Prologue- or so they say 4

Enter the Xenosyra.

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At first the sound was faint, like the dull cracking of ice beneath one's step, but the intensity grew to that of the very same ice shattering all around you, like a demonic roar. Skye lunges from the bed, fear stricken by something he cannot even identify, but it was there and he felt it, heard it, knew it could see him. Cowering at the foot of the bed he peeks up at Phsy, had he cried out or moved more violently she would have awoken, but he had not, and she still slept. With a sick feeling growing in his stomach he looks away, eyes jammed shut.

The source of his fear sat on its haunches nearly ten yards from the house at the edge of a heavily wooded area. Six luminous eyes stared intently on that small wooden structure, all belonging to the creature. It was built in a manner almost wolf-like, and had long fur, elegant and white, decorating it's immense form. As it's blue-green eyes gazed, it's smooth black lips curved upward into an almost perfect spiral -one could assume it was a smile- showing it's ivory rows of razored teeth. Set upon its paws, in a manner much like bones jutting from the skin, the beasts claws shone diamond-like in a moonlit glow.

Smoothly it backs away into the forest and seems to vanish, Skye remains frozen in place, opening his eyes just once to shiver as it finally disappears altogether. After the dawn begins to color the fringe of the sky red, he stands stiffly and rushes to the window. Heart pounding, he draws the curtain praying Phsy would never hear it or see it, and that the thin fabric would somehow block it from her. The child's imagination runs wild now, and he frantically tries to chase the thoughts away. It's presence still hung in the air, like a weight on his heart...he wanted to go after it. And then he gives in, as he always does.

Skye races to get his coat, and sprints headlong off the rickety porch, into the forest after the creature. He wanted to know it was real, and to finally see what it was that haunted his dreams; the fear of it was nothing compared to the desire to find it. His willowy little elven form sails through the forest with ease, driven by his unnatural desire to find what everyone called unreal. No sound came from his feet, against the soil and wild plants, he dared not let them make one. Through the icy dawn he ran, ever in pursuit of the beast. Glancing once at the sky he saw the red lessening into a pinkish hue and knew time was short. He continued on until the pressure of the creature left him- he had reached the river.

Stumbling to a stop he gasps for breath, sending up little clouded spirals into the morning light, adding to the silent fog gracing the river's edge. He leans his hands on his knees and looks around, wondering where such a large beast could ever hide. The forest floor was wet, and to a degree frozen as well, it was starting to seep up his pant-legs. Still breathless, he glances at his bare feet, then nervously scans the area for anything to signify where the white beast went yet again. Openly disturbed of his failure, he paces, kicking at rocks as he comes across them- he knew it was still watching him, but after dawn it was impossible to detect. A few more turns of pacing and Skye finally surrenders his pursuit, this venture would have to be cut much shorter than the others, Phsy would know he was gone.

An otherworldly air wraps around him, and he stiffens in horrified mental agony. Glancing beyond his shoulder, the white lupine beast gazes back at him, its large face taking up his entire plane of sight. Uncontrolled shivers wrack his body- it was immense, at least three times the size of any horse he'd ever seen, and it's mouth was as long as he was tall. It never evoked a sound, it only stood behind the small child and stared. Skye was much too terrified to move or react; awe filled him despite the fear and he could barely contain himself.

Without warning the six-eyed creature swings it's head to the side, gazing off into the forest beyond the river. Feathery ears rise to absorb a chime somewhere in the distance, and it seems to sigh. As it breathes the air around it's mouth seems to bend towards it in some kind of unnatural pull. It was fascinating. Skye carefully shifts to face the creature, and chances a glance where it was staring; he saw and herd nothing, save for the sounds of the forest at dawn...it was quieter, though, and lacking. He snaps his attention back to the animal, it's eyes meet his and the spiral twists at the edges of its mouth. "Humans," it whispers through the fractured light. Skye's brow furrows, confused and surprised. This is a dream-

The beast snorts, almost like a horse, and twitches it's whip-like, fox tail for a matter of seconds before wading out into the river. "Humans," he hears it mutter again, as it starts to submerge itself. Black hair whipping in a wind not there moments ago, the elf boy remains paralyzed, watching the white-furred beast sink into the depths of the river, and vanish entirely. He remains there, appalled, waiting for it to return, until the sun has crawled over top of him.

Author's Note

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