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The winged Nukoo eyed her briefly. The lower jaw of his pointed snout quivered. He was holding his breath and his muscles were tense.

Kameilo moved steadily out of the ferns, carrying herself with a strong, sure stride in front of the garune—which she saw was particularly unusual. The beast was larger and bulkier than most, and fastened with loose leather and bone armor. Whatever exposed skin it had was either scarred or painted with four claw prints—a clan signature.

“Leave,” she told the beast assertively, her eyes glaring wildly as though she was a beast herself.

The garune turned its four eyes in her direction and snorted, shaking its head in disdain. The creature was maddened.

Kameilo barred her teeth, her long ears pulled back and the skin of her nose crinkling.

“Get away from him!” she hissed insistently. “Go back where you came from!”

But the Garune opened its huge maw and grunted furiously. Its breath stank of blood, drool oozing from its six tusks. It was not interested in returning to its masters without a kill. Nor was it intimidated by Kameilo's elven size. She could normally discourage most wild garunes, but a war garune was not going to back down from any stance she could take.

Shaking its head furiously, the beast charged her with brute speed.

Kameilo planted her feet firmly in the ground and clasped her hand around her Talni, timing her blow.

“Kameilo, no!” Nukoo called out worriedly.

Soon as the beast was just beyond swinging distance she flexed the muscles in her arms, shoulders, and back for the greatest force. She swung the broad side of her Talni and bashed it against the front of the garune's skull just as it leaped in mid-charge!

The Garune's armored skull rang as her blow deflected it.

Kameilo's body recoiled from the force, which strained her back. An average garune would have been knocked out cold. This beast was woozy, but still able to fight. Staggering in place it readied another charge, but veered off to the side and uprooted a sapling instead.

Drawing a stone tanning knife, Kameilo somersaulted onto the war garune's back and drove the blade under the fleshy skin of its throat. The beast cried out in anguish and regret, but Kameilo knew the garune was better off finished now. It tried ramming against the trees and boulders to shake her off, leaving a trail of blood in the dirt and grass where it ran.

Kameilo rode the war Garune until it was staggering weakly. Then, wheezing and croaking, it fell on its side limp and dead.

Exhausted, Kameilo hopped off the huge thing and caught her breath.

“Are you all right, Kameilo?” Nukoo asked, trembling wretchedly.

“I'm fine,” she answered, cleaning her tanning knife in the grass. Afterward, she ran to Nukoo's side where he lay in the grass.

“Nukoo, what happened?” she inquired, holding his face in her hands. “Why was that war garune chasing you?”

Nukoo caught his breath, but was anxious to speak.

“Kameilo. I was staying with the Oca prophets atop Galoa Peak. They sent me to fetch you.”

Kameilo winced quizzically.

“Me? Now? Why?” she asked. “What's wrong?”

“I don't know!” Nukoo said. He peered his head up from where he lay on the ground and checked his surroundings. “I've never seen them so afraid. I came for you as fast as my wings could carry me. On my way, I was met with two Rakiti on a mountainside. Those feathered freaks slung at me from where they hid and then set that war Garune on my trail.”

A gentle breeze picked up, blowing the mists steadily.

At this, Nukoo gasped frightfully.

“There it is again!” he screeched pitifully. This time, he changed his language to speak in Taona.

Kameilo looked around, but she hadn't heard or spied anything suspicious.

“By the demigods, why is all this happening?” Nukoo asked himself.

“Why is what happening?” Kameilo asked. “Nukoo, what's wrong with you?”

“Shh! Speak only in Taona. And speak quietly. That's what the Oca prophets told me before sending me off.”

Kameilo nodded, supposing there must be some unseen danger lurking about.

Nukoo tried getting to his feet, but his left leg gave out. He let out a creature-cry in pain.

“Careful now. Lift your wing,” Kameilo said sternly in Taona.

Nukoo sulked. “I'm fine, Kameilo,” Nukoo said, folding his wings in.

“I want to see where you're hurt, Nukoo, now lift your wing.”

“Ugh.”

Nukoo relented and opened one wing to reveal a bleeding hip where an arrow had hit him.

“Why did you try hiding that from me?” she barked sternly. “Come with me, I'll bind it.”

“You shouldn't waste anytime on me, Kameilo. You need to get to Galoa Peak.”

“It can wait, I'm sure. Here, I'll help you up.”

She put her arms around Nukoo and helped him walk toward her hut.

_________________________

Story by me.

Artwork by

Description

Cri'ru - Story Gallery Folder
ferroth.deviantart.com/gallery…

The winged Nukoo eyed her briefly. The lower jaw of his pointed snout quivered. He was holding his breath and his muscles were tense.

Kameilo moved steadily out of the ferns, carrying herself with a strong, sure stride in front of the garune—which she saw was particularly unusual. The beast was larger and bulkier than most, and fastened with loose leather and bone armor. Whatever exposed skin it had was either scarred or painted with four claw prints—a clan signature.

“Leave,” she told the beast assertively, her eyes glaring wildly as though she was a beast herself.

The garune turned its four eyes in her direction and snorted, shaking its head in disdain. The creature was maddened.

Kameilo barred her teeth, her long ears pulled back and the skin of her nose crinkling.

“Get away from him!” she hissed insistently. “Go back where you came from!”

But the Garune opened its huge maw and grunted furiously. Its breath stank of blood, drool oozing from its six tusks. It was not interested in returning to its masters without a kill. Nor was it intimidated by Kameilo's elven size. She could normally discourage most wild garunes, but a war garune was not going to back down from any stance she could take.

Shaking its head furiously, the beast charged her with brute speed.

Kameilo planted her feet firmly in the ground and clasped her hand around her Talni, timing her blow.

“Kameilo, no!” Nukoo called out worriedly.

Soon as the beast was just beyond swinging distance she flexed the muscles in her arms, shoulders, and back for the greatest force. She swung the broad side of her Talni and bashed it against the front of the garune's skull just as it leaped in mid-charge!

The Garune's armored skull rang as her blow deflected it.

Kameilo's body recoiled from the force, which strained her back. An average garune would have been knocked out cold. This beast was woozy, but still able to fight. Staggering in place it readied another charge, but veered off to the side and uprooted a sapling instead.

Drawing a stone tanning knife, Kameilo somersaulted onto the war garune's back and drove the blade under the fleshy skin of its throat. The beast cried out in anguish and regret, but Kameilo knew the garune was better off finished now. It tried ramming against the trees and boulders to shake her off, leaving a trail of blood in the dirt and grass where it ran.

Kameilo rode the war Garune until it was staggering weakly. Then, wheezing and croaking, it fell on its side limp and dead.

Exhausted, Kameilo hopped off the huge thing and caught her breath.

“Are you all right, Kameilo?” Nukoo asked, trembling wretchedly.

“I'm fine,” she answered, cleaning her tanning knife in the grass. Afterward, she ran to Nukoo's side where he lay in the grass.

“Nukoo, what happened?” she inquired, holding his face in her hands. “Why was that war garune chasing you?”

Nukoo caught his breath, but was anxious to speak.

“Kameilo. I was staying with the Oca prophets atop Galoa Peak. They sent me to fetch you.”

Kameilo winced quizzically.

“Me? Now? Why?” she asked. “What's wrong?”

“I don't know!” Nukoo said. He peered his head up from where he lay on the ground and checked his surroundings. “I've never seen them so afraid. I came for you as fast as my wings could carry me. On my way, I was met with two Rakiti on a mountainside. Those feathered freaks slung at me from where they hid and then set that war Garune on my trail.”

A gentle breeze picked up, blowing the mists steadily.

At this, Nukoo gasped frightfully.

“There it is again!” he screeched pitifully. This time, he changed his language to speak in Taona.

Kameilo looked around, but she hadn't heard or spied anything suspicious.

“By the demigods, why is all this happening?” Nukoo asked himself.

“Why is what happening?” Kameilo asked. “Nukoo, what's wrong with you?”

“Shh! Speak only in Taona. And speak quietly. That's what the Oca prophets told me before sending me off.”

Kameilo nodded, supposing there must be some unseen danger lurking about.

Nukoo tried getting to his feet, but his left leg gave out. He let out a creature-cry in pain.

“Careful now. Lift your wing,” Kameilo said sternly in Taona.

Nukoo sulked. “I'm fine, Kameilo,” Nukoo said, folding his wings in.

“I want to see where you're hurt, Nukoo, now lift your wing.”

“Ugh.”

Nukoo relented and opened one wing to reveal a bleeding hip where an arrow had hit him.

“Why did you try hiding that from me?” she barked sternly. “Come with me, I'll bind it.”

“You shouldn't waste anytime on me, Kameilo. You need to get to Galoa Peak.”

“It can wait, I'm sure. Here, I'll help you up.”

She put her arms around Nukoo and helped him walk toward her hut.

_________________________

Story by me.

Artwork by