This is a story I came up with in my sleep, and I decided to write it down and see what happened with it. Please read it and tell me what you think - any feedback is appreciated! <3
PROLOGUE?
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Today's the day. The day I can finally get out of here. I'm sixteen at last. I can follow my dream. "Abi, Abi!" Snapping back to reality, I looked to see who was calling me. My mother, stressed out as usual. "Are you heading off straight away? Couldn't you at least wait for some cake?" She was pleading with me, begging me not to go. She'd been doing it for days, telling me I could do better. I didn't have to work in a Keep. I could be a lawyer, or a doctor. Anything but a Tamer. "Mum, I'm only sorting out a few things. Then I'll be back again. I swear, I'll be back within a few hours, save me some cake!" I stood up, I wanted to get going now. My mother followed suit, reaching forwards to tug at my light brown plaits that hung down on either side of my face. She smiled weakly, I could see her giving up hope. I returned her smile more broadly, leaning forwards to kiss her cheek. Then I pulled away, and this time she let me go, watching me turn away with a wistful expression.
Looking down at my wrist, my heart stuttered as I saw the time. No! I wouldn't let myself be late! Hurrying now, I rushed forwards, pulling on my boyfriend's jacket. As he looked round at me, I stepped closer, motioning towards the door. I had to go now! He gave a short nod and followed after me to the exit, pausing to shout a few goodbyes to my family members. I was already getting in the car, impatient to get moving, my heart fluttering like a caged bird. As Stephan slipped into the driving seat, I looked back, unexpected tears pricking behind my eyes as I saw my mother watching me, her shoulder shaking with silent grief. Gritting my teeth, I waved at her as we drove away. I could understand why she was frightened. The place I was headed to was dangerous, and there was a good chance I wouldn't get out alive.
The Keep. Those two words are enough to send shivers down the toughest man's spine. But some people are different. Like me, they aren't scared, they just feel a pull, an connection to the words. We are the Tamers. The ones who venture inside the portal to work alongside the other humans to look after the Creatures, hoping we will stay alive long enough to get to see our families. Most don't. The Creatures are wild, strong, and untamed. Our job is to make them trust us, so that they can be assigned to one of us - to a Tamer. That Tamer will fight beside the Creature in battle, or whatever it is they do in the Worlds. The humans in the Keep had been the ones to contact me, not the other way round. They had told me that they had seen a large force on the radar, and had tracked it to... Me. It was my chance to shine, and I planned on becoming good at my job, the best they'd ever seen. I needed to make Scott proud.
Scott. My brother's name brought fresh tears to my eyes, and I turned my head to look out the window, pretending to be concentrating on the scenery flashing past. As the tears slipped down my face, I remembered my brother. I had seen him the day he'd been dragged away to war, a war that he would never see the end of, one he would never return from alive.
We sat at the dining table, laughter sounding from either sides as we compared our nights dreams. Scott told me had dreamt of a Beast taking him away, a big, strong Griffin-beast. That made us all hesitate. And then, the sound of the door being broken down, Granny's shrieks reverberating around the room as they tossed her aside, searching for their prey. They saw Scott, and he stood up to meet them, his fists ready for combat. Then, the Dog-beast appeared in the doorway, a huge Creature, it's jaws able to crush a full grown man in a instant. We screamed at them then, but they still took him away. That was the time we saw him alive. They returned the parts of him they found in a box, which we buried under the apple tree in the back yard.
"We'll all miss you, you know." Stephan's voice made me jump, and I returned to looking out the car window, hastily rubbing my eyes dry on my sleeve. I heard him sigh, and then he was holding my hand. "Its not too late to turn back. I'm sure Scott wouldn't want you to do something you don't want to, I'm sure he'd understand if you didn't," I felt my lips curve up into a smile. Stephan always seemed to know what I was thinking, but then again, I didn't exactly keep my thoughts to myself. "This isn't just for Scott, its for me too. I want to go, hell, I'd even go as far as to say I need to go. Please, just understand me and trust me. Just this once."
Stephan had his eyes back on the road, and his hand dropped mine as he reached for the gear-stick. We were slowing down. I raised my eyes, we were here. In front of us was a factory type building, but everyone knew it was the home of a portal, a black hole that transported people back and from Phyxis, another, more brutal world. We had been asked to help by the natives of the planet, and they had sent us magical Creatures to tame and use against the invaders. The number of deaths on our side had reached it's thousands, but still we trudged on, never gaining on the enemy more than a few feet.
Looking over at Stephan, I waited for him to say something. And finally, he did, but his words weren't the ones I wanted to hear. "Well, this is it. We're here." His voice sounded tired, like he'd at last given up hope. I frowned, swallowing back the lump that was rising in my throat. Slowly, I twisted round in my seat so that I could lay my head on his shoulder. I forced my lips to form a half-smile, half-grimace, but it was like I was devoid of any emotion. An empty husk, a shadow of my former self. I knew now that I had unknowingly wreaked my families lives, that they would now be forever terrified that I would be joining Sebastian in the back garden.
Finally, I succumbed to the tears and they slipped down my face, soaking themselves into Stephan's jacket. "I-I'll stay. I w-won't go, I can't d-do it to you a-all..." My words came out like a whisper, my eyes closing as I sacrificed my dream to keep my family sane. But I could feel the slight shake of his head, feel him wrap one arm tightly around my shoulders. "This is what you want to do, so you're doing it. But promise me one thing, --" Stephan stiffened, his body tense. I raised my head quickly, following his gaze over my shoulder. Outside the car window was a girl. A Tamer.
CHAPTER ONE.
For a couple of heartbeats neither of us moved, but then I shrank away from the window, back into Stephan. The girl began to move, nervously, as if she was afraid of being seen by someone - or something. Tapping quietly on the glass with a short nail, the girl motioned for me to wind down the window.
Shivering like an abused puppy, I moved my line of view from her to my boyfriend. He shrugged at me with a quizzical expression, "What's the worst she can do?" I shook my head irritably, resisting the urge to hit him. Tamers were strong individuals, and so were the larger and more powerful Beasts. She could be carrying knives, or worse. The girl might have a tamed Beast, waiting to pounce on us when we let our guard down.
But what other choice did I have? Glaring at Stephan, I slowly inched my hand forwards towards the door handle. Maybe I was over-reacting, but I was scared. Terrified. All the Tamers were supposedly in Phyxis - killing the things that were attempting to tear the other world apart. So why was she here? Had she been left behind? Or maybe she was secretly a spy? Or her Beast has escaped and was about to kill me and Stephan. Was she warning us? Helping us? "Abi, just open the door for Pete's sake.You're being ridiculous. She is a Tamer, just like you. She is a friend, so are you.Just see what she has to say, okay?" Stephan gave me a fatherly look as he leaned past me to release the door lock.
It swung smoothly, swinging open past the Tamer, allowing her to step closer to us. I flinched instinctively before steeling myself. This will be me soon. She probably just greets visitors, or something. I sighed, my eyes scanning her for weapons. Finding none, I instead concentrated on her features. The first thing that captured my attention was her hair. It was the type that every girl dreamed of having; Long; dark red; and plaited in a braid that hung neatly down her back. Her eyes were a mossy green, cool and guarded, eyes that seemed like they had seen things no-one should ever be subjected to. The girl was dressed in typical Tamer clothing. A black tank top, streaked with dirt. Three-quarter length trouser, these were beige and surprisingly clean, considering the things they were worn during. She also had on a pair of combat boots, knotted tightly at the top.
"You're Abi, right?" Her voice sounded just as aloof as her eyes looked, she eyed me up and down before glancing at the building quickly, an emotion flashing across her face as she stared. Fear. Something about this place scared the Tamer. Why? She was a Tamer, this was a portal to the other world. What did it hold that frightened such a girl? "Yeah, I'm Abi... This is my boyfriend Stephan." I gestured to him briefly, not taking my gaze from her emerald eyes. She returned the gaze, nodding swiftly. Then she stepped back smoothly, obviously making sure that our car still shaded her from view of the big, factory-like building. "I thought so. You have to come with me, you're not safe," She hesitated, ducking her head, her gaze burning into my face like a lazer. It felt like I was being strip-searched, she was analysing everything about me: my skills, my weaknesses, my looks, my personality... It was all on show to her. "You can't leave. They'll find you." Her voice was soft, but it carried a harsh edge to it.
I felt Stephan draw back behind me, and he spoke, his voice clipped and tense. "What do you mean? Who will find her?" I swallowed, all earlier fear for the girl had diminished. She was warning me, so she couldn't be bad. Scooting forwards in the car seat, I leant towards her, a small frown creasing my forehead. A shiver ran through her body, and she closed the gap between us again, stooping down so that she was at our level. "The new leaders. We hardly ever see them, but the send out Hunters to find new Tamers. But they train them wrong. Its not right. They're not right. Any Tamer that is trained by them turns out bad. Evil." My eyes widened and my hands shook. Had Scott been taken by a hunter? Had he been trained to be evil? A shuddering breath left my body and I closed by eyes, bowing my head. Somehow I knew it was true. Stephan wrapped his arms round me, he didn't need me to speak, I knew he understood the reason for my pain.
The Tamer looked impatient. "Look, are you going to come or what?" She asked, letting out a heavy sigh. "Because if you don't come, they'll get you. And if I wait much longer, they'll get us both." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, as if this wasn't a matter of good and evil. But I could see that beneath all her bravado, she was frightened. Stephan pushed by shoulder lightly. "Go on, I'll deal with your mother." The words were spoken jokingly, but they still sliced through me like a knife crafted from ice. I twisted my upper-body round to stare at him, horrified, "Will they come for her? For you?" The Tamer's words echoed around my brain, threatening to deafen me. They'll find you. If they couldn't get me, surely they'd go for the next best thing. My closest family and friends. And what then? I hadn't even met these people, and I was already terrified of them. "I'm sure we'll be fine..." Stephan smiled, his tone soothing. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me quickly, "Now go." He moved his hands down to my shoulders, propelling me out the car. "I'll call you!" He mouthed at me over the harsh, ugly sound of the engine. The Tamer pushed the door shut and Stephan stepped on the accelerator, racing towards my mother's house and leaving me to my fate.
"This way!" I turned in time to see the Tamer striding towards one of the outbuildings, moving as quickly as she could without openly running. I hurried after her, my black sneakers slapping against the ground as I charged after her. "Wait up!" I called, wanting to run, but at the same time, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to myself. "Keep your voice down!" The girl hissed, slowing down slightly so that I could catch her up. When I was level with her, she sped up again, this time taking a firm grip on my arm, tugging me along beside her so that she didn't have to stop for me again. "Umm... Whats your name?" I asked, figuring that as she knew mine, I had a right to know hers. "Does it really matter?" She asked, clearly annoyed at my multiple questions. She changed direction quickly, swerving round the side of a small building that looked like an unused store. It was here that she stopped, releasing her grip on my wrist and taking deep breaths of air. Her long plait fell over her shoulder, casting half her face into shadow. For a moment, she looked eerie, haunted even.
"Do you mind?" The girl asked, pursing her lips and raising her head to glare at me, "You're staring at me." She leant back against the wall of the building, her sharp eyes burrowing into my skin. I flinched impulsively, "Sorry..." I muttered, dropping my gaze to the cobbled ground. The girl let out a huff. Out of the corner of my eye, she reached out, her tanned hand creeping along the wall. Her fingers found a brick that looked looser that the others. The Tamer pushed the brick inwards, using the palm of her hand. She then stepped back from the wall, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Tigeria, you're back!" A male voice cut through the silence as a head appeared from around the corner of the building.
The boy's smile dissolved as he saw me, his head cocked to one side, a few stands of white-blonde hair slipping down over one grey eye. He flicked his head irritably, the length of his hair was obviously not to his liking. "Are you new?" He asked, stepping from around the building. I nodded warily, and his face brightened, "I'm Riley, you must be Abi. Tigeria wasn't really that happy when we were told a new Tamer was coming, but she'll probably love you soon, don't worry!" My lips pulled up into a half-smile at Riley's words. But judging by the look on Tigeria's face, she wasn't happy. I watched as she stalked around the side of the building, elbowing the boy neatly in the rips as she stalked past. Riley stumbled and clutched his side, pretending to look hurt, and a moment later I heard a door slam. "I think we should wait for her to calm down before we go inside. I don't think she's that angry, but she might still set Loxy on us!" I froze.
"... Loxy?"
Riley grinned at me, "Tigeria's Creature. Don't worry, she's more likely to hurt me than you. Actually, she probably won't do anything, so relax, will you?" I became mobile again, letting my breath out slowly and nodding my consent. He reached out and ruffled my already rumpled hair fondly, making me jump. I hadn't realised he was so close, he must have used my minor panic attack as an opportunity to advance. "So, do you know much about us Tamers?" Riley changed the subject swiftly, turning the spot-light on me instead. Shaking my head mutely, I took the chance to survey my surroundings. The store we were hidden beside - the 'good' Tamer's base - was shielding us from the main building, protecting us from their view. Whoever 'their' was. The store's door faced towards the road, meaning no other Tamers would be able to see anyone entering or exiting. "You signed up to this when you don't know anything about us?" Riley's voice was disbelieving, incredulous. I shook my head again - I probably looked like a bobble-headed toy - looking at him closely for the first time.
Riley was tall, a full head higher than me. But it wasn't his height that caught my attention. It was his face. He was, to be completely honest, gorgeous. His hair was almost pure white, and as straight as a pin. It was styled perfectly, with a couple of locks hanging down over one of his slate-grey eyes. Riley raised one eyebrow in question, he had evidently felt me staring at him. I blushed, clearing my throat and looking away, "I didn't sign up exactly... Someone rang and said I was strong. They asked me to join." I shrugged, suddenly aware of just how close Riley was to me. And he was getting nearer. Not that it made me uncomfortable. "They... Asked you? They rang you?" Riley had hold of both of my hands, twisting me round so that we were looking at each other. His eyes searched mine, desperate for the truth, hungry even. For whatever reason. "I got a phone call last week. They asked my brother last year, but he said no. So they took him by force instead. I guess I learned from my brother's mistake." Riley gasped, yanking me sharply off my feet and into his arms.
With my face buried into Riley's chest, - and delicious smelling jumper - I could see nothing. But thankfully, my ears were still free, and I could here perfectly; Riley's shoes pounding the cobbled ground; his slight grunt as he elbowed a door open; the sound of a chair being pulled back in surprise; whispering surrounding us; footsteps getting closer. After what seemed like an age of muttering, which I only caught snippets of, "They rang her?" ... "She must be-" ... "Strong!", Riley finally released me and guided me backwards until I felt the back of my knees connect with something wooden. Looking down, I realised it was a small chair and I collapsed onto it gratefully. Then, I levelled my head and glanced around. Tigeria, Riley and a couple more boys and girls were clustered in a loose circle with me in the centre. They were all looking at me strangely, even Tigeria's face held a new grudging respect. "Is there something I should know?" I asked, breaking the silence, feeling awkward.
The pause that followed my words lasted a heartbeat, and then the girl stood next to Tigeria stepped forwards, a smirk playing with the corners of her mouth, "Why don't we start with names?" She looked from Riley to Tigeria, her gaze sliding over the others that were still watching me carefully. Getting no visible response, the girl shrugged, turning her baby-blue eyes back on me. "I'm Alexander. You can call me Alexander."
"In other words, don't bother. Call her Alex like the rest of us do." Riley pushed past Alex/Alexander, earning his a hiss and a dirty look from the bob-cut platinum blonde. Riley seemed oblivious to Alex's glare, instead plucking a chair from beside me, spinning it round and sitting on it backwards in front of me, "So, what d'you want to know?"
"Everything. About the Tamers, about Phyxis, about why I'm special and why someone rang and asked me to come here, and not the other way round." I brushed a stray strand of hair from my brown eyes, waiting for the answer to my multiple questions.
"Okay... Lets start with Phyxis. None of us here have really seen much of it, but I can try and describe it as best I can based on my experience there." Riley sucked in a lungful of air, dropping his head forwards to that his white hair covered his face. Then he began to talk. "I guess Phyxis is a bit like Earth, but everything there is magnified.The plants are beautiful, vibrant colours, lovely smells, but they're huge, about twice the size of me. And that's the smaller ones. But they're... Bad." He gulped, suppressing a shudder that racked his body, "I swear that they have a mind of their own. One minute, you're looking at a harmless flower, the next moment, the petals are attached to your body, trying to pull you off the ground. I've seen them eat Tamers and Creatures alive! They gave me these," Riley moved one hand from his lap to pull up his jumper. His left side shone white in the low light of the store, and I had to squint to make out the shapes. The sight made my eyes widen. Riley's side was decorated by three identical white scars that stretched up and around his body, ending near the bottom of his neck. They looked creepily like giant teeth marks.
Riley tugged his clothing back into place, raising his head to look at us all. Most of the faces staring at him were sympathetic - mine bordering on horror, but Alex's expression was impassive, bored even. It was as if Phyxis and it's killer plants didn't bother her. As if she knew something we didn't. She turned her head to look at me, her eyes innocent. She batted her eyelids, sticking out her bottom lip in a childlike pout.
"But they are harmless compared to the other beings that live on the planet." Riley's words left me dumbfounded, my mouth agape. What could be worse than a man eating plant that had petals which could transform into teeth? Being a Tamer was more life-threatening than I'd first imagined. He continued, his eyes glassy as the memories came flooding back. "I can remember... When I first became a Tamer, about a year ago, they had different rules here. We had a choice on whether to go into Phyxis straight away. If we didn't want to, we could stay behind and help out with the Creatures. I hadn't Tamed Shea then, but I decided to go anyway. I met another new Tamer, - Liam - he didn't have a Creature yet either. So we joined the group that fought on foot. We trained for about a month, and then it was time to leave. We travelled through the portal at night, so I couldn't see much of the journey through space. But I can tell you this: It's a weird experience. So, we arrived at Phyxis under the cover of darkness and headed towards the base. But we didn't even get close to safety. They must have been waiting for us, they ambushed us -" Riley gasped, his eyes bulging with tears and fright. Letting out a slow breath, he tried to speak, but no words could pass through his lips.
Tigeria stepped forwards to place her hand on Riley's shoulder, her green eyes full of unspoken understanding. "I'll try and explain the rest." She kept her hand there, turning her gaze to me. "A tripe of native Taigna attacked the group. Taigna are the savage beings that inhabit Phyxis. The look like humans, with their upright posture, dark brown skin and black hair. But they aren't human. You only have to see a glimpse of their eyes to work that out. Taigna eyes... Are the eyes of reptiles: amber and frightening." Tigeria paused, and I took the chance to look away, my heart fluttering like a caged bird. Sinister creatures that had a human form, but reptilian eyes? Now that I had heard of the things that were hidden inside the portal, I wasn't sure that I wanted to venture into Phyxis at all. But did I have a choice?
A voice broke into my whirling thoughts as Tigeria continued with her explanation, "The Taigna ambushed Riley's party, and they didn't have a chance to defend their selves. They suffered many fatal casualties, including -"
"Liam..." Riley balled his hands into tight fists and pressed them to his face. "I may not have known him for long, but I know that he didn't deserve to be killed. Not by the Taigna. Not by anyone." Hastily he rubbed his eyes, avoiding everyone's down-cast looks of sympathy. "I-I'm sorry," I murmured, touching his hand softly. Riley looked up slowly and our eyes met, both of us caught in the other's gaze. I looked away first, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment as I spotted Tigeria's accusing stare and Alex's mocking wink. It was time for an emergency subject change.
"Tell me more about you - the Tamers." I asked quickly, glancing at anyone but Riley. Thankfully it was Alex who answered me this time. "I don't think there's much to tell you really, I mean, you probably know most of it." She fiddled with a small section of her hair, curling it around her finger as her eyes bored into mine. "I don't know anything..." I told her, lifting one shoulder.
"Seriously? You don't know much, do you?" Alex sighed dramatically, lifting her skinny shoulders and pressing her lips into a tight line. "Well, to be brief, we Tamers are a 'unique' type of the human race, that can speak to and be-friend a certain Creature. Most of us apply for a job here, as we find a kind of calling towards the portal and Creatures, but some others are asked to come here, because they're special," Her lips turned up into a sneer at that, and she raised her head, "We spend a time in the main building, which is were the Keep is situated. In the Keep, hundreds of Creatures spend their time, each of them looking for the right Tamer. If a Tamer that is not their 'chosen one', a fierce battle usually begins, which usually results in the humans death. Beasts are very powerful, you know. But however, if the Tamer is the Beast's 'chosen one', the Beast will live to serve and protect it's human. They become best friends."
A quick movement in the sleeve of Alex's black jumper and I looked towards it, my brow furrowing. Was it just me, or were there a pair of black eyes staring out at me? Before I had the chance to freak out, a small shape shot out from beside Alex's arm, flying through the air towards my face. I took a fleeting glance at Alex as I attempted to manoeuvre my chair speedily out of the flying shape's path, wondering how she was reacting to this burst of action. She was watching me to, her eyes full of contempt. It didn't look like she was particularly bothered that I was about to get knocked out by something that had come out her sleeve. Maybe she had sent it towards my face on purpose. The shape in front of me curved slightly, and I saw that it wasn't a object, it was a living creature. And it had teeth. Only then did I realise I was screaming.
In a sudden movement, Riley's hand slipped in front of my face, blocking the snake from my view. Tigeria was knelt down beside me, holding my arm with a grim expression on her face, "It's okay Abi. Listen to me, and please stop making that sound." Oh. I hadn't realised that I was still making noises. Closing my mouth quickly, I let out a shaky breath. Tigeria squeezed my arm, offering me a tentative smile which I returned immediately.
A curse on my other side caused me to turn my head towards Riley. He was still shielding my face from the snake, but his hand was clenched. As I watched, a tiny drop of scarlet liquid fell towards the ground, glistening in the low light. Alex stepped towards him threateningly, "Stop. You'll hurt him." She lunged forwards, one arm outstretched, her gaze locked on Riley's hand. Snorting, Riley released his hold on the snake, and I watched it's body ebony body curve towards me. Riley withdrew his hand, clutching it to his chest and whispering various swearwords directed towards it.
The snake hit the ground silently, and stayed where it landed, it's body unmoving as if it was frozen in time. Except for it's eyes. Two black orbs studied me coldly, and I felt like I was being sucked into an inescapable void, unable to tear my eyes away. It was Alex that broke into our staring contest as she pulled the snake away, up and into her arms. The action forced the black eyes to stare unnervingly elsewhere. The Tamer slid her hands over the snake's jet black scales and blunt head murmuring repeated apologies. She bent her head down, her blonde hair falling down to cover her face, but I could still see what was happening beneath it. She held her palm out in front of the snake, and I watched as it reared it's head, then plunged back down again, it's teeth sinking into her hand while she watched, her eyes widening slightly.
I recoiled, snapping my head round to look at Riley and Tigeria instead. "A-Are you okay?" I asked, noticing that Riley still had his injured hand crushed against him. He nodded, "I'm fine. And I think we should introduce you to Alex's Creature."
"His name is Zeltas. Avoid him as much as you can, he has a very strong and manipulative personality." Tigeria glanced at Alex and her Creature, who was now entwining his self around his Tamer's wrist. His eyes seemed even brighter that they had been before the bite. A sudden urge to be sick overcame me, and I pressed one hand to my mouth, looking down at my shoes.
"Don't be silly, Tigeria, Riley. Zeltas just has a strong personality," Alex cooed at the snake, running her finger along his scales, "At least me Creature isn't a waste of space, Riley." She giggled and smiled childishly as she spoke, but the actions did nothing to lessen the furious expression that flickered across Riley's face and danced in his eyes like an angry flame. One thing I knew about Tamers was that they were extremely protective of their chosen Creature. I can remember in the last letter that Scott sent me, he wrote about how strong his relationship was with Kite - his Creature - and how annoyed he got if someone mocked him. I swallowed, shaking my head mentally to dispel any lingering thoughts of my dead brother. With Zeltas around, I needed to be focused.
Alex's smile faded and her face paled as we all heard a loud crash above our heads, accompanied by a curse and an inhuman snarl of fury. "Shea, stop!" A thud drowned out the feminine sounding disembodied voice's next words, but as the sound dimmed again, the voice shot up an octave, so that they could be heard over a peculiar grinding sound that made my skin crawl. "Icy, don't just stand there! I might be a Tamer, but I'm not strong enough to hold this down-" Footsteps crossed the floor above us, heading in the general direction of the voice, "Haley, just let them go. You know Alex has it coming." The new voice was quieter and more subdued - but also female.
"It was Alex that said it?" The other girl must have nodded, as the same voice continued, "Oh, I though it was Tigeria... In that case, off you go then Shea!"
"You what?" Tigeria bellowed, jumping to her feet and striding forwards, "Haley, get your ass down here right now!" The first voice - which I now knew belonged to Haley - laughed nervously. A flurry of activity began to descend from a trap-door in the cracked ceiling not far away. I whimpered silently as I watched a huge lizard drop to the ground, and gaze around the room with a hungry expression.
"Shea!" Riley stepped forwards, his arms outstretched towards the lizard. That must mean... the lizard was his Creature! Glancing back at Shea again, I took a better look at her, deciding that if she was Riley's Creature, she probably wouldn't hurt me. Her amber eyes quickly found her Tamer's, and she gave a grunt of pleasure, swinging her large body around and heading in his direction. As she moved, her emerald-green scales shimmered in the dim light, and the crimson feathers that decorated her legs, head and tail quivered slightly. Riley's hand touched her face when she reached him, and Shea bowed her head, leaning into him with a light groan of happiness. "What Alex said isn't true, you hear me?" Riley pressed his face into her neck, stroking along her back as he spoke. His words seemed to remind the giant lizard why she had broken out of the attic, and the Creature swivelled her head silently, pinpointing Alex and Zeltas instantly. The snake had moved himself from his Tamer's wrist, and was now coiled tightly around her right ankle as he stared at Shea with soulless black eyes.
As soon as Zeltas realised that he had the lizard's attention, he uncurled himself from Alex's leg and slithered forwards, closing the distance between them quickly. When he was close enough, he stopped and reared his head, which was now framed by a hood, making him look even more frightening. A couple of years ago I had visited the zoo with Stephan, and one of the first places he had dragged me was the reptile house. From there, I had learnt that cobras raised their hoods either as a defensive feature, or when they were feeling aggressive. And somehow I knew which one Zeltas was feeling. In retaliation, Shea stepped forwards to meet him, snapping her jaws. The crest of feathers on her head raised and she lowered her head to the snake's level, being careful to stay out of his striking range. "Shea..." Riley chided his Creature softly, then shot Alex an accusing glare, "Get him under control! If you didn't give him the chance to provoke her, they wouldn't fight so much!" Obviously this wasn't the first time the two had clashed.
"Make me." Alex's words were filled with venom, and her eyes had become unnaturally large. In front of her, Zeltas swayed as if he was drunk, his tongue darting out and tasting the air around him. And then - for the second time in one day - Zeltas launched himself through the air, aiming for me. Shea lunged after him, her teeth merely grazing his scales as he glided past her, his expression smug. Riley started towards him, but I knew that he still wouldn't be fast enough to stop the snake from latching itself to my face. My eyes darted around the room nervously, searching for an escape route. Nothing. I was sat in a tight corner, so to get away I'd have to squeeze past Zeltas, which would put me at more risk. I was trapped. At this thought, my heart began to bounce around my chest erratically, almost threatening to jump right out of my body.
In an effort to calm myself down, I sorted through my mind for a quick battle plan. You can do it Abi! Snakes are just wriggly things with no arms! Grab them in the right place, and throw them as far as you can. It can't be that hard. You've done it with worms before. Okay, so all I had to do was grab Zeltas, and chuck him as far as I could. Easy, right? Wrong. Where was the right place to hold him without him biting me?
An idea flashed across my vision, screaming advice at me through a fog-horn. Scooting to the edge of my chair, I pulled it in front of me, raising the legs up towards Zeltas to defend myself. Great, now we both had things to stab each other with.
CHAPTER TWO.
I saw Riley's jaw drop as I swung the chair into the air to protect myself, and Tigeria hurried forwards to join him, her hand gripping a chunk of Haley's strawberry blonde hair - who was jogging along after her. I instantly straightened my back, now was my chance to show them both that I could protect myself. They thought I was a wimp - well, I was - but that didn't mean I was a total weakling. Talk about quick judgements. A flash of pink in the corner of my vision caught my interest, and it took me a few quick heartbeats to figure out what it was. When I came to a conclusion, I moved the chair instinctively, the wood smashing into Zeltas' side and sending his somersaulting into the wall before he could skewer me with his fangs. It was open mouth I'd seen - flying towards me with his jaws cranked open as wide as they could go.
Zeltas slid down the wall, his body coiling up in a motionless heap. Oh god, someone call the police. I'd murdered a snake. Dropping the chair, I stumbled backwards, trying to block Alex's hysterical accusations from my ears. "I-I didn't mean to!" I shrieked, taking another faltering step back. Shooting a horrified glance towards Riley and Tigeria, I swallowed back a strangled gasp. They were smiling. Laughing at Zeltas' dead body. Where they lunatics? I'd just killed an 'innocent' reptile, and they were grinning like a kid with an early birthday present. I had to get out of here. This wasn't where I belonged. I wasn't a hardened fighter like Tigeria, or Riley. I'd just killed someone's Creature, and I needed to get out before Alex made me pay.
Feeling extremely light-headed all of a sudden, I stumbled to the door, averting my gaze from Zeltas' body. "Where are you going?" Tigeria overtook me easily, splaying her hand onto the door to stop me leaving. "I need some air." My breath caught in my throat and I tugged at the door handle in vain - Tigeria was a lot stronger than me. She hesitated for a moment and glanced over my shoulder at something, her expression hardening at whatever she saw. Before I had chance to look around and see for my self, she gave in. "Fine. But don't move away from the wall and the shadows. And definitely don't go across the yard. No one else can know you're here." I must have looked worried, because she spoke again, this time more reassuringly, "If you stay close, nothing will happen. Just stay near the door and don't scream."
Don't scream? I wasn't going outside to vent my emotions, I was mourning Zeltas' death. "T-Tell Alex that I'm-" Sorry? Feeling her pain? None of those apologises felt right. What were you supposed to say when you'd just killed someone's Creature? Though one thing was strange: I couldn't hear Alex crying any more. Riley must have taken her somewhere to calm her down. "She doesn't need you to apologise Abi, believe me." Tigeria smiled at me thinly, pivoting away from the door and crossing her arms. Her eyes never left me once as I shot outside.
I leant against the wall, trembling, as I stared out towards the main building. It looked eerie now that it was cast in shadows. Wait, shadows must mean it was late. So what was it? After rooting around in my oversized coat pocket for a moment, I managed to prise my mobile from it's hiding place under my purse and MP3 player. It was half past five, which meant I'd been here for nearly two hours. Autumn always made it seem like it was later than it actually was. Hi, are you OK? How's mum? I texted Stephan just to be sure he was alright, then slipped the mobile back into my pocket and returned my gaze to the building.
It had seemed to be a factory from the yard, but now that I was closer I could see that it was in fact a large house, a manor. Boarded up windows and missing tiles marred the house's beauty, giving it a more dangerous look. From where I was stood, I could see nothing that indicated towards any presence - whether human or Creature - inside the. The rooms that still had windows were dark, and I never once saw anyone enter of leave. I shivered, partly due to this crisp November weather, but mostly due to the strange atmosphere that surrounded the yard. It was silent; as if everyone was waiting with bated breath for something to happen. Something bad.
Hiss. I twirled around, glaring into the darkness behind me with what I hoped was a neutral expression. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pinpoint where the noise was being emitted, so whatever was making the sound had to be moving. Fast. Hiss. This time the sound came from my left, and I turned to face it, pressing back against the wall. It was getting closer! A snake? My imagination must be playing tricks on me. It couldn't be... Hiss. "Zeltas?" I whispered, my lip quivering. But he was dead. His ghost then. He was haunting me because I'm responsible for his death. Hiss. Could ghosts even make noises? Maybe it was another Creature, a snake one, or Riley playing tricks on me. No, not Riley. Alex. She must hate me, and now she's coming to get me. Swallowing, I steadied my voice, "Show yourself. I'm not scared of you." I was though. I was terrified. Hiss. Black eyes, coming towards me...
I ran.
"Abi, don't go far and stay on the garden!" My mother stands framed in the doorway, her cheeks flushed pink in the heat of the kitchen. Her dark hair is pulled back in a bun, but a couple of locks have fallen free and are now curled around her face. I let go of the handlebars briefly to wave, then set off down the garden, my bike trundling over the bumpy ground. I gain speed, getting faster and faster... Too fast? The white picket fence that borders the garden is rushing up to meet me, I brake, and the bike slides to the left, sending clumps of grass in all directions. And I'm flying, crashing into the fence and bouncing away again, landing on my back in a heap. Sh sh sh sh sh. The sound of my bike wheels spinning comforts me and stops me crying out in pain.
Sh sh sh. My arm hurts, and so does my knee. I pat them both gingerly, wincing as pain shoots up my limbs in short, sharp bursts. Sit up Abi, you need to go home. Mummy and Scott will be worried. Very worried. Deciding to obey the voice in my head, I clamber to my feet unsteadily, resting one hand on top of the fence to stop myself feeling dizzy. Sh sh... Hiss? I jump as I feel a hand clasp mine, and another cover my mouth, smothering my scream of shock and terror. Talon-like fingernails dig into my wrists, "I... Have been watching you... For a while..." The voice sounds harsh, cold, and most definitely male. I shoot a fleeting glance to my right at the person restraining me, recoiling instinctively. A hunched, old man with dirty-grey hair is staring back at me, his mouth spread in a wide grin, full of menace. The smell of rotting food creeps from behind his mould-coloured teeth, flattening itself over my face and burning my nose.
My gaze travels up his face as I struggle feebly to free myself from the man's overly tight grasp. "Isn't really the face you'd expect a... Superhero to have... Is it? But... I'm here to save you... And your brother... From evil." I shrink back, tilting my head to continue my visual tour of his face. "Tell Scott... That I called for him..." The man releases my hand at last, stepping away into the empty road beside the garden fence, but not before I saw something that would haunt me forever.
His eyes, black and empty, peering into my soul and staining me with their inky darkness.
I bolt, away from the fence. Retracing my steps up the garden, I leap over my discarded bike clumsily, my hands stretched towards the house as I pelt towards it. "Mummy!"
His eyes, just like Zeltas'.
I THINK THIS IS CHAPTER THREE.
I never told my brother about the man visiting. I barely told my mother anything either - I knew that she'd only freak out and lock us all in the house armed with a rifle. I picked out the less distressing details to tell her: I said that I'd fallen off my bike and that a scary man with strange eyes had tried to talk to me, and that he had grabbed hold of me. She called the police immediately, who arrived soon after to patrol the perimeter of the garden a few times before they announced that the area was empty of men matching my in-depth description. However, Scott and I still weren't allowed outside alone, and a few days later I found out why.
My mother had been de-weeding a flower bed in the lower part of the garden, and she police tape surrounding a spot across the road from our house. After gossiping 'innocently' with the local women, she discovered that an old man - homeless apparently - had been found dead in the alley with multiple puncture wounds to his neck and face. The police classified the attack as a murder that night on the village radio. They reassured everyone that specially trained dogs and men would soon catch the culprit, but this was the last straw for my mother.
She put the house up for sale, packed up our belongings and moved us out as soon as the place was sold. We stayed with her parents until she sound a house as far away from the village as she could.
Now that I thought about it, maybe if I had explained to Scott what the man had done and said, it might have made him rethink his ideas for his later life. Scott had been fourteen then, and although he had been contacted about becoming a Tamer, he had other plans. He desperately wanted to be a travelling photographer, scouring the world for unique and breath-taking snapshot opportunities. He wanted nothing to do with the world of Tamers. So in the end - three years later - the men took him by force. If I had told him what had happened to me, we could have searched for the old man and asked him what he had meant. Maybe I could have saved him. But now I was too late.
My arms flailed like windmills as I tripped over the uneven ground at a galloping run. After I had regained my composure, I looked over my shoulder quickly, expecting to see ghost-Zeltas stalking me for revenge. Nothing was there. The courtyard was empty. I was the only one out here. The random thought scared me and I shivered, hugging myself nervously. It was only now that I remembered what Tigeria had said. No one can know that you're here. Had I blown my cover? Where people - Tamers - watching me right now, planning to ambush me and take me captive? If you stay close, nothing will happen. I certainly wasn't close now. Slowly, I crouched down, pressing my palms flat to the cobbled ground. "Stay low, and get back to the door." I repeated my muttered orders over and over as I crawled back the way I'd came.
A few moments later I froze, as the image of Zeltas lying motionless floated back into the forefront of my mind. Where was his ghost now? My head weaved from side to side as I scanned the yard, trying to pick out the gleam of coal-black eyes concealed within the rapidly lengthening shadows. There. A still, black shape lay between me and the door back to safety. It was most definitely a snake. A perfectly alive one.
"Zeltas?" I whispered hoarsely, my voice filled with horror, "I thought you were -" And then I realised how stupid I'd been. When I'd slammed Zeltas into the wall, I'd immediately assumed that he was dead, just because he was so still. A good actor. I had jumped to my own conclusion, instead of waiting to make sure I was correct. I had been tricked, hood-winked, and now I was caught. Because of my stupidity, I was cornered in the very place that Tigeria had warned me not to go, and the only way back was past a unnervingly clever snake, who seemed like he wouldn't rest until he had sunk his fangs into any available part of my body. I slipped back a few feet as Zeltas advanced, his long, thick, black body gliding across the ground while his forked tongue shot out - so quickly that it blurred - to taste the air.
Each time his tongue flicked out, Zeltas closed his eyes for a second - probably so that he could pick out my scent from all the other lingering around us - and I decided that these moments of blindness were my best chances of escape. So, the next time the snake's eyes were shut, I hurtled past him, I sprinted towards the outbuilding, my hands clawing at thin air and my eyes glued to my final destination. The door of the store seemed to be taunting me, floating just out of my reach, even though I was bolting towards it at full throttle, ignoring my muscle's painful protests.
With my heart pounding in my throat, I gave a triumphant smile. I was almost halfway there, and Zeltas hadn't caught up with me yet. Slowing down slightly to give my legs a chance to rest, I stole a glance over my shoulder, and instantly regretted it. I should have kept running. Letting out a ragged breath, I sped up again, but I knew it wasn't worth it. My heart fell with a thud to the bottom of my stomach, filling me with a growing sense of dread. But why was Zeltas targeting me? I didn't understand what the snake had against me, I couldn't see what I'd done to deserve his actions towards me in the first place. It seemed like ever since he had set eyes on me, he had developed the incurable urge to achieve some personal goal that happened to involve me in some way. What it was, I had no idea. The only thing I knew for sure was that it would be incredibly stupid for me to remain here any longer.
It had only taken my mind a couple of seconds to whirl through those disturbing thoughts, but in that time Zeltas had managed to close the distance between us, and I could now hear hiss continual hissing, following my every move. I pushed myself onwards again, and my legs responded sluggishly, as if I was wading through knee high mud. My limbs felt strangely heavy and unresponsive, and when I looked down, it seemed like my legs were unable to support my weight any more - they buckled and shook as I forced them to cooperate. The terror that had been bubbling up in my throat receded, leaving an overwhelming sense of calm in its place. And suddenly, I slowed to a walk, and then a complete standstill. I had no idea why I had just stopped myself from escaping, it just felt like the right thing to do.
That's it, give yourself up to me. A new voice found it's way into my mind, the words flowing through my mind and obliterating any other thought. Powerful, but amazingly beautiful at the same time, the voice was like water, rippling with emotion and leaving me breathless. Who was speaking to me? It was like no voice I had ever heard before. Come now, this is much better. See, look how easy it was. Zeltas' steady hissing never ceased behind me, and after a quick scan of the yard I came to the conclusion that the speaker was in my mind. You catch on quickly, dear child. It is me, Zeltas. I can talk to you like this - through your mind - but not out loud. Creatures do not have the ability to communicate like humans. I staggered away from the snake, but the voice still spoke into my mind, repeating over and over. Zeltas followed me easily, now sliding along at my side. He spoke again, amused now. There's no point in trying to run. You can't. A chuckle reverberated across my head, and I gasped. It hurt. Your legs won't respond to you know, you see? When you scream at them to run, they ignore you. It is only me that they will listen to now.
Frozen to the spot, I finally realised he was right. No matter how hard I tried, my legs would not move. I was forced to stand as if I was paralysed, watching Zeltas as he circled me, unperturbed by my obvious discomfort. Overcome with the sudden desire to move the spotlight onto him, to make him feel like a fish out of water, I spoke up at last. "If you're so human though, why did you hide in Alex's sleeve, like you were her pet?" Instantly I knew I'd come to regret my words. Zeltas swelled with anger, and his hissing faltered for a moment, before taking on a harsh, un-snake like tone. His voice rose in pitch as it echoed inside my skull, causing me to sway, nauseated. It felt as if there was someone hammering at my head, smashing at it with something incredibly hard. Gone was the calm, musical tone, and in its place was a sharp and cold one - which I how I would have expected Zeltas' voice to sound. If I had known that Creatures could speak, of course.
Creatures have no desire to be human, or anything of the sort! We took up the human language because that way we can communicate with our chosen Tamer. I was ordered not to show myself until you were in a vulnerable position. Which, as you can see, you are now in. I stared at Zeltas, my mouth agape. He had made his circle around me tighter, I could feel his scaled body rubbing against my lower legs as he arced around them. But I barely paid any attention to that, I had more prominent thoughts on my mind. "You're Alex's Creature! You shouldn't be able to talk to me, if what you say if true." It couldn't be possible for him to have two Tamers, could it? This was probably just a big mistake.
Idiot girl! How on Earth could I be your Creature? Use your brain! No, I am simply more powerful than most. I was gifted with the power of free-speech. I can communicate with whoever I want.
Not once, throughout all this, did Zeltas' continuous hissing falter. And still my legs refused to obey my repeated instructions. Move. Move. But no, I was completely immobile, and with the snake's heavy body winding around my feet, I doubted I'd be able to move now. Even if I had the choice. "S-So, Alex told you to do this? To chase me out here, and get me alone?" The slight tremor in my voice was the only sign that could betray me: I was stalling for time. If I kept him 'talking', then maybe I could distract him from whatever he wanted to do. Maybe I could gain control of my legs and escape. Or maybe Riley and Tigeria would eventually come outside, and see me stranded here. Alex? Oh, yes. She did. She wishes to know more about your - ahem - skills. Was it just me, or did Zeltas sound as if he was hiding something? No, I was probably just overreacting.
"S-Skills? What skills do I have that she knows about?"
Taming runs in your family, you see. All of you; mother; father; brother. You would all be powerful Tamers. Of course, your brother is dead, and your parents are too old to learn and Tame. So that leaves you. No matter which way you look at it, the outcome will always be the same. Even if you had refused to become a Tamer in the same manner as your brother, you, like him, would still have been brought here. You just made it a lot easier and convenient for us... All. You can't shy away from Taming. It is what you were born to do. It is in your blood, it seems. The last part excited Zeltas, and he coiled himself more tightly around my legs, recieving a half-hearted whimper from me, which he ignored. "B-But, Tigeria and Riley and all the other are better than me, more experienced. Surely Taming must be in their blood too, not just mine."
You answered that yourself, child. They are more experienced. With time, you will grow to be as good as them - maybe even better. As for their blood... Yours links straight back to the first Tamers, through a long line of pure-bred, high quality Tamers.
Zeltas made it sound like Tamers were just a breed of pedigree dog, not human beings. Frowning slightly, I kept silent, waiting for him to continue. The other's blood will have been - ah - polluted by non-Tamers. Which will have weakened the skill that is passed down from parent to child through the generations. I suppose they must have took the more scenic route when selecting a mate. Chose their other half according to looks, rather than skills. It happens quite a lot in the animal kingdom, I'm afraid to say.
My mouth dropped open, but I couldn't find fitting words to convey my feeling at disgust. After all this time... Did my parents even love each other? Or were they just two people who had been pushed together to keep the blood of their children pure. Had they both loved another, but had been forced to drop that life to keep this one alive? Did they even love their children, or were we just a job - a chore - to them? No. My mother was honest, and so was my father. Even if they had kept me in the dark about all this, I didn't think they could pretend to love me. They wouldn't do that. Zeltas must be the liar. My mother and my father had got married because they loved each other, and they had had only not told me about Taming because they wanted to protect me. Especially after what had happened to Scott. They didn't want the same to happen to me.
Oh yes, came Zeltas' snide voice in my head again, now sounding even more excited. There is no doubt that your mother and father wanted to protect you. No doubt at all. But, you see, they have failed. No matter how hard they tried, your parents still couldn't stop both of their children coming here. To Him. You will stay here like your brother did, you will train here like your brother did, and if you are lucky, you won't die protecting Him, as your brother happened to. All contact with your family must be severed*. This is your home now, Tamer 1062. Forget your past, and embrace your new life... And family.
I continued to struggle - with my upper body - against Zeltas as he slid quickly up my body. He had reached my knees by now, and it wouldn't be long before he was curling around my chest. Would he suffocate me right here, in this yard? Would my body be returned to my parents if he did, or would I simply be another Tamer who's body would disappear with no trace? Or would the snake take me captive? As stupid as it sounded, I knew it could be possible. Even if I could move my legs, I would be no match for him. Zeltas was at least the size of a Burmese python, around 15 feet from what I could judge. And he was heavy. The snake seemed to have doubled - tripled - in length since he had flown at me from Alex's sleeve, but could that be possible? He was a Creature, after all. Maybe they could do that. Sucking back the urge to cry, I pushed my mind away from those terrifying thoughts... Towards ones that scared me even more. If he kept me alive, what would he do to me?
My breath came in short, shallow pants as I wondered what to do. Flitting my gaze from the snake to my hands, I slowly balled them into fists, pressing my mouth into a thin line to stop myself from crying out. Raising my fists, I studied my target, who was too engrossed with climbing up my body to notice. I decided that the head would be the best place to begin my attack. If I could stun him, then I could what? Pull myself along the cobbles by my fingers? This wouldn't work, I needed another plan. And fast.
It was Zeltas who unknowingly devised my plan for me. As he advanced even further up my legs, the pressure forced onto them by the sheer weight and strength of him became too much to bear. So, of course, something had to give.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THESE CHAPTERS OKAY? I THINK THEY'RE TOO SHORT ;-; CHAPTER FOUR.
I heard, rather than felt, the bones in my left leg break in the first few seconds. The sinister noise repeated over and over in my mind, as if it was trying its hardest to implant itself in my memory. It didn't have to try hard. Snap. Snap. Snap. A moment's pause followed *just sorting this part out because yeah. You're not missing much, just her reaction*
Zeltas had now wound his way past my hips, and despite the fact that I could hardly see through my tear-filled eyes, I felt the sudden desire to fight back. This snake wasn't a normal animal, it was evil. What animal could speak? What animal hunted a specific human down for no real reason other than to cause them pain? And those were the thoughts spinning across my mind as I brought my upraised fist down in a smooth arc, sending it straight onto the top of Zeltas' head.
As soon as my knuckles collided with the top of his head, I felt my legs twitch suddenly, and after I had overcome the sharp rushes of pain, I realised I could move them again.
PROLOGUE?
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Today's the day. The day I can finally get out of here. I'm sixteen at last. I can follow my dream. "Abi, Abi!" Snapping back to reality, I looked to see who was calling me. My mother, stressed out as usual. "Are you heading off straight away? Couldn't you at least wait for some cake?" She was pleading with me, begging me not to go. She'd been doing it for days, telling me I could do better. I didn't have to work in a Keep. I could be a lawyer, or a doctor. Anything but a Tamer. "Mum, I'm only sorting out a few things. Then I'll be back again. I swear, I'll be back within a few hours, save me some cake!" I stood up, I wanted to get going now. My mother followed suit, reaching forwards to tug at my light brown plaits that hung down on either side of my face. She smiled weakly, I could see her giving up hope. I returned her smile more broadly, leaning forwards to kiss her cheek. Then I pulled away, and this time she let me go, watching me turn away with a wistful expression.
Looking down at my wrist, my heart stuttered as I saw the time. No! I wouldn't let myself be late! Hurrying now, I rushed forwards, pulling on my boyfriend's jacket. As he looked round at me, I stepped closer, motioning towards the door. I had to go now! He gave a short nod and followed after me to the exit, pausing to shout a few goodbyes to my family members. I was already getting in the car, impatient to get moving, my heart fluttering like a caged bird. As Stephan slipped into the driving seat, I looked back, unexpected tears pricking behind my eyes as I saw my mother watching me, her shoulder shaking with silent grief. Gritting my teeth, I waved at her as we drove away. I could understand why she was frightened. The place I was headed to was dangerous, and there was a good chance I wouldn't get out alive.
The Keep. Those two words are enough to send shivers down the toughest man's spine. But some people are different. Like me, they aren't scared, they just feel a pull, an connection to the words. We are the Tamers. The ones who venture inside the portal to work alongside the other humans to look after the Creatures, hoping we will stay alive long enough to get to see our families. Most don't. The Creatures are wild, strong, and untamed. Our job is to make them trust us, so that they can be assigned to one of us - to a Tamer. That Tamer will fight beside the Creature in battle, or whatever it is they do in the Worlds. The humans in the Keep had been the ones to contact me, not the other way round. They had told me that they had seen a large force on the radar, and had tracked it to... Me. It was my chance to shine, and I planned on becoming good at my job, the best they'd ever seen. I needed to make Scott proud.
Scott. My brother's name brought fresh tears to my eyes, and I turned my head to look out the window, pretending to be concentrating on the scenery flashing past. As the tears slipped down my face, I remembered my brother. I had seen him the day he'd been dragged away to war, a war that he would never see the end of, one he would never return from alive.
We sat at the dining table, laughter sounding from either sides as we compared our nights dreams. Scott told me had dreamt of a Beast taking him away, a big, strong Griffin-beast. That made us all hesitate. And then, the sound of the door being broken down, Granny's shrieks reverberating around the room as they tossed her aside, searching for their prey. They saw Scott, and he stood up to meet them, his fists ready for combat. Then, the Dog-beast appeared in the doorway, a huge Creature, it's jaws able to crush a full grown man in a instant. We screamed at them then, but they still took him away. That was the time we saw him alive. They returned the parts of him they found in a box, which we buried under the apple tree in the back yard.
"We'll all miss you, you know." Stephan's voice made me jump, and I returned to looking out the car window, hastily rubbing my eyes dry on my sleeve. I heard him sigh, and then he was holding my hand. "Its not too late to turn back. I'm sure Scott wouldn't want you to do something you don't want to, I'm sure he'd understand if you didn't," I felt my lips curve up into a smile. Stephan always seemed to know what I was thinking, but then again, I didn't exactly keep my thoughts to myself. "This isn't just for Scott, its for me too. I want to go, hell, I'd even go as far as to say I need to go. Please, just understand me and trust me. Just this once."
Stephan had his eyes back on the road, and his hand dropped mine as he reached for the gear-stick. We were slowing down. I raised my eyes, we were here. In front of us was a factory type building, but everyone knew it was the home of a portal, a black hole that transported people back and from Phyxis, another, more brutal world. We had been asked to help by the natives of the planet, and they had sent us magical Creatures to tame and use against the invaders. The number of deaths on our side had reached it's thousands, but still we trudged on, never gaining on the enemy more than a few feet.
Looking over at Stephan, I waited for him to say something. And finally, he did, but his words weren't the ones I wanted to hear. "Well, this is it. We're here." His voice sounded tired, like he'd at last given up hope. I frowned, swallowing back the lump that was rising in my throat. Slowly, I twisted round in my seat so that I could lay my head on his shoulder. I forced my lips to form a half-smile, half-grimace, but it was like I was devoid of any emotion. An empty husk, a shadow of my former self. I knew now that I had unknowingly wreaked my families lives, that they would now be forever terrified that I would be joining Sebastian in the back garden.
Finally, I succumbed to the tears and they slipped down my face, soaking themselves into Stephan's jacket. "I-I'll stay. I w-won't go, I can't d-do it to you a-all..." My words came out like a whisper, my eyes closing as I sacrificed my dream to keep my family sane. But I could feel the slight shake of his head, feel him wrap one arm tightly around my shoulders. "This is what you want to do, so you're doing it. But promise me one thing, --" Stephan stiffened, his body tense. I raised my head quickly, following his gaze over my shoulder. Outside the car window was a girl. A Tamer.
CHAPTER ONE.
For a couple of heartbeats neither of us moved, but then I shrank away from the window, back into Stephan. The girl began to move, nervously, as if she was afraid of being seen by someone - or something. Tapping quietly on the glass with a short nail, the girl motioned for me to wind down the window.
Shivering like an abused puppy, I moved my line of view from her to my boyfriend. He shrugged at me with a quizzical expression, "What's the worst she can do?" I shook my head irritably, resisting the urge to hit him. Tamers were strong individuals, and so were the larger and more powerful Beasts. She could be carrying knives, or worse. The girl might have a tamed Beast, waiting to pounce on us when we let our guard down.
But what other choice did I have? Glaring at Stephan, I slowly inched my hand forwards towards the door handle. Maybe I was over-reacting, but I was scared. Terrified. All the Tamers were supposedly in Phyxis - killing the things that were attempting to tear the other world apart. So why was she here? Had she been left behind? Or maybe she was secretly a spy? Or her Beast has escaped and was about to kill me and Stephan. Was she warning us? Helping us? "Abi, just open the door for Pete's sake.You're being ridiculous. She is a Tamer, just like you. She is a friend, so are you.Just see what she has to say, okay?" Stephan gave me a fatherly look as he leaned past me to release the door lock.
It swung smoothly, swinging open past the Tamer, allowing her to step closer to us. I flinched instinctively before steeling myself. This will be me soon. She probably just greets visitors, or something. I sighed, my eyes scanning her for weapons. Finding none, I instead concentrated on her features. The first thing that captured my attention was her hair. It was the type that every girl dreamed of having; Long; dark red; and plaited in a braid that hung neatly down her back. Her eyes were a mossy green, cool and guarded, eyes that seemed like they had seen things no-one should ever be subjected to. The girl was dressed in typical Tamer clothing. A black tank top, streaked with dirt. Three-quarter length trouser, these were beige and surprisingly clean, considering the things they were worn during. She also had on a pair of combat boots, knotted tightly at the top.
"You're Abi, right?" Her voice sounded just as aloof as her eyes looked, she eyed me up and down before glancing at the building quickly, an emotion flashing across her face as she stared. Fear. Something about this place scared the Tamer. Why? She was a Tamer, this was a portal to the other world. What did it hold that frightened such a girl? "Yeah, I'm Abi... This is my boyfriend Stephan." I gestured to him briefly, not taking my gaze from her emerald eyes. She returned the gaze, nodding swiftly. Then she stepped back smoothly, obviously making sure that our car still shaded her from view of the big, factory-like building. "I thought so. You have to come with me, you're not safe," She hesitated, ducking her head, her gaze burning into my face like a lazer. It felt like I was being strip-searched, she was analysing everything about me: my skills, my weaknesses, my looks, my personality... It was all on show to her. "You can't leave. They'll find you." Her voice was soft, but it carried a harsh edge to it.
I felt Stephan draw back behind me, and he spoke, his voice clipped and tense. "What do you mean? Who will find her?" I swallowed, all earlier fear for the girl had diminished. She was warning me, so she couldn't be bad. Scooting forwards in the car seat, I leant towards her, a small frown creasing my forehead. A shiver ran through her body, and she closed the gap between us again, stooping down so that she was at our level. "The new leaders. We hardly ever see them, but the send out Hunters to find new Tamers. But they train them wrong. Its not right. They're not right. Any Tamer that is trained by them turns out bad. Evil." My eyes widened and my hands shook. Had Scott been taken by a hunter? Had he been trained to be evil? A shuddering breath left my body and I closed by eyes, bowing my head. Somehow I knew it was true. Stephan wrapped his arms round me, he didn't need me to speak, I knew he understood the reason for my pain.
The Tamer looked impatient. "Look, are you going to come or what?" She asked, letting out a heavy sigh. "Because if you don't come, they'll get you. And if I wait much longer, they'll get us both." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, as if this wasn't a matter of good and evil. But I could see that beneath all her bravado, she was frightened. Stephan pushed by shoulder lightly. "Go on, I'll deal with your mother." The words were spoken jokingly, but they still sliced through me like a knife crafted from ice. I twisted my upper-body round to stare at him, horrified, "Will they come for her? For you?" The Tamer's words echoed around my brain, threatening to deafen me. They'll find you. If they couldn't get me, surely they'd go for the next best thing. My closest family and friends. And what then? I hadn't even met these people, and I was already terrified of them. "I'm sure we'll be fine..." Stephan smiled, his tone soothing. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me quickly, "Now go." He moved his hands down to my shoulders, propelling me out the car. "I'll call you!" He mouthed at me over the harsh, ugly sound of the engine. The Tamer pushed the door shut and Stephan stepped on the accelerator, racing towards my mother's house and leaving me to my fate.
"This way!" I turned in time to see the Tamer striding towards one of the outbuildings, moving as quickly as she could without openly running. I hurried after her, my black sneakers slapping against the ground as I charged after her. "Wait up!" I called, wanting to run, but at the same time, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to myself. "Keep your voice down!" The girl hissed, slowing down slightly so that I could catch her up. When I was level with her, she sped up again, this time taking a firm grip on my arm, tugging me along beside her so that she didn't have to stop for me again. "Umm... Whats your name?" I asked, figuring that as she knew mine, I had a right to know hers. "Does it really matter?" She asked, clearly annoyed at my multiple questions. She changed direction quickly, swerving round the side of a small building that looked like an unused store. It was here that she stopped, releasing her grip on my wrist and taking deep breaths of air. Her long plait fell over her shoulder, casting half her face into shadow. For a moment, she looked eerie, haunted even.
"Do you mind?" The girl asked, pursing her lips and raising her head to glare at me, "You're staring at me." She leant back against the wall of the building, her sharp eyes burrowing into my skin. I flinched impulsively, "Sorry..." I muttered, dropping my gaze to the cobbled ground. The girl let out a huff. Out of the corner of my eye, she reached out, her tanned hand creeping along the wall. Her fingers found a brick that looked looser that the others. The Tamer pushed the brick inwards, using the palm of her hand. She then stepped back from the wall, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Tigeria, you're back!" A male voice cut through the silence as a head appeared from around the corner of the building.
The boy's smile dissolved as he saw me, his head cocked to one side, a few stands of white-blonde hair slipping down over one grey eye. He flicked his head irritably, the length of his hair was obviously not to his liking. "Are you new?" He asked, stepping from around the building. I nodded warily, and his face brightened, "I'm Riley, you must be Abi. Tigeria wasn't really that happy when we were told a new Tamer was coming, but she'll probably love you soon, don't worry!" My lips pulled up into a half-smile at Riley's words. But judging by the look on Tigeria's face, she wasn't happy. I watched as she stalked around the side of the building, elbowing the boy neatly in the rips as she stalked past. Riley stumbled and clutched his side, pretending to look hurt, and a moment later I heard a door slam. "I think we should wait for her to calm down before we go inside. I don't think she's that angry, but she might still set Loxy on us!" I froze.
"... Loxy?"
Riley grinned at me, "Tigeria's Creature. Don't worry, she's more likely to hurt me than you. Actually, she probably won't do anything, so relax, will you?" I became mobile again, letting my breath out slowly and nodding my consent. He reached out and ruffled my already rumpled hair fondly, making me jump. I hadn't realised he was so close, he must have used my minor panic attack as an opportunity to advance. "So, do you know much about us Tamers?" Riley changed the subject swiftly, turning the spot-light on me instead. Shaking my head mutely, I took the chance to survey my surroundings. The store we were hidden beside - the 'good' Tamer's base - was shielding us from the main building, protecting us from their view. Whoever 'their' was. The store's door faced towards the road, meaning no other Tamers would be able to see anyone entering or exiting. "You signed up to this when you don't know anything about us?" Riley's voice was disbelieving, incredulous. I shook my head again - I probably looked like a bobble-headed toy - looking at him closely for the first time.
Riley was tall, a full head higher than me. But it wasn't his height that caught my attention. It was his face. He was, to be completely honest, gorgeous. His hair was almost pure white, and as straight as a pin. It was styled perfectly, with a couple of locks hanging down over one of his slate-grey eyes. Riley raised one eyebrow in question, he had evidently felt me staring at him. I blushed, clearing my throat and looking away, "I didn't sign up exactly... Someone rang and said I was strong. They asked me to join." I shrugged, suddenly aware of just how close Riley was to me. And he was getting nearer. Not that it made me uncomfortable. "They... Asked you? They rang you?" Riley had hold of both of my hands, twisting me round so that we were looking at each other. His eyes searched mine, desperate for the truth, hungry even. For whatever reason. "I got a phone call last week. They asked my brother last year, but he said no. So they took him by force instead. I guess I learned from my brother's mistake." Riley gasped, yanking me sharply off my feet and into his arms.
With my face buried into Riley's chest, - and delicious smelling jumper - I could see nothing. But thankfully, my ears were still free, and I could here perfectly; Riley's shoes pounding the cobbled ground; his slight grunt as he elbowed a door open; the sound of a chair being pulled back in surprise; whispering surrounding us; footsteps getting closer. After what seemed like an age of muttering, which I only caught snippets of, "They rang her?" ... "She must be-" ... "Strong!", Riley finally released me and guided me backwards until I felt the back of my knees connect with something wooden. Looking down, I realised it was a small chair and I collapsed onto it gratefully. Then, I levelled my head and glanced around. Tigeria, Riley and a couple more boys and girls were clustered in a loose circle with me in the centre. They were all looking at me strangely, even Tigeria's face held a new grudging respect. "Is there something I should know?" I asked, breaking the silence, feeling awkward.
The pause that followed my words lasted a heartbeat, and then the girl stood next to Tigeria stepped forwards, a smirk playing with the corners of her mouth, "Why don't we start with names?" She looked from Riley to Tigeria, her gaze sliding over the others that were still watching me carefully. Getting no visible response, the girl shrugged, turning her baby-blue eyes back on me. "I'm Alexander. You can call me Alexander."
"In other words, don't bother. Call her Alex like the rest of us do." Riley pushed past Alex/Alexander, earning his a hiss and a dirty look from the bob-cut platinum blonde. Riley seemed oblivious to Alex's glare, instead plucking a chair from beside me, spinning it round and sitting on it backwards in front of me, "So, what d'you want to know?"
"Everything. About the Tamers, about Phyxis, about why I'm special and why someone rang and asked me to come here, and not the other way round." I brushed a stray strand of hair from my brown eyes, waiting for the answer to my multiple questions.
"Okay... Lets start with Phyxis. None of us here have really seen much of it, but I can try and describe it as best I can based on my experience there." Riley sucked in a lungful of air, dropping his head forwards to that his white hair covered his face. Then he began to talk. "I guess Phyxis is a bit like Earth, but everything there is magnified.The plants are beautiful, vibrant colours, lovely smells, but they're huge, about twice the size of me. And that's the smaller ones. But they're... Bad." He gulped, suppressing a shudder that racked his body, "I swear that they have a mind of their own. One minute, you're looking at a harmless flower, the next moment, the petals are attached to your body, trying to pull you off the ground. I've seen them eat Tamers and Creatures alive! They gave me these," Riley moved one hand from his lap to pull up his jumper. His left side shone white in the low light of the store, and I had to squint to make out the shapes. The sight made my eyes widen. Riley's side was decorated by three identical white scars that stretched up and around his body, ending near the bottom of his neck. They looked creepily like giant teeth marks.
Riley tugged his clothing back into place, raising his head to look at us all. Most of the faces staring at him were sympathetic - mine bordering on horror, but Alex's expression was impassive, bored even. It was as if Phyxis and it's killer plants didn't bother her. As if she knew something we didn't. She turned her head to look at me, her eyes innocent. She batted her eyelids, sticking out her bottom lip in a childlike pout.
"But they are harmless compared to the other beings that live on the planet." Riley's words left me dumbfounded, my mouth agape. What could be worse than a man eating plant that had petals which could transform into teeth? Being a Tamer was more life-threatening than I'd first imagined. He continued, his eyes glassy as the memories came flooding back. "I can remember... When I first became a Tamer, about a year ago, they had different rules here. We had a choice on whether to go into Phyxis straight away. If we didn't want to, we could stay behind and help out with the Creatures. I hadn't Tamed Shea then, but I decided to go anyway. I met another new Tamer, - Liam - he didn't have a Creature yet either. So we joined the group that fought on foot. We trained for about a month, and then it was time to leave. We travelled through the portal at night, so I couldn't see much of the journey through space. But I can tell you this: It's a weird experience. So, we arrived at Phyxis under the cover of darkness and headed towards the base. But we didn't even get close to safety. They must have been waiting for us, they ambushed us -" Riley gasped, his eyes bulging with tears and fright. Letting out a slow breath, he tried to speak, but no words could pass through his lips.
Tigeria stepped forwards to place her hand on Riley's shoulder, her green eyes full of unspoken understanding. "I'll try and explain the rest." She kept her hand there, turning her gaze to me. "A tripe of native Taigna attacked the group. Taigna are the savage beings that inhabit Phyxis. The look like humans, with their upright posture, dark brown skin and black hair. But they aren't human. You only have to see a glimpse of their eyes to work that out. Taigna eyes... Are the eyes of reptiles: amber and frightening." Tigeria paused, and I took the chance to look away, my heart fluttering like a caged bird. Sinister creatures that had a human form, but reptilian eyes? Now that I had heard of the things that were hidden inside the portal, I wasn't sure that I wanted to venture into Phyxis at all. But did I have a choice?
A voice broke into my whirling thoughts as Tigeria continued with her explanation, "The Taigna ambushed Riley's party, and they didn't have a chance to defend their selves. They suffered many fatal casualties, including -"
"Liam..." Riley balled his hands into tight fists and pressed them to his face. "I may not have known him for long, but I know that he didn't deserve to be killed. Not by the Taigna. Not by anyone." Hastily he rubbed his eyes, avoiding everyone's down-cast looks of sympathy. "I-I'm sorry," I murmured, touching his hand softly. Riley looked up slowly and our eyes met, both of us caught in the other's gaze. I looked away first, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment as I spotted Tigeria's accusing stare and Alex's mocking wink. It was time for an emergency subject change.
"Tell me more about you - the Tamers." I asked quickly, glancing at anyone but Riley. Thankfully it was Alex who answered me this time. "I don't think there's much to tell you really, I mean, you probably know most of it." She fiddled with a small section of her hair, curling it around her finger as her eyes bored into mine. "I don't know anything..." I told her, lifting one shoulder.
"Seriously? You don't know much, do you?" Alex sighed dramatically, lifting her skinny shoulders and pressing her lips into a tight line. "Well, to be brief, we Tamers are a 'unique' type of the human race, that can speak to and be-friend a certain Creature. Most of us apply for a job here, as we find a kind of calling towards the portal and Creatures, but some others are asked to come here, because they're special," Her lips turned up into a sneer at that, and she raised her head, "We spend a time in the main building, which is were the Keep is situated. In the Keep, hundreds of Creatures spend their time, each of them looking for the right Tamer. If a Tamer that is not their 'chosen one', a fierce battle usually begins, which usually results in the humans death. Beasts are very powerful, you know. But however, if the Tamer is the Beast's 'chosen one', the Beast will live to serve and protect it's human. They become best friends."
A quick movement in the sleeve of Alex's black jumper and I looked towards it, my brow furrowing. Was it just me, or were there a pair of black eyes staring out at me? Before I had the chance to freak out, a small shape shot out from beside Alex's arm, flying through the air towards my face. I took a fleeting glance at Alex as I attempted to manoeuvre my chair speedily out of the flying shape's path, wondering how she was reacting to this burst of action. She was watching me to, her eyes full of contempt. It didn't look like she was particularly bothered that I was about to get knocked out by something that had come out her sleeve. Maybe she had sent it towards my face on purpose. The shape in front of me curved slightly, and I saw that it wasn't a object, it was a living creature. And it had teeth. Only then did I realise I was screaming.
In a sudden movement, Riley's hand slipped in front of my face, blocking the snake from my view. Tigeria was knelt down beside me, holding my arm with a grim expression on her face, "It's okay Abi. Listen to me, and please stop making that sound." Oh. I hadn't realised that I was still making noises. Closing my mouth quickly, I let out a shaky breath. Tigeria squeezed my arm, offering me a tentative smile which I returned immediately.
A curse on my other side caused me to turn my head towards Riley. He was still shielding my face from the snake, but his hand was clenched. As I watched, a tiny drop of scarlet liquid fell towards the ground, glistening in the low light. Alex stepped towards him threateningly, "Stop. You'll hurt him." She lunged forwards, one arm outstretched, her gaze locked on Riley's hand. Snorting, Riley released his hold on the snake, and I watched it's body ebony body curve towards me. Riley withdrew his hand, clutching it to his chest and whispering various swearwords directed towards it.
The snake hit the ground silently, and stayed where it landed, it's body unmoving as if it was frozen in time. Except for it's eyes. Two black orbs studied me coldly, and I felt like I was being sucked into an inescapable void, unable to tear my eyes away. It was Alex that broke into our staring contest as she pulled the snake away, up and into her arms. The action forced the black eyes to stare unnervingly elsewhere. The Tamer slid her hands over the snake's jet black scales and blunt head murmuring repeated apologies. She bent her head down, her blonde hair falling down to cover her face, but I could still see what was happening beneath it. She held her palm out in front of the snake, and I watched as it reared it's head, then plunged back down again, it's teeth sinking into her hand while she watched, her eyes widening slightly.
I recoiled, snapping my head round to look at Riley and Tigeria instead. "A-Are you okay?" I asked, noticing that Riley still had his injured hand crushed against him. He nodded, "I'm fine. And I think we should introduce you to Alex's Creature."
"His name is Zeltas. Avoid him as much as you can, he has a very strong and manipulative personality." Tigeria glanced at Alex and her Creature, who was now entwining his self around his Tamer's wrist. His eyes seemed even brighter that they had been before the bite. A sudden urge to be sick overcame me, and I pressed one hand to my mouth, looking down at my shoes.
"Don't be silly, Tigeria, Riley. Zeltas just has a strong personality," Alex cooed at the snake, running her finger along his scales, "At least me Creature isn't a waste of space, Riley." She giggled and smiled childishly as she spoke, but the actions did nothing to lessen the furious expression that flickered across Riley's face and danced in his eyes like an angry flame. One thing I knew about Tamers was that they were extremely protective of their chosen Creature. I can remember in the last letter that Scott sent me, he wrote about how strong his relationship was with Kite - his Creature - and how annoyed he got if someone mocked him. I swallowed, shaking my head mentally to dispel any lingering thoughts of my dead brother. With Zeltas around, I needed to be focused.
Alex's smile faded and her face paled as we all heard a loud crash above our heads, accompanied by a curse and an inhuman snarl of fury. "Shea, stop!" A thud drowned out the feminine sounding disembodied voice's next words, but as the sound dimmed again, the voice shot up an octave, so that they could be heard over a peculiar grinding sound that made my skin crawl. "Icy, don't just stand there! I might be a Tamer, but I'm not strong enough to hold this down-" Footsteps crossed the floor above us, heading in the general direction of the voice, "Haley, just let them go. You know Alex has it coming." The new voice was quieter and more subdued - but also female.
"It was Alex that said it?" The other girl must have nodded, as the same voice continued, "Oh, I though it was Tigeria... In that case, off you go then Shea!"
"You what?" Tigeria bellowed, jumping to her feet and striding forwards, "Haley, get your ass down here right now!" The first voice - which I now knew belonged to Haley - laughed nervously. A flurry of activity began to descend from a trap-door in the cracked ceiling not far away. I whimpered silently as I watched a huge lizard drop to the ground, and gaze around the room with a hungry expression.
"Shea!" Riley stepped forwards, his arms outstretched towards the lizard. That must mean... the lizard was his Creature! Glancing back at Shea again, I took a better look at her, deciding that if she was Riley's Creature, she probably wouldn't hurt me. Her amber eyes quickly found her Tamer's, and she gave a grunt of pleasure, swinging her large body around and heading in his direction. As she moved, her emerald-green scales shimmered in the dim light, and the crimson feathers that decorated her legs, head and tail quivered slightly. Riley's hand touched her face when she reached him, and Shea bowed her head, leaning into him with a light groan of happiness. "What Alex said isn't true, you hear me?" Riley pressed his face into her neck, stroking along her back as he spoke. His words seemed to remind the giant lizard why she had broken out of the attic, and the Creature swivelled her head silently, pinpointing Alex and Zeltas instantly. The snake had moved himself from his Tamer's wrist, and was now coiled tightly around her right ankle as he stared at Shea with soulless black eyes.
As soon as Zeltas realised that he had the lizard's attention, he uncurled himself from Alex's leg and slithered forwards, closing the distance between them quickly. When he was close enough, he stopped and reared his head, which was now framed by a hood, making him look even more frightening. A couple of years ago I had visited the zoo with Stephan, and one of the first places he had dragged me was the reptile house. From there, I had learnt that cobras raised their hoods either as a defensive feature, or when they were feeling aggressive. And somehow I knew which one Zeltas was feeling. In retaliation, Shea stepped forwards to meet him, snapping her jaws. The crest of feathers on her head raised and she lowered her head to the snake's level, being careful to stay out of his striking range. "Shea..." Riley chided his Creature softly, then shot Alex an accusing glare, "Get him under control! If you didn't give him the chance to provoke her, they wouldn't fight so much!" Obviously this wasn't the first time the two had clashed.
"Make me." Alex's words were filled with venom, and her eyes had become unnaturally large. In front of her, Zeltas swayed as if he was drunk, his tongue darting out and tasting the air around him. And then - for the second time in one day - Zeltas launched himself through the air, aiming for me. Shea lunged after him, her teeth merely grazing his scales as he glided past her, his expression smug. Riley started towards him, but I knew that he still wouldn't be fast enough to stop the snake from latching itself to my face. My eyes darted around the room nervously, searching for an escape route. Nothing. I was sat in a tight corner, so to get away I'd have to squeeze past Zeltas, which would put me at more risk. I was trapped. At this thought, my heart began to bounce around my chest erratically, almost threatening to jump right out of my body.
In an effort to calm myself down, I sorted through my mind for a quick battle plan. You can do it Abi! Snakes are just wriggly things with no arms! Grab them in the right place, and throw them as far as you can. It can't be that hard. You've done it with worms before. Okay, so all I had to do was grab Zeltas, and chuck him as far as I could. Easy, right? Wrong. Where was the right place to hold him without him biting me?
An idea flashed across my vision, screaming advice at me through a fog-horn. Scooting to the edge of my chair, I pulled it in front of me, raising the legs up towards Zeltas to defend myself. Great, now we both had things to stab each other with.
CHAPTER TWO.
I saw Riley's jaw drop as I swung the chair into the air to protect myself, and Tigeria hurried forwards to join him, her hand gripping a chunk of Haley's strawberry blonde hair - who was jogging along after her. I instantly straightened my back, now was my chance to show them both that I could protect myself. They thought I was a wimp - well, I was - but that didn't mean I was a total weakling. Talk about quick judgements. A flash of pink in the corner of my vision caught my interest, and it took me a few quick heartbeats to figure out what it was. When I came to a conclusion, I moved the chair instinctively, the wood smashing into Zeltas' side and sending his somersaulting into the wall before he could skewer me with his fangs. It was open mouth I'd seen - flying towards me with his jaws cranked open as wide as they could go.
Zeltas slid down the wall, his body coiling up in a motionless heap. Oh god, someone call the police. I'd murdered a snake. Dropping the chair, I stumbled backwards, trying to block Alex's hysterical accusations from my ears. "I-I didn't mean to!" I shrieked, taking another faltering step back. Shooting a horrified glance towards Riley and Tigeria, I swallowed back a strangled gasp. They were smiling. Laughing at Zeltas' dead body. Where they lunatics? I'd just killed an 'innocent' reptile, and they were grinning like a kid with an early birthday present. I had to get out of here. This wasn't where I belonged. I wasn't a hardened fighter like Tigeria, or Riley. I'd just killed someone's Creature, and I needed to get out before Alex made me pay.
Feeling extremely light-headed all of a sudden, I stumbled to the door, averting my gaze from Zeltas' body. "Where are you going?" Tigeria overtook me easily, splaying her hand onto the door to stop me leaving. "I need some air." My breath caught in my throat and I tugged at the door handle in vain - Tigeria was a lot stronger than me. She hesitated for a moment and glanced over my shoulder at something, her expression hardening at whatever she saw. Before I had chance to look around and see for my self, she gave in. "Fine. But don't move away from the wall and the shadows. And definitely don't go across the yard. No one else can know you're here." I must have looked worried, because she spoke again, this time more reassuringly, "If you stay close, nothing will happen. Just stay near the door and don't scream."
Don't scream? I wasn't going outside to vent my emotions, I was mourning Zeltas' death. "T-Tell Alex that I'm-" Sorry? Feeling her pain? None of those apologises felt right. What were you supposed to say when you'd just killed someone's Creature? Though one thing was strange: I couldn't hear Alex crying any more. Riley must have taken her somewhere to calm her down. "She doesn't need you to apologise Abi, believe me." Tigeria smiled at me thinly, pivoting away from the door and crossing her arms. Her eyes never left me once as I shot outside.
I leant against the wall, trembling, as I stared out towards the main building. It looked eerie now that it was cast in shadows. Wait, shadows must mean it was late. So what was it? After rooting around in my oversized coat pocket for a moment, I managed to prise my mobile from it's hiding place under my purse and MP3 player. It was half past five, which meant I'd been here for nearly two hours. Autumn always made it seem like it was later than it actually was. Hi, are you OK? How's mum? I texted Stephan just to be sure he was alright, then slipped the mobile back into my pocket and returned my gaze to the building.
It had seemed to be a factory from the yard, but now that I was closer I could see that it was in fact a large house, a manor. Boarded up windows and missing tiles marred the house's beauty, giving it a more dangerous look. From where I was stood, I could see nothing that indicated towards any presence - whether human or Creature - inside the. The rooms that still had windows were dark, and I never once saw anyone enter of leave. I shivered, partly due to this crisp November weather, but mostly due to the strange atmosphere that surrounded the yard. It was silent; as if everyone was waiting with bated breath for something to happen. Something bad.
Hiss. I twirled around, glaring into the darkness behind me with what I hoped was a neutral expression. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pinpoint where the noise was being emitted, so whatever was making the sound had to be moving. Fast. Hiss. This time the sound came from my left, and I turned to face it, pressing back against the wall. It was getting closer! A snake? My imagination must be playing tricks on me. It couldn't be... Hiss. "Zeltas?" I whispered, my lip quivering. But he was dead. His ghost then. He was haunting me because I'm responsible for his death. Hiss. Could ghosts even make noises? Maybe it was another Creature, a snake one, or Riley playing tricks on me. No, not Riley. Alex. She must hate me, and now she's coming to get me. Swallowing, I steadied my voice, "Show yourself. I'm not scared of you." I was though. I was terrified. Hiss. Black eyes, coming towards me...
I ran.
"Abi, don't go far and stay on the garden!" My mother stands framed in the doorway, her cheeks flushed pink in the heat of the kitchen. Her dark hair is pulled back in a bun, but a couple of locks have fallen free and are now curled around her face. I let go of the handlebars briefly to wave, then set off down the garden, my bike trundling over the bumpy ground. I gain speed, getting faster and faster... Too fast? The white picket fence that borders the garden is rushing up to meet me, I brake, and the bike slides to the left, sending clumps of grass in all directions. And I'm flying, crashing into the fence and bouncing away again, landing on my back in a heap. Sh sh sh sh sh. The sound of my bike wheels spinning comforts me and stops me crying out in pain.
Sh sh sh. My arm hurts, and so does my knee. I pat them both gingerly, wincing as pain shoots up my limbs in short, sharp bursts. Sit up Abi, you need to go home. Mummy and Scott will be worried. Very worried. Deciding to obey the voice in my head, I clamber to my feet unsteadily, resting one hand on top of the fence to stop myself feeling dizzy. Sh sh... Hiss? I jump as I feel a hand clasp mine, and another cover my mouth, smothering my scream of shock and terror. Talon-like fingernails dig into my wrists, "I... Have been watching you... For a while..." The voice sounds harsh, cold, and most definitely male. I shoot a fleeting glance to my right at the person restraining me, recoiling instinctively. A hunched, old man with dirty-grey hair is staring back at me, his mouth spread in a wide grin, full of menace. The smell of rotting food creeps from behind his mould-coloured teeth, flattening itself over my face and burning my nose.
My gaze travels up his face as I struggle feebly to free myself from the man's overly tight grasp. "Isn't really the face you'd expect a... Superhero to have... Is it? But... I'm here to save you... And your brother... From evil." I shrink back, tilting my head to continue my visual tour of his face. "Tell Scott... That I called for him..." The man releases my hand at last, stepping away into the empty road beside the garden fence, but not before I saw something that would haunt me forever.
His eyes, black and empty, peering into my soul and staining me with their inky darkness.
I bolt, away from the fence. Retracing my steps up the garden, I leap over my discarded bike clumsily, my hands stretched towards the house as I pelt towards it. "Mummy!"
His eyes, just like Zeltas'.
I THINK THIS IS CHAPTER THREE.
I never told my brother about the man visiting. I barely told my mother anything either - I knew that she'd only freak out and lock us all in the house armed with a rifle. I picked out the less distressing details to tell her: I said that I'd fallen off my bike and that a scary man with strange eyes had tried to talk to me, and that he had grabbed hold of me. She called the police immediately, who arrived soon after to patrol the perimeter of the garden a few times before they announced that the area was empty of men matching my in-depth description. However, Scott and I still weren't allowed outside alone, and a few days later I found out why.
My mother had been de-weeding a flower bed in the lower part of the garden, and she police tape surrounding a spot across the road from our house. After gossiping 'innocently' with the local women, she discovered that an old man - homeless apparently - had been found dead in the alley with multiple puncture wounds to his neck and face. The police classified the attack as a murder that night on the village radio. They reassured everyone that specially trained dogs and men would soon catch the culprit, but this was the last straw for my mother.
She put the house up for sale, packed up our belongings and moved us out as soon as the place was sold. We stayed with her parents until she sound a house as far away from the village as she could.
Now that I thought about it, maybe if I had explained to Scott what the man had done and said, it might have made him rethink his ideas for his later life. Scott had been fourteen then, and although he had been contacted about becoming a Tamer, he had other plans. He desperately wanted to be a travelling photographer, scouring the world for unique and breath-taking snapshot opportunities. He wanted nothing to do with the world of Tamers. So in the end - three years later - the men took him by force. If I had told him what had happened to me, we could have searched for the old man and asked him what he had meant. Maybe I could have saved him. But now I was too late.
My arms flailed like windmills as I tripped over the uneven ground at a galloping run. After I had regained my composure, I looked over my shoulder quickly, expecting to see ghost-Zeltas stalking me for revenge. Nothing was there. The courtyard was empty. I was the only one out here. The random thought scared me and I shivered, hugging myself nervously. It was only now that I remembered what Tigeria had said. No one can know that you're here. Had I blown my cover? Where people - Tamers - watching me right now, planning to ambush me and take me captive? If you stay close, nothing will happen. I certainly wasn't close now. Slowly, I crouched down, pressing my palms flat to the cobbled ground. "Stay low, and get back to the door." I repeated my muttered orders over and over as I crawled back the way I'd came.
A few moments later I froze, as the image of Zeltas lying motionless floated back into the forefront of my mind. Where was his ghost now? My head weaved from side to side as I scanned the yard, trying to pick out the gleam of coal-black eyes concealed within the rapidly lengthening shadows. There. A still, black shape lay between me and the door back to safety. It was most definitely a snake. A perfectly alive one.
"Zeltas?" I whispered hoarsely, my voice filled with horror, "I thought you were -" And then I realised how stupid I'd been. When I'd slammed Zeltas into the wall, I'd immediately assumed that he was dead, just because he was so still. A good actor. I had jumped to my own conclusion, instead of waiting to make sure I was correct. I had been tricked, hood-winked, and now I was caught. Because of my stupidity, I was cornered in the very place that Tigeria had warned me not to go, and the only way back was past a unnervingly clever snake, who seemed like he wouldn't rest until he had sunk his fangs into any available part of my body. I slipped back a few feet as Zeltas advanced, his long, thick, black body gliding across the ground while his forked tongue shot out - so quickly that it blurred - to taste the air.
Each time his tongue flicked out, Zeltas closed his eyes for a second - probably so that he could pick out my scent from all the other lingering around us - and I decided that these moments of blindness were my best chances of escape. So, the next time the snake's eyes were shut, I hurtled past him, I sprinted towards the outbuilding, my hands clawing at thin air and my eyes glued to my final destination. The door of the store seemed to be taunting me, floating just out of my reach, even though I was bolting towards it at full throttle, ignoring my muscle's painful protests.
With my heart pounding in my throat, I gave a triumphant smile. I was almost halfway there, and Zeltas hadn't caught up with me yet. Slowing down slightly to give my legs a chance to rest, I stole a glance over my shoulder, and instantly regretted it. I should have kept running. Letting out a ragged breath, I sped up again, but I knew it wasn't worth it. My heart fell with a thud to the bottom of my stomach, filling me with a growing sense of dread. But why was Zeltas targeting me? I didn't understand what the snake had against me, I couldn't see what I'd done to deserve his actions towards me in the first place. It seemed like ever since he had set eyes on me, he had developed the incurable urge to achieve some personal goal that happened to involve me in some way. What it was, I had no idea. The only thing I knew for sure was that it would be incredibly stupid for me to remain here any longer.
It had only taken my mind a couple of seconds to whirl through those disturbing thoughts, but in that time Zeltas had managed to close the distance between us, and I could now hear hiss continual hissing, following my every move. I pushed myself onwards again, and my legs responded sluggishly, as if I was wading through knee high mud. My limbs felt strangely heavy and unresponsive, and when I looked down, it seemed like my legs were unable to support my weight any more - they buckled and shook as I forced them to cooperate. The terror that had been bubbling up in my throat receded, leaving an overwhelming sense of calm in its place. And suddenly, I slowed to a walk, and then a complete standstill. I had no idea why I had just stopped myself from escaping, it just felt like the right thing to do.
That's it, give yourself up to me. A new voice found it's way into my mind, the words flowing through my mind and obliterating any other thought. Powerful, but amazingly beautiful at the same time, the voice was like water, rippling with emotion and leaving me breathless. Who was speaking to me? It was like no voice I had ever heard before. Come now, this is much better. See, look how easy it was. Zeltas' steady hissing never ceased behind me, and after a quick scan of the yard I came to the conclusion that the speaker was in my mind. You catch on quickly, dear child. It is me, Zeltas. I can talk to you like this - through your mind - but not out loud. Creatures do not have the ability to communicate like humans. I staggered away from the snake, but the voice still spoke into my mind, repeating over and over. Zeltas followed me easily, now sliding along at my side. He spoke again, amused now. There's no point in trying to run. You can't. A chuckle reverberated across my head, and I gasped. It hurt. Your legs won't respond to you know, you see? When you scream at them to run, they ignore you. It is only me that they will listen to now.
Frozen to the spot, I finally realised he was right. No matter how hard I tried, my legs would not move. I was forced to stand as if I was paralysed, watching Zeltas as he circled me, unperturbed by my obvious discomfort. Overcome with the sudden desire to move the spotlight onto him, to make him feel like a fish out of water, I spoke up at last. "If you're so human though, why did you hide in Alex's sleeve, like you were her pet?" Instantly I knew I'd come to regret my words. Zeltas swelled with anger, and his hissing faltered for a moment, before taking on a harsh, un-snake like tone. His voice rose in pitch as it echoed inside my skull, causing me to sway, nauseated. It felt as if there was someone hammering at my head, smashing at it with something incredibly hard. Gone was the calm, musical tone, and in its place was a sharp and cold one - which I how I would have expected Zeltas' voice to sound. If I had known that Creatures could speak, of course.
Creatures have no desire to be human, or anything of the sort! We took up the human language because that way we can communicate with our chosen Tamer. I was ordered not to show myself until you were in a vulnerable position. Which, as you can see, you are now in. I stared at Zeltas, my mouth agape. He had made his circle around me tighter, I could feel his scaled body rubbing against my lower legs as he arced around them. But I barely paid any attention to that, I had more prominent thoughts on my mind. "You're Alex's Creature! You shouldn't be able to talk to me, if what you say if true." It couldn't be possible for him to have two Tamers, could it? This was probably just a big mistake.
Idiot girl! How on Earth could I be your Creature? Use your brain! No, I am simply more powerful than most. I was gifted with the power of free-speech. I can communicate with whoever I want.
Not once, throughout all this, did Zeltas' continuous hissing falter. And still my legs refused to obey my repeated instructions. Move. Move. But no, I was completely immobile, and with the snake's heavy body winding around my feet, I doubted I'd be able to move now. Even if I had the choice. "S-So, Alex told you to do this? To chase me out here, and get me alone?" The slight tremor in my voice was the only sign that could betray me: I was stalling for time. If I kept him 'talking', then maybe I could distract him from whatever he wanted to do. Maybe I could gain control of my legs and escape. Or maybe Riley and Tigeria would eventually come outside, and see me stranded here. Alex? Oh, yes. She did. She wishes to know more about your - ahem - skills. Was it just me, or did Zeltas sound as if he was hiding something? No, I was probably just overreacting.
"S-Skills? What skills do I have that she knows about?"
Taming runs in your family, you see. All of you; mother; father; brother. You would all be powerful Tamers. Of course, your brother is dead, and your parents are too old to learn and Tame. So that leaves you. No matter which way you look at it, the outcome will always be the same. Even if you had refused to become a Tamer in the same manner as your brother, you, like him, would still have been brought here. You just made it a lot easier and convenient for us... All. You can't shy away from Taming. It is what you were born to do. It is in your blood, it seems. The last part excited Zeltas, and he coiled himself more tightly around my legs, recieving a half-hearted whimper from me, which he ignored. "B-But, Tigeria and Riley and all the other are better than me, more experienced. Surely Taming must be in their blood too, not just mine."
You answered that yourself, child. They are more experienced. With time, you will grow to be as good as them - maybe even better. As for their blood... Yours links straight back to the first Tamers, through a long line of pure-bred, high quality Tamers.
Zeltas made it sound like Tamers were just a breed of pedigree dog, not human beings. Frowning slightly, I kept silent, waiting for him to continue. The other's blood will have been - ah - polluted by non-Tamers. Which will have weakened the skill that is passed down from parent to child through the generations. I suppose they must have took the more scenic route when selecting a mate. Chose their other half according to looks, rather than skills. It happens quite a lot in the animal kingdom, I'm afraid to say.
My mouth dropped open, but I couldn't find fitting words to convey my feeling at disgust. After all this time... Did my parents even love each other? Or were they just two people who had been pushed together to keep the blood of their children pure. Had they both loved another, but had been forced to drop that life to keep this one alive? Did they even love their children, or were we just a job - a chore - to them? No. My mother was honest, and so was my father. Even if they had kept me in the dark about all this, I didn't think they could pretend to love me. They wouldn't do that. Zeltas must be the liar. My mother and my father had got married because they loved each other, and they had had only not told me about Taming because they wanted to protect me. Especially after what had happened to Scott. They didn't want the same to happen to me.
Oh yes, came Zeltas' snide voice in my head again, now sounding even more excited. There is no doubt that your mother and father wanted to protect you. No doubt at all. But, you see, they have failed. No matter how hard they tried, your parents still couldn't stop both of their children coming here. To Him. You will stay here like your brother did, you will train here like your brother did, and if you are lucky, you won't die protecting Him, as your brother happened to. All contact with your family must be severed*. This is your home now, Tamer 1062. Forget your past, and embrace your new life... And family.
I continued to struggle - with my upper body - against Zeltas as he slid quickly up my body. He had reached my knees by now, and it wouldn't be long before he was curling around my chest. Would he suffocate me right here, in this yard? Would my body be returned to my parents if he did, or would I simply be another Tamer who's body would disappear with no trace? Or would the snake take me captive? As stupid as it sounded, I knew it could be possible. Even if I could move my legs, I would be no match for him. Zeltas was at least the size of a Burmese python, around 15 feet from what I could judge. And he was heavy. The snake seemed to have doubled - tripled - in length since he had flown at me from Alex's sleeve, but could that be possible? He was a Creature, after all. Maybe they could do that. Sucking back the urge to cry, I pushed my mind away from those terrifying thoughts... Towards ones that scared me even more. If he kept me alive, what would he do to me?
My breath came in short, shallow pants as I wondered what to do. Flitting my gaze from the snake to my hands, I slowly balled them into fists, pressing my mouth into a thin line to stop myself from crying out. Raising my fists, I studied my target, who was too engrossed with climbing up my body to notice. I decided that the head would be the best place to begin my attack. If I could stun him, then I could what? Pull myself along the cobbles by my fingers? This wouldn't work, I needed another plan. And fast.
It was Zeltas who unknowingly devised my plan for me. As he advanced even further up my legs, the pressure forced onto them by the sheer weight and strength of him became too much to bear. So, of course, something had to give.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THESE CHAPTERS OKAY? I THINK THEY'RE TOO SHORT ;-; CHAPTER FOUR.
I heard, rather than felt, the bones in my left leg break in the first few seconds. The sinister noise repeated over and over in my mind, as if it was trying its hardest to implant itself in my memory. It didn't have to try hard. Snap. Snap. Snap. A moment's pause followed *just sorting this part out because yeah. You're not missing much, just her reaction*
Zeltas had now wound his way past my hips, and despite the fact that I could hardly see through my tear-filled eyes, I felt the sudden desire to fight back. This snake wasn't a normal animal, it was evil. What animal could speak? What animal hunted a specific human down for no real reason other than to cause them pain? And those were the thoughts spinning across my mind as I brought my upraised fist down in a smooth arc, sending it straight onto the top of Zeltas' head.
As soon as my knuckles collided with the top of his head, I felt my legs twitch suddenly, and after I had overcome the sharp rushes of pain, I realised I could move them again.
