Feeling way too uncomfortable, you turn around, planning to head back into the forest on your own. Nox asks pleasantly, "Where are you going?" You answer without looking back, "I just need to, um...take a potty break." Nox shouts and his voice is monstrously loud, "No, you're not! You're running away!" You turn around to see Nox jump out of the shade as a furry backed creature running towards you on all fours. His movement doesn't seem shy or awkward anymore. You see his face for the first time.
It wasn't dark shadows that were covering his face earlier, instead his entire face is a formless shadow in itself. Stretching his arms towards you, he jumps. You are petrified, but you feel something hold your right hand firmly.You look down to see the girl who was referred to earlier as Illu. You detect in her countenance something that you've only seen in a handful of adults, a confident but humble determination. You look back up to find that the dark hands of Nox have transformed into bigger, darker talons. They are moving fast towards you.
There is no time to react. Then the unthinkable happens. The cruel looking claws stop only a few feet away from your neck and you see blue sparks in the air as Nox is repelled backwards, soaring five feat high with stinging force. A low hum that sounds like high voltage electricity gently rings in the windless air. That must have hurt.
Nox, or what used to be Nox, is rolling on the floor with what must be agony. The girl says, "You were rash Nox, as usual. Did you already forget that Kala has his protection on me, and in turn it is my moral obligation to protect unfortunate wanderers." Nox starts to howl bitterly, "I thought if I would be fast enough. . ."
Your eyes temporarily part from the bizarre beast, and you observe Illu again. She still has that same expression. Something about her ironically scares you more than the foul beast rolling in the dirt. You stutter a whisper to the little girl, "What just happened?" Your teeth are still clenched together in shock making your words barely discernible.
"What?" the girl asks you without withdrawing her gaze from Nox.
Trying hard to speak while moving your mouth this time you begin, "I said-"
"No. I understood what you said. I simply don't fathom what you could have possibly missed. The creature was propelled, and now he faces his just punishment. That is all." You notice that the girl's way of talking has changed slightly. She looks up at you and says, "We should go. Nox won't be howling for long." She turns around and walks the other way, pulling your hand lightly with her. You follow her without resistance.
Rather desperate, you ask, "Why does it matter if he's in pain or not? We are protected right?" She doesn't stop walking, but she does look up at you for the first time since the attack. "We are protected from physical attack, but there are many other ways one can harm an individual. Out of all of them, Nox tries the hardest although he secretly knows that it's worth less than Kala's shadow," she hesitates, then adds in a matter of fact way, "Not that Kala has a shadow."
"They?" you ask. Illu's looking back at the road. She responds, "I slipped up on my words didn't I? It's been a while since a plain mortal like you wandered into this land. I give you my personal apologies, and I admit that I am out of practice."
"Practice of what?" you blurt out.
"Practice of bringing unfortunate creatures like you out of here," she went on, "Usually it's an elf or a doqueal, sometimes even a salletale that wanders into these parts of the land unknowingly. I had to escort a delldolian once. Oh, now that wasn't fun with all his fins and gills. None the less, they're all much more capable than you are. You're a bit higher maintenance, which is why I think Nox took his chances attacking you." After a pause she asks, "Human, what do they call you? Last time I've checked they had names for creatures like you."
You try to jog your memory, but you can only come up with one name and you don't even know if it's yours.
You tell her you don't know.
[Click here]
You tell her the name.
[Click here]
-Lewis T. Castle
It wasn't dark shadows that were covering his face earlier, instead his entire face is a formless shadow in itself. Stretching his arms towards you, he jumps. You are petrified, but you feel something hold your right hand firmly.You look down to see the girl who was referred to earlier as Illu. You detect in her countenance something that you've only seen in a handful of adults, a confident but humble determination. You look back up to find that the dark hands of Nox have transformed into bigger, darker talons. They are moving fast towards you.
There is no time to react. Then the unthinkable happens. The cruel looking claws stop only a few feet away from your neck and you see blue sparks in the air as Nox is repelled backwards, soaring five feat high with stinging force. A low hum that sounds like high voltage electricity gently rings in the windless air. That must have hurt.
Nox, or what used to be Nox, is rolling on the floor with what must be agony. The girl says, "You were rash Nox, as usual. Did you already forget that Kala has his protection on me, and in turn it is my moral obligation to protect unfortunate wanderers." Nox starts to howl bitterly, "I thought if I would be fast enough. . ."
Your eyes temporarily part from the bizarre beast, and you observe Illu again. She still has that same expression. Something about her ironically scares you more than the foul beast rolling in the dirt. You stutter a whisper to the little girl, "What just happened?" Your teeth are still clenched together in shock making your words barely discernible.
"What?" the girl asks you without withdrawing her gaze from Nox.
Trying hard to speak while moving your mouth this time you begin, "I said-"
"No. I understood what you said. I simply don't fathom what you could have possibly missed. The creature was propelled, and now he faces his just punishment. That is all." You notice that the girl's way of talking has changed slightly. She looks up at you and says, "We should go. Nox won't be howling for long." She turns around and walks the other way, pulling your hand lightly with her. You follow her without resistance.
Rather desperate, you ask, "Why does it matter if he's in pain or not? We are protected right?" She doesn't stop walking, but she does look up at you for the first time since the attack. "We are protected from physical attack, but there are many other ways one can harm an individual. Out of all of them, Nox tries the hardest although he secretly knows that it's worth less than Kala's shadow," she hesitates, then adds in a matter of fact way, "Not that Kala has a shadow."
"They?" you ask. Illu's looking back at the road. She responds, "I slipped up on my words didn't I? It's been a while since a plain mortal like you wandered into this land. I give you my personal apologies, and I admit that I am out of practice."
"Practice of what?" you blurt out.
"Practice of bringing unfortunate creatures like you out of here," she went on, "Usually it's an elf or a doqueal, sometimes even a salletale that wanders into these parts of the land unknowingly. I had to escort a delldolian once. Oh, now that wasn't fun with all his fins and gills. None the less, they're all much more capable than you are. You're a bit higher maintenance, which is why I think Nox took his chances attacking you." After a pause she asks, "Human, what do they call you? Last time I've checked they had names for creatures like you."
You try to jog your memory, but you can only come up with one name and you don't even know if it's yours.
You tell her you don't know.
[Click here]
You tell her the name.
[Click here]
-Lewis T. Castle
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