Silver Scale

Chapter One

Silver Scales

A cool dip of air blasted along the shrouded earth. The black soil tinted by the murky sea, bubbling and rolling like the dark waters of the distant ocean currents. Eerie cries circled with gut wrenching screeches and screams. Thin withered tails fell out in slithering motions, only to fall back into the darkness. With a great howl, that like claws against slate, a long pale snake-like beast fell from the heavens. It convulsed as it plummeted, its hollow eyes filled with fear, its wings torn from its body. As it touched down, the earth shook, the creature falling silent and still. It’s dark red blood sank into the ground.

Thin white ears watched, pitted eyes seeing all. The fured creature stood pale against the dark ground, with the sound of another approaching beast, the white cat cursed. His claws striking the soil in quick pattern. A gentle light flickered, before the cat disappeared altogether. The beast that approached, stood on four legs, its long snout hard and bony. Rotted teeth stuck from the thin pink skin along his muzzle. Its body shown with plots of thin fur, black like that around it, but the rest of its body a stretched, pink skin. Scars ran down it’s side, and it gave a small growl.

As it pushed to the body of the snake like reptile, it tore at the flesh with a vicious growl. It knew as the blood ran, others would come soon. As the white cat shifted, the red eyed beast looked around, its eyes shifting, veins showing lightly. The cat let his ears shift back. He could face the creature, though it was nearly fifty times his size, but he didn’t need the attention of others around the area. With a gently flick of his tail, he figured it was worth the risk.

He skimmed forward, his body falling back to the seeing eye, his white pelt stuck out against the black sand. The beast saw the small creature and let out a screech, it quickly tumbled around the snake and headed for the cat. The white furred tom, falling to the side, shifted out his claws. They were black, with a dark glow they seemed alive. His curse and his only surviving skill. As the beast aimed for his neck, the tom leaped along the draft of air, his claws tracing down the beasts forehead to mid back.

The creature was confused, the tom landing behind it. His white mask showing as the marks began to glow. The beast gave a loud shriek, its back tearing from itself. Light filling the air as it stretched. With a last shriek, the beast exploded with light, small wings rupturing from its back. As the body fell, it revealed a pure form. One in the shape of a dog. It turned, its eyes white, peaceful. It nodded with a gentle flicker, before shattering into a thousand shards.

The tom turned, splattered blood dripping from his mask. He padded up to snake, with a dig of his claws, he pulled single scale from its dripping back. He looked at its blank eyes. He gave a small sigh.

“I am sorry I couldn’t save you,” he growled, his shoulders strong. As he heard the shudder of approaching monsters, he gave a hiss and let his paw trace the soil. As it began to glow, he held his breath, the cold seeping down his body, before it tore across his pelt like a burn. As he opened his mouth to yelp, he saw the world around his changed, grass below his feet, trees lining the distance. He gave a breath of relief and turned to hear another.

“Hliuk!” A female yelled with happiness. She ran up, her long brown fur touching his. His mask was gone, his fur the same white. The scale sat inside the woven cotton pack that sat along his pale back. “I had wondered where you had gone off to,” she smiled lightly.

“Well I am back now, I just needed air,” he lied, through his voice steady. He looked to the sky, the sun was at its peak, he had only been gone no more than a hour. He was getting slower. She gave a small nudge, his white muzzle pushing to his. He gave a smile, he missed this. She took a breath and nodded to the forest.

“We should get back,” she said, “I have a surprise for you,” she meowed. Hliuk gave a small grin, though forced.

“I can’t wait,” he pushed out, as he followed his companion. Birds and mice scurried and chirped along the forest floor and leaves. A small badger dug at the distant earth, it looked up as they passed, it nodded lightly. Nothing felt hunger here, no need to fight, no pain. Everything was calm. Hliuk thought to himself, this is perfect, how the world should be. Not deadly and full of suffering. He let his claws fix along the soft soil as he walked, they were pure black. He sighed, he was impure. The leaves at his feet falling to a slight cringe as he stepped, only to fall back to green as he left them.

As he approached the small build of rocks and and gorse, he gave a faint frown. He didn’t belong here. As he padded in, he spotted a small figure, it was just smaller than Foirfe, it was a deep gold. With a small caw, it spread its orange wings, its eyes looking to him curiously. Foirfe gave a small purr.

“This is Eris, she is going to be staying with us!” Foirfe said kindly. Hliuk wanted to let a frown fill his face, another to avoid when the time came, but he help himself high.

“Nice to meet you Eris,” he responded kindly, the large bird nodded. She was a hawk, a rather large one, and Hliuk envied her flight, like all birds. He knew that Foirfe and Eris did not feel this emotions, they could only feel the light that surrounded them. He knew this would make them weak, but he pushed it back. He knew that his hate would only corrupt this world. He was poison in the holy water these animals called paradise. Eris gave a small peck and looked back to them.

“I guess I will go get settled, their is a great oak right by your...our camp,” she said kindly, stuttering as she spoke. Hliuk gave a narrowed glance. It was unlike this world for a creature to make a mistake. But he shoved it off, he hoped his presence wouldn’t shook any of the animals. He rather liked this reality. With a small flick of the wing, the hawk fitted into the trees, Hliuk turned to Foirfe.

“So do you wanna take a walk along the river?” He asked, he would have to take off sooner than last time. As she nodded, as she always had, Hliuk guided her along his side. Shoulder to shoulder, they padded through the wood. No thorns or briars brushed his side. He liked the feeling inside. He felt content, but he knew for him this was only temporary. He was a parasite to this world. As they padded, they came to the gentle stream, fish leaping along its slow currents. A otter sat only a few feet down from them, laying alongside a bed of reed, it didn’t even seemed to acknowledge their presence.

Foirfe lapped her muzzle lightly into its thin surface. Her light brown tail flickered, its tail tipped white. Hliuk sighed, he loved it here, but he didn’t belong. And the longer he stayed, the more likely Ego would find him. Foirfe turned, her green eyes showing in the drifting sun, not a cloud in the sky.

“So, what do you think of Eris?” She asked kindly, he shrugged.

“I think it will be nice to have the extra company,” he spoke gently. Foirfe looked at him slightly confused.

“I mean, not that you're lonely, right?” She said with concern, Hliuk wanted to hiss to himself, he didn’t need to put doubt into Foirfe’s mind, she was too pure.

“Oh course not! It’s just nice to socialize with the others of the woods,” he said, happy that she looked content.

“Yeah, that is nice.”

With a small splash, the padded into the warm stream, she flicked her tail.

“Now, why don’t you join me in a swim,” she said in a sweet tone.

“Of course, my love.”

As the day passed lightly, the day seeming to lag on, but yet he felt like every moment counted. The two lay along their backs, paws curled close. His cotton sack lay along the beach, he needed no worry that any beast would steal it. A few otters paddled by, and a few deer came to drink. The fearless fish swam along their fur, Hliuk had to nudge a few away as they swirled along his tail. As they laughed, Foirfe gave him a soft kiss.

He felt perfect, the world around him only set on loving each other and enjoying life. They traveled and slept without fear of predators. He had even seen cougars and elk sharing the same camp. Exotics ventured into the northern forests, not worried about the never approaching cold. They almost fell asleep in the warm water, Foirfe nudging him from his dreary state.They headed back, a few shakes drying their fur entirely.

As Hliuk padded into camp, he spotted Eris basking in the mid evening sun. The sunset was beautiful as it was every day. He spotted animals flocking to their nests, saying goodnight to neighbors and travelers. A few offering a nest for those who had none. As Foirfe fell into a quiet sleep, the night engulfed the forest, a full moon outlining the trees with a halo of white. Hliuk turned to his sack, pulling out the iridescent scale, which lay under his mask. The thin mask was made from the bone. It shrouded his scarred face. Along it, dark markings etched into its front side.

He held the small scale between his paws. A powerful talisman. As he pushed his power into it, he felt his sides cool. As he felt his mind slip, his body out of view, he could feel his power linger. He had to concentrate or all of his work tracking down the beast from the other realm would be wasted. He closed his eyes, the air around him circling, he could feel the light penetrate his pelt. And as Hliuk opened his pitted eyes he saw it. A barren landscape, not like the black soiled realm he had ventured to earlier in the day, but one with no life, not even the savage beasts created of hate and hunger. Nothing.

So his brother had truly found a place to hide, a place his own kin would never find. A place so long forsaken, the creatures had eaten all of their foe hundreds of years before today. He could feel the stale energie of the world that had once lay there. He tried to focus harder, he needed to remember the reality, or he would never find it.

With a sudden shock he felt something tear at his side, he lost his concentration and plummeted back to his body. The pain came as a shock, his head whipping to see Eris, her claws ripping at his flank. He quickly leaped up, dropping the scale, he let out a hiss, Foirfe had woken, and was fixed with confusion. In this world, blood was never shed, violence non-existent.

“Eris, what are you doing!” He growled, though he stopped blank almost instantly, her eyes. They were pitted like his own. He hissed to himself, no! “Foirfe, get back,” he snapped, she was taken back by his anger, but listened still. Eris faced him, he budged forwards, circling out of the thin den, hoping Foirfe wouldn’t see this.

“Brother, how nice to see you,” spoke Eris, but not in a voice of her own. Hliuk yowled back.

“How dare you do this to such a fur creature, you are a monster,” he hissed. The bird laughed in a off key laugh, feathers had already began to fall from her side. Her body looked weaker already, the body could hardly sustain the presence of Straven. His brother had picked too far of a small creature, though it was smart being Hliuk never expected it.

“Don’t worry brother, I have only a few words,” the bird spoke. Hliuk could heard the hint of Eris’s voice, straining to stay strong. From the side of his vision, he could see Foirfe looking with horror. It was all strange and impossible to her.

“Good thing I don’t wish to hear them!” He growled, his claws shifting out, he fell to the side in a rhythm. As he leaped, the bird dove to the side, but it was too slow in its tortured state. His claws sliced along its back, the same as the beast and hundreds of others before. As the light ruptured, the bird fell, in its place, a white figure. Eris turned she gave a small smile before shattering. Hliuk gave a small sigh of relief. He didn’t want to hears his brother cursed teases or lies. He would find him, and kill him. He would end the suffering of millions, and avenge the millions that had already fallen over the long years of the two’s existence.

As he turned, he saw the pale face of Foirfe. She stood in shock and fear. Hliuk padded towards her, but she pushed farther into the den. She was scared of him.

“You...you killed her,” she whispered. Her voice was laced with sheer horror. Hliuk went to speak, but found his throat dry. He couldn’t make her forget, her soul to pure for his magic. He let his claws slide in, and he back up, staying low to the ground.

“That wasn’t Eris, she was gone before she even came,” he tried to reason, but how would he tell her everything, when he knew she wouldn’t believe a word. This world was too soft to know what he knew, she would suffer mentally and physically from the truth. Foirfe simply gave a low hiss.

“Leave,” she said with a mutter. Hliuk was taken back, his mouth dry as ever.

“Please, you have to understand,” as the words came out, he realized she had nothing to understand. Before she could speak another word, Hliuk turned. He would leave her, and hope the damage and corruption had not drove to far. As he headed to the entrance, not daring to look back. He heard her weep. He felt a tear crease his cheek. Straven had done this. His brother had ruined this. And he would have his revenge.