The Wraith's Lament - Spook: Chapter 1

Thorn tightened the scrap of cloth around his nose and mouth. It was a half-hearted effort, no matter how tight he made it he still found himself half chocked by the sulfurous air and the ever-present ash. The irritating grit found its way in everything. It dulled his normally inky black hair to grey, stung his eyes and crunching annoyingly between his teeth. Trying to ignore his discomfort the young man unhooked the safety line from his saddle and shuffled backwards until he could pluck the spyglass from his saddlebag. The white and brown stryx under him gave a soft call and glanced back over his sholder. Seeing nothing amiss the patchwork tyto's attention quickly turned back to navigating the unpredictable thermals. His tail and wings flicking and twisting taking most of the strain in an effort not to unseat his rider. It was difficult, to say the least. One moment scorching hot air would be pushing them rapidly higher than the next it was like there was no air at all to be caught under his wings. It was unnerving, even for an experienced dragon like himself. Feeling his rider move again Valiant glanced back and saw Thorn hook up his safety line again. Normally they wouldn't have bothered with it, but on this flight, it was better to be safe than sorry. Secured to the saddle once more Thorn patted Valiants neck with his free hand. His voice came muffled by layers of fabric. 

"Steady boy...if we don't find him soon we'll turn back." Valiant gave a soft hoot back and turned his attention once more to navigating the crazy thermals. On his back, Thron brought the spyglass up to his eye and scanned the blackened landscape blow. The edge of the world it was called and for good reson. Everyone knew no creature could survive long in that harsh jagged landscape. If the lava flows and choking ash did get you there was the silent clouds of deadly gas, or the regular rockfalls and toxic pools of yellow water. Even the glassy black rock underfoot would cut up the feet of any man without a sturdy sole to their boots. It was impossible to traverse by foot, large black chasms crisscrossed the land, like giant scars. Some were only the with of a man's arm but others were big enough to swallow a whole herd of raptors with no trace. If the strange teal runner was out there, it was probably already dead. 

Switching the spyglass to his other hand Thron searched the valley to the north. Cracks in the valley floor smoked ominously, cloaking part of the valley in mist, the heat from the floor made the images threw the spyglass dance and distort. Below him, Valiant gave a long draw out call. Somewhere in the distance there was a rumble then hiss of a geyser but no stryx called back. Sighing Thorn lowered the spyglass and was about to shift his weight and direct Valiant to turn for camp when something moved between two columns of steam. Gasping he brought the spyglass back up to his eye and studied the tower of steam. Something was moving behind it but it was hard to make out what. Leaning forward in the saddle Thron directed valiant downwards. The brown and white typo obeyed reluctantly. He had no wish to be buffered around by the heat rising from the valley below but he trusted his human. Angling the leading edge of his wings down he made slow wide circles lower and lower. It was only when they were less than 20 feet above the ground that Vilant saw the movement behind the collum of mist. Something blueish-green shifted. Squinted at the area valiant saw the steam thinned slightly and made out two piercing red eyes glaring at them. 

It wasn't like Valiant had never seen red eyes before. The blacksmith tyto had red eyes and he had seen albino dragons with every shade of red and pink eye possible. But these eyes were different. It wasn't just the blood-red colour, it was the intensity behind the gaze. They burnt hotter than anything in the deadlands around them and held more malice than any creature had any right to hold inside them. 

Heart leaping into his throat Valiant flaring his wings suddenly. On his back, Thorn gave a startled cry and was almost unseated, the spyglass fell from his hand to smash on the hard ground below. The creature behind the steam moved then, leaping through the scorching white vale with an ear-splitting screech. The strange runner looked bigger than it had before, the red on its chest more extensive. Red too dripped from its open mouth as it charged. 

Thorn's cry of  "UP! UP!" was drowned out by the runners scream but Valiant didn't need to hear his riders words to work his wings hard. The red-tinged runner jumped snapping at Valiants tail but all he got was a few feathers and air. 

Landing heavily the runner screech again, a noise that seemed to wake the landscape around them. Steam sudenly hissed from the ground and the whole valley shook with a deep rumble briefly.

Heart hammering against his ribs Thron leaned in his saddle to try and see the runner. It was below them, shadowing them on the ground. It darting in and out of view behind rocks and pillars of steam but its piercing red eyes were fixed on them.