(no subject)

[cog_nomen]

Bones shattered in a sickening crunch that startled Conlan out of his sleep. He was on the move before he could even fully form a thought, scrambling out of his warm bed and safe dreams onto the cold earth floor. A screech of metal scraping against bone alerted him to the fact that part of that noise had been the result of his longtime companion. A growl answered, and two beings that each would have crowded his modest one-room home appeared to be facing off just feet from his bed.

The predominant shape was large, furry, teeth shining in the dark of the room. It moved, and another crash sounded, heavy claws silent in their grappelings against the floor. Instead, they just dug up furrows of the packed and swept earth. From the far side of his bed, Conlan could only get impressions of the wrestling that was going on, but things didn't seem to be going favorably for the second figure, the familiar one.

Thenotay, his longtime companion, appeared heavily damaged. His bone and metal framework was not impenetrable, and he was operating on three of his four limbs, the fourth lost in a tangle of metal, bone, and binding magics. It was discarded somewhere, though Conlan could not see it in the thin starlight that crept through his window. The chimera was losing, and the alchemist who had created him was hardly surprised. As his eyes adjusted, he made out more of the situation.

Striking out with his one remaining foreleg, the chimera sunk his wicked claws into the furred hide of the aggressor. A roar tore free of the creature's throat before Conlan got his wits gathered enough to make heads of the situation. The attack was unwarranted, for certain. Though he was an alchemist, he had gone some decades without practicing the forbidden art, and had given no one reason to suspect what he was. Thenotay, his guardian, had remained carefully hidden.

"Masterrrrrrr..." Metal grated on bone again, the chimera's voice-box forming words in the guttural expression it could manage with it's inorganic components. A heavy muzzle clamped down on the vulnerable spine just behind the metal plate that covered Thenotay's skull.

Conlan leapt to action, snatching up whatever weapon came to hand, wielding first his bed sheets, still warm from his recent repose. The snapping linens distracted the creature long enough for Thenotay to slide from it's jaws, hitting the floor like a marionette with it's strings cut. The alchemist worried that permanent damage had been done, but there was nothing he could do about it now, not with an enraged beast in his home and nothing to defend himself with but a bed sheet.

The creature seized the sheet in it's powerful jaws, and gave a tug that sent him tumbling to his knees. Conlan was still agile enough to turn this into a roll that saved him from the claws that came crashing down a second later as the creature descended back to all fours. A shred of sheet linens hung from it's mouth as it pursued, starlight revealing it's pointed ears pricked all the way forward in a thick mane that covered not only it's head and neck, but continued over it's chest.

Thusswolv, Conlan realized, before his sleep-stunned muscles reminded him that they took great offense to his sudden motion so soon after waking. Pins and needles originated at his feet, and then his knees followed suit, sparking up pain when he held them tense and flexed. Ungracefully, he dropped to all fours himself and scrambled out his open door, seizing up his walking stick from just beside the door frame.

Bare feet and hand sliding over the slick grass, the aging alchemist managed to gain purchase on three limbs, then he rose to standing, the wolv following him out of the cottage entirely too fast. The sheets had slipped from it's jaws, probably when it opened them. It charged, breath steaming out from it's mouth as it let off a noise that was half roar half howl, originating somewhere in it's chest. Moonlight caught on it's fur, revealing it's mixed colors.

For a moment, the alchemist was completely immobile with fear, but instinct saved him. He jerked the walking stick up, it's end battering the creature's cattish head with more force than he'd have believed himself capable of. Twisting aside, the creature landed and seemed to reconsider for a minute. It gave him just time enough to readjust his hold on the stick, holding onto it with both hands. His back was to his cottage, and he thought again of the twisted mess that Thenotay had made on the floor and anger rose in him.

"Hyah!" He treated the creature as if it really were a beast, and menaced it with the stick, advancing. "Go on, get out of here!" While the creature gathered it's self for another leap, Conlan stepped in with speed that surprised himself and dealt it another stinging blow to the face. Retreating a step before the alchemist's fury, it snarled, a hateful sound. It stopped reconsidering and turned tail, the wise decision. As it retreated, moonlight showed the white icing in it's fur, variating in a thousand colors the way only animal fur can. The tip of it's tail was dark, as it disappeared into the brush.

Conlan's lungs felt steely with lost breath, and the adrenaline fled him in a dizzying rush that sent him tumbling to his knees. It had been a long time since his peaceful life had been disturbed in a way that had caused his body to release the chemical, but it seemed the world rocked as it slipped away.

He fought his way back to his feet, each breath feeling a little less like he was breathing hot mercury into his lungs. He regained some composure, and managed to walk back to the cottage rather than stumble, trip, or roll back. A welcome change from the recent clumsy motions he'd made. Thenotay looked no better when he entered his home, closing the door and pushing his one item of furniture in front of it - the bed would hold it for at least a few seconds against the Thusswolv's fury should it decide to return.

"A fine mess," He panted at his fallen companion, who did not respond. Disheartened, Conlan stirred up the coals and found the fire had completely gone out. Re-stacked kindling, and a few strikes from his flint and tinder set the fire going again. He pulled his friend's head into his lap to have a look, turning the bone and metal device over in his hands to inspect for any damage to Thenotay's inorganic brain. It appeared intact, just it's magical bindings had come loose.

That, and the chimera's leg was quite broken, several of it's ribs. Surveying the damage, the alchemist sighed.

Comments

[fallofrain.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! *waves flags*