The Well

^{prompt by @Brisby}

Midnight barbs hooked Sedra’s duster as she sped through the bramble underbrush atop Nox. Errant envy for her psi-meleon’s iridescent scales fluttered within her mind. Perfect. I'm going to look like a bedraggled porcupine.

Beneath her legs, Nox’s sides twitched in time to the clicks his tongue made. His right eye rolled back to meet her gray gaze, mirth shining within the amber orb.

“Har-Har, my impudent beastie.” Sedra flushed, blonde brows furrowing with disdain while kicking a thrasher vine from her boot.

“I couldn’t give a trotter’s tail if Blayne has a thing for quills. He better have a damned good reason for trespassing into our Catacombs.” It didn’t take a psionic bond to interpret Nox’s responding chortle of clicks. She snapped back with a huff, “Who taught you about that? See if I rustle up eels for you anytime soon.”

Rumbling deep within his throat, Nox tensed and sprang to the left. Claws dug into the thick ochra bark of the tree before scrambling up to the outspread branches. His tail waved, readying for a leap before easing down to lie along its length. The frustration radiating from his rider ignored to admire the back of his eyelids.

Sedra clung to her mount, her excitement to be taking the treeline route thwarted by the lizard’s love for his favorite treat. “Nox! This is NOT the time for a tantrum!” Snaking out, the psi-meleon’s tongue hung limp from its mouth, letting her know that he could do this all day.

Bristling, she channeled a fine line of energy to the tuned topaz on her wrist. A bit of rezzing would get his stubborn ass up. Threading the loop with her mind, the aquamarine gem began to spark. Before she could release the resonation to zap Nox’s toe, he slid from his perch to hang upside down from the branch. His smug clicking dared her to go ahead and try it while they were dangling a hundred feet above the forest floor.

The soft light dimmed within her topaz. Like hers, his was an empty bluff. Keeping her grip tight, her thumb rubbed Nox’s hide in capitulation. “Alright!" she growled. "Three eels before bed if you can get us to The Well and back before they notice we’re missing.”

Triumphant pride purred within the air. Nox swung around to the branch’s top, tensed and leaped the expanse to the neighboring tree. Thrilling from the feel of the wind in their faces, the two raced towards the forest's edge. Both girl and beast let the rush of the journey override their unspoken dread.

Beyond the green was a showdown with a man who had been their friend. Within moments, they'd be facing their betrayer. One who had abandoned them to fend for themselves so that he could take possession of The Well.

^Source

My ending

Sedra spotted his enemy from a distance, they were already very close to The Well so it would be best to avoid his rival.

Five quick clicks were enough for Nox to know what to do, an iridescent wave swept through their bodies as it made them invisible.

A short distance away Pukho waited, his black plumage contrasted with the scales of his psi-meleon, a formidable beast, doubled in size to Nox and possessed a very well developed sense of smell and hearing, Sedra's camouflage would not be enough to hide. Pukho could know where Sedra was by means of the psychic link with his beast, he calculated the trajectory of Nox waiting for it to be in the nearest point to them in order to attack them by surprise.

Again the roar was heard from the throat of Nox, he realized that they were in danger, the traitor tried to ram them, but Nox's reflexes were faster, although he lost his camouflage managed to evade them, and then started the race.

"Sedra, coward, don't run away," he said as he began to chase them along the edge of the forest.

Nox followed the path to The Well as they fled their pursuers, it was too late when Sedra realized they were guiding Pukho to what he was looking for. They had reached the edge of The Well and had no place to escape to.

"Pukho, traitor, return my gem," Sedra shouted at him, referring to the topaz he should wear on his right wrist.

"Don't even dream of it, give me the left bracelet and I will spare their lives" Pukho threatened them.

"Never!" Sedra sputtered at him.

Pukho tried to ram them again, but the skillful Nox fired his tongue at the branch of a nearby tree and rose in the air beside his rider.

The attackers could not deviate their trajectory in time and could not avoid falling down the ravine of The Well.

Sedra sighed relieved, "You've earned all the eels you want to eat" caressed the scales of Nox as they hung from the tree, thinking it was all over.

From the edge of The Well stood the black feathers of Pukho who was trying to recover, Sedra bristled preparing to attack him, but before, a ghostly beak caught Pukho by one of his legs and pulled him into the fog.

He clung tightly to the edge of the abyss but more and more corpses from the bottom of The Well appeared from the fog pulling him to the bottom.

"Aaaarrrggghhh!" Pukho disappeared into the fog next to the bodies at the bottom of The Well.

A sphere of energy emerged from the fog and merged with the topaz on Sedra's wrist, and she felt her power grow.

The End.

This is my participation for the Finish The Story - Week #65 from @bananafish. I hope you like it there.

Thank you for reading and do not hesitate to comment.