Hyakurin in the Year of Storms

10,105 Year of Storms

On a small out cropping high over the vast deep water clung a dark lithe figure. White hair swayed in the wind. The left eye was a golden yellow, the right a milky-cloudy blue. The curve of the body revealed a maiden grown. She wore feathers, fur, leather, and twine in white, brown, and black. Something had drawn her here. A feeling of desperation and instinct. There was fear behind it, but not her own. With great urgency she had risked grave danger to herself to be here.

Moments before the ground had shook violently in warning. It was then that the great vast deep water had retreated abruptly leaving ground that had never touched air open like a wound. There was a great sound, as if the land itself were roaring in protest to the devastation that was soon to happen. Then with as much speed and even more force the water surged back to shore rending everything in its path.

It hit her with a force harder then anything she had ever felt before. All air had escaped her lungs. There was a pain welling in her throat. If there had been tears they were indistinguishable from the gush of water that had so recently battered her body. The cliff rock shredded her skin. She tried to gather her breath how far had she ran? How fast? How long? She'd thought of nothing else but to get to the vast deep water and this is what awaited her!? 'Just hold on' she thought... 'You are like the rock, you will not break, you will not move!'

Behind her, past the shore, trees were uprooted. She witnessed what appeared to be ravvits swallowed by the water. It had seemed a very long time before the water retreated back to its normal depths. The dead limbs choking and separating the land from the sea like a deep scar. All manners of water creatures gasped and thrashed for life in small pools. While countless others lay lifeless packed full of silt. Coral heads scattered the stretch of sand. The land was now different then before.

Against all odds she had been able to hold her precarious position on the rock jetty over the vast deep water. Collecting herself she howled, "AYOOAH" and sent, *Little Brother!* Panic set in as she waited for what seemed forever. Until she heard a howl returned. Relief warmed over her. She had left her bond wolf Breakneck behind against all sanity. The 'how' and regret of their separation had been quickly remedied and set aside. After some time the wolf popped his yellow eyed, thick maned head over the top of the jetty. Tilting his head slightly his tongue lolled out of his mouth into a toothy grin. She scrunched her nose and smiled in return.

She began scanning the vast deep water with her one good eye. Finally far off in the distance she saw something. She had seen leaves and driftwood float on the water, but this was different. Much larger then leaves or a trees limbs. She could see a handful of them scattered and bobbing in the waves. She could see movement but it did not betray their form. She'd been away from her own kin for so long. Were they others like her? Like mother and father? She wanted to scream... To send. 'I've been waiting! I am here!' But her wolf urged caution.

Wait...