The Prophetess Panics

JP with Cindy and White_Caribou

That left one bag, Islana had noticed the care which Shalia had put the last package on the table. That same care was noticeable now as well.

Anticipation grew, along with a sense of nervousness. That part of the younger witch's mind that held the darkness of her encounter with the hive mind wanted the last item to be anything but what she assumed it was.

Still, there was a need to see it, a need to know. It could be an egg for anything.

Her gaze never left the bag, watching the dark haired woman carefully and gently removed what the last package held.

Shalia's hands cradled the egg gently as she lifted it from the bag. There was no need to announce what it was; the bare minimum of it being evident. She spoke casually as she did, thinking little of this egg, but was soon cut off by an unexpected reaction.

"Less like a bird, more oblong like a reptile. I have not seen many eggs in person but--"

Then it emerged as if it had been in a cocoon. Instantly drawing Islana back to that day, and the attack.

An audible gasp came, the others inside of her grew momentarily silent. Islana moved away from the table as if trying to put as much distance as she could between herself and the horrible entity that now lay on the table.

It was clear that Sister Locust knew what was contained in that large egg, and what it was terrified her.

Shalia's eyes widened at the sudden movement and landed on Islana who seemed to be retreating from the very sight of this thing. She brought the egg closer to her chest as if cradling, afraid she might lose her grasp and let it fall with anymore surprises. In this, her pale arms shielded it from the world and Islana partially.

She saw the redhead less as Prophetess in this very moment and more as the frightened girl she was once so familiar with--the one she swore to protect. She did not understand what the reaction meant. Was it even the egg's fault? Had she been hit with some sudden illness or realization, a Seer matter taking over her body?

Shalia's tone was immediately swimming with concern.

"What is it, little bird?"

By this point, Islana felt as if her lungs were incapable of filling with air as she stared at Shalia cradling the egg.

Through her panic, the name, "little bird" and the concern in the other witch's voice registered within the redhead.

Taking a moment to catch her thoughts and her breath before speaking.

"That's a Skara egg. They are scorpions twice the size of a person."

Before continuing Islana, pulled out her knife and held it up. "This is made from the stinger of one of them."

Cautiously, the young woman went back to her seat and sat down, her eyes never leaving the egg. "Can you put that away? Then I'll tell you what happened."

Twice the size of a person? It seemed like some sick joke played by nature. Shalia had read something about the creatures briefly in the archives, though didn't pay it much attention. They seemed like overgrown insects, nothing significant to focus in on. Perhaps she was wrong yet again.
And that thing, the Skara, was in this egg all along. Could have hatched in the night killed her with that nasty sting, or entered this world under the building rubble and ventured further into Gra'akast. Did that Voah woman even know what she was handling?

Shalia did not hesitate upon being asked, setting it carefully back into the pack. The baby beast was safe and tucked away, out of sight but certainly not mind. If her instinct had the only correct guess, a great many things had happened to Islana in this desert and most of them weren't pretty.

The witch walked over to her chair and pulled it around closer to the woman. Closing that distance felt paramount now, both physically and emotionally.
Trauma did seem to bond them well in the past. Guess the personal chitchat had to start somewhere.