Ashton let a smile escape before he opened his eyes. The only thing other than himself was a large muscular figure facing away from him. The rest of the space was white as far as the eye could see. Ashton rolled to his side pushing himself up, without a word he leaned his back against the much larger one and rested his head on the larger shoulder. "Still upset with me Ru?"
Garuda's jaw ticked, "You're such a bleeding-heart Nix. I thought even you would learn after a couple thousand years." Garuda snapped as he continued to look straight ahead into the endless white. Even if this wasn't their real physical forms, some things just needed to be said.
Ashton sighed as he glanced up, his breaths moving some of the literally glowing blonde hair, "I've missed you too. Knowing you're watching over me isn't the same as seeing you." Ru was warm enough that Ashton felt like he might not want to wake up. The fox was warm, but what fire could compete with the sun?
Ru glared out of the side of his eye, "You don't like conflict, and you pity them fine. But letting that bitch have her way makes you such a fucking push over Nix. Now that you finally know what she's planning you better take care of it."
Nix shifted his form so they were about the same size, but he was silver to gold, the moon to the sun. "She crossed the line, my beloved has cried, to bend or break her will be my pride."
Ru let a predatory grin escape, as annoying as it was to hear this sing song voice that spoke in rhyme, it was good to have his brother back. "Light them up, then burry them where even the sun doesn't shine."
"The faith you find, make no mistake, more than pride, their souls I'll break. In me believe, in me have faith, this lesson learned, into their bones I'll burn." Nix swore with a light smile of his own as their bodies burned away to whisps. Gold and silver flames into embers then finally nothing remained except the endless white.
Caius was sweating from the heat, that damn eagle was clearly taunting him! Sitting on his Little Snack's egg that had become a solid red with silver swirls. The little eggs were all red but still transparent enough to see the dark figures. Caius was about to smack Rahm, trying and failing to hide from the heat, yet persistently clinging to the edge just behind the eagle.
Ru glanced down at the damaged egg, no matter how many times he saw the cracked or deformed shells… it made him angry. Of course, he had a very purposeful direction for his anger. Ru glanced around at the humans, the beasts, the plant. There would be a reckoning, they thought he was stubborn and unyielding? They would learn, Ru planned to relish every moment.
Ru glanced at the fox from yesterday… its fur was starting to singe around the nose and paws. Ru turned his gaze back to Nix, really even suffering like this the stubborn bird refused to just discard the damaged flesh. Fine, as long as Nix claimed his pound of flesh from those who had damaged this the shell.
Rahm whimpered as his whiskers caught fire, then his paw before Father Caius swatted him off the nest with a tail. It was so hot… but he wanted that eagle. If everyone was getting a bird, he wanted one too! No pain no gain! Rahm forced himself up, wincing as he stood on his front right paw. To think there would be a day where fire wasn't his friend…
Ru leaned down, this form wouldn't last much longer… perhaps just long enough for a short flight. Ru watched as the cracks spread like shattered glass along the surface. He leapt up onto the edge of the nest to wait, the little eggs were starting to shake, roll and bump into each other. Ru ruffled his feathers deliberately, then started plucking out the smallest ones with his beak so they floated onto the eggs.
It would be a shame if they were all soft-hearted doormats like Nix, refusing to budge until someone else paid for their leniency. As the feathers fell, they passed through the shells into the curled up figures. Ru was tempted to try dropping some feathers on Nix… but that had never worked before. As annoying as the situation was… Ru wasn't yet ready to claim insanity. Something tugged on his tail feathers so Ru slowly craned his neck around to stare down at the fox biting onto his longest tail feather.
Rahm flattened his ears as he squinted up at the shining bird, dangling from the side of the nest helplessly as his fur reignited. He whimpered pleadingly but refused to let go. Rahm had caught the bird fair and square.
Ru raised a brow before shaking his tail free of the unsolicited burden. Nix might play with the foxes, but he had no such intentions. Ru returned to watching the eggs as the largest of the foxes continued to endure, at least it had some perseverance.
Rahm was quickly dowsed with water even as he was struggling to stand back up. For the first time he wrapped himself in ice and wind as he darted back to the nest to catch the pretty birdie. Beast gods above, he would catch that bird!
Ru was not amused as his tail feathers were tugged once again. Glowering down at the audacious fox Ru contemplated all the ways he could eat a fox, alive yet slightly crispy was always an option. Then again, Nix might have something to say about eating the offspring of a potential mate… temporary as it would be.
Rahm's eyes were so dry he couldn't even open them as he continued to hang on, so hot, he could feel his tongue not only drying out, but splitting. His lips already had dried blood flaking away, his snout wasn't even catching flame this time, the fur and skin was just flaking away like drifting ashes.
Ru narrowed his eyes as all the foxes started to surround the nest, watching the fox burn. Ru shook it loose a second time as he ruffled his feathers in irritation. The fox wanted to gnaw at what he couldn't even bite? Then give it something to choke on. Ru plucked out a single feather as the other foxes darted forward. Thinking better of it, Ru snapped the feather so there wasn't even half an inch of barb hanging onto the tip of the rachis.
Ru held the bit of feather in his talon just long enough to confirm how much light was in it… then let go so it drifted onto the fox.
Talvi was drenching Rahm's charred figure in fresh water and ice. His entire upper body was furless while the rest was singed. Heart racing as she controlled how quickly she soaked Rahm so she didn't send him into shock. Talvi had to place herself between the nest and Rahm so she could see him, the light was not only blinding, but reflecting off her fur, the water, the ice, even the steam.
Littlest was hiding in the shadow under the nest while his female owl was using her wings to give him more shade and protection. Even with his immunity to the heat, Littlest felt like he was baking alive. He barely kept his eyes open to watch over Rahm when he saw something cast the barest hint of a shadow. Littlest squinted as he focused on the drifting… fluff?
Talvi snapped her attention to Littlest when he cried out in alarm. Her alarm escalated as the owl started screeching. Littlest was trying to scramble forward even as his fur started to curl and smoke as the owl held him down. Talvi searched for a threat, but it was so bright… surely nothing could hide?
The female owl looked for the threat, her small fox was too panicked to communicate effectively. Shadow? There were no shadows aside from the foxes… still she searched for something. When her eyes narrowed on the drifting piece of glowing feather. She pushed her fox back then half ran, half flew beneath the ice fox to try grabbing the feather before it fell on the injured red fox.
Littlest hunkered back as she flew. He wasn't sure if it was because she was a bird that the light didn't hurt her, or if she was naturally immune to the light, but she would reach the feather faster than he could.
Ru waved a wing so all the foxes and the owl were sent tumbling away as his feather landed. There were consequences, let this be a good lesson for the impertinent little fox. Ru watched as the fox's fur sprouted anew, his burns faded away, even the light no longer bothered him. Now, the fox had other concerns as he started to writhe. Clawing at the ground.
Rahm couldn't even scream as power was spiraling through his body, his mana channels were being ripped apart from the inside. His vanes felt like magma was surging through looking for a way out. Rahm tried to direct the sudden swell in power but his efforts were like a leaf umbrella holding back a tsunami.
Caius's heart sank as he watched little Rahm, he was dying from mana overload… the eagle was watching them both. Waiting to see if he would abandon his baby bird for his offspring or vice versa. The eggs were rocking wildly… Caius closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and changed to his full fox form as he snarled at the eagle.
Ru was almost amused, but he didn't care if the fox died. This was more to see Nix's reaction… surely he wasn't so attached to the foxes in just a few short days. The big one maybe, but all the others? Not even Nix is such a bleeding heart…
Caius hunched down to pounce just as Rahm's body started to swell, the fur had spit but there was so much raw power the wound was immediately scaring. Caius gave a low growl as he flared his tails in warning.
Ru didn't bother glancing at the large fox, bigger wasn't always better. Besides, Nix hadn't responded so the life of the little foxes wasn't too much of a concern. Ru hopped onto the large egg, pecking at the cracks, staying too long was just as bad as leaving too early.
Caius leapt at the eagle as it used its talons to tear away at a chunk of shell. Before he made contact a wall of silver flames encased both birds and the remaining eggs. The force of the released power forced him back even though the heat was being drawn in… Caius was able to see around the wall of flames to Rahm who was still writhing as more splits in his fur ripped him apart. The rips didn't even have time to bleed, less than a second later they immediately scarred over.
Ru raised his head as Nix's arm shot out of the egg. Soon he as he pulled himself out. Skin pulsing with silver mana as his skin flared up like ruffled feathers. Ru met Nix's eyes, then sighed. It would seem that yes, Nix was indeed that much of a bleeding heart.
Caius watched, heart in throat as his Little Bird was climbing… pouring? out of the nest. The little bird wasn't in his soul or human form… he looked to be made of liquid fire, his empty chest filled with silver flames yet the rest were red as he slowly glided closer to Rahm.
Ru watched as Nix controlled the fire to take physical form. Each movement looked more human as the flames condensed, then solidified. Ru glided over settling on Nix's shoulder. Barely enough room. The fox was barely alive… it would take more effort to fix this fox rather than just kill it and make a better body… its not like there weren't a few bodies lying around ready to have a soul moved into.
Caius followed his baby bird and the eagle out, darting over to Rahm, Aiya, his fur… it would never recover… his tail was also bald with scar tissue growing in layers all around. Aiya… little Rahm was so… ugly… no one would ever want him. Caius was glad his Little Snack had come over, otherwise he'd be worried Rahm wouldn't survive. That relief… almost overshadowed how ugly Rahm had become… who ever heard of a bald fox? A fox with… burn scars? Aiya!
Caius laid down encircling the birds and Rahm, nose to tails, ears flat, looking up with his big, soulful eyes wet with unshed tears. His head resting beside his writhing offspring with unspoken expectations.
Ru wanted to sneer, this fox knew exactly how to pull Nix's heart strings. Of course, if Nix wasn't so easy to manipulate the last thousand years would have been written differently. At some point Nix had to harden his heart. Ru watched the humans, the beasts, the plant. All making their own calculations, all planning to use Nix as a tool to realize their goals.
Nix patted Ru's feet, the boiling rage wasn't just an expression. "So angry, so pensive, your thoughts so negative. Enjoy now the moment, reunions, atonement." Nix let his fire pour over the still writhing fox. Soon the fox went limp, swirling like a leaf in a water fountain.
Rahm almost passed out from the sudden relief. The silver flames were seeping into his fur, penetrating his flesh, then gouging out the excess power surging through his mana channels. The silver fire was washing out the pain almost as quickly as his skin and fur were regrowing. The clumps of scars were flaking off in the soothing fire, his skin and fur sprouting anew in a tingling, yet enjoyable sensation.
"Your softheartedness is why they expect forgiveness rather than ask permission." Ru jeered glancing around the clearing. Even now, with one of their own on fire, none had fled. These petty bugs were too comfortable, complacent even. Ru glanced at the nearly whole fox, such mercy would hardly deter it from another attempt.
Nix stood up, the fox would be fine. "The lessons you preach, are not beyond reach, but my will is not weak, their boldness a treat. The gift you have given, the excess I take, who profits most, well who is to say?" Nix glanced up at the lightening sky as Ru's claws tensed around his shoulder in reprimand. Nix reached into the silver and red flames to pull the fox out by his scruff.
Caius waited patiently, watching the interaction… this was an unexpected complication. Of course his little Snack was far from ordinary, but… for another beast to have arrived so swiftly… No, not swiftly. This big bird had been watching, in disguise, it could have easily broken in but had insisted Little Rahm invite it in.
Caius glanced at little Rahm who was being held up… he no longer had a single tail. Only his third offspring to break past the barrier toward ascension. Caius let out a deliberate whine as he curled his body around the trio, nudging almost close enough to touch Rahm with his nose as he blinked his eyes.
Ru ignored the seven tail, the new two tail was trying to curl up into a ball while Nix held it. Ru was almost impressed it managed such a tight ball, but deliberately letting its eyes show between its tails… did it really think they would believe it was a furry rock?
Rahm struggled to control his new tail, like suddenly getting another left foot. Still, the pretty birdie was not impressed. Rahm blinked his eyes trying to make them look big and wet. Unfortunately, squeezing out even a single drop of water was proving an impossible task, he wasn't on fire anymore, but he still felt dried out like a salted fish.
Nix shook his head as he let the fox drop to the ground, with the larger fox still surrounding them, the little one didn't have anywhere to run. Nix patted Ru's wing, "You came from afar, so much you have seen, maybe just once, pretend to know nothing?" If nothing else the big fox and his kin were amusing. It would be a shame if they became melancholy. Besides… Ru didn't have much time left with this body.
"Fly with me." Ru coaxed as he narrowed his eyes. It would be best to just leave these mongrels to their petty fights. Like the double edge sword Nix was, he was easily coaxed. Ru kept his balance by flaring his wings as Nix's human form started to change. His neck elongating, torso shifting, bones stretching and shrinking, feathers sprouting, flames taking the all too familiar form. Soon all the flames were contained, Nix's body looked solid, if a bit transparent.
Nix's body was so different from his own. Unlike his own sturdy, powerful figure with claws strong enough to snatch bodies while in flight and tear them to pieces, Nix was beautiful. The difference between an overpowered eagle made of literal sunlight and a peacock made of fire.
Ru spread his wings gliding from the higher vantage point of Nix's shoulder, to the largest fox's neck. Watching as Nix shook his feathers just enough for all twelve of his tail feathers to be on full display. Ru puffed his chest out as Nix settled his wings then looked to the sky.
Caius's breath caught, of course he'd seen depictions of his pretty bird before, even seen memories from much older beasts… He'd thought they'd been exaggerated, glorified even from memories of long past. No, they had paled in comparison. Like a blind man trying to learn colors, or a deaf man trying to understand the power of a song.
Caius let one of his tails fall over little Rahm, his little snack's new form stood at least twelve feet tall, but his twelve iridescent tail feathers were at least twice as long. Caius wasn't sure if it was the light from the flames, or if the feathers naturally shone like the smaller eagles but either way his Little Snack was glowing like the moon. The tips of his Little Snack's tail, wing, and crown feathers all looked like they were solid flames, his neck to breast had the slightest glow of red beneath the feathers.
"Fly with me Nix," Ru called as he opened his wings to take flight. If Nix took flight, leading him home would take only a few moments. By the time Ashton woke up… well, that was a concern for a future Ru. Just as Nix steadied himself, opening his wings Ru took flight to encourage Nix to follow.
Nix felt his wings brush the still fox as he gave an experimental flap of his wings. The feeling was familiar… yet foreign. Nix let out a soft call as he crouched just enough to get a leaping start to follow Ru.
Caius's claws kneaded the ground apprehensively, as dazed as he'd been with his Little Snack's beauty, if the eagle took him now… he had to make sure his Little Snack would come back! Just as he lifted his head to let out a pitiful whine more than a dozen transparent chains pierced his Little Snack's chest!