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Amaya

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She'd ventured through two of them at this point, having been met with various and unsettling situations and imagery that left her either speechless or concerned for her life.

Two caves.

It was early morning, and after her standard ritual of breakfast, a lap around the territory, and a solemn prayer to the Five, she found herself drawn once again to the eerie green glow of the unknown. Valeska stood at its foreboding entrance, squinting into the murky depths as she puzzled over whatever purpose these great caverns were meant to serve.

Houtu had protected her so far.

She must know.

Valeska huffed, steeled herself, and trotted inside for the final time.

In a matter of seconds, the walls of the cave had shifted entirely and the High Priestess found herself presented with a vast lake stretching nearly a mile across, showing no other way to the other side apart from swimming its length.

She frowned.

Fool me once, she said warily, Shame upon you. Fool me twice, shame upon me.

The water seemed to burble in response.

If I must.

Standing at the water's edge, Valeska sighed. The cave had been clever this time. There wasn't a single inch of land around the lake as water lapped mockingly against high, sheer-rock walls on every side, save for where the she-wolf now stood and the promising other end of it.

She was deep in the throes of contemplation as she pondered her next move, of which there were only two options: take the shorter route plunging straight ahead and swimming like her life depended on it for the better part of a mile, or stick to what she presumed to be the shallower, safer outer edges and take twice as long. Gods only knew what lurked beneath the surface farther out, but...

A harrowing half-wail of the damned pierced through the veil of silence, sending an electric jolt up her spine that just as quickly abated as she recognized it to be her daughter's voice from somewhere far behind.

Amaya!

My dearest! she called out affectionately into the void, Come, I am straight ahead.

Valeska turned to face from whence she came, squinting into the darkness as she struggled to parse Amaya's figure from the rest of the pitch-black - a foolish endeavor.

What are you doing here? she asked, taking on a stern, motherly tone. You should be more careful than to stick your nose in cursed holes in the ground.

Typical teenager.

Something dark and foul slithered out of the darkness ahead, and Valeska knew it to be her child. Amaya's acrid stench heralded her arrival well before she herself appeared; it was unmistakable, and remained a point of contention for the much tidier she-wolf. How unfortunate the girl had inherited Amaranth's aversion to water - and taken it to a far greater extreme.

The pitch-furred adolescent croaked out a protest, thoughtfully drawing her mother's attention to her own presence in the cursed hole-in-the-ground. Her nose wrinkled.

I am your mother, she said matter-of-factly, And I am on an holy mission to divine the purpose of these caves.

Shifting her gaze out toward the expansive lake, Valeska frowned.

The Five call for us to reach the other side.

She looked back toward her daughter. Amaya blinked back at her, eyes oddly out of sync as they seemed to operate independently of each other, one eyelid closing at a time. It was almost lizard-like.

The way back is closed, Valeska continued. Are you prepared to do what must be done?

Would this be it? Would this be the day? Would her child at last touch liquid that was not from a stinking tar pit?

Far removed from this plane of existence, somewhere out amongst the vast starry skies drifting beyond galaxies immeasurable, Houtu shuddered.

It was with a healthy curiosity and cheerful patience Valeska observed her daughter gathering up and flinging out a cluster of bones before her. An aura of excitement buzzed about the girl as they clattered noisily against the stone, something the High Priestess mistook for vibrant enthusiasm toward facing the test that lay ahead.

The lake glimmered faintly in the darkness, illuminated by whatever mysterious light source lent its power.

It smelled positively delightful.

Alright, my dear; put your toys away, she said cheerfully, moving to Amaya's side with frightening speed. Her paws hardly seemed to lift off the ground, but suddenly she was there, lips positioned close to the girl's ear as her warm breath rustled the delicate hair within. It is time.

Although the pair were of a similar height - neither was particularly gifted with the long, graceful limbs Amaranth sported - Valeska was a great deal more squat, thick with muscle and a particular plumpness that spoke of many late-night snacks wolfed in secret.

By contrast, Amaya was a leaf in the wind.

Valeska lifted a paw and gave her a merry whallop across the rump.

Amaranth fears the water, she said, But you are of my blood, and Harper is an excellent swimmer. Now: straight across, or would you prefer to circle the edge?

Mistaking her daughter's distress for cries of barely-restrained enthusiasm, Valeska's tail wagged cheerfully as Amaya tried to take a step backward and was instead met with the comforting pressure of stone. It had absolutely moved. It was helping! Pushing them along toward the right path, reassuring them that this was, in fact, divine providence at work - and providence had provided them a most luxurious bath in the process.

Valeska's nostrils flared as she inhaled the sweet scent that stretched before them.

I know, she said jubilantly in response to Amaya's howl, I also cannot wait!

It was with great vigor and a horrible splashing that the silver wolf plunged into the water, likely spraying her cowering daughter in the process. She paddled around in a few tight circles, breathing a relieved sigh as she felt the warmth of the lake seeping into her tired, middle-aged bones. Her muscles felt soothed already, as if soaked in an Epsom salt bath, if she'd ever known what that was.

Perhaps this cave was a good one.

It is lovely, she said, beckoning Amaya to join her.

Come! Do not prolong your joyful anticipation!

Valeska playfully sent a large splash of water toward the girl, completely unaware of the hell she was so flippantly unleashing upon her.