Asad [Septer Series- Book 3] *Beta Version*

Only Human

Chapter 16-

Leona. Asad saw her. Her face was as beautiful as it had always been. She seemed different though, strange even. Her face was have cheetah, like it had been painted that way. She was walking on what seemed a cloud. As her eyes shown back at Asad he could feel his heart beat all the races he had felt before.

"Asad," She said smiling. Asad looked at her and tilted her chin up towards him.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"Come back," She said. Her voice echoed like she had spoken into a cave. Asad felt pain on his sides and fell back onto the ground. It felt painful and the cloud was fading away.

"No Leona! Leona!" He yelled as he watched her fade away. She seemed so sad to see him go. It was as if she could do nothing.

"Goodbye Asad," She whispered as the last glimpse of her disappeared.

Asad sat up and looked around. He was no longer on some dream land, but was awake laying on the shore of a river. Chills sent through him as he realized his form was completely naked. He cowered realizing himself. I must have thought to have drowned and washed onto the shore somehow. Asad thought taking big leaves and rapping himself with them. Since he had been a cougar, he knew a few things about waking up, well naked. This wasn't his first rodeo.

Fog was covering the river, which seemed an unlikely shade of green. Birds chirped in the distance, but mostly the crickets were the only ones talking. Frogs were croaking and the smell of a sticky fog was filled around him. After finding some clothes to put together, he began thinking of Leona. He couldn't help worrying about her, if there was a her to even say. He missed her. 

Taking off on foot, he began walking along the bank of the river. His last opinion was to swim because it could cause too much noise, and if he reaches the other side and is seen, he can't have the water on him slowing him down too much. 

Asad came across a bridge. It was old, but not very far from the other bridge and camp that Kenna was hiding. It seemed to even be connected. Someway, somehow Asad didn't was to change form again. It would be easy to become a cougar and scale the bridge, but his hand was still wounded and he couldn't walk on that. His best opinion was to remain human, as he is. 

The bridge was rusty and old, but Asad didn't let that stop him. His hand was still injured, but at least he wouldn't be walking on it all the time. Vines grew up onto the structures of the bridge as he climbed up them. It didn't take too much time to reach the top even though it was high up. It was unstable and sometimes it would creak and shake when he tried to walk. It was as if he was walking a tightrope and could suddenly slip at any moment. 

The ground felt as if it was shaking along side the bridge as it swayed back and forth. Asad began walking faster in hopes to make it across before it could fall. It a mere two seconds the structure began to give in and it began to fall. Asad took off running as the bridge collapsed behind him. The faster he ran the faster it fell. Sweat was rolling off of him as the bridge began catching up to his heel. The fog was being pushed back so fast that Asad could hardly see in front of him. As he reached the end of the bridge he jumped. 

Flying through the air, he hoped to hurdle his fall and grabbed onto one of the vines that was hanging below. It snapped the second he grabbed it and pulled onto another one. It was secure as he swung and hit the ground. Gasping for air, the adrenaline that had kicked in made him even more on edge than before. A cold wind suddenly hit him as he began now running towards the hideout that Kenna was. The more he would run, the faster he would make it to Leona. Anything was worth it now. 

After walking trough the limbs and greenery, he had made it to the 'camp'. It was silent, which made Asad a little on edge. They could have left already and there was no one there. Asad went on anyway. There could be someone still there and he needed to find out. 

Asad came across the building he had last seen Leona, or who she was now anyways. The door was open as Asad walked in carefully. It was quiet and he thought at first no one was there, until he heard something. It sounded like a cat, and to be honest Asad was even more tense now that he heard something. Asad crept on further and closer to the noise. It was hushed, but enough to hear breathing.

Looking around the corner he saw the cheetah, Fiona. She looked to be deep asleep because of her heavy breathing. Asad looked up and saw Leona. She was sitting up in the bed and looking at the window. She looked scared and sad. It was as if she had lost a whole part of her to some creature, which was sadly true. Asad walked towards her as her eyes met his. She was surprised, but then joyful.

"Asad!" She whispered hugging him. They stood there hugging one another for minutes. Asad had missed her and so did she as to him. She pulled away from him after a while and looked sadly at him. "I'm not a cheetah anymore," She said. Slowly tears began to fall as Asad hugged her again as she grasped to him.

"I won't ever leave you again. You're still Leona," He whispered to her. She nodded into his shoulder and began to get up out of the bed. 

"We need to leave," She said taking his hand and walking towards the door. Asad stood still as she turned to him confused.

"I need to know how she did this to you. She can't get away with something like this!" Asad whispered louder. Leona shook her head and looked at the cheetah sleeping.

"I'm not a shape-shifter anymore. She's the cat now and I'm-" Leona spoke. Then Asad turned her towards his face.

"Then show me you're not a cheetah," Asad said. Their gazes locked and Asad made his way towards her. There lips met each other as Leona began to hug him. Then suddenly Asad changed to a cougar, but Leona stayed the same.

"See," She whimpered quietly. "I'm only human,"