Tide of Shadow

2

Kamau sat out on the ledge jutting from the cliff face, the ancient jaw of the den-skull looming over him, a grim and silent protector. His parents were patrolling somewhere in the twilit rainforest, and he found himself fidgeting with nerves as he awaited their arrival.
Every so often he looked behind him, to the pristine egg in its nest of ferns and mosses. His father had assured him that it was safe to leave it alone, as no creatures in the territory would harm the offspring of their beloved Stewards.
Still, many awful scenarios sprang to his mind unbidden, and Kamau retreated back into the den to curl himself around his unhatched sibling. The shell was pleasantly warm and smooth, and Kamau thought he could feel a tiny, faint heartbeat within.
Instantly, he felt himself become overwhelmed with a new, ferocious emotion he couldn't name. If anyone harms my sibling, it roared, I shall tear them apart! Kamau liked the feeling, despite its fiery intensity. It made him feel like a hero of old, primed to fight for what was right and good.
When a shadow darkened the den entrance, he found himself spreading his wings and hissing viciously. "You've claimed the den for yourself, eh?" Came a familiar, jocular voice. "Won't even let your dear old parents in?"
Immediately Kamau forced his frills flat and tail up. As he chastised himself for letting his instincts get the better of him, a new, quieter voice spoke. "Defending his home fiercely. That's a good thing." Alongside his mother, the silvery form of Anan, Steward of the northern Flower-Cove, mate to Nyx and father to Kamau, strode into view.
His compliment made Kamau's expression brighten, and he dipped his head in acknowledgment of his son. "Are you ready to begin your training?" He asked in his smooth, soft voice.
The familiar nerves of the previous night returned to Kamau, but excitement quickly won out. This was really happening, he was really going to be a Steward! In his thrilled state, his limbs seemed to move of their own accord, and Kamau found himself bounding to the den's threshold! "Yes!" He cried breathlessly.
"Alright then!" Shouted his mother. "Our first exercise will be a game of hide-and-seek!" Before Kamau could question this, his father batted his mate gently with a wing. "Take this seriously!" He growled, fondness evident in his voice.
"I am!" Kamau' mother retorted. "A good Steward utilizes the natural skills of their species to better carry out our duties. In the case of us fellisio, it's stealth." She turned her eyes to Kamau. "You have anywhere in our territory to hide, you can even move hiding places if you desire. All the while, your father and I will search for you. The game ends when we find you, or at sunrise." Her expression turned mischievous. "But you won't make it till then. Nothing can hide from these ears!"
"We will give you until the moon is fully visible in the sky to find a hiding place," his father cut in. "Then we will come after you." Kamau looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, and saw that the moon was halfway through its ascent. He gave his parents a questioning look, and his father closed his eyes, while his mother playfully covered her face with a wing. "Go ahead." She whispered encouragingly.
In an instant, Kamau was off. His descent from the den entrance was as noisy as usual, and he winced at the knowledge that his parents must have heard it. Now among the flowers and grasses of the small meadow below, he flattened himself as low as he could and wove through the underbrush. He made for the treeline, not stopping until the comforting shadows of leaves and branches blanketed him.
The underbrush was thick here, and Kamau was instinctively aware that the dense ferns and bushes offered good cover. Leaves tickled his snout, and it was all he could do not to sneeze. He closed his eyes, and imagined a dark, still night, fog over the water, a silent footstep. He could feel his being take on these properties, and when he looked down at his paws, he could not see them.
For a moment, Kamau couldn't believe he'd actually managed it. Invisibility had always been a struggle for him. Hiding and sneaking didn't come naturally to him, he always wanted to stand and fight. His mother used to joke that he was an iztajuatl in the body of a fellisio cub.
He managed to shake off his excitement, and started deeper into the rainforest. The sounds of the night seemed louder than ever now, and it struck Kamau that he was entirely alone. No, said a sinister little voice in his mind. You aren't alone, and that's just the problem. Who knows what's waiting out here?
Kamau tried to remind himself that everyone in this territory knew his parents, that they wouldn't harm him. But his mind couldn't help but explore the worst possibilities. What if a gang of Outlaws has been hiding here? What if I  fall in a hole, and no one ever finds me? What if I fall and break my wings?
He had explored on his own many times before, he told himself. This should be fine. But Kamau also knew that his parents had been watching from a distance all those times, and now was possibly the first occasion where they didn't know his exact location. Making things worse, the wind carried a strange scent, sickly sweet, yet still putrid enough to make his nose curl. Most likely some kind of strange plant-creature had died nearby, but it still added much to the foreboding atmosphere.
Then, there was a snap. Soft rustling followed, and Kamau knew there was something behind him. It can't see me. He thought, trying to force himself to be calm. As long as I'm still, it won't notice me. But then came another snap, closer this time. All it took was the thought of unseen jaws closing around his neck for Kamau to bolt. He rocketed through the underbrush, unable to care about the noise he was making, or that his invisibility had surely worn off. All he could think was that it was right behind him, and if he stopped, he would be done for.
There was a crashing all around him, something larger forcing its way through branches and bushes, and Kamau pushed himself to run faster, his lungs burning as he broke out of the bushes. His legs hurt, and carried a heaviness not there before. He could feel his wings start to flap, his body trying to get him away by any means necessary. For just a moment, he felt his forelegs lift ever so slightly off the ground, and despite his terror, he felt a light elation.
Just as quickly as it had come, that feeling was cut short. All of a sudden there was no more ground, all his hind paws met was empty air. He shrieked as he plummeted, stones and roots scraping his skin and tugging his frills as he rolled roughly down the muddy slope.
Relief, for a moment as he came to a stop. Then pain came in a great wave over him, borne from the various scrapes and bruises inflicted by his fall. He screamed silently at himself to get up, that whatever it was would be coming for him any second now. But moving his limbs felt the same as lifting boulders. Until his gaze traveled just a little further upwards, out of the ditch he had found himself in. Kamau's blood ran cold at what he saw.
A skeletal face, looming out of the darkness. A long snout, bearing countless teeth nearly as long as Kamau's legs. Its head was topped by a tall crown of horns, and its huge dark eyes were staring directly at Kamau.
He immediately curled into a ball, making himself as small as possible. Kamau squeezed all four eyes shut, as tightly as possible. All he knew was he didn't want to see those fangs coming to tear him apart. 
Kamau braced for the agony of teeth tearing his flesh, but after several heartbeats, he remained unharmed. Cautiously, he peered upwards. The face was still there, still looking at him, but it didn't seem to have reacted at all. That was when Kamau realized. It wasn't the pale face of a living creature, it was a skull. Looking closer, he saw that it was hung onto a long branch, the end of which had been firmly shoved into the dirt, and he recognized its species as parahexilian.
He tentatively raised a foot to step towards it, when a dull thud reverberated through the ground.
Kamau whipped around, and found himself staring at a set of massive, hooked claws. He hissed in terror, until his eyes travelled upwards and saw the face of their owner.
Long and squared off, with the skin of its lips transitioning smoothly into sharp fangs. A huge crest jutted out from the back of its head, and its emerald-green face lacked any eyes, only false ones at the base of the crest.
"Kauri!" Kamau yelped. "You scared me!" The massive hygos swung her head down, and her breath ruffled Kamau's frills. "Is this how Stewards train their young?" she rumbled, the deep sound just as much felt as heard. "Letting them gallivant off in the forest, and interlope on others' territory? I would've thought your parents more responsible than that."
Normally, Kamau would have spat a fierce retort at anyone who dared speak like that about his parents. But while he didn't know Kauri very well, they did, and insulting each other just seemed to be how the rival hunters got along.
"Was it you who was chasing me?" Kamau asked, making sure to keep his tone respectful.
"Indeed." replied the elder beast. "I thought you were that woodralone whelp that's been making a nuisance of himself at my kills. Wanted to teach him a lesson."
To Kamau's surprise, she crouched down in a submissive display. "I apologize for frightening you."
Kamau returned her submission with his own, lifting his tail high. "May I stay with you for a bit?' He asked. "I have to hide from my parents as part of training." Kauri rumbled deeply at this, and for a moment Kamau feared he had angered her, but he swiftly realized it was a sound of affection. "Of course, child." She answered. "I'm going on a hunt right now, to take down one of those dragonixsauria before they move on. You're welcome to watch."
Excitement lanced through Kamau's being. He had of course heard tales of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, the fierce combat, the mutual respect of predator and prey. But never had he seen it for himself. Fighting to contain himself, he spoke. "I would love that, Kauri!"
She gave her deep, happy rumble again, and lumbered into the trees, gesturing with her head for him to follow.
Kamau flinched as they passed the grinning skull on its post, and Kauri gave a small amused huff. "Scared of my territory marker, are you? Don't worry, he can't hurt anyone anymore." Something in her tone suggested familiarity, and Kamau was immediately overwhelmed by questions. "Did you know him?" was all he managed to ask.
"I knew him alright." Kauri growled, and Kamau was shocked by the sudden venom in her voice. "He and I fought in the Inferno Wars. I battled alongside your parents, but that spitstain was an Earthscorcher, and one of the nastiest too. He may have been worse than Surtr himself."
Instantly Kamau was overwhelmed by awe, and a new respect for Kauri. He had known she was ancient, and a formidable hunter and warrior, but a war hero? And in the Inferno Wars, too! Kamau had heard myriad tales of the conflict, both his parents were veterans of it. They had fought for what was good and right, defending Sonaria from the Inferno Army and its fearsome generals, the Earthscorchers. Kamau imagined Kauri and his parents standing against a massive army, headed by the first Earthscorcher, Surtr the arsonos himself, he who sought to make livestock of the herbivores.
"They called him the Sunflame Lord," Kauri continued. "But his name was Sol. And he wasn't much of a lord when I broke his wings and he pleaded for his life in the dirt." Kamau's eyes widened. Kauri had killed someone who wasn't a threat to her! That was breaking the Pact!
"Don't look so horrified, cub." Kauri growled. "If Sol had lived, he would've just kept on hurting creatures. What I did was for the survival of Sonaria."
That made sense, Kamau supposed. If someone wanted to hurt his family, he would kill them too, immediate threat or not.
All of a sudden, Kauri spoke again. "See anything, Kamau?" She asked. "We hygos normally hunt during the day, and I'm not used to these scents and sounds. Your night eyes can help me here." A thrill raced through Kamau. Not only did he get to hear war stories, he got to help hunt! Focus, he reminded himself. Look for signs of the herd. He could only smell dragonixsauria very faintly, and the surrounding area looked the same as everywhere else. The dark pillars of trees shot up everywhere, dark leaf litter and moss covered the ground. The songs of the night creatures rang out everywhere, and as Kamau looked, he swiveled his ears, trying to hear where the herd could be.
Among the screeches and chirps, there was suddenly a low bellow, nearly buried under all the other sounds. "I hear them!" Kamau cried, his excitement making him forget to be quiet. "Good," Kauri rumbled. "Where is it coming from?"
"Um... north, I think." Kamau replied, and hoped against hope he wasn't wrong. If he ended up responsible for Kauri failing this hunt, he would be in deep trouble.
The elder hygos turned, and plodded northward, with Kamau bounding behind her, his worries forgotten. He was on an actual hunt! He wondered if he would get to see Kauri make a kill. As they continued onwards, they abruptly came to a long break in the underbrush, leading further north. The ground within it was dotted with strange three-pronged indentations, which Kamau swiftly realized were tracks. "A prey trail!" Kauri exclaimed in a low whisper. "Good job, young hunter!" As Kamau practically glowed with pride, she leaned down and took a deep sniff of the print-covered mud. "They were here recently.. Follow me, and be silent."
Kauri stepped out onto the trail, moving shockingly quietly for a creature her size. Kamau trotted behind her, struggling to match her new, swifter pace. His feet sank deep in the mud, and he grimaced, thinking of the grooming session surely to come. Eventually, Kauri swerved back into the trees, and Kamau followed. The pair still skirted the edge of the trail, but now they were far more hidden. After a moment, Kamau saw that the trees were growing thinner. Just past them was a clearing, its grasses looking blue in the moon's light. Kamau could spy many brown forms all throughout it from between the trees, most of them very still. Kauri froze suddenly, Kamau mimicking her, and a huge dragonixsauria bull, still only the size of Kauri's head, passed just beyond the trees. As his companion lowered herself into a crouch, Kamau did the same, and was immediately met by her admonishment. "Lower your rump," she hissed, not entirely unkindly. "Your tail will stick out of the grass." Kamau complied, and tried his best to match Kauri's liquid movements as she stalked ahead.
Grass began to brush his face as they moved into the greater meadow. The features of the dragonixsauria were clear now. They looked unassuming at first, with their striped hide and flat bills. But each ones back was capped with wicked looking spikes, and Kamau was sure that those could gauge a nasty wound into even one as huge as Kauri.
"Stay here." His companion told him, her voice barely audible. "And watch me closely." All of a sudden, Kauri was moving. Her body still low, she slunk rapidly towards the nearest dragonixsauria. Closer and closer she got, until her quarry's nostrils twitched. The dragonixsauria's eyes snapped open, and even from a distance Kamau saw her fear. "Predator!" she bellowed, whilst trying to scramble away. In an instant, all the herd was awake. Every dragonixsauria in the clearing was rushing towards the frightened cow in an attempt to shield her, but it was too late. Kamau watched in awe as Kauri lunged, faster than anything he had ever seen, and took the creature's head in her jaws. Her prey gave a final scream as she bit down, and its headless body fell to the ground with a dull thud. Kauri swallowed, and bent to pick up her kill, and Kamau could no longer contain himself. "That was amazing!" He shouted, leaping from his cover. Several of the herd recoiled at his sudden appearance, much to his amusement, and Kauri lowered her head to address him. "We have both done well tonight." She said, and Kamau felt like he would burst with joy.
A much deeper bellow sounded, and a dragonixsauria bull strode into view. The brown of his skin was so deep Kamau almost failed to notice the clawmarks running nearly the entire length of his body. "Take no more from us, predator!" He brayed, and to Kamau's surprise, there was fear in his voice. Instantly, Kamau was running. He skidded to a halt between Kauri and the bull, and spread his wings. Logically he knew he couldn't shield such a massive creature, and that if the bull decided to attack, he would be powerless. But the thought of this creature he had never met doubting the honor of his family's dear friend made his blood boil. "Kauri's no Outlaw!" He cried, not entirely intentionally. "She would never kill more than she needs!" The bull snorted, and immediately Kauri's tree-trunk of a leg stomped down in front of Kamau. "Peace, child." She said, her voice gently amused. "I do not need protection from him, especially not by a cub." Kamau was about to make an indignant retort about how he was three months old, actually, when the bull spoke. "I will trust that you are noble for now," he growled. "But only because our herd leaves for the central rockfaces in a day. This is the last you shall see of us."
Why, Kamau wondered, did the dragonixsauria seem so hostile? All he knew told him that prey didn't hold it against predators who made kills. Kauri seemed to sense his confusion. "Don't worry, Kamau," she murmured. "The war has not been kind to some herbivores' perception of us, that is all."
Kamau's frills drooped a little. Predators and prey should trust each other, at least that was what his parents said. Otherwise the world would become much more sad and scared.
But he was not given time to dwell on this, as something burst out of the trees. It was so huge and dark that for a moment Kamau thought it was a mountain come to life. But as the thing lunged he caught a glimpse of many luminous red eyes. He only had a moment to comprehend that the beast was bigger than Kauri, so much bigger, before the long tentacles on its lower jaw wrapped around the dragonixsauria bull. He could hear the panic of the herd, bleating in terror as they pushed and trampled each other trying to get away. But all he could look at now was the bull, as some of his skin under the tentacles began to leak blood. He began to convulse and cough violently, eyes rolling in his head and something black and sweet-smelling spewing from his mouth. The monster was whispering something in a low voice, but he couldn't make it out. He was only vaguely aware of Kauri standing over him, roaring that this territory is taken!
Abruptly, the tentacles released their hold, and the dragonixsauria fell limply to the ground. He's dead, Kamau thought dully. He's dead and it isn't eating him, it killed him and now it'll kill me. But as much as he willed himself to move, as much as he heard Kauri scream at him to run, terror rooted him to the spot.
And then, the bull stood up. Stood up, as if he was perfectly healthy, stood up, and spoke. "He is granted mercy." he said calmly, blood and black bile still dripping from his sides and mouth. "He is now me, free of his own suffering. So too shall all of you become one with me, your new Mother."
It occurred to Kamau then that something was wrong. This was no ordinary creature, not even an Outlaw. This was well and truly a monster. "What are you talking about?" Kauri snarled. And then the black mountain-creature stepped forward, towards Kauri, towards Kamau.
"I speak of the rebirth of this world." It said, its inflection the exact same as the newly awake bull's. "Come to me, all of you. Come willingly, so I do not have to kill you."
As it stepped forward again, it was as if a spell was broken. The urge to get away filled Kamau, as Kauri lunged at the monster. He didn't turn back, not for the roaring and shrieking of the ensuing fight, not for the bellows and screams of the fleeing herd, not even for the roar of a hygos, abruptly cut short.