Experiment Gone Wrong

Chapter 8: The Human Touch

Kesstar POV
Broken, battered, bruised. Of the 25 sent out, only 5 remain alive. I stare at the cowering little humans huddled in the corners of their cage.
"Do we have their weapons, their gear?"
"We thought it'd be best to keep them in the vault chambers. When we're done here you can go and rifle through the spoils." Kahlziz smiles, leaning up against the wall.
"Good." I stare down the male infront of me. They've left his underclothes but their ripped and bloody. His leg bent awkwardly beside him and a chunk ripped out of his bicep, a dirty rag wrapped around most of it. "How much have you gotten from them?"
"More than I thought we would." He slams his hand against the bars, making all the captives flinch and some cry. "They told us where their supply lines come through. Half flown in, half by river."
"Mmm." I move down the cells, eyeing the occupants one by one. Each of them horrifically injured in various ways. My brothers favorite past time when it comes to prisoners. All the more reason to keep Anne as far from him as possible. "Do we have the group leader in our possession?"
"That's the best part." Kahlziz grins, showing off his dripping fangs. "Right in here." He opens the door to one of the isolation cells, the ramp leading down wet with blood.
I slither inside with him following close behind. A man hangs from the wall in chains, swinging slowly. One of his legs is completely ripped off as well as his right arm at the elbow, the bone still exposed.
"Shit." I smile, edging closer. "What's his name?"
"Tod apparently. But he's said his gods far more." Kahlziz laughs callously, punching the wall beside the morbidly injured man causing him to stir in a panic.
My arm snaps out, catching the pitiful creatures neck with a single hand. He stares at me in pure terror, his pale face becoming even paler.
"I recognize you." I hiss teasingly, stroking a claw down the side of his face, splitting the skin to my satisfaction. "You used to walk the catwalk when it was time to feed me." He cowers, begging for his life. I backhand him, claw marks now raked across his face. "Shut up, you'll get no sympathy from me."
"He tried to run, one of our soldiers grabbed him by the ankle a little too hard." Kahlziz laughs. "Good thing too, he seems to know the most out of the little beasts."
"Is that so." I question Tod.
He frantically nods. "I'll tell you, anything, anything." He groans pitifuly. I turn my face up in disgust.
"You will tell my brother," I point to my eager sibling, his tail practically wagging in anticipation. "How to get in and out of the compound, it's security movements, and how we get the board to all be there at the same time... do you understand."
He nods eerily, his eyes going blank. I smile, turning to leave. "How do you know?" I hear his quiet, broken voice ask quietly.
"What was that?" I hiss sharply, turning back in an instant. My brother flanking Tods side, I see his claws ready to slice. I lower my hand to him, signaling for him to put them away. I need this human garbage alive.
"How did you know... about the board?" His head slowly droops to the side. "Did you torture her too?"
"Excuse me." My anger begins to rise, what was cool spite before begins to mount.
Tods face twists into a scoul as he forces himself to sit up against the wall. "Did you rip Dr Anne Smith into pieces too?" He spits at me.
I cant control myself. I'm across the room, clutching his other arm in my hands, the bloody stump remaining gushing blood onto the floor. I drop it with a squelchy thump. He lets out a blood curdling scream, his tragic form slumping in defeat. Kalziz simply stares at me in shock.
"Get his bleeding under control, give him a transfusion if you have to, I don't give a fuck. I'll be back tonight to look at what you've confiscated."
"Of course Brother." I can hear the hesitancy in his voice. "I won't let him die. Not yet."
"Good." I call to him, not bothering to slow my pace as I head to the study.
I grab a rag as I exit the dungeon, wiping the blood from my skin as I move. I toss it to a servant as I pass. There's no need to explain, they've been here long enough. I burst through the door, more violently then I meant to. There's a loud thump as the book Anne had clutched in her hands hits the floor. She yelps, falling out of the chair with a start. I'm across the room before she hits the floor, her small form tumbling into my arms.
"Jesus Christ!" She gasps, staring up at me. "You scared me."
I can hear her tiny heart racing. "I'm sorry." I say quietly, setting her back in her place. "I was gone longer than I meant to be." Leaning down I scoop up the small book she had been reading.
"Are you alright?"
"Hmm?" She stares at me with slight fear.
"Are you... is everything ok?" She asks softly, reaching towards my face. She gently wipes the fabric of her sleeve across my cheek, the purple deeper as blood stains it.
I stare down at it and her. Her heart speeds up even faster. Shit, I can't believe I forgot to wipe my face.
"Yes, it is." I gently lower her hand to her lap, turning her face up to me. She doesn't believe me, I can see it in her eyes. Hopefully she's smart enough to not keep pushing. "What are you reading?"
"It's just... a book of old poems." She says timidly, taking it from my outstretched hand. "I hope it's ok I grabbed it."
"Of course it is." I coax gently, trying to calm her frantic little heart. My fingers play across her back, the same ones that had just wrenched a man's arm off his body. "Help yourself to any of the books you want." I clear the thought from my mind.
"Thank you." She replies. I notice her hands shaking as they clutch the book tightly.
"Anne?" Her head snaps up to me. "Everything is alright, I promise." She nods slowly. I know she still doesn't believe me but she's calmer now and that's what's important to me. "Seeing that you enjoy books so much, would you like to see the library next?" I ask, stroking my fingers through her hair.
"I would."