Weakness (2)

Located beside Kali's room is Ana and Ingrid's shared room. Inside is Ana walking towards the window and observing the outside from the second floor.

"Sister, are we going to challenge the Duke if it doesn't go according to the master's plans?"

"We cannot let it come to that."

"Can we do that? Do you remember what Uncle Vico's instructions were?"

"Exactly, Ingrid. Remember Uncle Vico's instruction? What should we prioritize above all?"

Ingrid shut her mouth for a second and thought of Vico's words, silently.

'Her identity as Kaleena Alexander, must never be exposed. If she failed to protect it or you deemed it a high risk, you ought to bring her back immediately.'

"What should we do then?" Ingrid asks.

*Knock knock*

Kali enters the siblings' room before Ingrid manages to open the door.

"I almost forgot. Buy me 10 empty bottles. Bring it to my room. . . get half size smaller than regular." Kali was gone after she said her piece.

"Sister. she won't be sleeping until she gets those bottles right?" Ingrid asked without averting her eyes on the door.

"Yes, go buy it."

****

It's past midnight and everything in the inn is quiet. There are no more guests at the diner below and the bar is already closed.

In Kali's room, two beasts curled at one side sleeping peacefully. Kali's side is alot smaller compared to the occupied space of the beasts.

In the corners of the room two hooded figures emerge silently. They approach the bed without any sound at all.

A hand holding a syringe stealthily closing up to Kali's neck.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Kali's eyes flare up in anger while grabbing the wrists with a syringe.

"Master?" Luna rubbed his sleepy eye.

Kali's hand was slapped away and the shadow retreated at one corner.

"What are you doing, Ana?" Kali's straight face is scarier than usual. Foreboding anger threatens to explode any second.

"We are tasked to bring the young master back once you fail to protect the Young Lady's identity." Ana answered.

"Ah. Is that so?" Kali summoned a spear. Her eyes turned golden, overlapping her blue eyes.

"Please, young master, return to the South peacefully." Ingrid pleaded.

Drawing her weapon means she will not go back quietly and certainly not peacefully.

"Master?!" Luna and the fox tense up.

"Come." Kali extended her hands towards the beasts. The fox jumped to her shoulders and Luna to her arms.

"Young master, We do not wish to come this way."

"I do not care. . ."

After the day Kali told Vico that she felt his presence back in the old mansion, she never felt it again. She regrets saying that. They now conceal their presence so well that she cannot tell if they are there anymore.

". . .you made a mistake when you used that injection."

She cannot feel presence but she knows the feeling of impending injection. She knows and cannot forget all the injections and subjectification to countless methods to subdue her. Her body reacted faster than her mind. A reflex to retaliate.

All because of The Lab.

"You give us no choice, young master."

"Right."

*Crash!

Kali jumped backwards outside the window to run away from the sisters' attacks.

"Inventory" Kali pulls out a cloak and immediately covers herself with it.

'Dammit. with these two clinging to me, the odds are against me.'

There are some people bound to wake up by the noise. She cannot let anyone see the fox. Luna's fur can blend in but the white fox cannot.

Ana and Ingrid jumped from the second floor and they blended with the shadows.

'Fuck' Kali momentarily forgot that Vico's kind basic ability they travel in shadows.

"Hold on tight!"

*clash clash clash

One by one, the houses light up and some are peeking through their windows and some are hiding in alleyways but no one tried to approach.

*clash clash

Kali was expecting to sustain some bruises from an invisible attack just like the attacks back from the palace.

'Aren't they the same kind?" Kali continues to back down creating a distance. She cannot fully wield her spear with one hand.

"Human. What is happening? Are they bad humans?" The fox's grip on her shoulders is getting tighter and it's claws are slowly digging into her skin.

"Hah. I don't know about that but right now, they look bad to me." Kali is hypersensitive right now, without the spear's skills, she doubts she can cope up with their movements.

*Swish

A rock was thrown at her, she tilted her head to the side to avoid it but it was followed by multiple swift rock throws. She dodge and counter it easily.

The next thing she knows, she is falling down. She let Luna go to avoid squishing him down.

*Plop * thud

Sudden pain in her shoulders was felt. She glances up and sees Ana's shadowed face.

'Ah those rocks are for me to move at Ana's location.' Kali realizes, on her back is a dark alleyway.

"Human!"

"Master!"

The beasts cried from across her. The fox must have jumped down while she was falling.

*Creak

"Arghh" Ana pulls her arm straight at the back while pinning down Kali's body to the ground.

"Go!" Kali said to the beast. They cannot be exposed.

"Master---"

"Go and HIDE!!! " She shouted in desperation. People are slowly gathering.

*Crack

"ARGHHHHH!!!!" Ana dislocated her arm.

"MASTER!!!" Luna is crying but not moving.

'Ingrid!' Kali finally noticed, two beasts are stepping on a shadow. Ingrid was holding them in place while hiding in the shadows.

"I apologize young master, we have to resort to force." Ana apologizes and lets go of the broken shoulder. Kali's arm dropped down like a wilted vegetable.

Before Kali pushed her body up with her left unbroken arm but she was pinned down again.

"Your arms and legs will be healed back in the south, young master."

'Arms and legs?'

Ana straight up Kali's left arm and continues to bend it in an unnatural way.

"Arghh" Kali is fighting Ana's strength.

"HEY! You!" Kali said in gritted teeth as she faced the beast with a sweating face.

The beasts are obviously scared at the display of violence. They have a look of. reliving the days in the auction house. The everyday violence and screams of pain. Kali's voice only brought them back to the present.

"You are supposed to be a Mana Beast! Take Luna away from here and wait for me! I'll look for you! Go!"

Kali can see the approaching crowd. If they get anywhere near they will spot the beasts and if that happens, Kali will eradicate everyone in this town to protect her secret.

*creak

Ana is winning in power of strength. Kali can almost feel the slow bending of her shoulder joint.

"No! NO! Master!!! Please Stop!! '' Luna cried out loud.

'Damn it! stop crying.' Kali scowl. The residents will hear it. She moved her legs but Ana had her pinned down in perfect position. Her hand choked her neck and knee on her spine. She can only wiggle her leg in vain.

"No. . ." The fox muttered in a small voice. He could see the struggle of humans. The human who freed him in a year of captivity.

When the fox opened his eyes, he found himself out of the cage for the first time in a long time. The only time he is out of the cage is when he was beaten to half death by his previous owners, with a body of a mana beast he is more durable than regular animals and that makes his previous owners become more violent.

Seeing that he was out of the cage, he was filled with horror. Will he get beaten again? What kind of torture will he had to endure with his new master.

His shivers lessened after noticing that he was lying on something soft and comfortable. Also beside him is an equally injured black beast.

The black beast curled on the other side and he smelled something bitter. The fox notices that the beast is not wearing the collar and only then he realizes he too is free of the suffocating metal collar.

Ever since he can remember he had it that's why when he felt a power slowly entering his body, he felt something other than fear. A feeling he is unfamiliar with but liked it.

He waited for the other beast to wake up and when he did the black beast told him that his master came to rescue them.

"Master? A human?"

"Yes. Master is Human." The black wolf beast nodded vigorously.

The fox was cautious and guarded all the time while the opposite could be said to the wolf. The wolf jumped around the room and welcomed the human. His human.

'That human?'

"Do you have a name?"

'...?!'

The human initiates conversation. This is the first time he experienced it because all his previous masters had no interest other than torturing him.

Still skeptical but caught unguarded when that human spoke in beast language.He is curious until when will this human maintain her facade but his fears never came. The human fed them delicious food and let them sleep comfortably, always leaving the room's window open.

The human never approached him, instead maintaining distance which he found comforting.

That human's only instruction is to never let other humans see them. It is easy since he hates humans.

'Do you have a name?' The human asked him from time to time but the fox remained tight lipped.

"Your name is Luna." The fox approached the wolf after the human left.

"Yes. What is your name?" The wolf asked back.

"I. . . don't have one."

"Maybe, Master can give you a name. Master, give me my name." The wolf excitedly suggested.

'That human will give me a name?' The fox silently thought.