Small paws struggled to land in each ghostly hoof print left behind in the sand as the fox bounded forward once to your every three strides, her thinned coat browned against the colorless earth and dark eyes squinting hard. The two of you wandered with the wind, your stringy mess of hair wound around thin back legs and tickling at the underside of your belly. Per usual, Ouija was the first to sense the dark creature's hungry eyes from above, her hide crawling into a defensive puff of white and brown hair all along her neck and spine. Her nerves seemed to seep into the ground and wriggle through your body from the hoof up, resulting in a nauseous pit in your gut. Glassy eyes shot up to the hair-smeared sky only to be half blinded by the scorching sun; but from the heavens came a thick black body wrapped in feathery wings, blocking the orange star like an eclipse.
As if the menacing dive from the sky weren't frightening enough, the tone of the stranger's voice broke what nerve may have been hiding somewhere deep within your body and sent a hard shutter through your spindly body. Wide glossed eyes watched the grainy earth quiver and move willingly under the stallion's body as he connected once more with Helovia's solid foundation. Eyes that mimicked dried crusty flakes of blood watched you with some ferocious thirst that you could never wear comfortably. Dazed - whether by nerve or the "Einarr" stranger's bold voice, you're not quite sure - and completely confused, your brain couldn't piece together the puzzle that he had laid out for you. Key? What key?
The poor trinket that had gifted you with flight (on very few occasions) was tangled and matted into the thick of your mane, making a shiny appearance only when the light was able to reach out and brush it just right with soft finger tips. It felt like a whole minute had passed between the stranger's landing and now, but it had only been enough time for you to shove your body backward in two awkward, unsteady strides. "M-my key? Why do you need it?!" The wind moaned over your pitiful, weak voice, making you appear to be even more of a child than usual. The man's wide skull drew into his chest, the burly wings that you had just before thought were covered in downy feathers now concealed beneath rough plates of dark scales. They stretched across his entire body, dull like a snake's skin in the sun and no longer reflecting the burning light in the sky.
A quiet growl gurgled in the fox's chest, nearly hidden below the same gust of wind that buried your own voice. The dark stranger covered in foreign skin hadn't yet made a move, but she could feel the panic coursing through your body and shoot from your nerves. As she has always been much braver than you, the young fox was more than willing to try to stand her ground. Big ears flopped down on her shaggy neck and she lunged forward, shiny little teeth aimed at the highest point of Einarr's right foreleg as she could reach (which was just shy of knee height). We wanted to explode with laughter at the mighty little creature's attempt at a fight, but we could only shake our heads at how pathetic one must be to let their dog make the first move.
Ouija's brash move made your stomach churn once more; a simple kick to the face could leave her out cold, or worse. Now, in your mind, this was not about the key, but your companion's safety. Without hesitation, you dove forward to sweep the defending toddler from Einarr's reach, the matte bone jutting from your long forehead tucking low as your teeth attempt to grab at the fox's scruff.
"Voodoo." 'Ouija.' 'Voices.'
Sorry for the rambling post, it's been a while! <3
Ouija lunges at Einarr's right shin for a bite as the attack.
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Word count: 645
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WARRIORS AND VAGABONDS [Voodoo Challenge]
