Her Reckoning

Chapter 25

I felt Julius tightly curled around me as he slept. I laid still. Not moving. Too deep and lost in my own head.

Last thing i remember before passing out was black flames lighting my town and screams. Bloody murder screams as Julius left nothing untouched. He was so angry. I felt it as though it was my own. There was no one or thing that could hv stopped him in his rage. He was passed reasoning even with me.

"Your life isnt to be reasoning with." Julius deep voice cuts in on my thoughts. Looking up. I see his head resting on the ground as hes eyes were locked on mines.  
"There were innocent people there Julius." I argue back

"They lost their innocence as they watched their queen be dragged to her death and her parents beheaded." He growls as he said the word "death". I shake my head repeatedly. Teared filled my eyes.

Julius tighten around me even more as i sob into my knees. Images of their lifeless head flashes in my mind makes me sob harder. "Im no queen." I cry.

"Nonsense, ur as much a queen as i a dragon. We will take revenge and we will take our rightful place." I shake my head again. "I dont want this. I dont want any of this. I want my parents back. I wanna go home. I wanna go to school. I want this nightmare to end." 

"I was once stuck in a nightmare for nearly 15 years and you saved me my rider and I'll save you." Hes eyes were the softest ive ever seen them. But I know his saving me is him killing everyone.

I struggle to my feet. My back ached so much. Julius was reluctant but he uncurls from around me. I touch my back and wince. He raises his head and look down at me. I take in the structure of his sharp defined face. So many small horn where laced around any facial weak points. One sat on the tip of his nose was the starter point for a trail of minier horns to shape the eyebrow leading to his bigger set of two horns. It was terrifily beautiful.
He bring his face to mine and inhale deeply. "You've been posinon" he said calmly. A little to calmly

"Poison?" I squeak out. "Yes. Griffin craws are poisonous"

I try my best to keep my breathing under control and not to panic. Griffin poison have to be treated immediately or it can be deadly. Paralyzing you first and than stopping ur heart.
I have to get out of these woods. I need to find help fast and I have to get far away, where no one would recognize me. Where no one knows who I am or what Julius did.

"Julius‐" his silver eyes narrowed knowing what im about to do. His lip piles back in defiance but before he could truly protest i commanded him into tattoo form. He trys to fight against the command but no sync can disobey it.

He melts into the incy mist and shoots towards me.

He hits right on the side of my face. I drop to my knee at the burning pain. It didn't last long for the burn to turned into tingle sensation before coming a constant warm presents.

I touch the warm spot on my face.
I snatched my hand back as the feeling of little needles begin to trail down from my face to my neck and all the way down to my forearm. I raise my arm to look at what caused such a feeling.

It was the tattoo of Julius. His white form wrapped around my entire forearm. The tip of his tail wrapped around my pinky and trace up my entire arm. I pull my shirt half off to get a better look.
His tail took up motory of my arm and his body laid on my shoulders. One claw hung protectively over my shoulder stopping where my heart is and the other hung  over my other shoulder which was used to rest his head on.

The tattoo looks so real it looked as though you were able to pull him right off. I touch the head of Julius and to my surprise he rises it and blinks at me.

"I figure you would be more pleased with me here than your face."
"Your able to move where u please?" I asked shocked.
He settled his head back down before answering "yes"

----

The heat from the sun drained what little energy I had. I've been walking for hours trying to find a way out of these thick woods. I needed the woods as support to not fall because I know once I'm down there's no getting back up. I have to keep moving.

I stumble a feet on some rocks and nearly went head first into a tree but I barely catch myself.

Julius pushes at my hold to be free and I push back harder.
Taking a breath I push myself off of the tree to walk around it, when I notice the worn out pathway.
I go to walk on it when Julius growls at me and shifts on my body. "What is it?"
"Stay behind the tree." He warns. I paused. "Why? This path will lead to a town where I can be healed."
"People coming" I feel tingled all over my body. Letting me know Julius is pacing all over.
"That's good. Maybe they can help or have a faster way to a town or city." I say excitedly. Weakly moving onto the path I look in both directions. "Which way Julius?"
He ignores me and continue to pace.

I hear the laugher of men before they came into sight. Two tall thin men wearing raggedy dull clothes and worn down brown boots. 
"Hello!" I call out
They both looked to me and stop in their tracks.
Only a few feet away. The shorter of the two steps forward a little. 
"What a flower like you doing out in these woods all..." he looked around before finishing "alone?"
I shift my weight my foot to foot. Nervous. Regretting not listening to Julius. "I just need directions to the nearest town. If you don't mind." I crack a weak smile.
"You lost?" The other man ask and takes a step forward. I go to step back but stumble. I try to reach for a tree to catch my fall but there weren't any close.

I laid faced up flat in the dirt. I try to move but my body wouldn't listen to me. Oh no. No. No. No. I panic. My body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. I could move nothing but my eyes. The griffin poison finally worked it's way to paralyzing me.

Julius takes this moment to start ramming against my hold on him. Knocking the air out of me. I squeeze my eyes close and tighten my hold on him. Imagining thick unbreakable chains wrapping around his body.
Once the chains seem to hold. I open my eyes back.

I let out a scream but it came out shallow and weak.
The two men were standing on each side of me. Their smiles were wicked.

"Well ain't this the nicest present." The tall one grins. He gave another quick look at his surroundings "Let's get out of here." He reaches down to grab me.
"No!" Julius voice slips through my lips. He sent a shot of strength to my arm before knocking the man on the face with the back of my hand. Sending him stumbling to the other side of the path.

"You bitc-" I see the friend pull his leg back to give my face a good kick with his dusty boots. I slam my eyes close preparing myself for the kick but instead a gus of wind blew pass my face. Opening one eye i peek to see what was going on to place prolonged the jumping of a teenage girl.
My eyes squirmed with happiness. This can't be. Layla? Layla is here!
Than the denial. Impossible. She died with my mom. It's not her.
And than defeat. My eyes closed on there own and I panic. What if those men are still here? I need to get up!
"Shhh sleep now. Your safe." Julius whispers to me. "I'll heal you now."

I black out.

######

Let me know how you guys like this chapter!