Dragon inside the Normie

Under the light of the red moon, the sands of the beach displayed her footprints vividly. To Zini's surprise, the footprints of another were present. But she did not feel alarmed enough to turn serious because she knew that this was Glen. Looking up towards the rocks that sat close enough to the sea, Glen was perched on one of them and was staring off into the dark waves as if watching for something. Zini stopped in her tracks and watched him. His legs were pulled up to his chin and his arms around them. His hair blew around his face while gazing out over the sea. He thought of how mistaken he was to come here and how much time had gone since he failed to get help from who he truly believed could help. Zini watched as he slowly deteriorated into sadness and feeling of immense guilt as he remembered the face of the girl he wanted to rescue, Mackie, along with her sister, Kita. Zini could also feel the torturous pain he felt when he was a prisoner. 

It was at this moment she reached her decision. She didn't need him to try and convince her further. If human beings like Glen, were captured by Anomalies and were suffering that way, even if she didn't want it to be her destiny, she had to help somehow. She couldn't sit there living the life as a hermit while innocent humans died every day because of the tyrannous hand of her parents. After all, the same abuse of power and persona was how they treated Zini all her life and believed it had to end. Her mother was no exception. Zini thought that being complicit in allowing her father to treat Zini the way he did made Crystal just as evil.

"Glen." She called softly to him and looked down. She felt ashamed now that her eyes were opened to what was happening out there while she was there and somehow, in front of this broken guy, she was sorry for it.

"I'm sorry that I said that I wouldn't help. I'm just-". She looked at the sand beneath her naked feet. She hadn't worn any footwear. But that wasn't the thing that stopped her from speaking.

It was what she felt. The truth was she was scared. And she was going to tell Glen that.

"I was scared. I didn't think that I couldn't do it but I was just scared of everything that might happen." she said. She looked up finally and caught his eyes on her. They held a surprise in the way they widened at her words and then relief, sweet relief at the same thing. Zini saw his chest and shoulders relax and his arms slumped to his side. She felt the worry slip away in huge amounts from his body language and his mind at peace again.

This was the last thing she needed. The peace that he got after she said she would help made her believe that more of that could happen to the rest that was captured in the camp. And so, after a long discussion on the rocks by the sea, the next day as early as possible, the pair were out, fully prepared to rescue the captured. Using their combined strength and expertise to create a raft, Zini and Glen sailed back to civilization. Once on the mainland Ancient Isle's shores, they quickly made their way into Anomaly occupied territory-the very territories she avoided for so long.

Throughout their journey, Zini did her best to be as incognito as possible and Glen helped in the best way that he could, hiding for countless Anomaly patrols. After a week, they were as close to a prison camp Glen was a hundred percent sure his friends were held. Even though the pair were close to the camp, they didn't feel it safe to just barge in. The Anomalies couldn't stop Zini but she worried about Glen's safety and decided against facing the guards head on. And so, they waited until the time the moon came out and shone brightly over the open field where the camp sat. Zini and Glen waited all through day and planned their next move. They were going to sneak into the campsite and release all the prisoners that were kept there.

Without being suspected, the two readied themselves to walk stealthily into the camp, avoiding any guard or soldier that may come across them. After escaping all the possible sentries, they would locate the building where all the prisoners were kept and help them escape. That was the plan. As simple and silent as it was, they were riddled with fear and nervousness at what might happen. As the night drew on, they got closer to the camp and saw how things were run. The camp was an open space in the middle of the forest near a city called Ruby. The forest's thick growth of trees enveloped the camp and hid it from any prying eyes. The pair were just careful enough to avoid any patrolling soldiers and silenced any who spotted them before they were able to sound the alarm. Four buildings stood on the left, aligned in one straight line and on the opposite was the same thing. At the end of the buildings stood one large one that Zini and Glen thought contained the prisoners. Their suspicions were so because they heard cries from inside and the voices of threatening soldiers and guards.

Zini looked up at the moon and thought for a moment. She had never tried this before, but Star suddenly seemed awake.

"We are going to do just fine." Zini felt that Star was being overly excited, and she knew that she had to contain whatever excitement she felt because she could not let anything distract her or take her over to the point of messing things up. With this in mind, Star fell silent, but Zini could still feel the excitement pouring out of her.

Zini looked back at the campsite and saw the security searchlight was turned on and pointed around the forest, which covered the camp. They had to move now, or they would be discovered. Zini and Glen stealthily moved out of their hideouts and with their bodies doubled over, moved quickly toward the huge building. Although their plan was as simply put and easy as it was, the pair could not believe what happened next and were too shocked to be prepared. The searchlight they worked so hard to avoid, was suddenly pointed to them. Loud sirens sounded all over the small island.

Without giving the two time to think about their next move, soldiers and guards flooded out of the eight buildings that stood opposite of each other. They were armed with weapons and artillery. The searchlight was still pointed on the two as the men in the watchtower shouted, "It's that Stardust Dragon girl!"

The Anomalies that stood in front of Zini and Glen shouted among themselves and suddenly aimed their weapons at them. The two were unarmed and standing still with shock on their faces. Glen knew there was nothing he could do in this situation and so he turned to Zini. When he saw the look on her face, he thought this was the end of them. Zini wasn't shocked for the reason Glen thought, even though she would be if not for what ran through her mind at that very moment. The men she saw were an extremely familiar group. At that moment, images flooded her mind, and she could do nothing but stand still. She could remember, years before in her home, the throne room of her father, where she was forced to stand before men like these and kill them off one by one to prove to her father that she wasn't a Normie.

She remembered the look on her father's face as he looked to the chief guard who stood beside him and ordered his men to take her out...and gets rid of her. She remembered the look on her face and how dead she felt. Not dead in fear of the men but dead to the behavior and total rejection of her father. She vividly remembered the way many other men apart from the ones she had killed flooded out from the inner chambers of the throne room, just like these in front of her, and got ready to kill her. Most of all, she remembered the feeling of rage and hatred for them that flowed in huge torrents from her mind and body.

Just as she remembered this assembly of soldiers on the day she was to die and compared it to the assembly of killers that were in front of her now, she remembered her anger and hatred. It was something in her that she could not possibly control. The feeling began to infect every cell in her body.

"Star. Star...what? What are you doing? What is happening to you?" Zini was worried and afraid at the same time. She felt her soul slip into what felt like a cage. What traded places with her was a being surrounded by a large atmosphere of power.

Zini could not control this "transformation". It took mere seconds before she knew what was happening. Her control over Star was slipping in fast waves and she, the dragon spirit in her, was taking over fully. She didn't want to hurt or kill anyone but Star did. The rage and anger Zini felt on that fateful day was amplified after Star re emerged. Zini fell into a dream-like state once more. This was the excitement Star was looking for. Sweet revenge!

"No! Star!" That was the last thing she said as Glen realized what was happening. He remembered what he had seen on the day Zini finally found him out on the island two weeks ago. He remembered the murderous glare in her eyes while she choked him with a telekinetic strangle hold. She looked like two people were battling for control over one body.

And that was exactly what he saw now.