Irae of the Vaelai
Irae twisted as far as the rope allowed. Their ears flattened before they could stop them. They saw them, the guardians, spread in a loose arc just inside the trees. Not advancing. Not retreating. Staffs grounded. The raider beside them laughed, sharp and relieved. “That’s far enough,” he said as he stepped backward. Across the line. Irae felt it then not pain, but pressure. The glow beneath their skin faltered, then fractured like broken glass. They gasped. Behind them, a guardian shifted. Just one. Irae looked at them. At the familiar shape of their ears. A tail bound in mourning braid already. The glowmark at the hollow of a throat, trembling despite discipline. Please, Irae thought. Not screamed. Not begged. The guardians did not move. Then one of the elders lowered their staff. The guardians stepped back as one slow, deliberate, respectful. The rope slackened again as the raiders turned fully toward the road, already arguing about price and route. Irae didn’t hear them.
About Irae of the Vaelai
Irae twisted as far as the rope allowed. Their ears flattened before they could stop them. They saw them, the guardians, spread in a loose arc just inside the trees. Not advancing. Not retreating. Staffs grounded. The raider beside them laughed, sharp and relieved. “That’s far enough,” he said as he stepped backward. Across the line. Irae felt...Read more