Enslaved Paws Ch. 01

The wind forced itself through my hair that was trailing wildly behind me, bouncing on the mid of back as leaped over what I could tell to be broken branches on the forest floor. I could hear the heavy foot steps behind me and cheering of barbaric men.

Earth was no longer the same. This place had turned to total anarchy it seemed. Divisions fighting each other over barren land. I didn't see the point in owning more and more useless land. People no longer knew how to take care of the Earth, I suppose the majority of Earth's population never knew. Perhaps we would be in a different time if Earth had been well cared for.

I winced as the pads of my feet fell onto dry leaves and broken tree limbs. Some of the underbrush still warm from the fire that had set ablaze to my resting place. I was with a small group of people. No one knew they had been harboring a half breed. I doubt these men knew too but if they caught me they would certainly discover what a treasure they had found. My ears were brought to the attention of a young boy's scream, I recognized it from one of the boys that was with the group. I changed direction but kept my speed. These men had no chance of keeping up with me.

I found the boy caught in a pit three times his size. He clawed at the dirt trying to free himself. His eyes lit when he saw me, "Mjesec!" He cried out reaching for me. His name for me was Moon is his native language. "Hush Tiny, they are close." I laid out flat on my stomach and reached my hand down as far as I could. He was jumping trying to grab my hand panicked all over his face. I was more found of Tiny over the other few children I had come to know. He could keep up with me on hunts, sometimes I wondered if he had the wolf in him too.

I could hear the heavy-footed men drawing close. I bit my lip, I couldn't leave Tiny but if I did not utilize my half breed gifts I could not get him out of this man hole. I pushed against my better judgement and jumped down into the hole landing on my feet. Tiny was wide eyed but didn't object. After months together he had learned to trust me. I picked him up and slung him onto my back, "Hold tight Tiny." His little arms locked around my neck and his feet hooked together around my upper waist. I bent my knees and jumped us out of the hole and onto the dirt.

"I knew she was running too fast to be human." A heard a squeaky voice hiss from behind. I had clipped the side of the man hole with my ankle which threw my balance forcing Tiny and us to fall. At first I had just been happy to get him out of there. Before I understood what was happening men had circled us. They were all filth and bruised. I grabbed Tiny in my arms and held him close. "Tiny I want you to run, run and find others. Remember what I taught you." I whispered in his ear. Tiny held my arms around him, "NO!" He screamed. "Tiny do not fight me, I will hold them for as long as I can." I hissed letting him know I was serious. He agreed slowly.

I waited for the men to close in with their weapons drawn. They began jolting at us causing Tiny to flinch. I had made it to my feet, bearing more weight on my left leg since my right was the one that got clipped. I adjusted him from my arms to my hands and threw him as far from the group of enclosing men as I could. One man went after Tiny but the man in charge called him back, "Leave him, he is easy." He pointed his makeshift blade in my face, "She will be difficult." I felt a growl burble up from the pit of my stomach.

Tiny was out of sight but he was still close. I could smell his scent as the dry wind passed. I had taught him that if he could get out of sight, wait for the enemy to pass and then double back the way he originally came he would have a better chance of getting away. I was hoping he was using this method now but something told me he wanted to stay to help me.

I swatted on the blades, my reflexes sharper than theirs. It took the red-haired man a second to realized I had even jolted at him. Before I knew it, they were falling on top of me, grabbing my hair back so I couldn't bite and attempting to tie my limbs together. I whimpered from the mass of men stumbling on top of me, I was repeatedly stepped on and kicked. I think one even spat on me. I growled louder this time, they hesitated in their movements but continued subduing me. My sharpened teeth hurt from forming so quickly. I hadn't let out any of my true appearance since long before the Earth went through its own apocalyptic hell.

An arm reach out in front of me, I lunged my head and sunk my teeth into the forearm. A man whaled smacking my head in desperation for me to let go. "GET HER OFF PASTEON!" I felt grubby fat fingers push themselves into the corners of my mouth. I sunk my teeth further in and ripped away taking a decent portion of his forearm with me. I spat it out and laughed. I smelt Tiny again, my eyes scanned the trees and what land I could see. He peeked his head around a large stump not far from this commotion. I made eye contact and growled loudly again, he knew this was to him. He shuffled back out of my sight.

I felt a blow to the side of my temple. My vision was instantly hazy, but I was still conscious. I huffed under my breath, "Still awake bitch." The man I assumed to be Pasteon leaned down and grabbed my cheeks with his hand, "You don't frighten me mutt." He finished by spitting in my face. "Move her out. She needs to get to the auction immediately." Pasteon looked down at me and smirked, I let a growl out before he took the end of his rustic blade and slammed it into my temple again. I whimpered dropping my head, darkness shortly followed.

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I could hear the roaring of a man's camps off in the distant. I winced my eyes from pain the washed over my body. I went to hold my head in my hands but I remembered I was tied. I peeked my eyes open to see Pasteon sitting by a small fire, he was alone. That was brave of him I thought. I sat up bringing my tied feet to my chest. I looked down at my body, I was covered in dirt and blood. My right foot was swollen. I reached my tied hands up to my face pushing the matted hair from my cheek. There was still damp blood on the side of my face coming from my temple. I whimpered as I touched it. I was forced to hunch being in such a small cage obviously meant for small hunting dogs.

Pasteon looked from his plate of food he chuckled, "Couldn't play dead with the first hit huh?" He stabbed a piece of meat with a knife and shoved it in his mouth. "We called in the specialty guys to come pick your ass up sweet cheeks." He pointed his knife at me, "You shouldn't have given yourself up for the boy." My heart sank, he was right. Tinys death would've been quick if they had found him. I will suffer immensely at the hands of these men. I didn't regret it though, if Tiny was able to get away all this would be worth it. I have lived on this sad planet for long enough.

My ears perked at the sound of horses galloping into the main camp. Pasteon obviously had me away from everyone. He grunted and headed his way over to the main camp. I took this time to frantically look for something to pick the cage door lock with. My nail had grown in my change. I rushed to free my feet, I would worry of my hands after the cage door was open. I kicked the cage with my good foot decided that my time was running short. The door fell from the hinges.

I smiled and pushed myself out. I took off running, my limp getting worse with each step I took. "Pasteon! She's running!" I heard a voice bellow behind me. I looked back seeing Pasteon with a group of large men. They towered over any one of us here. I screamed pushing myself to go faster. If these men were who I thought they were, I was surely in bigger trouble than I thought. These men are like me, they are not fully human. I am merely a half breed of a wolf and human. These men were what hunted my race down to barely nothing. If the stories are true they are the descendants of the demons that overtook Earth. I heard they kept other half breeds as slaves.

I needed every advantage my body allowed at this point. These giants were already closing in on me. I howled leaping ahead and bounding onto all fours. My head rushed from the change, something I hadn't done in years. I whimpered as pain shot through my hind leg. I huffed shaking my head and pushing myself. I would fight if I had to, they would not take me without a fight.

"What a prize!" One of them mused as he glided at my heels. "She is fast!" Another chuckled, enjoyed by the challenge. There was one on either side of me and one behind. I growled snapping my teeth at them as I continued my forced pace. "Now Quin!" Before I could react the one on my right dived into my side shoulder first. I cried out in pain as I tumbled several feet. I curled my body to defend the broken ribs he had caused. "I never liked the sound of a dog crying." The one from behind cocked his head to the side, he looked down at me pitifully. I felt myself changing back into my human body, "Please, I am not part of a pack. I have done nothing." I held my hands out as the approached me. Quin knelt beside me, "Is it because our Fathers killed you all and enslaved the rest?" He smirked down at my now naked body.

I lowered my head contemplating what to do next. I felt Quin grab my face, "Look at me mutt!" He hissed. His eyes were completely black. I spat in his face, "Eat me dirt bag." I let a soft growl end my insult. He was taken aback. Before I knew what was happening he had me by the throat and slammed my back into a rotten tree, "Oh may the demon who buys you enjoy breaking you." He slammed me again into the tree causing it to crack. I whimpered again as my eyes fluttered. "Quin, enough. She is already in bad shape. We need to get a decent amount of money for her to make this worth our time." The man talking was bald, he seemed to be the oldest. Quin looked at me one last time, "Next time you wake up will be when you're being sold." With that he slammed me one more time into the tree causing an instant black out.