Empire Of Onili

• Riley Todd, Grade 6
• Poetry
• 2009

Jaminer was on the roof of a small house in the city of Chenset. Rilanosi or Rila for short was in the courtyard practicing his archery. Jam hopped off the roof and ran over to Rila saying “Rila! They’re coming. Get inside down th...” his sentence was cut short by the screeching howl of a Jorince. Jorince are a large bird with the head of a dog and featherless, grey, skin flaps for wings. Jam and Rila ran into the kitchen and locked the door. They could hear the screams of dying women and men.
Rila stood and said, “I cannot sit here and wait while people die from these creatures!” Rila screamed the last word. His parents had died at the hands of the Jorince and Jams parents had adopted Rila, in all but name.
He stormed towards the door; Jam ran to stop him but was too late. Rila dashed to the archer’s tower. He was sprinting up the stairs three at a time and reached the top in seconds. He took aim with his bow, and felled a Jorince and had an arrow in the chest of another a second later. From the door way Jam could see Rila shooting but he was running out of arrows and the Jorince where slowly advancing. He saw his friend fall and heard him scream as he tumbled. A Jorince dived and grabbed Rila in his talons and they flew back to their mountain caves. Jam’s heart sank at the sight of a limp Rila in the claws of a Jorince.
He ran to the Gorit pen and saddled a strong male. Gorit are large pig type creatures used for meat and travel. It had big strong legs, large wings with black feathers and two big horns on its head showing it was a stallion. He trotted out to the courtyard and its big hind legs propelled them into the sky. He flew to his house, grabbed provisions for the next three weeks and set off on his dangerous journey.
His flight was uneventful except when his stallion got scent of a female on heat and he had to land and wait until his stallion calmed. Then he resumed his journey to the Ahhad Mountains.
Jaminer woe. This was his third night in the mountains and his second feeling as if he was being watched. He packed up, and then took off on his Gorit. He looked for movement in the trees below. Jam saw the Jorince camp around noon and dived straight for it not thinking of the consequences.
Now he was tied to a tree next to Rila. Jam whispered “I thought you where dead.” Rila didn’t answer, he was angry at Jam for not thinking what would happen. The Gorits remains where near the fire. The Jorince had a feeding frenzy on it and ripped it to shreds. A large male stalked over. It slashed at Jaminer and... darkness. Rila had the same fate.
The End.