Burn
The grasses had been in the process of hibernating for awhile now, storing as much energy as they could in their roots and taking away resources from their blades. Still they weren’t dead, not yet anyway, other than in a linear stretch. This twenty foot long trail had been beaten down. The dirt was compacted hard and not a plant dared trespass.
Upon this stretch of dead land a wolf paced. It was hard to pick out his form in the dark night. The moon was a thin sliver that gave little light to the land below it. Even the red and orange leaves appeared black tonight, so the wolves form was more heard than saw. His deep lungs took in great big breaths, his padfalls thudded against the ground, and every so often a growl would escape him.
Phenex had been at it for over thirty minutes now. Just before then he had been thrust into the real world after a night-vision proved to be too turbulent and rejected him. Flamed had surrounded him, chased him, overcame him. It had consumed his flesh. The smell of burning hair still stuck in his nose. He had woken with a gasp, his lungs still smarting from the smoke.
Then off to his usual pacing spot since getting here, a scant few days ago, back and fourth, over and over again.
”What do you want?” he muttered, teeth flashing as he snarled at imaginary figures. Phenex’s tail raised as he continued his stereotypic behavior, pacing over and over again, beating the ground with his paws, ”What do you want?!”
They didn’t answer. They never did. Phenex could only imagine the Gods laughing at him in their realm. His hackles rose higher and another deep snarl pressed out of his jaws, taking offense at their jeering.
He would continue to pace until the sky lightened, breaking his mind of its steel trap and clearing out his nose of burn. |