Fatima's Diary

reflections for the lost

31. Divided and Fallen

It was in the late afternoon that Grayn warned me that there were four beasts quickly flying toward us. Some of my other companions had also noticed this, although how I'm not exactly sure. I dismounted and tied my horse and T'marrack herded some of the others closer to him. Alial and I shared a brief glance- I went right and he went left, both opposite each other off the path. Drawing Rihana's rapier, I awaited the adversaries' appearance. What did arrive was disgusting. A twisted mix of orange red fur, large bat wings, a human-like head, and a long tail tipped with black spines. They flew in loose formation, and Labrinnon loosed a ball of fire to explode around one of them. I ducked behind a tree as they retaliated.

The strangled scream I heard shocked me. I could clearly see what was Alial. He was a mass of black spines, some of which had gone almost all the way through him. The tree behind him was covered with blood and spines that had passed through him. I reached a place deep within me and from it I pulled anger, as I could see the beasts beginning to swoop closer to Alial's corpse.

My black membranous wings snapped out and furiously beat in tune with my heart over to Alial. I stepped over his body and spread my wings behind me to shield him, like an Alu-demon protecting her charge. I could feel his warm blood leaking into my sandals. I gripped the rapier Rihana had given to me in one hand, and held my other ready, two fingers pointing to my foe. Angry tears bled down from my eyes and I prayed to Ilâh and the Light to shelter Alial in his hand, for his Salvation and Rebirth, World without End.

It was Labrinnon's well timed fireball that broke their swoop. He bided his time and waited until the four of them were all close enough to catch in one mighty blast. This persuaded them that we were not easy meat. When they were gone from the horizon I stepped away from what was Alial. Everyone knew he had been destroyed by the beasts Grayn called Manticores. Perhaps this land really is full of horrible beasts and devils, as my Guardian used to tell me as a child.