The Weekly Whatever

This is just a little concept thing for a new story in a new land. Tell me what you think about it.

Aera pulled at the chain around a crystamount's throat.

"It will pick you," her father reminded her. 12 was the age when all children visited the deep underground caverns of Occulo. It was the age when they had to choose. Or be chosen. Her younger brother ran around, trying to pet the various crystamounts who growled or hissed at his touch. The vast array of creatures astounded her.

"Come on Aera, look at these. Pleeaaase can we get a slitherwink! Pleeeassse" he begged. A huge golden snake hissed at her, fangs dripping with poisonous venom. Aera recoiled from the slitherwink.

"Aera, please hurry up." her older sister groaned, her ruby soartalon perched on her shoulder.

"Be patient Vela!" her mother scolded.

"I took barely a few minutes to pick Ruse. Why is Aera taking forever?” Vela shot back. The falcon-like creature on Vela's shoulder cast a disapproving look at Aera. Like human, like crystamount. Her life would be forever entwined with that of the Crystamount she chose. The wrong choice was unthinkable. Suddenly she heard a humming in her ear. She turned, and saw something extraordinary. An iridescent green and purple humminglure rattled against its chain. The magnificent bird stared at Aera through obsidian eyes. It was beautiful. It had to be hers.

“This one." Aera said, turning to her family.

Her mother smiled warily "Are you sure? Remember, this decision will cost you a lifetime." she said.

"Why don't you see if it chooses you?" her father suggested. Aera nodded and reached her hand up to the humminglure. If the jewels encrusted onto its wings changed color it would mean that the crystamount chose her too. Of course that didn't mean it was the right choice. She couldn't know that until the Blood Bond ceremony in 3 months. She reached up to touch the humminglure's head, her fingers tingling with anticipation. She had waited for this moment for 12 years. The humminglure let out an unearthly shriek and dodged her touch. It glared at her, black eyes lit up in rage. Humminglures were one of the most docile and obedient crystamounts. If it was that angry, it really didn't like her. Vela clucked her tongue, and Ruse let out a squawk of obvious disappointment. Aera turned and ran down the hall, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly she stopped at another cage.

A tiny snow leopard was curled up in the corner, jeweled horns protruding from between its diminutive ears. Aera reached out to touch the fragile creature. What sort of crystamount was it? In its small form, it could pass for a normal snow leopard, except for its horns. When the crystamount saw her, it swelled up to its usual shape, a 5-foot tall snow leopard-like crystamount with dark horns laced with clear jewels. Spotted white wings, At her touch the gems on its horns, paws, and tail turned bright iris purple. In its true form Aera recognized the crystamount. An amethyst nixalis. Rarer than a corpse flower. Only one was born every 5 years. And this one had chosen Aera.

Here are some character descriptions

Aera - Silver/black hair with cobalt streak and olive eyes. Her hair is originally black, but will switch to silver-white later in the story.

Vela - Short, straight black hair with red highlights. Ruse is perpetually perched on her shoulder.