9 Daughter Of Rock And Fire (1/2)
They cut through the ruins of R'qsar. Tristan at the head, Ava and her midnight beast after him.
The ruins looked just about as he remembered them, except for baring a few new rubbles on the ground from the previous night's scuffle. The same broken houses and walls, dead plants and an utter stillness that tainted all. The fog too had almost completely retreated with the now rising Sun, only a few swirling wisps in the shadows that were always too stubborn and lingered for just a little longer.
Tristan turned to glance back. Ava's eyes were unreadable as she looked about the ruins around her. His eyes met the beast's and he quickly swung away, suddenly very conscious of his thoughts. He had heard of magical creatures that could read impure intentions from minds. Was this one of those? The creature did indeed look magical, and his thoughts he wasn't very certain were pure.
”Um...” He started and Ava turned to look at him.
”I am listening.” She said.
”What …is ...he? I have never seen an animal like that before.” He asked pointing toward the black beast walking beside her. The beast lazily turned its head toward him, and he was quite certain it understood. There were strange tales of creatures from some forest coming to town bearing treasures of the deep woods for trade. A peddler once had come bearing such treasures, or so he had said. They were expensive and no one had believed him. The poor man was so angry; tall and lean that he was, he almost picked a fight with Kolte, as he tried to sell an especially bright stone to Laanimere. Tristan had heard that it was quite a spectacle but like always, he was busy with Nowsen. Oh right! his father had beat him that night, for missing hunting lessons from him.
”SHE.” Ava replied sounding somewhat offended and breaking him out of his thoughts. ”Her 'Name' is Majteer, a Winid from the northern lands, a child of rock and fire.” The beast snorted out a thick stream of hot breath as if to confirm Ava's answer.
Tristan wondered what kind of land it would have been that shaped a creatures such as this... Majteer.
Ava's reply didn't answer the questions in his mind but Tristan nodded regardless as if it did. He took one more glance at Majteer who had taken a whiff of a dead weed on the ground and then proceeded to kick it with one of its front hooves. There was a sharp dent where the kick had landed with faintly smoking ash inside.
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”So this was...” Ava asked suddenly in a soft voice, ”All done in one night?”
Tristan turned without pausing and saw Ava consider the destruction behind her. He leaned slightly to follow her gaze and saw only the familiar sight of his ravaged village.
”Yes.” He paused, thinking. ”Well most of it was done on the first night. But those…” He pointed toward where the newer destruction was ”were done last night.”
Ava nodded absentmindedly and turned to him. Her face, he still didn't know what it was thinking.
”Did you see it happen?” She asked, leveling her eyes at him.
”No, not the first time it had struck. But after... from far in my watches, I saw It was dark and big. It laughed and called in the voices of whoever it had consumed.” Tristan tried but failed to feel strongly about it. He was away and hadn't see anything firsthand. Only knew what he was able to gather from others. He did hear his sister's call but also knew it wasn't her. There was magic in that voice, so similar to the one he had used with his master. So he didn't pursue it like many others did for Their own family members, Or like his father did. He felt weird, strange about himself, his lack of care about it all. He was afraid, yes, but didn't feel strongly about anyone. Even losing his own family stung him just a scratch. Seeing others, even the grown men crying their eyes out, he just couldn't imagine himself doing it. He hadn't told his master of that, he was afraid what reaction he might get. Or to find out what was wrong with him.