15 Summer 511
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Continued from (here)
Shausha was still trembling as she neared Xy. Her sweaty fur was freezing cold and stuck to her face and back. The sight of decadent castle walls on the evening horizon was the only thing keeping her in the air. Above the ruins, she could see forty or so Zith circling and darting around the night sky, celebrating their dark awakening. She gulped in air and put the last of her strength into ascending a few meters. She pitched forward and glided the rest of the way.
A few Zith called out in acknowledgement to her as she prepared to land. Her wings wavered slightly when met with a sudden current of air, knocking her off balance and nearly causing her to crash into a crumbling spire. The Zith above roared in laughter. She screeched weakly back at them, smiling and making a rude gesture. Shausha dropped onto the ground, tripping slightly from the residual momentum of flight. She slowed from a jog and made her way to a sinkhole in the castle ruin’s floor. The relief of solid ground made her feel heavy and she wondered how sore her wings would be tomorrow.
She sat at the sinkhole, feet dangling over the edge, and took a moment to gather herself. She re-tied her dreadlocks, smoothed her fur, massaged her aching wing joints. Pushing her palms against her eyes, she tried to calm her shaking bones. The Zith above were still calling occasional tease at her, the wind at her back was smooth and steady, and the dark settled on - no, - lifted her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes and leaned forward, falling into the hole.
The sinkhole opened suddenly into a great cavern. At the floor of the cave, fires were scattered here and there, casting flickering shadows of flapping wings. Shausha made a great circle, descending slowly and searching for her group. She found their scent first and they, hers as she neared them. They were gathered around a small fire and were chatting animatedly over the corpse of a doe.
“Oh, look who it is!” a small, male Zith exclaimed. He had a very strong, round scent and had been the leader of their early morning excursion. Always getting into trouble with the slaves for stealing food or knocking things over, they frequently shouted "Shoo!" after him as he was chased off; It was said so often, they just resorted to calling him "Shoo".
“Shausha!” a curvy, beautiful female Zith with a sharp, piercing scent leapt on her, swatting at her shoulders. “We thought you were dead!” She stopped and smiled. Shausha had hardly any strength left for a row and meekly pushed her off, smiling and yawning. She was proud, and as such, fiercely attached to her Zithanese name; She would not accept being called anything, but Chi-ee.
“We had no idea there were Akalak so near to Xy” a third, called Raven, said while tapping his chin. “How did you escape? You fell right into their trap! We all knew they were trying to separate us!” They all squawked in agreement and turned to listen to Shausha.
“They almost got me.” Shausha sighed. “Stupid blue men. I am never going on a hunt that early ever again... Even if you see another ‘fourteen point buck.’” She glared at Shoo pointedly reached for one of the doe’s ribs. Selecting one with the least amount of teeth marks and the most amount of muscle, she pried it off.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Chi-ee protested, “We killed it, not you!” She tried to swat the bone out of her hand but Shausha snarled savagely. Squabbling over food rights was one of their favorite past times, but she had no patience or energy left. Chi-ee poked out her bottom lip and cooed Shausha’s name reproachfully. The rest of the group laughed.
Shausha gnawed on the bone, sucking at the marrow and tearing off small pieces of meat. The group went back to chatting about their hunt, how they got away, how Shausha had been separated, and how they had finally caught the “fourteen point buck” that turned out to be this scraggly doe. A hush fell over the group as someone approached. Shausha was close to dozing off and did not notice until the person rapped on her shoulder with a couple heavy fingers. She gave a start and looked up. It was one of Xy’s most prominent hunters.
He stood six feet tall and was known for one of the largest wingspans in the nest. Dark gray fur covered his muscular physique. He kept his black hair tied back in a long ponytail that ended at his neck. The slaves had called him Goliath from an early age, a name that stuck in the minds and hearts of the residents of Xy. Shausha scrambled to her feet, trying to stand in respect. However, his hand was heavy on her shoulder and her back was still weak from its inordinately long journey. She wobbled and sat back down. He regarded her with a steady expression and when she tried again to stand, he stopped her.
“Stay seated.” He glanced sharply at her group. “You.” They understood the message and scampered over each other, each trying to be the first to get away. Squatting next to her, Goliath gave a soft chuckle at the sight of the meager animal that had been the source of great pride to the ones that felled it. His face sobered into an exacting stare which he directed at Shausha. “We heard you were pursued by Akalak. We’d like to know more about that.”
She felt very small next to Goliath. Her legs were like rib bones compared to his heavily muscled thighs. Shausha gulped and said, “There were seven. They appeared out of nowhere in the southern woods.” She recounted the story. Goliath either stared into the fire while listening intently, or at her with his eyes assessing her every detail. He asked probing questions every now and then about things she didn’t consider at the time: tattoos, piercings, scars and other identifying factors. Shausha strained to remember. The details of her escapade dimmed rapidly as she grasped for specifics. After she had finished her explanation, they sat in silence for a moment.
“We were surprised that you made it back. ” Goliath was staring at her again. “One pup like you against seven Akalak warriors. That’s something. The hunters and I have agreed that you can be trained.” He reached out to the deer, cracked its chest cavity open, and dug out the heart. Obviously her group had been saving the best for last. The red muscle shone in the flickering firelight; Its dark blood dripped from Goliath’s hand. “From now on, you eat the hearts. You will need your strength. If your friends have qualms with it, send them to me.” He handed her the palm-sized meat. Shausha tried not to smile as she imagined her group’s faces when she told them every heart was hers. She sank her fangs into the chewy, juicy flesh. Goliath’s presence was intimidating, even for her outgoing personality. He was known for fast and vicious combat; He did not deal with capturing slaves; He killed. What it meant that he was going to train her, she knew it was an extraordinary compliment. She swallowed a mouthful of blood and grinned into her cupped hands. She thought of being included in the hunter’s circle at meals or flying with them in their elite group, ferocious and invisible against the night sky.
Once she had finished the heart, Goliath spoke up, “I suppose you want to sleep after your ordeal.” Shausha wiped her mouth with the back of a hand and nodded slowly. He clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Take a short nap. Training starts... today.”
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