The Sky Demons Part One: Journey

Chapter Twenty- The patrol

Asher- The patrol

Senka sped ahead faster than Tigre or me could follow and we pretty quickly lost sight of her. As we ran through the forest- now following Senka by smell rather than vision or hearing- Tigre became increasingly frustrated.

“Whatever it is we’re trying to hunt was big and strong enough to take down a dweller and carry it off! What in deity’s name does she think she’s doing, running off on her own like that?”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” I said, “she knows how to take care of herself. She’s an illusion master- that’s difficult magic to master.”

“With the speed she just ran off at, she was probably to using her increased speed ability without realising it. I doubt she has magic left to do much of anything useful if she’s been using it this entire time.”

“She knows how to pace her magic, Tigre.”

Tigre glared at me, not slowing even slightly as she moved her concentration away from where she was putting her feet. “I’ve known her a whole lot longer than you. I know what she can or can’t do much better than you do.”

“Right. Sorry, but still, people can achieve things you don’t expect them to when they’re running on adrenaline.”

She began to reply with words that sounded angry- though worry was the only expression on her face- when we were both cut off by the sound of howling. Tigre’s head snapped in the direction of the sound.

“Wolves? They must be what dragged the shade dweller away!” she snarled and hurtled off in her deishan form, Nightshade doing her best to keep up with her just as I was.

“Tigre, wait!” I screamed, “You don’t know what you’re doing’!”

I scrambled through the undergrowth just in time to see Tigre crashing against a lone wolf with black fur. The forest filled with the sound of roaring and yelping as I ran in, trying to pull Tigre off of the struggling wolf while also doing my best to avoid the mess of claws, teeth and wings. Nightshade stood at a distance, seeming unsure of what to do.

I stepped back, giving up on the struggle and instead called my magic, chanting a terathu spell.

In the same way Nightshade often did it, I called upon the trees to grow and twine around Tigre’s body, and then I wrenched her away. The wolf sat up slowly and licked at a shallow claw mark on his shoulder, glaring at me with baleful steel-grey eyes.

“Sorry Seichu” I told him, “she thought you’d attacked a friend of ours.”

Seichu’s ears twitched as he listened to my explanation and he bowed his head slightly and stood up; the wolf gave a bark-like noise and trotted off. I released the trees slowly so that Tigre gently dropped into a standing position before taking her hand to get her to follow the wolf. She looked at me.

“The wolf’s a friend?”

“Yeah, his name’s Seichu. He’s a member of the wolf pack that lives at The Hideout, he was probably on patrol this morning.”

“Sorry,” said Tigre and then looked ahead at Seichu, “Sorry!” she called to him. Seichu stopped and turned slightly, leaning his head forward. As we stepped closer we caught sight of another wolf that had previously been hidden behind a tree. She was bulky with well-defined muscles and a coat of various shades of grey and white with streaks of black, which meant she was Seichu’s mother: Hilda. Seichu was sniffing at her bloodstained muzzle in the wolf form of a greeting; at their feet laid a kerit, blood dripping from its neck and sides.