I worked for a while on it and it was so much fun to write!
Spoiler
~Seeking the Moon~
A Magi called Kaloki woke up in the bed of Remy’s Inn, rubbing her back slightly and wincing as shafts of sunlight, swirling with dust, hit her. The innkeeper had meant well, but his beds were definitely not soft as he had claimed. And not that she was complaining, but his pumpkin mead had a faintly rancid taste that had made her pour it out, regretting having had wasted gold on it.
She crawled out of bed, shouldering a small buckskin bag that clanked with gold-- and a couple crystal shards. She was here to buy an egg, and there was one she wanted in particular. One she had to have. She wanted a Moonlight Spectral Wolf egg, to help her magic. She wanted a second chance to be better.
The Magi descended to the inn’s lobby and confidently strode up to Remy. “I want to purchase eggs.” She told him.
His eyes sparkled at the prospect. “Right, then. I got a few.” He heaved a crate with straw lining up. Kaloki scanned them, her heart sinking. The egg she sought was not there. He only had an Albino Direwolf, Chupacabra, and a Jaktus Dragon egg-- all good, but not what she wanted.
Remy saw Kaloki’s crestfallen aura and rasped quickly, “I know I don’t have many now. I’ll take a hundred gold off the Albino Direwolf egg for you--“
“No, thank you.” Kaloki cut in. “I’m seeking Spectral Wolf egg. Particularly, a female.”
At that, Remy chuckled throatily. “That egg’s gone. Extinct. The Stream never will yield yeh that egg, much less a female. You should get a manticore egg instead-- it’d suit you better. Anyhow, I can give you a cup of warm pumpkin mead. It’ll take the chill off of the fall.”
“Thank you for the room, Remy, and no thanks to the mead. I must be going now.” And be sober, she said in her head. She withdrew some gold from her pouch and lay it on the counter to pay. She walked out of the Inn, her scarlet cloak billowing behind her in the autumn wind. A definite chill was in the air, and the day was beautiful. Cirrus clouds wisped above and the sky was crystal blue.
A perfect day to seek the Spectral Wolf, she thought with determination.
A small, wet nose nudged her hand, and she smiled to see her Arkenian kitsune that she dubbed Bernouli frolicking near her feet. She crouched down by it, wrapping her mantle closer on her shoulders for warmth, and she brushed off a golden brown leaf from the kitsune’s fur.
“Listen, Bernouli, I need you to go to the Stream. Look for a small white egg with a tail..... You know, the Spectral Wolf.”
The kitsune rubbed against her, and then ran off in the direction of the Stream.
“And I,” Kaloki said aloud to reassure herself, “Will go to the Silva Forest.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The forst loomed darkly above her, and Kaloki began to have misgivings. Would it be here? And would she be safe? What if Direwolves attacked? But she drew out her staff, the warm wood comforting her enough to traverse on.
The woods chirped with crickets and autumn wind rolling above. Leaves crunched underfoot. Although it was full daylight, shadow lay thick upon everything. The eerie howls of Direwolves echoed as Kaloki shivered and plunged deeper into the Silva Forest.
When she reached the heart of the forest she spotted a small tree, with a white glow emanating from the wood. With her jaw hanging open, she approached the clutch of small white eggs at the base. Could it possibly be....?
She was disappointed. It was a nest of Albino direwolves, nothing more. Deeply saddened, Kaloki continued on her way, pulling a shawl over her head and a charm around her neck. Feeling hungry, she made her way to the roots of a tree, pulling strips of dried meat and a waterskin out of her cloak. She also pulled out a scroll, and as she chewed on the meat, she read the scroll by candlelight. It had been written by a long dead prophet Magi, and in curling script, she read. She could almost hear his croaking, slow rasp:
In the MagiStream land, many believe that of all those creatures-- the Nandi Bear, the Osath, the Ammit-- that one is rare, highly sought and valued. This creature can help oneself strengthen their magic. Though the Moonlight Spectral Wolf is untamed and very dangerous at time, once loyal, is the best partner in magic.
The Moonlight Spectral Wolf could once be found most anywhere. Only one egg is in existence now, and the destination is lost.
The scroll ended there, in a ripped, frayed line where it had been torn off. Kaloki wanted it for the magic helping qualities. She was quite possibly the worst Magi. But when the spirits ran free and tales coursed dark, in this time; she knew in her heart this was the only chance to find the lost egg. It wasn’t here in the Silva woods, that much was clear now. She whistled, and out of the trees came a small white horse with feathered wings. Her white Pegasus. She clambered on its back, fitting her staff under her arm.
With a clamp of her boots, they were off... to the Stream and her last hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Stream was gentle today. Waves softly lapped the shore and mostly common eggs rocked forth on the current. A few rarer eggs were there, though- Minicorn and Ibex eggs. She was tempted to take a Golden Farir egg she saw near her hands, but she turned away, letting it pass for a few other younger Magi downstream who might want it.
Suddenly, her heart jumped as a small egg with a white sheen like the moon and a small, damp tail floated just under her hands, as if placed there by magic. Automatically her hands gently lifted it up, and she stared at it in awe.
It was a Spectral Wolf egg.
A female Moonlight Spectral egg, supposedly gone forever, lay in her hands.
At first she rolled it over, making sure it wasn’t a White Leopard Ammit egg which looked similar. But no, it was the Wolf, and it was hatching!
Shards of shell fell back into the cobalt water, and a small, bluish white cub fell into Kaloki’s palm, and tumbled to the soft Stream banks. It had keen yellow eyes and mist swirling around its paws. It bared its teeth, growling, as if to try out its voice.
Kaloki smiled. She had found what she was looking for, and she would raise it to be her equal.
And maybe- just maybe- her second chance to be a Magi of legends.
A Magi called Kaloki woke up in the bed of Remy’s Inn, rubbing her back slightly and wincing as shafts of sunlight, swirling with dust, hit her. The innkeeper had meant well, but his beds were definitely not soft as he had claimed. And not that she was complaining, but his pumpkin mead had a faintly rancid taste that had made her pour it out, regretting having had wasted gold on it.
She crawled out of bed, shouldering a small buckskin bag that clanked with gold-- and a couple crystal shards. She was here to buy an egg, and there was one she wanted in particular. One she had to have. She wanted a Moonlight Spectral Wolf egg, to help her magic. She wanted a second chance to be better.
The Magi descended to the inn’s lobby and confidently strode up to Remy. “I want to purchase eggs.” She told him.
His eyes sparkled at the prospect. “Right, then. I got a few.” He heaved a crate with straw lining up. Kaloki scanned them, her heart sinking. The egg she sought was not there. He only had an Albino Direwolf, Chupacabra, and a Jaktus Dragon egg-- all good, but not what she wanted.
Remy saw Kaloki’s crestfallen aura and rasped quickly, “I know I don’t have many now. I’ll take a hundred gold off the Albino Direwolf egg for you--“
“No, thank you.” Kaloki cut in. “I’m seeking Spectral Wolf egg. Particularly, a female.”
At that, Remy chuckled throatily. “That egg’s gone. Extinct. The Stream never will yield yeh that egg, much less a female. You should get a manticore egg instead-- it’d suit you better. Anyhow, I can give you a cup of warm pumpkin mead. It’ll take the chill off of the fall.”
“Thank you for the room, Remy, and no thanks to the mead. I must be going now.” And be sober, she said in her head. She withdrew some gold from her pouch and lay it on the counter to pay. She walked out of the Inn, her scarlet cloak billowing behind her in the autumn wind. A definite chill was in the air, and the day was beautiful. Cirrus clouds wisped above and the sky was crystal blue.
A perfect day to seek the Spectral Wolf, she thought with determination.
A small, wet nose nudged her hand, and she smiled to see her Arkenian kitsune that she dubbed Bernouli frolicking near her feet. She crouched down by it, wrapping her mantle closer on her shoulders for warmth, and she brushed off a golden brown leaf from the kitsune’s fur.
“Listen, Bernouli, I need you to go to the Stream. Look for a small white egg with a tail..... You know, the Spectral Wolf.”
The kitsune rubbed against her, and then ran off in the direction of the Stream.
“And I,” Kaloki said aloud to reassure herself, “Will go to the Silva Forest.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The forst loomed darkly above her, and Kaloki began to have misgivings. Would it be here? And would she be safe? What if Direwolves attacked? But she drew out her staff, the warm wood comforting her enough to traverse on.
The woods chirped with crickets and autumn wind rolling above. Leaves crunched underfoot. Although it was full daylight, shadow lay thick upon everything. The eerie howls of Direwolves echoed as Kaloki shivered and plunged deeper into the Silva Forest.
When she reached the heart of the forest she spotted a small tree, with a white glow emanating from the wood. With her jaw hanging open, she approached the clutch of small white eggs at the base. Could it possibly be....?
She was disappointed. It was a nest of Albino direwolves, nothing more. Deeply saddened, Kaloki continued on her way, pulling a shawl over her head and a charm around her neck. Feeling hungry, she made her way to the roots of a tree, pulling strips of dried meat and a waterskin out of her cloak. She also pulled out a scroll, and as she chewed on the meat, she read the scroll by candlelight. It had been written by a long dead prophet Magi, and in curling script, she read. She could almost hear his croaking, slow rasp:
In the MagiStream land, many believe that of all those creatures-- the Nandi Bear, the Osath, the Ammit-- that one is rare, highly sought and valued. This creature can help oneself strengthen their magic. Though the Moonlight Spectral Wolf is untamed and very dangerous at time, once loyal, is the best partner in magic.
The Moonlight Spectral Wolf could once be found most anywhere. Only one egg is in existence now, and the destination is lost.
The scroll ended there, in a ripped, frayed line where it had been torn off. Kaloki wanted it for the magic helping qualities. She was quite possibly the worst Magi. But when the spirits ran free and tales coursed dark, in this time; she knew in her heart this was the only chance to find the lost egg. It wasn’t here in the Silva woods, that much was clear now. She whistled, and out of the trees came a small white horse with feathered wings. Her white Pegasus. She clambered on its back, fitting her staff under her arm.
With a clamp of her boots, they were off... to the Stream and her last hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Stream was gentle today. Waves softly lapped the shore and mostly common eggs rocked forth on the current. A few rarer eggs were there, though- Minicorn and Ibex eggs. She was tempted to take a Golden Farir egg she saw near her hands, but she turned away, letting it pass for a few other younger Magi downstream who might want it.
Suddenly, her heart jumped as a small egg with a white sheen like the moon and a small, damp tail floated just under her hands, as if placed there by magic. Automatically her hands gently lifted it up, and she stared at it in awe.
It was a Spectral Wolf egg.
A female Moonlight Spectral egg, supposedly gone forever, lay in her hands.
At first she rolled it over, making sure it wasn’t a White Leopard Ammit egg which looked similar. But no, it was the Wolf, and it was hatching!
Shards of shell fell back into the cobalt water, and a small, bluish white cub fell into Kaloki’s palm, and tumbled to the soft Stream banks. It had keen yellow eyes and mist swirling around its paws. It bared its teeth, growling, as if to try out its voice.
Kaloki smiled. She had found what she was looking for, and she would raise it to be her equal.
And maybe- just maybe- her second chance to be a Magi of legends.
