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| Chapter 7: Passage | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
The path to Hydlaa is a long dirt road, weaving along the plains between the hills of the first level of Yliakum. It is raised above the grassy land slightly, keeping it dry and unbroken. Large stones with squalid facets sprawl out in chaotic places along the area. Trees grow up from the ground where they please, reaching with their leaves for the Azure Sun. They provide shade and shelter in their branches. A good place to rest on any journey and watch the landscape. Bugs and small monstrosities fought as they wove between the blades of grass. And there, at the side of the road, a solitary clacker aimlessly headed towards the path. It was unknowingly going to cross the path instead of following it. Neither forward nor back, just sideways. It had a large body compared to its feeble, thin legs. These appendages pulled the body up the small hill to get onto the road. Each step was a struggle- a battle- into some new world. First the front legs pulled, then the back legs pushed. One at a time, each step closer to the top of the hill. Then, finally, a leg reached onto the road. At first it prodded, as if testing to see if the path was really there, or if it could really hold the weight of the tiny body. Then the leg rested on the surface and pulled. And the back legs pushed. They struggled and they trembled with the strain. After a long fight, the Clacker emerged on the side of the road. The rays of Azure Sun beat down on the dusty road. The clacker stopped after reaching its peak, absorbing some of the warmth. Perhaps it was trying to figure out where it was heading. Down the road, traveling as fast as she could, was an middle-aged Ylian woman pushing a wooden cart with two giant, spoked wheels towards Hydlaa. The clacker moved its legs hesitantly forward, into the path of the approaching cart. The woman swerved off to the side of the road, almost losing control. She cursed at the clacker and pushed her cart back onto the road before continuing towards Hydlaa. The clacker had instinctively bunched itself up into a ball under its flimsy shell. The head and legs all pushed themselves in towards the middle, fighting for a safe place from this unknown danger in a strange new land. The woman was out of sight by the time it had gathered the courage to continue on its exploration. One skinny, black leg carefully removed itself from under the body and pulled the body forward. Then another followed. I looked at the feeble clacker from my resting place in the branches of a nearby tree. My stomach rumbled again as I watched the creature push itself. I knew just by looking at that it only had small muscles. I licked my lips and leapt down to the ground. The clacker did not have time left explore much further. |
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Unfortunately, I've been swamped with work and family matters, so updates will be slower]| Chapter 6: Wizards | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
The plains of Yliakum were just as expansive as the ones up on the surface. Yet they never reminded me of home. Always under a different color of the crystal’s light, I’ve never seen them in what I think is their pure form. Under moonlight. It had only been a week since I had last seen it, but I missed the moon. Its rays were what filled my nocturnal life in the Dru`Gotti plains with serenity. With the Kran and Ylians after me for reasons I still didn’t understand, I thought I would never see that light again. I ran several lengths over the next days following the Enkidukai tracks of this new land, stopping only to sleep in trees and get drinks from rivers. I grew hungry, and there was no sign of good hunt. If there were any edible packs, they didn’t wander around here, or had already been killed off by the Enkidukai whose tracks I was following. Eventually I found myself at the end of the trail. I was standing in front of a large tent. The tent was like an utlic, but smaller. On the golden, stretched hides used for the sides, an odd rune had been burned, over and over again. It was on every side, at different angles, sizes and shades. Fanatic hands must have placed them there. The symbol was the one I now have carved above my left eye: a thin crescent shape, sliced by three parallel lines, similar to claw marks. Then, on the inner side of the crescent are four spots, and on the outside, a solitary spot. As I examined the seemingly misplaced structure, a tall, feeble creature with grey skin stepped out of the main entrance. He smiled at me from under his brown, wide-brimmed hat. We looked at one another for a few moments. He seemed just as out of place as his home. He looked weak and worn down. The long, silver hair extending out from under his hat was untamed, and, with his wide and alert eyes, made him look rather deranged. His robe, the same brown color as his hat, covered his body and went down to his ankles, leaving his grey, wrinkled feet exposed to the crystal’s light. In his right hand he held a gnarled staff, having some resemblance to his hair. “Good day, Keto Dru`Gotti. It’s about time you arrived.” He tilted his head after this statement, still staring at me with his wide, dark eyes. I took a moment to look around, hoping there might be another ‘Keto’ behind me. We were alone. I felt confused and uncomfortable, and what was worse, I recognized the Xacha’s voice as soon as he spoke. I remembered his face. But no Xacha have ever been on the Dru`Gotti lands. He didn’t wait for a reply. “Come inside, I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and perhaps some hunger.” He motioned me to enter the tent. As I uneasily stepped forward, my stomach rumbled. “My, what have you done to your arm? Come on, old Sagot will take care of you.” He was still grinning at me. He seemed happy to see me, as if we were old friends. I entered the small tent and was surprised to find the same symbol recurring just as often on the inside walls. I remembered now, I had seen the mark somewhere before. But I didn’t know where. I felt as if this was not my first time here. But I knew I had never been inside Yliakum before. “Who are you?” I asked. “Oh? Yes, I guess it is the first time we’ve met. As I said, I am Sagot, a humble wizard of these parts.” He was still smiling as he bowed slightly. He pronounced every syllable with clear articulation, but his voice was old and scratchy. “How do you know my name?” “Dru`Gotti! Many know of your father, the ‘great slayer of wizards.’ His reputation brings his children equal fame.” “He’s...” I paused. For the first time I understood that my father was gone forever. Sagot didn’t let the silence last a second. “Yes, I know. Those disgusting Ylians. But you must move on, you have much ahead of you. And I’m sure there is much you don’t understand.” He was still smiling. How could he have known? The attack by the Ylians felt like it happened only moments ago. A lot of things were not making sense. “What is going on?” “You must understand, your father’s title also earned him some enemies.” Sagot paused. “Especially if the title wasn’t actually true.” He watched me struggle to understand what he was hinting at. “Please sit down, there is much you need to know. And time is not on your side.” I sat on the dirt floor, while Sagot remained standing. “You see,” he continued, “The wizard your father supposedly defeated was damned by the gods. He was a powerful being that used his power to completely control and alter the mind, beyond what the gods allowed. In combination with his other powers, he began taking over land, and gained many followers. The gods damned him, took all of his powers except the ones beyond law. And even those were weakened.” I could not know if he was telling me the truth, nor could I disagree. My father’s glorious past had been before me, and I couldn’t remember anyone sharing the stories. “Where does my family come in all of this?” I asked. “Well, since your family was blessed by the gods to kill this wizard, your father went to take down the evil wizard. But he did not kill him. So the wizard has now come back. And it is your role to finish him once and for all. You must kill this wizard.” “But why me?” “You are a... no. You are the Dru`Gotti! For all we know your brother Elhon may be dead. And if you do not, the wizard will grow in power, attempting to take over all of Yliakum. The gods have placed this weight on your shoulders. It is your destiny now. He has already gathered Ylians and that mutated Kran against you.” I remembered how Elhon had been when I last saw him. I remembered the apathy and blind rage that seemed to empower the Kran. The Kran. How did I know what a Kran was? Or what Yliakum was? How did Sagot know about my brother and everything that had happened to me? I could not take this much longer. I stood and opened my mouth to speak. “You do not have time to waste here.” Sagot spoke before I could. “Every moment that passes, that wizard your father failed to kill grows more powerful. You have many questions, I know. But you should head to Hydlaa. It is east of here, and there is a library there that will have many of the answers which you seek.” He was now at the door, gesturing for me to go. “Wait! This doesn’t make sense!” I bellowed, using my full voice for the first time. The smile faded from Sagot’s face, but I continued. “How do I know what a Kran is? Or a Diaboli? Or the location of Hydlaa?” My breathing quickened with the speed of my words. “Or a Xacha?” I pointed a finger at him, claw extended. “I just lost my entire family and you expect me to...” “Quiet.” Sagot interrupted me with a firm tone. I didn’t think such strong voice could have come out of such a weak looking body. He continued speaking this way, accenting every word. “You have a responsibility, given to you by the gods. The lives that are resting on your decisions are more important than you. Or your family. Go to Hydlaa.” Shortly after these words, I found myself heading to Hydlaa. I was cold, tired, confused, and my stomach still rumbled. |
| Chapter 5: Solitary Stray | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
My blood boiled and the claws of my good arm thirsted for revenge for my father, mother, and brother Trosen. This time I did not wait for the Ylians to attack first. I dashed forward into the group, howling the same war cry my father had before he died. Elhon followed close behind, but his strides into battle were not as confident as mine. The stronger, well clad ones drew theirs and readied for our assault. I was focused on the one that lead them. The one that claimed it was time for “revenge.” Revenge for what I was not sure of, but then was not the time of thought. I saw and heard everything around me clearly for every second after my claws first hit his blocking arm. The training seemed to have all been for this one moment. Yet, somehow this battle was different from the last one. Every single sense and reflex was heightened by ten fold with death so near to my heart. Our eyes met, and I grinned at him, bearing my sharp teeth. The other ylians surrounded me, swinging their axes and swords, but I was careful to avoid all of them, especially with my broken arm. The one man I had singled out seemed to be the strongest and fastest out of all of them, and he seemed just as focused on fighting me as I was on killing him. He swung his blade at my chest with excessive force. I had to roll backwards to avoid being cut in half. When I got back to my feet, I looked up to see him charging at me and yelling, “Remember me? I am Velmoz! You will not thwart me again!” I rolled to the side, avoiding another Ylian’s attack, and then pushed off the ground to attack Velmoz again. I did not recognize him, but he seemed to know me. We met face to face, trying to attack and block the other. The other Ylians did not interfere, but instead created a circular prison around us. Velmoz swung his blade to the left and missed. I clawed through the armor of his right arm and pierced his flesh. He yelled in pain and backed off. He looked at the wound, and then raised the sword with this good arm and charged at me, screaming. As soon as he was close enough I used a sweeping kick and tripped him. I pounced on him, striking his right arm again. He tossed me off as if I weighed nothing, got up, and rushed toward me, again holding the sword high with his good arm. I stood still, waiting. When Velmoz had gotten close enough, he swung his blade down at me. I was just barely able to dodge. I forced Velmoz’s arms to swing his blade all the way down and into the ground. He pulled hard, to release the weapon from the ground’s hard grip. With a swift kick at the taut weapon, I broke the weak metal into pieces. As if awakened by a trance, the other Ylians began to move again towards me. Before any of them could get close enough to strike, Elhon jumped over their heads and landed by me. We stood back to back once again, fighting. “Get out now, Keto!” Elhon urged. I looked at him in disbelief. I saw he was cut in several places, and almost completely out of stamina. Yet he smiled at me. “Don’t worry.” The Ylians continued to push in, and the blunt end of one axe hit my broken arm. I howled with pain, my knees buckled and fell onto the shards of Velmoz’s blade. I lowered my head, waiting for a final blow, but then I heard a roar that brought true fear into my heart. I looked up to see the huge, black Kran crashing towards the battle. Even the bravest Ylians now dropped their weapons and ran at this sight. I focused all of my remaining energy into my legs and followed the tracks of some group of Enkidukai, tangent to humans’ escape route. I looked back to see Elhon still there, waiting for the Kran. He was still smiling. “Go now Keto!” He yelled in my direction, looking at me one last time. I started to rush back towards him, but the Kran’s speed was greater than my own. Elhon looked surprised for the first time. It hit Elhon with an uppercut to the stomach, causing him to fly several meters. The creature then unsheathed a gigantic claymore and started roar again. Elhon was right. I couldn’t fight this creature even if I tried. I turned and ran, hearing the yells of Ylians, a Kran, and my brother mix in the hot day’s air. |
| Chapter 4: Diaboli Portal | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
Before Elhon and I there stood an immense canyon, covered in golden dust and rocks and filled with darkness. No life was visible, but used tracks that led to the bottom were everywhere. With the sun now rising and a lack of water, we pushed on into the depths. We had no supplies, and hoped that what ever creatures used these paths would be more hospitable than the Ylians or this Kran. “Why did you stop me?” I shouted angrily, breaking a long silence as we followed the narrow path. I couldn’t understand why he held me back. I took blame from Trosan’s death, and wanted revenge for what the Kran did. “I wanted to see him one last time... I didn’t... even get to say goodbye.” I was blinded by a mix of rage and sorrow. “Trust me, against that thing, you wouldn’t have been able to do anything,” Elhon replied, watching his steps carefully on the tightening track. He seemed focused on the ground and as always was only thinking ahead, as if planning the future. “We don’t even know why that thing is after us. It was too dark and cramped to fight anyway.” With that response I snapped. “I could have helped him! ... I wanted to help him! How could you have – ,” before I could finish, the rock under my foot cracked and fell. I was so focused on yelling at my brother that I lost my balance and fell off the path. Plummeting down into the canyon, I tried to grab onto rocks, but to no avail. I don’t even remember the impact with the ground. When I finally woke up, I found myself on a mat with a bandaged arm. I was surrounded by a loud Diaboli camp. At that point I should have realized that I had never seen nor heard of Diaboli before, much less be able to recognize their camp. My head hurt. My arm pounded with pain. I looked at myself and saw that it was wrapped tightly in bandages and a sling held it close to my torso. I looked around to find Elhon conversing with one of the larger Diaboli. He glanced at me and, realizing that I was wake, rushed over. “They’re going to take us with them!” He exclaimed. “They’ll even feed and protect us until we get into the promised land!” “What’s going on?” I asked, looking around. Tents, campfires, and Diaboli were everywhere. The air smelt strongly of beer. Some Diaboli shouted to other Diabolis only a few feet away to be heard over everyone else. Before my brother could reply, one came over to us with a platter of food, containing various meats and vegetation. I happily accepted my first meal in over a day. Other Diabolis around us started to pack up the camp. “They may be loud, but they sure are friendly and hospitable!” said Elhon, biting into a slice of meat. “I spoke with one of their leaders, and got them to take us with them to some underground ‘promised land.’ They seemed to know of Father. It seems the reputation of a ‘Slayer of Wizards’ has traveled far. We should be safe down there and from what they’ve told me about it we should be able to start a new life.” “We move,” shouted one of the larger Diaboli. The rest quieted down, and had finished packing up. I struggled to get up with my broken arm. Elhon supported me. We went with the rest to the side of the Canyon and into large caves. Many Diaboli lit their torches. We followed behind them for several hours, weaving through a labyrinth of tunnels. Eventually everyone stopped. Elhon and I pushed through the crowd to the front to see what was going on. We found the leaders looking at a huge glowing circle. One walked through, seeming to disappear. Everyone remained silent, watching and waiting. After several minutes the Diaboli returned, and the rest began to celebrate. They rushed towards it, pushing us with them. We all passed through the portal and arrived on the other side, and Elhon and I found ourselves alone. The Diaboli were nowhere to be found. We were the solitary inhabitants of a grassy plain, yet somehow still underground. We were in Yliakum, and I got my first glimpse at the Azure Sun. It was like the sun, but brighter, and more powerful. After the initial shock, we started wandering the grasslands. I was able to walk on my own now, though I was careful of my broken arm. We ran with new life in our strides. We followed the tracks left by other Enkidukai, leading us for several kilometers. But before we found another of our own kind, we were stopped by Ylians. As they yelled at us, I recognized them as the same Ylians from before. Their numbers were fewer, perhaps just seven or eight. No Enkidukai accompanied them this time. “Now it’s time for revenge,” one of the more heavily equipped ones said to the rest, his eyes focused on me. They drew their swords and began to advance towards us. Elhon and I stood, side by side, waiting for yet another fight. |
| Chapter 3: Forest Escape | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
We pushed ourselves to our limits to keep ahead of this large, black Kran. Trosen’s injury grew worse with the swift run. We supported him as best we could and soon reached the edge of the Interdicted Forest. The trees, with the aid of the clouds, blocked all of the moonlight inside. Though we stood by the dark abyss awaiting us for several seconds, debating on whether to go in or not, the Kran’s approaching footsteps pushed us ahead. We were told never to leave our own domain. That we couldn’t handle it. I had to lead the way and took my brothers paws, helping them dodge the obtrusive trees which they couldn’t even see. The crunch of the Kran’s stomps slowed as it entered the forest, but it did not stop following us. Each step it took echoed all around us and mingled with the voices of nightdwellers. I swerved right and left to keep away from the foreboding racket. Yet it kept getting closer. We were lost and scared with no ability to see this creature coming after us. There seemed no end to the forest. I stopped to understand my bearings. We were lost. The Kran’s footsteps got ever louder, but were muffled by Trosen’s heavy breathing. He must have lost a great deal of blood from his leg by then. He couldn’t go on much longer. We were all running out of energy. The Kran’s steps got faster and louder. It was getting too close. The crunch of dead leaves underneath each bound of the monster. It was deafening. It was so dark, and that’s all we could hear. I was about to pull my brothers again. But I was paralyzed by the cry of Trosen. The Kran had caught him. Elhon tugged at my side to run, but I had turned to Trosen. I couldn’t leave him, but I knew I couldn’t defeat this rock creature. I just stood, frozen, flinching at the howls of my brother and the sound of cracking bones. Elhon tried to hold me back from trying to save Trosen, demanding that we get away while we could. I pushed forward toward the Kran but stopped in my tracks as my face was splattered with a warm fluid. Trosen’s yelps stopped. The silence sliced through all the previous sounds and pounded into my head. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees with this horrible feeling. I screamed louder than I thought possible. Elhon dragged away me as best he could though the forest. The feeling of my brother’s warm blood on my face still gives me nightmares today. I couldn’t save him. The Kran no longer followed. Elhon eventually found an edge of the forest, and we exited. The sun was just rising, it was painfully blinding after being in the forest. I had a sinking feeling that I’d never get to see the moon over our lands again. We were on the edge of a cliff, along with being completely lost. We had to push ahead. |
| Chapter 2: Rampant Past | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
We were trapped, and I at once realized the feeling our own prey got before it was devoured. Silent and motionless air surrounded us; not a single blade of grass under our hind paws dared to move in the presence of such a harrowing fate. A wind came and pushed the blades in chaotic directions, yet it seemed all of them moved as a group away from us. With this wind the traitor Enkidukai and the Ylians charged at us to fulfill their massacre. We had heard of such evil Ylians, and how they were our most significant enemy, and both my brothers and I realized what we really had been training for. Trosen raised his staff, and Elhon and I extended our claws, waiting for them to get in range of our now deadly weapons. Weak swords didn’t scare us, and certainly the Enkidukai that had sought our father’s leadership could not defeat us after years of our training. None of us wanted to fight, though. The sun’s heat beat down on us, pushing us to move, just as our feet unknowingly crushed the blades of grass below us. A circle of swords and claws closed around us. As soon as they got close enough we began to push back without a thought. It was the first time I killed another soul with out intention of gaining food from the corpse, and in that one day I performed this act several times. At some point Trosen was cut badly on his hind leg, crippling him. He was barely able to walk. Even with his wound, we stood as a triad, supporting the others and slowly side-stepping together through the mob towards our father. By the time we got to him, it was too late. His old body couldn’t fend off so many Ylians wielding their clumsy death-bringers. His blood mixed and fed the water of the lake. We could not mourn then- there was no time. Our father might have been old, but still more powerful than us. If he couldn’t survive long, neither would we. We kept side-stepping, pushed out of the fight, and began to run. Elhon and I supported Trosen with his injury. He tripped and fell often. We were faster than the Ylian, and our training made us faster than the other Enkidukai. We ran across the plains that were once ours, trying to escape the monsters that had caused us to also be savage. We escaped and returned to the Dru`Gotti camp. These Utlics were our home since birth. It was a haven from everything: hunger, pain, even the sun. It was all we had left now. It was in ruins. Corpses littered the tents; blood soaked the soil. We had not stopped moving at the sight of our father’s death, but to see our mother’s body limp and mutilated made us all freeze. The murderers did this while we were out training. They killed everyone. None of us could bear the loss; none of us could sleep. We stayed there for the night.. Elhon was trying to make plans of escape, but he didn’t know where to. We had never left the plains. Trosen was treating his leg wound as best as possible. I sat by our mother, holding her hand, lamenting. The night was warm but the clouds blocked the light of the moon, causing everything to be dark. I relied on my hearing to know what went on around me, but my brothers could barely understand their surroundings with such little light. While I sat with our mother, I overheard Elhon and Trosen whipser. I couldn’t see them, but I could tell they were arguing. “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” It was Trosen’s voice. He sounded... aware. I couldn’t understand how he could have such a clear mind after what we had just gone through. “Quit your whining, he told us there would be danger.” Elhon replied calmly. I puzzled over these words for a moment. “One of those fools almost cut my leg off! He never said anything about that!” “Keep your voice down. Look, I’m sure we’re through the worst of it. We’re almost done anyway.” There were no sounds around us for a long while until an ominous crash destroyed the silence. The sound echoed all around us, driving us to fear. We could barely make out the outline: a strange roaring beast had jumped into the camp and was heading straight for us, ripping apart everything in its path. Without thinking, Elhon grabbed Trosen and me and began running. He already realized that we were no longer welcome by anyone. Elhon led us straight for the Interdicted Forest, which marked the end of our territory. As we ran across the plains, a break in the clouds let moonlight onto the creature following us. I looked at it to see a strange black mass, seemingly made completely of rock. I couldn’t explain it then, but even though I had never seen of it or heard of it, I knew it was a Kran. But have yet to see another one to be so dark in color, or so large. Combined with the Ylians on our trail, our condition, and a lack of shelter, all hope seemed lost. We headed to the forest now, exiled from our own lands. |
| Chapter One: Fall of the Clan | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
We Enkidukai hunters of the grasslands had a saying: "Ylians did not advance past nature, but were rejected from it because of how they let selfishness corrupt them." I no longer believe all Ylians are evil, but back then I did. I did not come to Yliakum to worship some high and mighty god. I had been forced to come here so that I could escape from the attacks on the last of my clan. We were the Dru`Gotti: the strongest hunters, the leaders of the Enkidukai in our area. We were, until that Ylian corruption infected our followers. They claimed we were in their way. They told us that we had to leave. But my father, the so called great “Slayer of Wizards”, tired and old as he was, refused to go anywhere. These Ylians had always been as feeble as their weapons, which we learned you could break with your bare paws. They would not easily force us away from our family's utlics in the middle of our lands. But that did not stop them from gathering together, even turning our own people against us, to make us leave. That was months before my reaching these new lands underground known as Yliakum. Back then, I, along with my two older brothers, were learning the way of the plains and the techniques of the hunt. We didn't understand the politics that our famous father dealt with, much less know of what noble past he possessed, but we knew that one day we each of us would have to deal with it as his successors. We were taught that Ylians were evil, and they were turning the other Enkidukai clans against us. We didn't know why we trained so hard in our clan's martial arts until that day when the Dru`Gotti surname was erased from our domain. I hated training then since I was the youngest and smallest of my brothers. It just gave the others a chance to beat me down again as they teamed up on me. Father watched us as we spared with each other. He would yell reminders of attack and defense techniques between coughing fits to expel of the pains of his old body. He had done great deeds in his day, but time is something we are all running out of. I don’t regret that early conditioning. It made me fast, hard skinned, and able to fight several enemies at once. Back then, even though I was the youngest, I was often the one left in charge to take care of family quarrels. I was still innocent back then, and everyone trusted me to tell the truth and help them. I didn’t mind it, it gave me a reason to wake up each day. A reason to train. Nonetheless, back then I had not reached even a fraction of my true potential. We had met for training just before dawn by the Soulless Lake, just like every other day. The white moon, who's rays dispersed the black night from shrouding our lands, was just beginning to fall to the horizon. We ran for several hours, and practiced techniques along with developing our own individual style. Once the time for sparring had arrived, the dull yellow sun started to grow from the other side of the lake, infecting both the water and the sky with rich colors. Elhon, the younger of my brothers, held his paws up with claws extended. Like myself, his favorite weapons were the ones that you always had. He stared at me now, watching my every move, ready to pounce. Trosen, the oldest brother, held his choice staff ready to strike me from above. I waited patiently, staring straight ahead of me into the sun. I relied on my ears to tell me when and how to move, though I already knew my brothers well enough to know what was going to happen. Trosen started the battle, swinging his staff downward. I caught it in my left paw while avoiding Elhon's assault of claw swipes. Elhon's speed was well past mine, and soon I realized his left paw was about to strike my face. I heard father yell something out, but our ears were too focused on eachother. We didn't know what was going on around us. I pulled the staff down in front of my face, stopping Elhons claws. I backed away quickly and used a sweeping kick to trip Trosen, who was occupied with trying to remove Elhon's claws from his weapon. I extended my claws while I jumped back to my feet and began to race to my connected victims. Before I reached the two, my body froze with the battle howl of our father. We all turned our heads to see him surrounded by the same Ylians who claimed we were in their way, weak swords drawn and pointed at him. We started to rush over, but quickly realized we too were surrounded and outnumbered by an army of not only Ylians, but of the same Enkidukai that had once chosen and relied on our father for leadership because of his virtuous past. The sun had grown up past the horizon now, and the heat of its rays hit our fur, mixed with stares of the blood thirsty Ylians eyes. I could feel the moon fading away. We didn't find out until later what these savages had already done while we were out training. But we weren't thinking about that, we just wanted to save our father. |
), Monketh...