standing out in shock, and Shadarii advanced a pace, her body trembling in rage. She clenched her blistered fist and slammed the ïsha hard into Javïra’s guts.
Lightning blazed; Javïra screamed as something tore inside her. Power ripped up the ground like the lash of a gigantic whip, blasting fur from Javïra’s hide and smashing her against a wattle tree. The girl writhed across the dust and howled in agony.
“Stop! Please! Someone help me! Shadarii, I didn’t mean it. Please don’t!” She crawled away in panic, cringing in the dirt. “Help me! For Rain’s sake, someone do something!”
Shadarii moved in for the kill, a ball of lightning shaping in her fist, but suddenly the storm of ïsha died inside her claws. Shadarii snapped her head around to see the High Priestess shielding Javïra’s back.
Shadarii’s anger died as she blinked in shock at her snivelling victim. The High Priestess strode into the sacred circle waving genially with her arms.
“Be calm! Be calm! T’was just a minor accident. It was merely angry spirits, nothing more.”
Traveesha clutched her niece against her breast, her face a mask of hate.
“She tried to kill her! We all saw it! That monster tried to kill my precious dove!”
Shadarii helplessly shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her injured hand. She hadn’t meant… She-she had never wanted to really hurt…
The old Priestess smiled and tried to soothe the crowd.
“Peace! Peace good people! An excited girl - a blaze of pain. The Ka merely lashed out in her defence. Possession, that is all. T’is best the episode ends here.”
With all due dignity, Nochorku-Zha rose creakily to his feet, leaning heavily on Zhukora’s arm.
“The feast is over. Disperse for the night. Finish your meals at home”
The old man stiffly turned to go. Zhukora turned a despising glare upon her sister before stalking off into the darkness.
Shadarii stumbled over to Javïra’s side, her face torn by anguish. She tried to reach out in apology, only to be met by Traveesha’s snarling fangs.
“Out of my sight! Get out! You’re dismissed from the dancers. You’ve danced your last, you vicious little animal!”
Shadarii sobbed in misery, trying to drag out the words to show her shame, but the Dancing Mistress slashed out with her claws.
“I said out of my sight!”
Shadarii stumbled back and fled. Traveesha rocked her niece and softly murmured in her ear.
“Shhhhh. Forget her. Oh I’m so sorry! Oh my precious, how could I have known? She’s gone now. It’s all over.”
Javïra’s eyes were red with agony, and her voice shook with the power of hate.
“Sh-she’ll pay for this! By Wind and Poison, that crippled bitch is going to pay!”
Shadarii wept in misery, as the healer murmured spells across Shadarii’s injured hand. The agony of the burn slowly faded as magic lit the forest gloom.
The healing came only slowly. Shadarii’s mind had turned blank with shock; her world had shattered like a ball of ice. Better they should let her die. Never to dance? What was she to do? Rain help her, what was she to do?
Something dark and deadly burst in through the night. Zhukora stood over her, shivering with rage.
“Father may have done with you, but I haven’t! You’ve shamed us before the High Priestess and dragged our family’s name into the dirt! Your one chance to be some use to us and now look what you’ve done. Are you satisfied? Well?”
Shadarii utterly ignored her, her eyes lost inside a nightmare. The girl rocked back and forth, back and forth… Zhukora shrieked in anger.
“Listen to me! Did you hear just what I said?”
Zhukora lashed out with her fist and Shadarii’s head snapped back, blood spraying from her mouth. She made no move to defend herself, no cry or squeal of pain; Shadarii simply lay where she fell. With a cry of hate Zhukora flew up into the family lodge and firmly slammed the door.
Shadarii let the healer quietly
Lightning blazed; Javïra screamed as something tore inside her. Power ripped up the ground like the lash of a gigantic whip, blasting fur from Javïra’s hide and smashing her against a wattle tree. The girl writhed across the dust and howled in agony.
“Stop! Please! Someone help me! Shadarii, I didn’t mean it. Please don’t!” She crawled away in panic, cringing in the dirt. “Help me! For Rain’s sake, someone do something!”
Shadarii moved in for the kill, a ball of lightning shaping in her fist, but suddenly the storm of ïsha died inside her claws. Shadarii snapped her head around to see the High Priestess shielding Javïra’s back.
Shadarii’s anger died as she blinked in shock at her snivelling victim. The High Priestess strode into the sacred circle waving genially with her arms.
“Be calm! Be calm! T’was just a minor accident. It was merely angry spirits, nothing more.”
Traveesha clutched her niece against her breast, her face a mask of hate.
“She tried to kill her! We all saw it! That monster tried to kill my precious dove!”
Shadarii helplessly shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her injured hand. She hadn’t meant… She-she had never wanted to really hurt…
The old Priestess smiled and tried to soothe the crowd.
“Peace! Peace good people! An excited girl - a blaze of pain. The Ka merely lashed out in her defence. Possession, that is all. T’is best the episode ends here.”
With all due dignity, Nochorku-Zha rose creakily to his feet, leaning heavily on Zhukora’s arm.
“The feast is over. Disperse for the night. Finish your meals at home”
The old man stiffly turned to go. Zhukora turned a despising glare upon her sister before stalking off into the darkness.
Shadarii stumbled over to Javïra’s side, her face torn by anguish. She tried to reach out in apology, only to be met by Traveesha’s snarling fangs.
“Out of my sight! Get out! You’re dismissed from the dancers. You’ve danced your last, you vicious little animal!”
Shadarii sobbed in misery, trying to drag out the words to show her shame, but the Dancing Mistress slashed out with her claws.
“I said out of my sight!”
Shadarii stumbled back and fled. Traveesha rocked her niece and softly murmured in her ear.
“Shhhhh. Forget her. Oh I’m so sorry! Oh my precious, how could I have known? She’s gone now. It’s all over.”
Javïra’s eyes were red with agony, and her voice shook with the power of hate.
“Sh-she’ll pay for this! By Wind and Poison, that crippled bitch is going to pay!”
Shadarii wept in misery, as the healer murmured spells across Shadarii’s injured hand. The agony of the burn slowly faded as magic lit the forest gloom.
The healing came only slowly. Shadarii’s mind had turned blank with shock; her world had shattered like a ball of ice. Better they should let her die. Never to dance? What was she to do? Rain help her, what was she to do?
Something dark and deadly burst in through the night. Zhukora stood over her, shivering with rage.
“Father may have done with you, but I haven’t! You’ve shamed us before the High Priestess and dragged our family’s name into the dirt! Your one chance to be some use to us and now look what you’ve done. Are you satisfied? Well?”
Shadarii utterly ignored her, her eyes lost inside a nightmare. The girl rocked back and forth, back and forth… Zhukora shrieked in anger.
“Listen to me! Did you hear just what I said?”
Zhukora lashed out with her fist and Shadarii’s head snapped back, blood spraying from her mouth. She made no move to defend herself, no cry or squeal of pain; Shadarii simply lay where she fell. With a cry of hate Zhukora flew up into the family lodge and firmly slammed the door.
Shadarii let the healer quietly
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