A Shadow Tribe Story
Chapter Two
by: Yuuki Miyaka
Tears poured freely down her face. The pain was unbearable. Her chest felt as though iron bands were trapping it, her legs were on fire, and she couldn't breathe. And the monster before her was not even breathing heavily. She looked up at it, knowing that it could kill her at any time. But it merely regarded her.
She tried to school her mind into some semblance of control and concentration. If she warned her tribe, then some of them would come to save her. Like ShadowWalker. And Itesa. And Windrunner. And . . . and Laughter. As soon as she realized it, realized that her headstrong daughter would try to fight this monster herself, Ebony realized what she had to do. She had to destroy the monster herself, before she could allow it to threaten anyone else that she loved.
She formed a question in her mind, and the creature answered it as though she had spoken. It could see her thoughts. ::Your kind created me. That's why I hate you. And I will make you as miserable as I am now.:: It melded its mind with hers for a brief moment, and she cried out. It was in pain. Horrible, wretched pain that would kill many others. And it had lived with that pain, pain borne of the melding of its three bodies into one, from the moment it was created. It could move beyond that pain and destroy many other creatures, but had chosen not to, instead reserving its hatred and deathdealing for the elves that it blamed for its existence.
She cried out at the pain of the melding, and then the channel into its mind was destroyed, and Ebony was left alone in her own body, sobbing harshly. And she heard, within her mind, its laughter. The creature was enjoying her torment.
"I will not let you take me!" she screamed, suddenly surging to her feet and running at it. Blood poured from her shins, but she ignored it, instead concentrating on the creature. As she ran at it, the creature merely gazed at her, watching as it might watch a particularly interesting bug. Ebony ignored its stare, launching herself into a jump at it, only to have it swat her away like said bug. She tumbled into a tree again. This time, the bark of the tree cut her back as it had her leathers when she slid down it. She was losing, and losing badly.
Her sword slipped out of her hand, and her head lolled softly to one side. She couldn't keep this up, couldn't continue to defend the tribe. And the reason she couldn't was because she would soon be dead. Her chest heaved, and her eyes met the eyes of the beast before her. It watched her, then spoke. ::Perhaps you have suffered enough, Elf. Perhaps you understand now what your kind has done to me.::
It turned away from her, and she dared a tentative Sending. ::Now that I understand, will you let us be? You surely cannot blame all elves for the work of a few.:: If she could just make it see that they were not to blame, perhaps she could make it out of here with her life intact. And she wanted to live. Like never before, she had a reason to live, and she was not willing to give that up without a fight.
::You are only the first, Elf.:: The creature's implacable hatred chilled her, and she nearly sobbed in frustration. She could see the opening of its back turned toward her, and yet she could do nothing because she had no strength. But desperation lent the power to her that otherwise she would not have had.
Her hand reached out, ever so slowly, gripping the sword she had so recently dropped, and she stood in pain, wobbling. If she could just make it the few steps to the monster, then everything would be over. One killing step, then another, and another, and suddenly she was in front of the monster.
She bent at the knees, then leapt, and her sword buried itself to the hilt in the creature's side. Howling in pain, the monster grabbed her, and she held onto the sword as it pulled her away from its side. Thanks to the monster's grip, the sword dragged down its side, cutting it wide open. And she knew that there was no way that it would survive that.
It shrieked, and its talons pierced her. She could feel the pain, and then everything went numb.