Spirit Animal Ficlets

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Words Will Forever Haunt Me

Three months. It had been three months since that woman tricked them. Daphne had known something was wrong when they were sent on that errand. When they came with their items, Zelia had them captured and locked in separate cages. They were going to die here, maybe Arin was dead too. They never saw him after she captured them and not uttered a word him since.

Daphne huddled back into her cage as Zelia entered the room, that boy with the mixed up skin following her. He was humming to himself as he waved at them, oblivious to their suffering. Daphne wanted to be angry but Zelia scared her. Who knew what that twisted woman would do to them?

Zelia glanced over them "I've got a grwat surprise for all of you!" She said as she clapped her hands together. The boy nodded beside her with... enthusiasm? joy?

Something came from the darkness. Arin came in but barely, his head low to the ground as if he was crouching on all fours. The boy turned around to face him "Come out! You will make the friends feel safe too when it's they're turns!" He said.

Arin shook his head and backed away "No I can't! What I am now... It's not right Ollie!" He snapped, he began to retreat.

The thing- Ollie -went after Arin left the room. Zelia frowned back at them "He will get used to it soon," she muttered. The woman turned back to them "I have choosen another one of you to be my next test subject," she stated loudly.

Daphne watched as the golems entered the room. Zelia smiled and pointed at the ceiling "The next one is..."

She lowered her hand

....

....

She pointed to Daphne "The lovely Euran girl."

Daphne screamed as the creatures drew near her cage. Herald looked aghast "ZELIA PLEASE! SHE IS A CHILD! SHE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG TO HURT YOU!" he shouted.

Zelia laughed sharply as she watched Daphne fight and struggle against the monsters "I am not harming her Herald, I am saving her," she said. With a snap, Zelia and her golems left.

------

Zelia strapped the girl to a table. She had such beautiful locks of blond hair "Oh sweet thing do not cry, I am going to fix you," the mother said.

The young girl let a sob "Please, I just came to find my brother," she begged.

Zelia walked over to her counter of elixirs "You have a brother? Tell me of him," she said. The woman began to mix things together.

The girl was still crying as her voice broke "His name is Tyler, he's my twin. I came looking for him be- because the mission said that his group was last seen here," she said.

Zelia shook up a green liquid until it turned gray "Was he a red head with green eyes? Had a lot of freckles too?" She asked.

The girl moved from behind her "Yes! Yes! He had a thick accent like I do!" She replied.

Zelia slowly pulled the mixture into a needle "Oh sweet pea, you have seen your brother or what remains of him," she said turning around.

The euran looked shocked "Where? Where is my brother?" She asked.

Zelia smiled as she drew closer "He became part of my son, Ollie." She stabbed the needle into the girl's neck and injected its contents into her.

The girl shrieked like a Banshee. The elixir began to work as the girl turned gray like stone.

-------

Ollie watched as Arin paced back and forth. The manticore's tail or wings would twitch as muttered to himself. Ollie wasn't sure if he should do something or just let Arin be. He reached out and patted him on his back "What is it?" Arin asked.

The built boy pointed to the door and it opened "Ollie, Arin, come down to the lab our little miss is having some issues with her new form," Mama said. Arin huffed but willingly followed after Ollie and Zelia to the lab.

------

Arin was shocked to see Daphne sitting in the corner with a scaple clutched between her hands. He was more shocked by her appearance  Her skin was stony and gray like she was made of stone. She had wings like a bat, her feet were hooves, she had claws and fangs, and to finish it she had horns.

He turned to Zelia "What did you do to her!" He snapped. His wings flared open and his tail twitched.

Zelia rolled her eyes "I made her into a creature as well, are you blind?" She mocked. The woman looked to her son "Ollie be a dear and help your new friend, Mama has to fetch some more ingredients for her work," she said.

Ollie nodded and hugged her "Okay Mama, I love you," he said. The two parted and Zelia left.

Arin huffed "Crazy witch," he muttered and watched as Ollie approached Daphne. He trotted after him, peeking over to her.

Daphne kept the scaple up but stared at them with horror "Arin, beasts what did they do to you?" She asked.

Arin looked over her "Nothing worse than what you've been through," he replied.

Ollie crouched down to be level Daphne "Hi, I'm Ollie, would you put the sharp thing down? Mama says not to play with those," he asked.

Daphne stared at him for a solid minute then dropped it and hugged Ollie. She was mumbling something so softly that Arin almost missed it.

"I'll get you back Tyler. I swear it."