Arcanum

Chapter 42: Aiyana

I tossed and turned in my bed, worrying constantly about Lucas. My mind was praying for him to come home, and I tried to imagine that he was laying in the bed beside me. I sighed, and pulled a pillow toward me, squeezing it tightly,

"Please come home soon Lucas. I can't lose you." I whispered, and suddenly heard my door creak open. My animal senses perked up, and I stared at the door, imagining Lucas's head peeking in.

"Lucas?" I whispered quietly, and tried to see what was at the door. My cat vision allowed me to see better, but whatever was there, I couldn't see.

"So you're the princess, huh?" I heard a deep voice chuckle, and I reached for my machete. The person emerged out of the darkness. He had very short brown hair, and was wearing knight armour.

The guy walked toward me, and I felt his eyes scanning me. I hissed in disgust at the human, and he laughed, pulling ropes out of his pocket. "You shouldn't even try to escape." He grinned, and pressed his cold lips against mine, using his arms to tie up my arms.

I glared at the guy, and reached to heatbutt him, but the guy snickered and dodged. When he reached for my night dress, I knew this was getting too far, and I slammed my leg into his back. The guy face planted into my legs, but then got right up, throwing his fist into my jaw. I groaned in agonizing pain, and struggling against the guy as he tied down my legs.

The fear was suddenly replaced with an intense anger, and I tugged my wrists and ankles with all my strength, freeing my body. The guy growled at me, and tried to pin my arms, but I rolled out from under him, and retrieved my other machete.

I held the two at the guy, as he came running at me. A grin was on my face, as I did a backflip over the guy, and landed behind him, stabbing him right in the back with my machete. The guy collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, and I stabbed him in the neck, quickly ending his life. Even he didn't deserve to suffer.

Outside, I heard battle cries, and the sounds of weapons clashing, and I rushed out, groaning and trying not to fall when I realized how weak I was. The hot spring wasn't able to heal me completely.

I took in a deep breath, and jogged slowly out of my house, watching as a knight galloped on their horse toward me. My eyes focused on the man, and I transformed into a lioness, pouncing through the air toward the man. I easily knocked him off his horse, and sliced my claw across his throat. A woman advanced behind me, but I already knew she was there, and I dodged her stab, and killed the woman.

"Nice to see you in battle again, Princess!" Kenji grinned, in his wolf form beside me.

"You too, Kenji." I grinned back, and the two of us leaped toward two approaching humans. I fought through many of the humans, killing everyone I killed. Transforming back into my human form, I swiftly killed humans with my machetes. Many humans tried to kill me, but I only managed to get a scratch along my arm.

I was getting closer to the end of the Knights, but I froze in my spot when I saw a knight with his sword at an unconscious Lucas's throat.

"Let us take the princess, or we kill him." The knight shouted, and my eyes widened,

"Take me." I finally said, and I walked up toward the knight, and let him put handcuffs around my wrists.

"Aiyana!" Anca shouted as he fought the crowd, trying to get to me.

"Goodbye brother." I half smiled, and the knight pushed me onto his horse. I watched my village fade as we rode through the forest, and I knew this was the end.

---

I was thrown into a jail cell, and I watched as another Catori was thrown in beside me. However, it wasn't any Catori, it was Lucas.

"Hello." The same man that had beat me entered the cage, and I snarled at him, pushing the unconscious Lucas behind me.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on him." I snapped, and the guy laughed, and walked toward me.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?" He grinned, his eyes scanning me in the same disgusting way that knight looked at me. I covered myself up, and cowered in the corner, hissing angrily.

The guy approached me, "I have one last thing to say. After this, you will be turned into a human and become my slave. As for Lucas, he will be executed." The man showed me his evil smirk, and reached for my night gown. I glared at the guy, but I knew it would do nothing to help the situation. I could only pray that my race would save us in time.