Blood dripped down her jaw as she ripped the core from the body. Her ears twitched as the bushes behind her rustled. Turning to look she spotted the scabbard of a sword. Ivy inhaled sorting the scents. This new scent… I recognize it. Her eyes widened and her fur rose. No, this scent… I need to return now.
Ivy rushed home with her heart pounding against her chest, in her ear. If we don't go now, we all die. Every noise made her jump every movement was a death flag, but her legs started protesting while also being restless. She
Starts becoming nauseous her stomach churning as her mind was set into overdrive. Bursting into the den she yelled at the top of her lungs. "We are leaving. A knight I once encountered is here, and if we don't go we all die." Ullr and Angela instantly were outside Luna stumbling to follow them. Ivy was pacing as they emerged, the wind was screaming above them. "Come on," Ivy flicked her tail urging them to follow.
Branches snapped under the group as they raced even deeper into the forest to more danger, but away from the greater one. Two salamanders blocked them on the way making Ivy panic. Shit. Medium spells are the best against them and I already used one today. Ivy twitched her ear her last medium spell being cast. Once again the earth jaw snapped down ending one of them. The other growled witnessing the death of its companion. Earth churned before Ivy, and quickly changed into a spike which she barely dodged. Ullr meanwhile wove his tail in circles and an enormous magic circle formed behind it causing Ivy's stomach to dip. "High level magic." Luna muttered in disbelief. A small ball of ice emerged from the formation hovering in place for a moment, only to quickly fly at the salamander. When it collided it instantly chattered into numerous charts each of them floated to a place around it. Ivy blinked her eyes and when she opened them the creature wasn't a salamander anymore but a pincushion. Ullr rose his head in pride. "Ullr you're… amazing." Luna muttered under her breath. "I know." He responded. "Alright, let's continue forward." Ivy called out. The group nodded their agreement and continued forward dodging monsters and jumping over fallen trees. A good while later when Ivy was sure that they were far enough did she finally stop running. She heaved and coughed until she was breathing steadily.
Ivy looked around, the forest was dark and eerily silent. It felt like she was being watched from every corner from every tree, causing a shiver of absolute dread to crawl up her spine. I think we ran too far. Was the only thought forming in her mind. I think I messed up.
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Character info:
no:1: A black dragon trapped by Abaddon. Abused and manipulated into doing its bidding.
Doroadum: A dragon god, mostly associated with the black dragons.
Hailey: Ivy's mom. I forgot her name :-(
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