Trade: [E] Building Wind Storm

If it had not been for the piebald markings on the alpha of the four-tokota pack Khalfani would have missed them. Now he doubled back, swooping lower to the treetops and scanning the ground underneath the boughs.

When he finally found them again he dropped from the sky like a stone.

------

Proc stopped to scent the wind. At her shoulder, Munchkin swiveled his small ears and looked around. At his signal the other two behind him stopped and looked around as well.

“I don’t hear anything,” Serenity said.

“Sssh!” Starlet cautioned. “If there is something out there we should be careful! We know we’re wandering in monster territory.”

“We’re not wandering,” Serenity said, “we’re meandering.”

“We are doing neither of those things,” came the gruff correction of Munchkin in front of them. “Do you detect anything?”

“Well,” Starlet leaned into another gust of wind, “it’s hard to hear or smell anything around a growing wind storm but we might have an airborne follower.”

Serenity snorted. “You’re too paranoid. What could be following us in the sky?”

“We’re in monster territory. It could be anything!”

Munchkin gave a short growl and Serenity rolled her eyes. The only male of the pack, Munchkin returned to Proc’s shoulder and cleared his throat.

Proc shifted, glad for the pin that kept the forelock of her yeti mane out of her eyes during this journey. She was ever amazed at the usefulness of even the simplest inventions of the handlers. “Anything, Munchy?”

“They are also having trouble detecting through the wind, but Starlet suspects it might be something in the sky.”

“Hm.” Proc could detect something following them, but she could not pinpoint what was raising the hair over her shoulders. “Very well, have them keep an eye on the skies.”

This time as they preceded the tokotas alternated in turning their faces upwards. Night was approaching and though they had the advantage of canine eyesight in the dark even they would have to lean more heavily on their ears and noses under the pronounced shadows of the forest.

Just a twilight faded to night is when the dracostryx dropped down on them. Though they should have seen the great white chiroptra coming it had unintentionally slipped in between a turn of their heads (and the topside of its folded wings were darker compared to the blazing white underside of its form) and sunk down past the treetops until it unfolded its bat-like wings and came to a gusty landing before them.

Munchkin leapt forward with a snarl, curled tail held high and lips peeled back from his teeth. The others arrayed themselves around Proc and crouched in threatening postures as well – but Proc lifted her head and held her pack back simply with a gesture.

“There is a wind tunnel coming this way,” Khalfani said. “You should get your pack under cover.”

Starlet leaned towards Serenity and whispered, “What’s a wind tunnel?”

Serenity shrugged and continued to growl at the winged creature.

“We are aware there is a wind storm coming,” Proc said to Khalfani. “However, unless you can point us in the direction of shelter we find nothing but trees in the forest.”

Starlet stifled a giggle.

“Alpha,” Munchkin said, “even if this creature were to point us in a direction, what’s to say we are to trust it? It could be a trap. We are just the right size for meals for his kind.”

Khalfani blinked at Munchkin and tilted his head. The bat ears on either side of his head twitched. He readjusted his wings and cleared his throat. “You have too much fur and too much teeth to bother with the effort of a trick, tokota.”

Munchkin snarled but Proc took a step forward. “What exactly is a wind tunnel?”

“A wind dragon’s creation,” Khalfani said. “It’s terribly upset over some matter with mortal humans and it is ravaging the land coming this way. Hundred year old spruces don’t stand a chance.”

Starlet laid back her ears and pressed closer to Serenity. They exchanged a worried look as the wind picked up. Was it the wind tunnel, finally come upon them to swallow them whole?

“I need to return to my flock soon,” Khalfani said. “Please, if you will come with me, I can guide you to an abandoned cabin handlers used to take shelter in.”

Munchkin sniffed. “What’s to say they aren’t there now – and when did we assent to trusting you?”

Khalfani glanced at the sky and noted the incoming clouds that signaled the wind tunnel’s approach. If he did not leave soon he would be sucked up into the torrential storm as well.

Proc turned to Munchkin. “Let him speak.”

Munchkin stared at his alpha. “But we don’t have the rest of our pack here. We cannot trust this thing – and I cannot let you end up a meal! We need you to lead us.”

Proc smiled at her second. “If he meant to trick us then every muscle in his body would not be thrumming with nerves.”

Overhearing this, Starlet and Serenity looked at each other. They knew their alpha was skilled in sensing her way about many of their own kind, but to do so with a creature they had never even heard of was nothing short of impressive.

Munchkin sighed and then straightened and nodded to his alpha.

Khalfani looked between all of them and waited for the their undivided attention before he nodded and turned to point southeast with a wing tip. “Proceed this way. I will keep an eye on your progress and the wind tunnel for as long as I can.”

Proc nodded to the dracostryx. “Thank you, mister…?”

“Just Khalfani will do,” the dracostryx said. “Hurry!”

The pack of tokotas moved off between the trees at a trot and Khalfani launched towards an updraft.

Aspens of the forest swayed in the wind, their branches bowing under the strengthening gusts. More clouds moved in overhead, rumbling with thunder and the shadows under the trees spread and scattered from them. Every mile Khalfani dove down to make suggestions and update the tokota pack, adjusting their trajectory, urging them to hold a faster pace. Eventually the tokotas broke out to a speedy, ground-eating lope that carried them closer to shelter even as the trees clustered closer together.

Three miles from the cabin Khalfani dropped down for the last time. “The tunnel is getting too close for me to linger. When you reach the log cabin break in through the smallest window you can fit in the move the handler furniture around as best as you can to block it. I would stay in there a few hours until the wind dies down.”

“Where will you go?” Serenity asked from behind Starlet.

“My flock is taking shelter not far from here. We cannot out-fly this storm so we are doing our best to survive it and then we must haste away on the last leg of our mission.”

Proc nodded to the dracostryx and sent her pack along. “Best of luck to you, Khalfani!” She called over her shoulder.

Munchkin set up a howl that Starlet and Serenity carried as they charged between the trees and Khalfani dove into the shredding-force of the gales swirling down from the clouds.

- FIN -