Boldheart: Stormy Winds and Were-Lupes by meratocat |  |
Teala snorted as her father walked by. She hated who
she was, she hated where she was, and most of all, she hated her father. She
was not just one of those selfish teens who had overreacted to having had to
clean her room, Teala actually had a reason to be angry.
As a young Kyrii, Teala was spectacular with
the bow. She could beat any boy, and most any adults when it came to hitting
her target. At first her father acted pleased with her skills, congratulating
her on every shot, good or bad, but now things were different. Her youngest
brother had joined the Calvary unit, and during a mission in the deep southern
dessert, the bands of Lancoth had captured him. Or so the last surviving member
of his group had said before he keeled over from a dozen deep wounds.
Of course his courageous sister, Teala had immediately
packed up her bow and arrows, and was walking out the door ready to save him
when her father had grabbed her, and dragged her back into the house, saying
that it was too dangerous a mission for a girl to take on.
That had been a year ago, and though full of
anger, Teala had listened to her father on the matter. Now, though, he had finally
more then pulled the last straw… he had cut it in half!
She had gotten into a fight with a boy, for
after beating him in archery, he had demanded that she had cheated, and then
insulted her mother, hence almost getting killed by the boiling Kyrii maiden.
Her father, after hearing only the boy's side of things, had taken her bow,
saying that she was too unladylike, and said that from then on she could no
longer fight, or use any weapon. Especially the bow.
"MOTHER WOULD HAVE WANTED ME TO HAVE FOLLOWED
MY HEART!!!"
"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR MOTHER WOULD HAVE
WANTED!!! FOR SHE IS GONE!!!" and then he snapped her bow in two, and threw
the pieces at her before locking the door to her room. "AND YOU WON'T COME OUT
UNTIL YOU PROMISE TO NEVER ACT LIKE A MALE AGAIN!!!"
Tears wielded up in her eyes, for her mother
and for herself. "It is just unfair. Why couldn't I have been born a boy, then
he wouldn't have cared. Instead I am stuck as I am… where I am forever." Tears
ran freely down her cheeks, and she looked down once more at the broken fragments
of her bow. At least she had had an extra quiver, and plenty of arrows stuffed
under her bed, for her father had thrown her quiver into the fire. Then she
remembered that she was no longer aloud to carry a weapon.
Anger flared in her eyes, so what about what
her father said. She was the only one who could decide her future, and then
she decided what it would be. She put on a tan tunic, and some boots, and then
after gathering up her quiver and arrows she walked up to her window. It was
unlocked because she was on the second story of her home, but that didn't matter
to the determined Kyrii as she looked over the edge of her roof.
There was a sudden pounding on her door, and
her father's voice picked up. "I am coming in there to see if you have any other
weapons hidden around your room Teala." Then he started to unlock the door.
It was now or never for Teala, so with one last look behind her, she jumped
off the roof, and into a bush just as her father opened the door. He ran to
the door just in time to see his only daughter running off into the woods that
surrounded their home. "TEALA!!! COME BACK THIS INSTANT!!!" but even if she
had heard him, she paid him no heed as she ran away from her home, never to
return.
As it begun to get darker, Teala made a fire,
and began to make a new bow. She had just finished etching the last design into
the handle when a sudden flash of lightning, and a roar of thunder came. She
quickly began to pack up, for a storm would mean rain, and she did not want
to be caught out in it.
Teala searched around as the thunder got louder,
until she found a nice cave to duck inside of. She had just gotten inside when
it started to rain, so at least she was dry. The cave was pitch black, and Teala
did not want to find out how far back the cave went, and if anyone else resided
in there. She just wanted to get to sleep as she laid her head upon her hands,
curled up to try and keep warm from the howling wind. Sleep she did, but not
without dreams.
She dreamt of her brother, and of the happy
days that they had had together. In her dream she saw them together as kids
swinging upon a tire swing, and all was happy, and then the nice vision disappeared,
and was replaced by a vision of her brother's face filled with agony. Then a
vision of an evil looking Tuskaninny, with many pets surrounding him took up
her vision. The Tuskaninny and the other pets with the gold bands around their
foreheads were all laughing at an Aisha, who at the moment was looking quite
pitiful.
Teala woke up panting, trying to discern what
her dream meant, and the only thing that she could think about was her brother,
and how she had never gone out to save him. Then it hit her, she hadn't gone
out to save him because of her father, but now that he was not in the picture
anymore, she could go out to get him. At that, Teala decided that upon the morning
that she would make her way over the large mountains, and out to the desert
to save her brother.
She looked outside of the cave to where it was
still pouring down rain, and thundering, and she thought that she saw a light
reddish glow, and upon taking another look, decided that it must have just been
a trick of the night. She lay down upon her hands, but before she even had the
chance to close her eyes, a long piercing howl cut through the night.
Teala pulled out her bow, fit an arrow to it,
and then looked outside. She saw a flash of ruffled fur, and another slight
reddish glow, but before she could make sure that her aim was true, the figure
disappeared. She held her bow ready as several more howls followed, each time
closer to her. Whatever it was that was out there was closing in upon her.
Suddenly, there was a brush against her back.
Teala turned, holding her bow out ready to fire, and she found herself facing
a Reptillior, the vilest, and most poisonous creature that she could have possible
ran into. It's red eyes blazed at her, and its fangs stuck out of its scaly
head. Teala knew that a bite from this pet would mean death in minutes without
proper treatment, for which she had none. Any sudden movement, and the Reptillior
would strike her, it followed her every movement with his fiery red eyes, and
Teala closed her eyes as tight as she could when she heard another howl from
behind her. She had her bow, which was loaded pointing right at the Reptillior's
head, and Teala thought about letting loose her arrow, but she knew that if
she did, the snake would get a bite in before it died.
Teala felt trapped, a Reptillior in her face,
and some form of creature hunting her from behind. There was a sudden growl,
and a drip of saliva fell onto Teala's back. She turned, and let loose one of
her arrows, which pierced the creature right in the chest, and it fell on top
of her. It sort of looked like a Lupe, with shaggy brown hair, only it had very
large fangs, and was much too big. Then with sudden horror, Teala realised that
these were the dreaded Were-Lupes, and a single bite from one of them would
make you turn into one every full moon, hunting with the pack to catch victims
in the night. The Were-Lupe on top of her let out a weak growl, before slumping
down, its bright red eyes dimming with its destruction. Teala's aim had been
true.
She let out a sigh of relief, and then after
pushing the lifeless Were-Lupe off of her she turned, and jumped back, having
bailey avoided steeping on the Reptillior's back. She had forgotten about it
in her fight with the Were-Lupe Suddenly, a thought came to her, why hadn't
the snake bit her. It was certainly real with those glowing eyes. The Reptillior
slithered up to her leg, and Teala grew taunt as it rubbed against her. "Calm
down preciousss," the Reptillior hissed, and Teala sat down, and looked the
Reptillior in the face. She now noticed that the fiery red glow in his eyes
wasn't vile, or evil like most other Reptilliors. This one's eyes were… different.
"You talk…" she said, for she had never before
known that a Reptillior could talk.
"I can do many unexpected thingsss preciousss,"
he said, but then he turned his head to the side, and a great big hiss issued
out, and he showed off his fangs, before turning back towards Teala, "You mussst
hurry preciousss. They are coming back, only many, many more. Run preciousss,
hide. If they get you they will destroy you, or worssse." Then with another
long hiss, the Reptillior slithered off into the darkness of the cavern.
Teala wondered at what he meant, when she heard
yet another howl. There were more Were-Lupes coming. She reached for another
arrow to lode to her bow, but her hand never made it back to the bow, for it
was grabbed from behind. Teala slowly turned, and there in front of her, a giant
Were-Lupe stood holding her arm, its eyes blazing. Her feet turned to jello
at the sight of the massive creature. It was at least twice as big as the one
that she had nabbed with the arrow.
There was a sudden scream/howl from the entrance
of the cave, and then a second Were-Lupe bounded upon Teala's back, and tried
to rip out her throat. The only thing that saved Teala from being bitten was
the big Were-Lupe who threw the attacking one away. The attacking one however
got back up with a growl, "Why don't you let me destroy her. She destroyed my
mate! Thrasu, why!" and Teala realised that the attacking Were-Lupe was a female.
The larger Were-Lupe, Thrasu, growled at the
female, "You should not yell at authority, Umraka!" and the female Umraka bent
down, her tail between her legs. "However, you will get the joy of seeing this
creature perish, for she did destroy one of our members."
"Do I get the joys of ripping her to pieces?"
Umraka said in her low-gruff voice.
"No! You know as well as I that if a creature
is destroyed by the teeth of a Were-Lupe that they will be reborn forever stuck
as a Were-Lupe, and if you rip her up, she will only come back tomorrow night,
and by our law, we would have to let her join our pack. You do not want that
do you Umraka," said Thrasu, and Umraka growled, and paced back and forth,
her actions showing that she agreed. "Don't worry, we will still destroy her,
the long slow way." And then Thrasu started to laugh, and Umraka, and many other
Were-Lupes who had walked into the cave soon joined him while Teala cringed
in fear.
As the Were-Lupes dragged off Teala, the Reptillior,
hissed. "They got preciousss. Bad isss thossse Lupesss. Krusssksss go help preciousss."
And then he slithered off after the Were-Lupes
***
A heavy sweat rolled down Teala's forehead, and it was not from fear, but
from the tremendous heat. With her hands tied behind her back, and her feet
tied together, she was levitated above a pit of lava, deep inside of the Were-Lupes
cave. Little did Teala know when she chose her cave that it was the front entrance
to the Were-Lupes cave, and that she had crept in only minutes after they had
left for their nights hunt.
Literally thousands of Were-Lupes stood gathered
around the pits edges all howling, and hopping up and down, while staring at
the Kyrii with their blood red eyes. Thrasu walked up to a large boulder that
put him up higher in the air then all the other Were-Lupes, and then let out
a great howl getting the attention of all the other Were-Lupes "I, Thrasu, leader
of the clan of Warpes, gives to us a sacrifice to the great Were-Lupe Thristl!"
Thrasu spread out his paws as wide as they would go, and all the other Were-Lupes
howled in union.
"To Thristl! The dark king himself!" Thristl,
you see, was like the Were-Lupes god. Legend told of a time long ago when the
world was overrun by Were-Lupes, and Thristl was the leader of them all, enslaving
all other pets to abide to their will.
"Thristl!" began Thrastu. "Take this sacrifice
and grant us power, so that one day, Warpes can rule over all once again!" All
the Were-Lupes howled to that. "Now let the lowering begin!" Slowly, Teala was
being lowered towards the pit of lava, all the Were-Lupes dancing around her.
Suddenly, the whole room went dark, even the
lava pit gave out on its illumination. Many Warpes begun to howl, and dance
around in confusion as a strange substance filled the room blocking the Were-Lupes
senses. Teala suddenly found herself face flat on her face, but also upon stone,
and no longer dangling over a pool of lava. "I told you I could do unexpected
thingsss preciousss."
That name! Teala turned to look the Reptillior
in the eye. "Hisssrolkusss!" he said, and the bindings upon Teala's hands and
feet disappeared into thin air.
"How'd you?"
"No time for talk. Ssspell wear off in a minute!"
He hissed at Teala, "pick me upsss, I'll direct you to the exit!"
Teala listened to the strange Reptillior, and
picked him up. "Which way!?!"
"Forward!" he hissed, and Teala begun to run.
"Left. Right. Three leftsss. Seven rightsss. Five more leftsss. Two rightsss.
Left again." The Reptillior led Teala around like that, and soon, they heard
the angry howls of the Were-Lupes from behind them. The spell had worn off.
"It there any other faster way?" Teala cried
while taking another left.
"Only one other way preciousss. A short-cut,
but very dangerousss."
"Then let's go there," the Reptillior hissed
angrily, but led Teala there anyway. By the sound of the Were-Lupes, Teala could
tell that they were much closer. It was then that she saw her first glance at
one of them. It was Umraka, and her eyes were blazing with anger. Teala ran
and jumped over a small pit, and then she turned to look at the Were-Lupe, and
found that Umraka had stopped at the pit. "Why did she stop?" she asked the
Reptillior
"Becaussse of Grenaksss."
"Grenak?"
"A very bad creature. They have very good hearing,
ssso we mussst be quiet." Teala nodded, and followed the whispered directions
of the Reptillior At one point, Teala misheard the whisper of the snake, and
upon taking a wrong turn found herself dangling off of the edge of a cliff.
She screamed loudly as she had fallen, and after
she picked herself up, the Reptillior hissed with anger, "You mussst be quiet
preciousss or elssse you will awaken the…" but a sudden long rumble stopped
the Reptilliors whispered hiss, and his eyes opened in fright. Then he yelled,
"Run preciousss, the Grenak has awakened!"
Teala began to run with the Reptillior wrapped
around her wrist. A loud roar sounded behind them, and the Reptillior squeezed
tighter with fear. A shadow flew over them, and then in front of them landed
the most horrid creature that Teala had ever, and would ever see.
It was sort of like a pterodactyl, only its
flesh hung off in rotting pieces, and it smelt of death. Its eyes were black
holes in its head, and its wings could stretch from wall to wall. It had three
massive horns sticking out from its head, and rows of sharp black teeth. Through
all of that, though, the thing that frightened Teala the most was the dark purple
flame, which engulfed its whole body.
Teala's feet skidded as she turned and ran off
in a different direction of the Grenak, and she was barely even able to jump
into a small passageway as the Grenak's beak snapped after her. The creature
could not get inside of the passage, Teala got that much comfort, but as she
explored the passage, she found that it lead to a dead end. Outside of the passage
Grenak just waited for Teala and the Reptillior to come out. "What do we do
now?" Teala asked the Reptillior who's face looked equally glum.
"Jussst run… and hope for the bessst."
With a cry of hope, Teala ran from the passage,
right past Grenak's legs, and towards a distant speck of light. She ran for
all she was worth, but even so, Grenak was catching up with her. However, luck
was with Teala that day, for there was a rumble from deep inside the passageways.
The whole area was an active volcano, and therefore very prone to earthquakes,
and every so many hundred years, an eruption. This earthquake however, was an
enormous one, and it soon begun to crack the ground.
As the ground split, Teala could see deep down
into the fissures at lakes of molten lava. She avoided these cracks, and jumped
over them when she couldn't go around them, and Grenak was equally confused,
but still wanted to get his prey. With a roar, which shook the earth even more,
he ran at Teala, but before he got to her, the ground under his feet exploded.
The force of the explosion sent Teala flying
back into a wall of the cave, and she looked as Grenak, with wings torn to pieces
from the explosion, fall into the deep rivets of the earth, and disappear from
sight forever. Almost immediately the mountain quieted down. Seemingly pleased
with devouring the great menace Grenak.
Teala picked herself up, and the looked at where
the light shone through, she was almost to safety. "We're almost there! We're
almost out of the mountain!" she said to the Reptillior, but then she realised
that he was no longer on her wrist. "Reptillior?" Teala looked around for the
snake, and then she found him, and a stream of tears came to her face. During
the explosion, the Reptillior had been thrown from her wrist, and he too was
thrown into the wall. He would have been okay, but then a large boulder fell
down on top of him, crushing him.
Teala rolled the boulder off of her new-found
friend, and cried while looking at his glazed over eyes. He was not breathing.
Tears streamed down her face as she walked slowly out of the cavern, and into
the light while holding the crushed body of the Reptillior The sunlight made
her tears glisten like tiny jewels, and reflected off of the Reptilliors body
like glass.
Teala set him down in the short grass outside
of the mountain. She had crossed through the mountain, and was on the outskirts
of the dessert, so that bit of grass was some of the last bits that she would
see once she started on her quest to find her brother. "Thank you friend," she
slowly said. "I wish that I could have known you better, for you seem quite
valiant. Sacrificing yourself for my sake. Thank you," she whispered, and then
slowly turned, and begun her walk towards the desert, another tear leaving her
face.
"You aren't… leaving me… that easssily… preciousss."
With a gasp, Teala turned around, and saw as the once dead Reptillior's eyes
once ablaze with their magnificent crimson colour. There was a popping sound,
and his flat crushed body inflated itself, and the bones all went back together.
"I hate it when that happensss," he said stretching out his tail.
"Wha… how?" Teala asked looking at her friend
now slithering towards her.
"I probably should have told you preciousss.
I can't be killed by any force natural or not. It isss a curssse that was put
upon me many long yearsss ago."
Teala cried out with happiness, and took up
the snake in her arms. "It is great to have you back Reptillior."
"My name isss krusssk preciousss, and even though
I can't be killed, doesn't mean that it doesssn't hurt when you sssqueeze me."
"Sorry Krusk, and by the way, my name is Teala,
not precious."
"Whatever you sssay preciousss." And Teala laughed,
not caring what Krusk called her, for it was a miracle that he lived. She just
wished that that happy moment could last forever, for very soon she and Krusk
would have to travel on a perilous journey across the desert looking for her
lost brother.
The End |
