Elysium was used to seeing Behemoth under the weather. She didn’t always enjoy the curse she lived with, and as her father, he did his best to cheer her up. When he heard there was a large-scale fair happening across the lands, he didn’t hesitate to drag her along. After all, a fair was brightly colored and full of life and energy; if that didn’t help her mood, nothing would. To boot, it wasn't very likely that anyone would notice her color stealing - if any parts of the fair looked dull, it wasn’t out of the norm for others to paint it back up. There was more than enough color to go around, and he figured this would be one of the best places for her to relax.
Thankfully she went along with it. The glasswork female must have been feeling down if she offered no argument. Truth be told, Ely had half expected her to just disappear - she had a nasty habit of doing that and then turning up days later when she wanted to avoid something.
The gray colored vay grabbed a cloak, covering the majority of her markings. She was self conscious about them, the way they swirled and grew more vibrant as they stole color from her surroundings. She also grabbed a pouch with a few decks of cards. She loved tarot, and a fair would be a great place to exercise that part of her. Approving of her choices, the yellow male led the way.
He at least didn’t stand out even here. His colorful pelt was right at home among the fair-goers, the attractions standing out as much as he, and colorful face paint and costumes only added to the festivities. It didn’t take long for him to take on a pelt full of glitter, mimicking the pink opal male nearby, and he dragged his daughter along to enjoy some of the sights the fair had to offer.
***
Truth be told, Behemoth only agreed to go with because she felt she had disappointed her father far too many times lately. As he dragged her through the fair though, she realized he had a good idea after all. It was warm and she finally shrugged off her cloak. Her markings wouldn’t stand out in this crowd. For once, she felt almost free and could forget about her curse - even if just for a little while.
In fact, her own pelt didn’t seem to blaze with extra color as the day went on. She assumed it was a trick of the fair. There was no way her curse was gone just like that, so perhaps the fair had its own magic to keep things like this at bay. It made her rejoice, at least until she noticed some things starting to dull ever so slightly.
If she was still stealing color from the fair, why was her own pelt not alight like fire as the day went on? Was there someone else stealing color? No, the dulled areas seemed to be just where she was, and as she moved, the color didn’t return like normal. Something was very wrong.
Was her own curse changing before her very eyes? She wanted to leave, tell her father and go, but he would never understand why she wanted to leave already without knowing for sure what was the cause. Besides, as she watched him juggle some apples for some children’s entertainment, she knew she couldn’t tear him away just yet.
Her eyes befell on a pink vay that drifted closer and closer to the pair, his eyes glinting. Had he seen her pelt shifting colors? Was he going to call her out on it?
***
Amour had only come to the fair because he knewone of his own bratty children was here somewhere. He had an itch to fill his craving, steal some more life for himself from his own opal son. His children had proved themselves resilient to their father’s curse, the opal sparkles of his own pelt fading away with the color steal, only to return over time. Everyone else grew patches of white, and the more he stole, the more their pelts were bleached out, often being mistaken for albinos. Unlike Nephrite who was here somewhere, their color never returned.
Nephrite and Star Dust had been a blessing to Amour, although he hadn’t realized it at first. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep running into his children, but he would continue to drain the color and add onto his own lifespan for as long as possible.
The fair was also a good opportunity to steal some more life along the way. No one would notice if they grew a tiny white patch here or there, if their tobinao marking just seemed to expand slightly. There were so many here that he could gain years in a matter of minutes, which made it too good to pass up.
When he ran across some glasswork vays threading their way through the fair, he thought their vibrant colors would be a wonderful addition to his own color stealing curse, and he followed them for a while, intend on capturing some of that brilliant essence for himself. It took him a while to notice that the grey one’s color did not dull the way he intended, often blazing back up with color as she stood around.
Amour’s quick eyes noticed that she too seemed to have a similar affliction - color draining from their surroundings instead of from living creatures. Suddenly it was like he had found a second infinite source of life, and he was determined to keep it.
Theft was not beneath him, he had stolen for his own life so many times across the years. As the pair of glasswork vays welcomed him to join them on their fair festivities, Armour realized today was about to be one of the greatest days of his life.
Content to let the glasswork vays lead him around the fair, Amour was willing to do anything to keep the grey female in his good graces. Stealing her color filled him with energy and he practically skipped through the fair as that trickle just slowly invigorated him.
At some point, he noticed a bag she carried was starting to rip. Determined to keep her on friendly terms, he spoke.
"Hey, whatever you have in that pouch might come tumbling out if you're not careful." The pink opal reached out to grab said pouch, wondering if he could palm a few coins while he was at it.
What he didn't expect was the lack of currency as he held the pouch up. Ely was frowning, clearly something was bothering him about those contents, and Behemoth practically flipped as she quickly inspected the pouch.
When she hauled out decks of cards, Amour was even more confused as he puzzled over the contents. Who would bring a game to the fair with plenty of activities? A card game at that, when pieces or cards could get lost or stolen among those here.
***
Elysium knew that tarot and spirituality was one of the few things that Behemoth cared for most in the world. He was grateful the opal had pointed out something was amiss, as Behemoth would never forgive herself if she lost some of her cards.
His daughter laid out her cloak to place the decks upon, counting out the cards to make sure none had gone missing. The act in and of itself started to attract a crowd. Everyone was curious what she was doing after all. Was she another event here at the fair?
Behemoth seemed oblivious to it, absorbed in her cards. Amour had been giving them a weird look, which caused the paler glasswork vay to explain.
"Behemoth dabbles in tarot, a kind of spiritual energy she can tap into through her decks to make predictions and guesses to life's questions. There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it."
He whistled softly to grab her attention, and gestured to those gathered around when she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Sweet pea, why don't you do some readings for those gathered?"
Immediately some fair goers started lining up, some tossing coins onto her cloak and others crowding close to see what would happen next.
***
Her father often forgot that it took a little bit out of her energy wise to do some readings. While they weren't poor, the extra krones was tempting, and the female decided she could do some simple readings.
"One question apiece you may ask, one card will be pulled. Please do not ask a yes or no answer question, as the cards will not answer in that way."
Someone nearby made her a makeshift sign with her rules, and added at the bottom that donations were welcome. A few more coins jingled as they were tossed down and she grabbed her favorite deck, a swirling pattern of gold leaf and butterflies on the back, and prepared to read.
Many of those attending asked about their love lives, or how to achieve success at a job. Most of the cards turned up things like perseverance, being truthful, overcoming self doubt. There were very few negative feelings she got off her readings, which she attributed to the general energy of the fair itself helping to shape the flow.
Elysium saw she was tiring through after a fair few readings, and decided to pack up the krones and the sign, letting fair goers know she might do more later but for now she needed a break.
He did though steer their new companion over, letting him sit in front of her for a reading of his own. The opal protested slightly until she smiled.
"I can do one more for you. What question do you have for me?"
Amour frowned and Behemoth wondered if he considered the whole thing hogwash with his attitude. He was silent for a while before he finally spoke.
"What can I do to continue to maintain good energy levels?"
The question threw her off. It was unlike any she had answered yet today. She half expected a question about his love life, as she couldn't help but notice the vay seemed alone here at the fair. Even Ely seemed taken aback, but he grinned as he crowded in around the pair, curious to see what sort of card she might pull.
Focusing her thoughts on the deck, she pulled from the middle, following her instinct as she turned the card up.
A laughing skeleton holding an upturned bottle of mist floating up and away stared back at her. A broken clock in the background signaled impending doom. It faced her, meaning it was reversed for the pink vay, an additional meaning indeed.
She hadn't had Death pop up in a reading like this, and had to collect herself. Her father held no such reserves as he gasped audibly, and the opal glared at her. He looked about to snap at her, but she held up a paw as she contemplated the meaning.
"You're on the brink of change. Positive change, a cleansing to help you become your best you. Your energy will return with this change, don't be afraid to embrace this and become who you were meant to be. You're the only one holding yourself back."
While perhaps he was angry he didn't get an answer he liked, the sparkling vay nodded.
"Thank you."
She smiled back at him as she packed up her cards, wrapping her bag in her cloak to prevent any chance of losing any cards as the three vays returned to normal fair activities.
In a fair this large, Amour wondered if he ever would run across his son. Not that he needed to, he had Behemoth to steal from after all. And unlike Nephrite, the two glasswork vays were completely unaware of his theft.
It would be by chance he saw a familiar sparkling green vay through the crowd hanging out with an odd bunch. They met eyes in the crowd and Nephrite stubbornly held his head tall, his gaze speaking of his disapproval of his father being there. The pink opal needed only to subtly gesture to his companions, who held no trace of the color theft, to leave the younger opal looking confused.
What he did notice though was his son wore farm more accessories than he left home with. His pelt had glittering gems and rhinestone jewelry that accented his opal sparkles perfectly. It was Amour’s turn to be confused, but he spotted the costume tent nearby and was determined to drag his companions with.
Ely went with no protest, while Behemoth hung back, wary. If there was anything Amour was, it was vain, and he was determined to look as good or better than his son.
He entered the tent first and set to work looking for accessories that would outshine what he saw on the rosette male. He made a beeline for boxes of jewels and sparkling things, determined to make himself sparkle even more.
***
Elysium was more than excited over the costume tent. He marveled at the costumes and dawned over the face paint, almost oblivious to the other two.
He faintly saw Behemoth hanging at the back of the tent, avoiding most everything in here, and he realized she was worried about stealing color from the festivities. He'd have to help her somehow. But later.
Amour was already digging into boxes and closets, trying to find whatever it was he was looking for. That left Ely himself to decide.
It was rather easy, truth be told, for the male. He sauntered over to the attendants helping with paint, and plopped down in front of them, using his tail to sweep away any accessories that might block access from those gathered.
"Can you paint my glasswork tears into butterflies?" His voice was full of confidence, and there was no mistaking that he was dead serious about this. He wasn't girly usually, but he felt the butterflies might fit with him well, and might make his daughter smile.
His request sent up some giggles and more than a few hands and paws went to work decorating his hide with smooth lines to make it look as if the beautiful winged creatures were popping off his pelt.
The effect was immediate and perfect as his markings came to life, their color imitating those of monarchs as little veins were drawn over them, really adding to the illusion.
***
Behemoth had her cloak, and didn't intend on wearing anything to draw more attention to herself. She always preferred to stay in the background, and already today she had stood out much more than she had liked.
While her father sat getting his pelt painted, and Amour dug for new sparkling things to add to his overall glistening appearance, Behemoth mostly kept to herself at the back, staying out of everyone's way and hoping they'd be out of there soon. She could already see color fading from her surroundings, and could only imagine would it would look like if she was here much longer.
A heavy weight settled on her shoulders, and she jumped, startled. She looked around to notice Amour nearby, having settled a different cloak around her. This one was embroidered with stars and constellations, a deep navy with silver thread.
"Found that and thought it might work with my sparkles, but fits you and your tarot stuff better."
The older male snorted softly then turned away as he kept looking for things to bedazzle himself with.
Behemoth stared at the cloak in awe. It was beautiful, and she'd love one of her own, if only it wouldn't dull like the rest of her belongings.
As she glanced around, she noticed a pile of accessories set aside that might match the starry cloak. A hairpin with a crescent moon, a broach in the shape of a star, a ring with some costume gems that sparkled like the night sky. The opal vay was nowhere near the pile but she suspected he made it anyway. He was kind, and she couldn't see past the face he put on for her. If only she knew the sinister thoughts below the surface, the fact that he had lived an extraordinary amount of time by stealing color, that he was only being nice to her because he saw her as a ticket for many, many years added to his lifespan.
"Oh yes that's stunning." Her father made his way over to her and she smiled as his movements made the painted butterflies appear to fly. Amour had found himself enough sparkling items that he practically blinded anyone who looked in his direction.
With a smile, Behemoth lead the males back into the fair before she could drain the beautiful costume pieces any further. She glanced back regretfully, wishing she could keep the items, or perhaps have some made for her someday. Maybe they can find something for her that is resistant to her curse, or break it once and for all so she can keep beautiful things again.
The group of reoseans eventually dropped their costume pieces back off so others could enjoy them. Behemoth was reluctant to get rid of her starry apparel, but now it would stay beautiful and unaffected by her curse. She lamented the fact she could never have pretty things, and took care of the few things she did have so they would be unaffected, usually keeping them inside layers and moving frequently when she had them so bits that she stole bled back out.
As they moved through the fair, she kept an eye on her surroundings, wondering why the color returned much slowly that normal or not at all. It made her continually worry about her curse progressing, and it took a lot of prodding from her father to snap her out of it.
“Come on sweet pea, let’s have some fun!” The blonde colored male raced ahead, eager to try out some of the games the fair held in store. She shrugged and followed him, although at a much slower pace. Amour gestured for her to go first like the perfect gentleman she though he was, and the pair walked side by side until they caught up to Ely.
Most parts of the fair were jam packed with fair goers, and the games section was no exception. At one point, the opal male knocked both the glasswork vays to the side, making sure they all avoided being run over as they crossed a race track that wound through the fair. She thanked him profusely, then heard her father's exclaimed yell. Clearly he found something he wanted to do.
The three of them were runners, so games of strength weren't normally for their kind. Still, everyone seemed to get involved in all the games, and the blonde male pointed excitedly to a large mud pit where teams tried to pull one another in.
Amour was the first to balk at the idea, and Behemoth didn't blame him. His beautiful coat would be drenched in mud with the wrong team. Why her father wanted to play this game was beyond her.
***
Ely had been more than excited to see the giant mud pit. The odds of their team winning when not a single one of them had the strength of a puller was slim to none. Which was exactly why he wanted to do it.
First off, Ely was a practical man. Not everything had to be won; one didn't have to come on top in every situation. Secondly, he had noticed how often Behemoth glanced at her coat. Her curse bothered her far more than it should, they were here to have fun and forget about it. Covering the teardrop patterns with mud would only help.
He turned his muzzle towards the opal male. "Is someone afraid of a little mud?" The teasing tone did just the trick, or perhaps it was his shit eating grins, because the other male gave him a cold stare that left an icy feeling in Elysium's toes before striding forward to join in the next team to drag their rope.
"You're on." The pink male gestured for the blonde one to join in on the other side, and Ely happily obliged, striding over to where a team was forming.
That left Behemoth, who still had yet to decide. She was clearly wavering between the two before her father shrugged. "No hard feelings if you drag me down. I'm sure at least once in your life you were mad at me for something that warranted it."
He swayed her enough, and the grey female trotted over to join Amour, their team gathering together and trying to pick a line up.
***
Pullers were mixed throughout the group of vays that had assembled, and Amour was trying to judge if their side had more of them or not. They seemed evenly matched, and he really did not want to end up in the mud. He tried to thread his way to the back of the line, but those gathered had different ideas, putting his sparkling coat in front. Ugh. He had more than a few insults in his head that he was trying not to mutter aloud when the whistle blew.
The rope started to slip from his teeth but he grabbed on tight, doing his best to pull. This close to the front, he could see his paws already start to slide towards the mud puddle, and he fought frantically to stay away from it. Ely only grinned at him from across the way, the cocky bastard.
With such a large group, one might think that it would take a while before enough gave out to make a difference. Almost as soon as he thought that, there was a sharp tug, and he found himself wheeling forward. He tried to duck out of the way, but a body landed into him, and a voice now becoming familiar gasped out.
Behemoth was on top of him, and she scrambled to get off him, and only managed to coat both of them even further with mud. Still, through the dirt, he caught her blushing. Perfect. He had only known her for a few hours and she was already like this. He would have her eating out of his paws, and giving him years of life, before he knew it.
Laughter caught his ears, and he found Ely joining in with some of the other team, laughing at the pile of reoseans that all fought to get out of the mud. Behemoth and Amour got some of the worst of it, but there were a few others that were almost as bad. Giving Behemoth a smirk, Amour lobbed a pawful of mud at the blonde male, getting a laugh in himself as it hit his target.
Sure the group would need to clean up before they wandered the fair further, but to Amour, it was worth it to get these folk to trust him.
The sand was brutal when combined with the wind. Behemoth wasn’t sure how to combat it, just kept her head down and tried to trudge forward. She hadn’t been on her own long, but that didn’t matter. She just wanted to escape.
The pup growing inside her did not help matters much.
Still, Behemoth wasn’t entirely smart when going about things, alone with a child on the way, in unfamiliar territory away from civilization - the rising wind was just the tip of the iceberg (which was hilarious, and not in a ha ha funny way, considering they were far from any cold climate).
So imagine her surprise when through the swirling sand, she spotted something, a flash of color, a sparkle that reminded her of the night sky. And among the moving stars, something that resembled ash and blood.
This is it, this is how she dies. The skies have parted and come down to the earth to bring her home.
But it wasn’t the sky after all, just a very convincing illusion of a starry nebula painted upon a runner’s side. It defied logic, although her own glass patterns that swirled and stole color when she stood at rest for too long also went against any laws of logic as well. A second runner stood at the other runner’s side, their pelt ghosted and pale, with hints of red that almost resembled bloodmark poking through, head down as she tried to protect her long ears from the sand and wind.
“Come.” The voice felt down to earth, but also it was hard to determine a possible age from it, the speaker could be young or ageless, and Behemoth felt very young under the gaze. The order left no room for any question, so the glass marked runner followed, falling in line behind the overo and opalescent females. Even if the sparkles made her heart hurt, she swallowed her pride.
***
Nyx was not a normal vayon. She held magics of old, was more spirit than anything else, and one with the land.
She usually kept to herself, only bestowing others with her presence when they appease her - usually in the form of gifts. But when she felt a presence out in the growing sandstorm, she felt drawn to it. Finding a young vayron, clearly torn by whatever she had experienced, belly growing with life inside it, a feeling of strange magic within her - well, Nyx had a hard time turning away.
Nyx had already welcomed another vayron into her care, giving a promise of safe passage when the overo female dropped some gemstones out at a shrine, clearly knowing the stories of the land.
Her power was strongest under the stars, but the storm that ravaged the desert blocked much of the sky, the wind growing hotter and faster. The trio of runners could barely keep their eyes open, the flecks of sand hurting the delicate organs, and ripped through their short lisse fur with ease. She knew they would be covered with small cuts by the time they escaped this.
Thankfully, shelter wasn’t too far away. A small cluster of buttes would provide some protection, and if they had any luck, there might be some cave-like systems the three could hide within.
Finding a suitable spot, she gestured, letting the two go in first as she brought up the rear. It was unusual for her to come out when the stars were not visible, but tonight was a special exception to the rules, and she was sure the other females appreciated her interference.
***
Enigma knew of the stories of the starry vayron that was like a spirit, called upon in times of need in the depths of the desert. What was not known was the glassmarked vayron. Anytime she slowed down, Enigma swore her markings swirled and moved, but that would be nonsense right?
Of course the opal wasn’t any better, and among the sparkles and constellations in the milky sky that covered her sides, Enigma was convinced she saw a shooting star. So freaky.
The ghosted female decided to keep to herself, head down and backed up against the rock formations that protected them. Having the longest ears of the bunch and arguably the most sensitive hearing, Enigma listened to the roaring wing and the sand that sounded a lot bigger than it was as it crashed like waves.
She wanted to say something, but neither of her companions seemed like the talking type. Everything she knew about the opal made her seem ethereal and beyond her mortal coils. The glass female was withdrawn, shivering even though the air was hot, her belly just starting to show signs of a pup, and refusing to make eye contact with either Enigma or the opal.
This was fine. They were safe from the storm and that was all that mattered.
A gust of wind tore into the cave, bringing sand and into their faces. The opal moved to stand in the entryway, but Enigma was larger, pushing the two females back and using her slightly bigger size to block as much as she could, moving towards the back of the poor excuse for a cave. The nebulosa female covered what little Enigma couldn’t, and they both prevented the clearly terrified glass girl from any harm.
***
Behemoth couldn’t do much more than tremble. The storm only terrified her, on top of everything else in her life, and the close proximity to the sky looking opal, she felt like she was going to vomit.
Thankfully it was over in no time, both of the other females clearly noticing her displeasure and moving away, giving her space. She released the tension in her body, allowing herself to relax just a little, even as it felt like the sand was rising up in her throat and closing it off.
The ovoro runner did not hide the concerned glances she looked back at the pregnant female, while their opal companion stayed aloof, inched forward to peer outside without being in the direct blast of the storm, as if she could see clearly into the night, see the stars and the moon without the swirling sand in the way. With how she carried herself, guided them without apparent issue through the storm, she very well might be able to.
The white and red runner cleared her throat, causing both females to turn to her, narrowed eyes.
“I’m uhh, Enigma. Just figured I could introduce myself. You know, stuck here together and all.”
Behemoth rolled her eyes, but the overo runner only continued.
“I mean, I know you’re the lady of the night, the lady of mysteries and shadow.” The opal only hummed in response, and Enigma grew quiet then, clearly unsure of what else to say. She seemed social indeed, and it reminded Behemoth of her sister before her accident.
The silence stretched, the only sound being the wind.
***
Nyx saw the signs indicating the storm would be over soon. She was tempted to leave them once it was finished, but this Enigma had given her an offering, and Nyx wasn’t sure how the pregnant runner would fare. She’d lead them to the edge of her territory, dumping out near the closest city. They shouldn’t need her after that.
“The storm is lessening, slowly. Another hour or two and we may be fit to move.”
Her voice was soft, yet carried to the others easily, heard over the wind as if magic spoke the words instead of her throat, a cadence that sounded otherworldly. She had been told it was eerie when she did that, and based on the barely repressed shudder on her new companions, she knew it was still the case.
Enigma grunted, audibly agreeing to hear her words, while their other companion stayed quiet. Nyx couldn’t understand the female’s exact circumstances, but it was clear she was hurting from something. Enigma seemed oblivious, and Nyx didn’t feel like explaining.
What was absolutely fascinating was the swirling markings seeming to move on the glass runner, and the cave seemed to grow duller in comparison. She felt strange magic at work, and it made her curious, but there was no way the pregnant female would open up about it, so Nyx was content to just observe.
And so the trio continued to wait, the glasswork female finally sliding down to the floor, allowing herself rest, even if it was clear she wanted to bolt if the others grew too close to her. Enigma joined her, the sudden motion making the pregnant vayron flinch.
Deciding to ignore them, Nyx continued to watch the storm, finding it infinitely more interesting than the other females. In truth, the opalescent runner felt detached from the aspect of socialization, preferring her solitude in most cases. The swirling sand had a bigger story to tell when she listened to the wind as it carried the tales of more than just one vayron had to speak of.
As the storm moved on, the sound of the wind died down. That alone was likely the only reason the pair of females heard the glasswork speak.
“Behemoth.” A pause. “My name.”
***
Well, Enigma practically beamed from that knowledge. The other female opened up after all! She glanced over at the Personification of the Night, whose eyes had narrowed just slightly at those words, that motion betraying her interest.
“Nice to meet you Behemoth.” The overo runner decided not to push her luck, and settled in with a content hum.
It was just as the constellation runner predicted, the storm dying out in short time and the trio made to move once more.
“I’ll lead you to the edge of my territory. You’ll be able to make it to a village from there.”
Enigma got to get paws, quickly following the opal female. Behemoth was slower, hindered by her slightly swollen belly, but her glare spoke of determination, and a refusal for help, so the pair let her be, and she eventually tottered after them in short time.
There was still some wind and sand that blew around, but it wasn’t a full storm, and mostly an annoyance than anything else. The sky was finally clear, and Enigma stared in awe as her companion’s pelt matched the starry painting above them. Oddly enough, the open skies seemed to make Behemoth more nervous, and she pushed them onwards, not sparing a glance at the dome above.
Strange as her companions were, Enigma felt the entire experience surreal, and she was content to go at her pace as the lights from the village up ahead left a soft glow on the horizon.
Behemoth had never raised pups before, and it was shocking to her how much energy they took from her even though her belly wasn’t as distended as it would be late term. As the starry pelted runner led the trio through the desert, Behemoth felt herself fall further and further behind, tired already even though she had rested up during the sandstorm, while Enigma kept pace with the opalescent female with no issues.
It didn’t take long for the others to notice, both of them turning to glance at the glasswork runner’s small frame as the distance between them grew. Enigma sighed while the other female just stood silent, both of them waiting for her to catch up.
“Perhaps some food would help?” Behemoth caught the overo asking as she approached, and the lady of the night looked thoughtful before nodding.
“Can you hunt?” The question came from the dusted female, and Behemoth had to catch herself from immediately answering in a refusal for help, before she nodded slowly.
“I think so.” Her response made the opal runner hum, while Enigma squinted in suspicion.
Determined to prove herself, Behemoth pushed past her, nose pointed up and maw parted as she searched for a scent of something edible. With the sun down, one might suspect there wouldn’t be many options, but in the desert heat, plenty more creatures came out to play when the nights grew cold.
It was her ears that alerted her to the closest prey, a den of coyotes waking up, their yips echoing across the sands. She soon scented their pungent musk on the air, and gestured with her head in the correct direction. The other females soon followed, and quickly overtook her, leading the way.
It bothered her just a little, but she let herself stay silent, knowing they were there to help and not just upstage her. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the pair, and regretted yet again the decisions that brought her to this point in time.
***
Nyx had known that food would probably come up at some point or another before Enigma had even mentioned it. Growing pups needed sustenance, and when fighting sandstorms and through the desert, they needed even more. Thankfully her territory was usually ripe with prey, and the coyotes they could sense would feed them enough to make it to the village. She could tell there were probably a half dozen of them, a few each to feed the tio.
Enigma was likely hungry too, although she didn’t let that slow her. Persistent and stubborn, both of them, and Nyx couldn’t help but feel a hint of fondness for the pair. Now was not the time to think of them though, as they drew closer to the den.
Even a vayron with a slashed nose could tell where they were going now, the scent was thick as it hung in the air and the creatures were loud and boisterous, yipping and barking, short howls and whines. Nyx thanked the wind for being on their side and not revealing the trio’s position to their prey.
Behemoth was barely keeping up, but Nyx led a slower pace with Enigma, knowing the pregnant female wouldn’t like being left behind. The overo seemed content with this, the unspoken agreement passing between them.
Keeping an ear out for the glassmarked female, Nyx split up with Enigma when they drew closer, the pair circling around to either side of the waking den. Behemoth stayed center, likely intending to grab any that escaped the pincer in her direction. It was a solid tactic, and Nyx hoped none ran the wrong direction that the trio didn’t cover.
Enigma seemed all too giddy at the prospect of the hunt, energy pouring into her limbs and causing her movements to be jumpy. She was easily the most energetic of the three, and Nyx silently wondered if she could whip up a spell to transfer her energy to the pregnant vay.
Not that they had time to consider the option, as they were almost upon the coyotes, their loud sounds almost hurtful on the reo’s more delicate ears. With a nod across the way to the others, Nyx bounded forward, pouring on the speed to cut the last leg short.
***
Enigma wasn’t great at the silent approach, and she whooped as she raced forward. She and Nyx left Behemoth behind as they struck like a hammer to an avail. The coyotes scattered from their den, racing as fast as their little limbs could carry them.
They were pretty fast, but the three of them were faster - lithe shapes of runners, longer limbs with genetics for going fast. Even Behemoth, who was slow now as she carried pups, was not slow in comparison to the smaller canines, and all their jaws found targets, clamping down and ending their prey, or large bear-like paws smacking the coyotes to incapacitate them.
Enigma, giddy with the thrill of the hunt, blood on her teeth that complimented her coat, chased after more than her fair share, refusing to let a single coyote escape. The glasswork female may have only brought down a pair, but Enigma hunted plenty, which would allow the trio to eat more than their fill.
Still, the creatures were scrawny, small beings in the grand scheme of things. While Enigma suspected that they were close to leaving the starry vay’s territory, she also figured that the glasswork female might go longer without food than either of them, stubborn and slow and looking all too broke.
When they finished their meal, Enigma gestured with her ears to another direction, and the pair followed her, curious.
Much like Behemoth did before, the overo’s nose was pointed up with her maw parted. She caught onto a new scent, and smiled. It was more feathers than meat, but they were lightweight, and could easily be carried, even by someone laden down with pups. Perfect.
***
Behemoth hadn’t quite caught on to what Enigma was up to, not until the scent of fowl assailed her. Was the overo female still hungry after their meal of coyote? The lady of the night didn’t seem bothered in the least, so Behemoth followed the pair as they sought out birds.
Prairie chickens were weird creatures. They reminded her of pheasants bred with frogs. The goofy displays of feathers around their necks that stuck up also reminded her of secretary birds, and the inflated orange sacks the males had made it hard to take the birds seriously.
The trio was wandering into territory belonging to the birds, males making claims to sparse land to attract mates, fighting off others that got too close. While the birds weren’t very nocturnal, their lands made it clear that the reos had just wandered into breeding grounds for the birds, as there was evidence of plenty of the males within seeing and hearing distance of each other, even as they nested down to sleep.
Knowing they wouldn’t have much of a chance once the birds noticed them, Behemoth grabbed some of the energy she had regained from her meal, and bounded ahead, Nyx and Enigma easily overtaking her.
The shrieks of the birds filled the air as the trio descended, and Behemoth for a moment forgot that strangers ran beside her, and instead it was her sister and father, fellow glass marked vays.
***
Nyx usually was someone who kept to themselves, shrouded in mystery. Sure she helped others when the need arose, but usually when they gave her offerings. She could work on herself and her magic in peace. Still, she couldn’t help but feel satisfied as she helped mow down the birds. The ones that were awakened by the cries of the fallen now ran haphazardly, running around, for better lack of term, like chickens with their heads cut off.
She had a sense of comadrie with the other females, and it made her wonder if she should come out more often, even without someone giving an offering.
One of the males running right past her face pulled her from her thoughts as she snapped down, catching the creature with its inflated sack and cutting short its cries. From similar sounds in the area, she could deduce that the others were also successful, taking down prey of their own. The birds were slow enough that even Behemoth could catch them without too much force, and Enigma tore through the flock like a bat out of hell. It was amusing to catch and Nyx found herself with a soft chuckle that surprised even her.
“Do you think we have enough?” Her voice called out and she got a loud negative in response as Enigma seemed instant on hunting down every last bird. Nyx hummed and decided to stand by Behemoth while she waited, as the glass female was for sure done herself, panting and sitting beside her smaller pile of birds, Nyx adding her own and more than tripling the number.
***
Enigma was having the time of her life causing chaos and raining hell down on the poor birds. She had long lost track of her companions, tunneled in on the chickens as they ran for cover. Too bad there wasn’t much in the line of cover, leaving them all to fall prey to her claws.
A few might have gotten away, but she didn’t suspect it was many, and when she stopped seeing moving targets, she grinned almost sheepishly at the raised eyebrows of her companions. She knew she had a tendency to go overboard, but at least now they’d have plenty of food to survive the trip to town and feed growing pups!
Well, at least one pup. It would be terrible of her to assume the gray reo was carrying more than one.
Still, she needed a few trips to carry all of the feathered creatures to the pile, and she proudly looked upon them.
“More than enough for you and your cargo, plus some snacks for us.”
Enigma almost swore there was a hint of blush on those gray cheeks, and she winked, before hauling out some rope from who knows where to tie the chickens together and strap to their backs.
“Come on, let's get going.”
And there really was nothing more to say as the starry female led the way towards the edge of her territory once more.