Recounting The Skara

They were not convinced her claim was genuine, that did not surprise her at all, but Islana knew it was real. For that reason, Islana wasn't fearful of the upcoming trial, whatever it was.

When the man in the center asked for a recount of the battle against the Skara, Islana knowing it was a long story, moved her throbbing ankle a little and tried to push the pain out of her head. It wasn't very successful, so the woman just began to speak.

"I came across two bodies in an oasis. I saw tracks which lead away from the bodies."

Islana figured a little explanation might be useful. "I had been a hunter in Ostiarium. I have hunted the woods and the plains of Arcadia. I had, by that point, become familiar with the tracks of many of the desert animals but I had never seen tracks like that."

"I felt the urge to follow the tracks. As I was following those tracks my falcon alerted me to a set of smaller tracks, headed off in a different direction. They looked like they belonged to a child. I didn't know if the child was alright so I changed course and started following the smaller tracks."

She paused only briefly before continuing.

"I found a young girl, Madaya. She said one word- Skara. We hid in a sand dune for a while, eventually I realized it was clear.

We kept going and came across a valley, which we went into. We eventually came across what was likely a small city at one point but there was nothing left but ruins. We spent the night there.

The next day we explored the ruins. Madaya started going off in one 1direction, I followed and she started digging, I helped her at first to help but soon became fixated on digging as well. We found a large stone with symbols of The Twins on it.

That took most of the day. When we got back to the area we had been camping at, I noticed the same strange tracks that had led away from the oasis.

When I followed, with my eyes, where the tracks led I noticed the Skara on a cliff. Looking down on the valley.

The Skara started moving and making a noise, I had a feeling it might try to attack. Madaya and I hid behind a partial wall. Then I tried to use my power on it."

Islana assumed the Council knew what her power was but just to be on the safe side.

"My gift is to command animals with my mind though I had never tried it on something as large as the Skara before."

The sweat on her palms, and the swallow before she spoke again, was an indication of how difficult this part of the recount was. Islana took a deep breath but kept her eyes focused at the man in the center.

"I pushed my magik and sent the message - leave. The Skara mentally attacked me. It was like my mind had been set on fire and I was in pain. I lost all focus, and fell to the ground."

Clearly speaking of the attack, caused Islana distress but she pushed on. Maybe, she didn't have to give every last detail, if the main point of having been attacked got across.

"It's difficult to explain what that was like. It's mind was made up of dozens of other minds. I could feel it's hunger.

It shoved memories into my mind of its past. How it was in Arcadia before man. How man arrived and began hunting it. Feeding on Skara's and their children. It was hunted almost to oblivion. The Skara that took to the sand pits, and caves survived. Some gave themselves to the hive, they were consumed by the strongest of their kind. Their minds all joining together in the mind of the ones who survived.

It took some of my memories, as well. I still have them but it also had them.

I was drifting in and out consciousness but eventually I regained enough strength to try to run. Madaya and I tried but I didn't get far before falling."

Thinking back on it; it seemed like the Skara had controlled her not leaving but the idea to fight had all been Islana.

"By this point, running was no longer an option. I decided I would fight it instead.

I had a bow and two arrows with me, at the time. I shot them. One went into one of the Skara's leg. I aimed the second, for a different leg and the Skara turned suddenly. It hit one of its pinchers and bounced off.

It came upon me. I tried to fight it for a while and avoid capture but the sudden energy, I had felt, crashed and I went to the ground. The Skara picked me up in one of its claws.

Madaya tried to help by throwing rocks and turning the sand to mud. My falcon tried to attack it from the air. Neither deterred it much."

She felt it important to give credit to the girl and Kaithak.

" I heard a snarl and could feel the claw being pulled away from me. The claw opened and I fell to the ground. The Sk'elep had shown up and was helping me.

The Sk'elep had saved me once before, when I was drowning in quick sand.

We fought the Skara together. I got my arrows back and shot its front two eyes. The Sk'elep attacked its legs.

The Skara hit me hard with one of its pinchers, sending me to the ground. I managed to get back up.

The Sk'elep came from the side and dropped one of Skara's legs in front of me. I slide underneath the Skara and pushed the leg up into its underside. Then got out from there.

As soon as I got to the side of the Skara, it fell dead.

I decided I wanted the stinger as a token and proof of what had occurred. The Sk'elep helped me get it out of the tail."

Islana found her mouth dry and herself a little shaky after that. The journey to get past what had happened to her would be a long one, perhaps. On top of that, her arm in the sling had grown painfully uncomfortable. Her ankle was still throbbing and her sunburn was not just hurting but itching.

There was also the thought that the Council might not believe her.

Maybe, her saving grace was that Madaya was there to bear witness to what had happened as well.