Embracing the Creature Within

The usual sounds of the forest were absent, even though the footsteps of those running made less sound than would reasonably be expected. Neely broke into a barren piece of ground, that served as a clearing, albeit an eerie one with a gloomy feel. Much darker than should be expected at this time of day with this amount of space.

Stopping abruptly her head whipped around, nose slightly raised seeking the scent that had halted her movement. She carried herself with an awareness of a trained soldier, light leather armour and a short blade in her hand emphasising that impression. It wasn’t a fight that had drawn her here. Not as such, it was a feeling. A deep knowing that something about this place was wrong. She may not be able to shift into a great dragon like her ancestors could, but she was attuned to the natural world around her in a unique way thanks to the blood running through her veins.

Moments later a lean man dressed in the garb of a mercenary neatly stopped next to her. Much to her disgust his breathing was barely affected whilst she was still panting slightly. He opened his mouth presumably to lecture her, but her hand came up quickly stopping his words from forming. There was something here. Neely could sense it. She just didn’t know what it was, why it called to her, or what it meant.

Slowly she scanned the area, allowing her other senses to do what her sight could not. Tell her what might be waiting in the shadows.

“Princess,” Conal snapped. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the censure in his tone was clear to her enhanced hearing. It wasn’t her favourite gift from her dragon blood and sometimes it was downright inconvenient, but when stealth might be an issue it was a handy ability to have.

Slightly annoyed, when she heard his low growl, she glanced at him. His hands moved in a sign language her mother had devised when she was a mercenary, long before being queen was a consideration.

‘Blood,’ he signed, ‘Lots of blood, something very old.’

She nodded, noting the change in his eyes, and was grateful his gift was one of quick change. It still took time to shift forms, but he was faster than most and she wasn’t concerned when he moved off to the edge of the clearing. Closing her eyes she focused her thoughts on the scents in the air, sifting through the layers. He was right, not that she expected anything else from the wolf, some of the blood had been there for years.

Neely started to wonder what the purpose of this place was for it to be so drenched in blackness. Opening her eyes, she slowly searched her surrounds. A pile of stones were placed peculiarly just off the centre of the space but before she could investigate further two simultaneous scents assaulted her. Bear, followed quickly by soiled diaper. Then she heard it. A tiny whimper.

Her brain skipped a beat.

Neither of those things should be here, yet they were. As her thoughts jumped back into the moment a large grey wolf launched past her at shoulder height. Turning in the direction of the noise and following his trajectory, Neely saw a large bear crash out of the edges of the trees.

The wail of a baby had her head snapping up and her mother’s words echoed in her mind, ‘Sometimes it is best to take a beat before rushing in.’

Pushing the fight instinct aside she took her mother’s advice, taking a slow breath in. In doing so she began to process the fact there was something strange about the bear – it had an aura. Animals didn’t have auras, they just were. They had no motivations for good or evil, they did what was in their nature to do. Human’s and shifters had auras, and this bear definitely had one. It was muddy, messy, filled with vivid flashes of putrid green, red and black. Whatever the story here, the bear was up to no good.

Conal was engaged in battle, there was no two ways about it and Neely knew that whatever she did next had to be done using the right amount of caution and skill. Drawing a second blade Neely knew close quarters was her best option, get in close whilst Conal was distracting the bear and slice something vital. Or if unable to cause that much damage, then at least hurt it enough for him to finish it off.

About to act she heard a noise that changed everything.

Without a doubt she knew what was about to happen, another strange hereditary gift, and it couldn’t be allowed.

Seeing a gap she threw her knife, hard and fast, just as a toddler wobbled into the clearing wiping its tired eyes, looking all confused.

The blade found its mark and the bear turned its attention on her. The daughter of the queen didn’t bother thinking anymore, she roared, needing to keep the bear distracted. As she did so she felt a stirring deep inside and pulled on the very part of herself she was usually desperately trying to control and ignore. Then she did a thing she had never done, always too scared, something she had thought she would spend her whole life running from. She called on her dragon. That deep burning fire within that had always been there, a smouldering ember carefully banked in the most secret part of her soul.

With narrowing focus, she threw her second blade, just missing the wolf, not missing the bear who had been momentarily distracted by the mewling of the child. Conal took advantage of the moment and leapt, his claw racking the ribcage of his opponent. Blood was instantly visible through the shreds of already destroyed clothing hanging from the creature.

Neely leapt, timing her move perfectly as Conal was moving away, constant training together proving its worth in this moment. She aimed higher than he had, her claws raking across the side of the bear’s neck, deep and true. The force of her move caused the bear to fall away from the little one.

Conal finished off their opponent as Neely went to the child, reaching out before remembering her claws. The smell of blood was ripe in the air and the stench of something worse seemed to linger. It took considerable focus to turn her attention towards calming her mind. A song her brother sometimes sang sprang into her mind. She whisper-sang the words knowing it was his gift not hers but hoping against hope that it would ease the beast within her quickly so she could attend the child.

It took longer than she would have liked, not surprisingly as she had allowed so much more of the dragon to take her over this time. Over the years she and her brother had discussed the problems of their heritage. Sometimes they even spoke to their mother, they knew the stories of how she believed her dragon bloodline would mean she’d have to walk away from her soul mate. As the mercenary who’d put the kingdom before herself though, she’d had the support of many – those in power, who had fought by her side, those she had protected and the public who viewed her as their champion. Despite that there were very few trusted enough to know the family secret because no-one believed it becoming general knowledge would result in anything but trouble.

Neely focussed on the crying child as her motivator to pull herself back into her wholly human self. Just as she was about comfortable enough to approach the child a shadow filled the sky above them. A flapping of wings stirred the air and the dirt. Looking up Neely saw a dragon open its mouth in an action she had never seen but instinctively knew and she ran, throwing herself at the toddler. Despite the little one’s protest, Neely wrapped her own body around it and hoped her mother would forgive her if she died. She knew fire didn’t affect her like it did normal humans, but she was about to test the limits of that way beyond anything she’d previously thought to try.

Fire licked at her skin, it felt warm then hot but seemed to rollover her before being absorbed. When the temperature dropped Neely felt it was safe to release the child and uncurled herself. A loud trumpeting happened and the shadow above her shrank. Pushing herself to her feet the princess breathed slowly to centre herself and despite her fatigue dug deep within to call forth the claws again. Her dragon was only too happy to comply given the threat to the child, she could sense its rage at the injustice done to the innocent.

Spinning to launch herself at her attacker she aborted her swing as she took in the woman standing angrily in front of her.

“Why did you move, you put the child at risk.”

“I put the child at risk?” Neely was incensed, “You were the one who flamed us.”

A growl prevented either woman from speaking, Neely held up her hand, “It’s okay, I think,” she said to Conal.

The woman glanced at the wolf before stepping toward Neely. She was clothed in simple garb in various shades of brown. Her dark hair was peppered through with strands of white. Her hazel eyes narrowed.

Neely endured the inspection, her mind racing. Her mother had always wondered if any of the dragon brethren who had left their kingdom had survived. Somehow Neely figured she was looking at the answer to that question.

As the woman drew closer, Neely decided to bring the image of ancestor guardian to her mind, and the woman stopped in her tracks. Shaking her head she muttered, “It’s not possible.”

Neely felt a tension within herself ease. “Sure it is. Though I always thought we were the only ones.”

The woman looked towards the child, who was sitting on the ground eating handfuls of dirt and spitting it out. “You thought I was going to hurt the child, so you used your body as a shield.”

Shrugging, Neely said, “I had to try.”

The woman’s mouth fell open, “You didn’t know you could?”

Shaking her head Neely smiled, “Nope, but now I do, and I’m glad no one has to explain my death to my mother.”

The woman looked around; Conal was watching the proceedings with a wary eye. “Wolf shifter and dragon get… Where is the bear I was tracking, the one I mistakenly thought you were allied with.”

Neely gestured to what was left of their opponent, “That may have been her, but now we have other matters to deal with. This child needs to be taken somewhere safe and you need to meet my mother.”

“The other children?” the dragon shifter asked.

Neely’s eyes changed, and her breathing sped up, “There are other children?” The dragon in her not quite settled raised itself back to the fore.

The woman looked to the blood pool Neely had previously indicated, “She traded in children. Some she sacrificed for dark foul purposes, I’m sure you can smell it in this place. Others she sold on, acting as the middle person for those who would use children to work in their factories and the like.”

“Then we will find them if they need finding,” said Neely roughly, anger bubbling to the surface. “And we will deal with those who think children are commodities to be bought, sold, or traded.”

The large grey wolf stepped forward a low growl rumbling from him. Neely nodded before picking up the toddler. “Come,” she said. “My mother will be pleased to meet you, and again perhaps not so pleased once you give us a full run down of what brings you to our kingdom. If the evil staining this place is anything to go by though I am sure she will not be left out of this matter.”

The child stirred; Neely looked down nervously. A very dirty thumb was stuck in a small mouth surrounded by chubby cheeks and within seconds drool was dribbling from said mouth that was curved in what could only be considered a smile. Breathing again Neely strode away, not waiting to see if she was being followed.

FIN

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NB: The artwork is from WallpaperCave, not specifically Caveman, it won't let me change the attribution in quick edit.