Niviene Larethian

Intruders

Insomnia was not a problem Niviene usually experienced. It was easy to fall asleep with Braghaman’s warmth beside her, easy to slumber through the night knowing she was safe in his arms. So when she woke in the wee hours of the morning, heavy with a sense of foreboding, the priestess couldn’t ignore the feeling.

She rose quietly, slipped from the room and padded on barefeet to make a circuit of the house, checking the windows and doors before moving upstairs to check the children who were nestled in their beds, sleeping soundly. She paused at the base of the stairs, taking a moment to take stock of the wards that surrounded the house; all were intact, nothing seemed amiss.

As she entered the bedroom Bragh cracked an eye open, peering at her from the nest of blankets and pillows, “S’alright Angel?” he mumbled. Niviene smiled softly and nodded even though he couldn’t see it in the dark, “Yeah, everything’s fine, I just can’t sleep. I think I’ll go in early and catch up on some paperwork. You go back to sleep and I’ll see you at the Academy later.”

“You sure?” he asked, now slightly more awake.

She moved over to his side and brushed a lock of hair from his face before bending to kiss his brow, “I’m sure. Now go back to sleep commander, that’s an order.” He grinned and took her hand, planting a kiss on her knuckles before letting go and turning over. He was asleep before she even made it to the bathroom.

It was a short trip to the Academy, even shorter with Temperance, when they landed at the stables Niviene quickly got the construct settled and walked briskly to the staff entrance, chafing her hands against the cold winter morning. Once inside she didn’t bother lighting the lamps, she knew these halls like the back of her hand.

She felt the cold at the same time she felt the glass crunch beneath her feet, and she froze instantly, her eyes searching the hallway. One of the windows that overlooked the back garden was shattered, the curtains shredded against the shards of glass still clinging to the frame.

The moon shining through the opening gave enough light that the priestess was able to see the dark splotches trailing down the hallway and Niviene followed the bloody footprints into the kitchen.

The place was was wreck, the cabinets had been torn open, some of the doors hanging by a single hinge, the content scattered everywhere. The icebox door had been wrenched from the frame, it lay crumpled in a puddle of water that seeped from the interior. The smell in the room was overwhelming and Niviene had to choke back the bile that rose in her throat.

She didn’t need to see them to know the culprit of the chaos, ferals had gotten into the school. They must have been there for hours, there were piles of excrement amongst the remnants of bones and half eaten meat. The stench was overwhelming and Niviene tried to breath through her mouth, instantly regretting it. She covered her mouth as she dashed to a trash can, bending and vomited up her morning tea. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth as she rose then froze, her eyes meeting the glowing orbs of a pair of feral worgen, disturbed from their slumber by her movements.

Their eyes scanned the room, sniffing at the air and Niviene thought that they must not have seen her. Carefully she stepped backward, moving slower than ever before. She had made it several feet when her foot came down on a piece of crockery that rolled beneath her shoe. She gasped as her ankle rolled with it letting out a scream as a feral lunged at her. She scrambled too the door, hobbled by her twisted ankle, making it through the opening just as the beast landed in the spot she had just been standing.

She tore down the hallway, scrambling for her communication stone, fumbling it from her pocket. Finally she had it, she clutched it, desperately trying to call out to Braghaman for help as she ran. They were on her heels, she felt a rush of air as one of them swiped at her, coming away with locks of honey blonde hair in its claws. She stumbled again, dropping the stone as she struggled to keep to her feet.

She screamed again as her ankle turned, snapping like a twig, and she fell to her knees. The hall grew silent, the hammering of her heart becoming a deafening tattoo. She heard their claws clacking on the stone floor as they approached her, she felt hot breath as they drew nearer. A sob escaped her when a snuffle send her hair blowing into her eyes and a growl sounded in her ear.

She turned, falling backward on her hands, one of the worgen was mere inches from her, with another sobbing breath she whispered a single word and the worgen crumpled, letting out a piercing howl as pain wracked its body, its claws tearing at its own flesh as if to find the source and rip it out.

Enraged the remaining worgen lunged forward when suddenly the window above it shattered and the massive form of the sapphire construct hurtled through, landing with a heavy thud on the beast. The feral snarled and growled, struggling beneath the weight of the construct, its claws leaving furrows as it struggled to free itself of Temperance’ grasp.

Niviene huddled on the floor, her pain forgotten as she watched the panther batting at the feral, almost gleefully playing with its prey. Temperance raised a massive paw letting the worgen scramble away before pouncing on it again, the sound of its bones breaking resounding through the hall.

The feral surged forward, its claws lashing at Niviene’s dress and the priestess screamed again. At the sound Temperance let out a deafening roar, dug her claws into the feral’s torso and drug it back. The beast struggled, yelping and flailing until the panther lunged, burying her teeth into the feral’s throat. She shook her head, the body of the worgen flopping like a ragdoll until the flesh tore and the cat was left with meat, cartilage, and blood dripping from her mouth.

Niviene whimpered softly and Temperance turned to her, dropping the pieces of the worgen before approaching slowly, making soft, trilling sounds as if to sooth the priestess. Niviene raised a hand to the construct, stroking her neck, “Thank you my friend. Thank you for saving me.” she whispered. “Make sure there aren’t anymore then please, take me home.”