Spirit Animals: The Fifth Beast

Chapter One: Sierra

In the Amayan mountains was a pretty Arctican thirteen year old girl with wavy beige-blonde hair, her eyes are stunningly blue, crossing the color of the sky and the ocean with a bright twinkle, tender beige skin, long and graceful limbs, a streamlined, slender, and strong body structure. She wore Amayan (warm) hunting leathers, around her neck was a beige talisman with a pendant in the carving of a snow leopard and its rope is threaded in gold-amber (that increases her grace, speed, and can make her jump like a feline) and a amber-silver talisman with a carving of a wildcat and its rope is threaded gold that was given from her family, a black threaded bracelet with five snow leopard teeth and a five glass-beaded and different colored bracelet both around her left wrist, a quiver of arrows and her bow, a traveling backpack, and her father's green cloak.
Her name was Sierra.
She used to live in Boulder City, but then the conquerors had destroyed her beloved home, including her first home known as The Ardu settlement when she was nine years old. Not only she had lost her homes, she had lost her parents to the conquerors as their new prisoners.
She managed to escape from the conquerors at Nilo, she has to do a lot of running, climbing, and dodging to get Port Tantego. Sierra hitched a ride on a ship that was heading towards Amaya and secretly rode on the back of a wagon that went up to the mountains. Sierra found a new home thanks to Tellun and Arax, she now lives by herself in a well-hidden cave with plenty of food, water, clothes, and supplies.
She was now on the move towards Halawir's Trail. Sierra has a feeling that someone has gotten beaten up pretty badly on her or his journey. Tellun once told her to follow her instincts and her heart. Sienna knew she was doing it right now.
She ran and jumped, the wind boosted her leap, and skipped off the targeted ledge to a smaller one. She only touched the next ledge once, then stretched forward and clung to a knobby outcropping with both arms, earning her usual stinging scrapes and bruises from her wrists to her elbows. The wind howled and roared into her ears and chilled her to the skin. Sierra hoisted herself to the top of the outcropping and sprang again. This time the wind slowed her, and even with the power in her leap, she barely caught her next handhold. Sierra knew she can't look down or she probably fall to her death. There was nothing but boulders and snow beneath her.
With the usual deafening wind pushing against her, Sierra pulled herself up. She edged along the thin edge as far as she could before she did her final jump that brought her to the Trail.
She gasped for her breath after her rolling landing.
Sierra's thoughts started come into her mind.
The other kids from Boulder City used to tease Sierra for her personality. They had tried to nickname her Stealthy but she forcefully declined before she went to the mountains. Tellun and Arax had taught her how to jump and climb farther distances. She overheard rumors about her having the spirit of a snow leopard, including when she was around five or six years old.
Sierra shook it off as she got up and wondered what if this was a trick? A conqueror's favorite trap?
She kept walking through the blowing blizzard when she saw a medium-sized shadowed figure stepping towards her. Sienna stepped back nervously but she pulled out her courage and stepped towards the medium animal. She and the animal met each other's eyes as they walked towards each other.
The animal has a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted black ears, a stubby tail, and long canine teeth. Its coat is sandy-colored with lighter parts and reddish markings. Its eyes are worried and scared hazel. The animal has the looks of a female.
It's a caracal. thought Sierra surprised with a unsure frown. They live in Nilo, what's this one doing here in the mountains? The little fella seemed naturally Bonded to someone. Unless. . .
The caracal opened her jaws and started pulling on Sienna's trousers.
"You're a Greencloak's spirit animal, aren't you little fella?" said Sienna as she bent down and gently stroked her fur.
Her voice was soft, warm, wary, and gentle like a incoming spring's wind coming into the mountains. Caracal let go of Sienna and turned around with a nervous meow, she looked to the path of the east cliff.
Sienna ran behind the wildcat, she somehow felt her keen hearing and eyesight expanding, her muscles and reflexes became lightning-fast, her strides became swift, graceful, and silent. It was like she was born as a magnificent snow leopard of the mountains.
The two of them slowed down at the east path. Sienna noticed a few fading unusual footprints, paw prints, shredded (and a bit of unnative) fur and feathers, and dried splashes of blood.
Where this came from? Did I missed a battle when I was speaking with Tellun last weekend or something? wondered Sienna confused and concerned.
Sienna and the caracal both glanced nervously at the stormy snow clouds that hovered above their heads.
"Come on, let's hurry things up." said Sienna to the caracal.
The caracal started sniffing the air and started looking around for something.
Or someone. figured Sienna as she watched the caracal.
The caracal started pawing at a snow drift and she glanced at Sienna with a nervous expression as if she was begging for Sienna to help her. Sienna winced back when she saw blood was splattered in the snow drift.
Sienna sighed and joined in with the digging with the caracal. Sienna gasped when she saw a sixteen year old girl with dark tanned skin, braided black hair, and Greencloak armor, weapons, and cloak at the bottom of the snow drift.
The poor Greencloak was covered in bleeding scars and scratches, and her armor was clipped and chipped.
She stepped backwards a bit when the Greencloak started coughing as the caracal started pawing and licking her human partner.
The Greencloak opened her eyes (which was liquid brown hinted with gold) and her expression was weary, she seemed to be low on her strength.
"Sama," rasped the Greencloak with relief. "You came back."
Sama or the caracal licked the Greencloak's pale and scarred face which brought the Greencloak's skin color back, the Greencloak started stroking the small wildcat.
"Have you brought help?" whispered the Greencloak.
"Yes," said Sienna as she towards the Greencloak's sight. "She did, she had brought me along."
The Greencloak looked up at Sienna's voice and saw her.
"Are you the Mysterious Lady of the Amayan Mountains?" whispered the Greencloak.
"If that's what people are calling me now, then . . ." said Sienna with a unsure expression. "Yes, but my true name is Sienna Stormrunner."
"Sienna Stormrunner, I truly need your help." whispered the Greencloak.
"Well, I can see that." said Sienna warily and sympathetically.
Since Sienna and Sama managed to dig the Greencloak out of the snow drift, Sienna can see how slender but strong the Greencloak is.
"Please, I need you to found willow extract." pleaded the Greencloak.
"Well, you're in luck. I know where to find willow extract on this mountain." said Sienna soothingly, she bent over to Sama and whispered. "Keep an protective eye on her."
Sama gave Sienna a look that meant "of course I will." Sienna got up and ran down the west trail.
Sienna looked up and down with twitching senses. Her eyes litted up on a rock in front of a snow-covered boulder. Sienna moved the rock and got a bottle of warm willow extract that warmed her from head to toe.
Sienna ran back towards the Greencloak and Sama with the willow extract in hand. She breathed softly in the chilly air as she healed the Greencloak.
"Thank you." said the Greencloak hoarsely as she got up.
"Sure thing, but what's your name?" said Sienna.
"I'm Desta." said the Greencloak.
The Greencloak pulled up her sleeve and held out her arm to Sama. With a flash, Sama became a tattoo on the back of her forearm.
I wish I have a spirit animal. thought Sienna with faint envy.
She shook it off. Maybe it's best not to think about that, because she doesn't have any Nectar of Ninani and if she does summon a spirit animal she'll will catch the Bondness sickness.
Sienna got out an unlitted torch from her backpack and light up the torch, the firelight reflected in their eyes.
"Come on," said Sienna briskly to Desta, who seemed to be reading her mind and had hidden expressions. "You can come into one of my caves."
"You live in a cave?" asked Desta.
"It's caves Desta, and yes I do live in the mountain caves." said Sienna.
"But why?" said Desta.
"Why what?" asked Sienna as she turned to look at Desta.
Desta's browns glittered in the light of the glowing fire that shimmered and sparkled in Sienna's right hand.
"Why risk your life for my life? Why are you here? Do you care so much about the fate of the world? Why did you fought against the Conquerors, when they are so many of them, and there's just one of you just one month ago?" asked Desta.
Sienna bowed her head and blinked her silent tears that were threatening to come from her eyes.
"I used to live in Boulder City, but then the conquerors had destroyed my beloved home, including my first home known as The Ardu when I was nine years old. Not only I had lost my homes, I had lost my parents to the conquerors as their new prisoners. I managed to escape from the conquerors at Nilo, I have to do a lot of running, climbing, and dodging to get Port Tantego. I hitched a ride on a ship that was heading towards Amaya and secretly rode on the back of a wagon that went up to the mountains. Then I have finally found a new home thanks to Tellun and Arax, so now I live by myself in a well-hidden cave with plenty of food, water, clothes, and supplies." explained Sienna.
"But you bore a green cloak." said Desta as she leaned lightly against Sienna's shoulder.
"My green cloak used to belong to my father, he gave me it on my eleventh birthday. He had this cloak when he was around my age and I treasure it. Because I always wish to have a spirit animal and joining the Greencloaks, such as yourself." said Sienna as she put gentle hand on her waving and emerald green cloak.
"But why you fought against the Conquerors?" asked Desta.
Sienna looked up and met Desta's eyes with her stunning and sparkling blue eyes.
"Because it was the right thing to do and I didn't just do it to protect my third home." said Sienna with a sigh. "I didn't want you to feel the loss any of your family or friends just like I did."
Without speaking they slowly ran and jumped, the wind boosted their leaps, and skipped off the targeted ledge to a smaller one. They only touched the next ledge once, then stretched forward and clung to a knobby outcropping with both arms, earning her usual stinging scrapes and bruises from their wrists to her elbows. The wind howled and roared into their ears and chilled them to the skin. Sierra and Desta hoisted themselves to the top of the outcropping and sprang again. This time the wind slowed them, and even with the power in their leaps, they barely caught their next handhold. Sierra and Desta knew they can't look down or they'll probably fall to their death. There was nothing but boulders and snow beneath them.
With the usual deafening wind pushing against them, Sienna and Desta pulled themselves up. They edged along the thin edge as far as they could before they did their final jump that brought them to Sienna's Cave.
Sienna secretly admired her new friend's swiftness, agilitieness, and quickness. Even though she was slowly recovering from her battle wounds and her spirit animal was dormant.
Sienna led exhausted Desta into her cave, which overlooked a deep blue mountain river that splits up into smaller deep blue rivers and stood outside of a waterfall.
Desta saw that she was laying on a bear furred blanket with feathers on the edges and the corners, as she looked around he saw otter skin holding caught tunas and trouts which is hanged up on the cave ceiling by the by cave wall, in deer skinned baskets were berries and fruits that stood by a small cave, in the bear skins were meats, in the goatskins were cheese and milk, in cracked coconuts were dried juiced berry paints, on the cave floor layed deer furred carpets, and the cave is litted dawny red and gold. Behind her was ancient cave paintings and cave carvings of animals, birds, and humans. In a chicken coop was small black and white birds known as storm petrels, they were twittering, eating dried berries and seeds, and laying on nests. By the hammock made of deer skin was a pile of books, scrolls, maps, cups filled with ink, and quills.
Desta also noticed that there is a small cliff with a cougar furred carpet and cougar furred blankets and pillows, the cliff stood above a small cave with moose skin. Desta noticed that there was a cougar furred blanket was layed on her back and she saw a small, opened waterfall rushing outside has a few fireflies by the river bank and the Aurora lights shimmered pink, purple, blue, pale yellow, and pale green outside.
"It's beautiful." whispered Desta as looked at everything.
"I know it is." said Sienna softly and warmly.
Sienna was gently petting Sama on one of the carpets and Sama was purring under her palm. Sama purred and rubbed against Sienna's elbows.
"It must be so great to have a spirit animal." mumbled Sienna.
Desta glanced back at Sienna. Maybe this young adventuress/ wanderer, might summon the Great Snow Leopard of Erdas.
"When's your birthday?" asked Desta as she sat down with Sienna and Sama.
"Tomorrow." said Sienna, not looking up.
"How do you celebrate your birthday?" asked Desta.
"I sometimes go to the woods and reunite with some old friends, including a few friendly Beasts." said Sienna.
"I'll come with you." said Desta.
"Thank you, Desta and Sama." said Sienna gratefully.
Desta smiled and nodded with warm eyes. Sienna was mysterious, stealthy, confident, determined, and silent like a snow leopard.
Maybe she really does have the spirit of a snow leopard.