I STARED AT the creature emerging out upon us. It was a mutant Eyrie, or at
least I thought it was an Eyrie. The creature was three times bigger than an
Eyrie should normally get, and it had two heads, each growling, and dripping
saliva. Its fur was black, with a few white bands, and its beaks were a blood
red colour. The creatures tail started off as one, but at the end, it split
into two tails, each thrashing back and forth like a whip. Each of its claws
was about the size of my fist, and it was starting to come towards us. We backed
up from the creature, but as we started backing up the creature increased its
speed, and then started to run towards us.
I dove to the side right as the creature plowed
through at us. I looked behind me and felt a deep relief when I saw that Dorono
and Wintroq had made it by the creature. At first I thought that the creature
had caught the Shoyru, but then I saw her in the air above its head. The creature
looked at her, and then with a mighty downward pump of its wings it was airborne,
and after the Shoyru I heard the Shoyru's gasp as the creature started to fly
at her. She veered to the left, and started to fly as fast as she could, but
the creature was faster, and had caught up to her in a few seconds. The creature's
heads let out a roar, and it lifted one massive paw into the air, and whacked
the Shoyru With a yelp, she was flung into the sand below, and then lay still.
At first I thought that she had been destroyed, but then I saw her arm move.
I heard some laughter, and I looked up to see
my father laughing at the sight behind the protection of the glass. He would
not be so jolly if he were in here himself! I thought to myself. "Why do
you put us through this!" I yelled, and I would have shaked my fists had they
not been bound together.
I was not completely sure that he could hear
me, but I guess that he could, "You infuriated me, so I shall destroy you."
And then he started laughing once more, but this time at me.
The creature landed, and then folded up its
wings. One head looked at the Shoyru laying face first on the ground, while
the other head looked directly at me. It seemed as if the creature was deciding
whom to go after, and in the end it choose me. It ran up to me, backing me up
against a wall. I started to run left, but the creature's paw blocked me. I
skidded in the sand, and then made my way to the right, but I was blocked once
more.
The creature raised its paw to strike, each
of its five claws extended to the fullest. I stood backed up against the wall
with nowhere to go. I watched in terror as the colossal paw started to fly down
at me, but then I heard. "I'll save you Zarrel!!!" I looked to the left to see
Dorono ram into the creatures side slightly knocking it off balance. As the
creature staggered to the side, one of its claws nicked my belly, but at the
same time it severed the ropes freeing my hands. I ran over to Dorono before
the creature could get up, and I undid the rope on his front paws before the
creature could come back for another attack.
"Take off my ropes too!" Wintroq yelled, and
I then took the ropes off of his hands just as the creature started another
charge towards us, but Dorono was there to help.
Dorono jumped into the air holding sand in his
paws, and then he flew above the creature dropping the sand into its eyes, "Come
after me you giant gobbet of a creature!" He did well to get the creatures attention,
though it was a bit more then he had planned.
The creature jumped into the air, and started
flying after Dorono. I have never had doubts about how fast Dorono could fly,
but once I saw him as he flew just barely ahead of the creatures snapping jaws
I had a new outlook for him. He swerved around the dome, just scarcely ahead
of the creature, and veering this way and that in order to avoid being destroyed.
The way things were currently going; we would not last very long.
It was then that I heard a moan from behind
me. I turned, and there was the Shoyru She dug her blue arms into the sand,
and slowly lifted herself up. She opened her golden eyes as I walked over to
assist her in getting up. She refused my helping hand though, and stood up by
herself. However, once standing, she clutched at her wing, and fell back down
to her knees in the sand, splashing it all around. "Let me help you," I
said calmly to her even though my heart was beating one thousand beats a second,
because of my worry for Dorono.
She just looked at me, her golden eyes piercing
my soul. "No, I will be okay. It is only my wing." And I looked at her blue
wing, slightly crumpled from her fall. She then stood up, and looked at my comrade.
"Your friend flies well, but he will not last
against Grewquilla."
"That thing has a name!?" I stammered.
"Yes. It does," she said. Then we looked back
up at Dorono as he tried to fly away from the gapping jaws of the creature.
I watched up in horror, as one of the creatures
heads stretched out at Dorono. "NO!!!" I screamed as one of the creatures' beaks
tore at Dorono's wing. He screeched out a cry of agony, as the creature whipped
its head to the side throwing Dorono through the air. I ran up to him lying
in the dirt, and helped him up just as the creature landed. "Are you okay Dorono?"
I asked panic-stricken, ignoring the laugh of my father.
"I'm fine," he said. "My wing will be okay."
I trusted him on that, even though his wing looked dreadful. Dorono looked past
my shoulder, and then he gasped in surprise. "Wherric!?!" he exclaimed.
I looked up, and there was Pup ramming against
the glass. I thought that I had gotten rid of his furry hide. "What are you
doing here!?!" I screamed up at him, and then though the window he smiled a
lopsided grin.
"I am here to save you." But I guess that my
father heard that, because he turned towards Pup, and then ordered some of his
men to stop Pup from breaking in.
"Watch out Zarrel Charmain!!!" and Dorono jumped
into me just as one of Grewquilla heads snapped down into the sand which I had
just been standing on. I should not have concentrated my thoughts on Pup, and
my father, but rather on Grewquilla.
"Thanks," I said, rolling to my feet as another
attack was made on me. Grewquilla then turned, and started to run at me. I ran
across the arena with Grewquilla chasing me, but despite my efforts, I was soon
pinned by one of its massive paws. The weight of Grewquilla would have crushed
me had there not been sand, so instead I was pushed about a hands length into
the sand. Grewquilla's heads hung over me issuing out a growl, and dripping
saliva from their beaks. I held my arms over my face as one of its heads shot
at me with an open beak, even though it would not help, but the pain I expected
did not come. Instead I heard the growling of the two heads, and the snapping
of beaks.
I uncovered my face, and looked up to see the
two heads fighting over me. It was just then that I heard a loud crash. All
heads including the monsters were up looking at the source of the sound, and
there was Pup along with one of my father's creatures, an Acara, hanging over
a broken glass window. Pup slowly started to bring himself up, but the Acara
grabbed his tail making him yelp. Pup then kicked his foot at the Acara sending
him to the floor, and then he hoisted himself up. Pup then with one look at
us ran off, but he soon came back with a rope between his teeth. He tossed one
end down to the ground, and held the other end in his mouth. Then, from between
clenched teeth, he yelled, "Climb up!"
I had taken that time to slide out from under
Grewquilla's paw, and start to run back to my friends. Grewquilla did not want
his prey to escape so easily, so with a roar he ran at me. Grewquilla then stopped
his charge, and let out a roar. There hanging on to one of his tails was Dorono,
but he did not hold on long, because with a thrash of his tail Dorono was hurled
into a wall. Dorono slowly got up, and after shaking the sand out of his fur
He prepared for another attack. "Climb up that rope!" he yelled, so with a nod
I ran over to the rope.
I reached it at about the same time as Wintroq
who was helping the injured Shoyru as much as she would allow. "You go first!"
he yelled, and I grabbed the rope, and started climbing. I did not notice as
Pup was slowly being dragged towards the broken window from my weight, but Dorono
did. He jumped into the air, and started to fly over to keep Pup from falling.
He had just about reached us when Pup was pulled out the broken window from
all the weight. With a gasp I fell towards the ground, but I was suddenly jerked
upwards. I looked up to see Dorono flapping with all of his power with one end
of the rope in his beak. He landed on the sill of the broken window, and then
slowly pulled Pup and me up to safety.
Once again I had ignored what was happening,
and Grewquilla burst though the window, and one of its heads caught the end
of my right ear. I yelled out in pain, as the creature pulled me backwards by
my ear, but before it could pull me out the window Dorono jumped on its face,
and clawed it in the eye making it let go, and back up back into the arena giving
Wintroq and the Shoyru time to climb the rope to safety.
I grabbed my ear, feeling its shreds at the
bottom. I removed my hand... my ear definitely was not in good shape. I wiped
my hand off on my tunic leaving a line or red, and then I helped Wintroq up
the rest of the way through the broken window. "Brother, do you know your way
out of this forsaken place," I yelled to him.
"Yes, so follow me." And with that we all followed
him as he ran through the castle before my father could send some more creatures
after us. The Acara that had fallen into the arena then opened his eyes as a
large drop of saliva landed upon his face. He looked up to see two giant beaks
towering over him. But before he could even scream, one of the beaks darted
towards him filling his vision with black.
We ran through the main hall of the castle towards
the exit. Soon we would be free of this horrid place. But instead of heading
straight Wintroq took a left right into a room. "Why are you going in there?"
I asked of him.
"Just a slight detour." And with that I followed
him into the room.
I laughed out loud when I saw what was in the
room. It was all of our stuff that had been taken when we were captured. I ran
up to one of the walls, and grabbed my pack off of it, and to my delight everything
was still inside. Then I pulled my dagger off of the wall, and twirled it in
between my fingers to get the feel for it once more. Wintroq ran over, and pulled
his sword down from the wall, and then he pulled down a shield that had a large
W, and three stars painted on the front. "Okay let's go," I said, and we
ran out the door, and made our way back down the hall with Pup, Dorono, and
the Shoyru who was doing quite well.
Wintroq burst through a door, and once through
I laughed for we had escaped. The sunlight warmed our full, and the fresh smell
of wind was refreshing. "To the woods," I yelled, and then I took the lead
next to Dorono. As we ran into the woods I told myself that if pup or the Shoyru
could not keep up that I would leave them behind, but they did a good job of
keeping up. When I was sure that we had gone far enough into the woods, I called
a halt.
"We're free of Vernok!" Wintroq yelled patting
my back, and I guessed that Vernok was my father. I just nodded, and then started
a fire, for I had not had a decent meal in quite awhile.
I had barely finished cooking up several eggs
when I had all four of the other pets begging for food. With a smile I handed
them the over-easy eggs, which they gobbled down, and then I had to make some
more for me. After what I presume that I could call lunch I walked up to the
blue Shoyru who was sitting on a rock with her back facing us. "Who are you?
Why did my father have you put up for execution?" I demanded.
She stared at me with her golden eyes, and then
she replied, " My name is Lunerith. I was sent here by your father for stealing
an apple."
"Just an apple! He was even worse then I thought!"
said Wintroq walking up.
"Well… The apple was supposed to be for Vernok."
"But still... An apple???"
"Okay, it was on his desk. Annnnd, I also took
a few other things." But before she could finish I laughed. "What is so funny?"
she demanded.
"It is just that we are probably one of the
oddest groups of creatures around. An assassin, a thief, a young puppy, a warrior,
and a flying furball." And I motioned to Dorono who was taking a long deserved
rest, and then I yawned thinking that resting was a good idea. So I walked over
to Dorono, and fell asleep curled up next to him.
***
Kirin had been training me hard for a couple of months now, and it was really
starting to show. After all of that training, I would not need Kirin to protect
me from my father, because I could do that myself. I was really becoming quite
a swords woman as Kirin said.
I was practising my swing with an invisible
blade when Kirin walked up. "Hey Kirin, am I doing the swing right?"
He studied my practice swing, and then smiled,
"Yes, Zarrel Charmain. I think that you have finally gotten it down."
"It would be much better if I had a real dagger
though," I said, sitting down.
"Well, Zarrel Charmain," he said with a grin,
"Then this must be your lucky day." And he pulled out an object that was wrapped
up in red paper. "This is for you. Use it well."
I took it from his hands, and started to unwrap
it even though I already knew what it was. I took off the last of the paper
to reveal a dagger of my own. Its steel was polished down to where I could see
my reflection, and it had a green handle. "Thanks," I said jumping up for joy.
"You are the best Kirin." Ever since I had run into him, Kirin had become my
mentor, and he did a good job teaching me.
Right then I heard a screech, and I held out
my arm for Tarnox to land upon. My shirt was slightly baggy, so Tarnox started
to slip down my shirt, but he caught himself. Kirin had me wear boys clothes
so that I could fight better, but I did not care, because the clothes were much
more comfortable then a dress, and made movement easy. Plus now, I could climb
up into trees. Something that my mother never would let me do. "Your skills
have really improved Zarrel Charmain," Kirin said, the dragon pendent on his
cape sparkling with the sunlight. I liked how he used my full name, while Tarnox
usually just said Zarrel. "If you weren't so young I am sure that you could
get a job with an employer." Kirin had already explained to me all the concepts
and terms of an assassin.
"What shall we do today?" I asked Kirin who
turned his back, and sat down in the dirt.
"Well Today Zarrel Charmain, I am headed off
to the High Reaches Mountains for an important job. I will be gone only a few
days, and during that time you have to stay here."
"You mean that I can't come?" I said, because
Kirin usually let me tag along with him.
"No," he said, closing the deal. "It is too dangerous.
I wouldn't even risk myself, except for the amount of Neopoints that I will
get for us." Then he turned back towards me with a smile. "You can come as far
with me as to the foot of the mountains." And with that we set off towards High
Reaches.
We reached the foot of the mountains far more
quickly than I would have wanted, and once there I had to say goodbye to Kirin.
"Good luck, and goodbye!" I said, and Kirin walked up to me and ruffled my hair.
"Don't worry Zarrel Charmain," he said with
utmost confidence. "I shall be back within three days, and then we can finish
your training. Not that you really need it." And then with that Kirin started
his climb up to High Reaches.
I waited for him for three days, and then three
weeks, and then three months, but Kirin never returned. Everyday, I practised
at the spot Kirin and I used to practice at, and I listened to the memories
of his voice telling me what to do. I even was able to get jobs from a few employers,
but mostly, Tarnox and I had to scrape to keep alive. Life had become hard.
To be continued... | 
