ANDROMEDA ━ 𝐕𝐈𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

vii.

The air around the Seer's hut was strange. It was tense, and cold. Loaded with something eerie and indescribable. There was a smell that almost tasted like rot in her mouth. Like flesh and blood and water and sky and dirt. Like rotting leaves and fresh flowers all at once. Like oysters that had sat out in the sun all day and the scent of fire and ash and sulphur.

The bird on her shoulder stood taller with each step toward the hut. It was draped in the shadow of trees and the mountain like a cloak, like it was hidden from the eye of all things human. Andy resisted a shudder. Why did each step begin to feel like a death march? Her hands trembled, fingers quivered and she cracked each knuckle. Teeth dug into her lip, near hard enough to draw blood. It felt like approaching a predator, diving into an alligator nest, charging towards a bear, running into oncoming traffic or getting in a serial killer's car.

Floki knocked on the door, whilst Helga, as if sensing the younger woman's weariness, placed a hand on her forearm, pale fingers warm as they wrapped around the skin just below her wrist and the sleeve of her under-dress. The person inside the hut let out a gravely sounding shout, "Enter!"

Andy held back a flinch at the sound, and dillegently followed the two inside. Huginn stood up straighter on her shoulder, and Muninn dove through the door behind her. He trotted along the planks of the floor and settled himself at the stranger's feet. This guy better actually be the Seer, Andy thought to herself. I'm not doing a creepy detour for fucking nothing. I already met a random goth.

The stranger, the probably, definitely Seer was... unsettling in appearance. He was old and as pale as death, draped in a dark cloak, the hood up, despite being inside. The cloak was threadbare, with holes and snags and thin patches. It looked like moss, almost, thorns and moss and nettles and vines, like he had been sitting against a rock for so long that the world had began to grow over him, through him, even. Except instead of encased by roots or resting against a rock, he stood free, not even a vine coiling around his ankle.

His lips and the flesh around his mouth was stained black, the pigment worn into the weathered, wrinkled skin. He had no eyes, flesh and scar and wrinkles covered the area that his eyes should have been. Was this part of his journey to become a seer? Did he lose sight to gain true vision? A large metal clasp hung between his shoulders, a necklace of wooden beads, almost like her grandfather's rosary hung from his neck, bone charm like talons dangled from it.

Death, death! The room seemed to scream. Andy took a shuddering breath. The sulphuric taste filled her lungs and she found herself coughing. A cold terror creeped down her back. There was something strange going on here.

The raven haired woman took in a shuddering breath. The stench permeated her nose, her hair, stinging at her eyes and nipping at her fingers. The gnarled and weathered stranger, the eyeless man turned to face them truly. He almost looked like evil Kermit and emperor Palpatine, but it may have also just been the cloak..

Small pieces of wood were strung up on twine, like windchimes. Millions decorated the place. By any rate, it didn't seem like he'd have a phone. Andy held back a shudder as the sticks clinked and clacked.

Helga and Floki shared a glance, then looked towards her, almost expectantly. Andy pursed her lips and shrugged, shaking her head slightly. What did they want her to say to him? Munnin hopped about at her ankle, nudging her with his beak. Huginn opened his wings wide, as if to greet the ancient old man with his arms- erm, wings, wide open. The ravens called.

The Seer's blackened lips twisted up.

Helga and Floki, the blonde and bald bastards, stepped back, as if they were silently ordering her to speak the the strange man.