A.N. Thank you for all the reviews! I am grateful you didn't give up on the story! I just looked at the word count today and it is definitely going to be longer than the first one. I hadn't noticed it had gotten so long o.0
Stealing food from unsuspecting people had become an art by the next day since for the time being I was stuck as a dog. The park was the best place to do it I found out, because there were so many food stalls and handy benches. I just had to wait for someone to sit down with their freshly bought hotdog, hamburger or any other treat before darting in and snatching it out of their hands. Sometimes the person tried to hold onto their food but they always let go at one flash of my eyes. I was careful who I flashed them at though. One of these days it could end up being Mr. Tiny which would be the stupidest mistake I could make. Every so often I stole water bottles and bit the top off for water.
This time however it was just a human and I bolted away with my prize: an extra thick hamburger with bacon spilling out the sides. The only hard part about this life was the cold. Snow hadn't fallen while I had been there but there was some left from past storms and it made my paws constantly cold and wet. Sometimes icicles formed and I had to chew them off. The other enemy I had besides Mr. Tiny was Animal Control. People had been reporting a dog stealing their food so I had to run to different sections of the park to avoid them. I had also figured out that I was in New York so I was in Central Park most of the time. More than once I thought I had caught Mr. Tiny's scent but each time it drifted away in the wind faster then I could track it. I carried my treat into a stand of bushes and ripped into the hamburger, discarding the lettuce, tomato and cheese. The bread and meat I devoured quickly. During one of my escapes from Animal Control I had discovered that I had acquired spikes that appeared when I was feeling threatened. They were about four inches long and ran up my spine. Normally they were flat along my back but when they chose to appear it gave everyone a shock. The guys chasing me had been stunned into slowing down and I made an easy escape into the city. I knew Mr. Tiny would get word of the monster dog running around and put two and two together but right now I was fine.
I emerged from the bushes licking my chops and gazed around. It was noon so plenty of people were out and coming around the bend were two Animal Control officers carrying catch poles. Now that I had eaten enough for the day I wagged my tail and decided to have some fun. I stuck my nose close to the ground and wandered around, gradually getting closer and closer to them. The men noticed; both lowered the poles and strode toward me. I gave them until the catch poles dangled dangerously close before taking off like a shot down the path. Three people leapt aside as I barreled into their group and one started to laugh. I barked and my tail spun in circles while I led the officers up and down and around the twisting paths, always staying slow enough to give them a chance but never slow enough.
"Stay!" One of the officers yelled and threw his catch pole. It bounced off my flank and I skittered sideways into an old guy feeding squirrels. The squirrels fled and I jumped over the bench but the old man moved with surprising dexterity and grabbed me around the middle.
"Thank you," the other two officers panted while I squirmed to get away.
"He is my dog," the old man said quickly and patted the top of my head. "And you made him bleed!" He touched the place where the catch pole had hit and his fingers came away red. It wasn't a very big cut but the old guy tore into the guys until they looked embarrassed.
"Sorry," they said after giving a warning to keep me on a leash and wandered off looking guilty.
The old man set me down and I sniffed his fingers. He wasn't Mr. Tiny. I barked quietly and wagged my tail.
"Let's get you fixed up," the old man said and brushed squirrel food off his clothes. He started walking away and I followed at his heels. "You are pretty big…probably something in there besides greyhound," he said thoughtfully and smiled. Out from his jacket pocket he brought a collar and leash which he clipped around me. I didn't protest since it would be easy to escape. I hated the feeling of the collar though and my tail was tucked the entire time I followed him.
We walked into the city and around a few blocks before the old man brought me into a warehouse that looked ready to fall down. Once inside he looped my leash around a pole and started pulling off his jacket and with growing alarm I saw he wasn't an old man after all. His beard, stunted posture and tattered clothes had been a disguise. He was actually a man in his forties and his face had changed from kind to hard and cold.
I tugged on the pole but the leash choked me and I gagged.
"Don't try that," the man said evenly and pulled up a wobbly plastic chair to sit on. "I am going to get a good price for you."
No he wasn't. I turned and faced the pole. Apparently being a dog was getting to me, I was slipping into its senses and head. I dug my heels into the floor and yanked, ignoring the feeling of choking to death. The pole gave and I bolted toward the exit with the pole clanking across the floor behind me. The guy yelled and dove but missed and I was outside. My spines were in full view now and I was dragging the stupid pole up the street with a bleeding side. My day had gone from fantastic to horrible in seconds. People were chasing after me but I couldn't stop running. Then my leash went taut and I was pulled backwards so hard I flipped upside down for a second. My throat burned with pain and then hands were at my collar and pulling it off and releasing me from the pole. Apparently a mass of people had decided to come to my aid.
"That's my dog!" The man bellowed having made it out of the warehouse.
In the confusion I got to my feet and dodged legs and more hands until I was out of the crush and running. I slipped on ice and spun into the street, narrowly missing a taxi and bounced off a truck painfully. After that I made it back into the park without incident, feeling extremely battered. I went back to the bushes where I had eaten the burger and curled up, licking the cut on my side. I was extremely lucky nothing had hit the dragon but since each breath hurt I had to wonder if by hitting the truck I'd bruised or broken a rib. My throat was definitely damaged too. During my escape I had smelled Mr. Tiny for an instant I had wanted to go back. Punishing him wasn't worth this. But as always the smell vanished and I had run.
I got up and limped out of the bushes. People steered well away from me and I wondered why until I found something to look in. My fur was covered in snow and mud and one part of my flank was smeared red. I looked horrible so I tried to rub some of the mud off but it didn't work. I sighed and limped away, using the closest tree to rub off the stuff.
Later, I came back to myself and froze with one paw in the air. The last six hours was a blur of messing around with alley dogs and people. I was slowly but surely turning into a dog in my head too. Even now I was struggling to keep myself in charge and not let the mutt take over completely. It would be easier to be just a dog with no worries but everyday life but I could not let that happen.
What time was it now? I had no idea. It certainly wasn't the same day that I knew. My ribs were sticking
out oddly and the cut on my side looked inflamed. How had I lost this much weight? I focused on my human self and struggled to turn human but nothing happened. A passing scent caught my attention and I trotted after a human with a juicy hotdog, wavering between human and dog. I fought for as long as I could but eventually my mind slipped back behind the dog.
Now I was the dog and he was me. It was a much simpler life. The worries I'd had before were out of my head and only occasionally bothering me. I didn't know when it had happened and I didn't really care but I could no longer understand anyone. The last time I had drunken blood kept niggling at me but I shoved it away every time I saw a squirrel. I jumped at the latest one to evade my clutches and barked loudly; settling for sniffing around the base of the tree. I had gotten a yummy tidbit from the male human who ran the hot dog stand but it wasn't enough to sate the pressure in my gums or the hunger that couldn't be filled by anything. Sometimes when I caught my reflection in the shop I thought something was missing from me, but I didn't think about it for very long.
I put my nose to the ground and sniffed, hunting for something that I couldn't describe. I wanted to end my hunger and the thing I was tracking would stop it. I didn't know how or care, I just wanted to go and find it. I followed the scent out of the park and up and down several streets before I ended up back in the park all over again. I finally saw two people sitting at a bench with newspapers. From the other side of the path two men with catch poles rounded the corner.
The two men said something in a loud voice and ran at me brandishing the poles.
Common sense was screaming at me to run but I ignored it in favor of loping up to the two people. The one woman tried to shoo me away but the man focused on me and frowned. He had shiny green boots which I sniffed all over to see where he had been. A loop closed around my neck and pulled me away, aggravating the bruises around my neck already. I yelped and twisted frantically. The man said something and the pulling ceased. He crouched down in front of me, scratched mud off my face so he could properly see into my eyes and spoke but I just stared at him blankly. He sighed, lifted the loop over my neck and said something else to the guys. While they got into an argument I took off into the bushes. From behind came a shout and I smacked into something I couldn't see.
I turned with my tail securely between my legs and faced down the man. From behind his back he brought out a hotdog still in the bun and held it out to me coaxingly. I whined and paced back and forth, licking my chops. The guy shook the hot dog and broke off a little piece which he put in his palm. I licked my lips again and took wobbly step forward, teeth bared. The man smiled encouragingly and added a little piece of bun to the bit on his hand. My growling stomach won over caution and I darted forward to snatch up the food.
The man wrapped his hands around my middle and I growled, flailing around but he just wrapped a soft piece of rope around my chest like a harness and used the long bit to lead me away. Every so often he would break off another piece of the hotdog and give it to me. Whenever he took too long I bumped his hand impatiently and he would chuckle and hand over the treat. We got into a taxi and the man handed me the last bit of hotdog. "Good boy," he said.
I thumped my tail against the seat. I knew those words. For some reason the man frowned when I wagged and sighed so I stopped. The car ride was quiet and we got out, going into a large building and up several floors to the top. We went into a luxurious hotel room and the man undid the ropes from around my chest after sticking me in the bathroom.
"In," he said pointing at the tub.
I looked at the tub doubtfully. A dog could drown in there!
The man brought out another hotdog and waggled it, looking meaningfully at the tub.
I got in right away and sat down. The water that came out was nice and warm and I stuck my head under the faucet. The soap smelled like flowers and soon I was a bubbly dog. The soap stung when it got into my cut and I snapped at the mans hands until he rinsed it off. The towel dry was fun. I shook everywhere and got the man soaked from head to foot. Spinning in circles under the towel was fun too. He let me out into the main part of the hotel room and I ran around sniffing everything before the hotdog was chopped up and put into a dish along with a bowl of water. I ate and drank before the man called me over and had me sit in front of him. He pointed something at me and there was a bright flash of light but nothing happened. He did it again and still nothing. I snapped at the man the next time because it made me itch all over. The guy gave up and put cold stuff on my cut and then put something red in my water bowl. I sniffed it before downing the entire thing.
"Up," the man said and patted the bed next to me where he was watching TV. I lay down next to him and stretched out along his leg. He started to rub my side and I wagged my tail in approval. The show on TV was something I couldn't understand so I didn't bother to try and get it. Instead I yawned, tongue curling and closed my eyes.
Sometime during the night I became aware I had hands and feet instead of paws and that the mans feet smelled bad but I just rolled over and fell back asleep.
I had not given up on my mission of following the man around since early this morning when he had let me out after much badgering to use the bathroom. The short walk to the park and back had been filled with me lunging at squirrels and random people to sniff their shoes. I dimly remembered having hands and feet but since I had paws again it wasn't much of a concern. The man had eyed me for half the morning but he seemed resigned now.
I followed the man into the kitchen where he started cooking but someone at the door sent me skittering back into the main part of the hotel room and I barked at the door loudly, announcing that there was someone there.
"Shush," the man said and opened the door.
A woman stepped into the hotel room and there was split seconds pause in which we studied each other critically.
I lunged at her, foaming and snarling. My jaws closed around her wrist and she whipped around but I clung to her, drawing blood with great satisfaction. I didn't exactly remember why I hated this woman but I knew she had caused me pain. I only let go when a vase collided with my side and I dropped to the ground but objects started to fly around the room, lobbing themselves at the woman. A series of books hit her in the side and I lunged again but the man caught me and hauled me backwards. He dropped me on the bed and kept me there until I calmed down. However the second the woman came closer I attacked again.
"Shadow!" Yelled the man and I spun to him with wide startled eyes.
Why was he angry at me? In an instant I was hiding under the bed.
The man sat on the bed and I peered out from between his shoes, talking to the woman who stayed on the other side of the room. I heard my name several times before the woman replied and left the hotel room, shutting the door with a bang.
The man sat on the floor and held out a hotdog but no matter how much coaxing he did I refused to come out. Finally he threw up his hands and went back to cooking in the other room, leaving the food on the floor. Even when he came back with plates of food I had left the treat untouched.
"Come," the man said and turned on the television. He got into bed.
I crawled out and hopped onto the bed, but instead of stretching out next to him I curled up at the very end of the bed and turned my back to him. I was startled so badly I yelped when the man pulled me back and checked my side, applying more cold stuff.
"No biting," the man warned and tucked me under his arm.
I let out a giant sigh and chewed on his shirt sleeve. I would only bite squirrels and bad people. I dozed off for a little while. The man next to me shifted a little and I grunted irritably, holding onto his arm that had become my personal chew toy. When the man spoke to me, shaking my shoulder I jumped and sent the man a frustrated expression. Why had he woken me up? The man only sighed again and looked thoughtful.
The man fixed me with an intent expression, and I stared back, head tilting to one side. "Shadow," he said firmly. There was a lot of meaning in that single word. He gripped my jaw and brought my eyes on him when I looked away. His gaze bored into me until I got dizzy.
'Turn back…' a little voice said in my head. 'Turn back Shadow.' Images of a boy with wings and a tail flashed in front of my vision and I squirmed but the hand on my jaw would not let go. 'You can't hide in dogs mind forever.' The images of the boy changed again and he was sitting at a table screaming at the man. I growled and bit. Blood spurted into my mouth and I leapt off the bed, running toward the door. Apparently I didn't like this man after all. I went through the door, ignoring the fact that dogs weren't supposed to walk straight through wood and ran down the hallway. Behind me the hotel door was flung open and the man stalked after me. I kept going, rounding corners until I found stairs and I started down them. The floor felt unsteady underneath me and the stairs were even worse as dizziness threatened to send me spiraling into blackness. 'Change Shadow!' The voice demanded and I shook my head to try and clear it. 'You are a boy not a dog!' I sent an image back of the same scene with the boy screaming at the man and kept going.
I reached a dead end at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face the man.
He raised his glowing finger and spoke two short words.
An intense feeling of being pulled came over me and I crumpled to the floor. My body arched off the floor and I was boy but I didn't want to be so I fought hard to go back. The man crouched over me, placing a blanket that had come out of nowhere over my naked body but I didn't care about that. Dogs weren't naked with fur. I managed to turn back but the man spoke those two words again and I was a boy. Three more times we tugged back and forth and three more times I was forced back into the shape of a human. By now I was covered in sweat and I knew my mouth was moving in words that were sometimes English, sometimes dog. I was pleading to be left alone. Eventually I ran out of power and I lay on the floor as a boy, shivering so hard my teeth clacked even though the air wasn't cold. I had no wings, no tail.
The man-Mr. Tiny frowned and an attentive expression crossed his face. "Why anyone would want to be a mutt so bad is beyond me," he murmured. He placed his hand on the side of my face and I flinched but before the motion had even finished the pull that kept me human ended and I was a dog again. Instantly my shivering stopped and I relaxed.
"Better?" The man asked and the blanket vanished.
I eyed him, the events from the past few minutes keeping me stiff and wary but an offered hotdog lured me back up the steps and into the hotel room. When we got into the room I snatched the hot dog, darted under the bed and refused to emerge. During that time I debated the pros and cons of being a dog. It was much simpler, I had nothing to worry about really except insane humans plus free hotdogs. On the other hand I had no thumbs which meant I was stuck pretty much wherever this man put me. I had neither good way of communication nor a voice if I wished to use it. So, on my own terms I struggled and eventually turned back into a boy. My wings and tail were back, but my clothes had not made the trip so I reached over the bed and pulled down the blanket.
Mr. Tiny peered under the bed just as I made myself modest and arched an eyebrow. "Why have you decided to change back now versus five minutes ago?" He asked in a grumbling tone.
I stared at him. I still did not like speaking but on occasion it was necessary. "I missed thumbs," I muttered and stretched stiff muscles.
Mr. Tiny withdrew for a second and then tossed down some clothes. He grumbled to himself all the way back into the kitchen where he started on another set of meals.
I crawled out from under the bed and stretched out my wings. Even while I had been a dog I had noticed their absence and it was nice to have them back. The memories from my time as a dog was a blur but a few facts did stand out and I blushed. "You called me a good boy!"
"Yes," Mr. Tiny said and smirked.
"I-I am not a good boy!" I exclaimed indignantly.
Mr. Tiny hummed to himself while he moved around the kitchen, completely ignoring me. Only when he slipped something into the oven did he turn and look at me; folding the apron he had been wearing. "Oh you aren't. You destroy things, constantly run off, make general chaos and force me to wander after your behind. Add in your insufferable stubbornness, reluctance to use magic and that adds up to a definite bad kid." He raised a finger and cut off my sharp retort. "A bad human child. But you are not human are you? All the things I mentioned I would expect from a child of your….type. I would be greatly disappointed if you did not deliver on everyday trouble," he said smiling widely. "This is the most fun I have had in years. Considering I am figuring out the inner workings of a teenager that is saying something."
I stood there gaping for a second before I came up with an answer. "You haven't figured out jack squat about me," I said snidely.
"Really?" Mr. Tiny smiled wide again and a shiver went up my spine. "Keep telling yourself that." He tucked the apron into a cupboard. "We will be going back to my tent. I prefer my own rooms much better. Your precious rug will be there too."
I blushed. "Humph," I said and turned to go.
"I think I have found a temporary solution for your nightmares," Mr. Tiny said conversationally.
"What?" I said and turned around so fast my neck hurt.
"You will simply turn into your dragon. It will not do in a public situation but in the tent will be fine. Remember when I took you to the field? You slept deeply afterward and staying in dragon form will merely assure your sleep," Mr. Tiny said looking smug. "I will also fetch Harkat."
I felt like jumping for joy and running down the street to tell everyone. "But what if I get stuck like with the dog?"
"Oh you will get trapped sometimes. However, unlike the dog your mindset will be closer to that of you as a human so the consequences are smaller."
"Okay…but I'm not exactly small," I said worriedly. "I would fill up the entire tent and more."
"I will assist with that. Now do you have anymore questions or can I finish here? Time is wasting," Mr. Tiny said.
"I need my bag."
Mr. Tiny pointed at the bed. "You will find it there," he said.
I went back to the beds and the second I was facing away from Mr. Tiny I grinned. No nightmares plus having Harkat back? That sounded good to me. Now all that was left was Harrison, finding my sword and ridding myself of the gods so I could fix everyone. If I could even fix them. I shouldered my bag and nodded thoughtfully. First would be the sword.
"Harrison is mine," I called over my shoulder to Mr. Tiny. "I will be the one to rip him apart. Not you."
"Of course dear boy. Who am I to stand in the way of sweet revenge?"
R&R Please :D :D *dumps buckets of candy*
