The Ember in the Leaves

A towering drift of brittle, crimson leaves blocked my patrol along the stone path. Perfect ambush cover! I dropped low, carving my way into the crunchy mound until the dried foliage swallowed me whole. Total silence... save for the amber glow of my ribs casting fiery veins through the leaf litter. *Rustle!* As a cold evening breeze swept past, I leaped upright with a sudden, raspy shriek, sending a swirling explosion of red and gold scraps into the dark air! The night wind scattered like a startled crew, leaving me undisputed terror of the garden underbrush.

1 Nauk