"Since you've shown that you have not an ounce of regard for your wellbeing."
Venom exhaled sharply, his frustration evident as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The silence that followed hung heavy in the air, broken only when Mavislin's wound finally sealed.
With a deliberate motion, she sat up, her eyes locking onto the culprits of the chaos, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel.
"Didn't I give specific instructions not to fight to the death? And since when did I even let all the two of you fight in the first place?!" scolded the dragoness.
Matt's gaze fell to the floor, his usual upright ears drooping in shame. The Viceroy, on the other hand, refused to meet her eyes but maintained his stance, still facing her.
Had the situation been less severe, Venom could almost imagine Raven laughing at its absurdity—a scene straight out of a family drama, with two chastised boys standing before a stern mother figure.
"Well?! I can't read your minds, you know. Out with it, what the hell happened?!"
"We fought."
"Yes, that much I am aware! I'm asking the two of you, why?"
"Because I granted Mattheos a rematch, curious to measure the strides he's made since those distant days. He did attempt to set some ground rules, though—"
"We were too engrossed with the battle to recall it. It was my fault as well. I let my emotions get the better of me when he started to taunt me," finished the rabbit.
Mavislin sighed, mirroring Venom's earlier actions from earlier.
"Zenos, you swore and promised not to hurt my brethren during our alliance. And you've broken the pact, so-"
"Hold that thought, Shadow," commanded Venom, grabbing her wrist gently.
He leaned in, dipping so close to her horns that the dragoness instinctively tensed, her hand twitching as if ready to send him hurtling through time and space for his audacity.
"Stay out of this, Venom."
"Much as I might desire to, I cannot. To provoke the Northern Cartel now would be to court their ire alongside the Legion's. And should we lose this prized pawn of yours, what guarantee do we have that his father would not turn and ally himself with our foes instead?"
Mavislin parted her lips as if to speak but hesitated, pressing them shut once more. Emmett, noticing her pause, leaned back into his position with an air of practiced indifference, subtly granting her the space to stretch and gather herself.
"I am well aware that I've broken our agreement. If it pleases you, I can still walk away this very moment," said the blonde.
"And what? Only for you to come back with your men to bring ruin to me and my younglings? No, I don't think so nor I'm giving you that chance. You are to stay to help us. I'll think of a punishment befitting for a Prince of Darkness soon but allow me to get on with my mission."
"Heed my command now; the two of you are not speaking to each other for the rest of the day. Lest you are pining for my ire again. Is that clear?" ordered the dragoness.
"And if you both think of speaking a word, I won't hesitate for my snakes to turn you into stone," added Mavislin as a snake popped out of her hair to curl around Matt's torso.
Meanwhile, the snake perched with Zenos coiled itself lazily through his blonde locks, seemingly content and oblivious to her owner's simmering anger. The snake caught sight of Mavislin's glare and let out an angry hiss at the Viceroy before curling up in a sulky pout.
Mavislin turned sharply on her heels, striding out of the room with Venom trailing close behind her. Just as he reached the threshold, however, Emmett came to an abrupt halt.
"If either of you dares attempt such a foolhardy act again, I will show you precisely why I am regarded as a master of lifetaking. You have both committed the unforgivable sin of causing harm to someone I hold dear and make no mistake—you will not escape unscathed."
"And you, Terror of the Northern Cartel, will find that your reputation means little to me when you cross this line."
After delivering his warning, Venom sauntered off to catch up with Mavislin, who was now accompanied by Spider. It had been several years since the dragoness last saw him, and she hadn't had the chance to truly notice—until now—just how much Spider had matured.
Spider—though Raven had taken to calling him Crius after finding him in the woods—had once been a scrawny, disheveled teenager. His short, dusty silver hair and glazed blue eyes spoke of the horrors he had endured. His cat-like ears and long tail did at least move a bit.