Snippet #822566

The sky was slightly over cast as the wind pushed the clouds above forward. The off colored moon could be seen peeking out behind the occasional cloud. The area had an eerie silence for a moment that was broken by the sound of the wind traveling passed Ivory and the tree she sat in. The wind ruffled the long tail of her coat and flowed through her long purple hair, causing strands to fall out of the uniform fashion she normally wore it in. A few stray leaves ruffled and one or two came loose from the tree and dance in the eerie cold wind for a moment more and then the wind seemed to die again. One of the leaves landed in her lap. The leaf had an oddly dry feel, even for the current circumstances, and it crumble between her fingers as she picked it up.

"I have the ever unnerving feeling that something bad is coming. Perhaps..... perhaps I'm mistaken though," she said to seemingly herself. Her expression wasn't that of her usual covering smile but that off someone who is far off in mind at the moment. Her eyes had a questioning quizzical beauty to them as the moon reflected shades of green in her red gem-like eyes.

"... Yes, it's the calm before the storm. Nothing of enormous proportions has happened lately, only a few creatures causing minor issues here and there. Like every summer, the peace we enjoy and hold so dear must end," she mumbled. As she looked up at the moon a shadow moved in front of it, and seemed to be getting bigger signifying that it was making a dive.

"It seems that I've been spotted," she said with a sigh. She got up, crouched on the branch, and jumped back just as the creature made contact with it and drove it into the ground with its talons. She landed on the ground with a much lighter thud than that off the large creature, straightened herself out, and looked at the creature. It was still recovering from its land and looking to see if it had gotten its prey.

"Clumsy, dumb, and inexperienced, well I lucked out it's a baby probably on its first hunt so I should be able to handle this with minimal injury," Ivory thought as she examined the creature. Its wings were were large and bird like with skeletal points jutting out of the upper joint of both. It's body was still somewhat disproportionate to the wings in the way that it was still growing and seemed a bit small when compared to them. It had skeletal legs and talons that had points on the tips sharp enough that they seemed like they could rip through anything. It's whole body seemed like a demon bird, until you got to its neck up. It's neck was long and thin, like that of a snakes body covered in feathers, and was about two feet in length. the head was slightly wider and had two gleaming red eyes and no beak but a mouth filled with sharp teeth.

"A baby rook, I need to finish this before mommy rook shows up," she added to her thoughts as she wielded her spear and took a defensive stance. She looked around at her surroundings and got no relief. Asides from the mountain wall on her distant left she was in a wide open meadow with only the tree she was in earlier. Which meant if she wanted an advantage she'd have to stay right where she was. The rook lifted off the ground in an eased motion of moving its wings and flew forward at her. She dodged right just enough for it to fly passed her causing a strong wind to follow in its wake. She focused her energies for a moment and kept her eyes locked onto the rook, which was turning around, she mumbled incoherently and then a purple haze seemed to emit from the rook for a moment. The rook let out a surprised shriek and fell.

Tarunda, the spell of weakening attack. She had used it as more of a scare than anything, sure the weakened attack of a big large hungry creature was a plus but now it was slightly spooked from the feeling of the spell, no doubt it's first time feeling it. Ivory used this moment to jump to a near branch in the tree, she swung around and landed with her feet on a higher branch, "Looks like those gymnastics I used to take are paying off," she said with a slight relief. The rook drove upward towards her. Ivory jumped and landed on its back and, with one swift motion, drove her spear through the upper side of its head and out the bottom. It died instantly and fell to the ground. She got up and cleaned off the blood from her spear. "I'm sorry your life was so short lived little one," she said. She started to walk off deciding it to be the better choice and a few moments later her worst fear for the night came true.

She heard a deep roaring shriek and looked up to see, high in the sky, momma rook. Instantly Ivory began running and fell down to hit the ground as the adult rook flew just over her. It started to turn back around and she jumped to her feet making a run for the mountain wall again. "Where is it?" she mumbled as she ran. she smiled with relief and made a jump for a small crevice, just as momma rook flew by once again. The rook pounded at the mountain wall where the crevice was for a few moments then flew off. Ivory waited and looked out the opening as the light changed from an off green to a blue white glow. She climbed out to see the normal moon and sighed with relief. "Guess I should get back," she said putting her usual smiled on her face and walking off. It wasn't long before she got to her dorm room. She sneaked around quietly for a few minutes going to the girls bathing area to clean the dirt off her hands and knees where she had fallen many times. She the retired to her room and began to write in her diary.