The Creature Talker - Chapter Five

The sun's warmth stole Khea from the pleasant scenes sleep had deposited her in and brought her back to reality. She wasted no time in disassembling the hammock, enjoying some small fruit and allowing Peck to eat away at the core, and continuing her trek towards where the rot descended. Her unease about what lay ahead remained but she concluded that the sooner she gathered the information the sooner she could return to the comfort and security of her village. She knew that learning how the rot started, and how to stop it, could lead into the warmer days but she tried to push those thoughts into the deep recesses of her mind. She needed to be alert and aware of her surroundings and those types of thoughts bogged a person down.

Except for the occasional worrisome idea, Khea managed to focus and time passed quickly as she sensed, and tentatively greeted, the different animals in her range. As the day progressed she pushed into a part of the swamp that fell outside of her tribe's territory. She limited her gift as these animals may never has encountered a Creature Talker before and their responses could vary from excited and curious to downright vicious. Contending with a confused and aggressive beast would add an element she wanted to avoid while on this journey. Khea felt it better to allow her feathered, furred, and scaled brothers and sisters to reach out to her versus herself upon them. Most she sensed came off as curious and a few seemed happy to swap images and give her some basic information on the area. From what she gathered from them there were few dangers to worry about as she could handle their predators.

This newly acquired sense of safety soon fled as Khea heard a gentle sloshing  through the shallow waters to her left flank but could not sense an animal's presence. She reached for the dagger tucked inside her belt and slowed her movements. As she stopped the sounds dissipated but always resumed shortly after she began walking again. At least it isn't a trained hunter, she thought, as she heard what sounded like a splash from tripping. She continued until she reached an opening in the trees and promptly spun around and demanded the follower to reveal themselves.This declaration surprised Khea herself but she admired the strength she currently exuded.

Her stand waned slightly when some time passed with no visible response. Khea and Peck exchanged glances before Khea repeated the order. The wait was short lived as the sloshing noise returned and a very human creature emerged from the clump of trees into the clearing. The human, a girl a few years younger than herself Khea guessed, hung her head as she approached. Despite this act, Khea could see the girl's skin was a few shades darker than hers and her tribe sisters and more strikingly the girl's hair which was as dark as the inside of her tree house after the sun disappeared. Once she reached a few steps from Khea the girl slowly raised her face and murmured, "I hoped you wouldn't hear me."

Dragon Interruption

My apologies for the delay in getting more chapters up but a little over two weeks ago I took home my first bearded dragon and the adorable guy has eaten up my time. Between daily baths, several feedings which include tearing apart veggies and making sure he eats all his feeders in a certain time frame (dealing with roaches is a blast...), cleaning his tank, and general cuddle time I don't have much spare time.

I do have Chapter Five written, and hope to get it posted over the next few days, and am scribbling away at Chapter Six so content is coming I swear.

In the mean time, enjoy this adorable picture of my dragon Fuego -

The Creature Talker - Chapter Four

The meditation, shorter than Khea preferred, ended and in a few fluid motions she grabbed what she packed and slid down the vine to the swamp she knew. She took a few moments to intake the images of her home and remind herself that she would see them again. Peck appeared to do the same from his vantage point on Khea's right shoulder. Due to their extended friendship, Khea understood he would be coming on this journey but she spent some time trying to iterate the perils they could encounter. Peck did not seem phased.

From what the Silvers gathered the rot spread from where the sun disappeared down towards their village. Before her nerves could finally take hold Khea started off in that direction. Peck greeted the other feathered creatures as they traveled through familiar paths causing a cascade of whistles, chirps, and melodies in return. Despite the current circumstances Khea couldn't resist the smile spreading across her face. She scratched Peck's chin affectionately, "Remember Peck, not all we run into will want to be friends. While you think you are the same size as the eagles I want you to flee if trouble arises." Peck puffed out his plumage slightly offended at Khea's comment on his size. "Oh, I know how tough you are little one with the eagle sized courage." This placated him and allowed Khea to focus on her steps instead of being distracted by his grumblings.

As the sun began its trek to hide behind the horizon Khea exhaled a sigh of relief as she found herself within known territory. She chose what appeared to be a tree with sturdy limbs and began to make a hammock. In moments like this Khea wished she had the Plant Talkers' abilities. With assistance from the vegetation they found the materials for a hammock, tied them together, and hung them before any noticeable shift in the sun's position in the sky. Her attempts often kept her busy until the moon took over for the sun. Peck, already bored before Khea put the final touches on her sleeping spot, found a connecting branch nearby, ruffled his feathers, and drifted off into the world of dreams. Khea soon followed.

The Creature Talker - Chapter Three

The light hours, and her departure, arrived far too soon for Khea's liking. Word had spread through her village as quickly as the fire that cracked across the sky during a storm. Many of her tribe sisters delivered food for her to take on the journey as well as weapons made from sharpened rocks in case she needed to defend herself or cut a path for safe passage. The generosity came as a surprise to Khea who always believed she could disappear into the murky waters without a person taking notice. Their acts, and chants of safety, gave Khea an encouragement and the first sliver of hope that she might actually return.

The Silvers granted her some time to convene with the local creatures before she left. Khea knew leaving them would cause confusion, and possible panic, as they often relied on her to help settle disputes, air concerns, and for general company. Khea gathered all she could reach with her gift and spent much of first light attempting to explain why they would not be able to sense her for many sun rises and sets. Most could not grasp the concept given that her ability did not give them human understanding and only opened a gate between the different beings for communicating. She sent images, which worked as the most universal language, out to them illustrating her absence from the area and her trek to the land beyond. Many flooded back images of them joining her but she insisted they wait and greet her upon her return. Their help could aid her greatly but the thought of any getting hurt, or even killed, on her behalf caused her great anguish.

While they agreed to stay behind, the creatures followed Khea back to her dwelling hoping to get a few more moments in before her journey. Most of the village already returned to their daily tasks by the time Khea returned to her home. While their support was appreciated having the time to herself as she completed her final preparations came as a relief. Since she received the news, Khea barely had a moment to process and she needed to clear her head before her feet touched unfamiliar ground. In her empty dwelling, expect for Peck who perched quietly atop her bundled food and who understood any disturbance would cause a rock in his direction, Khea sat down to meditate.