The Rule of Monsters
“MEN! BRACE YOURSELVES, THIS IS ABOUT TO GET ROUGH.”
Seraphina gripped the railing as she looked down, and realized, that the ocean had turned into tumultuous waves, pushing the ship from left to right. She felt a brush of air beside her, and turned to see a white-faced Nasir, appear at the railing. “Where is Zara?” He asked, his eyes searching the ship wildly.
“She fell asleep in our bunks.” Tariq shouted over the sudden loud crash of waves. “She’ll be fine, that room has certain protections upon it.”
“Are we going to be alright?” Nasir shouted back.
“We’re headed into the first horde. So, you better make sure you don’t fall overboard.” Tariq murmured, his eyes going on where Nasir gripped the railing.
Seraphina gasped suddenly putting a hand to her chest.
The boys turned to look at her in surprise. “What’s wrong? What do you sense?” Tariq asked sharply.
“It’s not us,” Seraphina murmured darkly her eyes full of pain as she looked up at Tariq where she was slightly bent over. “Somethings wrong with Shazir.”
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Shazir woke up suddenly in the dark, wetness underneath him, and pain surrounding his arm. He curled into himself whimpering cradling his arm, as tears ran down his very human face. His mind was in turmoil, images of his last transformation hunting him. He usually had very little memories of his time as a beast but, he had images of being hunted, corralled among other animals. Although that was not where he was now. He clenched his fists on the floor he lay on, a fur carpet spread out underneath him. He took deep breaths trying to calm himself through the pain, so he could see where he was. As his eyesight cleared, he could see he was in some fortress of sorts. Brick walls stood high above him corralling him within this room.
As he looked around, he could see the warmth of a fire, close to dying out, a long silver poker sat in the holder in front of the fireplace. The mantel of the fireplace was burnished onyx, threaded with dark red lines that looked like splattered blood. He sat up and saw two cushioned chairs on either side of him, a dark mahogany desk in front of him, inlaid with gold. He gingerly stood, making his way to the other side of the room, where a makeshift bar was set up. He ignored the decanter’s filled with golden brown hues of what must’ve been brandy or scotch. He even ignored the crystal decanter filled with a dark red substance and instead poured a glass of water out.
“Feel free to make a proper drink, you must be thirsty.” A smooth voice spoke from behind him.
Shazir smiled slightly. “I’d rather not be poisoned before I get an introduction.” He replied, downing the rest of the water, as he spun around.
He stood face to face with a tall gentleman, in a dark suit, a bloodred shirt slightly unbuttoned, showed off a single dark chain hung about his neck, a silver whistle at the end. “I believe this is the part where I introduce myself?” He smirked.
“Seems fitting, as I woke up here bloody and bruised, on your floor.” Shazir replied.
The man grinned wildly. “I’ve had many names. My favorite one, was the Pied piper.”
“You’re a musician?” Shazir asked with a frown.
“Of a sort. I also gather interesting individuals. And you, Shazir, might be the most interesting by far, I will ever collect.”
“Sorry, but I’m not interested in being someone’s prize.”
“Aren’t you?” The Pied Piper smirked. “You’re here, because in your monster form, you came to me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I told you, I’m the Pied Piper. Although you can call me Kagan.” He surveyed Shazir with a smirk, as he walked over to one of the couches and sat, observing him. “You might’ve played at being King in Beshumaar, but this Kingdom belongs to me.”
“If I belong to anyone, it would be Seraphina.” Shazir muttered.
“Except she, and the protection she once laid on you, is gone.” Kagan grinned at Shazir’s shock.
“What do you mean gone? What did you do to Seraphina?”
“She is no longer bound to this place; in fact, she even took on a job for her Dragon Lord. A job that will ensure she will be gone for a very long time.”
“I might be beholden to you in my monster form, but that doesn’t mean you can claim me when I’m human.” Shazir stated.
“In your human form, you are now powerless, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t even have to stay on this plane if it is your wish.” Kagan replied. He raised his hand, and a silvery chain with a glass key upon it flew to him. “You can take this and leave this place. Once you claim it, the powers you once had will return to you.”
“Those powers were Seraphina’s. I stole them.”
“Those powers will always be yours, especially as you have become the silver tiger. That monster is invulnerable, but it’s mortal form has always had magic. The protection that Seraphina had placed on you supressed that magic. Try, if you don’t believe me.”
Shazir turned from where he looked, raising his palm and summoned the magic he had once had, he watched in disbelief as silvery flames appeared above his palm.
“This is not possible.”
“It is. Seraphina lied.”