The Demon's Game (The Guardian Series Book 4)

by Rain Oxford

  Even over my anguish, I sensed the beast run.

  A sort of haze fell over me as the pain grew more severe and the change in my body grew stranger. By the time the torment faded, I felt very bizarre. I felt light and… quick. The blood rain no longer bothered me; I could breathe just fine. I climbed unsteadily to my feet, but it was on four legs instead of two. A quick glance down revealed that I was correct. Instead of arms and hands, I had front legs and paws. I wasn’t small, but I was shorter than my human form.

  The ability to see despite the fact that it was still dark was not as important as examining my new legs, which were covered in sleek black fur that was being saturated with blood. That isn’t good; I want my fur clean. Even more frustrating, however, was the shiny object on my right ankle. I had just enough awareness to recognize the thick metal cuff.

  The thoughts in my head were strange so I shook my head, but it didn’t help. A hunger set in and I scanned my surroundings. I was in a prime location; high ground with tree cover and plenty of places to hide and ambush. I prowled around, interested in my new territory and ready to kill any invaders. Color was useless, but even the darkest areas of the jungle were clear as day to me. It took time to differentiate between the different types of movement. For example, rain smacking against leaves didn’t mean food. One simple lick determined that it wasn’t to drink, either.

  I made sure to rub against every tree, both to mark them with my scent and also to scrape off the scraps of clothes that survived my transition. I needed to find Mordon, but I wanted to eat. Mordon was important… but food was a must. I had to hunt. A soft snap a ways ahead of me made me freeze and my ears perk.

  Silent as the night, I crept close to the ground, prowling forward until I reached a clearing. I knew this was where the sound had been made, but nothing moved. Suddenly, there was a shift in the wind as the rain let off and I realized my mistake. It wasn’t so much a thought as an instinct; I was the one being hunted.

  With a burst of speed, I ran for the closest tree and climbed it, barely escaping curtain death. The ground came alive with insects, each about an inch long. After a few seconds, they stilled again and disappeared. I waited patiently as the hours passed.

  I detected the varug long before the animal came into sight. He didn’t have the instincts that I did, so he walked right into the ambush. The insects sprang, swarmed the predator, and ate him alive within seconds.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, I hit the ground running. I made it easily because I was clever, quick, and patient.

  I need to find Mordon.

  Food first.

  I found a small mammal and chased it around a little for fun, then pinned it when I got bored. I ate the little creature whole before I realized what I did. Part of me was so satisfied for the flawless hunt, and the rest of me was sick.

  I wasn’t an animal, I was a person, and I had to find my brother. I wasn’t here to eat animals or…

  Something new dawned on me. I had a successful hunt and meal. The obvious next step was to find a mate for the night, which meant leaving my territory, but that was okay. Surely there was nothing that could best me in this jungle. I was designed for this.

  I spent about an hour traveling before I arrived at a small pool of water. I wasn’t tired or anything, but it was the first water I had seen here. I approached it, mindful of larger predators guarding it, and almost missed the true threat. I almost made a terrible mistake.

  The water smelled foul. There was something acidic about it that made me hiss furiously at the pool. Before I could back away from the water, however, I caught the image and tilted my head. I was aware enough to know it was my reflection I saw, but it was strange. I was a large black cat, very similar to a jaguar. My eyes glowed, but I couldn’t tell the color.

  I lost interest within seconds and left the poisoned water. A mate was far more interesting right now. To my delight, I could smell more than one female quite close. Instead of chasing after one of them, I found the nicest tree and curled up on a thick branch. I had to wait a little while, but soon one of the females found me. She yowled up at me and I examined her well. Her sleek black fur was like mine…

  But she wasn’t Divina. I was married, and my wife was far better than…

  I was distracted again as a second female arrived. Suddenly, this was a lot more interesting. They hissed at each other, but neither was willing to make the first move. I sat upon my perch and grinned at them the best way a cat could. After I grew bored, I jumped down to examine the females more closely. I rubbed against the shoulders of both females until one of them bared herself to me.

  The memory assaulted me of Divina spread out on our bed and it hit me harder than before. I am not a cat. I am Dylan Yatunus, and I don’t deserve Divina if I would cheat on her with an animal. I shivered as I tried to push the cat instincts to mate off. I had to keep who I was in my head so I didn’t lose it again. I have a family at home who needs me. Mordon needs me.

  A new scent threatened to distract me again; there was a male closing in. If I had to fight him, I wanted to be in my right mind… but that went out the door when the animal came into view. He was almost identical to me, except for a long scar down the left side of his face. He hissed a warning, yet I knew he wasn’t really going to let me go. If I ran, he would see me as weak. When I charged him, he didn’t budge, so I retreated a few steps.

  The two females backed away. This cat grew up in this jungle and survived the hardships of it, whereas I had only been a cat for a few hours. He had vital knowledge in how to use his teeth and claws; however, I had instincts. I didn’t hiss back and instead stared him straight in the eyes. There was no telling what I was about to do.

  My opponent took a strike at me, trying to get at my throat, but I was faster. He was going high for my throat; I went low for his left front leg. I got a nasty cut on my shoulder, which I would survive. He, on the other hand, retreated with a severe limp. While it wasn’t a mortal wound, his tangle with me left him weakened during a time when the weak were prey. Under the red sky, only the strongest, fastest, and cleverest survived. I turned my back on him and pranced away. He wouldn’t be following me now.

  With the females out of sight and out of mind, I headed on through the thick of the jungle. There would be no more light than the soft red glow of the sky for many days. Until then, the entire world was a hunting ground.

  I need to find Mordon. I could almost feel the cat sigh.

  It was like I was both the cat and myself at the same time, like we were too different beings merged together. It was probably the weirdest sensation I had ever felt, and the cat that I was felt the same about me. Whatever part of my mind that was still functioning as a person realized that this was Ghidorah’s doing. The spell he meant for my mother must have been strong enough under the Ajaskakara to overpower my own magic.

  I stopped hesitantly. There was no movement in the jungle floor, no frantic heartbeat of a hiding creature. So why do I sense danger? I was patient when I needed to be, thus I sniffed cautiously at the roots and vines.

  The snap was so miniscule that I would have missed it if I weren’t waiting for it. I backpedaled with everything I had. Pain seared my chest and shoulder as the trap shot up from the ground, but I didn’t lose my head. Had I been an instant slower, or not realized there was danger at all, the metal teeth would have killed me.

  A loud battle shook nearby trees. Curious, I skirted around the trap and found a small clearing, where a dragon battled for his life. The dragon was Mordon- that much I knew. What color he was, I couldn’t say, but light reflected oddly off his hide. He was in the middle of a fight with six varug. The smaller predators may have been no match for the dragon individually, but they worked together flawlessly and the huge trees gave the dragon very little room to maneuver. While the dragon was distracted by a varug trying to tear at his underbelly, another had a clear shot at his long throat. I leapt on the varug’s back and sank my teeth into the back of his neck
. Quickly dropping to his side, he managed to shake me loose, only to take off for the woods instead of finishing the fight.

  Mordon breathed fire, effectively wounding four of the remaining varug. The last one backed away, his eyes darting between us. I was half their size, but we were not worth the trouble. He ran and the rest of the pack stumbled after him, wounded but not dead yet.

  I turned on Mordon and hissed sharply. He roared and my hiss turned into a yowl. He wasn’t getting the hint. When he opened his mouth, I darted behind the nearest tree and barely avoided getting singed. That pissed me off. Mordon opened his wings to fly and I lunged at him, easily swiping him across his bared chest. He knocked me over with his wing, but I dug my claws into it before he could pull away.

  He then plopped down on top of me so heavily that I knew there was a cat shaped imprint in the dirt. I growled, for he was getting my sleek coat dirty, and he suddenly got heavier. I couldn’t submit by rolling over when I could barely breathe, but I gave my best purr, which was more of a drunk lawnmower sound. Mordon must have understood, though, because he stood.

  This time, when Mordon spread his wings, I realized what was happening. “Mordon, wait!” I shouted. Unfortunately, he was too far gone. Mordon tried to take flight, but his wings were long and designed for wide spaces. From tip to tip, there was no way he could stretch them out let alone flap them unimpeded.

  Realizing this, my brother let out a roar of frustration. That startled my cat, who took it as a threat. I yowled and hissed, but when he turned his angry glare on me, I lowered myself to the ground and perked my ears up to say, “just kidding.” He snorted out a puff of smoke, closed his wings, and turned to make his way through the trees. I would have rolled my eyes if I knew how; Mordon wouldn’t have any of the jungle instincts I had.

  I yowled, but it wasn’t my angry yowl, and I knew the dragon would understand my intent. After all, dragons were incredibly intelligent beings. He stopped, deliberately not looking at me, so I darted out in front of him. We both knew which way was out of the forest and when nothing attacked us for an hour, I became bored.

  A small mammal skittered over some leaves and my ears perked. Every instinct to chase activated at once. I didn’t run but lowered myself into a prowl, ready to sneak up on and ambush my meal.

  Mordon flattened me with one of his sharp-clawed paws and I hissed. He couldn’t retract his claws like I could. His gentle means of stopping me turned into a rough admonishment when he blew hot smoke over me. He didn’t like me hissing at him. Unfortunately, I didn’t like being admonished. He lifted his paw and I bit his front leg, barely digging into the scales even though I gave it all my force. The dragon suddenly roared with pain and instincts stronger than the cat took over. I let him go instantly.

  Mordon once again tried to burn me, and this time I didn’t get away unscathed. I realized I had made a mistake in coming here. Mordon couldn’t make it out without me, but we would kill each other before the Ajaskakara was over.

  I kept my distance from him, which only made it harder to detect any danger. Mordon became testier and testier so that I had to keep further and further away. If I came too close, he would snarl a warning.

  About three hours later, when Mordon was out of sight, I felt another male cat approach. Instead of challenging him, I tried to be quiet and sneak out of his territory. I didn’t make it. The cat was faster than the other male and I was tired from dodging Mordon. He struck me in my injured shoulder and I went down. Whatever fight that might have been left in me fled and I just rested on the ground, waiting for the final blow. The cat knew it and went for the kill.

  Before I felt his teeth sink into my neck, Mordon attacked the cat with the raging force of a bull elephant. The cat didn’t know what hit him. All that was left of my foe when Mordon was done was scraps of blood, flesh, and bones. More reason seeped into me enough that I became sick. All these beasts we fought were also people, and everyone we injured was a walking corpse. “Mordon, we have to stop. You need to flash us home.”

  He snarled at me and blew flames again. I took it this time, because I couldn’t run from my brother any longer. Thankfully, his fire recognized me even if his mind was too far gone, for his fire was only very painful, not mortally agonizing. He tried to pass me and I sank my teeth into his wing. His roar of pain was cut off suddenly as the woods around us surged with blinding light.

  * * *

  Pain erupted throughout my body as it conformed once again. Bones snapped and reformed, muscle stretch, built, and shrunk. Receding fur was the strangest feeling. Finally, once it was over and I lay panting on the floor, I realized it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been changing into a cat.

  Actually… that makes a great comparison. Sure, my leg was chopped off, but it wasn’t as bad as that time I was turned into a cat. God, my life is weird.

  I opened my eyes to my apartment and found myself surrounded by Divina, Xul, Ghidorah, and the boys. Mordon was lying next to me having also shifted back, and Alyssa was next to him, asleep but breathing. I checked my arms and legs, then touched my ears, just to be sure I was completely me again. Assured, I rolled over and shook Mordon gently. He opened his eyes with a groan.

  “Are you alright?” I asked. He closed his eyes and nodded. I slapped him. “You tried to burn me!” I yelled.

  He opened his eyes, sat up, and hugged me. I tried to slap him again, but he had my arms pinned. “You tried to claw my heart out,” he answered.

  I stopped trying to fight him off and leaned my head against his shoulder. I didn’t realize until then how upset I really was. It wasn’t just that he tried to hurt me, but the fact that I tried to hurt him. Throughout everything we faced, all the times when we were in danger, Mordon and I always had each other’s backs. The cat saved my life over and over in a few short hours, but it turned me against my brother.

  Mordon slapped me in the back of the head. “Stop thinking like that. I’m alive because you came to save me and the cat saved us both. I have no idea where the rage towards your cat came from, because I knew it was you the entire time. I didn’t want to hurt you, but it was like my dragon wanted to tear your cat apart.”

  “It was the Ajaskakara,” Ghidorah supplied. Although we both nodded, agreeing, neither of us believed it. While the Ajakakara may have caused the violent desire to kill anything weaker, his dragon and my newfound cat could never exist together. He was Mordon and I was Dylan, and if anything changed that, we were both in trouble.

  The children had been taken home by Sydney, who told us to call her when Mordon returned. Apparently, Divina had told her that Mordon suddenly had to go visit his father and that was it. Ghidorah took Alyssa home while Divina… she wasn’t feeling good. She was the one to pull us out of Skrev and it took a small toll on her to do so. I ran her a bath, rubbed her shoulders, and we both pretty much passed out from exhaustion.

  * * *

  Mordon called me and the boys out sick and growled at me when I tried to protest. I slept in until about nine and then spent over an hour in the shower. I nearly had a fit when I had to wash dried blood out of my ears from the blood rain. It was everywhere.

  I heard a knocking on the bathroom door over the sound of the water. “Yes?” I asked, wrapping a towel around me and opening the door.

  “Ron said breakfast is ready and he’ll never forgive us if we let it go cold.

  I leaned out of the bathroom doorway to see Divina still asleep. “What happened to her? I know she got struck with her own magic, but this feels like more than that.”

  “I don’t know. She conceals herself pretty well. I’ll leave you to get ready,” he said, closing the bedroom door behind him.

  I held out my arm, breathed deeply, and concentrated carefully on the thoughts of the cat, who seemed to wake slowly in the back of my mind. I could feel the presence of the powerful animal come alive again as black fur sprouted across my arm. I shook my arm and cleared my head, forcing the cat away.

  “That’s a pr
etty powerful weapon,” Divina said.

  Perhaps a reassuring smile would have been appropriate here, but that seemed too much like a lie. I looked at her and back at my arm, which was fur-free. “I know.” After getting dressed quickly, I went into the kitchen, where Ron was making a late breakfast. Xul was reading a novel at the table. Curious, I snagged the paperback from him, marked the page with my finger, and turned it so I could see the cover.

  Xul’s face flushed bright red before he dived to take the book from me, but by then I had seen his secret. “Oh my god, you read romance novels?!”

  Startled, Ron set his pan down and looked questioningly between us. Perceiving Xul’s embarrassment, the nine-year-old scowled. “Daddy, are you making fun of the books he reads? Mordon can’t even read English.”

  I felt properly scolded and kissed Ron’s head as he handed Xul a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns. “You’re right, sweetheart, that wasn’t nice of me. I’m sorry, demon,” I said.

  Xul reluctantly nodded his acceptance and put his book away to eat.

  I need to spend more time teaching Mordon how to read. He picked up speaking the language easily, but English writing was too different from any of the three Duran languages. It took nearly a year for him to understand that one letter could make different sounds.

  Hail entered the room and hugged Ron fiercely before taking a seat. Ron gave him a plate piled way too high with vanilla-walnut pancakes and bacon.

  “How do you eat so much sweet food?” Mordon asked, walking in. Ron handed him a plate of eggs, ham, and toast, which he promptly made into a sandwich.

  I stayed standing. After a few minutes, Divina came in, paused in front of me to kiss me, and then sat at the table. Ron handed her a bowl of noodles in a reddish brown sauce with bits of beef and vegetables in it. Still I remained standing.