Under the crimson moon stood two gods and a therion. Not that Alisha was aware of the former, though to her they felt like gods regardless.

It took her a while to wrestle the sense of melancholy under control. She took deep breaths, calmed herself ever so slowly. With each one she smelled the earth, the salt of the sea, and even... a hint of strawberry? Those scents and many more stood out, far more clearly than ever before. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the surroundings appeared brighter as well, more detailed; Alisha squinted, trying to see as much as she could. The siblings watched on quietly for a time, but in the end Velvet disturbed her tranquility: "How do you feel?"

Though soft, her question came loud and made Alisha flinch in surprise. She ducked her head for a moment even while turning to the other woman. "Please do not shout at me, I can hear you just fine."

Velvet blinked, but lowered her voice as requested. "I wasn't shouting. Your hearing got better."

This brought Alisha up short. She felt her ears curiously, but nothing appeared different about them; her curiousity was piqued nonetheless. "Oh, this happens when one turns?"

Her inquisitive gaze clearly lay on Velvet's gleaming arm, which the other woman did notice. She simply nodded. "I've been one for so long that I forget others don't know these things. What exactly changes is purely individual, but my senses grew better too." So now she had confirmation that her benefactor was a hellion as well. That was soothing, in a way.

Laphicet chimed in at this point, gaze wandering between the two. "Statistically, you find greater variety in hellions with greater qualities of the people." He explained more toward Alisha than Velvet, though his sister listened as well. "The many lizardmen and werewolves, among others, are born from average humans without any greater qualities. Therions generally sidestep this matter, though." He studied Alisha again, more thoughtful than before: "I am more surprised that you retain your humanoid form; most therions also have a bestial form they take first." A quick glance went Velvet's way, the older woman's unamused look not lost on either of them. "Not like it did not happen before."

Alisha let this sink in and tried to keep the news about Velvet in mind. She had other, more pressing matters to ask about. "I see, so likely my sight, smell, and hearing have improved. Are, are there personality changes?" Her elation abated somewhat as she realised she might no longer be who she once was, but she remained positive about her situation. Velvet just shrugged.

"It's possible. I know one man who lost most of his emotions when he turned."

"But therions usually stay the same," Laphicet added to his sister's commentary.

Said sister nodded to him and then eyed Alisha with a hint of a smile. "We were planning to tell you all this beforehand, so you could make an informed choice."

The erstwhile princess dragged her feet in response, unable to meet Velvet's gaze. Before she could apologise however, Alisha became aware of another sensation. Something on her back, swishing left and right and scratching lightly against her skin in places. And once she became aware of that, she felt something odd right above her rear... and the breeze hitting her bare back, even if it was not cold. She blinked and reached behind herself to find out what it was, only for her hand to immediately sink into soft fur. It felt no different than if she ran it through her hair. Though this was a lot more voluminous. "Um."

Alisha glanced back to the siblings, who waited patiently. So she turned her head and found... her hand on a tail. A big, bushy, foxy tail the same pale blonde colour as her hair. It had grown from her tailbone, covered in fur thick enough to cover most of her back from where it sprouted. As it grew out however, it tore her dress and chemise. Both garments were hanging on by a few threads.

She quickly wrapped her arms around her front to keep the clothes in place and heard Velvet huff. Laphicet kept quiet though, which she was thankful for; her face felt warm again and this time she might actually blush if anyone pushed the matter. While she bunched her dress however, Alisha felt it drag over some spots on her belly and blinked down at herself. The embarassment was already mostly forgotten in favour of curiousity; she glanced at the siblings in front of her and considered, then spoke: "Laphicet, could you turn around please?"

The boy did as told without question while Velvet eyed her curiously; Alisha let go and the front of her dress fell off at last, hanging from her waist where she found patches of fur. Blonde fur, once again the same as her hair, only visible in the crimson moonlight; these stubbly hairs would probably remain somewhat hidden in normal lighting conditions, she figured.

Velvet stepped closer to examine her while Alisha carded through the thick fur; they were just small patches, no bigger than a ring she could make with her thumb and index finger. Yet it felt kind of weird. Not to mention that she did not feel cold despite the breeze hitting her exposed body in the middle of night. "Is resistance to heat and cold a part of becoming a hellion?"

"Yes, it is," Velvet agree idly, stroking her chin at the curious sight. "And for your skin, I would say you got off lightly. Other therions I knew grew scales like a snake or had their skin turn to bark like a tree. You can shave those off if they bother you."

Alisha was curious about those other therions, but also somewhat relieved not to be burdened with such changes. Then she looked back down at herself and could not help but muse out loud. "I believe I have to shave either way." When Velvet threw her a look, she elaborated. "It is expected among the knights to keep body hair short or away where possible. To prevent infections of wounds and spreading of sicknesses from loose hair."

"Ah, yes. It's good to know people still remember that."

That was a curious thing to say; Alisha took note of the words and their implications, but decided to ask later when Laphicet spoke up and would forget about it entirely. "If you're done looking yourself over," he chirped from where he was staring out at sea, "Velvet, could you make Alisha some clothes to wear so we can see about her powers?"

"Alright, alright. Let me do this real quick so my baby brother doesn't have to be embarassed about a pretty girl being nearby."

Alisha could not help but huff at that; she actually smiled, even though she did not join in on the teasing. It was nice, to see these two just acting like siblings. Then however, her attention was taken up by seeing Velvet draw on the Malevolence and form it into a simple dress, black and red. She noticed Alisha looking and held the garment out to her. "I can teach you how to do this later."

The younger woman thanked her quietly and disrobed to change; Velvet helped her without prompting, to which she offered a grateful smile. Once it was done however, Alisha had to look down at the last remainder of her old life, torn apart and lying in the dirt. She could not help but feel there was something symbolic about this. She could not stew on that for long, though; Velvet put a hand on her shoulder for attention and began to explain: "Therions can do a few things immediately after turning. What do your instincts say?"

This gave her pause and distracted her from the situation somewhat; Alisha listened into herself, to her surprisingly calm if subdued feelings and the oddity that was having a tail; it felt alien and yet natural at the same time. After a second or two of listening, she learned one more thing about it; a motion done for the first time yet feeling as natural as breathing, she opened her mouth wide. The second mouth, sprouting from her back. Alisha felt her tail part as warmth surged through it. Craning her neck revealed rows upon rows of teeth, saliva dripping down from almost all of them where they formed within her bushy fur. The maw even elongated, reaching from her lower back up a little past her head if she spread it.

Alisha stared down into the fleshy, teeth-lined insides, and snapped her tail shut again. Her heart began to beat thunderously, but she managed to calm herself with a few deep breaths; this was more what she had expected from turning. Surprisingly enough, it did not terrify her as much as she thought it would. Mostly, Alisha was curious now. She opened her maw again and turned around to show Velvet, who carefully examined her teeth without touching them.

"That looks promising," she commented. "You can't really use it in direct combat, but anyone who tries to hit you from behind gets a nasty surprise."

"Agreed," Laphicet chimed in from a little further away. "But it's probably not as effective as yours, Velvet."

"You have a tail?" Alisha made a half-turn to look at Velvet again, maybe find the tail she assumed they were talking about, but saw nothing despite her improved sight. The other woman hesitated for a moment, but then she let her arm extend into a crimson claw big enough to close around a person's waist. A single finger was as long as Alisha's arm to the elbow and the new therion studied it with great interest, any embarassment forgotten. "Oh, I see. That certainly seems more useful. Is it, um, also a mouth?" In response, Velvet's palm opened up like no normal flesh should, revealing rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. Alisha swallowed, pulling back a little. "Ah. Well, I believe I am better served with a tail either way. I could not use such a hand while holding my spear." Then she glanced at the nodding Velvet. "You are a therion as well, then?"

Surprisingly, that question made her benefactor giggle softly before she shrugged. "I don't think I can still be called a therion, but yes. I was." Then Velvet looked down at her claw thoughtfully. "Be careful about letting people touch your tail," she advised. "The reflex to bite for anything in reach might be stronger than you expect."

Alisha vowed to commit that to memory, although she knew quite well there was no one she knew well enough to allow a touch in the first place. She almost sighed at that, but decided not to dwell on it; in time there may be someone she could get close to again. Just, not Sorey. He certainly would not accept her like this. To distract herself from the dour thought, Alisha directed her gaze back to the two siblings. "What else is there about being a therion?"

Velvet frowned in thought, but her brother did not have to think long. He stepped next to his sister with a friendly smile. "All therions have a greater form they can access. Or, should have. I'm not sure Velvet ever used hers. It usually is the first form a therion takes after transforming, but, well, maybe that changed since the last time a therion was created." He glanced to his sister for some reason and she rolled her eyes. Alisha listened attentively. "It sometimes happens on its own when a therion is overwhelmed by emotions, too. Go on, try to transform."

She turned to Velvet, who shook her head immediately. "I can't help you with that one. If I have a form like that, I never used it."

It felt as if she wanted to say something else, but she stopped herself. Alisha paid that no mind, though. Rather, she felt into herself once again, knowing that those in front of her were patient. One hand she softly pressed against her chest just to feel the pressure; Malevolence pulsed within and around, Alisha now realised. Darkness seeped from her entire form, but most of it was drawn back in before it could spread. More of it danced all around them, flakes of a black more pure than any coal.

Her lids fell shut and Alisha attempted to focus. Deep within, she knew, just knew there was something. A pit of endless despair that assaulted her with dismal thoughts and misery when she paid attention to it, but within lay more. Just in her grasp, if she could bear the feelings it carried.

Alisha Diphda had never given in to her own darkness and she would not start now. Within her own body she reached out without knowing how, like moving a muscle she always had yet never knew, and touched the sensation and feelings right under her fingers. Then came a horrible cracking sound as her bones shifted and grew, the flesh and skin following. It did not hurt, there was merely a surge of emotions she pushed aside. Within the span of a second, Alisha fell to her hands and felt her body shift, shift, shift until she was not even bipedal anymore. Her legs turned to hindlegs, her arms to forelegs. Hands and feet became paws, her face contorted and grew a sandy blonde fur, eyes shifted in their positions as her field of vision expanded.

She blinked at the surprised Velvet, now at eye level with her. Laphicet was looking at something behind Alisha and after a moment of silent surprise, the young therion turned her head. Her nose took in even more scents than before, but she remained shocked by the sight of a massive, canine body of sorts. Long, strong legs and thick fur that covered all of it, the exact same colour as Alisha's hair.

Velvet was the first to speak, voice almost deadpan in how unpertubed it sounded: "You're a fox."

That she was, except for the fact she had more than one tail in this form. There were five of them, spread like a fan from her backside and each one several metres long; long enough to reach all the way forward to Alisha's muzzle. Instincts told her to tear into the two in front of her, but Alisha fought them down. Darkness howled in her soul, reined in by force of will. She was in control.

Taking a few steps in a circle and then failing to stand on two legs later, she pulled on herself and drew the fox back in; it followed her will without issue and moments later, Alisha was back. Unfortunately, her sudden increase in size tore her clothes away entirely, leaving her naked before the siblings. Velvet draped another dress over her without hesitation and she forgot about the issue in seconds when her fellow therion spoke up: "That should be the basics. Which leaves only the question of what you're going to do now."

Alisha started while Laphicet nodded, the boy almost thoughtful. "Princess in exile, knight no longer."

He sounded surprisingly nonchalant, which made her hesitate. Then Alisha lowered her head with a soft sigh. "Even if it mattered, I do not have any plans yet. But before I can do anything else, I need to repay you for giving me this opportunity."

To her confusion, Velvet's first reaction was to sigh as well. Laphicet chuckled. Alisha received a firm look by the older woman then, followed by a shake of her head. "You owe us nothing," Velvet declared gently. "We decided to grant you this power because we understand your struggle. To want something but lack the strength or the means to achieve it."

"So if you want to thank us," Laphicet took over, "spread your wings and soar higher than anyone ever believed you could. We know you won't abuse the power of a therion, thus you were chosen."

Velvet nodded to her brother before addressing Alisha again: "But if you have no plans yet and no place to go, how about you come with us for now? We can at least offer you a place to stay and figure things out."

Alisha stood still, stunned; she could feel more tears welling up to cloud her vision over just how kind these two were. Part of her sagely said this had been their goal from the start, to indebt her and then just offer like this, to make Alisha think she was free while she was not. She viciously submerged it in the depths of her heart, refusing to think the worst of people without due reason. They gave her this without naming a price, they saved her. Now they wanted to aid her even further; perhaps it was just a place to stay for them, but to Alisha, it was more. For as long as she could think back, no one had ever been so good to her; the only exception was her own late mother.

Another part of her wanted to decline after everything these two already did for her, but Alisha shut that up as well. She wanted this. She was crying, but neither of them seemed to care.

"I would love to," she forced out through the lump in her throat. "T-Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

. .

. .

It had become quiet among the Randgriz family. Mother and daughter were waiting, all words spoken. Margaret had received a stern lecture and only barely managed to convince her sole remaining parent to let her keep traveling with Symonne. The water seraph herself was currently sprawled out on the ground, using her hands as a pillow as she waited. She owned up to working for the Lord of Calamity and even Margaret was surprised by how high she actually stood in the hierarchy, but apparently Velvet made a deal with her about that.

After that lecture, oddly intimidating despite her memories of much fiercer foes, they spoke at length about the journey so far. At least her mother let that convince her somewhat not to insist on Margaret separating from Symonne. Though going by her frown, she was still contemplating to shoo her daughter to bed as she tried to before. Their eyes met and Margaret crossed her arms. She would stay stubborn about this, needed to know that Alisha was alright. Only then would she be able to sleep.

"I never liked scarlet nights."

The staredown ended and both womens' eyes fell onto Symonne, who was glancing out of the window. She did not acknowledge them really, but both humans knew she was talking to them. "Everything looks so eery when bathed in dark red light, more so than normal."

"Yes."

"Agreed."

In the past they had to use candles to illuminate their home after nightfall, now they had light artes to make it bright. Even so, the tinge of red falling through the window gave it all an odd hue.

"Why is it that the moon turns red every few years, anyway?"

Margaret turned back to her mother, a little surprised she did not know before realising that the knowledge had been rare even in her past life. Before she could speak however, Symonne did: "When the moon stands just right in relation to the planet, it draws mana from all around that fills the sky. The moon itself doesn't change colour, but this mana somehow changes the light that falls through. Scarlet nights are nights of magic, of change, and of sacrifice."

She took notice of the older woman startling and shrugged, still lying on the ground. "If you made the right sacrifice in the right place tonight, you would be able to wake an Empyrean. That's how much mana is in the air."

As if on cue, the door opened and Laphicet entered. Margaret half suspected he did it on purpose and felt disgusted with her past self's actions yet again. Even if the boy agreed to it, it was just not right. She had heard quiet footsteps outside even while Symonne spoke, the owners of which now followed Laphicet into the room. His domain surrounded them again and removed the need for an illusion to speak with her mother.

Velvet, Margaret already expected. She did not expect Alisha to follow the siblings, meek yet curious as she studied her surroundings. The princess only needed a second to take notice of the people looking at her; Cynthia Randgriz gasped quietly at the sight of her tail, Margaret Randgriz hesitated, and Symonne waved from her spot on the ground. That was, Symonne waved until Laphicet bent down, threw her over his shoulder, and deposited her on the couch next to Margaret, who chuckled. It happened so fast the seraph girl did not even get to playfight back.

Yet it was easy to see in a bright room, the Malevolence surrounding Alisha Diphda.

The silence held even after everyone had taken their seat. Velvet and Alisha sat separate from everyone else, with Laphicet having taken a seat next to Symonne, who studied the new arrival curiously. Margaret just had no words and apparently, neither did her mother. Fortunately, Symonne found her voice soon, addressing Velvet: "She definitely wasn't like that when we saw her last. Did she finally break under these hardships?"

Laphi chuckled and shook his head even before his sister could, giving Symonne a pat on the shoulder. "No, quite the opposite." He cast a glance at the young woman, who kept her silence and seemed to wait for them to address her; on a guess, Margaret figured she was surprised to not be met with hostility.

Either unaware or uncaring, he kept going: "I was wondering about something, actually. Has the Lord of Calamity been hunting children of strong resonance over the years?" That question, out of such a sweet boy's mouth, made all the women bar Symonne and Velvet stiffen. Everyone except Alisha knew why the seraph girl was the one he asked and if Margaret's guess about her smarts was correct, Alisha would figure it out soon enough.

As for Symonne, she quietly gauged Laphicet for a moment, then folded her hands. "Any he could find," she admitted. "You figured it out based on how few with resonance remain, right?" Her partner did not need to say it out loud, but Margaret had an idea that she played a vital part in this matter. A seraph could best tell those who perceived her, after all. Velvet obviously made the same connection, though Laphicet simply nodded as if he figured that already. He pointed toward the young woman seated with his sister.

"A good thing she held none, then. If I may introduce, unnecessary as it is, Alisha Diphda, wayward princess and, as of tonight, the only existing therion."

"Ah, a pleasure."

Alisha meekly lowered her head in greeting while Margaret's eyes widened. Just a fraction, yet she saw the same happen to Symonne. A therion, born in this age. The possibilities of that, of Alisha, they were suddenly beyond her imagination. Before she could speak however, Velvet focussed on her. She even waved off her mother. "In a moment. First of all, Maggie, why are you still up?"

Right. It was late at night. Margaret averted her gaze. "I, um, wanted to wait for you to get back," she mumbled. The look that earned her made it rather clear she should not expect to remain and so she rose; part of her wanted to just stay, be stubborn, but she was tired and exhausted from her worry for Alisha. "I'll take my leave now. Good night." A chorus of responses followed her on the way to the door, though Margaret stopped with Alisha and found the energy for a smile. "We will speak later, but for now, I am glad you are well."

The older woman peered at her in obvious surprise, but soon smiled back. "Thank you. And thank you for caring, Margaret." Her smile was small and strained, but it was also honest. They nodded at each other and the younger one left.

Perhaps it was the silence of the night, or the fact she had left the door ajar on purpose, but she could clearly hear the question Alisha asked the room once she left: "If I may ask, why would staying up late be a problem for her in particular?"

"Because," Symonne then told her with audible glee, "she isn't quite fifteen yet. Surprised?"

She did not hear any further responses, but imagining them was not at all difficult.

While Margaret was the first to turn in, everyone else followed before long. Sometime in the midst of night, Alisha came to rest at an unfamiliar place. She stared at the ceiling, covered by a rather thin blanket; Alisha was used to thicker ones from home, but understood things were different among commoners. It did not bother her too much, for she could not feel cold anyway.

Hearing that Margaret was almost five years younger than her had been a bit of a surprise and made the girl's maturity a little eery, she had to admit that to herself. Likewise, being greeted and treated so kindly by a woman she never met surprised Alisha just as much. She had not even begun wondering if they would really accept her in their home when such worries were already destroyed by a kind smile. Yet she noticed how Cynthia Randgriz's eyes kept wandering to her tail, to the thin cloud of Malevolence surrounding her, even now.

The thoughts roiling through her body and mind insisted she did not deserve such kindness, but she was aware that her own insecurities spoke and not reason. Alisha ignored those thoughts and turned, eyes closed. The darkness behind her lids only held more bothersome thoughts, but those too she put aside. She would make sure not to overstay her welcome; she would figure out where to go next and what to do.

A quiet noise made its way out of Alisha's throat and she hugged the blanket to her chest. Weirdly enough, right here, right now, after having lost everything and becoming a being of despair, she felt more hopeful than she remembered being in a long while.