Skill:

---

She had felt the earth rumble.

Once more, the land grew restless.

Once more, Amaranth's dreams were tainted by visions.

But it would seem that this time, she was not alone in her visions. The whole of Elysium seemed to wake with a strange jolt, bodies drifting with the same purpose, as if riled by the quaking of the earth beneath them. Even Valeska had drifted from the den, striding with determination toward the very heart of their territory.

There was a smell as Amaranth neared, her nostrils flaring before she even approached the edge of the water. There were already many gathered at the shoreline, some braver than others as their curisoties drove them to action. Some only watched it, while others were brave enough to taste and touch the water. There seemed to be a haze that hovered over the Respite as Valeska's voice caught her ears.

Amaranth need not approach further to understand something.

Elysium was cursed.

Amaranth would slow, not daring to even get a few feet from the water, even though a small voice in her mind egged her forward. She would resist, wuffing lightly toward Valeska as her wife tentatively tasted the lake. Valeska, she'd huff, an urgency tainting the normal soronous softness of her voice. She would blink, amethyst eyes wide as she awaited Valeska's appraisal.

And it only sealed her former thoughts.

"Cursed"

But ... was it only Elysium?

---

Skill:

---

The den stunk.

Well, it stunk in a different way than usual.

Instead of the soft rot of bones, flesh, and bat dung ... it was sour. Bitter? Sulfur? It wasn't easy to tell exactly what it smelled like, but the scent of the waterfall and the lake wafted into her cavernous abode. It was disruptive and unusual and strangely timed with the previous shaking of the earth.

It also seemed to line up with some peculiarly vivid dreams.

Achlys woke first, in tune with the changes moreso than Sreda perhaps could realize. She would follow him from the den, trailing in his wake as he wuffed toward her in encouragement. Her lips pressed thinner, disguising a smile as she cupped her tufted ears forward, allowing him to practice navigation all while following along at a safe distance ... you know ... just in case.

As they neared the water, Achlys quickly lurched forward to investigate. And he would explore in the only way he knew how. Smell, touch, taste. Sreda watched him curiously, slowly pulling up beside him just as somewhere in the distance, Amaris screeched.

And then Achlys leapt.

Sreda acted swiftly, taking a bound forward to catch the boy by the scruff before he could launch himself into the deep end. Her grip was careful but tight, not allowing him to slide away from her grasp. He was, thankfully, small enough to limit the momentum of. He was, however, far too large for Sreda to carry very far. She would take a step, allowing her paws to submerge in the lake before she put Achlys down next to her.

Her paws began to tingle.

If you drown, who will help me investigate this strange lake? She would lower her nose, pressing it gently into his shoulder and guiding him, should he want to, into a safer area of the water.

'Safer.'

He could explore all he'd like, but she did not want him to drown.

That was her responsibility as a mother, after all.

What do you sense, Kosa? She would turn her own gaze toward the water, noting the sensation of her paws and ankles going numb ... stinging with the sharp bite of the cursed lake's fangs.

---

Mir does not want to believe the water is cursed. Curses are for the weak-minded. And yet, the water calls, and its taste is wrong.

She feels it slither down her throat, curling in her stomach. It feels heavy.

Ugh. Is she becoming crazy like her aunts?

Piece : 「 2 」

---

The murky gray of partially-cloudy lake water gradually turns into a deep, sinister shade of blackish-purple. It’s strange, but you notice that it’s transparency is no longer just hindered by cloudiness but is entirely gone. The once tranquil waters of Fates Respite is now an indigestible ooze that is rapidly spreading downstream.

Those that have drank the burning liquid or find themselves covered in it will start to notice the heaviness of it. As if it’s growing, it begins to weigh down on you. The grimy residue in your mouth is both annoying and uncomfortable, for multiple reasons. To make matters worse, you have no source of fresh water, as now even the falls are tainted by this unsettling curse.

Even as you witness this horrific shift, you cannot help feeling drawn to it. Instinctively you are aware of its danger, logically you know you should avoid it at all costs, but there is no denying the magnitude of gravitation your experiencing. Avoid the water, but follow the pull, An unexpected voice breaks your concentration of the internal conflict. How could you have possibly been trying to justify drinking that stuff? It was like you were in some darkly casted trance.

Follow it to its source, you will find it, you must. It is calling to you, even I can hear it, Hear what? All you’re able to hear is the normal ambiance of the Respite and the discontentment of those around you. But still, your legs move on the cue of the Dream Visitor. The source—the falls, right?

The closer you get, the more intensely your body yearns to indulge in the burning sludge. It takes more willpower than you’d care to admit to not drink it. As you physically rip yourself away from the shoreline, you notice an unreadable carving within the wall the falls originate from. Have they always been there? You suppose, without the weak, blue glow it would have looked like nothing more than naturally occurring indentations from the wear of time.

You get lost while staring at it, observing its dull gleam as a rhythmic voice utters what you assume it is meant to say. Dre derdrer shienal retorned, laba conseshezje fier dre wolf’al thace fir tsad, eipal wit ali remedyl ozje aln fir lab. As the words fade from your mind, you watch as the weak glow grows into a bright and powerful source of blue light. How was it doing that?

You and yours must move quickly. The water is safe, for the time being. Rinse yourselves and drink, and then you must flee this place. Do not fall victim to its allure, while the water is still a dark, murky purple-ish you trust that he would not lie due to the desperation laced into his tone. You are not sure why, but you trust the Dream Visitor for reasons you can’t explain.

Find safety by nightfall, I will be coming to see you. The others will be present, as well. The… Others..? Who was he talking about? Before you can ask or wonder on it too long, you can feel his absence.

You should start mapping out a new place to reside for the time being.