@
EclipseMirror
Hey there =) Super excited to see what happens. I'm subbed so no ping worries =).
Several Hours Earlier
Omen had just lain down in his bed when his communication crystal began to rattle about his side table. His moan and long sigh were only natural; he had, after all, just come off shift. The Coatl begrudgingly twisted to his side, where he let one arm flop over to the table and grab the crystal. A moment later Commander's Blaze's blue, detached head formed in his hand. "Are you calling to tuck me in Commander?"
"Har har, Omen," the Commander's words reflected his humor at the sarcastic response, but his eyes and features did nothing of the sort. The look was stern, worried, and that made Omen take notice. "I need you up. I have a mission for you. Five. My office." Commander Blaze allowed for no argument and terminated communication.
Omen knew better then to delay his arrival at the Commander's office, so he rushed to redress, ran the empty barrack halls, and then flew across the training grounds for Blaze's temporary office in the citadel. "This is not a five minute run," Omen fussed under his breath. He reached the office mostly out of breath and knowing he was later then the Commander ordered.
"Your late," the Commander stated from his desk. His attention had been on a report in his paws and not on the huffing Omen.
"It's--
"Save it." Blaze set down the report so he could wave a hand at one of his seats. "Take a seat."
Omen waddled over and plopped in the chair directly across from Blaze, which is when he noticed the commander had been in conference with General Talon and Commander Arra. Their little blue heads bobbing ever so slightly up and down over the desk. "General. Commander," he greeted them in turn. They both offered him nods of their head; a silent return of his salutation.
As he waited for his Commander to begin his debriefing he took the time to study all three leaders. There wasn’t one that didn’t look haggard --worn to their bones in all honesty—and with the events that lead up to the clan taking shelter scattered out over their province, that was to be expected. What he didn’t expect was the renewed anxiety that echoed in their tones and screamed from their eyes. Something was going on and all he could hope for was that it didn’t have to do with their already devastated clan.
“Omen,” Blaze said, startling him out of his thoughts. “I’ve called you in because we do have a bit of a situation with a friend.” The commander slipped the report across the table into Omen’s paws. “Clan Wonderstark has been under the concerning weight of ill omen lately –no pun Omen. As of an hour ago it seems whatever dark fate lingered around their borders finally pounced them.” He leaned forward to point out the transcript of the radio conversation. “I need you to go into their territory and quietly see what might be going on.”
“Aye Commander,” Omen responded. With the report and orders in hand he stood to get right to his duty.
“Captain, don’t forget the letter,” General Talon summoned Omen back. “Blaze.”
Commander Blaze gave the General a fowl look of irritation before submitting with a sigh and a long roll of his eyes. Seconds later he was rooting through his desk drawer. “This is from Librarian Casey,” he said holding the letter out for Omen. “This is
only to go to a friendly and
only if it’s secure for you to do so. Understand?!”
“Aye Commander.” Omen stuffed the letter and his orders inside his vest. “Oh, and Omen. Casey made a very disturbing mention of the Shade. Please be very careful,” General Talon warned. Omen was indeed alarmed by that prospect. The last thing anyone wanted right now was to deal with the Shade. Nervousness quickly sunk in after the General said that; what he considered a simple recon was potentially so very much more. “Aye General.” Without any further delay –for more delay might bring more unpleasant news on him—he left for his mission.
Present
Omen carefully navigated through the dense brush of the Starwood Strand, using Isadora’s map of the area. It was certainly the hardest part of his journey thus far. “At least the portals got me close to the territory,” he grumbled as he struggled with a particularly difficult vine. Finally, the plant snapped back, allowing him entrance into the deeper part of the woods. With a triumphant whistle he breached that barrier and the moment his feet touched the other side he’d wished they had not.
The area around him suddenly felt… lacking. It wasn’t as if it didn’t look like the Starwood Strand, visibly nothing seemed out of the ordinary. For all the indication that all might be well on the outside, he could tell that wasn’t so much the case. These new woods suddenly felt empty, as if something were missing. Though, for the life of him he couldn’t understand why he was picking up that strange sensation.
Cautiously, he pushed forward and the deeper in he went the worse that sensation grew. It was unnerving to say the least, but he didn’t let it stop his mission. Indeed, it prompted his curiosity to drive him forward; to find out what was causing this.
Was it the clan? he wondered. He received his answer when he stumbled onto the edge of a clearing and there before him was what should be Clan Wonderstark. “Oh poo!”