NALA

It was all dark.

I was swimming in a sticky substance. It seemed alive.

Above I could hear the war raging on, the clanking of weapons, bones being crushed. Only the sounds were muffled, like I was deep underwater.

I was safe for now, but I couldn’t stay here forever.

The mud seemed to be moving my body. Not knowing what else to do, I let it take me.

In the distance there was a small red glow. It seemed I was being pushed in its direction.

The closer I got the bigger the red glow became, until I was close enough to make out its shape.

It was the largest ruby I had ever seen. It’s glow growing and shrinking like a heart beating.

I stretched my hand towards it. It was beckoning me to touch it.

When my fingers touched its surface, a rush of energy ran through my whole body.

I held the ruby above my head and it propelled me upwards, through the mud, and all the way back to the surface.

I was less scared of the devilish creatures in the battle around me. I was safely enveloped in the gem’s warm glow. It seemed to be protecting me from the hundreds of vampires, witches, and rogues in front of me. Even the rain seemed to slide off my body without a trace.

A bolt of electric blue lightning seemed to strike me, but instead of hurting me it seemed to turn into a cool golden mist.

My eyes went up to the sky. The dark blue of the storm had turned to black with thick, shimmering silver clouds moving in a circular pattern. Lightning was coming from its core. And while I wasn’t scared, knowing I had the ruby in my hands, I knew that this was magic was dark, black magic.

The woman dressed in black wielded her ruby encrusted dagger, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who dared cross her path. She left a glimmering black smoke in her path.

The beast seemed to be running right at her.

"Oh, my dear." Her voice was overtly feminine. "It is a pity it has come to this."

The Lycan, in response, roared. And she did nothing but laugh again, dagger dancing in her fingers.

The woman lunged at him, the tip of her dagger pointing at his heart. However, he was as quick as she was, dodging her just in time, using his claws to lethally injure her.

I didn't understand who was really good and who was bad. But from the way she was talking, it seemed that the real enemy was the army of vampires, rogues, and witches. I wanted to know their story. How had it come to this? Was all this her form of revenge? Or perhaps the beast was the true victim. Dozens of possibilities crossed my mind in those few seconds.

The beast roared. He had her at his mercy, his body towering over hers. She dropped her dagger into the mud below.

I wanted to help someone, but I didn’t know who.

My eyes focused on the beast as he growled low, bringing his nose up to the woman's face. It looked as if he was smelling her. I thought I saw a gray glint in his eyes. And the hesitation in them. Deciding whether to spare her life or not. Another emotion overwhelmed me completely. It was a feeling I did not expect in the middle of a place full of blood and death. I felt envious in that instant. I wished he looked at me like that. Full of love and pain. I wanted it all. Everything about this figure.

But he raised his arm and buried his claw in her chest with one swift but deadly motion. Her body went limp in his arms. She was dead. Sadness gripped my heart. An emotion that I recognized as mine alone. For her. I did not understand it.

I stood there petrified, watching as a howl full of pain and anguish came from him.

Slowly the battle died down as the screams faded, leaving only the beast standing.

All of a sudden the beast looked up right at me. It was like he was staring right into my soul. He started to wade through the mud towards me. His muscles flexed with every step he took.

Trying to shield myself from him, I held up the ruby.

In the light of the gem, his fur and claws were gone, he was a man, a Lycan.

“You’re finally here,” he said, “I’ve been waiting for you.