Draconian Chronicles 2:
Part Two Felines to the Rescue
Reeko stood there watching the four guymelifs leave the cavern as noisily as they had come in. He turned and saw the families around him start to come out. They looked to him for leadership. He ran on all fours to the exit, to make sure Dilandau was gone, and then ran back.
"Ziaboch is gone for now!" He told everyone. "We must move quickly before they return!"
The people nodded and started packing their few belongings. A boy, about thirteen, came up to Reeko. "What about the travelers? Are you just going to leave them…"
"It's not my problem!" Reeko yelled back to the boy. The boy stepped back and stared in disbelief at their leader. Reeko into his eyes and saw fear mixed with hope. He sighed. "Alright. Keep everyone moving. I'll be right back!" Reeko said running out of the cavern.
"How will you find us?!" The boy asked.
Reeko stopped, turned, and smiled. "Don't worry. You're my family! I will always be able to find you!" Then he ran out.
I can't
do this alone and there's only one girl that comes to mind.
Hitomi and Van were dragged to a large room. The guards shoved them harshly almost making them fall on their faces. Their hands were bound behind them as the guards stood at attention.
At the far end stood Folken. He was staring out a large window overlooking Petite Beau. "It seems you've allowed your self to be captured again, Angle of Light."
Hitomi growled. "I will not sacrifice innocent lives for my own!"
Folken turned. "How very noble of you. I will have your treasure, and now The Protector can not save you." Folken glanced at Van.
Van narrowed his eyes. "Why are you doing this brother? Hurting innocent lives for…power."
He spit the last word out as if it were dirt.
Folken got mad. "You never understood, brother. You never indulged in having people bow to your every wish. If I hold the Rhinestone of Life, I will rule over all things, humans and creatures alike!"
"You're crazy!" Hitomi said.
Folken came up and backhanded Hitomi across the face. The blow sent her reeling to the floor. Van jumped in front of Hitomi. He glared at Folken daring him to take another shot.
Folken smiled in amusement. "You think because you're the Angel of Light you're invincible? You are nothing! Merely a treasure box with a lock. Once I find the key, your usefulness will end. Folken turned his back on his brother and Hitomi and said. "Take them to the dungeon!"
The guards picked Hitomi off the ground roughly. She had a dribble of blood come from a cut on her lip. "Folken!" She yelled.
Folken turned to her. She spat in his face. Folken narrowed his eyes and motioned for the guards to take them away. Strong arms dragged the two prisoners out of the room, down into the dungeons.
Reeko ran through the streets of Petite Beau with only one thing in mind, Merle. He had to get to her and rescue her friends. Maybe then she would lead him to the angels that would ultimately save his family and friends.
Reeko dodged a fruit cart, but ran into a man carrying bread. The man wobbled and fell over, bread flying everywhere.
"Sorry!" He yelled, but kept running towards the edge of town. When word had come in that the two people Ziaboch were after were coming, the city was dressed up to lure them into the city. He had no idea it was Van and Hitomi. If he had he would have warned them.
Now, as Reeko started across the fields towards the outskirts of the city, he caught her scent. Merle. This was the way she'd left after the first time they met. Now he followed her scent in hopes of getting her help. He just hoped she didn't have any hard feelings about before.
Merle sat up in the tree, her tail
swinging back and forth. Why can't I
get him out of my mind?
She growled. "I didn't even get his name!"
"It's Reeko." A voice said.
Merle was surprised and fell out of the tree, right into Reeko's arms. "Nice to see you again too." He said with a smile. He took a deep breath as Merle's scent filled his nostrils.
Merle jumped out of his arms and went into a fighting stance. "What are you doing here and how did you find me!?"
Reeko frowned. "I followed you scent. How else?"
Merle was surprised and relaxed a bit. "You…you remembered me scent?"
Reeko smiled and took a step forward. "How could I forget?"
Merle smiled. "Do why did you?"
Reeko suddenly got very serious. "Your friends were captured by Ziaboch. They had the whole city under control. I saved them from Dilandau, but he followed me and took them prisoner."
Merle got very mad and pounced on Reeko. She tackled him and managed to pin him down. "You were there and you didn't do anything!?"
Reeko shot up and twisted Merle around. Now he pinned her down and held her by her shoulders. "I had no choice! They were people hiding underground! My family, that could've been hurt! No listen! I came to you for your help! I know where they are, but I can't do it alone!"
Merle stopped struggling and looked up at Reeko. Does he care? Merle pushed him away. "Okay! Let me up!"
Reeko got up and offered a hand to Merle, who accepted it and stood up. She stared at the ground. "Sorry about overreacting."
Reeko placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. You were only worried about your friends."
Merle shook her head. "Lord Van is more than a friend. He's…very special."
Reeko frowned. "You…love him?"
Merle looked up at Reeko and smiled. "I thought I used to, but it's not that kind of love. He loves me like a little sister. He's always been my family. Being an orphan, his family took me in. So yes I do love him. As a brother."
Reeko nodded, fully
understanding. She's an orphan? Then are we…kindred spirits?
Merle looked over at the city. Her face filled with determination. "Let's get going." She started running on all fours towards Petite Beau.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Reeko said taking off after her.
Hitomi hugged her knees in the dark dungeon. "Why is he holding us? Why not take the stone and be done with it?"
Van, who was pacing back and forth, turned to her. "He can't. He doesn't have the Rhinestone of Death anymore."
Hitomi nodded. "We destroyed it."
"Thankfully." Van put his hands on his hips. "He can't take the Rhinestone of Life that way…"
"…So he's holding us until he finds a way." Hitomi finished.
Van nodded. "Exactly."
Folken paced back and forth in his own room, trying to find a way to get the Rhinestone of Life out of the two holders. If only he knew what the key was! It was so frustrating!
Folken smashed his metal hand down against a vase, smashing it into a thousand pieces. Suddenly, Folken's wings burst from his back. Folken sighed. He hated what that happened. He remembered that draconian wings are triggered by emotion. His exertion of anger made them come out.
That's it! Folken thought. If the wings are triggered by emotion, why not the stone? But how to make her feel extreme feelings to cause to occur? What is her weakness? Folken smiled.
Hitomi hated being held captive, and Van was too thrilled about it either. Hitomi growled in frustration. "We have to get out of here!" She harshly whispered.
"Don't count on it." Someone said. Van spun around to face three guards at the gate of the cell. He instinctively moved between Hitomi and the guards. "Lord Folken wouldn't like it very much if his prize possessions ran away." He opened the door. The other two guards came in a grabbed Van and Hitomi. "His Lordship wishes to see you."
Van and Hitomi were led back to the room where they first saw Folken. Van and Hitomi were immediately separated when they came in. One guard held Hitomi while two more took Van to a device. It was the same device Hitomi had been strapped to the first time Folken tried to get the stone from her.
They tied Van's hands to a rope above his head. One guard stepped back while another pulled out a whip. The other guard brought out his sword and in one swipe ripped Van's shirt off. It fell to the floor in a heap of cloth. The second guard pulled his whip back and began lashing Van across the back.
Van bit back the pain and gritted his teeth.
Hitomi felt the pain of the lashes on her back and cried out in pain. "Stop! Please!"
Folken suddenly appeared from above them on a catwalk above the device. "I don't think so, Angel of Light. Your protector is the key to the Rhinestone of Life. You feel his pain. Each lash," Van was lashed again and Hitomi cried out again, tears falling down her face. "That hits his back. Soon your pain and misery will consume you and you will release the treasure I seek."
Van caught on to what he was doing. "Hitomi clear your mind! Don't let your emotions take over! Remember in the forest? Your wings almost came out, but you cleared you mind and the pain went away! Do it again!"
Hitomi looked up as more tears fell. "But I can feel your pain. I can't take it anymore." Hitomi's chest began to glow.
Van opened his mouth in shock. "No. Please Hitomi don't." She looked at him with sad eyes and mouthed I'm sorry. Van felt her pain now too and his chest began to glow.
Folken smiled and held out his hand. Out of Hitomi's chest came one half of the stone and Van the other. The pieces came together and flew to Folken's hand. The stone turned from a light pink to an evil purple. Both Hitomi and Van collapsed from being separated. "Take them back to the dungeon." Folken said.
Merle and Reeko ran through the underground tunnels. Merle followed Reeko with an instinctive sense of trust. She couldn't see much, so she followed his scent. "Are we almost there?"
Reeko stopped and sniffed the air. "We're right underneath." Merle nodded and Reeko took a ladder to one of the surface openings. He signaled Merle to be quiet as they started out of the tunnel. "We're in the castle. Can you find Van?"
Merle snorted. "Since I was twelve." She winked and started running in the direction she found him in. Reeko right on her tail, literally. Merle ran through the halls and they finally made their way to the dungeons.
Reeko looked around the corner. "Three guards." He turned back to Merle. "Thank we can handle that?"
Merle nodded and Reeko took out a small dagger. Merle opened her mouth in shock. Reeko winked. "Just in case." Merle nodded and they quietly snuck up on the guards. Reeko attacked one with his dagger, killing him immediately, while Merle pounced on another one and practically gutted him with her claws. Reeko slashed at another, leaving the room quiet.
Reeko smiled in amazement. "Not bad."
Merle rubbed her nails against her shirt and blew on them. "Always keep them sharp." Reeko raised an eyebrow. "Just in case." Merle added with a smile.
They took the keys from one guard and opened the gate. Merle ran to Van's side as he lay on the ground. Reeko hefted Hitomi off the ground and started carrying her. "Let's go." Merle nodded. She shook Van awake. "We have to get you out of here."
Van showed small recognition to the cat girl and with her help stood up. Merle helped Van out of the cell, while Reeko carried Hitomi. "They look half dead."
Merle looked down at Van's chest and saw the symbol of the Rhinestone of Life, a half circle with one wing gone. "Oh no. He's got the stone."