Lunar Heart, Shadow Bound ✓ [when the moon lies]

Ch.3.1: The Survivors

Edited: Aug, 24, 2020

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Pinti jolted awake. Confusion muddled and mixed in her head. She heaved herself up when a paw pushed her back down.

"Pinti, stay down, it's not safe."

Not safe? But the clan has always been safe. She squinted her eyes, trying to see Kirlan and another next to him. She tried to speak but it was hard to move her mouth. The scent of burnt wood filled her nose as orange flames consumed houses. Red Edgling eyes flickered in and out of the darkness. Blue Kathula were occasionally illuminated, their faces contorted in fear and anger. Their yowling and screaming slowly grew until they were clear.

Pinti blinked, widening her eyes at the scene before her. Amidst the pouring rain, clan grounds were in a frenzy of red-eyed Edglings, blue Kathula, and orange and red flames. Yowling, screaming, hissing Kathula mingled with the cackles of Edglings. On the ground lay some blue clumps which black shadow beasts hovered over. It was then she heard teeth crunching bones. Turning her head, she saw before her in the firelight, only a tail's length away, an Edgling devouring the body of two Kathula. Her paws began to tremble when she recognized those white pawtips and those stripe patterns along the tails.

"T-Tendri?" She trembled. "Mother?" Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. It couldn't be real! This was all a bad dream and she just wasn't awake.

Suddenly, Kirlan grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

"Get up! We have to go!" he yelled. "Run!" But she didn't understand what was going on and let him drag her out into the rain. It blurred her vision and she wiped the water away. She looked over her shoulder in time to see a male Kathula bristle and launch himself at a black, shadowy beast with thorns all over its body. The Edgling writhed and threw the Kathula on the ground, but he launched at it again.

"Pinti, let's go!" Kirlan tugged at her. She tore her gaze away from the fight as they made their way up the hill through the pouring rain. Mud made the terrain slippery and many times they fell, but Kirlan yelled at her to keep moving and she blindly clawed her way up the hill as heavy mud caked her fur.

A beast's growl echoed in her chest, startling her to a frenzy and she scampered up the hill toward the house. Kirlan was lagging behind, but he kept telling her to go, to run, and to hide.

Pinti pulled herself through the mud and rain. The scent of wet soil, Makiista Clan, and blood filled her nose. Rain, thunder, cackling Edglings, fearful Kathula, and a dreadful crunching sound filled her ears. What was going on?

Once she got to the top, an explosion sent waves of heat onto her back, flattening her to the ground. Every house of Makiista that sat for generations were burned and amidst the rain hungry flames devoured wood. All that was left standing was her home on the hill.

"Don't stop!" Kirlan was panting and frantically pulling her up. She smelled sour fear wafting off of him as they hurried to the house.

"Kill them, kill them all!" came the voice of her family's Saboteur. Kathula let out yowls of pain and fear. The sound gripped her heart. Pinti stopped running and turned back around. Wasn't it her duty to put her clan first? She couldn't just go and hide! She had to go back and fight. She had to protect Makiista.

"Pinti," Kirlan insisted, "we need to hide. We can't fight against them."

"B-But," She finally found her voice, "the clan needs me."

He let out low growl. "But what can we do? Kathula can't hurt with magick and Edglings are too strong. We will lose. To survive, we have to hide."

Dread sat in the pit of her stomach making her nauseous. He was right. Edglings were much larger and stronger. When she realized the reality, tears filled her eyes, pushing themselves out so much it hurt. She couldn't do anything. Kirlan stood beside her, holding her paw.