Eternal Spring

Chapter Three: The Perfect Vessel

"Oh how pathetic," a voice rang out in Azura's mind, quickly shutting up the rest.

"What?" she responded, her voice echoing throughout the void.

"We're better than this," the voice said, disdain lining her every word, "look at you, it's embarrassing."

"You know what the wingless have done to my people," Azura tried to defend herself.

"And are you going to let it happen again?" there was a lingering silence after the question, "that's what I thought. Just let me do what I have to."

"I can't allow you to hurt her." Azura stood her ground.

"Oh, did someone finally grow a pair?" She laughed at her own joke.

The shadows cleared around Azura, revealing the voice, a woman, sitting upon her throne. Her black horns practically reached the sky, and her fingers were black, almost like the shadows were consuming her, perhaps she was consuming them?

"Where do you think you'd be without me?" She tilted her head, ignoring the shadows that zipped past her

"At home, with my family, enjoying the time I have with them." Azura responded dryly.

"Ha! Good one," sarcasm, "but you're wrong, you'd be dead and alone in hell."

"That's a bit harsh," Azura crossed her arms.

"I'm not here to be your friend." She stood and walked towards Azura, "in fact you know exactly why I chose you."

"Something to do with destiny? The perfect vessel? I don't know, I always choose not to listen when you start talking about it."

At this point she was mere inches from Azura, an evil snarl threatening to display itself on her face.

"You're not nearly as amusing as you think you are," she started, attempting to tear her down.

"What are you talking about? I'm very amused at the moment." Azura held back a laugh.

"If you're going to be so smug I might as well be on my way." she turned, making sure her long black hair went into Azura's face.

"Rude."

"Just shut up already!" She yelled, walking back to her throne.

As she sat back down Azura noticed she had far more eyes now, and her horns grew a few inches in size. All of the rather unsettling amount of eyes were a dark, blood red, piercing through Azura's soul as they stared.

"Great, now I'm the evil one," she rested her head in her hand, "look what you've done, now even my precious babies won't approach me."

She gestured to the zipping shadows, now cowering in a corner.

"How is that my fault?" Azura absolutely hated these conversations.

"You aggravated me," she snapped.

"And your 'precious babies' are scared of you, that's more concerning."

"Don't comment on my parenting," she let out a long sigh, "I'm done with you, get out of my sight."

"Kinda hard to do when you have so many eyes." Azura knew if she threw around any more comments that she would probably end up seriously injured and perhaps even more cursed.

The truth is, she always knew what her curse was, how it got there, who damned her to eternal suffering. She just never knew it wasn't normal. Until one day it clicked.

Her parents didn't have voices influencing their every move.

Most of all her parents didn't have a demon possessing them, thus making them incapable of ever loving something. In the end, she always looked on the bright side of it all. She couldn't ever really die, any wounds she had healed rather quickly.