Elementum

Five

Leaving the entrance to the cave, I half to cover my eyes. The sun's bright but I welcome it's warmth as it seeps into my skin and chases away the chills in my bones. It's a blissful feeling compared to the dim damp cave with its musty stale air. How the Gate Keeper stays there is unreal.

After my eyes adjust to the light, I look around.

There's eight guys standing around the small clearing, dressed in that same leather armor with red swirls. I glance at the visible skin and see the same red swirls. Some end sooner on their arms than others.

What's up with the damn swirls. I have so many questions bursting to come out but I bit my tongue.

They snap to attention when Quinn clears his throat. Their eyes keep bouncing to the massive cat attached to my wrist, to me, and back to Quinn.

"We're heading back to camp. This is a protection detail gentlemen. The one in the cloak is the protect-ie. Let's head out."

My snort turns into a gasp as the guards surround me in seconds. Dang they're fast.

I look behind me back to the cave. Not really wanting to leave what's familiar to me, but not wanting to stay either. My eyes widen as I take in the cave, which really is a hollowed out mountain. It's the only thing other than us in the clearing.

The guards. And why do I need guards anyways. They start to move forcing me to move as well.

Peeking in between the gaps of the guards, I see trees and more trees. Huge leafy giants, bigger than a house back home. Their branches are so thick, leaves so big when we move under them, I can no longer see the deep blue sky or feel the sun's warm rays. It's dim and kinda creepy with the breeze shaking the emerald green leaves.

We take a packed dirt path following through the forest that is so different than the one I was running in before.

"Hey." I jump at the whispered voice coming from my right.

It's Quinn.

"Hi." I reply with caution in my tone.

He gives me a cheeky smile, " When we get back to camp, you'll go to my tent."

He wiggles his eye brows up and down. I frown. Tent? His Tent.

He chuckles, "I need to find Rylan. So Amy will keep you company. Get you anything you might need and answers any questions you might have." He pauses and takes a deep breath, "Just don't tell her anything personal. Like where you came from. K."

I give a nod and watch him disappear back up front of our little human convoy. Oh Gods, Are they even human.

I don't want to think.about it. Or of them. And why I half to be careful around this Amy person. I need a plan. That's what I need to think of. And clothes. I don't think my shorts and tank will pass as clothes for around here.

A deep pur vibrates in my hand. I glance down and realize I've been petting the cat the whole time. Huh.
I smile as he bumps my hand. He's not so scary after all.

"Prince."

He looks at me with those intelligent ember eyes. I get a feeling of joy, pride, and love. That must be the bond Quinn mentioned. They're the cat's feels and he's happy with his name. I smile watching our surroundings still running my hands through Princes soft fur.

I don't know how long we've traveled for but my feet are starting to hurt, sweat slips down my face and along my back. Brushing my hair away from my face for the millionth time, I'm jerked right up against Prince by his strong tail.

"Why'd ya do that for?" I give him a dirty look. My frown slowly falls off of my face as a proected feeling shoots through our bond. Prince lets out a menacing growl causing my heart to jack hammer inside my chest. Who knew a cats growl could be scary.

The guards freeze and move in closer and start scanning the surrounding area. And me, I plaster myself against the 900 pound deathly cat. I follow the direction of his head with my eyes. A wolf. Smaller than Prince is but much bigger than normal wolf. It has a greyish coat with freaky yellow eyes. He's standing besides the house sized tree trunk its eyes staying looked onto Prince. The wolf wouldn't be so scary if it wasn't for that ragged scar running across his left eye.

Uh-Oh, This can't be good.

I hear Quinns chuckle as he steps up beside my shaking frame."Thats Wer. He's my bonded."

He chuckles alot. "Wer?" A funny look takes up my face as I look at, well Wer the wolf.

"Yeah, Like werewolf."

"Quite the imagination you have there." I say dully as we start to move again.

"I do try." He gives me a cheecky smile and lets out a whistle.

The wolf leaps infront of us moving faster than a walk but not really running and Quinn takes after him.

"Weird pair." I mumble to Prince who purrs.

I drag my feet not really moving and twirl my now colorfull ring around my thumb.

I need information about this place if I'm going to survive. Alone time, some much needed alone time too. I can break down and be crazy for a little bit about everything that has happen to me so far with out any one watching on.

A happy sigh comes from my lips when one of the guards call for a break. We're in some type of clearing the path runs into. I look striaght and notice the path picks up again at the edge of the grass and forks in different directions.

The clearing its self is quite huge that everyone spaces out with plenty of room and I can actually see the sky again, since the trees don't come into our resting place. I blink my eyes a couple of times knowing I'm tired and must be imaging things. Nope still there. The sky has a purple color to it and I see two moons. Two not one. One is what I would call normal as it looks like the moon on Earth and the other is a bright green. So not normal. I shake my head and look around for a place to rest. Seeing a log as a makeshift seat I move towards it. Prince on my heels.

This world is weird.