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 Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:55 pm
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Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:13 pm
Camilla hadn't needed to sneak away from her family that night when they began to wake. She had simply asked to have a few moments alone in which to practice. She didn't need long. After all, calling the lights to her wore her out quickly.
The angeni filly settled into a quiet spot in the pines away from the sounds of her siblings and parents. Even in the dark she had little trouble seeing, a family trait was what their mother had said. Something about the deep red of their eyes making it easier to see in the dark. She settled into a relaxed but firm stance and focused on her breathing. Once Camilla felt prepared she began focusing on the light. It wasn't something she thought of as comforting normally, being more at home in the shadows and sounds of the night, but something about the bright lights that she could call forth at will made her feel at peace.
At first nothing happened but the filly continued to concentrate. Slowly an orb of light began to form in front of her roughly the size of an acorn. It was smaller than the first one she had accidentally made when she woke up in the middle of the day thinking she had heard something growling but calling this one forward had been no accident. She continued to focus on the light until it grew to roughly the size of an apple before letting it vanish into the darkness of the night.
Camilla took a few moments to rest and settle her breathing into a regular pattern before repeating the process. She had been doing such exercises for weeks now, ever since she had learned that it was something she could be in control of. She would keep calling the light and growing it before dismissing it until she grew to tired to summon it anymore. In this way she would grow until the process no longer left her exhausted.
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Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:36 pm
Kiij spat out a mouthful of feathers. She didn't like birds. She had never seen many out in her home. The ones she had seen were always so high in the air that she had no chance of eating them. A feather was caught on her lower lip. She swiped it away with a paw before growling low in her feline throat. She would never eat another one again, not unless she were truly hungry. Killing them, however, was a different story. She was fully intent on killing every one of the damn creatures that she could get her claws into now that she knew they were so irritating.
The cat walker, roughly the size of a large mountain lion, continued to pluck the owl of all of its feathers so that she might get at its meat. This was what she had come to now. She had been a queen of her own little bit of land out in the red rocks. She had owned a beautiful throne of bones that she could lounge beneath whenever the sun grew too hot or bright. There had always been plenty to eat...until recently. Kiij didn't know what had caused it but prey had slowly been growing more and more scarce just like the rains and snows that brought life saving water. She had been growing thin. It had been no easy decision to leave her hard-won throne but she would not let herself die so easily.
Since she had left she had been on the hunt, not just for food, but for a new territory isolated from others of her kind. She was not strong enough to fight off other skinwalkers or armies of idiot horses right now. Kiij sank her fangs into the flesh of the owl and tore off a chunk savoring the drip of the blood that wet her lips and eased her dry throat before devouring the strength giving meat. Winter had made game unfortunately scarce in the mountains too. The filthy humans were also hunting everything in the area just like her kind and those idiot demon horses. With the lack of small kills to build her strength back up for larger kills Kiij remained skin and bone.
She needed more food, more water, more rest, more everything and Kiij would find a way to get it. Kiij picked and tore up the carcass, snapping bones and savoring every scrap of meat she could get until there was nothing left but a pile of bloodied feathers and some mangled bones. It wasn't enough. Her stomach still felt empty. Kiij snarled silently and scanned the area for another target. Even with her vision being equal to what it was in daylight she could see no prey, smell no prey, whatever had been around had fled when she had made her presence known.
As she turned to go a flash of light caught her attention. Human. She was too far upwind to scent it and the light was two far away for her to see its source. Kiij was certain it was a human though, they made lights like that before the fires came. Maybe it had some young that she could snatch away in the night. Nice fat young. Kiij's mouth was watering as she began her silent pawed approach to find the light's owner, the thought of a good meal too much to resist.
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Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:48 pm
Camilla was working on a fourth light when her focus slipped. The light went out all at once but Camilla didn't notice. Something was wrong. Her heart was beginning to beat quickly and something felt off. She figured it out shortly, the sounds of the night had stopped at one side of her. If she listened hard she could still hear an owl calling out down the mountain slope and the sounds of her family not far from that. Everything up the slope was silent and still. Something was coming.
Camilla swallowed and slowly began to head down the slope to her family. She wanted to call out for them but she feared that such an action would only draw attention to herself. There was a chance that whatever was out there didn't know she was there yet. The icy winter wind was dry and blowing down the slope. It didn't carry scent well and wouldn't help any predator locate her. Her best chance was to stay quiet until she got closer to her family. Her mother could protect her then.
The wind increased in strength and Camilla froze. She knew that smell. That was blood, fresh blood. A chill ran down her spine but Camilla knew it was not from the cold. She needed to get away. Taking a deep breath the young angeni ran into the night towards her family. Her hooves clattered over stones and snapped tree branches betraying her presence. She had forgotten how noisy running could be. She hoped a fool's hope that somehow the sound would go unnoticed as she continued on.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:43 pm
The light had vanished. Kiij came closer and closer to where it had been but there were no signs that it had ever existed to begin with. She could see no fire nor could she scent smoke. What she could smell was horse. Kiij's stomach rumbled. She was still so hungry...so empty. She needed more meat. A horse could feed her well for a time. Kiij snarled and plopped her hind quarters on the ground, her hip bones protruded to such a degree that it almost seemed unnatural. Her skin clung so tightly to her body it revealed a distinct lack of muscle. Muscle that she would need to take down a horse.
For several long minute Kiij sat still weighing the risks. She had been so ready to go after the humans for a chance at a child. Why would a horse be any different? Perhaps they had foaled recently. If they were like she used to be there might be baskets ripe for the taking. Kiij stood, her resolve renewed, and followed the scent trail. Then she heard it, hooves clattering. Her ears perked up. Whatever she was following was light.
Kiij smiled wickedly and picked up what speed she could. She was far better at ambushing but she needed to catch up with this one. If she could see what it was then she could decide what to do. If she needed to Kiij could be patient. She could lay a trap and wait. The skinwalker could be patient if she needed to be. Right now she focused, the scent was getting stronger and stronger. She was close.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:56 pm
Camilla was terrified. The scent of blood had been growing progressively stronger but now she could hear something following her in the shadows. Camilla glanced over her shoulder, risking stumbling just to be sure, she could see nothing behind her. It was close though. She knew it was close. Up ahead she could see a clear spot in the trees. If she could make it there maybe she could fly away. Camilla swallowed thickly and beat her four wings a few times. They didn't do much but create a slight breeze at her sides. She beat them harder and harder all while running as fast as she could.
Camilla was thrilled when she finally got her feet a few inches off the ground only to crash into a large scrub oak bush a few seconds later. Camilla bit her lip to keep herself from crying out as the scraggly branches clawed at her sides. The young angeni filly pulled this way and that to get free of the bush only to find herself deeper into the strange leaves and clawed branches. Camilla took a few deep breaths, she needed to think of a way out.
She didn't get it. She could hear breathing not far from her. Camilla held her breath. It was here.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:07 pm
Kiij had stopped following the scent once the sound of running became as loud as a frog's croak at midnight. Then the sound of hooves vanished to be replaced by the snapping of branches and rustling of leaves. Kiij wasn't sure what had caused that but she knew she was very close.
Kiij came into a semi-clear patch of forest where the trees were not so thick. The sounds had vanished though the scent was stronger than it had been. So why could she see nothing? Her pale blue eyes scanned the area closely as she inhaled deeply. "Where is it?" She growled as she paced forward, her footsteps completely silent. The scent was bringing her towards a large oak bush. That didn't make sense. Kiij continued to follow the smell closer and closer. Had she been following one of those damn size changing soquili this entire time?
She kept sniffing and moving in until she finally saw it, a glimmer of white in the bush. Kiij smiled, it was a foal hardly any bigger than herself. Kiij could kill this. Snarling Kiij extended her claws and began pulling and tearing away branches. Time to get her prize.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 2:03 pm
Camilla could see what had been following her now, it was a mountain lion. The filly shrank away as best as she could without making any sound. She prayed that it wouldn't find her. Fate was not on her side. She could see it coming right at her. The closer it drew the faster Camilla's heart beat until she wasn't sure it was still beating at all.
Then it saw her. Camilla shrieked as it started tearing at the branches. "Mommy!" She cried as loudly as she could not certain if her family was anywhere close enough to hear her screams for help. She didn't want to get eaten by the talking mountain lion! Familiars were supposed to be good and helpful, not like this.
After a few moments with nothing to indicate help was coming Camilla braced herself. She didn't want to fight, didn't want to hurt this creature, but she also didn't want to die. Squeezing her eyes shut Camilla focused. All she had were her little lights now. When she opened her eyes she could see a familiar glowing ball the size of an acorn. She focused all her attention on the light until it grew as large as her muzzle before hurling it towards the face of the mountain lion.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:48 pm
Things had been going well and then something odd happened. There was a light, just a little one, floating between her and her prey. It wasn't much bigger than a firefly but it made her hair stand on end. She hissed at it and moved to swat it away but hesitated as her paw came close. It was getting bigger right before her eyes. This wasn't normal. Kiij placed her paws on either side of the hole in the scrub oak branches that she was creating and pushed away. She didn't move fast enough. The light came out her face and she shrieked and leapt backwards away from it pawing at her face like she had been scratched or stung.
What the hell was it?! Kiij's fur began to bristle all over her body as she snarled and hissed at the foal hiding in the brambles. It had weird magic but she wanted to eat it. Bunching at the shoulders Kiij readied herself and charged back towards the scrub oak. If she killed the foal fast enough it wouldn't be able to hurt her again!
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:06 pm
Something was wrong. Jessalyn felt the sense of dread a moment before she heard the distant cry, though she never would be able to understand how exactly she knew that something was amiss before that sound. "Camilla?" she called back to her child, already rushing in the direction the small voice had come from. "Camilla?" she cried again, louder. Camilla had strayed further than she thought with her practice. Where was she? Had she fallen? Was she hurt?
Though she did not yet know the true scope of the danger, something pushed Jessalyn to move faster. Something was wrong. There was a strange smell in the air, one that she almost recognized but that her mind balked to define. It almost reminded her of a time that she tried so desperately to forget, a time of nightmares and blood.
"Camilla?" she called a third time, voice growing more shrill and desperate. Darius was gone with the other two children. Whatever was happening here, she'd have to deal with it herself.
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:44 am
Camilla was shocked and amazed to see how well her little light was able deter the angry cat. She tried to get out of the hole the cat had created in the branches but she wasn't fast enough. It was coming back to get her already. Camilla shrieked and backed herself into the scrub oak once again. She sobbed a little and tried to will another light forward but they kept blinking out after mere seconds.
That was when she heard it, her mother's voice on the wind. "Mommy! Mommy help!" She cried in a panic. "It's trying to eat me!" Camilla whimpered at the thought. She didn't want to be eaten. But her mother was coming, there was no way her mom would let the cat get her. The thought soothed Camilla's mind just enough that the next time she tried to call up a light it came out the size of her eye and she was able to push it at the cat again. Camilla noticed that this last one was making her feel more tired than normal. She was running out of energy.
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:52 am
Kiij continued to snap at branches to make a bigger hole. She could almost fit in but every time the foal made another little light appear her jaw clenched and she froze. She hated those lights with every fiber of her being for reasons she could not begin to understand. They hurt her without hurting and it made no sense. They drew no blood, left no burns, and didn't so much as ruffle her fur more than her own movements but they hurt her so.
Kiij snarled at the new voice. Help was coming and she didn't want that. The hole was enough that she could squeeze in, her hide wasn't of that much value to her, she could deal with scrapes. Kiij started to squirm her way into the hole only to get another face full of the accursed light.
Kiij hissed and spat and she writhed about still in the hole. It hurt but she was so close it was almost worth the pain. She pushed forward further only for her hind leg to get caught by a branch she had missed. Kiij kicked at it blindly to try and break it, it wasn't as though she could turn around to bite it.
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:39 am
Jessalyn had never known true urgency until she heard that second cry. Even when she had been running for her own life her blood hadn't rushed so fast. "I'm coming!" she called, and she was. She galloped with all the speed she could muster, using her wings to lift herself off the ground briefly when space allowed. She had no idea what to expect... a wolf? A kalona? Something worse?
She might have passed right by the scene of the combat if it hadn't been for the furious cat noises coming from the dense scrub. She skidded to a sudden stop, staring at that bright glimpse of white that was her daughter behind the meager protection of branches. Now she could finally see the enemy, a panther cat of great ferocity. If she hadn't had experience with such demons before she might have thought that a cat was all it was, but she knew better from horrifying memory.
"Skinwalker," she breathed.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:05 pm
Camilla's eyes shone brightly when her mother galloped in looking more radiant than the moon itself. "Mommy!" She called her voice equal parts frightened and relieved. Her mother could help but Camilla was still trapped with nowhere to go. The large feline wasn't backing off and she wasn't sure that she could even try to throw another orb of light at it. It had stopped pressing forward and while she wasn't sure about its reasons she did know that she had a chance.
Squeezing her eyes shut she stomped her front hoof down. It landed squarely on the lion's foot. Camilla winced. It felt wrong to hurt the creature but it was trying to kill her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:44 pm
Kiij had been too slow. She had gotten caught and now it was too late. Her ears pinned back as her lip curled. Skinwalker. The foal's mother knew her kind. Kiij wiggled her haunches trying to pull them in. Seconds later she realized she should have been paying more attention to what was happening before her. Pain shot through Kiij's paw as a solid weight landed on it. Kiij howled and pulled back sharply, withdrawing from the brambles all together.
Now out in the open and outsized Kiij backed away keeping her body curled away from the danger as she moved. Her bright blue eyes remained focused on the mare. Could she possibly win this fight? Kiij's claws slid out and dug into the dirt as she took a cautious step towards the mare judging her reaction.
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