Blow

Pilgrimage of Bones

As soon as Islana reached out with her powers to touch the mind of the beast she felt a pain unlike anything she had ever felt before in her life. Her vision swam and her legs wobbled and she struggled to stay upright. Flying high above the ruined valley, among the hear currents of the desert, her companion, Kaithak screeched as if in warning, but it was too late.

Her mind felt like it was on fire and she took a few steps back, reeling from the contact with the alien mind as if she was being trampled by a herd of bulls.

A high pitch noise started ringing, echoing loudly inside her head, like the sound of a thousand bettles chittering or the chourosing of cicadas. She closed her eyes in pain and could not stop herself from screaming. Before she hit the ground she felt blood pouring from her nose and ears, overcome with an overwhelmed sensation that she was going to spill her insides on the sand below.

The last thing see saw before darkness took her, was the giant scorpion turning its body towards their direction, and Madaya's worried face.

But darkness did not bring oblivion. The pain flared behind her closed eyes and she felt something. Something both repugnant and terrifying in equal measures.

A shape moved inside her own thoughts, fluid like ink, ancient and deadly. And oh so very hungry!

Dozens of eyes glinted from the dark recesses of her conscience, a shadow, given shape, a mind made up of thousands of other minds...

It looked at her and it hungered...