Chapter 2: The Nydak
Merrin and Ilyana stepped out of the cave and into the warm red glow of Domir's light. The grays of night now banished by the vermilion hues of their star.
Their trials were tomorrow. They were expected to brew potions and perform incantations before the elders and Mother Talzin herself. After weeks of practice, Ilyana helped Merrin master the subtleties of the potions and elixirs while Merrin recited incantations till the words filled Ilyana's mind in Merrin's confident voice; they were ready. Like the light of Domir banished the shadows, their newfound friendship had banished their fear and doubt. They both knew they would pass the trials and become true Nightsisters.
They walked together in silence back to the village, basking in the glow of the day and the presence of each other. As they crossed over a natural stone arch several bane back spiders that had clung to the underside crawled up and bared their razor sharp claws at them. With a chant and wave of their hands, the young Nightsisters called on the power of Dathomir. Green flame erupted from Merrins hands and lashed out at two attacking spiders while Ilyana released a defensive cloud of emerald mist that deflected streams of acidic saliva coming from the spiders farther back. Then in unison Ilyana and Merrin raised their hands and pushed forward with the Force, shoving all the spiders back, compelling them to flee before the power of the Nightsisters.
"What are you looking forward to the most?" asked Ilyana as they continued on back to the village.
"The feast," said Merrin. Her tone, as always, as sharp and definitive as the Dathomirian cliffs, certain and clearly defined. She was never coy when she spoke, never clouded her answers in riddles. Instead, she told others exactly what she thought and when she made decisions she did so with confidence.
"Really?" Ilyana laughed. "I would have guessed the chance to finally move on to more powerful, complex magicks."
"No," Merrin shook her head, "I am looking forward to the crunch of roast burra fish or maybe a fried snake with a side of stewed brula fruit. What about you?'
Ilyana smiled, "Brula nectar."
"You live dangerously."
"They say you can find answers in the visions it brings."
"Be careful though. Too much and you may never come back from them."
"Are you worried about me?" Ilyana asked and gently grasped Merrin's hand. They both hesitated at the touch.
"It would be a shame to be forced to find a new training partner," said Merrin in an accent that pronounced 'would' with harsh vibration by pressing her bottom lip against her teeth.
Ilyana smiled and stepped closer as they walked. They were so captivated by each other that they failed to hear the footsteps approaching till the beast was nearly on top of them. It charged, thundering down the ravine. The Nightsisters whirled around to face the creature, but there was nowhere to hide or run in the narrow stone corridor.
The Nydak slashed at them with a giant claw and they dove out of the way as its muscular arm slammed into the ground where they had been standing. Merrin called forth the flame and lashed out at the creature, tearing open a giant gash along its arm. Wounding the beast but failing to sever its claw only made it angrier and she had to dodge another quick swing from the other arm.
Nydak are faster than they look. Their arms, normally folded up near their chests, are able to stretch out more than twice the length of their bodies in quick, ferocious attacks. Young Nightsisters avoided any confrontation with a Nydak till training was complete, so a struggle with one now was nearly an impossible task.
While the Nydak was focused on Merrin, Ilyana invoked the defensive cloud she had used against the spiders. She hoped to shove the beast away from them enough that they could run to the village that was only one turn farther down the ravine. But before she could release the spell, the Nydak swung around on her and hit her with the back of its clenched fist. She was thrown into the wall; the impact knocked the breath out of her and she fell to her knees. The moment it took to recover was a moment too long. The beast immediately brought its other arm down onto her and tore open a wide gash across her back.
Merrin struck the Nydak with another burst of green fire just in time to stop it from landing a third and final blow. At that moment, several other Nightsister from the village rounded the corner. The commotion and roars of the Nydak had echoed into the village cave, alerting them of the threat, and they responded in order to stop it from entering their home. The onslaught of the combined Magick of the sisters slammed into the Nydak and sent it tumbling away from the two young Nightsisters.
"Ilyana!" Merrin cried as they drove the beast back into the wilds of Dathomir. She rushed to Ilyana's side, ripped off her cloak and pressed the crimson fabric against the gushing wound to stop the bleeding. Ilyana did not respond.