Well met, twerps.
Name's Azalea Husniria, of fourteen name days. Princess, many call me to this gorgeous face, and 'jerk' behind the back. Peons' drivel.
My pursuits had been quite simple, some might say: havin' fun with my little bro Dastra at the...
The girl was dressed all in black, all alone but for the fiery pack of wolves that would not leave her side for very long; their flickering bloodshot eyes affording some measure of light in this path of darkness that she was somehow treading.
One of the wolves, she noticed, was little more than a pup. It trotted alongside the others with a noticeable limp on one of its hind legs, the cause long forgotten.Multiple times it had occurred for the girl to carry it in her arms... but then one of the other wolves would snap their teeth at her, often with a growl, as if imploring her not to engage in such display of amity.
The girl was outnumbered, weaponless; she had to relent, or risk being devoured then and there. Alone.
'Thank you,' the girl forced herself to murmur after leagues of gravely silence, 'for keeping me company thus far and not devouring me... just yet.'
The largest wolf flashed her a long stare, nipped her playfully at the left little finger, then silently quickened its pace, as if offering to scout ahead. Some of the others followed, leaving this girl with but two other wolves, the limp one included.
Still she had not stooped down to carry it; that earlier prohibition having become something close to natural for her by this point in time.
It was then that she perceived the new arrivals, coming from outside the shroud of darkness that the girl was in: five lions, three of them male. The largest of which, sporting a large mane that seemed to glow in the darkness, lost little time in roaring its defiance.
The largest wolf paused in its turn, howled (which was taken up by every canine but for the pair staying by this girl's side), before bounding to meet the intruders, followed closely by four others. From the lions' side, two of the three males advanced to the challenge following another roar, louder and fiercer than the last, in effect lifting some of the dark mist.
'Wait... No!'
The girl raised her hand to restrain the pack; fiery or not, these beasts had been her sole company since longer than she could recall! Were they truly going to leave her alone now, after all that they'd been through together..?
Yet that was precisely what was now unfolding: the lions seemed to have it all--size, strength, and the vigor of protecting their pride members besides. The gnashing, snarling wolves were soon to be made short work of.
'NO!!'
The girl's outstretched arm became a clenched fist, its owner wishing that she could find anything at all that might stab, crush or at least maim these beasts... which now turned their fiery gazes at her, paralyzing her as they advanced sedately for the final kill. The nearer to her that the animals got, the more vivid their bared fangs become visible.
As the largest lion leapt with a bestial roar towards its quarry, a huge black tail swished from behind over the girl's head, batting the lion away with impunity. The lion got up, shaking its head, warier this time. Gingerly the girl too turned... only to find that one of the wolves remaining with her had morphed into a humongous flaming dragon; the limp wolfling less than a pinprick beneath the shadow of its crimson-membrane wings, yet was in no way harmed.
The dragon hissed, steam escaping through its blade-like fangs, and yelled out as it opened its jaws to engulf the girl in turn with black flame swirled with red...
'DARN YOU!!!'
The girl screamed, unbidden. Darkness reigned; the lions stood unchallenged.
***
In the waking world, a lady was jolted awake in her bed, panting and thick with perspiration, her light blanket thrown away in the process. It was just a little after midnight, she gradually realized; the candle flames in her chamber flickering almost lazily.
She felt she could congratulate herself for having taken the precaution of securely barring the door, and did so in a voice between a whisper and a snarl.
"The heck... Why am I still havin' this kinda dream, recent attempts notwithstanding..."
This lady, Mirani Ernavia, also came to realize that her own left hand was still outstretched in an attempt to shield her face from some imperceptible foe. Now she used the back of it to wipe some of the cold sweat off her forehead.
'Mama Viper' was her sobriquet for those who had the luxury of knowing her better--and few dared to, with reason.
"As I thought... Been dealin' with laughable goons so far, but such visions might not cease before the arch-enemy bites the dust! Heck, 'bout time to take out some o' the bigger rocks, then. Be it so!"
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