[Parasitic Rat]

Dropping!
As much as I want them, I kind of lost a connection. Therefor, I am dropping.
Good luck to everyone, though, and future congrats to the winner!

[grifforik]

XD Sorry guys! Buuut I wanted to post it early enough in the month that you can decide to try for a different viscet if you find one you like more

[Softballpup12]

O.o yup. I'm doing this!

[~Trompy]

Well, I hate to drop out but, I have lost my connection and direction with the character and the stories I was writing xD I can use them somewhere else. Good luck to everyone!!!

[Individuality]

Username: Individuality
Name:
Gender:
Gender for breeding purposes:
Personality: (Needs to be over 200 words at least)
Friend story: (Need at least 2 friends)

Mark!!

[✦ nemuri]

dropping out due to lack of connection, inspiration and general anxiety; good luck to those entering.

[Firedancer77]

mark oops

[cyberdragon725]

Username: cyberdragon725
Name: Rogue
Gender: Female
Gender for breeding purposes: Female
Personality: (Needs to be over 200 words at least)
Friend story: (Need at least 2 friends)
-Pallas
-Asher

Res....

[ShimmerSolarPets]

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Username: ShimmerSolarPets
Name: Noretha
Gender: Female
Gender for breeding: Female

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Noretha is a spirit of Death.xxxx
Her task is to eradicate
anomalies, creatures of
Life and Death that are not
supposed to exist in any world.
Death allowed her a second
chance to live just for this
purpose. She was given the
Staff of Erasure; a staff with
the power to erase things from
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Outside: Cold, ruthless, determined, blunt
Inside: Kind, conflicted, sly

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Noretha is, at first glance, cold and distant. She can come off as a bit untrusting at first, but she is actually one to
easily warm up to others. Noretha tries to keep an emotionless ploy most of the time. She has been told that she
doesn't have a metaphorical heart, and she tries to act the part. Noretha can be quite blunt. She says things like they
are, and tends to not care about hurting others' feelings. She quite firmly believes that she cannot feel any emotions
for real, and all of the things that she is "feeling" are just lies constructed of her memories back before she died.
Noretha occasionally misses the days when she could spend time with her wizard brother without a care in the world,
though she knows that those days are long gone now. Noretha now does her work with the absolute seriousness.
Unlike other minions, who were chosen by Death to do their parts, Noretha had begged Death for this chance. Now
that she got the chance to strike vengeance upon those wretched anomalies, she isn't going to let it go to waste.
Noretha is a vengeful being. Cross her, and you'll be sorry. She might think that she does not have a heart, but she
is fully aware that she has a brain. Noretha is ruthless when it comes to most anomalies, erasing them from existence
without the slightest feeling of guilt. She firmly believed that anomalies are nothing but broken, soulless creatures
that had but one instinct: to destroy. She also believed that the world would be better off without them. At least,
until she met Lithos. Noretha is also sly. If one way doesn't work, her cunning brain would think up of a lot of
other ways to do her job. Despite Death asserting that she doesn't have a heart, Noretha actually does possess one.
Death couldn't take away her heart from her, because that would mean taking away her determination to
exterminate anomalies. Death just told her she didn't have one to prevent Noretha from feeling guilt. Noretha
can be quite prone to forming attachments under situations where she feels confused and lost. And once you
gain her trust, you'll find a friendly, kind being who would treat you with the utmost respect and care.

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by ShimmerSolarPets

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Noretha's weapon is the legendary Staff of Erasure. She is the only spirit of Death entrusted with this weapon. It is a long staff carved out of wood with a crystal clear orb on one end. Noretha can summon this staff anytime she wanted with her horn, which was given to her by Death. The staff would disappear and reappear in her paws in a shower of light. Even if Noretha accidentally left the staff somewhere, she could still call it forth with her unicorn horn. Despite this, however, there is a catch. Noretha's staff is connected to her horn. If, for some reason, her horn's magical flow is blocked (for instance, if somebody was to put a sock on top of her horn and tie it tightly with a rubber band or something), Noretha cannot call her Staff of Erasure. This is why Noretha has made it a habit to make her staff vanish after using it. Nobody can steal it if it has vanished, but it can still be stolen and used by somebody who knows how to use it if Noretha didn't get a chance to make the staff disappear after use. The Staff of Erasure is a dangerous weapon, and as such, Noretha was asked to guard it carefully. The staff can be used to put any being out of existence. It can be used to destroy anything, from anomalies to entire worlds. However, the "Erasure" part of the Staff of Erasure is a misnomer. Anything that is blasted with the staff will be sent to the Void or Oblivion, a void of nonexistence in between worlds. Most of the time, however, the force of the blast is so great that it shatters a being altogether and scatters the pieces throughout the Void, never to be able to gather again. The Staff of Erasure can also open a path to the Void, but it cannot open a path back to the real world. Noretha has been instructed to carefully guard this staff. Should it fall into the wrong hands, the result can be catastrophic. Death has only allowed Noretha to use it on anomalies. Anomalies are beings that are not supposed to exist in any world. They are mistakes; undesired byproducts of Life and Death's actions. Anomalies are grouped into two categories: anomalies of Life and anomalies of Death. Anomalies of Death are more common, but usually, anomalies of Life are more dangerous. It is not to say that anomalies of Death are not dangerous, though, for Keira is an anomaly of Death. Anomalies of Life are usually created as a byproduct of Life creating a powerful being (an example of an anomaly of Life is Lithos). They are unpredictable, and usually possess great powers. Anomalies of Death used to be mortals, but minions of Death sometimes make a mistake in reaping their souls. This results in the creation of an anomaly, and most of them retain memories of their past lives. Both kinds endanger the balance of worlds, so Noretha is tasked with wiping them out.

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➸ Achlys |✘| Best Friend
Achlys is Noretha's best friend in this new life as a worker for Death. As Noretha was killed by Keira in a winter, Achlys had been sent to collect her soul. She also took her to see Death, as Noretha had been a bit annoying then. Death had asked to look after Noretha and teach her how things work for workers of Death. Since then, Noretha and Achlys had somehow developed a close bond, despite how strange it seemed. Noretha was grateful to Achlys for being nice towards her. Every time after they finished their respective jobs, they had agreed to meet each other at some place in the mortal realm. They would often share local mortal treats, whilst chatting about random stuff and laughing about the weirdest things. Noretha and Achlys were both told about Noretha's lack of heart, but Achlys never really believed it. Noretha, on the other hand, thought that Achlys was just stirring up her memories of a heart. Despite that, Noretha still liked and trusted Achlys. Achlys is her closest confidante, and whenever Noretha would feel conflicted or confused about something, she would tell Achlys. However, one thing she never told Achlys was her job. Death had expressly told her that nobody was allowed to know about her real job, not even other minions of Death.

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➸ Lithos |✘| Friend / Crush
Lithos... This Viscet succeeded in making Noretha feel more confused than she had ever felt before. Noretha came across this anomaly one day when trying to track down Keira. He spoke in a surprisingly comical and courteous way. Noretha failed to erase him from existence. His power was surprisingly great. Despite the fact that she had tried to destroy him, Lithos forgave her and acted kindly towards her. Noretha decided that she should spy on him for the perfect opportunity to strike him and Keira down. It was the perfect plan... until it was put in jeopardy by the actions of Lithos. As Noretha spied on him and pretended to be another traveler who sought refuge in his forest, she saw that Lithos was completely the opposite of what she always thought of anomalies. Noretha had always believed that anomalies were soulless parasites that were never supposed to exist. She always thought that anomalies had but one instinct: to destroy the balance of the world. Yet, Lithos was kind, intelligent, and more generous than a lot of people she'd met before. Noretha also saw how Keira acted around Lithos. How such a horrifyingly evil thing such as her could act like an innocent, adoring child around Lithos. Over time, Noretha, too, felt drawn to Lithos. The feelings she felt for him completely befuddled her. She didn't have a heart, how could she feel such things for an anomaly? Was everything she believed in... a lie?

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➸ Keira |✘| Nemesis
Keira is the entire reason of Noretha's existence. She despises this Viscling with a passion, which caused her to hate all anomalies. Noretha deeply wants revenge on this Viscling, and is hunting her down. She finds it hard to believe that ANYONE would love this demented, murderous child and set her free from the egg prison that her brother had forged for her after Noretha's death. Noretha managed to locate her current location: in a forest filled with mysteries and weird quirks. Many mortals claimed the forest to be haunted, some mortals even never returning from within the forest. Some mortals were said to even run out of the forest, crying out loud. Noretha caught a glimpse of the dark leopard-spotted Viscling, and went to pursue her. However, her attempts were jeopardized by Lithos, a spirit who also lived in the forest. Noretha spied on Lithos and Keira for the perfect timing to rid the world of their existence, but... Noretha formed an attachment to Lithos. She also saw another side to Keira. An innocent, child-like side. Doubts began to cloud her mind. Was Keira really the monster she thought she was? Or perhaps... beneath the morbid things she had done, was she really just a victim of fate, taken from her life far too soon?

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░░░░ The Demon ░░░░
▬▬▬▬▬ ( ✿ ) ▬▬▬▬▬

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How? Just, how could she have gotten herself killed by that monster?

The darkness enveloped her. It felt so spacious and empty, yet also so narrow that it seemed like it was about to suffocate her. The female Viscet recalled the burst of great pain in her chest as the wretched demon struck her with her knife. She'd fallen to the cold, hard ground, choking and gasping for breath at the Viscling's paws. The demented face of the Viscling was forever burnt into her mind. Her sadistic orange eyes, her insane toothy grin... The Viscling's sparkly red mane flashed before her. The female had struggled hard to take in more gulps of air. She would be fine as soon as her brother found her, she knew it. Her brother and herself... They'd gone to find this one child who had been terrorizing hundreds of mortals by her savage actions. Yet now, it was she who had fallen into the monster's trap. The pain had clouded her vision, but as everything else blurred around her, the Viscling's cruel face remained clear and focused towards her. "H-how..." the female Viscet had choked out. Her reddish eyes glistened with agony, but she glared at the Viscling with unyielding determination. The Viscling continued to grin down at her, the knife in her mouth stained with crimson.

"That's how the world works," the demonic child had said. "In this world, you'll be killed... if you don't kill."

The last thing the female Viscet heard was rushed pawsteps, running towards her. A small smile spread across her face. She could recognize those pawsteps anywhere. Her brother was coming. But, it looked like it was too late for herself... "Brother... You can do this," she whispered to herself as she took her last breath. Then, her body went limp and the world gave way to darkness.

In the middle of the darkness, she saw a warm light in the distance. It was warm, and bright... It was so comforting. Seeing that light reminded her of the times she and her brother shared next to the fireplace, laughing their worries away. A smile crept onto the Viscet's face as her paw reached towards the light. The light came closer and closer towards her. A figure was outlined by the light. Only upon closer inspection did she see that it was a Viscet carrying a staff with a lantern hanging from it. The Viscet stepped backwards a little. The Viscet had a smile on her face, but her body... was melting. Literally. It was as if she was made out of snow, and clumps of goopy snow melted away from her body and sank through the darkness. Yet, the clumps always regrew. It was a fascinating cycle, and the female Viscet never saw another Viscet like her. Her yellow eyes sized the female Viscet up.
"So... The unlucky Viscet who got killed by that anomaly, huh?" the goopy Viscet said.
"Anomaly?" the female asked.
"Yeah. I've recently had to work outside of my usual shifts to clean up the messes that anomaly brought," the goopy one replied. "Anomalies are beings that are not supposed to exist. 'Mistakes', you may call them. But, they can bring a LOT of trouble."
"Wh-where am I?"
"You're dead."
The goopy Viscet said it with such a flat tone that the female Viscet couldn't help but be surprised. She raised a paw to touch her chest. The wound... it was gone. All of a sudden, the female just wanted to be close to the light of the lantern that the goopy Viscet was bringing. Outside of her will, she moved closer to the lantern. The warmth of the light made her smile again. It was as if... all the good aspects of her life was collected into a single flame that the melting Viscet was carrying inside her lantern. The female wondered who the goopy one was. Sensing the question, the lantern-carrying Viscet stared at the female Viscet straight in the eyes.
"I'm your guide to the realm of the afterlife," she said, her tone surprisingly flat and monotone despite the permanent smile she wore on her face. "I'm Achlys, by the way."
"Achlys," the female softly whispered, letting the word churn around her head for a moment. Achlys turned and started to walk away. The Viscet quickly rushed after Achlys. She didn't want to lose the one guide she had in this dark, miserable place. The light of Achlys's lantern guided her. "Achlys, wait!" she called out.
"C'mon, slowpoke," Achlys scolded in her monotone voice. "I haven't got all day."
"Achlys... I don't want to die yet! Can't I go back?" the female asked, all of a sudden feeling like it was a dumb question to ask as soon as it went out of her mouth. Achlys's smile shifted into a smirk. "Oh, that's what they all say," Achlys said. "Now, c'mon. I'm leading to you to... where you need to go."
"W-wait!" the female called out.
"Jeez, are you serious?" Achlys said, her tone a bit annoyed. Despite it, the smile was still permanently melted into her face. It was as if Achlys could not really alter the expression her melting mouth held. "Listen. Please help me out here. Death, being the oh-so-nice guy he is gave me a pile of work to do today. I don't have time for this! If you want, just settle things with Death himself!"
"Wait, you can do that?" the female said. Achlys put a paw over her melting mouth, the goop on her paw sticking onto her face. However, the added goop instantly melted away. The lantern-carrying Viscet muttered something under her breath. The female Viscet couldn't hear what Achlys was saying, but judging by the annoyed expression brimming around in Achlys's eyes, it was bound to be something not that good. Finally Achlys looked at the Viscet. Her smile altered into a sort of smirk. "You're a stubborn soul, aren't you?" she said, her tone going back to its flat disposition. "Fine... I see the way it is. I'll take you to Death and save myself all the trouble of talking with you."

The female Viscet could not remember what happened next, and she could still no longer remember what exactly happened there. All she could remember was her own words, as well as the sensation she was feeling. Images were blurred, and the voice of the entity she was conversing was muffled in her head. However, as soon as the one named Achlys took her there, she knew that she had come face to face with Death himself. She couldn't recall what he looked like. For all she knew, he might not even have had a form. The female knelt before him and begged for a second chance.
"Please," she pleaded. "Allow me to go back! My brother, he needs me. I need to be by his side to strike that wretched thing down!"
"Your brother's doing fine," Death had spoken. "He has managed to seal that troublesome anomaly within an egg. The curse may only be broken if that egg is shown true love and care."
"Please... He must be so distraught!" the female said. "If you let me go back to life, me and him... we can rid the world of those... what do you call them? Anomalies!"
The two were silent for a while. The female could tell that Death was observing her, and pondering upon something. The female waited. As she did so, she felt a burning rage within her. How could a mistake kill her, a being that was supposed to exist? For a moment, that rage suddenly overwhelmed her desire to see her brother again. If Death gave her a second chance, the female resolved to strike them down, along with her brother. She mustn't allow any anomalies to bring upon others the same fate as she fell into.
"You really want revenge on the anomalies that badly?" Death asked.
"Yes," the female said, without hesitation.
"Well, the thing is... To maintain order, I cannot allow you to go back to life," Death said. The female felt her heart sink at those words. "However..."
The female perked up once more. "What?" she inquired.
"If you really want to strike down those anomalies, I suppose Life and I could use your help... You do want to keep your brother safe, don't you? And you do want to prevent others from experiencing your fate, right?"
The female Viscet was shocked. How could he see directly through her heart? Of course, she was talking to Death himself... The female nodded.
"Well, having you return to your brother wouldn't be much use. You and your brother could only stop them temporarily. However, I can give you a power much greater... The power to wipe them out entirely from this world," Death said.
"Yes. Anything to stop them," the female resolved.
"Really? Even if it means you can't see or talk to your brother ever again?" Death asked. A jolt went through the female's heart. She looked down for a moment, pondering. She was given a chance to walk upon the world once more, yet cannot talk to her brother? But, it was better than to stay in the afterlife and do nothing. If she couldn't interact with her brother, then at least she could keep him safe lurking in the background... "Yes," she said.
"That's good," Death said. Suddenly, pain exploded in her head. The female crumpled, clutching her head. What was happening? Was this the rise of her new power? Or was Death... torturing her or something? However, pretty soon, the pain subsided, and the Viscet found a horn on her head. Magic coursed through her body, and her horn lit up. In a burst of light, a staff appeared in her paw. "From now on, you shall be one of my spirits," he said. "That staff in your paws has the power to rid the world of anomalies. I have also even taken away your heart, so that you may not fall into the traps of those wretched things."
"My heart...?" the female gasped, putting a paw over her chest. As soon as Death had said that, she thought she felt more hollow. However, her resolve strengthened. "How should I begin my job?" she asked.
"I will be sending a comrade to guide you along the way," Death said. "You will now be known as Noretha, the hunter of anomalies. But, remember... Nobody else is to know about your job, not even other spirits of Death. It must stay between us."

Noretha nodded. "Thank you."

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░░░░ My Best Friend ░░░░
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by ShimmerSolarPets

"So, you're officially one of Death's subordinates, eh?"
Noretha looked up to see a familiar goopy figure. Achlys was standing next to the snow-covered boulder she was sitting on. The Viscet smiled down at her, lantern slung over her shoulder. "Well, congratulations!" Achlys said, in a melodramatic sort of tone. For once. Noretha had been beginning to think Achlys couldn't speak in any other tone than her usual bored one. The chilly mountain winds whipped around Noretha's red and white locks of hair. Achlys's presence only made it chillier. Noretha looked up at Achlys, silent.
"What's wrong?" Achlys asked. "Regret the choice of meeting Death?"
"No," Noretha said, her tone serious and cold. "I MADE this choice."
"Oh?" Achlys said. "Well, too bad. After a few years or so, you're gonna wish you just went to the afterlife."
"I won't," Noretha hissed, narrowing her eyes coldly at Achlys. Ever since her heart was taken away (or so she thought), she found it hard to act in any other way. She didn't have any emotions to base her actions off. Or, at least, so Noretha thought. Noretha put a paw up to touch the new appendage that had sprouted from her forehead. A twisted, reddish horn. Shutting her eyes, she tried to focus on her will to bring forth the Staff of Erasure. She felt the power flowing straight into her head, and sparks started shooting forth from her horn. Suddenly, the staff appeared in her hand. Noretha opened her reddish eyes. For once, Achlys seemed surprised. Her yellow eyes widened at the sight of the staff. "Cool stick," Achlys said, in her deadpan voice. "Did Death give you that?"
"Yeah," Noretha said, shortly. A small silence grew between the two. Achlys shuffled her paws awkwardly, leaving a smudge of blue snowy goop on the ground that instantly melded into the snow. "Y'know... Death asked me to show you how things work for us minions," Achlys said. "First off, did Death give you a special assignment?"
Noretha paused. Death told her not to tell anyone about her special task. She was to act like any other soul-reaping minion. She looked up at Achlys, her reddish eyes staring straight into her eyes. "Nope," Noretha said. "Thank you, Achlys, for wanting to show me how things work."
Achlys seemed to be rather taken aback by her words. She looked down, shaking her lantern staff a bit to let the lantern bob up and down and side to side. Then, she looked up again and met Noretha's gaze. "I had orders," Achlys said, her tone as flat as ever. Noretha smiled anyways, though she was still unsure about what to make of the goopy creature. One thing for sure, though. She needed a guide to help her get used to this new job she had.

For the next few days, Achlys and Noretha went around, collecting the souls of people who were about to die. Once they were done, the two always went back to the realm of the dead. The goopy Viscet was a great help to Noretha, for she explained things in a clear way. Despite the cold way Noretha acted towards Achlys in those few days, she secretly appreciated the help of the winter spirit. Achlys had Noretha keep track of stuff using her checklist, to make sure they didn't go over the quota or go underneath it. Achlys had said this was vital to maintain the order of the world, and all of Death's minions had one of those lists. This confused the horned Viscet. All Death gave her was a horn and the ability to summon the Staff of Erasure. He didn't give her a list of any sort. Was she the only one tasked to get rid of anomalies? So... did that mean she could wipe out ALL the anomalies she encountered without harming the balance of the world? If there was one conclusion Noretha could derive from that train of thought, it was that anomalies were not supposed to exist. They're parasites, and they should be wiped off. That was why Death didn't equip her with a heart, after all. No heart meant no mercy.

"Yep, I think we've hit the quota for today." Achlys's deadpan voice broke through Noretha's train of thoughts. The red-and-white-haired Viscet looked at Achlys, who was checking through the list that she handed her. Achlys neatly folded up the list. "Well, that's that," Achlys said. "How about we get ourselves a nice treat?"
"Aren't we supposed to head back to the realm of the dead once our job's done?" Noretha asked. Achlys gave a snort.
"Please," she said, rolling her yellow eyes. It was rather comical to see, as Achlys's face was permanently smiling, which contradicted the display of emotion Achlys did. "It's BORING to just reap souls and go back to the realm of the dead back and forth." She shifted her shoulder, letting the lantern staff she was carrying rest comfortably on her shoulder. Noretha noticed that it was constantly melting the Viscet, but she always regenerated. Briefly, Noretha wondered why Achlys constantly carried it around. She thought it was for guiding souls only, but Achlys never put it far from her even during the small breaks they had. Was it so important to Achlys?
"Besides," the goopy Viscet continued. "It's not like DEATH would reward us for doing the extra-mile or something." As she said that, Noretha noticed that she gave a small, glare towards her lantern. "Also, all the good stuff are in the mortal realm. Lucky Life minions, huh."
"Alright. Lead the way, then," Noretha said. Achlys's smile widened, and she turned around. As they walked through the snow-covered ground, Noretha began to notice that neither of them left a pawprint. The landscape around them also shifted faster than normal, indicating that they were moving at a greater speed than any normal Viscet. So, it was true. They really did not belong in the mortal realm. With a small pang in her chest, Noretha thought about her brother. Oh, what wouldn't she give to be allowed to see her brother again? It had only been ten days, and she already missed him.

In only a few seconds, they arrived at a small village. It looked cozy and reminded Noretha a bit of her home. The wind and snow seemed to swirl harder around Achlys. One second Achlys was there. The next, she was gone. Noretha looked around, panicking a little. "Achlys?!" she called out. At that, a few mortals seemed to look at her. So... they weren't invisible after all? Noretha quickly got out of sight while trying to find the goopy Viscet. Suddenly, the Viscet she was trying to find appeared beside her from a swirl of snow. "GAH!" Noretha exclaimed.
"Shh, you want mortals to find us?" Achlys hissed. She then handed over a cookie to Noretha. Noretha raised a brow. It was a gingerbread cookie shaped like a Viscet.
"Wh... What's with the gingerbread Viscet?" Noretha asked.
"Just eat it." Achlys led both of them into a nearby evergreen forest covered in snow. The two sat on a fallen log. Noretha looked at the cookie in her paw for a few moments before deciding to bite into it. The satisfying sound of a cookie being bitten in half filled her ears, and the warm taste of the gingerbread cookie filled her maw. The sweetness somehow reminded her of the days she spent with her brother. Noretha still had to accept that those days were long gone. All because of an anomaly... a monster. She felt pain in her chest, and she instinctively put her paw up to her chest fur. No... She didn't have a heart. It was just her memories deluding her. She couldn't reclaim the days with her brother. But... at least she could rid the world of the broken anomalies, so that nobody would have to fall at the hands of those wretched mistakes again. "It's nice, isn't it?" Achlys asked.
"Yeah..." Noretha said, looking at the now-headless gingerbread Viscet. The goopy Viscet gave a sigh. She brought her own cookie up to her melted maw and bit the tail clean off. It was rather comical to see her goopy mouth close on the cookie. Achlys stared at the faraway silhouette of the small village of mortals in the distance, her eyes following the movement of the plume of smoke rising from the chimneys. "At this time of year, they're usually preparing for this kind of celebration," Achlys said. "A celebration for the birth of hope."
"Yeah," Noretha said. "I used to... celebrate it with my brother, too."
"Well, too bad you're now a minion of Death," Achlys said, not quite meeting Noretha's eyes. "You know... Sometimes, I wonder what it's like for those creations of Life. I'll bet their days are beautiful. Oh well, that's fate for you, I guess."
Despite her deadpan voice, Noretha could hear the pain and loneliness etched deeply within Achlys's voice. Noretha figured that if she still had her heart, she'd feel sorry for this Viscet. "Hey, Achlys," Noretha said, after pausing for a while to think. "Do you think... maybe we can be friends?"
"Whoa, that's a first," Achlys said, raising a melty brow. "You actually WANT to be my friend?"
"Sure," Noretha said. "I may only have been a Death spirit for ten days, but... I guess even the world can get lonely for a Death spirit?"
"Yeah, that's true."
"And... maybe if we're friends... things would be easier for us."
Achlys smile went wider. "Thank you, Noretha. I'd love that."

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░░░░░ The True Anomaly ░░░░░
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A cold expression was on Noretha's face as she ventured through the dark, shadowy woods. Her Staff of Erasure in one paw, she sniffed the air. Anomalies. It was the hiding place of more than one anomaly. Her grip on the staff tightened. Soon, this place would be rid of those wretched creations. Noretha would make sure of that. The scent of anomalies started to get more and more pronounced. Suddenly, Noretha saw a shadow flit by, quick and swift. Noretha readied her staff. It had to be one of those anomalies, Noretha knew it. She suddenly saw a pair of orange eyes from behind some evergreen bushes. The long-maned Viscet stifled a gasp. She could recognize those orange eyes anywhere. But, no, that was impossible. She knew that a long, long time ago, her brother had sealed that demented thing in an egg. Death had told her that. The spell over that creature would be broken only if somebody showed love or care towards that egg. It was impossible for ANYONE to love that broken thing. Yet, there was no mistaking those eyes. The scent... was definitely one of an anomaly's, too. Noretha pointed her staff the bushes. "You!" she shouted. As she aimed a beam of light towards the bushes, the Viscling concealed behind it ran out. An awfully familiar dark-colored Viscling with reddish leopard spots.

Noretha went to run after the Viscling, but suddenly, another scent cropped up in the air behind her. Noretha turned around, only to come face to face with a purple figure wearing a black skull mask. He had glowing blue eyes. A plume of purplish feathers waved from behind the mask. "Argh!" Noretha exclaimed. Her first instinct was to smack the newcomer on the head with her staff. She didn't want to shoot an erasing beam at the newcomer, in case he wasn't an anomaly. The figure quickly dodged the staff. Noretha jumped backwards, ready to fend off any attack from the stranger. As she did so, she caught a whiff of the air. This one was definitely an anomaly. The horned Viscet aimed her staff at the figure. "Begone!" she shouted, a beam of light emitting from her staff towards the stranger. However, the stranger only calmly blocked the beam of light with a wall of bones. The bones disappeared from sight. Nothing was left of them, but the stranger stood there, calm as ever. Noretha aimed her staff at the stranger again, but a spire of stone erupted from the ground in front of her and knocked her staff out of her paws. Noretha grunted. Her horn glowed, about to summon her staff into her paws. However, all of a sudden, she felt herself being pulled towards an evergreen tree like iron to magnet. "WHAT..." she shouted, in disbelief. A clump of dirt stuck itself onto her horn, disabling her ability to summon her Staff of Erasure. The stranger merely stood there with his palm outstretched towards Noretha, as if pinning her to the tree by some unknown force. His tail curled around the Staff of Erasure. For once, Noretha was at a loss for what to do. Never had she met an anomaly with quite as much power before. "Sorry if I can't meet you later, Achlys," Noretha muttered under her breath. "I might have been sent to oblivion by an ANOMALY."

For a few seconds, the two were silent. Noretha couldn't move. Her paws felt so heavy, and all of her limbs were pinned to the tree. Finally, Noretha couldn't take it anymore. What was the thing doing? Trying to humiliate her before sending her to the void of nonexistence? "Well, what are you waiting for?" Noretha hissed. "Finish me off."
"Whoa, whoa, wait," the stranger said. "I don't want to kill you or anything."
"Oh, really?" Noretha said. "Anomalies like you have only one instinct: to destroy. You can't fool me."
"Jeez, that's... harsh, don't you think?" the stranger said, his tone nonchalant. "You waltz into someone's home uninvited, then tell me to my face that I'm nothing but a mistake?"
"This isn't your home. You anomalies don't have any place in this world!" Noretha retorted.
"Ouch," the stranger said, wincing a little. He sighed wearily, looking straight at Noretha with those glowing blue eyes of his. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you or anything. Here, you can have your stick back." He tossed the staff to Noretha, who felt her paws lighten. She could move them away from the tree! Noretha caught the staff. She wanted badly to aim it at the stranger again, but she knew that an anomaly of his power and intelligence would just stop her again. "So, what brings you to my forest?" the masked stranger asked in a nonchalant tone, as if he had completely dismissed her previous statement.
"I..." Noretha began. She paused to think for a while. Maybe if she spied on him and that monster of a Viscling, she could find the perfect opportunity to eradicate both of them. "I'm just passing through, looking for a place to camp out for a bit."
"Ah, I see," the stranger said, his tone amiable. "Well, that's what most come to my forest looking for. Hey, I know. You can stay here for a while, if you want! With one condition."
"Really?" Noretha asked, her eyes widening. She didn't expect it to be this easy. "What's the condition?"
"You're not to use that staff on me or any other inhabitant of this forest," the stranger said. "Oh, actually, one more thing."
"What?"
"Um... Don't say all those 'anomalies aren't supposed to exist' stuff in front of my little Keira, okay?" the stranger said.
"Your... little... Keira?" Noretha asked.
"Yep. Small Viscling. Dark fur. Red leopard spots. Orange eyes. Sparkly red mane. You'll know her when you see her."
Noretha let out a small gasp. So... he was the one who broke her brother's spell on that wretched thing? He even called her 'my little Keira'. How could an anomaly care for another thing so much until he could break her brother's strong spell? It didn't make any sense... Noretha cleared her thoughts. She shouldn't get distracted. She had to erase these two from the world. She looked at the stranger and nodded. "Deal," she said.
"Okay then," he said. He let go of Noretha, and Noretha slid to the ground. He even cleaned her horn of the clump of dirt. He still looked a bit wary, though, and Noretha couldn't blame him. Any intelligent creature would have some wariness. Noretha's horn glowed, and her staff disappeared in a burst of light. The stranger stared at it in awe, before turning to Noretha. "Come, I know the perfect place where you can stay," he said, extending a paw to help her up. "Oh, my name is Lithos, by the way."
"I'm Noretha," Noretha said, standing up without Lithos's help. She let the anomaly lead her away, her mind churning up plans to erase him and Keira.

by ShimmerSolarPets

It had been quite a while that Noretha had stayed in Lithos's forest. She tried to find a way to kill Lithos and Keira, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. Something about Lithos's actions just... didn't add up. Everyday she talked to Lithos, he had been nothing but kind and courteous to her. His sense of humor and wit even stirred a ticklish sort of sensation deep within Noretha's chest, causing her to laugh. How could she find such an amusement if she didn't have a heart? Noretha sat down on a log in the clearing Lithos provided for her. Her reddish eyes stared at the snow. There was something very, very wrong about her. Usually she wouldn't hesitate. She'd found the perfect opportunity once or twice before, yet she couldn't. She couldn't raise her staff up against them. Noretha pounded the dirt with her tail, letting the long red tuft sweep across the dust. She was being very stupid. "Achlys..." she muttered to herself. "What would you say about this?" Noretha didn't have a chance to meet up with Achlys on the days she'd been in Lithos's forest. Whenever she tried to find Achlys at night, Achlys was always busy collecting souls. It was winter, after all. Achlys's busiest season. Noretha sighed. She hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her best friend about this.

"Heya," a voice that had grown very familiar said behind her. Noretha spun her head around, her reddish eyes locking with the glowing blue ones of Lithos. Lithos tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable behind that skull mask of his. "Why so blue?" Lithos asked, his tone quite nonchalant. "Red is more of your color." He put a paw behind him. Suddenly, his paw emerged from behind him with a red flower. Noretha stared at it in disbelief. "Here you go. A pretty flower for a pretty lady," he said, a grin visible from behind his mask. "Hope it'll make you a lily bit happier!" He put it in Noretha's paw. Noretha stared at it in surprise, then at Lithos. "This isn't a lily," she said. However, she felt a heating sensation creep across her face, and a tugging sensation at her chest.
"Uh... Well, flower you supposed to make a pun about this type of bloom in particular?" Lithos asked, in a bit of a lazy voice. Noretha gave a small snort of laughter which surprised even herself. She couldn't hold it back.
"You're blushing, by the way. But like I said, red's more of your color anyways."
"I am not!" Noretha protested, though the heat creeping around her face seemed to contradict this. Lithos gave a chuckle. He sat down next to her. "You hungry?" Lithos asked.
"Kind of," Noretha lied. She couldn't feel hungry, but she felt like it was the proper thing to say.
"Oh. Well, I'm too lazy to get you any food, so go and ask Keira if she can spare you any donuts," Lithos yawned, sliding down the log and lying on the ground.
"Uh, no thanks," Noretha said.
"Well, suit yourself," Lithos said.

Suddenly, a dark-colored Viscling ran out of the forest. Her paws left a trail of pawprints in the snow behind her, and she had a huge grin on her face. Keira carried a knife within her teeth. Noretha felt a rising anger in her chest. She despised this Viscling with a passion. Keira took one look at Noretha, then at Lithos. "You lazybones!" she said, putting two tiny paws on Lithos and shaking him. "C'mon, you didn't forget, did you?"
"Forget what?" Lithos asked with a yawn. Keira gave a small pout. Her orange eyes drifted to the red flower still in Noretha's paws, then back to Lithos. Her pout changed into a teasing smirk. "Ooh, are you too busy flirting with her?" she teased. That got Lithos up. Lithos straightened up and looked at Keira through half-closed blue eyes. For some reason, Noretha felt a jolt in her chest when Keira said that. "No, I'm too busy catching some Z's," Lithos said.
"You just slept all night!" Keira protested in a childish voice. "C'mon, tomorrow is my birthday. You said you're going to bring me out of the forest to talk a small walk!"
"Okay, okay," Lithos said. Noretha watched their entire exchange, her ears perked up in interest. This was one of the things stopping her from killing them right away. Had Noretha not known about the true evilness of Keira, she'd have thought Keira was just another child. Noretha frowned. How could a being as twisted as Keira somehow become this innocent child she was seeing? It's just a ruse, Noretha, she silently told herself. Don't fall for it. Lithos turned his attention towards Noretha.
"Hey, uh... You could come with us, if you want. You don't mind, do you, Keira? I think it's a bad idea to leave her all alone in the forest," Lithos said.
"She can take care of herself," Keira huffed, giving a small glare at Noretha.
"Aw, c'mon... Be a good sport?" Lithos pleaded.
"Fine..." Keira relented. Noretha gave a small giggle, again to her own surprise. It was just so... funny to watch these two. The three got up from their spots, and began to walk through the forest.

However, just as they made their way out of the forest, they saw a group of armed mortals. Noretha, Keira, and Lithos quickly ducked behind two trees and some foliage as they watched the mortals. "Those wretched creatures live in this forest," one said, pointing to the forest the three had just exited. "Nasty things they are."
"Don't worry, we'll put an end to them. They won't be able to torment any more folks again," another said. The three exchanged glances with each other. Lithos's glowing blue eyes somehow dimmed. "Spirit hunters," he whispered with a dark sort of tone.
"Let's kill them!" Keira hissed, her grip on her knife tightening. Her orange eyes flashed with malice; the same malice that Noretha saw hundreds of years ago before her untimely demise. Lithos, however, shook his head. "No... Let's just stay out of their sights," Lithos said. The three began to move away from their hiding spots, but the hunters spotted them.
"The monsters! After them!" they shouted. Noretha didn't know what exactly happened, but just then, total chaos ensued. Arrows flew everywhere and daggers slashed. Noretha summoned her Staff of Erasure, though she did not know exactly what she could do. Death had expressly told her not to erase any living creature aside from anomalies. She simply ducked and avoided the arrows, as well as dodged slashes. Lithos summoned a barrage of bones and stones, all meant to miss the mortals. Noretha could tell that he was holding back. She wondered why. Had she been in his position, she might've acted more like... Keira. The child was going around, slashing with her knife and controlling the shadows according to her will. Some mortals were lethally injured at Keira's paws, and Noretha briefly debated whether she should erase Keira right then and there. It's self-defense, a tiny part of her said.
Who cares about that beast? another said. A grin lit up on Keira's face as she attacked the mortals. Just as she was about to bring down two of them, Lithos shouted, "Keira, stop! Don't kill them!" He turned to the mortals. "Please, we don't mean any harm!"
"Liar! What about all those folks who went into your forest and never came out, then?!" a mortal shouted, trying to stab Lithos with his sword. "You tell me that, monster!"
Noretha was so busy watching the commotion, that she nearly forgot she was in it, too. She knew the mortals knew that she wasn't a mortal. That meant she was one of the 'monsters', too, in their eyes. "Watch out, Noretha!" Lithos shouted. Noretha gasped, seeing an arrow zoom towards her at full speed. She had nothing to fear, being a Death spirit, but... A huge weight barreled right into her. Noretha fell out of the arrow's path, her horn striking the snowy ground hard. She looked up, her mane falling all over her face. Lithos had rammed into her just in time. However, the arrow struck Lithos's leg. For a moment, both Noretha and Keira were stunned. Then... Keira exploded.

"HOW DARE YOU! Dirty, disgusting MORTALS!" Keira shrieked. An explosion of dark energy erupted from the small Viscling, sending the mortals scuttling.
"Retreat!" the leader of the hunters said. Keira ran after them, her eyes blazing with both evil intent and anger. "I hate you! I'll kill all of you!" she shrieked.
"Keira, don't!" Lithos shouted, and the Viscling stopped. She panted hard. Her tiny body was shaking from all the rage she had. Noretha was surprised to see small beads of tears forming in the Viscling's eyes, though she quickly wiped them away. She marched back towards Lithos. It was only then did Noretha see how bad they all looked. Lithos, however, looked the worst. Despite that, he still grinned behind his skull mask. "Well, what do you say we head back to the forest?" Lithos suggested. Noretha, shaken by the events that just happened, nodded in agreement. Keira also nodded without hesitation. The three made their way back to the forest. Lithos was limping all the way, and Noretha somehow felt very bad. Those mortals... had the same goal as Noretha. Yet, Lithos just got himself hurt trying to save somebody who was trying to erase him. Noretha's head churned and spun wildly at thinking these thoughts.

What's WRONG with her?

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[Corvuss]

Watching~