Closed [Scarlet Cavern] Dysfunctional "Family" (Xen, Evalin)

[Soshakuakamamushi]

20th of Bell, 12th of Summer 514 A.V, Scarlet Cavern

It was nightfall in the Jungle Wilds of Falyndar though in the underground caverns, it didn't make much difference for the cavernous walls and ceilings blocked Leth's blessing upon the land, however, beautiful glowstones lit every corner in this huge Constrictor nest. One spot of Zinrah, specifically in one lavish cavern located in the Residential Wings, were glowing with crimson light as all manners of red-hued glowstones lit the large cavern, it was the residence of one Soshakuakamamushi, Zinrah's master reimancer and one of the few Vipers living in the nest of giants.

"Ungh..." The Mistress of the cavern, Aka, was shifting on her bed, groaning in a restless sleep as the sloth plague upon Zinrah kept its full force, she didn't know the cause and it was torturing her to no end, with her belly bulging due to her pregnancy, it caused the normally active and swift Viper to become as slow as a dehydrated camel, Aka opened her eyes slightly as she tried to wake up, do something, move, but her mind refused to do so. "Aaaaa-..." She opened her lips to scream, to shout her defiance to this plague, no one could extinguish a flame of Ivak, she embarrassed the God of Volcanism by being like this, she should be an active volcano, not a dormant one.

It came hard to her, but after trying for about ten ticks, Aka finally managed a loud scream, "AAAAAAAGH!" The shrill voice echoed in the cavern as Aka's eyes shot wide open then she abruptly raised her body into a sitting position, it helped... somewhat, but the Viper knew it would happen again though. "Kuh..." Cursing in annoyance, Aka forced her body to get out of bed, holding her belly with her right hand, she moved to her living room then plopped herself into one of her chair, at least here, she couldn't fall asleep so easily, her mind turning, she must find an activity that would require concentration, but... what? Acrobatics? Out of the question, she was pregnant, Glyphing? Well... no, it would just make her fall asleep, the Viper hated theoretical magic like that. Hypnotism? She had no one to hypnotize, unless she became crazy then hypnotized herself through the mirror.

"Petch thisss..." At a loss, Aka just sat there, staring blankly into her abode's entrance.

I really hope Evalin find the source soon and exterminate whatever it is...

[Xen]

Xen opens his eyes to discover that he was standing on a tall stone pillar surrounded by oceans and storms. The tempestuous winds blew against the stone pillar and massive tidal waves raged in all directions. What was this place? This was not the peaceful world he created while asleep! Yet it felt familiar, it was like he was in another part of his dream world. However, he hadn’t created it. Xen could see waterspouts in the distance dozens of them, moving across the massive waves of this endless sea.

A bolt of lightning strikes the ocean behind Xen, causing him to turn his attention to the world outside his sight. There was a storm coming towards him, one greater than the one brewing within him, with dark clouds like ash which smothers the sun. Xen stood in place, gazing at the sky before it turned completely black. He looks down and notices that the sea was rising and growing more restless. Xen backs away, he wanted out of this world and now! He could sense something was wrong, it wasn’t beautiful anymore.

A deep feeling a dread washes over him: much like the waves that threatened to knock over the pillar he stood upon. However, there was no escape and soon the worst would come. Xen was willing to jump into the raging sea and force his body awake but as he looks into the rising water, he feels something there and it terrifies him. The water was now flowing over the edge of the pillar and touching Xen’s feet—despair. All he felt was fear, overwhelming, tear inducing fear. This fear turns to melancholia once a massive wave approaches him.


“Wake up, I have to wake up.”


Xen could see something within the wave, possessing a massive body that could break the foundations he stood upon. He watches as this massive body bursts from the wave, having tainted black scales and dark-indigo eyes like his own. A jet black pupil sat within the center of a bright white ring captures Xen’s reflection—he could see his despairing visage. The creature opens its mouth and just as it was about to devour him…he wakes up. Xen woke up screaming and swinging, he could still hear the leviathans roar—its breath like thunder. He sits on the side of the bed to calm down, wondering what the petch that nightmare was about.

Xen hides his face within his hands to cover his tired eyes and removes them so he could look around the cavern. When his eyes adjust to the darkness, he sees a figure standing in front of him…smiling. This person grabs him by the throat and effortlessly lifts him off the ground. Xen punches and kicks this person, only to feel his blows land of what felt like bedrock. The person chuckles’ using Xen own voice! A dim light without an identifiable source reveals this person to have pale hair, hair that looked as though it belonged to a corpse.


“I remember it, as the fallen star called to the great leviathans, drawing them from the depths. One looked upon the star and saw its own visage: what a monstrous, grotesque image. The serpent could not accept his form and thus casts his own body in darkness…to forget what he was.”


Xen fought until he had no strength left, his body laid limp while suspended in the air. In Xen’s eyes remained dudgeon and this person, who used his voice and spoke like he did when he was young, leans in so that Xen could look into his eyes devoid of utterance. Xen refused to accept the stranger’s words—the stranger’s voice and the stranger’s appearance. He refused to accept the fact that this stranger… was him. Xen blacks out and reawakes in his bed. This time he jumps from his bed, throws on his robe and grabs his machete-sword. He stumbles from his cavern in a daze, unwilling to succumb to another nightmare.

Xen’s heart was racing, beating hard within his chest. He had to get away from his cavern and find some other place to sleep. Xen didn’t care where this quiet place was, as long as it could help him sleep again and keep his mind away from that terrible nightmare. Xen places his hand on the moist wall beside him as he traverses the darkness of the tunnel. The blackness before him seemed infinite. He heard nothing, only his heart beating within his chest as he spends his chimes roaming blindly through Zinrah at night.

Xen could feel his body wanting to sleep but felt if he pushed a bit further, he’d reach a place to rest. In some bells consisting of silence, darkness and lassitude—Xen falls into Aka’s cavern with a hard thump. The katana jumps from his hand and slides across the floor before Xen lifts the weapon and places his back up against the wall. He knew this was someone’s home but if they allowed him to sleep until the morning, he would be grateful.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"...?" The Viper quirked her eyebrow in interest when she heard footsteps echoing louder and louder, obviously getting nearer, whoever the owner was definitely a two-legged - or four-legged - being. Instead of being alerted and cautious, Aka smiled in amusement instead, right now, there was nothing that could make her more bored that she currently was. As the sounds reached its peak, Aka leaned back in her chair as she waited for something or someone to pass the corridor connecting to her home's entrance.

"Xen?" Oh how quaint, it was her husband and mate, apparently he was the one causing the ruckus in this lethargy-infested nest, though he obviously wasn't in a good or sober condition, his wobbled into her cavern, tossing his odd-shaped curved sword on the floor, and just slumped there. "Hmmm..." Aka didn't feel the need to walk to him and ask if he was alright, Xen would explain, he often did odd things and by now, Aka wasn't surprised to his antics anymore.

"So..." The Viper rested her head on her right hand, like an annoyed wife who was waiting for her husband who came home too late, "What happened?" She asked, though arrogant, a tinge of concern could be heard in her voice, the typical act of a prideful female Viper who was concerned about her mate, but refused to explicitly show it..

[Xen]

So tiring, merely moving left one writhing in the claws of exhaustion. Xen held his katana close to him as he rests against the wall. He could feel his hands trembling slightly, his body still hadn’t recovered from the sudden shock the nightmare gave him. Yet the truth that pale haired doppelgänger, his nightmare-self, spoke was no lie and it scared him. There were some things he couldn’t remember—memories seemingly forgotten, felt strongly repressed. Did he truly suppress who he actually was to the point where he forgotten himself? The root of doubt began to dig into his heart—was the person he was now nothing more than an illusion?

No, his kindness was genuine! These seven years were not for naught. Xen opens his eyes when he thought he heard something move in the darkness behind him. He moves a bit further away from the entrance, hoping that the doppelgänger would not appear from the darkness and drag him into the depths of his repressed memories to meet bestial visage of himself. Xen strains his tired eyes and rubs them with his freehand—nothing. However absence does not put him at ease. That thing was a part of him, so it had all the time it needed to strike.

The idea of something that bleak and of acedia being a part of him was terrifying. Xen turns around after hearing a familiar voice and notices Aka sitting in a chair. He sets his tired eyes on his mate and stands to his feet. Xen wobbles a bit before gaining his balance and walks towards Aka with his form in shambles. He had messy hair, lusterless eyes yet his robe was clean: that should count as a plus right?


“I got lost in the tunnels. However, I feel a bit better now that I can see you.”


That was the corniest line ever and Xen tops it off with a wink. He couldn’t tell Aka that he woke-up because he had a nightmare, it would make him appear as though he was still a snakeling.