Fear, I remember fear. My family had assured me things would be fine, that The Light would never bother us; that they would never find out that we were waiting for the coming of the Lord of Darkness. I believed them, foolishly. They came in the night, as if in defiance of the very powers they feared. I remember being dragged out of bed and hearing the cries of my family as I was pulled through the house by a Dra-Hkan in white robes. At that time I was ignorant, now I can see. His wings were as black as his soul.

Into our town we were dragged, forced to stand before a crowd of people we once thought to be friends. They cheered as my mother was forced forward as the punishment for being among the Unfaithful was announced. To her credit, my mother smiled even as her beautiful blue wings were torn from her back. She fell to the ground, unmoving. I wanted her to twitch, wanted her to cry, to do something, anything. But she just laid there in the dirt. A doll with their strings cut. My mother…killed before my eyes. And the people cheered.

My father was next, forced to stand beside mother’s corpse. He was furious. He fought them every step as well as he could. But there were too many inquisitors. As if in defiance of the gods, my father yelled to the sky even as they stole his wings from him. He was pulled away as he shouted, taken by the inquisitors. Everyone turned to look at me. It was my turn.

I couldn’t even manage a whimper as the placed me next to my mother’s corpse and my father’s wings. I didn’t want to die, not like this. I screamed in my mind for them not to take my wings, to not take away what I was. But if they could hear my thoughts they wouldn’t have cared. The crowd fell silent as they watched me in anticipation. Murmurs flowed through the crowd, would I scream? Would I cry? Perhaps I wouldn’t survive like my mother.

I dared to look behind me, only to find the one with the black scales smile cruelly at me. Two others held me in place, but he was to do the honors of stealing my wings. I felt his rough grip upon them as he slowly pulled the bones downward. The pain was excruciating and I screamed as tears erupted from me. I begged him to stop, to not do this, but my pleading was only met with him slowing down, extending my suffering. I could feel the muscle breaking, my bones would be torn from me soon enough. I wondered why he took his time with me, but now I know. It wasn’t just evil that fueled his black heart.

While my parents were to be an example, I was to be a lesson. Everyone watched me with hunger. They wanted my wings, to see them torn from my body. Nobody would help me. I was alone.

I can’t recall much after that moment. Brief memories of flashing lights, the feeling of someone grabbing my wrist and pulling me. I wanted them to let go, to let me go home. But no matter how hard I pushed them they refused to let go. They were taking me away from everything I once knew into the unknown. My breath became short and rapid. I didn’t want to go! I wanted my family, my friends! I wanted this nightmare to end. Not long after my vision faded.

I awoke to find myself in the back of a large covered wagon. Everyone looked at me. They wanted my wings, but they were already gone. But as I reached backwards I could feel them! I still had my wings! I could hardly contain myself, how had I escaped with them? I shook my head, it didn’t matter. The people around me stared with envy. They wanted my wings. I wouldn’t let them take them. They were mine! No one else’s!

I held my wings. They were all I had left in a world that abandoned me.

Later they came with food and water. But I knew better. They would drug all of it so they could take my wings from me while I slept. I watched them until they left. Others ate the food, but not me. I knew better. I saw their eyes staring at me, daring me to eat. I didn’t touch a thing, let them stew on that! Nobody takes my wings. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. I felt my breath racing and once more my vision faded into black.

This cycle repeated for me for so long. I don’t recall how long, only that it felt like an eternity. The whole time I was watched by those who surrounded me. Some began to look at me with concern when I didn’t eat or drink. Good! They were concerned that I wasn’t falling for their plan. My wings were mine and I wouldn’t fall for such a simple trick. I had to run, somewhere. Anywhere. But I had to wait for the right moment. When that moment came I would run. I would fly! My wings would carry me to safety. I just had to wait. I could feel their eyes coming closer. I was so tired…so very tired…but I had to stay awake.

They’d take my wings if I slept. I can’t rest no matter how badly I want to. I tried to think of how to escape, but memories of my mother’s crumpled body on the ground flashed through my mind. I could hear my father’s yell into the night he was taken away. I could see the people around me speak, but could not hear them. Perhaps they were taking me to the capital. Perhaps they thought the small crowd of the village was too small of a crowd. The quick uncontrollable breaths came once again.

When next I awoke I was in this large room with walls of stone. Barrels placed along the far walls with straw all along the ground. I was alongside one of the walls, directly in the middle. But I was not alone. There were others that stared at me. I couldn’t trust them, I couldn’t trust anyone. With weak movements I pushed myself into a corner and put my back against the walls. This way I would be able to keep an eye on everyone as they envied my wings. I would see them approach if they tried anything.

I could tell what this room was, it was a dungeon. And I was its prime prisoner. I held onto my wings for security, the one thing they tried so hard to take. But I still had them, they were mine. I kept watching them as they pretended to not watch me. But I knew better, they were merely waiting for the chance to strike. I would not give them the satisfaction.

So I sat, watched and waited. My eyes darted between them all to watch their movements closely. Footsteps echoed from the entrance and two more entered the dungeon. All eyes went towards the tall one as if in reverence. He must have been the one that would take my wings. I clenched them as tight as I could and tried to push myself into my corner to hide myself.

Memories of my mother’s wings being torn entered my mind. I whimpered. ‘Please don’t let that be my fate. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to live without my wings. Please just leave me alone.’ My own voice whispered in my mind. In time the small, white figure moved about the room, touching everyone kindly. It was a trick, it had to be. When she approached me and moved to touch me I slapped her hand away. ‘No one will touch me again.’ I vowed.

The small white being moved away to speak with the tall male. I watched them closely, I watched them all. My hopes of them leaving me alone were quickly squashed as the male approached. When he was near I felt myself speak quickly as my heart raced. “Nonodon’ttakemywingspleaseIhaven’tdoneanythingsopleasedon’thurtme!” I blurted out, barely able to hear my own voice as I began to shake. He seemed upset and said something, but I couldn’t hear him. When he reached out towards me I slapped his hand away and scratched him with my claws.

Serves him right. Serves them all right.

He cradled his wounded hand with a wince. Another came to speak with him but I didn’t pay attention. They were trying to take my wings. This was it, they were going to rip them from me right here and now. The man smiled an uneasy smile and reached towards me again. I threw my hand out to smack his away again, but he caught it. My blood froze as he gripped my wrist. This was it, it was all over. My wings were about to be torn from me without a hint of remorse.

“No…” I whispered, begging to the gods to save me from this fate. Deep down I knew they wouldn’t. The gods don’t care for people such as I. Otherwise my family would never have been taken from me. I could feel myself beginning to fade from breathing too quickly. But the male who gripped my hand pressed it against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Deep breaths filled his chest in a relaxing rhythm. I could feel myself calming, matching my breathing to his. But still I shook, assured that this was all some terrible tactic to make me lower my guard. Unexpectedly, the male pushed himself forward and held me in an embrace. I reacted instinctively, and cut his sides with my claws. He grunted, but held on. It was over for me, my wings would soon be taken.

But the pain never came.

Even more unexpected were the sounds he started making. Pleasant sounds reminiscent of music played by wandering musicians. Then he started the rocking back and forth motions. It was embarrassing, it was childish. But it felt right. Just like my mother used to do when I was a hatchling, hiding from the roaring lightning in the sky during a storm. I felt all the exhaustion that I had been holding back come crushing down. My mind and my body begged for sleep. But I couldn’t, not like this.

“Am I…safe…?” I managed to whisper, barely audible to my own ears over his humming. “I…feel safe…” my strength gave out and I laid my head upon this stranger’s shoulder.

“You’re safe now, so don’t worry anymore. I won’t let them take your wings.” He whispered to me before returning to the song he had been humming. It wasn’t much, but those words proved more precious to me than gold at that moment. All the sorrow I had been holding back broke free as I felt hot tears fall from my face.

“Thank you.” I managed to say before feeling sleep take hold of me.

I dreamt that I was back in my town. My mother’s corpse lay crumpled upon the ground. My father had just been taken away. It was my turn. I felt myself be pushed towards the crowd that cheered to see my wings torn from my body. I was afraid…but…I heard his voice above the jeering.

“I won’t let them take your wings.”

In an instant the crowd was gone, my captors disappeared. I was alone in the darkness. But I wasn’t alone anymore, this stranger had saved me. My father told me when I was a small child that a Dra-Hkan always repays a debt, no matter how large. I vowed in the name of my mother that I would do whatever I could to assist this stranger, even if it would cost me my life. The nightmare that I had lived through had finally passed.

I woke up lying upon a large bed of straw that I had no memory of making before. In front of me the strange man who had brought me back to my senses slept against the stone wall in a seated position. The first thing I noticed was his strange pinkish skin that looked to cover his entire body. Atop his head stood short brown fur that also ran down his face and under his chin.

The next thing I noticed was that I held his arm in my claws. An arm wreathed in shadow. It was the mark of a Lord of Darkness that my family had spent so long waiting for. The final detail I noticed was the slight amount of blood that coated the tips of my claws. I stared at his side where I remembered wounding the stranger before he held me.

It made me sick knowing that I wounded a man who was only trying to help. It hurt even more that it was the Lord of Darkness himself! My parents would tell of the fury that the Lord of Darkness could unleash upon those that angered him. With mastery over shadow, few could oppose him when his ire was raised. I felt the stranger stirring and groan before he opened his eyes.

He stared straight at me and smiled.

“Oh hey, you’re awake. Sleep well?’ I quickly prostrated myself as my family taught me to do when I was in the presence of the Lord of Darkness. I only hoped that my submission would lessen his punishment for my transgressions.

“Forgive me Lord of Darkness, for I was not in a stable state of mind! I truly did not wish you harm!” I cried and hoped that he would be lenient in his retribution.

“Oh these scratches?” He motioned towards the cuts across his side. “Psh, I’ve had worse. You try taking down a 250lb guy hyped up on painkillers running rampant around a hospital ward shouting ‘I have the power!’ Guess I’m lucky He-Man back then didn’t really have the power, but he did end up breaking my nose.”

A pleasant sound assaulted my ears as I faced the ground. Was the Lord of Darkness...laughing? I looked up towards him as he settled down from his bout of reminiscent laughter. When he looked down at me I quickly averted my gaze.

“C’mon, you don’t have to stay like that. Sit up at least.” He spoke in a friendly tone, but I knew it was a command.

“Yes, Lord of Darkness, as it pleases you.” I rose and sat before him, daring a glance at the wounds I inflicted upon him.

“It’s Mark, actually.” He said off-handedly.

“Mark?”

“Yeah, that’s my name. Mark.”

“Thank you for taking pity upon me, Mark, Lord of Darkness.” The man shouted in frustration as I finished speaking. Had I done something wrong? Had I raised his ire? Was my punishment near for disrespecting him in some way? I could only stare in fear as I watched him stand, face the wall and begin to bang his head against the stone wall.

“Every.”

Bang

“Single.”

Bang

“Time.”

Bang

“They do this.”

Bang

He sighed and laid down upon the floor.

“I give up.”

Was this man truly the Lord of Darkness? I couldn’t help but giggle at his strange ways.

“Glad to see someone is getting some amusement out of my headaches.”

“Forgive me Lord, but you are not what I’ve expected.” He chuckled while staring at the ceiling.

“Welcome to the club.” He sat upright and held out his non-shadowed hand towards me, "Pleased to finally meet you. Just call me Mark by the way. None of that Lord of Darkness junk."

I stared at his hand before carefully taking it in my own so as to not scratch him more with my claws. 

"I thank you for your assistance Lord...Mark..." It felt wrong calling the man my parents would have worshipped by his name. "I am Keena."

"Well Keena, I don't know about you but I'm starving, so lets see what they've got in those barrels."

He was strange, this Lord of Darkness. But I know that compared to my imagination, the real one was much better. He had saved me from myself after all.