Chapter 10: The End of the Beginning

"Let her go," Duke whimpered.

"Why?" the goddess asked. "She's nothing but mud. An insignificant little insect compared to my power. I should kill her just to hear her scream."

"Please," Duke whimpered. "Just let her go. I'll do anything you like."

"Really," the goddess asked, amused. "Break your own leg."

Duke looked up to the sky in shock.

"You heard me wolfy. Take a building, or anything for that matter, and hit your knee cap as hard as you can. I want to hear a snap."

"Will you let her go?" he asked.

"Yes," the voice chuckled.

"Promise," he begged.

"I swear on the prayers that brought me into this world. I swear on the citadel that sustains me."

Duke's fingers grabbed my shirt and I was placed on the rooftop of a building. I shouted for him to stop, to simply crush the last pillar on the citadel, but I must have sounded like some squeaking bug at the moment. My master extended his leg out in front of him and lifted two cupped hands high above his head. He slammed his fists down onto his leg. The deafening crack made me sick. His roars of pain made my ears bleed.

Duke lay on his back, growling in pain, his knee obviously broken in a horrid fashion. Above us, the goddess laughed. "Kill her," she said. "Kill the leopard, then the wolf, then do what you like to his little pet."

"No," Duke begged. "You promised."

She laughed loudly. "You are nothing but a flea to me. An insignificant little pup with a superiority complex. You expect me to keep my word to one such as you?" That laugh again. "Stripes, kill her."

"B-but master," he whimpered, looking down at the unconscious leopard. An invisible force struck the tiger's chin so hard, he was knocked back.

"Don't question me you insignificant little whelp or I will beat you to a pulp. Kill her!"

"Say Stripes," Duke said weakly. "Why not tip the citadel? It's barely standing as is. Hell, you blow on it and it should collapse real nice."

"Don't you dare you little cub." That invisible force struck Stripes so hard, blood dripped down his muzzle. "I raised you from the time your where born. You will do as I say."

"Destroy the citadel," Duke growled. "Destroy the citadel, raze the town, and you'll be free."

"No," the goddess screamed. This time, she struck Stripes so hard he crashed into a building. Its ironic, that since I was almost ground level, I had the best view of what happened next. Stripes lay down on the ground, apparently beaten. In reality, he was searching through the wreckage beneath him for something to through.

Above us, the sky began to storm. "You think I need some little whelp to kill you wolfy?" Lightning cackled and broke the sky in two. The clouds looked as if they'd started to burn. It would've been beautiful if I wasn't scared out of my mind.

Stripes threw a solid piece of the stone building into the citadel, causing it to crash to the ground. The goddess screamed, then all at once, her voice was gone.

Two days later

"You could remain here," Stripes said. "Help Steed and I free the others. You're an inspiration to us all."

Duke shook his head. "I never wanted to be a savior, a hero. All I ever wanted was to be free." My master's knee was wrapped in cloth and he was forced to walk with a crutch. I was happily perched on his shoulder, and San was by his side; helping him along.

"Well," the tiger growled. "Good luck, my friend."

"And good luck freeing more from their gods. But remember, some prefer safety over freedom. Don't force them, let them come to you."

"Words of wisdom," Steed laughed. He'd been mauled by Stripes under the goddess's orders, and now wore a sling in his arm. "Good bye Duke, San." Then he looked to me and smiled. "Good by Erin."

I smiled back.

We returned to our town; San, Duke and I, and to this day we've never been bothered. No pet has come looking for my masters, no humans to deliver a message. I don't know if Stripes and Steed succeeded in their quest to free the rest of the pets, and I probably never will. But I do know that I have a family. I may sound sick or disturbed, but I love my masters and they love me. And for the first time ever, I looks as if maybe, we can finally live in peace.