Chapter Two
Mal woke up early, internally her thoughts screamed at her to go back to sleep but her brain carefully reminded her of the body pressed flush against her back. She was at the edge of the bed closest to the door, as the self-appointed leader she put herself between any oncoming danger and her gang. The lump against her back shifted, pushing against her and almost tossing her off the bed. Mal immediately knew exactly who was laying against her; Carlos. The young De Vil pressed himself into the nearest point of human contact like a dog begging to be pet. It made her wonder how no one had ever guessed he was a wolf before as he had so many canine qualities.
She sighed, nuzzling her face into Evie's warm satin blankets for a moment before she let her jade eyes lazily gaze to the broken window barely held together by foggy and broken panes of glass. The moon was on the horizon, soon the sky would start coloring itself in lighter blues and purples and morning would come.
The warning that day was near set of an inner war for Mal, eventually the war waged was won by one side and she carefully extracted herself from the constant source of warmth that came from Carlos; she had to get breakfast.
She made it her goal to take care of the others, she made sure never to say it but it was obvious they knew about her protective and mothering nature. Hell, she was the second youngest next to Carlos but that had never stopped her from taking care of those she held close i.e Evie, Jay, and Carlos.
Mal looked at her group, her friends and chosen family as they snoozed peacefully together. Beelzebub was curled up in the curve Carlos made in his comfortable fetal position and pressed against his legs that were tucked against his chest was Evie her head of wavy blue locks falling around her like a serene waterfall. With his arm around her waist, Jay had his face tucked into Evie's shoulder and his own long black hair was scatter around him in tangle chaos. A soft, loving smile spread across Mal's face as she looked on at all of them. They were so precious to her, her everything and her rock. Everything they were was together, all they could ever be were one; nothing had the hope of seperating them.
The fierce dragon sent one last longing gaze at the cuddle pile she wanted nothing more than to rejoin and turned to the gaping arch that lead out into the Isle's streets. Despite the fact she knew no one could see her she set her face in a dark, frightening scowl and made her calm emerald orbs flash that sickening fear-inducing acid green that sent shivers down the backs of any onlookers before marching out onto the fire escape that would lead her to the Bazaar. Her combat boots made no noise as she skillfully made her way down the metal grate stairs, the door to their hideout rose without a sound and she exited with a fleeting thought of Carlos. He had fixed the rising metal not long after they'd forced him into the group and ever since they'd only discovered more about the De Vil's hidden intelligence. There was so much going on in that brain of his, it was a shame everyone on this rotting island told him he was worth less than nothing.
The world around her seemed dead, nothing moved and no one could be seen lurking about. Mal found herself chuckling about the fact the people of Auradon would probably fear the ghost town around her was haunted. She knew better than to let her guard down though, letting her guard down would mean weakness.
During her mind's little joke about Auradon her feet had taken her to the Bazaar where merchants and tricksters were setting up their booths and preparing to scam the ignorant townsfolk on the Isle. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her body felt like she had jumped in the Isle's freezing night waters. Something was wrong, something was making her stomach churn uncomfortably. She couldn't quite pinpoint why so she decided to ignored it. Mal glanced from booth to booth, crate to crate of unloaded goods before her eyes settle on a small box. It would go unnoticed if stolen, but the problem was the people selling it. The Gaston boys.
Each were grabbing and balancing as many boxes as they could to show off their strength before carrying the wooden crates to where their father's hunting booth was. Their was box upon box of venison, but Mal knew that most of the meat was for show and that the Gastons would keep as much as they could for themselves. Someone Gaston managed to find thriving wildlife amongst the plentiful haunted forests covering the majority of the island, and he killed every creature he say just to brag about his kills and when he failed he drank and drank and drank some more while complaining to any living soul he could about the lost hunt. It was ridiculous, but Mal knew she needed to be wary. Sleeping soundly by Gaston's feet was a giant black dog, it's ears were sharp and pointed straight up and it's closed eyes seemed not to exist against the pitch black fur. The hound would chase her for miles and lead the Gastons to the hideout, something she couldn't allow.
Something glinted at Gaston Junior's hip, and Mal felt her mouth go dry. That was what was making her so uncomfortable, that was the thing making her sick to her stomach. A knife swung casually from Gaston Junior's hipe, scratching once or twice against the cloth of his trousers. Mal shuddered as once more the silver glinted in the beginnings of morning light, it wasn't the material of which the blade was made that made her shudder but rather the age old enchantment that was placed upon it. The silver was graced by the magic's of the local power weilders in Bell's village. The town had been so desperate to rid of the horrifying shape-shifting creature in the forest that they had given a self obsorbed hunter the most powerful weapon known to humans amoung monsters. The blade could kill any mythical thing, the magical properties having never been washed away in the magic proof dome. It may have kept magic out, but previously had magics like enchantments were to stay forever.
Mal took in a confident breath and moved forward, she kept her lithe body in the shadows. Twisting and moving to keep herself hidden from all of those around her until she stopped in a darkened alley mere feet away from the box she targetted. This box, this simply crate would easily be able to feed both her and her gang for the entire day if they so pleased. She had to get it, if not for herself than for them.
Another smile spread across her face, the same grin that had graced her features when she was gazing at her sleeping friends. When did I become so soft? She thought to herself fondly, they had changed her so much. Before she was ruthless, careless and all out terrible. Her attitude purely reflecting the way her mother wanted her to be, the girl she wanted to be for her mother. Now she was so much more than Maleficent's heir. She was Mal; Fierce protective Dragon; protector of things held dear.
Mal jerked forward, Gaston and his idiot son's backs turned to her and her nimble fingers easily grasped the edge of the damaged cardboard. It was easy to tug to box back to her and tuck it against her chest; mission accomplished. Or so she thought, the large black beast as Gaston's feet perked up and it's ears flicked as large golden ords flew open and pupils dilated threateningly.
Mal didn't stop to think about the alert mutt, instead she turned on her heel and silently ran down the alley that had previously been her hiding spot but was now instead her escape route. Her mind displayed for her a map of the Isle, one she had spend hours exploring to memorize. Her legs moved almost on their own and her speed was supernatural, this was the speed of a dragon; of a beast. She manuvered the broken cobblestone paths hidden between broken down huts with practiced ease, every movement made precise and calculated. She was certain she'd escaped that horrid black monster Gaston called a dog until she found herself at a dead end.
oh no, oh no no no no... She was so sure that this was branch out into the alley she needed, break out to the entrance to the hideout so she could escape and present her friends with something known to Auradonians as breakfast-in-bed. She had been so excited to make them happy, now she'd be Gaston's newest pelt for sale.
A deep monsterous bark echoed off the tall walls boxing her in and Mal turned quickly, hiding the stolen goods high up in a deep crack on the nearest hut where she knew the dog couldn't reach. Her eyes flashed that terrifying, glowing acid green and her pupils squeezed themselves to slits, she sneered at the black beast stepped infront of the alley's entrance showing off her own long fangs. In response of the dog lowered itself closer to the ground and ducted it's head to hide it's throat as it advanced, Mal could take it. She could, she could tear the dog apart if she wanted to.
The dog barked again, a loud rumbling nose that bounce again off the walls as it growled. The Gastons wouldn't be far behind, they'd be following after this beast to see what had cause it to run off like that. Mal would have to escape before they could arrive.
She let out a low grumbling sound that shook her chest and smoke billowed up from the corners of her mouth, her eyes glowed brighter and she opened her mouth further to show to glint of her sharpened teeth. The dog stopped it's forward march, but kept it's large body blocking the only exit Mal had. The black beast moved forward again when Mal didn't immediately attack and in response Mal opened her mouth and spit a lick of long green flames at the mutt. The dog jumped back out of the way of the emerald fire that danced upon the ground before burning out and leaped forward to give an attack of it's own. Mal jumped what little distance she could back and narrowly avoided the beast's long claws raking down her torso. It was clear the dog was about to attack again, and Mal had no where to go from the corner she was now pressed in so it seemed like the end of her escape plan before a white blur tackle the beast from behind.
The black dog reared back and whipped it's body around wildly to knock off what Mal could now see was a white and black dalmatian patterned mutt with long damp fur and striking white irises; a wolf. The wolf had it's claws dug deep into the much larger dog's back and it's jaws clamped around it's neck. Blood spewed from the new puncture wounds and colored the wolf's snout crimson as the beast howled in pain and rage. Mal refused to be the damsal in destress and spewed another blast of fire at the beast's feet forcing it to scamper back allowing the wolf to pounce from it's back and in front of Mal. The wolf did as the beast had and lowered itself to the ground to protect it's vulnerable underside from attack while it snarled. It didn't attempt to attack Mal, but rather stood protectively in front of the Dragon.
The beast barked and snarled pouncing forward again, but it didn't aim for the wolf which was surprising enough to Mal to give the beast what it needed to attack her. What was most surprising was the way the wolf twisted it's agile body to jump in front of Mal and take the brunt of the hit itself. The beast's long claws dragged across the wolf's left flank creating four long gashes that immediately welled with scarlet droplets.
Mal felt her heart throb at the sight of blood spilling onto pristine fur, it was so confusing to feel such strong emotions for a mutt she'd never seen but the strong sense of grief ripped a scream from her throat. Instead of a normal cry her voice morphed and twisted into a load resonating roar, the sheer force of her powerful screech sending the beast skidding back a few feet. The roar had the beast pressing it's ears against it's skull and scrambling off down the alley whimpering and whining with it's tail between it's legs.
Mal didn't even know she could do that... what others kinds of skills was her body hiding from her? Her mother who was an experienced Dragon who had lived with the full capabilities of their species for years? What could she do? What powers were hiding just beneath the surface for her? A gasp tore from Mal's mouth and her throat burned with the simply breeze of air. What powers were hiding for all of them?
A soft, restrained whine caught her attention and her head whipped around, violet locks flying around her shoulders as her jade eyes met with the frightened white of the injured wolf. She lowered herself to her knees next to the scared creature and she softed her features to the best of her abilities, "I'm not going to hurt you." She swore, and she wouldn't. She hoped her eyes portrayed the honesty in her heart as she wanted to help the wolf that had helped save her. Her heart clentched and her stomach twisted at the thought; she wanted to help. Mother would kill me. She thought at the same moment she realized once more how much her friends had changed her.
The wolf instantly eased it's tensed body and Mal was amazed at how comfortable the wolf now seemed to be after a simply promise. It already trusted her. She reached out carefully towards the wound, the dog may have saved her but an animal's first instinct was survival. Letting a stranger touch a wound would be foolish, but the wolf did nothing but stare at her. It's eyes were unreadable, but their was such intelligence behind them it sent a shiver of deja vu through her. Gently her fingers brushed nexted to frayed flesh and the wolf whined as her digits pressed against irritated skin, "It'll be okay, I swear." Mal murmured subconsciously, she wasn't paying attention to anything but the crimson quickly bubbling up and spewing over the lifted skin before being soaked up into the white fur and stained the tips of her fingers.
Snapped back into reality she pulled back and pulled her leg out in front of her, she grabbed hold of the edge of her pants and yanked. The fabric easily tore against her strength and she used the purple colored strip to cover the gashed across the wolf's flank. It was silent as Mal carefully lifted it's leg and tied off the pseudo bandage before leaning away.
The wolf was quick to get to it's feet and put it's face up to her's. It sat slowly, carefuly not to put too much strain on it's new injury, but it's eyes remained perfectly aligned with Mal's. She let her pupils return to their natural state and allowed the glow to fade from her eyes, the wolf didn't react and continued to stare at her. It felt like it could read her, read everything that even once flitted through her mind.
It leaned it's head forward slowly before stopping as if gauging her reaction, when Mal didn't move and kept her eyes locked on the wolf's curiously it continued and pressed it's forehead against her own.
Mal froze, she didn't know what to do. So instead of try and plan it out, she simply followed her instincts. Her arm reached up and her fingers tangled in the soft fur of the wolf's scruff and she ducted her own head further down to fit better against it's own. The wolf leaned further into the Dragon, closing it's eyes peacefully while Mal followed it's lead.
For a moment all the panic, pain and stress of the Isle fell away. The struggle of survival and the fear of her mother all disappeared as she sat their now with the wolf, with it's soft black ears grazing her forehead and it's warm breath drifting up from it's open mouth and heating her face. Even with her leg pressed uncomfortably against the shattered cobblestones she felt completely at peace.
Then the wolf pulled back, it appeared as upset to leave as she felt but before fulling pulling away the wolf pressed it's wet black nose against her's. It licked her cheek and then suddenly leaped over her, bolting out of the alley as a blur as if the wound didn't even exist.
For just a moment longer all was still, but then Mal got to her feet and climbed up to where she'd hidden the food. She needed to get back to the hideout, the sky was colored in pinks and oranges meaning the sun would finish it's ascent soon. Her friends would wake quickly after and she wanted to be their when they did. Her thoughts remained on the wolf, she wondered if she'd see it again as she escaped the confines of the alley and turned down the next corridor which lead her to the hideout's door. She chucked a rock at the sign she made and the door silently rose, her thoughts were somewhere else as she climbed up the stairs.
She entered the hideout quickly and quietly and her tense features relaxed when she saw all of her friends sleeping peacefully on Evie's bed, nothing had changed sans how Carlos was laying. He was now laying on his right side, facing the way Mal had been laying this morning and rather than sleeping in a fetal position he was snoozing uncurled while soft snores fell from parted lips.
She set the box of food down on the table Carlos and Jay had made constructed of multiple different shards of stained glass and broken piping.
It took her one second longer to realize, yes. She would see that wolf again, her instincts told her so and they had never steered her wrong before.
She flopped onto Carlos' bed and grabbed on of the books disgarded on the chest at the footboard before falling back against the pillows neatly propped against the headboard. She opened to fairytale book and gave a content sigh, it'd been a good morning so far.
Not proof read, I'll do it later.