A Soviet's Struggle

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She awoke feeling rather wet: her entire body soaked in ethereal fluids. As she came to, the recognition of this place became discerned. In this deep, dank room; covered in a sea of water-like fluids, was where that amalgamation of screams and fear approached her, its veiny and shimmering skin never leaving the back of her mind. This time, however, appeared to be different. Whereas last time, where this apparent well was terribly dark - where vision was at its lowest; small, plentiful lights twinkled in the walls and ceiling above, each flickering like a star in the night sky. Around where she lay, floating debris, black in colour, played a synchronised dance of rotation as they moved around the room. At the end of the room: A golden gated entrance, inside which a shadow figure approached, staff in hand.

Alyosha.

The gate opened, allowing the reaper to step through. Staff firmly grasped in his right hand, with his left behind his back; he walked in stride towards Mariya, his head held high. His white chiton, which draped down to his ankles, trudged along around him, a belt made of leather holding it in place at the waist. Over his right shoulder, where the chiton looped over, rested a blue zircon chlamys; a sort of cloak that when down to his waist that matched his gifted colour. His left shoulder and arm, bare due to personal choice, adorned his grey fur, neatly kept and groomed. Behind him, two large, fleshed wings folded neatly as they rested along his back. As he approached, his black-furred muzzle, lip creases and cheeks torn open to expose his back teeth, sharp in his canidae nature, gums, and gifted crystal which covered his skull, became rather visible. On his chin, which then went down his muzzle and throat - a mark of Leoniklese - much like Mariya's own on the bridge of her snout. Much like before, when his ethereal form would visit her, he lacked proper eyes; the sockets being replaced by a heavenly fire - zircon blue - that curled upward and licked his ears as he walked. Inside, two white slits for irises.

Mariya stood up from the fluids that made up the floor, meeting Alyosha's gaze with her own, as she did so, she took notice of her missing leg actually being with her, attached to what was her stump. Once he got with a 7 foot range of her, he stopped dead in his tracks, unmoving in his posture. He stared for awhile, awaiting something from Mariya. The young Russian straightened her posture, a wave of hate filling her body as she stared at the reaper. His unfazed expression added to the sense of anger she felt, his apparent lack of care being obvious as he stood in front of her.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Mariya yelled, taking a step forward and furrowing her brow. She watched as Alyosha removed his left hand from behind his back, dropping it to his side. He cleared his throat, cracking his neck as he did so.

"Why are you taking so long?" He replied with his own question. His self-righteous expression morphing into an expression of curiosity.

Mariya's eyes widened as her brow remained furrowed. Her head moved back, as her neck shrunk in her shoulders out of disbelief.

"Don't give me that expression." He said, his grip tightening around his staff. "It has been years since your resurrection. Yet, in those years since it, you engrossed yourself in sin; indulging in parties, cheer, drink, lust. I gave you a purpose, we had a deal, yet you postpone your purpose. By his grace, if I didn't know better, I would say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"

An overwhelming feeling of wrath filled the Russian's chest. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to murder someone unaffiliated with her own target. Her fur stood on edge, her muzzle snarling to the best of its ability, given its deformities.

"I'm not like my mom!" She screamed, curling her hands into fists, bringing them both to her chest. She paused for a moment, acknowledging the wrath she felt. What was she doing, screaming at an otherworldly entity? She was better than this! She wasn't a bloodthirsty monster, not any more.