Prologue: Sand and Shells

Grinn

Grinn’s favorite shore to work on was not far from the Settlement, but far enough away so that none would see her. The sand was plentiful in its clearing between the endless sea and the thick line of trees that formed the border of the Greens home. An ideal area for the Red to do her work. 

She drug her claws along the sand, gathering it onto a flat rock and putting it onto a nearby rock. That would be enough for now. Grinn wiped the sand from her red fur as best she could without damaging any of her spines and pulled the container from her back to set it up on. She would need to use the bathing springs after this. Her wings had long since needed them anyway.

As she continued to work, gathering some wood for the lower part of the container, Grinn instinctively looked around. None that she could feel were around aside from the little creatures that were always crawling along the shore. Well, them and the Old Brown that was always here. It was easier not to count him, however, as he usually slumbered the rest of his days away. Mateloss was harsh on even the strongest of Grinn’s kind. 

The container was ready now. Sand was in the top compartment and the kindling lined the bottom. Grinn pulled her rock stick from where she had stashed it last time - she was very good at hiding - and placed it near the container for later. She took a deep breath in, focusing on the point just before her jaw and another inside her jaw. The former she poured heat into with her power - the power all Reds had - while the latter she pulled heat away from as it grew warmer from the first point. 

Then she exhaled, flames shooting into the bottom half of the container from Grinn’s mouth and catching the kindling on fire. She spit out the excess drool before it caught fire and closed the container back up. It would take a bit of time for the sand to melt enough, so she had some time.

Grinn glanced around again. Still no one. And Old Brown seemed to be sleeping as expected. She carefully stood on all four of her limbs, her tail stretching out to rest on the sand. Then, ever so careful, Grinn began walking along the shore away from the waters of the endless sea. Her tail swept back and forth across the sand behind her as she slowly dug into the sand in places with her claws. 

Today was a lucky day, for soon Grinn felt a bump on her tail. Turning and carefully digging so she didn’t crush it, Grinn pulled out a shell from the ground and sat it gently on her red palm. Colors of Reds, Blues, and something in between covered the fragile thing while swirls and spikes made up its shape. Not the best Grinn had ever found, but definitely an amazing find for-

“What are you doing?” 

The voice that rumbled through Grinn’s head was deep, clearly showing its age, and patient. She calmed herself after a moment, though it seemed she had broken off a piece of the shell. “Looking for shells…” She replied directly to the Old Brown’s mind. “I thought you were slumbering. You always slumber.”

“I was woken. Why do you collect the homes of others?” His voice in her head was louder than what she was used to. 

“Why do you always sleep when you could be helping in the Settlement?”

There was no answer for a bit. It was silent long enough for Grinn to nearly start searching once more before the Old Brown spoke again, stopping her. “You should leave. Let the Greens collect your sand for you, like other Reds would. Stay close to your mate.”

Grinn huffed, spitting a little of her drool to make a point to the buried Old Brown. “I am Mateless.”

The Old Brown rumbled in disapproval. “You are not a young one.”

“Pay mind to your own problems.” Grinn went back to her shell collecting for a little bit longer before heading back to the container. Because of the Old Brown, her new shell was damaged and she hadn’t the time to search for another. He needed to just stay slumbering, not reminding Grinn of her own Matelessness. It was not as if she chose that. 

The sand had melted nicely in the upper half of the container, so Grinn went ahead and stuck her rock stick inside and wrapped the melted sand around it. Using the flat rock, she worked the melted sand into shape, reheating it as needed. This was the tricky part about her work.

“Danger.”

“What?” Grinn turned from her work at the voice. A mistake, for she felt the melted sand lose the shape she had been working towards. 

“Danger,” the Old Brown said again. “I feel Blacks power.”

Grinn looked around, putting her work to the side. She had never seen a Black, nor knew anyone who had before now. “Black? One’s here?”

The Old Brown rumbled in her head. “No Blacks are here. But Blacks power is here. In the sky. I feel it.”

If the Old Brown wasn’t buried, Grinn might have tried to see if he hadn’t lost his senses. A Blacks power being here meant a Black was here. How could there be power without the user? There was no fire unless Grinn used her power and drool to create it. It was common sense.

“You should run. You should hide. Strange things are coming. Not-Devils.”

Grinn tried to feel outward further. She wasn’t as old as the Old Brown, of course, but she was no young one either. Sure enough, she could feel something. A lot of somethings. They felt like Devils, but… different. Not as frightening. Not-Devils the Old Brown had called them. Grinn looked up to where the feeling was coming from.

She saw a Red-Blue spot. And from that spot came a burning white rock in the shape of a strange bird. 

Inside that was where she felt the Not-Devils.

Quickly! Grinn pulled the melted sand from where she left it - the shape was ruined anyway - and quickly buried it. She didn’t have much time to put out the fires and leave here, so she picked up the entire container, focusing on her hands and drawing out the heat with her power as they tried to burn. 

“Hurry! Let the Settlement know. Not-Devils, yes. Dangerous, unknown.”

Grinn dug a quick hole with her rear claw and kicked her rock pole into it. With a little bit of effort, it was buried and she was running along the shore. Flight would be dangerous here even if she were able to with the container. 

Old Brown was right. She had to warn the Settlement.

Author's Note

Fixed my original Prologue (I kept it around for the review which was helpful) and made this building on what I had. Hopefully its better, but as this is the rough draft I won't be making any more major alterations until I get to the second draft. I would still love any and all feedback!