[GrayGriffin]

The cathedral was silent, the snow muffling almost all sound. However, in one corner, a small pile of snow slowly began to stir, before a feathered head pushed its way out of the snow, looking around and chirping curiously.

"I'm here!" she called joyously, spreading her wings and pulling herself free of the snow. "It's time to chase away the winter cold with our celebrations!"

And then she blinked, looking around at the ruins surrounding her.

[GrayGriffin]

Where was everyone? This cathedral was supposed to be filled with worshipers! Especially when the winter ended, and she was ready to lead the ceremonies that would bring spring back. She fluttered around the room nervously, poking at every rock and wall. How had everything crumbled so fast? Who could have done this? Even if enemies had destroyed the cathedral, surely the worshipers would have returned to build it back up?

"Hello?" she called into the cold. "Please-is anyone there?"

[GrayGriffin]

She continued flying around the cathedral, but continued to find nobody present. There were signs of disuse everywhere, as if the place hadn't been cared for or used for ceremonies for who knows how many years. But that couldn't be what had happened, could it?

Finally, her wings started to tire, and she fluttered to rest in one of the prayer rooms, tired. There were no cushions anymore, so she simply settled on a half-crumbled bench.

[GrayGriffin]

As she pondered the question of where everyone had vanished to, she slowly became aware of various writings along the walls. Curious, she fluttered closer to read them, then gasped. Many of them spoke of the violence against followers of the Triumvirate, of being chased from their holy place and being forced to abandon it. Other writings spoke of fleeing, of hoping to find a better life elsewhere. But the one that chilled her to the core most was a simple question:

Elidia, why have you forsaken us?

[GrayGriffin]

"I didn't!" she cried, fluttering back in shock from the accusing words. "I didn't abandon anyone! How-how could this have happened? Where-where did everyone go? Who chased you away? Please! I want to understand?"

As she cried out, she slowly became aware of the sound of claws against stone behind her. She turned, to see a canine creature with metal embedded into its body.

"You wish to know what happened here?" it asked with a low chuckle.

[GrayGriffin]

"Yes!" she cried, fluttering closer. "Yes, yes, I do! Please tell me, how-how long have I been gone? I was merely supposed to sleep until the time for spring came, but no one was here when I woke up!"

The creature chuckled again. "How long have you been gone? Lady, I don't even recognize you. But it sounds like you were here when this place was still whole?"

"Yes-yes I was!" she agreed. "Why do you ask?"

[GrayGriffin]

It actually laughed at that, tilting its head back and letting out a throaty, hearty shriek.

"Lady, this place has been abandoned since I can remember!" it exclaimed. "You've been asleep far too long-and yet not long enough! You know it's barely the first month of winter, right?"

"Wh-what?" she asked, dropping to the ground, eyes wide in horror. "How-how can that be? I-I was supposed to bring the joy of spring to the people here-and they're all gone? All-all dead?"

[GrayGriffin]

Of course in her mind, she knew her worshipers were not immortal. And she'd been confronted with that fact several times, waking to find a familiar face vanished from the crowd. But even then, there'd been continuity, descendants happy to pass on stories of their parents and grandparents, and a place where they were interred, where she could visit them and say her final farewells. But to know that she'd slept for so long that they were all dead-such knowledge shook her to her very core.

[GrayGriffin]

"They certainly are," said the creature. "Heh, they were pretty important to you, weren't they?"

"O-of course they were!" exclaimed Elidia. "I was supposed to awake every spring to guide them and see how they'd grown! You-you wouldn't understand!"

"No," it agreed, shaking its head. "I certainly don't, though I can understand the idea of sentiment at least. You sound like you had a pretty important position here too, right? Basically a servant of the Triumvirate?"

[GrayGriffin]

"I wouldn't quite put it like that-but yes, I was certainly important to the worshipers here," she agreed.

"Oh, good," the creature said, its eyes glowing as it lowered its head. "I've never had a chance to meet one of them myself."

"I suppose that makes sense, with what you've said about them all leaving this place..." she said. "You wanted to meet me?"

"Any creature like you, but yes," it said, lifting its head and grinning, showing all its teeth. "I've always wanted to destroy one myself."

And then it pounced.

[GrayGriffin]

Patrolling Lya Pointa was an unpleasant task, but someone had to do it. Camarin had heard many stories of the cathedral while she was still stuck in the shrine, and had hopes in restoring it to its former full glory. Of course, for that to happen, the Mekkayena infestation would have to be cleared out. Or at least, the ones who preyed on the travelers here.

As she walked through the halls, she heard a shriek of pain and terror, unlike anything she'd heard before. Spinning on her heels, her claws scratching against the stony floor, she hurried in that direction.

[GrayGriffin]

As she raced through the halls, she heard the shriek start to die out, and she pushed herself to run faster. She didn't really have muscles in the ways most fleshy creatures did, but she imagined hers pulling and pushing beneath her skin nonetheless.

It was in one of the abandoned prayer rooms that she saw it. A green avian creature of some sort, pinned against the wall by a Mekkayena with its teeth clamped around the creature's throat.

[GrayGriffin]

The creature was flailing desperately, and for a moment managed to wriggle free. "Get-get off!" it cried out in a decidedly feminine voice. "I-I'll-"

"You'll what?" asked the Mekkayena with a chuckle. "Make flowers bloom around me? Face it, you fool. You're going to die here, just like all the rest of your pathetic worshipers."

"Oh no she isn't!" growled Camarin, charging forwards with blinding speed, teeth bared and eyes blazing. "Get away from her!"

[GrayGriffin]

She slammed into the Mekkayena with great force, sending them both skidding across the ground. Sparks flew as the creature's cybernetic parts scraped against the stone, making it twitch and cry out erratically. She spared no pity for it, and even as they slowed down was already lifting a paw to slam its head even harder into the ground.

"Leave!" she growled. "Or I'll make sure you can never trouble anyone here again!" For a moment it seemed poised to argue, but perhaps something in her eyes made it reconsider, as it slowly slipped out from under her and slunk away, tail between its legs.

[GrayGriffin]

Camarin breathed a sigh of relief. She hoped that the Mekkayena would actually leave this place, and that she wouldn't have to tangle with it again and make good her threat. She turned around to the creature the Mekkayena had been attacking.

"Hey, are you okay, miss...?" Her voice trailed off as she actually got a good look at the creature. She'd never seen one like her before-a vision of loveliness in green and white, half-avian and half-serpentine.