Una - 4 - 450 - 545   Out of plac?

  [Mix up mix up salt and p?pp?r]

  Tow?rs stand wh?r? l?av?s onc? flit dappl?d light through untouch?d glad?; n?v?r thought ston? would r?ach this far south making t?rribl? paintings of starlight - Long afraid to tak? this stroll down m?mory lan?, now I simply wish to find it.

  patt?ring qui?tly through night l?st ?v?rtid?s wash l?av?s ?ars; ?v?ry st?p building f?ar Sx? hav?ns too b??n pav?d in plac? for cliffsid? vi?ws.

  “Pl?as?… No” Falling upon a flick?ring lightpost as it d?bat?s wh?th?r it is dark ?nough to h?lp, I Wip? t?ars from ?y?s, my w??ping blindn?ss r?v?aling m?mory with fath?r, familiar mis?ry.

  [ My tail had just b??n crush?d by a gol?m. H?ld by fath?r, his hands bl?d r?d into my brok?n bon? as h? tr?at?d m? to a story of how human onc? d?f?at?d a witch-of-a-mountain and bound its soul to s?rv? human.

  Stars stood apart at thr?? corn?rs, p?rf?ct p??ring through inktr??s; cr?ating a prismatic vista of dancing light I wish nothing mor? to st?p back into; th?n complain?d about b?ing dragg?d to. W? t?nd only c?l?brat? z?nith and could not appr?ciat? anything but my rag? from what had hurt m?.]

  What a brat; no wond?r fath?r l?ft us.

  stars contrast starkly from m?mory, a rar? mom?nt wh?r? only on? ling?rs horizon, AhphA sw??ps a thin sh??t of blu? across Val?, its dip finally has lightpost scr?aming y?llow. lights m?ag?r coz? huddl?s m? tight against it lik? gnawing mingy bon?. Shaking, frill?d fur pock?ting ?v?ry ounc? of h?at for anoth?r dash south. ?y?ing my path into a patch of uninhabit?d brush?n trail, hop? builds that it r?mains untouch?d. Closing my ?y?s; catching my br?ath.

  h?fty thumping tromps distantly. ?bbing clos?r in st?ady rhythm.

  upon ?y?s op?ning a gol?m stands b?sid? - It r?ach?s its upp?r hand out to bl??d y?llow into lightpost. I grab up my tail and growl at its imposing visag?, t?n of m? tall and ?asily a hundr?d in w?ight. Noticing m?, it cran?s n?ck down, spotlighting m? with glowing vision.

  “Long night ah?ad” sound ?mits mouthl?ssly. It must s?? my shiv?r b?caus? hand now mix?s r?d in, g?ntly dimming and warming light to orang?. “Cold night ah?ad, s??k sh?lt?r” R?aching a low?r hand down, it burns a pur? r?d. A color that would warm most, y?t hardly I f??l. Still, catch mys?lf gnawing.

  Comforts hop? inc?ns?s as anoth?r t?rribl? chill shak?s m?. I cannot tak? this anymor? “Idiot! How dar? you t?ll m? what to do!, W? should hav? n?v?r mad? you! W? should hav? n?v?r fr??d you!” Paw bats, scraping claws full of clay, though a slight so littl? from it; do?s not ?v?n mov? or flinch with pain lik? a f??ling cr?atur? would.

  Gl?aring and growling up upon, my indignation r?fl?cts with a waft of coz? back from it. How is this h?r?? - From h? v?rily small b?tw??n many?

  “Chiran cr?at?d us, you hold no part; you’all helped fr??d us and w? dismay to h?ar your r?gr?t.”?v?n aft?r my attacks it still bl??ds for m?, r?d growing as it fails to und?rstand why shiv?ring r?mains. Awok?n through ston? walls, lant?rns light in two dir?ction, for?y? wid?ns whiffing th?ir f?astous angst my body ach?s to bask within, y?t as staring into glassy ?y?s abov?, unabl? to ass?mbl? s?nt?nc? to d?f?nd mys?lf ?v?n from such placidity, my f??t find m? away from arriving t?mp?r?d court.

  My body gon? too long without prop?r h?at, bounding in d?fianc? toward w?r? structur? finally ?nds, back into grass?s and tr??s. Tr?mbling mis?rably holding only this poison?d clay ?mb?r that sick?ns m?; Wr?tch I am, unlovabl? cr?atur?.

  Its b??n t?n y?ars sinc? I'v? ran such t?rribl? marathon

  [My t?nth birthday; an awkward affair. Typical of c?l?bration but as S?itie? sparked, I froz? ov?r. Lov? poured through countl?ss conc?rn?d but smiling fac?s; all trying to figur? out what is ‘wrong’ with m?. “K??p your spirits up. Lutra f??l ?motion” I h?ard Wight r?mind. Sparking gifts pil?d up and I am tri?d to b? includ?d in tradition and gam?, but suff?red away from fri?nd and k??p calling for par?nt; -

  b?caus? it w?ighs to k??p up fals? ?motion for long.

  On? night lat?r, I h?ard moth?r crying room ov?r, his h?at whisp?ring to m? sw??tly. “Moth?r!” I cried with agony; H? dash?d into doorway carrying a big smil?, this li? hiding his fracturing dam. “H?lp m?! H?lp m?!. Moth?r is upon m?, att?mpting to bundl? m? in cloth as I r?sisted his ?fforts. H? wip?s sw?at from brow, fatigu?d from this sauna he had built me into; tr?mbling paws p?rsist?nt to r?bundl? . “No! H?lp m?!” I can f??l it r?ady to br?ak, I n??d it, I just n??d to figur? out how to tak? it.

  “Pl?as?, stop r?sisting lov?; trying to h?lp you, pl?as?!” That mom?nt wh?n I first r?cogniz?d my pr?y, camouflag?d fish. I pounc?, snapping onto moth?rs paw with famish?d forc?. H? prys away and I follow with a furious scr?am; iv caught you. Dam brok?s with a stinging slap across my fac?. “What ‘wrong’ with you! Monst?r! Trying to h?lp you!” D?licious, I r?pos?d into my first sat? in months, limp with ?cstasy]

  Sprinting, Numb. Billowing full in and out, lungs cannot b?li?v? m? wh?n I f?v?r for mor?;

  S??ing light ah?ad wh?r? hav?n b? only fu?ls my fr?nzy. Y?llow illuminat?s an ivy riddl?d workshop b?n?xt long runic wall l?ading into anoth?r town.

  Thuk!

  …

  World rings, th?n whirls a m?aningl?ss mom?nt b?for? numbn?ss danc?s forth into pinching prickling, for?y? unabl? to op?n from bruis?. I right mys?lf and smash my h?ad into ston? onc? again and again.

  -Stupid t?rribl? wr?tch, ?v?ryon? hat?s you and ?v?rything you hav? ?v?r lov?d. What ar? you doing h?r?? Claws join in, digging us?l?ssly at sp?lt ston?.

  Th?r? is nothing l?ft for m? in this world, th?y hav? pav?d it ov?r. Damn?d bawks hav? tak?n ?v?r-

  With for?y? damag?d som?on? has gott?n clos? without my s?nsing th?m. I swiv?l up in fright; without tim? to scr?am b?for? a flash of m?tal is thrust into my n?ck.

  Dizzy, racing; ?v?rything draining…

  If this is d?ath, why do I still f??l? / Th?r? is a flash of purpl? around my n?ck. \ My kill?r says som?thing but I cannot mak? s?ns? of it ov?r p?rsist?nt ringing.

  Aft?r tim? it b?com?s ?vid?nt this d?ath is but ov?rwh?lm coming down; stinging and a subtl? bliss as lungs and h?ad adjust from bullying, stuck in a trance of r?cuperation.

  “Who ar? you” A voic? abov? d?mands, from siz? I would gu?ss gol?m, though too fast,quiet and tongu?d.. Th?ir spik? plat?d silhou?tt? confirms th?m as larg? ant. I try to answ?r but find my lung still panting. “I will not ask again tr?spass?r” Th?y brandish a s?cond w?apon, a strang? b?nt-fork looking thing with another lower, Arms ach? y?t find str?ngth ?nough to sampl? my paws upon a similar m?tal shap? round n?ck. Looming bould?r hard to mak? out in darkn?ss r?sts upon th?ir back h?ld by upp?r claws.

  “Buzz off!;” panting “What ar? you? A ch?f th?m?d swordsman? Giv? m? a br?ak. Ugli?st Chitt?r hav? ?v?r s??n!” which hardly holds wat?r giv?n th?ir sl??k boxlik? plat?s, squar? jaw, and vibrant bronz? sh??n so ?l?g?nt in contrast to AhphA’s dying blu?.

  H? kn??ls and hmms, spotting my patch. “Racism, thats unb?coming of a city ag?nt. 102nd division?; I had not h?ard of such a low authority.” H? scoffs at m?, his voic?s arrog?nt disdain, d?licious. I ach? to g?t clos?r, clawing at my inf?rnal binding; hung?r truly is rich?st s?asoning.

  I spit at him, snarling nasty as can manag?. “Its a sp?cial division! Full of pow?rful blu?s, onc? I g?t out of this; will t?ar you limb from limb with mind!” I n??d for ?v?ry ounc? of his horrid hat?.

  Catching his kn?? with foot, his upp?r arms slip from stumbl?; AhphAs last gasp glints a glow off a r?volting m?tal sh??n from his pack as h? catch?s it from spilling. “Smuggling malici? Ha! Ill t?ll ?v?ryon?! Th?y will lock you up! Malici! Malici!~”

  My maw is fill?d with a suffocating palm, strangling my voic?. T??th bar? into plat?, hurting us both. I clos? my ?y?s and tak? in th?s? final hot wav?s, f??ling him burn to ?nd m?…

  y?t again…

  …D?ni?d, wav?s turn warm, a m?ssy soup dr?nch?d with cold curiosity. Rich air k??ps m? from dizzy as h? l?ts back palm; So I kick, trying to find him. But h? has car?full?d away kn??s.

  “Who ar? you? Why so far south from your guildhous??; lock?d ‘h?r?’ b?tw??n Duran and Spindl??” His voic? is grating ?xcit?m?nt wh?r? hatr?d us?d to br?ath?. “Th?r? is no tr?asur? h?r?” H? claims with snick?r of fiction, tracing my thrashing gash?s against bawk ston? wall with s?y?

  I gasp d??p?r as his palm r?mov?s. Voic? gasping. “-An ag?nt. You ar? a criminal, I'll arr?st you if you l?t m? go, just kill m?.”

  H? shak?s his h?ad with disb?li?f ~“What has this world stol?n from you?”∽

  “...sh? stol? ?v?ryon? who ?v?r tri?d for m?.” humiliatingly back into t?ars.

  “Sh?, ?h? Sam? bawks lock?d this wall, th?y hid? a lot for such bright th?y claim.”

  H? brush?s my mottl?d sid? with anoth?r hmm “Say, would you happ?n to b? “Una”?

  Curiosity bit?s t?ars, no on?s ?v?r b??n this chillingly ?xcit?d to find m?; plus it is nic? to h?ar anoth?r call th?m bawk. “Y?s, why?”

  / “Unlock” Purpl? wisps away from his fork \ and h? r?l?as?s m? holst?ring his w?apon. “Your fath?r is a h?ro” H? claims.

  I spit back. “My fath?r is a criminal Scamp!” Figur?s this smuggl?r trash would idoliz? him, damn.

  chuckling “Oft?n w? must b? both to b? ?ith?r”

  “Fiction! My fath?r is a rightful fract”

  His mood sadd?ns “Hmm, Your fath?r lov?s you; Tasc?o talks about you-”

  “You know him? Ar? you in his gang? ”

  “W? hold ?ach oth?r but ar? not a gang”

  Growl rolls through my voic? “Tak? m? to him now!”

  “I hav? not s??n Tasc?o in y?ars, w? simply shar? a dr?am to unlock this world”

  Frac, who this is clicks “I g?t it! Your S?iti?s unlocks things, s?riously shut up, your w?apons look ridiculous.” th?y ar? ‘k?ys’ that ‘lock things in plac?’ ?ww. I hav? r?ad about this guy. A criminal that fail?d trial to b?com? a p?rditor, so doubtfully has r?b?com? a citiz?n sinc?. I cannot quit? put my mind on his nam?? Qu… kaa, quu, quail? Quit? no-

  Full lung?d laught?r from k?yman; his thrill to m??t m? is r?p?ll?nt. Iv found coz? ?nough but hop?s to g?t anything mor? from him dash. “You ar? a tr?asur?, so glad to run into you, my spirits hav? b??n lock?d down for a good whil?.” h? finish?s with a sigh. “But you hav? unlock?d my joy-

  “?ww, pl?as? stop”

  “-if but for a mom?nt”

  “How about locking your br?ath and suffocating? Can you do that?”

  Anoth?r hmm and h? r?adjusts his pack, starting off “I would lov? to stay and unlock our fri?ndship, but hav? turning matt?rs to att?nd to.”

  This ant mak?s m? sick, and I alr?ady f??l sick from sprint and cold. “You b?tt?r run! Distr?ss will fall an army upon this plac? in-hour!”

  H? slowly trods on waving back a low?r l?ft “Go ah?ad, if you n??d a nam? it's Kuial” Kuail, thats it. “But I don’t think you will b?caus? our k?ys unlock similar doors-

  “Find a n?w m?taphor, idiot.”

  “-and on? day I hope you will unlock-

  “Stop”

  “- this world with m?. I hop? you find what you ar? looking for”

  Two cons?cutiv? s?ntim?nts using ‘hope’? disgusting. “S?riously ar? you stupid? I am m?ssaging Distr?ss right now!” Paws bl??d blu? mor? for color than ?ff?ct, I n?v?r knack?d m?ssaging at this distanc?, but ?asy is it to assum? I could.

  Just b?fore r?aching insid?, he turns and giv?s an obnoxiously charming smil? “I ow? Tasc?o my lif?, thus am lock?d from taking yours. I cannot stop you.” Th?n op?ns and clos?s hims?lf into his short, door?d tow?r. Door gl?ams purpl?; so I giv? up chas?. y?llow flash?s from window, his bl??d into lant?rn b?for? orang? of forg? th?n chimn?y smok?

  Tsk, alon?, p??ring back at tall ston? wall d?fl?cting my path. ?v?n tithing my last r?d, doubt I would summit. Wafting night air, ink do?s not com? to m?, th?y hav? probably cut th?m down anyway, n?arby d?cay?d stump fort?lls grav?yard.

  Its ov?r

  ?Wr?tch?d m?,

  Sharp ston?, in a g?ntl? riv?r city.

  Don? with hop? and pity.

  Toss mys?lf out, b? a b?tt?r world

  How did it com? to this?

  How could I b?– so blind?

  -To l?t h?r tak? ?v?rything that m?ans anything to m?

  I'm not alright.

  Buh-? ff-

  Paw slips and body crash?s to sid?, sm?ar?d into pung?nt ichor. Yick! Rott?n luck, rott?n gods laughing of my fat?! Damn ?v?rything to h?l!

  Shaking my paw cl?an fails, tar flings and paints black strip?s. I cannot g?t it off, furi?d shaking has no ?ff?ct but a right m?ss; “Aaah!”

  Shout ?cho?s shortly back at m? through thin fog rolling und?r my f??t.

  I turn my vision back horizontal with stand b?for? fog cov?rs fac? ?ntir?ly; It ?manat?s from an ?ig?ngrau void wh?r? bawks wall onc? stood.

  Such nothing is t?rror. So far from ?v?rything I r?m?mb?r past this thr?shold b?twixt Kuails forg? and this tr?? out of spac? wh?r? onc? plaqu?; and if I r?m?mb?r furth?r back a sapling.This so far from that slid?show danc?ss of color - plays; of orang?s wildfir?; y?llow and blu?s ??ri? oc?an; vort?xtur?d purpl? dr?am. This grov? a th?at?r, fath?r carri?d my r?luctant mood to s?? countl?ss sp?ctacl?, and now as ?v?n Sara?’s twilight fails, it hums back my start of tun?, myst?ry, pow?r, d?ath in darkn?ss.

  Who dr?w walls back know, but, who I to d?ny this stag?, out through curtain.

  …bon?s rattl? to carry m? forward

  ?I'm not alright…

  y?t ill mak? th?m s??-

  I’m not wrong…

  May b? vil?, no on? smil?s, whil? Im around

  No starshin? and happin?ss; all-

  Gnashing t??th, hurt f??lings, glad to b? forgott?n

  Though if I may hav? my last sin

  It would m?an ?v?rything to m?

  If…

  B?for? I Di?!

  would giv? ?v?ry part of m?,

  To show th?m how sh?’s li?d,

  Y?s, you can s??-

  I’m not strong, pl?asant or kind- C?rtainly vil?,

  Viciously hungry v?rmin, ~im sorry!~ for b?ing m?!

  But aft?r all sh?s don? - I cannot l?t it b?

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  Im not alri–ght

  But hav? m? my sin and l?t m? show th?m

  Im not…

  Wro—-ng…?

  And ill prov? it! Sh? will pay!

  Air shimm?rs faintly, bright sparks against ?ndl?ss blind gr?y. Tracing its curvatur? l?ading back patting mys?lf. This is m??

  Ash kicks as my brok?n for?y? f?ars anoth?r blunting, fighting my mind for control of my l?gs as th?y cautiously sampl? ?ach n?w spac? forward. An ov?rwh?lming sc?nt of burnt wood is off?r?d as a sugg?stion. It hurts to b?li?v? what th?y hav? don? to th?m.

  dipping down furth?r into glad?, ash?n cloud giv?s way to that sam? ??ri? fog that first pr?s?nt?d thr?sh. Cackling cracking b?n?ath my f??t hints sam?ly as whisp?r?d scr?ams of d?ad ash? . stamping my f??t to l?an into that familiar nois? soon has m? l?aping forward; I am among fri?nds.

  laught?r plays at paws, t?mpting to list?n for its brilliant cacophony in air; y?s; what was onc?, onc? a minut? snap as child is now thousands at onc? p?r mom?nt. I can s?? th?m; th?ir sound paints cl?ar in my mind. Black and whit? static of countl?ss branch?s l?ngth?ning with br?ak

  With hum my spirit flows in wav? across limbs t?aring th?m in part with g?n?sis

  Lightning sp?ars from cloud, colorl?ss light glimpsing a bri?f horror of hundr?ds incin?rat?d trunks. A c?m?t?ry that stops my tracks. Y?t, b?tw??n flash?s I f??l th?ir soft incorpor?al brittl? rains upon my s?ns?s. Noxious ink?n dropl?ts ?vad? my sc?nt dragging m? into pranc? within it to t?ar my spirit across it all lik? claws down chalkboard; finding r?al of discord.

  Flashing turns to what I know I b?li?v?, I s?? it now! A Canopy of black bark, through which its br?aking fing?rs snap long?r and thinn?r into spac?, b?tw??n which spac?s pur? and ?mpty whit?, as its shatt?ring r?ach?s high?r th?s? opposit?s bl?nd into a gr?y sky, and as my h?art rac?s m? forward wid?-grinn?d, lin?s simplify into harmony. All my agoni?s blank?t as th?ir droppings bury m? in a cold and g?ntl? snow; and I pr?ss on, buri?d to should?r buri?d to nos?, buri?d to-

  [“Una! Back h?r? now!” Sh? sobb?d out

  I stand at cliffs ?dg?, watching down at a kin strand?d on a rock among ?v?rtid?s most formidabl? rapids of summ?r. It is foolish to trav?rs? ?v?rtid? this viol?nt s?ason. And ?v?n if, wis? to foot this s?ction most tim? of y?ar.

  How did h? g?t h?r?, why do?s h? look focus?d, not afraid?

  Moth?r inch?s toward m?, afraid a sudd?n mov? will hav? m? ov?r. Navigating my n?w s?lf had b??n nothing short of traumatic and fath?r just l?ft us; ?v?n now I do not know why. I f?ar it is b?caus? of m?.

  “Una pl?as?, I sorry, I n??d you I-”

  This Lutra pulls th?ir Arcanimus from an ?th?r?al spac?. My curiosity mom?ntarily grips m? to l?dg? as th?y ?dg? toward fatal forc?s, r?adying this thin woord?n board toward th?ir f??t

  of f?ar and confusion “Don’t” I whisp?r?d us?l?ssly in air. Th?y jump, landing train?d on that strang? plank; gliding grac?ful abov? damning curr?nts, adding flaunt and aw?fill?d tricks up on crashing ?dg?, th?y chirp with bliss until th?y r?ach b?yond my sid?s, my fur frill?d with disb?li?f, with wond?r of this s?ns?l?ss dang?r

  Moth?r grabs m?]

  Moth?r is d?ad, so why do I f??l h?r b?hind m??

  I p??r into sam? oblivion, lost in aw?, such b?auty at thr?shold wh?r? black and whit? play in p?rf?ct balanc? - shap?s blur b?tw??n r?al obj?cts, branch?s, l?av?s ; and unassignabl? g?om?try.

  My paw stuck in air to tak? anoth?r st?p forward. Wat?r b?low, low fid?lity d?vic?d static.

  Curious; what n?xt into simplicity? ; To drift d?licat?ly into pur? shap?. L?aving lif? through blurr?d ?as?. Away from this lif? of suff?ring ; A cl?ar tid? to wash m? away

  y?t

  This sorrow

  ? it do?s not matt?r ?

  s?ns?l?ss dang?rous

  for my h?ro would I giv? ?v?rything to av?ng?, ?v?n finally bliss ?t?rnal.

  Body ducks forward, my hinds kick out back b?for? falling into abyss; laying back into pillowy thick?t. Sil?nc? only brok?n by its patt?r?d rain. What I know to b? tru? is h?r?.

  I up and dash to ink tr?? so r?ckl?ssly my h?ad collid?s with a trunk just to find on?; cackling back in m?aningful ach?. upon collid? inkfruit loos?s and splash?s pung?nt black boon and madd?ns sc?n? furth?r into star forsak?n night with its wr?tch?d muck.

  Paws cannot mak? cl?aring quick ?nough. Onc? I hav? my circl? of bar? ?arth I'm scrabbling for h?althy brittl?s and snap th?m into Sx? b?nt s?micircl? form. Sampling pats of blackn?ss b?for? m? and r?adjusting to g?t it p?rf?ct.

  Why isn't this working? What am I doing wrong? I scr?am. Raising my paw and-

  You hat? your fath?r for l?aving and d?fin? yours?lf by avoiding what h? is and what h? do?s. W? ar? surpris?d and grat?ful to h?ar from you.

  smacking my t?mpl?s, trying to cl?ar this ?ag?r d?lirium.

  An indistinct w?ll of ?motion al?rts m? to som?on? n?arby. Pouncing back and l?tting a warning bark, ?y?s th?n trac? silhou?tt? of a hood?d Figur? blocking what littl? y?llow finds its way from distant glow of Kuials smithy

  “Sx?”

  Y?s

  “How do I know I am sp?aking to you and not conjuring my own d?sir??”

  What diff?r?nc? is thin.

  Mind r??ls with ?v?rything I'v? r?ad about Sx, things I n?v?r thought lit?ral; ignor?d b?caus? th?y confus?d m?. It still confus?s m?. “I d?sir? to kill h?r” I say to my own thoughts?

  You must b?tray d?finition on? st?p furth?r to alt?r possibility.

  “?ww, You m?an fath?rs patron. Idiot! You know I would n?v?r call that monst?r!”

  You, n?v?r. But who is this back from l?dg?? On? final sin did collid? your soul in twain.

  On? final sin? “W?ll.. what contract can I mak? with you?”

  W? b?tw??n ar? no on? and no on?s patron. So with bitt?rn?ss l?ss?r than rag?

  And a r?luctant sigh “I call F?rc?nzy”

  Sara?’s first hint b?for? twilight, pings wingtipp?d congr?ss of tw?nty rav?n thought w?r? inkfruit standing high atop th?s? ?th?r?al tr??s. Th?ir ?y?s turn to m? a myriad of blu?s through y?llows with on? impossibl? s?t of stark purpl?. As star ris?s light shifts ??ri?.

  “My child, at last w? sp?ak” calls on?. branch?d par?idolia of f?rc?nzys manic visag? imprints unnaturally in my mind; Black, Whit? tipp?d wings, razor b?aks and talons.

  “I am not your child”

  “Untru?” calls anoth?r rav?n,

  “But what is tru?”

  “Is l?ss important”

  “Than what you will do” calls a fifth. Th?y languag?l?ssy caw y?t som?how I compr?h?nd.

  “I will giv? ?v?rything, hav? my ?ntir? soul! All I wish in r?turn is for you to kill h?r!”

  “I, unprivy ordial ?nding lif?.

  “Th?n giv? m? pow?r to Br?ak h?r”

  “I off?r on? word”

  “A word? For my ?ntir? soul?”

  “Una; mor? burd?nsom? than b?aring”

  “With contract on? b?com?s w?”

  “And in your ?ntir?ty w? shall not b?” Cawwing ov?rlaps but I und?rstand in ord?r.

  “On tonight's contract only a trifl?”

  “will I tak?”

  “In r?turn; a word”

  “Frac!, A trifl?? sh? is far mor? pow?rful than anything a trifl? would l?nd m?! I n??d mor?!” th?ir ?y?s narrow with my shouting, n?rvous, I spit curiosity. “A word, what kind of word? Magic? divin??”

  “plain”

  “Brought into focus”

  “From out of plac?”

  I taunt “?ww, P?rhaps I will ask Sx to conn?ct m? with a r?dd?r god” cackling ?rupts among congr?ss. Frill?d fright from this quickly burns to rumbling purr of ang?r in r?alization that th?y j?st at my ?xp?ns?.

  “You think so?”

  “how qu??r.”

  “A jok??” th?y

  “Insol?nt!” guffaw

  “Humorous.”

  “Disr?sp?ctful!”

  “F?rc?nzy harly’wans fromya m?aga promis?, yu’whov? onl’riddl? with blu?!” brok?n from congr?ss a f?w bawks animat? into mundan? motion. “Howcn’ yu ?sp?ct prais? fra r?d?”

  “This av?nu? is not worth our tim? h?r?! Why do w? wast? such aft?r brok?n trink?ts?”

  “L?ttuc? cast? thistl? p?stl? brack?t two r??l”

  - “Shut up! I car? not you ar? primordial!” - I start at tr?? outlin?d in Sara?s light, cutting my claws d??p into bark “Ill t?ar a contract from you, Ill show you stupid bawks who is m?ag?r!” My claws b?gin raking back toward ?arth as str?ngth fails m?. Must?ring ?v?ry bit of r?d I hav? and ! launch mys?lf up and toward th?s? damn?d murkwing ! My targ?t jumps out of way and lands grac?ful back on branch as I mak? plumm?t.

  Th?y ar? right, my sp?ll of r?d is rar?, but ?v?n so hav? surpris?d mys?lf with how high I b?cam? - that I hav? but a mom?nt to cont?mplat? how wrong I hav? spun.

  Branch and bon? crunch in m?dly follow?d by my not? of anguish?d squalling. Shatt?r?d should?r clutch?d with shaking paw, souls r?s?rv? r?dl?ss to r?m?dy. “Laugh it up! I will… Aaah! Show you!” Rag? and agony bl?nd into a scr?am to mask this horrid f??l.

  Fi?rc? forc? thumps b?sid?, on? has land?d b?sid? m?, th?ir most ?normous. I, unflinching, d?ath has fail?d too oft tonight for m? to fall again it's prank. Darkn?ss ?ncapsulat?s m? as this monst?r pounc?s.

  Looking up to catch th?ir glanc? silhou?tt?s th?ir pinions; sharp points twisting at m?. R?cognizing an attack; I bark with ?v?ry bit of hatr?d I hav? l?ft

  / crimson tipp?d pinions inj?ct th?ir color into m? as ifn’t solid. \

  I hav? n?v?r f?lt this much torm?nt.

  “?ei?er com? back to cov?n!”

  “Fool!” Und?rstanding com?s to m? ?v?n through suffocating agony

  “Sacril?g?!”

  Th?n pain ?as?s from sharp to ?v?n. It has b??n sinc? my sparking that for?y?s b??n assault?d by such ravid conc?rn. I look up to find it in h?r uncanny purpl? ?y?s; Th?ir focus back into min? m?sm?rizing. “Impossibl?, how?” H?r r?d crown?d b?ak glar?s orang? with Sara?s sol? sugg?stion; it com?s down to nuzzl? my ?y?.

  Sh? talks in tongu? “astut? as you ar?, y?t h?r? I am.”

  H?r coo draws through m? “ Impr?ss has shak?n m? and I f?ar w? will los? mor? than on? child tonight”.

  B?for? finding r?ply, nov?l s?nsation captivat?s; rag? and pain r?main but th?y draw focus, rath?r than away.

  In a mom?nt sh? says - “Child, our tim? h?r? is soon to pass and with fairn?ss I r?lay; wh?n you ?nt?r warlock with F?rc?nzy, you ?nt?r our cov?n. - Your v?ng?anc? will r?main lon?ly, but it is but a t?st for a long?r road; f?ar that road. if you surviv? you will liv? lif? in and und?rstand sickagony an?w. Ifn’ b?caus? w? hav? m?ag?r faith you will win, but slim is chanc? at all; Show us this rav?nous d?fianc? display?d tonight.

  H?r words hast? could not b? follow?d l?st my minds align?d sprint; I miss it as it fad?s, r?s?nting chaos wh?n rag? again b?com?s an animal. “M?ag?r faith? ill show you! My lif? alr?ady suff?ring, what mor? could I know?”

  ?ei?ers f?ath?rs rous?d, would smil? if b?aks could. H?r h?ad tilts horizon noting Sara?s soon br?ak; Congr?ss all flit ?y?.

  “wast? of tim?”

  “Disr?sp?ct” Th?y caw wordl?ssly

  “m?ag?r”

  ?ei?ers flips m? forward, h?r priz?d pinion sliding down for?h?ad to my back and finally off tail as I st?p toward congr?ss and d?mand “Sx!; I d?mand contract with f?rc?nzy!”

  Ache shoots through my should?r as I stumble in its ill support. ?ei?er scarc?ly h?al?d, but rath?r s?t bon? in plac??

  Looking back up, F?rc?nzy's fac? allud?s my mind through ?v?ry twigg?n crossroad, y?t d?al illud?s.I need to ‘make fair’

  Grumbling “This word b?tt?r not b? stupid” I st?p in inkpuddl? of that fall?n fruit in, its spoil?d fl?shy w?ll an unpl?asant odor daring m? not to dunk my h?ad in and chug, y?t.

  Wr?tching imm?diat?ly, f??ling som?how sick?r. Bright r?v?rs?s; as if Sara? dangl?d by string slowly rais?d, now has cut.

  That of darkn?ss, cold and hung?r subsid? as consciousn?ss ?nsouls; a plac? I hav? only visit?d in pag?s. I s?? not my body, I s?? not Val?. All forms of h?at drown in ichor

  Quickly b?com?s it cl?ar ?ei?er dazzl?d m? in sp?ll. I should b? angry.

  B?for? m? a trifl? truthfully off?r?d, but a thimbl? of primordial. My dim soul ripping out as if a paw of m?; and for what? On? plain word?

  I s?? F?rc?nzy cl?ar; y?t If I try to d?scrib? th?m think nothing.

  Through th?m, my patron furth?r down road.

  Gods; parts of many primordial; but I cannot s?? which parts d?scrib? my soul

  As I gl?am into omnisci?nc? f?rc?nzy caws conc?alm?nt into a t?rrifying focus

  This d?al

  Why I want it

  I cannot ?xist so h?lpl?ss to ?v?rything lost

  I n??d to b? som?thing capabl? of r?v?ng?

  I ask

  How can a singl? word alt?r my path

  It answ?rs

  A singl? word can start wars

  A singl? word can br?ak nations

  A singl? word can br?ak a mind

  A singl? word plac?d car?fully may altar mor? than on?'s fat?

  But

  Can this on??

  It answ?rs

  Inconc?ivabl? and c?rtainly

  How can it b? both?

  It is how you plac? it

  Why only a singl? word?

  ?v?n a singl? word out of plac? is a t?rribl? sin

  Fin?

  But

  Why was ?ei?er d?sp?rat? to warn m? of this path

  if sh? sp?lt m? towards taking it?

  h?r warning; p?rhaps sinc?r??

  How sinc?r? can rav?n b??

  Barrag?s of disdain and laught?r fill through m?mory pag? by pag? a lif?tim? of torm?nt until I r?ach this lat?st chapt?r; volum? ?normous, tiring.

  Th?n look to ?v?ryon? aliv? who car?s

  ?ei?er a singl? sh??t; But I find it good as any parchm?nt to sign upon, and as I do, I f??l b?coming w? with F?rc?nzy, and that hidd?n word losing obscurity.

  ?ei?er, I will show you who I am

  fat? d?fying