Chapter Text
Warning, Main story is linear, past is scattered pieces relevant to the Story.
Lua was not having a pleasant day…
Not at all…
First he finally got free of the Duviri somehow, Yaaay! Heavy Sarcasm…
Now? Now he was in the middle of fucking nowhere glaring at a sign he couldn’t read…
Did the mortal language really have to change so much?!
Even his partner Oraxia looked confused, tilting its head.
“Doesnt make any sense to you either, scholarly Spider?” he asked, floating just above her shoulder in the form of a wispy spirit. Flickers of purple flames wreathed the form of the little ghost. A child stuck at a mere 8 years old.
Oraxia shrugged, shaking its head before turning away from the sign. Picking a path at random it opted to go into the woods. The spirit clung tightly as she moved quickly. It was always so weird to be clinging on while she moved like this instead of moving her himself. Feeling the way the wind rushed through his ethereal form instead of around. Leaves falling off the trees swirled around her as she sailed through the air.
Eventually landing at the edge of a large lake. Eyeing the waters suspiciously the spider slowly edged around them. Sword-Steel and water never got along, especially without the Aura of Archwings to protect them.
Floating a little higher, Lua looked around…
Only to hear…
A melody?
Some manner of Speech akin to Music but…
SO… So wrong…
Flowing into Oraxia, their minds overlapped. Their irritation magnified as both felt the other’s in tandem. Smoothly melding one in the same, two guardians made one.
It was easy to draw out their legs to gain height and a smoother journey across the ground. Trees hopped between like the pillars of their mentor’s training halls.
Eventually they found the source…
Far up stream sitting with their feet soaking in the cool waters. A creature of white bone and black garments sat. Beside it was a pile of yellow cloth and some sort of golden accessory on top…
And it was Singing.
Horribly off key might they add!
It took little effort to voice their opinion, “for Octavia’s sake, you do not have her blessing!” they hissed angrily. Bristled as they fell to the ground smoothly. Legs pulled into their back.
The skeleton looked at them in shock, mouth slightly agape.
They huffed, walking closer and bent at the hip, “the angels are not weeping for your sake… they are screaming for you to shut the fuck up.” Their mouth only parted a little as they spoke, not wanting to spook the first Monster they met in this strange new world.
Well… not too bad at least~
“Who are you to say such things?” the yellow eyed skeleton asked. Their vivid yellow eyelights made something in the back of their mind ache but… Neither Oraxia nor Lua could tell who’s memory it was in the moment.
“We are what we are. And we know what we know. And your singing would make any Kavat scramble to cut your tongue just to shut you up,” they huffed, standing back to their full height. Tall for a monster, but not quite as tall as an Asgore or Toriel.
Bristling, the skeleton huffed, “if… if youre so good at music then why don’t you show me what a good song is then?!”
It took a moment for them to agree to it. Or rather… a long moment as they argued over what song to use.
“What’s that whisper on the breeze?
Just the whisper on the trees.
What’s that tread upon the stairs?
Nothing darling, nothing there.
What’s that rattling at my door?
Just the wind and nothing more.
What’s that breathing in my ear?
Nothing darling, nothing there.
What’s that gleaming sharp and bright?
Hold your tongue and say GOODNIGHT!”
It was a personal favorite of Lua’s. The Fear Spiral always had such enjoyable melodies. Oraxia wanted to do the window one, but Lua argued it might be a bit too touchy of a subject for now…
“Oh… I ah…” muttered the yellow eyed skeleton, “I shouldn’t have… Sorry…”
They tilted their head curiously, “Something amiss?”
“No no! I just… didn’t expect that… sort of… melody? Its… I don’t know how to word it…” admitted the yellow eyed skeleton, “m sorry… ah… oh stars I don’t even know your name!”
“We do not know your either,” Oraxia pointed out, a little short and clipped. Feeling snippy still.
“You can call me Dream. Im just… passing through,” he held out a hand to them, “its nice to meet you miss…?”
“Oraxia,” they offered, shaking his hand. A tenno never offers their true name to a stranger after all. Merely the name of their Warframe as they act in its stead. Oraxia didn’t mind as they were making up for… a lot… Helping this child spirit was the least it could do after everything…
Lua couldn’t help but feel he had heard that name before… Dream…
“Its nice to meet you Miss Oraxia. Are you from the nearby village? Or perhaps a traveler?” Dream asked politely. Grip just a little too firm, smile pulled just a little too wide.
It made Lua and Oraxia feel uncomfortable… seeing something so… fake on his face…
“Travelers. We are looking for someone,” they offered, glancing around, “it is not here… we shall leave soon.”
They didn’t know how long they had, but they knew they were on a limited time for this visit. This World was already rejecting their presence. A prickling felt across their Sword Steel. Shivering just a little before looking back to the yellow eyed skeleton, “we must bid you adieu.”
Spider legs unfurling from their back once more they left the clearing quickly.
Lua didn’t know what to think of the Spiders Lair. Scholar’s Retreat as his mentor had called it…
A Mote Amp clamped tightly around his arm.
“Just have to prove ‘em wrong…” he muttered softly. Fear welled up within his chest.
Just have to show his mentor he isn’t useless…
He can do things!
And one of those things was ending this Dust Spiral before his mentor wakes up!
Tossing down the rope after securing it he slowly lowered into the Spider’s lair. Hoping to catch her still asleep. Only to come face to face with her as he was lowering the last few inches through the ceiling hole. Gulping a little as it slowly opened its mouth.
“What delicious prey has come into my web?~” purred the Arachnid Warframe.
“You ah… you must be mistaken miss… I’m not a meal for you!” Lua squeaked. Almost loosing his grip on the rope as she reached out to him. His hands slipped down the rope as gravity brought him down. Clawed fingers dug into the rope to keep himself from hitting the ground.
She smoothly lowered herself down to meet his eyes again, “I can smell your fear little morsel… Now tell me… do you wish to be eaten raw or brewed in a pot?~”
"Perhaps... Raw in a pot?" he offered nervously.