Flash Fiction Friday (32)

Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take.

I have to thank Blodeuedd at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell for introducing me to this fun meme. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with every week, but I'll give it a try from time to time.

The Image This Week:

By:  Melissa

Ellon could feel Sharra's, his only companion, anxiety building as they stalked through the caves.  Sharra has hide in the caves, but she was one to run through the freedom of the dark woods hunting her prey.

Sharra started to growl in her throat, Ellon knew she was about to open her mouth to let the demanding rage she felt escape, Ellon touched her head to reassure the calming he was trying to emanate to her.  She looked up to him, he could see well in the dark with his elfin eyes, but her eyes glowed taking the chill off the darkness around them.

They searched the caves for the human party that went in yesterday afternoon.  There was no sign of them.  He had thought he felt magic around them, but being away from people, even his kind, he had lost some of that touch.  Years, Ellon thought, years spent wondering around waiting for one to come back or to find the door.

Over the past hundred years there have been groups, not many but enough, coming to find the hidden doorway to the world of Elvenna.  They all wanted to be the great explorer to be known as the one to find the land that was fresh, rich, and un-abused by man, magic blossomed from life itself, willingly for use and replenished quickly.  They wanted to grow rich and powerful from what they have heard in stories of Elvenna.  Here with man the world lived and died each year, the magic was limited. 

Ellon and his people came here to escape the order of their king, but found they would not survive as they had hoped, starting to die off a hundred years later.  The ones who lived, but were growing weak, returned home one day when the door appeared.  Ellon was out tending with those pesky humans and missed the opportunity.  Now he lives here, waiting his rescue and guarding the doorway he can't find.

"Do you think they might have found the door?  We've wondered these caves and woods for years, to no avail, how could they have found it?"  Ellon whispered to Sharra.

Of course Sharra couldn't answer, being the Black Panther she was, but she was always there for Ellon and listened when he talked.

Sharra picked up her pace, jogging ahead of Ellon.  He heard her start the rumble in her throat again, the humans maybe?  Ellon slowed his silent walk, listening close to the air blowing in the entrance of the cave, he now approached.

Sharra, left the threatening roar rip from her throat and through her taunt lips, barring sharp teeth ready to pounce.  Ellon ran to the cave entrance, where he stopped, looking beyond with disbelieve.

There, two of his old friends knelt, facing him, with the human men and their strange magical machines they used to kill their prey.  Strange machines setting around them.

"We found two, sir.  And a large panther is now roaring down at us."  Ellon heard one man call over his shoulder to an unseen man.

"Then kill the thing!"  Was all Ellon heard as he took off running for Sharra, but the bang already was heard through the air, Sharra shrieked.

"There's another sir!"  The first man called again.

More men came into the clearing, running at him.  "I want them alive!"  an elder man hollered as he stepped into the clearing as well.  A man Ellon knew well in his old life on Elvenna... his father.

Ellon turned to run, but there was the group he followed into the caves, stopping his retreat.  The world was on the dying end this time of year, so no magic essence was available for him to pull from.  Ellon was out numbered, and trapped.

Ellon turned to look at his father.  He knew his father would drain what little bit of magic he had stored deep down in him, and then kill him.  That was what he did, why Ellon left his birth place to begin with.