Burimen Brothers – Part II

Click here to read Part I. Hopefully you enjoy Part II, until next time.

 

When I was young, Mother always told me to stay away from the mountain passage but she was no longer around. I made me way to the long, dark tunnel. There was nothing except for the triangular opening on the other side.

I stopped at the entrance and spun around to a screeching cry. I gazed at the deathly beauty of the creature. Crimson scales covered its body, large transparent membrane wings, spikes of irregular pattern followed its spine, four strong limbs with claws as sharp as ice stalactites; and its rider. I bolted into the dark passage.

I ran into the darkness, guided by the triangle of light. The rocks crunched underneath my leather-bound feet, smoke tingled on the back of my throat and my breath echoed through the valley, with the cries of death.

Each step brought me closer to escaping the Wndith. ‘Why me?’ I repeated over my mind as I ran. Thumping steps grew louder, the dragon and rider were at the entrance. I could feel the air being sucked past me; a dark-red glow came from behind me. I was nearly at the end. I put my head down and tried to run faster, the raw power of the earth’s core burst from its mouth. It was about to engulf me, and then a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me away into another opening.

‘Quickly!’ the women’s voice urged.

Down another passage we bolted. Fire screamed past and followed us down the off-road. She dragged me through countless turns, and the flames gradually died down, until it was gone. Darkness surrounded us. I searched with my hands, frightened, led by a stranger.

‘Hello?’ I asked,

‘Just here,’ she responded, calming my hands.

‘Who are you?’

A white glow appeared from her hands.

‘My eyes,’ I complained, jerking away from it. After my eyes adjusted I saw her standing there. She looked like my mother; dark-brown hair to her shoulders, jade-coloured eyes and a round face, in a draping robe.

‘My name is Santhara,’ she responded.

‘I am Hunt-,’

‘I know who you are,’ she interrupted, ‘we have to leave here now, follow me.’

‘How do you know who I am?’

‘Don’t worry everything will be answered soon enough. Quickly,’ she persisted, darting off into the darkness.

I obeyed and followed her away from where we came. I had no idea where she was taking me but it was safer than what was waiting for me in the passage.

We turned down a few more passages and made one long incline. At the top was an opening. The chilled breeze fell down from above, and the smell of smoke stung my nostrils. As we came out of the mountains, my eyes adjusted to the growing day.

The rising sun had filled the colours of the world; Sathara’s robe was deep-purple, my cream-coloured tunic stained with black streaks of charcoal, grey mountains ran as far as my eye could see both ways and underneath us the ruins of Ahuenan, my home, I held back my tears back as I stared.

After a moment of silence, I asked ‘Can you at least answer me one question?’ Pulling at her deep-purple robe. Her facial expression was stern but attentive.

‘What are the Wndith’s?’

She glanced at the burnt village, ‘very well,’ she answered.

‘The Wndith’s are Creature riders. All creatures they tame and control to their aid or entertainment.’

‘But why are they after me?’ I asked with no control over my tongue.

‘That’s a second question,’ she stared at me, with growing anger, ‘but you should know. They are after you becaus-‘

The Wndith’s Dragon flame shot down from above. We bolted back into the cavern – her hands glowed again but I tripped and rolled down the steep decline, knocking her down like rolling boulder.

We crashed at the bottom, Santhara was quick to stand.

‘You’ve always been clumsy,’ she smiled staring at me. I was confused, ‘always,’ I repeated back at her. Another fireball shot down at us, I rushed to my feet and darted after her.

‘Why?’ I asked, struggling to grasp air, ‘why are they after me?’

‘Not now!’ she snapped.

Santhara led me through the darkness, into the unknown and chased by a Wndith and its Dragon.

 

 

DWTSmith #amwritingfantasy