Silver Flame
Chapter One - A Torn Beginning
Olrein slowly opened his large, hawk-like eyes, focusing to his surroundings quickly. Long eyelashes protect his excellent, sensitive eyes from the battering blizzard beating at his light blue fur. Snorting snow out of his nostrils, the eyrie stood slowly, enourmous fist-sized claws grasping firmly on the ground like a vise. At first glance, it is obvious to any simple neopet Olrein is no ordinary eyrie. He shook his thick, puppyblew hued coat free of snow and sat silently, looking over the ledge of the perilous cliff of the mighty moutain. Deep, strong chest rose and fell as he swelled with pride over his domain. The eyrie was easily twice the size of any normal one of its species. His long talons and keen-edged beak were pale off-white; his body was thick with fur a delicate sky blue, almost making him invisible in the snow. Olrein's large optics were sensitive to movement, as hunting could easily become scarce in such harsh conditions. Overall, he was of a delicate race of mountain eyries, strong and powerful in the solitude and harsh conditions they lived in day to day. Olrein's long lionish tail disturbed the perfect blanket of snow behind him, twitching occasionally in quiet anticipation. 'What would it be like this time...?' A sudden soft mewling cry, barely heard even with his great hearing, interrupted his thought.
'It is time…'
Rising once more to his legs, slightly faster with more urgency than before, he trotted quite gracefully in calculated strides towards the warm, inviting cave behind him. Slowing his gait as he neared, the gallant creature peered into the den. Inside rested an equally ample female eyrie, though not quite as large as the male. Beside her slept a small bundle of fur, its color indiscernible in the dim light. Small fragments of pale eggshell surround the small form. Padding closer towards his beloved mate, Olrein lowered his head towards her own, emitting a low churr of affection. The female's fur, unlike his own, was almost completely white with a light touch of a blueish hue, giving her the perfect camoflague. Her gentle eyes looked down at the tiny form, nuzzling it gently with her beak. The newborn stirred, raising his head to meet his father's eyes. Olreins soft eyes, once filled with overwelming kindness for his child, were suddenly replaced with fear, his entire body stiffening suddenly.
The young kit was not the male color of a sky blue, but in fact a soft silver. The shades and hues of it were quite eye-catching, along with his tiny, barely devoloped claws, which could be, Olrein noticed suddenly as he leaned closer, almost mistaken for white with the slightest hint of blue, like his mother's pelage. As it opened its eyelids, they revealed a brilliant colbalt blue, unlike his parent's, which were a dull yellow. It unfolded its rather large wings, pure white in contast to his sterling body. Besides all this, he was also small--granted, not as small as a regular baby eyrie--but still quite small for one of his subspecies.
'No...why my son? He cannot be the...Oniétram…'
Olreins thoughts were once more interrupted. The sudden thud of a massive paw striking the cold stone floor caused the male to jerk his head towards the entrance, muscles tense. There stood an enourmous skeith, sinewy and well built. A snarl escaped its maw, and diminutive wings spread out threateningly. Slow but strong, the mountain race of skeiths were also larger than their cousins, but not quite as towering and possibly as fierce as the eyries. Olrein screeched shrilly, causing the young kit to huddle closer towards his mother, who was also sat tense.
"Khayliia, protect the young one. Don't move," Olrein whispers urgently towards his consort. Khayliia nods and swiftly grabs the kit by the scruff, standing in a ready stance to flee or to fight, trusting in his wisdom. Turning towards the enemy, the male raises his mighty head high, snorting.
"So, your kind knew already...I supposed you smelled it in the air? Or have you cowards been watching, waiting for your chance...?"
Roaring loudly, the very air itself seeming to tremble, the skeith stomped its large paw on the ground. Drool dripped freely from his gaping jaws, falling to the ground in a disgusting pool. The massive creature was certainly not one to be treated too lightly, dispite its obvious lack of intellegence. Olrein remained unfazed by the boastful show of strength. He was used to such bluffs.
"Y' dare call us cowards?" The foe asked angrily. "Ye'll see...we know about th' Oniétram. Where is it?!"
This time Olrein made the mistake of showing emotion. He stiffened, glancing quickly behind him at the small bundle huddled near its mother. Noting this, the massive skeith chuckles deeply, a triumphant look in its cruel eyes. Too late, Olrein realized his crucial mistake. Screeching as the skeith took a step towards his son, he launched his massive bulk at the skeith. Luck was on his side, for the moment. His slightly larger size aided him in knocking him off balance, sending the enemy to the side of the cave wall. But the skeith was taken by surprise for but a moment. Immediatly it grabbed the eyrie's suddenly vulnerable neck in his mighty jowls. A heart-wrenching shriek rent the air.
"No! Olrein!"
Khayliia charged towards the foe, tears falling freely like droplets of rain from her pale eyes. The charge forced the skeith to tumble out the cave opening, out into the snow. Nuzzling each other for but a moment, the two raced out the entrance, ready to do battle for their offspring. The young one, much too little to understand, sat trembling in the corner. Blinking quietly, he stared out into the open, shadows of the fray dancing on the walls. Squeaking softly, the young kit sat unaware of the terror happening outside. The sudden padding sound of more paws outside takes the eyrie by surprise, and he retreats to the back of the cave behind some rocks, curling up silently.
Suddenly, all too soon, the sounds cease. All is quiet. The heavy padding of numerous skeith paws echo through the cave like a toll of death.
"Where is the Oniétram? You said you saw it..."
The young kit hears the sound of a different, nervous skeith.
"I-it was! I saw its silver fur an' everythin', jus' like y' said."
The sound of a fierce attack, probably a strike with the skeith's claws, meets the newborn's ears. The second yowls loudly, stomping blindly around.
"You fool! Why did you bother to go for the stupid parents! All that fighting for nothing...you let the most imporant thing get away!"
The apparent leader growls, and from the kits small window of sight, he seems an enourmous stoney gray skeith, larger even than his parents. His eyes were stone cold, emotionless. He is obviously the most intellegent of the group of skeiths and well spoken, lacking the pirate-like accents of the others.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway…without its parents, the scruffy thing won't last long out here anyway."
A chilling, cold laughter fills the air, and the receding sound of their paws echo ominously, leaving the cave.
A/N: This is my first real attempt at writing a Neopian story. I would greatly appreciate any and all comments, including anything from flaming to suggestions. Feel free to neomail me at _rainydaze_. More chapters coming soon; this isn't the end of the story! J Oh, and one more thing: The pronunciations are as follows:
Oniétram: Oh-nee-AY-tram
Khayliia: Kay-LEE-ah
Olrein: Ol-RAIN
Chapter One - A Torn Beginning
Olrein slowly opened his large, hawk-like eyes, focusing to his surroundings quickly. Long eyelashes protect his excellent, sensitive eyes from the battering blizzard beating at his light blue fur. Snorting snow out of his nostrils, the eyrie stood slowly, enourmous fist-sized claws grasping firmly on the ground like a vise. At first glance, it is obvious to any simple neopet Olrein is no ordinary eyrie. He shook his thick, puppyblew hued coat free of snow and sat silently, looking over the ledge of the perilous cliff of the mighty moutain. Deep, strong chest rose and fell as he swelled with pride over his domain. The eyrie was easily twice the size of any normal one of its species. His long talons and keen-edged beak were pale off-white; his body was thick with fur a delicate sky blue, almost making him invisible in the snow. Olrein's large optics were sensitive to movement, as hunting could easily become scarce in such harsh conditions. Overall, he was of a delicate race of mountain eyries, strong and powerful in the solitude and harsh conditions they lived in day to day. Olrein's long lionish tail disturbed the perfect blanket of snow behind him, twitching occasionally in quiet anticipation. 'What would it be like this time...?' A sudden soft mewling cry, barely heard even with his great hearing, interrupted his thought.
'It is time…'
Rising once more to his legs, slightly faster with more urgency than before, he trotted quite gracefully in calculated strides towards the warm, inviting cave behind him. Slowing his gait as he neared, the gallant creature peered into the den. Inside rested an equally ample female eyrie, though not quite as large as the male. Beside her slept a small bundle of fur, its color indiscernible in the dim light. Small fragments of pale eggshell surround the small form. Padding closer towards his beloved mate, Olrein lowered his head towards her own, emitting a low churr of affection. The female's fur, unlike his own, was almost completely white with a light touch of a blueish hue, giving her the perfect camoflague. Her gentle eyes looked down at the tiny form, nuzzling it gently with her beak. The newborn stirred, raising his head to meet his father's eyes. Olreins soft eyes, once filled with overwelming kindness for his child, were suddenly replaced with fear, his entire body stiffening suddenly.
The young kit was not the male color of a sky blue, but in fact a soft silver. The shades and hues of it were quite eye-catching, along with his tiny, barely devoloped claws, which could be, Olrein noticed suddenly as he leaned closer, almost mistaken for white with the slightest hint of blue, like his mother's pelage. As it opened its eyelids, they revealed a brilliant colbalt blue, unlike his parent's, which were a dull yellow. It unfolded its rather large wings, pure white in contast to his sterling body. Besides all this, he was also small--granted, not as small as a regular baby eyrie--but still quite small for one of his subspecies.
'No...why my son? He cannot be the...Oniétram…'
Olreins thoughts were once more interrupted. The sudden thud of a massive paw striking the cold stone floor caused the male to jerk his head towards the entrance, muscles tense. There stood an enourmous skeith, sinewy and well built. A snarl escaped its maw, and diminutive wings spread out threateningly. Slow but strong, the mountain race of skeiths were also larger than their cousins, but not quite as towering and possibly as fierce as the eyries. Olrein screeched shrilly, causing the young kit to huddle closer towards his mother, who was also sat tense.
"Khayliia, protect the young one. Don't move," Olrein whispers urgently towards his consort. Khayliia nods and swiftly grabs the kit by the scruff, standing in a ready stance to flee or to fight, trusting in his wisdom. Turning towards the enemy, the male raises his mighty head high, snorting.
"So, your kind knew already...I supposed you smelled it in the air? Or have you cowards been watching, waiting for your chance...?"
Roaring loudly, the very air itself seeming to tremble, the skeith stomped its large paw on the ground. Drool dripped freely from his gaping jaws, falling to the ground in a disgusting pool. The massive creature was certainly not one to be treated too lightly, dispite its obvious lack of intellegence. Olrein remained unfazed by the boastful show of strength. He was used to such bluffs.
"Y' dare call us cowards?" The foe asked angrily. "Ye'll see...we know about th' Oniétram. Where is it?!"
This time Olrein made the mistake of showing emotion. He stiffened, glancing quickly behind him at the small bundle huddled near its mother. Noting this, the massive skeith chuckles deeply, a triumphant look in its cruel eyes. Too late, Olrein realized his crucial mistake. Screeching as the skeith took a step towards his son, he launched his massive bulk at the skeith. Luck was on his side, for the moment. His slightly larger size aided him in knocking him off balance, sending the enemy to the side of the cave wall. But the skeith was taken by surprise for but a moment. Immediatly it grabbed the eyrie's suddenly vulnerable neck in his mighty jowls. A heart-wrenching shriek rent the air.
"No! Olrein!"
Khayliia charged towards the foe, tears falling freely like droplets of rain from her pale eyes. The charge forced the skeith to tumble out the cave opening, out into the snow. Nuzzling each other for but a moment, the two raced out the entrance, ready to do battle for their offspring. The young one, much too little to understand, sat trembling in the corner. Blinking quietly, he stared out into the open, shadows of the fray dancing on the walls. Squeaking softly, the young kit sat unaware of the terror happening outside. The sudden padding sound of more paws outside takes the eyrie by surprise, and he retreats to the back of the cave behind some rocks, curling up silently.
Suddenly, all too soon, the sounds cease. All is quiet. The heavy padding of numerous skeith paws echo through the cave like a toll of death.
"Where is the Oniétram? You said you saw it..."
The young kit hears the sound of a different, nervous skeith.
"I-it was! I saw its silver fur an' everythin', jus' like y' said."
The sound of a fierce attack, probably a strike with the skeith's claws, meets the newborn's ears. The second yowls loudly, stomping blindly around.
"You fool! Why did you bother to go for the stupid parents! All that fighting for nothing...you let the most imporant thing get away!"
The apparent leader growls, and from the kits small window of sight, he seems an enourmous stoney gray skeith, larger even than his parents. His eyes were stone cold, emotionless. He is obviously the most intellegent of the group of skeiths and well spoken, lacking the pirate-like accents of the others.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway…without its parents, the scruffy thing won't last long out here anyway."
A chilling, cold laughter fills the air, and the receding sound of their paws echo ominously, leaving the cave.
A/N: This is my first real attempt at writing a Neopian story. I would greatly appreciate any and all comments, including anything from flaming to suggestions. Feel free to neomail me at _rainydaze_. More chapters coming soon; this isn't the end of the story! J Oh, and one more thing: The pronunciations are as follows:
Oniétram: Oh-nee-AY-tram
Khayliia: Kay-LEE-ah
Olrein: Ol-RAIN