The Well
by @Brisby
Midnight barbs hooked Sedra’s duster as she sped through the bramble underbrush atop Nox. Errant envy for her psi-meleon’s iridescent scales fluttered within her mind. Perfect. I'm going to look like a bedraggled porcupine.
Beneath her legs, Nox’s sides twitched in time to the clicks his tongue made. His right eye rolled back to meet her gray gaze, mirth shining within the amber orb.
“Har-Har, my impudent beastie.” Sedra flushed, blonde brows furrowing with disdain while kicking a thrasher vine from her boot.
“I couldn’t give a trotter’s tail if Blayne has a thing for quills. He better have a damned good reason for trespassing into our Catacombs.” It didn’t take a psionic bond to interpret Nox’s responding chortle of clicks. She snapped back with a huff, “Who taught you about that? See if I rustle up eels for you anytime soon.”
Rumbling deep within his throat, Nox tensed and sprang to the left. Claws dug into the thick ochra bark of the tree before scrambling up to the outspread branches. His tail waved, readying for a leap before easing down to lie along its length. The frustration radiating from his rider ignored to admire the back of his eyelids.
Sedra clung to her mount, her excitement to be taking the treeline route thwarted by the lizard’s love for his favorite treat. “Nox! This is NOT the time for a tantrum!” Snaking out, the psi-meleon’s tongue hung limp from its mouth, letting her know that he could do this all day.
Bristling, she channeled a fine line of energy to the tuned topaz on her wrist. A bit of rezzing would get his stubborn ass up. Threading the loop with her mind, the aquamarine gem began to spark. Before she could release the resonation to zap Nox’s toe, he slid from his perch to hang upside down from the branch. His smug clicking dared her to go ahead and try it while they were dangling a hundred feet above the forest floor.
The soft light dimmed within her topaz. Like hers, his was an empty bluff. Keeping her grip tight, her thumb rubbed Nox’s hide in capitulation. “Alright!" she growled. "Three eels before bed if you can get us to The Well and back before they notice we’re missing.”
Triumphant pride purred within the air. Nox swung around to the branch’s top, tensed and leaped the expanse to the neighboring tree. Thrilling from the feel of the wind in their faces, the two raced towards the forest's edge. Both girl and beast let the rush of the journey override their unspoken dread.
Beyond the green was a showdown with a man who had been their friend. Within moments, they'd be facing their betrayer. One who had abandoned them to fend for themselves so that he could take possession of The Well.
Nox neatly leapt down to the red earth and taking a few steps to bleed the momentum, stopped. "That was nicely done." Sedra stroked the scaly neck in appreciation. She looked around the small clearing, the ruins looked ominous. There was no sign of Blayne except for the thin red beams of power crisscrossing the whole clearing.
"Looks like I will have to go it alone." She dismounted and using her topaz to bend the beams she moved ahead. Though she jumped over or crawled under half the beams of light it took her five minutes to reach the broken gate.
When she stepped through she noticed the light shining from a broken window and walked towards the room. Blayne noticed her, even with the shields she had raised, and stepped out.
Why do you need to meddle in everything?"
"You are a traitor who hurts the very people who gave him food and shelter."
"After five years you still bring it up. Yeah the brothers took me in. But I have carried my weight. You know that better than anyone. I am trying to save lives here."
"Yeah! By sharing your soul with one of the imprisoned?"
"Sedra! You don't believe that."
"What else can it be?"
"Go Away!"
Sedra gathered her power. "I am dragging you back to the commune." She fired of a bolt of energy.
Blayne staggered but turned the bolt away, managing to bounce some the energy back at Sedra who jumped away just in time and was readying another attack.
"Stop! Please! I don't want to hurt anybody."
Sedra replied with a second bolt, a sharper attack which Balyne had to shield himself from till the energy bled away. Sedra had thought to bind him in the time he was busy.. But before she cast her net Blayne was free and he stunned her with lightning. She was thrown to the ground, her clothes smouldering and hair singed. Blayne walked over to her.
"Stop! Sedra believe me... I have been assigned."
"Liar! I know your name has been struck from the register of the commissioned." She removed her dagger.
"Not by any brother.... By.. Gaia."
Sedra stared at him in shock. This was too absurd to be a lie. She felt Nox trying to down her mental shields and open her aura to the ether. Blayne seemed to feel Nox and waited.
Sedra was surprised to "see" the whole area suffused with the pale green light. When the light entered her aura she was sure this was Gaia's doing.
"Why?"
Blayne sat beside her. "One of the imprisoned has possed one of us. I don't know who. But Gaia wanted that this place secure and I saw no other way."
"But everyone thinks.."
"Not everyone. And I .. Gaia has sealed this place so the.... soul-shard of darkness will have to come here or die. I will do the explaining when it is over."
Just then Nox's death cry reverberated in Sedra's mind making her scream in agony.
The real enemy had arrived.
The Contest: https://www.palnet.io/finishthestory/@bananafish/finish-the-story-contest-week-65
Picture Credit: Pixabay.com