Page 10 of Wicked Magik

My heavy hooves ran closer to the portal. It was far, but I was quick and there was nothing that would get in the way of pleasing my Lord.

I would rip into any fae, troll, or goblin that stood in my way. Not that any would, because I was the fiercest beast. I washis monster.

My scaled tail lashed from side to side, slicing through tangled branches and creeping vines that drooped overhead. The vibrant mushrooms were crushed underfoot, their caps bursting with a soft squelch, while the thick carpet of moss yielded silently. Glowing orbs nestled among the rocks scattered like spilled marbles as my feet pounded the forest floor.

My claws dug into the rough bark of the towering trees, leaving jagged grooves behind as a warning. Each stroke echoed my presence, a clear signal for all who might wander too close to this portal.

It was… forbidden.

The portal was only accessible during a full moon. My Lord said I must make sure they did not use the Magik again.

I must punish. Destroy.

I stopped, my two hearts beating wildly in my torso.

Another golden leaf sparkled into my vision, it sailed through my eye hole and out the other.

I took in a deep breath and that was when I smelled it. There was a deep heavy scent of jasmine and honeysuckle. I have smelled nothing like it in… decades.

I lifted my snout and hunted for the smell. I must have it, I must take it. Was it food? Was it a scent in a piece of fabric? What was it?

I scrambled on all fours, driven by an insatiable need to uncover the source, my entire body quivering with a feverish anticipation. Every nerve was on fire, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the scent that saturated the air.

My tongue snuck out of my mouth, the receptors from my snake’s tongue took in more of the scent.

My mouth watered.

More. More. More.

I groaned when I felt an unfamiliar stirring within my clothing, but the sounds of nearby chanting made my ears stand up at attention. Those sounds, the chanting, the words that my Lord has used in similar spells.

It was the hu-mans.

The ones using magik in all the wrong ways.

A low growl rumbled from my throat as I felt the fiery tide of anger surging within me. It was a potent fury, carefully instilled by my Lord, a seething force that coursed through my veins. I could sense it, a tangible presence that he had bestowed upon me. This was his gift, a burning wrath meant to consume thosewho dared to defy him. The perpetrators must face their fate; my Lord desires nothing less than their demise.

Judgement. Execution.

Hu-mans do not enter here.

They do not summon from the Under Shadows.

Then the sweet, intoxicating scent hits me again. My body relaxed. My anger drifted away and my urge to devour the taste grew. What is it? Where is it coming from?

I rolled onto my back.

It was like rolling in a meadow of flowers. Cocooning me in the warmth of light I have not felt in many moons. Heat filled my body, and I relaxed on the forest surface.

Instead of the fog that covers the forest floor, I imagined the scent enveloping my body.

I want more.

Then the ancient words filtered into my ears once again. The chanting, the wind, it all picked up again. My vision turned red. My anger rose.

I could sense my Lord's anger intensifying, and the familiar scent that once overwhelmed me now began to dissipate. I found myself torn between relief and longing, unsure whether to embrace the change or mourn its loss.

My anger renewed, I snarled and flipped onto all fours. My tongue swiped across my snout, my hot breath left the hairless holes of my petrified snout, and I darted into the forest once again in flight.