I didn't actually like how the ending for this turned out much; there was only a minute or so to go til the deadline by the time I got there, so I ended up doing a hasty bit of a finish instead of drawing it out a little like I was planning. I'll probably come back and finish it here like I originally wanted to at some point. owo;;
Prompt
These two aren't friends, but neither are they enemies. Rather, a common need has driven them together, joining their paths into one for a short period of time. After all, it's far safer to travel through the wild lands with a companion by your side. Tonight, however, is the last night of their journey - both agree to continue on through the night rather than stop and sleep. It's a dark night - far, far darker than any other seen before on this trip. The two aren't deterred, however, and continue on into the quiet woods.
Excitement is high, and tomorrow they both know they'll be with the ones they've been missing. Neither of them could have guessed at the events that were to unfold here tonight.
As the writer, your job is to RP as either the fiery male or the fall female, and tell what happened the last night from their point of view. The main focus of the prompt, however, is this:
One of the two (either the character you choose to try for, or their companion) must die.
Tell me how, why, what leads to their death?
Excitement is high, and tomorrow they both know they'll be with the ones they've been missing. Neither of them could have guessed at the events that were to unfold here tonight.
As the writer, your job is to RP as either the fiery male or the fall female, and tell what happened the last night from their point of view. The main focus of the prompt, however, is this:
One of the two (either the character you choose to try for, or their companion) must die.
Tell me how, why, what leads to their death?
“Look!”
The mountain range stretched tall and wild, the spine of some mighty animal as it stretched its limbs and howled to the sky. Halfway up their slopes, the pines fell away into the valley below, leaving a desolate land of rocky cliffs in their wake. The fading light silhouetted its craggy peaks in gold – gold that was mirrored in the fiery coats of two traveling ulaya as they toiled up the slope. One, a beautiful golden female with wings like delicate autumn leaves, turned back from the view and smiled.
“We’re almost there. If we travel on tonight, we can make it by morning, and then you can be off to find this pack of yours that you’re looking for.”
“Yes.” Her Moto’undil companion sounded troubled, and the flames that constantly licked at his fiery pelt flickered uneasily, though she knew he had been trying to find them for months now. They continued on, but presently he said, “We shouldn’t travel this stretch in the dark, though. It’s too dangerous-“
“It’ll be fine, Kieran,” she said shortly, then paused to look back. “Hurry up, slowpoke, or I may actually beat you there.” He grinned despite his hesitation, and followed.
Soon they would be at the dwelling of the shaman who lived in these mountains, and everything would be right again.
“Lalaith?”
She looked back, surprised at the strange, almost gentle tone of the fiery male’s voice. He had been a silent companion for most of their journey, though a pleasant enough one, and she was glad she had found him to travel with.
“Why is it so important for you to be there as quickly as possible?”
Crumpled like leaves – like the playthings of the wind, tossed aside when they could play no more. Bright beetle cases and luminous wings, crumpled in the grass that swayed, calling gone, gone, gone.
Breath whistled through the empty husks, longing for the sun and the wind that played in the forlorn skies – until at last, at long last, even breath deserted them for the airy silence.
Silent, so silent…
“Lalaith?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Her blue eyes met his, the unexpected compassion burning softly in them making her flinch, then jerked away. She was trembling, she realized, and turned to continue on. But he made no move to follow her.
“It’s nothing, I said. There’s no reason!” She hissed, golden fur bristling and wings like shriveled leaves trembling feebly. “I just want to get this over with, like you do! Now come on, or I’ll leave you behind.”
“You can’t fly, can you?”
The simple words, the calm, self-assured statement in his voice, hit her hard. She whirled around, breath hissing through her lungs. “It’s none of your business either way. No questions, no answers: that’s what we agreed. I should never have let you come!”
“Let me?” He chuckled. “You asked me. Look, do you honestly think I would have any trouble if I did choose to travel alone. I felt sorry for you, with your fierce words and unexpected frailties. That was all.” His eyes belied the short words, but she refused to see them. She didn’t want this… this male’s pity.
“You… you… you’ll take that back!” They met in a tangle of fur and slithering stones, her snarling and him infuriatingly calm, claws sheathed. Kieran fended her off all too easily. How dare he? How dare he disturb their memory, sear her weaknesses to the bone with that casual tone?
“So you think this shaman will be able to heal you? He might. Or he might not. Let me come with you, in case of the worse. We can search again if we have to. You don’t need to be alone, Lalaith.”
“No… no… no…” There was no way. She pummeled at him with teeth and claws, not feeling the fire that withered her skin with its greedy fingers.
If you had been strong, you could have saved them.
Her paws were cracked and bleeding, her fur singed like charcoal, her breath gasping.
And now? Now you are weak.
“No!”
He dodged the claws that came at his face easily, sidestepped – stepped right into a patch of loose stones that gave way beneath his paws. His flaming eyes met Lalaith’s for an instant, then were jerked away into the darkness. The roaring of the rockslide filled the air, stretching on and on, then… silence.
“Kieran!”
She half-ran, half tumbled down the slope, bloody paws skidding to find purchase. “Kieran!”
His hind legs were trapped beneath the rocks a long, long way down. Flames flickered around him, but weakly. The scent of blood was heavy in the air.
“Kieran…” She gulped, cheeks wet from sobbing. “It’s all right. I’m sorry.”
"I'm sorry..."
She sat with him long into the night.
