"Oh, please, they've not cared for this world in a very long time! If they did, Azazel wouldn't be slaughtering our sisters like this!" Striga hissed.
"We have to pray! Now, shut up and join hands! We might as well try. It won't kill us!"
Olia sat with her back straight as the succubi grasped hands around the fire. She closed her eyes, pouch in her hands. The flames threw amber reflections against her shimmering skin, and I watched with fascination as they recited a prayer directed at the Daughters of Eritopia. I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, already aware of how cruel and careless the goddesses really were.
"Hear our prayer, Daughters of this world," Olia started. "We are your subjects, your faithful servants, your daughters of the Northern Mountain. Hear our prayer, as we ask for your mercy, your compassion, your love, and your wrath."
"We are dying, Daughters of this world," Adisa continued. "The darkness is spreading, the poison is turning peaceful creatures into monsters."
"The blood of innocents flows in rivers as the monster laughs and kills everything good and kind," Perra added. "We beg you, Daughters … "
"Listen to our pleas," Striga mumbled. "We sit here, mourning our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters. Listen to our pleas … "
"The darkness forgives nothing. It hates. It kills. It destroys. It soils the pristine fields of Eritopia with misery and greed," another succubus chimed in.
"Eritopia is dying, Daughters … We are dying … Show mercy. Look down upon us and feel what we feel. See what we see … "
"Eritopia is yours, and you are of Eritopia … We beg you, show mercy and save us … "
"Eritopia is dying, this world is dying, we are all dying … "
"Our sisters are gone. Our numbers are weak. Our weapons are failing," one of the teen succubi said, her voice trembling.
"We beseech you, Daughters of Eritopia, to feel what we feel. This world is suffering. This world is dying," the tenth succubus added.
"Can you not feel it, Daughters of this world? Can you not feel us?" Olia finished the prayer and scattered the content of the pouch into the fire.
The dust burned in a flash of violet sparks, and the fire swelled and burst into a bright pink flame, throwing the succubi on their backs. I took a step forward, fascinated by the effect. The pink fire gradually died down.
The succubi got back up, shocked by the flame's reaction to the prayer dust.
"This doesn't usually happen," Striga said, confirming my suspicions.
I could tell from their baffled expressions that their prayers didn't usually end in massive pink flames and violet sparks from a mild campfire. Olia got closer, looking down at the charred pieces of wood and incandescent embers. She picked up a stick and poked the remains, revealing a large diamond shaped like a tear.
I leaned forward to get a better look.
Olia used a leather cloth to pick the diamond up. We all gathered around her as she held the gemstone up. It was perfect, with a pristine cut and flawless polish, except for the small violet fire burning inside, suspended in crystal.
"That wasn't there before, was it?" Striga asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"I don't think so. I would have seen it," Olia replied.
"What do we do with it?"
Olia shrugged and put it in her travel pouch, looking up at the giant moon.
"I don't know, but I will keep it safe until we figure out what it does or where it's from," she said.
A thought bloomed in the back of my head. Had the Daughters heard the succubi's prayer? Were they responding with that diamond? Were they finally reaching out and giving us a hand in this dark mess?
"Do you think the Daughters sent it?" Adisa asked.
"I don't know … Maybe?" Olia was as clueless as the rest of us.
"Maybe they're finally feeling our grief," Perra said. "Maybe they're reacting."
"I guess we will find out sooner or later," Olia replied. "Let's sleep now. Tomorrow we return to the camp and look for survivors … Or at least wait for Hansa."
The succubi nodded and disappeared beneath their fur covers, while Olia and Adisa took the first watch. The sky above us stretched in deep shades of indigo. Billions of stars sprawled out. Some flickered yellow and red, while most were cold and white. A full pearly moon accompanied them.
My mind wandered again as I thought about Anjani, then my brother and Bijarki. I wanted to see them and make sure they were okay.
Much to my surprise, I swiftly transitioned from the northern mountain to a lush jungle. Something told me I'd see my brother soon enough, judging by how well I'd learned to control my direction in these visions. The Druid's advice had certainly helped, as focusing on something in particular made it easier for my Oracle mind to narrow its search.