How? How did they find out? She had been so very careful trying to keep her secret from everyone in the village. Shanora knew the cost if anyone discovered the Large Indian Civet had a propensity for magic and took every possible precaution against being discovered. But someone had done just that, someone had discovered her closely guarded secret, informing the tribal leaders of her abilities. But who could have done this? She had told no one, always going far from the small hunting village she lived in to practice her spells and incantations. Now she was on the run, hiding in the dense forest attempting to distance herself from her pursuers. If she could only lead them far enough away to be able to double back to her hidden cave, she could gather the supplies and spell components she had hidden away and flee. But what then? Where would she go, where could she go? Hers were far from the only people that feared and shunned magic in any form. If only she had never known, had never discovered that magic was in her blood line.
She tensed suddenly, the rustling of the grass, twigs snapping, someone was coming and they were close, too close. Quietly she spoke the enchantment, rendering herself all but invisible to any eye that may fall upon her, just in time as the hunting party that was tracking her slip into view only a few dozen yards away. She pressed a paw to her muzzle stopping herself from gasping aloud. Her fears were confirmed, leading the hunting party was the best tracker the village had to offer, Shikoku, the big bloodhound was considered nearly legendary in his ability to track down game, or people when the need arose. Now he was tracking her, Shanora's heart sank, it would be nearly impossible to escape from Shikoku’s talented nose, she had to get to her hidden supplies, somehow.
“She has been here, only moments ago,” Shikoku said flatly. “This way quickly,” he added a the hunting party moved off along the treeline at the far edge of the clearing. Once they were out of sight, and hearing she had her chance, bolting from her hiding place she ran, ran with all the speed she could muster making for her cave and her supplies. She knew without a doubt now that her time was short, capture imminent if she didn't move quickly.
Trapped!!
Shanora had been running and dodging the hunting party for hours when the trees that marked the entrance of the cave came into view. She knew she hadn't lot them, she never would with Shikoku leading the search for her, the only hope she had was to reach this cave, gather her hidden supplies of food, clothing and magical reagents and runes and make her escape quickly. Crouching low behind the trunk of a tree, felled by her own paws to mark the location of the entrance unobtrusively, she searched the surrounding forest, listening for the faintest sound of her pursuers. Far off in the distance she could barely make out the sounds of quiet paw steps, the occasional ticking of a misplaced claw hitting stone. They were still on her trail, and closing in, her time was short at best, she had to hurry or risk being trapped inside a cave with no way out. Dashing through the vine growth she used to conceal the gaping hole in the rocky face of the cliff she was inside her sanctum, safe for a few moments at best. She quickly gathered the small bags and pouches, bottles and jars and boxes that contained the items she used to concoct potions and salves, stuffing them into a small bag that shimmered with the magic it had been infused with years ago. One of her most prized possessions was the bag of holding, one of her first successes with magic. She quickly gathered up her food stores, the clothing she had brought here just a few days ago when rumors about her 'abilities' had started to circulate, and what she could fit into the bags opening of her alchemical equipment. The rest she would have to leave behind, there just was no time to take it apart so it would fit. The last of her essential items stuffed into the enchanted parcel she turned to leave the cave for the last time, freezing in her tracks hearing voices very close to her.
“Over here, her scent disappears at this rock face,” she clearly heard the deep rough voice of Shikoku near the cave entrance, “there must be a hidden entrance, find it, we have her trapped!”
“No,” Shanora whispered softly, “no, no, no, it … it can't end like this. Not here, not now,” the witch lamented.
“HERE! I FOUND IT!” a deep throaty voice called out, “prepare your weapons, do not let her escape alive!” she heard Shikoku bellow. His declaration followed by the sounds of steel striking stone as the vines were hacked away revealing the hidden entrance to her lair.
Escape!
“Hecate, I beseech you, save your servant from the paws of these ignorant fools,” she called out to the queen of witches.
“Down here, quickly before she can react,” a voice screamed a few feet away.
The cavern was suddenly filled with an eerie shimmering light that seemed to come from everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. The light pulsed and dimmed nearly mesmerizing her, until she felt something grip her by the shoulder, jerking her backwards suddenly through a portal that had formed behind her.
“So, you dare to speak the name of the witch Queen?” a voice spoke to her as she was held fast, the portal she had been pulled through closing before her eyes.
“It was not she that ordered you be saved and brought here, though you may wish it had been. No my dear little civet witch, you are to be brought to my master,” said the demon, scantily clad in a very revealing garment, her groin and nipples barely covered by the nearly transparent material, that clung tightly to the womans body.
Her captor released her, turning towards a long stone hallway leading from the room motioning the civet witch to follow her.
“Who..who are you, what are you,” the tall, thin Indian Civet asked, standing stock still, to frightened to move, her voice hoarse and raspy.
“I am called Droch, I am, the masters portal keeper, and in charge of his...chosen ones,” the large demon woman replied, fixing the civet with a glare intended to wilt her resistance. “What you are is very near to making the master wait for your arrival. For whatever reason he had you brought directly here and not to Wyverncrest, like the rest of the slaves. All the more reason to stay within whatever good graces he has afforded you,” the large demon woman replied.
“Come he awaits you, and it is never a good idea to keep the master, nor I waiting,” Droch said, a warning glare in her eyes as she turned and strode down the long stone hallway...
Shanora, a woman that has grown up among those of her tribe secluded from much of her world finds herself trapped between the secret she must keep, and those that would destroy her for it. Her choices are few but simple, she must flee before she can be found, or face death at the paws of her brethren. She must run, because she is......
