White Stag

Chapter 13~Captured

The loud clang of a metal door wakes me. I sit up and rub my face wearily with my hands. Where the hell am I? My head throbs loudly as I observe my surroundings.

The room is tiny and the walls are made of concrete. The only exit is a steel door which is shut. I'm lying on an incredibly uncomfortable cot. Suddenly, rage fills me. I've been taken!

I scream, "What the hell do you want me for?" Hoping to get a response, I lift myself off the dirty bed and slam my fist against the steel door.

I hear chuckling outside. "Seems like she's a fighter," a male voice says.

"Let me out of here!" I yell. I pace around the small room. I have no idea where I am. Am I still in Axel's realm? thread my fingers through my hair.

I turn back to the door and lower my head. Big horned sheep use their heads to hit things all the time. Why shouldn't it work for me?I drag my hands up my antlers, bracing myself for the impact. I take a gulp of air before charging forward head first into the door. Instantly I fall on my butt. I shout, "Fuc-"

The door flies open and I can see the visible dent on the outside of it. A man enters with a sword by his side. He rubs his temples. "Will you just shut the hell up?" he says, glaring at me. His hands curl into fists as he places one hand on his sword.

I study the man. He has hair that is darkening on the sides and he's quite skinny. Quickly, I form a plan in my head. I check his left ring finger, looking for a ring. It's empty.

"Come over here, big boy," I purr. I cross my legs and pose on the edge of the cot. I pray that he will fall for my trick.

It's clear he's an amateur when his cheeks turn bright red and he glances back out into the hallway, checking for other guards. When he sees none, he smirks and walks closer.

"You want this, little deer girl?" he asks in a throaty voice while gesturing at himself. On the inside, I gag. "Beg," he orders.

Faking a sexy smile, I purr. "Please."

He steps closer, and as he reaches for the hook on his belt, I jump up and bring my foot to his groin. He groans and falls, clutching what I like to think is his microscopic penis. I grab him by his hair and lift him up. Flipping my hair over to one side, I whisper, "It's white stag, bitch," and with a quick stomp, I sprint out of the cell.

I look left and right. There are dim lights hanging down a long hallway. Identical steel doors line the corridor on both sides. Clearly, I'm in some kind of prison. Knowing that I had no time to waste, I continue running. My cell is the furthest from the exit. The screams of other prisoners fill my ears as I see a large double door appear.

Cautiously, I open it. I'm struck with sunlight and the sound of people talking. The sun dazzles me for a second as I breathe out a sigh of relief.

That's when I notice the people. Or should I say, they notice me.

Leviathans are walking around freely. In front of me is a grassy plain surrounded by buildings. The architecture is strange. There are no doors on the ground, only windows on the higher levels.

Nearby, a child grasps his mother's tunic. "Mama, is that the monster that they need for the ritual?" The mother glares at me and glances down at her child.

"Hush," she says, picking up her child. She unfurls her wings and takes off to the sky.

What ritual was she talking about? All Axel told me is that I have to stop a war, find Eden, and end the curse. I know nothing else.

Shouts erupt behind me. "There she is! Attack!" a commanding voice screams.

I take off running through the large stone city. I turn right and run straight into a wall. Spinning around quickly, I run back the way I came. Guards are in my way, flying and coming down towards me. One of them swoops dangerously close to my back. He grabs one of my antlers and flies backwards, tugging at me and bringing me to the ground. We scuffle for a minute on the ground before he ends up on top.

"Well, well. What do we got here?" a southern voice drawls. I angerly look up from beneath the guard.

"Congrats. You caught a queen," I reply sarcastically.

A shoe presses down on my face and forces it sideways. The man, who I didn't get a look at yet, bends down.

"You will answer me with respect. Understood?"

I frown. "No."

Silence envelopes us. He presses down harder on my cheek. That's going to leave a bruise.

He looks at the man who is holding me down. "Hand me your knife."

The soldier stammers, "O-Okay." He shifts his weight and grabs a sharp knife made of a substance I haven't seen before.

The man grabs my face and forces me to look at him. He holds up the knife. "You see this, darling? This isn't a normal knife." He pauses to run his fingers through his long beard. "It's able to cut through concrete."

He leans down to my ear. I smell his awful breath as he whispers,"Want to know what else it's great for cutting off? Antlers."