Race to the Finish!

[Rath the Whirlwind]

?Vik?hrr Chivkis.?

Rath grunted and curled up tighter in Keane?s coat.  There was no way of telling the time, but he could tell that it was entirely too early to be up.  Whatever it was this creature wanted with him, Rath would have none of it, and that was that.  The warrior added an extra snore for emphasis.  

The timid tap ruined any hopes of that tactic working.  

?Vik?hrr chivkis.?  The whispered voice grated on Rath?s nerves like a blade scraping against a whetstone.  Cracking his good eye open to a slit, he glared up at the cave beast silhouetted against the fire.  

?What do you want?? he gritted, groping for his axe.

The irritatingly soft voice continued.  ?Quiet, Chivritchit.  Come, come.?

Rath blinked sleep away, a beam of curiosity piercing through the fog in his head.  ?What happened?? he croaked. ?Are we in danger??   Struggling to his footpaws, he tottered toward the figure, and forced back a shiver as the eye-less features of a smiling weasel swam clearly into view inches away.  

?No need worry, Vik?hrr.  But must hurry.  Follow me.?

Tiny tendrils of excitement warmed the ferret as he trotted behind the weasel, and the two beasts plunged into darkness.

Rath shivered, but this time it was the cold that was to blame, and he huddled inside the wildcat?s coat.  From a boiling wasteland to a freezing one; the desert, it seemed, knew nothing but extremes.  Digging his paws in the pockets of the coat as if searching for any bits of extra warmth, he found a bag of something.  Retrieving it, the ferret recognized it as the same type of drawstring pouch as the one he had been given.

Rath puzzled over the bag.  He couldn't really remember exactly how it had been the last time, but the bits of tattered memory were warm and he found himself wanting to feel the same way again.  

A wave of guilt struck him just as he was about to inhale, but he shrugged it off.  I'm sure you wouldn't want it to go to waste, friend. He inhaled deeply, and once again, the strong scent forced out a sneeze.  

Looking up through bleary eyes, the warrior continued.  Although the weasel carried a torch to light the way through the serpentine tunnels, Rath still found himself tripping and stumbling more than strictly necessary.  Holding back a curse and limping as hurriedly as possible, the ferret was about to wonder just how long they were going to travel this way when the tunnel opened up into a grand cavern.  

Rath gaped.  A monstrous, square-shaped rock tore from the center of the cave.  Craning his neck, the warrior peered up and up and up and there, past the dais carved into the top of the rock, in the ceiling, was a hole leading to the outside.  Starlight sparkled and winked at him, and the ferret longed to be in the open more than ever before.  He managed to tear his eyes away from the top of the rock to the bottom, where an impressive staircase about six beasts high was carved into the side, leading to the top.

?You,? the ferret nearly jumped, ?are lucky, Shripchiv.?  He turned to the weasel, and it was almost as if the mustelid noticed the inquisitive cock of his head, as she continued.  ?You first shrip to see Rikchiv.?

Rath wasn?t entirely sure what a rikchiv was, but he had already started up the curved stairway that ascended toward the top of the dais, heart pounding against his chest.  By the time he reached the top he was panting, light-headed, and practically giggling with delight.  I did it!

His breath ragged in his throat, Rath looked across the granite surface and saw his own face reflected in a murky pool that shimmered darkly underneath the night sky.  The water was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  He reached toward the surface.

?Vik?hrr!?  

Rath jerked his paw back guiltily as the weasel caught up with him.  

?Vik?hrr,? the weasel whispered.  ?See you yikva?? The ferret followed the direction of the weasel?s pointing paw toward a stone slab in the center of the dais.  

?Yeah.?  He swallowed.  ?What?s going on??

Before the weasel could answer, Rath noticed the robed figure of the wildcat, Chopufi, striding toward them, balanced lightly at the edge of the pool.  ?Vik?hrr Chivkis!  Come, let me tell you of Rikchiv.?  

Rath padded beside the Fritterik leader.  ?I have heard that you fought well against Srechrrl.?  

Before Rath could ask how Chopufi knew this, the cat's face contorted.  ?I sorry, but you are shripchiv, and will have to stay with us for longer if wish to have your own Rikchiv.  But, you are a brave warrior, and so I will let you see for yourself.?  

Something inside the ferret swelled with pride, but it was nearly blotted out by a sudden sense of? something.  He couldn?t decide on what it was; it fluttered and glimmered inside, elusive, like starlight on the surface of the pool.  Alluring and impossible and exquisite.  He shuddered.  Wanted it.  Needed it.  Never wanted to leave.

As the vermin neared the slab, Rath noticed that several creatures were already gathered around it, one of which was another ferret.  He had seen this one in battle; the Fritter had done an impressive job of driving back the invaders and Rath smiled.   Somebeast like me.  Fates, finally.  

Something about the other ferret struck Rath as a little odd.  Despite the warrior's stance, the Fritter was fixated on the stars above, and his whole body seemed to shake and shudder with a sort of nervous energy.  

Chopufi strode forward, and the other vermin fell into silence.  ?Rikchiv Katcher?? he growled, standing in front of the ferret, who smiled from ear to ear.  

?Katcher Rikchiv atkatchka.?

The warrior watched, hypnotized, as a tattered crimson cloth was laid over the slab, and the Fritter ferret stood in front of it.  The cave ferret's eyes flittered toward the sky, and Rath was reminded vaguely of a bird.

Wait.

The world dropped away.  no

Starlight winked off the blade.  Rath opened his mouth but snapped it shut, lest the darkness force itself down his throat and choke him.

Or perhaps it was the blood.  The delicious scent was drowned out by shrieking, but that was to be expected.  

The light inside intensified.  What was once a wonder now was unbearable, searing, murderous pain, lancing through his organs like a, a blade through an eye.  Splitter-splat. He attempted a giggle, but could only manage what sounded like a choked bleat.

Rath stood, stone-faced.  The other ferret's pain rooted him to the spot, leaving him unable to even look away.  When it was finally over, Chopufi approached, his robes stained red.  The gladiator nearly saw right through the cat to where the pitiable, moaning Fritter was being borne away.  His good eye flicked to the elder.  

??full Chivkis.  And perhaps one day soon, you be mere Vik?hrr no more!?  An innocent smile bared blood-flecked teeth.  

Rath suddenly felt very cold.

--

The ferret found himself fleeing back through the tunnels, heart pounding against his chest as he ran.  He wasn?t sure why, but there was a dreadful feeling that peeled back his insides like a scab.  How much time had passed?  No matter, he had to tell the others.  They needed to get out.  

More importantly, he needed to get out.  

But it was so very cold.  Like an icy blue blade that slashed him right to the bone.  The warrior felt himself weaken, and he struggled to make it past a bend.  Just as he neared the lake, he heard the sound of pawsteps behind him and felt his fur stand on end.  

Relax.  It?s just the elders returning.  They need to sleep too.

But relaxation was the last thing on the ferret?s mind, and he forced himself onward.  The cold was almost an entity all of itself now.  It grabbed Rath and squeezed the air out of him in one drawn out breath that curled and slithered up up toward the ceiling.  

The ferret cursed the wildcat?s drugs for making him so weak as the pawsteps increased in sound, thumping, thrumming, deafening.

?Vik?hrr!? The voice echoed off the walls.  ?You are most worthy.  Will you not accept the sight??

Rath chanced one glance over his shoulder.  Although the voice was familiar, it was not Chopufi behind him, but a perversion of nature.  Eyes of all shapes and sizes slithered and squirmed and swam in his fur like stars in the sky.  

Snarling, Rath whirled around.  ?No!? He roared.  ?I won?t let you hurt me, or anybeast.  Do your worst, scum!?  

The wildcat stopped.  But he did not cower, or turn tail, or even wince.

He smiled.

?Very well.?  The elder?s voice had changed. It resembled a wet sack being dragged across gravel.  The smile stayed on his face as the rest of him warped and shuddered, ever-growing, until the once-wildcat was now a bloated sack of eyes on eight blade-tipped legs.  

Rath he stared at the beast across from him, and found that he had no fear.  

The creature pounced just as the ferret rolled out of the way, landing nimbly on three paws.  Sweeping, he cleaved clean through one of the bladed appendages, and reveled at the roar of pain.  

And yet something wasn?t right.  Rath glanced down at his weapon and nearly dropped it with a howl.  Black sludge had crawled over the blade and had already started engulfing his paw.  What?

Rath tripped as icy claws clutched at his heart.  Scrabbling for purchase, he started when he saw Keane.  The wildcat stood by, a curious half-grin on his face as he watched the fight.  The ferret lurched toward him.  It burned. It burned so much.  It was as if his bones were being eaten, dissolved, crushed.

?Hurts doesn?t it?? Keane asked, lips parting in an oddly sardonic smirk.  

The warrior stared back. ?You?re dead,? he murmured, partially disappointed that was all he could think to tell him.  

?I am.?  With the speed of an expert disarming stroke, the wildcat neatly tripped Rath, who fell heavily.  

Fueled by panic, the ferret just managed to block a fatal blow from the creature?s bladed leg.  Straining, he pushed back against the monstrous appendage that hovered inches above his throat.  ?Keane!? He howled, voice cracked.  ?Do something!?

The fighter could only hear Keane?s voice.  ?More than you ever did for me.?  He felt something tug his ears back and faltered for one moment, but it was one moment too much.

A fearful howl ripped from Rath?s throat.  His axe clattered against the stone, useless, and the blades feasted on his unprotected neck.  They tore once, twice, thrice.

Through misting eyes, the ferret noticed that Chopufi was once again his normal self, chatting animatedly with the dead wildcat.

A miserable life, Rath sobbed, a wretched gurgling sound.  It hurt, oh fates, it hurt.  It?s only fitting that I should suffer a miserable death.

--

?Rath!?  

Rath?s eye snapped open and he bristled, snarling.  Venril, quite taken-aback, stepped back a few paces.

?I?m sorry!  I didn?t mean to wake you up!?  There was a pause.  ?Okay, well I did, but? oh, you know what I mean.?  He wrung his paws as the ferret slowly pieced reality back together, staring at the river.

Its only Venril.  I fell asleep here after the ceremony.  I?m not dead.  Chopufi is not a monster.  Keane...

Rath wrinkled his snout and cupped his head in his paws.  I should have been there. He bared his teeth at the image of that mouse.  I bet he wasn't even armed when you slaughtered him.  The next time we fight, you will not escape your fate.

?Um? is now a bad time?? Venril took another tentative step back.  ?Because if it is, we can always train some other time.?  

Rath shook his head.  ?No.?  Shaking the memories of the nightmare away, he reached for his axe and rose to his footpaws.  Huh, A warrior falling prey to a dream?  Pathetic.  It was just that balm.

?We?ll train,? The ferret said with an expert twirl of the axe.  ?And if you don?t learn how to defend yourself properly, you die.?  

Venril froze.

"That was a joke."  The ferret's eyes lightened for just a moment, and he offered a rare grin.  "Now, come on."