Pain Hidden Inside

'How many are here?' Zani asked via mind, moving through the empty place. A man was watching the building but he never saw them come in through a window. There were papers everywhere and the rooms didn't look all that used but for sleeping. It was empty at the moment, the humans were out on some mission. They decided to see what these humans hunting them were up to and look around their base.

"Good question. Should we burn it down?"

'I think we should wait until they are inside. Then burn it down.'

"Good thinking," Xerxes said with a smile. These humans had gone out to try and capture a few werewolves. He'd wait and see if they actually did. Though he was moving around the area now managing a few here and there like those in this city now.

"They are rather informed are they not? They know plenty about the different kinds." Xerxes said. "Humans such as these are dangerous to our kind."

'We should find out where they are hiding the other nonhumans, and set them free. That group would be very willing to go after the humans.'

"Assuming they are the rational kind, not just animals." Xerxes moved through the house and looked at the small rooms that were used for sleeping. In all, he counted perhaps twelve different human scents in the building and the odd woman's. He paused in the doorway of her room just taking in the scent for a moment. It just really stuck with him. Why?

"What do you think she is?" He asked Zani who was perched on his shoulder. Xerxes' ribs were still sore, but that was starting to fade now too.

'Not sure, I've never smelled one like her before. But it feels familiar like we should know it.'

"Exactly. Either way, we have things to do. To make sure that we can get a foothold in the human world. We will go east, toward a large city there. Plenty for you to eat because I can't take your hunger pains anymore."

'I've been watching you over the past few days. I didn't have time to properly eat.' Xerxes had the layout of the building and knew what the enemy did now. They were watching his mountain but didn't have the means at the moment to get up there. Even if they did, he'd kill them.

'Let us go.' Zani said excitedly and he was the one that wanted to fly this time, so Xerxes let him. He crouched low over Zani's shoulder and held one of the spikes that protruded from his back as he took off. Riding a dragon was not the same as in movies. Xerxes had to stand or crouch most of the time because Zani shifted his weight a lot and the muscles in his back constantly moved with his enormous wings.

He was so used to it now though, he didn't even notice discomfort as he knew how to move with him. It took them a few hour's flight before the huge city spread out far below them. They could see the haze that was over it. The cement and metal that scared the land. From up here they would look nothing more than a bird this high up.

'Plenty here.' Zani said.

'Yes. Ready?' Xerxes said and moved simply taking a sideways jump and he plummeted toward the ground. He felt Zani's snout and wing touch him, and then he was part of his body. Xerxes aimed toward a bit of a wooded area and spread his wings wide so he wouldn't impact the ground at his current speed.

He'd hit the ground before, it was extremely painful. He'd shattered a lot of bones in his body. He was surprised by the things he could live through sometimes. Zani had never plowed into the ground like Xerxes had, but he'd hit the ground and broken wings before. Learning to fly wasn't such an easy thing, luckily the two of them had years behind them now.

He landed with a soft touch of feet to the ground and with a thought his wings were no more. He moved to the path that was there and moved toward the town. He'd purposely picked a part of it that was in sad need of thinning out. What better place to feed than the worst of human society? No one would miss them.

It was growing darker and that was the best time to hunt, humans were always blind at night. They moved through the streets and alleyways before Zani found a group that he wanted and went after. Xerxes didn't need much so this was really more for Zani than him.

Xerxes stood at the corner of a building watching the dark-haired people move about the street. He watched a couple that were fighting in an upper window. He saw the man strike the woman and he just narrowed his eyes.

Zani's weight was suddenly on his shoulder and he looked to where Xerxes was watching. They stood there in silence for a minute just listening and watching. The man shouted at the woman. Hit her across the face again and then grabbed her by her throat. Xerxes didn't get humans, what would they do if they learned that they could never have a mate?

He was disgusted by their casual misuse of each other and turned away. Zani's claws dug into his shoulder.

'Wait, I want to wait for this man to come out.' Zani said with a dark tone in his mind.

'Why what does it matter? You've had your fill.'

'Because he has what I can't have. I want to kill him.' Xerxes was surprised at the sudden venom in Zani's voice. He never made human quarrels bother him before. Wasn't one to normally act out on some petty emotion.

'If it is starting to bother you, staying where we are, seeing…' He was going to mention the egg but stopped at Zani's tone.

'No! I want to stay here.' He said his narrowed snout staring up at the window. They could hear the woman weeping. 'Why are they so cruel?' Zani asked looking up at the sky, meaning the makers of this world. 'They give humans numbers and the ability to take whatever mate they want. To come up with a way to destroy others like us, and I can't even have what I want. Just one thing.'

'I can't answer that.' Xerxes said honestly looking up at the window. 'But you… you know dwelling on it will only make it worse.'

'Right now it will make me feel better to kill this human who can have what I can't. Who misuses his mate when I would never know mine.'

It wasn't that Zani cared about the woman that was being beaten. Honestly, he didn't understand why she stayed. There were many more humans to pick from, but he admired her loyalty if that was what you called it. It was what the man stood for, the fact that he squandered something that others would never get.

Xerxes just stood there waiting and after a short bit of time, the man came out and walked down the street. He looked rather short-tempered and had a high image of himself. Zani jumped down and moved through the street over to the man's side of the street.

There were a few people that looked at Zani and then at Xerxes. Thinking that he should have better control of his exotic pet. How wrong they were, but it didn't matter to him. No, he just moved down the street and Zani was very absorbed in following this man. As if by killing him he could punish the fates for the hand that they were dealt.

The man stopped and briefly talked with a few others laughing like everything was alright in the world and then moved off again. Zani followed him and Xerxes just tagged along. He looked at the place as he did taking notes on it. Soon he would come to this city and start to work on it like he had others.

Their quarry took a turn down a deserted street and he was close to the park that they had landed in. Unfortunate for the man, lucky for them. Zani moved with an explosion of power and his size grew. He jumped and took flight grabbing the man by the shoulders.

He let out a shout of surprise and pain and started to fight. Xerxes just kind of stood there as Zani literally tossed the man into the wooded area with plenty of venom.

'Zani, I think you have a lot of pent-up issues.' Trying to lighten his mood.

'Exactly and this will feel very good.' He dove into the trees and Xerxes made sure that no one saw and ran across the street there. He came in and the man was scampering back as Zani dropped him from carrying him. His left arm hung rather useless which told them that it was either dislocated or broken.

"What the fuck is that? Hey, hey mister help me." The man said catching sight of Xerxes.

"Sorry, he's decided he doesn't like you," Xerxes said leaning against a tree and the man looked at him like he was nuts. He turned to run but Zani swept his tail out and hit the man in the side. He slammed into a tree and fell to the ground with a sound of pain. He stood wheezing and a bit of blood was coming from his nose. Zani's blue eyes were deep in color and burned, looking like twin sapphire set ablaze. Zani was still a smaller size at the moment.

"Look I don't know what I did, but please call your pet off. I have money I can give you." Zani lashed out, claws racking the man's face and side. Blood poured and he tried to hold the wounded flesh.

"He's not my pet. What makes you so important that you should be allowed to live?"

'What makes you important enough to get what we can't?'

"I, don't understand." The man said through the pain he was feeling. This man seriously had no idea what was standing with him.

"We saw you beating your wife. Did you know dragons only get one mate?" Xerxes stated. The man might not know why this was happening but Xerxes obviously did. Zani was upset and found something to take it out on.

"No, no I didn't. Please don't kill me." He said, and his entire right side was soaking with blood. He was still moving backward. In a state of shock and wanting to survive.

'Why not? You're kind killed us?' The man was horrified at what was happening. He turned to take off running but Zani grew a bit bigger and grabbed the man again taking off into the sky and darting fast toward the mountains in the distance.

'Zani! We can't afford to be spotted.' Xerxes said to him and took off himself. at least they were moving faster than humanly possible. The man was screaming but they both ignored it.

'Who cares.' Zani said and Xerxes felt the hurt coming from him. He didn't know why it was so strong in him at the moment. 'They should fear us, we should not have to hide.'

'You aren't thinking straight. What has gotten into you?'

'I don't know! I just can't Xerxes. I'm sick of looking at these humans.' He said and rose high up with the man still clutched in his claws. Zani did not share that what Xerxes felt the other day when that woman touched him had reminded him of all of this. Of the desire to know his mate that he kept buried deep.

'Enjoy your last few seconds of life human.' Zani said and let go of him, he plummeted toward the ground far below and Xerxes had never seen Zani so cold in his life. Something was wrong with him. Yeah, they might not care for humans, but the coldness in his voice was something else.

'Zani talk to me, what is wrong?' Whatever it was, it was strong and affecting him as well. He could feel their soul starting to weep. Zani ignored him and took off toward the mountain and was back to their cave first, he landed, changed shape, and darted in and down to their chamber.

Xerxes didn't know how to take this sudden mood swing, Zani wasn't like that, even when they'd been younger. Xerxes had been the moody one, not Zani. He was worried, an upset dragon was an uncontrollable one.

'Zani?' Xerxes asked coming into the chamber, pulling his wings close and moving toward where there was a soft glow. He found Zani curled up on the bed. His body wrapped around the egg that was there and his head turned away from Xerxes. He just stood there for a moment.

"Zani, I know it hurts you. Why do you hide it from me? We should stay somewhere else."

'No, I can't anymore. It grows every day. I feel like she's dying inside. Xerxes had at times felt another presence in the cave, but he'd never touched the egg. It was Zani's not his and he would never pass such a boundary unless Zani wished him to.

'If she turns to stone…'

"She hasn't yet, perhaps Demetri can tell us something."

'Tell us what? What we don't already know? That no one can be her chi and make her hatch?' Zani looked away from him upset.

"We've never tried anyone. There are different beings, or perhaps that woman. She has an odd touch, perhaps it could do something for her."

Zani was quiet for a moment, Xerxes didn't know what to do for his friend and brother. It was hard to see and inside Xerxes felt that same hole growing. Unlike Zani however, he didn't have his mate sitting in front of him, so close but so far away.

'Her touch would make it worse. False hope is worse than no hope. I just need a bit of time to collect myself is all. Xerxes gave a nod and moved to leave the cave area. He also dimmed the connection between them to give Zani more privacy. Right at this moment Xerxes realized how little they were holding on by and it hurt.

'Sorry'. Zani said knowing that his rejection of Xerxes' help was painful in a different way.

'We all need space sometimes. I understand.' Xerxes said and moved to leave the cave. He stood out on the outcropping and stared down into the valley where he knew the humans would be watching. He was a smaller form and unless they were watching this exact spot they would not see him. So he took off circling in a different direction. He felt a bit of anger now, and old wounds acted up again. Perhaps he should deal with these humans. This time it was Xerxes that wished to make something pay.