A Run for Your Shinies [ open to Aeotha ]
The truth was the shiny was not hers.
Had she put something else on the pedestal of the spider infested temple, maybe things might have turned out better. Maybe her pursuers would have considered the trade equal. Or maybe they wouldn't have noticed until she was gone. Sometimes, however, she didn't plan out her acquisition of shinies. Sometimes, it was fate. Shinies just called to her. The eight cornered talisman felt at home in Onainat's palm. She felt even more attached after seeing the pretty blue crystals and odd center opal that shone in the dark. Even while running for her life, Onainat couldn't help peeking at the shiny now and again.
Yes, she decided. This one was worth a little tussle with death!
Onainat tucked the heavy, silver object into the pocket of her trousers and slid around yet another rock wall. Following Drow underground at night hadn't been the best idea. At the time, linguistics seemed a noble enough calling for such a dangerous stunt. Now, however, she was being chased for more than some harsh, knife-like consonants. If only Onainat didn't have to resort to running, this would be no problem. Teleporting was easier! It also required her to see where she was going. Teleporting in pitch black conditions never went well for Onainat. The last time she felt confident enough to try, she spent three hours in a dwarven sewage tunnel...
Onainat shuddered at the memory.
"Udos zhaun dos ph' ghil," said one of the Drow. "Udos shlu'ta gow dos."
She mouthed the vowels as the haunting voice called them out. Her Drow-shaped "u" was still poor even after all this observation. Onainat frowned. And how could they say she smelled? Onainat turned her nose down by her shoulder and sniffed as quietly as she could. Was it that bad?
"Come out and we will make this faster," another said in common.
Onainat rolled her eyes and scooted farther down the wall. The Drow were about fifty feet below her but they tended to take on the qualities of their pets. They would probably crawl up in the way only Drow and Elves could. As far as Onainat was concerned both races were equally creepy. The Elves just managed to look pretty while being creepy. Onainat frowned as she heard whispers in the dark. She didn't have much time to find the exit to the surface world. Onainat kept scooting down the wall, counting her steps. She had been counting since following the Drow down here. If she was right, she was close.
If she was wrong...
She stumbled slightly and clutched onto the rock. Her leg brushed against something hairy. Onainat shrank back against the wall before she reached out with her foot and carefully, carefully tapped...the spider. It screeched and she pulled back just as she felt something sharp, nearly losing her balance in the process. Onainat could already hear the movements of limbs and weapons rushing up the rock below her, climbing out of the abyss. They smelled and heard her; there was little else a Drow needed. A spark lit Onainat's fingers with electricity and a small bolt shot outward hitting the eight-legged lump blocking her path. The spider screamed and curled up, falling into the blackness.
Ew was the last thought Onainat had. There wasn't much time for anything else. It was too bad, too. She wanted to sound out the death threats the Drow were yelling at her.
---
The moonlight was welcome. Onainat's footing was shaky, but she'd managed to keep her heels in the soft soil of the forest after scraping her way out of the cave. Rock dust and dirt covered her clothes from where she'd blown a hole in the ground. It hadn't been the most subtle escape, but Onainat hadn't been able to do any better. Drow were not only mean, but fast. All she needed now was sight of something beyond the trees. A mountain, a body of water, a hill, anything! They were right behind her--those white haired, red eyed mysteries of grammar! Onainat patted her pocket as she ran to make sure the cause of her trouble was still there. Taking advantage of the moonlight, she began to teleport in small bursts, confusing the Drow and giving her legs a little rest.
Everything was going far better above than it had underground. That was until she crashed into another living being. One that wore a skirt. A dress! Who wore a dress in the forest? Was it a fairy? A princess? A lunatic? She hadn't been paying attention to where she was teleporting to and had managed to not only tackle the poor woman, but headbutt her on accident. They were a mess of fabric and limbs.
"Owowowowow...." Onainat whined. She rubbed her forehead and pushed herself up. It was a terrible time to meet a new person. Even worse a time to injure that person! Onainat was about to help the woman up when she noticed that she had pointy ears. Pointy ears!
"Ack!"
Onainat hopped to her feet. It took a few moments, but she swiftly remembered what an Elf was. She was no Drow. The woman looked ready to give her a piece of her elvish thoughts too, but there was no time.
"Shut up! I mean. Hush! Yes." Onainat grabbed the Elf's hand and hauled her to her feet. "Let's run now. I'll fix your head later!"