Takeover: Dragon Soul

Part One:

A Place to Call Home

Page 3:

Distrustful Roots

The chirps and scuttles of birds and beetles filled the forest air as midday came. The giant boars who roamed in pairs hunted and foraged for tonight's meal. The feral long-fanged cats stalked those boars, waiting for the perfect chance to pick them off. Unnaturally, four children wandered down the forest's beaten path, some obviously in a better mood than others.

Axis hummed to himself as he strolled down the dirt path. His bare feet enjoyed the feeling of the cold dirt on his soles- they felt right at home. His arms swayed happily by his side and the smile on his face was infectious. However, it seemed that the contagion that was his smile only infected one other person.

Lisanna did her best to copy Axis' mood. Much like a soldier following her superior, her arms swayed by her side joyfully and she kept in harmony with Axis' tune. She was a few paces behind him and made sure to keep it that way.

Elfman was the next in line, keeping a watchful eye over his little sister. That gaze turned slightly baleful as he spied their "leader's" back. He carried with him a backpack that kept all of their belongings- which really only consisted of some rations and blankets they had kept from Allbright.

Mira hung in the back, her own gaze on the path under her shoes. As usual, her cloak covered her entire form, barring anyone from seeing the effects of her demon curse. She tugged her hood down further, lost in her own thoughts.

Lisanna turned around, noticing Elfman's downtrodden mood. "Hey, big brother, cheer up! Since when do we get to enjoy a nice, beautiful forest like this!"

Elfman eyed a fallen tree, snapped in two horizontally almost halfway up. "I'd be in a better mood if we weren't in a forest filled with giant animals. Oh, I hope there aren't any Gorians in here…"

"Eh, don't sweat it ya worrywort!" Axis proclaimed undisturbed. "I swear this forest is perfectly safe! Maybe."

"Yeah, Elf! Perfectly safe!" Lisanna jumped for joy in agreement with Axis.

"I'd rather be back in Allbright walking on a street than a dark path like this." Lisanna's cheeriness had no effect on the boy. "But someone got us kicked out."

Axis ceased his peaceful humming. He glanced over his shoulder at the insinuation. "Are you talking about me?"

"If you didn't try and steal from those nice people, we wouldn't have gotten run out of town like that." Elfman sighed. "We wouldn't need to go through this dangerous place."

Axis shrugged. "Well, maybe those townsfolk shouldn't have been so selfish about parting with their food."

"They were right to be." Elfman huffed. "That food belonged to them. Not that you really care."

Axis turned. "What was that?"

Lisanna now glanced worriedly at the two and the growing tension between them. She gently placed her fingertips together in a peaceful manner. "Boys, let's calm down, okay? I think some of us might be a bit tired from all the walking, I know my feet kinda hurt! Kinda."

Axis kept his eyes on Elfman for a few moments before turning away. He ruffled Lisanna's hair. "You're probably right. We should take a break for the day."

Axis split off from the group to climb a few meters up from the ground using a tree trunk. He surveyed the immediate area, quickly spotting a nice opening by the side of a small river just a few minutes walk from where they were. A faint smile graced his lips.

He descended from the trunk and made his way towards the clearing. He waved at his companions. "This way. I found us a nice little spot for tonight. Maybe even get us a nice dinner."

Lisanna quickly caught up to him. "Ooooh! Is it something good? I'm starting to get sick of apples."

Axis licked his lips. "Oh, yeah, it's good. Does anyone know how to roast fish, by any chance?"

...

The jumping fish made their presence known as they hopped past the water's surface and into the air- a domain they were not yet welcome as they were caught by the ever-present woodland beasts.

"Gotcha!"

One beast, it would seem, was not quite like the others.

Axis held aloft the hopping fish with glee. "Haha! Just a few more and we're golden! Oh, we are gonna eat good tonight!"

The quartet of children had set up a makeshift camp in a small cave opening by the bed of a river in the forest. After a long day's journey through the winding paths of the woodland trail, they made to rest for the night. Mira sat idly by herself next to the small campfire, tending to the withering flame. Her mind, as usual, was in other places.

Axis had taken up the mantle of chief hunter of the group seeing as the others had no idea what they were doing. But this was Axis' bread and butter. The others may thrive better in civilization, but in the wilds he was king. But that didn't stop one particular little girl.

Lisanna watched Axis with admiration, the stars made a home in her eyes. "So quick! How did you do that?"

"Just a little practice is all it is, Lisanna," Axis smirked at his admirer, placing the fish down in a small wicker basket laid at his feet. "And some balls."

"Some balls… Let me try!" The little girl's admiration soon became a spark of determination. She delicately removed her shoes and stepped into the shallow shore of the river water. Her hands stood at the ready to make a swift grab. An excited grin made its way onto her face.

Elfman, still standing far from the shore, noticed what his little sister was now attempting to do. "Be careful, Lisanna! It's dangerous!"

Axis waved dismissively at the protective older brother. "Ah let her try! What's the worst that could happen?"

"Lisanna, please come back here!" Elfman ignored Axis' statement. He shifted a little closer to his sister but still refused to dip his feet into the water.

Lisanna looked over her shoulder. "Don't worry, big brother! I can totally do this! Watch me!"

Elfman wasn't taking it. "Come on and stop this already! Just let Axis take care of it!"

"No!"

Elfman groaned. "Why are you being so stubborn?"

Axis chuckled as the bickering between the two continued on. "Just let her go, man, sheesh! Stop being so overbearing all the time."

Elfman took a break from his sister to acknowledge Axis. "I'm not being overbearing! I'm just trying to keep my sister from getting hurt."

"Pfft." Axis let loose a humorous breath. "Getting hurt from this? It's just water, dude." He kicked his feet around the shallow water to accentuate his point. "It's not like we're hunting monsters here."

"Here they come!" Lisanna's sudden outburst drew the two's attention back to her as another school of jumping fish came skipping through the water.

Axis ignored Elfman's indignancy and took up a crouched position. "You ready for this, Lisanna? The first catch wins!"

Lisanna stuck her tongue out in concentration. "You bet!"

Elfman deflated. "Lisanna…"

Axis tuned out the others. He eyes the river surface carefully. He spotted the multitude of shadows as the fish passed by him. He could see their small frames bobbing up and down beneath the water. At any moment, one would be prepared to make the leap…

Psssssh!

There it was. A sparkling red jumping fish danced into the air. The opening was created, and Axis swooped in at the apex of its jump and grabbed it out of the air.

"Yes!" Axis jumped with joy. "One win for Axis!"

"Woah!"

"Lisanna!"

Splash!

Axis halted his celebration once he heard the panic-filled shouts coming a few dozen paces down the river. There he saw Lisanna half submerged in the river tides as Elfman held onto her hand desperately.

"Hang on! I'll pull you out!"

This confident declaration was made with haste, as once Elfman tried pulling his sister closer he managed to slip on the muddy rocks of the river bank. He tumbled down into the coursing water just as his sister did.

"Help!" they both shouted over the current, their tumble sending them into one of the deeper parts of the river- deep enough to start sweeping them away. "Mira! Axis!"

"Crap!" Axis was filled with alarm as he tossed his fish to the riverbed and approached the struggling duo as fast as he could. "Hang on, I'm coming!"

It wasn't enough. The current was only slightly faster than Axis' approach. They were being separated slowly but surely. The gap was widening.

"Help! Please!" Elfman shouted alone now as Lisanna struggled to stay afloat.

Just then Axis saw a black cloak speed into the water from the shallow river bed ahead of him. Mira threw caution to the wind as she was close enough to grab ahold of her brother's open palm. She firmly clasped one of her hands over his and firmly planted her feet in the shallow bed.

"Mira!" Elfman shouted with relief, yet fear still gripped him as he saw her slipping.

"Don't let go, Elf, Lisanna!" Mira tried to back up and pull them out but the force of the current was too great. Against her shame, she then brought out her cursed hand and used it in tandem with her good one. She gained some ground, but it wasn't much. It wasn't long before she, too, started to get pulled along.

"I have you!"

Mira's eyes widened as her arms were suddenly overtaken by dark blue appendages of muscles and scales. She glanced over her shoulder to see Axis standing right behind her, supporting her position and adding his own strength. Strength that seemed amplified by his magic.

"Pull, Mira!" he more or less commanded as he grit his teeth and did just that. With the two older children now working together, they managed to drag the others slowly out of the river and onto the shore.

The two collapsed in a heap, Mira falling on top of Axis, as they both caught their breaths. Elfman grabbed Lisanna and dragged her further away from the river.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he bombarded her as she coughed up some rogue water that had forcibly entered her throat.

"I'm-" she hacked up the last of the water. "..fine."

Mira quickly threw her hood back on and shielded her cursed arm with her cloak. She stood off of Axis and went to go check on her siblings, but before she did she placed her good arm on Axis' shoulder. "Thank you."

"No problem," he responded almost absentmindedly as he examined his arms. They rippled with muscle and midnight-blue scales, ending in sharp claws that somehow ended up not hurting the others. Then they were gone, molding back into his regular human limbs.

Axis scowled at the sight before standing up himself. One day he'll figure it all out, but for now, he could at least revel in the fact that they were all okay. At the end of the day, that's what mattered the most.

...

The night was quiet. The flickering flames, tended to so sincerely by Mira, had grown from lying embers to a fire worthy enough to cook their fish with. She spoked the four small creatures, long dead, and held them above the licking flames.

While their meal was being prepared, the others sat around the fire for warmth. Well, Elfman and Lisanna also needed the flames to dry their damp clothing. The two huddled together during this process, shivering from the wet clothing clashing with the cold night air.

Axis lay on his back a few paces further from the fire than the rest. The cold weather didn't bother him, maybe because his usual attire of only pants prepared him for this sort of occasion. The shadows produced from the fire's light just reached past his resting place, caking his form in half shadow.

He spent this time with his hands held out in front of him. He flexed his fingers one by one, then all at once before repeating the cycle.

What do they say about magic? He thought to himself. Concentrate on the power inside and guide it, right?

Axis closed his eyes, blocking out his surroundings. He sensed the latent power inside himself- his "magical origin" he guessed it was. He tried goading it, to draw it out as he felt earlier today. He felt the energy welling inside, spreading throughout his inner being. He felt it arrive at his fingertips, threatening to burst. He smirked, opened his eyes, and…

…human flesh. No scales in sight.

Axis frowned with disappointment. He lowered his hands to his chest and instead focused on the stars above. He released a deep sigh into the night.

Axis' ears perked up as he heard footsteps leave the fireside to approach him. He shifted his upward gaze to the sound, his azure slits meeting the gleeful blue of the youngest Strauss sibling. Although Lisanna's eyes weren't so glee-filled tonight.

"What's up?" He asked her curiously, noting her reserved demeanor.

"I brought your food." She said simply, holding out a cooked fish on a stick. Axis noted the slight burn but accepted the gift anyway.

"Thanks, Lisanna. Tell Mira I'll enjoy it." With that he leaned back to his previous position, now sometimes tearing into his meal. It was… bland, but he could ignore the taste as long as he got something in his stomach. He stopped chewing as soon as he noticed something off. He leaned back up.

"You're still here?" He said, a little surprised that Lisanna hadn't left his space just yet. "Get back to the fire, you need to warm up."

"I…uh…" Lisanna gripped her skirt uncomfortably.

Axis furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I was gonna…" she swallowed to wet her dry mouth. "I was gonna… say…"

"Lisanna?" Axis noticed her half-lidded eyes and flushed face. Something was wrong.

"I was… gonna… thank…" she swayed on her feet suddenly, lurching toward him with no alarm.

"Lisanna!" Axis caught her in his arms and gently laid her down. She was breathing hard and her head was hotter than it should be. "Oh, no."

"Lisanna!" Elfman came barreling over followed closely by Mira, their food all but forgotten by the fire. Elfman crouched down beside his sister. "What happened, what's wrong?"

Axis scanned her small body, trying to spot anything wrong. "I don't know, she just fell down!"

Mira placed her good palm on Lisanna's forehead. She frowned at what she felt. "A fever, slowly building. I'll get a wet cloth." In a blink, she was up and headed back to the campfire to get a clean cloth to dunk in the river.

Axis shifted his hands over to her shoulders. "Quick, help me carry her over to the fire." Axis stood waiting with Lisanna's upper body held in his hands. "Elfman!"

His exclamation knocked Elfman out of his stupor. Elfman hurriedly positioned himself to lift Lisanna by the legs. The two then worked to move the small girl over to the campfire, just shy of the heat being too much to handle. They had placed her on a makeshift bed of the blankets they had brought from Allbright.

Mira returned with a small, wet cloth and wiped down the sweat percolating on Lisanna's forehead. She then searched for something. "Do we have any spare blankets?"

"I don't think so," Axis responded quickly. "We used them all for the bed."

Mira scowled. "Fine." Then she shed her cloak completely for the first time since Axis had joined them. She gently covered Lisanna with her cloak in the hopes of keeping her warmer than just being on the fireside alone.

"We'll need to wash this cloth out in the river after we use it," Mira stated as she finished wiping the sweat away. "We'll keep it up as much as we can."

"Yeah." Axis tightened his hands into fists as he watched Lisanna take labored breaths. "As long as it takes."

Mira got up once again to wash the cloth in the river, leaving the two boys alone at her little sister's side. Axis' frown dipped guiltily. He soon rose from his sitting position and went to pick up his abandoned fish on the ground. He blew some dirt chunks off before taking another bite.

"You're eating?" Elfman asked with a small sense of disbelief, watching the blue-haired boy take more bites out of the dirty fish.

"I'm not gonna let it go to waste. Gotta make the most of things." Axis brushed him off after swallowing another bite.

Something about Axis' tone and semi-casual body language set something off within the young white-haired boy. His expression tightened and he shot up from his sitting position. "This isn't the time to be worrying about your food getting cold! My sister is sick!"

Axis blinked, chewing another bite. He waved the half-eaten fish on a stick around before swallowing. "Calm down, dude. It's not that big of a deal."

Elfman stormed up, his face beet red. "Yes, it is! This wouldn't have happened in the first place if you didn't encourage her!"

Axis' posture stiffened, his casualness now gone. "How was I supposed to know this would happen? I was just trying to have some fun."

"Of course you didn't know." Elfman retorted. "Because you never think things through."

"Do you have a problem with me, Elfman?" Axis met Elfman face to face. "You've been on my case since this morning. Why don't you just come out and say it? Or are you too scared, like always, to do something about it?"

Elfman tightened his grip on his shirt. He had stress-filled tears brimming in the corners of his eyes. He tried to get the words out, but looking at Axis' azure slits disallowed him to do so. There was something there, in those vibrant blue doorways into the soul, that frightened the young preteen.

In response to Elfman's apparent silence, Axis turned away, the argument seemingly over with. "Go eat your dinner, Elfman. And don't fight a battle you're obviously too scared to fight."

"...I wish you'd never joined us…"

Axis, eyes widened, whirled around to face the boy. "You what?"

Elfman, fists shaking at his sides, breathed heavily to ready himself. "I said I wish you'd never joined us! We were fine before you came along! We didn't have much but we got through it together!"

"Just what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you're always getting us into trouble." Elfman resorted to staring at the cold ground. "You got us ran out of town when we first met you and then did the same thing in Allbright because you decided to steal instead of doing the right thing! And now Lisanna…" He choked.

Axis' head grew hot, now getting lost in the dispute. "I may have messed up in Allbright, but I was just trying to do the best I could!"

"And look where that got us! We couldn't show our faces in town once they knew we were with you! We had to leave and start living off the land like animals." Elfman's voice lost a little composure, not being used to shouting like this.

Axis was getting annoyed. He balled his left fist. "Something got you worked up?" he said, his tone becoming almost mocking in nature. "Where's all this confidence coming from? Usually, you'd piss your pants just by talking to a stranger."

Elfman's cheeks flushed red. "That's none of your business. I don't want to be laughed at by a thief who can't even control his useless magic!"

"And that's none of your business," Axis growled back. "You got a problem with me, bed wetter?"

Elfman bit his lip, working up some courage to say the next thing on his mind. "Yeah, I do. Ever since you came stumbling into our lives, we've always been on the run, not even knowing where our next meals are going to come from or where we're going to sleep! I think…"

"What?!" Axis' temperament came to a head, his magic manifesting fangs in which he bared. "Spit it out!"

Elfman felt something stir within himself, though it was a feeling not from the heart. It was a negativity born from the heat of the moment, a moment in which many regretful decisions are made. "I think you need to leave."

Axis sprung into action, his instincts taking precedence over his mind. He grabbed Elfman by the front of the shirt, his eyes flaring a deep anger. He reared his fist back as Elfman flinched his eyes closed in fear.

Axis' fist never found its intended target, however. Half because of a slight hesitation, maybe a remnant of his previous thinking mind, and half because of a physical force preventing him from doing so. A purplish arm had wrapped itself around his fist. One that he recognized.

Mira's face was blank, dangerously so. Axis could barely register any feeling on her face, but the small anger showing through froze him. No, it wasn't anger he saw, but desperation.

"Please," she said to him, barely a whisper. "Just leave."

Axis' anger wavered at the sight. He finally looked around, noticing what was around him for the first time. Elfman's face was filled with dread as he expected the blow to come. His lips trembled and tears ran down his face.

Axis' strength left him at that moment. He loosened his grip on Elfman's shirt and lowered his fist back down to his side. Elfman dropped down on his rear, finally being able to breathe again. Mira kept her eyes squarely on Axis.

Axis stepped back, only a few paces at a time. He brought his hand up to his eyesight once more. This time he didn't just see his human flash, but the beginnings of midnight blue talons growing instead.

What normally would have excited him instead haunted his soul. The sight of those sharp claws growing from his hands, and the understanding of what those claws were going to be used for…

He gave in. A few steps turned to strides and eventually, he turned away and bolted from the tense campsite. His form carried away from the dying flame's light and disappeared into the oppressive darkness of the forest. He did not look back.

Elfman put his hands over his head, immobile. He whimpered to himself in the flickering illumination, ignoring the world around him. Mira looked at him with great melancholy, but only for a few seconds before rejoining Lisanna's side and wiping off the sweat. She didn't say a word, just sticking to her job.

That is before she realized she had squeezed the water out of the cloth inadvertently during the conflict. She sighed, standing back up to wet it once more.

"Big sis…?"

Mira halted her retreat. A small hand tightened around her own. It was clammy and unpleasant to the touch, but it was most certainly welcome. Mira crouched down.

"Lisanna? How are you feeling?" Her usual hard tone was replaced with a soothing, warm one.

"Why's Elf crying…?" The voice was small and weak.

"Don't worry, just get some rest, ok?" Mira stroked her younger sister's hair in a calming manner.

"Could you…cheer him up? He sounds sad…"

"Shh," Mira quietly shushed her. "Everything's fine, please save your energy."

"I want everyone… to be happy…" Her last words lulled off as Lisanna found herself falling asleep. Mira continued to brush her hair until she was sure Lisanna was fully unconscious. Then she frowned.

Mira walked over to her still-sulking brother. She tapped him on the shoulder gently, causing him to open his ears to whatever she had to say. She placed her hand over his in comfort.

"I need you to do something for me. Can you help me out?"

Elfman mulled over her words for a few seconds, ultimately deciding to hear his sister through. He wiped his eyes of any extra tears before meeting her gaze. "...yeah?"

Mira handed him the dry cloth. He accepted it tenderly. "Wash this in the river and wipe the sweat from Lisanna, alright? Make sure to keep doing it every few minutes."

Elfman sniffled one last time before standing up to meet the height of his sister. He held the cloth to his heart with a half-determined glare. "I'll do it. I promise."

Mira nodded. "Good." She brushed past him, aiming for the woods. Her intention was clear, and Elfman didn't stop her.

"Mira…?" he said before she reached the treeline. "I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking and I said things I didn't mean. I just…"

"Elfman," Mira interrupted him without looking back. "I'm not the one you should be saying that to."

Elfman's newfound determination wavered for just a moment, the tears threatening to fall once again. But, he regained his composure before he let them. "Right."

Mira didn't respond, but inwardly she felt relieved. Satisfied with his answer she raced off into the forest, in search of their newest addition to their wandering group. More importantly, she was going to get their friend back.