Just Another Day

Innugati barked and trilled at the thing, and dove repeatedly at its head. Irritated, it started to snap at Innugati to make her stop. Shanku sprang again and sank her teeth deep into its throat close to its head. Enraged, the reptile lashed out at her with its forearms. It left deep gashes in Shanku's arms before she could grab its feet. With several jerks of her head, she caused enough damage she could release her bite and jump back.

Shanku stood panting and bleeding away from it. The creature hissed and gurgled as it fell to the ground. It struggled a few moments as it bled out and became still. Shanku quickly spit out as much of its blood from her mouth as a familiar tingling sensation started.

"What was that thing?" Katari asked fearfully as it started to decay rapidly.

"I don't know," Shanku said and returned to her natural form. "But it reminds of the Port's Plague. It even rots like they do."

Hilael sat down by his sister and began to inspect and dress her injuries with water from his waterskin and one of the strips of cloth he had insisted on bringing. Shanku hissed a few times from pain as he cleaned her gashes, but she did not resist. Innugati landed on Hilael's shoulder, trilling and whistling as she squirmed uneasily.

"I thought those things could only be summoned by a warlock?" Katari asked and sat down far away from it as all that was left behind were some charred bones and grass.

"Not necessarily," Piram said and also took a seat far from the carcass. "There are creatures like that deep within the ground."

"So what's it doing up here, then?" Shanku grumbled.

"Something could have disturbed it and run it above ground," Piram shrugged. "I've heard of it happening when the dwarves disturb a nest of them in their mining."

"Yay," Shanku said glumly. She felt a bit funny and shook her head. "I sure hope it didn't have poisoned claws or blood."