Rising Anew-Chapter 9, part 2-
#29 of Rising Anew
Rising Anew -Chapter 9, part 2-
Narina stirred slowly, kneading her claws softly in the fur on the leg her head rested on.
It felt courser, not quite as soft as Narcenac's fur. With a start, she sat up straight, and
scurried back into the softly breathing form of Narcenac. She looked back at him and then back to
the other tiger, trying to make sense of what had happened while she slept.
"Who the HELL are you!?!" she yelled, baring her sharp teeth.
Narcenac, Tarsus, and Papaw all fell about laughing as Narina looked from one to the next
and back again. Tarsus giggled wildly as she spouted, "She no 'member you oldy papaw tiger!
teehehehehehe!!!"
Narina stopped as she heard the little squirrel say "Papaw" and turned back to the old
grey tiger. As if a veil had been lifted from her eyes, she began to recognize features in the
old tigers appearance. The classic side swept hair style, his gentle grey eyes, the scar along
the left side of his nose hidden somewhat by his fur.
"P-pa...paw.... is.... is that you....?" she asked in disbelief. And then without a
word he answered her question by giving her his silly lopsided grin that only he seemed capable
of. She ran into his arms sobbing in happiness and squeezing him in a very intense hug.
"Hello my little sweetheart, i missed you too." he said with a soft purr in his words.
***************
"I'm sorry kids, we really wanted to tell you what was happening but if we had, you
probably would have wanted to follow us, or worse, would have done something drastic to keep it
from happening." Papaw said with a little sarrow in his voice.
"But how did you do that... we saw you, felt your cold body... you were as dead as any
person i have ever seen." Narcenac asked with his head in his paws. He could hear Narina shifting
uneasily as she too waited for the old tiger's answer.
A big grey paw slid over the silver headfur as Papaw sighed with a tiny bit of a grimace
interlaced. Slowly he turned around and slid up the bottom edge of his tunic showing two little
scars.
"We have to push to little bolts into the lower back and turn them inside to make the body
slow to nearly stopped, it is painful and most anesthesia doesnt work on us at my age." he said as
he let his tunic fall back in place. he tenderly rubbed at the places with his fingers as he
turned back around. "Never does feel good..." he replied quietly.
Narcenac shuddered inside as the tunic fell, time seemed slowed as he stared at the two
little circles. The look in his grandfather's eyes had told him all he wanted to know about the
operation and he was glad he didnt have to undergo that pain himself.
"That... explains alot... Could you feel us touch you?" Narina asked quietly. Her chin
slowly sank down as he shook his head softly.
"Im sorry sweetheart, i couldnt feel or hear, or smell, not even taste. It truly is a
living death." he lamented to the young tigeress. "I felt only the darkness and a terror unlike
anything else. Death that just didnt seem to ever complete itself, and i cried out inside for
someone to free me."
All of them shivered a little at the thought of such a torture. Was hiding really worth
that much pain?
Suddenly Tarsus popped up and danced around the fire. "Da silly tigly dun sleppered in da
casket when he should be like squirrely and dance wiff a basket!" she giggled and sang as she
danced about.
***************
The group stole silently through the trees, weary of their surroundings. Papaw had warned
them all of the threat of attack in the forest before they had left the clearing. He had taken
narcenac out to the river and handed him a cloth wrapped bundle for himself and one for Narina.
Opening it slowly, Narcenac had removed a long dagger shaped like a dragon's wing. he ran a claw
over the blade with a smile and swung it expirimentaly. Papaw smiled and pointed to a thick
branch on a dead tree, about a foot in diameter.
"Do you think you can cut through that?" he asked with a wink.
"I dont want to break the blade sir... That's dead wood." Narcenac replied. He only
watched as his grandfather took the blade in paw and looked it over.
Suddenly without warning the old grey tiger spun around and his arm levered out and back
in sheathing the blade. As he turned to face Narcenac, his wolfish grin appeared.
"Papaw.. you mis..." he cut himself short as the branch fell to the ground with a thunk.
The young tiger only stood there in awe. "H-how come... how come it took so long to fall?" he
asked shakily.
"We are capable of so much, you found this out already im sure." his grandfather simply
replied. He handed the dagger back to Narcenac and walked back towards the campsite.
***************
The forest grew darker the deeper that the young and old went. The trees seemed to gain a
sinister feel and look. It was terrifying how much a forest changed through the day. The snow
crunched softly under their paws as they moved quickly.
"We wont camp tonight, we need to get to the Glade of Shadows, They wont tread near it."
Papaw whispered as he pulled Tarsus along. The young girl looked simply terrified.
Narcenac could only wonder what "They" were.
***************
The red eyes flaired their blood lust as the beast followed the tracks it had found. It
knew that its prey was close. With a silent feral growl, it unsheathed its wicked jagged blade
and continued its tracking. It was determined to catch up. To kill. To feel the glory of blood
on its lips again. Necromanta blood...