Her mother, the voice claimed with certainty. Gradually, a small light managed to make the area more digestible to her eyes. A plump, silver figure stating that she was on a holy mission. Valeska’s words began to fall on deaf ears as the shadow finally noticed what was now surrounding them. Water. Everywhere. Even the path she had just walked, was now well beneath the mysterious lake.

Amaya zoned back in as she caught the final words; was she prepared? Prepared for what must be done? Ominously bright amethyst eyes flickered between her mother, the high priestess, and the liquid. Did she mean to swim? To submerge into water that did not contain the slime of seaweed nor the stench of fish and salt? It smelled… off, and undesirable. Sort of like lavender and honeysuckle? Why would the water smell like such a thing? How could it smell such a way? It wasn’t as if the flowers could flourish within a lake, they wouldn’t even survive the cave— so just… how?

The gremlin froze, panic rising. No. No. Nonononono. The bones. Yes! The bones! They were all knowing, they would tell her what to do and where to go. Surely there was another way, there had to be, she was certain.

In a frantic jerk, Amaya flung the bones across the stone, her ears pressed forward as if anticipating a whispered voice to answer. Owlishly large eyes only widened unnaturally more. The bones… they… they were silent. They refrained from saying anything at all, a thing they had never done. Had— Had they abandoned her? Why…? No. What was happening? None of it made sense? Why did they not speak? Why did they not share their answers to her questions? Was this divine punishment? Were the Five serving her a penance? What? Why would they—

The witch.

The witch of the north, the one they had failed to kill thus far. Amaya was now facing atonement for their wrong doing, for their failure of their promise. She was broken, for Amaya could no longer read the bones and was forced to face a sea of sweetly scented waters.

Maybe, just maybe, she will die here.