While Will and Sarah were 'sleeping', Sera went with Kastral to see a new arrival for their group.
When they were fighting the Colossal Sea Devourer, there was another fight happening in their camp, on a much smaller scale... One of the eggs finally hatched.
Kastral led her, Bea and Vicky to see the new baby hippogryph.
Near a few broken eggshells stood a very small hippogryph on shaking legs. Her feathers were a beautiful mix of light and dark brown, inherited from her parents. They were currently standing behind her, and let nobody get too close.
When Vicky tried to grab the little baby, Bea quickly stopped her before something bad happened. .net
Sera was grinning from ear to ear as she turned towards Kastral and asked with excitement, "What's her name?"
The voice that answered wasn't as happy, but more proud and wary.
"They haven't given her a name yet... They were waiting for their leader..."
She turned her head in confusion not understanding his meaning.
"Then what are you waiting for? Go ahead and name her already. Why are you staring at me?"
The face that Kastral was making seemed to say 'Are you serious?' He also made a sound that could be interpreted as a sigh.
"Why would I need to name her? Since when am I the leader of this group? We always follow your orders, and also I'm your mount which heavily implies a hierarchy in our relationship..."
"Fine-fine, I get it!" *sigh* Sera stayed silent as she thought of a good name for the baby.
'What would be a great name for her... I could name her after someone I lost, like my mother... What was her name again?... I-I can't remember... H-how could I forget her name?!'
Her breathing became faster and faster as she started to panic, but suddenly it all went away. She didn't find this missing information weird anymore and instead thought of a name for the baby.
"I think her name should be Memento. It means remember in an ancient language, and that is the most important for us to do, not forgetting our past and future..." What she said didn't seem to convince her. The tone in which she spoke was more like, trying to make herself believe that that's the meaning behind the name...
While keeping her thoughts away from the real message behind the name... Remember!
No one noticed anything strange about her or the name, and soon little Memento was playing with Vicky. It didn't matter how hard the parents tried to dissuade their youngling, she always found a way to go against their will, and reluctantly they let her.
"Watch! Scan!" Was all that could be heard from her voice which got swept away by the sound of the wind.
"Scanning complete... Classification: Stellar... Name: Amygdala... Suggestion: Avoid... Look at her... She is so beautiful...
Bask in her glory... Open your eyes, Seraphine... Don't you want to see my magnificent self?..."
Said the Watch inside her head, and some doubt appeared in her mind for some reason.
'Maybe I should open my eyes... I do want to see how she looks... She must be extraordinarily breathtaking judging by that magical voice inside my head...'
"Yes! Open your eyes and let's feast... I'm so hungry, I haven't met a tasty meal like you in a long time!... All that potential and strength, what joy that we meet!"
The flying speed of Kastral changed into a hover as they floated in the air. Both of their eyes gradually opened and instantly blood came pouring out of everywhere on their faces, like their whole being was rejecting the sight they saw... Which was weird because there was nothing in the air, just a very attractive young woman.
Her black hair seemed to disobey gravity as it flew around her, each strand was twice the length of her body. And how alluring that body was... She wore no clothes and instead strands of hair kept the most enticing parts of her body hidden, always teasing but never revealing.
She took step after step on empty air, until she was only a few meters away from them. Neither could look away from the beauty that brought only fear with her.
"Oh how pretty you are! I have to say from woman to woman you are the best looking one I have seen, well after myself of course! Maybe I will use your face next time!... It would be funny to use your form while I kill your friends wouldn't it?"
Sera had no way of responding since her very soul was paralyzed by sheer terror, and unlike the last time she felt something similar, she didn't pass out. Amygdala waited for her to respond, but soon realized that it won't happen. After sighing and rolling her eyes she made a hand movement that elevated some of her fear.
"So Serapihne, what do you say? Wanna kill some innocent people?"
Unlike anything Amygdala imagined for Sera's reaction to be, she wasn't prepared for laughter as an option. She turned her head sideways in confusion, the first thing she thought of was that Sera's mind broke from the fear... But soon she understood her mistake.
Around Sera a lot of little specks of light appeared weaving her armor and crown into existence. It gave her a lot of mental and soul protection, but they can only work while Amygdala wasn't using most of her power. The crown also gave her the ability to inspire Kastral, and get him moving again.
But the most important part and what truly stunned Amygdala was Sera's anger. It caused some fear to appear in her heart, it was very small and fully ignorable for any creatures... Except Amygdala.
She was the literal embodiment of fear, her whole nature revolved around it. But feeling fear even this small amount was something that nothing bellow ethereal can cause to her.
As Kastral was speeding away with Sera on his back, there was that sound again. Only now did she realize what it actually was. Not a scream of pain, or anger... It was laughter...
Fear itself was laughing, because there was something small that made her feel the very emotion she brought to the world... Terror.