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Chapter 3:

“Kill it! Kill it – it’s getting away!” Blood surged in his ears, he could feel the heat emanating from the mob. Cries and curses filled with rage followed him. He knew they were getting closer. He slithered in between two walls and crawled in as far as he got.
Gravel and dust stuck to his fingers. The scent of copper and rusty iron stirred his stomach into a whirlpool of nausea. His heart throbbed. He was more scared than ever. What had happened? Why were they chasing him? How had all those people die? And why were his hand soaked in blood.
His knees scraped on the rough ground. Blood smeared across his kneecaps. They started to sting.
He got as far in as he could. Huddled down at the far end of the alley. He pulled his knees towards him, and he winced and sobbed as gashes tore into his shins and calves. He cried harder and harder, feeling a tight knot forming in his throat.
The glow of dozens of torches closed in. Their wielders shouted promises of bloodshed. The glow became stronger. It got closer; he hugged his knees even tighter and put his face to his skin to muffle the cries.
“Go away, please, go away!”

Canis’ eyes regained their glow. The breeze blew over the grass, rustling the green sea. The scent of dew and spring laid in the air. Small critters dashed through the forest of grass, their high squeaks pulled him out of his nightmare as they ran over his feet. He shook his head, silver blocked his vision. He brushed the strands off his face, but his eyes were vacant his thoughts still on that day.
‘Still those dreams, huh? I thought they would be over by now.”
He shook his head free of those thoughts, took a deep breath and looked around.
The flashback had come a few minutes after he had visited the Guard’s fortress, and now he had no idea how far he had gotten. It was a short memory, it couldn’t have taken that long; he turned back, and Lunahana was nowhere in sight. But he was somewhere familiar, at least – and safe.
The road had taken a right turn several hundred yards back; he, however, had continued to walk. Before him, the field of grass dipped into a small valley. To his left a long, mighty river travelled down from the mountains. It reached the pit of the valley, where it laid itself out as a lake, with an island in the center, like a pupil in an eye. The island was the size of Lunahana, more or less, surrounded by banks of ivory white sands, a barrier of fresh green canopies shielded the life on the island from sight; but like the lone tree on a barren plane, a lonely, but gargantuan stone tower stood erect. Canis felt a small smile spread the lower portion of his face – the sweet, sweet sight of his personal haven.
The wind curled like a funnel, a thundering boom dashed across the ground, and a line of flat, trodden grass appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
“YAHOO!” Canis cried out in excitement and joy. He felt the wind rush through his hair, he felt the familiar sensation of his heart beating faster and faster, and he felt a small pain in his legs from the sudden use. The last one didn’t bother him; right now he was free – and running like wind incarnate.

The roar of the river grew as he got closer, and he slowed down. The wind screaming in his ears became quiet, his heartbeat slowed down, and his leg muscles sighed with relief – if it could, his right tibia would have complained, “Hey! Why don’t you start by limbering up, ya oaf.”
Canis took a deep breath and looked around. White foam and water spewed out where the river flowed out into a lake; a few bushes close to the shore rustled as the wind blew at it, with a wooden corner sticking out through its branches. However, there were no one here. Which wasn’t much of a surprise, really. Lunahanans hated this place, and that was why he loved it.
He pranced over to the bushes, all the while looking cautiously at his surroundings; Lunahanans avoided this place, pretty much at all cost, but that did not mean that outsiders didn’t come here for the occasional dip – that had been awkward.
He put his hand in one of the bushes, felt it touch a rough wooden surface, he clenched his hand around the edge and pulled, and out came a small wood raft at about two by two feet. He searched the bush a little more and pulled out a small oar.
He put the raft on the water, where it stood sturdily, as if he had placed it on the ground and not on liquid. He got on carefully, thankful that it was nearly no wind – the last thing he needed was uneven footing. He took the oar and swiftly made his way across.
Icy cold water splashed on his shoes and bare ankles, and Canis shuddered. The winter was over, but the water was still cold. Awaiting the slight skidding halt, he jumped off as the raft gently hit the pure white sand. The air smelled of life, growing plants and budding flowers, a smell he enjoyed.
He turned, pulled the raft out of the water and hid the oar and the raft in another bush.
From a distance away, he heard the calls of the targeted deer. He checked the direction of the wind, checked his knife, and he took to the trees.
The trunks were rough and easy to climb, and the thick branches easily held his weight. The dark green canopies smelled weird, but they made hiding his presence easier. He jumped from tree to tree like a monkey, but with the stealth of a cat. He made no sound, even as he moved through the canopies and made a path between the leaves. He had learned from observing the hunters on the island, but it felt natural to him as well.
Deep down he could feel a hunter’s instincts – and a gnawing thirst for blood.
The further he got into the forest, the louder the calls got. They were deep and sounded horse, as if they were constantly inhaling smoke, and the deer’s citrusy scent didn’t help them much either, but coupled with the males’ musk during mating season, the odor proved the be very potent and powerful. Fortunately, he was downwind of them; they did not anticipate his arrival – if they had, the island would have been nosier than a practicing orchestra.
After what felt like half a day with striding through thick canopies, he finally got to his destination: A meadow free of trees, with blooming flowers and grass sparkling with beads of dew. And it crawled with deer. The cloud of musk almost punched him off his branch. He looked around.
The first rule of the hunt was to take out the weak link; taking out the strongest meant fewer calves for the oncoming year, thus a dwindling population and less food. Therefore, the trick was to spot the runt of the herd – the skinniest, oldest, or smallest. Just beneath him pranced the one that had to be the ‘stud’ of the herd. A tall deer with a dangerously sharp antler and was essentially a walking piece of muscle. He pulled almost a fourth of the females, while most others stayed with one or two mates. However, there were a few that had been isolated from the whole rut: a deer well past his years, with a dark grey coat and antlers that looked like a predator’s jaw; a very skinny one, which seemed to be ill as well; and a small one, with tiny antlers.
Canis decided to go for the runt, he wouldn’t survive anyway. He closed his eye and prayed silently. When he was done, he got as far away from the Alpha as possible, before he took to the ground and hid from view in a shrubbery not far away from the runt. But waiting wasn’t an option, no.
Canis started to search the shrubbery for something that could create a distraction and perhaps trigger the deer’s curiosity. He had seen how curious they could be, just like a child. His hand brushed across a rock. It was small and smooth, a perfect fit in his hand.
He made sure that none of the deer had their attention in his direction, and then threw it into the forest far enough away that only the targeted deer would hear. The rock sailed through the air in a perfect arch, hit the ground with a thud and bounced away. Sure enough, the deer’s head turned, it flicked its ears and then set out to investigate. The sweet, citrusy smell got closer and Canis hid deeper inside the shrubbery as if he was snuggling into a comfortable hug.
The deer missed him by a hair, stomping down inches from his head. Canis wanted to gasp, but he kept his cool. They say dogs smell fear, but that was the case for all animals.
The deer walked away, cautiousness giving way to curiosity. A fatal mistake if there ever was one. Slowly and silently, Canis got out of his hiding spot and slowly approached the deer from behind. The wind came at them from the right, and the deer had no idea the danger it was in. No, it simply looked around, trying to find the cause of the mysterious sound.
Canis stopped, just mere feet from his prey. It sniffed around like a puppy inspecting a new environment, and Canis started having second thoughts. The knife felt heavier and heavier, and his heartbeat sped up with each passing millisecond. His hand hovered over the hilt, ready to grab it and take the deer’s life, but something held him back.
‘Come on, do it! It’s your chance, do it,’ he told himself and gulped. His hand lowered itself, and he felt one of his fingers trace the leather-wrapped hilt. It would be easy; one stab to the base of the neck and it would be over. He had done it before, so why couldn’t he now?
The image of fire and approaching silhouettes played in his mind. He felt his knees burn. Furious, murderous chants were bellowed across the fields of Lunahana. Tears ran down his cheeks, his heart pounded viciously, and he could taste blood in his mouth; and as he ran, a dark voice cackled in his mind, telling him to stop running and take a stand – “Release your Darkness, show them your true power.” He told the voice ‘No. No, I won’t. Get out of my head!’
A sharp bleat brought him back to reality. He blinked and found himself staring into the maw of a very curios but upbeat canopy deer. It looked at him with the same fondness a dog would show to a human. There was no fear or possessive in its eyes. There were nothing but kindness. It bleated again, but softly, which Canis associated with a child saying hello to another person for the first time. Canis could feel his hand still hovering over the knife. He sighed and removed it. His mother would be angry with him, but he couldn’t help it; he didn’t have it in his heart to take a life – not then, not now. He petted the deer on its muzzle, which felt softer than goose feathers, and the deer closed its eyes and bleated cheerily. It was a runt, but still acted like a child. Perhaps it could still become something of it.
“You were lucky this time,” he said softly, “but be more careful in the future.” The deer snorted as he removed his hand from its muzzle, and Canis walked away.

But even though hunting a deer had failed, he wouldn’t leave empty-handed. Not far away. He had found a pair of rabbits. It wasn’t a catch to be particularly proud of, but still pretty good.
He made his way through shrubberies, plants, dens and took a small detour when he had stumbled upon a hive of buzzing bees. His hung limply in his grasp, and the scent of blood oozed out of the metal sheath. He knew of a pond nearby where he could wash his knife and hands. The sun was about to reach the top of its daily climb and he guessed it had to be around twelve or perhaps one in the afternoon.
‘It’s about time. The Festival’s going to be huge this year,’ he thought, thinking about the days in wait. ‘People from around the world… maybe I could slip melt into the crowd. It’s going to be full of joy and fun – nobody’s going to notice a single guy…’
A song pulled him out of his thoughts, and a voice so beautiful that angels seethed with jealousy embraced his soul. All other thoughts disappeared and he walked without a thought other than to find the owner of such a divine voice.
“Spring has come, and cold thaws away in the presence of rays of gold. Winter leaves and crops will prosper.” He had never heard a song like that before. The lyrics were different, but they seemed to join in harmony. For him it was too beautiful to come from a mortal’s mouth, but there was something inside of him, something dark and heavy, that hissed with rage.
“A king strong and mighty, guards his borders, with a determined golden gaze…”
Again, the splitting headaches returned, but he forced them away – nothing was to ruin this moment. Nothing. “Darkness flees in fear… and duty slays the brave king, but he will once again return and unite the lost race.”
It sounded like lines in a prophecy or a children’s story. The lyrics were familiar, but he could swear that he had never heard them before, but still… a distant part of him recognized them, and it felt like he was closing in on someone important from long ago… and he were in desperate need of a reunion.
The voice was close, and the closer he got the more he started to shiver. The pond was near he realized, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something white. The song became a series of hums, but it was still the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.
He got on his knees behind yet another shrubbery; this one was almost as tall as he was. He fiddled with the branches so that he could see through. The bushes rustled, and Canis could feel a few involuntary cusswords fly around inside his head. He was often swift and quick, unnoticeable before it was too late; he never made sounds. He felt a chilly wind spread over his fingertips as they pushed apart the pile of paler-than-usual crispy leaves.
The divine song washed over his body, a soothing wave of beauty, peace and harmony.
The scenery before him was beautiful: Lush grass and sparkling flowerbeds and a glittering pond of pure water. Normally, this would have seemed like a small piece of Paradise for a Lunahanan, but when faced with a beauty like Canis, every other beauty paled in comparison.
Saying she was a beauty would have been an understatement. She was beauty incarnated. Radiant skin white as fresh snow, with long flowing hair of the same color, but tinted with a light, watery shade of blue. She was seated, supported by her arms, and enjoying the feeling of the hot morning-sun caressing her skin with closed eyes.
She was dressed in a long dress or gown of some sort, a navy sash tied around her waist. Two sandals lay on the ground beside her, and her feet were coated with water.
Canis could feel a scorching heat spread itself across his cheeks, as he gaped like a goldfish. He was speechless now, as he had laid eyes upon this goddess. ‘I’ve never seen anyone like her,” he marveled. He swallowed.
He didn’t know what had possessed him to gawk at this woman, but he decided to sit down and continue. He got down on his knees, and pushed the bushes further apart. The crispy leaves rustled more this time, and another mental curse raced through Canis’ head; but a mental curse wouldn’t do the peeping man any good, and the woman must have noticed, for her eyes opened faster than a lightning lance could have ripped across the sky. Her head whipped in his direction, and their eyes locked.
Red and light blue. She froze, and her eyes paled with embarrassment. She screamed, ‘Eek!’, which must have scared every avian creature in a 12-mile radius. With a snap of a pair of metaphorical fingers, Canis regained his senses. He shot straight up, holding his arms in front of himself in a shielding gesture and said, as calmly as one can be in such an embarrassing situation, “I’m sorry, I…”
But before he could explain, her eyes changed, from light blue to navy, and that embarrassment became combined with a tidal wave of anger. The air became icy-cold and dry, frost crystals started gathering in the grass and canopies. His skin tingled and started to stand at attention. The woman rose, seemingly calm and collected, but her eyes betrayed her posture – and so did the scabbard she was clenching in her hand so tightly. He felt like a dead man already.
She gripped the hilt and unsheathed a long, thin katana. The deadly blade hissed with appreciation, and the sound was as cold as the air around it. She pointed it at him, with such speed that it left a series of incorporeal images in its wake. The air around it turned into ghostly white smoke.
He held up his arms to shield himself from any potential attack. He opened his mouth. “I’m sorry… I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean to peek on you like that, but-”
“Spare me your excuses,” she yelled. Her voice was colder than the atmosphere surrounding then. “You dared to sully me with your lewd gaze, and now you have the nerve to come up with a pitiful excuse to spare your life. No, I will not allow that; you will feel the consequences of your actions and die with honor.”
And that was when icicles came out of nowhere.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Chapter 3:

“Kill it! Kill it – it’s getting away!” Blood surged in his ears, he could feel the heat emanating from the mob. Cries and curses filled with rage followed him. He knew they were getting closer. He slithered in between two walls and crawled in as far as he got.
Gravel and dust stuck to his fingers. The scent of copper and rusty iron stirred his stomach into a whirlpool of nausea. His heart throbbed. He was more scared than ever. What had happened? Why were they chasing him? How had all those people die? And why were his hand soaked in blood.
His knees scraped on the rough ground. Blood smeared across his kneecaps. They started to sting.
He got as far in as he could. Huddled down at the far end of the alley. He pulled his knees towards him, and he winced and sobbed as gashes tore into his shins and calves. He cried harder and harder, feeling a tight knot forming in his throat.
The glow of dozens of torches closed in. Their wielders shouted promises of bloodshed. The glow became stronger. It got closer; he hugged his knees even tighter and put his face to his skin to muffle the cries.
“Go away, please, go away!”

Canis’ eyes regained their glow. The breeze blew over the grass, rustling the green sea. The scent of dew and spring laid in the air. Small critters dashed through the forest of grass, their high squeaks pulled him out of his nightmare as they ran over his feet. He shook his head, silver blocked his vision. He brushed the strands off his face, but his eyes were vacant his thoughts still on that day.
‘Still those dreams, huh? I thought they would be over by now.”
He shook his head free of those thoughts, took a deep breath and looked around.
The flashback had come a few minutes after he had visited the Guard’s fortress, and now he had no idea how far he had gotten. It was a short memory, it couldn’t have taken that long; he turned back, and Lunahana was nowhere in sight. But he was somewhere familiar, at least – and safe.
The road had taken a right turn several hundred yards back; he, however, had continued to walk. Before him, the field of grass dipped into a small valley. To his left a long, mighty river travelled down from the mountains. It reached the pit of the valley, where it laid itself out as a lake, with an island in the center, like a pupil in an eye. The island was the size of Lunahana, more or less, surrounded by banks of ivory white sands, a barrier of fresh green canopies shielded the life on the island from sight; but like the lone tree on a barren plane, a lonely, but gargantuan stone tower stood erect. Canis felt a small smile spread the lower portion of his face – the sweet, sweet sight of his personal haven.
The wind curled like a funnel, a thundering boom dashed across the ground, and a line of flat, trodden grass appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
“YAHOO!” Canis cried out in excitement and joy. He felt the wind rush through his hair, he felt the familiar sensation of his heart beating faster and faster, and he felt a small pain in his legs from the sudden use. The last one didn’t bother him; right now he was free – and running like wind incarnate.

The roar of the river grew as he got closer, and he slowed down. The wind screaming in his ears became quiet, his heartbeat slowed down, and his leg muscles sighed with relief – if it could, his right tibia would have complained, “Hey! Why don’t you start by limbering up, ya oaf.”
Canis took a deep breath and looked around. White foam and water spewed out where the river flowed out into a lake; a few bushes close to the shore rustled as the wind blew at it, with a wooden corner sticking out through its branches. However, there were no one here. Which wasn’t much of a surprise, really. Lunahanans hated this place, and that was why he loved it.
He pranced over to the bushes, all the while looking cautiously at his surroundings; Lunahanans avoided this place, pretty much at all cost, but that did not mean that outsiders didn’t come here for the occasional dip – that had been awkward.
He put his hand in one of the bushes, felt it touch a rough wooden surface, he clenched his hand around the edge and pulled, and out came a small wood raft at about two by two feet. He searched the bush a little more and pulled out a small oar.
He put the raft on the water, where it stood sturdily, as if he had placed it on the ground and not on liquid. He got on carefully, thankful that it was nearly no wind – the last thing he needed was uneven footing. He took the oar and swiftly made his way across.
Icy cold water splashed on his shoes and bare ankles, and Canis shuddered. The winter was over, but the water was still cold. Awaiting the slight skidding halt, he jumped off as the raft gently hit the pure white sand. The air smelled of life, growing plants and budding flowers, a smell he enjoyed.
He turned, pulled the raft out of the water and hid the oar and the raft in another bush.
From a distance away, he heard the calls of the targeted deer. He checked the direction of the wind, checked his knife, and he took to the trees.
The trunks were rough and easy to climb, and the thick branches easily held his weight. The dark green canopies smelled weird, but they made hiding his presence easier. He jumped from tree to tree like a monkey, but with the stealth of a cat. He made no sound, even as he moved through the canopies and made a path between the leaves. He had learned from observing the hunters on the island, but it felt natural to him as well.
Deep down he could feel a hunter’s instincts – and a gnawing thirst for blood.
The further he got into the forest, the louder the calls got. They were deep and sounded horse, as if they were constantly inhaling smoke, and the deer’s citrusy scent didn’t help them much either, but coupled with the males’ musk during mating season, the odor proved the be very potent and powerful. Fortunately, he was downwind of them; they did not anticipate his arrival – if they had, the island would have been nosier than a practicing orchestra.
After what felt like half a day with striding through thick canopies, he finally got to his destination: A meadow free of trees, with blooming flowers and grass sparkling with beads of dew. And it crawled with deer. The cloud of musk almost punched him off his branch. He looked around.
The first rule of the hunt was to take out the weak link; taking out the strongest meant fewer calves for the oncoming year, thus a dwindling population and less food. Therefore, the trick was to spot the runt of the herd – the skinniest, oldest, or smallest. Just beneath him pranced the one that had to be the ‘stud’ of the herd. A tall deer with a dangerously sharp antler and was essentially a walking piece of muscle. He pulled almost a fourth of the females, while most others stayed with one or two mates. However, there were a few that had been isolated from the whole rut: a deer well past his years, with a dark grey coat and antlers that looked like a predator’s jaw; a very skinny one, which seemed to be ill as well; and a small one, with tiny antlers.
Canis decided to go for the runt, he wouldn’t survive anyway. He closed his eye and prayed silently. When he was done, he got as far away from the Alpha as possible, before he took to the ground and hid from view in a shrubbery not far away from the runt. But waiting wasn’t an option, no.
Canis started to search the shrubbery for something that could create a distraction and perhaps trigger the deer’s curiosity. He had seen how curious they could be, just like a child. His hand brushed across a rock. It was small and smooth, a perfect fit in his hand.
He made sure that none of the deer had their attention in his direction, and then threw it into the forest far enough away that only the targeted deer would hear. The rock sailed through the air in a perfect arch, hit the ground with a thud and bounced away. Sure enough, the deer’s head turned, it flicked its ears and then set out to investigate. The sweet, citrusy smell got closer and Canis hid deeper inside the shrubbery as if he was snuggling into a comfortable hug.
The deer missed him by a hair, stomping down inches from his head. Canis wanted to gasp, but he kept his cool. They say dogs smell fear, but that was the case for all animals.
The deer walked away, cautiousness giving way to curiosity. A fatal mistake if there ever was one. Slowly and silently, Canis got out of his hiding spot and slowly approached the deer from behind. The wind came at them from the right, and the deer had no idea the danger it was in. No, it simply looked around, trying to find the cause of the mysterious sound.
Canis stopped, just mere feet from his prey. It sniffed around like a puppy inspecting a new environment, and Canis started having second thoughts. The knife felt heavier and heavier, and his heartbeat sped up with each passing millisecond. His hand hovered over the hilt, ready to grab it and take the deer’s life, but something held him back.
‘Come on, do it! It’s your chance, do it,’ he told himself and gulped. His hand lowered itself, and he felt one of his fingers trace the leather-wrapped hilt. It would be easy; one stab to the base of the neck and it would be over. He had done it before, so why couldn’t he now?
The image of fire and approaching silhouettes played in his mind. He felt his knees burn. Furious, murderous chants were bellowed across the fields of Lunahana. Tears ran down his cheeks, his heart pounded viciously, and he could taste blood in his mouth; and as he ran, a dark voice cackled in his mind, telling him to stop running and take a stand – “Release your Darkness, show them your true power.” He told the voice ‘No. No, I won’t. Get out of my head!’
A sharp bleat brought him back to reality. He blinked and found himself staring into the maw of a very curios but upbeat canopy deer. It looked at him with the same fondness a dog would show to a human. There was no fear or possessive in its eyes. There were nothing but kindness. It bleated again, but softly, which Canis associated with a child saying hello to another person for the first time. Canis could feel his hand still hovering over the knife. He sighed and removed it. His mother would be angry with him, but he couldn’t help it; he didn’t have it in his heart to take a life – not then, not now. He petted the deer on its muzzle, which felt softer than goose feathers, and the deer closed its eyes and bleated cheerily. It was a runt, but still acted like a child. Perhaps it could still become something of it.
“You were lucky this time,” he said softly, “but be more careful in the future.” The deer snorted as he removed his hand from its muzzle, and Canis walked away.

But even though hunting a deer had failed, he wouldn’t leave empty-handed. Not far away. He had found a pair of rabbits. It wasn’t a catch to be particularly proud of, but still pretty good.
He made his way through shrubberies, plants, dens and took a small detour when he had stumbled upon a hive of buzzing bees. His hung limply in his grasp, and the scent of blood oozed out of the metal sheath. He knew of a pond nearby where he could wash his knife and hands. The sun was about to reach the top of its daily climb and he guessed it had to be around twelve or perhaps one in the afternoon.
‘It’s about time. The Festival’s going to be huge this year,’ he thought, thinking about the days in wait. ‘People from around the world… maybe I could slip melt into the crowd. It’s going to be full of joy and fun – nobody’s going to notice a single guy…’
A song pulled him out of his thoughts, and a voice so beautiful that angels seethed with jealousy embraced his soul. All other thoughts disappeared and he walked without a thought other than to find the owner of such a divine voice.
“Spring has come, and cold thaws away in the presence of rays of gold. Winter leaves and crops will prosper.” He had never heard a song like that before. The lyrics were different, but they seemed to join in harmony. For him it was too beautiful to come from a mortal’s mouth, but there was something inside of him, something dark and heavy, that hissed with rage.
“A king strong and mighty, guards his borders, with a determined golden gaze…”
Again, the splitting headaches returned, but he forced them away – nothing was to ruin this moment. Nothing. “Darkness flees in fear… and duty slays the brave king, but he will once again return and unite the lost race.”
It sounded like lines in a prophecy or a children’s story. The lyrics were familiar, but he could swear that he had never heard them before, but still… a distant part of him recognized them, and it felt like he was closing in on someone important from long ago… and he were in desperate need of a reunion.
The voice was close, and the closer he got the more he started to shiver. The pond was near he realized, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something white. The song became a series of hums, but it was still the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.
He got on his knees behind yet another shrubbery; this one was almost as tall as he was. He fiddled with the branches so that he could see through. The bushes rustled, and Canis could feel a few involuntary cusswords fly around inside his head. He was often swift and quick, unnoticeable before it was too late; he never made sounds. He felt a chilly wind spread over his fingertips as they pushed apart the pile of paler-than-usual crispy leaves.
The divine song washed over his body, a soothing wave of beauty, peace and harmony.
The scenery before him was beautiful: Lush grass and sparkling flowerbeds and a glittering pond of pure water. Normally, this would have seemed like a small piece of Paradise for a Lunahanan, but when faced with a beauty like Canis, every other beauty paled in comparison.
Saying she was a beauty would have been an understatement. She was beauty incarnated. Radiant skin white as fresh snow, with long flowing hair of the same color, but tinted with a light, watery shade of blue. She was seated, supported by her arms, and enjoying the feeling of the hot morning-sun caressing her skin with closed eyes.
She was dressed in a long dress or gown of some sort, a navy sash tied around her waist. Two sandals lay on the ground beside her, and her feet were coated with water.
Canis could feel a scorching heat spread itself across his cheeks, as he gaped like a goldfish. He was speechless now, as he had laid eyes upon this goddess. ‘I’ve never seen anyone like her,” he marveled. He swallowed.
He didn’t know what had possessed him to gawk at this woman, but he decided to sit down and continue. He got down on his knees, and pushed the bushes further apart. The crispy leaves rustled more this time, and another mental curse raced through Canis’ head; but a mental curse wouldn’t do the peeping man any good, and the woman must have noticed, for her eyes opened faster than a lightning lance could have ripped across the sky. Her head whipped in his direction, and their eyes locked.
Red and light blue. She froze, and her eyes paled with embarrassment. She screamed, ‘Eek!’, which must have scared every avian creature in a 12-mile radius. With a snap of a pair of metaphorical fingers, Canis regained his senses. He shot straight up, holding his arms in front of himself in a shielding gesture and said, as calmly as one can be in such an embarrassing situation, “I’m sorry, I…”
But before he could explain, her eyes changed, from light blue to navy, and that embarrassment became combined with a tidal wave of anger. The air became icy-cold and dry, frost crystals started gathering in the grass and canopies. His skin tingled and started to stand at attention. The woman rose, seemingly calm and collected, but her eyes betrayed her posture – and so did the scabbard she was clenching in her hand so tightly. He felt like a dead man already.
She gripped the hilt and unsheathed a long, thin katana. The deadly blade hissed with appreciation, and the sound was as cold as the air around it. She pointed it at him, with such speed that it left a series of incorporeal images in its wake. The air around it turned into ghostly white smoke.
He held up his arms to shield himself from any potential attack. He opened his mouth. “I’m sorry… I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean to peek on you like that, but-”
“Spare me your excuses,” she yelled. Her voice was colder than the atmosphere surrounding then. “You dared to sully me with your lewd gaze, and now you have the nerve to come up with a pitiful excuse to spare your life. No, I will not allow that; you will feel the consequences of your actions and die with honor.”
And that was when icicles came out of nowhere.