《Road To Glory》


 Longing For A Dream

    The room was murky. The walls were dripping like wet paint on a canvas. The window, being out of the little boy''s line of sight, was distorted, the outside world completely missing. Yet despite this, his eyes were focused on the center of the room, on the man towering before him. A shadow was falling constantly over his face, no matter which way the boy looked at him.


    The only thing he could see was the man''s gentle smile, almost sorrow. He knelt on one knee, and looked at the boy at the same eye level. He stretched out his hand, and patted his head. The hand felt warm, and the boy felt a strange sense of content by the action.


    The man softly stroked the long and silky blonde hair. He paused for a moment. Despite the shadow covering the man''s face, the boy could tell he was looking at him. He began to speak in a kind yet low gravelly voice.


    "You grew so much since last I saw you."


    He looked at him, intrigued, yet fondly. However, this time would be cutting short, as his surroundings turned to black. The man stood up and turned to leave, not before saying his final goodbye. "Live, my boy, and become a great man..."


    Before the boy could reach out his hands, to try and grab onto him so he wouldn''t leave, his eyes opened again, looking up at the wooden ceiling. He turned his head to his left, and saw a woman of fair build, wearing an old humble wool dress, with little to no decorations. Her body, at least the parts that could be seen, were covered in scales, a mix of black and blue. Along her arms were thin, folded wings, and a tail that rested from her lower back down on the floor. Her face was elongated into a long scaled maw, with small horns addorning her head, barely visible through her wild long red hair. She looked at the boy with her slit pupils, her light chestnut eyes showing a stern expression.


    This woman was a Drakonid, but also the little boy''s mother, Caoimhe. She huffed out a puff of smoke from her nostrils as she looked at the boy, crossing her arms. "Finally awake are we, boy?" she said, her voice both teasing and stern. Caoimhe shook her head as she laughed softly at her son''s sleeping habits, and walked over to the bed. She put her hand on his forehead, checking for any fevers, as she continued in a more gentler tone. "Had a fright did you, my darling?"


    The little drakonid of seven years, known as L¨¢idir Iarlaith, was much like his mother. His body was covered in scales, black and blue, and a small tail with length befitting his age. However, he was also unlike his mother, in the fact that he had no wings along his arms, and his body was much smaller than what regular drakonid boys were like in his age. His eyes were softer, an azure blue colour, and his hair was silky, long and blonde. He sat up and yawned, rubbing his eyes with his small hands. Looking up at his mother, he softly spoke. "I dreamt about the man again, mama." said L¨¢idir Iarlaith, the expression on his face showing a slight melancholy as he reminisced about his dream.


    Caoimhe sighed, knowing well what was plaguing her son''s mind. She sat down on the edge of the bed and turned towards him. The mother stretched out her arm and gently caressed the boy''s face, leaning towards him, and gently pressing her lips on his forehead. She pulled away and looked at him, as a mother would, and spoke softly. "T''was only a dream, a mhuirn¨ªn. There isn''t a man at all. And if there were, You''ve a mother with you that''ll ward any away, alright?" She asked with a small smile. The boy nodded and Caoimhe laughed, nuzzling her snout against his. She stood up and looked at him proudly. "Now then boy, there''s work to be done. Best not dwell on the land of dreams longer at all."


    L¨¢idir Iarlaith nodded, and slowly stretched, feeling slightly stiff around his torso. He looked down, and sighed while touching the small set of mechanical apparatus attached to his body. There were five circular robust bronze pieces of machinery that were constantly ticking, the gauge moving constantly, and expelling small puffs of steam through one of the pipes that were on the sides in conjunction with something that he heard was called a "steam engine" attached. The apparatus were placed on the sides of his body where his lungs would be, on his chest where his heart would be, and on his upper back. Moving with them was always slightly painful to him.


    As he got out of bed, he looked out through his window, at the bright sunny afternoon. The sky was a clear blue, with little to no clouds to be found. A proper break from the rain they would usually get. He looked at the tree whose branches almost poked at the window, they were so close. On a branch, birds were chirping in their nest, waiting for their mother to return with food. Further away, down the hill, was the village of drakonids, specifically the Blue-Winged tribe.


    The little boy continued to look out the window, until he felt a soft wooly cloth cover his head, and got pulled down over his body. Caoimhe ruffled the boy''s hair, which caused him to softly giggle. "What did I say, boy? Now''s the time for work, not daydreaming." She said, and kissed the top of his head as she finished dressing him up. "Okay Mama, I''m coming!" he laughed and excitedly ran around her. She looked fondly at her boy and laughed alongside him. "That''s the spirit, A dhr¨¢ga¨ªn bheag. Let''s not waste anymore time."


    Caoimhe walked out of the room, and the little drakonid followed after her. Before he left however, he looked back to his bed, and thought about his dream. Despite saying he wouldn''t be bothered by what his mind had concocted while he slept, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of longing, a longing for that dream to continue.


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    / / / /


    In the pitch black of nothingness, a figure was floating by. The figure does not remember who they, or rather she, were. The first thing she remembers is waking up in this void, unable to see anything. She pondered where she was, the question intriguing her far more than who she was. ''What''s the point in dealing with semantics? I think, therefore I am,'' she thought to herself. ''This...however is far more intriguing.'' she continued pondering. The first thing she tried, was to speak. ''Perhaps there''s someone out there watching me?'' she thought, and tried to scream. However, nothing could be heard from her voice. She tried to move around, and although she could tell she was moving, she couldn''tfeel the movement. She looked upon herself and only saw a bright light where her body was, only a soft outline where her limbs were could be seen.


    The strangest feeling however, was that she could feel a sort of essence passing through her. She did not know what it could be, but she definitely felt it. Then, out of the corner of her view, she saw it. In pure darkness, there was a flicker. The flicker was blurry, but something within them stirred a deep emotion within her. Something familiar. She tried to reach out through the void, to touch upon what she thought to be a dream. However, she would be disappointed by the fact that she could never reach it. Always left just out of touch. Despite this, she did not give up. She pursued the flicker, and made note of it''s patterns. ''This thing...it''s almost as if it''s repelled by me..!'' she thought, as every movement she made, the strange flicker followed in the opposite direction.


    Knowing this, she tried to see how she could make use of this information. She would move around, seeing how exactly the flicker was moving. As she moved towards it, it ran away. When she started to back away, it would approach her. Like a proper repelling force, the flicker kept an optimal distance from her. She pondered how to make this strange flicker obey her and approach her normally. Then, a thought came. ''A magnetic repulsion is based on the same type of force, two south poles, two north poles, the same result would come. Only when it''s opposites will they attract. Thus...if I were to turn around...'' She thought, and turned her view away from the flicker, and instead of moving what would be considered forwards, she floated backwards.


    As she did so, she felt the deep emotion within her building up. Almost as if the essence was getting closer. She looked over her shoulder, and saw that she was indeed getting closer. ''Finally, a moment of victory!'' she thought, as she continued to float backwards towards the flicker, it following her movement and getting closer as well. And after a few moments of floating, feeling the deep emotion building and building, she turned around and witnessed the strange, blurry mess flickering in the void. For a moment, a mountain of emotions flowed through her, and the only thing she could do, was reach out and touch it. Just as she was about to, however, the void started turning to pure white, blinding her.


    She closed her eyes and tried to withstand the bright light of the void. Then she realised something. She had felt her eyes closing. As a matter of fact, she felt many parts of her body now, no longer devoid of nerves and senses. She could feel the air around her, sound started to vibrate through her, albeit as of this point only as a loud beep. She felt her body contracting against the surface of some ground she was on. What''s more interesting however, was a different feeling, something she couldn''t place her mind on what it could be. It flowed through her, touched the surface of her body, and did so many other things that she felt dizzy trying to understand it. ''Blood? Oxygen? A gas? I can''t make heads or tails.''


    Finally, she felt a sort of calm end to the bright light. She slowly opened her eyes...only to be met by something that had truly stumped her. She wasn''t outside laying down on a patch of grass, on a boat in a river, or in a sterilised room. No, the place she was in seemed to me more like an underground laboratory, with the proof being the mossy stone walls and dim lighting, the plethora of equipment, some seeming outdated to her, some she couldn''t even begin to understand what they were. And the last proof being the strange humanoid creatures in sterilised uniforms, most of them having elongated noses, horns, and strange colour of skin. Besides them, were multiple cages, in which were strange looking animals and other humanoid creatures, more deformed than the scientists that she saw.


    ''Just where have I gotten myself into?'' She thought. She too, like the other creatures, was in a cage. Thus, the only thing that remained to be answered, was her own body. So she looked at her body, having to crane her scaled neck around to see it. ''Scales? Since when did I have those...'' She would ponder, but not for long, as she saw that her body wasn''t what she was used to, a normal human woman. No, she had the body of a scaled beast, appearing similar to a reptile species she had once seen in her past life. Quadrupedal body structure, osteoderms around her back and midsection, and a long but thin spiked tail.


    As she continued to try and piece together just what the hell she was, she heard thescientists from before approach her and speaking in a language she thought sounded similar, but completely unrecognizable. She looked up at them and noticed they were analyzing her. One of the scientists, a small swamp green humanoid with deformed facial features, long nose and ears, and small beady yellow eyes, takes out a label, and starts writing down something on it. He places it in front of her cage, and the scientists leave, seemingly discussing something.


    When she was sure they were out of sight, she approached the edge of her cage and looked at the label placed there. It was a paper attached to a steel plate that had many symbols which she could not recognise. The only thing she could piece together, by context, was that this was probably her designation number and species. Among these symbols, she saw some which looked similar to certain letters she was accustomed to. When putting those letters together, they would create one word, or more precisely, a name. ''Mellua.''

 The Guinea Pig

    She stepped back in her cage and tried to gather her thoughts together cohesively. First she tried to recollect her memories. ''Alright, let''s see...I was a human...a girl living in a small apartment...working in an...office?'' she pondered, but the more she tried to focus, the less could be seen. Almost as if her past life were a dream. Yet it wasn''t a dream. She could clearly remember certain parts, it was simply the rest being blurry. Her current situation on the other hand, was troublesome. ''Now...I''m in a cage in god knows where, stuck in this...thing, whatever I''m supposed to be.'' she mused, looking over her body once more. It was unlike anything she''s ever seen before. Similar to a reptile, perhaps a monitor lizard, yet her limbs were more mammal-like in terms of structure. Besides that, no other reptile besides dinosaurs, which have been extinct millions of years ago, had an appendage at the end of their tail, much less a bladed one. She tried to test it out, and swung her tail around, which was a new experience for her. She could tell that her tail was quite agile and dextrous. The blade too seemed sharp and effective, making a swishing noise every time she swung her tail.


    After determining that her body, despite her clumsy movements due to her inexperience, was strong, fast, but also juvenile. There were signs that this was not a mature body she was now inhabiting, not only due to size, but due to the lack of fully formed senses. Even now, she feels a dizziness while moving and looking around, the world still slightly blurry. ''The sensation earlier of being in the void must have partly been me growing, slowly getting used to it'' she thought. The next thing she wanted to try, was to see if she could speak. Thus, she tried to open her mouth, which was now in the form of a muzzle. She tried to say a quiet ''Hello?'', but all that came out was a high pitched squeak. She stumbled back, surprised by her own voice. ''Right...lack of properly developed vocal cords'' she sighed internally as she thought about her circumstances.


    Looking around her, curiosity took over and she wondered about her neighbours, the other caged creatures. There were around twenty cages, all of them with at least one occupant in them. They varied, from a horned red-rabbit, to a strange red humanoid, with long ears and a big nose. The others were hard to describe, having features she would never have thought for standard animals. A wolf constantly surrounded by electricity as if it were like a faraday cage, a bird with feathers seemingly made out of hard metals, as they shined brightly. In front of all these cages were plates with labels, most likely what their captors named them. However, like her own, she cannot read these symbols.


    She thought back to her own, the only thing she was able to read out, at least what it looked like, was Mellua. ''What does that mean? Is it my name? My designation?'' Her thoughts wandered. As she thought about it, her own name was a mystery to her. ''Damn Amnesia...'' She sighed internally. ''For now, I''ll go by Mellua...whatever it means.'' She decided. Mellua then began to think about her predicament, who the people holding her and the rest of these creatures were, and why they were caged. The strange location she was in seemed to either be inside a building, or most likely, deep underground. Outside of that, there were various laboratory equipment, a table for examinations, old primitive microscopes, and some other devices she hadn''t even seen before. All she could tell was that the craftmenship reminded her of the Industrial age, when the steam engine was first created.


    Thus, with all the facts laid before her, her own predicament and the environment included, Mellua realised that she was most likely not in her own world anymore. ''Unbelievable...If I weren''t trapped right now, and stuck in this body, this would be incredible. Tch, just my luck.'' she thought to herself, laughing bitterly at the situation. Despite all of the facts she could now gather, there was still a mystery that she had no clue on. It was the strange feeling passing through her body, both from the outside and the inside. ''I feel like I''m both surrounded and possessed by a force...unlike anything I''ve ever experienced.'' she thought to herself, and tried to focus. However, before she could finish her train of thought, the three humanoid captors returned. Mellua stepped back inside her cage, her still undeveloped eyes focusing on the people in strange coats.


    The three scientists talked amongst themselves. They were all of different qualities. Starting from the left, the shortest of the three, was a humanoid that resembled a creature from folklore in her memory, a Goblin. It was a hairy and decrepit being with swamp green skin. It had a large pointy noise and yellow eyes, the pupils themselves being red. Atop it''s head were small stubby horns. Despite it''s appearance, it wore a proper lab coat, with small glasses that fit perfectly on the long nose. The one in the center was a tall man of skinny stature, but a sharp jawline. He had short but imposing tusks, and a long curved horn on his forehead. Besides his skin being red he looked relatively human. However, the expression on his face was cold. Unnaturally so. Particularly the gaze in his eyes, devoid of compassion. The last of the three was a woman whose most defining feature was her beauty. From her face to her body, every bit of her was beautiful and feminine. What set her apart from her colleagues were her bat-like features. The arms formed white furred wings that at the moment were folded up. Instead of small rounded ears, hers were long and pointy, sitting right above her forehead. Her eyes were dark, and her nose was small and leaflike in shape. Below her neck was a small puff of hair, silky and white.


    They seemed to be glancing around the room. Scouting the creatures in cages, in particular their eyes falling on two. A snake with feathered wings and a detailed and diversely coloured crest, and a certain scaled quadruped. That being Mellua herself. Noticing this, she stepped back in her cage and looked at them cautiously. Her eyes gazed right at them as her survival instincts started rising bit by bit. The tall red skinned man suddenly walked towards the cage where the winged snake was, meanwhile the Goblin started approaching Mellua''s cage, with a wicked grin on it''s face. There was only one thought going through her mind. A thought given birth by her instincts to bubble up. ''I am going to die''. The closer the wicked goblin got, the more the thought repeated. ''Get away!'' She thought as she tried to shriek, but all that came out was a hissing sound. The decrepit scientist did not care for this and only laughed as it got close, and opened the cage. It reached inside with it''s long fingers. ''No! Stay back!'' her instincts roared inside her, as she backed away. The goblin did not let up and continued to reach in for her, now frustrated. She tried to run away but soon was met with no more room. As a last resort, her body leapt into action driven by instinct and she bit down on his hand. Her mouth was not developed enough to be able to physically harm the scientist, but it was enough for it to yell back in pain and pull it''s hand away.


    It recoiled in anger. The goblin was shouting something that sounded like a curse and pulled out a long bronze stick, with a wire inbetween. It tried to poke her with it, but before Mellua could experience what this decrepit scientist was going to do to her, the bat-like woman stopped it. She seemed to be scolding the goblin, to Mellua''s surprise, and the green scientist stepped away while dismissing her with a frustrated wave. The woman shook her head and leaned down, and instead of trying to forcefully grab, she carefully and gently reached out. Despite this, Mellua was still wary, and did not approach. Noticing this, the female scientist simply smiled, and began to sing. The sound she made was melodic and serene. Hypnotising even. ''Why is she...singing...'' she thought, as her vision began to blur. Her four small legs slowly moved, bringing her towards the bat woman.''What''s...happening to me...?'' her mind wondered, as she began to lose control over her own body. With a gentle sweep of her arm, she picked up the scaled quadruped, and carefully held onto her.


    As she was held by the woman, she felt a strange comforting feeling. As if all of her previous instincts and worries started to wash away. She couldn''t feel her limbs anymore, her body seemingly under an anesthetic despite not being injected any. The only thing her mind registered properly was the tall man holding the winged snake effortlessly, and gesturing to a hallway. The three began to move, with Mellua remaining in the bat-woman''s gentle grasp. They walked what seemed to be an eternity, before arriving at their destination. She looked down and her mind dropped as she gazed down at the monstrosity before her. ''This is...an entire facility...'' she thought as she looked down at the mass area, spanning what seemed to be miles across.


    There were many other people down there, much like the three scientists, who moved around the area either carrying something or with a creature like the ones in cages. Besides that she saw something that made her stomach drop, and all her senses rejuvenated. There were many other creatures, both animal-like and humanoid, going through obstacles, fighting each other, and being analyzed. That''s when it hit her. This place indeed was underground. It indeed was a laboratory, a massive one. And the experiment-


    ''I''m a guinea pig.''


    Was her.


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    / / / / / /


    The sun was bright, shining down on the land below through the almost empty sky, save for a few clouds. Wind blew across the pastures of verdant grass, the blades swaying against the calm breeze like a wave in an open ocean. Meanwhile, a small flock of sheep with thick gray wool were carelessly grazing the fields. In the center of the fields was a small barn where the sheep would usually go to feed, and it was mostly covered in hay bales and well guarded with strong wooden fences. It was also where the sheep were usually having their coats managed. One of the sheep, the youngest, was having it''s thick coat of wool clipped by a small scaled boy, struggling to hold the large hand shears in both hands. The process was slow, but with enough focus and a bit of effort, the young lad barely manages to clip the wool little by little.


    Not too far away, his mother watches as she herself clips the sheep with ease. She laughs softly and finishes up with gathering the wool from her sheep, and walks over to her son. "You''re holding it wrong, boy." she says, putting down the basket filled with wool and crouches down with him. With a trained hand she gently places her hands over his, , positioning them better on the shears. Then she positioned his arms in the right angle, and held the lamb steady. With one precise stroke, she helped the boy cut the wool perfectly. And thus, they cut some more, until they perfectly groomed the young lamb. "There we go now. When clipping, always make sure that your hands are holding it tightly, so that you don''t slip. And to not hurt yourself. Am I clear, L¨¢idir Iarlaith?" said Caoimhe, patting the boy''s head.


    L¨¢idir Iarlaith, a little boy aged seven years, smiled as his mother doted on him. "I know, Mama." he said, his soft voice barely escaping his tiny jaw. She too smiled, warmly looking down on her son. With a sigh, she removed her hand from his head and took the wool they had cut, and put it in the willow basket. Then, she picked it up, and looked at him and pointed over to the direction of the garden. "Go and bring me carrots,a leek and a cabbage. Make sure there isn''t pests at all when you do, alright?" she said, and went back to their small cottage. He nodded, and with his tiny legs ran as fast as he could to the garden.


    Their garden was humble yet diverse. Due to his mother''s proficient travelling skills with her wings in the past, she was capable of producing vegetables and crop that most others in the village did not possess. From ripe red tomatoes and sturdy potatoes, to the standard orange carrots, leafy cabbages and leeks and onions. In the center of it all was a well, which was connected to a fresh water source, unlikely to ever dry out. L¨¢idir Iarlaith picked up a nearby basket, and began to slowly pick the vegetables. Having been around his mother many times while she was tending to the garden, he was taught how to tell between ripe carrots and unripe carrots, the same as for the rest. When picking for carrots, he would look at which had their ''heads'', as he liked to call them, peeking out. Those would be ready for harvest. With this knowledge in hand, he managed to find at least two carrots that were ready. Pulling them out was the tricky part of the equation however, as that required finesse and technique. Luckily, his mother made sure to teach him how to do this right.


    He dug around the dirt surrounding the carrots, and slowly began pulling them out. It took a short while, but he was able to successfully pull them out with no damage to the carrots themselves, albeit one being slightly bent. "Sorry Mr. Carrot, I''ll do better next time." he said with a saddened face, and put them carefully down in the basket. As for the leek and cabbage, they had similar ways of harvest. He did unto the leek as he did with the carrots, and with the cabbage he cut around the stem of it with a small knife his mother gave him specifically for farming. The boy put all the vegetables into one basket and walked back to the house.


    Their home was a small yet hospitable place built with fine stone walls that were properly chiseled, and an oak roof that never gave way to weather. The path that led to it was surrounded by a small garden of flowers, matching well with the diverse pieces of rock and stone that were put into it. They led to a door that was simple, but welcoming, made out of strong birch. He stood before the door, and put down the basket he held, and jumped up to reach the handle and pull it down, opening the door. Inside was their humble abode, filled with many decorations made by the various items L¨¢idir Iarlaith had picked up in the forest. Aside from that was a modest living room with only two chairs made out of oak and had soft bedding on their seats, next to them was a table with three stubby legs, years of use left a mark on it that gave it real charm. Behind these chairs were two windows with glass panes connected to birch frames, their hinges being relatively free in movement. In between these windows was a bookshelf, filled with all kinds of literature Caoimhe found in the past and collected, most of which she reads to him. His favorites were the poems and the history scrolls. He wished he could read them all, but there was a special collection of books and scrolls on the top of the shelf she strictly told him were forbidden.


    Besides the living room, the other rooms in the house were the two bedrooms, Caoimhe''s and his, and the kitchen. He waddled over to the kitchen, and saw his mother preparing a steel pot for supper. She saw him enter and smiled. "You were quick lad. Sooner or later you''ll be able to live on your own." she said and ruffled her son''s hair, and taking the basket from him. She set it down on the table beside her and looked down at him. "Go play with yourself while I fix for supper, alright?" Caoimhe said softly and started sharpening her knife. The little boy however stood there curiously watching her. Seeing this she chuckled and gestured over to a stool. "Alright, if you want to join your mother making supper, pick up the stool and watch closely."


    He smiled brightly and quickly ran over to the stool and carried it over, and without a moment''s notice stood up on it. His tiny tail swayed slightly to help keep balance on the stool. She smiled at her little boy''s excitement and started by preparing the pot filled with water. L¨¢idir Iarlaith watched his mother took a deep breath, her chest starting to glow a bright orange, slowly rising up to her throat, and finally released as a focused breath of fire under the pot. The water inside it began to boil as the heat grew. Sensing that she reached a high enough temperature, she slowly stopped breathing fire. She then took out some of the carrots, and began to dice them with her knife. Her movements were sharp and precise, years of experience behind every slice. The same was done for the leek and cabbage, perfectly cut up and sliced, and then put into the boiling pot.


    As Caoimhe finished up the cutting, she stirred the pot, slowly putting in some of the other herbs and salts she had stored in her cupboards. Slowly the enticing aroma of the mixed vegetables and spices began to fill the room. She took a steaming spoonful of the stew she had created and blew on it gently, before holding it down for her boy to taste. He curiously sipped the stew and hummed in delight. "It''s delicious Mama." he said looking up at his mother. "Splendid then. Go set up the table and bring yourself a bowl now, boy" she replied to him with a smile, and hummed as she cleaned up her work. Feeling his stomach rumbling, L¨¢idir Iarlaith does as he''s told and starts setting the table, slowly and carefully putting the bowls and spoons down. He sits and waits for his mother to finish, excited to finally eat up.


    Caoimhe sung a melody quietly as she finished up and brought over the pot of stew. Her voice was serene, not quite professional or trained, but it was calming and gentle. She poured the stew down into their bowls and placed leftover bread. They would surely need to get more later afternoon, but for now it was enough. She sat down next to him, and before they started eating she held onto his hand gently and looked at him. "Now boy, what do we say to God before we eat?" she asked. The boy thought for a bit before answering back clearly. "We thank him...for blessing our food, and for watching over us."


    She nodded at his words and rubbed her thumb over his tiny hand. "Yes. However, there''s more to it, L¨¢idir Iarlaith. We thank him so that we show that our hearts are pure, and haven''t been corrupted by the folly and greed of man. There would be no world left to live in for everyone, if the only thing that mattered was self preservervation." Caoimhe said, her words tainted with the hardship of the past. L¨¢idir Iarlaith looked up to his mother, in awe of her words. The boy was still figuring out how the world works, thus his mind wasn''t quite capable of fully understanding the depth of what she said. However, he did recognise the meaning. There was simply something plaguing his mind. "Mama...? Why did God make me...work wrong?" he said, hesitating slightly as he looked down, his clothes barely covering up the apparatus attached to his body, constantly working, lest the consequences manifest.


    His mother frowned at her son''s words, immediately recognising what had illed his thoughts, but refused to let it through. "Stop with such nonsense, a mhuirn¨ªn. You aren''t disfunctional. You''re here with me, breathing and eating like everyone does, are you not?" she said, smiling at him and rustling through his hair with her hand. He laughed and squirmed under her touch. For a moment she paused and looked at her boy seriously. "You''re my son, alright? I don''t want you hear speaking ill of yourself, much less to blame it on God," she paused, and looked down at him softly. "You''re the only thing I have left, a dhr¨¢ga¨ªn bheag. I will never let anything happen to you, understand?"


    The little drakonid nodded at her mother. Satisfied, she turned her attention to her bowl. They began to eat, leaving the earlier conversation to the past. After all, today had still a long ways to go.

 House Of God

    L¨¢idr Iarlaith and his mother were carrying baskets full of wool and walked through the village. He looked around the village, in the same way a. The Blue-Winged tribe lived a modest life in the fields of Brionnica, easily shown off by the homes made out of old oak wood and cobblestone with little to no other decorations. Despite this, the drakonids living here were anything but, with their large statures, men and women included. The stone path connecting each house and leading to the center of the village was busy, with the huffs and chants of men carrying boars and fish from their hunts, or the farmers with their crop. He could hear the laughter and banter of children playing, excitedly running and flying around, swishing through the air as they compete with one another.


    He paused, watching them soar in the air without a care in the world. The thought of joining them ached his mind, but alas, looking at his arms and seeing his lacking characteristics. With no wings, he could only watch them as would a chicken envy the crow. Not to mention that the difference in size was so staggering he could never keep up even if he did have wings. Compared to the other children, the little boy was two heads smaller. His head dropped slightly as his doubts started to bubble inside the crevaces of his mind, and he could hear the voices cursing his name. However, he snapped out of it the moment his mother placed her hand on his head and gently ruffled his hair, her hand feeling warm. "Pay them no thought at all, a mhuirn¨ªn. You are fine as you are. Now we musn''t dawdle, prayer starts in an hour." Caoimhe said and took the basket of wool and positioned it atop hers with a huff. She took his hand and led her son further down the village, to the market.


    The marketplace was bustling with work, the aroma of freshly cut meat and ripe fruit leading customers to quickly made wooden stalls, whilst the ringing from metal being sharpened and the splintering from wood being carved echo throughout the busy market. Due to the close proximity of the village with the main capital many outsiders, such as humans, elves, even dwarves and gnomes, set up shop here, offering the drakonid tribe wares they otherwise would not have access to. They would also buy off directly any crops or cattle for a better price than in the capital. For this reason his mother takes the wool they clipped from their sheep and sells them here, in particular to a special shop. It was one of the few stalls to have a sign for it''s name, that being "The Roundabout Merchant" with a slogan underneath saying "Our wares go round the world!", and it was quite well polished in terms of stalls. There wasn''t a speck of dust to be seen on the counter or the shelves, especially the wares. It was a testament to the dedication the saleman went through to ensure he could attract customers. The person behind it was a well known trader, going by the name of Wilhelm Cox. Seemingly as if he knew they would come again, he turned and looked at them.


    "Oh? Why if it isn''t my favorite customers! How are you this on this fine day, my dear Caoimhe?" he said with a charming and clear voice, greeting her with a bow. Wilhelm was a portly man with a wide shining grin, and a stylish red wool jacket and fine black breeches that were well suited for his size. His hair reached his shoulder and it was prim and proper, while also carrying a hint of a lavender perfume. The man was the embodiment of what it meant to be a salesman and always put on his best act every time he took a step outside. She . "It is going about as well as every other day, Mr. Cox. How are you doing yourself?" she replied, while the young boy responded with a small ''hello''. The portly man nodded and chuckled softly to himself. "I am doing splendid, my dear, even more so now that you have come! And hello to you too, L¨¢idr Iarlaith. How shall I be of service to you today?" he asked with a gentle tone.


    "Aye, ten ells of wool for sale" she said and with a resounding thud set down on his counter the baskets filled with wool. Intrigued, Mr. Cox inspected the wool, rubbing the woven cloth between his fingers. L¨¢idr Iarlaith watched this silent interaction curiously, not knowing exactly what the portly man would say. After nearly two minutes of inspection, he smiled widely and laughed joyously. "Splendid work! I swear, whatever it is that blessed your hands, thank them for me." Wilhelm said overjoyed as he carefully placed the cloth back into the basket. "You flatter me, Mr. Cox, I simply do as my mam¨® taught me when I was a lass." Caoimhe replied, trying to be humble. However the merchant would disagree, shaking his head, and even being genuine. "Nonsense my dear! In my time as a merchant, your weaving skills have definitely most impressed me. As a matter of fact, I''d go as far to say this is your best yet!"


    The young drakonid listening to the conversation would silently agree, nodding his head. He remembered well how after their supper she had taken to the wool, and first thoroughly prepared a pot with water outside. With her fiery breath, she boiled the water, and put the wool inside, and added soap she had made from lye and plant oil. Her hands scrubbed every inch of the wool making sure that the grime and dirt were fully gone. Every so often she would leave it be, then come back to do it once more, fulling the wool properly. She did it many times despite her breathing being laboured, because as she once put it, ''If you want a good life, you don''t let God do the work for you, you do it yourself'', thus she never did anything halfbaked. After an entire hour of thoroughly washing the pile of wool, she proceeded to rinse, leaving it to rest on a rack in the sun.


    When the wool was finally dry Caoimhe would beat it with a stick to make sure no filth was left. Satisfied with her work, she combed it and thoroughly separated the fibers. Meanwhile, her little boy was by her side studying everything she did with a look of awe. It always put a smile on her face seeing her son enamored by the work she did. Once every last fiber was separated, did the time come for her to spin it into fine yarn. With an old spindle she had since she was a child she would make fine threads, her lips pursing as her hands carefully spun the delicate fiber. While this was going on she asked the little drakonid to prepare the warp thread for the loom, to ensure that time wouldn''t be wasted. Not wanting to let his mother down, young L¨¢idr Iarlaith did just what she asked and prepared the threads, albeit with some difficulty. Nonetheless she felt proud knowing her boy was working hard.


    Finally finished with spinning the threads together in a yarn, and the little drakonid with the warp threads, the time came for it to be woven into a fine cloth. The loom she used was the very same one her grandmother used long ago, when she was the same age as her son. This was a testament to it''s quality, as it remained not only functional but reliable. She had woven so many times in her life, that every step she did, the calculation of the slack to prevent any unevened edges, weaving the yarn into bobbins and placing them into shuttles, to the timing of her foot on the treadle to pull the harness and pass the shuttles she had made through the openings in the warp threads. All of it was done with love, as she slowly moved her hand with the loom, her eyes constantly focused on the exact fiber she weaved. However, her favorite part of the process, was when she would tie the knots for the fringes, as then she would take the time and notice truly all that she had done till that point.


    Thus, Wilhelm Cox''s praise wasn''t for the sake of flattery, but true admiration for her work. Caoimhe wasn''t fond of praise due to her humble nature, but even so she could only sigh and accept it. "Alright, alright, I understand, Mr. Cox. It''s alright with you we simply go to price?" she asks, trying to get back on track. The merchant nods and ponders about the price. "Yes, given the quality of the work...I will give you a hundred brillings for it." he said with a snap of his fingers and an air of confidence in his calculations. She was slightly surprised and shook her head. "One hundred brillings? That''s twenty more than what you gave me for last time, Mr. Cox. I simply cannot-" she protested, but he interrupted, waving his hand. "Yes, and this batch is at one ell longer than before, and the quality begs for it. Believe me my dear, six brillings worth of difference won''t ruin me, especially given that I will sell this batch to a high paying customer." he said laughing confidently and already imagining the profits to be made.


    Caoimhe couldn''t help but laugh as well, giving into the charismatic merchant''s attitude. "Well, you are the professional here, I won''t argue with your decision." she said with a sigh and handed over the baskets of cloth. He happily accepted them and took out his satchel and carefully took out a hundred brillings, and put them into a coin purse. He then took her hand and placed the bag gently on top. "My pleasure doing business with you, my dear." he said with a smile. She graciously took it and bowed her head in gratitude. "The pleasure was mine as well, Mr. Cox." she said, and the young boy next to her also bowed. "Thank you sir!" he said with a soft voice, making the older merchant laugh. "No need to thank me, my boy. It''s my job after all! Good day to you two, my dear Caoimhe." the portly merchant said, and bowed.


    The pair waved at him as they walked away, and continued their way down to the village center. It wasn''t too far away from the market, only a few houses away. In the middle of the entire village were all the official buildings, such as town hall, the church, the Guild House, and the house of the Blue-Winged chieftain. All of these buildings were far more elegant and used higher quality wood, due to the importance they held. Especially the church, built under the direct orders of the King himself, with the roof being made out of a fine and sturdy tree imported from the country of the fae, it was sure to withstand the passage of time with centuries to come. The walls were made out of a sturdy rock, sculpted to near perfection whilst having elaborate patterns. What most stood out, was the steeple, colossal to young L¨¢idr Iarlaith''s eyes. It had an imposing spire, tall and sturdy, with a statue of an apostle carrying a sword and shield, being the guardian of this temple. Besides the spire, the window in the middle of the steeple was wide and round, and was made out of stained glass, depicting the avatar of God as a shining light bringing down radiance to the world, in the form of apostles. At least that is what Caoimhe told the young boy when he asked long ago.


    They carried onto the entrance of the church, with two marble pillars holding up the roof of the narthex, and before them were the doors, wooden, tall, and wide. As they approached it, Caoimhe started to bless herself, a ritual of celebrating the avatar of their God, by putting two fingers on her lips, tracing a circle in the air, while pressing the tips on her forehead, shoulders and her abdomen as she moved her hand. L¨¢idr Iarlaith however could only clumsily replicate the motions, which did put a smile on Caoimhe''s face. As they were about to enter the church, the doors opened, and out came a mountain of a man. He was so tall that he had to lower his head as to not hit the doorframe as he was exiting. He was covered in scars, and wore a rough and worn out leather tunic that could barely fit his large body. His wings were damaged, making them useless for flight. His hair was wild and short, while the beard on his chin was far more pronounced and strong. Alongside the scars on his face were his blank and cold black eyes, showing full and well what he went through. His tail was incredibly muscular, and wrapped around his abdomen tight.


    This old drakonid was known in the village as Ceart Dearth¨¢ir. Even by drakonid standards, he was enormous, standing taller than even the tallest by a full head. For the young boy before him, he was the epitome of a drakonid man. However, most would avoid his path, as they deemed him ''dangerous'' and because of his past. To the drakonid mother and her son however, he was an aquaintance they would often meet when visiting the church. "Ah, Ceart Dearth¨¢ir, good to see you here at the church. What have you been up to?" said Caoimhe, holding her boy close as he looked up in awe at the man. He looked down at them and let out a small huff of smoke, which was his way of greeting. "Gave my share to the friar," the old man said, his voice deeper than a bull and gravelly, but also commanding. He paused and looked more at the boy, and the boy looked back, slightly nervous, and hid behind his mother. The large drakonid slowly crouched down, grunting a bit as he met the young boy at the same level. "You listening to your mother, boy?" he asked, a tiny bit softer than before. The young boy met his gaze and slowly peeked out, and nodded. Satisfied by his answer, the hardened man nodded back, and pat his head. "Good, continue doing so," he said with a slight melancholy to his voice, before standing back up, and looking back at the mother. "...Take care of yourselves, Ma''am."


    She would respond with a smile. "Thank you. You need help at all, you''re always welcome at our home." she said gratefully. He however would simply nod, and walk past them, with the same blank expression. Before he could leave, however, he felt a tug on his hand and saw the young kid holding his hand jumping up and down. The old man huffs and crouches down to the boy''s level, curious at what the little lad wants. "What is it, lad?" he asked with a patient look. The young drakonid was quiet for a bit, before taking out a single silver brilling, and holding it out for him. Ceart Dearth¨¢ir was confused and scratched his head as he saw the coin. "...Are you giving me this?" he asked, not quite understanding the gesture. The boy nodded and smiled brightly. "Mama and I wanted to give you a coin. Thank you for everything!" he said happily. The old man was speechless, and looked behind the boy at Caoimhe. She however would only nod and smile back. In a moment of silence, many thoughts went through his head. In the end, he could only let out a short laugh, and patted the boy''s head. "There''s nothing to thank me for, boy. I only do what I''m supposed to. You keep that shiny silver for yerself, get something good for yer Ma, alright?" he said with a small smile.


    The little lad chuckled softly, and nodded, putting back the silver in his pocket. With that, the old man stood back up, nodded at them both, and turned around to walk away, now with less darkness in his eyes. Seeing the old man walk away, the pair prepared and finally entered the church, the doors opening wide. Inside the church was where the village''s architecture of highest quality. The floor was made out of pure marble, not a speck of dirt to be seen. Along the walls were sculptures of apostles and saints famous to the believers, whilst also being decorated with icons of historical events from the beginning of the world, to wars, to the current day. Furniture such as the benches, chandaliers and many more were placed meticulously, with the items themselves being made out of the finest wood and glass. At the center of it all was the alter, and around it the chancel where the choir stood singing gospels, and beside them a woman playing the pipe organ.


    This was the church of St. Aurelio, a man somewhat unknown to L¨¢idr Iarlaith, but he did know the importance his existence had. All he knew really was that the man had been integral in helping the drakonids centuries ago, and brought them closer to God. Not every drakonid had been a practitioner of this faith, however even still, the church was mostly full, with many visiting the alter and leaving a contribution before praying, and others sitting down at the benches. His mother lead him through the middle, down the nave, where at the end beside the alter stood the local friar. Unlike the tribe, he was a normal human. With a gentle look in his wrinkled face and grey hairs atop his head, he was the kind old man the village would respect as one of their own. His attire was humble, black cloth that draped down his body comfortably. Father Michael, his name was, saw the pair approaching, and smiled as he faced them.


    "Ah, Miss Caoimhe, so good to see you joining us today." he said, his voice soft and wise. The drakonid woman smiled back at him. "Don''t worry, Father Michael, we wouldn''t miss prayer," she said, and took out five of the silver coins in her pouch, and put them on the altar. The altar itself was a fine wooden structure, with many silver and copper coins laid on top of it as offerings, and beside the coins were the icons of St. Aureolio and two other apostles. By offering the coins to the altar, the believers pay respects whilst also donating for other causes, such as funding the orphanage in the main capital. Caoimhe of course, amongst all of the believers is the most dedicated to this, always sparing a few brillings everytime she went to pray. The friar knew this and this was exactly why they were in good relations with one another. "The church is grateful to your contributions, Miss Caoimhe. Now, the sermon is starting soon, so do get seated." said the friar, with a smile as he lead them to one of the seats.


    After getting seated, Father Michael went back up to the altar, and everyone went quiet. He cleared his throat, and with a wave of his hand motioned for the woman to play an introduction for the sermons. She nodded and began playing a slow melody, a quiet hum coming from the pipes. The choir would join aswell, with the soprano''s taking a small lead. The friar then turned to the people in the church. He spoke with a clear cadence, and conviction in his heart. "My brothers and sisters in God, we are gathered here joined by our faith in the one God. Just as the saint had brought the word of light to your people once ago, so too am I bestowed the honor of being the caretaker of this house of God."


    As he continued the sermon, the music followed his words, now slowly rising higher, a much louder, yet still gentle hum. The choir too followed this, with the mezzo soprano''s taking the lead now. The priest continued, as he looked at the people, with a slight sullen face. "As we all know, today is the day of the terrible tragedy that happened to this tribe, two years ago when six of our children were stolen from us, three lost forever..." he paused, and let a moment of silence fall in the church, only the low tones of the Alto in the choir and organs being heard. The people were still to this day shaken by the incident long ago, one of the mothers of the lost children crying quietly. And for L¨¢idr Iarlaith and his mother in particular, that day still settled deeply within their mind. Especially the little boy.


    After the moment, the friar brought his hands up, and began speaking with a higher tone, to raise their spirits. "I know very well the pain you go through, and it is incomprehensible to begin understanding. However, as St. Aurelio once asked of the lord when requesting help for the people; ''Prithee, my lord, for the sake of your children, give me the strength to withstand loss and pain, so I do not succumb to darkness.'' Thus, I ask of you to join me in prayer, and seek strength in God and our brothers and sisters, so that we may continue to a new tomorrow."


    With that, he started praying, and the people joined him. The young boy however, always had trouble. Not surprising, considering the many eyes he could feel staring into his very soul, as if trying to burn it with their gaze. He looked around, and saw every so often one of them glancing at him, with utter disgust. If he focused clearly, he could even hear gossip.


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    "There is the devil child yet again..." an old drakonid woman would say.


    "How dare Caoimhe bring that cursed creature to this holy ground?!" a hysterical mother would reply.


    "To think that our kids would perish, yet that freak''s allowed to live...Tch!" said a young male drakonid, barely an adult.


    The boy of course, hearing this, began to shudder slightly. His fears, his doubts, his failure of a body, they would all resurface, and mix together as the prayer continued. This ridicule and hatred began not long after the tragedy, but the young drakonid knew it was always there. Back at home, there was only himself and his mother. So naturally, seeing as in drakonid culture that family is sacred, the lack of a father alongside his differences compared to other drakonids, made him the target of their bigotry. The prayer slowly got to the end, and before the boy could sigh in relief knowing they''d leave soon, he heard one last remark, calm but vile words filling the room.


    "If only the bastard died instead of them."


    This was heard by everyone in the church, even Father Michael, shock clear on his face. The man who said it, was a father of one of the children who died. Cormac, his name was, laid back in his seat, not caring at the eyes set on him, only hatred in his own as he looked at the boy. After all, he said only what everyone was thinking, but hadn''t the guts to say it. However, his words reached Caoimhe as well who for the first time in a while, stood up in anger and glared back at the man, her hair rising up. The two looked at each other, silently exchanging their thoughts as if they were in war. Meanwhile, the little boy was getting scared for his mother, and tugged at her dress. "Mama..." he softly cooed. With a sigh she looked down at him, now with a smile, albeit strained. "Everything''s alright boy, don''t worry none," she said, pausing before turning to the friar. "Apologies, Father, but we''ll be taking our leave now."


    The man of God was speechless, but after calming down he nodded. "Y-Yes, that''s quite alright. Take care you two." he said stuttering. In response, the mother bowed and took her son''s hand, and walked out of the church, while also giving Cormac the side glance. After that, the church was still quiet. The friar looked at the man who had created this atmosphere, and shook his head in disapproval. "How could you say that? He''s but a child Cormac!" he said with a defeated tone. The man in question simply scoffed, his tail beating against the ground in dismissal. "So were the others priest. So were they." he huffed and stood up, walking away with his leather boots ringing loudly against the marble.


    Outside, the pair were walking quickly through the village, Caoimhe practically pulling the boy along. He rarely saw this side of her, and every time he did, it was because of something relating to him. The little boy felt guilty for his mother always having to deal with comments such as those regarding him. Before his thoughts could continue to wander the dark path they were on, they came to a stop, away from the village enough for them to be alone. His mother was breathing heavily, her body shaking. He didn''t know how to help her, only being able to pull her hand and softly calling out to her. "Mama? Are you okay?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Luckily, this was enough to snap her out of her delirium. Now calmed, she let out a long sigh. She turned around and looked at him now with a much less strained smile, and crouched down to his level. "Everything''s well with me, a mhuirn¨ªn. Don''t worry about what others have to say, alright?" she asked, while caressing his cheek. The little boy closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, now also much more calm. "Okay...I love you Mama." he said, and hugged her as best as he could. The two embraced each other, with Caoimhe resting her head on his, holding him close to her chest. She gently rubbed her son''s back, whilst humming a small tune.


    After a minute of comforting one another, she tenderly kissed his forehead. Pulling back, she held his face between her hands. "Listen carefully, L¨¢idr Iarlaith. Ye of sound mind and morals mustn''t falter when faced with horror, lest ye be eaten by the beasts. So never let the thoughts of others determine you. You are to be a great man one day, I can''t have you thinking otherwise, you hear?" she said, her teasing voice breaking the ice. The boy nodded and smiled, sniffling slightly. Smiling back, she continued. "Alright. Now let''s go visit uncle Alfarr and Dagny." she said. This got the boy excited and he agreed. With that, the pair moved along, leaving the past encounter right where it should be. In the past.


    ///////////


    In the depths of her mind, she could feel something stirring inside. A memory. She couldn''t quite see it clearly, but something about it felt right to her. It felt comforting. The more she tried to focus, the more she saw. Around her she saw what felt like was her room, and beside her, sitting on the bed was a boy, around fourteen. He seemed like the average boy, short black hair, pale skin and skinny stature. However, something about his soft awkward smile seemed to resonate with her. As if he was important to her. Reaching out, her hand placed over his own. He seemed surprised, and looked at her with a blushing face. This warmed her heart, for reasons remaining unknown. Her heart was beating fast, as she slowly leaned in towards him. The boy did the same. She closed her eyes, in preparation for the kiss.


    However, she would never come to feel it for a loud buzz would wake her up. Opening her eyes, and seeing before her a stone path surrounded by narrow walls, she would be reminded of her situation. ''Dammit, back to reality...'' Mellua thought, groaning in her mind, while only a growl escaped her body. Rising to her feet was a slight difficulty, which she thought to be the result of the weird song the female scientist used on her. ''Ugh, it''s like that weird...bat woman spun me around like a rag doll.'' she thought all the while stretching her body. She arched her spine, her chest low to the ground and her front paws close together as her hind legs pulled back. This was oddly satisfying for her, as her body began feeling a lot less stiff and she let out a hum of relief. Making sure her body was well adjusted, she started walking around. Her legs were still slightly awkward to move in synchronised fashion, wobbling slightly side to side. Eventually, because they were dexterous enough, she managed to find a good rhythm. Her left side moved at the same time, then her right side would follow after. When running, her frontal legs were slower and decided the direction she moved, while her hind legs moved faster. With her legs sorted out, she looked back at her tail, and tried moving it from side to side. The bladed lengthy appendage seemed to follow her commands well, as it swayed side to side. Lastly, she stood up on her hind legs to see her full range of movement. Her hind legs were strong, however while standing her frontal legs simply hanged awkwardly up.


    Now that she was more in tune with her body, she dropped back down on all fours, and perceived her surroundings. Aside from the pathway in front of her ending in with two choices, there was nothing that stood out. There was a lack of light source along the walls, and as she looked up, she saw that there was nothing covering the path above her. She saw bright lights coming from the very high ceiling of this facility, and a metal platform just below it.


    On said platform stood a row of scientists, looking down at her, and most likely other experiments. Squinting her eyes, she could just barely make out the three who had brought her here. ''Tch, these guys had enough technology to make modern light but didn''t spare pocket change to make sterile environments. And they''re just watching me, waiting for what I''ll do?!'' She cursed in her mind, gritting her fangs hard. Despite this, she didn''t know what to do. She pondered whether or not following their rules and simply going through the path was the best option, but this didn''t sit well with her. Then, a thought came to her. They couldn''t possibly reach her from that height, and she was closed off. What if she simply stood there and didn''t move? Defiance filling her, she laughed in her mind with a smug tone. ''Hah, if you sorry excuses for researchers want me to be a lab rat, then you got another thing coming!'' she declared with a high pitched squeak.


    Not moving for an entire minute or two, she looked up at them and tried to gage their reactions. Surprisingly, they seemed to actually discuss, at least she thought they were, given how far away they were. She noticed one of them gesturing to a direction, and as she tried to follow to whom, she noticed on the other side from what little she could see a sort of control station, manned by three other strange humanoids. One of them pulled a lever, and as they did, she felt the ground beneath her slightly move. ''What in the...Oh crap!'' she realised, just in time as the ground beneath her opened up. With her quick thinking and albeit still clumsy movements she leaps towards the edge, and tries to hold on. Her claws, still weak and undeveloped slip many times, and as she is about to fall, she tries a last resort and stabs her tail into the wall. Strangely enough, the move was so strong it made a crack in the wall. As she hung there, she let out a silent sigh, and looked down to where she was supposed to fall. All that was there were many rows of spikes, and what appeared to be some blood stains. ''Christ! These pieces of shit tried to kill me!'' she thought and huffed out in anger.


    Realising now that they intend for her to fully finish the experiment, lest she dies due to her defiance, she slowly claws her way back up. As she collapses on the ground in exhaustion, the hole closes up, and she looks back up at the scientists. They seemed to have curious expressions on their face, albeit not impressed. This had angered her further and she found the strength to stand back up on her four legs. ''If they want me to put on a show, then I''ll give ''em one!'' she growled as she moved along the path, her paws clicking against the stone. Reaching the two paths, she takes her time to investigate each one carefully. The one on the left and the one on the right were frustratingly the same, ending with a turn. Worst part is that even her new sense of smell couldn''t pick up anything, despite definitely being heightened.


    Knowing she had to keep moving and not stall, she decides to use an old trick. She picked the right side, and stuck close to the wall, slowly navigating it in case of any traps. This was more of a superstition rather than a technique, however by picking the right side of the wall, she could simply continuously hug the edge and move alongside it, and never get lost. Hopefully it might work. Keeping her wits sharp, she stays focused. Finally reaching the turn, she peaks around the wall. Seeing that it led to another empty hallway, she decided to follow along the beaten path. The path further on then led to another path leading to the right, which had led to another fork in the road. Following the one on the right would lead to a dead end, much to her annoyance, but nonetheless she continued along the right wall. She looked back up at the scientists, curious on their reactions. They seemed to be more intrigued, looking down at her with expectations. ''Yeah yeah, just watch me.'' she scoffed internally and simply continued on ahead.


    The journey ahead was rather uneventful. Only thing the scaled quadruped was encountering were dead ends and empty hallways that lead to more dead ends. Not even any traps to deter her path. She grew restless at the lack of...anything. Just what kind of experiment was this? Why would they have her go through a labyrinth with not a single test? The strangest thing was there was no enticement other than the threat of death. No rewards, no lures, nothing. They acted as if she wasn''t an animal, as if they knew she was capable of sentient thought. What kind of creature was she that made them so strangely wary for dealing with? Whatever the answer was, she couldn''t make heads or tails, thus she simply kept moving.


    Making another corner, she expected just another empty hallway. However, she immediately stopped as she saw what lied ahead at the end. A statue, made out of what seemed to be limestone and marble. It was a gargoyle, sitting atop a pillar, with it''s mouth wide open and looking straight ahead with it''s soulless eyes. It''s wings were curled up and otherwise, seemed like a regular old gargoyle she had seen long ago on buildings. Here, it seemed off. Gargoyles represented an intimidation factor, a sort of deterrence to keep intruders away. ''So that means this route is the right track...finally somekind of reassurance.'' she mused, and slowly moved along the path. Mellua couldn''t afford to be careless while facing an unknown threat. Her steps were careful and steady, her eyes taking in the environment, while her nose sniffed every inch. Eventually, her paw stepped on a piece of stone that gave way, pushing down slightly with a click. ''There it is!'' she thought and her body buckled as she waited for the trap.


    But for some reason, nothing came. She looked around confused, and even lifted her foot up off the pressure plate to see if it was based around that. Yet nothing happened. ''Huh...Guess their work is faulty. So much for that.'' she thought and laughed in her mind at the spectacle. Just as she started to walk again, however, she noticed something odd at the base of the gargoyle''s mouth. A light appearing. And growing. Growing more bright. She squinted a bit, not quite sure what''s going on. ''Is that...some sort of torch indicating a puzzle? No...it wouldn''t be growing.'' she pondered, her guard raised. The bright light began to form a sphere of fire. And before she could react, it shot towards her at an incredible speed, cracking through the air. She could barely manage out a panicking squeak before she jumped out of the way, barely missing the fireball. The fireball hit the ground where she was before, making a devastating blast that boomed through the hallway, with the shockwave throwing her through the air.


    Groaning, she looked up behind her, seeing the charred walls with fire still covering the stone. She was breathing heavily, panic setingt in. Noticing she was relatively okay, she tried to calm down. Until she heard another click. She opened her eyes and saw that her paw stepped on another pressured stone. Looking up, she noticed the gargoyle''s mouth lighting up. ''Oh no, no, fuck!'' she panicked in her mind, realising what''s about to happen. She galloped across the path, her legs moving faster than a horse and her paws booming as they hit the stone beneath her. Again, the flaming ball of doom fired out of the gargoyle''s mouth, and flied straight at her. All she could do was scream in her mind, trying to avoid death, all the while activating other pressured stones. ''Shit, shit, shit!'' was all she could think, barely leaping out of the way, the barrage of fire wooshed past her, blowing up the area behind her. The last of the fireballs was especially close, the fire from it grazing her back and throwing her right at the wall, falling down with a thud.


    Her breath was strained, and all she could feel was searing pain. However, she could tell that she managed to not hit a pressure plate this time. She let out a small sigh in relief in her mind. ''Great...at least I get a breather.'' she mused, and tried to simply relax. Looking back at her back, she could tell that there were burns, probably third degree. Luck was on her side, at least somewhat. Squealing in pain, she tried to get on her feet, her legs failing her as she collapsed. At first, she thought it was hopeless. The gargoyle was still far away, she barely managed to get halfway. She was a goner. There was no way out. Only death. ''...No.'' Mellua thought, and she groaned as she started getting up with her weakened legs. ''I did not get this far, just to let some punks get me with a cheap trick.'' she growled, and with her body shaking she looked up towards the metal platform. She could only imagine what they were thinking, and all she wanted was for a moment to bite their necks off.


    Finally, with a growl of defiance, she stood back up on her four legs, and tried to analyze the situation. ''Alright...the damn thing can shoot fireballs that track my last known location before they''re fired. That''s the only way they could have been so accurate. And it all depends on if I activate the pressure plates...'' she pondered. There seemed to be a delay between the activation of the fireballs and the trigger of the pressured stone. If she had to measure based on the earlier moment, it would probably be around a second. And they only activate after she fully steps on and off the pressured stone. With all this knowledge so far, what could she do? The pressured stone placement was random, no way of telling where the next would be. ''Perhaps...I don''t need to know. I just need to check without setting them off.'' she realised, her mind scrambling with possible answers. She knew that these pressured stone react only to a calibrated mass requirement. Otherwise, anything could set it off. Thus, guessing that her weight was about a similar amount to a large dog, she would have to be around thirty pounds.


    ''In war, they would check for mines by stabbing with a knife. So...'' she looked back at her bladed tail, and laughed in her mind at the convenience. ''Guess you''ll be serving a use once more, my little knife tail.'' she mused, her tail swaying around. Carefully positioning her tail, she lightly banged the sharp tip on the ground, making a clear thud. Satisfied that the coast so far was clear, she moved ahead. Banging the tip again on the one infront, this time, she heared a more hollow thud, as the stone pushed in and made a click. Once more, the fireball began forming from the mouth of the gargoyle. ''Not this time!'' she declared,  as she jumped up on the wall, her claws digging in as much as they could, and immediatly jumping over to the other as the fireball wooshed pass and and blew up at the wall. Relief setting in, she decided to try once more. Now she used less force with her tail while hitting the stone. The next three surrounding stones were in order from left, diagonally and forward; Safe, not safe and not safe, with the not safe stone plates sounding more hollow than the safe one. ''Gotcha! I knew there was a way through!'' finally figuring out the secret, she pressed on. Unbeknownst to her, the scientists up above were looking now with a more impressed expression on their faces.


    After a long way through the path, she made it to the gargoyle. In her mind she laughed triumphantly at the statue, enraged with it despite it''s lack of life. ''Serves you right, you dumb marble idiot!'' she thought. On closer look, she noticed that the gargoyle was quite close to the wall behind it, and in fact, almost the same height. Curiously, she climbed up on it, her paws tapping along the statue. Sitting atop it''s head, she looks over the wall, amazed at what she sees. ''Great...just great.'' is all she could think, upon seeing the massive labyrinth ahead. From what she could see, she was barely a quarter of the way there. She could only see the edges of the walls, so no information could be gathered for the path forward. Her curiousity begging further to be sated, she slowly reached her front paw over the wall, before being stopped by a spike that popped right out of a hole along it. ''Fine, fine, I won''t cheat your experiment'' she scoffed before jumping down from the statue and landing with a graceful thud on her legs. Proudly looking back on the gargoyle for being able to outsmart it, she laughed with a smug feeling.


    ''So long, you ugly statue. It was terrible seeing you!'' Mellua thought and continued to walk away on her legs with her head held high. Then she heard a cracking sound. The cracking of stone. She immediately paused, her senses heightened, and looked behind her. The statue was still there, sitting quietly atop it''s pillar. Despite her fears, nothing seemed to be the issue. For a moment, she felt relief at the gargoyle being just another statue, not some kind of monster that would get up and hurt her.


    And then it''s head turned and looked at her with a smile.

 No Escape Down The Labyrinth

    The stone statue, that should have been completely immobile, was looking straight into her eyes. It''s open mouth had slowly turned into a wicked grin, cracking as it set into place. Mellua couldn''t believe her eyes, the face startling her. Soon, it''s limbs were moving, creaking as it slowly stretched freely. It''s wings unfurled, the stone slowly cracking and spanning wide. The gargoyle dropped down from it''s pillar, making the ground shake, dust rising up and covering the ground. It stood up tall, it''s head easily reaching higher than the wall. Unlike before when faced with the traps of the maze, she was truly surprised. She had never seen something like this, only in some fantasies in her past life yes, but never right in front of her. The massive stone monstrosity before her however couldn''t care less for her panic, and looked down at her the same way a wolf would see a rabbit. It moved forward slowly, every step a loud thud as it shook the ground.


    Despite this thing approaching her, she could not react. Her legs shook, but were unable to move. Stuck as a statue. Thoughts began to bubble up, panic overtaking her. She tried desperately to get back control of her body. ''Come on, work with me dammit!'' she screamed out in her mind, banging her head against her legs out of frustration, trying in vain to get them back to work. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the gargoyle raising it''s arm up high in the air slowly, creaking loudly as it got into position. Fear filled her body, every experience she had, past life and currently, rushing through her as fate was settling in. However, with the last bit of her self preservation, legs still shaking, she stumbled out of the way. Just in time, as the massive arm dropped down on the ground, crushing the stone beneath and causing a small shockwave. It looked up from where it dropped it''s arm and right at her, it''s soulless eyes glowing a bright yellow, piercing through her very soul. It''s grin changed into a frown. Standing up fully, the demonic beast towered over her. The beast, for the first time since it began to move, let out a guttural shriek that echoed through the empty halls of the labyrinth.


    Her breath was uneven, and her entire body was shaking with a primordial dread, as if her mind had almost fully reverted to the basic instincts of the common prey. She managed to get a grip, and her eyes wandered to where the monster had struck. There was only but a crater left behind. Mellua knew for certain that if he caught her, she would be nothing but a fine paste on the stone. Not to mention that it''s skin was as solid as rock, there wasn''t a way for her to harm him. Thus, she had only one conlusion in mind. She turned around, and with all her strength, galloped away down the corridor. Her legs desperately moved faster and faster, her claws clicking against the stone pavement. Her heart was pounding, the adrenaline surging through her bloodstream like a river going down from the mountain. Everything around her was but a blur, as she couldn''t make any mistakes. Behind her she could hear the ground shaking, the thud getting louder and louder.


    Despite her overwhelming unease and terror, Mellua could not prevent her curiousity from taking over, her instinct telling her otherwise, but in vain. Her head jerked behind her, eyes wide open, the stomping monstrosity of stone sprinted like a charging bull. It roared with pure primal wrath while it slowly began to build up speed, arms flailing back and forth. Stone crushing thuds shaking the ground every time the gargoyle would stomp after her. Knowing for a fact that it''s life and death, she looks back upon the path ahead and moves her legs quicker than ever before, desperately even out of synch just so she can escape. However, it ends up being futile. Due to her panic, her claws catch on the edge of a stone, causing her to trip and tumble around on the cold floor.


    Looking up, the beast was getting closer, it''s rage permeating towards her as it locked it''s shining lifeless eyes. Despite her predicament Mellua refused to give up, and tried to think of something whilst getting up. She could run, however unlike the stone monster, her stamina wasn''t unlimited, and she would eventually get tired. Especially with the injuries she suffered earlier, the burn still stinging her back. ''If I run, I''ll get caught and smashed like an egg for an omelette. What do I do? How do I get away? There must be something, SOMETHING that-'' her mind thrashed around for answers, but was interrupted by a sense shooting rapidly from her nervous system. With the feeling coming from around her paws she looked down, her eyes catching a faint string that was being pulled ever so slightly by her paw. Her gaze followed one part of the string, seeing that it was spanning from one side of the wall to the other. ''Tripwire...! I must have missed it when I tripped. Maybe if I-'' her thoughts were interrupted, by the increasing quake of the ground and the loud roar of the beast.


    This was her last chance, and she knew this, her heart pumping incredibly fast, to the point where she could taste the iron in her blood. Strangely, she too felt the taste of something more surreal. She could not pinpoint what it was, but her entire body started to shake, and head pulsated as the otherworldly feeling flowed through her very soul. And then, she felt the world stop, the beast becoming almost static mid air. As if time had slowed down to a halt, her focus intensified tenfold. ''What the...?'' confused, she tried to move her own legs to move, but they too had been slowed down. Only her senses and mind were spared. With the assumption that this wouldn''t last, she needed to work fast. Her mind went back to the tripwire. Noting the tripwire, her mind went over every combination of possible traps, her eyes dilating and her nostrils flaring, not letting any detail go amiss. Following along every nook and cranny of the walls and floor, her nose had picked up a particular scent. It was the scent of coal. It led to a side of the wall not too far from where the tripwire was, her eyes landed on a gap between the wall. Her gaze then instinctively followed back to a few meters before the wire, and surely enough there was another gap. ''I see now.'' she thought to herself, her mind fully clear.


    Suddenly, her sense of time snapped back to normal, with the gargoyle still charging at her, its body moving as before. Knowing that whatever had granted her this slight moment of reprieve was gone, she realised it was now or never. Confident in her deductions of the trap, she took a step back, and waited for an opportunity. The stone monster was getting closer, it''s mouth wide open as it roared. In spite of this, she still waited. ''Just a little more...'' she thought, not wanting to waste the trap just yet. It''s massive frame was towering before her, only a few feet of difference between them. ''Now!'' she squeaked, her tail shooting out from behind her and cutting the string. A moment passed, the demon stopped in it''s tracks, clicking reverberating through the walls. However, nothing had happened. Smug over the failure of the trap, the gargoyle''s mouth changed back into a wicked grin, looming over the small quadruped. Yet she didn''t seem afraid. Annoyed by the lack of fear on the small creature''s expression, the gargoyle roared and raised it''s arm, creaking as it prepared to squash her like a bug.


    That moment would not come, with the walls moving in. The beast could barely react in time as the walls crushing from the sides. Mellua, despite being in the same vicinity, was completely fine, as the beast''s massive body was wide enough and strong enough to stop the walls from completely closing in. ''Should have counted for the delay, you poor excuse of a sculpture.'' she thought with a smug laugh in her mind, before turning around and moving away. ''I would stick around, but I''d rather not be a mash of scales and rocks with you. See ya!'' she thought, squeaking back at the beast and running off. The gargoyle couldn''t move as it was being crushed slowly, only managing out a guttural roar of anger.


    Unlike the squirming beast of stone, the little quadruped was proudly walking away, having tasted victory once again. She looked up, gaging the reactions of her captors. From what she could spy with her eye, they seemed to be looking curiously, and impressed. However, the one in the middle who looked to be the tall red man had not changed expression, like a true researcher watching coldly and calculating. Almost as if the danger hadn''t yet passed. As if on cue, she heard loud creaking and crumbling of stone. Turning around, she saw the gargoyle fighting against the crushing walls. Its skin cracked as it slowly pushed the walls back into place. ''Unbelievable...You just don''t know how to give up do you?'' she scoffed in her mind, but her legs buckled, prepared to make a run for it. The beast locked eyes on Mellua, enraged by the tiny creature''s resillience and rebellion. Its mouth started glowing bright, once more a great ball of fire forming at the center. ''Oh not this again!'' she thought remembering her burns on her back. Without hesitation she galloped down the corridor to escape, not taking any chances.


    The gargoyle however was still building up its attack, the flaming sphere growing much larger in size than before. It let out a guttural shriek, releasing the smoldering boulder of fire down upon the corridor. Its size was impeccable, enough to cover both sides of the hallway and so bright it reached in front of the small quadruped. The blazing ball of doom was rapidly approaching Mellua, she could feel her skin sizzling as it got closer and closer. With a burst of strength she turned the corner and quickly leapt out of the way. The massive fireball collided with the wall, causing an explosion large enough to send her flying. She turned to look, and saw that the area in question was scorched black, almost broken by the power. Besides that, she heard the echo of the stone monster''s cry, accompanied by rapid thuds. It was not over, she knew this. ''...The hunt begins huh? Well let''s see if you can catch me, ya stone freak!''


    Thus continued the chase down the labyrinth, her paws clicking against the stone. Mellua did not give in to fear, despite the situation. No, her mind was focused on one thing. How to lose track of the gargoyle. ''Alright...How do I lose track of a giant rocky idiot? It''s clearly a predator, so it should definitely have higher senses. The three most important are sight, scent and hearing...This is a maze, so sight isn''t useful. Not that it mattered since it can clearly see fine. That leaves scent and hearing.'' she thought to herself as she ran down the corridor. She stopped at a split path, an idea coming to mind. ''...If It relies on scent, then I can try and trick it by going halfway down one path, and then go back to the other. That way it should stop and think.'' she pondered. Hearing the thuds getting closer, she decided to just go along with the plan and left it''s tracks down the right side, before going back down the left path. ''Not falling for the right side bullshit ever again. Stupid superstitions...'' she grumbled in her mind.


    Running along the left path, she continued to keep track on the sound of the beast''s movement. Her ears could still pickup the faint thuds in the distance, not quite what she was expecting. ''It didn''t stop to think, huh? Definitely not by scent then. That leaves sound...but how great is its hearing? I''m pretty far away, and unlike its fat ass, I''m nowhere near as loud. Maybe if I get farther away, I might just-'' she muses, before being interrupted by a sound of a pressured stone. Immediately her focus shifted to her surroundings again, and her eyes locked on the stone plates of the walls moving to reveal holes, through which she saw arrows. ''...Oh crap.'' was all she could think, before the arrows shot out of the holes, flying straight at her with a woosh. In her mind she screamed, a high pitched screech coming out of her mouth, jumping and tumbling around as the arrows wooshed past her and clinked against the stone.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    After the last arrow narrowly missed her she took a small breather. However it wouldn''t last as she heard a crash in the distance, the thuds getting closer. ''So it does hunt by hearing! I guess I can''t just run away...'' she thought. She stopped running, and instead crawled along the ground as quietly as she could, all the while her tail tapped at the ground beneath her. ''Gotta keep my eyes peeled...Can''t let anything catch me off guard, or else the ugly statue''s turning me into sauce. So far, the traps in this damn maze have been straight forward. Step on a plate, it activates something. Trip on a wire, it moves something. I found that while walking throughout this maze that everything''s relatively easy to avoid, I just have to check with my tail and be careful not to step on a wire or plate. I can still hear that damn gargoyle clunking around, even though I should have lost him by now. I keep hearing loud crashes occasionally as I move...Wonder what it''s doing. Probably frustrated it can''t catch me, heh...I just gotta make it through, just gotta reach the end of this shitty-'' she pauses in her thinking, as the moment she crossed a corner, she encountered something that surprised her.


    A snake. A feathery-winged snake with a stylish and variably coloured crest atop its head. She wasn''t alone. Initially, her instincts flared up, thinking this was another problem. However, as she looked upon the serpent, she realised something. It was the other creature the scientists had taken out of the cages alongside her. ''Huh...mixing two different animals together in a maze with traps...what a weird experiment.'' she thought, curiously stepping closer towards this snake. The winged serpent, seeing Mellua approach it, skittishly slithered back, letting out an afraid hiss as it coiled up. This however piqued the knife-tailed quadruped''s curiosity even further, noting that the serpent had noticed her, but moved rather eratically for a snake. ''It''s alright little fella...I won''t hurt you.'' she thought, letting out soft coos as she approached the snake carefully. Surprisingly,the snake seemed to sense her tone, slithering away no more. Getting closer, it too started to glide against the stone towards her. Inches away, they gazed into each other''s eyes. She locked eyes with the snake, and saw strangely enough a human-like innocense in the serpent''s eyes. She wondered about the odd behaviour of the snake. ''It''s...not attacking me or backing away...trusting me...could it be-'' she was interrupted in her thoughts by a loud series of thuds and crushing of stone.


    Her head jerked to the direction of the sound. ''No way...How is he getting closer?'' she thought, but turned her head back to the snake, seeing it shivering and hissing in fear once more. Before she could calm the winged serpent, it coiled up, sprang up into the air and started flying away, flapping its wings desperately. ''Wait! Hold on!'' she thought. She wanted to follow after the snake, but the ground was shaking more and more. ''Damnit! Leaving that for later, now I gotta hide!'' she cursed in her mind, and turned to run. Barely reaching the corner she looked back, the thuds being frighteningly closer. The ground shook and like a raging rhinoceros, the gargoyle charged through the wall headfirst, breaking the massive stone blocks as if they were a poorly made piece of plastic. It paused as it entered through the wall into the now empty corridor, surrounded by a cloud of dust as the stone wall continued to crumble. The force was so great small pieces even reached where she was hiding, which gave her a small fright. ''Jesus...this guy''s built like a freight train...'' she thought, bewildered by the stone beast. As the dust settled, its wings that were curled up around his front unfurled and it looked around. The gargoyle''s rocky skin was cracked, much more than she witnessed before. ''Huh...seems like you''re hurting yourself just to find me. Would be flattering if you didn''t wanna kill me.'' she chuckled in her mind, meanwhile keeping close to the wall and only slightly peeking around the corner.


    The raging monstrosity that was the gargoyle looked around, its shining eyes stalking every inch of the corridor. Mellua continued watching, her suspicion triggering more and more as she wondered about the beast. ''I made sure to make as little noise as possible...it couldn''t possibly have heard my encounter with that snake...besides, it''s not going after the damn snake, despite it flapping away and making noise as well! I don''t get it...'' she pondered. She stepped back ever so slightly to try and keep out of the gargoyle''s vision, her claw making a small, almost imperceptible noise. Yet despite this, the stone demon instantly snapped its head to her direction. Immediately she moved her head back and held her breath. ''How did he hear that?! I barely heard it! It''s almost as if it''s feeling the very vibrations-'' she paused in her thoughts, coming to the realisation. ''What if it is reacting to the exact vibrations? If so, that could explain why it didn''t go after the snake, the sound waves would have been hitting the walls and never reach him...meanwhile my clicking with my tail and paws must have been enough to keep it on my track!''


    Peeking behind the corner once more, she saw the gargoyle slowly making its way towards her, dragging its thick claws on the walls, scraping the stone. She pulled back and tried to think. ''Come on...Gotta be something...'' she pondered, her eyes looking all around her, before stopping on a small rock. It was a piece of the wall that the beast had smashed through earlier. ''I guess it''s worth a shot!'' she thought, carefully picking the small rock up with her jaws. With a few deep breaths, hearing the thuds getting closer, she threw the rock high up in the air, over the other wall. The gargoyle was getting closer, its hand grabbing the edge of the wall where Mellua was hiding. Throughout her body she felt a shiver, as she watched the beast get ever so closer. However, it stopped. The vibrations of the pebble hitting the ground finally reached it, and it turned to face the direction. It growled enraged and got into position, before charging through the wall, seemingly not disturbed. Left behind in its wake was a large dust cloud, its great thuds getting farther and farther away.


    Slowly but surely, the cloud settled down. Her head carefully peaks out, checking if the coast was clear. ''...This is starting to look less like an experiment and more like a circus show. Which means I''m the clown...shit'' she cursed in her mind and sighed. ''...That idiot made a hole in the wall, might as well check it out...'' she said and tried to look through the hole . She saw through the newly made hole in the wall a room. Not a corridor, but a room. However, she couldn''t see exactly everything. ''Guess I have to be careful huh..?'' she let out a deep breath, and carefully moved her paw up. Then, she slowly put it down, making sure not to let her claws touch the stone. She paused. Ten seconds passed. A sigh of great relief. ''Phew...finally something good.'' she internally chuckled and continued to silently crawl towards the hole. Her eyes were peeled wide open for any surprises left behind. Fortunately, her path was unimpeded. Reaching the hole, she pauses. While the gargoyle didn''t care for the rules of the maze, she wondered if she was allowed to cross as well. Hesitating, her leg carefully reached over to the other side, her paw ever so delicately touching the ground.


    One second passes, nothing yet. Two seconds, still nothing. Three seconds...Safe. A soft whimper passed through her mouth, realising that she wasn''t going to die. ''Thank god...finally some good news.''


    Crossing over to the other side, her gaze landed on the interior of this new room. Aside from the crumbling rocks left behind by the beast''s wrath, the room was surprisingly well kept. Like the rest of the labyrinth, it was built out of fine stone blocks, however this stone was of a higher quality. It was also unlike the other parts of the labyrinth as there were many other paths, two on the left, two opposite her. Besides that, at the center was a pool of water, reminding her of roman bathhouses. Steadily stepping over to it, she gazed down into the water.


    She saw a reflection of a strange animal, with what appeared to be darkened scales that were strangely softer than what they seemed. The face consisted of an elongated snout with rigid surface, stiff set of jaws and small nostrils. Staring back at her were two pairs of eyes that were quite fierce, sclera of crimson red that were accompanied with jasper irises, topped off with black pupils. Surrounding the face were a cluster of what seemed to be horns, more like spikes, some short some larger. And at the side were what appeared to be ears, large and in the shape of frills. The creature moved its head around in the reflection, getting a good look at her. Rather, she got a good look of herself. ''So...this is real. It''s not just a weird dream after all.'' Mellua thought. With the conformation she got from looking at her own body in the reflection, she knew that the old life she saw in her memories was all but gone. All that was left was her being stuck in a strange body, bruised and burned, trying to survive traps and a murderous statue behemoth, all the while not knowing if there even was any escape down the labyrinth.


    Looking down at her reflection, seeing the face that looks back at her, she couldn''t believe it was hers. ''Come to think of it...I can barely remember my own face. What did I even look like? How did I sound to people? Heh, maybe this is my real face.'' she laughed in her mind. ''...Why am I even trying? What''s it all for? Just to get shot at by arrows...or crushed to a pulp by walls...or fall down a bottomless pit, just for some sick kind of experiment?'' she mused, thoughts of doubt started clouding her head. Perhaps, it all really is all for naught. Her old life was gone, and this new one was only torture for someone''s amusement. Maybe, just maybe, she should give up. But then...what about the other creatures trapped in cages like her? What about the winged snake she saw? Their interaction was short, but she could tell that it felt different--human.


    She gazed at her reflection. ''...Maybe this is my real face,'' she paused, her mind going back to a previous thought she had. ''...No. This is my face. This is how I look like now. This is my life now. If I don''t accept it...I''m a goner.'' Mellua realises. Suddenly, she realises just how dry her mouth had been feeling. Her gaze wandered back to the reflection--no, the water. Curious, she leans her head down towards the pool, her tongue spilling out of her mouth, hesitatingly touching the surface, barely forming a ripple. It felt cold, but refreshing. Her tongue lapped some of the water up, a small splash breaking the silence of the room. The cold liquid travelled down her throat, descending straight into her stomach, filling the empty organ ever so slightly. Only now does she realise her thirst, and desperately she starts lapping up more of the water, before putting her snout deeper into the water, drinking it directly.


    Finally, after a few moments of filling her belly with water, she pulls her head out of the water, with a satisfied sigh. Reinvigorated, she thinks of what everything that has happened, and that might happen. The gargoyle stalking the maze. The various traps inside. The winged snake. Mysteries that she doesn''t know the answer to. However, she knows one thing. ''I gotta make it alive. No matter what it takes. I will survive.'' she thought, with a new determination coursing through her body. There may not be an escape from the labyrinth, or the scientists. Or there may be. Perhaps something else might catch her off guard. One thing was certain for Mellua however.


    This will not be the end of her story.