This chapter is for everyone who's read, liked, or commented on this story :) thank you all for your amazing support and inspiration (Awesome cover made by Khadi1.) so with out any further ado... (Don't know how to spell that... Lol.) here's the next part!
Chapter Eleven - With Dangerous Intentions
POV - Chantelle
I followed his instructions, gripping the anklet in my hands as I watched the scene in front of me unfold.
The wind whistled loudly past my ears and the thunder seemed to harmonize with it; taunting the actions to come with its tone.
Watching in shock as the dark monster flung its arm toward Owen, I held my breath. The claws on that thing were huge and glinted off the thunder that bolted forth from the gathering clouds. Those knife-like talons would have scathed Owen if he hadn't have had the fastest reflexes I'd ever seen.
I screamed as it tried to incise him again and again with its eyes narrowing farther each time it missed. Every action that happened after was tumultuary. If this was a dream, like I'd begun to tell myself, I don't think I'd have a large enough imagination to come up with everything that I was witnessing.
The resolved attempts made by the creature obviously weren't how he intended to leave things. It dropped to all fours and began walking towards Owen, taking a different approach this time since the others had all failed. It growled and tore at the ground, as if readying to charge.
I froze when I saw a large cat come from behind the creature. It looked ... Almost angry ... at the dark figure; narrowing its bright golden eyes from behind. Then started stalking the creature quietly, as if it was his prey. The large feline then hurdled forward, moving so quickly it looked to be only a shadow of a blur.
The moment the black cat had jumped, Owen had made his move on the other side of the beast simultaneously. Pulling out a sword from thin air, and moving just as fast. Both Owen and the feline scraped and clawed at the creature, who made a shrieking call at each cut given to him. Then, gradually, it began to shrink until the inky 'goo' (for lack of a better word.) upon its skin dried and turned to a crispy/flaky substance, falling to the wet ground.
I brought my knees towards my chest and hugged them to myself as I witnessed everything with breath drawn back. The moment the creature fell to the ground its body pressed as close to the ground as it could get. I would do the same if there was a large predator in my face, looking like it were about to eat me...
I pressed my face near my bawled-up hands and squinted my eyes closed, just as Owen came to stand next to the terrified thing with his sword raised high.
When I heard its agonized pleading suddenly cut short I gasped; becoming light-headed with the lack of oxygen I was receiving from this force field thing around me.
Owen swiftly recovers from putting the ugly creature to death, as if he'd put things down like that a billion times before. Coming back over to me he sheathed the blade in one swift movement. kneeling down on his knees in front of me, his hand reached through the invisible barrier and held my still quivering hands. My body relaxed as I breathed in the new air, giving Owen back his anklet.
"Princess." He greeted kindly, his voice breathless. "Thank you for waiting and having to witness such things against your will, but like I said: you wont be out of my sight now that I've found you again."
He managed a small smile, securing the piece of jewelry around his ankle and then standing with his hand in mine. I leaned my back against the fence once fully standing and sighed slightly. Looking up at him I smiled back and then closing my eyes I enjoyed the cold air. The harsh rain had stopped a while ago, replaced by tiny drops that still continuously fell. When I reopened them a minuet later and noticed him staring at me I blushed because I'd let down my guard. Something moved then, in my peripheral vision, behind Owen.
"Watch out!" I shout, pointing quickly behind him.
At the sound of my voice a huge dog let out a frightening growl and flung itself towards him with open jaws. Taken by surprise at the new pressure and force against him, Owen fell to the ground.
Blood pooled around him and I yelled at the giant, wild dog to stop. Glancing around I looked for something to whack the animal with, even thought so far as to call Animal Control or something. Anything to stop the K9 from killing my new 'friend.'
Owen grunted against the animal's pressure and then tensed up his arms. Letting his muscles work like a spring he was surprisingly able to throw the dog off of him as if it weighed nothing. Coming up behind the large dog the feline let out a hiss and scratched the mutt. I watched the dog cower back and submitted to the puma as Owen managed to scramble clumsily to his feet.
Now standing in front of me Owen spat at the ground, spitting blood from his mouth.
"Where did you and the others come from?" He asks threateningly, as if the animals that were closing in around us could understand him. Though the feline stopped in his tracks, the dog continued to growl and stalk towards the both of us.
I noticed, as it came to a stop, that it had a light shimmering, faintly around its body. I squinted my eyes against the illuminecence, as the glow became brighter and brighter.
Then, when my eyes adjusted and reopened, a figure stood. I recognized it as Xavier and almost forgot about the stalking dog getting closer. Owen stood in front of me as a precautionary measure and again, asked Xavier and the dog the question.
It happened again, after Owen's warning. Only this time there were two lights, one pulsing near Owen's outstretched hand while the other shone around the dog.
I stare wide eyed at what both the lights had conjured up. Down at Owen's outstretched hand was now a different blade; seeming to come from thin air again.
My eyes went from where they had been on Owen and now towards the dog because it'd begun to shift as Xavier had. They widened even farther than they already had when I noticed the dog was now another version of someone I knew. It was Landon. I hadn't expected that and it seemed as if Owen tried to block my site of him.
"We are the ones who should be asking you that question." Was Landon's first remark.
I whinced at the rage within his voice. "We were chosen by the royal scribes and have been trained to protect the princess, you can't possibly fight both of us."
"Oh I could do more than kill the both of you." Owen states, rather darkly.
He doesn't explain his statement any further as he walks forward from his place in front of me, with his sword drawn and positioned to draw blood.
"Okay, lets get this situation straight." I commented, breaking the tension all the guys had made. As well as stopping them from doing anything too rash.
I don't know how I sounded so much like a .. teacher ... as if I was speaking in front of a class. I was completely composed, confident almost, as I confronted them all. "I'm the princess, right Xavier?" I ask, looking in his direction. His reply was a quick nod of his head. Owen stared at me as I addressed him, surprised that I knew both of them.
"I also have royal palace staff, correct Owen?" I ask him.
When I say his name and act as if I know him that surly got everyone's attention this time, though they were already focused intently at what I was pointing out. "And Landon, every guy can all apparently shift into a different animal?" I ask him last. Landon shrugs and nods.
"Ma'am, please don't involve yourself." Xavier cautions, looking worried. "I will exterminate of any potential threat to you, I promise."
"Funny, Xavier I thought I told you to call me by my name..."
"I .." He began. "I don't know if you understand how much people can judge you if you're own servant calls you by your name ... it can show as a weakness to others.." He was going to continue but I stepped forward and put my hand up, in all honesty I wasn't sure if the movement would silence him or not. It did, much to my appreciation.
"Xavier, Landon, Owen.." I say their names with more confidence than I felt while 'telling off' three guys. However, they weren't going to come into my life: put me in danger, expect me to change so quickly, and then make all the decisions themselves without telling anything to me.
"I'm going to say this once and I will not say it again, so pay attention." I instruct, using the tone of voice my father had used on me when I'd misbehave. "You three will not harm anyone you see in front of you from this moment on." I watch as the boys all look to each other, glaring for their own reasons. I snap my fingers once and it gets all of their eyes back on me.
"You three are to all explain to me why you came into my life and started to cause problems. You could have made a scene in front of the 'normal' people going about their daily lives if it hadn't been raining out." I say, losing the cool act I'd started with.
"If what you claim me to be is true we need to communicate." I tell them. "Agreed?"
"Agreed." Was their curt response, and I smile approvingly at their defeated tones. They were ashamed at all the trouble they'd caused and that's all I wanted them to feel right now. As soon as I'm about to continue however, my body takes the toll of not having its medicine on time and I slowly start to feel gravity slip from under me and my breathing become shallower.
That had done it, I uncontrollably fall into a weightlessness as darkness envelops me. Then to my dismay I slip out of consciousness; undoubtedly going down a few cool points I'd earned while managing to stay standing after all that had just happened.
The lack of oxogen, the shock factor, and forgetting to take my daily intake of medication had finally caught up with me.