Page 11 of Chains of Nightshade

11

AUREL

I cradle Vera in my arms as we rush through the dark corridors, my serpentine body propelling us forward with fluid grace. The scent of fresh blood lingers on her—dark elf blood. My gaze flicks to her face, studying the crimson spatters across her pale skin and the wild gleam in her eyes.

Who would have thought this frail human harbored such darkness within? The way she stabbed that dark elf... There was no hesitation, no mercy. Just pure, unbridled rage finally breaking free after years of oppression.

"That was... impressive back there," I murmur, feeling her small form tremble against my chest. Not from fear, I realize, but from excitement. The magic radiating from her pulses stronger now, like a heartbeat finding its rhythm.

She looks up at me, blood still dripping from her chin. "I felt... powerful."

"You did well." My lips curl into a satisfied smile. Perhaps I've underestimated her potential. This broken slave has teeth after all. "How does it feel, finally striking back?"

"Good." Her voice comes out barely above a whisper, but there's an edge to it I've never heard before. "Really good."

I tighten my grip on her as we navigate another turn. The violence I witnessed has changed my perception of her. She's not just some weak pawn to be manipulated—there's something more primal, more dangerous lurking beneath that fragile exterior.

The elves ready their weapons. Steel brandishes against steel, echoing through the din of the corridors. Vera hangs limp in my arms, but we push on.

Power surges through my body, raw and untamed after decades of suppression. The familiar hum of magic tingles beneath my skin as I cradle Vera against my chest. Her blood seeps into my clothes, warm and sticky.

"Hold tight," I tell her, my tail whipping out to slam a dark elf into the wall. The satisfying crunch of bones brings a smile to my lips.

More guards pour in from the corridors, their weapons raised. The air crackles with defensive spells, but they're nothing compared to my unleashed might. I bare my fangs, feeling truly alive for the first time in centuries.

"You dare cage me?" My voice booms through the halls as I send a wave of destructive magic through the corridor. The stone walls crack and splinter. "I am Aurel, and I will not be contained!"

Vera whimpers in my arms, her fingers clutching weakly at my chest. The sound stirs something protective inside me, something I quickly push aside. She's served her purpose. That's all.

"Behind you!" she warns, her voice barely a whisper.

I spin, my tail catching another guard across the throat. Blood sprays across the walls. The scent of it fills my nostrils, awakening ancient hungers.

With a roar, I surge forward, my serpentine body crushing everything in its path. The front doors loom ahead, sealed with magic far weaker than my own. I gather my power, feeling it build like a storm.

"Watch," I tell Vera, though I'm not sure why I care to impress her. The doors explode outward in a shower of splinters and metal, my magic tearing through their wards like paper.

Fresh air hits my face for the first time in decades. The night sky stretches above us, endless and free. My body tingles with renewed strength as I rise to my full height, my scales gleaming in the moonlight.

More guards approach, but they hesitate now. They see what I truly am - not a prisoner, but a god among insects.

I blast another wave of magic at the pursuing guards, their bodies crumpling like paper dolls against my power. The forest looms ahead, dark and promising. Perfect for losing any survivors foolish enough to follow.

My tail propels us forward as I cradle Vera's small form against my chest. Her breathing comes in short, irregular gasps, and her skin has taken on an alarming pallor. The arrow wound in her side still bleeds, staining my scales crimson.

"Stay with me," I mutter, though I'm not sure why I care. She's served her purpose – I'm free. That was the plan all along. Nothing more.

Yet when her fingers weakly clutch at my chest, something unfamiliar twists inside me. Her face, still spattered with dark elf blood from her kill, looks younger in unconsciousness. More vulnerable.

"I should have left her," I whisper to myself, slithering deeper into the shadows of ancient trees. The words taste wrong on my tongue, hollow and false. My arms tighten around her instinctively as she shivers.

"Cold," she mumbles, her head lolling against my shoulder.

I pause, looking down at her face, all angles and shadows. This fragile human who dared to free me, who showed such unexpected savagery when cornered. Who now bleeds because of my plans.

But as her breathing grows more labored, I find myself moving faster through the undergrowth, my heart racing with something that feels dangerously close to fear.

I glance over my shoulder, my jaw clenching at the sound of voices echoing through the dense forest. The dark elves' footsteps crunch through the underbrush, drawing closer with each passing moment.

"They're persistent," I mutter, my tail propelling us forward through the shadows. These bastards never knew when to quit. Even after all these years, they still think they can control me.

A weak stirring in my arms draws my attention. Vera's eyes flutter open, glazed with pain. Blood trickles from the corner of her mouth, and her skin has taken on an alarming grayish tinge.

"Aurel..." Her voice comes out as barely a whisper. "I'm sorry..."

Something twists in my chest at the sound of her voice. Why is she apologizing? She freed me. She killed for me. She's bleeding because of me.

I look down at her, and despite my best efforts to maintain my detachment, my expression softens. "Don't speak. Save your strength."

Her fingers clutch weakly at my chest, leaving bloody prints on my skin. The arrow wound in her side hasn't stopped bleeding. If anything, the flow seems to have increased with our frantic escape.

Another shout rings out behind us, closer this time. Much closer. I tighten my grip on Vera and pick up speed, my serpentine body weaving between the ancient trees. Her head lolls against my shoulder, and I feel her breath coming in short, irregular gasps.

The voices draw nearer. "This way! I see movement!"

Vera's eyes close again, her hand falling limply to her side. I shake her gently. "Stay with me. Don't you dare die now."

Her fingers brush against my chest, leaving trails of warmth that burn through my cold-blooded flesh. "You... didn't have to save me..."

My jaw clenches. The sound of pursuit grows closer, boots crunching through dead leaves and broken branches. We're leaving an obvious trail - her blood marks our path like a beacon.

"Quiet."

My tail propels us forward, but her dead weight slows me down. Each movement sends fresh blood trickling down my scales. The dark elves' voices echo through the trees, drawing nearer with every passing second.

I could drop her. Leave her for the dark elves while I make my escape. She's served her purpose - I'm free. What more do I need from this broken human?

Her head lolls against my shoulder, breath coming in shallow gasps. The scent of her blood fills my nostrils, mixed with the lingering traces of dark elf blood still spattered across her face. Such a strange contradiction - this fragile creature who killed without hesitation to free me.

"Stay awake," I growl, though I'm not sure why I care. My mind races through possibilities, calculating odds of survival. With her, my chances drop significantly. Without her...

She whimpers softly, fingers clutching weakly at my chest. "Just... leave me. You can... move faster..."

Something twists in my chest at her words. After everything, she's still trying to help me escape. Foolish human.

The sounds of pursuit grow louder. I could drop her. I should drop her. Every logical part of my mind screams at me to abandon this burden and save myself.

Instead, my arms tighten around her small form as I weave through the ancient trees, my tail leaving deep grooves in the earth.

I grit my teeth as another wave of dark elf voices echoes through the forest. My tail leaves deep grooves in the earth as I slither between ancient trees, Vera's blood marking our trail like breadcrumbs.

The logical choice is clear - drop her and save myself. She's dead weight now, slowing me down with every labored breath. I've gotten what I wanted. Freedom. Power. Revenge.

But every time I consider letting her fall, my mind floods with images of her lying in the dirt, bleeding out alone. Her pale face spattered with dark elf blood, evidence of what she was willing to do for me. The way she didn't hesitate to kill for our escape.

"Damn it," I hiss, adjusting my grip as she shivers against my chest. "Why do I care?"

Her fingers weakly clutch at my skin, leaving bloody prints that burn like brands. This foreign emotion churning in my gut - I can't control it, can't suppress it, can't reason it away. It's maddening.

The sound of pursuit grows louder – boots crunching through dead leaves, voices calling out commands. They're organizing a strategic search pattern. Smart bastards.

My tail whips out, shoving aside a fallen log. The movement draws a whimper from Vera, and something twists in my chest. Damn these foreign emotions. I should drop her. Every logical part of my mind screams at me to abandon this burden.

"Please," she mumbles, fingers weakly clutching at my chest. "You can move faster without?—"

"I said shut up." I curl my body around a massive tree trunk, using it as cover while I listen to the approaching footsteps. "I'm not leaving you here."

The words surprise me as much as they seem to surprise her. Her eyes flutter open, clouded with pain but questioning. I look away, unable to meet her gaze.

"Why?" Her voice is barely a whisper now.

I don't answer. I can't answer. Because I don't understand it myself. Instead, I tighten my grip and push forward, deeper into the shadows of the ancient forest. The dark elves' voices echo behind us, but I won't stop. Not now. Not when freedom is so close – and not when the thought of abandoning her feels like poison in my veins.