Rhistmaege

Fire From the Sky

The diving beast had been no ordinary half-eagle and half-lion. This griffin was much more magnificent. Its avian head flamed hot white. Eyes seared molten red. Fiery wings beat black as night, casting billowed darkness with each sweeping thrust. Dovi had watched Craeve turn to repel the attack. Then all turned black.

Dovi awoke groggily to the playful babble of a nearby stream. The musky smell of earth and moss filled the air. I feel newly born. This is very strange.

Surprisingly, it was night. The sky was clear. The moon cast an odd, pale glow. Where am I? He pushed himself up and glanced around. A hooded figure off to his left shifted in the dim light.

Beware the Hooded Man. Flee. Dovi began crawling towards some heavy brush.

"Arendal Tapor," hissed a familiar male voice.

Dovi froze in place. Flame sprung up in the man's large hands, highlighting puckered, bright red flesh on palms and fingers. Dovi held his breath as the man turned and pushed back his cowl. Mother of Mercy, no!

"Dovi, let me explain."

Seeing The Monster seared Dovi's heart like a cattle brand. He ran. Blindly. Clutching thickets ripped arms and legs. Low hanging branches whipped and stung against nose and cheek. His breath was ragged. He dodged ancient trunks and bounded over stone outcroppings. Sheer will carried him- until his foot caught on fallen timber, sending him sprawling into thick underbrush. Blood pounded in his ears. He hurriedly scooted beneath the low boughs of a heavy evergreen. He held his breath. Listened. Nothing. No sounds. No crickets chirping or singing of katydids. No rustling of leaves. Eyes flicked slowly from side to side.

A faint disturbance of dried leaves rustling caught his ear just as something snapped out of the dark and encircled his neck. Dovi tore at the leafy band tightening around his windpipe, but the garrote sank too far into flesh. He gasped for air. Two more vines clasped around each ankle, and pulled him forward. Grimlogs!

A Grimlog had killed a small girl from Wroughton Grove just a few months ago. Snatched her by the neck- right in front of her mother's eyes. Girl didn't even have time to turn blue before it swallowed her into its maggoty hollow.

The knotty eyes of the two stumpmen hungered for flesh. Deep green layers of moss undulated upon blackened bark. White gaping mouths split open. Maggots spilled to the ground. Dovi thrashed about as the larvae crawled up his legs. The Grimlogs pulled him closer.

"Help- S-Somebody," Dovi tried to scream, but only managed a raspy croak.

Montiverus sprang from the darkness, slashing the vine around Dovi's neck. The Grimlogs bellowed, released his ankles, cast new vines out into the forest and began to roll themselves away. The Monster raced after them. Dovi slapped away the larvae off his legs and ran.

"Stay where you are!" called the Monster from out in the night. "If you make me chase you..."

Dovi reluctantly stopped. Can't run off to who knows where.

Monti returned after a short while, clearly agitated. He spat thick phlegm onto a nearby rock. "We don't have time for games. Follow me if you care to live." Monti stormed back towards his small camp.

Damn these choices. Dovi fell in line behind his father and followed him back to the clearing.

Monti sat down without so much as a word. He began picking small bits of leaf and dirt out of badly burned hands. There was no sign of discomfort on his face, but Dovi knew the pain must have been unbearable.

"S-So why did you do it? I didn't need your help. Gussie- I mean, Craeve- had already handled Belesarum. We were fine without you. I don't need you. Forget I ever existed. I've already done that with you." Dovi folded his arms over his chest. You killed her you son of a bitch. How can you show your face to me?