The Fire in Her Eyes

A pet named Sasha

The icy wind whips wildly through my fur, my paws are numb from the cold snow, and my back leg aches from the fall. I'm alone, in the middle of a dense snowy forest somewhere in Grizzleheim… lost. I'm pretty pathetic, a Sabertooth lost in my ancestor's domain and meowing like a newborn kitten. But I'm smaller than they were, and grew up in the comforts of the indoors with my master.

My master…

I hope he's ok, you know not long ago everything had been fine, I was on a hunting trip with my master and his men when we are attacked by a pack of wild frost beetles! The horses were frightened, and I tried to stay by his side but-then a frost beetle came after me! I was thrown against a tree, and ended up hurting my back leg, but instead of fighting back to protect my master I fled like a scaredy-cat! Now I'm lost, cold, and tired, with no shelter in-hey what's that?

I see something in the distance through the whirl of snow! I hurry toward it as fast as I can, the cave looming into sight like it's welcoming me. Once I limp in, I violently shake off the snow, my collar jingling loudly. The cave smells like it hasn't been inhabited in quite some time, I guess it'll have to do for tonight. I carefully lay down, trying to stay off my injured leg as much as possible. Tucking my paws under my chin, I let exhaustion sweep over my body, my eyes closing. I slowly slip into the dream world.

Sasha….

Huh? Wha'? My eyes snap open and I scramble to my feet in a panic. Who said that? Was it a ghost? Oh no, is this cave haunted? My heart pounds wildly and my breath comes out in quick visible puffs. Ok, ok, I need to calm down and assess the situation like a smart kitty would do. I breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly, before unsheathing my claws, turning to make a full perimeter check of the cave.

I'm almost done when a glint catches my eye, making me stop in my tracks. There's a tunnel carved into the rock wall, and a dim glow was coming from the other side. I don't remember seeing that tunnel before. I feel pulled toward it, even though my instincts are screaming at me to flee. I have had enough with my instincts in that regard. I start to hobble towards the light, my leg really beginning to hurt, but I refuse to let out any whine, I need to be tougher than that.

Ooh, if only if I had been strong enough to protect my master! Maybe I wouldn't have wound up here like-whoa.

I step into a large round chamber, illuminated by patches of glowing crystals of varying sizes. It's absolutely gorgeous, at least in my opinion, how the crystals reflect patterns on the ice walls. My eyes land on a hanging circular centerpiece of glowing crystals, reminding me of my master's chandelier. I follow its structure downwards to the very tip, where a single drop of water forms and falls into a pool below. A pool?

I limp to it, my jaw opening in awe. It's big, round, and still, reflecting the ceiling perfectly until a drop disturbs the surface, causing the whole image to ripple and distort before becoming still once more. Just where in the Spiral am I?

I creep to the edge, peeking my head over since the pool is about-I'm bad at measuring so let's say- half of a Horned Sweeper below the ground. My front claws dig into the sides of the rock as I look at my reflection, which was is distorted when a drop hits the water. But-wait, something's not right. Every time it distorts I swear there's something else in my place, but when it calms down it's just me again. I lean my head further over the edge, trying to figure what it is that's off.

Crack! Goes the rock below me, giving way under my weight. I yowl as I tumble toward the water, oh Master! Help me please!

I close my eyes and feel myself plunge into the water, which is surprisingly not freezing cold. It feels cool and …fresh. I feel so strange, like…like this was my home, a sense of peace and tranquility washing over me, causing me to relax. I'm weightless, slowly turning in the water, I can't even feel the pain of my leg. Even the idea of drowning doesn't frighten me…I do not fear death.

"Your heart is pure…and yet there is something you strongly desire" a voice murmurs in my head, to which I calmly respond.

"I want…power" I answer in my mind, my body feeling numb and detached.

"To appease your owner…"

"Yes…I want…to protect him…to make him proud" there's a long pause.

"Your intentions show true…very well… I shall give you that power…"

It is as if I feel the presence go away, I break from the trance. Suddenly I realize my lungs are shrieking for oxygen! I snap open my eyes to look for the surface, completely disoriented. A light shines and dances on the water's surface, to which I frantically swim up to. I reach my front paw out to it, or-I think it's my front paw, the light must be playing a trick on me because it kind of looks like-

My head breaks the surface, and I gasp for air, wheezing it in desperately to please my aching lungs. My body still feels strange and tingly, like it isn't mine at all- Wait a minute! This isn't that chamber?!

I tread the water as I turn in a full circle. I am in- some sort of body of water surrounded by tall cliffs! What is going on?! But before I can even fully process what in the Spiral just happened I hear someone yell:

"Look! There's a girl in the water!"

A/N: Hey everyone! Author here! I know this chapter is pretty short, but it's the first! This is my first time writing in 1st POV (point of view) at least as far as I know, so if you have any tips, comments, or corrections don't be scared to review! I accept all constructive criticism! Thanks for reading!