I wake up to the strange sight of my bedroom. For others the bedroom would be the least surprising area to awake in, but I usually never stay here. Unexpectedly, the area looks just as I left it. The only difference I can find would be the small cat bed placed to my side.
I rise, in an effort to get a quick glance, just to check if Yehain’s there. I knew I had to have dropped her when I saw Lundo last night.
My elbow bends and I suddenly fall back to the bed. Though, just in time to see a white cat with tan spots, this time with dark red blood, curled asleep.
The poor cat Yehain…
I reach my hand over in hopes to find her warm, not cold. To my greatest hope, Yehain is okay, despite her eyes, which are still sewn together with mother’s magical needle.
I try to open my mouth to call her name. All of a sudden, my lips were hit with sudden agony, tightening my jaw. I knew exactly what it was: the string.
Rustling with the sheets, I fumble out of bed. I’m not exactly sure where the last amount of power came from, but I used it quickly, feeling tired the second I reached the mirror.
I look at myself, shocked. My hands graze over my body, inspecting every new scratch, every new dent. I didn’t realize how much that last night changed me. Before, I was Prince Damian Von Choclin, a deformed demon, living in a safe castle, sheltered. Now, I looked like a criminal, wounds in all places, my right horn was broken, now leaving a sharp stump. Out of everything, my mouth was fixed in a devastating smile, one that tensed my muscles every time I acknowledged it. In my mind I had to realize one thing: I’m still bleeding.
A loud crash disrupts me. Through the mirror, a humacat holds onto the bed, eyes shut permanently. She touches everything, finding her own way to the door.
I snap back, rushing toward the exit to stop her. She reaches her hand to grab the doorknob but instead touches my tail, which then coils around her wrist.
At that moment, I have to say I felt awkward. Yehain moves her face down, stroking my tail with her other hand, which I obviously enjoyed. Yehain was definitely taller than me. In Euothia, age usually isn’t measured. When demons are asked for an age, they use human years. Demon Domain is made to perplex people.
Confusing, I would say. I never meant it. Demons have large brains. Therefore, able to comprehend challenging problems. Human and demon dates were simple for us.
Back to the present, Yehain freezes, staring straight into my eyes, even though her’s aren’t open. Her cat nose sniffs, inspecting me.
As a sudden precaution, she cowers back to my bed, hissing at me. I push myself back against the door, terrified.
“Getaway, you monster! Leave me alone… my king!”
The irony in Yehain’s voice makes me laugh. I never thought my laugh would come out as malicious and menacing to Yehain.
Reluctantly, I step forward, ignoring her warnings.
The bed creaks backward, due to Yehain’s force to get away from me. The chair nearby squeaks as I push the furniture out of my path, still taking no precaution. I know Yehain won’t hurt me.
She hisses, “Stay away from me, D…” Her voice chokes up, filling in what I presume is, “Damian” with, “King Damian Von Choclin.” It’s like she’s unable to say the name “Damian,” alone.
Yehain’s definitely lost her mind.
❊ ❊ ❊
I’m halfway across the room when Yehain sniffs the air again.
Behind the door, I hear footsteps. The noise calms down, though still walking toward my room. No doubt they had heard Yehain’s threats.
I turn back to expect her to hiss at me, but she does something even worse. She lunges forward, ready to attack.
Only now do I realize that only one of Yehain’s hands is human. The other is a cat’s paw, containing razor-sharp claws, ready to grab me and rip me into shreds.
I close my eyes, waiting for an impact, sending me off to Earth.
❊ ❊ ❊
A scream comes into play. I open my eyes to find Yehain bleeding, with a dagger sticking out of her thigh.
“Bloody monster of Euothia!” Lundo yells behind me. Lundo had thrown a dagger at Yehain and had scored. The fact confuses me because Lundo was never good at aiming.
Then from the corner, Mion appears, worn out from his throw. That throw had hit Yehain in the thigh, not Lundo’s.
“Perfect shot!” He laughs and grins. Lundo joins in, right before I kick both of them in the shin. He falls straight into Mion’s arms. Mion now struggling to keep Lundo up, reaching down to heal his shin.
“Damian? Since when could you fight?” I have to ask myself the same question. In my mind, I laugh. Only because Mionvoti’s gone completely shocked, turning a light pink around his cheeks. The contrast of his purple skin to the pink makes it seem even stronger. He never expected me to kick him too.
Ignoring Mionvoti and Lundo, I run back to Yehain. The second I press down her wound, she hits me, bruising my cheek. I try to help before Lundo grabs my tail and pulls me back, away from the wounded Yehain.
“Get away from the monster, King Damian Von Choclin. Mother will be here soon. The monster of Euothia shall finally die.” Just as Lundo finishes his lines, my mother bursts through the door. She runs to Yehain, neglecting me and the others. She picks her up, folding her nightgown to reveal a larger wound at Yehain’s upper thigh. The pure white hair now dark red.
Mother presses her finger on the wound, firmly, much more firm than anyone else would do. Mother clamps Yehain’s hands down to disarm her. The harsh actions make Yehain scream.
Suddenly, time slows down. Mother whispers words under her breath. I only start paying attention halfway.
“Euothia Tree
Save your sapling for her death
Stay for fifteen years”
The syllables were familiar to me, a haiku, a form of poetry. Though I have no idea what it meant.
Suddenly Yehain disappears, leaving one small star earring behind on the tile. Then mother stands up, taking the earring in one quick swipe. While passing by, she hands it to me.
“Keep it.” She says in a dark tone.
“O-okay. Thank you,” I stumble on my words, “m-mother.”
I look back up, removing my eyes off the earring, my mother has a large grin on her face but a clashing tear down her cheek. Like she would have two emotions at the same time.
She heads down to Mr. Chari’s office. Where Mr. Bushé also awaits, ready to talk.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
