WIP Wednesday - Clan Beginnings: Clan and Conscience

              The Nobek shrieked, the sound crazed with anger. It was the most horrific sound Ospar had ever heard. When the tray dropped from his face, Ospar didn’t see the red and yellow and green sauces that dripped from Jol’s chin. He didn’t see morsels of rizpah and wedi sliding down the man’s face. He saw a monster with glaring eyes. He saw fangs.

              It would come as little solace later when Ospar thought no sane person would have looked into Jol’s face and not panicked. Though his anger had led to him taking temporary leave of his good sense, Ospar was thoroughly sane as he stared into that terrible creature screaming at him. So he panicked and ran.

              Even as his legs pumped, shooting him out of the room and down the hall, Ospar remembered how dangerous it was to run from an emotional Nobek. It was a colossal and potentially deadly error to make. Every Kalquorian knew it. Fearing the worst, Ospar darted a glance over his shoulder and wished that he hadn’t.

              Jol was right behind him, food still plastered to his livid, bestial face. The worst part was his eyes, however. There was a mad gleam in their purple depths, a predatory joy of the killer bringing prey to bay.

              It was too late and Ospar was too terrified to stop running and try to reason with the man. Jol didn’t seem as if reason was high on his attributes at the moment. Ospar put on as much speed as he was able instead.

              He was still outside his sleeping room when he yelled, “Door, close and lock!”

              He charged in as it started to shut. It hissed closed quickly, but Jol was much, much faster. The Nobek was in the room with Ospar as the door clicked to announce it had locked.

Releasing Winter 2017