Closed Not Coming Home

[Chimera]

Not Coming Home the Burning Lands ▩ Fall 54th, 512av Mira squirmed underneath her furs. She had to pee, but she didn't want to. Not yet, not when it was still dark and cold in the desert, not when Leth was only a sliver in the sky and you couldn't see a few feet in front of you. It was dark, and momma always told the story of the Tatsuwaat girl who had gotten taken by large, furry, bat-like creatures because she was playing too far away from anyone else. She said it was a true story, but she didn't believe her. The bladder eventually overcame all of Mira's willpower. She sat up and shivered when the furs fell down. Slowly, she got to her feet and tiptoed out of the tent, careful not to wake Kalesse. The dunes were barely illuminated in silver, but stars seemed to make up for the lack of Leth. She ran on her toes a bit from the area where everyone was sleeping. Off in the distance, she thought she could see a spot of green and blue almost glowing. It looked so real! She forgot about having to go to the bathroom and started running off towards it. She had to check it out, and then she could tell everyone about it! ▩ Kalesse woke up to found Mira missing. There were no signs except the mess of furs and blankets that she had been sleeping under the night before. No one knew where she had gone. Any sign of footprints had since been blown over by the breezes, and even standing on top of the tallest dune nearby couldn't show her hiding place. It had everyone worried. She was only seven, what could've happened to her? Why hadn't anyone watched her closer? Blame was being pointed towards Kalesse. Mira slept in her tent, so it was her fault that she was gone.

[Kalesse]

Everything was an inky black, from the sky to the powerful beast that surged beneath her, only the glint from those onyx eyes sparkling in the night. The Chaktawe was indistinguishable from the horse in the moonless night, the heavy, muffled sound of hooves impacting the sand the only noise to be heard. It didn’t matter where they were going, not that Kalesse knew anyway. She had been here before, she knew, but this time it was different. This time, she wasn’t plagued with fear and anger, filled to spilling with childish petulance and obstinacy.

With only her fingers wrapped in the long hairs of his mane, Kalesse reveled in the feeling of the strong muscles rippling and flowing beneath her, the pure power of it all sending her heart skittering across her chest. They couldn’t see anything around them, but they didn’t need to; the sand was endless and flowing and…

There was a flash and a sudden drop, the Chaktawe’s stomach lurching from its normal spot into her throat, a tick stretching indefinitely as the world seemed to spin. Just when Kalesse thought she was going to be sick, it all stopped and the feel of a horse beneath her returned, though it was different now. It was only then that Kalesse realized her eyes had been screwed shut, though she didn’t remember doing so. The sun was bright, blindingly so, when she peeked from beneath her lashes; a glimpse of golden sand a blur of gray beneath her was all the young woman caught before she had to close her eyes again.

Haizea was like the wind, while the other hand been like a charging bull, the feel of the wind whipping through her hair was magnificent as it pulled back the thick length of it from her neck, allowing the cool breeze to caress her skin beneath. Hovering over her beloved horses neck to allow Haizea freedom of movement, Kalesse had just begun to cluck her tongue, urging the mare faster when the world toppled again.

And she was sitting upright in her tent, the blankets twisted around her sweating form, her breath puffing into little clouds as she panted. She felt as if she had just done all the running herself, a bead of salty sweat stinging her eye as it ran from her brow. A few deep breaths helped calm her heart rate, a gentle mopping of her brow before she remembered Mira.

Twisting, Kalesse gently pulled back the edge of her sister’s bedroll, peeking to make sure that whatever that dream had been, it hadn’t woken the young girl. Initially satisfied by the lack of movement, it was pure instinct that made the young woman pull the blanket back further. The bedding had been too still.

A few moments later found Kalesse tearing apart the inside of her tent, moving all the blankets and pack in case her little sister decided it would be a good prank to hide until found. Cursing softly when the last blanket was moved and failed to reveal a small, black-haired girl, Kalesse burst from her tent, dashing over the chilled sands to where her parents tent was pitched.

Tearing aside the flap, a quick glance around showed nothing; Mira sometimes reverted back to her childhood days, sneaking away to sleep between her parents, like she had when she was younger. But her mother lay in her fathers arms, with no room for a girl between them.

Spitting another curse, Kalesse let the flap drop just as she heard her mother mumble her name, confused and half asleep. Ignoring this, she instead went back to the tent, her eyes glued to the sands; she had already raced around outside, probably destroying any footprint Mira could have left. Stupid, stupid! It was pure luck that Kalesse saw the small, perfect imprint of a foot right outside the entrance to the tent, pointed around the side of the canvas that lead away from the encampment.

“Petch…” The young woman teetered for a moment between racing directly after her sister and going to get her horse. The potential danger that Mira could be in made Kalesse want to sprint out into the night after her, but logic waggled its finger and pointed out that she had no idea how long her sister had been gone far. What good would the rescue be if, after Mira was found, were stuck in the sun, on foot, and exhausted?

“Shhhh, girl.” Placing a gentle hand on Haizea’s neck, Kalesse whispered soothing sounds to the horse as she slipped the saddle onto her back, carefully cinching it in place before putting her left foot into the stirrup and swinging herself onto the mare’s back. Forging the bridle, Kalesse took a handful of Haizea’s beautiful dark grey mane and pressed her heels into her sides, urging her into a quick trot, and then a rolling canter.

It wasn’t until she was well away from the camp that Kalesse started calling Mira’s name, too high off the ground and the night too dark for her to properly look for footprints.

[Chimera]

Mira was chasing moths and butterflies unseen by anyone but her, all through the dunes. She was surrounded by mirages, running and thinking tirelessly. Night creatures stalked her, but she was unharmed for the time being. Her mind had been corroded by days in the desert, and now she unconsciously sought refuge in hallucinations and dream-worlds. ▩ Kalesse would continue to call Mira's name, but no little girl was there to hear her. The footprint she had seen seemed to be the only one, and even without looking closely she would be able to tell that there were no fresh tracks. She could hear the howl of golden wolves in the distance, in the same direction that Mira was thought to have gone. Kalesse would soon remember the stories of the Baral, the nocturnal hunters large enough to trample a full-grown man, reportedly living around the heart of the Burning Lands. Exactly where they were. She was now slowing to a trot, more aware of the dangers of the night than she was a few moments before. It wasn't worth attracting the attention of the Baral and getting both she and Haizea killed. The howling was closer, but still not close enough to be of any danger to Kalesse. She stopped calling Mira's name, if only to hear the sounds of the desert that interrupted the silence. There was no immediate danger that she could hear.

[Kalesse]

The howling startled Haizea first, the mare nearly throwing her rider when she ground to a halt, the momentum of the previous canter bringing the young Chaktawe up and over Haizea’s shoulders; it was only the horses slight rearing as she attempted to spin and flee from the sound of the wolves that pushed Kalesse back down into the saddle.

Only managing to get her mount under control after she had begun to bolt back the way they came, Kalesse clamped her legs tightly down, pulling firmly yet gently back on the reins as she let a stream of calming sounds and words wash over her mare. It took a chime or two, but Haizea eventually slowed to a walk, her head bowed and her neck arched as she puffed her frustration and barely contained fear.

By the time everything was back under control, Kalesse could no longer hear the distant howls and that sent a shiver down her spine. There was no doubt that the wolves had heard her, yelling about like she had been, more worried about her sister than the myriad of dangers that lurked out in the night. If anything, the howls should be closer and more intense as the pack closed in on the pray. There wasn’t much of anything that could deter them from the scent once they locked onto it.

The chill that Kalesse had felt made a reappearance, sending tingles down her limbs as it trickled down her spine, numbing her fingers and toes with a rush of pure adrenaline pumping fear. “Baral.” The word was whispered with both reverence and as a curse; those things most feared needed to be respected. There is usually a reason why stories of such creatures are passed down through the generations. It is fear of such creatures that keep children alive and obedient. Such things were no simple myth.

When the howling resumed, closer this time, Kalesse felt panic rising for only a moment before she was able to push it back down, attempting to smother it while she worked with reason. Mira was still out there whether the dangers that lurked in the darkness were getting closer or not. If anything, it only made her little sisters situation more dire; would she be able to keep her mouth shut in the face of fear? Would the stories told ‘round the night fire have taken hold within her as knowledge rather than just a tale?

Haizea was reluctant to respond when Kalesse nudged her into a walk and then a trot, putting a light amount of pressure on one rein so that their path was angled away from the howling. There was no telling how smart these creatures were, but it stood to reason that moving directly towards them was a bad idea.

Kalesse had no experience with any sort of combat, preferring to allow others to take up such tasks as hunting. It left her at a great disadvantage as she urged her mare forward, no longer daring to call Mira’s name. Instead, she concentrated on the vibrations in the air, her ears straining for any sound, anything at all, other than the howls in the darkness.

[Chimera]

The howls were much closer. After only a few chimes, the wolves were visible in the Lethslight. They weren't after Kalesse so much as they were after the horse. They barely noticed Kalesse until they saw that they could eat her too. And they were hungry - prey had been eluding them for a while now. One of the wolves attempted to jump and bite Haizea on the rump, but they only got a bit of tail. That was enough for her to bolt, though, taking Kalesse with her. The wolves followed, one managing to cut one of the horse's rear legs.