The Crossings: Chapter 2

Ugh… How did I get here? Those are the first words to run through my mind as I woke from a near meteorite crash into the packed earth in a strange forest. Where am I? Who am I? The next two questions come like speeding rockets. Oh I remember now. My name is Tigereye. As for where I am, I have no idea. How did I survive? That frightening question remained unanswered as well. I checked myself over and saw that I had not left unscathed. There was a bleeding gash in my leg, but nothing more. How did this happen? The questions just wouldn't stop coming. All I remember was stumbling across a large cavernous break in between two rocks by the village I come from, a voice from within beckoning me to enter, then nothing. I wonder what this place has in store for me….

Tigereye looked around the clearing in which she had woken in, confusion and uncertainty expressed on her face. She hissed to herself as the gash in her leg throbbed. If someone looked at Tigereye from an angle, many would say she was a normal person, especially with the hooded cloak she always wore, but if someone looked closer they would notice the pointed dogs' ears and the tail she sported and would be confused as to how she came to be like this. The truth is that her village was home to a clan called the Tora-ge a tribe of anima like people know for their unusual tiger striped marking on their skin/fur coloration and their loyal and honorable history. They're also known to be stubborn and prideful. Their usual prominent features are a pair of cat or shepherd/wolf ears and corresponding tails. Only the dog members(and there usually were only few) could assume an animal form. Tigereye was proud to be a part of the clan, but right now, she hadn't the slightest idea of which land she was in. Strange scents permeated from everywhere and a cacophony of odd and alien(meaning strange not extraterrestrial) animal calls filled the air. She drew her silver rapier which she always carried with her, the golden engraved runes of the sword glinting in the sun. She unsheathed it because she noticed that some of the calls had grown closer and nearby bushes began to rustle. Before she could react a giant beast burst forth from the bushes. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie with a giant head which looked like the mix of a bear and a large dog and a long heavily muscled and thick skinned body on four giant clawed dog paws. There were broken shackles around it's paws which told Tigereye that this beast had not come to be on it's own. It roared at Tigereye, baring fangs that looked as sharp as steel knives. Tigereye froze in shock as it lunged at her, it's speed far surpassing her own. The next thing she knew she was being slammed to the floor by the Beast.