DRAGON PEARL - Beast of shadows

Monik with fear in her eyes stared at the Houren, who was entertained by his victim’s painful cry. She looked at the nearby bush, where the dead girl’s legs stuck out. She recalled the moment, when the spear flew through her small body... Monik’s knees shaked and she felt how the Green dragon’s power began to boil in her veins.

Why did he kill her? Why didn’t he give me a chance to save her?! Why do I have this power then?!

"Why?" whispered Monik for herself and Ren looked at her with the corner of his eye. The Green dragon’s power swirled around her and it was visible even to the naked eye. He was therefore not the only one, who looked at her... also the Houren by the gate saw her energy and swallowed, because he realized, what it was.

"Monik? What are you doing?" asked her gently Ren and the force around her faded. The silence that occurred was horrifying, nobody dared to even breathe.

Then Monik looked up and the earth shook. All men on the stronghold quickly grabbed something and even the Houren, down by the wounded warrior, firmly gripped the spear that had the man stuck in his leg. Then, from the ground beneath the monster, roots soared and they grabbed him like tentacles. Monik saw with her bright green eyes, how some Hourens jumped out of their hiding place, running towards their leader, but then the branches of all the trees on the rim of the forest knit together, making a sort of network.

The Hourens started screaming like animals and they tried breaking through the barrier. The men on the stronghold were just watching, what is happening before their eyes. Suddenly a few monsters ran to their leader from the side - they managed to cut through the dense network of branches. Monik peripherally caught a glimpse of them and her hand automatically flew to the side. The tree branches grabbed the monsters as on a command and they crushed them against their strain. Those who managed to avoid their deadly embrace, had been grabbed by their legs with roots, that grow from the earth - she caught them all. No other Houren dared to come out from the woods. How the bodies, of their brothers, were slowly squeezed with the growing roots and subsequently suffocated, discouraged them enough.

Ren looked at Monik and he was horrified by her empty look. She was looking at the Houren who previously abused the wounded fighter. He had fear in his eyes, because he thought he was going to die the same way as the others, but Monik was planning something else for him. She dropped her hand and stepped closer to the edge of the stronghold.

You get what you deserve, but not from me... she thought and looked at the monster's armor. Her bright green gaze stared at the dark energy that surrounded his armor and she tried to talk to it in her mind.

I feel that you are still there. Wake up and you can have your REVENGE...

That word resonated through the bones and the power, that was in them - a dark shadow, opened its eyes. Monik spreaded her fingers in front of her and Ren blankly stared at her. She began to breathe heavily and tightly squeezed her teeth together. It took a lot of concentration and she felt pain cutting in her back, but she didn´t stop.

Then, everyone saw, what she was trying to do. With the Green dragon´s power she pulled the spirit out of the bones and it merged into a being in front of their eyes. The men from the stronghold, but also the beasts in the forest, were horrified, when they looked at the creature formed out of darkness, which took the form of a three meter tall feline beast.

The Houren, who was tied the ground with roots, tried to escape - he plucked, strained his muscles, but he couldn´t move. The beast made up of shadows, slowly turned its gaze to Monik and some of the men at the fort hide shaking. One look at the creature and they felt the breath of death. Ren looked at Monik again and a some kind of admiration appeared on his face. He felt his heart beating with excitement and fear at the same time...

Monik looked with an exhausted grin to the beast. Then she slightly nodded - it was like a silent command. The creature formed from the shadows slowly turned to the Houren tied to the ground, and it jumped with his teeth at his throat. But the creature was build from shadows and he didn't bite into his physical body - he dug his teeth into his soul and tore it from the inside. Those who witnessed this attack, felt how their heart sank. The Hourens were afraid to move, they never heard such a scream of one of their own. When the soulless body of the monsters hit the ground, the feline beast made out of shadows lifted its head and looked at the forest.

The Hourens new leader gave the order to retreat and with his companions he went deeper into the forest. They did not leave completely, but they hoped, to be out of reach of the women with the Green dragon´s power.

"Monik?” approached her Malen carefully and she turned to him, but also the feline beast in front of the gate looked at him. Although the commander shuddered, he didn't let others to know he was afraid, but suddenly, he didn´t know, what to say. Monik looked at the strange beast she created and a weird peaceful atmosphere occurred. It was as if the air purified of evil and people were noticeably relieved. The beast slowly waporiesed - it found its eternal peace.

Monik  turned to Malen again: "Now you can open the gate," she whispered and she went down from the stronghold. The men, beside whom she was passing, were stepping out of her way.

Malen immediately gave to his men the order to bring in the body of the dead girl and the wounded warrior, then he approached Ren, who was looking in awe at the leaving girl.

"Ren," he whispered to him, "you have to find your brother, and fast. Just the blood in his veins can suppress the Green dragon´s power..."

"What? What do you mean by that?" he looked at him blankly.

Malen then realised, what did he say and started to wonder, if he should explain himself, but then he was sorry, that he ever spoke those words and quickly changed the subject. "Just look after that girl, don't let the Green dragon´s power destroy her. She is not its rightful heir, that force can change her." The commander laid his hand on Ren´s shoulder, he seriously looked into his eyes, and when the boy confusedly nodded, he went down to his men, who brought the bodies from behind the fort.

Ren then looked at the spot, where he last saw Monik - it seemed to him, that she was heading to the lake and he decided to go after her. But when he arrived at the place, where he found her before, he didn't see her. Then he noticed, that the door of the sanctuary is open and he entered. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room, he saw Monik standing by the altar, sculpted in the form of a dragon.

"Monik? What are you...?" but he didn't finish the question, because she immediately jumped into it.

"Why did you kill that girl?" she asked angrily, when she turned to him. He wanted to answer her, but she continued furiously. "I could have saved her! Why I learned to use the Green dragon´s power, if you don´t give me a chance to use it for anything good?"

"It was a trap, you wouldn't have been able to react quickly,” he said factually.

"How do you know that? How?! You didn't give me a chance! Did not give HER a chance!”

Ren got mad and walked to her: "I know what the Hourens are capable of, I saw it with my own eyes! If one of them would have thrown the spear, the girl would have only suffered!"

"And you think, that you helped her?" she asked with irony in her voice.

"I spared her from suffering."

"You killed her! She was still just a child! I could have helped her," and her voice broke.

"The Hourens were hiding all over the woods, you could not have seen, which one exactly would attack, so you could have cuffed him! The girl would get shot. She was small, they would have thrown the spear right to her torso… there is a good chance, she would have been paralyzed.”

"But she would still live."

"In your world, it is may possible to live like that, but not here!" Ren looked at her seriously and with a much calmer voice he said: "Such a blow would have marked her for life and it would be only a matter of time, what animal would tear her apart."

Monik angrily breathed through her nose, but she didn't interrupted him.

"If she lived in this world, she would have only suffered. But this would only happen, if we got to her. The second option would be, that we wouldn't have been able to save her and the Hourens would have tortured her before our eyes. None of the men would be able to look at that for long, they would have opened the gate to her rescue and a lot of villagers would have been killed... a lot of children.”

Monik looked to the side, she ran her fingers along the grooves of the sculpted altar. She was still angry, but she didn't know, what to say to him.

After a while, Ren put his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him.

"After what you did back there, the Hourens will not dare to attack again."

"They just retreated deeper into the forest. They will just wait, until we leave and then, they will attack again. Maybe they will even try to take us down," she said with sadness in his voice.

"They don't have to know we're gone," smiled at her Ren and Monik blinked blankly. "We will use the underground corridors leading to our most northern tribe."

"What? Underground passage?" asked in surprise Monik, but then Ren ran out from the sanctuary.

"Yes, that's how it will be best. The Hourens will think, that we are still here and they will not attack," Ren enjoyed his plan and went to the main house.

When they arrived at the court, Ren suddenly stopped and turned to Monik.

"Quick, collect your things and we will go," he looked at her with a strange upturned nose and added, "change your clothes." He bypassed her and Monik angrily entered her room.

He is such a moron! I understand, that I have to change clothes, but he could have said it nicely! she mumbled to herself, while she was changing into her own clothes.

She hardly pulled over her head the T-shirt, when Ren slipped into her room.

"What the hell are you doing? I'm not ready yet!" she shouted at him, because she wasn't wearing pants.

"Hurry up, we need to go as soon as possible," he whispered and turned to the door, to give her some privacy.

"Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?" she asked him suspiciously and all red in the face, she pulled up her pants.

"I don’t want to waste any more time," he said as if it was nothing, but he didn´t convince her. Monik frowned on his back, took her backpack from the ground and approached him.

"Do you have to take that thing with you?" and he looked at her orange-black backpack.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It pulls attention," he mumbled, but he quickly changed the subject," stay behind me and do not fall behind."

Ren quickly slipped out of the room and Monik went immediately after him. He stayed close to the wall and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. Then he turned into one of the doors, but Monik couldn't follow him, because Elion appeared before her.

"Monik, what a surprise..." but he didn't finish the sentence, because Ren grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him into the room. Monik quickly slipped in too and she closed the door. Then she realized, that they were not in a room, but in a hallway.

"Ren, what are you doing?" looked at him Elion with fear in his eyes. He gave Monik a quick glance, looking for an answer, but she just raised her arms as a sign, that she does not know, what is he doing.

"Shut up!" said Ren sternly. "You did not see us," he said with a raised finger. Then he released him, but his gaze still indicated, that he will hurt him.

"Come on," said Ren to Monik, who followed him with a sigh.

"Where are you going?" asked Elion, when he ran after them.

"It is not of your business. I left Malen a message in my room, give it to him, since now you know about it."

Elion then stopped in shock.

"I hope you are not going underground," he whispered and Monik also stopped. She turned her gaze to the boy and Ren sighed angrily.

"Why?" she asked cautiously and Ren grabbed her wrist.

"Come on, we don't have time for this," he said in exasperation. But Monik snatched herself from his grip and she approached Elion.

"Why shouldn't we not go there?" asked him again Monik, ignoring Ren.

"What did he tell you? What is down there?" the boy shook his blond head.

"Underground corridors that lead to the most norden tribe," she answered.

"Corridors? Really?" he looked at Ren with contempt.

"Can you finally tell me, what's going on?!" snapped angrily Monik.

"It's nothing, it will be alright," said Ren waving his hand.

"It will be alright? Are you serious? Down there is a labyrinth! It is not enough to know the way, there are various traps and who knows, what is living there now."

"It will be okay," repeated Ren, grabbed Monik´s wrist again and dragged her down the hallway.

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