Night of Embers

Night of Embers

The fox whimpered. He knows it will be another long night among the glowing embers.

He was there when they came three nights ago. His master had placed him carefully on a shallow basket when she heard them coming. She hid the basket under the bed and went off. The clashing of metals filled the air and the heavy charge of mana prickled his fur. Battle cries and explosions followed by screams, wails and sobs, ended with the hissing fire and the crackling embers. Fear had kept him from leaving his woven sanctuary.

Nothing but ashes remained for the surrounding fields and forests. Though the ground still felt warm on his little paws in many places, they were insufficient to satisfy his cold rumbling belly.

Food has been scarce and fought among by the rabid scavengers. He knows better than to venture close to them. They'd have killed him on the spot had they seen him. It helped that the ash clinging to his fur hid him from their eyes and noses.

He has seen their red eyes consumed with madness, and frenzied further by that shrill blowing of a horn. He has seen one of those creatures, whose antlers twisted skywards branching oddly, holding a bow. It looked human-like, except for those eyes that glowed inhumanly red as those of its rabid pets.

He heard another of those shrill calls, this one sounding uncomfortably close. He realized how distracted he was by his thoughts and his hunger. His ears cocked, searching for where the call came from.

His eyes shifted, looking for the nearest hiding spot his small frame can fit in. He darted forth, hearing the twang of a bow. The arrow missed him as he cleared the hole, landing with a dull thud by the hole's mouth.

Barks and howls were coming closer and closer. His tiny heart beat a steady and fast rhythm on his chest as adrenaline rushed through him.

The barks and chaotic thuds of paws on the ground are getting close now. Snarls and frantic digging hit the hole's entrance as he cowered, shivering at his impending demise. The smell of blood and the putrid, rotting flesh from their breath sickened him.

The shrill horn sounded again, and his ears caught the sound of arrows flying all over the place. A loud shout and the cries from the infernal beasts were followed by silence.

He heard careful footsteps heading towards where he hid until he caught a glimpse of who remained.

The hood of its green garb covered the creature's face. It shouldered its bow and knelt on one knee. The dawn struck her fierce green eyes, brightly contrasting her olive skin. She summoned him by his name with her unmistakable voice, making his heart leap.

His master has returned.

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Writer's note: Proofreading software showed me my bad writing habits, resulting to the heavily-edited piece presented here.
This piece was first shared in DSO's Facebook page:
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