Själ

And so they entered the Haruspex cave, lighthearted mischief disguising the wickedness within. To summon a god, the princess thought, would be to finally accomplish something, to finally prove that she was capable, that she was worthy, that perhaps the poison her mother had dripped so tantalizingly into her ear hadn't been for naught, after all. Perhaps the God of Spark and Time, as Erebos had so reverently (or not) referred to him, would have the answers she had sought for so long. Little did the girl know that it was that very god that had granted her mother dominion over the Aurora Basin in the first place.

The mirror gleamed tall and silent before the intruders, who peered carefully into its face before settling (metaphorically) upon their haunches in disappointment. Erebos turned to her, never losing that charismatic cheshire grin, the vaguely disobedient gleam in his eyes; the girl looked back to the mirror, body stepped closer to it. "Maybe," she began, "We have to touch it -" She reached out, her muzzle growing dangerously, torturously close to the smooth surface.

A shriek from outside the cave accompanied a sudden image thrust into her mind: a tall, lurking shadow was entering the cave, seemingly intent upon the two children as its prey. Ansgar, from outside the cavern, had seen its approach. She dove from the sky toward the cave, knowing that she would not arrive quickly enough but ensuring that her bonded had received a warning. The girl spun suddenly around, grasped suddenly by an icy grip unlike anything she had ever felt: the world was darkness, death lurked nearby, and she was hurtling towards its cold grip with a surreal quickness -

Within moments, the feeling had disappeared, leaving her standing in an unsettled silence, her chest heaving as she recovered from what she could only describe as the hold of death itself. Ansgar, seeing through her bonded's eyes and realizing that there was no danger, slowed her descent; she coasted into the mouth of the cave, skimmed along the ceiling, and landed silently upon the girl's haunches to glare at the imposing stallion who had entered. Despite the dear that had accompanied the stallion's entry, the princess found she could not part with the confidence that Erebos had instilled in her - she raised her head defiantly, regarding the shadow-king with a wary (only slightly terrified) gaze. "Själ," she responded, proud to find that her voice did not shake. And then, because it seemed important: "Daughter of Psyche the DarkEmpress."

"Speak."
--Ansgar.--