14. The Blood Fairies —Zuri.

"Melanie?" Zuri's eyes squinted

as they fell on the face of a young

woman in long gown. She looked

about the same age as her,

also very familiar. "Melanie!"

Confirming her claims, she

pounced on her, squeezing her

into a tight hug. What Zuri didn't

know what that they'd all been

surrounded by heavily armed

strangers.

The young woman forced herself

away from Zuri's embrace.

"You're coming with us." Her

voice bold and authoritative,

commanded. "You have the wrong Melanie."

Zuri faltered, high arched brows

furrowed in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about.."

her voice quavered as realization

hit her. Half a dozen of angry looking Blood Fairies were had

circled them with ominously

looking sharp blade facing them.

Red blood eyes glared tentatively at her. The young lady on long dress was frowning at Zuri, wondering what to do next with her.

It had happened so fast. Dozens of Blood Fairies instantly surrounded them, binding their hands behind and unfortunately for Zuri and her crew, they hadn't been prepared.

August was beside her but he

had instantly been ambushed by

the angry faces that had

already before them.

Before Zuri could blink back

to reality, her friends had been

pierced with a sleeping pin,

instantly sending them to the

land of unconsciousness.

"What are you doing with them!"

Rage flustered in Zuri's eyes,

but Melanie too wasn't backing

down. Both ladies stood face to

face, patiently calculating the

best attack to lunge—hopefully,

one that would not lead to

sudden death. She struggled but it was of no use. "What are you doing!" Zuri was certain the woman standing in front of her looked truly familiar. "Melanie, what are you doing!" She called out her name on purpose, and the young woman's attention was bought.

"Zuri," said Melanie, a formidable smirk appearing on her face. She and the rest of her kin all had similar traits; pure red eyes, pale skin and more than half of their hair was covered in red, as if some red dye had been plastered on parts on each of their hairs.

They were all Blood Fairies. Angry looking Blood Fairies.

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"Come with us, gently." Slowly, Melanie offered. It didn't seem to calm Zuri down though, and she noticed quickly. Melanie heaved in a deep sigh, her palm resting on her forehead in frustration. She didn't like the idea of abducting The Dark One and her friends. "Listen to me, you have to come with us."

"What have you done with them? Melanie what has gotten into you!" Zuri's blood was boiling, but it would be of no use. She couldn't afford to waste any rage on them. Perhaps there must had been a reason—hopefully. The last time she had raged out in fury, more than half the people in that land had died a horrible death. She was only twelve years old. Humans had pushed her to a dangerous point and have succeeded in pronouncing her a monster. She would not become one again. "Melanie, what are you-"

A feeling of feebleness overwhelmed her as her feet became too heavy to stand on. The floor was burning hot, but it wasn't just the blistering ground that bothered her. Her eyes were heavy, causing her to feel weak and dizzy. People were screaming and crying, and she was the cause of it. She was angry and it bothered her too much that no one believed in her, not even her own mother. She was panicking, afraid of what would become of her friends. She was vulnerable because she had promised never to grow the terrible seed of anger inside her again. Zuri was a changed person. If only people stopped provoking her... If only they could trust her...

People were screaming and crying...

"ZURI!"

A voice yanked Zuri back to reality. In just a flicker of moment, the entire tree around them had suddenly caught on fire, filling the air with reeking smoke that had sent them all choking. Melanie's palm fisted on the shoulder of Zuri, ordering her to stop what it was that she had started. People were coughing and wheezing, and the only thing Zuri could think of was the feeling of hatred for herself. She promised not to get angry. She knew what would happen, yet she couldn't calm herself.

Her friends were all laid unconsciously on the ground, and that scene was enough to shatter Zuri's heart. She was trembling in fear—disturbing questions pounding in her head; "What have you done?" "Why did you have to become a monster again?" "What did they even do you?" "Why are you still a monster!"

Hot tears had already gathered in her eyes, ready to burst out the moment anyone advised her to calm down. The entire vicinity was burning, branches of tree falling down ferociously as they hit the ground—sometimes, landing on the body of some Blood Fairies. There were already a few of them on the ground, yelling in agony as their body caught on fire.

Zuri's palm covered her mouth as she groaned in misery, desperately trying to stop the flood of tears from escaping her already teary eyes. Tears distorted vision, but she could still see clearly the commotion she had unleashed out of her wrath.

"You have to relax. You don't want to hurt your friends..."

Zuri heard Melanie's voice scream beneath the trembling and commotion of the people. They all ran helter-skelter, but it was as though everywhere they ran to, danger followed.

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Zuri was numbed for hours. The weather that was once bright and cheerful, dimmed, and then darkened. Her friends were still unconscious, but so was she. She felt terribly robbed of her humanity, her freedom to live. The insects chirping and chipping loudly mocked her of her freedom. Loud mumbling of the Blood Fairies could be heard from afar, but she didn't even cared to find out what was happening.

Zuri hadn't noticed much ever since the attack she'd dawned on them hours ago. With no alternatives, she was forced to calm her nerves, and complied with the Blood Fairies. So far, her friends had been alright, even though they never opened their eyes. She was lead down a narrow path, their home. It took them only a short while to arrive,  hours ago when the sky above them roared blazingly hot.

Zuri was terrified. She was as fragile as she'd once been when she was only eight. The night her mother had lead her out of the village and far into the dark forest. She told her not to fear the dangers and harms that came her way, reminding her of just how dangerous she could be. Her own mother told her not to fear death because she was truly guilty of pain and punishment for all the dangers she would wreck on the world. Little Zuri had not understood the words of her mother, but fourteen years was quite a long time for her to had finally processed it's meaning.

Well, had her mother been not been right after all? She was a monster, and her fitting punishment was death.

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