Knowledge is a Paradox - Printable Version

Trust and fear briefly warred, all the variables of how little time it had known Anubis and its own prey-beast terror mingling and confusing it until the confusion itself won out. Anubis was a smarter being. Obvously, he would know best.

The bat took flight, which ironically carried it closer to safety: higher in the air, above the whatever-it-was below. It was as Anubis had promised, but it was true. It swept forward, and its sonar provided a slightly clearer picture. The thing below was massive compared to it, but it was not as large as the largest Valkhounds Anubis might have seen. It was smaller than Vargas, than Tectus. But it was tall, and it was slender: lithe and swift as it turned, maybe even thin, given how little there was to eat, here. Its skin was hairless, smooth and rubbery. These were the impressions the bat managed before the thing leapt.

Then it moved, and a pale shape swept upward into the small circle of firelight. There was an impression of a skull-like, eyeless face; sickly white skin, veins visible through it; and a few misshapen bristles along the top and bottom of a long, muscled neck. It struck out for the bat, guided by something other than sight, and hit. The height saved it, but nonetheless the pitch rat was struck, the powerful yet glancing blow reverberating through its body.

The fire was dropped, torch toppling to hit ancient dust- or maybe sand-caked stone below. The bat itself was thrown, a crack of some bones or other rippling agony through it but leaving it alive. It screeched, terror filling it, and caught itself halfway down: flapped, struggling higher, streaking toward a wall. It found one by sonar alone, then clung there, shivering and panting.

New impressions: holes in the wall. Large, rectangular--doors? They were spaced evenly around the Pit, the sides and rear, and were not only at floor level. Rings seemed to be old, worn-away walkways higher up. Row after row of doors cut into the stone sphere's walls. The bat made for one in a panic, a last backward glance showing the movement of six tall, pale limbs moving at the edges of the abandoned fire's light.

As the bat swooped over the thing living in there, Anubis concentrated on the sonar, sizing it up, wondering how to proceed. He had already figured it was quite large from his brief encounter with it before but this was something else. It couldn't be some lesser gembound, no way. He needed to make contact directly, but he wouldn't put himself in danger yet.

And then it came right to them, leaping from the shadows to lash at his puppet.

The vision he was granted of it was brief - too brief. A moment of hesitation before sending out his own magic from his place outside was all it took for the spell to miss its mark. But it was enough of a moment to see what he was dealing with. A horrific creature, but not surprising. What would one look like after centuries in utter pitch darkness?

He noted the holes along the wall - good to know. Without much more of a care for what happened with the bat, he took off into the prison. He needed a better vantage point, a more direct line. And if he needed to, he would slip away. It had to be too massive to follow him through those...right?

He made his way to where he remembered the Pit to be, stepping from the hallway into the massive chamber. The light still burned in the center, the torch a beacon in the darkness. And at the edge of the light, movement.

Perfect.

He cast his magic again, trying to connect, but nerves were the interference this time. He was close to danger now. What if it was more active now then before and would be more aware of those disturbing the utter loneliness of this cave? What if it knew he was there and came to attack him from its place deeper in? How fast was it, compared to him? How far would it chase? He grit his teeth as the doubts and fears created feedback through his spell, multiplying it until his head was aching from the strain. Shit.

Whether the creature was a cunning, clever hunter capable of outsmarting its prey remained to be seen.

For now, it certainly didn't seem to be. It remained within the Pit, snuffling here and there as if struggling to understand where the "thing" it had briefly sensed (be it bat, light or jackal) had gone. The sounds, to the familiar (who was likely suffering the same feedback Anubis was feeling) were horrifically menacing: a loud, choking sniffing in the dark, with the soft scuff of claws in sandy soil.

But there was no pursuit--at least, for now.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to see the creature where it was deep within the Pit, trying to connect with his magic again, but there just wasn't enough visual of it, there was too much space between them. It just. Wasn't. Working.

He sighed and then began to back out of the tunnel, slowly, quietly, and mentally calling for the bat to regroup with him. He needed to plan again. He left the torch behind, for now - why not give it a bit of light to play with in the interim?

He retreated back to his own "cell" within the prison, to continue ruminating over the book and thinking up of more plans while he waited for his currently bonded familiar to settle down enough to return to him.

*exit