Herald's Haunting Halloween 02: Chapter 1

It was well past midnight, in the early hours before dawn that the fight between the wisp King and two raptor Stryx ended. Talon the silver silky and Pitaya the red raptor were victorious! They were able to fend off the wisp King and allow the humanoid and her hawk stryx to flee to safety!

Talon stumbled once more and fell to the ground. It had snowed quite a bit during their fight with the wisp King that he did not notice. He was gritting his teeth tight between the spasms of pain from his injuries. Lifting his head he glanced to where the human and hawk once were. They are gone! They got away! He thought elatedly. 

Relieved he dropped his head. The venom running through his system was making him tired and hard to stay awake with each pump of his heart. The venom was spreading. 

Pitaya circles the silver raptor, squeaking at him. Talon has been injured in the fight against the wisps, but the human has left already! What are they supposed to do now? Her injuries are minor- small cuts and bruises- but his are life threatening. With all the snow, finding any sort of medicinal herbs will be difficult.

The red raptor dashes around the clearing, clawing at the snow, trying to see what kind of plants lay dormant underneath.

No luck.

As she turns to head back to her companion, she hears something heading their way.

A brown raptor with mottled black and white colouring enters the clearing. Judging by their appearance, they too have recently been in a battle.

Pitaya holds her ground, fluffing her feathers out, unsure of the other stryx intentions.

The mottled raptor, Ash, lowers itself in submission not wanting to fight. Pitaya huffs and turns away from the mottled raptor, returning to Talon's side.

The mottled raptor circles the pair before slowly making their way closer. She lowers her head, inspecting Talon's wounds and shallow breathing. Pitaya chirps at her questionably. Poisoned, she chirps back, I'll go get medicine. With a nod she turns and dashes away, fading into the night.

Pitaya sits and stares at the stars, waiting for the mottled raptor to return. 

***

Talon awakes to the brightening sky above them, the sun was starting to rise chasing away the shadows and things that go bump in the night. It was dawn and the stars above him twinkled brightly in the remaining darkness of the night. The sky changed from pitch black to hues of purples and blues, softening to pinks, peach, and yellows as the sun rose higher. The rays of sun started to warm his chilled body as he lay in the cold snow beneath him. Song birds awoke and started to sing their praise to the rising sun. The night of terror was over. 

His terror however was still with him. He could not lift his head off the ground, much less his body. He panicked thinking the red raptor, Pitaya, had left him. He was wrong however as movement beside him alerted him to her presence. She was curled up beside him, snoring lightly beside him. He huffed, content with her companionship. 

He rolled his head to the side with what energy he had. He assessed her wounds as he eyed the gashes the wisp King left on her. They were not as deep as his. He huffed, thankful that he took the worst damage out of the two of them. He calmed his breathing, slowing down his heart rate and the spread of the venom with it. 

He could wake Pitaya and send her to the village to steal some medication. He doubted she would ask humans for help. That and the humans might be terrified of a random raptor entering the village. He smelled the other raptor though on the air when he moved his head. Hoping Pitaya and the submissive raptor he smelled had a plan. So he lay there waiting before he drifted off to sleep again. 

***

Pitaya stirred beside Talon and let out a yawn. She must have fallen asleep! 

Looking around there was so sign of any more of the small red creatures or the multiple headed one they fought the night before. The sun’s rays shining brightly down on them and the landscape.  

She turned to look at Talon who had shifted his head but not much else. He continued to sleep as she got up. Best to let him sleep. 

She looked around the clearing, pawing the ground in search of anything useful beneath the snow in the sunlight. As she was searching a snap of a twig alerted her to the presence of the mottled raptor. 

She had returned with a bundle of herbs and such from humans wrapped in a cloth. 

The mottled raptor bowed, showing her submission, before slowly making her way over with the medicine. Wearily she approached where Talon layed down. 

The mottled raptor was covered in a paste. A mixture of green herbs, oils and other substances which Pitaya did not recognize, that has been smoothed onto the other raptors' wounds. 

Ripping the pouch open with her claws, the mottled raptor revealed two wide feathers each attached to their own sticks,  the same paste in a small wooden bowl and some clean white cloth. 

The mottled raptor chirped at her to come forward. Pitaya looks at the mixture in disgust, but if it helps their wounds she guessed it was okay. 

Grabbing a feather the mottled raptor dipped it into the paste and applied it to her gashes. It stung at first but then had this cooling effect. 

The mottle raptor paused, looking at her to continue or not questioningly. Pitaya huffed and nodded, allowing her to continue. 

When she was done, Ash chirped at her to rest while she turned her attention to Talon. 

***

The mottled raptor dropped the feathered stick she used on Pitaya and moved to grab the other clean one. Dipping it into the mixture she then turned and dabbed it onto Talon’s wounds. When it made contact Talon’s eyes flew wide open and he let loose a terrible scream. He flailed and kicked at her with all his might; missing. 

She anticipated this though and had moved back out of the way. Dipping the stick in the mixture once more she coated it again. Ash sighed and chirped at Pitaya to hold him down. Talon on the other hand was tired, his energy spent lashing out in the first place. Pitaya chirped at him to calm down, reassuring him it was going to be okay, the mottled raptor was there to help. Talon relaxed as more of the salve was applied to his wounds. Slowly it was taking away the pain, numbing it.  

When she was finished applying the ointment, Ash dropped the feather and started to tear apart the cloth in strips. Dangling it in her mouth, she chirped for Pitaya to grab hold of the other end. Together they laid it across his flank, Ash pressing it down with her foot gently. 

When they were done, the mottled raptor stood back to assess their handy work. It will have to do! She chirped at the pair before gathering the bowl and feathers once more in the torn cloth. With that she departed to go rid of said items and clean herself off. 

Alone the red and silver raptors curled up beside one another to allow the medication to take effect. It was not until noon that the mottled raptor returned, clean and with a small deer clutched between her maw. She set it out before them and tore it apart, dividing it up between the three of them equally. 

When they finished their meal, bellies full, Talon questioned where the mottled raptor got the ointment. She explained that she tended to hang around the forested areas and knew a few more than talented beings who could heal any illness. Talon pressed no further but wondered if it was a witch of some kind by the choice of the herbs used. Regardless he was thankful. 

When the red and silver Stryx were confident they could travel thanks to their new acquaintance, and benefactor of the mystery medication,  the trio of raptors headed their separate ways. Pitaya had a handler but she was allowed to travel alone and do what she liked. Ash left, once more departing into the forest. While Talon had to return back to Soliel. 

All three agreed before they left that they would spread the word to anyone who would listen. Their intent clear, they needed to warn whoever was left after the corrupt wisp attack about the wisp King and that no one was safe alone!