Kite and the Shepherd
The large rainforest had just begun to fall behind, giving its way to a lush mountain slope which, in turn, gave its way to the mountains. Mountains that, as they spread, became poorer and poorer in vegetation and coarsened, while highlighting a primitive beauty.
A few hours later she found herself flying over Maal-Azguz, the famous mountaintop with the pointed rocky edges and the curved cavity in the middle, standing like a crown placed on the top of the mountain. With a sharp body turn and a rapid fluttering she found herself inside the ravine, embracing the back side of the mountaintop. In front of her, the entrance of the cave is revealed, half hidden from the branches of a diagonally standing old tree rooted on the sharp-edged rock.
The inside of the cave was cold, the sound of the wing fluttering echoed on its walls and as she flew inside, the smell of moisture and mold faded and was replaced by the smell of burnt fat, rosemary and balm. Arriving at the opening, a simple room was formed, scattered straw filled the floor like a natural rug, while torches soaked with fish fat simmered and played with the scarce smudges that were decorating the walls. Suddenly a figure emerges from the shadows.
Our little bird came into the wyrm’s nest carrying words of importance.
His bony limbs were surrounded by rags. Like a net decorated with seaweed, long grasses and pieces of fabric. His hair wild and long, black and grey, reached his waist. His face and skin were marked, full of odd symbols and ideograms while his eyes… one brown and one yellow, observed with intelligence the visitor.
On the other side, the beautiful, big and brown Kite, in a whirlwind of swirling wings, instantly transformed into an even more beautiful, tall and delicate young girl who stands strong but stiff in front of the peculiar old man…
-I see you’ve noticed my presence, Grand Shepherd of the Mountain Rage.
-Of course, I did. You stink fear like a badger in the rain, Shapeshifter.
-As you predicted, I’m here for something serious and urgent.
-Then speak sharp without prologue.
-Scouts spotted the presence of a dark creature in your area, somewhere in the south, at the foot of the Cinder Tribes. It looks like a tarhound but it’s hard to say.
-Were you strolling again in places that are not meant for you? Draesyr land is not hospitable, it’s not a walk in the countryside like the Lands of the Old Days. Don’t walk around without company.
-We didn’t stroll Grand Shepherd, we flew and as far as I remember it’s not forbidden! I remind you that we want the land to be safe as much as you do…
-Don’t confuse your beak with your height young lady. We know about the creature, he escaped from the guard in the southern Darklands before the last storm broke out. And it’s not tarhound, it’s Rastiff and in fact it’s well fed. The ranges are already searching the surrounding areas to locate it.
-Tell them to go towards the gray river, I will not play games, we will use every help to kill this creature.
After an awkward moment, Kite realised that their conversation was over. She makes a small bow and prepares to go towards the exit of the cave, when she suddenly hears.
Wait
The peculiar Warlock moves toward the thick shadow at the edge of the cave, looking for something behind a natural stall while the sound of the stone rubbing against a stone is heard.
Moments later he returns with a small stone container filled with a blue powder. He dips his fingers into the blue dust and approaches Kite. She froze, the cranes on her feet were scratching the stone but she remained motionless, alert but still. His blue fingers gently touch the young lady’s hands, just above her elbows, drawing a shape like an old crescent moon.
-Now leave!
His words struck her like a slap and she immediately turned into a hawk again and flew away.
Leaving the cave, she flies up with two flickers of her wings when suddenly she gets surprised and realizes that she has never flown again so quickly and so easily. It didn’t take long for her to understand. Her journey was not in vain, the peculiar rude Draesyr lord may have been abrupt but he found his own way to say “thank you” …
