Sun Mote Copse red breath

they gathered, small disciples under molech's watchful eye. arunik'ra turned her gaze to the whirling orbit of puppies, no trace of pity lacing her eyes. as she had said to asherah -- they were the lucky ones.

to never know pain.

to never know the dull ache of hunger.

to never fear, or experience heartbreak.

they would only know molech's light in their short lives.

as eshamun grabbed the first arunik'ra extended her muzzle to the pup's twitching form, placing a glistening nose on the pup's wrinkled brow. she murmured a few words in the old tongue, an incantation she had learned from ashtorath. the words left her lips softly, foreign to all save for her and eshamun -- and as the river gently lolled besides them arunik'ra grappled the second puppy between her teeth and waded into the shallows with purpose.

she lowered her head to the rushing waters and the pup squirmed with the new sensation, a dull squall rising over the rush of the river. for a moment the white froth of the river rapidly speared past the pup -- divergent streams of rime and alabaster foam. arunik'ra then pushed her entire muzzle underwater, placing a paw on the pup's small chest as it squirmed wildly and silenty between sand and riverstones.

"may molech's spark guide you," she said grimly, watching the tranquil river's surface that spoke nothing of the turmoil below.