Shadow-Cat

Screams!

Horrifying screams echoing off of chamber walls. Racing hearts and pulses and the thick acrid smell of fear laced the air like poison. But there were other smells ones that bore the reason for the soul shaking fear. "Run! They've broken into the palace! Mobilize the Shadow- Fighters!" More screams. More panic. Muffled voices; panicked whispers coupled with silent escapes through the palace. More screams this time from the dying combined with the stench of the dead. "Find the Prince!" I hear one of them roar.

Just a little further through the tunnel and we will be safe. I can smell them they are close- oh so close. I can hear the battle that wages overhead the Shadow- Fighters are slowly being defeated. Each man fights to the death because they know that no mercy will be shown to those that survive. Better to be dead for what power does and enemy wield when you are dead?

They are strong and determined the element of surprise is their friend and ally. Where now is the god that my father made me pray religiously to as a child? How could this great Egyptian warrior allow this to happen- where is the Goddess Bast when her Shadow- Fighters need her the most? Just a little further; I can see the trap door in the gloom the very one that will lead us out of the palace and into the forest.

Then in a moment everything changes... Shadow- Fang opens the trap door a small breeze flows past us. Where we had once been downwind our scent has been carried to our pursuers who now run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them. We won't make it we have women and children with us and the Lykens are not known for their compassion. All will be killed save for one- one will be spared to serve as a bargaining chip in the coming negotiations with the King of the Shadow- Fighters. Me. Prince Shadow-Cat. To be taken alive by a Lyken is a fate worse than death. I won't be taken alive!

A ghastly roar from one of the Lykens travels down into the tunnel and ricochets off the walls and strikes fear in all. The tunnel is filled with a cacophony of frightened murmurs.

" Go" I order them "Go through the trap door and follow the stairs, until you reach the door that will lead you out into the forest you know the way from there" I whispered urgently. 21 sets of panicked amber and green eyes stared at me from the gloom.

"But your highness" Shadow- Fang pleads "No Shadow- Fang there is no time if I go they will catch us! You have to lead them to the forest and get them into the boats! You have to get them safely to my father he will know what to do!"

I can hear their footsteps pounding above they will find the entrance soon enough. "Shadow-Fang I order you to go will you disobey your Prince?! They won't kill me now go please!" With one last pleading look and a silent bow my orders obeyed. While the others file through the trap door and down the stairs I begin to prepare mentally and physically for the fight that will ensue before long. Even a fight between an experience Shadow- Fighter and 6 fully matured Lykens would be difficult to win -- I don't stand a chance.

I watch Shadow- Fang disappear through the trap door and I can hear the bolt silently ease into the lock. And for the first time I thank the gods for instilling in my father the wisdom to construct the various escape roots that are housed within the palace. I can hear them they've found the door they are trying to knock it down each pounding against the door matches the pounding in my heart.

You know its odd right before the worst is about to happen it's like time moves so slow or stops moving at all and it's at that very moment that you take notice of everything- I mean really take notice. The whole time we had been down here I had not been aware of how quiet it had become in the palace there were no sounds of weapons firing, knives being sunken into flesh or even the sounds of bones breaking as fists struck their targets. There were no longer women crying over the bodies of their loved ones even the dying made less noise and there were still a few. The smell of the dead was altogether unbearable. And for what was not to be the last time since the bolt slide home in the latch I wished that I had taken my chances and gone with Shadow- Fang.

What's even stranger still is that when time has slowed to a point where you begin to doubt whether it's even still active it speeds up again as if it's trying to catch up. It's an altogether unsettling and out of body experience. It's an unsettling out of body experience. All at once I could hear the pounding outside the door increase in tempo. I could hear the mongrels inside the palace looting it for what they called the spoils of war. My senses became blazed with sounds and smells. An unsettling out of body experience doesn't even begin to explain it.

I took my stance in a half crouched position just as one of those dogs had turned the door into a thousand match sticks- which by the way was antique wood 500 years old given to my family by the Shah of Iran- good for nothing uncultured dogs! It's odd how I can now appreciate the beauty of such objects which I had taken for granted now that it was to be taken from me and I from it -- ah well on with the show. I have a date with death and I plan to take as many of these filthy uncouth animals with me as possible!

Now Lykens do have the ability to see in the dark but it's a piss poor comparison to the Shadow- People! That's why the come carrying their torches. I can launch an arrow at an archery board in pitch black a thousand times and never miss the bullseye- beat that! As a result of their short comings Lykens rely on their sense of smell and their uncanny ability to detect movement (great). The first Lyken enters through the narrow archway followed in a singular line by the rest of his company; a factor which inhibited our escape (resulting in our current predicament of me acting as both bait and diversion) proves to be most advantageous in taking down the first Lyken.

Claws distended I leap upon the first Lyken going for the kill I sever his jugular vein as I tear his throat out, he falls to the ground clutching at what used to be his throat making a chocked gurgling noise as he slowly dies. The sound of a dying Lyken hmm I like it! My self praise was to only last a minute, although Lyken are naturally stupid creatures the others did not fall prey to the same reckless mistake as their fallen comrade. A blow to the chest from the next Lyken sent me hurtling in the brick wall of the tunnel. As I struggled to breathe more Lykens came rushing into the tunnel- each breath I took caused the most excruciating pain to tear its way through my back, chest and neck. Just as the same brute that sent me crashing into the wall was about to kick my exposed side which would have without a doubt broken all my ribs on my right side I sank my talons into his exposed thigh causing him to scream (well howl). Using what little strength I had that remained I rose to my feet and tore him open from abdomen to neck.

As I turned to- well I'm not sure what I planned to do at this moment I was in pretty bad shape. My side felt like it had gotten into a fight with a truck and the truck had won, my shins blazed, the back of head had numerous lacerations to it one of which I could feel was particularly nasty and as a result I was steadily losing my battle with consciousness like I said I was in bad shape. Like I was saying as I turned to do god knows what when a muscled arm and hand closed painfully around my larynx with the talons digging into my neck on either side. I clawed frantically in hope of releasing its grip. Damn it so much for fighting unconsciousness.

"We had orders" a disembodied voice growled I assumed it belonged to the hand slowly chocking the life out of me. I'm going to pass out and this beast is talking about his orders who gives a rat's ass. I can't make my eyes focus the light from the torches is beginning to dim- or is it. Damn it! I'm going to pass out. And then a light bulb goes off somewhere in the grey matter this mutt calls a brain and he loosens his death grip on my throat. The room begins to spin and a wave of dizziness and sickness overtakes me I feel like I'm going to be sick but I refuse to let him see it. "We had orders" he repeated "Not to kill you and that you be delivered unharmed" (a bit late for that Einstein) "However if you don't behave like a good little kitten ill make sure that you are rendered totally incapable of giving any more trouble while we make our way back to Anduslavia. Do you understand?"

Now wait one minutes did this rancid, flea infested mongrel just call me a KITTEN! Granted I'm only 18 and I haven't been trained in the art of warfare to the same degree as many of the older Shadow- People and I don't know much about the outside world BUT this so called kitten not only killed one Lyken but reduced the other to sinew. Kitten my ass!

Now the abominable beasts hand was still around my throat so this whole tirade was conducted inside my head the best I could muster was a hard glare and a hiss. This did not however have the effect that I had intended instead of striking fear in my captor and his men they laughed. They laughed! They actually laughed! "Well what do we have here boys a kitten that thinks it's a tiger!" They all laughed again well roared is a more appropriate description for the noise that they made collectively. Well screw this let see how you feel about this you bastard! I delivered a powerful kick to the mongrels shin and momentarily delighted in hearing it not only crack but hearing him howl but just like all of my victories this evening this too was short lived! My head was once again sent careening into the wall behind me and then everything went dark. Ok so that might not have been my brightest idea but whatever. It's just a damned good thing we Shadow- People heal so well.

'That little bastard' Night- Crawler howled after the Prince's body had slumped to floor. Carefully he inspected his broken leg while Rex hauled the Prince's lifeless body off the ground and onto his shoulders. "Didn't think he'd fight back- I sort of expected him to you know accept defeat certainly wasn't expecting blood to be spilt. Damned good fighter considering he just a child" Rex mused. Yes a damned good fighter Night- Crawler thought sullenly to himself.

"Shit! Butch find me something to brace my leg with!" Butch was just like his name- in fact everything about him was butch! He was short and stocky around 5'11 and 240 pounds of pure muscle and one of the baddest Lykens ever made definitely not a man you would want to meet on a dark night. He was merciless and Night- Crawler was extremely glad that he had gotten to the Prince before Butch had. Had the Prince gone head to head with Butch they'd be picking up pieces of the Prince instead of the unconscious load that Rex had carted off and there would have been little that Night- Crawler could have done to stop him.

Night- Crawler did not like that idea for a number of reasons one: He hadn't lied about his orders the Prince was to be delivered alive and unharmed operative word being unharmed (well that couldn't be helped the Prince hadn't exactly gone down quietly!) and two: he would have had to kill Butch for his disobedience of a direct order from the leader of all Lykens Marcus, and Night- Crawler wouldn't have relished the idea. Butch was his second in command and despite his earlier description there was no man or Lyken that he trusted more. Butch was extremely loyal and would lay down his life for anyone of his brothers. And finally if he was honest he didn't really want to see the Prince and the only reason was because he had shown amazing courage this Night- Crawler couldn't deny. That was basically it other than what duty dictated he didn't care what happened to the Prince. After all he is one of those ignorant racist Shadow People- Yes ignorant and racist and ...beautiful. Night- Crawler groaned internally these thoughts were neither productive nor would they be further evaluated "I HAVE A DUTY TO DO" he thought to himself.

At that precise moment when Night- Crawler had ceased his internal arguments of what he did and didn't think of the Prince Butch came back holding two small planks of wood as well as a bandage to set his broken leg. Night-Crawler anticipated the pain that would result when Butch reset the broken shin and only just managed to retain his grunt of pain, apparently anticipation meant nothing in the face of actual pain. "I'm going to deal with that runt when he wakes up after all there are ways of exacting revenge that don't leave evidence" "What do we do with the dead?" Butch inquired once more distracting him from his none to productive thoughts.

Good question pity that they should have died on their last mission, they were amazing soldiers and even better men, but that's what happens when you underestimate your opponent your recklessness gets you killed. No animal likes to be cornered and many that sense their end are at their most vicious and will fight to the death because they have nothing to lose, and had Rafael and Ricardo remembered this they would still be alive. They had underestimated the Prince they all had him included and he had a broken shin that would seriously hinder their progress back to Anduslavia as a result of this stupid mistake.

"Send word that their swords and incisors are to be brought as evidence of their deaths for the Elders as well as their families" Night-Crawler commanded. His orders were swiftly obeyed and the three remaining Lykens with and unconscious Prince in tow filed out of the tunnel. None noticed the trap door that led out into the forest.

Okay so now that you know the then I suppose it would be prudent to describe the now. Well I woke up a few moments ago to the sun crudely shining down on my face through the slates of the dungeon that I had so unceremoniously been dumped in, with the mother of all headaches. "My goodness! Do I feel like shit!" I lay still trying to reduce the excruciating throbbing that was going on in my head- Ugh I feel sick! Perhaps taking that cheap shot at that last Lyken; however gratifying it may have seemed at the time just wasn't a good idea. Did I mention I feel like shit? Damn it and this hard cement floor really wasn't doing any good for the bruises that had begun to develop around the numerous- and I do mean numerous lacerations on my back and neck.

I hauled my usually lithe form which had taken on the characteristic of a thousand pounds of lead into first an upright position; I then rolled onto my hands and knees and after what felt like an eternity of staying in that position I finally managed to make it to my feet. This had been no easy feat it had taken me ten minutes to perform this simple task and not only had I broken out into a sweat I was now perspiring profusely. Definitely wasn't smart kicking that Lyken. Satisfied that the floor and walls stayed where they were supposed to, I took a detailed inventory of my scant dwellings.

I was able to ascertain that I was in fact in a dungeon about 5 miles below what would have been a banquet hall or the great hall and judging by the raucous noise being made my presence had not gone unnoticed. Countless stairs and passage ways lay between me and my "accommodations" so even if I somehow could get through the iron door (not likely I'm strong but I'm not superman) I didn't have the faintest idea where or how far the exit was from where I now stood not to mention I didn't even know where here was so even if I could somehow manage to get out of the cell and out of the castle with out my scent being carried to the Lykens they would surely catch up with me as I didn't have one clue as to where safety was. Great!

Continuing my detailed inventory I noticed that not only was my cell infested with mold it also housed a number or rats- really these were accommodations fit for a prince! Okay now let me just say that normally I would never entertain the idea of rats being part of a balanced diet but I haven't eaten in well I don't even know when I last ate. So don't judge me when I say these vermin looked delicious. Hmm looks like breakfast will be back on the menu ladies and gents.

Delaying breakfast for the moment -- I mean they really weren't going anywhere I again resumed my inspection I noticed that the mold was coming from this incessant and might I add annoying drip from the ceiling, I detected a Lyken in the corner -- okay that drip is really starting to annoy- Wait RED LIGHT THERE IS A FUCKING LYKEN IN THE CORNER!! Okay queue the unsettling out of body experience where everything slows down to a point where I doubt time is moving yada yada yada. I now began contemplating how long the animal had been there? What did it want? Was it going to kill me? Not that I was giving up hope but as I previously stated I looked like shit, I felt like shit and hey what do u know I even smelt like shit - well not literally but you get where I'm going with this if a fight were going to ensue it would be over very quickly and there would only be one person walking out of here at the end. One guess who it won't be!

Damn it why the hell hadn't I noticed him before? Had he been watching me sleep? Oddly enough I found that last thought to be the most disturbing- when you sleep there is a universal sense of vulnerability the fact that a mortal enemy was party to a precious moment where I wasn't on my guard and not able to readily defend myself felt not only like a major invasion of my space and privacy but felt too intimate for my likings. When this is all over I'm telling you I'm going to devote 110% of my time to combat training as well as honing my senses. Maybe it's the blows to the head that got me all outta wack I mean that can happen right? Okay now this is the fun part where everything speeds up. Out of the shadows emerges the very same liken who's leg I snapped like a twig. Definitely wasn't sensible to take that cheap shot!