[Kat-Wolf]

It's okay, she told herself as her paws padded down the darkened hall, it's okay. Nothing's going to hurt you... The tiny Arkuhna glanced up at the crumbling walls with fear, trying not to let it get to her head. A ghastly air swam around her, and she shivered.

A small leather pack was strung over her shoulders, carrying a notebook, a few pencils and erasers, and, most importantly, her trusted paint brush and faded set of acrylics. She had been eager to try and capture the unique feel of Lya Pointa Cathedral when Kat had sent her out, but, now... She wasn't so sure. The way the echoes of her paws on the ancient stone floor pierced the deathly silence, the hidden shadows that lurked around every corner, the rustles and soft winds that sometimes plagued her being...

No, she repeated firmly, looking straight ahead. I will not be afraid. Ghosts are cool. I like ghosts. Rangi tried to convince herself that she enjoyed the visits of spirits, and, to a degree, it was true-- she found the paranormal and the supernatural interesting. However, when it came to actually experiencing it... she was terrified.

But she hadn't just come here to draw pictures of architecture. No, she was looking for a great beast, one she had only seen in nonfiction nature books and species classifications. She had sketched it many times before, but she wanted to see it, in flesh and blood, and observe the way it moved, the way it's facial expressions changed, the way he or she talked or acted... Plus, her owner would be so proud if she successfully brought one home to live in the Lodge...

She wanted to meet a Mekkayena.

[Rangi ~ 1.2]

[Kat-Wolf]

Rangi looked reproachfully at the looming columns, the stone they were chiseled from now decrepit and crumbling. The massive cathedral arches made her feel diminutive and unimportant as she nervously strode forward, her jade eyes glancing back and forth at every shadow, every floating spiderweb, and every unearthly breeze that decided to roll her way. This place must have been beautiful, the Arkuhna decided, admiring the now-cracked and broken statues that had undoubtedly been painstakingly picked away at. I wonder why it was abandoned?

There was always the possibility of it being haunted, or a mass migration of the people in the city, but, most likely, people had just... left. Over time, less and less inhabitants made their way to the church, and, eventually, the ticking clock of eternity finally devoured its target, leaving nothing but creaking stones and dying gargoyles in the midst of it's previous grandeur.

Rangi looked up to a striking sculpture of a Yonyuu, the breed unknown due to the faded rock and lack of coloration. It had its wings slightly open, just enough to let the primary feathers catch a breeze if it had been alive, and had its paws curled over an orb of some sort. The statue had long since fallen into disrepair; the right ear had been broken off, as had the left hind paw, and chips and cracks were scattered over its body.

The feline let her imagination get the best of her. She closed her eyes, trying to rewind time, taking her back to when the cathedral was in use and grand.

She could see it-- candles were littered everywhere, all along the altar, over each of the columns, as well as lanterns hanging from the arches and buttresses. It was beautiful. The entire cathedral had a warm, fiery glow to it, and it was inviting and peaceful. She could hear the voices of some repeating chants and prayers, searching for salvation from the Holy Triumvirate.

Her eyes flashed open. Reality had returned. The church was lonesome and silent, save for the eerie winds that occasional blew across her face. A ghastly mist had begun to creep around the edges of the abandoned building, and Rangi shivered.

I'm not afraid... she told herself, but it was a blatant lie.

She was terrified.

{Rangi ~ 1.4}

[Kat-Wolf]

The pet jumped and yelped in surprise, the sound echoing across the massive slabs of stone, bouncing and repeating back to her. A dark shape had just run over her paws, and she looked around fearfully, listening to the sounds of her cry rebound back to her.

A Rattegan. Rangi's sigh of relief was audible as her shivering muscles slowly calmed. The creature was a Hollow pet, and it sat in the shadows, grooming itself with one paw. Its dark gray flames flickered softly, letting out a silvery glow around them.

The Arkuhna lit up, a smile playing on her face as she excitely strode forward. "Hi!" she yipped, moving down to face the rodent, who was but a few inches shorter than her. The Rattegan looked at her curiously for a moment, its ribbon-ended tail flicking up as its eyes watched her with interest. Its whiskers twitching a few times, before scurrying back into the darkness, resuming its bath in a hidden corner, away from Rangi's peering eyes.

The feline looked downward, disheartened. She was back where she started-- alone. The cold air pressed up against her sides, suffocating her.

The kuhna felt her attention being torn away as she gazed into the sightless eyes of a Shielupe sculpture, with teeth bared and hackles raised as it pointed to an unknown enemy. A Magistrey was perched high on a rafter, wings spread, the tiny intricacies of the feathers chiseled to perfection. But the greatest of all these artistic feats was along one of the walls. Here, a relief had been carved out, depicting a scene of battle.

On one side, every evil one could possibly imagine was shown, readying for attack. Chernobyl was above it all, his leathery wings open as he soared above the crowd. Ssendrek was leaping forward, preparing to kill. Dreiden swam in the ocean, a huge tidal wave in his midst, with a rancid pool of black following his trail.

However, in the opposing force, Zephion reared up, his massive hooves aiming to strike any of the Evils. Symona was hissing at her lost brother, jumping, ready to engage. Xíng Yún wound forward, his features twisted into a snarl, and Tou-san soared over, preparing to take down the zealously evil spirit that floated before him.

But the greatest thing about the relief was that it was huge. It covered the entire wall. Rangi looked at it with awe, whipping her sketchbook out.

{Rangi ~ 1.6}

[Kat-Wolf]

Her paws moving across the paper, the Kuhna was lost in her own realm, meticulously sketching out each of the entities and their forms. She had entirely forgotten about the eerie mist that had settled around; no, she was absorbed in the battle, her mind traveling back to ancient times when such a fight would have taken place, when the spirits of Good and Evil fought for dominion over Evelon. Images flashed before her eyes as her imagination ran wild. She could see, just as the one scene she was drawing ended, the two forces clashing together in a war of the ages. In the end, only one would prevail, or so she thought.

The truth was, in reality, light and darkness were in a constant battle, always keeping each other in check. For there can be no purity if there is no pollution, no joy if there is no grief, no day if there is no night. If all impurities were banished from the world, how would we be able to relate if one thing was good or not? It would all be the same, all one single plane, and nothing would ever be holy; we would not be able to compare it to evil.

The pencil soared over the page as Rangi added in the details, now sketching in Symona's snarling face. She worked constantly as she lightly drew in the background, where all the elements met, in a battle that would determine the fate of all of Evelon. Finally, satisfied with her lineart, she packed her notebook away, deciding to paint it when she had a bit more time on her paws.

The fear from before returned as she realized that the fog had grown thicker, and now clouded her vision. Blinking a few times to expel fluid from her eyes, the feline rose warily, glancing around in anxiety.

{Rangi ~ 1.8}

[Kat-Wolf]

Her steps were soft and hesitant as she continued onwards, as the mist made it nearly impossible to see where she was going.

I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid...

Her paws echoed over the corridor as she shivered.

I'm not afraid...

She could have sworn she heard something moving, like a whisper in the hidden mist, small but dangerous.

I'm not afraid...

Rangi jumped slightly. There it was again-- a tiny nuance, but still a sound, a rustle against the canvas of decibels.

I'm not...

She could have sworn she saw something move.

I'm..

She hurried along faster now. The sounds grew closer.

...not...

Louder and louder they came, edging into her...

...afraid...

Rangi screamed.

{Rangi ~ 2.0}

[Kat-Wolf]

 

The deadly beast came into focus, and Rangi screamed again. Two glowing, orange-white, soulless eyes bored into her, and she began to turn to run.

"Wait!"

The Arkuhna skidded to a halt and spun around, her eyes wide with uncontrollable fear.

She could now discern that it was indeed a Yonyuu, a Cursed Yonyuu, at that. The mark on its hind leg seemed to pulsate slightly as it glowed, leaving an eerie orange tint to the fog around it. The canine lowered its head, ears back and tail quivering between its leg.

"I'm sorry," it said, in a voice that was recognizable as masculine, "I... I didn't mean to scare you." He looked at her in a way that could be described as pleadingly, although it was hard to tell with those pupil-less eyes. "Please... please, don't go... don't be afraid... I... I won't hurt you..." His entire body was low to the ground as he quivered, looking at the female. "I promise... I didn't... I didn't mean to..."

Rangi looked at the pitiful creature, an animal more than three times her size and capable of completely obliterating her at any moment, cower on the dusty stone ground. Her heartstrings twisted as she thought about how long he may have been here, without any social interaction at all. Poor guy...

"Hey," she said softly, padding up, albeit hesitantly, still not trusting the massive beast completely. "It's okay... I wasn't scared, you just startled me, that's all..." The Yonyuu looked up to the compassionate Kuhna, and then back down to the ground.

"I'm sorry..."

The feline took a step back, and beamed. "I'm Rangi!" she said in a chipper tone, letting a small bit of fluff fall over her right eye in a comical sense. "What's your name? And why are you here, of all places to be?"

{Rangi ~ 2.2} {Xeko ~ 1.2}

[Kat-Wolf]

The Yonyuu looked at her curiously, and then proceeded to speak, his voice weak and soft.

"Xeko," he replied, still on the ground, trying to be as least intimidating as possible. "And... I don't really know why I'm here. I've just... I've just always been here, and I suppose I always will be... Not many people come down here much anymore... They're always scared of me... I don't want them to be scared..."

"What do you mean, you'll 'always be here?'" Rangi demanded, coming right up to his nose. It was a funny sight to see; a tiny Arkuhna powering over a cowering Yonyuu, which could easily take her down in a matter of seconds. "Why can't you leave?"

The canine looked down, sadness clouding his gaze. "I have nowhere to go..."

"Pshaw, 'nowhere to go' he says," mocked the Arkuhna, although humor and kindness were easily seen in her eyes. "Why don't you just come with me back to the Ski Lodge? Kat will LOVE you... she said she's been looking for a Yonyuu for a while, and she's not too daunted by, er... unusual pets." Rangi was careful not to say the word scary, for she feared it would hurt her newfound friend's feelings.

"Really?" Hope penetrated Xeko's expressions. The feline felt a pang of pity. Living in a sheltered life, she had never known that the offer of a place to stay and friendship would mean so much to one creature. "You'd... you'd really let me?"

"Well duh," she answered, smiling. "I will warn you though-- it's pretty cold. You like snow, right? There's a lot." She grinned, and added quickly, "Don't worry, we have hot chocolate."

{Rangi ~ 2.4} {Xeko ~ 1.4}

[Kat-Wolf]

"But," the Arkuhna continued, smiling, "we have some business to take care of before we get back to the Lodge." Meeting Xeko seemed to have given her a new found burst of courage, as things were much easier to face if you were with someone rather than if you were alone. Especially if that 'someone' was a large, muscular, scary-looking Cursed Yonyuu.

"We're going Mekka-Hunting!" announced the feline cheerfully, beaming at the Yonyuu. "So, you in? We're gonna go find some Mekkayenas to bring back, too! And I bet they wouldn't stand for a second against you..."

Xeko looked down sadly. "I don't want to have to fight... I don't want to hurt anyone..."

Something was definitely wrong with this pet. Sure, he'd probably protect her if she needed it, but... Something had to have happened in his past to make him this anti-violence. He seemed to despise fighting of any kind.

Realizing she was dealing with a creature of delicate feelings, Rangi padded closer again. "Naw, I was just joking," she laughed, trying to make him feel better. "I'm sure the Mekka'll be nice and just come with us. Two new friends! I'm on a roll today!"

Xeko smiled softly. "Mekkayenas... I've seen a few, but only glimpses... They're pretty elusive..."

"Come on," she chided, giggling. "You're a Yonyuu. Don't you have, like, super-smell or something? We can track one down!" Her voice was happy and optimistic, so out of place in the eerie enviornment. "Let's go!"

{Rangi ~ 2.6} {Xeko ~ 1.6}

[Kat-Wolf]

How hard could it be to find a giant hyena-dog-wolf thing? Rangi was starting to get impatient. Pshh, it's not like she actually listened to the textbook and read that encounters with said beast were rare. Because, in this little Kuhna's lifestyle, nothing was 'rare'. It was all about going off and doing it and sprinkling in as many little rainbows that you possibly could to the trip.

...Metaphorically, of course.

Despite this, however, Rangi was determined to remain optimistic. She and her new found friend scoured every corner, every possible nook and cranny. This place is HUGE. The cathedral had many branches and openings scattered through it.

Xeko sniffed along, his claws sending echoes through the church. The canine glanced up ever so often to make sure that the Kuhna still trailed behind him. She was absorbed in the artwork that was scattered across the walls.

Rangi noticed a small, decrepit wooden door, slightly ajar. "Xeko," she called softly, padding away. "I... think we should check this out..."

{Rangi ~ 2.8} {Xeko ~ 1.8}

[Kat-Wolf]

Xeko glanced down the foreboding entrance cautiously, his eyes betraying her nervousness. It was dark. And, after his time in Lya Pointa Cathedral, he had learned that the dark did not bring good things.

But Rangi seemed to have no qualms about the shadows, and so he was obliged to follow. The passage steeply declined, going into the dark recesses of the church's basement. The Yonyuu glanced around, his night vision beginning to take effect, as he searched for a safe paw hold on the crumbling steps.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the ground leveled. From what he could see, the dank, underground area was littered with candles-- at least, he thought they were candles. In a place as dark as this, it was hard for even him to see. His cursed marking gave off a slight glow, as if it did any help at all. Xeko looked to the Arkuhna, who was stumbling blindly, her eyesight unable to pierce the ebony blanket.

The room was suddenly aglow as a small, flickering flame appeared a foot or so from the canine's nose. Rangi gasped, and watched the fire with awe, her emerald eyes bright and inquisitive. "How'd you do that?" she pressed, amazed.

"Witchlight," answered the Yonyuu casually, the flicker now transforming into a longer, serpent-like form. "I can move it around, too." As if to continue his demonstration, the serpent shifted into a shape that could roughly be a Kuhna. "That's you," he remarked softly, making the 'legs' move as if she was walking.

"That is so cool!" the feline squealed, her voice wild.

"It's harmless, too," he added, now bringing the flames down to her neck. It morphed into a string of dots, which floated around her chest like a necklace of fireflies. As Xeko brought it back, Rangi stuck her paw through and giggled.

"It tickles," she laughed. "C'mon, let's go light some candles!"

{Rangi ~ 3.0} {Xeko ~ 2.0}

[Kat-Wolf]

The entire room glowed with the warmth of the flames, each tiny ounce of fire moving in it's own special way. Xeko glanced to the wall. His and Rangi's shadows danced in the light, playing in the irregular motion of the candle's flickering blazes.

A stone figure that could best be described as a birdbath sat in the center of the room, seemingly out of place in the waxy room. Reflections twirled on the surface of an unknown liquid that lay inside it, and the canine padded over, sniffing it cautiously. Oil. It was a torch.

A tiny piece of Witchlight came floating down to it, and landing with a soft plink! in the fluid. Within seconds, the entire basin was ablaze, lighting up the area even more so. Behind him, Rangi gasped.

"Xeko!" she whispered. "Look! Another door!"

The male whipped around and stared at the dark arch, where a barrier once stood, long since rotted off its hinges. All that remained was a softly moving, threadbare cloth that seemed to pulsate with the eerie breeze that surrounded them. The Yonyuu was hesitant, but, as before, the Kuhna seemed to have no problem exploring. Her body ran ahead of him, poking her small head under the curtain, and then calling him.

"Xeko... we should... Um..."

With mounting fear, the Cursed pet padded through.

{Rangi ~ 3.2} {Xeko ~ 2.2}

[Kat-Wolf]

The second Xeko came through the fluttering cloth, two scents filled his nose.

The first one was oil. The second was the musky smell of death.

Rangi had already bounded ahead, despite the fact that she was utterly blind in such darkness. The Kuhna stumbled along, completely oblivious.

Something was very, very wrong, Xeko decided.

"Rangi!" he called out, although the female took no notice.

"RANGI! STOP!"

She looked at him with wide, fearful eyes, and he felt bad. He was frightening her. But he needed to. Another Witchlight formed above his head and dipped into an oil-filled trough beside him. Fire spread across the room, following the trail of flammable liquid made for it along the walls. Within seconds, the entire area was flickering with light.

Rangi screamed.

{Rangi ~ 3.4} {Xeko ~ 2.4}

[Kat-Wolf]

The tiny feline pressed herself against his legs, and he could feel her trembling wildly. The bones of a creature long since passed lay were strewn across the ground, and, inches from where Rangi had been blindly moving moments ago, a massive skull, dotted with blood, lay, mouth agape.

The Kuhna cowered against her protector, her ribcage expanding as she hyperventilated, terrified. That thing... that... It could have swallowed her whole. "Xe.. Xeko..." Despite the fact that it was only a skeleton, it was quite a jarring sight for such a creature.

The canine looked around apprehensively, lifting his nose to the air. The entire floor was littered with bones of all sorts and sizes, and dried, red stains were scattered here and there. In the center of it all was an altar.

There had been a battle here. Something bad had happened. A sacrifice gone wrong.

Xeko padded forward slowly, inhaling as he approached the skeleton of the massive, dragon-like beast, his ears perked. This one seemed old, but...

His attention moved to another skull, a few feet off. It was a Gyrraptor, from what he could discern. But... it was whiter, fresher. Something bothered him.

"Congratulations. A voice carried over the room, and Xeko whipped around. "You found me."

{Rangi ~ 3.6} {Xeko ~ 2.6}

[Kat-Wolf]

Rangi squealed, pressing her body even further against Xeko's legs, her heart pounding. A massive beast revealed itself from the shadows. Two pairs of horns adorned its head, and wings sprouted from its shoulders. Light bounced of its shining scales, flying this way and that. The creature grinned, revealing a set of pearly fangs.

A Battleheart.

The Yonyuu felt a soft growl beginning to rise in his throat, yet, he bit it back. Truth be told, he was terrified of the pet. After all, the creature was twice his size, at least. He desperately hoped that Rangi wouldn't notice his trembling as she shivered so violently.

"You two are hilarious," the reptile remarked, smiling. "Aw, now, c'mon, I'm not gonna hurt you. Stop carrying on like that."

Rangi looked up, her tail still puffy with fear. "Y-You mean... you're not g-g-gonna eat us?" she inquired, eyes wide.

"Eat you? Naw, I just ate." The beast gestured to the Gyrraptor bones, which had been stripped clean. The Arkuhna gasped.

"You ate him?" she cried, morally outraged.

"Well, I couldn't just starve, could I?" he replied casually, kicking the mess into a darker corner. "After all, you've eaten meat before, haven't you?"

Rangi simply trembled.

The Battleheart looked to them and grinned. "So, I'm Mattear, but most call me Matt. And you two are...?"

{Rangi ~ 3.8} {Xeko ~ 2.8} {Mattear ~ 1.2}

[Kat-Wolf]

"R-r-r-rangi," responded the Kuhna, obviously still shaken from the encounter. Her body quivered violently, and she remained curled against the canine's forepaw. All confidence had evaporated.

"Xeko," he stated simply, not bothering to look the beast in the eye. He didn't want him to see his fear.

"Well," responded Matt, a grin playing upon his features. "What brings you folks to a dismal place like this?" The Battleheart slipped down to the ground, crossing his front legs in a comical fashion, practically eye level to the Rangi. He. Was. Huge, she decided. When standing, his shoulder was easily 14 feet high, and she didn't even want to guess his weight.

Now less intimidated by the creature, The Arkuhna spoke. "We're looking for a Mekkayena!" she answered, beaming. Xeko remained silent behind her, watching the pair with anxiety.

"A Mekka, eh?" Matt responded, smiling at the feline's chipper attitude. "They can be kind of... eh... mean. But they don't stand a chance against me, so you guys don't have to worry." He winked.

"They're... mean?" Rangi looked frightened. "I thought they were nice..."

"Some are, some aren't," replied the reptile casually, his tail softly flicking from side to side. "Most of 'em are just wacky, though. They've all got something wierd in the brains. 'Specially those blue ones..." He had an... interesting way of speaking, sort of like slang, but still... not. There was just something about it... Rangi found it intriguing.

"Why are you here?" she inquired, her old, curious outlook returning from the fear-ridden one.

"Who, me? Um, I mean, I don't know. It's just been my place for a while, if you know what I mean. A Blaze pet can be a little out of place here, but... It's a place to live, I guess." He glanced to Xeko, who seemed to be looking at the Battleheart with contempt. "What about you, Yonyuu? I feel like I've seen you around this place."

"I've been around," was all he said, and, if you listened closely, you could hear a slight growl laced through the words.

{Rangi ~ 4.0} {Xeko ~ 3.0} {Matt ~ 1.4}