They were still after me. But I was surrounded by trees and other natural things. There was no place where they could corner me, and a small part of me knew that I wouldn't be caught. A wild part of me caught alight as I dashed up one tree like it was flat ground. The branches were thick, and supported my weight well. But they were still after me. I mentally chuckled, then took a daring move, leaping to another tree that was a few feet away. I made it.
I could feel the adrenaline rush, and it made all pain just leave. I leapt from tree to tree, enjoying my newfound agility. They weren't going to catch me. At least, not in the trees and the undergrowth, where I held the advantage. The men started firing, but the bullets didn't even reach. A few got close, sure, but none made contact with my furry flesh. I scanned the crowd for the man who had helped me, but didn't see him. That was odd. Did he say that he'd follow me out of that... That place? Maybe I just had to keep running. Even if he didn't show up, I'd be fine on my own.
They stopped firing after a while. They had given up; Or at least, I hoped that they had. But where was that guy who said that he'd help me? If he had lied, then I was going to loose it. I gave another bored sigh, then climbed down the tree, looking for something to do. My stomach was beginning to growl. After all, I hadn't eaten since, well, since yesterday. It had been over twenty four hours since I had last eaten. Maybe I should give hunting a try, I thought to myself while I looked around.
Eventually, Mr. Metal Man decided to make an appearance, coming in through the leaves. "It took me a while to get away from them. They suspect me now, which means Moone will have to find another person to work for him on their side. Now, turn back so you can actually respond to the conversation, darling."
Seriously. All this time and he still didn't understand the fact that I had no idea if I even could turn back! I wanted to turn back, but I couldn't, and he didn't have to rub that fact in my face, now did he? I gave a small growl, looking away and quickly scratching something into the dirt. 'I was just turned', it read. The man read it and looked back at me.
"You don't have to lie, you know. I'm on your side, and the side of your kind. Well, our kind, actually. You can change back now, and they won't get you. They're still recovering from an attack, courtesy of yours truly. "
I sighed before scratching another message into the dirt. 'I can't change back. Don't know how.'
"Just do it already, so we can get going. You know your human form? Focus on that. There is absolutely no time to waste, and especially not for your shenanigans."
I tried to remember myself. I tried to remember the feel of my skin, and my hair, and I tried to change back. There was yearning and longing in every fiber of my being. I wanted to be human again. I really wanted to be human again. I needed to be human, not some lion.
And yet, I didn't change back. I remained a lion, even though I hoped and dreamt for so long. I needed to be human again, and yet, I wasn't. My heart ached, and every part of me trembled violently. Why wouldn't I change back? Why couldn't I? I wanted to be human again, and the anger was so intense that I could feel my blood boiling. It was flaming hot, to the point where I was pretty sure that it would burn my flesh off. I was angry, and I wanted to be human again. I dug my claws into the ground, as if reaching deep down into the earth would turn me from feline beast to human girl.
It didn't work. I knew that it wouldn't, because nothing went my way in that world, now did it?
He sighed. "Just follow me. Maybe Moone will figure out why you're being so resistant." He began walking, but not before waving for me to follow. I did so, walking slowly behind him. The tail was an odd thing, and I knew that it'd take a long time before I could get used to it. Actually, my entire transformation was going to take a lot of getting used to, because I was not going to be changing back for a while - if I even could change back in the first place.
We walked for a while - ten hours at the most, eight at the least - until we came to a large, grey cave. It was at the entrance to a mountain, which was larger than the lion from my dream - and that lion was huge. I glanced at the man - I still had no idea what his name was - and he looked back at me. "Follow me in. Moone is requesting us both, and he doesn't like waiting."
The man walked in, and I followed, paws soft and silent against the cold, grey, stone floor. The mountain-cave was dimly lit, but I could still see decently. Drawings were etched into the walls, of moons and lions and fangs and claws. In other parts of the walls, blood was smeared, and was used to create runes that I didn't recognize. Just the very sight of the cave sent a shiver right up my spine. My tail twitched as we advanced, and I could hear the loud sound of the man's metal leg against the stone floor.
After quite a while of walking, I saw a large stone jutting up from the ground. Then, there were footsteps, and I saw a lion with a mane like burning flames.
