Welcome to Gaia! ::

Both physically and mentally exhausted from the anxiety, the stress, and the worry that all but consumed her since she received Tinaksite’s text, Laven struggled to stay awake. It was a trying task and she stood vigil for as long as her body could last, however, over the course of the next several hours, she nodded off a handful of times.

It was a losing battle.

Again the officer from before had offered her a bed, and just like before, she declined. It wouldn’t matter anyway, the slightest noise would wake her immediately. The sound of the knob turning as the nurse walked in to check his vitals, to take more samples of blood or change out the IV.

In her foggy state of mind, Laven simply watched him in silence. Her gaze traced each feature, committing to memory each scar that marred his skin to the angle of his jawline up to the tip of his pointed ear where the silver cuff remained.

No… she scolded herself for even considering putting it on. To step into the dreamscape they had created for themselves and pull him back the only way she knew how.

Humans were emotional creatures and yet it was her humanity that forced her to see reason, he needed rest in order to recover. She can’t rush him to wake up if his body was not ready. But her youma nature demanded she not wait any longer. It had claimed him as its own and it would not be denied seeing him.

I can’t… Laven tried to reason but once the idea came to mind it was hard to resist. But a promise was made not so very long ago. If you’re the one that chases me into the woods then you better not stop following. Because the moment you give up will be the moment I’ll truly be lost… Bound by his oath to follow through, Wolframite had already pulled her back once and she, in turn, had done the same for him when the fever almost claimed him. Now was not a time to shy away from that promise.

The doctors did all that they could, but this was something only she could do and so Laven carefully removed his earring cuff and secured it around the edge of her ear then laid her head back down on the back of his paw as she carefully tried to enter the Dreamscape and find where he has hidden.

Lavendulan was a child of ice and snow, born from frozen waters and as such she was unafraid of the cold or the storm his mind had created.

But the wolves were of a different make, unnatural ghostly like creatures that bled evidence of the souls they had once consumed. They moved in unison, almost as if they shared a hive mind, their forms almost seemed to be phasing in and out as the wisps of snow obscured her vision.

Just another obstacle in her way, Laven’s lip curled into a snarl but then they started their howling chorus. The continuous tone rang loudly in her ear and all she could do in response was to clasp her hands over them to keep them from bleeding. It felt like her mind, her soul was on the verge of splitting, and as their mournful hungry cries continued it felt like something within her finally snapped.

Anger consumed the leviathan and Laven was too desperate to find Wolframite to hold it back. The two consciousness split and the beast was freed. Sharp claws and teeth charged the wolf pack and Marissa was left in the center wearing nothing but a teal colored dress. Blue wisps of hair whipped around her as the storm raged and snowflakes that went ignored left shallow cuts on her pale skin.

“Warden of the Woods… You will garner no sympathy from me today.” Her once white dress now stained black yet she did not seem concerned and ignored her bloodied appearance.

Marissa’s eyes were cold as she stared at the beast before her, “This is your doing.” She growled at it in anger but without her other half, there was nothing to be feared from such accusatory words. “Your thirst for blood will bring you both to ruin! Winter was yours to protect but you have failed him.”

No, child… you have failed him, the wind seemed to whisper in her ear.

The Leviathan’s claws ripped through the snowy fur of the howling beast. It held them off as best as it could, but the electric shock pulled from it angry snarls that appeared to be wearing it down with each beast it shattered in its jaws.

Marissa could not wait for it to finish off the pack and turned to the large crystal-covered wolf that looked at her with those familiar bright golden eyes. “Your hunt is not over.” She placed both hands on either side of its face.

Laven’s lip curled in mild disgust especially after having just been thrown up on by the wolf-like youma. “You will take me to him,” there was an underlining threat to that statement, however, she gave no indication of what would happen if he betrayed her as well.

The Leviathan growled behind him Do not- it warned with a deep growl but Marissa shot it a stern look.

“Do what you do best and protect us. He cannot fight and with me on your back, you will only be slowed down.” Even though this was simply a Dreamscape, a labyrinth of their own making, at least here the two were able to act and think independently. While her youma nature could rip apart the inner demons with sharp claws and teeth, Marissa could think more clearly without the blood lust or rage and could focus on finding Winter before the storm swallowed them all completely.

“Lets go,” the young woman stepped into the open maw and waited for the beast to resume the hunt start tracking its other half as it was born, or rather created, to do.

The Leviathan mimicked the Wolf’s actions and breathed in the scent permeating the bloody footprints. The thick and metallic smell reeked of death, instinctually it knew that their prey was running on borrowed time.

When her head lifted, the Keeper of the Sea's form appeared to have shifted; not to water as she was used to seeing but something else entirely. Snow swirled around the beast and rather than mar her perfect scales, the flakes seemed to cling to her body. Her horns and claws were coated in a thin sheet of rime and scales took on an almost iridescent transparent hue.

One would think that the Leviathan was becoming a frozen statue in this barren wasteland but it kept pace behind them easily as it flanked the wolf’s right side when they ran.

Sharing the sight and form of one that was not her other half was disorienting at first; a passive observer where she had no control of anything save for her own thoughts. However, if Marissa was startled by the unfamiliar voice that had touched her mind, she didn’t show any evidence of fear.

Tell me, why would he run from you? Winter was his charge and the two were inseparable. Even when he had become ill and this Dreamscape was set ablaze, the Wolf stayed beside him unwaveringly.

A sharp howl was heard beyond the vale of white and the Leviathan did not hesitate to peel off in pursuit of the snowy wolves. There was a sharp pained yip and a deep-throated growl that preceded a stomach-churning crunch that echoed over the hushed snowfall. Silence followed for a few seconds before the beast fell back into place beside them once more.

Winter had already given her his heart, what was a youma’s eye in the grand scheme of things?

Marissa leaned over to picked up the golden moon touched orb. If she felt sympathy for the fallen beast it did not show.

The Leviathan approached, the icy diamond-like scale were smeared with blood from the wolves it had slain. “No,” Marissa placed her free hand atop it’s muzzle. “You stay here.”

You are my charge it replied in protest.

“One dies they both die, protect him. I have to do this alone” the explanation did little to calm her other half but Marissa’s earnest expression seemed to be enough to make her youma side pause and consider her pleas.

You will take a part of me with you. The Keeper of the Sea bowed its head and Marissa placed her hand on its ice-covered horn. Her fingers curled around the sharp frozen tip which became a dagger-like hilt and with a tug, a diamond bladed curved sword with a Damascus pattering pulled free. The Leviathan raised it’s head gracefully despite a horn that was now missing and returned to the Warden’s side. Leave now, before I change my mind.

Marissa nodded then turned on her heel and raised the golden orb out in front of her. “Show me where he’s hiding.”

In the hospital room, tears spilled from Lavendulan’s closed eyes onto the back of Wolframite’s paw.

“Winter…” his name was spoken upon an exhale as all the air was ripped from her lungs. Marissa took a staggering step forward, cold snow turned to sharp shards beneath her feet that tore flesh and left behind a trail of bloody footprints when she ran across the field of fallen stars.

“WINTER!” she shouted his name again in desperation before falling to her knees beside him. The sword clamored to the ground and the orb was laid to rest between them. Marissa reached out to touch his face but paused a hairsbreadth away when she heard the soft sounds of his crystalline form cracking with each breath he drew. “Please no… You can’t leave me, not like this…” her voice quivered as she looked around desperately for anything that might be of use “Tell me, please tell me what to do. Anything, please”

Back in the snow-covered expanse, the ice-covered youma raised her head when the wolves began their chorus again. That girl is my charge and I have protected her fiercely since she was made anew. And yet you threaten to break the delicate balance we share yet again. Her voice sounded dispassionate as she simply stated the fact.

Your life is tied to his, one cannot survive without the other. This much you know to be true. Both man and beast had suffered greatly when the fever consumed both their mind and body setting this dreamscape ablaze. Just like then, no matter how badly the action would inadvertently burn her, Marissa did not hesitate to reach out and pull him from the edge. She has a fragile human heart and his death would break her in ways I cannot protect her.

Glacial blue eyes narrowed in the once-great wolves direction To death I say, not today, however, it is not my choice to make. With its icy glare, the Leviathan snarled at the Wolf as the snow continued to burry its broken body. Tell me, is this your final song, Warden? Will you live to fight another day or will this be your last dance?

I understand. The Keeper bowed it’s head low and pushed the snow aside with a sweeping motion of it’s paw. Allow me to aid you. Its lips pulled back into what could only be described as a feral smile before its maw opened wide and teeth clamped down on the Warden’s throat.

It would be an insult to call what the Leviathan offered as help. Such a word would imply that the Warden had given up and could do no more. His body may be weak but his mind was still sharp and so she would lend him hers so they could protect what was theirs.

The wind picked up speed around them, howls grew nearer, and from behind she heard the soft crunching of snow before one of the beast lunged at them. Dark blood dripped from her lips as the Keeper snarled her warning. Long claws raked down the wolf’s side, flesh tore effortlessly and starseeds poured from the new wounds freely.

Again she turned to the Warden to finish what was started.

When the only thing that remained was a dark stain in the snow where it had previously fallen, the Keeper took several staggering steps back as everything went silent.

A calm before the storm as humans often called it.

It was a moment not meant to last overlong and with little warning, the Wolf awoke inside her. It twisted and turned, and she felt it’s sharp claws rip down her spide from the inside, taring open her thick hide. The pain was all-consuming and the Leviathan writhed in the snow, snarling angrily as armored scaled fell from her body, and in their place, fine needle-like fur punctured through raw exposed flesh.

Then, suddenly the death throws ceased and they became still. Part Leviathan part Wolf, the newly made youma laid there panting

---

“I know,” Marissa replied.

She was acutely aware of the fighting going on in the distance, but could not be distracted from her current task. All she could do was hope that her other half was following her instructions, to protect the fallen warden and keep the white wolves away.

“I’m here.” In the hospital room, she carefully gave his wrist a squeeze, hoping that through the drugs he could sense that what she said was true and not some figment of his imagination.

Try as she might influence the dreamscape as she had when Wolframite was sick, the scenery refused to change. “Tell me, what are you seeking? I will help you find it.”