Shadow and Wild Magic
Chapter 8

Shadow heard Ezra shouting, then footsteps behind him. He recognized them instantly, the dark elves were back. He stood and turned around. Mielo, Khaleen, and Ten Zin stood as well.

“You!” the dark elf with red eyes called. “You did this.” He then showed his chafed arm and increased his angry stride.

He came just in Shadow’s reach when he slashed at him. Shadow’s reflexes were just enough. He ducked, avoiding the shiny dagger the elf held in his hand.

The elf slashed again. Ten Zin instantly intervened. The old sindur parried the strike, but the dagger cut through his arm. Ten Zin yowled.

Nothing stopped the dark elf. He went for another strike, his anger directed at the old lynx. He stabbed at his arm, missing him. On the next strike, he didn’t miss. Ten Zin fell to his knees, the dagger in his arm. The dark elf pulled it out violently, and blood fell on the sand. He was going at it again. Shadow jumped between them to block, and he grabbed the elf by both wrists. Now, it was pound for pound. Even if he was young, Shadow was stronger.

Shadow planted his claws in the elf’s flesh and made him drop his dagger. The elf peeled himself off, taking a few steps back.

“You fools!” he screamed. Then he turned to his five friends with an evil flare in his eyes. “Well, don’t just stand there! Fight them! Hurt them!”

In a fraction of a second, Shadow checked for guards. He didn’t spot any. For once, he’d hoped to see one. There was no way they could fight six angry dark elves. They all had daggers. They were fast.

Suddenly, Mielo and Ten Zin roared together and adopted a fighting stance. Their roars were so impressive that Shadow got the shivers. Even if the old sindur was bleeding, he was ready to fight. It encouraged Shadow to roar in turn. The males stood together, and Khaleen joined them, claws out, teeth showing. Maybe other races didn’t know much about sindurs, but females were actually the stronger ones.

“I’m really done with this place,” she said. Anger flared in her eyes. Shadow had seen her sad and weak. Now, she was furious.

“Me too,” Mielo added.

“And so am I,” Ten Zin growled.

And they charged the dark elves.

The fight that ensued was brutal and chaotic. It was Shadow’s second time fighting. The first time had been against sithrax hatchlings in the streets of Lahok. Dark elves were definitely better fighters, but sindurs were faster and stronger. Especially Ten Zin. That old lynx could fight! The sindurs had the advantage, but everything stopped so suddenly.

Everything stopped once Ten Zin had their leader kneeling on the ground and a claw under his neck. He held the dark elf’s arm under his, immobilizing him. His claw was already planted in his flesh. Ten Zin snarled.

“Enough!” he roared, and everyone in the prison yard stared at him.

The dark elf was looking at the ground in shame. Ten Zin panted and growled at the same time. His eyes were flaming. He still held the dark elf, even after all the others had dropped their weapons. It was like he was waiting for something else to happen. Or maybe, he was hesitating whether he should kill him.

“Stop!” A hiss echoed through the prison yard.

It was that sand-colored lizard that had chased Ezra. He’d returned. Shadow noticed the other guards again. What had they been doing all this time?

The pale guard drew his weapon, a steel glaive. He marched fast towards the sindurs. Ten Zin wasn’t releasing the dark elf.

“Let go of him,” Khaleen whispered urgently.

Ten Zin grunted and removed his claw from the dark elf’s neck. He released him and kicked him in the back so he’d fall on the ground.

The others were wailing and writhing on the ground, covered in blood. They had scratches on their faces, their arms, their legs. All were superfluous, but they probably burned like hellfire. Sindur claws were sharper than broken glass. The elves crawled away, bleating like crippled animals.

The pale lizard stopped walking. He stood in front of Shadow.

“Did you start this?” he asked.

Shadow frowned and shook his head, confused. “No, they came at us. Where were you?”

The guard crossed his heavy arms. “They’re on the ground. You are still standing. Did you start this?”

“They shouldn’t pick a fight with sindurs,” Shadow said with wry.

“Watch your tone,” the pale lizard warned.

His voice was lower now. He stared into Shadow’s eyes for a little longer. His pupils were wide, but, suddenly, they flattened into slits.

“Declaw them!” he shouted to the other guards. “Take all their claws!”

“What?” Shadow gasped. “But we did nothing! We just defended ourselves!”

The pale lizard started marching away. Four guards approached the sindurs, ready to perform their task.

“Sirtke, I’m talking to you!” Shadow called the pale lizard. “We did nothing!”

But the pale lizard ignored him. He left the prison yard without looking back.

A guard seized Shadow’s arms. Shadow wrestled and struggled, but the guard held him firmly. The other guards had caught his friends.

Shadow heard Ezra shout from the other side of the yard. “Hey!” Ezra walked to them until another guard stepped in his way. “Hey, they just defended themselves, mate! You guys looked away. What the hell is going on?” The guard didn’t let Ezra through.

Khaleen and Ten Zin were forced to their knees. Shadow still struggled, but he fell on himself after a hard hit on his head. As for Mielo, the guard removed the bandage Khaleen had made. His paw was already inflamed. The guard was going to start from that same paw.

Everyone was shouting or growling. Even Ezra from where he stood. Shadow managed to push himself up again. His head was ringing, but he didn’t care. His instincts kicked off. He had to fight.

The guard was holding him so tight he could feel his bones almost breaking. Mielo screamed when a second claw was pulled out of his paw. Khaleen lay on the ground while the lizard removed hers. She’d just buried her head and screamed in the sand. Ten Zin and Shadow were still struggling.

Another guard came to get a hold of Shadow’s feet. They flipped him over. He couldn’t even see Ezra anymore. He only heard a scuffle and the man’s angry shouts. Now, he was hearing Ten Zin’s yowls too.

They pinned him to the ground. Shadow managed to free his feet. He was on his knees, ready to jump. They hit him in the head again. That ringing sound was getting louder. The world whirled around him. He felt weak.

They caught his arm, then his paw. Shadow collapsed on all fours. They held his arm firmly, and one guard pulled on his claw. The pain was like a shock.

A cold wave spread through his veins. Shadow felt nothing but this strange chill that crystalized his blood. He roared and recoiled on himself. They had a tough time keeping him still. Shadow screamed. The more he screamed, the harder the guard pulled on his claw.

“Die!” Shadow shrieked in a grating voice. “I want you all to die!”

When his claw finally snapped, everything went silent. The pain vanished. The ringing stopped. And the cold turned into a hot bloodrush of rage.