Guardian

Chapter 14

I looked down at the floor below and gasped at the horrible scene before me. There stood Dark, panting heavily with a large silver collar around his neck. His black claws were stained red, and blood was slowly dripping from his shoulder and from a few gashes on his sides. He was facing off against a large black creature that had just as many or more wounds. Its tail was swishing back and forth, but it looked like it was about to keel over.

I glanced to the right to see that one already had. The black shape was lying motionless as its blood stained the white tile floor. Tears started to silently flow down my cheeks as only one question came to mind.

"Why?" I asked pitifully, "Why would you make him do this?"

"This is what he was bred to do," Steros explained calmly, "to fight. He was made to be a weapon to use against our enemies. With special training, he could take on whole armies."

He turned to look down at me, "So you see, he cannot be your...friend. He's dangerous and needs to be kept here. It seems once again, you're lucky to be alive."

"No, you're wrong, Steros." I looked him dead in the eye, "You are wrong about Dark! He would never hurt me! I know what you're trying to do! Yes, he could have killed me when we first met, but he didn't! And you know why?"

Steros stayed silent.

"Because we were both alone!" I started shouting, "We both felt as if we were alone in the world and were hurting without anyone to go to! I lost my family and my friends, and he never had any! But now...we're all each other has...he might have left me, but only to protect me. I will not abandon him and there's nothing you can do or say to change that!"

"Jason?"

I spun around and saw that Dark was looking up at me, so many emotions reflected in his face. "Dark!" I called and rushed right up to the window.
"Jason, you're okay." He whispered. I saw a few tears run down his face. He looked down at his blood stained hands and his eyes widened.

"Oh god," he cried, "Jason, please don't look! I don't want you to see this!"

The creature had already fallen, the only way you could tell it was still alive was the rise and fall of its chest. "Dark, you don't have to do this! You don't have to kill it!"

"Oh, but he does." Steros said.

"No, I refuse!" Dark shouted, "Not while Jason is here! He's a little human, innocent and unexposed!"

"Then let's fix that." Steros pressed a button on a panel next to him. Suddenly, Dark screamed in pain and fell to one knee!

"What did you just do?!" I yelled.

"I just gave him a little shock." Steros replied coldly, "The shadow dog is of no use at this point, so he may as well finish it off. He just needs a little push." He pressed the button again. Dark howled and grabbed at his collar!

"No, please, stop!" I cried, "Dark!"

I tried to grab Steros, but two of the guards held me back. "Stop it! You're hurting him! Can't you hear him screaming?!"

"Quiet him." Steros ordered.

The guard that was holding me kicked the back of my knee really hard and I yelped in pain.

"Jason!" I heard Dark yell.

This sparked some sick interest in Steros. "Again." he ordered.

This time the other guard elbowed me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I gasped in pain and tried to catch my breath.