5 Trapped

"Why did you tell me all of that ?" Oki asks quietly "It won't change anything about how I feel about shifters, humans were not the only thing you used to better yourselves"

Shiek Turned to face Oki, She had taken the opportunity of him not paying attention to change, his clothes on her were big and baggy, but he still thought that she was beautiful.

"Did you loose someone to Shifters?" Oki stiffened at this question, once again turning her back to Shiek to hide her tears "My mother"

"I'm sorry" He had heard that some of Atyer's experiments had involved dragons but he thought they were only rumours. "Do you want to talk about it?" Oki still not looking at Shiek did not answer as they stood in silence for a while after that.

A few days passed, Oki's burns had gotten better, Shiek had gone hunting every day, each time returning with more worrying news,

Many of the desert beasts had dispersed from the west to the rest of the icy wasteland, He had seen humans venture deep into the desert, fighting bloody battles with its many beasts and wildlife.

His access to the river had been blocked by the humans as well, they had built an outpost near his usual watering spot, and denied access to it. Along with this the central desert had gone quiet, many ice pillars had fallen, creating a swamp like terrain deep with the ice peaks, he had hunt there many times in these few days. At first he went to scout, Although he had only met Oki he had grow attached to her quite quickly, he wanted to see if there were any dragons left, anyone that she could call family.

As he had ventured deep withing the ice peaks he found only charred ruins and melted ice, as he looked around he had only found corpses, this filled him with sadness. He was sad that a young girl like Oki had lost everything, he felt sad that she had become like him, alone.

On that day when he returned to his hideout Oki had cried, it was the first time he had seen her cry, usually she hid her tears, but on that day she had cried in front of him, this made Shiek feel conflicted, he was sad for her, but he was happy that Oki trusted him enough to cry in front of him.

Two more days had passed, Oki was now strong enough to walk and move, the Humans had sent many scouts, Shiek had been chased in his wolf form by human bloodhounds a lot, but they were no match for him in speed and strength, this was problematic none the less, Humans knew a grey wolf walked the desert. They had tried tracking him to the hideout a couple of times but he had manged to loose them.

"We need to leave" Sheik hurriedly said coming back into the cave, "They are on my tail, each time they get closer and closer" Oki who was in the middle of eating looked at the young man "who said I'm coming with you? I have nothing to live for anymore, might as well be killed by humans" Shiek who already hurried to take up some thinkgs stopped to look at Oki "Don't say that, you are too pretty to kill, you think shifters are bad? Wait till you hear what humans do to slaves" He raised his voice again, he could not stand Oki giving her life up like that "Come with me, we can go south, there is a place where we can live without anyone bothering us" This time Oki got up and shouted "I don't care, I have lost everything, Because of me my family is dead, my people are dead, so what if I become a slave, even that wouldn't be punishment enough for my sins" But as she said that a figure appeared behind Shiek, it was shorter than the young man but with a beard and an horrid smile on his face, he spoute "I hear that right little girl, you want to become a slave? Than come with us better than being with a shifter no?" Behind the man two more made their appearance, both grinning and holding weapons.

That's when the two inhabitants of the desert realized they were trapped.

The three men blocked the only exit, all are shorter than Shiek and Oki, two of them were wielding axes and the one who spoke before holding nothing in his, he looked older than the other two with small glasses sitting on his nose and a short beard on his chin, he was also fatter and the shortest of the bunch.

"Now, now what is a young lady doing with a shifter boy alone in a cave? are you perhaps a shifter yourself?" the man asked in a mocking tone, to which Oki replied " I am no shifter you vile man" the man's smile widened, revealing more of his rotting teeth

"Than what are you two doing all alone in the desert? maybe partaking in shifter rituals?" his smile turns into a laugh "Well not that it maters in any way, you both will fetch a high price at slave market, get them" he ordered turning to his underlings, "Aren't you forgetting something?" Shiek interrupted "You overestimate your underlings ability old man, you really think two men can take me?" he says as he changes growing bigger, fur sprouting from his back, his head changing into that of a wolf, his nails expanding into claws. "Leave now and I will spear your lives humans" he threatened.

the sudden transformation startles the two men holding weapons, causing on of them to stumble on his back, "Boss, I think, that we should leave" He says, his eyes wide with fear, "Don't be foolish, I will take the shifter, you take the girl" "Sir the girl is gone" the other tough says, "What do you mean she is not the" The old man tries to rebut but he is stopped by a grunt, and the sound of bones breaking quickly followed by a scream, Shiek had taken their distraction as an opportunity, he had jumped the man of the floor, trying to bite his throat, but the man blocked with his arm putting it in shiek's mouth ,but the arm was easily broken by Shiek's bite. "Stop that" the old man shouts, as green energy gathered in his hand, this quickly took the shape of an arrow which flew from his hand, and pierced into Shiek's flank.

The sudden impact making him release the man's arm in surprise. "You filthy mutt what do you think you are doing to my underlings" The man shouts, before letting out another grin, "You did not expect a mage did you? now be a good boy and come quietly" The old man's grin widened even more "Why don't you just die?" Oki had suddenly appeared behind the man and immediately his head went soaring through the air.

Everyone went silent, the two men's faces filled with despair, both did not wait, each ran for the exit, neither Shiek or Oki stopped them, as they ran further and further away.

"You really saved me there, though you were gone" Shiek says, turning back to his human form, "Don't make a mistake, I'm just repaying a favour" the girl replied quickly.