Chapter 4- Battle at the Beach

"Bring it on!" -Anonymous

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Black enjoyed getting back out in the open. Though the pace was rather slow (Quina had filled itself up quite a bit before the departure) he felt they were making good progress. He didn't really care... this was his favorite part of the night. And he loved being out on the plains...

He tilted his head up and scanned the heavens. The velvety dark vault was shimmering with a multitude of stars. Each race had their own names for constellations, and he took a look to see if any of the same where here as his home.

Home. He sighed. His own home was the Guura-ran, or 'Great Plains'. The grasses were always sandy brown, for rain hadn't fallen since the great Wars. Somehow, the few rivers had managed to keep the ecosystem running. But this place was different. This place was moist under paw, and the heat was humid, so your throat didn't burn after runs. No, no stars here were the same. He expected that.

Gaia had two moons... the smaller one was nearly full, the larger was a thin crescent. Graceful. Black felt so small compared to the sky... in a fit of kittenish energy he bounded ahead, cutting a ridiculous caper in the air before turning his gaze once again upward.

"Teehee... I've never seen anybody do that!" Eiko was grinning at him. He felt a bit sheepish, and returned the smile.

"Sorry... I was looking at the moons. It makes me feel small, like a kitten again."

Eiko looked up. "Yeah, it kinda does."

Quina appeared to be half-asleep while walking if that's possible...) so Black trotted over to it and nudged its and. "You still with us?"

Quina blinked. "Yes... just tired. Not get much sleep last night." It yawned.

Black resumed the trotting, when he realized he hadn't spoken to Shaker since the group had left Lindblum. He looked over. Shaker was trudging stoically on, thought he obviously wasn't used to night travel. Occasionally he would glance at Eiko, just to make sure she was okay. A large haversack was swung over his shoulder, loaded with provisions. Potions, Ethers, food. Good thinking. Black crossed the back of the group and walked up beside the guard. Shaker was trembling.

"Hullo, there." He said casually. "Why are you shivering?"

Shaker looked a little surprised to see Black. He coughed and blinked a few times before speaking. "I'm n-not sh-shivering."

Black snorted. "Yes you are. Are you cold?"

Shaker sighed. "N-no. It's a th-thing I was b-born with."

Black nodded and looked ahead. After a pause, he said, "That's how you got your name?"

"It's n-not my r-r-real name."

"Oh?"

Shaker shook his head, but didn't speak further.

"What is your name, then?"

The Lindblum guard looked Black full in the face. He wasn't battle-hardened or even cruel-looking. Just confused and a bit intimidated. Black couldn't help feeling sorry for him, for some reason. Black looked away, and Shaker also did. Black moved again to the other side of Eiko.

A night wind brought messages. Black lifted his head and breathed, taking in all the scents of these plains. Qu's Marsh, away to the west brought the myriad of odors that he had experienced while inside it. He listened closely, but he couldn't hear the dry grasses whispering to themselves.

Faint traces of snow and ice- a cold, sharp smell- caused him to wrinkle his nose slightly. Mountains were ahead. Would they have to cross? He didn't know, but mountain travel would be pretty difficult.

The wind shifted, and the salty smell of the sea breathed across him. He drank it in, lifting his head. He loved the sea! Many times as a young kit, he'd traveled with his siblings and mother, watching the distant crashing waves, exploring tidal pools, chasing crabs, and playing in the rollers. He sighed.

Damp, moist air that held the dusty small of loam and mosses drifted with the sea salt, mingled with fir and pine. Forests ahead. Black didn't like most forests-they were too crowded. Each tree battled with the next, hungry to reach the sun. Branches twisted and sparred above, leaving only a bit of sunlight to be filtered down. Parasitic vines choked and strangled, sapping the trees of their juices... and creatures scuttled in the dark. Now, old forests were different.

Old forests with little low vegetation, where proud monarchs of trees stood far apart from each other. Breezes wafted freely here, twining and turning like an ancient dance. If one stood still, you could feel the power of this place.

Soon the wind died, and Black decided to give his two new traveling partners a whiff, as customary with his species.

Eiko's smell was dusky. It seemed older to him than she herself was. He sniffed again. Bright colors came to mind: red, orange, sandy brown... where had he encountered this before? The Outer Continent! She smelled of long forgotten things, of solitude. He cocked his head perplexed.

She smelled like ruins.

He faced Shaker and breathed in. Nothing.

Slightly confused, he sniffed again. Absolutely no scent! This has happened before, he thought. When attacking certain prey, they lose their scent. It is only their sharp fear that gives them away. Shaker was far too nervous to be scent-read.

Black sighed and looked up. He would have to try to get Shaker to open up. But now it was time to rest.

"Okay, everybody. We better make a camp. We want to start bright and early in the morning, ya know."

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Soon the group had a fire going and everyone was positioned around it. Shaker had produced a roll of bread, some cheese, and a round purple fruit for everybody. Black declined. He never ate cooked food; soon he would have to hunt.

Eiko leaned back and looked up. "Ya know, this is kinda like I started out with Zidane."

"Zidane?" the name sounded oddly familiar to Black. Where had he heard it?

"Yeah," Eiko looked to Black, puzzled. "He's one of us who saved Gaia. I thought you'd know about him!"

"Oh! The one with the tail?"

Eiko chuckled and nodded. Black turned to Quina to discover the Qu was already asleep. When he turned to talk to Eiko again, she was the same. He sighed and glanced at Shaker. "They're pooped!

Shaker nodded.

Black walked over and sat by him. "Why don't you ever talk?"

"I t-talk. Just not n-now."

"You don't trust me?"

"N-not entirely."

"Hn." Black lay down. "If I wanted to hurt yo all, I would have tried already, you know. Eventulally you'll have to trust me."

"I'll b-be the judge of th-that." Shaker grimaced again and glared angrily into the fire for a moment before resuming his somewhat helpless look. His perpetual shaking resumed.

"You never told me your real name."

"..."

"My true name is Talsolia. You see, in my language, it means 'River of Black.' I thought it would be kind of hard for people to memorize Talsolia, and I'd rather be called 'Black' than 'River'."

"..."

Black looked up. "I'll have to hunt, now. I'm very hungry." He looked to Shaker. "Watch over them while I'm gone, okay? And don't try taking them anywhere, I'll be able to find you."

Shaker merely stared as Black took off into the night.

-----(I had to squeeze a battle scene in here somewhere...)

Hunting is the easy part. Finding prey is always the hardest. Black knew that this substance called 'Mist' was still known to lurk in some dense forests, but around here there was no quarry to be found. He flew over above the beach and something moving caught his eye. He dipped one wing in a slanted descent to better see what was going on.

An ancient Serpion was trudging in the sand. Its scales were muddy and unkempt, its sharp tail hanging and dragging on the sand. It was a wonder it had survived this long without mist, but it was a tough old monster. Black landed lightly not too far away, walking up to the creature cautiously. It would not be attacked if it was sentient, but most monsters weren't.

The Serpion lifted its head. Its filmy eyes clouded over and it hissed, and it took up a battle stance. Black approached.

"Excuse me, I mean no harm. I merely wish to ask-"

The old creature moved surprisingly fast. Black dodged to the side and barely missed a swipe with the claws and got hit in the ribs with the broad side of the tail. He gave a wheezing sneeze as the Serpion turned, eyes red with bloodlust.

Black hissed his challenge, flattening his ears and lashing his tail. His wings trembled as he held them slightly away from his body, ready.

The Serpion was having trouble getting a grip on the sand, so its curved claws did it little good but to tear flesh. Instead of charging, it walked with a grace that was characteristic of its species, navy head drawn back, ready to strike. Slowly it advanced, tail positioned over its back.

Black didn't know of its charging problems, he merely flattened himself against the sand, claws unsheathed.

The ground was firm enough here. The Serpion slowly sank its claws in and tensed, waiting for the right moment...

Blacks back legs drew up, ready for the spring.

The Serpion lunged. It pulled itself low along the ground with its front claws and kicked high with the back, sending it at middle height.

Black gave a short jump and reared on his hindpaws, wings spread behind him. He used his powerful front paws to strike the Serpion on either side of the head-once, twice! Before beating his wings once and propelling himself backward, in the process knocking the Serpion off-balance.

The Serpion regained its footing and hissed low and long. Its strength was ebbing... it had thought that strike would be the last. It raised its tail and stalked slowly forward again. This time it charged in mid-stride, taking Black off guard.

Black only had time to lift into the air, narrowly avoiding the stinger. The Serpion turned and looked up, tail poised, following Black along the ground. He couldn't land...

Black flapped his wings once and rose, strategizing as he did. He pulled himself into a steep dive and shrieked in a hawk-like manner, all four paws forward with claws unsheathed.

The Serpion lowered its body and pointed its tail straight up, leaping towards the falling Black.

Black swerved to the right, crashing in front of the Serpion. He kicked sand at its face with his paws, lowering himself in one fluid movement. Caught off guard, the Serpion bellowed in rage and pain at the stinging sand and reared its head up.

First big mistake. Black lunged forward and sank his teeth into the lower neck, clawing at the belly with all of his claws. He felt flesh and scale fly. The Serpion cried out and snaked the rest of its head down over Black's back. Its old jaws were weak, however, and Black was able to rip away.

The Serpion was holding itself bravely up. Dark blood was spilled over the ground beneath it, but it didn't seem too seriously wounded. Black could feel his won dark blood trickling down his back.

The Serpion charged, and this time Black rose to meet him. His paws connected with its ridged shoulders, and its scored deep in his sides. He hissed and brought his teeth down over its neck again, this time seeking the jugular vein.

It writhed and bucked and Black was forced to give up the killing strike. Instead he drew back, taking flesh with him. Blood exploded over the sand, soiling Black's front and burning his eyes. He bounded back, shaking his head. The Serpion was leaning forward, bleeding profusely from the wound in its neck.

This thing was tough! Black decided to make things a little easier. He half-closed his eye sand concentrated.

The Serpion noticed Black going into a sort of a sleep phase. It sniffed suspiciously and once again got to its feet. Its neck hurt... it needed to make the black creature hurt. It charged, thought its stride was considerably weaker.

Lightening ripped through the air.

It was a weak spell, but enough to cause considerable damage. The Serpion screamed in mortal agony as the Thunder ripped at its flesh and burned at its muscles. It fell, but managed to pull itself weakly up.

Black needed only one more chance. He waited. The Serpion bled. Finally it made one more shambling charge, the light in its eyes growing dull.

He dodged to one side and struck it in the ribs with all the weight he had, knocking it over. It wheezed once and tried to get back to its feet, but by this time Black had dug his claws into the exposed, charred underside.

He kicked once, and the skin split, sending rolls of pale intestine out onto the beach. Blood and organs spilled before him, soaking his fur. The Serpion's wails of pain gradually faded into a wet gurgle and it twitched convulsively, then lay still. The deadly tail hung limp.

Black stood there a moment, drenched with sweat and blood, before shaking himself. He gave a growl, which rose to a rumble, then a yowl of triumph. The outside meat was a little cooked from his Thunder spell, but most of it was still good. Enough to feed him for tonight.

-----

Imagine Shaker's surprise when Black returned to camp, smelling quite badly and wounded.

"I... require a potion." He said hoarsely.

"S-sure..." Shaker at once forgot his temporary mistrust and administered the potion to Black, who stood still through the whole procedure.

"Many Urrdu." He said before collapsing into sleep.

Shaker shook his head. This Black guy sure was something else. He leaned back and looked to the east. The sky was a little lighter there. Before long, it would be dawn. He yawned and waited.

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Note: Fwee. I luv writing fighting scenes... I just had to squeeze that in. Well, I'd like ta hear from ya's. Soo... uhh... bai bai.