Fourteen-year-old Eska sits in the small clearing, the morning sun filtering through the trees, casting a warm glow over her. Her knife scrapes against the whetstone, the sound rhythmic, familiar.
Her white hair has grown longer over the years, now tied back to keep it out of her face. She pauses for a moment, brushing a stray strand behind her ear before resuming her work, her focus on the blade in her hands.
She glances up as Oblea approaches, carrying a bundle of firewood.
"Morning, Mom!" Eska's greeting is full of energy.
"Good morning, Eska," Oblea replies with a small smile. She sets the firewood down near the cabin wall. "We're going to need some more leather for that new couch—"
Before Oblea can finish her sentence, Eska interrupts, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "Oh! We can get those fluffy things we saw by the big lake!"
Oblea raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she looks at her daughter. "Fluffy things, huh? You mean the wild rams? Those are harder to catch than you think."
Eska shrugs, her yellow eyes gleaming with mischief. "I think I can handle it. Or are you worried I'll show you up?"
Oblea chuckles. "You have years before you can even think of competing with me, kid."
Eska grins, confidence brimming in her every word. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out!" She flips her knife deftly in her hand before sliding it into the scabbard at her hip.
Oblea tilts her head, pretending to mull it over. "Alright, since you're so eager to show me up, how about we go after those 'fluffy things' by the lake today? It'll be good practice."
Excitement pulses through Eska's veins. "Really? You mean it?"
Oblea nods with a sly smile. "Sure. But don't think it'll be easy. Those wild rams are fast, and their horns aren't just for show. You'll need to keep your wits about you."
"I can handle it," Eska says, already bouncing. "I've got this!"
"Well, we'll see about that," Oblea says with a smirk, turning toward the cabin. "Grab your gear—and don't forget the shears."
"The shears?" Eska asks, raising an eyebrow. "We're not skinning them?"
Oblea glances over her shoulder, her grin widening. "How are you going to show off if you don't even know how to properly take the pelt of a ram? Sounds like you're already at a disadvantage!" She chuckles as she steps inside to gather her own gear.
Eska mutters under her breath, grabbing the shears from the tools by the door. "I'll show her who's at a disadvantage." She darts inside, gathering her bow, quiver and a small pouch of essentials.
When she returns, Oblea is already securing a pack of supplies and slinging her own bow across her shoulder.
They set off into the forest, the sun climbing higher as golden rays filter through the dense canopy. The air carries the earthy scent of the woods as they move.
Oblea glances at Eska, who's walking with an energetic bounce in her step. "This isn't about killing a ram, you know. You'll need to learn how to get close without spooking or hurting them."
Eska nods, keeping her expression serious despite her excitement. "I'll follow your lead!"
After hours of walking, the forest gives way to a massive lake, its surface a mirror of the vibrant green trees surrounding it. Behind the lake, a towering cliff looms, its rocky face stretching toward the sky.
The scene is serene—the perfect place for their hunt.
Oblea drops to her knees, motioning for Eska to follow. "There," she whispers, pointing toward the cliff.
Eska narrows her eyes, spotting dots of gray and white on the rocky surface. "Yeah!" she whisper-shouts, her anticipation palpable.
"We'll move around the lake and corner one of them. I'll show you how it's done, then it's your turn to try," Oblea says.
Eska nods eagerly, and together they make their way around the lake.
As they near the cliff, they step carefully through the trees, the shade of the towering rock face casting a cool shadow over the small clearing ahead.
The area feels quiet and hidden, the ideal spot to approach the herd unnoticed.
Oblea places a hand on Eska's shoulder, signaling her to stay hidden. Eska nods again, crouching low among the foliage.
A dark blur explodes from the tree line, moving with terrifying speed.
Before Eska can process what's happening, the figure tackles a ram to the ground and begins tearing it apart. Blood sprays the nearby grass as the creature growls savagely over its kill.
The rest of the rams sprint away chaotically.
Oblea reacts without missing a beat, bolting to Eska's side and pulling her into cover. Her wide eyes betray a fear Eska has never seen before.
"Do not move," Oblea whispers urgently. "Do not make a noise. Do exactly as I do."
Keeping low, Oblea begins to crawl backward towards the trees, urging Eska to follow. The younger girl hesitates, her gaze locked on the towering beast.
Standing on two hind legs, the creature's massive frame is coated in gore, its sharp fangs dripping with the ram's blood. Something about its silhouette stirs a sickening familiarity in Eska.
"That's…" she starts, her voice trembling, but Oblea's arm wraps around her, silencing her mid-sentence.
"Hush," Oblea whispers. "We need to move. That is not a creature we should fight."
Snapping out of her trance, Eska resumes her retreat, mimicking Oblea's careful movements. Their progress is slow, every muscle in Eska's body screaming to run, but Oblea's calm keeps her grounded.
Suddenly, voices ring out from the tree line.
"The cliff!" someone shouts. An arrow whistles through the air, striking the beast's thick hide but barely penetrating. The creature turns slowly, its dog-like head swiveling toward the source of the attack.
Eska freezes, her breath caught in her throat as the beast lets out a deafening roar.
The sound reverberates across the cliffside as a group of armored men and women emerge from the trees.
A robed man, a lightly armored woman and a heavily armored figure step into the fray, their uniforms marked with dark blue and black with a striking yellow emblem: a half sun.
The attackers and the beast charge at each other, colliding in a flurry of violence. Blades slash, arrows fly.
Even as it's wounded again and again, the monstrous form barrels forward, unrelenting in its ferocity. Oblea keeps Eska moving, their escape now a desperate effort to avoid being noticed by either side.
Eska freezes, her body rigid as unfamiliar images flash through her mind.
Beasts of shadow and fangs fill her thoughts, their growls overlapping and multiplying until they drown out everything else.
Flesh and blood hit the snow in her vision, and a woman she doesn't recognize falls, her hand reaching out desperately toward Eska.
Her lips part and before she can stop herself, a cry tears from her throat. "Mom!"
Oblea's head snaps toward Eska, her eyes wide with alarm. The beast immediately halts its assault, its attention drawn to Eska's voice.
As if the fight never happened, the creature pivots sharply and charges toward the source of the scream with terrifying speed.
Oblea wastes no time.
She grabs Eska by the arm, pulling her to her feet and sprinting toward the tree line.
"Stay close, Eska! Don't stop!" she shouts with a confidence laced with panic. The sound of the beast's heavy footfalls shakes the ground behind them, its guttural growls growing louder with every passing second.
Eska stumbles, her thoughts a blur as Oblea pulls her forward.
The forest becomes a chaotic mess of snapping branches and flying dirt as they weave through the trees.
"Keep moving!" Oblea barks, glancing over her shoulder at the rapidly closing beast. Her eyes harden with determination, a look Eska knows all too well.
After several minutes of running, Oblea suddenly stops before spinning around to face Eska. She places her hands firmly on Eska's shoulders, her face inches away.
"Eska, you have to run. Now! Go south, keep going until you find a clearing. I'll hold it off."
"Mom I-!" Eska cries, panic filling her voice as her stomach knots. Oblea grips her tightly, shaking her.
"Listen to me! You can't stay here. You have to run. I can't fight if you are here." Her tone softens, though urgency remains in her eyes. "I will find you. I promise," she adds.
Eska hesitates, her heart pounding as the beast's snarls grow louder. The images in her mind resurface—flashes of gore and terror—and the overwhelming fear of losing her mother overtakes her.
With tears streaming down her face, she nods and turns, sprinting into the forest.
Branches whip against her skin as she runs, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The sounds of battle erupt behind her, the clash of claws and steel echoing through the woods.
She wants to stop, to turn back, but her legs carry her forward, driven by Oblea's words and fear.
The ground beneath her shifts suddenly. Eska's foot slips, and she stumbles forward into dense vegetation. Before she can react, the earth gives way, and she plummets into darkness.
Her body crashes through roots and loose dirt before landing hard on a cold, stone floor. Groaning, she rolls onto her back, staring up at the small sliver of light above, hidden by overgrown plants.
She can hear nothing but her own labored breaths. A voice breaks the silence.
Eska tries to push herself upright, but a sharp, searing pain shoots through her leg, forcing her back down. She gasps, clutching her thigh as she realizes it's likely broken.
"No, no. You should probably wait for help. That fall must've been rough," a calm voice echoes in the cavern.
Startled, Eska's head whips around, her golden eyes scanning the darkness. She sees nothing—no figure, no movement—just the eerie emptiness of the cavern surrounding her.
"Who's there?" she calls out, her voice trembling.
From the shadows emerges what appears to be a tall woman, though her appearance is far from human.
Her dark red skin looks like it's been stained with blood, and curved horns emerge from her temples, looping upward, backward and forward again around her skull.
The right side of her face is nearly destroyed, her eye missing and the remnants replaced with stone-like flesh tinged a faint red. That same stony texture spreads across her right side, down to where her arm ends abruptly above the elbow, leaving only a stump.
She walks with an unnatural gait, her toes gripping the ground, while her elongated heels jut backward like talons, adding to her alien, unsettling presence.
A long tail trails behind her, dragging along the ground. Though dirty, it remains undamaged, swaying slightly with her movements. Her hair is long, unkempt and messy, the black strands extend down to her waist.
Her single green eye glows faintly, its piercing gaze landing on Eska with a tired intensity. A lone broken earring dangles from her left ear, a pink starfish, adding an odd touch of delicacy to her otherwise haunting appearance.
Eska's fear thickens as she scrambles backward, only to bump into the unyielding rock wall behind her. Her chest heaves, and she can't keep the panic from her face.
"I'm not here to hurt you, dear," the tall figure says, her tone unsettlingly calm. "I'm only trying to help. Though, truthfully, you don't have much choice in the matter."
The woman extends a slender index finger and flicks it downward.
Instantly, a heavy weight settles over Eska's eyelids. She fights to stay conscious, her head bobbing weakly, but the last thing she sees is the mysterious figure drawing closer before everything goes dark.