Chapter 5

A Chapter by Kittybell

Elaina

“Sssso you are the one protecting him.” The creature hissed, its tongue sliding in and out of what looked to be his mouth, giving off a rotten smell of a decaying body.

My panther paws pinned him to the ground, preventing him from using his fang like claws. “Only from the likes of you, tamer.” I growled. “Why are you here? What do you want with the human?”

“Who ssssaid it wassss the human I wassss after?” It sneered up at me.

A sudden pain shot through my tail. I whipped my head around to find a thin needle, almost invisible with my fur, sticking out the tip of my tail. The world started to spin; I staggered to keep my position above the tamer but failed, falling onto my side. I struggled to stand but my legs gave out and I collapsed again to the hard, cold floor.

The tamer slowly stood up, towering over my now paralyzed body. “Not sssso threatening when given a large dosssse of demon tranquilizer are you dessssmand.” My vision blurred further, making everything fuzzy. “Ssssuch a rare demon you are. Ssssuch a sssshame I have to give you up to the Demon Lord.” It sneered, or so I thought it did. I couldn’t tell due to the fuzz in my vision.

The creature moved closer to me as if to pick me up when a large wave crashed onto the dock. My vision lasted long enough for me to barley make out Joseph running toward the tamer.

My eyes blind and my body paralyzed I was unable to do anything as my body was lifted from the ground. Scaley skin rubbed against my fur. No sooner after I was lifted from the ground was I dropped again. The tranquilizer didn’t fully work, leaving me conscious. I listened to the battle raging around me. Water splashing, hissing from both reptiles, and a strange dark sound.

Rapid footsteps circled around me sounding more like a coordinated dance than a battle. I could easily pick out Joseph’s light footsteps. His steps sounded calmer than they should be against two deadly opponents. I strained my ears to hear more. As I concentrated I could pick out heavy breathing. That must be Joseph. I thought. I strained my ears more, the breathing didn’t sound exactly human. I strained harder, but couldn’t hear anymore. The tranquilizer started up again, slowly dampening my hearing. The sounds, my only link to the battle, disappeared.

* * *

“Elaina! Elaina honey wake up, we have to go!” My mother whispered loudly, shaking me.

I sleepily opened my eyes to see my mother’s face, tears creating thin black lines down her face. “What is it mommy?” I asked.

“Come on honey. Get out of bed and get your cloak. We need to get you out of here.” She kept glancing at my bedroom door and back at me again.

“Okay mommy.” I crawled out of my overly sized bed and waddled over to my closet, my mother close behind.

My bedroom door slammed open and my mother shoved me into the closet, quickly closing the door behind me.

“Where is the child Margaret!? Show her to me!” I peeked through the crack between the blinds of the closet door. A large soldier stood at the door with a sword pointed at my mother. My mother’s back blocked the rest of my view.

“You will never get your ugly hands on her.” My mother spat at the soldier.

He slowly wiped the spit off his face as he walked closer to her. “You will tell me where she is, or I will slice you to pieces.” He took a small knife from his pelt and sliced her cheek, a thick line of blood forming under the blade.

She just stood there in front of the closet door, showing no sign of noticing the slice in her cheek. The soldier’s face turned beet red with anger. “Tie her up!” He ordered and more soldiers rushed over with rope.

“YOU WILL NEVER FIND HER!! SHE WILL RUN AND RUN AND YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHO SHE IS!! NEVER!!” I watched my mother kick and scream, giving me one last loving glance as she was dragged out of the room. After I couldn’t hear the soldier’s footsteps I burst out of the closet and sobbed on my bed. A few minutes passed and I heard footsteps outside my room so I ran to the window. For the first time in my eight years of life, I shape shifted.

Tears rolled down my face as the memory faded to the back of my mind where it was locked away for all those years. I haven’t thought of my mother since I joined the Demon Lord’s army. The smell of blood and the feel of my blades slicing through demon and human flesh alike kept my mind busy and disgusted enough to prevent that memory from resurfacing. I never transformed while I was in front of other demons for the reason that rumors buzzed around the city that the princess had those abilities and I was afraid they might think it was me.

I pushed everything aside that was running around in my head and slowly opened my eyes to find myself in Joseph’s bed. I looked around the room and found Joseph, fast asleep, on the only chair in the room. I quickly sat up with inhuman speed only to fall back down again from dizziness, the bed creaking as I fell back down with a flop.

“You took a nasty dose of that tranquilizer, so you might as well enjoy the bed while you can.” Joseph mumbled from his chair, barely opening his eyes.

I stared at him in disbelief. “What of the tamer and his serpent?” I asked cautiously.

He opened his eyes and slowly sat up. “I took care of them.” He answered simply. The tone in his voice making it obvious he didn’t want to speak about it.

I lay there quietly, thinking of the multiple reasons why I was the target. It couldn’t be because of my leaving the army, I gave my resignation. I didn’t commit treason. What was it? As I contemplated the reasons Joseph walked to the end of the bed and picked up what looked to be a red bag. As he walked closer I realized it was a bag of blood from the hospital.

“I figured you prefered this over human food.” He said as he handed me the bag.

I stared at him in disbelief, cautiously taking the bag. I made a slit in the top of the bag with my finger nail and took a small taste. I looked up from my meal at Joseph. He was back in his chair staring out the window obviously trying not to look at me.

“Thank you.” I mumbled and continued with my meal

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