Warning to any readers, this chapter will get quite dark!
You have been warned and now onto the doom and gloom!
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Violet walked slowly behind Luna, she carefully watched her companion. She could feel the inner turmoil she was going through despite her attempts at hiding them from Violet. Violet didn't react though just sending through a quiet reassurance through the bond.
When they finally reached the edge of the once village Luna came to a stuttering halt, in front of them lay the scattered and destroyed remnants of the Now Leopard Beastkin village.
Where once simple but usable wooden huts lay now lay ashes. Where once lunas family and clan walked now lay desiccated bodies. The bodies lay scattered around the now burnt down village some looked mostly whole, others however, were not so lucky.
Violet saw one such body or at least the torso and head of a body lay impaled on several crude spears as if laid out as a decoration was placed in the centre of the village its limbs hanging suspended from other spears nearby. The cruel and brutal display showcasing the barbarity of the orcs.
Some bodies in particular any other the younger females had been stripped and abused in numerous way based on the viscera and other fluids that coated their corpses. Whilst Violet may not have much experience, or any on such matters she gained a base understanding through the bond with Luna and through that she understood what that represented. She felt a low vicious growl eminate from deep within her chest as she realised that this could well have been lunas fate if she hadn't saved her in time.
The fury that rose within Violet at the near idea of that nearly too much to handle. But upon feeling lunas own emotions and the horror and utter deviation that her companion felt at witnessing this brutal sight Violet managed to reign in her fury somewhat.
Luna had yet to move just yet as she slowly took in what lay before her her face a blank mask but the turmoil within laid bare for Violet to feel. She walked up to her companion and gently leant against her side, not saying anything just reminding her that she was not alone.
After several minutes of observation Luna slowly made her way into the village itself. She walked to the nearest corpse, one that violet roughly remembered as the older one that had told Luna to run. As Luna looked down at her broken body memories flashed through the bond to violet.
*A smaller Luna ran through the clan after managing to steal some food from the campfire only to be grabbed by the scruff of her neck and brought eye to eye with the elderly leopard. *
Luna walked over to the next corpse. It was a elderly male and a new memory flashed down the bond.
*He sat across from Luna showing her how best to start a fire with a steel and flint before passing them over to her to try.*
This continued for each and every body. Luna would walk over to them and look down at them and a memory would flash down the bond replaying a memory of that individual, most were simple moments, be they small moments of learning, fun or being scolded.
However Luna saved 2 bodies for last, the first to die in the original attack and the two that Violet first saw Luna with, her parents who lay on the ground bested and broken yet they still held each others hands even in death.
The turmoil of emotions finally boiled over upon seeing them and Luna finally broke down, falling to her knees and weeping as she knelt over their broken bodies. The anguish that Violet felt was coupled with an avalanche of momories flowing over the bond.
*2 Giants loomed over a baby Luna their care and love shown clearly in their faces as they both reached out and 2 small hand reached up to grab a finger from each of them.*
*Luna sat at a low table with her farther sat across from her whilst mum sat next to her showing her how best to fix a hole in a hide.*
*Her dad showing her how to fight, how best to move to avoid taking blows and how to best react to deal the most damage.*
*Stalking through the trees behind her mum as she was taken on her first hunt*
*Standing by the lake with her parents as she watched in awe as they easily took down multiple frogmen before allowing her to take one of them out herself for the first time*
As each monkey flashed by Violet only had a bare few moment to process it before it was gone and replaced by another, it felt like Violet watched lunas entire life flash before her eyes and she felt like she knew her companion on a much deeper level than ever before.
She had frozen at first when this avalanche of memories hit her but she tried to block them out because right now her companion needed her, now more than perhaps ever before. So she pushed through the anguish and saddness that radiated from her friend, her companion and walked up besides her. She extended her wings and extended them around her sobbing frame and pulled her into a embrace of her own for the first time. Her long neck allowed her to wrap around lunas frame and pull her head into her shoulder.
Unconsciously or intentionally Luna responded to the hug and wrapped her arms around Violet and leaned into her her pain, sorrow, rage, loneliness and every other emotion pouring out of her and she wept uncontrollably in the warm embrace of her dragon companion.
As Luna let her emotions loose Violet was not idle. Utilising her void mana she gently wrapped it around each body be it one of the few that was brutalised or impaled, cleanly killed or abused. She cleaned them of the blood and grime of death and slowly and carefully moved them all together. No linger wanting her companion to see her clan in such a state ever again.
She spent extra attention on her parents. She painstakingly caressed her mans over their bloody and broken bodies, carefully removing any trace of blood and dirt from them. She naturally couldn't do anything for the injuries themselves but she hoped that the now clean appearance would cause less distress for her dearest companion when she roused from her current state.
The two stayed like that for quite some time, long past the point that lunas tears stopped falling.
Through the entire time Violet didn't say anything verbally she simply sent over her love and care through the bond letting Luna know that she was there for her.
Eventually Luna managed to get her emotions somewhat under control and she gently pulled back from the hug. "Thank you" she whispered to the dragon. Violet in turn gently bumped her head against Lunas and sent a pulse of affection down their bond in silent acknowledgment.
After another long moment they finally separated and luna once again looked around, clear surprise flashing in her eyes when she realised what Violet had managed to do whilst she was out of it. A wave of appreciation was sent to the dragon for that touching gesture.
Luna then made her way over to her parents bodies. Looking down at them Violet noticed a flash of something shiny on lunas mum, from around her neck, sending that impression over to Luna she too focused on it before letting out a gasp of surprise. With trembling fingers she carefully reached down and took the necklace in her hands and then slowly unclasped it and brought it up to gaze down at it.
As Violet looked at the item she was that it was a circle of a silvery material hanging from a chain of the same silvery material. The circle of it held a embossed design of a snowflake on one side and when Luna turned it over it revealed the design of a eye, specifically the eye of a leopard.
Whilst Violet didn't quite understand what this item was she could sense a strong scent if mana radiating from it, curious about what it is she tried to focus on it and to her surprise a notification window popped up in front of her.
[Amulet of the Arctic Leopard - Ancient:
This amulet represents the enduring nature of the Arctic Leopard Beastkin, granting the wearer +5 to Agility and Constitution.
Additionally if imbued with Arctic mana allows access to a connected subspace]
Luna gaped at the amulet in her hands, she had always know that her mother held this item but she had never been able to identify it as it is impossible when bound to someone, but now that she is able to do so she feels a sense of gratitude. It would seem that even after their death her parents would continue to look after her.
Clasping the amulet around her neck she imbued her mana into it and felt the slight boost to her stats. But she also was able to 'see' the subspace that it was connected to and a wry smile managed to pull itself into her lips as she realised that it was not empty. In fact it held quite a few items within. Items that she would soon put to use in paying back the orcs for all evey drop of blood spilt, for every life lost and for all the pain they caused.
As a spear appeared in her hands she briefly marveled at its form, it was around 2 meters long, the shaft was a type of blue metal she had no name for currently and was shaped to resemble a long spike of ice. The bladed tip was simple but deadly and was also made of the same ice blue metal. Leather wrapped the middle of the shaft for improved grip and the base of the shaft held a block of ice that radiated a bone deep chill even to Luna. However in that moment the chill felt delightful as she imagined using this beautiful weapon to slaughter orcs.
Luna finally looked away from the spear to once more look down at her parents. Saddness once more flickering in her eyes before they hardened in resolve. "I will pay the orcs back for all they have done. I swear this to you." She paused then and feeling the resolve and affection coming from her bonded companion her tone softened and she spoke once more.
"Thank you, for raising me, for loving me. I will always remember you all. And I will carry your legacy with me." After bowing her head for several long seconds Luna finally turned to violet the determination back in her eyes. "Violet.. this is a lot to ask and y-you don't have to come with me as it is likely to be dangerous.. but." However, before she could continue with her stumbling request Violet butted in with a snort.
"Stupid silly small one, of course I'm going to help you. After all we are companions. That means that we will always be together. Wherever you go, I go." Then she bumped her head into Lunas a touch more forcefully this time and spoke with the restrained fury that she was holding in since she first saw the remnants of the village. "Let's go hunt some orcs!"
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Whew that was rough! I hope it wasn't too much but I feel that this was the right way to handle it.
Let me know your thoughts on if you would prefer to keep the story more lighthearted going forward (will still obviously be plenty of bloody battles regardless don't worry!) or if you would be okay with some darker chapters or moments similar to this?