.talithatempakumu strong {color:white;}
</style>
Her hands scraped up some more sand and she quietly dumped it on top, all hopes of salvaging the castle she had carefully formed before fleeing. She coiled one of her legs up and kicked out, watching the sand smash down around her leg and feeling its cool caress. It made her shiver; it was too reminiscent. She pulled that leg quickly away from the damp sand and curled it under her once more, safe and dry, before the sound of her name made her jump. Normally she would have looked over at whoever was speaking, curious, but Talitha actually moved; the sound of her name sent a jolt through her body that shot her onto her feet and skipping several metres away from the coyote who spoke.
For half a second the desire the scream welled up her throat and threatened to burst through. For half a second she wanted to get away. But it took that half of that second to realise that this was Rachias, not Andrezej, and she was relieved to know the different. The animalistic fear that lit her eyes was better than the death that usually lingered there, but not a lot better. Her thin tail whipped wildly behind her, but not in calm and content wags; it twitched here and there, showing her agitation as clear as if she wore a glowing sign on her head. But the recognition calmed her just a little bit; she drew her hands to her childish chest and held herself, but didn't make a move toward her aunt, in case it really was Andre in disguise.
R-Rachias? Is that... You? You're back? Did you find Arkham's body? Help me... Save me from your psychopath of a brother... Please. She couldn't voice those thoughts, though; it had taken every bit of control for her to choke out as much as she had said.