Ribbontail: Enter Emalia
Chapter 21: Gods' Business


Author's Note: Please read my artist's comments before continuing. :3
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Morning light was always eerie in this world. The period of time between midnight and the very first blink of dawn was always mysterious; this was especially so in the desert. Pale and glimmering like a skeletal foil of the sun, the moon hung in the sky like a dreary ghost.

Down in the world below was Ribbontail, laying at the oasis’ edge. Here in the earliest morning she was alone, having snuck out of the house so that she could relax outside. Enshrouded in thick fog and an ethereal morning light, this wasn’t the best to relax alone. It was almost frightening in a sense, the way the moon’s light fell in broken patches. But up above the stars twinkled down, and all was peaceful.

Ribbontail’s pawtips caressed the water lightly and she watched the ripples fan out across the pond’s edge. She had just finished flipping through the first pages of Kerberos’ book on Emalia’s legends. But now the old tome was strapped to the side of her halter, alongside the scroll. Being about the size of a small bible it fit perfectly on the strap. It was quite comfortable, really. The girl was happy that Kerberos gave it to her to keep.

“Eight...nine...” she counted quietly, “Maybe even ten days I’ve been here, and it feels like a year.”

This was indeed true. She had been here for such a short time, yet it felt like forever. It was as though her soul had been in this world her entire life, with her body being a mere shell back on Earth.

With a composed sigh Ribbontail rested her chin on her forelegs. “And perhaps that’s how it’s been...”, she thought as she closed her eyes.

Ribbontail lay for a good while like this, laying before the oasis pond in the silvery morning fog. She could be content to lay like this forever, relaxing in a fantastical world of beauty and mist. Whatever danger lay out there was gone for now-

“Danger,” Ribbontail said to herself, and her head shot up on the dot.

It was as though this were a cue for something terrible to happen. Immediately Ribbontail’s fur stood on end, tingling and bristling as though something stood beyond the veil of fog. The sensation- the curiosity and unexpectedness of it all- reminded her of her dream of Sasha, the goddess of Emalia. The situation was much the same, but now it was much more real.

Ribbontail gulped, tempted to see whatever stood out there. But she knew it could not be good.

Instead she turned and slinked back to Kerberos’ shanty house, and she pushed open the door as quietly as possible. It was still dark in here, being quiet and still as the other three lay motionless. Immediately upon entering the dark room she padded over to Kerberos- who lay in a heap by the firepit- and threw her forepaws upon his shoulders. “Kerberos, mister Kerberos,” she breathed in his ear.

The old beast shifted where he lay and rolled over slowly, his tired eyes glimmering in the darkness. He fixed her with a tired stare. “Ah...Ribbontail,” he murmured before laying his head back down, “Wot is it? You’re a barmy lassie to be getting up this early.”

A cavernous yawn from Kerberos told Ribbontail that he was about to fall back into slumber. The wolf shook the old man’s shoulders as she whined to him again. “I think something’s out there, Kerberos. It could be OmenBeast!”

Instantly she had Kerberos’ attention. “O...OmenBeast? You mean that Eclipsian you say is coming?”

Ribbontail nodded. When she saw that Kerberos was quickly awakening, she explained further. “I don’t know,” she said, “I can just feel something out there. It feels as though somebody’s watching me. It just seems weird out there... like something doesn’t belong.”

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Kerberos nodded and stumbled to his feet. He opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but a rustling behind them pulled his attention. Behind them were PuppetRibbontail and O’liday, both wide-eyed and staring. They’d been awake the whole time, and Ribbontail threw them a nervous smile.

“Heard the whole thing dude,” O’liday said with a yawn, “You mean you think OmenBeast is here... now?”

Ribbontail forced a nod. “I...I think he might be, but I don’t know.”

The room fell perfectly silent for a moment; all four of them seemed to be holding their breath. But when at last it seemed as though plaintive silence would get them nowhere, Kerberos spoke up.

“So then we’ll go out and see,” he finally stated (this time without a yawn, much to Ribbontail’s delight), “Let’s all just hope it’s Ribbontail’s nerves, eh?”
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The four friends gathered outside at the pond’s edge. Ribbontail could tell simply by looking at them that the other three were as nervous as she was; they gathered in a tight circle and peered about through the thick fog. The silence made Ribbontail nervous.

“Why does it always have to be foggy when bad things happen?” Ribbontail thought. Then she turned, focused her thoughts, and projected a question to PuppetRibbontail’s mind: “Do you think there’s something out there, Puppet?”

Without hesitation PuppetRibbontail turned and gave a response. It was a nod.

Ribbontail fidgeted uneasily where she stood, helpless before the fog. She craned her neck to the left and right, eyes wary for any movement. But beyond where they stood was nothing but puddling gloom. Quietly Ribbontail nudged O’liday with a paw. “Puppet...” she began, “PuppetRibbontail says there’s something out there.”

“The kid’s got brains.” O’liday crept in closer to Ribbontail and tucked himself between her forelegs, peering out with a look of great nervousness. “She’s probably right, dude-”

“Aye,” Kerberos interjected quietly. It was apparent that with this sudden danger, both he and O’liday were already wide awake. “And that’s why we must keep our wits about us. Be wary, children-”

He left his sentence unfinished for a short breath, as though another thought had interrupted him. Then he cleared his throat and added a decisive statement:

“Lassie, I’ve had a quick change in plans. Should this Eclipsian- whomever it is- have advantage over any of us, I want you lot to run.”

Ribbontail flinched. “Run? But Kerberos, you said that we should stay and fight with you!”

“And so you should,” came the old beast’s reply, “but who knows how mighty it could be...? Fog. It’s a common sign of a greater Eclipsian. I don’t want you young un’s getting caught in a fight you can’t win.”

Plaintively, Ribbontail bit her lip and nodded; she could tell by the look on his face that O’liday felt the same anxiety. They were both quite nervous about the situation at hand.

At this the four fell back into silence, huddled back-to back as they observed the silent blue mists. Ribbontail’s eyes swept back and forth, then back across the oasis’ edge. When at last she could see nothing, she shuddered and crouched low.

Then the demanding voice of Kerberos spoke up, calling to the wall of fog with much keenness. Ribbontail almost jumped at this. “If you’re out there, whoever ye are, quit being a loosebit and show yourself. Or get the bloody Hell out of here!”

Ribbontail turned and almost threw her paws around Kerberos’ snout. But before she could quiet the old man a form behind them moved- a massive, slow, and ominous one.

“OmenBeast,” Ribbontail whispered as she tore her eyes from Kerberos.

She turned just in time to see the powerful shape of OmenBeast come rippling through the distant fog. It moved silently and shapelessly as though it were a ghost in the mists, but the dull THOOM of heavy paws made it as real as ever.

Then suddenly it came forth and reared its ugly head, its bald face and wild yellow eyes glaring through the fog. Ribbontail and O’liday both almost yelped in shock as the beast strode into view. Even more terrifying than before, OmenBeast stood at the edge of the fogline with a lowered head and bared teeth. His bulging eyes darted from one Emalian to the next as he seemed to analyze them.

A wicked snarl curled across OmenBeast’s face. The exhaustion and rage showed clearly in the wrinkles and cuts that marked his features. “Ribbontail,” his mind-voice purred. Kerberos seemed to jump at this, not knowing that the beast could speak without moving its mouth. “You run like a coward.”

Backing away from the hulking beast, Ribbontail sucked in a breath and folded her ears down. Then, like a child, she gave a tiny whine. The goddess knew all-too-well how true this was; for the week she had been here on Emalia she’d done nothing but run from OmenBeast.

The beast took a single heavy step forward, and like clockwork the Emalians before him retreated just as far. OmenBeast stirred. His eyes still analyzing the four that stood to face him, and it was obvious that the monster was sizing up his Emalian foes. After much silence he declared with a condescending tone, “The great goddess of death, Ribbontail. Ha, ha...”

O’liday tugged at Ribbontail’s fur, his paws shaking, “G-goddess? Dude, what’s he talking about?”

Ribbontail said nothing. She was too trained on the behemoth that stood before them.

Jaws parted, OmenBeast unleashed another hollow laugh. “We Eclipsians are scared to death of her!”

“You’d better be,” Kerberos growled. As though OmenBeast had committed a most insidious crime, the old beast took two rigid strides forward and bared his teeth. “Now get your bloody mingin’ face away from us or I’ll have to boot you out myself.”

For a second OmenBeast was taken aback by the aged Emalian’s retaliation. But then an enraged snarl escaped his throat and he struck out with a single massive paw, sending Kerberos tumbling away like a ragdoll.

“Kerberos!” Snapping out of her fear-filled state, Ribbontail rushed to Kerberos’ side and threw herself down onto him. “Kerberos, are you okay?”

Kerberos stirred. It was astonishing to see him simply rise back into a half-sitting position; as though completely unharmed, Kerberos shot a snarl at the Eclipsian. But the old man said nothing more than “I’m fine, lassie”, as his attention was fixed on the Eclipsian.

“Your mortal friend is a fool,” OmenBeast purred. With a clawing gesture, OmenBeast took a step forward and bristled the fur on his shoulders. “Now out of my way, old man. This is gods’ business.”

Like children, Ribbontail and her two friends flocked behind Kerberos. The old beast gave a resilient snarl and gnashed his teeth at OmenBeast. “’Gods’ business’ my foot, you tool. I say, may the Gods rot you!”

OmenBeast flinched back, his bulbous eyes flicking as he tried to decipher this Irish slang. Then the thought-filled light was lost from his eyes and the snarl across his face lengthened.

“Kerberos, please,” Ribbontail whined as she tugged at Kerberos’ hind leg.

But before anything could be done the wave of battle seemed to rush over the two large beasts, and in unison they discharged into the air. Through the fog the two flew, and with a deathly crunch they collided. Instantly the two were a whirlwind of muscle, fur, and claws. Kerberos slashed with hooves and horns, while the larger OmenBeast swung his mighty limbs like clubs. Ribbontail could only watch in horror as the two tore at each other. Even after a good minute neither of them faltered; it was a mess of blue and white blurs.

“Ribbontail!” cried O’liday as he clung to his friend’s side, “Do something, dude!”

There was little time to think. Horrified by the two beasts fighting before her, Ribbontail called out to PuppetRibbontail in her mind. “Help him!” she ordered, too frightened to dive in herself.

On command the skeletal wolf tore towards the battle, flinging herself into the air and onto the mighty Eclipsian. She locked herself square between the massive shoulder blades and ripped and scratched with her black claws.

Enraged further by the second opponent, OmenBeast reared back and twisted until PuppetRibbontail tore lose. He whirled about almost gracefully. In a one-two style he swatted at his two assailants, battering them back as they attempted to do harm. His face was contorted with evil as he snapped and slashed at Kerberos and PuppetRibbontail.

“Die, spirit!” blared the monster’s voice. OmenBeast turned and with a great roaring dove for PuppetRibbontail, battering her to the ground with the full force of his weight. Beneath the bulk of the Eclipsian PuppetRibbontail seemed powerless, squirming and twisting with her hollow eyes alight with fear.

Helpless on the sidelines of the battle, Ribbontail and O’liday cried out in fear as the Eclipsian raised a powerful fist into the air. A single punch from that fist could kill any being- even PuppetRibbontail.

But then, instead of the brutal death blow, OmenBeast jerked to reel back unexpectedly. His bloodied mouth opened and out burst an unholy screech. At his side sidled Kerberos, with his body twisted round and all four shoulder-barbs gouged deep into the abomination’s flank.

OmenBeast howled wrathfully and coiled to swipe the old animal off him. A single clawswipe sent Kerberos tumbling into the sandy ground, but the barbs remained pinioned in the monster’s side.

As the beast reared back to claw at the stings in its side, Kerberos spun on his heels and yowled at Ribbontail. Unhindered by the loss of his poison spines, Kerberos called,  “Run! The lot of you run! I can’t hold ‘im off much longer!”

Ribbontail stood aghast. “No,” she cried, “I can’t do that. I’ve got to stay and fight!”

Signaling for PuppetRibbontail to do the same, Ribbontail dashed headlong at OmenBeast. Into the air they catapulted.

But squealing in rage, OmenBeast saw the two coming at him and flung his hulking arms out; both Ribbontail and her guardian were caught in midair and tossed aside as though they were nothing. Now that he knew they were there, neither of them could even touch the beast.

“Fiends!” the monster bellowed. As though the venomous thorn in his chest was totally forgotten, OmenBeast swung about and charged again at Kerberos. Like a bull he knocked the old man over. Another second later the two were tearing at each other again, this time in a bloodied clash of teeth.

Ribbontail watched in awe at how skilled Kerberos was at this close tooth combat. Snapping and clicking his teeth at his opponent, the aged Emalian made shreds of OmenBeast’s face.

His wrathful face lined with cuts and tears, OmenBeast reared his ugly head and came down on Kerberos. With a vile cracking sound he lunged and snapped one of the animal’s forelimbs; the foreleg crunched as easily as a twig would.

Kerberos released his bite on OmenBeast’s face to yowl helplessly. Then in a flash he curled over to scream, “Run!” before almost immediately lashing back at his opponent.

It was a grueling scene. Ribbontail and her friends could do nothing but watch as the two maimed each other. OmenBeast with his bloodied face and Kerberos with his smashed and broken limbs. But even in their beaten states the two continued to maul and rend.

“Run!”

O’liday threw himself onto Ribbontail’s shoulders and grabbed her ears, howling harshly into them, “You heard him! Go dude, run!”

Like a trapped animal Ribbontail turned but stopped, doubling back to watch the two large beasts grappling each other. The foggy, crystalline world was red as her mind swarmed with indecision.

“Ribbontail! Run, lassie!” Kerberos’ words were lost in snarls as he tore at his foe.

Ribbontail’s heart sank in her chest and her eyes welled with tears as she jerked away from the scene and turned to do just as she was told. She spun to tear from the horrific fight, fleeing with her two friends at hand. Behind them the two-beast war split the air like an amalgam of blood and hatred.

She ran. Ribbontail ran as fast as her paws could carry her, and as far as her heart would let her. Through the cold, silent fog her ghostly form sped. She did not stop for a single second as she fled the oasis, her paws falling upon the cold desert sand. In her wake the fog drifted and swirled, and her world became a dizzy whirl.

The goddess didn’t slow once, even as her body began to ache with exhaustion.  

But then, as the odd dawn light pierced the fog and began glittering down upon them, she slowed. After what seemed to have been forever, Ribbontail halted upon the crest of a large dune.

Panting and faltering in her steps, the girl turned and peered back over the desert behind them. There was nothing there in the great stretch of land. She had ran so fast, so far, that the oasis was not even in view anymore.

Still perched upon his friend’s back, O’liday leaned forward and followed her eyes. PuppetRibbontail was there too, standing faithfully alongside her master. No words were said.

Then a sound split the air in the distant horizon, barely audible to Ribbontail and her friends. It rolled over the desert expanse like an ominous storm cloud, bringing with it the memories of pain and misery. It was the triumphant roaring of a great beast, a victory cry.

As the sound faded Ribbontail turned and exchanged looks with her partners. They both shared the same thoughts as hers. Kerberos had interfered with gods’ business, and paid dearly for it.