The Fourteen

Chapter 11: Confined

I was in a forest. Towering gray trunks stretched as high as my eyes could see. Their shadowed canopy only allowed small patches of sun to fall onto my lower back. In the distance, I could hear the sounds of the hunt. The voices carried far from their source to where I lay: rough commands from the leader, and the muffled cries of the hunters.

A small part of me, the dormant wolf within, froze at the sound. Sometimes, hunters could turn into the hunted.

One shrill scream from their prey foretold a successful hunt. The noise pounded into my ears, splitting my head in two. That was no sound I had ever heard from game before. It sounded human.

Rapidly, I blinked, sharpening my senses from their blunt sleep. I sat up. Clear headed, I took in my surroundings.

First, I was still in my school uniform.

Second, I wasn't in a forest.

Deep concrete made the floor beneath extremely uncomfortable. Trees metamorphosed into sturdy iron bars. A barred window let some stray light into my enclosure. There was a plain four-poster bed, a small desk with some crossword books, and a sink.

But my sense safety was short lived. The hunters, they were real. A group of them surrounded one of the occupied cages; a poor girl's screams chilled my bones.

Their leader locked eyes with me. I recognized him as the one who had tranquilized me. He tramped over. "Well, look who decided to wake up."

I whirled on him. "Where is she? Oh by Lady Luna above if you lay one hand on her, I will slice you to bits! Listen BUDDY!" I tapped his chest through the gaps in the bars, "Do you know who I am? Do you know what I am capable of? I have killed innocent men without an ounce of remorse! Do not think, especially after our capture, that you are undeserving of such an end!"

He laughed, extending his arms tauntingly. "I don't think you're in any position to make a threat like that, Princess. But go ahead. Try."

Angered, I casted a suffocation spell. "Kὁvo!"

Instantly, the hunter buckled as his airways were cut off. With a tightened hold, I squeezed some more precious oxygen from his lungs. The other guards began to take notice, and yelled for my sedation.

Forced between keeping consciousness and not, I let him go with a flick of my hand. Purple faced, the bounty hunter collapsed, heaving huge breaths of air.

Eyes blazing, I spoke. "My threat still stands."

I turned on my heel and walked over to my bed. Plopping down on it, I couldn't stop the smirk on my face as I observed the scene. I crossed my legs and shook with silent laughter. Many of the guards were flustered, debating whether to anesthetize me or help out their leader. I tipped my head in challenge. Would they even dare come close?

Once recovered, the hunter ordered his men, "Don't put her under. That's what she wants, for us to be scared of her; Northerners feed off fear. I'll watch her. Back to your posts! Everyone!" To me, he sneered, "Try that again missy and you will regret it."

I gave one last smirk before standing, and scanning the other cages. To my surprise, all of them were full. One long hallway of barred enclosures was all I could see. Every two cages, a guard stood alert. From what I could tell, there were about a score of armed men here. Escape was not an option.

Frustrated, I slammed a punch into one of the barred walls of my cage. A panicked squeal from the other side brought my attention to my neighbour.

"What was that for?" She accused, startled by my sudden act of violence.

I took a moment to get a good look at her. Her hair was auburn, with bold, blonde highlights. A splash of freckles dotted her cheeks; but otherwise, her face was flawless. There was a big frown on her heart-shaped face as she looked at me. Though her clothes were dusty and her hair was frayed, I could see in her almond eyes that she was a society girl.