Thursday, February 23, 2006

   Twilight's Descent
(excerpt from chapter 1)

He looked over his shoulder a final time. The pine trees swayed slightly in the evening breeze as though to bid him farewell, and, somewhere in the distance, the crickets had begun their nightly symphony - though it had never seemed quite so solemn. Those woods were the only home that he had ever known. Now he was leaving, and he'd never be able to return. The sounds of the fox clan were close now, and Kagira could just make out their shadowy forms between the towering trees. The last faint traces of daylight faded into darkness, but it brought no comfort this night.

With a disheartened growl he jumped from the branch and raced headlong into the unknown area of forest. He glanced nervously from side to side as he ran without a sound over the thick bed of moss and pine needles. His pace was hindered slightly in this form, but what he lost in speed he hoped to make up in stealth. While this human-like body diminished some of his power, it was quite agile and maneuvered easily through the dense pines.

It was imperative that he find a place to rest, if only for a short while. The trek through the narrowest part of Yamoro's land would be nearly a day's journey, and if Kagira denied himself any manner of repose, he would surely collapse before reaching his destination. Such a
grave error would undoubtedly end in disaster, and the proud fox refused to fall to simple stupidity. There had to be somewhere nearby that he could safely catch some food and a few hours of sleep.

He ran for another mile before becoming acutely aware that the unfamiliar scent he'd picked up earlier was still present; not only
present but it also seemed to be following him. The smell was close, maybe fifty yards behind and to the east. What foolish creature would have the audacity to come after him? 'But.' he thought with a slow smile, 'this will save time hunting. '

Kagira stopped and peered into the darkness; his pale eyes glowed ominously as he sought out the source of the scent. His heartbeat quickened, the exhaustion of the day a memory, as he anticipated the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of a decent meal. He crouched low to the ground noting that the one who followed had halted their pursuit, but it was too late. The creature should never have dared to follow; any demon worth his blood would have known better.

The claw-like nails that tipped each long slender finger began to extend, piercing into the dirt, as his body mass doubled then tripled in size; the large figure soon coated in gleaming white fur. A tail, ten feet in length, swept the ground behind him stirring up thick clouds of dust and pine needles, and massive fangs protruded from the now elongated face. The only recognizable feature that remained was the eyes, ice blue and ravenous.

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