The Theft

Away from the land of the giants, in the heart of the dark forests, the human slaves were in procession. In chains and shackles, they were, heading towards the land of werewolves to be used as servants for the rest of their lives.

Children and infants. Women and little girls. All chained and forced, with constant threats and beatings, to be sold to the werewolf world.

"The alpha Daemon has ordered for these ones," one of the masked men who were transporting the innocent humans said.

"I know, he must be expecting them by now." Another masked man replied.

They were all masked, and their voices all sounded the same. Nobody could know who they were and why they were doing this work, selling humans to werewolves.

"Take care of them. The alpha is one of our best customers, we do not want him upset."

"Yes. I know that too."

The travel continued and the humans kept receiving heavy lashes of the whip, forced to keep moving.

Suddenly, an arrow came from the shadows, striking one of the shadows in the neck.

"What?" One of them saw it happen. He was alarmed at once. "Who is it??"

Hearing his voice, the others became at alert too, and they all raised their guns to fight.

But the arrows came faster. Before they knew it, tens of their men were down on the floor, dead.

Even though the human merchants were technologically superior, with guns sending bullets as fast as lightening itself, whatever was in those forest was clever and smarter.

"Retreat! Go back!"

But it was too late. The arrows came from both sides, and from behind them. A large amount of smoke came from nowhere, blocking their visions and further reducing their chances of fighting back.

It was a dead end. Even with their guns firing into the sky, they had no chance against an enemy they could not see.

"Kill them..." A sinister voice ordered. "Kill them all..."

*****************

"Get out of here."

Nathan was not having any of Alorea's games. Even if she was the most beautiful princess in all the lands, it did not look like he would be flawed by her beauty.

"You really want to reject me, Nathan?" She questioned, approaching slowly. "I am the best thing you have ever seen."

But he was not moved even then. With her perfect face, her admirable face shape, her curvy waists and her protuding backside. He still did not get moved by any of her tricks.

"You really need to get out right now." He told her, unshaking in his decision.

But Alorea only smiled, as though she was not suprised.

"As you wish." She told him. But as she was about to leave, she left a note on his bed.

"What is that?"

"A map. And a drawing of my abode."

"Why would I need any of those?"

"I know that you will come looking for me soon." She winked. "I am helping you to find me easily."

As she exited his room, she replaced the cloak on her face and found her way towards the exit of the palace.

Frey had promised to leave one of the doors open. She would find that door and exit before anyone would be alerted of her presence.

Just as soon as she was about to reach the exits, someone saw her.

"You! Stop!!"

The soldier ran after her. But as soon as he had almost caught up with her, she disappeared into the thin air.

"Ohh... What just happened."

"What is it?" Shereena asked from behind the man. She had been alerted by his screams.

"I thought I saw someone walking here.... But..."

"What happened?"

"They just vanished..." The man uttered, not able to believe himself.

Shereena's eyes turned big. She ran towards the room where Nathan was staying.

"Nathan!" She called as soon as she opened the door.

He was right on his feet, suprised to see her.

"What is it, mistress?"

She rushed towards him, examining his body from head to toe.

"Did anyone come in here?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Someone did, but they left as soon as they came."

"Who?"

"The princess of the night wolves."

"Alorea!!" Shereena frowned, visibly angry. "Why did she come to see you? Did you do anything with her?"

"No no... I swear... I did not..."

Shereena's eyes grew red and watery. It was as though she was sad. And Nathan could not bear to see this.

On his knees he went, trying to pacify her.

"No, mistress. You have to believe. I sent her away. I did not give her a chance."

When she saw he was telling the truth, she smiled again, happy that her plans were still on the rail.

"But if she did not do anything with you... Why did she come here...?"

She thought it was suspicious, and so did Nathan. It came to them both at the same time, ringing in their heads.

"The claw of lightening!"

"Where is it?"

He checked for where he had kept it, but it was not there. It was not anywhere.

By the time they searched and searched, it was obvious.

"She took it..."

"That bitch!!" Shereena hit the wall with a brutal force. The rage she felt heightened. It could be found printed grimly on her face, but she did not want to take it out on Nathan. For some reason, she had always treated him differently from the rest of her tortured lovers.

In a flash, she took towards the hallway, close to the exits of the palace where she had found the soldier earlier. But as soon as she got her eyes on the exits, she saw one of the doors close, locked from the outside.

"Alorea!!!!!"

Her screams were of no use. Alorea had escaped with the second claw.

Out in the night, Alorea checked her palms. She had two claws now; the claw of invisibility and the claw of lightening. She could use the two whenever she wanted but she could not combine their powers. The only way she could do that was by the same ritual which Daemon had planned. But that was evil. She would never do that to innocent humans.

The only person who could do that was Nathan, and he was not on her side at the moment. By stealing the claw of lightening from him, she knew he would soon come looking for her. And that was exactly what she wanted.

Shereena already knew where she lived. She would want to retrieve the claws by all means, but Alorea already had her plans in readiness.

As she approached her secret abode, a figure approached her from the darkness. A tall giant figure. He was no doubt the leader of the fox wolves, Frey. And it seemed he had come to her with news.

"What is it...?" She wondered.

"Something has happened." He said, in a low voice, trying to navigate if there was anyone else following her.

When he saw that it was clear, he continued. "The mortals that the king was waiting for, they are all gone."

"Gone? What does that mean?"

"My men found the dead body of our human contractors. There were no captives with them. All the captives had been taken away by someone else."

As she listened to him, it dawned that this might be a chance. Their chance to earn Daemon's trust. For so long, they have unable to convince Daemon that he might be in danger, or that he mibjt actually need the help of others.

With what has happened, Daemon would have no choice but to accept that there were some people trying to stop him from harnessing the powers of the claw. And those people were no one else but Shereena and Nathan.

With two of the claws in her possession, she was sure that they would not be able to do anything when Daemon realises that the claws with him were nothing but fakes.

"Were you able to steal the claws as you said?" Frey asked, anxious for a good answer.

"Just one." She said, showing him the claw of lightening. "It is the one Nathan used against you. And now he will come looking for it".