//application//
username //
HannahBug
jbd name //
Innikta
(In-ick-tah)
nicknamed Nick
or Nickie
location //
Nick ran along the spongy grass beside the ice cold river that cut through her forest. She shuddered as the torrents splashed freezing mist over her winter coat. She pushed hard on her hind-legs trying desperately to obtain speed. She could hear them crashing clumsily behind her, gaining. She swerved sharply to the left, leaving the river and diving into the tall trees. She dogged wildly between the closely woven oaks and beeches hoping her bumbling pursuers would not be able to follow her. Her heart sank as her sensitive ears caught the sound of their large feet steadily drumming on the rich earth.
Nickie dug her heels into the leaf littered ground causing her to turn 180 degrees. She knew this forest better than the humans did and she wouldn’t let them catch her! She sunk her claws into the nearest tree and hoisted herself upward onto its sturdy limbs. Her small size allowed her to slide among the interwoven branches without even catching her fur on the twigs. She heard the humans shout as she passed above their heads, tree to tree. She raced towards the river as fast as she could. To her relief the humans followed. Up ahead she saw the branches thinning. She was almost to the river. Innikta firmly planted her paws on the last sturdy limb, bunched her muscles and leapt out of the trees and over the churning river.
Her paws were stretched as far in front of her as they would go. The black water growled loudly beneath her and for a strange moment she feared she would fall. Lost to the icy river, swept away, howling helplessly. No! She closed her eyes firmly. She would make this jump. She would! She snapped open her eyes just in time to see the ground rushing towards her. She stretched out her paws and thudded firmly on the other side of the threatening water. Looking over her shoulder she saw the two humans gaping in amazement. Nick smirked, then trotted victoriously away into the marshy forest land ahead.
Innikta licked the last of the berry juice from her jaws. Hours had passed since she had escaped the humans and she had settled down to eat an early lunch. Rising to her paws, she turned towards the ForestMarsh. It was a dangerous place if you didn’t know where to put your paws and Nick figured she would be safe from any other threats there.
As she strolled along the ground became soggy and the trees changed from oaks to willows and with sagging branches. The sky was blotted out by the damp leaves, giving the swamp a strange pale yellow glow. Innikta’s gaze caught the early swamp fireflies and she reached up to bat at them playfully. Suddenly, she heard a snap in the distance and a loud yowl. She lifted her head and swiveled her ears towards the sound. Impossible! It was the humans and by the smell of them they were close. Nickie picked up speed, trotting along the edges of the deep swamp water pools that bloomed with pink and white water lilies. The sound of a breaking branch nearby made her jump in fear. Worriedly she increased her pace to a slowed run. The swamp that had seemed so cheery now was an eerie, dark place. The clouds must have covered the sun as the swamp fell into almost complete darkness. The fireflies blinked in and out of pockets of shadow casting irregular yellow lights onto the markings on her pelt. She was aware of the fear scent coming off her and wondered how good the human’s sense of smell was.
Up ahead Nickie could see the willows’ branches forming a thick circular curtain. Inside the sun would shine down on a large rock in the center of a clearing. If she could just get to the rock she would be safe. She reached out her neck to prod the leaves aside with her nose. She began to take a step forward when she became aware of a thick, cold hand firmly clamped on her tail. She let out a scream of pure terror and tried to bolt into the clearing, but only kicked vainly at the spongy, moss laden ground. She continued to scream until another gloved hand clamped around her mouth. She felt the human pull on her tail and muzzle lifting her into the air. She squirmed in pain as the weight of her body bore down on her neck and tail. As the man held her aloft she spotted another human coming towards her with a sturdy cage made out of strange grey stone. Innikta felt as if she was watching her doom come towards her, slowly and painfully.
She saw only one escape. She hurriedly built up gasses in her mouth. Making a small coughing noise she lit a spark. Flames lapped in her mouth looking for an escape. She wrenched her mouth open, defying the cold hands, and released a plume of orange fire. The human dropped her in surprise and she hit the ground running. She leapt onto the stone in the middle of the clearing and gave a small squeak of success. She heard the humans scrabbling in confusion. She hadn’t aimed for them, instead she shot a fire ball past the second man’s head and ruined both humans’ night vision in the dark marsh.
Her victory was crushed by a heavy net that smashed down over her head. Innikta squawked in surprise and writhed wildly, trying to escape. She saw out of the corner of her eye the humans approaching her. She couldn’t suppress a smirk as they stepped into the ring of quicksand around the stone. She heard them grunting as they pulled themselves back out. Trilling happily, she taunted them with arrogant tosses of her head and holding her paws high. She may be trapped, but they couldn’t reach her before she escaped.
Her whole world jerked her off the rock and into the quicksand in one quick baffling moment. Looking up she saw the human with a rope firmly in his hands pulling her limp body towards him. She thrashed madly, trying to escape before the human pulled her to his feet, but it was in vain. He pulled her nearer with each passing second. Soon she was at his feet. She desperately looked up at him with pleading eyes to see he held a small syringe in his hand. Crying out hysterically, Innikta could only watch as the needle punctured her skin and everything want black.
can't wait to see winner
