Momoless

It was night as Selem slowly approached the camp of his clan, his half Silias by his side. Stars were sparkling high above them, whole galaxies visible in all their colorful glory, only a few clouds gliding thru the sky, dark against the universe as backdrop. Looking up, it reminded Selem so much of the night he first returned home after bonding with Silias, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t need to explain to the Kailing what he was thinking about, their bond grew strong over the years, understanding each other’s thoughts without voicing them, though it was nice to talk out loud. “Remember when I first brought you home?” Selem asked, as Silias made a thoughtful humming sound. The Kailing sure did recall that first meeting of the tribe. Of course, it hadn’t been the first time Silias had seen the tribe. He had watched the group of Sagabehra from afar for some time, ever since they put up their winter quarters in the territory of his pack. His father and

The journey back home had been an awkward one, walking in silence. Sunlight was glittering on the pearl white snow in rainbow colors, the weather pleasantly warm for Moyuko, the northern island usually somewhere between cold and freezing cold. The air was rich with smells, indicating that summer would begin soon, plants breaking through the snow. Selem, a young black furred Sagabehra, trudged through still thick snow, sinking deep into it with every step, slowing him down. Or was it his reluctance to return to his tribe that slowed him down? He grimaced slightly at the thought, as he looked ahead, where a white and blue Kailing was jumping through the snow, apparently playing, from the burst of joy he felt through their link. Their link. That was another thing on Selem’s mind. He had set out to find his half, an unique bond between Sagabehra and Kai, but he hadn’t expected to bond to one of these large predators. Truth was, he wasn’t happy about it, instead dread had started to form

Sunlight bounced off of white snow, making it sparkle, only some clouds here and there passing by. It was warm in Moyuko, the peak of summer close, and the sun refusing to set already. Here and there snow had melted enough to reveal the earth underneath, flowers eager to grow, and shrubs in full bloom. This time of the year was always the most colorful, where the northern island seemed almost normal, and not like the frozen place it was the rest of the year. Shiroi Akuma was sitting perched on a podium, still as a statue, just like his sister Yume no Shika was on another one. Grown now, they were made into attendances to the Emperor, and one of their duties was to sit flanked to him, waiting for orders, just as much as predicting the Emperor’s needs. The day had been busy, the Emperor accepting visitors, who had concerns and matters to discuss. Kuma watched his sister elegantly slink down her spot to accept a roll of parchment from a visitor, bringing it to the Emperor for them to

A storm was blowing over Moyuko, howling through the darkness, snow and hail flying almost vertically, pelting against the walls of the temple of the Emperor. Shiroi Akuma and his sister Yume no Shika were rolled up together in their room, cuddled up in a pile of blankets and pillows, listening to the storm. The wooden beams holding the temple together were growing under the pressure, worrying the two young Kashi’Kaira a little, too young to have witnessed a storm like that before. The door slid open, startling the two, but it was only their father checking on them. When he saw how nervous his children were, he chuckled a little. “Don’t you worry, this old building had withstood a lot worse. The Emperor uses their magic to keep it safe.” He explained to them, “Go to sleep now, tomorrow will be a lot of work.” “Yes adda.” the two younglings said in union, their father wishing them a good night and leaving again. “I don’t know if I can sleep through all that…” Kuma said, once they

The moon hung low in the night sky, indicating the night was almost over already. Thankfully the remaining light still fell into the crevasse Silias and his mother were trapped in, making the icy walls almost glow. His mother’s fur was almost fully dry by now, and she had stopped shivering. Her eyes were closed, lightly napping while Silias kept her safe and warm, trying to restore some of her energy. He watched her with soft eyes, for the first time feeling like he wasn’t a hatchling anymore, and more like an adult, responsible to protect the ones he loved. Silias touched his mother’s cheek softly with his nose, her eyes blinking open, and a small smile on her features. “I think I’m rested now.” She said quietly, getting up on her feet, Silias letting her. She still tried to avoid putting too much weight down on her hurt foot, but she was able to stand on it. Silias got up, looking determined. “I had some time to think mama, and I think I can boost you up if you just let me.” he

Silias gasped as he saw his mother, several meters below him, trapped in a large crack in the glacier. She looked up, her eyes widening just a little when she recognized her hatchling. She tried to get up from her spot on a small ice shelf, and Silias could see one of her back paws was hurt, the female Kailing pulling it up in pain, not wanting to put any weight on it. He couldn’t see any blood, but the downpour could have washed it away. “Silias, what are you doing here? Where is your father??” she called, trying to look past the hatchling in hopes of spotting her mate, but of course, Silias had come alone, sneaking sway from his father and the save den to find her. “I’ll get you out of there Mama.” he promised, but wasn’t sure how yet. Maybe he should run back and find his father? But looking back down, he could see his mother was drenched thru and shivering, the fear of her freezing to death before he could even reach the den overcoming the young Kailing. He paced up and down the

Silias skipped happily after a stone sliding across the ice that Selem had flicked, entertaining his Kai half for a little. They had been on the search for the lost Kaishi’Kaira egg for way too long already, the Kailings' motivation and concentration drifting away, but Selem was still determined to find at least some answer, even if it’s a negative one. The Sagabehra decided to look through a large patch of reeds growing along the edges of the frozen lake, walking towards it while Silias was playing around him. The reeds had evolved thousands of years ago to withstand freezing cold and thick ice, the stems flexible but hard, growing through the thick ice sheet to reach wet soil below. Sagabehra liked to use them to weave baskets and light weight sleds for their Kai to pull, as well as make flexible arrow shafts or simple spears. Moyuko didn’t have much to offer, so the inhabitants learned to do with what they could find. Walking through the growth was a little harder because of that.

Trotting through deep snow, glittering in the silver moon light of clear winter night, Silias made his way across the snowy plains of Moyuko, aiming loosely towards the Kashi’Kaira settlement along the west shore of the frozen lake. His half Selem was sitting on top of his back, straining his eyes in search of the lost Kashi’Kaira egg, but it felt impossible to find. The Sagabehra has seen pieces of an egg shell before, the outside a light blue color that sparkled in the light, looking almost identical to snow. He guessed it once evolved for camouflage, but now it felt like more of an obstacle, if even the parents can’t find the egg anymore. “Even if we find it, will it even be still alive?” he asked his half, sadness bubbling up in his chest. Silias let out a small rumble, trying to console him. “Maybe, maybe not. Their thick shell is made to protect for at least a little while in the cold, but if it was laying buried in snow this whole time, there is a chance of it just being frozen