Two Eyes Cenote Typhlopidae

@Qiao & @Riot <3

The gilded halls are unnaturally quiet with the fleet footed lopes of boy and coywolf, while internally the hebsut lashes, floodgates undammed and pouring out terror. Muggy air thrashes across her face, flora mingling with the thick scent of bedrock that spills from the entryway of the hemet’s lodging.

The image of the forked tail burns, drifting through dark waters while its master sank. A soul stolen to forever walk the underworld, written with Muat-riya’s name.

“Qiao!” A rupturing call, retching with fear and fury.

shuffling past the threshold that marked her lean room, qiao eased her old bones into the luxurious warmth of fawnsilk. these rubes did something right — they arranged comfort into every facet of daily living. she would miss being so spoiled. 

tomorrow; tomorrow she will find the surviving boy and inform him that now, his future had only two paths. and he must choose which fork to travel. 

that twilight world of deep sleep slipped over her, exhaustion making its advancement rapid — up until a bellow shook the tranquility of her room. 

she sat up stiffly, the luxurious peltskins tenting around her age-ravaged body. could she not sleep? so confident was she that there had been no witnesses, so calloused in her experience with such things that she does not even consider eset is here on the ritual’s behalf. 

what? her tone snippety and irritated, the priestess‘ olive eyes peer with annoyance around the red arm of her door frame.

sorry to hold this up! please skip until acknowledged

a woman’s voice slices through the heat.
qiao lay asleep not far from him, and stirred at the sound. he too had been asleep, but found an overwhelming sense of doom prohibited him from getting any rest. his sleep was shallow and comfortless.
despite his insomnia, he knew that depriving qiao of sleep—and perhaps, anything she felt entitled to—would lead to a fierce rebuke. the boy is keen to stay out of her warpath.
he shrinks into the darkness of a corner and watches the scene unfold.

She scarcely recognized Qiao’s molten figure among the bedfurs, her eyes searching first for the boy near the foot of the hemet’s pelts before she staggered further into the bedchamber.

“Your ward is– gone,” Eset reveals quickly, knowing that delicate speech was in vain. The child had seen all she had and was a possible witness to more of what occurred. It still pained too much to speak such horror into existence for his ears.

The hebsut sidesteps, paws landing near the cub in his cover of shadows, eyes fixed on the unyielding green of Qiao’s gaze. She did not see how the hemet’s very eyes changed inexplicably in the redlight.

“I need to speak with the boy.”

blinking owlishly, qiao stepped aside expecting inquisition. as eset breezed into the room, the scent of coldspring waters and night seeped in. she prepared her defense --

the boy? she looked to the child. he'd cloistered himself into one of the darker corners of the room, his eyes watchful and wide. surely, he wouldn't dare.

what do you mean, gone? qiao motioned the boy to rise, the perfect image of perfunctory concern and obeisance -- if a little ruffled and tired.

skipping riot since he’s currently inactive, but feel free to jump back in at any time if you like <3 maybe we bts an end for this?

“There’s been an– accident. He was terribly harmed,” and if the choking of the hebsut’s voice did not convey to what severity, the rise of silver tears would. Eset rubs them from her cheeks with the back of a wrist and takes a soft step towards the child.

“Will you come with me?” She asks the frightened boy, kneeling beside him so their eyes are level, a hand coaxing with tender slowness.

the overworld worked in strange ways, not only disguising qiao’s unspeakable act, but redirecting suspicion elsewhere. qiao knew better than to question too closely. 

she stepped back and allowed eset full rein of the room — feigning a deep sense of concern and confusion. 

accident? qiao voiced quietly as eset bent down alongside riot. with her back turned, she could not see the coldness that slithered between the serpent green of qiao’s eyes. come along @Riot — qiao urged to the cornered boy, her expression briefly forbidding as she motioned him awake. 

he best keep his tongue, the look communicated — or he may end up in the same murky water as his ill-fated brother.

just tagging so u see the ref <3 im good w a bts conclusion if u guys are. sry I was so slow!!