Mystic

Omens

Mi'anna clung to Yousin, gritting her teeth to keep herself from digging her nails into his belly as he galloped through the trees. It didn't take long for them to get back to her home, Yousin eventually had to slow down, having exerted himself from the run. "Here we are, m'lady." Yousin panted, holding a hand out to her to help her down.

Mi'anna slowly got off his back, her hand squeezing his tightly, not caring if she would break his fingers or not. "I..."

"I'm sorry, Mi'anna... did I go too fast?"

"You almost hit like ten trees!"

"I dodged them!"

"Hardly! I'm pretty sure I almost lost my leg back there!"

"AHEM!" The two stopped their bickering long enough to look up at Nori, her little hands on her little hips as she hovered nearby, glaring at them. "I have a guest sleeping and healing, thank you very much! So, if you're going to bicker about who almost took whose leg off, do so ELSEWHERE."

Mi'anna stared at Nori like the sprite was high. "Excuse... me?"

"You heard me, young lady!" Nori pointed at her in a stern motion before turning around and zipping up into the little house.

"I... just got told off by my own sprite..." Mi'anna looked at Yousin, confusion and offense written all over her face.

Yousin tried to stop the smile from appearing on his face and stop the laughter that rolled from his belly and out. He held his gut, finally breaking as he burst out in tear causing laughter. "You should see your face right now, Mi'anna!"

"I..." Mi'anna looked up at her little treehouse, wondering how to respond to Nori.

Yousin patted her on the top of the head before slowly walking away. "You've had a long day, Mi'anna, get some rest and I'll come check on you tomorrow if I can." And with that, he was off into the trees.

Mi'anna turned and watched him go, a little surprised by him. With a smile, she turned and went inside to check on Caao.

Caao was asleep, the little snake was heading out to claim a newly grown tree out by the edge, Mio and Nori were in their tiny hammocks asleep as well. Mi'anna rubbed her tired eyes, trying to stay awake while the sun was still up. She walked out onto the porch, a wool cloak wrapped tight around her as the air grew colder. "Is winter coming along already?"

A strong wind rushed through the trees, blasting Mi'anna with a cold chill. She braced against it, looking up when it passed by her. She frowned, the chill that ran down her spine was different than the usual cold chills. "All Mother, why do you send omens like this?" Running a hand through her curly hair, she climbed down until her toes touched the grass. As soon as her toes touched the ground, she could hear them, the trees spoke to her, begging her to keep watch over them. She reached out, touching a tree near her home. "I promise to do my best." Her voice was soft and pained as the voices of the trees took over her head. She quickly climbed up her tree, needing to get her feet off the ground to get relief.

The next morning came too quick for Mi'anna, but she was up early, brewing tea for herself and a medicine for Caao. The smell of the tea woke Mio and Nori who fluttered around her, finally giving into their sleepiness and curling up against her neck on either side. Caao stirred as well, slowly sitting up so he could see Mi'anna. "The sprites took good care of me, I feel brand new."

"If you get hurt like that again you'd best hope you have an offspring. If you leave my southern border unguarded, I'll bring you back from the dead and kill you myself."

Caao's brows knitted together as he stared at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll try to keep the humans from bringing magic and barbarians again."

Mi'anna glared over her shoulder at him. "Oh, boo-who. Aren't you the big bad air guardian? Just steal their breath."

"Remind me to never give you access to the air." Caao cringed just thinking about stealing anyones' breath. "That's ruthless, I thought the All Mother said you would be kind."

"That is kind. I could drown them instead." Mi'anna shrugged and sipped at her tea. "Come, I have an ointment for you, but I also need to see your wounds in truth."

"Have you fully recovered?"

"We're talking about you, not me. Focus." Mi'anna walked over to him and helped him up before leading him outside. They walked in silence for a few moments, before they reached a small clearing just beyond the pond behind her home. "Change."

Caao rolled his eyes but walked to the center, turning to face her before he breathed in, wind howling around them. The wind rushed Caao, whirling around him until Mi'anna had to shield her eyes and hold the two sprites in her hand so they wouldn't be thrown away. When the wind died down, a serpent like beast stood before her, it was covered by thick white fur that was speckled with silver. Two long whiskers hung from the end of his snout, slowly moving with the wind. He watched Mi'anna as she stepped up to him, touching the soft fur that covered his long body. When her fingers met his fur, two long wings spread out, creating a covering for her to duck under. It was then that she saw the gash that went from behind his front leg to half way down his stomach. "How did this happen?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, just thrust both hands forward, burying them in the softness. Mio and Nori clung to her shoulders, lending her what magic they could offer her. Mi'anna borrowed from them as little as possible as her hands glowed a soft blue, her magic threading down the gash and pulling the skin back together. "I don't sense anything buried within, I don't think an arrowhead, or a sword tip broke off beneath your skin."

Caao growled, the whiskers moving frantically now as the pain set in. He looked back at her, watching the gash close up. "I'm going to spread this ointment on the cut, it should keep it from getting infected or scarring. If you feel ill or too much pain, come see me again." As she spoke, Mi'anna was smearing the gross looking brown muck into his fur along the wound. She ignored his protests, knowing he loved his presentation. "Let it sit for the day and then take a dip in water, it'll come right out. Ask the harpies nearby to help you keep watch until you're back in tip top shape."

Caao dipped his head to her, his wings fluttering a little in warning that she should back away. When she dipped back into the trees, his wings slammed down, giving him an easy lift. Another flap and he was level with the treetops, another and he was twirling into the air above them. "I don't know who I like more, him or Zartuch. The way they look, that is." Mio whispered, picturing the two beasts' side by side.

"Don't let Caao hear that, or Zartuch for that matter. They're always arguing over who looks better in their true forms." Mi'anna laughed softly as she walked away from the clearing, her footfalls faltering a moment when the trees whispered to her once more.

The two sprites turned to look at her, tilting their heads curiously. "Is something wrong, MiMi?" Mio put her hands over her chest, clenching her fists as she watched the bigger female with worried eyes.

"No, no. Everything is fine." Mi'anna turned in a slow circle, her chest tight with anxiety. "I need to go North... I think, for a day or two..."

Mio and Nori exchanged glances, frowning for a moment. "Can Faziar not handle whatever it is? The West still needs some healing." Nori whined, putting her hands on either side of Mi'anna's nose.

Mi'anna sighed softly before nodding. "You're right. I'll rest for the remainder of the day and then we can go to The Edge to help the forest rebuild." 

The two sprites squealed in excitement before zooming away back towards home. Mi'anna followed after them, her steps lighter than they had been a moment ago. She trotted by the pond, a foot landing barely in the water. When the water lapped at her foot, an agonizing pain burned through her, nearly taking her to her knees. She recovered and held her head, sweat collecting on her forehead as she gripped her head. A haunting howl cut through her mind, sending a similar chill down her spine as the one from last night, filling her with dread. "All Mother..." She panted as she recovered herself and darted up into her tree, wanting to get away from the whispers.

The rest of the day wasn't as relaxing for Mi'anna as it was for her sprites. All she could picture when she closed her eyes were sharp white teeth against flowing red and orange colors. "I feel like... I'm having deja vu right now... and it won't stop..."