“Beast?” I repeated, mostly out of curiosity and irritation toward my own inefficient hiding cloak. Previously, I had assumed the light colors of the clock would hide any obvious traits, such as my ears. As for this Dulling, the venom in her voice had tickled but it wasn’t necessarily enough to truly disturb me.

  “Why yes,” The Dulling flatly entertained. “In the split moment you jumped into this garden, I witnessed your beastly eyes. And those ears! I’ve never seen anyone so colorful,” She spat. “I initially assumed you were some kind of specialized assassin. You aren’t a Dulling of any standing, are you?” She smiled, sharp as a knife. “What brings trouble to my doorstep on this special day? To be the first of many, allowed a glimpse at an object of future ruin, how lucky.” Her focus is completely on me, hands neatly clasped together in a defensive grip.

  I am grateful for the cloudy weather today. It would be difficult to hold her stare if the sunrays kept irritating my eyes. The Queen of this kingdom had dimmed emerald eyes matching the silver crown on her head, silver hair up in a graceful ball. Her dress is unstained despite the dirt on the roof alongside the plants. She’s still eying me up and down, creating silent judgments while I went over her words.

  “You know what I am?” For not even I knew what exactly Kazo had done. “Then you are knowledgeable. As for why I’m here,” I dropped the hood, pulling back sleeves to expose the mint fur and wide claws. The gentle breeze felt like approval.

  The Queen flinched, and I heard her heartbeat skyrocket. She held it together well, breaths practiced and composed.

  I wonder if she’ll turn around and dash into her fancy garden. Is there a place to hide in this make-shift space of green?

  “I do not need blood under claws,” I was still relatively new to this world, this body, and the rules. “You have creatures stolen away from their home.” A fact, no need for accusations.

  “Doesn’t every noble?” The Queen sneered, but the fiery bite was lowered, wary. “We all crave the life essence taken from us. What’s wrong with indulging in a few old vices?”

  Under my cloak, a hidden foam of mint fluff flicked.

  “And yet your evil deeds led me straight to your hidden garden.” I took a step forward, and to her credit, the Queen dug her feet into the ground. “I am here not to cause trouble, but to take back what I inherited." I raised a claw to gently pull at the small strands of mint hair. Curly and short, the same as when I had been human and healthy.

  “Inherited?” The Queen parroted, echoing a flabbergasted quip, and I saw no reason to dive deeper. The Queen rapidly began to lose color in her face. “No, you can’t do this! Nines Away, Those wolves are mine. I’ve bought them for the heavy price of selling pieces of our land…!”

  Strange, I am reminded of the Christmas when my Mom had been so loud to declare her victory in buying me the last paint set. And it was at the cost of another mother sobbing at her own child’s lost gift. I hadn’t touched the paints due to how wrong I felt. As if the art set were blood money.

  I do not think this is an ‘otherworldly trait.’ This Dulling may simply be wicked.

  “Your sacrifices mean little to me, and karma will force you to reap what is sown,” I told her bluntly. “Do I take this as a declaration of ‘No’?”

  Was I wrong for this approach? I could’ve been a lot more brash, but isn’t life already hard enough for Dullings?

  “They’re mine!” The Queen shouted, single-handedly shelling away at my patience. “You cannot take them from me!”

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  As if Kazo’s Protected had been ‘hers’ to take.

  “They have their own lives and never consented to being your playthings!” I snarled back at her, and the deep growl escaping my throat felt like justified rage. The Queen’s new jolt of shock had been delightful. “May your kingdom forgive you.” I allowed an air of calm to wash over me in the next moment, as a cool head would be needed for this upcoming action.

  “What?” The Queen stepped back; perhaps she sensed the shift in the air.

  “Your hair,” I observed, short and soft in the second of absurdity.

  “What?” The Queen repeated, dumbly.

  “It’s colorful to me.” A last pinch of kindness before I shredded off the mask of diplomacy. A second to breathe as I steeled myself to violent commitment. “Why hate it?”

  “It looks like fresh smoke,” The Queen scoffed in disbelief, her eyes still trained on my every movement. “You wouldn’t understand, Outsider. The duller you are, the more ugly your traits.” She was slowly backing up, but I suspect there was an exit hidden around here. The Queen of this castle was merely edging toward it.

  “Like your heart then,” I merely replied, flicking my hood back up. “Smoke can suffocate those who breathe, and ruin objects previously pristine.” There is no need to pity those who refuse to accept the barest of olive branches.

  The Queen smiled, bitter and seething. “Beast.”

  I bared my fangs right back. “Thief.”

  She dashed for the possible hidden door.

  I leapt off the side of the roof, swinging my body weight to the side. Claws latched onto the side of the wall.

  I had no desire to kill her in cold blood; the consequences did not seem reasonable at the time. I also did not feel ready for jumping this far so soon. All I had to do was beat her at her own game. Hide n’ Seek. Tag. Cops And Robbers. All wrapped in a ribbon of three.

  Thus, as my claws scratched deeply into the golden castle brick, I allowed my weight to shift down to a nearby window. With a steady kick, the glass shattered, and I entered a castle hallway. The second my feet touched the ground was the moment my ears caught yells and shouts. The pitches were urgent, loud, and I knew they were targeted toward me.

  Outside of running in school halls during younger years, or away from an annoyed parent, I don’t think I’ve ever been in so much trouble before. Is this what people call self-growth?

  Turning the head is all the time given before a thin grey blur is swerved my way. I stepped back swiftly, and the whizz of air cut a loud pitch.

  It had been a blade, and due to the underlying stench, perhaps a poisoned one.

  Adrenaline spiked through every vein. Any remaining hesitation snapped into pieces. With a resounding yell, I had thrown out a fist in defense.

  The smack of fur on metal echoed in my ears as the guard in armor flew into the wall with a crash, cry muffled. My hearing had also detected a sharp snap along with labored breathing. My attacker wouldn’t be getting up without medical aid.

  Turning heel, I sped down the hallway, unwilling to look back and wait for the backup sure to arrive.

  And arrive they did.

  Countless footsteps were scrambled forward with a chaotic force I was unable to keep up with. Like some kind of manhunt, their yells and demands convoluted their speech. All I can register is the shouts of ‘Beast’, ‘Halt’, and ‘Won’t Escape’. My new identity, I suppose. I’ll get used to it eventually; hatred or caution isn’t unknown to me.

  Occasionally, I deliberately threw down vases, expensive plant pots, and I even ripped off a door, throwing it at the ever-growing crowd of authority. Their dismayed exclamations are music to my ears. Any few seconds of stalling is a job well done.

  “Don’t let it escape!” The dog-piled guards squabbled.

  “Queen Wazir commanded the Beast to be chased off, not slain!” Another viciously added to the atmosphere of frustration. “Hold your weapons! We aren’t to directly harm the intruder!”

  I was speeding down another hall until I felt it.

  A tug to the chest. I whirled to see a large painting high up on the wall. A decoration depicted with a smiling younger Queen along with a white-curled puppy sitting on her lap.

  I cannot look away, nor can I wait to think.

  A hand grabbed onto my cloak. I do not bother slowing down as I leaped with power collected to the feet.

  It’s the biggest jump I have ever done. The guard holding onto me screeched as we soared. It’s as if I reached for the stars, but this time, with no clear destination in mind except for a dead end.

  The impact of two bodies against a painting, smashed the art. The true bonus was the tear of paper leading to a dark hole, which gravity swiftly claimed me into falling forward. With a side-bash of a furred fist, the tag-along managed to fall back toward the floor as I giddily saluted my pursuers mid-descent. Down and out of sight I went, and all I can think about is how silly I must look, grinning ear to ear, with fluffy mint tufts raised and entertained.

  My heart felt as if it were in my ears. What an addictive feeling. I can’t get enough of it.

  For now, I’ll be winning this little game.

  The Queen should consider herself wise.

  This little strategic chase is leading me right to where I needed to be.