Ceti pressed her lips together, a visible tension seizing her features as she gathered her thoughts under the curious eyes of both Rowena and Asher.
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she stepped forward, her expression fraught with concern.
"Because nothing good has ever co out of using such dangerous things. We can learn from history how so many powerful people and kingdoms had fallen because they took advantage of the wrong thing," she explained, her voice laced with a sincere worry that made Asher frown slightly in contemplation.
Asher, feeling Ceti was worrying too much, began to shake his head dismissively, "Ceti, you don't have to worry—"
"I am seeing nightmares again," Ceti abruptly cut him off, her admission hanging heavily in the air. The sudden seriousness of her tone made Asher and Rowena exchange a glance, a silent communication of concern.
"Is it Luna? Is she making you see visions of the future again?" Rowena's voice was calm yet sharp, her brow furrowed in worry for Ceti and for what it might an for their kingdom.
Ceti's heart tightened under the gaze of their anxious eyes. She hesitated, torn between revealing the full extent of her visions and sparing them from undue worry. How can she tell Rowena that she saw their kingdom getting reduced to ashes? What if she believes it and does sothing drastic?
How can she tell Asher that he might have caused the destruction of their kingdom inadvertently? What if he does sothing extre out of guilt and fear of the future?
She had never felt so troubled and wished she was free of the burden of the future.
She wished that this woman nad 'Luna' within her would just leave her alone instead of tornting her with the future.
Finally, she sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor as she admitted, "I can't rember everything. But what I know is I didn't see good things surrounding us. But we now have the choice to make sure nothing bad won't happen and it starts with not ddling with things we shouldn't. I think that is what Luna wanted to convey to ..." She raised her eyes to et Asher's, "...to you."
She felt that if she could prevent Asher from doing or using anything that could potentially destroy their kingdom, even if he would never intend to, then things may not turn out bad.
Asher's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with thoughts of power, risk, and responsibility, "So...if it's that bad, why would your...the Moon Guardian want the key so badly? I am sure it's not because he wants to destroy himself or his people. Even if he is the strongest now, he is a mortal like us, and if he is planning to take advantage of such a powerful weapon, why can't I once I learn how to? Should we really sit still if the worst cos to worst?"
"Asher..." Ceti's voice trailed off, her argunt faltering under the weight of his intense gaze and pointed questions. She didn't know what to say, especially when he put it like that.
"Then unless there is no other choice and we are at our wits end, promise us that you won't think of using the key for anything else," Rowena steeped in as she implored, her tone firm yet pleading, hoping to sway him from a path that could lead to untold destruction.
Asher, feeling the weight of Rowena and Ceti's concerns, let out a deep sigh. His nod ca slowly,"Okay...If it makes you two feel at ease, I won't even think of the Void Reaver as a weapon to be used but sothing that exists only to protect our kingdom."
Relief washed over Rowena and Ceti's faces, their tense features softening as they absorbed his promise.
Asher knew he wasn't so lone wolf who could do as he pleased and that he needed to consider the feelings of his loved ones as well even if it ant going against his thoughts.
After the intense discussion, Asher and Ceti stepped out of the darkened cove, leaving Rowena to her duties as she took flight towards the castle, her silhouette a swift shadow against the sky.
anwhile, by the sea, Lori's coils relaxed on the sandy shore as she proudly let her head hover over her junior to talk to her, "SssssKrakie, if you want to teach you how to transform your body size, there's a small ntor's fee, ohuhu," Lori proposed, a smirk playing across her serpent face.
"Kwwww…" Callisa, caught between eagerness to learn and anxiety about this 'small ntor's fee,' clacked her giant pincers together slowly but nervously. However, Lori seed unfazed by Callisa's plea, "Sssssno begging allowed. Nothing in this world is for free, Krakie. Consider this a lesson from this wise senior who has traveled across the world and seen all sorts of stuff you can't even imagine." Lori observed her youthful indecision with amusent, already plotting to bull-'coax' this adolescent Kraken into building her a cozy but big residence as paynt.
It was not like she could ask that gentle faced but smart fish princess who was also that brat's consort.
However, she knew it was impossible for a Kraken like her to transform her body size. But...it was not like she said it would work.
"Koooooo!!" Suddenly, Callisa emitted a long, warm wl, her attention captured by a figure approaching from the distance. Her colossal body surged forward, the ground trembling under her weight as she moved toward Asher, who walked with an open, welcoming smile.
"Ssssshey! Are you sssseriously ignoring your senior's kind offer?" Lori called out, perturbed by Callisa's abrupt departure. She twisted her head around just in ti to see Asher greeting Callisa with familiar warmth, making her surprised to see that this brat was capable of smiling like that.
But Lori's eyes suddenly froze as she spotted another figure beside Asher, a red-skinned woman with tied-up red hair and dark blue eyes smiling warmly at the scene. A surge of cold hostility radiated from Lori while her body coiled up together with strong tension.
Ceti, feeling the unmistakable wave of killing intent, turned sharply towards the direction it ca from. Her eyes widened and her heart raced as she t this giant serpent's chilling, dark purple eyes.
"Asher..." Ceti's voice was tense, laced with a mix of warning, confusion, and fear.
Asher, who had been casually patting Callisa's pincer, froze. His warm deanor faltered as he followed Ceti's gaze to Lori, who was now aggressively slithering towards Ceti, her hiss loud and threatening, her mouth agape to reveal terrifying, dagger-like teeth.
Onlookers from afar held their breath in terror, fearing that the Dreadspine Serpent had gone rogue and was about to attack their king.
"Lori, stop!" Asher's sharp command cut through the tension, his voice a beacon of authority as he physically positioned himself between the advancing Lori and a visibly shaken Ceti. "That's enough," he bellowed, raising his hands to make sure Lori snaps out of it.
Lori, halting her charge abruptly, didn't conceal her venomous disdain, "Ssssbrat, move! She is from the Moonbinder Clan...isn't she? Why are you keeping a moonfiend like her beside you??" Her hiss was low and threatening, the anger in her eyes unmistakable as she glared past Asher at Ceti.
Ceti was feeling confused by why such a powerful serpent wanted to kill her this badly when she had never t it before in her life.
Asher didn't know if he should be surprised that Lori seed to know Ceti's background, but he was relieved that she didn't know Ceti was the Moon Guardian's granddaughter. For obvious reasons, she can never know that.
"Her background might be connected to the Moonbinder Clan, but she isn't part of that clan anymore. She is now a Bloodburner like and any other people in this kingdom. So stand down. I can't let you attack one of my own," Asher declared firmly with a serious face.
Callisa, sensing the gravity of the situation, moved her colossal form to further barricade Lori's path. Her massive pincers and imposing stance echoed Asher's command, her beady eyes shining with a fierce loyalty.
"You twossssss...." Lori spat out, clearly frustrated at being thwarted by both Asher and Callisa. Her tail flicked angrily in the sand, sending large clouds of dust into the air.
She had forgotten that this moonfiend had taken refuge in the Bloodburn Kingdom. How could she forget that until now? But what irked her even more was how this brat and everyone seed to tolerate or worse, accept her presence here.
From the sea, Isola erged, her expression fraught with concern over the unfolding scene.
She exhaled a quiet sigh of relief upon seeing Asher taking control, yet her eyes remained cautious and watchful to understand what was going on.
Lori, feeling hurt and perhaps recognizing the futility of her aggression, let out a final, disgruntled hiss, "You have no idea who or what you are breeding beside you. You will regret it one day, sssss...." With those parting words, she turned and slithered away, her departure marked by the smooth, powerful undulations of her body across the sand.
Ceti, still reeling from the shock and the harsh glare of hostility, looked to Asher for explanations, "Asher, what is—" she began, her voice tremulous.
"Don't worry about it. It's not really because of you but your bloodline," Asher reassured her with a gentle smile, trying to alleviate the sudden strain, "I will go and talk to her," he promised, then turned to Callisa and patted her large pincer affectionately, "Callisa, co on. Let's talk so sense into your senior."
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