Ankyra Sound because i believe in you more than i ever believed in me.

since the event will be over in 2 days (!!) i wanted to chuck this in for caiaphas' last hurrah.

and i have something to show you. follow me.

caiaphas did not wait for @Astera to confirm before she turned down a tunnel bathed in dust. it had not been traversed in some time, but caiaphas knew every network in the grotto, and it lead them to an open cavern.

at its center was a bright blue pool which sent lights of wavering cerulean dancing along the distant walls.

and there along its rough edge was a sodden form crumpled in exhaustion.

!!!

Caiaphas had something to show her. Astera followed the spirit through the halls of the grotto. As they approached the flickering pool, the dark walls were illuminated by specks of aqua blue. Truly beautiful. 

But this wasn't what she had wanted to show, was it? Seeing a soaked, crumpled form ahead, Astera a rushed forward. 

Could it be?

it’d taken days for miette to give up all hope. she’d tried in every way to scale the drop she’d jumped down — but the tunnel’s face was too steep, and her stature too short.

what was an easy jump for a full grown wolf or a tall yearling was insurmountable for short sobeille dahomey-riviani. the irony was that this embankment had served as a natural baby-gate for caiaphas’ only litter. now, it sealed in caiaphas’ great granddaughter.

miette cursed the stones. she cursed caiaphas. she cursed the grotto and its loa. and finally, she cursed her own stupidity, falling to bitter sleep.

she woke to the sound of footsteps. unfurling slowly, miette blinked as the shape of her friend seemed to materialize from the cave walls.

astera?

last from me <3

when caiaphas passed off her jade-stone, she felt whatever tether held her here break. a thousand golden chains within the spectral sphere splintered one by one, unmooring her from her terrestrial plane.

this was it. she breathed deep, leading astera to the ridge where the tunnel opened into the ceremonial room. by astera's height, caiaphas knew she would not be handicapped in escaping. and now, that the two little girls had been reunited, she knew she had no further reason to stay.

it was strange to embrace the void again.

caiaphas felt another beam splinter. looking down at her limbs, she saw them fading. her vision was pulling in -- a vintage black framed her sight as she looked from thinning legs to tail.

another beam snapped.

come to me, light, caiaphas grit her teeth. the last thing the falcon yellow of her gaze beheld was astera and miette in a bear-hug. somehow, she was alright closing her eyes forever --

knowing that they'd be okay.

Sobeille? A shocked, relieved cry escaped her, as Astera took a step into the pool that contained her. It was just low enough for her to climb over.

Miette was here. Miette was alive. Miette was safe.

The pale girl turned to the quickly fading Caiaphas. Thank you.

The spirit faded away. For a few moments, she kept her gaze fixated on the now empty spot, before turning to assist Miette in climbing the tunnel.

exhausted beyond hope, it took miette several seconds to register that astera was real. at first, she assumed it was just another ghostly figment like the sea-witch -- but when she felt strong arms lift her from her sodden retreat, she was pulled into the world of the wakeful.

astera! miette cried, throwing her limbs around her friend in a fierce hug. you came for me.

For once, Astera was at a loss for words. She continued holding onto Miette as the latter hugged her. 

Even when Miette spoke, she new that it was Caiaphas that was to be thanked. 

Let's go home, Miette. Home. What was home? But right now, she long for the Dragoncrest cliffs and the wolves that made their home among them.

Picking up the slab of jadestone, she led Miette out of the grotto.

But before climbing the cliffs, she headed towards the beach.

Last from me!

when miette pulled from astera's embrace, something had changed.

the walls lost their shimmer. the cavern was empty. the pair of yellow eyes that had been her only company these past days had faded.

the sea witch was gone.

goodbye, loa. miette whispered to the grotto's heart. she fancied she heard the sea answer in a sigh.

but now came time to escape this cave. using astera's shoulders as a stepping stool, miette was able to clamber the lip of the tunnel, and then pull her sister through.

the pair broke from the grotto's hearth in tandem, the blinding light of the outside world enveloping them as they made for home.