Firestorm Event

    Persephone could feel the lightning cracking through her body as she and mama raced along, song and nagi clutching mama’s fur while mirrina and toki galloped with them, violet and cara bounding through the grasses.

    Persephone glanced behind her to check on Andromeda and Rosette, following close on their heels as they caught the lightning, fur standing on end, little arcs of electricity jumped from strand to strand.

    So many eyes glowed in the late afternoon light, smoke still heavy in the air, Aura’s pulsed and markings lit like lanterns in a night sky.

    Persephone had never felt the kind of energy the lightning brought, sizzling and bubbling like boiling water, giving her a burst of speed as she fought to keep pace with the bigger Esk. Song jumped off mama’s tall head to glide, catching a snake of lightning seconds before it could slam into the ground and send its sparks to eat at the dry grass, landing safely on rosette’s shoulders with a satisfied trill.

    They couldn’t afford to miss a single one, not if they hoped to drown the fire.

    Toki charged ahead, her feet sending up plumes of ash as she lifted her glowing eyes to draw down the lightning to her.

    Violet bounced onto andromeda’s back, looking across the plains at all the esk fighting to save it. It was quite the sight, the kind that you couldn’t forget even if you tried.

    It would forever be seared into their souls.

    Cara skidded to a stop, scaring a lone mouse, come to check its burrow, skittering away. Ash died their feet black and she managed to stop just short of running into Vetru’s legs.

    The great esk’s horn was glowing with the brilliant light of a fresh lightning strike, a purple-blue bolt of fresh lightning catching the tip and sending shards of light out.

    Feet danced as they threw their head up to look at the esk helping them, glancing down and around at the group of them and their sudden stop. Their voice was surprisingly calm “well done, but we must continue. We’re needed.” they looked each of them in the eye “only through the effort of all of us can this tragedy be put to rest.”

    Mama spoke for them all when she said “we’ll fight until the end for it, vetru.”

    Vetru lowered their head for a moment after giving the plains another scan, as if humbled by the joint efforts surrounding them. Then they shook their head, tossing it back up into the smoky air “we must not pause. Go forth, with my confidence.” they looked back “and my thanks.”

    Vetru raced off to help a smaller group, the glow of auric horns cutting through all the ash send up by running feet.

    Violet stood up from her place on andromeda’s back and following the thundering Vetru with her eyes before turning back to the problem at hand “lets spread out a bit, in a line, so that we don’t trip over each other.”

    They did as she suggested, song gliding from rosette to Toki for a better view and a good take off point.

    Persephone shook the excess energy from her coat, the zip-zap of it tickling worse then any feather could. She felt like she could run forever, like she should be bouncing from the tree’s, flying, something.

    She had never suspected her trip from the inn to be anything like this and if it weren’t for the tragedy, she’d be reveling in it. If one could bottle the feeling, they would be very rich.

    She gave herself an extra shake, putting the thoughts aside“lets get a move on.”

    They continued their quest at a brisk trot, making sure they didn’t miss a single spark, eyes half on the sky, half on the other esk.

    Mirrina back peddled and caught a strike, a brief glow encompassing her entire body.

    Nagi jumped to rosette’s back, voice high “it seems to be letting up a little. The strikes are coming less frequently. Not as many markings are glowing.” nagi looked up at the sun. If esk could sweat, they would be drenched.

    It was a good thing they could lose their breath, nagi leaping to catch a hard to see bolt of lightning, small enough that none of the others noticed but certainly enough to cause harm to the already battered lands.

    They could see vetru in the distance, helping wherever they could, going from group to group.

    If vetru could do it, so could they.

    It was all or nothing now.