Yuira licked her paws as she let the corpse of a young
equine slither to the floor – the dried, withered husk crumbling to dust as
Yuira smoothed down her ebony black fur and sprawled languidly over the throne,
that was made from bones, the armrests were skulls and the cushion made from
the pelt of a young Gazelle. With each sacrifice brought before her – and every
soul sucked dry, Yuira grew more and more powerful, feeling her inner reserves
building, feeding the darkness in her heart.

“It has been a thousand years – ” Yuira snarled suddenly,
her voice carrying to the furthermost edges of the temple. “A thousand years
– since I last walked amongst mortals!”

A low moan came from the throng.

“In that thousand years – what have you done to prepare
for my rebirth? Nothing! I expected more than…than this pitiful gathering!
I am your Goddess – and is this how you show your respect for me? You are nothing
to me – do you all hear that? You…are…nothing! I could crush you beneath
my paws – grind your bones into dust with a single thought – show your spirits
such unending torments…. Yet am I not lenient? Do I not hold my righteous
wrath back?”

“Hail Yuira’s mercy!” Came the cry, quickly rising amongst
the followers, as the fear of their dark mistress’s power swept over them.

Cowards – all. Yuira thought to herself, as she basked
and simpered in their adulation of her.

“Hear me!” Yuira snapped. “I am reborn – and I am unhappy
with the meagre offerings you give unto me! Yet I am merciful, and will let
you live – so as you can appease me. The Ta’far warriors of old were feared
creatures – the wrath they brought down in my name had entire continents trembling!
Now – the Ta’far are no more – long since turned to dust and forgotten – except
for you – you are the Ta’far – and I am less than…impressed. You have grown
weak – soft even. Where is the wrath of the blood that used to burn in the veins
of the Ta’far? Once you would serve me out of a passion for the blood-wrath
– yet now, you are merely fat, bloated, chicken-livered cowards! Do you hear
me? Cowards all!”

Moans of misery came from the mass of creatures, which
wilted at her lashing tongue. One – a young newly antlered stag, crept forwards,
bowing his antlered head to the ground at her foot-paws, splaying himself prostate
before her.

“Speak of how we may serve you mistress.” He rasped,
trembling.

Yuira stared down at the stag before her, then she sneered
in contempt.

“Have not the sacred book’s teaching’s been taught?”
Yuira growled. “Have the Ta’far sunk so low…as to allow a…herbivore…amongst
us?”

Yuira kicked the cervine onto his back, then pressed
her footpad down on his throat, feeling him starting to strangle. His paws beat
at her foot paws, as his eyes bulged and he convulsed beneath her, but Yuira
only smiled cruelly, and pressed down tighter, and then there was a soft crunch
as she pressed her foot down, crushing his neck like an eggshell. He convulsed
and flopped, then lay still.

“Herbivores will *not* be welcome amongst the Tai-far!
They are cattle – fit only to be slaves at best – or used as we see fit! They
are almost as contemptuous as the humans!”

“I resent your comment – ” Came a harsh voice.

Yuira blinked slowly, then her eyes swept the frightened
faces for the voice. Without fear, a young male human rose, and then cast back
his hood as he stared back at Yuira with a look of equal ferocity.

“You? You’re but a strip of a boy – yet you speak to
me as if I were some common peasant wench? Do you truly think that you can address
me so and live? Step forwards – as I will show you what *true* power is.” Yuira
growled dangerously.

Without fear, he moved through the throng that parted
at his approach, until he stood staring into the eyes of the incredulous weasel
female before him.

“Get on your knees and lick my footpads like the dog
you are.” Yuira growled mockingly. “I may be lenient and kill you quickly.”

Defiantly, he stood his ground, facing Yuira.

“You – defy me?” Yuira gasped, then her eyes narrowed
in the rage that built within her.

“Prove to me – you are worthy of my worship – and I will
serve you without hesitation. You have yet to prove anything to me – other than
your cruelty – which I admire, and your fickle grasp of the dark arts. Until
you best me, I will not bow in homage to the likes of you!” He replied, voice
calm, but the tinge of something elusive hiding amongst his words.

Yuira was beside herself with her rage.

“You all bear witness to this fool!” Yuira addressed
the masses. “He seeks a sign of my powers as a Goddess! Then let the formal
rites be acknowledged – he has called me out – and I can but not refuse….”

Stripping himself down to nakedness, the man crouched
in an odd position, his well muscled body tense, yet immaculately controlled.
Even Yuira felt a tremble ripple through her, as long forgotten emotions stirred
within her breast, and the hot flush of lust swept over her – but she fought
it down and gathered her anger like a veritable cloak, enfolding herself within
it.

“Aye – the rites are acknowledged – ” Replied the man
formally. “Do your worst – bitch.”

*

Coral’mi tended too the wounded Abbilion, as a sleepy
Celestine sat slumped in a chair, sipping her warm tea.

“You’ve got to be mistaken Savrin – ” Celestine replied,
as she blew on her tea and sipped it again. “The Ta’far? They were slaughtered
to the last of their vile, stinking kind, over a thousand years ago – ”

“I wish I was mistaken Ms. Celestine – I wish I was.
It was I myself – that ran Yuira through – I felt the lifeblood running over
my paws…I saw her die – ”

“Hey – we helped too!” Diane sulked.

Nodding weakly, Savrin shuddered and paced the room,
trying to stop the painful memories that flooded him. “I felt die – I SEEN her
die…. Yet now – I felt her presence – here…now….”

Celestine raised an eyebrow and looked over at Coral’mi,
who closed her eyes and nodded slowly.

“He speaks the truth Celestine – ” Coral’mi shivered.
“I felt…sickening evil…and such…overwhelming power. It was still only
faint and weak – but it…it very nearly overwhelmed me….”

“Then if it *is* Yuira – how? How could she be brought
back from death? The Ta’far were killed, their leader put to death, their temples
burned to the ground…” Celestine spoke softly. “They should only serve now
as legends – as the bogeyman we use to frighten insolent children into behaving….”

Savrin shuddered and Diane hugged him comfortingly.

“I think it best – we all try to get some sleep, and
talk it over come daylight – I am quite sure, that Yuira is dead, the Tai-far
nothing but a distant legend – and that the power you felt Coral’mi – is something
totally unrelated.” Celestine muttered. “There be little we can do tonight –
go back to bed.”

“Blessings to you mother – ” Cried out Savrin and Diane,
as Celestine made her way from the chamber.

“Mother Coral’mi – will my brother – ” Diane whispered.

“He was badly injured – but I have healed the wounds.
He is sleeping comfortably…”

“I…Diane – I’m…” Savrin wept.

Diane began crying as well, and the two student-friends
enfolded each other and sobbed together, hugging each other tight. Coral’mi
smiled weakly, as she weaved her paws and whispered a short incantation, then
nodded.

“Good night my students – ” Coral’mi nickered. “I am
badly in need of sleep – and I want you two to put Abbilion to bed, then get
sleep yourselves.”

“Blessings to you mother Coral’mi – ” Savrin and Diane
replied, as they nodded.

“You too – ” Coral’mi yawned, as she covered her muzzle
with a webbed paw. “Oh – and Savrin?”

Savrin paused, as he helped Diane pick up the sleeping
Abbilion.

“None of you will remember tonight – ” Coral’mi whispered,
her paws weaving as she intoned the enchantment. “It was a bad dream – and none
of you will remember anything – other than it being a bad dream….”

Blankly, the two students nodded, but even Abbilion in
his sleep, repeated the words – “It – was just…a bad…dream.”

Coral’mi looked at the students, bowed her head and walked
back out into the main hall, then closed the door and leant against it, sighing
in exhaustion. It was going to be a *very* long night….

*

Back in the dark temple, Yuira stood, and then snapped
her fingers. Servants hurried forwards, bearing ebony silk pillows, on which
rested the deadly wrist-blades of the Tai-far. Holding out her arms, Yuira stood
resolute, as the servants affixed and tightened the claws around her wrists.
When they had finished, she snarled and they scattered, as she looked down at
her bladed paws and smiled, flexing them.

“Mmmm – its been a thousand years since I used these
– ” Yuira spoke quietly, as she stretched, letting the tight muscles beneath
her ebony fur move and ripple. “I am pleased that at least *something* of the
past has been kept. Now – boy – will you accept weapons with which to challenge
me? It *is* your right.”

“I need no blade to smack down an over inflated Weasel.”
He growled back.

Yuira’s eyes widened slowly and a mocking smile touched
the corners of her lips. “Oh ho! The whelp has a bark! Now whelp – let us see
if your bite is as good as your bark shall we?”

Without warning, Yuira swept into motion, the razor-like
claws flashing and whirling, as she spun, twisted and dodged – then lashed out
intending to tear the throat out of the upstart young human who had angered
her.

Her claws hit nothing –

Gasping, Yuira blinked and then grunted, as his fist
smashed into the back of her head, sending her tumbling head over tail onto
the cold floor. Spitting out blood, Yuira smirked and nodded.

“Nice move – boy.” Yuira smiled wider, revealing powerful
teeth – capable of crushing flesh and bone with equal ease. “I admire strength.”

“You have not seen anything yet – ” He shot back.

“Oh? Indeed – I do look so forward to this – ”

Yuira swept her foot-paw out, and dropped the human onto
his back, then she squealed in triumph and leapt – her claws screeching across
the stone floor – he’d gone again. Before she could roll away, he snickered
and his foot slammed into her side, driving the air from her lungs and there
was a wet snap, as she felt two ribs break. Squealing, she rolled away, as he
stamped his foot down – right where her head had just been. With the flexibility
of her species, Yuira leapt back to her foot paws and nodded once at her opponent.

“Nice move – ” Yuira grating acknowledged.

Standing a dozen feet away, the boy paused, then held
out a hand, palm facing her, then he made a ‘come here’ gesture at her.

“Yo? She-bitch!” He spoke calmly, but the steel in his
voice chilling Yuira. “Lets go…”

Yuira, enflamed with the anger and shame of her defeat
so far, flew at him like a furred torpedo, her claws catching him off guard
and ripping across his upper arm, nearly severing the tendons of the muscles.
A sharp gasp of agony was forced from him, and just as Yuira began to gloat,
he leapt up and over her, his foot connecting solidly with her head and sending
her sprawling to the floor once again.

“Hey – not…bad.” He gasped, as he clutched the deep
wounds in his upper arm. “Not bad at all – that the best…you got?”

Anger and pain in rising amounts swept through Yuira,
and she spun about as she leapt back to her foot paws, then she shrieked and
snapped out her paws. Ebony lightning bolts erupted from her paws, and struck
the human, driving him back against the bloodied altar, as he writhed and screamed
in unimagined agony, feeling every muscle contract under the magickal lightning’s
fearsome barrage. There was the sizzling of burning flesh, and then Yuira stopped
and watched as the barely living boy crumpled to the floor, gasping in agony.

“I…yield.” He gurgled, as he convulsed and choked up
blood. “I give my life to you – my queen.”

Panting and tasting blood in her mouth, Yuira smiled
weakly and crossed the blades across her chest – and to the stunned amazement
of the collected followers, she knelt on one knee before him, then uncrossed
her paws and laid them out to the side, as she bowed in respect to his fighting
prowess, and determination.

“I am humbled by you.” Yuira acknowledged. “You stood
up to me – a Goddess – and showed me no fear. You fought well – boy, and I am
impressed. You are worthy of my honour, and my deepest respect. You are – almost
my equal, and as such, you will sit at my left paw – I give you a new name –
you will henceforth be known as Kar’eesh – the paw of Yuira.”

He had not heard it – the wounds overcoming him, and
he had slipped into unconsciousness.

“I have spoken!” Yuira snarled. “Let no creature come
before me in challenge, unless they can best Kar’eesh in mortal combat! Have
him healed and purified! He is now my…bedding partner!”

As the squeals, barks, growls and roars of the throng
rang their appreciation and fear for Yuira, she spun about and stalked in to
her private sanctum, where she slumped down amongst the silk cushions, and writhed
in agony, the broken ribs and other wounds nearly making the great Yuira cry,
such was the sharp, stabbing pains. Biting her lip, Yuira summoned her magicks
and cried out, as she felt the injuries being healed, but the physical pain
was incredible, and the mental strain of using the healing magicks tearing at
her very soul. At last, the wounds were mostly healed, and Yuira slumped back
against the cushions, and then collapsed in to a haunted, troubled sleep….

*

Coral’mi returned to her seawater pool, then shed her
robe and slipped quietly back in below the water, as she shuddered and let the
seawater flow over her, cooling her blood and making her relax. With a sigh,
that sent bubbles towards the surface, she closed her eyes and forced her entire
body to go limp, before she slipped quietly into a deep, meditative state. She
had exerted herself nearly to draining point, in healing Abbilion – as the wound
had been indeed, mortal. Savrin’s troubled mind frightened her – but nothing
scared her worse, than that overwhelming sense of hate, anger and pain, that
had so nearly enfolded her psyche completely. That scared Coral’mi more than
she could ever admit….

*

Sitting at her desk, Celestine put down her long-cold
teacup and rubbed her aching eyes. She had locked and barricaded the door with
the thick steel bar, not wishing to be disturbed. Ancient, dusty tomes lay on
her desk, as she sneezed, sending up a cloud of cloying dust, that materialised
itself in to the shape of a mischievous imp, that danced and made lewd gestures
and gyrations before her eyes. With a snort and a sharp blow of air, she destroyed
the mischievous dust-imp and set back to work, reading all the legends, rumours
and mysterious lore – of the ancient order of the Ta’far. If Savrin’s premonition
was indeed true – from what Celestine had read so far – then there was little
that could stop the dreaded rise of the Ta’far once again….