Jaguar Dreams – Arshwikk’s Message

Arshwikk retells the battle scene around Ta’Vaalor while bearing a message for the Mirror from the King.

http://bit.ly/2khYUkz

Category: Towns
Topic: Ta’Vaalor

Date: 02/05/2017 11:24 PM CST

From: ARSHWIKK

Subj: A Jaguar Dreams (and the missive to the Argent Mirror is sent)

The world was a blurred mosaic of color as he bound through the forest, his heart thumping to the beat of his pace as his muscles flexed tirelessly and a thick lather coated his otherwise pristine white coat. Normally, such a color would be death in these environs. Not so much from enemies, but a single foe…starvation. He had learned long ago to roll in the mud so he might blend in better, lest his prey see him coming from too far off. These days, the flows in the essence that his charge commanded generally left him constantly camouflaged anyway. His charge? His best friend. A bi-ped, no less. Like Nik himself, this elf was favored by the creators. Often these incredible few, he knew, could defy even death in the service of any one of the creators. In their wisdom, they created an intricate balance amongst all things. When that balance is challenged, the favored are called upon to restore it. It was no mistake that he had come to know his ranger kindred. His reflection had slowed his pace and his wandering thoughts were interrupted by a familiar scent. Nik instinctively crouched low and crept forward silently. Peering through the cover of brush and small saplings he spied a lone doe. “great…”, he growled acidicly, “I can’t take that one or I’ll never hear the end of it.” His spirit bond had taken to a sylvan who chose a creator that was often seen with a doe. It made no sense. I mean, who would choose food as some kind of representation of…anything but food? He couldn’t just mate with her and move on like Nik would either, oh no. Leave it to Arshwikk to complicate things. He often seemed like an overgrown cub. Still, Nik had to admit there was something about her. He actually liked her too. CLEARLY…because this doe is going to live! With an aggravated -almost sigh- he stalked off to renew his hunt.

Traversing the woodlands once more, his mind continued to wander. The last ten full cycles of seasons had been spent in relative peace among the glowbark groves of the Aralock family estate. Nik hunted there only for practice. He was treated like a king among his kind there and had never been left wanting. A far journey from his humble beginnings. He remembered the early days of he and Arshwikk. So much he had learned since then. He even died once! That is when he learned he was favored by his creators. Even death only made him stronger. Despite those many moons in Ta’Ardenai, he and his ranger both knew this day would come. It is said that it’s never the world around them that kills the dreamer, but the dream itself. “So then, what dream shall we chase this day?”, and if a jaguar could grin…

******

Hunting was never easy but persistence usually paid off. Once again, Nik caught wind of potential prey. This one he knew well. Coming around a boulder near the top of a ravine he gazed down upon a small stream. “Perfect.”, he faintly breathed as he saw what he had come for, a mighty stag, “and the gentle flow of the water is all the cover I need…”. Without further thought he summoned forth the might of his ample muscles and exploded down the ravine. Startled by the sudden movement and sound, the stag’s head rose up. Too late and too perfect. Adrenaline coursing through him, Nik was already in mid-leap as that head came up in perfect line with his strike. His teeth dug into the stags thick neck at the base of it’s skull and he was rewarded with the sound of vertebrae cracking as warm blood ran down his teeth, teasing his tongue and further fueling his lust. Nik clenched harder as the poor beast fell and began to convulse for a time, then go still. Instinctively, the jaguar looked around for a place to make his meal in peace, away from any opportunists. “Hmmm.” he thought, “This is a hard drag. Maybe I should just take my fill and…” his thought would go unfinished though as a sharp daggers ravaged his senses, bringing him to the earthen floor. As quickly as it had come, it went…only…leaving him painfully hollow as well. Pain and anger came flooding through him all at once, for he knew with absolute certainty, Arshwikk was dead.

******

Fueled with fury, Nik arrived at the gates of Vaalor to a macabre scene. Bodies of elves lay strewn about, their flesh and blood mingled with that of fel creatures, some of which, he recognized from the ruins of Old Ta’Faendryl. Not far from the gate lay the body of his spirit bond, an unusually large griffin was standing over him picking flesh from his corpse. Enraged, Nik pounced on it’s head, “big bird means big eyes!”, he hissed as he shredded a fluid filled orb from the griffins head and ripped into it’s skull with his powerful bite. The griffin, now lifeless, collapsed. Immediately an elven female came running through waving what he had heard other bi-peds refer to as a censer. “Odd thing to be doing at a time like this.”, he thought, but then noticed a subtle change in the corpses. She grabbed the hands and arms of several dead within reach, gestured, and was gone with them, including his ranger’s. Suddenly, Nik was one of only a few amongst a hoard of Ithzir. “Good, you can all die together!”, he snarled as he launched ahead with both force and fluidity. In a blur of motion he pounced, tore flesh from bone, and crushed those very bones over and over. In the chaos, he noticed some unusual ithzir he had never seen before. Some of them even fought bare hand much like his ranger! He continued to fight and found they could die too. Elves began to return to the battle but Nik was beginning to tire. He bled from numerous cuts and whereas before he was numb, now he began to feel the sting of his wounds. Just as he was leaping backwards to avoid a weapon thrust, he felt his strength drain away as an uncanny fear took hold. A creature he had never see before wielding a flaming elven spine came marching in pointing and barking orders, all the while a malevolent smile upon its face. Nik began to shake as though he were shedding water, trying to master himself once more. He sprung forward and swiped at this new foe and…his claws did nothing! The demon caught him behind the scruff of his neck and tossed him toward the city gate. Nik twist in mid air to put his feet between himself and his trajectory but he didn’t quite get there and careened of the solid stone hard. Stunned, he lay helplessly as he watched death approach. Ithzir were closing in and he knew he would see Arshwikk soon enough. He closed his eyes, waiting…a calm familiar voice began to chant, and Nik opened his eyes once more. He did see his ranger, standing over him, arms outstretched as wind ripped through the area and vines, branches, rock and stone obliterated enemies all around him. Where the demon had stood a halfling was shooting exploding arrows at it, while two apparent mages, one male, one female, assailed it with spells. Elsewhere, another ally appeared out of nowhere wielding a dark blade and would strike then disappear again. There were others too, he recognized, all friends of Arshwikk. All friends of Nik. It would seem, after all this, he would still only know death once.

******

Much later, Nik lay beneath the shade of a nearby oak, Siierra was sitting over him stroking his now pristine (once more) fur. She had healed him after the battle and spoke to him,
“Brave Nik, how does it feel to be a hero?”, she smiled at him.
Yes, he liked her…this sylvan doe lover.
Arshwikk was sitting on a stone holding a piece of parchment. He pulled the spun glass signet ring off his finger and removed a stick of wax from a satchel on his belt. Chanting softly, a bright light erupted from his hand, producing enough heat to melt the wax which he promptly let drip upon the now rolled parchment, then pressed his ring into it, “See this Hero?, he grinned and looked at Nik. “This is a missive I am to relay by order of King Qalinor that must be delivered to Ta’Illistim.”, Arshwikk continued, “It details the discovery of this new Ithzir foe we are referring to as ‘Champion Ithzir’ and it must find it’s way directly to the Argent Mirror, Myasara. You will carry it there, and I shall meet you to deliver it.”
Siierra continued to scratch Nik behind the ears, and he purred with pleasure. Ah, like a dream…uh oh…what was that about dreams?

OOC notes: I am really tired, I proof read but I’m sure missed some things. I fixed Illistim—>Vaalor that was too crucial to leave.