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A snarl of glass-shattering pitch ripped through the thick, musty atmosphere of the recently built and even more recently decorated temple. Blood and sacrificial bovine bile and bodily fluids poured down the lavishly decorated steps of Ballima City Temple in thick red and sickly yellow rivers, partially dismembered corpse of both worshippers and priests being fed upon by a group of what could at first be compared to a stranger as monstrous, undead hyenas. All assumptions were right.
With their shoulders sloped, heads bowed during feeding, even then they were still the size of Clydesdales, their half-rotten bodies oozing with the creamy yellow bile of open sores from battles and tussles past. Matted fur, coloured like the cloying hue of a rotting corpse, eyes of molten lava and silver looked with keen, bestially enhanced intelligence at the scene of worship they had together wrecked havoc upon. One, a Shire-sized female raised her old decomposing head and let out a baying screech almost too painful to hear. She was far more powerfully built than her smaller and more stupid, hunger driven kin, and had colossal, almost impractical leathery bat wings sprouting from open wounds on her shoulders.
These were the Kires, hyenas evolved for killing those living or allied with the living. Their leader, Marisoait, turned her shambling body to where a small equine babe lay squirming in his blanket, his mother’s corpse posed as if shielding him. She rent his life from him in a single bite to the stomach, ripping his red, rubbery intestines from his still beating and unperformed body. They hug from the bloodstained corner of her snarling mouth, half-digested food and greenish stomach juices running in uncontrolled rivers down her rotting jaws to splatter on the pavement, spaying her dusty footpads with his remains. She placed a shaggy and heavily taloned forepaw on his body, tearing it beyond recognition in a matter of minutes. A lesser pack member bayed and tugged at his head, easily breaking his infantile skull into splinters. 2 more appeared and began to scrap over his brains, snapping them down with easy jerks of their huge matted heads. What could almost be taken for a smile crossed her face. There was going to be a new 'world' created by the anthromorphics of Twilfere City soon...and she planned to lead her army to it
Dawn had arrived, spreading her warming rays through the musky linen-covered windows of the dirty limestone houses. Unicorns led protective and elegantly next to each house, braying the mornings arrival, as they ambled to their feet, to the city of Ballima the ancient queen of the fairies. Each unicorn was bound to a house, born to and from the stone. None of the 'corns could willingly leave the house, although they would if ordered by a unicorn of a higher rank or if they sensed evil. The Diamond unicorn didn't tend to mingle with those below it, preferring the company of the old jeweller to that of its own kin. One limestone unicorn let out a shriek, bolting towards the city gates, a small stone chipping off from his body as he ran. He stopped with a skid outside the jewellers, rearing to stomp his hooves on the door. An irritated whicker sounded as the Diamond 'corn stepped outside, snorting irritably. The lesser knelt, pressing his horn to the ground. The other did likewise. After what sounded like a whicker, the Diamond's eyes widened and her pranced free of the shop. Both now ran towards the restaurants to warn Triannien, the city’s major evil-fighter. But she had long since retired from the position, as it was recommended only for children to have the job as they were considered more innocent. She looked up, her black tufts of hair covering her eyes, shielding her vision. She was an Airedale Terrier anthro, unblessed by her deity, Odin the wise, to have shape shifting abilities.
She was at the bar cleaning out a glass with a grubby black handpaw. Due to the city's natural lack of trade, sponges were rare as fewer and fewer divers ever returned from their weekly trips to gather the seas resources. Oh but of course, the City elders and aristocrats had many a luxury, even if it meant long and almost suicidal trips past the Boundary.
The Boundary was a place of Earth magic, a physical and invisible wall against evil crossing into the realms of good and vice versa. It wasn't impossible, but blood mages were needed as well as sacrifices of humans to placate the Boundary Guards. Only when the Boundary Guards were satisfied would they allow anyone to pass.
Triannien uttered a yelp as a limestone unicorn gently pressed its muzzle into the back of her neck, followed by the Diamond's irritated and impatient snort. Both were inside, although how they got past the guards she could not say. She stood back, bowing low, as a sign for them to speak.
" The temple Triannien! Yelped the Limestone, prancing wildly before releasing a petrified scream and bolting out, presumably back to his house. Diamond remained, a lot calmer than his lesser kin. Triannien chuckled, smoothing her loose uniform out.
"What's wrong now? Or do the Basalt's want more carrots? The last was said with a fairly arrogant smirk, ragged ears flicking as she waited for a reply.
"No lady. Come to the temple and you shall see." his tone made her pale, she leapt astride his translucent back, kicking him forward. She didn't have to of course, for as soon as she sat upon his back, he had galloped out of the bar, up-ending several tables and customers in the process.
At last they stopped, both in horrified silence, outside the once-majestic temple. Paying no heed to the Diamond's words of caution, she dismounted and ran inside. She stopped, all too aware of what had caused the mess. A young Kires pawed at a child’s corpse, sniffing it as a larger female showed it how to break the skull. These were hunting stragglers, leftovers from a raiding pack. Triannien remained frozen, praying silently that the Kire's strength of sight was poor. But it wasn't. A low, trembling bay sounded in front of her, the mother advancing on our unarmed heroine. Time seemed to come to a stop, the air filled only with the rasp of the Kire's breath and the audible beat of claw 'pon marble. It was only a paw step away when Diamond raced forward, horn down, shimmering hooves held aloft, slamming then near to the abominations rotting head. The monster retreated rather than feel the deadly blow of that branched horn. The family lopped off, urging their ungainly paws forward.
Triannien leant heavily against a blood-splattered alabaster pillar, struggling to regain her breath, the shock of the encounter slowly wearing away. Never in all her days of fighting evil had she seen such carnage. She hadn’t even taken the chance to study what she was up against as she normally did. For the first time in many years she felt utterly helpless. Supporting herself with her friend’s neck, they stumbled out into the sunshine, only to be met by angry shouts and screams.
“They destroyed the temple!
“Murderers! Lets get ‘em.â€
“Neeri an arm mangu!†Translation: censored
Triannien gulped, ears flattening to her bushy head. She looked to Diamond, who was snorted around and throwing up her neck, and they both said one word, plain and simple, in perfect unison…
“Shit!
She grabbed the unicorn’s mane, swinging herself upright, urging her equine friend towards the city gates. The angry mob followed, hurling torches and pitchforks after the innocent duo. Despite all this, Tri couldn’t help but grin at their predicament. Once city heroes, now murderous outlaws. Surprising how fast that someone’s social status could change.
“At least now I won’t have to pay temple fees,†Tri added darkly, eyes smouldering under her tangled grey brows even while a smirk crossed her muzzle. Temple fees were what kept the acolytes fed and clothed and the poor healthy. Everyone except criminals and the current King and Queen paid them.
T’was the New Year, and time for freedom among the poor. All laws were forgotten as revellers and common soldiers danced through the streets late at night, a few with obliging whore at hand or stolen alcohol bottle clutched to the chest. Triannien and Diamond looked on from a rooftop perch, planning on how they were going to get the message to their distraught or possibly dead families. Diamond had already got the message to her kin, which was simple via telepathy. Triannien however was going to have a problem. No guards were around but in their drunken state, possibly to walk freely among those who had driven her from the city would be a bad almost suicidal idea. She opted for sending a messenger pigeon, as the rogue pair had positioned themselves directly above the aviaries.
“Ok, you keep watch and I’ll get the bird,†muttered Triannien, swinging herself into the window, barely giving Diamond a chance to utter ‘ok’. The unicorn rolled her eyes, whickering with laughter.
The aviary was cramped and smelt to high-heaven of bird remains and poo. The yellow ochre walls daubed with some unknown substance to keep cats away, the air shimmering with the heat of hundreds of feathery bodies. She was up to her knees, in, lets face it here, crap and blood. Retching, she grabbed a strong-looking bird from the perches, tying her message on with swift fingers. It squawked, and she desperately hastened to cover its beak with her forefingers, silencing its protests at being woken. She released it, clambering out the window to gasp at Diamonds feet. The mare whickered, laughing at the state of her friend. A yell arose from a nearby ‘free-for-all’ inn.
“Shuttit! Triannien said, muffling the mythical equines chatter with a dung-smeared hand. The horse gagged and led down in a flurry of mud, kicking slightly in protest before laying still. Triannien now sported a rather vicious cut lip and several nasty cheek welts here she’d been forced to pin her face to the ground.
Diamond looked a sight better, although her mane was tangled and several of her calcite markings had become chipped. Plus she was covered in a mixture of blood, mud and bird poo.
The unicorn flattened her ears, snorting irritably. And to think that tomorrow she would have been parading down the streets with a band playing merrily behind her, Triannien astride her. All that was gone now. No longer were they citywide heroes, revered for their ability to destroy evil. Now in the villager’s eyes, they were evil. Diamond sniffed sadly. No longer would the village children laugh and follow her, wanting to stroke the pretty ‘horsie’.
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The skeletons are playing a jig for you ...
... let's give 'em a merry dance
Aka Respergo
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