Xiaolumi S4: Edge of Dawn

The War of Familiars

A/N(2023): Apep and Apothis are kept as separate characters due fact I was not expecting the dendro sovereign to be Apep. Yes I am also aware Apothis is just another spelling for Apep, but we'll role with this.

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A/N: Nyxia desperate to stop Sonnet's return and prevent Lumine growing stronger sends her creatures after her. Even sending her familiar, Marana(Apophis). However as Kairos breaks her chains she sends her own counterattack. Tighnari and Candace get Lumine to Aaru's Shut safely as they watch the war of god familiars. 

Mythology fact: Apophis was the enemy of Ra the sun god and was the serpent of chaos and darkness. Bastet/Bast is the cat goddess and was the goddess of childbirth, protection and health. Anubis is the god of the dead, guiding souls and judges them to see who is worthy of going to Aaru.

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They had to run.

All they could do was run as Tighnari clutched the suffering Sage of Buer in his arms. Her whimpers and groans come every few 40 to about 50 seconds. Tighnari's medical knowledge from his darshan kicked in like second nature. As he kept track of the minutes between each of his poor terrified and suffering friend's contractions. They thanked the archons just ten minutes apart for now; it was only stage one of the labor. Problem was all his equipment, even the new experimental medicine he wanted to give her to make things go smoother and not in agony. "I'm sorry Lumine, if I knew we'd get trapped I would have brought my supplies. What a fool I was."hissed Tighnari in frustration dodging a swipe from a pack of abyss hounds. The ground trembled and quaked as the walls shook over their heads.

Lumine lightly shook her head clutching Tighnari's sash in a death grip as she felt another contraction hit. "You are no f-fortune teller...or astronomer...Destiny is against us."she croaked.

They were for now not very strong but the rippling pain felt like a crippling smack from a Fatui's electro charged hammer. She really, really did not like Snezhnayan weapons technology. Very few things could harm her but they always involved the elements, monsters, heavy elemental induced weather, and gods. She still remembered the horrified look on poor Collei's face when she saw the long massive scar Ei had given her. But now she felt angry, not just scared, oh so very angry. Anger towards her brother and whomever was pulling the strings in the Abyss Order's void realm. However out of the shadows a pack of abyssal wolves crackling with geo arrived jaws snapping.

"Aaaaeeeiiii!!!? Rifthounds and whelps!?"yelped Paimon. "Go away, bad dogs, Paimon won't let you near Lumine and the babies!"

"Back off mutts!"snapped Candace easily dispatching multiple beasts. Her trusty shield was coming really handy right now more than ever. But she was not sure why but she could feel her golden eye just throbbing. The ancient blood of Deshret's lineage stirred something in the demigod. Her eye staring forward through space until she could see outside a massive serpentine body slivering in the shadows. The size was terrifying bringing childhood stories about Deshret's many battles that made all Deshetians have nightmares. "By the Magi of Deshret..."

"Candace what's wrong?"Tighnari pressed as they kept running as she kept defending them.

"Something big, really big is coming towards the mausoleum. So keep running!! We need to reach this real Aaru that Lord Alatus mentioned."Candace said with haste.

"Um j-just how big?"stuttered Paimon nervously.

Candace said nothing only tightened the grip on her staff as she clenched her teeth with a serious scowl. They were surprised that she was trembling. Candace, always so fast to act and considered the bravest off them, was scared!? Just what sort of abomination had her eye witnessed!? Even Tighnari was getting scared as he too remembered the old tales of his Desert Dog lycan tribe. It made Tighnari go into full on sprint until they entered the chamber Xiao had mentioned. Lumine's pained cry grew a little stronger this time and lasted longer, more than a minute.