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Description
Anahi opened her golden eyes one at a time, trying to discern if she was stunned or in a lot of pain. It was hard to remember how she got here in the first place. Her memories were disjointed and her thoughts were scrambled. Where was she? Was this the Guips Forest?

Still with her head spinning, she pushed herself to sit up, vaguely aware of the rustling of the leaves all around her. The soil under her supporting hand was cool and soft and her fingers curled inward, scooping up a handful of the dirt as she inhaled through her nose. The air had a strange smell to it that she couldn't place, this certainly wasn't the Guips, and she looked around without moving her head. The trees were unfamiliar and it was hard to see the sky, gray clouds were looming overhead.

She thought it was odd that there were clouds and that's when the memories caught up with her travel...

It was a clear day when she woke up that morning and there were no signs of clouds for the rest of the day. Business was business, as usual. She assisted in the growth of the argiculture outside and helped with plants that were allowed to grow inside a humid glass house. Anahi took over for an abandoned farm and helped it flourish once again, running the business alone.

It took her several years to find a safe place to hide after the village where she had come from sought out the ones who escaped. Although Anahi was far away from the village and much time had passed, her mind still strayed to her time there during almost every waking moment. The others weren't truly related to her but they were all bound collectively by what they were, and so each time a brother or sister was bled out, the more her heart hurt.

She knew when someone was found out, flushed out of hiding, caught and hung out to bleed dry. There were new glass vials that were distributed all over the world that were of a new potion, a new remedy, and she was able to tell who it was through what the potion was advertised for. Travelers would often come by talking of it, mentioning rewards for those who found a new one and punishment for those who hid them.

During the afternoon, she noticed movement among the crops outside. They had gone in without knowing what affinity she lived as and the young woman used the soil to get what information she wanted. If they had only approached her from another direction, they might have caught her by surprise. They were at a distance, approaching quickly, but Anahi was faster. She fled to a home near the farm that belonged to a mage.

He had visited her often, buying several spices and herbs with each visit. She couldn't place exactly what it was but the mage would speak to her in a vague way, almost as if he knew what she was and that she was safe with him knowing. They never spoke of it but she felt it in her that he was empathetic to the head hunt of her type. Whenever she had extra of anything grown, she would walk it to his home and usually stay for extended conversation or dinner. Sometimes he would show her his work and studies, never bringing up the subject of her or her blood.

The mage saw her coming up the street and had met her at the doorway, ushering her in without question. To her surprise, he had a storage room already prepared for the spell he wanted to cast on her. The mob had made it to the green house and main building of the farm, searching for hidden rooms and trap doors. Through the window of the storage room, Anahi could see the crops were burning.

The rest was a blur for the earth being. Moments after she vanished, the mage had been confronted with a small search group. He allowed them to search his house and although they noticed a pile of dirt in one of his rooms, they left without much disruption and continued to screen the land around the farm.

As it poured back to her, Anahi struggled to her feet and looked around in paranoia. Where had the mage sent her? She heard no sounds of pursuit but a fear and bewilderment in her forced her to move. While she was looking up, over her shoulder, and in all other direction, her feet gave out from under her.

Anahi fell and rolled down the side of a short slope. When she stood back up, leaves and dirt in her hair, she looked around wildly. Her bare feet were in front of something incredibly warm and black and it suddenly fascinated her.

Was this lava?

The young woman knelt down to touch it but at the contact, she drew her hand back immediately. This was not from the earth. Her eyebrows furrowed and she began to crawl across the pavement, head bowed down in intense concentration. If she could only find the source of it or get through this thick shell...

Shell?

The idea of a shell was cause to pause and she looked up and down the long stretch of black curiously. Was this a dragon? She seemed to be in front of a curve of the thick black shell and she wondered if she was on the black dragon's tail. Anahi focused on the surface of the pavement, using her dirty nails to try and figure out if there were actual scales.

Still on her hands and knees, Anahi continued to crawl over the black dragon. She didn't notice the two glowing eyes that raced along the back of the giant beast.

The car honked a flat, grating tone, swerving to avoid hitting the woman in the street. It slammed hard on its side as it overcorrected, sliding across the pavement and off the road, into the grassy shoulder.

Description
Anahi opened her golden eyes one at a time, trying to discern if she was stunned or in a lot of pain. It was hard to remember how she got here in the first place. Her memories were disjointed and her thoughts were scrambled. Where was she? Was this the Guips Forest?

Still with her head spinning, she pushed herself to sit up, vaguely aware of the rustling of the leaves all around her. The soil under her supporting hand was cool and soft and her fingers curled inward, scooping up a handful of the dirt as she inhaled through her nose. The air had a strange smell to it that she couldn't place, this certainly wasn't the Guips, and she looked around without moving her head. The trees were unfamiliar and it was hard to see the sky, gray clouds were looming overhead.

She thought it was odd that there were clouds and that's when the memories caught up with her travel...

It was a clear day when she woke up that morning and there were no signs of clouds for the rest of the day. Business was business, as usual. She assisted in the growth of the argiculture outside and helped with plants that were allowed to grow inside a humid glass house. Anahi took over for an abandoned farm and helped it flourish once again, running the business alone.

It took her several years to find a safe place to hide after the village where she had come from sought out the ones who escaped. Although Anahi was far away from the village and much time had passed, her mind still strayed to her time there during almost every waking moment. The others weren't truly related to her but they were all bound collectively by what they were, and so each time a brother or sister was bled out, the more her heart hurt.

She knew when someone was found out, flushed out of hiding, caught and hung out to bleed dry. There were new glass vials that were distributed all over the world that were of a new potion, a new remedy, and she was able to tell who it was through what the potion was advertised for. Travelers would often come by talking of it, mentioning rewards for those who found a new one and punishment for those who hid them.

During the afternoon, she noticed movement among the crops outside. They had gone in without knowing what affinity she lived as and the young woman used the soil to get what information she wanted. If they had only approached her from another direction, they might have caught her by surprise. They were at a distance, approaching quickly, but Anahi was faster. She fled to a home near the farm that belonged to a mage.

He had visited her often, buying several spices and herbs with each visit. She couldn't place exactly what it was but the mage would speak to her in a vague way, almost as if he knew what she was and that she was safe with him knowing. They never spoke of it but she felt it in her that he was empathetic to the head hunt of her type. Whenever she had extra of anything grown, she would walk it to his home and usually stay for extended conversation or dinner. Sometimes he would show her his work and studies, never bringing up the subject of her or her blood.

The mage saw her coming up the street and had met her at the doorway, ushering her in without question. To her surprise, he had a storage room already prepared for the spell he wanted to cast on her. The mob had made it to the green house and main building of the farm, searching for hidden rooms and trap doors. Through the window of the storage room, Anahi could see the crops were burning.

The rest was a blur for the earth being. Moments after she vanished, the mage had been confronted with a small search group. He allowed them to search his house and although they noticed a pile of dirt in one of his rooms, they left without much disruption and continued to screen the land around the farm.

As it poured back to her, Anahi struggled to her feet and looked around in paranoia. Where had the mage sent her? She heard no sounds of pursuit but a fear and bewilderment in her forced her to move. While she was looking up, over her shoulder, and in all other direction, her feet gave out from under her.

Anahi fell and rolled down the side of a short slope. When she stood back up, leaves and dirt in her hair, she looked around wildly. Her bare feet were in front of something incredibly warm and black and it suddenly fascinated her.

Was this lava?

The young woman knelt down to touch it but at the contact, she drew her hand back immediately. This was not from the earth. Her eyebrows furrowed and she began to crawl across the pavement, head bowed down in intense concentration. If she could only find the source of it or get through this thick shell...

Shell?

The idea of a shell was cause to pause and she looked up and down the long stretch of black curiously. Was this a dragon? She seemed to be in front of a curve of the thick black shell and she wondered if she was on the black dragon's tail. Anahi focused on the surface of the pavement, using her dirty nails to try and figure out if there were actual scales.

Still on her hands and knees, Anahi continued to crawl over the black dragon. She didn't notice the two glowing eyes that raced along the back of the giant beast.

The car honked a flat, grating tone, swerving to avoid hitting the woman in the street. It slammed hard on its side as it overcorrected, sliding across the pavement and off the road, into the grassy shoulder.