Excerpt: The Kiilator [working title]

Maybe telling Taliesin to go on ahead hadn't been such a good idea.
Just maybe.
Kendal glanced back over his shoulder as he ran through the trees. The bon kir-- at least six of them-- were slowly gaining on him. They were in human form and quite a bit shorter than him, but sul, were they ever fast.
He dodged to the right, leaving a half- wall of ice directly in their path. They shouted angrily as they tripped over the wall and over each other. Kendal grinned.
Forming the wall had taken more energy than he had anticipated, though. He had nearly used up the last of his energy. He might end up having to find somewhere to hide so he could rest for a while.
He glanced back over his shoulder again. About half of them had changed into spider form. Sul now they'd be even faster. For a fleeting moment, Kendal wished he was a Vderi, so he could use the trees and the undergrowth to trip up his pursuers.
Forget that. He was an Eisel and a Meilan. He'd have to use what he had.
There was a creek some distance up ahead. If he could make it there, he'd be fine for a while, though it wouldn't give him time to rest. And if he made it there and was too tired to shift the water into a shield... He prayed that wouldn't be the case. And that he'd make it to the creek to begin with.
The bon kir seemed to guess where he was heading, and were apparently determined not to let him get there. One of them jumped at him from the trees on his right. Kendal leapt sideways, and the creature slammed to the ground with a frustrated squeal. But his movements put him closer to the bon kir in the trees on his left. The creature sprang at him, knocking him down before he could dodge it. Kendal struggled frantically to throw the creature off his back before it could bite him, or before the others could catch up.
Thankfully this one was a small one; Kendal dislodged it before it was able to get a tight grip with its claws, and it tumbled off his back and onto the ground. Kendal was up and running in the next second.
He could see the creek now. Just a little bit further--
He made a running leap and landed in the creek with a splash and a triumphant cheer. But he wasn't safe yet. He held his hands out a few inches from his sides and brought the water up to waist level, then coaxed it up higher, around his shoulders, then finally higher than his head.
There. He let out a sigh of relief, even though the effort to do this after running so far had left him panting. They wouldn't get through this. But on the other hand, it might not last very long.
He thought of freezing the water around him. But that would take even more energy, and he'd probably pass out if he did that. And it wouldn't take the ice overly long to melt if he wasn't able to keep it up.
The bon kir were gathered at the edge of the creek-- three in human form, four in beast form-- glaring and hissing at him. They probably knew almost as well as he did that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. And once he collapsed from exhaustion, there would be nothing to prevent them from capturing him and doing to him what they would.
So why bother in the first place? The thought nagged at him, as much as he tried to push it away. Why try to hold your capture off when it's going to happen anyway?
Maybe because there was always the possibility, however slight, that he'd receive help before he collapsed. Or maybe just because it was anyone's natural instinct to try to escape, no matter how imminent their capture or death.
The water was slipping from his grasp. His breathing was getting heavier instead of easier. But he wasn't ready to give up yet. Not yet. Please, not yet...
He tried to coax the water back up, just a little higher. But seconds later, every last drop of water slipped from his hold and splashed back into the creek. Panting, he dropped to his knees in the middle of the creek.
The three bon kir in human form dashed forward. Two of them grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet. Kendal was too tired to struggle.
One of the bon kir holding him twisted his arm up behind his back. Kendal flinched and gritted his teeth. The bon kir chuckled, but loosened his grip. The two of them tied his hands together at the wrists, and again just below his elbows. Then, each with a hand on his upper arm, they directed him up out of the creek. He stumbled at the top, but caught himself before they could do anything, and kept walking.
After a few feet, the bon kir stopped him.
"Anyone else thirsty?" one of them asked.
Kendal's breath caught in his throat.
"Isn't there too many of us?" another asked. "He wouldn't last. We should draw straws."
A third-- the only female in the group-- came up to him and traced her finger along his jaw. He clenched his teeth to keep himself from shuddering. She smiled and laughed lightly. "Not necessarily. If we each take no more than a sip, there will be plenty and to spare, so he will last for later."
No. No. Please no...
The two holding Kendal's arms released him and stepped back. "Ladies first," one of them said sarcastically, sounding like he was smirking.
The female stepped closer, an eager smile on her face. "With pleasure," she purred. She placed her hands on Kendal's shoulders. Kendal flinched and took a step back. Her smile disappeared, and she tightened her grip on his shoulders. "Fighting could make this painful," she warned. She looked over his shoulder at the bon kir standing behind him. "Hold him still for me, would you?" she asked.
Hands gripped his arms tightly, bending them closer together behind his back than they should be. Kendal gasped.
The female stepped forward again, baring her fangs. Kendal shrank back, but the bon kir behind him twisted his arms. Kendal moaned.
The female stretched toward his neck, then turned and pouted at the others. "He's too tall. I can't reach his throat."
The two bon kir behind Kendal forced him down to his knees. The female bent over his neck, and bit. Kendal jerked, but the grip on his arms held him relatively still.
A few seconds later, the female stepped back, blood glistening on her lips and on her teeth. "Oh, it's been too long since we had a Nikagar. I'd almost forgotten how good their blood tastes."
The four in spider form had changed back to human form in those few seconds; one of them now stepped forward eagerly. "My turn?"
When none of the others protested, the young one stepped forward. Kendal gave one last desperate try, jerking against the hands holding him still. One of the bon kir holding him kicked him visciously in the side; the other kicked him in the back. Kendal moaned and went limp.
The young bon kir stepped forward again, took Kendal's chin in his hand and turned his head to one side, and bit.