Chapter 2

"Yuna." a gentle feminine voice whispers. I look around wildly trying to find who the voice belongs to. "Yuna." The voice calls again. Why does the voice seem so familiar? "Yuna, darling, be free." The voice says. "Who are you?" I ask, my eyes searching every crevice looking for them. "Yuna, run. Run away." The voice said firmly. I frowned. This wasn't making any sense. "Escape! Yuna run!" Said the voice louder this time. "Yuna, RUN."

I snapped awake with those words still echoing through my mind. Who was that? Why do they seem so familiar to me? Those are answers I was unsure of, but my body was agreeing with the voice. Leave. It felt like if I didn't leave right this moment I might die. I stood up, and swiftly walked to my small wardrobe which held every bit of clothing I ever owned. Quickly, I changed out of my dress and into a simpler commoners dress, and then wrapped a cloak around my shoulders fastening the button. Afterwards, I went to my bed where I dug under my small cot and pulled out a dainty little ring on a silver chain and put it on over my head, tucking it into the inside of my dress. Then I looked toward my small window. It was now dark. Perfect. It'll make it easier for me to slip out. With the prince distracted by the war, he's not worried about me escaping, and most of the guards have been deployed to the front lines. Giving me the perfect opportunity. Without a single hesitation, I slipped out of my room and quietly down the corridor, sticking to the shadows. The guards were changing shifts, giving me the chance to slip past while they were talking. Finally I made it to the gate. This was going to be the tricky part. I don't want them to know I'm gone until I have a bit of distance between me and the palace. That being said, I need to find a way to slip out of the outer wall. Sigh. I have no choice. While in a corner nestled in the dark I closed my eyes and focused. This won't last long, but it should be enough. My body was shaking with excitement. I was finally going to get away. However, I quickly pushed this down, the last thing I need is to slip up due to not being fully focused. Using the little bit of magic my demon blood allows me I cast a cloaking spell on myself. Which allowed me to walk straight past the guards without them noticing, but at great cost. As soon as I was out of sight of the guards, I collapsed outside the castle walls. My lungs heaving and my heart beating a million times per moment. I felt so weak, drained. That's what happens when I use magic, exhaustion won't be too far behind, but I've got to get farther away before calling it a night. After I regained myself, I stood surveying the landscape, the town was just down the hill, meaning I'm not out of the woods just yet. I'd always been good at stealth, which came into good use. My demon heritage also allowed me to see perfectly in the dark.

By dawn I made it to the docks. The smell of salt and fish lingered in the air, my sensitive nose twitched at the scent, but I was too happy to care. I had the hood over my head to hide my ears and my tail was under my cloak. As long as no one looked at my eyes, no one would know I wasn't human. First things first, I need to book passage on a ship. The only problem is I have no money. I need to leave quickly. My only options are to stow away or rob someone for the money. If I steal from someone it'll be reported and the town lord will look into it. Too risky. If I stow away, there are 2 possible outcomes if I'm discovered. 1, they throw me overboard. Not ideal, but I might be able to swim back to shore. But then that'll put me right back where I started. Not to mention I could be recaptured. Or outcome 2 is, the sailors capture me and tie me up until we get back to the docks. I sighed, this isn't going to work. I slipped out of the town and into the trees nearby. I need to find someone willing to help me who either helps creatures like me or kin with wings. As I wandered the trees my stomach growled. Ah, right. Food. I continued through the woods, I scanned for something edible. And found nothing.

Nothing I can do about it for now. I'll have to find something to eat later. A few hours later the sun was high in the sky, and I was completely exhausted. My eyes were heavy with fatigue and my limbs were sluggish as I moved. I can't go on like this. I need to find shelter. So I carried on, until I found a small cave that would suit my purposes just fine. As soon as I laid down and closed my eyes, sleep pulled me into it's comfortable embrace.

"Hey." Someone said, poking my cheek. I groaned. Then it all came back to me and I sprang awake. "Whoa, calm down, I was just checking to see if you were dead or not," the figure said, raising their hands defensively. I blinked a few times and looked closer to see a girl, a bit younger than me standing before me. The sun was setting. Damn it, I slept too long. I stood and quickly rushed past her. She let out a cry in surprise as I passed her. I kept going. I was discovered. I've got to get away from here as soon as possible. The prince probably knows of my absence and is most likely looking for me. I can't afford to get sloppy now. I have to get out of human territory. I have to go home.

I kept running and I didn't stop until my legs threatened to give out from overuse. From there I trudged on, through the night and into the day, keeping to the shadows and outskirts of villages and towns. The need for food grew stronger as I continued to go without it, but I couldn't afford to stop. Not yet. Finally, I reached a poor docking town far away from the capital. It should be easier to book passage here. But before I do anything I need food. If I went any longer without it, it could cost me everything. I went down by the shore and scavenged for something. I set my eyes on a large crab that was crawling across the sand heading toward the water. My mouth watered and my stomach gurgled in response. Crab will do just fine. I lunged for it, snatching it in one hand, then smashing it on a rock. It froze from the blow then started to struggle to free itself, it's pincher latched onto my pinky and squeezed. I snarled in pain and impulsively I brought it to my mouth and bit the damn thing in half. I spat the thing out on the ground and inspected my hand. I wasn't bleeding, but it hurt to move my finger, only for a bit. Then I picked up the crab. I can't afford to cook it. Raw it is. I cracked open the shell to reveal the delicious inner flesh. After peeling the flesh from the shell I hesitantly took the first bite and nearly gagged. It tasted awful! But I have to. Before I could talk myself out of it, I quickly shoved the entire piece in my mouth. It took everything in me not to spit it out, finally I swallowed and felt as it filled my stomach. Although it helped, it wasn't enough. I reluctantly looked at the rest of the crab. This is going to suck. 10 grueling minuets later the crab was completely finished and I had managed to keep it all down. Then I went to the docks.

There were fisherman unloading their catch from that evening, getting ready to ship it off to the merchants. Most of the fisherman were weathered old men who reeked of fish and whiskey. At the end of the docks there was a small old man with a boat smaller in comparison to the rest. I approached him, making sure to keep my head down and hood up. "Excuse me sir, but could I trouble you for passage across the sea?" I ask softly. He looked at me and grunted as he stood to face me. "To the dragon land? That's a dangerous place for a lass." He said, placing his hands on his hips. Even without looking I could tell he was sizing me up. "I'll handle it, I just need to get there. Can you take me?" I persisted. He sighed, which turned into a coughing fit. When he'd recovered there was a moment of silence. "Alright fine, but you have to do something for me first." he said, turning to rummage around in his boat. When he turned back, he held a single note. "Take this down to the local inn and give it to the owner. Her name is Annette." He instructed. I took the letter curiously. "Don't open it, and make sure it goes into no ones hands except hers." The old man adds. I nod. "And if I do this you'll take me across the sea?" I question. He nods. "Aye, that I will lass."

"Fine, what does this Annette look like?" I ask. He seemed amused by this question. "She's a small lass, old enough to be your mother. She has dark blonde hair and green eyes. She's hard to miss." He explains. Without another word I turn towards the village. I didn't like the idea of going into the village, but I had no other choice. The inn was small and looked worn down, well used. Inside was packed with guests. Sailors cheerfully swapping gory stories from their time at sea, and chowing down on something that smelled absolutely delicious. Stop it. Not the mission. I walked up to the bar and asked for Annette, saying I had a letter for her, to which the bartender pointed to the corner of the room where she sat illuminated by a single candle on the table. I thanked them and slowly made my way over to her. "Excuse me madam, I have a letter for you," I say gently, placing the letter down on the table. As I got a closer look I could see she was exactly as the old man had described. "I've been waiting for you my dear," she said, not looking up from the table. I frowned. "What do you mean?" I ask before I could stop myself.

It was at this point she looked up at me to reveal vertical pupils like mine. I gasped. "Are you a type of demon?" I asked. She chuckled. "Not necessarily, my mother was a demon, my father was human. I'm a half blood, and widely more accepted by humans." She explained. "Unlike you my dear." My stomach dropped. "I-I." I stuttered. The panic set through my entire body, the fear took over and I could hardly stand. "Oh, don't worry my dear, I'm no threat to you," she assured. "By God, you look as if you're going to faint. Please take a seat." She said, motioning to the seat across from her. I couldn't do anything, except that. After I sat I slowly calmed down. "Your name is Yuna, right?" she asked, looking at me intently. I nodded, avoiding her gaze. "How did you know that?" I asked. She shrugged, I may be mostly human, but I still am part demon, I saw you. In the palace I mean." She explained. "I've been watching you grow up since you were a wee little thing." She said, placing a hand on top of mine. The skin to skin contact made me flinch. "Oh, sorry my dear, I know you've been through so much. I didn't mean to."

I ignored this. "What do you mean you've been watching me since I was young?" I ask. "Oh, that." She said, as if she'd forgotten all about it. "You see, we met when you were still a babe, and I've just been watching over you all this time. And my dear, my heart breaks for you," she says. Then it clicked. Her voice. She was the one from my dream. "Now we don't have much time, but there is something I must warn you about." She starts. "The prince knows you're gone and is furious. He will spare no one from his wrath until you're back in his possession." She says. I frown. "Wait, how do you know all of this." I question.

"I'm not sure how it works, all I know is that with certain things I can seek out the truth." she explains. She looks around then back to me. "Quickly, you must leave. There's nothing I can do if you're caught. Go to the man you met with at the docks. He'll grant you safe passage to the homeland." she says, as she stood and left.