Beacon of Light

The remaining Baol hastened their attack. Their efforts struck clear space, fists and claws never coming close to meeting bone or sinew to mangle. Trejoiahi, the leader of that Baol hunting party, halted them with a shrill, vibrating cry and strode alone toward the succulent-looking foreigner. Painful jagged scars marked the glistening skin of his face and wings. His chest was wide and puffed outward, and the muscles quavered with a rush of adrenaline. He had held back too long.

"I will fell it easy enough," he said to the others, in the Baol's mumbling dialect. A leathery tongue traced the rough outline of his teeth. "But it will be sparse eating."

Era watched this, and was amused at the show of pretentious bravado.

She decided to have some fun.

Trejoiahi sprang and swung sidelong with his deadly wings, their edges fine like threaded glass. Era weaved, and it grazed past. A slit in the side of her robe opened, revealing a glimpse of her thigh. She gaped down at the tear and exposed leg. Her skin was spared of injury. The creature was more skillful than she had assumed.

No matter, she thought, looking back up at Trejoiahi with distaste. "Filthy, stinking monster…"

Trejoiahi bared filed canines at her.

Era growled back, "I’m not at all impressed."

In a flash, she flew forward and seized the creature's muscular neck, and in less time than that, crushed the larynx with acute pressure from her thumb. Then she struck the creature's cheek flush with the butt of her palm, jarring the head backward at an odd angle. It drooped down upon his chest; the spinal chord and vertebrae ground to dust. Era let his body stand for a moment devoid of expression. His eyes whitened and sunk away. She shrugged as the massive form fell. The she gazed to his followers, who eased back tentatively.

One charged with reckless abandon and she smote it down with a thrust to its temple from her index and middle fingers. She lifted her sword and impaled the creature through the spine. She dug in deeper, pressing and spinning the blade for good measure until she felt the metal digging into the soil below. She withdrew the murderous weapon and glared.

Era laughed. It was so funny to maim, so exhilarating watching the head writhe this way and that. The creature had thought itself so powerful, yet she could feel its fear, and it was delicious to her psyche. She watched at the other creatures weigh courage against good sense. To attack and die honorably, or to run and live a waking death? Era smiled. She would not kill them. Not unless they initiated, that is.

Listening to their churning hearts was more than enough.

Era tingled with pleasure as her thoughts drifted to Axion. What a wondrous day it will be...

She chuckled. They were so delightfully helpless. She yelled out them, "Well, aren’t you going to flee into the trees like frightened vermin or not?"

They did so, disappearing empty-handed and dead of pride. They would kill something later. They would return to their village with sullen heart and tell their families how valiant Trejoiahi perished at the feet of stampeding beasts. The other Baol would quickly accept this as truth, for Baol hunters never lied, you see. They would grieve for long days and nights, all while praising the hunters for their bravery. But the hunters would know.