Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Gods ❯ No Room for Disgrace ( Chapter 3 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Faia Saiyajin 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Supernatural / Sci-fi / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.09.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 195 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Supernatural / Sci-fi / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.09.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 195 | Status: Completed
Chapter 3: No Room for Disgrace
Kayley faced off against the wolf, her body posture that of a cornered beast. Her long legs splayed, claws extenended, tail lashing behind her, she bared her fangs, her head close to the ground. Hissing and growling, her dorsal mane was standing on end, accentuating the mowhawkish way the fur ran from the top of her head to mid-back. A sharp, stinging pain accentuated the fat runnels of blood that dripped from the gash on her underbelly. It made breathing painful, but it was nothing Kayley was concerned with. Able to heal from any injury save for those inflicted by silver, magic, or other Lycans, the wounds this flea-bitten cur inflicted on her would be nothing more than a small scar and an old memory.
Her opponent was slinking forward like a wolf on a trapped deer, his eyes flashing dangerously, his teeth showing as thick globs of saliva and foam oozed from his jaws. His body was rigid, his tail sticking straight out behind him. Black fur that stuck out on all angles, long and unruly, made the wolf appear even larger, a looming shadow that crept ever closer.
"One more step and I carve you into ribbons, mongrel." Kayley snarled. For effect she dug her front claws into the sand, deep pits appearing around them before the sand filled in. Striped fur rippled over the muscles of her shoulders.
To her surprise, the wolf responded. "...getting scared, tigress?" He laughed, almost cruelly, his ears flicking to and fro. Thus far, Kayley hadn't known that he could speak, and apparently, the shock was clear on her face. "What... you think there aren't normal beasts who have the gift of speech?" His tone became mocking on the word 'normal', as if he knew very well that Kayley was more than just a large tiger.
"Pardon me for thinking that speech was above the limits of your beastly brain." she shot right back, with a wry smile that could easily be contrived as a light snarl. With the faintest twitch of muscle, she darted forward, batting at his muzzle with one of her heavy paws. He was tense, stiff as stone. Kayley was loose, and therefore, quicker. Feeling her claws bite deep, she felt the satisfaction well up in her as she heard the crack of bone, and the howl of pain from the wolf. Backing up, kicking about sand liberally, she waited while the wolf finished with his agony. He was shaking his head back and forth rapidly, bouncing on his front paws. She'd cracked a nasal cavity with that blow, blood now running from his left nostril. It was a fine pairing with the four ragged gashes that were carved across his muzzle. "Let's see how eloquent you are with your words now, cur!" Not giving him time to react, she was on him again, rending with tooth and nail.
Swords met with a clash, sending up a shower of sparks that died on the sand. Riki and the Orc glared at one another, their blades trembling as they vibrated against one another. For its sheer size, the harpoon-blade of Tare'nag was held off by Riki's katana. The chain attatched to his sword was wrapped around his sword arm, the huge steel sphere danging below his elbow.
"Yer brave... fer one so... furry." Tare'nag jeered, revealing the two canines on his bottom jaw. "But do ye really think that ye can defeat the Orc that was victoriou' at Rinon-sûl?"
"I care not for the victories you claimed in your world. I am no Dwarf, Elf, or Man, nor any beast that you are familiar with!" Riki growled back, his fang-teeth as menacing as Tare'nag's. "I am a yamabushi!" His declaration of his religious sect and warrior background was in a tone so firm it could have cracked stone.
Tare'nag was less impressed. "A yamabu..." He struggled to get the last bit of the unfamiliar word out. "Yambush'? Yammy...booshy?"
This only made Riki snarl at the Orc's impertinence. "In simpler terms, fool, a Warrior Monk."
"A Monk?" This did sink into Tare'nag's head, and his already pale green color lightened. "A holy man?"
"In no uncertain terms, yes." Wrenching his muscled arms, Riki drew the blade of his sword down, freeing it. Stepping back, his broad, tabi-covered feet preventing him from sinking, he assumed a fighting stance, his sword held parallel to the ground, over his head, the cutting edge skyward.
Tare'nag had not moved, his sword-point dropping into the sand. "Ye're a holy man. I cannot fight ye."
Behind Riki, those who had not moved to battle were stunned. Blitz raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least he's got ethics." Zet laughed lightly. She stepped forward, throwing her long blue hair over her shoulder so that it hung straight down her back. Walking past Riki, who was, at the moment, rather stunned, she surveyed Tare'nag carefully.
"Then if you cannot fight my companion, Sir Orc, perhaps you wouldn't have a problem with me?" Her hands were put on her hips, and she was perfectly arrogant, staring at the giant that towered over her. His eyes narrowed in response, falling on the slender pointed ears that framed her face.
"A Dark Elf, ne?" Tare'nag chuckled. Putting the point of his harpoon between his feet, with his meaty hands on the hilts, he tried poorly to hide his disdain. "Yer kind I have faced before. And tha's the reason why all Dark Elves were sold to slaver' in the Great War. Yer no match fer me, little thing."
"Perhaps, but I am a War Mage. Where I am from, they call me the Zenith Empress." Still the Elf made no move to prepare herself for battle. "Besides... how do you know you can win, if you don't try me?"
Tare'nag laughed again, lowering his head a moment, looking like he was about to do something he knew would be a total waste of his time. "Ye have a point, lass." Hefting his weapon, the mace uncoiled from around his arm, landing with a heavy thud on the sand. "I'll be a gentlema', and let ye take the first blow." With his free hand, he gestured to Zet in a beckoning motion.
Zetavius smiled, her silvery eyes glittering strangely. "Very well." Quicksilver in her movements, Zetavius shot forward on the tips of her toes, suddenly held aloft, having used the spell she'd charged when the ship was attacked. Her right arm was drawn back, and as she punched at him, her fingers flew open, a long black sword shooting from her palm. Tare'nag sidestepped the lunge, leaving his sword in the sand, as he grabbed the Elf's wrist in his iron grip. Rotating his body so that he stood with his back to Riki and the others, he held the Elf facing away from him, still holding her wrist tightly.
"Tch. Since when did Elves use swords?" He frowned in distasted down at the small woman who turned her face up to look at him.
She smiled again, and Blitz saw that shimmering pink aura form around her. It was quick, a small burst of magical energy.
The aura sparked, as she finished the spell. "Angel Witch!!" From her back, shot a pair of metallic-silver wings. They weren't for flight purposes, but for defense, as these were merely overlapping metal bars, lined with spikes and barbs.
Tare'nag swore in his own gutteral tongue, tossing the woman away, his chest gouged deeply by the wings. "No' we see yer true self, eh girly?" Touching his fingers to the cuts, he looked at the dark red blood that marred his thick fingers. "Yer a tricksy one. Perhaps this will be an interesti' fight." Wings receeding, Zet whirled, lashing out with her sword. She prepared to lunge, when a loud, painful howl echoed over the sand. Tare’nag’s head shot up, looking in the direction it had come from. A horrified look crossed his face, his jaw dropping open a bit. “Wraqul?!” He called out in a strange tongue in response to his Warg’s pained cry, forgoing his battle with Zetavius to aid the injured beast.
They let him go, as he gathered up his harpoon-blade, moving over the sand as quick as he could. His people were more suited for forests, caves, or mountains, not this blasted soft, shifty rubble! Still, his strong legs and flat feet saved him from falling on his face, as he struggled to reach Wraqul. He found the wolf, collapsed on his belly, but still growling threateningly at his opponent. Kayley had backed off, having accomplished her task, circling the wolf, her tail lashing. She paused in her circling, her eyes training menacingly on the Orc.
A string of words flew from Tare’nag’s mouth, in his own language. Wraqul responded with a whine, sneezing a spray of blood from his splintered nasal cavity.
“I’m sure he’s making this out to be all my fault.” Kayley remarked snidely. “But just to let you know, he got in the first hit." Her muzzle contorted into a wide snarl, as the Orc looked for the quickest way around Wraqul, to the Were-Tigress.
His muscles tensing, Tare'nag began to swing the mace, the sphere beginning to howl as it rotated over his head, faster and faster until Kayley swore that it would make him airborn. She couldn't help but grin. "The wind-up..." The claw-tipped digits on her front paws wiggled, as she waited for him to release it. He did, sending the mace at her with enough force to punch a hole in steel. "And the pitch!!" Leaping to meet him, and twisting at the same time, she didn't even wince as the ball flew past her head. An inch to the left, and it would have crushed her skull in. Her jaws closed down, a toothy vice, on the chain that connected the sword to the mace. Head jerking slightly as the mace dangled 10 inches below her bottom jaw, she peeled her lips away from her teeth, her tongue drew away from the tangy taste of iron trapped between her jaws. Tare'nag wrenched on his end, trying to pull it free, but Kayley didn't budge. Bracing her paws as best she could, she pulled back, like a dog with a chew toy, her head shaking back and forth. They circled 'round and 'round, Wraqul between them, neither Orc nor Were-Tiger giving any leeway.
As if her timing couldn't be any better, Kayley nearly sighed as the Warg had gathered enough strength to get to his feet, even if he did have to limp to her, preparing to lunge. If she let go of the mace, Tare'nag would crack her skull, and if she didn't, Wraqul would tear her to shreds. Not closing her lips, or easing up with the pressure on her teeth, Kayley spoke as best she could.
"Uh riddle herp uld be nishe!" Swallowing was out of the question, as Kayley already hated the taste of the metal, so, much to her disgust, long strings of saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth. "'EYY!!"
*Kayley!!* A voice exploded in her head, nearly making her drop the end in surprise. Tannik was the last person she expected to hear from. *Be wary! I'm going to attack.*
*With what?!*
*Hinari.*
*Ohh.... crap.* Kayley's head jerked as Tare'nag pulled extra viciously. *You singe my fur and your skinny little ass is mine.*
*I won't. Don't move.*
*Me moving is the least of your problems. Make sure you hit the wolf and the green boy. You've only got one shot with this, right?* Kayley went still now, trying to keep a firm foothold, so that Tannik wouldn't have a moving target. ...it also nicely decreased the risk of Tannik's Guardian Soul hitting her and making things very nasty.
*If Hinari doesn't work, Faren is preparing to use Ooxoru.*
In her head, Kayley sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. *This is just not my day.* The sibling Seats of the Kulaine were each blessed with a 'Kinaku Chiinajukama', or Guardian Soul, that was born of their inner will and thought patterns, matching their personalities. They were dieties of the Kulaine pantheon, that blessed the siblings with their powers and protection, making them immune to evil magic. Tannik's was Hinari, the Fiery Bird of Divine Grace, and Faren's was Ooxoru, the Protector of the Innocent and Defender of the Celestial Paradise. Each Guardian Soul could only be summoned once in a dire situation, as pulling the Soul from its charge was exhausting, and left the Kulaini who used it open to attack.
Suddenly, Kayley felt every hair on her body stand on end, as if she was cursed with a very nasty case of static electricity. Sweating bullets, her neon eyes shifted from the rise of sand that hid her from Tannik's sight, to Tare'nag and Wraqul. One was preparing to rip her teeth out if necessary, and Wraqul was planning to just rip her apart. *Please don't miss... please don't miss... please don't miss...* It wasn't directed at Tannik specifically, it was more or less her own self-assurance. Just as Wraqul was getting ready to lunge, a loud, lilting voice carried over the sand.
'Divine Flame!!'
Kayley's eyes tried to squeeze shut, but she'd only seen Tannik's Guardian Soul once, and it was still an awesome sight, even if she ran the risk of getting burned to a crisp. Like a dozen suns were rising at once, the sky above the hillock turned a brilliant red, the light coalescing, shooting up into the sky, higher and higher until it was a pinpoint of light connecting the stratosphere with the soil. A loud scream, sounding like a hawk or eagle, filled the air, as Hinari came into view, descending down through the heavenly bridge that Tannik had created. He was a red and orange mass of feathers and fire, his long streaming tail curling out, pulling apart the bridge he traveled on, until he was free of the crimson tunnel. Just before he hit the sand, he veered north, over the hill that separated Tannik and Kayley. With another keening cry, his wings swept forward, the feathers on the back edge of his wing starting to glow, until they were nearly white with intense heat.
Kayley felt the chain in her jaws go slack, as Tare'nag lost interest in the Were-Tiger on the other end of his weapon. Wraqul also became stupefied as the bird flamed towards them. Kayley didn't hesitate to spit out the chain, and turn tail. The moment her feet touched the rise of the hill, Hinari exploded in brilliant flame, consuming the strangled howls from Tare'nag and Wraqul.
"Exit, stage left even!!" Running frantically the opposite way Hinari was coming, Kayley didn't stop until she nearly slid headfirst into Blitz, who put a hand on her forehead to stop her. "Did you see that?!?" Panting, Kayley looked up at Blitz, who, like everyone else, was waiting to see if the kamikaze attack worked. Tannik was visibly shaken, paler than normal, Faren supporting her.
"Is Hinari...?" Zetavius touched Tannik's arm, concerned for her mistress.
'He is all right. Hinari has returned to me.' The bird's sudden explosion had everyone wondering whether or not he had survived it. 'My concern is whether or not the enemy was overtaken as well.'
"Only one way to find out." Marching purposefully over the hill Blitz went, cracking her knuckles. It was the only noise in the area, and loud to boot. She stood on the hill, surrounded by shimmering waves of heat, flanked by the spires of the Kulaini kingom. "Damn..."
"What is it, Blitz?" Shifting his weight on his feet, Riki tried to keep his hands from going to his katana.
"They were..." Looking over her shoulder at those behind her, even as the siblings and Zet started towards her, Blitz grinned ruefully. "Poofed."
"Poofed?" Guppy, using Kayley for assistance, scaled the hill. "Is that a technical term?" Ibix chirped. Once they were all standing beside the Goddess, they saw what she had meant by 'poofed'. There was nothing there, as if Hinari had wiped out all traces of the Orc and his Warg. There weren't even any footprints in the sand, save for the large paw-marks left by Kayley's flight. "Hinari... incinerated them. It's like he completely burned out any trace of their existence."
Tannik, finally strong enough to stand, pushed some of her pale orange hair from her face. "No... Hinari tells me that they vanished, before he could attack."
"Then where did they go?" Darwin mused, narrowing his dark green eyes. That was when a lilting voice came from no where, laughing lightly.
'Silly little fools... did you think I'd allow my sister's oversized canary win that easily?'
Faren's sword was out in a flash, as he and the others searched for the origin of the voice, examining the wide desert around them. "Tobyn!! What is the meaning of all this?!"
'Exactly what it means, brother. I can't have you trying to sway the Council's decision, now can I? Especially when I'm so close to destroying our people's history? Imagine that... Tobyn Kal'Nittak... the Kulaine who single-handedly brought down an empire, and banished his own bloodline into eternal damnation! My name will be on the tongues of future generations for all eternity!'
Faren's jaw dropped, shock and disgust written on his face. "Is that why you've slandered our mother's name?! So that you will be remembered?!"
'It's madness, brother! Madness!' Tannik, who hadn't recovered her strength just yet, managed a weak outcry, tottering forward on unstable legs. 'Why do you want to destroy our history?'
Another laugh in Tobyn's haughty tone. 'You'll find out soon enough, Tannik. Now why don't you and your little friends come into the city? I'm sure the Council of 15 will be most pleased to see you all. ...and Tare'nag and Wraqul will also want some revenge.'
"TOBYN!!!" Faren bellowed, but only the winds responded. Sheathing his sword, Faren balled his hands into tightly shaking fists at his sides. "Come." The Prince of the Kulaine, soon to be High Seat Faren Sil'Nittak, The Ward and Fist of the Divine, the Rising Sun of Uren-lo, led his friends over the blistering sands of his desert-dwelling people, with a look in his pupilless eyes that could turn a person to stone. In his heart, though, he was at war. As much as he didn't want to, and however long it haunted him, Faren would kill his brother.
Kayley faced off against the wolf, her body posture that of a cornered beast. Her long legs splayed, claws extenended, tail lashing behind her, she bared her fangs, her head close to the ground. Hissing and growling, her dorsal mane was standing on end, accentuating the mowhawkish way the fur ran from the top of her head to mid-back. A sharp, stinging pain accentuated the fat runnels of blood that dripped from the gash on her underbelly. It made breathing painful, but it was nothing Kayley was concerned with. Able to heal from any injury save for those inflicted by silver, magic, or other Lycans, the wounds this flea-bitten cur inflicted on her would be nothing more than a small scar and an old memory.
Her opponent was slinking forward like a wolf on a trapped deer, his eyes flashing dangerously, his teeth showing as thick globs of saliva and foam oozed from his jaws. His body was rigid, his tail sticking straight out behind him. Black fur that stuck out on all angles, long and unruly, made the wolf appear even larger, a looming shadow that crept ever closer.
"One more step and I carve you into ribbons, mongrel." Kayley snarled. For effect she dug her front claws into the sand, deep pits appearing around them before the sand filled in. Striped fur rippled over the muscles of her shoulders.
To her surprise, the wolf responded. "...getting scared, tigress?" He laughed, almost cruelly, his ears flicking to and fro. Thus far, Kayley hadn't known that he could speak, and apparently, the shock was clear on her face. "What... you think there aren't normal beasts who have the gift of speech?" His tone became mocking on the word 'normal', as if he knew very well that Kayley was more than just a large tiger.
"Pardon me for thinking that speech was above the limits of your beastly brain." she shot right back, with a wry smile that could easily be contrived as a light snarl. With the faintest twitch of muscle, she darted forward, batting at his muzzle with one of her heavy paws. He was tense, stiff as stone. Kayley was loose, and therefore, quicker. Feeling her claws bite deep, she felt the satisfaction well up in her as she heard the crack of bone, and the howl of pain from the wolf. Backing up, kicking about sand liberally, she waited while the wolf finished with his agony. He was shaking his head back and forth rapidly, bouncing on his front paws. She'd cracked a nasal cavity with that blow, blood now running from his left nostril. It was a fine pairing with the four ragged gashes that were carved across his muzzle. "Let's see how eloquent you are with your words now, cur!" Not giving him time to react, she was on him again, rending with tooth and nail.
Swords met with a clash, sending up a shower of sparks that died on the sand. Riki and the Orc glared at one another, their blades trembling as they vibrated against one another. For its sheer size, the harpoon-blade of Tare'nag was held off by Riki's katana. The chain attatched to his sword was wrapped around his sword arm, the huge steel sphere danging below his elbow.
"Yer brave... fer one so... furry." Tare'nag jeered, revealing the two canines on his bottom jaw. "But do ye really think that ye can defeat the Orc that was victoriou' at Rinon-sûl?"
"I care not for the victories you claimed in your world. I am no Dwarf, Elf, or Man, nor any beast that you are familiar with!" Riki growled back, his fang-teeth as menacing as Tare'nag's. "I am a yamabushi!" His declaration of his religious sect and warrior background was in a tone so firm it could have cracked stone.
Tare'nag was less impressed. "A yamabu..." He struggled to get the last bit of the unfamiliar word out. "Yambush'? Yammy...booshy?"
This only made Riki snarl at the Orc's impertinence. "In simpler terms, fool, a Warrior Monk."
"A Monk?" This did sink into Tare'nag's head, and his already pale green color lightened. "A holy man?"
"In no uncertain terms, yes." Wrenching his muscled arms, Riki drew the blade of his sword down, freeing it. Stepping back, his broad, tabi-covered feet preventing him from sinking, he assumed a fighting stance, his sword held parallel to the ground, over his head, the cutting edge skyward.
Tare'nag had not moved, his sword-point dropping into the sand. "Ye're a holy man. I cannot fight ye."
Behind Riki, those who had not moved to battle were stunned. Blitz raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least he's got ethics." Zet laughed lightly. She stepped forward, throwing her long blue hair over her shoulder so that it hung straight down her back. Walking past Riki, who was, at the moment, rather stunned, she surveyed Tare'nag carefully.
"Then if you cannot fight my companion, Sir Orc, perhaps you wouldn't have a problem with me?" Her hands were put on her hips, and she was perfectly arrogant, staring at the giant that towered over her. His eyes narrowed in response, falling on the slender pointed ears that framed her face.
"A Dark Elf, ne?" Tare'nag chuckled. Putting the point of his harpoon between his feet, with his meaty hands on the hilts, he tried poorly to hide his disdain. "Yer kind I have faced before. And tha's the reason why all Dark Elves were sold to slaver' in the Great War. Yer no match fer me, little thing."
"Perhaps, but I am a War Mage. Where I am from, they call me the Zenith Empress." Still the Elf made no move to prepare herself for battle. "Besides... how do you know you can win, if you don't try me?"
Tare'nag laughed again, lowering his head a moment, looking like he was about to do something he knew would be a total waste of his time. "Ye have a point, lass." Hefting his weapon, the mace uncoiled from around his arm, landing with a heavy thud on the sand. "I'll be a gentlema', and let ye take the first blow." With his free hand, he gestured to Zet in a beckoning motion.
Zetavius smiled, her silvery eyes glittering strangely. "Very well." Quicksilver in her movements, Zetavius shot forward on the tips of her toes, suddenly held aloft, having used the spell she'd charged when the ship was attacked. Her right arm was drawn back, and as she punched at him, her fingers flew open, a long black sword shooting from her palm. Tare'nag sidestepped the lunge, leaving his sword in the sand, as he grabbed the Elf's wrist in his iron grip. Rotating his body so that he stood with his back to Riki and the others, he held the Elf facing away from him, still holding her wrist tightly.
"Tch. Since when did Elves use swords?" He frowned in distasted down at the small woman who turned her face up to look at him.
She smiled again, and Blitz saw that shimmering pink aura form around her. It was quick, a small burst of magical energy.
The aura sparked, as she finished the spell. "Angel Witch!!" From her back, shot a pair of metallic-silver wings. They weren't for flight purposes, but for defense, as these were merely overlapping metal bars, lined with spikes and barbs.
Tare'nag swore in his own gutteral tongue, tossing the woman away, his chest gouged deeply by the wings. "No' we see yer true self, eh girly?" Touching his fingers to the cuts, he looked at the dark red blood that marred his thick fingers. "Yer a tricksy one. Perhaps this will be an interesti' fight." Wings receeding, Zet whirled, lashing out with her sword. She prepared to lunge, when a loud, painful howl echoed over the sand. Tare’nag’s head shot up, looking in the direction it had come from. A horrified look crossed his face, his jaw dropping open a bit. “Wraqul?!” He called out in a strange tongue in response to his Warg’s pained cry, forgoing his battle with Zetavius to aid the injured beast.
They let him go, as he gathered up his harpoon-blade, moving over the sand as quick as he could. His people were more suited for forests, caves, or mountains, not this blasted soft, shifty rubble! Still, his strong legs and flat feet saved him from falling on his face, as he struggled to reach Wraqul. He found the wolf, collapsed on his belly, but still growling threateningly at his opponent. Kayley had backed off, having accomplished her task, circling the wolf, her tail lashing. She paused in her circling, her eyes training menacingly on the Orc.
A string of words flew from Tare’nag’s mouth, in his own language. Wraqul responded with a whine, sneezing a spray of blood from his splintered nasal cavity.
“I’m sure he’s making this out to be all my fault.” Kayley remarked snidely. “But just to let you know, he got in the first hit." Her muzzle contorted into a wide snarl, as the Orc looked for the quickest way around Wraqul, to the Were-Tigress.
His muscles tensing, Tare'nag began to swing the mace, the sphere beginning to howl as it rotated over his head, faster and faster until Kayley swore that it would make him airborn. She couldn't help but grin. "The wind-up..." The claw-tipped digits on her front paws wiggled, as she waited for him to release it. He did, sending the mace at her with enough force to punch a hole in steel. "And the pitch!!" Leaping to meet him, and twisting at the same time, she didn't even wince as the ball flew past her head. An inch to the left, and it would have crushed her skull in. Her jaws closed down, a toothy vice, on the chain that connected the sword to the mace. Head jerking slightly as the mace dangled 10 inches below her bottom jaw, she peeled her lips away from her teeth, her tongue drew away from the tangy taste of iron trapped between her jaws. Tare'nag wrenched on his end, trying to pull it free, but Kayley didn't budge. Bracing her paws as best she could, she pulled back, like a dog with a chew toy, her head shaking back and forth. They circled 'round and 'round, Wraqul between them, neither Orc nor Were-Tiger giving any leeway.
As if her timing couldn't be any better, Kayley nearly sighed as the Warg had gathered enough strength to get to his feet, even if he did have to limp to her, preparing to lunge. If she let go of the mace, Tare'nag would crack her skull, and if she didn't, Wraqul would tear her to shreds. Not closing her lips, or easing up with the pressure on her teeth, Kayley spoke as best she could.
"Uh riddle herp uld be nishe!" Swallowing was out of the question, as Kayley already hated the taste of the metal, so, much to her disgust, long strings of saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth. "'EYY!!"
*Kayley!!* A voice exploded in her head, nearly making her drop the end in surprise. Tannik was the last person she expected to hear from. *Be wary! I'm going to attack.*
*With what?!*
*Hinari.*
*Ohh.... crap.* Kayley's head jerked as Tare'nag pulled extra viciously. *You singe my fur and your skinny little ass is mine.*
*I won't. Don't move.*
*Me moving is the least of your problems. Make sure you hit the wolf and the green boy. You've only got one shot with this, right?* Kayley went still now, trying to keep a firm foothold, so that Tannik wouldn't have a moving target. ...it also nicely decreased the risk of Tannik's Guardian Soul hitting her and making things very nasty.
*If Hinari doesn't work, Faren is preparing to use Ooxoru.*
In her head, Kayley sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. *This is just not my day.* The sibling Seats of the Kulaine were each blessed with a 'Kinaku Chiinajukama', or Guardian Soul, that was born of their inner will and thought patterns, matching their personalities. They were dieties of the Kulaine pantheon, that blessed the siblings with their powers and protection, making them immune to evil magic. Tannik's was Hinari, the Fiery Bird of Divine Grace, and Faren's was Ooxoru, the Protector of the Innocent and Defender of the Celestial Paradise. Each Guardian Soul could only be summoned once in a dire situation, as pulling the Soul from its charge was exhausting, and left the Kulaini who used it open to attack.
Suddenly, Kayley felt every hair on her body stand on end, as if she was cursed with a very nasty case of static electricity. Sweating bullets, her neon eyes shifted from the rise of sand that hid her from Tannik's sight, to Tare'nag and Wraqul. One was preparing to rip her teeth out if necessary, and Wraqul was planning to just rip her apart. *Please don't miss... please don't miss... please don't miss...* It wasn't directed at Tannik specifically, it was more or less her own self-assurance. Just as Wraqul was getting ready to lunge, a loud, lilting voice carried over the sand.
'Divine Flame!!'
Kayley's eyes tried to squeeze shut, but she'd only seen Tannik's Guardian Soul once, and it was still an awesome sight, even if she ran the risk of getting burned to a crisp. Like a dozen suns were rising at once, the sky above the hillock turned a brilliant red, the light coalescing, shooting up into the sky, higher and higher until it was a pinpoint of light connecting the stratosphere with the soil. A loud scream, sounding like a hawk or eagle, filled the air, as Hinari came into view, descending down through the heavenly bridge that Tannik had created. He was a red and orange mass of feathers and fire, his long streaming tail curling out, pulling apart the bridge he traveled on, until he was free of the crimson tunnel. Just before he hit the sand, he veered north, over the hill that separated Tannik and Kayley. With another keening cry, his wings swept forward, the feathers on the back edge of his wing starting to glow, until they were nearly white with intense heat.
Kayley felt the chain in her jaws go slack, as Tare'nag lost interest in the Were-Tiger on the other end of his weapon. Wraqul also became stupefied as the bird flamed towards them. Kayley didn't hesitate to spit out the chain, and turn tail. The moment her feet touched the rise of the hill, Hinari exploded in brilliant flame, consuming the strangled howls from Tare'nag and Wraqul.
"Exit, stage left even!!" Running frantically the opposite way Hinari was coming, Kayley didn't stop until she nearly slid headfirst into Blitz, who put a hand on her forehead to stop her. "Did you see that?!?" Panting, Kayley looked up at Blitz, who, like everyone else, was waiting to see if the kamikaze attack worked. Tannik was visibly shaken, paler than normal, Faren supporting her.
"Is Hinari...?" Zetavius touched Tannik's arm, concerned for her mistress.
'He is all right. Hinari has returned to me.' The bird's sudden explosion had everyone wondering whether or not he had survived it. 'My concern is whether or not the enemy was overtaken as well.'
"Only one way to find out." Marching purposefully over the hill Blitz went, cracking her knuckles. It was the only noise in the area, and loud to boot. She stood on the hill, surrounded by shimmering waves of heat, flanked by the spires of the Kulaini kingom. "Damn..."
"What is it, Blitz?" Shifting his weight on his feet, Riki tried to keep his hands from going to his katana.
"They were..." Looking over her shoulder at those behind her, even as the siblings and Zet started towards her, Blitz grinned ruefully. "Poofed."
"Poofed?" Guppy, using Kayley for assistance, scaled the hill. "Is that a technical term?" Ibix chirped. Once they were all standing beside the Goddess, they saw what she had meant by 'poofed'. There was nothing there, as if Hinari had wiped out all traces of the Orc and his Warg. There weren't even any footprints in the sand, save for the large paw-marks left by Kayley's flight. "Hinari... incinerated them. It's like he completely burned out any trace of their existence."
Tannik, finally strong enough to stand, pushed some of her pale orange hair from her face. "No... Hinari tells me that they vanished, before he could attack."
"Then where did they go?" Darwin mused, narrowing his dark green eyes. That was when a lilting voice came from no where, laughing lightly.
'Silly little fools... did you think I'd allow my sister's oversized canary win that easily?'
Faren's sword was out in a flash, as he and the others searched for the origin of the voice, examining the wide desert around them. "Tobyn!! What is the meaning of all this?!"
'Exactly what it means, brother. I can't have you trying to sway the Council's decision, now can I? Especially when I'm so close to destroying our people's history? Imagine that... Tobyn Kal'Nittak... the Kulaine who single-handedly brought down an empire, and banished his own bloodline into eternal damnation! My name will be on the tongues of future generations for all eternity!'
Faren's jaw dropped, shock and disgust written on his face. "Is that why you've slandered our mother's name?! So that you will be remembered?!"
'It's madness, brother! Madness!' Tannik, who hadn't recovered her strength just yet, managed a weak outcry, tottering forward on unstable legs. 'Why do you want to destroy our history?'
Another laugh in Tobyn's haughty tone. 'You'll find out soon enough, Tannik. Now why don't you and your little friends come into the city? I'm sure the Council of 15 will be most pleased to see you all. ...and Tare'nag and Wraqul will also want some revenge.'
"TOBYN!!!" Faren bellowed, but only the winds responded. Sheathing his sword, Faren balled his hands into tightly shaking fists at his sides. "Come." The Prince of the Kulaine, soon to be High Seat Faren Sil'Nittak, The Ward and Fist of the Divine, the Rising Sun of Uren-lo, led his friends over the blistering sands of his desert-dwelling people, with a look in his pupilless eyes that could turn a person to stone. In his heart, though, he was at war. As much as he didn't want to, and however long it haunted him, Faren would kill his brother.