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The Wilderness of Cyphrus is an endless sea of tall grass that rolls just like the oceans themselves. Geysers kiss the sky with their steamy breath, and mysterious craters create microworlds all their own. But above all danger lives here in the tall grass in the form of fierce wild creatures; elegant serpents that swim through the land like whales through the ocean and fierce packs of glassbeaks that hunt in packs which are only kept at bay by fires. Traverse it carefully, with a guide if possible, for those that venture alone endanger themselves in countless ways.
It didn't take much for Aiken to recognize the signs of an oncoming torrent; it could get just as nasty in the forest. But out here where there were no trees, there was nothing to break up the winds. They'd need to find cover of some sort, like a cave or a boulder to hide behind.
"Storm's coming in fast. Anybody know somewhere we can take cover?" Aiken looked around himself, but he was a novice in the area of survival, at least out on the grasses.
Sam sighed, but was quick to scan the horizon and start making decisions. Whether people would continue to follow him was anyone's guess, but he could make the attempt. The Sea of Grass was in his blood and bones, but he had been exiled for a long time. His eyes tracked little hints of variation to their surroundings. He could see them, but he was out of practice and wasn't quite sure when ones were most likely to prove useful.
"Aiken, do you see where the grass breaks there?" he said, shoulder to shoulder with the kelvic and pointing so he could follow his eyeline. "Could you run ahead and check if there's any sort of natural shelter there? It looks like the most likely spot from here, but your senses are better than mine."
It was a gamble, but anything would be at this point. He would have asked if Aiken could coordinate with Arnett, but it would probably take too much time at the moment, and Kegan would worry too much. If they survived the storm, though, he would ask if Aiken could communicate with the dog well enough to make a little pack of the two of them. Their coordinated senses could come in handy.
To the rest, "Let's follow him, fellows. We have about ten or fifteen chimes before things start getting interesting."
And of course, in his altruism, Sam was leading from the ground while the rest were mounted. At least Horse followed him without protest, eyes rolling a bit with nervous energy.
Aren's eyes opened suddenly, the smell of the wind awakening him with a start. His eyes gazed out at the horizon silently. He had been in one of these storms before, a long time ago. It hadn't been so deep into the Sea of Grass, however, so far from shelter.
Sam had the right idea; they had to find some place where they could weather the storm. If that break in the grass wasn't what they were looking for, though, they had best have an alternate plan of egress.
Aren shifted his vision into the infrared, hoping he could spot scattering creatures in the thickets of grass. If anyone knew were there was shelter, it'd be them. Of course, the group might have to fight a glassbeak for a spot in a cave, but at least they stood a chance of winning that battle.
The extra height allowed by Horse was quite the boon, and the Akalak could make out flares of running animals in the grass for quite a-ways in every direction. It was, however, difficult identifying any particular one, or even what direction it, or they were moving in. They were just too damn small.
Aren couldn't believe that he would ever have the desire to stumble into a glassbeak, but here it was, an annoying catch in his throat. Rapidly he scanned the grassland for something big enough, something they could follow to shelter. To make matters worse, following a pack would be too dangerous, so they would have to stumble onto a lone glassbeak. Needless to say, the Akalak was certainly hoping Aiken's senses were up to snuff. Otherwise, they were all certain to have an unpleasant day, one way or another.
Last edited by Aren on August 20th, 2010, 7:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Kegan watched as Sam told Aiken to go forward and scout out the path. He felt as though he should offer Arnett's assistance but he was just far to protective of that dog. He felt a pang of anger at himself for being so selfish. He told himself if Aiken ever had to go off alone he would make sure Arnett accompanied him. The dog did not need to be babied. He had proven his worth more than enough times. Arnett was just all that Kegan really had.
Farley walked forward as Kegan instructed him to do. He looked around at his companions to try and gauge their emotions. Sam was on foot in the front of their odd pack of men. He could not see his face though and that unnerved him a bit. Kegan felt like Sam was his main ally in this group being that they were so close in age. He looked over to Aren who looked as serious as ever. He was glad Aren was so focused though. He clearly was not as experienced as the akalak in traveling. Wystern was still the same quiet person he had been for the ride. Kegan could not even recall a time the man had talked to him. That much was expected though.
Kegan longed for shelter. He coulld tell a storm was coming by how much Arnett was fidgeting. The dog may be brave around beasts twice his size but storms made him scared to death. Kegan did not share the fear though. He quite liked storms but not under these conditions. When he was safe in a house or a building of some kind he enjoyed them but out there in the Sea of Grass where everything was unexpected a storm was his idea of an enjoyable event. The sooner they found shelter the better. If a storm got to close Arnett might run away in fear. The dog was reliable but he still was a slave to his canine instincts. If his instincts told him to turn tail and run he would. He could not risk that. He would not leave the Sea of Grass without Arnett and if he ran off he would either get lost or die. Kegan could not let either happen.
The group of travelers paced about as Arnett ran over a coupling of hills, the small valley between them seemed like a good place to take cover from a distance - with hilly walls on all sides and a group of boulders near the opening. When they closed in on the space it appeared to be a fairly safe choice, with hills encasing the space away from the wind. If they stayed there though, they would discover that it was also in a perfect position to become a torrential wind tunnel with bits of rock, grass and dust driven through the hills by a wicked surge of air. Anything in the way would be torn apart by the current of lethal air and matter.
Arnett took off again suddenly, this time in the opposite direction of the storm - which frothed and boiled towards them in the clouds. The air around them became electric, surges of energy passing through their breath like blades shooting through smoke. The hairs stood up on everyone’s bodies, but whether that was due to the charge in the air or the fact that they were all nervous no one knew. A heaviness even set in, almost pinning their legs to the ground as they scanned the areas Arnett ran to check. Cyphrus was such a desolate, flat place that hiding from a storm was near impossible. A cave was a good option but in the urgency of a storm, every animal would be looking for refuge - making it more likely that one would die from fighting over cover than being killed in the storm.
The wind picked up as the chimes passed and like a fog rising around their feet, the wind whipped at their legs, punching smaller rocks at their shins. The horses thrashed their heads to and fro, shaking their manes and rearing up in fright at the lightning that licked the ground just ahead of them. They could try to outrun the storm but if it caught up to them they risked being struck by whatever might be hurled in their direction. Just beyond them, a short ride away, was what looked like a rock formation attached to the side of a low hill. From their angle it was impossible to tell if there would be safe cover there but curiosity grew amongst them as they considered their options.
A single moment hung in the balance of their fate - to jump on their horses dog on saddle and all, and try to outrun the thunderhead of impending electrocution, to run to the rock formation and attempt to find cover, or to return to the first spot between the hills. To survive they would have to think fast and choose wisely.
Aiken the wolf seemed to stand on edge as the storm got closer. This was bigger than any torrent he'd ever been in, and the rain hadn't even begun to fall yet. He could feel his muscles tensing, his instincts urging him to find a shelter and fight tooth and claw over it. It was an odd combination, a violent anxiety only enhanced by the lack of familiarity to the region.
This was fear. But no sentient fear that humans would know; a deadly innate fear that was the core of every animal's reflex and action. It was the fear that forced them to survive or die.
Aiken twitched his head to Sam, to the Akalak, to the knight, and finally to Kegan and his dog. He wouldn't abandon Sam, but the others hardly meant anything in the way of survival. For all he cared, they were lightning rods.
He whined now, trying to decide if he should Force Sam onto Horse and spur him on with teeth - motivation to move faster, one would hope - away from the storm, or wait for someone to make a decision. He paced hurriedly in a small circle, the indecision pushing closer to his instinctual panic switch.
There was simply no time to make a good, informed, and measured decision. Currently on foot, Sam was the weak link as far as speed was concerned, so he swung himself up behind Aren on Horse and then he was in control, the windrunner responding to his touch first and foremost.
"C'mon!" he shouted over the growing howl of the storm, and Horse jumped toward the rock formation attached to the side of a low hill, the one that seemed least likely to channel Zulrav's rage against them. He wondered if Zulrav's ire was as terrible as Ivak's, but he certainly didn't want to find out for sure.
Horse broke into an all out run, hardly slowed by carrying double with the rising tide of his panic. He trusted Sam, of course, but like the other animals, his primal instincts were the strongest, self-preservation first and foremost.
As they approached, Sam looked for signs of any animal or monster who might be seeking shelter. To live, Sam would have nested with a glassbeak if said glassbeak was on its best behavior, but in reality, anything he found in the middle of such a storm would be fearful and likely to lash out as if cornered.
Aren noticed the other choices available to them, just like they all did, and Sam did pick what seemed to be the best one. Unfortunately, what seemed and what was were often two very different things. For all their sakes, the Akalak hoped this wouldn't be the case this time around, because they were already in a considerable amount of danger.
He knew, as probably Sam did, and as the others were also likely to, that if their destination was indeed safe from the storm, it might also be occupied. And so, right now, his task was to attempt to verify the security of their would-be shelter, or at least give the party a heads up as to how unsecured it was. His Akalak infra-vision would probably be able to detect any large animals ahead, even in all this chaos, but that was no guarantee of anything.
The roar of the wind was deafening, and effective communication was going to be a chore, but Aren certainly had the lungs to shout with the best of them. If he saw anything, he was capable of informing the rest of the group without too much deterioration of the message.
Kegan was ready to face the storm head on and ride how ever he needed to get to safety but when he looked down Arnett was not there. Kegan looked around with his heart racing. Where on earth could that dog have gone. Kegan knew what the rational thing to do was. Ride on with the group and hope Arnett found his way back to him. He was not going to be rational. That was his brother out there and without him he would have no one. He jumped off of his horse and called out of his lost dog. He could not find him any where and he started to panic. He should have payed closer attention to his dog. He had trusted him to react like human would but Arnett had animal instincts which could not be denied. Kegan had to go find his dog even if it killed him.
The storm was worsening all around Kegan but he fought through the Sea of Grass to try and find his lost dog. His heart was racing and he felt sweat pouring down his skin as he searched for his dog. He foolishly called out his dog's name and that was the first mistake he made. There would be scared beasts everywhere ready to attack him at any moment just for making noise. He once again called out to his dog blind to his mistakes in his worried haze. He kept racing through the grass looking for Arnett. his group was far away and he was not sure if he would see them again. All that mattered was finding Arnett.
The thundercloud overhead stretched itself across the sky, swallowing smaller clouds in its menacing jaws. A stampede of animals broke the deafening silence around them; glassbeaks, deer, Olidosapux, rodents. A dark mass of air hummed closer to them, flocks of birds fleeing the current that scraped the land clean like teeth across skin. Anything that could burrow underground did so in a panic while larger animals ran in random directions, desperate to get away from the wind.
Kegan, out of unwavering love for his companion ventured towards the last place he thought he saw Arnett. Frightened, Kegan dropped to his knees as the wind howled around him, spinning sand and loose brush at him. The wind grew rapidly, from a soft whisper to a deafening roar, as if Zulrav was thundering across the sky, spitting earth and kicking lightning.
Kegan thrashed through the wind, covering his face and losing a battle with the storm. His cries were dampened by the howling around him - which blew the breath right out of his lungs, cutting off his air. Kegan crawled and clung to the ground, sand scraping away at his arms and face, reddening the skin where ever it touched the abrasive wind. Rocks that were airborne were thrown against him, several small ones breaking the skin around his brow and penetrating the delicate flesh of his eyes. Like a swarm of sharp insects they flew around him, blinding him even as he tried to protect his face. Screams of terror erupted from him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he was met with an onslaught of fragments. Defeated, Kegan felt himself give up and lay his pained face against the ground. He was going to die and never know the fate of his dear dog.
-----
Sam, Aiken, Aren and their horses scrambled towards the alcove and climbed down the small rock face, looking back and yelling out for Kegan. A crack of lightning illuminated the sky and thunder rang through their ears, shaking every cell in their body with tremendous force. The behaviour of the stormed seemed strange, convincing the group at first that a hurricane was upon them. But hurricanes were more known to disperse when on land. No, this was a wicked wind that brewed on the underside of the enormous black body of churning clouds. Warm and cold air collided on the grasses, pushing and pulling itself until it took shape, hanging from the thunderhead like a drop of rainwater from a leaf. And as if appearing from a previously invisible state, a twister of wind extended its finger to the ground and licked the earth playfully. A devastating wave of destruction pulled at the foliage around it, yanking up sand, rocks and bushes into the whirlwind. The twister grew as it travelled, collecting sharp objects that turned into deadly weapons wielding by the wind, leaving a trail of dead bodies and broken plant life in its wake.
As if consuming the land around it, the twister grew to an astonishing width; almost a mile wide. With the strong and frequent presence of Zulrav on the grasslands, storms in Cyphrus had the potential of becoming massive, unpredictable, and catastrophic. It was no wonder the Drykas were few people who could read the tell tale signs of an approaching Cyphrus storm, it was bred into their very genes.
The alcove was large enough to fit the horses in, and they paced nervously, fighting the instinct to run as far away as possible. But they were trapped in this rocky retreat, unable to free themselves from the impending doom that was about to swallow them. At first the space seemed empty as they paced inside it noisily. But a second glance revealed a litter of small wolf pups in the far dark recess of the cave. The mother was obviously moving her young to safety but had not yet returned. The group stood on edge, afraid of encountering a protective mother in a small space.
But what could they do? The storm beyond the cave was raging on, the twister worming its way towards them. Dealing with a panicked mother wolf was certainly an option, but if the mother died, what would happen to the five pups? They would inevitably be killed by the Sea of Grass if they lost her. She was their only chance to learn survival, they were far too young to learn on their own without a guardian.
-----
Wystern began to sweat under the cumbersome layers of his knights armour. What was he thinking entering a land he knew nothing about and was not prepared for?
The stormy air that blasted him was so hot and sticky that it seeped under his armour and threatened to cook him where he stood. The shouts of his companions fell on his deaf ears and he stood still instead of follow them. A painful stinging rash developed over his face and neck - from his foolish dry bladed shave that morning. Paralysing fear overcame him and he watched through watering eyes as the twister swelled and began to sway like a giant.
Even his horse reacted before he did, kicking and snorting, trying to free himself from his master’s stone cold grip. With an aggressive yank, the horse liberated itself and took off away from the insanity of Wystern’s death wish.
Before he had time to react or have second thoughts about standing frozen in the storm’s path, the twister scooped him into the air. Debris from the ground whizzed at him, striking his arms; dislocating one of his shoulders and both his elbows. A large herbivore was carried by the turbulence of the storm, breaking its spine as it came into contact with Wystern’s rag doll body.
The armour plating was peeled from Wystern’s body as he struggled against the storm, flailing, screaming and losing the stubborn battle with the limp body of the herbivore. A particularly large crumb of rock sailed through the air and winded him, making him gasp and suffocate as sand and stiff air forced its way into his gaping mouth. Wystern could not have imagined a more horrible pain than what he felt for the short time he was conscious. His sword, also picked up by the wind became a lethal weapon slashing and swinging through the air, cutting into anything in its path. On its way around the curve of the storm Wystern’s own sword planted itself into his gut, half pinning him to the limp plant eater that broke his legs.
-----
Unexpectedly, a pair of jaws clamped onto the sleeve of Kegan’s shirt and began to drag him. Arnett had searched for and found his master, pulling him under a shelf of rock that jutted out from the side of a hill. Kegan, blind and helpless, thought that maybe he was being taken by a wild animal. It wasn’t until Arnett began whimpering and licking at his master’s face that Kegan burst into sobs of relief that Arnett had returned to him. He sighed and rolled onto his back, holding the distressed dog in his arms, stroking his soft fur one last time. Arnett himself had been injured, a nasty scrape across his leg. So the two of them huddled together as the twister swept over them. It grasped onto the rock shelf above them and tore it from the ground. Kegan and Arnett surrendered themselves to Zulrav together, braving their journey to the heavens.
by Aiken on August 12th, 2010, 5:03 pm 
