Amaryah's Awakening

Chapter Seventeen

The Sacred Forest, Kozantei, Fourth Quarter, Andromeda Galaxy.

Amaryah

A chill crept up Mya's neck, she was being watched. Artemisia stiffened beneath her, tail coming around Mya as if to protect her, its blue flame grew brighter and now flickered to life along the entire length of the kyeet's spine. Mya felt no heat from it even though she was seated on her companion's back. Reaching towards her with her gift she felt protect, it came from her in red hot spikes as if she sensed a nearing danger. Mya did too, she'd been focused on the biggest moon that peaked through the heavy canopy above, Xentos. The feeling or wrongness had caught her off guard but now the stillness felt stifling as if it knew of her and did not approve of her presence. She fixed her eyes on the altar below expecting the Horcus to show there. Her mistake.

There was a shift near her, and Artemisia spun to her left – whipping Mya around causing her neck to strain from the change in trajectory – her eyes blazing and mouth opening into a roar. The air around them crackled with a blue electric current and Mya's hair stood on end. Artemisia was ready to attack, a blue flame roared to life between her exposed teeth but Mya pressed a small hand to her neck and pushed, calm. The flame stuttered out, with Artemisia letting loose a harsh breath of smoke that curled into the cool air.

The thing standing before them was one of the Horcus' pets, she'd been warned by Zogan and Nezerra to follow its instructions, the last thing she needed was for Art to hurt it. The thing had pallid grey skin, almost like rotting flesh. It was a little smaller than her on the kyeet, and Mya was grateful, for the size of her new companion. It had two arms and legs both ending with long clawed digits. The eyes on the man-thing were sewn shut with thin streaks of orange paint over them running onto its sunken cheeks. The same orange paint circled its upper arms. It stood before her naked, but Mya could see no genitalia, only a twist of scar tissue that suggested castration. She winced.

As if sensing her focus by some otherworldly ability it turned and walked ahead, a flick of its curled digits indicating that she should follow. She squeezed her thighs slightly urging Artemisia forward, her tail was still wrapped around Mya protectively and she projected unease and worry. Mya rubbed her side tenderly, already growing attached and feeling affection for her. The thing led them deeper into the forest, there was still preternatural quiet around them.

They followed for a long time with Mya once again glad for the blue flames from Art so she could see the grey figure up ahead. It blended in perfectly with the darkness and the tall tree trunks around them. They came upon a cave that rose out of the ground like a waiting maw. It did not blend into the surroundings and seemed to permeate doom and caution to any who dared to enter. Of course, the grey thing walked straight into the entrance, just her luck.

She climbed down from Artemisia who was too big to fit inside and rubbed her head, leaning forward she pressed her forehead to Art's, who huffed a breath and looked into her eyes with piercing clarity as if to tell her to be careful and that she'd be there, waiting for her when she exited. Hopefully, she would leave the cave alive, this was the Horcus after all. It did not bow to anyone's rules but its own. Not even the elder's rules.

The walkway - carved out of the hard rock - was lit by torches along the wall, the only sounds were Mya's footsteps. The thing leading the way did not make a sound. How did it do that? She squinted, trying to get a view of its feet but the floor was too dense with fog. They reached a hollowed out cavernous room. It was dimly lit, and the stench of rot was strongest there. Darkness hugged the room making sight difficult. A shadowy figure stepped forward to meet Mya, who realized then that her beast-guide had disappeared while she'd been trying to look around the room. She was completely alone with this...thing.