Mistic Pets

Welcome to Issue 62
Created by The Mistic Pets Team

Character Spotlight: Perryn and Soraya
Written By gemajgall

With a dark, resounding clang, the gates of Queen Boreal's castle closed behind Perryn and Soraya. Nothing but expansive cold and snow stretched before them. The storm howled, whipping sleet at them, as Perryn took Soraya's hand so he wouldn't lose her against the whiteness.

“I'm sorry; this is all my fault.” Soraya shivered; it was too cold even for kohals this close to Frostbite Mountain. “If only I had been more careful and noticed that crystallized toadstool among the ore.” Her diamond skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.

It had only been a matter of time, really, until Queen Boreal found out.

Perryn shook his head, holding his wife close. “No, she just couldn't see your beauty.” Since he seldom spoke, the few words he did use carried heavy meaning.

“Oh, Perryn.” Soraya repressed sobbing against his chest. His body was strong from hauling the raw materials that the queen had demanded. They did everything they could to avoid her wrath, even keeping their relationship a closely guarded secret. But that hardly seemed to matter now.

He looked over his shoulder at the dark castle. It radiated frost and hostility, closed up and cut off from the rest of Mistica. On the outside now, he realized it looked a little lonely. But there was no returning.

“Let's go.” He began to lead his wife through the blizzard.

“Go? Go where?”

Perryn didn't answer. There was no answer. They trudged through the drifts as deep as their thighs while flakes the size of mumus filled the air, making it impossible to see more than a couple of yards. Not once did they let go of each other's hands.

Mile after mile stretched by as the hours turned into day and then night again. Only the scenary remained unchanged; they could be going in circles for all they knew. Cold, hunger and fatigue were their enemies. But there was no place to rest; falling asleep now would bring death to even a hearty kohal.

“Don't...don't look up,” said Soraya. Her voice was weak.

Perryn couldn't help but glance up anyway. Were those raynx circling? At that moment, Soraya's legs buckled beneath her. Perryn barely caught her before she slumped to the ground.

“Soraya? Soraya!” he called, but the only response he got was her unconscious trembling. He cradled her close in his arms, trying to keep her warm with his own body. But the last thing he could remember was the cold world of white swallowing them both up.

~*~*~*~

“Oh, thank Pandoria you're awake!” Soraya hugged Perryn the moment his eyes flickered. He had no idea where they were, but it was warm and bright and smelled nothing like the gloom of Frostbite Mountain.

“You two are tough, that's for sure,” said a lovely guarhadi. “But you wouldn't have lasted much longer if the gargoyle scouts hadn't spotted you.”

“Where...are we?”

“Metropolis Quarry. I'm the chief of the gurahdia, Raimia. And as I said, we brought you here after some of the scouts found you wandering by the border of our territory.”

“And we both thank you—so much,” said Soraya. She took Perryn's hand again. “See, it'll all be okay now.”

Perryn stood up; his knees felt wobbly from lingering fatigue. He looked around at the sandstone walls and crude hewed furniture. They were both used to stone walls; Queen Boreal's castle was made of nothing but. However, these walls seemed much more inviting.

“So what were you doing so far up the mountains?” asked Raimia.

“Looking...looking for a new place to live,” Soraya admitted. “Can...can we stay here? I know we both don't have much to offer, but we're very skilled with our hands. I can make all sorts of talismans, amulets and jewelry, and my husband can make anything from any type of metal.” That was what they made for the queen, after all.

“Anything? Even armor and spears?” Raimia sounded intrigued. “We can always use a good blacksmith.” Her beak twisted into a bright smile. “Welcome to your new home! Come on, let's talk to Chief Blackrock and get you both settled in here.”

Comments

Written By Leptonyx

Hey, you got to give those Kohal's some credit. They had the nards to walk away from that place!

Written By MisterUndead

Oh snap! I was under the impression they weren't welcome at the quarry. I don't know why I thought that.

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