Prologue

Nuka, an oracle and low ranking member of the Spirit Clan summons the clan to alert them of impending doom.

It’s the only way to save our people and the mortal realm from Xolotl’s xenocide.

But, it is almost too late.

    The Cookies and Cream colored hyena, Nuka, released a guttural, rhythmic whooping at the ground. The vaporous landscape moved as ripples in a pond and a rainbow inferno erupted under Nuka’s pupiless, blind eyes. She hopped back onto her onyx painted haunches as the fire licked her nose.

    Several plumes of smoke, summoned from Nuka’s howls, arose from the rippling earth. The bundles of smoke solidified into thick-boned hyenas, people with large dog-like ears, and razor-toothed monstrosities. A brew of hyena cackles rose as the crowd numbers grew.

    "What is the meaning of this," roared Morder. The ebon and sorrel spotted hyena shouldered her way through the throng. Surrounding members stepped back, lolling their heads in respect.

   "Be stilled, Morder." Nuka pressed her ears to the sides of her skull and lowered her head.

   "Are you ordering your superior, Nuka?" Morder strode forward as more hyenas stepped behind Morder. They bared and licked their yellowed, dagger teeth.

   Nuka cowered. "Morder, please, this isn't the time for petty rank checks."

   "Petty?" Morder lunged for Nuka's trachea, leading her posse of snapping jaws.

    A coal shadow grasped Morder's scruff and threw her into the horde. The hyenas parted like a sea allowing Morder to crash on the ground. The other hyenas halted and dropped at the assaulter’s feet.

    "Enough!" The monster, standing almost nine feet tall on its man-like structured hind legs, turned and bore its gaze down into Nuka's pupiless eyes. A large, furred hand with calloused palms gripped the back of Nuka's neck and flipped her onto her back. "You have no authority to call those ranking above you nor to claim us from the front lines." Its grip viced around Nuka's windpipe. "That responsibility falls only onto me." Saliva dripped from the ten inch fangs of the stygian hyena-like face. As it straightened its spine, the bones weaved in its stiff mane clinked together softly.

    Nuka pressed her belly flat to the lime, aeriform ground. "Sola, please, it is an urgent prophecy." She whined as she sealed her ears down the sides of her face. "We are in peril of losing the battle with Xolotl."

    Sola bent down. Her skean fangs grazed the back of Nuka's neck.

    "When have my visions ever been wrong?"

    Sola paused and her ears quaked with thought. The hyena beast gazed out over the congregation as it stood. "I give the oracle, Nuka, permission to speak. Challenge her," its eyes burned, "and in doing so dare to question my authority."

    Sola’s meat colored eyes hardened like over ripened pigskin jerky as she stared Nuka down. "You will be suffering the consequences for calling council after this is over, understand?"

    Nuka shook her body. "Thank you, Sola."

    Sola curled up her furred python lips. Several smaller hyenas rubbed up against Sola's legs like love-struck cats and pushed their scalps under Sola's clawed hands.

    Nuka's eyes, swollen like pickled eggs, fixated on the fire as she shook. "Xolotl. He finds a way to pull the strings of the sublanary realm... in order to make his desired effects..." Nuka meekly waved her paws. Jade flames formed several large hyena faces ranging from the elderly to newborn cubs. Tongues lolled with smiles tugged the corners of their mouths. Their faces leaned outside of the column of rainbow colors, gazing intimately into the legion.

    Nuka turned her amaurotic eyes away as her paws choreographed the dance of the multi-colored conflagration. Her ears painted down the sides of her cranium, blocking all sound around her.

    Dahlia blazes engulfed the vert hyena faces. Their flesh melted into the texture of boiled Coca-Cola tar. Eyes widened in terror as they shrieked. The smell of burnt fur wafted over the clan and their screams rang in the eardrums of the crowd members.

    Swarthy inferno bled through their faces as oily spots. The young pup flesh, blackened with plaque fire, fell off their bodies and plummeted through the air. The pieces dissipated into nothing just before hitting the scalps of the concourse.

    Nuka bellowed, "Xolotl knows only how to effect the land of Sekmet." Nuka's paw cut through the air and the swirling images revealed a neon viridian landscape with fresh new blooms. "And after his plagues pass, the land grows back stronger."

    A panicked voice cackled, "What are you suggesting, exactly?"

    "Our descendents must leave and find a new land."

    Arguments clashed against one another, raising the tumult.

    "Silence," commanded Sola. The throng ceased their bickering at once. "Are you suggesting that we leave the land Gaia entrusted to us?"

    "For a time."

    Sola flicked her ears in irritation and the bones pierced in their cartilage clattered.

    "Unless, you would rather that we go extinct, losing the ability to gather clan warriors to fight Xolotl in this life which are preventing him from devouring the terrestrial plain?"

    Another hyena interjected, "But how can they escape? The ocean is too vast to swim across. We don't even know if there are other lands outside of Sekmet to inhabit."

    Nuka took in a deep breath. "If, if we do not interfere with our subcelestial clans... a percentage will survive and their descendents will come back to Sekmet and thrive."

    Sola's furry eyebrow raised. "You’re suggesting we cease communications with them?"

    The horde raised their concerns into an inaudible crescendo.

    "It is necessary for their survival."

    "Why," Sola asked and the company quieted down.

    "Because the only way to leave requires... unorthodox methods... that neither you nor the mortal clans would... accept. I forsee good intentioned betrayal among us because of it and thus our extinction if we continue to hold communications."

    "Unacceptable. If we do not advise our descendents then how..." Sola squinted and her ears trembled. “Do you hear that?” She looked up, and the muzzles of the crowd followed.

    Garnet feathered creatures dive bombed out of the stars. They descended onto the clan as comets with razor beaks and three vibrant ecru eyes. The sonance of their descent slashed through the noise of the crowd and the laughing cries of the hyenas echoed.

    "Xolotl's forces are upon us!"

Author's Note

Does this hook the reader and engage them to the very end? Do I need to make this more concise? What should I cut? Is it clear to the reader what is going on? Is there information that needs to be explained?

Reviews

[Karl Herzog]

Cool! I like the combination of Egyptian and Aztec mythology. You're creative mix and imaginations is very engaging, because it's so unique it makes me want to keep reading. I understand what's happening but trying to picture the surroundings was difficult, my imagination went to a very surreal place. Also I couldn't tell if I was supposed to picture all or some of the characters as Hyena's or Humanoid-Hyena's? But that's pretty much it. You have a great imagination, keep writing! ; )