Dark Beast

Chapter 2

From one minute the girl was about to be eaten the next thing she knows she's at the Infirmary. They fit a tube right in her mouth and poured in something that made her feel like she wanted to puke. Whatever it is they're feeding her was probably their only source of food and the only thing that'll keep her alive. Skarlagk watched the medic do his work on the frail human child. One of their subordinates came up right next to her and questioned, "Skarlagk, I don't understand. Why are we saving this human when we could feast on her tell there's nothing left but bone?" She took out the pendant she had found on one of the scouts from the stables. "Do you recognized this," she asked. He took a closer look at the pendant and then realized what it is. "No...no that's impossible. I mean I heard the rumors, but I didn't think they be true." "Well it turns out it is," she said. "Whether you and the resistance may or may not like it. This girl could be a valuable asset to our cause and a threat to Gunmar," Skarlagk said.

Talia was off drifting in her dream, to the place where she alway's met her lioness, Dawn and Kanjigar. Except for this time she was back in the woods all by herself that is until Dawn showed up. "Dawn!" Talia ran up embracing her big cat crying. "You have no idea how long I've missed you," she cried. The lioness put her paw on her back embracing her way of hugging her back. The wind brushed through the trees but with an ominous force. Dawn became full-scale alert, pushed Talia aside, and got in front to protect her. Talia looked into the dark shadowy part of the woods and saw something. A pair of red eyes glowed in the dark and stepped into the light revealing itself to be another lion, a male, except this one was black, covered in scars, and it was twice as Dawn. It bared its teeth growling at the two, Dawn got into a defensive position, the two predator's were at a stare down, they pounced and began fighting each other.

The black lion was overpowering Dawn by its massive strength, Talia went to aid her friend, she picked up a rock and threw it at the beast. It grabbed the monster's attention, he got off from Dawn and chased after her. Talia ran through the forest but the black lion was catching up to her, she ran into a dead end and was cornered by this demonic cat. He punched and pinned Talia down to the ground piercing its claws into her chest. Talia was starting to feel a rush of cold run through her veins, her skin began to grow pale, her nails were turning black along with her hair, her eyes were turning red, and her heart was succumbing to the darkness. Dawn came in time and got the beast off her, Talia was back to normal, but whatever that thing has done to her made her pretty weak. Talia turned to see the lions still at it, Dawn was able to beat it, she rushed over to Talia, and checked on her friend. Talia reached her hand out for her, but then saw the monster get back on its feet. Talia found the will to get back up and embraced her lion once more, creating a burst of light protecting them.

She woke up gasping from that horrible nightmare her head was covered in sweat. The girl looked around her area, confused about where she's at. "Where, am I," she said. "So your finally awake," Talia turned to find a female Gumm-Gumm standing in the doorway and recognized her earlier from the kitchen. "It's you," Talia. The Gumm-Gumm walked over to her standing next to her stone bed and took a good look at the girl. Talia was starting to feel uncomfortable the way she was looking at her. "What," she asked. Then the Gumm-Gumm brought out and showed her what was in her hand. "Does this belong to you," she asked. Talia didn't know how but she was holding her father's pendant in her big stone hand. "My pendant...," Talia said. "How did you get that? I had it around my neck." She was going to take it, but the Gumm-Gumm snatched it back. Talia looked up at her unpleased, "Hey!" She dangled the silver pendant from her hand. "If this pendant is truly yours and you want it back then you'll have to earn it first," she said keeping the pendant away from the young girl trying to reach it. "Earn it," Talia asked. "What do you I have to prove?" The Gumm-Gumm warrior twirled the pendant around her finger and said, " Follow me."

Meanwhile, in Trollmarket, the trolls had already gathered all of the pieces of the fallen Killahead Bridge and store it in the vault for safekeeping. June had watched them bring in the stone rubble piling them up in this storage facility and now she stands there staring at the rubble depressed. After Jim and Toby had told her about what happened at the museum she became totally distraught. First, she had failed to save her brother and now she had failed to protect her only niece.

Vendel came to the entrance seeing the poor heartbroken witch standing there alone. He walked in with his heartstone staff and approached. June knew about his presence but did not move a single flinch. "You don't think he has her do you," she asked with an upset sound in her voice. "I do not know for certain," Vendel said. "And I may not have the answer to tell whether which she is alive or not, but I do know this... she would never want you like this and let her sacrifice be in vain." Vendel took a few steps further and touched one of the pieces. "We cannot open the bridge and risk letting Gunmar out. You know that as well as any of us." "Yes," June said wiping a tear from her eye. Vendel saw this and took pity on her.

Back in the school of Arcadia, Coach Laurence was substituting for history class since Strickler had disappeared. Before class started a new student came in. He was sixteen, tall, tone, dark trendy brown hair, olive skin, pale golden eyes, wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt, jeans, and black tennis shoes. "Alright class, this here is Marshall Cadden and he will be studying with us," Coach presented. "Care to tell everyone about yourself." Marshall stood there quiet, not interested, and said only one word, "No." The girls eyed by his cool, independent, fierce, bad boy charm, but most of all his handsome looking face. Jim, Toby, and Claire, on the other hand, thought of him as a strange individual. "Oookay, why don't you go on ahead and take your seat," Coach said. Marshall walked towards the back, Steve smirked with mischief, aimed his paper ball and threw it at him, but the transfer student caught the ball as if he predicted it. Marshall glared at the bully's annoyed by his immaturity and took an empty seat next to Jim. He looked at him and greeted, "Hey." "Huh...hey," Jim raised his hand weirded out.

When it reached noon, Jim was sitting with his friends, Toby and Claire, talking about their missing friend. "Boy, sure is weird without Talia lecturing me about my eating habits," Toby said, before eating the sandwich Jim had made this morning. "Yeah..." Jim sighed. "How long have you guys known, Tally," Claire asked. "Since kindergarten. She was all alone at first, bullies picked on her because of her natural hair color, and she was scared to do anything about it. When Toby and I became friends with her she was starting to feel more confident in herself. When Steve and his goons started to pick on us, Talia found her courage, beat them up, sent those guys to the Nurse's office and back home," Jim chuckled. "Whoa..." Claire said stunned by their friend's brutal nature. "And that's when we made her an official part of our group," Toby said. "Tal, then known the by the name, Silver Amazon, anyone messes her or her friends end up getting pulverized."

Marshall got his lunch and sat at an empty table with anyone to bother him. Until certain somebody slammed his hand on the table. He looked up and find the same boy from his history class and his friends behind him. "Hey, Newb, you're sitting in our table," Steve said. Marshall wasn't threatened or intimated by this imbecile. The attention was drawing the crowd especially Jim and the others. "Oh, no," Jim slapped his hand into his face. He ignored him and went back to eating his meal. "Oh, playing hard to get are we," Steve pushed his tray aside, sliding it off the table to the floor. Marshall looked up at the fool again and stood up from the table still not intimated. "Well, what you gonna do now," he chuckled. Marshall remained quiet and didn't make a move. Steve was starting to get annoyed by his silence and clinched his fists. Jim was about to help, but all of a sudden. "Come on say something thing you mouse!" He threw in a punch, but Marshall blocked it and punched him below his ribs.

Steve clutched onto his abdomen in pain. He turned to his friends and said, "Get him!" The boys jumped on the table and tried to nab him. Marshall evaded their assaults, hit one of their heads with a roundhouse kick and knife hand strike to the other knocking them down, Steve ran in with a tackle, Marshall placed his left hand on his shoulder, moved aside hit him with a downward elbow, round-house kicked one of his arms and finished it with a front kick. Everyone watch as Marshall continuously outmaneuvering and beating them until they couldn't take fight anymore. Marshall left the cafeteria leaving everyone completely awestruck, then they all turned into cheers. Jim, Toby, and Claire didn't have the choice for words. "Looks like Steve has another one to fear," Toby said. Jim and Claire shook their heads in agreement.

The Gumm-Gumm leader, Skarlagk, led Talia to the courtyard where they all practice with combat and weapons. The army stopped and knelt before their warrior queen's presence. She raised her hand to signified them to rise and they did. "Skarlagk, you still haven't answered my question. What do I need to do to get my pendant back," Talia asked. Skarlagk looked at her then her drill Sargent moved her head signifying him and he knew what to do. He cleared out the Gumm-Gumm army forming space. Skarlagk stood front in center with Talia, "My loyal soldiers, I present here the last remaining survivor of the once powerful clan, who were once trollkinds greatest adversaries who fought alongside with the human race survival, the Silver Lion," She presented. The army gasped and whispered. "That can't be true! The Silver Lion's are extinct! This girl can't possibly be one of them!" they all said. "That's what we all thought, but I have proof," Skarlagk showed them Talia's pendant in front of the crowd. "This pendant belonged to their chieftain, Leo the Slayer, the Alpha lion, Warrior of Pride, and this girl is his descendant." The tension of the crowd was starting to become tense. Some of them muttered under breath in disgust, their eyes glared showing resentment and contempt.

Talia was fully aware of their animosity and spoke with Skarlagk, "Uh, Skarlagk I think you should-" Skarlagk did not listen and continued. "Which is why this is your chance to satisfy yourself in pounding this flesh to the ground!" "WHAT!" Talia yelled. Everyone froze and turned to complete and utter silence. "You hear me unleash your fury and kill this lion!" she said, as she jumped over to one of the towers where her lieutenant resides. The Gumm-Gumm's stared at the girl with the sudden urge of an attempt to kill their enemy and charged screaming. Talia jumped on top of one of them and dodge each and every one of their attacks. She looked up at the tower and yelled, "I thought you were going to put me in a test to prove my worth!" A Gumm-Gumm knocked Talia over and was about to finish her until she unleashed a powerful force pushing him and some of the Gumm-Gumm's close be away.

Talia was now in her feral state fighting off the Gumm-Gumm horde clawing, punching, kicking and dodging their attacks. Skarlagk watches the little white flame fighting for her life. Lieutenant came to her side and asked, "I do not understand, Commander Skarlagk, I thought you wanted alive." "If she survives, she'll live," Skarlagk said. More Gumm-Gumms keep on coming and Talia's feral state is not enough to keep up. She had been enduring the pain and damage inflicting upon her, and she was starting to become close being defeated. Talia let out a mighty roar creating a powerful hurricane blowing them away, but they still kept coming. The lone lioness thought at first she was spared and now she'd been sentenced to death. But worst of all the treasured memory of her father is now in the hands of her enemy and that angered her even more. The Gumm-Gumm army ganged up on her and now was at their mercy.

They all had her pinned down and there was no way of escaping this time. Talia was now starting to become more afraid. This truly is the end of the road for her. She thought about her friends Jim, Toby, Blinky, Arrrgh, Draal, and Claire. The last time she saw her was at the hospital where she and Jim were recovering from their fighting against Nomura. She apologized to her for overreacting about Steve and then became friends. Talia honestly told her that she had never had a girlfriend before and, Jim and Toby were the only ones in her life. Draal, he promised her to have a sparring match with her. Arrrgh, the lovable giant. She'd learned he was once a Gumm-Gumm himself and Gunmar's general, but in the end, he broke free from his ways and he had saved not only trollkind, but humankind as well. Blinky, he'd been teaching her and her friend's troll lore and their language, and a good teacher at that. Toby, she always teases him and tries to make him eat better choices of food, but he just doesn't listen. Jim, she had always admired his brave loyalty to everyone around him, in fact, he's the reason that helps her keep going. Her heart started to burn bright and felt this extraordinary power within through her body.

Skarlagk and her lieutenant watched from the tower as the Gumm-Gumm's have the girl right in their hands. "Well, I guess the little cub has-" Skarlagk interjected and said, "She's not done yet." She pointed out for him to continue to watch. The earth began to shake, a powerful burst of light emerged from the crowd like the sun and blasted the Gumm-Gumms away. Then Talia appeared different than she was before her feral state took in all new level. Her body and face showed cat-like features, most of her body was covered in silver fur, a little muscular appearance, her ears were pointy, her human eyes turned to a beast, and she even grew out a tail. The crowd was now completely stunned by her new form, it even intimated the lieutenant, but Skarlagk smiled as if she expected this to happen.

Talia crouched down to the ground ready for round two, in a dash of lighting all of the Gumm-Gumm soldiers went down, not killed, just unconscious. Talia transformed back into a human from her beast form and landed on her knees in exhaustion. Skarlagk's lieutenant jaw dropped speechlessly. Skarlagk jumped down from the tower and went over to the victorious girl. "Well done. You truly are a lion," she said. Talia wobbly got back on her feet and faced her, "I beat your test! Now give me back my father's pendant!" "Oh, but of course. But I would like to ask you something first," Skarlagk said. "And what would be," Talia asked with her hands on her hips. "What will you do next," Skarlagk asked. Talia snatched her pendant from her claw, wore it back around her neck, and walked away. "Getting out of this dump of course," Talia said. "And how will you do that without the bridge," Skarlagk asked. Talia stopped and turned around to face her. "What happens if you run into Gunmar? I have just helped you unlock another level of your feral state. I have seen your people and have obtained some knowledge before they've perished. I can help you achieve more of your power if you do one if you accept my terms," Skarlagk said. "And that is," Talia asked. "Join me, and I help us defeat Gunmar," Skarlagk concluded.