53rd of Ash, 124 AS
Et'vaaran had returned to Lyra's side when she stepped into the void. He had been away for a time, a few days at most, and in that time Lyra had felt his absence. At some point she had begun to truly enjoy and anticipate the void beast's presence, both as a silent companion and watchful guardian. He provided a sense of stability in the darkness of the void, as if calling order from chaos in a land that held no meaning. Thus when she appeared and saw him Lyra's lips spread into a wide smile and she stepped forward to embrace the creature. In very feline fashion the tiger startled and drew back, but Lyra was no so easily dislodged. Her body formed rings of smoke around him, and she clung to his fur and began to pet him vigorously between the ears and under his chin. That, at last, seemed to pacify the beast and he allowed her to cling to him, if somewhat reluctantly.
"Where have you been?" Lyra asked, still rubbing the cat's head, "I had thought you abandoned me to my fate."
The tiger gave a huffing growl, as if to say he had done no such thing. Without prompting he began to walk outside the lab, and Lyra happily clung to him as he went. His fur was soft between Lyra's fingers, and unlike the void he was exceptionally warm. She had noticed that the creature's stripes were not stationary things, but rather shifted in subtle patterns that were easy to miss.
"I have discovered many things since you were away." Lyra mused idly as she let herself be carried out into the city, "Did you now the shadow spawn like my blood?"
One of the tiger's ears flicked in response, which Lyra took to mean he was interested.
"I fed a bit of it to one of the spawn fresh from the pit. Two in fact. Both grew quite large very quickly, and they have since fled elsewhere." Shifting so that her arms draped on either side of the tiger's neck she sighed, "They were quite greedy. I had to run them off, or they would have followed me back."
The tiger turned his head to look to the east, in the direction where Lyra could sense one of said spawn. Ever since they had fed on her blood she was able to feel them, at least vaguely enough to tell what direction they lay. It seemed her blood and the essence within it was absorbed and suffused the shadow spawn quite thoroughly.
"Yes I believe the largest is there." She waved idly in the direction that the tiger now stared. Before she could say more the world around her blurred as Et'vaaran leaped forward, streaking in the direction where the shadow spawn remained, leaping from shadow to shadow with such speed that Lyra was almost thrown free.
They arrived near what was once the shipyard, which in the Nyxus was barely more than a large junkyard filled with what looked to be wreckage of old and decayed airships. Lyra blinked in surprise at the tiger's sudden actions, and looked around the area curiously. She could feel the shadow spawn that had drank her blood before, but she saw no sign of it. Yet Et'vaaran seemed to sense something as well, and a low grown rose from his throat as he swung his head toward a particularly large chunk of wreckage.
When she looked as well Lyra caught sight of movement, just for a moment before it quickly vanished.
"Did you come for the void spawn?" Lyra asked the tiger. In reply it shook its head, lips curling in a snarl as it padded forward into the darkness of the ship.
This was the first time the tiger had acted as it was now. Normally it was quite aloof, content to laze idly about while Lyra performed whatever tasks or experiments she wished. She had never actually seen it become aggressive toward anything within the Void... but then, most things here avoided it whenever possible. The weakest shadow spawn were all but crushed by the tiger's very presence, while the more powerful ones shuffled away to hide in the darkness as if to avoid drawing its attention. Now he appeared to be hunting something. A first for Lyra, and it made her wonder just what had drawn his attention to her little experiment?
"It was quite weak." Lyra whispered as she too began to peer into the shadows within the wrecked ship, "Is there a need to dispose of it?"
From the tiger's reaction, a pointed look back over its shoulder at her, Lyra felt she had asked a ridiculous question. She seemed to be missing something important... and soon it started to become clear. Lyra could see something in one of the darkest corners of the wreckage. It seemed to sense her gaze, and it shifted. Long fingered hands wrapped around a broken mast, or beam of some kind. Then another pair of hands, and another. A head then appeared, peaking around like a sheepish child caught somewhere she shouldn't be. The one visible eye was crimson gold in color with slightly vertical pupils. It was difficult to make out, but the shadow spawn had a slightly humanoid appearance, but not like the ones she had seen previously. It was too tall, easily surpassing 8 feet, and its limbs were rail thin. Black strings fell from its head like hair which moved ever so slightly even when the shadow spawn did not. It was looking at Lyra, and at the tiger with its one visible eye. It then raised two of its hands, palms facing outward, and inset into each was another eye identical to the one that peaked out from under its mass of hair tendrils.
"My..." Lyra whispered, her tone curious laced with excitement, "Look at you. You've grown quite large indeed."
Detaching herself from the tiger Lyra formed her physical body and took a step toward the shadow spawn. Black smoke swirled at her feet and trailed her every step, for while she was interested in the thing she was a fool. From the way Et'vaaran reacted the thing was surely more powerful than a typical shadow spawn, but that still left many questions.
Lyra reached a hand forward, extending a tendril of her aether toward the creature, becoming it to come closer. At first it seemed to ignore her, but all three of its eyes watched her draw closer. Then one of its shot forward, stretching far longer than it should have as it opened to reveal a large mouth in its palm set with rows of jagged teeth. It was too quick for her to dodge, so Lyra felt a sharp pain as the teeth sank into the flesh of her should even as the fingers curled around her upper arm, becoming a vice grip that would not easily let go. Then Lyra felt a draining sensation, her blood being pulled from her veins and her aether along with it. Were it a few weeks previous she may have panicked, but as she was now, and given how much she had managed to stockpile, she only felt a slight annoyance.
"I had thought to keep you..." Lyra said, her tone growing cold as the darkness around her began to writhe with agitation, "But you have become too full of yourself."
If it understood the shadow spawn gave no sign, and another hand lurched forward to grab ahold of her. This one was intercepted by the tiger who was swift as darkness itself, severing the clawed hand before it could grab ahold of Lyra as well. Already Lyra was drawing on the stored aether in her body, as well as in her blood. When she closed her eyes she could feel the creature... Whats more, she could feel HER inside of it. The more of her blood and essence it consumed, the more of her became a part of it. The thing seemed to grow stronger, its eyes bulging as more appendages began to sprout. Unfortunately for the shadow spawn... Lyra was the ultimate master of her blood and essence, in whatever form it took.
Resting her hand lightly on its arm Lyra sent a command through her blood, and the creature stiffened, suddenly unable to move of its own will.
"Pitiful thing." Lyra sighed, "If only you knew what it was you consumed. My blood is not the same as a mortals you have feasted on before."
It suddenly seemed to sense is end approaching as it tried to release its grip on Lyra to flee, but it was too late. Lyra's body became formless darkness, a black sludge that wrapped the hand and drew it deeper inside. Though her form was still humanoid, she had become a viscus tar, from which thousands of faces and hands began to bubble up and reach toward the shadow spawn. It was now trying to break free of Lyra's hold, but it was far too late. The void around Lyra flashed with blue fire, extending her reach to the shadows of the wreckage which morphed into black tentacles that drew the creature out of its hiding spot. Its body was even more twisted than Lyra had first realized. Its head was too large, its legs ending in clawed talons instead of feet. It screeched from a dozen mouths that covered its body as it was drawn into Lyra's tar like body, its darkness melding with hers as Lyra took back what he had tried to steal... and she made an interesting discovery.
As it was drawn into her more and more of her blood and essence was returned, but more than that Lyra found that her reserves were increasing. When the shadow spawn had been fully consumed she had more aether than she had previously, meaning she had somehow taken in what the shadow spawn had collected over time as well.
"Interesting." Lyra licked her lips as her body reformed once more, and a new idea began to form in her mind.
Et'vaaran had returned to Lyra's side when she stepped into the void. He had been away for a time, a few days at most, and in that time Lyra had felt his absence. At some point she had begun to truly enjoy and anticipate the void beast's presence, both as a silent companion and watchful guardian. He provided a sense of stability in the darkness of the void, as if calling order from chaos in a land that held no meaning. Thus when she appeared and saw him Lyra's lips spread into a wide smile and she stepped forward to embrace the creature. In very feline fashion the tiger startled and drew back, but Lyra was no so easily dislodged. Her body formed rings of smoke around him, and she clung to his fur and began to pet him vigorously between the ears and under his chin. That, at last, seemed to pacify the beast and he allowed her to cling to him, if somewhat reluctantly.
"Where have you been?" Lyra asked, still rubbing the cat's head, "I had thought you abandoned me to my fate."
The tiger gave a huffing growl, as if to say he had done no such thing. Without prompting he began to walk outside the lab, and Lyra happily clung to him as he went. His fur was soft between Lyra's fingers, and unlike the void he was exceptionally warm. She had noticed that the creature's stripes were not stationary things, but rather shifted in subtle patterns that were easy to miss.
"I have discovered many things since you were away." Lyra mused idly as she let herself be carried out into the city, "Did you now the shadow spawn like my blood?"
One of the tiger's ears flicked in response, which Lyra took to mean he was interested.
"I fed a bit of it to one of the spawn fresh from the pit. Two in fact. Both grew quite large very quickly, and they have since fled elsewhere." Shifting so that her arms draped on either side of the tiger's neck she sighed, "They were quite greedy. I had to run them off, or they would have followed me back."
The tiger turned his head to look to the east, in the direction where Lyra could sense one of said spawn. Ever since they had fed on her blood she was able to feel them, at least vaguely enough to tell what direction they lay. It seemed her blood and the essence within it was absorbed and suffused the shadow spawn quite thoroughly.
"Yes I believe the largest is there." She waved idly in the direction that the tiger now stared. Before she could say more the world around her blurred as Et'vaaran leaped forward, streaking in the direction where the shadow spawn remained, leaping from shadow to shadow with such speed that Lyra was almost thrown free.
They arrived near what was once the shipyard, which in the Nyxus was barely more than a large junkyard filled with what looked to be wreckage of old and decayed airships. Lyra blinked in surprise at the tiger's sudden actions, and looked around the area curiously. She could feel the shadow spawn that had drank her blood before, but she saw no sign of it. Yet Et'vaaran seemed to sense something as well, and a low grown rose from his throat as he swung his head toward a particularly large chunk of wreckage.
When she looked as well Lyra caught sight of movement, just for a moment before it quickly vanished.
"Did you come for the void spawn?" Lyra asked the tiger. In reply it shook its head, lips curling in a snarl as it padded forward into the darkness of the ship.
This was the first time the tiger had acted as it was now. Normally it was quite aloof, content to laze idly about while Lyra performed whatever tasks or experiments she wished. She had never actually seen it become aggressive toward anything within the Void... but then, most things here avoided it whenever possible. The weakest shadow spawn were all but crushed by the tiger's very presence, while the more powerful ones shuffled away to hide in the darkness as if to avoid drawing its attention. Now he appeared to be hunting something. A first for Lyra, and it made her wonder just what had drawn his attention to her little experiment?
"It was quite weak." Lyra whispered as she too began to peer into the shadows within the wrecked ship, "Is there a need to dispose of it?"
From the tiger's reaction, a pointed look back over its shoulder at her, Lyra felt she had asked a ridiculous question. She seemed to be missing something important... and soon it started to become clear. Lyra could see something in one of the darkest corners of the wreckage. It seemed to sense her gaze, and it shifted. Long fingered hands wrapped around a broken mast, or beam of some kind. Then another pair of hands, and another. A head then appeared, peaking around like a sheepish child caught somewhere she shouldn't be. The one visible eye was crimson gold in color with slightly vertical pupils. It was difficult to make out, but the shadow spawn had a slightly humanoid appearance, but not like the ones she had seen previously. It was too tall, easily surpassing 8 feet, and its limbs were rail thin. Black strings fell from its head like hair which moved ever so slightly even when the shadow spawn did not. It was looking at Lyra, and at the tiger with its one visible eye. It then raised two of its hands, palms facing outward, and inset into each was another eye identical to the one that peaked out from under its mass of hair tendrils.
"My..." Lyra whispered, her tone curious laced with excitement, "Look at you. You've grown quite large indeed."
Detaching herself from the tiger Lyra formed her physical body and took a step toward the shadow spawn. Black smoke swirled at her feet and trailed her every step, for while she was interested in the thing she was a fool. From the way Et'vaaran reacted the thing was surely more powerful than a typical shadow spawn, but that still left many questions.
Lyra reached a hand forward, extending a tendril of her aether toward the creature, becoming it to come closer. At first it seemed to ignore her, but all three of its eyes watched her draw closer. Then one of its shot forward, stretching far longer than it should have as it opened to reveal a large mouth in its palm set with rows of jagged teeth. It was too quick for her to dodge, so Lyra felt a sharp pain as the teeth sank into the flesh of her should even as the fingers curled around her upper arm, becoming a vice grip that would not easily let go. Then Lyra felt a draining sensation, her blood being pulled from her veins and her aether along with it. Were it a few weeks previous she may have panicked, but as she was now, and given how much she had managed to stockpile, she only felt a slight annoyance.
"I had thought to keep you..." Lyra said, her tone growing cold as the darkness around her began to writhe with agitation, "But you have become too full of yourself."
If it understood the shadow spawn gave no sign, and another hand lurched forward to grab ahold of her. This one was intercepted by the tiger who was swift as darkness itself, severing the clawed hand before it could grab ahold of Lyra as well. Already Lyra was drawing on the stored aether in her body, as well as in her blood. When she closed her eyes she could feel the creature... Whats more, she could feel HER inside of it. The more of her blood and essence it consumed, the more of her became a part of it. The thing seemed to grow stronger, its eyes bulging as more appendages began to sprout. Unfortunately for the shadow spawn... Lyra was the ultimate master of her blood and essence, in whatever form it took.
Resting her hand lightly on its arm Lyra sent a command through her blood, and the creature stiffened, suddenly unable to move of its own will.
"Pitiful thing." Lyra sighed, "If only you knew what it was you consumed. My blood is not the same as a mortals you have feasted on before."
It suddenly seemed to sense is end approaching as it tried to release its grip on Lyra to flee, but it was too late. Lyra's body became formless darkness, a black sludge that wrapped the hand and drew it deeper inside. Though her form was still humanoid, she had become a viscus tar, from which thousands of faces and hands began to bubble up and reach toward the shadow spawn. It was now trying to break free of Lyra's hold, but it was far too late. The void around Lyra flashed with blue fire, extending her reach to the shadows of the wreckage which morphed into black tentacles that drew the creature out of its hiding spot. Its body was even more twisted than Lyra had first realized. Its head was too large, its legs ending in clawed talons instead of feet. It screeched from a dozen mouths that covered its body as it was drawn into Lyra's tar like body, its darkness melding with hers as Lyra took back what he had tried to steal... and she made an interesting discovery.
As it was drawn into her more and more of her blood and essence was returned, but more than that Lyra found that her reserves were increasing. When the shadow spawn had been fully consumed she had more aether than she had previously, meaning she had somehow taken in what the shadow spawn had collected over time as well.
"Interesting." Lyra licked her lips as her body reformed once more, and a new idea began to form in her mind.