(TW//Blood)

~● Labyrinthine ●~

  Eurydice steps into the ruins after wandering the mountains for hours. Fresh blood covers the old stones as she moves closer to the center where the Chalice once sat. Now in its place sits a bleeding dragon heart, pulsing still as if it were still within a living creature.

Whispers: "𝘛𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵"

  Eurydice closes her eyes as music fills her mind. It speaks to her darkest impulses, the fire within she had been keeping in since the start of all of this. Her hands grip the beating heart as the song compels her to devour it.

Whispers of the song: "𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩, 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘛𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨...𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘥..."

  For a brief moment something in her mind screams at her that this is wrong. Memories of her life flash before her eyes as blood drips down her arms from each beat of the heart in hand.

Whispers of the song: "𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳...𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘯..."

  As the song grips deep into her mind drowning out all reason, Eurydice pulls the heart to her mouth. Sinking her teeth into the burning hot flesh. Blood fills her mouth and covers her face as she devours just as the song commanded. With each bite the song grows louder.



  As she finishes the last of the dragon heart her eyes roll back and she falls to the bloodied stones, footsteps approach her as she loses consciousness.

~● The Bronze City ●~

  Rhea has gathered her closest members of court into her personal chambers. Rand, Ardelia, and Cyprus sit before her as she speaks.

Rhea: "It has been a few days since your return from Queens End...I'm very proud and very grateful that you were all able to solve the issue with the plague all while helping our Elven friends save a spirit from the grasp of this...song, was it?"

  Ardelia nods.

Ardelia: "Yes, we experienced it first had. Whatever it is has the power to influence your mind. It was...taxing."

Rhea: "Yet you endured, and for that I am grateful."

  Rhea is silent for a moment, looking between them as she seemingly considers her next words.

Rhea: "You three may have noticed that things have been, well, odd around here."

  Cyprus crosses his arms.

Cyprus: "Like with you supposedly sending Meredith to order us around?"

Rhea: "Yes...that. I've caught some of you looking at me as if I have changed...I need you to grow up and understand that we are still very much at war, not with the elves, with ourselves. Meredith claws her way deeper and deeper into this court."

  Rand scoffs.

Rand: "So have her tossed in the dungeons. You are the Astra."

Rhea: "Yes, and she is a Nephus, even if by marriage alone. Surely you know the impact that has. She has more friends in this court than I. For the past year I have been playing the game that is court, I have learned much...such as the two paths forward for her to succeed in her goals."

  They exchange glances.

Rhea: "Two legitimate children of Nephus blood and name are at play. Meredith plans to sink her claws into the one that lives here in the bronze city. He is not a wealthy or noble man but he has the right name. I believe she intends to overthrow me, raise this man to be king, and kill him once mine own child comes of age so she may reinstate her own blood on the throne."

  Rand perks up at the mention of two living members of his family.

Rand: "Could we instead persuade them to our side?"

Rhea: "It is possible for the one who lives in the bronze city, should we play our cards right...as for the other...well...we have been unable to locate him. Your own father kept a family record which admittedly, I have kept from you. You have two cousins from your fathers brothers. The one living here in the city is a simple city guard...while the other would be much younger and allegedly a more viable candidate for the throne, but again we know not where he is."

  She leans back in her chair.

Rhea: "I intend to beat Meredith at her own game. Smile when she speaks to you. Bow and treat her as if she were the queen. She wont know we're playing until we're ready to win."



Cyprus: "We can do that, but you should know, a rumor in queens end says Meredith may have a dragon somewhere under and island?"

  Rhea shurgs.

Rhea: "We have Aevnass, and the elves have a dragon of their own growing. Should Meredith take the route of fire I am more than prepared to let her burn."

  Ardelia clears her throat, Rhea turns to look at her.



Ardelia: "If i can make a suggestion, I believe we should inform Meliad Cabrina and her council of all of this. They are our allies, and keeping secrets will not earn their trust."

  Rhea nods.

Rhea: "I will tell them personally...you are all dismissed...Oh, and Rand, you should know that we recovered Eurydice from the mountains...she is here in the keep but...she has not spoken a word since returning."

  Rands eyes widen as the others make their way out. He rises from his chair, rushing out of the room to find her.

~● Acantha's Unspoken Waters ●~

Namiko sits on her knees, polishing a statue to a full shine as she listens to the gossip of other acolytes.

Half-Elven Acolyte: "I've heard rumors of a plague in Queen's End. Could it be true?"

Elven Acolyte: "Gossip less, work more, hard as that must be for one of your kind."

Namiko grips the rag tightly, trying to keep her cool. She remembers Kauket's words to her when she last saw her, mere days ago. She reminds herself of it.



Namiko: "Patience."

Soon, it would be time.

---

~● The Bronze City ●~

  Rand pushes into Eurydice's temporary room in the keep. He finds her laying on a couch looking into the fireplace as it crackles with flames.

Rand: "Eurydice?"

  She says nothing, she doesn't even look at him. It is as if she cannot even see or hear him. He sits down next to her with a frown.

Rand: "What happened up there in those mountains?"

  Guilt swells up in his chest. He knew he should have saved her. He tried to save her.

Rand: "I wanted to come find you...I tried..."

  Eurydice continues staring into the flames. No emotions on her face as he speaks. Eventually he stops and the two sit in silence for some time. After what feels like an hour Rand speaks again.

Rand: "Rhea has shared that I still have some family left, beyond just other bastards like Meredith had mentioned."

He looks at her as he speaks, hoping that something other than asking what happened to her will snap her out of it.



Rand: "I think I might ask Rhea if I can handle the matters of my family...what do you think?"

  Still she says nothing, she doesn't even blink. Rand frowns again and rises from the sofa.

Rand: "I'll be close when you're ready to talk..."

  He exits the room leaving her there alone. Eurydice's eyes never leave the fire...for in the flames she can see her life burning away from her, and as the light from the rising sun creeps into the room, dragons dance in her mind to the tune of the song.



~ END OF CHAPTER II ~

(Just realized all of these gifs are wildly different sizes. On mobile they all look the same! Enjoy mini tiny Rand, desktop users)

(This was a fun chapter, thanks!)

(ₜᵢₙᵧ)

( Great episode as always!! 💕 )

(hes tiny... these closers got me like 👀 had sm fun!! excited for the next one!)