Status: Finally finished. :)
The Nagual
An Introduction
"Kahili!" Felia called out. The search turned into a game. She didn't know why but she was finally starting to feel in her element. It could have been of her discovery of her animal and that, as a result, neither of the two women were mentally ill. Or it could have been simply that right at that moment, she was getting into a regular pattern even if that regular pattern was looking for Kahili.
She heard a melodic call from above her. Felia looked up to find a barn owl flying in a circle high above her, reaching to the top of the trees. She envied Kahili's ability to fly as an animal but in an admiring way. Kahili flew north of Felia and into a more crowded area of the jungle. After waiting for a moment or two, Felia walked carefully deeper into the trees, hoping to catch the girl by surprise.
The dark-haired Felia suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her stomach and the words, "Gotcha," were whispered into her ears with a laugh bubbling from the voice's body. On any other day, Felia would have jumped or hit the person who did that. But right now, she felt fine. Good, in fact. She let Kahili hold her from behind as she breathed easily. She didn't move until she felt a tiny kiss on her neck and when she did she turned around to face the red-headed Kahili. Still in her grasp, Felia let Kahili kiss her on the mouth.
Kahili gently moved back and said, "Look who finally loosened up." She dragged her tongue along her bottom lip but moved away. Felia hadn't noticed how warm she felt until the girl moved away from her.
"Is there something wrong?" Felia asked. Kahili had moved farther away from her and stopped as if listening for something. Kahili mumbled something that Felia couldn't understand.
"What did you say?"
"I think they're here!" she said, turning back to Felia. She couldn't quite tell what emotion Kahili was wearing but she knew she didn't like it.
"How many?" Felia asked, suddenly very aware of each crack of a twig and crunch of a leaf around her. It sounded and felt like they were being completely surrounded by creatures that stayed in the shadows of the trees.
"I . . . All of them." Kahili whispered.
They moved into each other, Kahili taking a step in front of Felia as deep growls emanated from the jungle around them. One by one, animals appeared into the clearing that the two women were standing in. They were of all sorts. Some were small monkeys, deer, rabbits, and raccoons. There were also a turtle that carried a spider monkey on its back, a zebra, brilliantly colored birds, and a beaver. They all gathered to form a circle around the two companions but there was a space left open between a deer and the turtle. There was a long pause until Felia heard a heavy set of paws crack a branch somewhere in the jungle ahead of her.
Coming out of the shadows, Kahili and Felia saw a panther slowly walk into the clearing. Its shoulders rolled gracefully with each step and the eyes pierced Felia's sight with a green that matched the forest floor. She saw the animal shudder as it took another step and within a few seconds, the panther formed into a grown man with a scar diagonally across his cheek and black hair that piled on top of his head.
"Kahili." he said with a grin. "How wonderful it is to see you again." Even his voice sounded like it belonged to a sly cat.
"Fraus Olc." she addressed him, nodding her head to him in respect. "I've brought a guest."
"I can see that." he said, turning then to Felia. "So,” he began. “A newcomer, eh?" Felia nodded, not sure what to say if anything. Fraus closed the distance between them with a few steps, took her hand, kissed it lightly and said in a hushed voice, "Welcome."
She heard a melodic call from above her. Felia looked up to find a barn owl flying in a circle high above her, reaching to the top of the trees. She envied Kahili's ability to fly as an animal but in an admiring way. Kahili flew north of Felia and into a more crowded area of the jungle. After waiting for a moment or two, Felia walked carefully deeper into the trees, hoping to catch the girl by surprise.
The dark-haired Felia suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her stomach and the words, "Gotcha," were whispered into her ears with a laugh bubbling from the voice's body. On any other day, Felia would have jumped or hit the person who did that. But right now, she felt fine. Good, in fact. She let Kahili hold her from behind as she breathed easily. She didn't move until she felt a tiny kiss on her neck and when she did she turned around to face the red-headed Kahili. Still in her grasp, Felia let Kahili kiss her on the mouth.
Kahili gently moved back and said, "Look who finally loosened up." She dragged her tongue along her bottom lip but moved away. Felia hadn't noticed how warm she felt until the girl moved away from her.
"Is there something wrong?" Felia asked. Kahili had moved farther away from her and stopped as if listening for something. Kahili mumbled something that Felia couldn't understand.
"What did you say?"
"I think they're here!" she said, turning back to Felia. She couldn't quite tell what emotion Kahili was wearing but she knew she didn't like it.
"How many?" Felia asked, suddenly very aware of each crack of a twig and crunch of a leaf around her. It sounded and felt like they were being completely surrounded by creatures that stayed in the shadows of the trees.
"I . . . All of them." Kahili whispered.
They moved into each other, Kahili taking a step in front of Felia as deep growls emanated from the jungle around them. One by one, animals appeared into the clearing that the two women were standing in. They were of all sorts. Some were small monkeys, deer, rabbits, and raccoons. There were also a turtle that carried a spider monkey on its back, a zebra, brilliantly colored birds, and a beaver. They all gathered to form a circle around the two companions but there was a space left open between a deer and the turtle. There was a long pause until Felia heard a heavy set of paws crack a branch somewhere in the jungle ahead of her.
Coming out of the shadows, Kahili and Felia saw a panther slowly walk into the clearing. Its shoulders rolled gracefully with each step and the eyes pierced Felia's sight with a green that matched the forest floor. She saw the animal shudder as it took another step and within a few seconds, the panther formed into a grown man with a scar diagonally across his cheek and black hair that piled on top of his head.
"Kahili." he said with a grin. "How wonderful it is to see you again." Even his voice sounded like it belonged to a sly cat.
"Fraus Olc." she addressed him, nodding her head to him in respect. "I've brought a guest."
"I can see that." he said, turning then to Felia. "So,” he began. “A newcomer, eh?" Felia nodded, not sure what to say if anything. Fraus closed the distance between them with a few steps, took her hand, kissed it lightly and said in a hushed voice, "Welcome."