On the trail of maddness

[Sherazade]

Shadows shifted around him, glided across the ground like kittens chasing string, they gave no clue to what had caused the winds mad whispers. Head tilted backward, gaze lifted towards the sky, long moments he stood there watching the stars, the movements of the dark clouds. Silence, blessed silence, fell like a shroud left the Bubasti to make himself perfectly still, to find the center of his being. Sleekly muscled chest rose and fell with each breath taken and released, calmness filled him and his mind went quiet, lay as still as a ponds surface on a windless night. Sounds began to filter in then, the sound of the slowing rain hitting the ground., the scuttling of the night creatures. Each sound was like a pebble, it dropped beneath his minds surface, its ripples spreading outward and then his mind was still again.

It was faint, was thin at first, cool fingers wind reached out from him as he sent his senses, those beyond touch taste and smell out searching, but moment but moment those cool fingers thickened began to grasp at the air, pulling to him the last faint traces of madness. A path began to form in his mind, becoming clearer and clearer. He knew where to go to find his answers. Eyes snapped open now all traces of emerald gone beneath a mask of pure gold. Features where now distinctly feline an arrogant smirk curved his lips. A moment longer he stood still and then , muscles bunched, rippled and Bakari was running, long legs and loping stride carrying him swiftly towards the paths terminus

[Sherazade]

Night gathered around him in ever thickening shadows as he ate up the distance between himself and what called to him, but that mattered not to Bakari he needed no light to see by. Loping stride slowed as he came up the side of a gentle rise, the very rise on which Ilana had stood and then he went perfectly still all movement ceasing in an instant.

Nostrils flared wide as the scent of death assailed him... wound it way through every sense he had, and then..... A low rumbling growl of rage welled withinhim, tore itself free of his chest as he bore witness to the strong echos of Ilanas change . "They dared..." attack something so precious. he could not give the full thought no voice for rage choked them in his throat. Down off the hill he strode now following the trail the ghostly images led him upon... amongst the corpses of the mad ones. He watched as the Sarkan leapt from the hill, drove the blade through the spiral dancer. Mind drifted now was cut loose upon the paths of the twisted kingdom that madness was, sanity unfurling behind him in this place like a glittering golden trail ... a trail that was his only way back.

[Sherazade]

"Father no!" the words burst from Vashti's lips as she sat bolt upright n the tent, claws shredding through a cushion as the veils of sleep where ripped away. Somewhere her father
was walking a twisted path... and somehow in he depths of her being she could feel it... could feel the knife edge he was walking and she could also sense the black pall of danger
that was rolling in like a gathering storm. "Hold on wait for me" The words fell from her lips as another cushion was rent. Form rippled as bones shifted beneath the surface of her skin... as humanitys mask was stripped away to reveal the cat within.....

In a flash of pure gold, a streak of sunlight fur her paws flew over the ground ... carrying her heedlessly towards danger... she had to get there had to save him... she would not loose her father. *I'm coming father....please hold on* even now in her shifted form her mind rang with the litany of this single caring thought.


Bakari was unaware his daughter was racing through the night towards, him all he could see was the battle, was jareds sword flowing like water, sending to hold back a vengeful tide. He knew it was useless.... and then a ray of hope a second Bastet joined the fray. He watched as the two stood side by side... watched as the object of the black spirals desire Ilana was spirited away. That brought relief and then hope was shattered he saw Jarod pinned
to the tree, Saw the other flung to the ground knocked unconscious . Body trembled .. rage burning through it .... "They should not die like this, they deserve better" His mind rang with this thought.




He was slipping she could feel it... could feel him getting further away from her even though his scent was getting stronger... the presence of his spirit was becomming fragile. "no i wont lose you" the phrase that was audible words in her mind was a snarling growl as it was ripped from her feline throat and digging deeper she was soon moving faster.


Something was drawing closer to this ghostly tableau now but Bakari could make no sense of what it was... its scen came and went like an elusive breeze, taunting him with foribdden possibilties. "what are you" his mind gave birth to the uestion and it was soon forgotten.
The one holding jarod pinned to the tree by his own sword was suddenly flung away by an unseen hand and he felt himself waiting with baited breath.

He saw the footprints form pressed into the leaf litter by an unseen foot and then something formed came into being... something he knew should not exist... Golden path unravelled behind him became non existany in his shock and he became trapped lost in this moment of revelation. not even his body slumping to the ground stirred him from his frozen stillness.

[Sherazade]

Paws tore over the ground, grass and sod flung torn away from the ground without care. In a streaking blur of gold Vashti burst into view just as her father fell senseless to the ground.

Terror almost froze her in place, as a scream of primal rage tore from her throat.... but the predatory side of her nature kept her moving, brought her to his side.

Form shimmered as it shifted back to human and she fell to her knees beside him, left naked in the moonlight her tawny hair falling about her face and shoulders. spilling forward over her curves. a trembling hand reached out for her fathers stil form, slid along his neck till she found his pulse... it was still strong and she breathed a sigh of relief.. A hand reached down and trailed along his side smoothed his hair from his cheek "come back Father please"

He was lost in a landscape of shadows... of twisting black nightmares... he was calm though..... always he had found his way out before... all he had to do was stand there and wait...."come back" a wind rose up and swallowed the rest of the words disguising where it had come from and now the landscape his mood shifted again and he was plunged back into a nightmare.

He was kneeling beside his wife... holding her sweating hand as she fought to bring their child into the world... he could see the spectre of death hovering near her and he wanted to roar with rage to chase it away and yet he could not must not let her know it was there... she must not give up. "one more push my love... just one more" his hand was gentle as it stroked a sweat drenched cheek only force of will keeping that hand from trembling
he watched as Ishtar seemed to pull herself up from the bed gathered the tattered remenants of her strength and direct it towards bringing their child into the world.
A bloody head emerged just as Ishtar screamed gave one final gut wrenching push as the midwife helped dragged Their daughter into the world... he looked at their perfect child... their daughter he saw through the gore and he turned to look at ishtar... "she's perfect my love" He saw her lips curved into a tired smile felt one last squeeze from the hand still held within his own and then she went limp all light fading from her eyes. Grief tore through his soul made him throw his head back in preparation to howl, as her hand fell limply from his own. Before the cry could tear from his soul his gaze fell downward as the midwife placed his child into his arms he looked down into those eyes... those glistening amber eyes ... and he fell into those shimmering depths as words laced his ears

"Come back father please" Again the words fell from vashtis lips as amber light lapped at her fingers flowed from her and sank into his cheek laced around the tattered remeants of his path and show him the way home. Tears staring to trail down her cheeks and drip onto his own

[Sherazade]

I am the way home that is what those amber orbs seemed to say and into them Bakari fell, left behind the immediate grief of memories he thought long buried.

Wind stirred through his hair... no wait it was a warm hand.. eyes came open and saw the face looking down at him.. "Ishtar?" his voice was a questioning murmur of hope for he had not yet completely returned to himself yet.

It was with relief that Vashti saw her fathers eyes come open but when that name fell from his lips, tears glinted in her eyes, she knew where he had been now what memory he had relived while lost. "no father Its Vashti"

It was a sudden rude awakening after he heard those words and the last of the fog vanished from his mind. His gaze moved over his daughter and he realised she was in naught but her skin. For a moment he was sppechless then it hit him why she was naked.... she had shifted form completely.

"yes Father i did it by choice... I'm not running from it anymore" She smiled and rose to her feet drawing him up with her.

As he was drawn to his feet he felt joy taint the lingering saddness chase it away. He squeezed her hand siezed by a sudden fit of playfulnesss... "race you back" He tossed the words at her as his own form rippled and soon he was loping back towards their tent the carnage left behind him.

"You cheat!!" Her voice lifted into the night on the wings of laughter and soon she was a streak of gold racing pass him, tail giving an impudent twitch and actally slapping his nose she was that close.


(ooc.... ok this took me awhile to finish but all this took place the night after jarod was injured)