Voices and Visitors|Take Two?

[Fyra Kalis]

{FYRA!}

The tail pouncing was not only irritating, it decided quite clearly for Fyra that this male was quite immature. She swung around and raised her taloned paw, claws extended, but he had moved back. Fyra glared coolly. Her inner vision suddenly snapped into focus and she gasped, jerking her head in surprise. It was rare to take her so suddenly or strongly.

The gryphon before her had taken on an ethereal glow, just faint enough to outline him with copper. Copper? What did that mean? She still wasn't used to her sudden glimpses of things not quite real and present. She was struck again by the mysterious bizarre power of this place. Her fighting instincts faded out and her awareness grew. The bones had taken on the faintest sheen of silver.

She watched the other gryphon chew on some of them, the silver fading into nothing as he destroyed the bones. It wasn't becoming a part of him, as she might have expected food to do, but disintegrating, as if by eating it, he was ingesting ash rather than food. She registered his words. Eat it? No, she couldn't do that. She frowned, trying to understand what she was seeing, but her comprehension seemed uncomfortably limited.

She remembered suddenly that she didn't know his name. "What is your name, kacha-who-eats-gryphon-bones?" she asked. She thought she might start referring to him as such if he didn't give her a name. At least it identified him as something more than him.

Darkness seeped strangely off the male when he spoke again, but clearly the words weren't meant for her. Yes, now shut up. There went the brown ashy void that swirled off of him. Fyra thingyed her head. Rito wasn't real, but then again, in a sense he was. The gryphon-eater was both fed off of and driven by the dark Rito, and yet in a constant state of rebellion against him. Did she understand this right?

Hard to understand, when hunger was gnawing in your belly and something else seemed to be nagging at the back of your mind, but you couldn't quite pick up on it. Was she missing something of great importance or was it simply the storm and the bizarre company driving her mad? Her orange eyes glittered, reflecting refracted light. Strange company indeed.

"You eat ash," she said at last. "Inside and out. I think I prefer my meat fresh and filling." It was not a statement that made sense, and even Fyra couldn't find words to express what she meant and felt. She knew her thoughts as sense and feeling that drove to an impossible end...And none of it could be expressed quite right. Maybe that was the curse of being a dreamer.

She turned back to the entrance, but the silent roar of the storm was deafening. Deafening? What was it about snowstorms that seemed to rock the foundations of where you were standing without making a sound? Maybe that was her own inner thoughts that were slowly eroding the ground that Fyra was standing on, not the storm. Like it or not, she was stuck here.

Number of Words: 544
Things To Know: Hopefully you can follow what I just wrote.
Character: Fyra (and Squeak!)
Anything Else? I would think a gryphon eating a gryphon would be cannibalism. Since their intelligent creatures and all that.

[Shekri]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] /.>*<.\ Shekri glanced up at the sharp intake of breath from Fyra. She was staring at him in a most unnerving manner. What's wrong with her? Did she see a ghost or something? No, she saw you. You are a bit more frightening than a ghost. He shook his head irritably and went back to chewing on his bone. It wasn't his fault he was supposed to have been dead years ago. He didn't ask for his father to turn him into what he was. Then again, he didn't have to go along with all of it. But if he hadn't, would he still be sitting here? If he had let Rito, his father, beat him that night like he always did without lifting a claw in defense would he still be here? Not likely, that beating was worse than the others. You deserved it. You were always causing trouble for me. The brute growled and tossed his bone against the wall, against the wall where is father's apparition had so briefly appeared, where it splintered into several pieces. Soft, cold laughter echoed in his head. Or was it in the cave? He didn't care. It was at that point he realized that the other had spoken to him. Kacha-who-eats-gryphon-bones. That was a new one. "I am Shekri Nunian and I do more than eat their bones." Shekri stood and padded around to the back of the cave behind the steam pools. His shape now appeared twisted and faded in and out of visibility to others on the other side. Others like Fyra. She had seen something. That had to be why she had appeared startled at first. Could she be one of those seers he heard talk of? But it didn't matter, what he needed was a healer or someone who could help him end all this. The moment of clarity faded as his father's presence crept back into his mind. He looked behind himself, through the steam and eyed Fyra. Her squirrel was of no more interest to him. That thing didn't have enough flesh on its bones to even satisfy a dog. No, he was more interested in Fyra. "Ash? Do those bones even look like ash? Well, if it's meat you want there might be pieces floating in these pools. I can't say it's fresh but it's still cooked." A crooked grin spread across his face as he circled to the far side of the pool. Now he could see Fyra now and her reaction. Shekri really couldn't understand how she could pass up meat. Who cared where it came from so long as you lived? Number of Words; 470 Things To Know; His dad was Rito.......Now Rito haunts him. Character; Shekri Anything Else?; Did you read those Wild Magic Quartet books by any chance? Oh and I hope this makes sense and didn't ramble.

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[Fyra Kalis]

Meat in pools? Fyra frowned in confusion. What was the mad gryphon talking about now? At least she finally had his name, though he seemed reluctant to give it. He gave the name Rito easily enough, though she thought that was his insanity speaking. What had she gotten into?

The vision faded out, leaving only the shell of a gryphon before her, lean, hard, and angry. A dangerous combination, but more dangerous to himself, than others. Hate ate holes through a gryphon, leaving them empty and blank...And parched. She turned to stare at the silver bones. The faded light in the cave cast them in dark shadow and she could only see the jagged ends protruding. She thought she heard voices for a moment, but they disappeared as soon as she focused on them.

The place was strange, too close to something that gryphon's shouldn't touch. It reeked of death and power, the pools offering a glimpse into realities better left alone. And yet, Fyra had spent her life brushing against this other reality, sometimes, easily, sometimes painfully. Now it came painfully. Living in a place like this with its thousands of eyes and voices could drive any gryphon mad. It was dangerous. And addictive.


Number of Words: 210. Bleh.
Things To Know:
Character: Fyra (and Squeak!)
Anything Else? Sorry this is so short. My muse is rather dead at the moment...I think along with my brain. Wild Magic Quartet...by Tammara Pierce? (I think that's her name--the person who wrote the Alanna books.) Yep. I liked them, though I think I liked the books about Alanna better. People who know me well joke that I've read every book...though that's not even close to true. Fortunately...else I'd get very bored. ;D

[Shekri]

Devil May Care, I Certainly Don't

She made no comment, and despite himself, he felt a twinge of disappointment. Shekri was beginning to like her terse replies and angry glares. Deep down he realized it was because he was no longer alone but at the surface it was merely because he had to satisfy the urge. Fighting, killing, tormenting, it never ended. Really, it probably never would. From the moment his first breath rattled from weak lungs his father had beat into his mind that the only way to survive was to fight and to kill.

One couldn't go against there instincts, could they? With a crooked grin, he padded right up to Fyra in his usual cocky manner and nibbled a little on the feathers behind her ear. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, just enough to irritate. He rubbed his flank against hers before sauntering away. Shekri's cockiness put him at a disadvantage that was unclear whether he knew it or not. He sat way to close to her, just be a nuisance. What did he care if she added another scar to his already marred pelt?

Yawning, the tiger pelted gryphon stretched out on the floor. He placed his back to Fyra as he turned his head to gaze out at the never ending storm. It always snowed here, always. Shekri snorted in irritation and flicked a rock with his tail, he wished as hard as he could as it flew that it just might smack that odd gryphon who wouldn't share dinner or take his offering of food either.




Number of Words 261
Things To Know Someone's getting too close......And it's an epic fail!!!!!!!!!No Muse, ugh.
Character Shekri
Anything Else? Sorry it took so long, I'm having some family problems right now. The simple summary would be along the lines of: younger brother+anger= mother calling cops. It didn't end well and I've been trying to contact her the last few days to make sure she's fine. Except for a bump on the head she's good. So...yeah. Family's are joys, no? Yeah, it was the Wild Magic Quartet. I love those books. The Alanna books I liked the most and Wild Magic and Protector of The Small both came in tied. I've read all but the Circle of Magic books by her. =)

[Fyra Kalis]

Fyra switched her tail, swatting Shekri against the head and then side-stepped as he tried to rub up against her. Whether he was trying to flirt and tell her he found her attractive or simply being irritating was beyond her. Either way, she didn't like it. She always kept her distance from other gryphons, and having one invade her space irritated her. She was strange and she was used to others moving away from her. She wasn't used to them moving towards her. He sat next to her. She stepped away.

Fyra wandered over to the pools, watching the water bubble and churn. She was hungry, but she wasn't going to eat gryphon meat. Outside, the storm still howled, but she could hear a change in its shriek. It was starting to blow itself out.

Finally, Fyra thought in relief. Squeak and I can leave this place soon.

It wasn't just the other gryphon that bothered her. The place was too powerful. What had first intrigued her was now beginning to wear on her. Voices came and went at the edge of her consciousness and the shapes on the walls moved from abstract to distinct. It was as if it was all trying to tell her something, but it was in a foreign language that she couldn't understand.

She moved away, suddenly uneasy with the whole place. Squeak had curled up comfortably in the thick feathers at the base of her neck. Shekri sat staring out at the snow, and Fyra moved towards him, commenting, "The storm is ending. I guess I'll leave soon. I appreciate you letting me stay in your cave."

She wondered if the last comment was a lie, but it didn't matter. She would remain polite and hospitable, even if the other gryphon didn't.


Number of Words: 311
Things To Know: Short, sweet, and to the point. Really, there wasn't a whole lot I could write about.
Character: Fyra (and Squeak!)
Anything Else? You should read the Circle of Magic books. She's written other, new books since then, too. I liked them all. The books about Alanna's daughter (Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen) were some of my favorites.

[Shekri]

The wind changed, he could discern a change in its howl and the biting cold gusts did not penetrate his fur as it had before. Even as he watched, the snowfall lessened and the sky before him began to clear. Soon he would be able to see out into the small valley that lay nestled just below this cave. In the spring, the valley was lush with plant life and prey migrated there but during the winter these cliffs and valleys were all but barren.

If the storm let up enough, he might be able to find dinner. A nice mountain goat or maybe a straggling caribou. The latter was more likely but he didn't care so long as he had food. After all, you could only go so long without eating.

He turned his head back to Fyra, who had now moved away from him and was standing by the pool. To him she seemed tense, perhaps uneasy. Could she hear them too? If she could, that might mean he wasn't crazy after all. Then again, he thought he was followed by his father so he was crazy any way he looked at it. Shekri sighed and turned back to the snow.

Fyra came toward him and commented on her appreciation for letting her stay. He didn't have much choice in the matter, where was she supposed to go in this mess? If he hadn't let her stay, she could be a frozen icicle by now. Hmm...gryphon icicles.

"Before you go," He said after a moment, his voice oddly quiet, "Do you hear them too? Do you see them?"

Shekri nodded toward the pool as he met her eyes. He wanted to make sure that whatever she said was the truth, he wouldn't be able to stand a lie right now. The rogue didn't want to believe himself even crazier than others called him. Yes he had problems, but he didn't think the pools were a figment of imagination. Wait, those questions alone could condemn him as one of the mad.

"You know what? Forget I asked that, I don't need another thinking I'm crazy. I need to hunt."

He stood and gave himself a good shake before heading out into the dwindling snowfall. Shekri glanced back at Fyra before jumping off the cliff that led into the valley. The rogue was half-way down, the snowy trees the size of small boulders instead of toothpicks, when he snapped his powerful wings open. With a delighted shriek he soared north and out of sight.


Number of Words: 417
Things To Know: Mood Swings! First he's aggressive and rude and then quiet and not so rude. It must his time of month, just kidding. lol
Character: Shekri
Anything Else: I'll try and find those books at the library as soon as they stop losing books I turn in and then revoke my card.

[Fyra Kalis]

Fyra was momentarily taken aback by the strange gryphon before her. His question surprised her and before she could word an appropriate answer, he was changing his mind and turning away. "No, wait!" she said quickly, before he could disappear into the softening snowfall. "There are...powers here. Something strong, like a portal into the realm of the spirits. They drift between life and death, but not enough in life to be more than a...sense. I didn't think you'd noticed."

She wasn't even sure if he had heard all that she said, since he'd already turned away. Ah, well, never mind. So maybe he wasn't so crazy and immature as he seemed, after all. Maybe he was simply haunted too much by the disturbing powers that made this place part past, part future, as it interacted jarringly with the present.

That last thought gave her a mild shiver.

Fyra stepped up to the cliff opening, just in time to see Shekri snap his wings open with a shriek, and rapidly fade away to the north. She tilted her head consideringly, and then asked Squeak, "Ready?"

She received no reply and realized that she hadn't heard from him in some time. She twisted her head over her should and ruffled her feathers. Squeak gave an irritated, "Chirrrrup." Fyra smiled in amusement as she realized that he must have dozed off. Strange things, squirrels.

"Here we go!" she called cheerily, and launched herself out into space. Her powerful wings swept downwards as her strong hindlegs pushed up, and swiftly she beat upwards into the sky. The snowfall had lessened to a soft fluttering of fine flakes, that flecked her back briefly before melting away. Fyra took a deep breath of the sharp, cold air, enjoying the freedom of flying.


Number of Words: 304. Short and sweet.
Things To Know: And...we're done.
Character: Fyra (and Squeak!)
Anything Else? Having my library do that would irritate the heck out of me. Fortunately, we have a really nice library here in my city.