The Changeling

Man! I thought as I walked along side my friend, Basktet. Her snake skin body glistened in the dim light of the rising sun.

Her ginger fox head swiveled back and forth, ears standing alert. Her talons dug into the wet dirt, stirring up scent of the fresh earth.

Yesss, they have been hereee. Soga hissed at the pack, as we approached a large, sparse clearing. The soft breeze carried the scent of shape shifters with it.

Hide behind the treesssss, Phoenix. Soga commanded me. I roughly nodded and hid behind large ivy covered oak. With a single cry from Soga, the pack poured into the clearing with cries of pure rage.

I watched the first line of shape shifters gathering speed. Both sides hit each other with equal rage and fury. Soga jumped and hooked onto the neck of a brown coyote, shaking him like a chew toy. My family is losing! I thought to myself as I tried to find Basktet.

Basktet’s long drawn out cry of pain echoed in my ear as a huge black bear bit onto her leg, flipping her over his back like a limp doll. Fury rolled through me. I ran into the middle of the fight.

“Do not touch them!” I yelled a red haze on the edge of my vision. I pushed all my energy out, creating my “famous” shield. They were all thrown back with grunts of surprise.

I told you to sssstay behind the treesssss. Soga snarled at me.

“Sorry.” I whispered back. Four of them charged toward me, reaching to get me. I hit them with blast of raw Power.

“It’s the Fire soul!” A brown-haired black eyed human yelled at them, pointing to me.

I flashed a furious grin, gathering all my strength.

“No!” A yell came from a shifting wolf that ran and tackled me. A burning sensation went through my veins, as if the coldest ice and hottest fire was coursing throughout my body. The boy fully switched to reveal a (very, very cute) human. He jumped off of me.

He was an average football player build. (Like the type you see in movies.) Not too big, strong muscles, curly light-goldish brown hair, blue wolf eyes which seemed to penetrate my soul. He appeared to be struggling against unfamiliar feelings.

Suddenly, a lanky fox sank its teeth in me and darkness filled my vision.

Groggily, I woke up in a cold, damp room, rubbing my neck. I was on a dirty, moldy, straw mattress. I felt exhausted and tired. Alarm registered in my mind.

Desperately trying to raise my head, I heard a babbling river, which sounded full of life, so I knew it was not far. The cold concrete beneath me also covered the walls. A thin stream of light came from a crack in the ceiling. Escape! I thought hope spread through my mind like fire.

“Not a chance.” A vaguely familiar, husky voice said flatly behind me. The Wolf boy, who had tackled me, sat, grimly, distantly staring at the moss-covered wall, he was hunched over, his face barely visible in the shadows of his corner.

I glared at him. He turned to look at me, his eyes glowing faintly. My heart raced, getting louder, louder, and seemed to burst with something I couldn't explain.

Then as he looked at me, his glare seemed to soften. I bet he could probably read minds because the next thing he said was, "I saw you using your Shield.” I stared blankly. He continued. “My Power let me know you were about to use yours." He trailed off turning towards the wall again. Minutes, maybe hours, passed and neither of us said anything, till my curiosity (curse my curious young mind!) got the best of me.

"So…. what's your Power?" I asked slowly. "I'm a Mind Reader." I looked at him sharply. Closer to me now, his eyes seemed to go in and out of focus like he was trying to get a better look into my mind.

"Let's say I believe you in a weird twisted way. I'm going think of a number one through five. If you get it right, I'll answer any questions you ask. If you get it wrong, I get to ask you some questions."

I relaxed, leaning on the moss covered wall.

“I’d very much enjoy asking you some questions, madam.” He said, as if trying to make me laugh (and it didn’t work, obviously.)

I asked "You ready?" He nodded. I thought Five and a half, he'll never guess it.

He said with a hearty laugh, "I suppose I'll never guess it was five and a half now would I?" He flashed a cocky grin, a grin that said I told you so...

I sighed angrily and said "Ask anything you want."

He gave me a satisfied look. "So what's your name?” He smiled.

"Out of all the questions you could've asked that's what you ask ME?!" I asked incredulously.

He looked startled "It seems to be the most important question at the moment." I nodded.

"My name is Phoenix." I answered. He smiled.

"Cause your fiery, red hair?" I glanced sharply at him.

"Yes." I answered briskly.

"Can I ask you another question?" Not giving me time to answer, he asked "What's your Demon?"

I mumbled, ashamed. "A Tyrant." He looked like he was caught off guard, but not angry at this fact.

"So... what were you doing in the battle? You don't seem like the type of girl that has any fighting skills." He asked curiously.

I growled back. "I was protecting my Pack, what else would I be doing?!" He looked at me, confused. I sighed. "My Power is Shielding."

He nodded. “I know. You used it on me, remember? Not exactly a trip to paradise.”

He sighed "Well, My name is Cam and my Power is to Read Minds.” He informed me of this in a-matter-of-fact kind of voice...

"So why did y'all kidnap me?" I whispered, wondering. He almost looked ashamed.

Cam mumbled, "Because you would tear us away from our chance at power."

"What?!" I snarled, showing a glimpse of sharp teeth.

He explained in a hurried voice, "There is an old prophecy that the Oracle Mialt made, which read that a girl with two different eyes and fire in her soul would give the seat of power to the Council or the Tyrants.

We figured that since you are part of the Tyrant pack that you would be on their side. So we kidnapped you."

"I didn't hear the last part." I cupped my ear, leaning towards him.

"SO WE KIDNAPPED YOU!!!!!" he bellowed in a voice that could have made a deaf person hear. I hoped the walls would hold under the pressure.

"Were you trying to make me deaf?” I asked, calmly.

"No but you asked what I said."

"You didn’t have to yell it loud enough to wake the dead." I told him plainly.

He grumbled, "Fine!" Then, looking away from me, he turned to the wall and gathered moss; laying it down on his mattress.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he replied sarcastically.

I looked at the crack in the ceiling as the light was dimming slowly. What time is it? What is my family doing?

He answered my thoughts out loud, “Judging by the light it's probably about 1 o'clock. And your pack is probably planning their next attack by now."
I growled in response.
"WILL YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND?!" I screamed-thought, exasperated.

He chuckled. "Not a chance honey."

Wow, what a Jerk. Honey?! Did you just call me honey?!?!?!?! I thought. He stopped in his tracks.

"I'm not a Jerk! It's a habit." His chest puffed out. “Yes, I called you honey. Got a problem with it?”

"Yea, it’s a rude habit.” I say. Yes! I have a problem with being called honey. I am not your honey. I’ll rip your throat out before I become your honey. I thought. No privacy whatsoever.

“That’s what you say now, but wait till later.” He said.

"Whatever is there anything to do in this place?" I asked.

He laughed the melt-your-heart laugh (Boy did it melt mine…not, that I would tell HIM that!) and said, "Well there's this lovely portrait of the state of Texas made of moss."

I growled threatenly under my breath. "Alright Mr. Smart-aleck.” I'm going to sleep. Don’t you even, even think about getting in on my dreams and NO STARING! I shouted in my head, knowing he would hear.

He laughed, "Please, I'm not that bad. And no, I’m not a stalker; no matter what you think."

I growled "Oh whatever. Good Night."

"Well actually it's the Afternoon." He stated calmly.

Wow, I thought, What a Jerk.

"Sweet Dreams." He said. A little too sweetly, like a child with his hand in the cookie jar, I might add. I sighed.

"Sweet Dreams in this place?"

Sleep still covered me like a thick blanket; I woke up to Cam yelling "Wake up! Wake up! They’re here!!!" Well, at least I thought he was yelling it, but his face was completely still. But… it was his voice.

Then it hit me. He was in my head. You JERK; you didn’t tell me you can put thoughts in my head!!!!! Look at that, the mind reader is struggling to hide a smile!!! I could scratch it off, you damn jerk. He laughed mentally.

“That's not funny!!” I whined a loud scratchy voice like nails on a chalk board.

He winced at the high pitch and then thought back Yea, it is. He laughed again.

I'ma strangle you dude. I thought threatenly. He stopped laughing as if he knew I would too. I thought.

I won. Ha-ha Jerk. Yea that's right you had better stop laughing because if you don’t…… My thoughts were cut off as the trapdoor on the roof opened and a small, silver, ladder slowly descended to the floor.

They are here. I thought.