The demon child book one: Thief of Dreams

Felis Somina

Authors note I started this story before and accidentally deleted it. so without further adue I bring you

Thief of dreams chapter one:

Felis Somina crept in the shadows on the roofs of the ancient buildings, among the gargoyles becoming one of them. a fearsome protector of the city below, with a demonic presence, ignored, forgotten by those he watched over.

"This is my city" he thought trying to forget the pain of his past by encasing his mind in self delusion. In reality Felis owned nothing, not his name, not his body, not his soul.

His name had been given to him by the priest he served, "Felis Somina", meaning thief of dreams. His soul had been sold to the demons soon after he was born by desperate parents trying to feed their other nine children. That was before he was rescued by the priest, and his body, belonged to the city. The priest had dedicated his life to its protection.

"This is my city" he repeated out loud in an hopeless attempt to convince himself, his lowly existence was good for something.

"Thief!, Thief!"

The shrill cry rang out  through the market place Felis's sensitive ears twitched  and he winced Leaping to the nearest roof top he raced to the sound of the distant voice.

The commotion in the market place was frantic, spooked life stock ran in all directions while their sellers fought to keep control. Felis heard the thief's foot steps  quick and purposeful darting through the crowd making them easy to locate. He carefully unfolded his thin leathery wings they were torn to shreds, useless for flying. Felis knew what it meant to be tortured, to have your body ripped and disfigured beyond repair, his wings were proof of that. 

He leaped from the roof tops, gliding into the scene below. Seeing him the towns people cowered and screamed. As the irrational fear that fallowed him took control of their minds stealing their dreams, replacing them with nightmares. Horrible frighting hallucinations cloaked him from their eyes , those who caught a glimpse nearly fainted with horror. Felis tried to ignore all that, he usually did his work at night.

The thief's fear was a different kind. A fear that he would be caught, it stood out to Felis like flecks of gold in a coal mine. He swooped instinctively his claws stretching as he neared his target gripping the clothed shoulders of the trouble maker, who shrieked and squirmed  while Felis lifted him. He landed behind one of the many abandoned towers throwing the protesting  criminal over his shoulder and making his way through the stone maze, toward the jail house.

The man was breathing hard but had not given up fighting.

"No!" he yelled above the sound of his beating fists.

"Let me go! I'll kill you!" Felis sighed at his effort to be brave, couldn't he tell he had already lost? He barely felt the angry jabs with the blunt knife the thief constantly delivered, they were merely an annoyance. The jailer shuttered when he walked in. The prisoner continued to scream his threatening tone wavered as it turned to desperation.

All the criminal's eyes were on him when he past their cells, angry disgusted glances because it was his fault in their twisted unlawful minds they were there. He threw the man in an unoccupied cell and shut the bars. One of the prisoners got a clear glimpse of his face and started rocking back and forth muttering nonsense as if he had suddenly gone mad.

The dungeon was a place he was familiar with. The walls were stone, voices bounced of them repeatedly confusing him. It was filthy, several rats crept along the corners and walls, broken glass littered the floor which was covered with rotting trash and blanketed in  layer of dust. Felis couldn't see it, his eyes had been sewed shut years ago in the last place he had tried to live. Where he'd been tortured, prosecuted, he didn't blame the people though, he didn't blame anyone. It had been fear that drove them to act that way, as it was fear that caused the reaction in the market place, Felis knew from experience,that  frightened people could  be cruel.