She flew around a darkened street corner, a cool night breeze blowing her family’s trademark silvery hair back from her face. Her legs pumped as quickly as her body would allow, she could feel her blood pumping furiously. She could clearly hear the heavy thud of footsteps a belabored panting closing in on her. There was not much time left, they were getting closer.
She ripped off a piece of her cloak and conjured up a blast of wind to send it careening down one fork of the road as she tore off down the opposite. That should buy her enough time to get to where she needed. She was not very familiar with these streets but she had studied the maps enough to believe she knew where she was going. They would not be fooled for long, but she did not think she would need that much time to pull this off.
Her life had been pretty good before this whole mess – good family, good friends, and good parties. Ignorance was a fond memory, and she had not even known how good it had been to her. Unfortunately for her, she was “blessed” with some natural talents. A perk of a good bloodline. She was not fond of the way people treated her for both her inborn skills and her aptitude at learning to use them. If this helped her get out of this craziness alive, however, she would pray to all Five Kabals and more until the day she died.
Koline, her mother, had always called her headstrong, impulsive, and reckless when she was younger, and those traits had only grown with age. They had never gotten her into this much trouble before, though. Her breaths came ragged as she rounded a corner and came face to face with a courtyard with small garden at its center. A short, crenelated wall bordered it and she could see no other exits from it. She ran to the edge and looked over the border. She could not see the bottom but could hear waves crashing on the rocks below. She pressed her back against the wall and let out a small moan.
The place was called Cliff’s Edge, a place lovers liked to come to watch the sunset from. The sun over the water spun a vivid picture of vibrant colors – pinks, reds, oranges, purples and blues. The colors played and danced on the water and made for romance. At least, it made for people pretending to be romantic. Benches were placed conveniently at intervals around the area to allow for better viewing. The feature most people liked about it was that there was only one way in or out. Lovers at night were not fond of surprises. She had even been down there herself on a couple occasions. Although she had drunk a little too much wine on those nights to remember clearly how she got there or how she had left. She grimaced and looked up at the alley from where she had entered. The snarling of the Hounds and the scrabble of their claws on the cobblestones was echoing off the walls of the buildings. She grasped the rose pendant she always wore around her neck. She was not fond of the type of flower, but it had been a gift from her aunt. Imbued into the back of it was, as well, a magical talisman. Some people had preferred them tattooed on their bodies to enhance their prowess, but the last adept in Kabalic tattoo art had died years past.
The Hounds would almost be there by now. She grimaced; the only thing worse than the smell of a Hound was seeing one. As they came into view she flinched. She knew she would never get used to seeing these things. They were hideous, humanoid beasts. Most stood a full head taller than a man while hunched over. They shared some of the characteristics of a human; two arms, two legs. Yet, their bodies were mostly covered in patches of dark-grey and black fur that grew wildly down their heads and backs and around their limbs. The Hounds’ arms extended long onto the ground and ended in grotesque claws. Those claws brushed the ground with every step, each long and razor sharp. Under what skin that still seemed human, there pulsed a network of bulbous veins; the color of ebon. Their noses and jaws were drawn out into what looked like muzzles that barely concealed a mass of yellowed, jagged fangs. Strands of eager spittle drizzled from their lips. Their eyes were narrowed slits, small black openings with dark red irises. The Hounds ears were furled back against their skulls, pointed and tufted. They advanced on her as predators stalking prey.
“Time to come on home little girl,” the first Hound growled.
She had been wrong before, their voices were nearly as disturbing as their appearances. They sent shivers down her spine. She stood a little straighter. She could do this, she thought, she was brave. They continued to advance.
“I didn’t know women my age had a curfew,” she replied. She spoke with a confidence she did not possess. She trembled uncontrollably.
The one who spoke looked back at the other and bared its teeth and emitted a guttural chortle that sounded like a giant cat spitting up a hairball. She supposed it was a laugh.
It looked back at her, glee and malice in its eyes. “The girl plays coy. Master said we needed her back alive,” it licked its teeth, “but not unharmed.” With the last word the beasts lunged forward as one. She barely had time to respond.
She left one hand grasping the pendant and her other hand shot forward, releasing a wave of fire. She was overcome with the smell of burning flesh and hair. The flames consumed the Hound she had aimed the blast at, its flesh and fur stripped away in a bath of hot magic, its body disintegrated into unrecognizable pieces of bone and muscle.
The Hound that had not been her target had smothered the fires burning on its left arm and continued to barrel towards her. She flung her arm towards it, channeling chunks of stone from the crenellations behind her to hurtle towards her assailant. The creature side stepped them with amazing speed and slammed into her, pinning her against the wall.
Its breath was hot and fetid against her skin. “You’re gonna pay for that you little bitch,” its claws dug into her skin.
“Doubt it.” She replied, and slammed her palm against the stones behind her. The wall burst apart behind her, jagged rocks flying every which way. She kicked her legs up onto the beast’s chest and propelled herself outwards into the inky black of the night. The world fell out from underneath her. The final thing she saw was the Hound howling its frustration towards the sky as she plummeted, headfirst towards the angry waves and the rocky crag below.