--BRAND NEW AND SHINEY, REVISED AND MODIFIED! Hope you like the update! (Includes all chapters!) :) (Nov. 12/06)--

- Now at the end of all the re-submitted chapters I will outline any revisions to the actual plot I made, so you don't have to re-read everything if you do not want to. ;) -


Heyoos, next chapter, as promised!

Replies:

To Seanait: Thankies. xD I know, I'm glad I remembered about this story myself. I actually finally got some more inspiration after that horrific writing block that made me quit so long ago…


A Warriors Tale

By Saber88

()()()()()()()()()()Chapter Eight()()()()()()()()()()

The Mysteries Just Keep Getting Deeper


The great pressure upon Atrasi's neck was abruptly relieved. Screams and wails of anger pierced the air as surely as the northern wind blasted through autumn. These sounds wracked and hammered on the mare's skull, and she struggled to rise. Dizziness washed over her, eyes still blurred and dark, as if they were enveloped in a hazy liquid.

A cry of victory rang out, and again she felt something touch her neck. Head swimming, Atrasi feebly attempted to ram her horn into whatever had approached her – perhaps another Leoth? Great. Two of the ugly beasts decided they fancied unicorn in their diet today.

Strong talons wrapped around the mare's horn, and helpless, Atrasi laid flat, breath coming in short and painful gasps, her airway having almost been crushed.

Something murmured in a thick inarticulate voice by her ear, but the mare couldn't make sense of the myriad of words, everything blended together like a long hiss from a snake. A rough hand brushed away some bloody hair strands, as if gently examining the wounds.

Seconds, perhaps minutes, hours, passed seeming like an agonizingly long length of time. It was arduous to breath, but eventually her labored gasps become a steady inhale and exhale. Her vision cleared.

Nothing was in front of the mare, though her nostrils flared at the stench of blood. Behind her a mutilated Leoth corpse was sprawled out across the terra, so utterly crippled one could barely make out what the gore had once resembled.

Atrasi slowly rose on her unsteady legs, wounds burning like a raging wildfire along her withers and belly. She could feel warm liquid dripping down from those lacerations, and knew she should get to a healer before too much blood was lost.

The roan checked the position of the sun, but her mind was too jumbled, attempting to comprehend what had occurred. The Leoth was dead, so what killed it? Observing imprinted patterns in the dirt, she identified that there must have been some kind of struggle, something against the monster, something with three-inch long talons…

"A large Kanth perhaps?" Atrasi blinked, "No, it would have to have been a very large one indeed; that's just silly."

"A Garlith perhaps?" came the startling realization. One of those 'blood thirsty' beasts had saved her? No, that couldn't be possible.

The unicorn glanced uneasily at the torn carcass. Maybe it was possible…

Her eyes wandered unconsciously to the sky. The sun had not yet reached its zenith, and it proved to Atrasi that she had not been out of the Vale more then an hour.

Haunches shrugging, nearly tripping, the unicorn plodded back to her home, making a bee-line for the Vale. If she could get the Leoth-inflicted wounds attended too, they might heal better then they did on average. After all, Orjae was a skilled healer. She would probably still have scars.

Her mind drew up a blank, she was so surprised and startled she was even alive at all.

Atrasi came to a halt at the edge of the Vale, near the borders of the forest along side of the equine homeland. She gazed down the mild slope, able to see all the small caves dotting the low hills.

"Almost there…" the mare sighed and grimly continued her march.

Suddenly, something – someone – bolted from the trees, skidding to a stop in front of the injured beast, a cocky smile one his face. Idly blocking her path, the peculiar Hophotheus regarded his groomed claws with more than a little intrigue. Formally, then, he bowed, fore-arms crossed over his chest, head bobbing.

"Atrassssi," he smirked, recalling the unicorn's title and drawing out the name in a hiss.

Angrily, the addressed female gritted her teeth and flinched as the Garlith voiced her name. Eyes narrowing, she asked, "Hoph… -erm, Hoffoetheeus, you saved me?" It was simply stated, more of a confirmation then a question. She could tell by that snide, over-confident glimmer in his crimson eyes.

Atrasi met his gaze boldly. If the beast wished to kill her for spying on him, he wouldn't have come to work whatever healing on her that he had done.

Overlooking the horrid name mispronunciation, Hophotheus merely replied as calmly as if the two had been talking about the dinner they had eaten the other day. "You mussst tell no one I sssaved you, unicorn child."

Blinking in surprise, her guess confirmed, Atrasi to walk around the beast, who promptly again, stepped onto her path, barricading the way. Clenching and unclenching her jaw, the mare demanded gruffly, "I'm hurt, I need to get to he healer, and soon." She winced to further the point.

The Garlith nonchalantly sketched circles in the dirt with his claws, "Your word, unicorn."

Atrasi snorted, "Why?"

Hophotheus raised a brow and put forth an idle threat he had absolutely no intention of carrying out, "I will gut whatever remains of your mangled carcass." He showed her a toothy grin, hands flashing their long claws.

Atrasi felt ill; she didn't doubt the creature's ability to carry out what he had said. Not after observing the shredded and dismembered Leoth corpse.

Shuddering, Atrasi nodded slowly "I will say not a word. Now let me through!"

The Garlith let her pass unhindered. After a few steps in the Vale's direction, she cast a quick peek over her shoulder. Hophotheus was still standing near the trees. His shoulders seemed to slump and were shaking a bit, whether from mirth of sadness, Atrasi could not tell.

Feeling her eyes, the Garlith glared boldly back at her and stalked off, back into the woods.

"How… fortunate for me?" Atrasi mused grimly.


Without further encumbrance for after her meeting with Hophotheus, Atrasi began to breathe easier when she saw unicorns grazing in the distance, nearly to Orjae's den. But of course, nothing could ever be so easy for the young mare. Again, something approached her from behind.

The mare's reflexes were slow, so she didn't bother trying to meet whatever came with offense. Slowly pivoting on the uneven ground, Atrasi's grim amusement was furthered at the sight of, Orphikoss and Hophotheus behind her. They were smiling wryly in that strange, mysterious way that made you hair stand on end. While the female's grin seemed sincere, the other Garlith's seemed a little shaky.

"What do you want?" she snapped to the pair.

"How ungracious you are-" Orphikoss began, and there was a mild hint of anger behind her schooled visage – directed, surprisingly, at Hophotheus but the male interrupted her.

Shrugging, Hophotheus stated bluntly, "We cannot sssend you back wounded, or you would have to lie to your people about my… asssssisssstance… yessss?"

The unicorn didn't readily answer, and the female Garlith bowed awkwardly – reluctantly - to her, "I can heal you; my powers are strong the field of magical aid.'

Atrasi frowned, "You have no supplies with you."

"Who said I needed supplies?"

"No need to be harssshhh to the inexperienced," Hoph chuckled softly.

The female Garlith strode forward pompously, all four appendages in use, and came to a rest just beside Atrasi. She reached out to touch the wounds with a hand, but the mare balked and shied away.

Barely concealing a snarl of impatience, Orphikoss calmly explained, though apparently she didn't like what she was doing, "Stuipd animal!" Hoph frowned at the comment, but did not interrupt her again, "I'm trying to help you, for the gods' sake! Now do not move!"

Frozen in place, Atrasi downcast her eyes, not wanting to see what arcane power the creature exercised. Her muscles tensed, ready to leap away at the any sign of pain.

Sarcastically, the equine wondered aloud, trying to remove her mind from the current scene, "Well, where is your third partner in crime?"

Hophotheus came around so he was on the other side of the unicorn, "Korthaeth?"

"Whoever."

Hoph shrugged, seeming unconcerned, "Probably ssstill wandering around or hunting."

When he thought Atrasi wasn't watching he looked over her back a glanced warily at Orph, as if inquiring where he was, as well.

The female's lips twitched, but she ignored him, "Completed. Now turn around."

The mahogany roan looked at her side – no traces of the laceration remained! Not even a scar! She cried out in anguish, so baffled she couldn't take it anymore, "Why are you doing this to me? Why do any of you care?"

Hophotheus hid a pained look, casually walking behind Orphikoss as if using her as a shield to the verbal assault.

Jaw tight, Orph rolled her powerful shoulders, and, as characteristically of a Garlith, she simply said, "Because we can."

Stamping the ground, one side of her neck still unattended, Atrasi ran down the hill away from the pair of confusing beasts. This was all too much for her to take in. Why?

Why, why, why?!

Even though the sun was high, signaling noon to the land below, the unicorn wearily avoided a concerned Haeteh and the now, usually-irritated Vex, trotting slowly into her shared cavern home to sleep and reflect upon what had occurred in such a short space of time.


Argh! Sorry it's short; I didn't want to leave you all hanging so I had to do something fast! xD

I have planned what is to happen in the future chapters, but right now I'm not quite sure how to proceed, unless I have some more chapters about the conflict between Vex, Atrasi, and Haeteh, possibly more about the three Garliths. Wait…

Maybe I do have an idea! Ahahahah! (cackles)

Erm, anyway, I'm still open to suggestions! So when/if you review, you can post any ideas that might again spark some thoughts – it's much appreciated!


Character/Creature Reference:

Atrasi (Ah-tr-a-see)– Beautiful red roan mare. Daughter of Klorn and Pasch.

Orjae (Or-juh-aee) - A stallion healer of the Vale of dusty ash/brown hues with a golden mane. Son of the deceased Jojora and Kleetah

Prince Dellex (Dell-ex) – Prince of the Vale, not king because his mother still lives, though his father has been deceased for a few years. Light brown with white spots. Son of Koran and Leip.

Vex (Veh-ex) – A quarrelsome white mare, Atrasi's shoulder friend. Daughter of Quin and Sevorth.

Haeteh (Hey-tay)– A strange plainsdweller male and a new addition to the Vale, has an ebony coat and odd golden eyes.

Hophotheus (Haw-foh-thee-us) – One of the three Garliths. Claimed to be of the Clan Keathsss, the last survivors of the Garliths. Scales are a grayish-blue.

Korthaeth (Kor-aee-th)– An unexplained companion to Hoph, another Garlith; Male. He has emerald scales.

Orphikoss (Or-feh-koss) – The only female Garlith in attendance. She has red scales edged with gold; the edging on her scales is a trait only female Garlith's possess.

Leoth(Le-oh-th): Six-legged wolf/reptile beast. A threat to all.

Kanth (Kah-nth): A high-backed hyena/dog-like creature. Social and territorial, they attack trespassers with little hesitation or trepidation.

Garlith (Gar-lith): A reptilian animal with long talons and feathered wings, able to walk on two or four legs.


-EDIT----

- A lot of the conversation revised. You learn a bit more of the personalities of Orph and Hoph.

-Saber88-