Song- Torn To Pieces, Pop Evil
Her lavender hair was falling from its tight braids but Lithias couldn't be bothered to fix it. Instead she allowed it to brush across her sharp cheek bones as she stared blankly at the water in front of her. Her own reflection looking back was an unwelcome sight at the moment. Her features were sharp, too sharp, thanks to their angular structure and the lean winter this had turned out to be she was thin and lacked her normal muscle tone. That wasn't what bothered her though, not even the near black bruises under her eyes or the dried blood trailing down her face and chin where she had smeared it wiping her tears.
What bothered her was the look in her multicolored eyes that made her breath catch in her chest. Her body ached but her soul ached more. She wasn't usually this weak, or at least she told herself she wasn't, but today she had lost everything. There had been a time where she'd given into the darkness in her mind, almost let it consume her entirely but she was better than that now. She forced herself to feel it as she accepted what had happened to the best of her ability. Instead she tried to focus on her eyes again, the colors that reflected multiple shades of purple and even hints of a rosy pink. She wondered what others saw when they looked at her, her fathers bind pulsed in the back of her mind, concealing the most unique of her features. Her hair, while strange, she knew was left uncovered. Her father had told her before that he didn't possess the type of magic to completely conceal her long term.
The distraction only lasted momentarily before she felt the weight of the world fall upon her again. She had no destination, limited supplies, two large beast to care for, and an entire army after her. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the rocks behind her. It would be nearly impossible to see her unless you walked up from the stream itself, not only would that make a lot of noise but her companions would surely let her know before it could happen. Likely by bringing her the head of anyone who dared. As she reclined she couldn't help but feel guilty she'd dragged the two into this. She was dangerous, not just because of the threat of her enemies but the threat that lied in her blood as well. The two innocent brothers didn't deserve the madness that might come with being permanently bonded to her.
She heard a grunt further down stream and looked to see one of her companions sitting on his back legs and eating a rather large fish. Aakine was the smaller of the two brothers but not by much. Kilthra were often compared to a bear crossed with a wolf and that wasn't necessarily wrong. His front legs were larger than his back and his paws were more that of a bear but his form and general features were more canine. Still you couldn't call anything canine that was sitting like he was, eating his fish with his two massive paws holding it. There were some traits that further separated them from any other species. One of the most notable was their senses that are much more powerful than any normal forest dwelling creature. Another would be their markings.
Aakine and his twin brother were beautiful and in Lithias opinion they only got more so with age. Her boys were hardly considered adults, more like adolescents, not nearly a pup either, but their coloration already had her longing to see what they would end up with in a few more years. Aaakine was snow white from the tips of his ears and nose fading into a pale blue grey at his chest. There a thick ring of bushy cobalt fur formed a ring around the base of his neck, this quickly darkened to black over his shoulders and most of his body. His legs however were what she thought was most beautiful fading from black to grey with speckles of a darker blue color mixed in. Aaakine was beautiful and the more elegant of the two boys.
Kilthra were prideful creatures and his brother was more obvious about it. In fact, all Magkin were prideful. Magkin were creatures descended directly from the beast of Magic that once ruled the world. Before the rise of the Three Species, that now rule the planet. These mountains are one of the only remnants of the old world, holding the living descendants of those that came before. That's why her father had settled here with her mother when she was born. Her mother was half human and despite her features, though distinct, were something that she could conceal on most days with some minor magic, even if it was a constant drain on her essence. Lithias... she could be concealed but never hidden, the type of essence that flowed through her, the mark symbolized by her eyes, would never hide for long.
Lithias finally sighed and leaned forward to clean her face. Her father had always said her eyes were like geodes in the way they shined with patches of varying shades of lavender and purple/pink. She had always wanted to find one since then. None had ever shown up at their trading post however. Standing was a painful affair but the ice cold water had put a new sense of alertness into her mind. Clearing the fog in her mind was even easier when the shooting pain in her thigh made itself known once again.
She sighed looking down at it. This was the real reason she had stopped at the river. It was nice to rest for a few moments out of prying eyes but she was still too close to settle for the night. She had been forced to stop when the massive burn on her right leg and hip appeared out of almost no where. She had been so drained of essence she hadn't even noticed her magic had failed to protect that section of her body from the flames of her home. She hadn't even felt it until she finally stood from her breakdown in the trees. The burns were the worst on her actual hip and the outer part of her upper thigh though there were blisters littering her abdomen and a severe burn that stretched down half the length of her thigh.
She had been forced to stop and dress it not out of pain but due to the exposure from her ruined clothing. She'd bandaged it the best she could with almost all of her wrappings packed, not even thinking about dressing changes at the moment, and then pulled on a new pair of wool stockings, a new set of thick fur lined legging and finally two new undershirts and a new black tunic that hung to her knees. It had slits on both sides to her waist where it was tied to her thin woven belt. She had two water skins and a half dozen daggers strapped along both sides. Along her back hung both her bow and her fathers sword. It was heavy but she was skilled with it when she had been stronger, her father had ensured it.
Also on her left hip sat a small pouch containing two vials of grey ash-like powder. She was tempted to wash a small handful down with some water but the pain killer was potent and limited. She needed a clear head and her pain right now was bearable in comparison to the pain in her chest. Approaching Aakine she reached out to stroke his massive neck as he finished the last of his meal. He looked down at her as he licked his massive snout. She could feel that he was sad and concerned about her. She wanted to reassure him but she would never lie to Aakine, he was her brother, one of the only family members left.
She whistled lowly and turned to face the trees further downstream. A massive form appeared quickly. Othanis was larger than his brother by several inches and was generally broader. He was visibly stronger in comparison to his brother, starting with black at his face and fading to a deep cobalt along his body, his tail and legs were the same speckled pattern as his brothers. Aakine meant 'Wisdom' in the old language of the mountains, and Othanis meant 'Strength', Lithias was of the opinion they were fitting names for the pair. She had raised them herself, after her father found when their parents and most of their pack were wiped out by hunters years ago in a valley a few days ride from her home. They'd been incredibly bonded with her from the start and at five years old they were the first locked bonds she had ever created magically.
Othanis came to her side, also cleaning the remnants of a meal from his face, and lowered his head to gently bump his forehead against her uninjured side. She reached out and scratched his ears, accepting his comfort before beginning walking again. She had no real destination in mind but decided that she needed to put as much distance between herself and the soldiers pursuing her. They wouldn't know who she was in relation to her father thank to her destruction of evidence but they would know that a sorcerer had been around or even a very talented mage, and recently. For that reason she pressed on in the only viable direction on foot.
The path south was rough and long as it winded around the base of the mountain to avoid major cliffs and obstacles such as wildlife. Lithias would not have the latter problem but being as she did not have a horse and was currently injured she needed a path that was smoother for the moment. She could ride atop the Kilthra if she absolutely had to but it would slow exhaust them tremendously. The trio reached where the stream reconnected with the main river just as the sun hit its peak. They didn't stop for longer than a few minutes for Lithias to drink and pull her dark grey cloak back on. She would be easier to spot in the daylight and she needed the extra warmth, even with a large hole on one side the cloak provided some shield against the wind.
There were lingering clouds but she paid it no mind and managed to force herself to eat a few pieces of jerky as she led the group along the bank until late afternoon when they came across a split in the river where a landslide had once dumped massive boulders into the river. The water was quick moving and frothy. Lithias was less worried about slipping when she darted across than she was about being out in the open for the few moments it would take. Her boys wouldn't be suspicious unless one was close enough to see their bags tucked in their thick fur but she would be a clear target.
She had gone to great lengths to cover her tracks magically, a strain she was suffering for more as the day went on, but it would be all for nothing if she was spotting leaping across the rocks like a juvenile Vilramen. She sent Aakine across first and he made the distance seem small with his massive leaps, taking it in two bounds and then crouching on the other side with his ears up and snout in the air as he searched for any signs of pursuers. Othanis stayed by her side and watched her back as she went. Her pack felt like a ton of bricks as she hopped painfully from bolder to bolder. Her footing was poor but she had done this enough times that she managed even with her injured leg. She had just climbed down on the other side when she heard a shout.
Whirling she heard a thunderous growl come from Othanis who was still on the other side. She could feel static in the air and the hair on her neck stood on end as she felt magic charging in the atmosphere around them. Keeping her body shielded by the rocks she tried to peak out the best she could with Aakine looming over her. He was growling lowly and actively attempting to keep them both from being spotted. She knew he wanted to help his brother but his brother was the strongest of them all, he had the best chance to make it across fighting. She looked up just in time to see three figures break the treeline on foot. One had a bow aimed at Othanis, arrows were useless against his massive fur and musculature so Lithias looked at the other two.
One was lingering back and watching the back of the other with a broad sword in hand. The other held his hands out in front of him and chanted under his breath. In his palms a flame began to form it was red and nearly blinding to look at. This was enough to concern Lithias. As the mage conjured his flame the other shot off an arrow. Othanis was on him in seconds, ripping his head off with a seemingly effortless bite. He swiveled to face the mage but he hadn't needed to charge as Lithias scrambled on top of the nearest bolder. Having no need for incantations she summoned her own flame, white with the slightest hint of purple, and shot it in an arch over the river. It reached her opponents in record time.
The mage had no time to ward or deflect as he and his companion were engulfed. Othanis wasted no time in crossing the river and urging her into the trees with his brother on his heels. Blackness swelled in Lithias vision. Aakine crouched and allowed her to climb on to his massive back and cling to his pack for grip. He was strong but her weight would slow him down. His brother was stronger but the better fighter so he was better unburdened as much as possible. Lithias looped her arms under the straps just as the two began to run. Her eyes flickered close as her body shut down from essence drain.