Child of Zohleso

Arasne never knew of her origins - to her, she was birthed from the love and comfort of Zohleso.

Zohleso was her keeper - her compass. Zohleso was her name-giver.

She always wondered why she was so meek and fragile. They had been alone in the world for as long as Arasne could remember, and Zohleso had been there at every moment. To Arasne, Zohleso was her whole world.

The pair stepped into a clearing by the riverside. Arasne was in desperate need of a bath, and Zohelso gently nudged her toward the rippling stream. Zohleso rumbled calmly, letting Arasne know a hunt was necessary but would remain nearby. Zohleso always kept her safe, whether it be from other forest dwellers or from herself. Arasne felt the forest groan and quake as Zohleso took to the skies in search of their daily meal - it seemed that prey had become sparse, forcing Zohleso to leave Arasne for longer periods of time.

Arasne cautiously meandered on the river's shore. She hated coming face to face with her complexion. It was just another reminder that she was nothing like Zohleso - pale, gaunt, weird wiry hair sprouting her head. Her eyes were round and innocent, a stark contrast to Zohleso's sharp, angled features. Zohleso was stone, whereas Arasne was a delicate gem Zohleso treasured. Arasne smacked at the surface, scattering a school of thousands of glittery fish. If only they had been big enough to catch, it was a rare treat when Arasne was able to bring home some sort of food. Zohleso had tried to teach her how to fish, but she lacked the claws and lithe movements of her caregiver.

As she submerged herself into the river, she could feel that uncomfortable pit begin to brew in her stomach. It was like the times Zohleso had forgotten she needed little snacks but without the rumbling. It was a cold, dark pit that knotted up in her stomach whenever she was alone. Despite the warm stones beneath her feet, it suddenly felt as if winter had its icy grasp around her.

A snapping of branches behind her caused her to whirl around. Another cold rush seized her veins as she paddled towards the shore. She could see no movements other than the gentle breeze that danced around in the forest.

Another crack came from the other side of the clearing, sounding as if there were things all around her. Arasne's breath hitched in her throat as she let out a shrill scream into the air. The high-pitched call seemed to pierce the sky, sending birds scattering.

Within moments a distant rumble exploded across the land, Zohleso had heard and would return shortly. Relief flooded her veins, the icy cold becoming somewhat suppressed by Zohleso's acknowledgment.

"Hey!"

Arasne's eyes darted around as she took a fearful step backward. The voice was odd, and weird, the language foreign and unheard of. Arasne clicked low, gruff warning grunts. Zohleso had taught her the sound to scare away potential predators.

"We're going to toss you clothes. Put them on. By order of King Mournthas you are subject to arrest by the palace for conspiracy with the Atavistic Order."

Arasne flinched as a brown object thudded at her feet. As she glanced around, other creatures that looked like herself began to emerge from the treeline. She called out again, this time more desperate and high-pitched. Zohleso answered, her call closer this time but still a few miles out.

"Damnit!" One of the creatures cried and another called out to him from the opposing treeline. "We need to get her before she brings the damn dragons down on us!" A couple of them pulled out glittering green weapons - they were made from the stones that Zohleso had shown her. The only stones that could hurt her. Whenever Zohleso had gotten hurt, the wound would heal with ease. These rocks, however, made Zohleso bleed. Arasne's eyes widened, and she bolted for the river.

"By order of Mournthas, bring her back alive! She shall pay for the heresy of the Atavistic Order!"

The men stationed around her began closing in, running right over the leather armor they had tossed her way. They began shooting at her with arrows - Arasne cried out as she tried dodging their attacks. Eventually, one arrow found itself lodged into her calf. Tears formed in her eyes as she fell to her knees, her hands and shins scraping across the rocky surface of the river's edge.

She desperately tried calling out to Zohleso again, but the words were caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe, and everything felt dry and raspy. Another roar rumbled across the land, Zohleso was close now. She opened her mouth, tears staining her face she tried to scream, to cry, to get away from the creatures like herself - she wanted to let Zohleso know where she was. Before she could yell, she was roughly grabbed by her hair and flipped. She tried freeing herself, but these creatures were too strong.

Zohleso called out again, this time the anguish and anger palpable through the call as it rumbled the ground they walked upon. Arasne had never heard Zohleso this angry.

"It's looking for her," one whispered.

Fear seemed to cross the creature's eyes. In an instant, the hilt of a sword met Arasne's face, sending her world into complete darkness. She could only feel the rough rocks dig into her skin as she was drug across the shore. Eventually, she went numb to the pain and succumbed to the void.

[Authors Note: I really enjoyed writing this, so I may add more to it. This was just a small snippet of the beginning of a whole story I imagined from this project.]