Activity

Oops… didn’t realize should only have one character in at a time… hehe. Let me fix that.

context info

– Dhiaga – title of the evil emperor who killed Abirami’s father and is out to kill him too

– description of the aemirok – in full – About 15 feet tall, distinct wolf-like features and body, but the ears are closer together on top of its head, with tufts of hair shading the pointy ends. His eyes are that of a cat, and its tail is long and slender, with a tear-drop ball of fur at the end. The claws start from the underside of the paw, come out to a point, and curve back over the top of the paw, like armor shields. It can spit something called ‘creeping ice’ – which is a deadly poisonous like substance that freezes what it comes in contact with, and spreads like poison when it hits organic material. (Abirami is able to make a remedy for this creeping ice).

 

 

 

Abirami

 

They’d either never seen an aelacrin before, or they were surprised to see one for some reason. None of the reasons I could think of for them being surprised were very good, so I turned, threw Ku’Aya over my shoulders, raced up the stairs, and tossed her out the doors.

A swarm of insects billowed out of the lower end of her pack and cushioned her fall, bringing her back to her feet with the help of her quarter-staff.

Her face was red. “Abirami!”

I grimaced. It was going to be a hassle calming her down later, but it had to be done. I couldn’t chance her getting hurt. Not with so many unknowns.

I shut the door as she pointed her staff at me, the black cloud of swarming insects rushing toward me.

The entrance slammed shut, just in time.

With a sigh, I turned.

Where they under the dhiaga’s command? Had they been sent to thwart my attempts at reaching the tannink’esh?

I hated this, but if they were hostile and could take down a tannink’esh, there was only one creature in my arsenal that stood any chance against them. The aemirok. But my gaaban wouldn’t hold under that transformation.

One of the faehins started walking toward me, his weapon swinging freely in his hand.

I braced, bending my knees and bringing my arms up in a defensive posture. What strange happenstance led them to besting a creature of Myf?

Warmth from the bat’s essence flowed through the veins in my neck as I made a clicking sound. The returning vibrations sent a multi-dimensional map of the room to my mind. There. Behind that pillar to the far left was a good place to hide temporarily.

My garb fell behind me as I jumped and transformed into a raven, flying high above their heads. Swooping down and around the pillar, I released the essence and stuck the landing.

Tucking my gaaban under a large rock, I focused upon the essence.

Feeling the transformation take hold, I jumped out, now on all fours as a massive wolf, towering over them. My wings flapped, sending tumultuous winds their way as they squinted through the gale and their hair splayed back.

Pawing forward, I made sure to make a scene of how destructive the aemirok’s claws could be, their sharp ends and their upward-curved shield-like figures breaking through rock and granite like fish through water.

I roared, hoping the warning made them think twice about attacking.

One of the armed faehins charged me, and I spit at the ground near his feet.

He was canny enough to jump back, missing the sizzling ice, and he gazed in wonder as the ice spread from the point of impact, further toward his feet.

I flew up into the air and roared once more. Landing upon a small dias, I augmented my regular voice – a trick I’d only recently learned.

Still new to it, my voice came out course and gravelly. “Why follow evil dhiaga?” I growled. The guttural voice sounded foreign, even to me, and the scratchiness in my throat burned raw. “I have power to free you.”

With a roar, I gave one more ultimatum. “Choose. Live free, run, or die.”