Running From Shadows

“Dreigon!”

“Move, Urielle, you have to climb now!”

I could hear them screaming over the deadly hissing of the gigantic snake. The winged creature circled the tree top several times as if she was looking for something. The snakes tongue continually flicked. I remembered something.

“Guys, shut up,” I screamed into the tree. “Don’t make a sound or any sudden movements. They can’t see you!”

The snake whipped around so that its head was at eye level. She hissed violently as cloudy drops of venom hit the ground turning the earth into pure rot. “Who said you could speak,” the snake hissed.

“Morphyne, the rebels not the girl!”

“You afraid you’re going to miss what you came for,” I asked. Fear seeped through my pores, but it came out as sarcasm in my voice.

Before I could blink the huge snake struck the tree with a force strong enough to crack the thick trunk down the middle. The wide hood of the serpent reared back poised to strike again. I tried to scream, but the sound of the tree splitting apart drowned out all the other noises. The strike knocked half the tree at least forty yards away, the winged creature followed it inch by inch. When I looked at the snake I saw the woman wrapped in its body; her eyes were closed and she wasn’t moving. I ran away from the snake as fast as I could to make sure at least one of the humans survived.

The tree blazed with fire when I finally arrived. “Hey!” I screamed into the flames. There was no answer. “Mister,” I screeched louder.

“He’s alive, but they don’t know that,” a familiar voice echoed. I turned to face the darkness of the forest. I saw the blue eyes belonging to the first creature I ever encountered.

“Who are you?”

“I am Hyphron. The first wolf that you murdered belonged to me, it was strengthened with the soul of a human. The rebels, your friends, are after revenge on our circle for using their people as power sources.”

“What are…” I started, but was quickly cut off.

“I cannot tell you anymore. The man is alive. He will find you soon. The girl is dead.” Hyphron vanished into the darkness. I took a few steps forward in an attempt to follow him, but I knew if I did I wouldn’t be able to keep up nor would I get the answers I was looking for. I ran in the direction that I thought the rebel went. My only option was to find him so I could get my answers before something else truly horrific happened.



“Report!” The purple cloak’s voice was growing more impatient by the minute. Hyphron was MIA, Morphyne accidently got burned by Dalphine’s fire, and Dalphine was standing tall like she had something to be proud of.

“The rebel girl is dead, sire,” Morphyne moaned in her human form. The burn didn’t hurt as bad when she was in her Sérieux form.

“Good work, but next time try not to hurt yourself,” the cloak barked. “Dalphine?”

“The rebel leader is dead, sire,” she stated. Her fiery locks blew in the gentle breeze which affected her due to the improper wearing of her cloak.

“How do you know,” Morphine hissed. Her bitter human emotions reacted badly with her blood. “I saw the life drain out of the girl’s eyes myself, but we didn’t find a body in the flames.”

“Are you lying to me, Dalphine,” the cloak accused. The voice sounded as cold and calculated as the bitter heart that bore it.

“No, sire. No one could have survived the fire,” she answered giving Morphyne a cold glare. “Look what my flames did to my sister, sire, do you thing a human could have survived?”

“I suppose,” sighed the cloak, “but you always double check! Remember that in reference.”

“Yes sire.”



“Hey!” I screamed as I searched the forest. The fire died down, but the tree was completely incinerated. “What was your name,” I asked myself.

“Dreigon was his name,” Hyphron answered. I could not see him through the shaded forest, but I heard him clearly.

“Do you know where he went?”

“No.”

I walked along the edge of the heat searching the ashes. I saw what appeared to be a leather jacket—similar to the one Dreigon wore. “This is his. I remember it.” I picked it up to inspect it. The left shoulder had a singed white scuff mark.

“He used it to survive. Morphyne couldn’t see him under it, the flames couldn’t penetrate it, and neither of them could smell him over the burning tree. I saw him get up,” Hyphron reported.

“I want you to leave me. He is frightened of all of you, and frankly I feel as if I should be afraid too.” I took in the view of the dark forest; my eye’s adjusted to see a faint shadow walking away from me.

“Dreigon! Are you alive?”