7 Chapter 7- BLOOD AND HOWLS

"Mother. What is going on? Where did those people take brother to?" The sound of rattling chains softly rang as a little girl shook her mother's arm, requesting for her brother. This was the third time she'd ask her mother the same question but all she got was an unresponsive woman who kept staring into space.

They had been traveling in silence. Yes, silence because they had to maintain it or forget about fleeing undiscovered by those monsters.

But unfortunately, they didn't know the witches escorting them were the real monsters with them, disguised as allies.

The little girl had watched as the grown ones amongst them had tried shape shifting into their dragon forms in vain after they had all tried running away from the witches who had suddenly turned against them. She had seen the witches laugh before seizing them all as more of them started coming out from nowhere, forcing them to kneel. Those who had tried fighting back fell to the floor, lifeless, and were dragged away by the witches. "You still don't understand?" One of them had said, smiling creepily. "You all are defenceless now. You all have fallen to us! The great dragon race, will no longer exist. Instead, we witches will rule! We will dominate this world and every other race who hears of this great feat of ours will bow to us!" The witch finished satisfactorily.

"No. You're wrong. Every other races will learn of this and hunt you down. Then just as you plan to do with us, they'll exterminate your treacherous race." A young boy spoke up in the crowd.

"Is that so?" The witch who had previously spoken said, raising two fingers. Immediately, another witch mercilessly dragged the boy in chains out of the crowd and made him kneel in front of the first witch.

"I like your boldness." The witch said tracing his face with her long nails.

"Cowardice has never been in a dragon's blood. You may have successfully crippled us through trickeries and underhanded methods but you won't go scot-free."

The boy stood up again, the chains binding his hands and feet rattling loudly. It was a surprise how he was able to speak with such calm despite the danger he faced.

"Oh dear. Why am I just hearing this?" The witch slapped her forehead dramatically. "Since cowardice has never been in a dragon's blood and I'm the kind who has always been a coward all my life, -" she paused, "- then i should be able to gain bravery just by drinking this blood. Right, smart boy?" She finished, roughly cupping the boy's chin, making him stare into her face. Gradually, her face morphed into a hideous one with ugly scales and smelly breath. She laughed as horror finally settled in the boy's body, her nails extending into one of his arms which she held. The boy couldn't hold it anymore as he fell into his knees, grunting and grabbing his injured arm.

"Such strong resistance? Interesting." The witch smiled as she licked the blood on her fingers, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Don't get distracted. You must be thinking you found yourself a new toy but we need to complete the ritual requiring young bloods first." Another witch revealed herself, cautioning the first witch. "Take him away," She ordered.

"Ellie, what are you doing here?" The first witch asked, watching as they dragged the boy into the forest. She was not pleased with the way her fun got disrupted.

"I'm here for something important. Rest assured, I pick no interest in your lowly... activities" Ellie replied with a taunting smile as she looked around deconscendingly. "Hand over the dragon slayer."

"I thought the task was designated to Sarabi." The first witch said slyly. It became evident that even though they all seemed to be working together, the witches had a kind of competition going on amongst themselves.

"Sarabi?" Ellie scoffed. "She's currently being butchered." She said, smirking as she recalled the scene of Sarabi being mercilessly hunted down and butchered by a cold lady she didn't know. She could have helped but, why should she help her competitor? Sarabi was her rival when it comes to being the witch queens second arm. That position should belong to her and not Sarabi!

Although, the other witch had questioned Ellie, she still brought out what Ellie had requested for; A long spear that was bundled in a dark embroidered cloak. Ellie carefully revealed the tip of the spare but hurriedly covered it back due to the dark and mighty pressure it released with a 'WENGG' cry. Ellie's eyes shined bright as she controlled her slightly shivering body. The cloak wasn't an ordinary cloak since it concealed the terror this spear carried, making it look like an ordinary object while concealed.

'The effect would truly be massive on a dragon.' she thought as she carefully bundled it. "Sarabi, you just wait!" Ellie swore inwards.

Looking round once more, she grabbed her broomstick and took off without hesitating.

"Protect the princess, no matter what happens." A young woman at the back of the crowd recalled, tightening her fists as she watched the young boy being dragged away into the forest. Those who had gone that way only came back in sacks. Dismembered. The woman kept watching until she could no longer see the boy's back view. Tears slowly dropped from her eyes. Soon, she seemed to go into a state of shock.

The little girl beside her didn't seem to notice this and started asking her questions. Her gentle but shaking voice revealed the girl was scared too. Unfortunately, the clinging of the chains on her hands caught the attention of the witch who had attended to Ellie.

The witch's eyes roamed over the girl, then the woman, and back to the girl. Her expression suddenly changed as she gave a sinister smile and started walking towards them.

"She's asking you a question. Why won't you give her an answer?" The witch started on getting to them and was about to continue when some underlings rushed in, calling her name.

"What is it?!" She snapped in response. Why were they all bent on disrupting her little fun?! First it was Ellie, and now, them!

"We need more blood to activate the.." one of the underlings started saying.

"Then just take them!" The first witch snapped again, cutting him short. "Wait." She said, making the underling halt in his steps. "This kid has been annoying enough. Start with her." She pointed her chin towards the little girl.

"What? " The girl shivered.

"What?" The witch repeated the girls question. "The other kids weren't even this bold." she chuckled. "Alright, let me explain. The thing is, we need kids. And I just so happen to hate kids. In fact, we all do. Especially kids with pretty faces like yours." The witch suddenly turned malevolent, striking the little girls face.

"M... mother?" The little girl with tears on her face, opened her eyes to see a figure leaning over her. "Help will soon be here. I heard them. So don't cry anymore little princess." The woman smiled bitterly, pressing something into the little girl's hands, who immediately kept it in her dress following the woman's mouthed instruction to 'keep it.'

"You must live." The woman said looking into the girls eyes. "I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you.. and him.." she tried saying something again but couldn't as blood spurted out of her mouth. The girl's eyes widened in horror as blood started spraying on her face from five lines of cut on the woman's neck.

With a sad smile on her face, the woman's head fell off, her face changing to that of someone else the girl knew, - her favorite palace maid. She had taken the witches claw strikes in the girl's place and it only resulted in her death.

A loud howl resounded within the forest. The howl carried a deep sad pain with it, touching the hearts of those who heard it. Soon, many howls sounded from various parts of the forest in response. The type that had vengeance deeply engraved in them.

The temporary settlement consisting of the witches and the helpless dragonkins, became unsettled.