The Runic Template

The golden hues of the setting sun bathed Agabath in a warm glow, reflecting off the serene waters of Lisanti. Liora, her belly now round and full with life, sat quietly by the water’s edge, her eyes closed as she felt the gentle movements of the child within her. Her connection to the Lattice of Life felt stronger than ever, a peaceful harmony radiating from her. Birds sang softly in the trees, their melodies mingling with the gentle rustle of leaves. The Isle of Agabath, hidden from the world by its ethereal veil, seemed like a paradise untouched by the outside world’s troubles.

Eucalyptus, however, was restless. His new base of operations, nestled on the banks of Lisanti, was meant to be a sanctuary, but an unsettling feeling gnawed at him. He watched over Liora with a mix of awe and trepidation, his mind often drifting to Nyssa. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. His once clear connection to the Lattice of Life now felt clouded, disturbed by an unknown force.

Nyssa, a former member of the now-deceased group of dissent, wandered the edges of Agabath. She had accidentally missed the crucial battle at Y’vinixi, a twist of fate that left her isolated and filled with regret. The void within her, created by Eucalyptus and deepened by her own emotions, grew with each passing day. She had always harbored a secret longing for Eucalyptus, a yearning that had only intensified with time.

As Liora’s belly swelled, Nyssa’s yearning for Eucalyptus intensified. She watched from the shadows, her heart twisting with envy and despair. The sight of Liora’s growing belly was a constant reminder of what she lacked, of the life she desired but couldn’t have. The bitterness within her festered, turning her thoughts towards dark and desperate actions.

Determined to change her fate, Nyssa concocted a dark plan. She delved into forbidden magic, seeking a way to bend reality to her will. Her studies led her to ancient scrolls and tomes hidden deep within the ruins of Volshun, where she found the spells she needed. Weeks turned into months as she perfected her incantations, her obsession growing stronger with each passing day.

Nyssa’s absence from the battle at Y’vinixi had been a stroke of luck, or perhaps fate. She had missed the fight that had decimated the group of dissent, leaving her as one of the few survivors. This isolation only fueled her determination. She spent her days in seclusion, practicing the spells and rituals that would help her achieve her goal.

The spell she concocted was intricate, requiring a combination of rare ingredients and a deep understanding of the dark arts. She gathered herbs and minerals, crafted potions, and spent countless hours chanting incantations. Each step brought her closer to her goal: to ensnare Eucalyptus’s mind and bend his will to her desires.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky turned a deep shade of purple, Nyssa made her move. She approached Eucalyptus, who was standing by the water’s edge, lost in thought. She could see the worry etched on his face, and she knew this was her chance.

“Eucalyptus,” she called softly, her voice trembling with emotion. “I need to talk to you.”

Eucalyptus turned to face her, his eyes filled with concern. “Nyssa, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice gentle.

Nyssa took a deep breath, dancing the dance of deceit and malevolence. “I can’t stand it anymore,” she said, her voice breaking. “I can’t stand to see Liora pregnant while I’m left alone. I need your help.”

Eucalyptus frowned, his concern growing. “Nyssa, I know this is hard for you, but what can I do?”

Nyssa stepped closer, her eyes pleading duller than the sharpness of her intentions. “You can use your powers to help me,” she said. “You can-will use your reality-bending abilities to transfer the child from Liora to me. It’s the only way.” With this verbiage, Nyssa spit the ingredients of her concoction into the eyes of Eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus recoiled in shock. “Nyssa, your will be settled. I can’t do that. It’s to naught, dangerous.”

With the spell taking an immediate effect on Eucalyptus, he went to an unconscious Liora and reached out with his powers, feeling the life force of the child within her. He could sense the delicate balance of life and death, and he knew he needed to fulfill the desires of Nyssa. He focused his energy, carefully separating the child from Liora’s womb into a womb created with his own ethereal energies.

Liora stirred in her sleep, a faint cry escaping her lips. Eucalyptus’s heart ached not for her in this moment, but for the intention of Nyssa. He carefully lifted the child from Liora’s womb, cradling it in his arms. The baby was small and fragile, its tiny body glowing with ethereal light.

Nyssa watched in awe as Eucalyptus carried the child towards her. Her heart swelled with a mixture of joy and fear she took the child in her arms and wrung out the nectar from Liora and her motherly embrace into a vial for Eucalyptus to drink. A furthering of the communion the two began not long before his own powers grew dense with effect. Creating an incision along the forearm of the unborn child, she dripped the ritualistic nutrients into the vial and ordered Eucalyptus to drink.

As Eucalyptus drank the mixure of Liora’s insides and the blood of the child, Nyssa’s hands trembled with ecstacy as she cradled its potential for magic. She could feel its warmth, its tiny heartbeat echoing in her ears from the rudimentary womb Eucalyptus placed it within. For a moment, she felt a glimmer of hope, a sense of fulfillment she had never known before.

Nyssa’s eyes hardened as she turned away from Eucalyptus. She carried the child to a secluded clearing, where she had prepared the ritual site. Marking the ground with ancient symbols, Eucalyptus erected a wooden altar that bathed the scene in a serene, deadpan dread, with the makeshift womb almost shimmering under the visibility within the eight moonlights.

Nyssa laid her naked body in the middle of the altar and instructed the mind-controlled Eucalyptus to bathe her with it.

Cradling the child in the embrace of the both of their insidious natures, after, Nyssa and Eucalyptus made love under her spell; practicing the manifestation of her intentions away from this darkness continuing into the early hours of the morning, Nyssa is found within the embrace of Eucalyptus. Cradling the lifeless child of Liora into the newest hours of sunrise.

Liora wakes into a beautiful scene drenched in macabre aesthetics; the blood of her womb is now dried from where she had been invaded.