It was pouring rain when the taxi rolled up to the warehouse. I was more then happy to take my chances in the rain then stay another minute in the nicotine rancid smell of the taxi, I was starting to get motion sickness. Hakeem threw his hoody over his head and exited the taxi on his side. I exhaled in frustration and opened my door.
"Wait," the taxi driver looked up with blood shot eyes. "I don't know what you kids are doing out here...but be careful." He nodded with a firm glare as the sound of remorse escaped his yellow stained teeth.
I nodded, finding it strange that a stranger would care about our wellbeing. I was so used to fending for myself with my mother, that I guess I forgot that people could genuinely care. I slipped the hoody over my head and slipped out, slamming the door behind me. The sound of the taxi splashing away through the flooding road faded behind us.
Hakeem walked in front of me and stopped. I watched from behind as the rain created a strange steam around him, the rain flooded our path with the golden glare of the street lights shimmering around us. I could see the steam of his exhale wrap around his slim shoulders, they trembled, I could see it in the rain.
I stepped forward to reach for him, but he immediately began walking towards the giant chain of structures which were consumed by the night sky. I wondered where his mother could be, as the buildings themselves could be riddled with multiple rooms like a maze. It was haunting looking up at the structures, the gaping shattered windows were pitch black, where you couldn't see in, anyone could look out. A chill ran down my spine.
"Mizzy," I whispered amongst my breath.
"I know," she replied with a confident tone. "I'm right here."
I licked my lips and swallowed hard walking as fast as I could to catch up to him. My shoes sloshed through the muddy broken road, filling with water. I had to ignore it. My mother was probably worried sick by now, not even Gary would be able to comfort her. Good.
I caught up to him as his gaze and focus remained on a pitch-black entrance. I wanted to stop, I was afraid to know what waited in the blackness. But I had played the part of being tough this long, could I really hesitate now and turn back?
He stopped just at the entrance and took a deep breath. He began sniffing the air, his nose and lips scrunched up as if he had tasted something bitter. He lowered his face as his fist tightened. The drops of rain raced down his wrist dripping from his knuckles, but even in the darkness I noticed the blood seeping from his fingers as his claws dug into his palms.
"Hakeem,"
He looked up with large golden-brown eyes. They glowed even in the dark, like an animal. His lips became black. "Rai, I'm sorry, but I can't let you go any further." The large intimidating eyes shimmered with fear.
"Hey, I didn't come this far for nothing..." I thought to myself throwing my only escape away and following my heart. I had to help him, I had to be there. "Besides, I got to look out for you, right?" my voice choked.
He could see the fear, I know it. He nodded and turned to the black entrance. "I know you can't see good in the dark, but I can see perfectly clear, you trust me?" his soft voice trembled as he held his hand out. I nodded and took it as we went into the blackness together.
I couldn't see anything in front of myself. In small gaps the street lights shined through giving sections of life through the broken windows. The sound of glass and rock crunched beneath my feet as the damp air smelled of old urine and thick mildew. I pushed on.
"Rai, I'm afraid." His voice deepened, almost beastly. "In here are some really bad people, and the thing that scares me the most I don't know if I'll be able protect you..."
"Who says I need protecting," I whispered.
"You don't get it; my world is at war with a monster...someone frightening and ruthless. He's killed entire species, murdering everything and everyone in his path with his armies..."
I swallowed hard. The terrain became uneven as I could feel my feet stepping through and kicking over debris and pieces of wood. We had long since lost the element of surprise. "We have people like that in our world too you know..." I whispered thinking about the world's bloody history and what my mom taught me. "Let's focus on your mom."
I could feel his hand grow as the claws gripped around my wrist. His hands almost doubled mine as the fur gave a warm comfort. This was nothing like that night with Charlie, and for some reason within the last month I had grown much from that experience. But here I was, in the dark, with a kid who was a monster, trusting him.
Up a head was an opening where the street lights flooded in. Hakeem stopped. A deep growl rolled from him and raced down my arms as I felt it in my chest. Up ahead I could see a figure moving in the shadows.
"You came, prince Hakeem," the figure moved from the side out of the shadows with glaring bright yellow eyes. "You truly love your mother if your willing to risk your life and even the throne for her?" the voice spoke with a strange accent it was a women.
"Iris...I knew it was you. I could smell your scent of betrayal before we entered this place," he growled. His hand released mine. "What do you want with me and my mother?"
She cackled in the darkness growing closer. Her eyes were wild like a felines and as they grew closer they hovered over our small figures. She stepped into the light of the shattered window revealing an abnormally tall human body. Her legs were long, with a very thin body that was covered in a patterned fur like a cheetah. She walked barefoot with fur covered feet which were clawed but kept some humane futures, her long thin arms rolled down to her thighs, as her clawed hands lightly scrapped across the brick wall. A tail gently flicked from behind her, rolling up to her shoulders.
She folded her arms and leaned her cheek against her long finger nails looking down at us. Her body had the appearance of a humanoid cheetah, her entire body covered in fur except for her head. Her light brown skinned was almost caramel even in the dim light, rich and smooth almost like it wasn't skin at all. Her short black hair hung over eyes gaping with satisfaction.
I trembled realizing I had bitten off more then I could chew glaring at what stood before us. This thing looked like it could tear us limb from limb. I took a step back and she immediately focused on me. I froze from fear as our eyes met, the sharpness of her pupils gripped me with terror.
"Andy you brought me a peace offering too..." she looked around Hakeem with a smile to seek me out. "I usually don't eat while working, but I guess after we're done, she'll probably be enough."
"The hell with that," I whispered. "What are you?"
She smirked. "Prince Hakeem, you're just as weak as your father, grand father and the rest of your pitiful family...the only true heir to the throne is Kaimus."
"The hell with Kaimus," he growled.
I stepped away from him watching the sound of something frightening. His body began to change, more so then what happened in the closet. His muscles and bones shifting, cracking and expanding filled me with fear as I watched his body double in size. He ripped through his clothing as a tail sprouted from what was left of his pants.
"I'll kill you Iris, if you've hurt my mom..." a thin mane wrapped around the base of his neck in dark brown fur as his face expanded with a large black triangular snout. "But I'll devour you, if you touch this girl!" a deep roar escaped the thin black lips of a jaw filled with large canines as a beast twice the size of what Hakeem was stood in his place.
I fell back against the cold brick wall looking up at the beast whose eyes were large and glowing fiercely, though even with his new physique, Hakeem looked very immature to what he could have been. It was none the less frightening. His entire body was muscular but slim. He still wasn't as big as the creature in front of us, and she wasn't too impressed by his transformation either.
Large thick clawed hands tightened as a deep growl escaped him. I wondered if he was still the small dark-skinned boy that would cry if I yelled at him, or would he eat me?
"Oh, Prince Hakeem, you need at least ten more years to strike fear into my heart with that purring you're doing. Your mother is fine, all I need is for you to accompany me through the gate back to Ermak...and we will see Blight."
Even through his beastly face his large fierce eyes shook. His mouth hung open with shock revealing his large canines as his body jolted from her words. "Blight..." he growled.
She nodded with a devilish smile. Why the hell did that name dishevel a 230-pound humanoid lion was beyond me. She greedily looked down at me with a smile that changed into a frightening grimace as her head changed into that of a cheetah. Her short black hair vanished beneath the large head as her glowing eyes and thinning pupils spied me like a three-course meal.
"Mizzy," I whispered to myself nervously.
Hakeem raced towards her with a roar that rattled the warehouse and shattered the remaining glass in the windows. I gripped my chest as the hairs on my neck and arms stood on end. He lunged forward with a giant clawed hand.
She grinned with her new sharpened canines, and with her long fur covered leg kicked him through the brick wall. I dove out of the way into the darkness of the warehouse as stone crumbled all around me.
The heavy rain outside poured in from the new entrance. I wanted to scream for Hakeem, but this crazy chick had her eyes locked on me again, she wasn't joking about wanting to eat me, though I prayed it was a joke deep down. She lowered her head, and her wild greedy eyes widened on me, lustfully hungering for my flesh. Like a cat ready to pounce she stalked forward, her long legs just beneath her, ears pinned back and her claws just at her side.
"I hadn't eaten since I've been here, so I hope you don't mind if I rip a limb or too off before I kill you?" she growled sadistically.
I stepped back trying not to lose her in the darkness. If I did she would kill me, and I would never see it coming. My soul would permanently be lost in the darkness of the warehouse. I fell back over a clump of old wood and brick and tried to sit myself up, a shard of glass dug deep through my palm as I winced from the burning sting.
She snarled into the air like a blood hound that just got its scent for the hunt. "My dear, my dear...you smell divine."
"I don't know what the hell you are, but if you don't want to die, I'd advise you to stop now, and give Hakeem back his mother!" I yelled trying to keep my composure, gathering any courage I had left in my bones.
"Shut-up, prey!" she glared down menacingly. "Mankind has no idea the slaughter it'll soon endure, we will crush the throats of our enemies and tear flesh from bone...all of you will bow before Blight and the Wrath!"
Hakeem smashed through the wall and took her off her feet. They tumbled into the next room as the sound of roars and growls of pain echoed behind the stone walls. I rose stumbling to my feet to see the savage battle between the two. They were tearing each other apart with gnashing teeth, and claws that tore into one another.
She smashed Hakeem in the ribs as he howled in pain, the crack of his ribs made me grimace. She slung him like a rag doll through the brick wall back outside into the rain, laughing. She strutted into the pouring rain extending her claws.
I ran out over the blood-stained cement floor of the pale lit room that they fought in. The sounds of heavy thuds and roars of pain echoed from outside. I watched through the opening as she savagely punched him in the face repeatedly.
"Turn back prince," she slammed him in the face with another haymaker. "Turn back, fallen king!"
She savagely beat his head in. I watched in anger as I slowly stepped out into the rain. "Leave him alone," I replied as tears sweltered behind my eyes. I wanted to rush in, but my body was sluggish, trembling.
She punched him hard enough to knock a tooth out, his gaze slung directly at me, his eyes watering and trembling. "Rai," he roared with exhaustion. "Run, get out of here!"
She continued to beat him without mercy. She laughed hysterically at his pain and suffering, her fur was matted and soaked with his blood. "Yes, run human, run..." her gaze grabbed me.
She launched herself forward before I could realize she had me in her clutches. She had her claws wrapped around my throat, and I was looking down into her glowing wild eyes. She was incredibly strong, the veins in my eyes were tightening. I couldn't exhale or inhale...I...I was dying?
"I'll do you a favor prince Hakeem, since you brought me your friend as a peace offering I'll end her life quickly!" she raised her clawed hand over my head, but my eyes didn't leave Hakeem.
He slowly reverted to his human form, his face covered in gashes and bruises, his mouth filled with blood and water. He reached for me with his thin dark hands, just a boy now, a seven-year-old boy. Tears filled my eyes as my body began to convulse from the lack of air. For once in my life I really wanted to help someone, I wanted to make a difference...but tonight I would die, before I had the chance to do anything.
Her law clawed hand raced down, I closed my eyes and grimaced as my tears mixed with the rain that soaked my face and hair. It was fun while it lasted I guess.
I heard the snap and my body swayed a little, but I didn't feel anything. In fact, I fell to my knees in a puddle of water gaining my breath back, coughing and nearly throwing up. A strange energy comforted me.
I sucked in some of the water that rolled down my face and looked down at the puddle which was turning red. I slowly looked up at the feet of the creature which trembled stepping back, just behind was Hakeem's eyes, shock and confusion riddled his torn state.
To the left side of me I saw the long arm of the women, still in its beastly form, the fingers twitching. I knew why I was still breathing. I slowly rose to my feet glaring up at the fear filled eyes of the beast that tortured Hakeem and I, and now the expression that painted my face was now her mask.
Hanging over me was a large monstrous serpent made of water it's eyes bright like turquoise, its teeth sharpened by ice, it's body strong and growing with rain. The creature emitted a cold air, that to me, felt like freedom.
She stepped back holding the stub of an arm that was cut clean off at the bicep. She looked down at me as I smiled. "What the hell is this!" She growled.
"That's right," I wiped the strands of hair that stuck to my face with a cocky smile. "I haven't really introduced myself yet. My name's Rai...and by the look on your face, you've realized you really fucked up."
I tightened my right fist thinking about everything she put us through. I closed my eyes for an instant. Finding myself in my subconscious, with Mizzy hovering over me in her immense size.
"Took you long enough,"
Steam raced from her nostrils. "Have you finally found your resolve yet?"
I looked up confused.
"You were filled with fear, it spewed from you, it was disgusting. Do you trust me or not?"
"I.." her words hit me hard as I glared into the monstrous being that pledged its allegiance to me. Why was I afraid this entire time? Was she really that easy to forget. I nodded accepting words. "Yes, I do, sorry about that."
"Now what?" she glared down with a fury that bared down on me like a frightening storm, but this fury wasn't for me.
"Let's take her for the ride of her life..."