Purple lightning streaked across an orange sky. The harsh strobing effect of the lightning combined with high winds gave the tall blue grass in the large open field the appearance of undulating water. The moments between lightning strikes were dark as midnight, and ice needles fell from angry clouds.
Annan Dulranna stood, staring straight ahead, her hazel eyes glowing softly. Her tall, athletically toned body was seemingly rooted in place. Her strange, barely controlled magic hummed inside her, writhing like a living thing. She kept a firm grasp on it as the wind pelted her light blue shield with ice needles. In the deep recesses of her mind, she noted the ice needles. A brief thought came that it was too early in the season for them. A possible cause was the Invader’s destructive magic. She had been following its trail of decay for the past several weeks. It had led her here into the territory of the Mountain Hounds.
A pack of them surrounded her. They were great wolves, as tall as horses, their blue-grey fur sprouting from their bodies like starbursts, with a line of black-tipped peaks running down their spines, crackling with stored energy. Their snouts wrinkled in harsh snarls and growls, their large fangs gleaming in the flashes of lightning. Their silver eyes capture the light thrown by the lightning, glowing and pulsing. The Alpha female stepped forward. Annan Dulranna knew what must be done. She lowered herself to the ground, stomach up, a position of submission. She was not bonded. Her magic set her apart from birth. And once it became clear that no Mountain Hound would bond with her, her people distanced themselves. She was a stranger to them. They tolerated her, but they did not accept her. The sadness, the feelings of not being good enough, hovered in the background.
The Alpha female approached, sniffed, then peered down at Annan. Her nose inches away.
Why are you here? It is not time for the Choosing.
Images, smells, and emotions swirled through Annan’s mind. This was how they communicated. It was beautiful and simple, yet complicated. Annan responded,
I hunt an Invader. They are damaging our world.
The female alpha leaned in closer; if not for Annan’s shield, their noses would be touching.
I sense no bond.
I was not chosen. Sadness colored the sending. I am hunting. Will you allow me to pass through your territory?
You hunt alone. A simple statement. Annan scowled, scooted backward a short distance, before slowly rising to her feet.
I have my magic. The alpha growled low. Annan bowed her head. I apologize.
Your prey passed through here. An image of the suns rising and setting twice flashed. They felt wrong. We followed. Another image flashed, a blurred dark figure with a shuffling, uneven gait. This is the path. Images of the landscape and the direction the invader went.
Annan bowed her head deeper. Thank you.
The alpha gave a quick nod of her head, turned, howled at her pack, and they dispersed. Annan watched them run off before lowering the power of her shield. She squared her shoulders, synced the energy trail with the images sent by the Alpha, and began walking.
Three days later, she walked out of the Mountain Hounds territory. A large desert lay before her. Its landscape dull, barren of life. No trees, grass, or flowers. The few plants she saw were stunted, gnarled, and covered in nettles. A thick, clear substance slowly oozed from the tips. She steered clear of them. Hills of sand and dirt interspersed with large boulders and smaller rocks lay everywhere. The landscape looked the same from every hilltop. She had no landmarks to use. Her only guide was the energy trail. Night fell quickly, and with it the temperature. Sitting on top of a large boulder, she pulled out her cloak and wrapped it around her. The cold seeped in, chilling her to the bone. She weighed her options. Trying to navigate the desert in the dark was dangerous, but it was just as dangerous to sit still. Her teeth chattered, and she shivered uncontrollably. She debated starting a fire, then decided against it; she couldn’t risk getting pricked by the nettles. She felt a presence approaching and tensed up, preparing to confront it, until it reached out to her.
Cold.
Images and scents bloomed in her mind. It was the Alpha.
Yes. She replied.
The Alpha joined her on top of the boulder, encircling her with her body. Heat seemed to radiate off the Alpha, warming Annan up. Annan reached up, scratched her behind her ear, then snuggled into the warmth and drifted off to sleep.
By the time the second sun rose, Annan was up and moving. The hound had disappeared. Annan looked around expectantly but did not see or sense the Alpha, her shoulders slumped; part of her hoped it would stay. The strange energy suddenly pulsed, faded, and pulsed again. Annan noted that each pulse resulted in a tremor in the earth beneath her. This pattern continued for the rest of the day. Each pulse stronger than the last, followed by a deep rumble. Before long, the ground was shaking continuously. Struggling to keep her balance, she pressed forward.
Cresting a large hill, as the energy pulsed. The ground groaned and heaved, throwing her down. Sand and dirt slid down the hill, taking her with them, until the Alpha reappeared and gripped her by the back of her shirt, pulling her up and back.
Thank you.
We hunt together. The Alpha replied.
Yes. Annan agreed.
The earth’s tremors intensified. Annan struggled to her feet. The Alpha pushed in close, allowing Annan to pull herself up. Once on her feet, the two of them staggered across the terrain, rocks, dirt, and sand dancing all around them. The ground split before them, spreading outward and downward. In a few minutes, it would be too wide for them to cross. As one, they sprinted and leapt across, landing on solid, steady ground. Annan’s shield sprang up as an arc of blue-white lightning lashed out. It sizzled against the shield before sputtering and dissipating. Several more bolts were thrown. Following their source, Annan found the intruder.
It was black and wavering like a living shadow. There were no discernible features, nothing to indicate sex or race. Hate and malice radiated off it, permeating the air around her. A large, dark pulsating pillar of power was shoved deep into the ground behind it. Annan knew what needed to be done. The intruder sensed her intent. It gathered its energy to attack. At the last second, it arched it higher, high enough for it to go over her and hit… She whirled; the Alpha was still there, just a few feet away. Annan threw her shield over the Alpha. The bolt hit, the bond slid into place, and wonder filled her. She could see and feel through the Alpha. New strength filled her; she drew the bolt into herself, wrapped her power around it, shaped it like a spear, and threw it at the intruder. It struck it in the chest, sizzled through it, and hit the pillar of dark power. There was a blinding flash of light followed by an immense explosion that knocked Annan back several feet, and she blacked out.
Consciousness slowly returned. Annan felt someone or something poking her, shaking her. She felt fear and heard whimpering. Confusion bloomed. Where was she? Who was whimpering? Why was she feeling fear? Memory rushed in the tracking of the invader and their destructive energy, the Mountain Hounds, the desert, and the fight. She sat up quickly; her head throbbed, and the world spun. She groaned, holding her head in her hands. Something cold and wet touched her nose, her eyes flew open, and she looked into the silver eyes of the Alpha. She didn’t just see her; she could feel her. Tears welled up, and Annan buried her face in her fur. Images filled her mind of mist in the early morning, roving over the land and leaving dew drops that sparkled like tiny rainbows in the sun till they dried up. The Alpha was called Mist.
Annan and Mist rose from the ground and surveyed the land around them. A large black scar smoldered where the dark pillar had been embedded in the earth. There was no sign of the intruder. She could no longer sense the destructive energy. Balance was restored, and Mist and Annan were whole, complete, and no longer strangers.