Monsters

Chapter 2 - REYN

Each branch came at him like a silent challenger and each one he answered with swift movements. The ground soared under him and like always he ignored it. Wood groaned under his weight but went silent again as he moved quickly onto the next challenger. The texture under his rough clawed hands grounded him. Well kept him from fully spinning into the ravenous thoughts that plagued him constantly. What next? He had passed every coming of age ceremony he had graduated top of his classes. His father doted on him but still refused to give him even a trickle of position. 

"You are still too young boy...And foolish." Reyn could still remember the mix of resentment and disappointment that swarmed in his dark green eyes. He had returned home with scrapes on his face and blood on his lip. Reyn could remember the wave of rage that rolled in his barrel chest, but he had just balled his fists and barred his sharp canines. 

"Superiors don't stoop to such things." His father had spat with disgust before his eyes returned to the tablet. His professor had sent a strongly worded emessage in regards to the most recent of Reyns many scuffles at the academy. "Everyone in that silly school is beneath you. I have told you a thousand times, beating them senseless only proves to further their dislike of you." His father tossed the tablet on his desk and leaned back into the leather of his desk chair. "When you lead them one day they will remember these stupid spats." General Atlas shook his head pressing the tip of his huge dark clawd together in order to make a detestable clacking sound against each other. 

"I remember you saying in many of your lectures that it is important to lead with a strong hand." Reyn struggled to keep his voice level as the general just glared at him from under those perfectly manicured black brows. 

"You are smart enough to know the difference between using a firm hand and abusing your power on lower Adovi." Anger had swelled in those dark green eyes before he sighed and pushed his hand through the short black hair which was gelled back against his head. Passivness returned to his face before he spoke again. "Words should not move you to violence." 

"The boy was torturing a lower. Surely wrong actions should spur me to violence? And should I not also protect lowers who come under my command, father." He hadn't been able to resist the urge to sink his golden claws into the wood of the chair he had been forced to take when he'd entered. His father had snorted at that. Reyn had already known the answer to his question, sometimes he tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and looked past the savageness of his father. 

He blinked and the branch he landed on creaked and he plummeted to the earth fall below. Tucking in his legs he rolled just like he'd been taught since he was small. His shoulder cracked against the earth and he grimaced before getting his feet back under him and coming to a crouch. He cursed loudly and slammed his broad fist into the dirt. His pointed ears twitched alerting him to a presence before he caught the scent on the air. Whipping his head to his left he caught a glimpse of movement. Raising an eyebrow he pushed to his feet. Movement on the ground was a rare sight. Perhaps someone was following him and had landed when he fell.

He growled and readjusted his black hunting jacket before he took off in the direction. His sense took over slowly and he was soundless as he rushed after the blur. He skidded to a halt in time with the other Adovi, a male from what he could see. His golden eyes widened as he allowed more moonlight into his pupils. The male became much more prominent against the darkness of the woods around them. His nose was twitching along with his pointed ears. He seemed to be tracking something. This only sprouted more questions in his mind. What would he possibly be tracking on the ground? There was no prey in these parts, it was much too close to the human's strong hold. It was one of the many reasons he'd come this far. In order to be completely alone. 

The male moved silently through the wood. The next scent he picked up wrinkled his nose. Everything about it was wrong. It was to sweet, it made his mouth water and his stomach turn. It also made him much more interested. The male was obviously on his patrols and that scent would make anyone stop in their tracks. 

Coming around a large oak a clearing came into view. Reyn stayed hidden in the trees allowing his eyes to soak up the fight unfolding in the small clearing. At first the female had caught him off guard. A human female alone in these woods was not a sight he was used to. The male seemed intent on eliminating the threat even though he didn't see anything threatening in the small woman. The way she'd launched at the male had changed his mind. She had a power in her limbs that was unnatural. Her movements were fluid and precise but he could tell she had also underestimated her opponent. 

The thought registered threw her mismatched eyes a second before the brown one faded to a dull gold and she made her final move dusty black hair whipping behind her. It was with the same efficiency that she removed the tree limb and dispatched the male. His lips twitched over his canines as the dying noises escaped the males lips. He had to admit he was impressed and also intrigued. As his father had stated earlier survival of the fittest was an important part of their culture, but then again so was the integrity of their borders. It took a moment to decide to reveal himself to the woman. He raked his claws across the wood sending it splintering in his tracks. 

As he got closer he noticed that half her body was all Adovi full of markings. The other side of her was all human soft curved ears and all. His body slowly breached the moonlight light and her mismatched eyes widened. Perhaps she regretted the loss of her tree limb or perhaps she regretted dispatching the male. It registered across her fine golden brown features too fast for him to follow his train of thought. 

He bared his long canines and his pointed ears pushed back against his skull. His eyes burned molten gold as a terrible growl rumbled from his barrel chest. He eclipsed her in size and she stumbled back a bit trying to regain her barring. It was obvious she'd only ever dealt with lower Adovi. He had to give her props though, she schooled her features perfectly even though her scent clouded with fear.