The Ijiraq stalked the frozen lake. It was a creature of the in-between, a shapeshifter that kidnapped children and left them to fade in the snow. Trailfold. It could vanish from memory even as you looked at it.
But the Uktena was not a human. It was a dragon-serpent of the Cherokee, immense and horned. It lay coiled on the bank, its scales clinking like coins.
The Ijiraq laughed. Voice of Kin. It mimicked the sound of a wounded deer, trying to lure the snake onto the thin ice.
The Eye That Sees
The Uktena raised its massive head. Between its horns pulsed a diamond the size of a skull. Cranial Jewel Pulse.
This jewel did not see light; it saw intent.
The Ijiraq shifted, becoming a caribou, then a man, then a patch of fog. It tried to hide in the visual noise.
The Uktena hissed. The light from its crystal cut through the glamour. It saw the true form of the Ijiraq—a sideways-mouthed horror.
The Breath
The Ijiraq realized it was seen. It shrieked and tried to run.
The Uktena opened its mouth. Venomous Breath.
A cloud of green gas rolled across the ice. It wasn't just poison; it was rot. It ate through the glamour. It ate through the spirit. The Ijiraq choked, its many faces melting away until there was nothing left but a stain on the snow. The Uktena lowered its head, satisfied, and went back to sleep.