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Darkness... familiar darkness all around me...

The sudden surprise attack brought on by the predator did not phase Blotch one bit, nor the feeling of his flesh being rendered from his body and the muffled screams from his Hunt team slowly pan out as his lungs filled with mud. Afterall it hasn't been the first time he was killed and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. What did surprise him however was the area he was brought to upon his 'death' and who was gazing down upon him with their all seeing purple face.

"YOU... YOU HAVE RETURNED ALREADY?" The Shade spoke out curiously, their strong voice echoing into Blotch's very core. Their hoards of unseen tendrils swirling around within the void, making gorgeous patterns unseen to the naked eye. "I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER. YOU SPOKE SO ASSUREDLY OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN REALMS FAR BEYOND THE REACH OF MY OWN."

"...Ah.." The ink cat would look down in shame, watching his own inky body meld in and out of the darkness. "This form has limits, even for a well traveled soul like myself."

"YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN GIFTS BY THE OTHERS, YET YOU STILL STRUGGLE HERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I'VE HAD TO DO FOR YOU?!?" The Shade reared back, the gentle purple glow gave off an angry shine as they 'looked' judgingly down upon the small Traveler.

Blotch cowered back, eye going wide while trying to de-escalate the situation. "No, it's not like that at all! I fully appreciate each of the Deep One's generous gifts it's just that my body is so far different than what I'm used to! My lost eyes
... one of them had regrown here. It is so painfully bright in this realm, ether coats every surface and flows within the veins of every creature. It makes me blind! All of my senses are just so thrown off that at times-"

"YOU-! .. WAIT... YOU CAN SEE ETHER...?" The Deep one dropped their judgmental glare and leaned down to stare closer at Blotch, their curiosity quickly overtaking their growing offense.

"Y-yes? But I might as well be blind, I see nothing but brilliant lights."

"HMM... I THINK I CAN FIX THIS, FOR A PRICE." The Shade slowly circles around the small melting folk, eying them up and down. Their tendrils comfortably wrap around Blotch's body, melding with it far more easily than any other folk. "YOU SPOKE UPON YOUR ARRIVAL ONCE BEFORE, THAT YOU TOO COULD ONCE SEE LIKE I DO. THAT YOUR FALLEN KIND WERE ONCE POWERFUL GUARDIANS WHO FOLLOWED THE ORDERS OF HIGHER BEINGS..."

The Shade paused for a few seconds, Blotch curling up within their embrace while watching from below with a tired yet cautious gaze. "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME ONE OF MY 'GUARDIANS', ONE OF MY WARLOCKS. TO PROTECT OTHERS OF SIMILAR CONDITIONS LIKE YOUR OWN?" The Shade seems to look off into nothingness as if watching something going on in the world, their brilliant face glinting. "IN RETURN, YOU WILL GAIN ALL OF THE BENEFITS. GIVE UNTO ME YOUR LOYALTY IN THIS REALM, AND YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR SIGHT AND STRENGTH BACK."

That definitely caught Blotch's attention. "You would do that for me..? ... ... ..." He took a long pause to think, wondering if it was some kind of trap. "This Warlock status... what exactly would it mean for me?"

"IT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU FOLLOW MY ORDERS WHENEVER GIVEN, AND THAT YOU MAY FREELY RETURN HERE WHENEVER NECESSARY. TO BE GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY IS TO BE GIVEN THE MOST WONDEROUS GIFT FROM ANY DEEP ONE."

Blotch thought silently, his ears quivering occasionally as he could pick up on the faintest of sounds.
"...How come the others didn't reach out to me? I'm pretty sure I felt others being dragged along-"

"AH, THE OTHER DEEP ONES ALL HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL THIS SEASON. THAT AND YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN MARKED BY MY TOUCH. THEY DO NOT LIKE TO CLAIM WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN CLAIMED BY THE DARKNESS."

"But the others-" Shade sighs and cuts Blotch off. "I WILL GIVE YOU AMPLE TIME ON YOUR DECISION, BUT BE WARY AS I CANNOT CONTROL TIME IN THAT REALM. YOUR TEAM IS IN DANGER, WEATHER YOU ACCEPT MY GIFT AND RETURN OR DECLINE AND LEAVE THIS REALM IS UP TO YOU LITTLE ONE. THE WOUNDS YOU SUFFERED ON YOUR PHYLACARDIA WILL KILL YOU THE MOMENT YOU AWAKEN AGAIN, I AM MERELY KEEPING YOU ALIVE BY HOLDING YOU TOGETHER TILL YOU HAVE MADE YOUR DECISION."

"I... Th-thank you sir..."

The silence continued to fill his ears with a gentle internal buzz, Blotch looked down at his own paws deep in thought.
"To protect others like myself... others.... Lazarus..." The inked cat frowned and held his arms closely to himself, thinking of the so called unusual Traveler Kit that had appeared so suddenly in the Grove before. He thought of their past together in another realm, wondering just what could've happened for such a brave and happy creature to become so timid and hostile to any who showed threat. He then began to think about his other family members in that same world, and began to deeply worry.

"Shade... If I accept this pact and become your Warlock, would you tell me if and where others like myself appear here?"
The Shade sensed the growing worry from the cat and curled their tentacles around Blotch more, sighing and speaking out in a softer tone. "YOU ARE MISSING OTHERS, AREN'T YOU? ... YES. I WILL INFORM YOU OF THEIR ARRIVALS WHENEVER ABLE."

Blotch stayed silent, looking up at the Shade. Their purple face gleaming within his dark eye as he reached out a paw and smiled. "Then you have a deal, friend."

—————————————————————
Blotch

16/240 Acorns
(963 words)
>Acorn Tracker: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

Description
Darkness... familiar darkness all around me...

The sudden surprise attack brought on by the predator did not phase Blotch one bit, nor the feeling of his flesh being rendered from his body and the muffled screams from his Hunt team slowly pan out as his lungs filled with mud. Afterall it hasn't been the first time he was killed and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. What did surprise him however was the area he was brought to upon his 'death' and who was gazing down upon him with their all seeing purple face.

"YOU... YOU HAVE RETURNED ALREADY?" The Shade spoke out curiously, their strong voice echoing into Blotch's very core. Their hoards of unseen tendrils swirling around within the void, making gorgeous patterns unseen to the naked eye. "I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER. YOU SPOKE SO ASSUREDLY OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN REALMS FAR BEYOND THE REACH OF MY OWN."

"...Ah.." The ink cat would look down in shame, watching his own inky body meld in and out of the darkness. "This form has limits, even for a well traveled soul like myself."

"YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN GIFTS BY THE OTHERS, YET YOU STILL STRUGGLE HERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I'VE HAD TO DO FOR YOU?!?" The Shade reared back, the gentle purple glow gave off an angry shine as they 'looked' judgingly down upon the small Traveler.

Blotch cowered back, eye going wide while trying to de-escalate the situation. "No, it's not like that at all! I fully appreciate each of the Deep One's generous gifts it's just that my body is so far different than what I'm used to! My lost eyes
... one of them had regrown here. It is so painfully bright in this realm, ether coats every surface and flows within the veins of every creature. It makes me blind! All of my senses are just so thrown off that at times-"

"YOU-! .. WAIT... YOU CAN SEE ETHER...?" The Deep one dropped their judgmental glare and leaned down to stare closer at Blotch, their curiosity quickly overtaking their growing offense.

"Y-yes? But I might as well be blind, I see nothing but brilliant lights."

"HMM... I THINK I CAN FIX THIS, FOR A PRICE." The Shade slowly circles around the small melting folk, eying them up and down. Their tendrils comfortably wrap around Blotch's body, melding with it far more easily than any other folk. "YOU SPOKE UPON YOUR ARRIVAL ONCE BEFORE, THAT YOU TOO COULD ONCE SEE LIKE I DO. THAT YOUR FALLEN KIND WERE ONCE POWERFUL GUARDIANS WHO FOLLOWED THE ORDERS OF HIGHER BEINGS..."

The Shade paused for a few seconds, Blotch curling up within their embrace while watching from below with a tired yet cautious gaze. "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME ONE OF MY 'GUARDIANS', ONE OF MY WARLOCKS. TO PROTECT OTHERS OF SIMILAR CONDITIONS LIKE YOUR OWN?" The Shade seems to look off into nothingness as if watching something going on in the world, their brilliant face glinting. "IN RETURN, YOU WILL GAIN ALL OF THE BENEFITS. GIVE UNTO ME YOUR LOYALTY IN THIS REALM, AND YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR SIGHT AND STRENGTH BACK."

That definitely caught Blotch's attention. "You would do that for me..? ... ... ..." He took a long pause to think, wondering if it was some kind of trap. "This Warlock status... what exactly would it mean for me?"

"IT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU FOLLOW MY ORDERS WHENEVER GIVEN, AND THAT YOU MAY FREELY RETURN HERE WHENEVER NECESSARY. TO BE GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY IS TO BE GIVEN THE MOST WONDEROUS GIFT FROM ANY DEEP ONE."

Blotch thought silently, his ears quivering occasionally as he could pick up on the faintest of sounds.
"...How come the others didn't reach out to me? I'm pretty sure I felt others being dragged along-"

"AH, THE OTHER DEEP ONES ALL HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL THIS SEASON. THAT AND YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN MARKED BY MY TOUCH. THEY DO NOT LIKE TO CLAIM WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN CLAIMED BY THE DARKNESS."

"But the others-" Shade sighs and cuts Blotch off. "I WILL GIVE YOU AMPLE TIME ON YOUR DECISION, BUT BE WARY AS I CANNOT CONTROL TIME IN THAT REALM. YOUR TEAM IS IN DANGER, WEATHER YOU ACCEPT MY GIFT AND RETURN OR DECLINE AND LEAVE THIS REALM IS UP TO YOU LITTLE ONE. THE WOUNDS YOU SUFFERED ON YOUR PHYLACARDIA WILL KILL YOU THE MOMENT YOU AWAKEN AGAIN, I AM MERELY KEEPING YOU ALIVE BY HOLDING YOU TOGETHER TILL YOU HAVE MADE YOUR DECISION."

"I... Th-thank you sir..."

The silence continued to fill his ears with a gentle internal buzz, Blotch looked down at his own paws deep in thought.
"To protect others like myself... others.... Lazarus..." The inked cat frowned and held his arms closely to himself, thinking of the so called unusual Traveler Kit that had appeared so suddenly in the Grove before. He thought of their past together in another realm, wondering just what could've happened for such a brave and happy creature to become so timid and hostile to any who showed threat. He then began to think about his other family members in that same world, and began to deeply worry.

"Shade... If I accept this pact and become your Warlock, would you tell me if and where others like myself appear here?"
The Shade sensed the growing worry from the cat and curled their tentacles around Blotch more, sighing and speaking out in a softer tone. "YOU ARE MISSING OTHERS, AREN'T YOU? ... YES. I WILL INFORM YOU OF THEIR ARRIVALS WHENEVER ABLE."

Blotch stayed silent, looking up at the Shade. Their purple face gleaming within his dark eye as he reached out a paw and smiled. "Then you have a deal, friend."

—————————————————————
Blotch

16/240 Acorns
(963 words)
>Acorn Tracker: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…