[COMPLETE] R E V E R S E #NaNoWriMo2k17

Prompt 2: Tas' Sister

Prompt: How did Tas' sister die?

"Tas, won't Mommy and Daddy be worried?"

"'Cause not. I'm a big brother, aren't I? I'll look after you. Don't worry."

Jasmine still looked concerned, looking down at the ground, but she followed him anyways. Her little legs were constantly tripping over each other as she tried to catch up, which meant that he'd have to drag her back up from the ground constantly, but he didn't mind. It was cute to watch.

"So, have you ever seen the Big Dipper?"

"No? What is it Tas?"

"It's a huge slide, just a little off the village. The best thing is that it's all natural. The slide is made entirely from ice!"

"Wouldn't it be freezing? Will my tail fall off from the cold?"

He chuckled to himself. Their mother was always chastising him about wearing too little in the cold.

"Wear your coat!" she would say. "By the Warden, we're not Tundras."

"No, silly. Ice won't do that. It's only extremely cold temperatures which can cause frostbite."

"What's frostbite?"

He paused. "Imagine your skin turning into ice."

"Owchie."

"Something like that."

He broke into a sprint, catching her by the arm and slinging her over onto his back. He heard her giggling in joy as she bounced. Jasmine wasn't that heavy, since she was so young, but he was still huffing by the time they arrived at the edge.

Just as he remembered, the ground dropped off sharply at the edge, resembling a cliff. But if one were to lean over the edge a little, they'd see a massive ice structure, breaking off the sharp fall, gradually reducing the cliff face to a gentle slope. Moonlight made the slide glow, reflecting the stars above. He set her down, loosening up as he curiously peeked over the drop and yelped, scrambling backwards and falling onto her back with a poof.

"Scared?"

"No! I is brave. I can do this."

"If you want, you can hold my hand. It's really fun, honestly."

She hesitated, before putting her little one in his own. Her claws were warm against his freezing ones.

He sat at the edge, and she plopped down next to him, legs swinging, excited. "Ready? Remember to shout whee!"

"WHEEEEEE!" She squealed as he pushed off. Wind slapped as his face as they shot down the slide at top speed, the landscape turning into a mere blur as the ground rapidly approached. Her grip on him tightened as they neared the end. They shot off the slide together with the speed of a cannon ball and landed in a mess on a pile of snow.

"WOO!" He yelled, scrambling out. He noticed her half buried in the snow and he pulled her out. "Wasn't that fun?

"YEH!" She screamed, hopping up and down in a circle around him. "AGAIN! AGAIN!"

"Alright, you hyperactive lizard," he laughed. "But tomorrow. It's getting a bit late here. Don't want to run into any monsters."

"Hmm. Yes."

They whipped around, staring at the bushes. For a brief second, there was nothing. Then a centaur emerged from the shadows, face deathly pale, a spear at their side and a longbow over their back.

"What are you two doing out here in the middle of the night, hmm? It's be a shame if something were to happen to you." His gaze narrowed down onto Jasmine, who was cowering behind his leg. "Dragonspawn," he spat.

"Leave us alone!" He fumbled for his bow, before cursing. Why didn't he bring it with him?

"Oh, I'll leave you alone alright. It's the hatchling that I want." He took a menacing step forwards, and he braced himself for a fight, raising his fists. He didn't have a weapon, but he still knew how to fight without one. Maybe he could distract it, and Jasmine could run...

Suddenly, a little yellow streak bust past him and he barely had a second to shout out her name when he was on the Centaur, scrambling up its flank. She was tiny, but he was almost the same size compared to the centaur, who yelled as he tried to buck her off.

"Get off me you devil!"

"JASMINE!"

She raised her head, and he head a deafening crack and the centaur shrieked.

"OW! DID YOU JUST FUCKING BITE ME? You SON OF A -"

"JASMINE, GET BACK HERE, NOW!" He ran forwards, but the Wintermane was one step ahead of him His leg caught him in the chest and he fell backwards onto the snow.

He looked up just in time to see the warrior raise his spear above her head. She was completely unwary, fixated on the bite wound on his shoulder.

"JASMINE!"

Down it went. And the night was splattered with blood.