Awakening the Inner Huntress


Notes

This is the first in a sequence of completely stand-alone short stories from the point of view of Beastmaster Xelas Metallium. They can be read out of order and are, in fact, being WRITTEN out of order. The first one is rather dark, but not all of them are this bad. ^_^ It's violent and contains a rape scene? Comprende? Anyway, onward.

In this 'series', Mazoku are born mainly physical and as their power grows, so they grow older. It takes time for their power to mature, and usually when they reach their maximum power, they barely grow older past it. This is why Xelas is so young and relativeally powerless in it.


This is not fun. It hurts. I want control. The ward is burning into my forehead.

"You shouldn't be doing that, Joe. It's not right."

I hate his. I want to be in control!

"Hey, Joe, leave me some!"

"You guys shouldn't be doing that..."

"Oh, come on, Maka," the one slamming into me laughs. "She's just a Mazoku. Everyone... knows... they aren't even intelligent. They look human but they've got no... minds!"

The other one who plans to submit me to this indignity speaks up. "Lucky you found a premature one. I hear that once their powers mature, they can be pretty nasty."

Asshole. Damn it.

"Whether she's got a mind or not, she still looks like a young girl. This isn't right."

I roll my head to the side to see this one, this 'Maka'. Odd, the humans get more and more numerous every day, somehow surviving despite the first sparks of war between the two races so much stronger than themselves. I suppose I could get involved in the war when it startsup. That could be nice. And I'd at least have control of my own destiny.

Grimicing as the man above me finishes loudly, I watch this Maka human's lips move silently, mouthing words. It takes me a moment to decipher them, and then my body fills with rage.

No, you idiot, I'm NOT okay! I'm being RAPED!

"My turn," the third man says.

"Don't, Blake," Maka says. "I think you guys are wrong. She knows what's happening."

Gee, what was your FIRST clue?! Damn this ward... I can't believe they caught me so easily, down getting water.

'Blake' advances. Shit. They're going to do it again; rob me of my illusions of control. He slaps my belly. "Shee? She don't mind!"

"I was okay with robbing her, but this just isn't right," Maka insists.

"She don't got no money, but she sure has a pretty body. But that's all she is: a body."

I will not listen to this. I fight the ward and force words out. "Take this fucking ward off me right fucking now," I whisper. I am not meat.

"Shit!" Joe yelps.

"It don't mean anything," Blake insists. "She's just mimicking things she's heard."

Mimicking?! "If you don't take this ward off me right now, I"m going to reach down your throat, rip your lungs out, and smother you to death with them." That ought to convince them I'm not 'mimicking'. Unfortunately, it's an idle threat. I'm paralyzed by the ward and I'm not strong enough to break it. I wish I were strong enough. I should be strong enough.

Maka has taken a step towards me and I watch, unable to assist him in saving me. Blake stops him. "Damn it, man, she isn't even human! I hear that Mazoku don't react to pain the same way, and anyway, I want my turn with her! I won't hurt her!"

It's not the pain, bastard, it's the dominance. I growl, low and deep in my throat, an ability gained from my other form, the form held in check by the ward.

"It's rape, Blake," Maka protests. Gee, you mean you only figured that out NOW?!

"No it isn't," Blake insists. "She's only protested the ward."

My throat feels like it's been torn raw from the effort of forcing words past the ward. "And if you dare touch my body again, I'll not just kill you. First I'll cut off your oh-so-important manhood, then your fingers and toes, one by one. Then your ears. Then I will rip your bellies open in a way that wil let you live, and then I'll gouge your eyes out and only then will I rip your throats out and let you die. Do you understand, you fucking human bastards?"

"Is she bluffing?" Joe asks uncertainly.

"She's bluffing," Blake confirms. "You don't see her moving, do you?"

Damn it, I WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH! I take hold of that budding spark of will and force it into flame, tossing my head back and howling. It's like opening a dam, the power rushing over me like water. The binding of the ward vanishes, ash floating down to rest on my barely-adult body. Still howling, I rise to my knees.

Somewhere, in the distance, other voices take up my cry.

This is new. Before, the wolves would not help me nor harm me, not even acknowledging my presence. Now... I can feel all of the wolves in the area - no, all the animals but the wolves are the strongest in my mind - and I call them to me.

These humans can only hear my voice as a wild howl, but I know that they can hear so much more in it, a call to bring down pack vengeance. Come, come kin! Pack in danger, pack in need! Kin calls kin! Come! I ask you, I command you!

And they come. My pack. My pack. Though I only just became pack, I AM pack. And pack protects its own.

The three humans are frozen, watching me, as I rise and brush off the ash which is all that remains of the ward. My pack gathers around me and I thread my fingers through the alpha's ruff. He allows me to touch his throat - acknowledging dominance? Interesting.

Hunt. I send them an image of Joe and Blake.

Yes! cry the wolves, swarming towards them. Hunt!

Joe stands there forzen, terrified, bowels emptying just before his death.

Bastard.

Blake turns and runs, and the old alpha hamstrings him. He screams and struggles but his throat is torn out, just like that.

I turn to look at Maka. He is crying, face scrunched up, nose running. "Please don't kill me... please don't kill me... I didn't want it to happen... I'm sorry... please don't kill me..."

Walking over to him, I place my hand on the sid eof his face, tracing the lines of his tears. His eyes are wide, frightened. Odd eyes, round of iris and pupil. They are flickering back and forth rapidly between my gaze and behind me, where my pack is feasting on their kills.

No, you didn't want it to happen. But I didn't see you pulling them away from me. "Get out."

"I..." His terror washes over me like a comforting blanket and I tingle as my regenerative abilities try to heal the damage done to me.

"Walk away an never look back, never come back. If you even look back once, you will die." I want to kill. I watch to see if he looks back.

He doesn't.

I sigh and trudge to my pack, looking down at the bodies being feasted on.

The meat they are feasting on.

And I laugh.


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