Creatures

[tirgesfu]

Jinjiz watched her sleep occasionally glancing to the other cats that settled close by. They seemed quiet and resting as well. This must be there safe sleep spot, Jinjiz thought. Staying close he gathered his bag of eggs and rested them around his talons. Both Nyr and Greach slept. At least for awhile. Jinjiz noticed that the small hatchling woke before Nyr. He watched energy burst through fuzz as Greach began to play. The small thing began to nip at Nyr. Jinjiz had to appreciate his efforts. Nyr woke with a howl. Jinjiz wasn’t sure how the she would respond at first because he saw a flash of confused anger. But she quickly figured out who was the cause of her discomfort. She tried to scold and he listened for a awhile. But his young energy and Nyr slight encouragement had him tumbling, biting, swatting and scrambling after her. Nyr made sounds that Jinjiz could not tell if it really brought her pain or not.

As they tumbled Jinjiz closed his eyes. They were so heavy he could not keep them open any longer. His head felt weighty too. He tucked his chin in and his wings folded over his head. His breathing slowed.

Fly, fly, fly, that was all he could do as the heat flashed behind him. Every inch of Jinijz knew his world was burning. The flames danced so high they flicked their sparks right past his wings. Not many of the flyers made it past the tall dance of fire. Those that did each headed out in different directions. The elders walking priest had placed bag in their talons, opened the sky and sent them off. Fly, fly, fly. Not one of them knew where, how long, and for what purpose. They did know they carried the eggs of their world. Before Jinijz ever saw land again he was sure most of the eggs would not survive. But as much as his dreams were filled with the escape that was burned forever in his mind he also saw the kitten from his past lands being cleaned, licked, played with, by a creature that knew nothing of him or his flights.

Luckily Jinjiz was able to catch some needed sleep before her heard the rumbles of the sky. A strom was coming. He could taste it in the air and feel it in his bones. He lifted his head to see Greach walking with more strength in his little legs trying hard to prowl back and forth with his mother Nyr. As soon as Jinijz saw the two Nyr made a sound Jinjiz didn’t understand. He stood, lifted his chin and stretched his neck and wings. Jinjiz looked around and noticed the other cats were gone, most likely to find a place from the storm. Jinjiz did not mind the rain but he realized Greach might be better undercover. Then again Jinjiz had never been in a storm of this worlds.

He looked around the area and saw a few caves in the far rocks. He would guess the cats already took their places inside them. He sang to Nyr, a long cry that dipped in note and volume at the end. They was an under hanging from a cluster of thick trees just past the other end of the open grasslands. Would that work? He sang and nodded in the direction asking Nyr’s opinion.

[Fallenreaper]

At last the fuffball released her tail, tired of his game and now walking on new wobbly legs. Greach was able to walk now and Nyr stared intensely at him, pride filled her chest at the image, unable to contain it her purr ripped from her throat. All previous infraction gone at the moment as she wiggled a single paw in front him, his two open eyes watched the tiny head push up and down following the dangling object. His beak clamped down on air as she lifted it up, taking it out of his reach, teasing him to push his untested legs to new heights.

Swat!

He blinked…stunned slightly from the impact of her soft hit, unsure as he tilted to flop onto his side. Nyr grinned, that would teach him not to bite. Once he rose unsteadily to his feet and snap went his mouth inches from her paw once more. Again her paw swiped out catching him on nose this time causing him to hit the ground, letting out a squeak of surprise. Greach was getting made, his fuzz bristled and his beak opened and closed several times.

Jinjiz caught her attention, his head tucked beneath wing as his snores could be heard clearly in soft muffled whispers by his thin membrane wing. It was briefly as her young cried, yearning for her attention and whizzing squeaks piped out to her muzzle. She lowered against her better judgment as he closed his mouth; bring the chin down on her nose hard enough to bruise it. Nyr yowled in both shock and surprise. Her hind legs brought her body flinging back, scrapping her side against the rock as the cat turned about back to her paws, her front lowered in play. A high pitch squeal erupted; Greach charged forward causing her eyes to widen with exhilaration form her kit’s zeal. His pump body had bounded toward her, carefree but lacking in grace of her species. To her it was still a wondrous sight to behold. So engrossed in play she didn’t registered the warning tingle creeping up her back until her guardian angel’s song made her halt.

The cats moved, their forms darted into small shapes with the growing distance as the storm rolled in. The clouds darkened, blotting out the suns in its temper while winds slapped against the ground rushing to rip away any foolish creature. Sand kicked up from different areas, plant leaves tucked in for vicious element brought forth from their rest, even the rocks seemed to brace for the punishment at hand. Nyr’s body stiffened catching his song and not liking it, ridged as every ounce of her rippled with a need to take cover from the storm. Her nose butted the infant pushing him into the beginnings of a run. She only paused for a moment to twist her body urgently about, slip herself beneath Jinijz even if he didn’t want her to. They had to move quickly or risk being tossed about.

He was heavier than he looked, even built for fly, and she was just as light boned that there was only so much she could hold. Hopefully he latched on as her muscles took off, moving under his perch as she pushed the young one along. He wasn't built for speed like her and the trek would be time consuming. Unless Jinijz could take up the little one so their pace could increase bring them to the entrance of the indictated spot just as the storm’s torrent rains came crashing down. If he didn’t then they all would be slop wet from the sea green rain pouring over them, leaving Nyr, Greach, and Jinijz three very wet and unhappy creatures. Both her and the babe far more exhausted then her hitch hiker.

[tirgesfu]

Jinjiz opened his wings as Nyr nudged him. She was under him and he was not sure he understood her movements. Quickly he took hold of his bag of eggs, opened the top and with a tight swoop he picked up the struggling unhappy Greach and shoved him inside the bag with the other eggs. Greach screeched his disapproval. Jinjiz forcefully took hold of the young chick’s head and pulled it out of the bag. He tied the bag quickly around his neck. Greach yelled. He screamed. He called for his mother. Jinjiz put his strong mouth over Greach’s head quickly for only a second as a way to make sure the young one knew its place. It was time for the young one to submit.

He then slung the bag over his one wing clinging to it with one talon. With the other he gently tried to hold on to a small bit of fur along Nyr’s neck. She was leading, he was sure. As the plants around them seemed to bend over and curl up against the sudden fury of a strange wind. It was warm. In fact to Jinjiz it felt hot. He did not like the strangeness of the air.
The sky above boomed with the same uneasy feel as if the lining of the world was going to fall apart. Jinjiz was not certain if staying on the ground was the best choice. Could her carry Nyr?

He held tight as if riding on the sleek cat. She moved with ease but also with purpose. His claws found the feel of her softness comforting and graceful. Through his talon he could sense the movement of her muscle as she ran. It was a wondrous thing to feel and for a moment Jinjiz forgot the clinging sky danger, until the sky sparked and a sound filled the forest.
Even the rain felt hot as it splashed in big drops onto Jinjiz. He opened his wings even more to cover Nyr as she ran the last few yards to a place under cover. It was not the leaves Jinjiz had seen before. It was a rock ledge that hung opposite the direction of the howling winds. It was a good spot. But Jinjiz hit his head as he tried to stay connected. He jerked loose and slumped backwards a bit before finding his balance again. In the process Greach squealed again. Jinjiz was not in the mood for the young ones’ complaint so he hissed and snapped at the little thing as he pulled the bag around. When Greach wiggled free Jinjiz felt something sticky along the side of the bag.

One egg had broken. Jinjiz spat his disappointment toward Greach. Broken. One of his eggs was spilled all through the bag. Jinijz squawked in disappointment and frustrations. His sound bounced off the wall of the cave as the cats nearby watched him from the distance. But the force of the storm overshadowed his cries as the wind and the rain pounded the entrance of the cave. The air outside stirred as much as the breaths inside Jinijz. He was on edge. He pushed Greach away from him sure if the young thing complained Jinjiz would bite him.

It was Greach that broke the egg and Jinjiz did not want to see the little thing. He opened the bag inspecting things better. He pulled the two pink eggs still unharmed and set them gently inside the rock cave as far away from the wind as he could. He pulled out a yellow one and placed it beside the others. Then he turned the bag inside out letting the shell of white and blue spill between a light thick substance, the inside of the broken egg. As it spilled the wind from the storm caught parts of the broken egg. Suddenly the parts glowed. All the pieces seemed to sparkle just a bit. When the next howl of air and spray of rain filtered into the cave the parts of the cracked egg caught hold of the rain and wind and with a dazzle of color blew off and away from them out into the storm.

At first Jinijz thought he should chase them, gather them back. But the wind and rain battered him to hesitate. As he watched the part of the broken egg fly through the air he could see them almost sprout, almost spread roots as the followed the wind into a new world.
Jinjiz watched amazed. Then he slowly turned to Nyr wondering what she saw.

[Fallenreaper]

Nyr nearly stopped, Greach’s screams made her head twist back to see Jinijz’s mouth muffle it! Eyes tighten as black over white eyes narrowed and warning growl, she knew the sooner her kit learned his place, as the infant was lowest in the pride, the better. The baby was held in the sack of eggs and her body began to stir once she felt his talon grip the scuff of the neck. Muscles shifted, her fur easily glided over the lean movements. She felt his weight on her back like a jockey to a horse and decided this was the way they should always move from now on.

Wind buffed across her fur, ruffling it and parting the long tuffs from her flesh. The air smelled of heat and moisture hung about them. A storm was coming. Paws crossed over into new terrain, rocky and pebbles spread though out her path. Tiny sharp stones found their way into the webbing between her toes, making most of her steps painful as she made a slow trek to the over ledge. A loud boom ruptured though the skies over head as large green tinted clouds rolled in, blocking the suns from view.

Rain fell, one drop soaked her skin as it hit her shoulder, rolling up and down in graceful motions. Flawp, the sound echoed in her ears as Jinijz wings came open effortlessly. They shielded from the brushing of rain that was whipped by the increasing winds, their bodies ducked in as a spark of white hot light streaks ripped up into the sky. Crack! The sound was followed by a deafening roar just as soon as the lightning disappeared. There was little way to predict where they would pop up but it seemed that being under something was best, better if the object was stone.

His talon jerked at her fur, yanking out a few tuffs in her dart in as she let out a small scream of displeasure. Nyr twisted about to face Jinijz release Greach, the ball of fluff wiggled free and squaked out to her. Green goo clang to his ass and the little creature merely unaware of the ridicule he looked. The fury of the world’s storm had began, pushing every living creature swept up in it pass their limits. Nothing was spared the torment while wind tugged and shoved whatever it could around. Crack-boom. Crack-boom. Crack-boom, over and over hot streaks rushed into the air around the cave burning the air around slow enough to be seen coming out of the ground. It looked like a mine field out there with the lightning as the mines.

Nyr merely watched Jinijz, her body in a lounging posture while Greach made his little noise and whimpers in his attempt to bury himself into his mother. It was blue and white that had meant a terrible fate crushed by her kit’s struggles. Her eyes caught the glow from the fragments as if life wasn’t quite over, just began while the scattered the pieces back into the storm with a greedy hand. Jinijz tensed to give chase only to have the wind bar him back. They looked like dandelion fluff traveling to some place better. Dancing almost to her. Tendrils trailed from their puzzles bits, soon becoming nothing more than tiny dots the farther they went. In the morning twenty new trees would appear as soon as the storm was over but for now, it raged on like an endless temper refusing to yield.

[tirgesfu]

Seeds. They were seeds. Jinijz watched in surprised wonder as the insides of an egg flew off into the storm. Part of him longed to gather them back. The eggs were a burden and yet they were a definition of himself he was not sure he was ready to release. When all the eggs were gone his job would be done. Then where would he be? He had little hope he could fly back through the ripped sky and end up back in his nest. Jinijz did not believe he would ever hear the calls of his clan or the soft clicks of his brothers as they settled in for the night. His world was gone. All that was left to him were these eggs. Now the eggs were leaving him too.

He watched the blown tussles dance in the fierce winds, lighting up, and then flying off. He wished he could follow one. He wanted to see where it would land and if it would take root. Thinking that he looked back to Greach. He could guard and encourage the hatchlings. His thoughts followed his eyes as he watched Nyr slide into her pose relaxed and yet attentive. He could not help but feel a slight flush admiration. She was comfortable and yet willing to accept something new and different, meaning he and Greach. He could not help but wonder how long she would have them.

However long, he would take it. He looked away from her feeling as if she might read his thoughts and he was not sure he wanted to share them. Instead he watched the storm. There was fierceness to the rain and sky Jinijz had not seen before. It memorized and frightened him all at the same time. He no longer felt threatened under the stone ledge. But the power of the sky could not be denied. He wanted to hide and yet he wanted to fly through the surges to feel the energy. He knew his abilities were no match for this display. So he just watched.

As it came quickly so did it leave quickly. The settled air sprang to life with the sound of birds singing as if to tell all the storm has passed. The smell and taste was of a fresh moisture filled with washed green and wet soil. Jinijz took just a step outside the cave and opened his wings, drying them and taking in the new feel.

He looked to his bag of eggs and knew someone they should be washed in this freshness. Outside the rocks he opened the bag and allowed each one to roll so very gently into the wet grass. He checked them and touched each gentle. Then he stood over the remaining ones. For the first time he could not help but wonder what each one was.

[Fallenreaper]

Nyr was preoccupied with Greach, the green goo tasted funny on her rough sandpaper tongue while she switched from licking him to her own paw, scrapping the thick material that coated it. Bitter tasting and purely foul as the little squeaker refused to stay put, his bouncing around and attempts to play pulled at Nyr’s tiny bit of patience. Her larger paw came down on the plump body and pinned him to the ground, eyes narrowed with a smirk once she was sure he couldn’t escape. His tiny legs gave a way to the weight while she resumed grooming; thrashing the tongue where green was until at last it was clear of all small blobs of the stubborn muck.

A sensation of peers looking at her caused Nyr to look up, her black pupils on white noted Jinjiz looking her way. He seemed to be depressed, both eyes sparked in their gaze upon each other while her long tail flicked side to side, lazily and slowly. Her body curled up, lifting Greach up in her paws as she lounged upon her back , pressing the youth to her chest. Greach was disruptive as usual, wriggling and squirming before he made his way out of his mother’s grasp. Nyr’s mind didn’t registered the lack of warmth on her body as she made her way up on her four paws, the ground cold against her coarse pads while she pulled her hind leg s back one by one before arcing her back to fully stretch. Something was bothering her pride mate.

Once more her world had celebrated, surviving the changes of the weather and the skies above, while she watched her companion leave the cave. For a moment she believed he was about to fly off making her legs pound furiously, reaching only a foot from him as a new realization washed over the cat. One by one, he rolled each egg on the freshly cleaned carpet of greenery with such gentleness and carefulness that Nyr felt a prod of envy of what he had. Greach wailed, needy and desperate for her affection like some overgrown kitten that needed more and more food. An ear pulled back while her cocked, wondering if her little baby had doubled in size which much to her surprise he had. Inside his small body, muscle turned and strained to work as they should while pulsing with life to survive, he was growing up slightly faster.

Her attention turned back to her winged pack mate, her head at an angle that took him in. his talons pushed the remaining eggs one by one across the wet grass as black scorch marks dotted the land, both the flat and flowing valleys that crossed her world. The other occupants made their way out cautiously, and slowly went on their way except for one pair of eyes. The old male remained, his distance kept so even Jinjiz had little reason to attack him while he too watched the curious sight of the bat stork’s egg roll. Nyr crouched down, her legs bunched and eyes very wanted of the oval shape egg as her head bounced back and forth following Jinijz’s rocking motions.

Greach was impatient as usual, nipping her tail for attention while she kept an eye on his closeness to her tail. He was still teething and it made anything worth chewing in great danger. It was time she taught him what he could chew and couldn’t. First though, she was in a playful mood. Greach was too rough and she needed to teach him the proper way to play with her, and the only other critter that was willing to play with was Jinijz. She paused in wonder at how he played. Was he rough like Greach or slightly milder? Only one way to find out she decided.

Unable to take her eyes off the tempting thing, Nyr braced herself, still eyed the youth mocking her hunched posture only Greach’s prey was her tail. Her tail flicked lazily. Once, twice, and third time as she leaped onto an egg at the same moment as Greach pounded on her tail. His snout collided with the dirt, tiny pebbles scattered and the little fellow let loose with a peep of undignified lose at his disappeared prey. Paws wrapped about the nearest one and batted it to the side away from Jinijz. She wanted him to play with her but she only knew one way to get his attention: the eggs. Nyr managed to glide it a short distance from him, her front paws on either side and her ass rose in a daring way. Her body was screaming for him to come and get it. Greach just looked at her, confused by his mother’s playful display and slowly edged forward for the bait uncaring if Jiniz noticed or would squawk at him.

Something not there before caught her eye, her vision narrowed to a tuff of leafy fluff over the horizon nearby. It was a tree, towering like red woods with a truck as wide as a house and twice as thick reaching just shy of the clouds over head. Bark was rich black brown with branches spreading into an umbrella shape to shelter the ground below. Nyr was in awe. They looked like the very trees that held her world together, that brought both life and death but these were giants embedded deeply in earth.

[tirgesfu]

Jinijz kept his eyes on the cat as she stretched. Her body moved with a long easy grace. Eloquently she felt her own muscles and her own skin. Jinijz was sure she did not even know how her movements interested him. The extension of her hind legs, the way her ears fell against her head, the flick of her tongue, and the way she moved around Greach held his attention. The fact that it did increased Jinijz uneasy feeling. Greach was connected to the splendid cat but was he as well? He looked away again and decided it was best to watch and roll his eggs.

It was with a shocked surprise that he saw Nyr pounce onto his largest egg. What? He froze in horror. His first thought was she was going to try to eat the egg. But instead of jumping to attack her and defend the egg he stood still and watched. He could not bring himself to attack this cat who had opened her world to him. But he could not allow her to destroy his egg. The confussion paralyzed him for a few moments.

As he watched her getting somewhat familiar with her form and the way she moved he began to sense that she had no desire to eat or break the egg. Was she teasing him? Was she testing him? He opened his wings and glided toward her. With tender nips he snapped his beak at her back end. He did not aim for her tail but the slight rise of her muscular thighs. He did not bite hard enough to break her skin but just enough to tuff the fur and find the skin beneath. When he was sure she felt his sharp tugs he let go and shifted back leaning his head away and bringing his talons forward. With his claws he placed both talons on either side of the back side and held on.

Holding on to her he felt her shift in mood before he noticed the trees. He saw her head lift up and her body shiver slightly. He let his tight hold loosen and he followed her head to gaze for the first time at the huge trees. Jinijz felt the newness of the old world tree. How could that be? It was larger than any around it and yet it felt as if it was a small bud just opening up for its first drink of sunlight. It only took Jinijz a minute to recognize the scent. It was from his egg. Just as Greach had known to bond with Nyr to fight for his life, to secure his survival, Jinijz felt a connection to the eggs he carried. He felt that with this tree. He had carried this tree.

It was from the windswept seed this tree grew. He looked from the tree to the eggs and then back to Nyr. Just one look told him she understood. In fact she saw more than he did. He watched her large eyes as they took in the size. On a playful impulse stired by the movements for Nyr, Jinijz suddenly placed his talon around Nyr middle and pulled her close to his body as he opened his wings.

With a powerful bounce off the ground he pulled his cat interest from the solid land and flew quickly up. Fast hard pulls of his wings propelled them up beside the tree. At the near top he placed Nyr on a huge limb. When he was sure she had her feet balanced on the limb he let go and perched beside her. He wanted to show her the view. From this far up he wanted her to look around and see her world. And the view was wondrous, at least to Jinijz. They could see for great distances in all directions. In one direction beyond the rich forest was a plain for wild flowers and grass that slid off to a rocky dry land. In another the forest became a blue green sea. Silently Jinijz looked.

That was until her heard the hiss and squawk of Greach far below and saw the old male cat slink aggressively toward Greach and his eggs.

[Fallenreaper]

She watched him, his muscles pulled and moved with ease as he drew nearer and her paws tighten about the egg. He bit her, gentle as she purred, her body twisted into a flip while her left paw flickered out. Greach just stared, his head cocked and uncertain while his mother moved herself to a laying position. Her body bent in half to hit his nose with a playful yowl, low tone and light hearted from her black lips. Back moved side to side, scattering dust and attempting to remove him from her thigh before she turned her attention back to the new trees.

She felt him release following her gaze, her eyes flickered to Jinijz, noticing his longing in his body. He knew the same thing she did. That was what reminded of his egg, he protected that thing, carried it from she could only guess where. His head looked between the eggs than to the tree, as if connecting the two. It warmed her inside. Her purr continued from his glaze feeling that the two of them were connected, not just by choice but though the moving of her world.

Nyr felt the talons placed about her middle, panic rippled though her body caused it to tense, hair rose several inches off her body making it seem bigger. Her guardian angel had latched on; his wings open to the air while she was paralyzed with fear. She couldn’t strike him even if she wanted to. Her paws left the ground, body very light that he easily moved her into the air and Nyr’s heart froze for a moment. Air whipped about, shuffling her fur and made her relax. It made her think of gliding. It was a short lived as he lowered her to a semi-firm branch, it merely creaked from the addition of more weight.

Nyr stared in awe struck at the sight before her and while her claws tighten, dug into the smooth bark with little difficulty, she knew every place. They all looked so different but her mind told her what place was what. It was the high pitch squeal of Greach that snapped her from the enjoyment of the scene. The male had grown curious and worse yet, took this moment to press his advantage. Too far was Nyr to stop him, his body slinked closer as Greach switched between warning hisses and squawks for help. Every move her kit made was barred by the male. Her body tensed, muscles recoiled as she let loose with long and loud scream of her own. The flatten quills at her side shot out right and rattled. Her front body lowered, giving her a perfect position to glide as she struggled to catch the male’s attention.

It took him only moments and he rushed forward, his canines clamped down on her adopted kit just as Nyr leaped. He shook Greach a few times and darted away just as she landed, eager to chase him off more. Yet it was the lifeless body, her kit was still and unmoving from where he was casted. Slowly she approached. Each step made her worry, drove a nail of fear and blame into her heart, unable to think of anything but the worst. Greach might be dead for all she knew. She failed as a mother and now she lost her first protégé, a black mark and a grievous lost if that was true. Nyr came up on him, gently nudge him and made a small whimpering sound. Her body was shaking unable to uphold itself as it sank roughly to the ground, her paw turned Greach’s body over and over coating with dirty while she hoped and prayed it was merely stunned. In the back of her head was a little something that told her otherwise…

[tirgesfu]

As soon as Jinijz heard the squalls of Greach, Nyr was falling to the ground. He squawked in shocked surprise and concern. With a snap Jinijz opened his wings and flew beside her as she glided down. She landed and went right to Greach’s limp body.

Jinijz had wanted to show Nyr the beauty of her world. He wanted to give her something. Something no one else, at least not one of the other male cats, could ever give her. He gave her a chick as the egg he carried hatched. But it was really she who had given them both a chance here in her world. But the gift of the view turned sour. Instead as he watched her nudge the unresponsive body of Greach, he brought her pain. He dropped the egg to her and made her a mother. Now he took her away and in doing so took the child she had adopted. But even more so, the egg he had carried successfully through the rip of the world, he killed by his neglect. He was more concerned with showing Nyr something that would connect them as he ripped the thing that really did away.

Jinijz could not watch Nyr tap the body of Greach. He had to let his pent up sadness fester to anger. Anger at least he could free. He spun with a quick hop on his talons and sprang to the male cat that was attempting to make an escape. Jinijz flew toward the male right as he was slinking into a cave. Jinijz opened his claws and attacked leading with his talons. His nails dug into the fur of the fleeing cat’s rear end. Jinijz dragged him back. The cat twisted and snarled breaking Jinijz hold but losing a clump of fur. Jinijz was full of aggressive fury that needed to make something pay for the death of an egg. His jaw opened wide and he reached to bit the attacking cat. Both teeth, Jinijz and the cat, found part of the other. The cat’s mouth was full of the leather wing membrane. The pain shot through Jinijz but that only made his fangs dig deeper into the shoulder of the cat. With a burst of brutality Jinijz tossed his head violently swinging the cat and tearing his own wing. Blood flew. Jinijz teeth held. They both rolled. When the pulse of the cat’s fresh blood dripped down Jinijz jaw and neck, Jinijz held tight tasting revenge and death. He did not feel even a small bit of success.

In a quick rip of the dying cat’s chest Jinijz placed his talon on the slightly beating heart that made the liquid flow. With a tearing sound, Jinijz pulled the still beating heart from the cat that had the nerve to attack his egg. Without thought he quickly limped back to Greach with the heart in his mouth. His right wing dangled useless at his side. He placed the warm heart right on top of Greach as the mass of dark red muscle managed a few more splashes. Jinijiz stepped back sure that Nyr would turn on him and finish him off.

She had ever right to attack him. He had been careless. How could she not want his heart beating outside his body.

[Fallenreaper]

Pain…it echoed like a living thing in her soul, seemingly unable to be filled as her snout pushed about the dead shell that was once living and creeping about with life. Her coarse pads gripped the creature’s fluff, nature at its cruelest among her life. Nyr couldn’t bear to bring herself from the body, in capable to tear her sights on the thin creature before her. Memories flooded her mind and tortured a small whisper of a mournful cry to escape her black lips. It etched into the skies, reaching into the clouds far beyond and shook the world itself with the depression of a mother’s loss. Nyr knew Greach was gone.

He was never coming back to her. Never again rise to play with her tail, clamp down upon her tail tip with quick release and crunch. No sound to cry for her attention. Sign of jealously, soft fur combed by her sand paper tongue into neatly groomed wisps and the way his four alien eyes closed with each pass were now nothing but dead orbs that stared into oblivion. Nyr cooed only to be answered by silence. She pleaded only to be reminded and in the end, she didn’t want to move on. Even while her body encouraged, stirred her onto her feet only to be held up by her bones while no will or spirit wanted her to move on from this place of death. Away from this very real, horrifying nightmare that would trail after Nyr.

Movement, a deformed figure hopped and skipped its way to her. the sounds of his ragged wings made Nyr look up to see Jinijz carry something, a fresh heart…a familiar scent only half registered of the elder male that courted her once and the very creature that ended Greach’s life. Her eyes took on a stunned look. This wasn’t right; none of her kind-even most of the creatures in her world- had never taken a life outside of food or breeding purposes. The male had eliminated the cause of her affection, attention that prevented his own genes to advance with the best possibility to live. Her own skill at mothering had been what doomed Greach from the very beginning and in a way, Nyr knew it as it only sank her deeper into a depression. Revenge was a new inexperience aspect that even Nyr could see was pointless. It would only bring extinction, from the times she killed animals, yearlings and old, cripples and healthy, in the name of survival.

For the moment she couldn’t bring herself to look at her angel, his breast feathers painted red with the cat’s blood and dying his wings in her mind. Her black and white eyes narrowed on his wing. It wasn’t right, frayed as she realized the price he paid for his vengeance: his ability to fly long distance. He was now land bound and his victory had splashed against the memory of her kit while he retreated back rapidly like he expected retribution against his folly. The dark blood colored the dull sheen of the once clean fur of Greach. Life was unfair. This mother was discovering this quickly enough and it broke her strength even more like the sea about a stone cliff, leaving little from the endless pounding.

The finalization of what had happened set into her morrow of her bones, making them feeble as her lithe body pulled up to slump posture. Her elegance drained farther while each paw took one struggling step towards Jinijz and then another. The feline was forcing herself to him, a snail’s pace that was painful and was nothing short of eternal. Her paw pads scrapped across the rocky landscape with each one closing the distance between them, slightly sinking into the ground with wet muddy prints behind her, left her past where it belong in the wake of her future. Her heart only half put into it to any that witness.

The body of her offspring was left behind with nothing more than tracks as a statement of his mother’s love. In times like this, Nyr’s species sought comfort in another-likely a male- over the loss of young but it seemed even Jinijz’s light was gone. Nyr felt so alone. She wanted to crumble to one side without a care then to remain upright, her form no longer electrified with that will to live. She lingered in front of Jinijz as Nyr pulled one leaded forepaw up around Jinijz’s neck, pressed the narrow foreheads together for a moment and then her tongue went to licking his fringed wing absentmindedly. The webbing made a rough sound against her grooming; each motion made it an automatic action. This wasn’t approval of his revenge in any form but it was better to move on then remain dead inside. Her eyes couldn’t turn to Greach’s direction even for a moment while they were dulled and unresponsive. The rhythms brought a peace of mind that wasn’t enough. It was wound that could heal with some help and time. Life’s cycle never stopped with the unexpected end of one. Neither could she.