The Renegade Minds ( Formerly - The Rebel Hearts )

Chapter Three

Rossa has returned?  There was a pause before Marsh-Lynn responded to Erin.

Yes brother, she has and bearing urgent news. She arrived just before and asked me to find you and Sabella. Rossa had a feeling her familiar was with you.

Erin glanced towards me and his tail twitched in annoyance. He had removed it away from my head when Marsh-Lynn landed and it now sat stiffly behind him.

Are you sure it is her familiar?

Erin, I can't believe you, that was incredibly rude. I apologies Sabella, he is going through some things, Marsh glanced back over to her brother, check her scent if you need proof. 

The barb tailed feline sniffed the air with a huff and then nodded unhappily in realization. That tiger really had something against me.

Come on, I will take you guys back to the den.

Before I could respond, a long tail was wrapped around my midsection and I was lifted upwards. Artificial wind whirled around me as Marsh-Lynn beat her wings forcefully against the earth, pushing us both into the sky. The grasses swayed and bent, pebbles skittering across the plant life, clouds of dust rising as she gained altitude.

Below us, Erin began to leap forward. Sprinting beside Marsh-Lynn, he kept pace as we began to increase speed. His legs moved almost in a blur of soft tan and the barbed tail lashed in excitement behind him. From an aerial view I saw a row of porcupine like quills laying flat against Erin's spine from neck to the base of his tail.

All I could hear was the howling wind in my ears as I peered around me. Dark green of valley and shrub below, leading to tall capped mountains, pale blue skies dotted with sprinklings of white above. Marsh-Lynn flew toward the highest peaks around where the gorge was settled.

The ground rose in harsh slabs as we approached the mountains. Rossa's sister pumped her wings excitedly, propelling us upwards. Meanwhile, her brother dug his talons into the rock and earth, scrambling for footholds to kept pace in the wild dash. With a Billy goat's precision and practiced leap, he managed to climb almost as fast as Marsh-Lynn.   

After what seemed to be a lifetime, Marsh began her decent onto an large semi-flat ledge midway up the mountain. She deposited me first before her paws touched the soil. At the same time Erin appeared from a small trail like slope to the side.

The thudding of multiple paws and scraping of claws alerted me of the incoming hybrid brigade residing inside the cavernous opening in the rock face. The first to reach me was my little fuzzy something, Rossa. She pounced onto me lightly, wings flaring as she tipped me over. She butted me with her nose before speaking.

Where were you?

"I kind of, maybe, possibly got lost?"

Then decided it was a good idea to track me, inserted Erin.

I glowered at the quilled cat and reached to give Rossa a pat. She licked my hand before giving me space to stand. I stuck my tongue at her childishly before rising.

Are you ready to meet my family, she asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be," I sent her a nervous smile.

Behind her stood three figures. A soft looking pure tiger with light coloring like Rossa, and two hybrids calmly awaited for us to stop stalling. I assumed the tiger to the mother. She was taller then her daughter by about a foot or two and her eyes shone a crystal blue like the sea.

Beside her was a tiger bodied creature with draconic paws. Its face was elongated slightly with a scaled snout and the same eyes as the tiger. Antler like horns adorned the head and a thick row of darker fur sprouted along the whole body of the hybrid. The tail was wide like a dragons and ended in a long fluff of the darker hair. The underside and snout tip was covered in a plating of pale colored scales. Along the sides ran a length of flight membrane in the beginning stages of growth that was more of a glider than a wing pair.

A smaller creature leaned by the mother on the other side. It was more dragonish bodied with tan scales with a row of black fluff running the back length. The paws were felid and a muddy brown color. The tail was shorter and leaner but held the dragon charm as well as being covered in inky scales that tapered off into a semi barb. The ears shared the same hard texture as the body while being covered in a light fuzz. The face was middle length with a flared nose, turquoise eyes and covered in a layer of short fur. A small stub of white horn sprouted around the ears.

The siblings that I had already meet stood a little while off. The only one missing.... was the dragon.

Guide To The Soul Bound

Runts

Runts. Well, that is an interesting one to discuss. To begin, this word descripes the smallest or least physically mature of a animal group. While there are not always runts present to each offspring litter, they are easily reconised before they are ever bound to a witch. They are severly behind in growth and showing of attrubuites compared to the others. They show an illusion of being younger and weaker then they truly are. It is only an mirage though, be warned. Runts can become your most feared opponent. Most believe these creatures are just not as good as the rest of the bunch with is a mistake. The runt of any litter is just simply delayed and will eventully grow, die or adapt to its environment. In harsh situation while runts might be left for dead, many are cared for delecatly.

What they lack is made up for in other ways but before I get to that I would like to briefly go over soething. Runts, when bonded, mature quicker then normal. This has something to do with basic magic that is heighted and with the rule of growth form a pervious chapter, allows the creature to progress at unnatural rates. This is usally fairly easy to identify.

Sorry for taking a while to post, I have had a long month. That included having to put down an amazing dog which I am still upset about. Thank you for reading and waiting. Updates will most likely be random with the possibility of having multiple a week depending on how things go. Name ideas for the new characters are appreciated. If you are still reading this have an amazing day (or night)!