"Oh no, oh no!" She kept repeating in a frantic whisper, as she pulled desperately on the metal. How she despised chains with her very being! Deb tried everything, punching the bed pulling full force on the chains only to succeed in setting herself in a much worse panic. She knew she couldn't change because of how tight the chain was Deb would only succeed in crushing the bones in her wrist. As much as she despised it, Deb knew what she had to do but she wasn't happy about it in the least.
Using the metal of the bed she held her chained hand between the bars lifting her foot to crunch down on her hand. Deb took a deep breathing, aiming so in hopes she would only have to do it once. Hesitating she exhaled then took another deep breath. She pulled her foot higher to gain more leverage and dropped her foot down with all her weight but only to stop inches from her hand.
"Oh, I can't do this!" She wept feeling the beat of her heart as it hammered from adrenaline. Deb cursed putting her hand back on the bars. "Yes," She snarled. "but you must if you don't want to go through another few years of torture!" She said to herself and with the memory of what happened to her back at 'The company' she lifted her leg as high as she could without falling and slammed it down in the most powerful kick she could manage. She heard the pop and loud crunch before the pain registered with her brain. The pain travel up her arm and she screamed loud as tears began falling from her eyes.
"FUCK!" She spat through clenched teeth and tears. She panted heavily as more streams of insults, curses and general ramblings poured out of her mouth. Before finally gaining enough courage to look at her hand. One kick did not do it, she needed to break all of her hand and she had only partially successful. She groaned in disappointment and hatred. Deb didn't think she could do it again but with what she thought was the sound of someone soon approaching silenced her inner qualms. She put her hand all over again in the same spot and brought her foot down harder and better aimed. She screeched, but not as loud as the last time.
Her hand was fully broken now, fingers distorted and bent, skin already turning a yellow purple tint. At least she would heal in a few minutes, hopefully. With tears still clouding her eyes she pulled at the shackle cursing and grunting as the metal touched the sensitive skin. It slid off of her hand and hit the ground with a loud chink. Deb suppressed a whimper as she brought her hand to her chest.
She slurred every bit of profanity that she knew in even words in different languages. Deb swore that if she ever found the son of a bitch who chained her, they were going to get ripped apart limb from limb and slowly, very slowly. She cursed again under her breath as she felt part of her thumb snap back into place on its own accord. That was just as painful as when she snapped it out of place. She watched in curiosity as her pinky popped back into place just like her thumb. She flinched and cursed feeling the pain of her bones and muscles setting back into its original place.
Ignoring her apprehension, she walked forward to the large door that was only a few feet away from the oversized gurney that she was on. Fearing that the door would not open but not giving up she stepped close to it and to her pleasant surprise the door slid open without any resistance, revealing a long metal corridor that seemed to be void of life. Taking a few steps forward on the strange grated metal, she shuttered not liking the sensation of the cold metal on her bare feet.
Deb grunted audibly, and continued to slink forward listening for any sound. She knew that she was no longer on the planet and had a good feeling of where she was. She surveyed the metal hallway seeing that there was a slight fork in her path; in front of her there was the same hallway and to her left was an equally ominous hallway with equally no signs of life. Deciding that it was probably best to continue on the route that she was on, she continued walking not really sure of what her plan of action was.
"Ooman?" Deb's heart jolted as she recognized that kind of gravelly voice. She spun around on her heals to face her questioner. It was indeed who she thought it was, one of the humanoids, this one a deep muddy brown. One of his mandible twitched in contemplation before he turned his head to look back to the infirmary. How did she get out of her bounds? He then saw the hand that she was cradling to her chest, and how it looked to be slightly deformed in both color and shape. Ah, he thought, that's how. She broke her own hand. He laughed; he didn't expect her to be that desperate.
Deb took a step back as the hunter took a step forward. He put his hands in front of his chest in a passive sign.
"Cahlm ooman." He said and Deb had to marvel on how this one was, in a way speaking English. She gave him a shy smile and a nervous laugh before turning on her heals and sprinting off as fast as her human legs could take her.
The metal wasn't exactly the most pleasant surface to run on, in fact it kind of hurt her feet as they came slapping on the small grates. She could hear the hunter's pounding steps as he gain on her. Out of fear she peeked over her shoulder and gasped at how little distance was between her and him. She squeaked and began forcing her muscles to work harder before inwardly cursing herself for being such an idiot.
"Screw this!" She yelled out loud before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath and letting her instincts take control. She felt her body expand to its familiar animalistic form. She let out a relieved sigh as she felt her long slender fingers touch the metal, wincing as her partially broken hand hit the ground before using her now four legs to pull her forward, faster. Deb relished as she felt her long, lanky legs pull her body forward and away from the creature. Already the distance between the two began to increase more and more with each stride of Deb's legs. She laughed audibly sounding more like wheezy growls then actual laughs. Four legs were by far better than two.
Deb's victory over the humanoid was sweet but short lived when the hallway she was running in branched off to another hallway that had three other hunters. She cursed mentally but didn't slow down, instead sped up ramming into the few humanoids that dared stop in attempts to catch her due to the barked commands of the hunter behind her. She ducked her head under the legs of one and with all her strength, rammed her head up, tipping him to the side into another hunter. She wasn't about to give up her new found freedom so easily. She laughed again because of her victory and forced her muscles again to move faster. Behind her, she now had several hunters after her, even the first one she had met in front of the infirmary.
Knowing that this chase was probably going to end up with her in a cage she sped forward again, lifting her ears up in alert position and widening her nostril hole to pick up scents. Smelling a familiar musk her heart quickened. She recognized that scent anywhere. In a split decision Deb slammed her injured foot down yapping in pain as her body turned and skid down a new hallway to her right. Her body slammed against the wall and she lost grip of the ground and fell to her stomach. She stood slowly raising to her feet, shaking her head. As she stood she noticed that the four or so hunters were quietly sneaking up to her, attempting to contain her. Deb grunted rolling her eyes before taking off in full speed again.
Notch was calmly walking down a familiar corridor of the ship in even comfortable strides, in no armor what so ever. It was so far an uneventful day and he was just coming from training. He stretched slowly as he continued walking before being stopped by the sounds of a commotion. It wasn't often that this ship was in any sort of disorder and he cocked his head to the side in inquisition. He didn't have much time to think on what could possibly be going on before a familiar large creature came bounding in his direction, behind her in tow, five other hunters. Notch growled knowing full well that if she woke up in chains that the creature would surely have a fit.
Deb saw another hunter before her and scented the air. Knowing that musk she ran faster to the hunter she recognized gurgling in greetings. For a brief second, Notch was certain that she would barrel through him, like she had done so many times to so many of his kind but she didn't. Deb dodged to his left, slowing down immediately, tucking her body to his back as she nudged her reptilian muzzle under his right arm to peek out at the approaching hunters. She opened her mouth, barring her fangs as released a slow dramatic hiss. He brought his arm around to her neck, wrapping his arm around her thick shoulders, gave her a reassuring pat.
As the other hunters approached he began to gently scratch the spot where her shoulders and neck connected, his talons feeling the resistance of the thick pebbly scaled skin before sliding his hand back to her shoulder to scratch, surprised to find this part of the skin to be smooth. It seemed that she had only patches of rough scales. Deb in pure heaven closed her four eyes and leaned her entire weight into the hunter , causing him to brace just to hold her weight. The other hunters looked on in aw, he had in fact tamed the beast like the rumors had stated.
Deb, fully knowing that her dignity as a strong independent creature was slowly dying a horrific and painful death, didn't care at that moment as Notch move his hand to her side feeling her naturally prominent ribs and giving in a series of strong loving pats. His comrades clicked in question before one stepped forward to attempt to touch the new strange beast. Before his hand even came close to feeling the rough skin of Debs muzzle, she snapped her eyes open giving the humanoid a look of pure hate before snapping at his hand, missing on purpose and letting her jaw snap close with a loud echoing crack. Slicking her ears back to display her irritation, she growled, a deep throaty snarl. The hunter stepped back and in return Deb stood, no longer leaning on Notch, knowing that she had been reduced to nothing more than a dog. All four eyes narrowed on Notch trying to communicate how pissed she was with him. Getting her hint he thrilled a laugh in her expense. Still glaring at him as he laughed at her, she whipped her tail, that was thick and long, with thick patches of armored scales but instead of tipping off in a point like a reptilian tail, it bobbed of in an odd way resembled a snow leopard's tail, and smacked Notch in the back of his head before stomping forward glaring at the five hunter daring them to move. None dared.
Authors note/ I want to thank all the people who have be adding this story to their favorites list and to all the people who have been reviewing. I do love me some reviews. Anyway, Deb is a pissed and afraid of chains and breaking her own hand but hell …. I don't think I would be able to break my own hand even if I did heal after almost anything…. 0.o Well till next chapter -Dowely