Khayana

Trudging through the woods aimlessly Khayana is careful; avoiding the opportunistic monsters and aware at all times lest the living plants take a chance and eat him like that did Mbaxa some years ago. Khayana is avoiding returning to the pride because he is short on his periodical contribution and may get eaten by the pride mothers or cast out by the pride leo from the territory, which is another death sentence all on its own.

A snake vine crawls silently along the grass camouflaged from weary detection but, feeling it, Khayana is startled from his musing and again walks through the woods for to stop too long is to make oneself a target even here in the lands claimed by the Bantu Pride. He sees an amarok prowling some dozen kilometres away and stops in his tracks like a deer under an illusion spell, heart pounding, ears falling flat along the tuft of soft hair on his face. He is ready for either fight or flight as the large wolfen creature roams deep in the Nguni lands with impunity only the crazy and the powerful can afford to have in this part of Valeré.

It gazes at him lazily; the indifference with which it assesses him stabbing fear like a cold spike into his heart and urine in his bladder. He hasn’t even been accepted by a mate yet, his mind protests even as the amarok’s translucent silver aura reaches out and catches him as though in the web of a kumonga arachnid before hes taken more than a single step back. The fear in his heart is unquestionable, his death gazes at him lazily, impersonally but sure as the three suns shine down upon him the creature will eat him, and he won't even be an apetizer to hunger he sees in there.

Instinctively he flares his own aura, struggling against the web the creature has cast that has him firmly it it’s grasp he can hardly move. His claws protrude, elongating into hard sharp points 5 centimetres from the tips of his fingers, his canines throb with power ready to rend and tear anything unfortunate enough to get close to his slightly protruding snout, urine flows freely down his leg. All these are physical reactions he has no control over, every muscle he usually has control over is almost completely locked within the gentle aura of the amarok leisurely fazing in and out of his vision as it walks towards him.

It covers the distance quickly yet there is no rush in it's movements. If he could he would run, if he could he would fight, if he could have he would have died with some dignity. If he could he would do anything rather than die here alone with no one to mourn him or remember his existence.

The amarok is upon him in mere moments. While on all fours it stands head and shoulders above him, it gazes at him with yellow eyes curiously. It’s fur dark and glossy shimmering with the wind blowing against it, they are not known to be merciful creatures but with nothing else to do Khayana decides to grovel.

I will serve you for the rest of my life if you spare me! He communicates but finds no reaction or response from the creature looking down at him standing at least 4m at the shoulder. He suddenly finds himself floating towards the creature as it opens it dark maw ready to swallow him whole, nothing he does even remotely releases him from its grasp.

Suddenly hot air blasts them both coming from the north, he lands heavily on the ground falling on all fours and is up and running with everything he has. Pumping his legs he doesn’t look back, doesn’t look sideways, hardly looking ahead as he gives in to Animal Instinct both to boost himself as much as is physically possible and also using it to find his way unimpeded through the foliage of the woods.

There is a sucking and ripping sound that shakes the ground raising the furs on his arms and neck. Something unnatural is happening behind him pushing him to pump his legs even harder. Some of the trees uproot themselves and run away from whatever it is that’s happening behind him. Birds call out as they flee through the skies, foxes, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, deer, algae, agar, raxes and everything else with instincts runs away from whatever it is that is happening. Khayana looks over his shoulder at whatever it is that has just saved his life and stops in his tracks to gawk like a dumb bear at the mercury disk floating in the air far up what used to be the hill in the distance. The thing shines like a 4th sun though it actually gives no light.

The sight that has him gawking like a dumb animal is the spectacle of the amarok transforming into a humanoid form before jumping into the strange sphere with a splash as though falling into a pond of water. Immediately the ether and other strange energies that were fluctuating about the place settle down and all that’s left is the sphere of ‘liquid’ silver stretching over 5m in diameter floating on the hill like some sort of mirror that gives no reflection. The sounds of the furious escape settle and a hush falls over the entire forest.

Khayana looks around, his instincts having completely settle down, the energies completely still as though nothing at all had just happened. He is far from the actual pride, as things are it could be a long time before anyone else discovers this, maybe if he brings it to the attention of the Pride this will count as him having fulfilled his quota. But what if this is a way to attain power, why would a clearly powerful Ascendant amarok go through if it wasn’t to its advantage to do so? He may never get a chance like this again and giving away power to the pride instead of gaining power and making his own would be the embodiment of foolishness, though going into that thing is probably the dumbest thing anyone would ever do!

Deciding to come back with his most trusted pride mate he takes off towards home, hoping to be back here within 16 hours so that at least he doesn’t die alone if death awaits him on the other side.