Since my manga of it was thrown out before it was scanned, I'm trying to write it xD Winter Solstice A gray mist was suspended in the middle of a quiet valley, with murky woods shielding each side and sheltering different evils, whose presence was warded off by the festivities of a tiny village. A small spire grew from one of the walls of the valley, and from the spire could be seen the town in the shadows of the mass. On a small ledge spouting from the little peak stood a pale, snow colored creature, her glowing fur rustling softly in the subtle breeze that disturbed the still night air only now and then. Her amber eyes were fixed on the glowing lanterns dangling from thin wires that were strung on mahogany painted poles. Their small glimmers could not reach the height of the spire’s ledge, but when a cloud stirred and wandered a bit away from its cover over the luminous moon, a light would show the creature’s form and it was clearly seen as a wolf. The wolf’s eyes were the color of a burning fire, which contrasted from the pale azure markings that broke the pure white fur. Near the neck was a single orb of blue, which hovered between two brackets that seemed to form a closing hand around it. Those branched into one marking that formed into several prongs, giving the overall appearance of a sword. A disturbance from behind distracted the wolf’s gaze from the festivities, and her eyes now rested on the seemingly empty space behind her. She narrowed the sensitive pupils and tried to look harder, but still nothing met her eyes but the gray mist of the night. Then a voice curiously ventured out, breaking the silence. “Talvi…?†As the voice broke the air, a form of a man vaporized and stood in front of her on the ledge. He had smooth black hair that reached down to his neck, which there they broke into spikes. A mask of a hawk was on the top of his head, but not concealing his smooth face, which could be seen dimly even in the little amount of light. Behind his arms could be seen russet colored wings, their feathers large and scruffy, the under part of the wing looking tan and striped black at the edges like that of a hawk. The wolf’s mouth formed a toothy smile and she spoke, “Brume! I am so glad that you are safe after the past year. How did you find me?†The man broke into a smile, the fact that the animal was talking didn’t seem unusual to Brume at all. “I remembered this town when we were traveling together. I traveled here because I heard the moon could be seen the brightest and fullest here, and that here the festivities were the greatest at keeping evil at bay. I never imagined that you would be here as well,†he broke into a warm grin. Talvi yawned and looked at the glistening lunar form in the sky, the one that strengthened the very night of the winter solstice and gave evil powers far greater than ever imagined. It lasted for that very second, though, and the effects wore off easily. But in that second, a lot could happen, so festivities were made to push the malice away. Talvi’s left ear twitched, and she murmured, “Why not go down there now? You may have time to celebrate, maybe even play a small song on that little flute of yours that you love so much, so that you can help with banishing darkness.†With a final “woof†she stood on her paws and leaped, her feet leaving the rocks of the spire’s ledge and her body passing freely through the air. Her elevation fell faster and faster, and when she hit the ground she gave her tail a swipe before straightening her legs. Brume landed softly beside her, and he shook his head in amusement. “Always quick to jump, don’t you ever think before you act, Talvi?†Brume swept one last look over the wolf and both started to walk to the music filled streets of the little settlement. The multicolored lanterns danced as they dangled along the thin wires, which shook easily in the breeze. Light notes of song drifted along the ears of the two, wolf and man, as they walked through the festival. By the time the festivities drew to the winter solstice, a silence had spread among the townspeople. Talvi’s scorching eyes were focused on the moon, the start and end of the real moment of the solstice to occur. If she looked carefully enough, for a second a thin crimson light would envelope the lunar surface. Brume blinked and said, “I see it!†Talvi’s eyes widened as the scarlet met her eyes, but it lasted for longer than just a second. The moon stayed just as red, and a whispered panic started to flow through the town. Why was the peak of the solstice not ending? Talvi bent down and growled, a sudden presence overflowing her senses. Whipping her head around, she erupted in a rugged howl. Hooves pounded on the cobblestones, and three centaur-like creatures streaked into view. They had the body of a horse, but where the neck was supposed to start was the blood red torso, arms and head of a demon. They wielded spiked clubs and nasty horns upon their head, and were charging right for the snowy wolf. Brume spread his wings and took out a bow and notched an arrow feathered by the one of a hawk. He flew toward one on swift wings, elbowing it roughly out of Talvi’s way and then releasing an arrow into the back of its neck. The beast gurgled and fell, its hooves clinking in a confused stumble before it tumbled. Talvi reared up on her hind legs and spread her arms out in an embrace like a bear’s, and while clamping her claws in the cheeks of the nearest centaur, she roared and blew a burst of red flames from her jaws. Then, she flipped through the air, dragging the claws along the face of the enemy before landing on her paws, the burnt and scratched enemy left to die. The third stomped over its brethren and swung the mace at the wolf, catching Talvi off guard. The weapon smashed into her chest and she lost her breath, stumbling and rasping for breath as well as wincing from the pain. Brume took a side glance at his companion, and then notched another arrow and sent it whizzing through the air towards the beast, which dodged it and charged at the winged man. Talvi spat more fire from where she was recovering, and the demon yelped as his rear was burned. He turned, easily swayed, and now swung at the white wolf. She danced out of reach before lunging for the kill, and her teeth sank into the death bite that felled the beast. Breathing deeply, Talvi met the eyes of Brume. “These centaurs…how did they get so strong.†Brume’s eyes glinted darkly, and he said, “Though people and beings, days and nights may pass, I think that time has been stopped on the exact second of this year’s winter solstice. Even in the broad daylight, the moon will glare it horrible color of crimson, and if time doesn’t start again…we’ll all be dead.â€
