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Chapter Eleven: The Shadows of Perseverance.

It was the warmth and thought of the moment; how soft and edged the deserts breeze was. How I finally had a peaceful moment looking into my bewildering fathoms and dreams; dreams that expected nightmares and shadows to rip them apart. Holding off, All I felt was everything fading, how it destroyed my thoughts, and ripped my sanity. I felt cold; looking into shadows, felt only the wind howl through a confined and ragged silhouette.

'Where am I?'

It was a panicked and repeated voice. Everything was blurred and confusing; yet one simple thing was clear, and that was the demonic form casting flames of color. Its fur, black before the fire's storm, shredded and tore around me. Eyes narrower and jaws revealed the form consumed around everything, shattering the container around this world. Glass sent fourth, they cut through all, and the sight was enough to shackle me. With the flames rest, all my eyes caught was the pulsing markings around it; blood-red and held strong.

With the shape, closer now than before; it held its jaw towards me, waiting as if only by me moving, it would then strike. Waiting within a shaken fear, it's growling came violently, vicious bearings that came forward, threatening and cursing at me. Driven into its aura, power and hatred consumed me - controlled me - gave birth to me. Forcing itself outward, it felt as if it tore and destroyed me from the inside; delving deep within my heart, and striking me from within. Being shredded from the thought and pain, I was ripped from my rest.

Awakening within the cold, stone and sand covered across the sky above me. The whitened shine of the waning moon came from the dunes, holding off the sight of the horizon and the stars fading from the sun's light. Standing, I scanned closely into the sharp texture of the stone; rugged and tough. With the sounds of the wind, quietly reaching towards the end of the brightened horizon; I moved forward, searching.

"Nieves."

Staring left and right; flashes from the night before hit me. Watching everything wither with blacken flame, and strike towards the skies without remorse. It stung, forcing itself within my mind's eye, and then I realized that something was wrong. She wasn't with me. What I knew should've been the crevice of rock, was nothing more but the light of the sun above, and the soft sands below. Felt starved, thirsty, and startled from confusion and a sudden hate. Looking into the horizon, a flash caught my eyes.

'What?'

Looking closer, it shot at me. Diving for the left, I fell towards a hidden slope, and landed; brutally mangled against a rock. I limped forward, searching for my attacker. Nothing was visible, and everything was a blur. All I heard was the ominous sound of hissing. Turning slowly to my right, a coiled figure matched off. Hardly visible it withered and wretched upwards and all around; until I stared straight into its cold beady eyes. The head fanned outwards, and with its skin, brown with the underlay of yellow; I knew exactly what challenged me. With the cobra coiling up once again, I slowly backed up, limping from my injury. The cobra, hissing and bearing fangs; brought its head downwards. Studying the movement, my heart sunk.

"Oh shi-"

It shot forward, and with me jumping back; I made another poor landing. On the ground, it struck at me again; fangs driving for my throat.

Without thought, the cobra shot downwards, and all I saw was something strike it. Blinking I stared into the long shaft that held the creature. Grasped around the neck, and being handled carefully and professionally. Looking into the masked figures around me, one held a bow; another held a long object; which struck me shortly after.

Everything was a daze. Being unable to see anything around me, everything was a blur. Moonlight shone onto me, illuminating the sky with stars. Voices stung my ears, and I could feel the rocks that pressed up against my back when I was dragged across them. Pain drove and shot through my spine, igniting the rest of the pain through my body. A low growl shot from me, stuck with the pained yelps from the sharpened stone digging into my back. Holding off my daze, all I saw was the runes dug and imprinted into the walls encasing the feeble cries from within. Digging into the blaze of thoughts, the confusion and darkness; never understanding why I was here, nor understanding the reason I tried to help. Watching the large metal gates, it was all that rang and stopped me. My growling ceased, and my mind was shot with pains from thought. It was a fool's errand, and I should have known it from the beginning; nothing but lies and hate. Watching the stone fade within my mind, voices came back to me, talking within languages and hate.

It was dark, the shadows drowned around me, burning with the sense of fear. Blood was the strongest scent within the stone labyrinth, and the only sounds was the whines and cries from within. Echoing through my mind was the sudden thoughts of darkness. Something was wrong here, and I could sense it. It felt dark, shadows searching fourth; calling them to me, creating the chance for death and calling. We reached a cold place, scents of others were present here, but they were hardly heard. Being thrown onto the hardened stone, my head pounded against the slightest thought.

'Where am I?'

It still demanded within my pain. Clawing at the pain in my skull, I finally looked around the dark room. A set of bars slammed in front of me, causing barbs to dig my ears; the sound ringing and digging shards deeper into my head. Like claws, digging into my skin and ripping outwards, voices picked up within hell. I could see nothing but feel them, their pains and sorrows; how they cried out towards sounds and movement, wherever I was, it was fear I could sense.

"Hey, you."

The voice was a shaken whisper. Studying the darkness, a shadow came to view. It was small, and almost appeared oddly canine at first.

"Oh my god. Wake up!"

It was a quiet call out. Watching something move through the room, a smaller figure came fourth. His fur was a dark blue with the shades of a moon's white. Watching him step closer into a dim light, I stared into the eyes of a fox, grown and showing strength through a sense of leadership. His eyes studied me, and finally fell short towards the chain.

"Senshi."

The name shot through, piercing everything I thought. His voice held much disbelief, but hadn't faltered throughout. Watching back to the smaller figure, a fisher stared back at me, watching me with wide eyes.

"Who are you?"

Showing confusion, the fox gave me a look, almost like a sharp remark back.

"You don't remember me?"

Nodding my head, he sighed out; looking around the closed walls and poorly lit room. The only source of lights was the cracks through the stone roof, and the torchlight from a wooden door at the end of the hallway. Darkness withered around, and my breathing started to pick up. I felt something pulsate around a shuddering and dark room, and was severed by the shot of gold striking my eyes.

"The chain, take it off."

The fisher spoke clearly and quickly, her voice slightly echoed into through the stone asylum.

"Senshi take it off now!"

His voice was quick, biting into my head. All I saw was darkness, and painful memories, dazing and forcing through. The pain drove me towards a violent impulse, forcing my body to wretch around until suddenly it was clear.

Moonlight flowed freely and softly throughout the silver stones surrounding me. The wooden door I could see, with its painted shadows moving in front of it. A peaceful moment that gave me the chance to finally breathe. I stared at the two shadows, but I only saw them. His eyes were dull, almost glazed over from a long anticipated wait. She was smaller than I thought, staring into me brightly and with concern. Looking down, the once painful boon was nothing more than a simple trinket, lying on the cold, dark ground.

"Do you remember anything?"

The only thing that I thought of was Nieves, the monster in the city, everything else that came to mind. So many questions pounded my head, but none came out, none except one.

"Where the hell am I?"

My voice was alien, it no longer sound so vulgar, filled with hate and dementia; but instead was soft, almost charming and bright to hear.

"We don't even know that. These bastards took us when we got separated."

"Separated? I don't rem-"

"Everything has gone to hell, I know."

"Who a-"

He interrupted again, and it was thoroughly starting to piss me off

"I'm Karisif, and this is my old friend Jiveria."

"Hi."

She almost held a smile, bright and refreshing to look at. It almost warmed me to see that someone was still kept sane.

'Karisif?'

The name flashed; remembering the journal within my mind, his entry came through to me, almost as if I've forgotten its importance. Echoes of footsteps came beyond the wooden door. Loud and unforgiving, they came closer; until the door cracked open.

The figure appeared tall, with a leather cloaked hood around its face that fell towards its back. A short tail came from it, with the visible sight of a quiver along its back. Stopping, the mysterious creature almost smiled at us. He spoke with an odd rant, repetitive yet poetic.

"What's that song I sung me 'self before?"

A conversation with him echoed out, but his voice was so familiar to me. I stared as he walked by Jiveria's cage, and throw food down. From there, it was the simple thought of food that teased me. He stepped towards Karisif's doing the same, and stopped by mine.

"You look familiar pup."

Crouching, he threw down some food, and my gut growled out. Scent filled my nose, strong and wanted; and I ripped it apart.

"You must o' been hungry."

His voice wavered oddly, and a humming tune came from him; haunting and cold the sound was. Standing now, the shadow passed back by the cages. I stepped closer and my paw landed upon gold. Shadows shot fourth, engulfing my mind, and changed my ability of sight. Frozen and dazed, I saw two forms swing around the cloaked creature, withering and crossing through his very soul. Both sung an unforgiving tune; both sung the song of death.

"I held my heart to you my friend,

The sounds I gave within the wind,

Cold, and lost until the end,

And ensnared from his darkened kin.

I gave my heart for you my love,

Betrayed and lost from shard's of flame

How we've created our flown dove,

And our hearts were born to our tame."

Soulless, lost, and destroyed. Their sadness was given to his heart, and created his eternal guilt. Stepping back, lights flowed normally. My eyes hurt from the sudden change, yet I felt back to normal. The door closed with screeching hinges, the sound so quiet I believed mice were within these cataclysms.

"You should get some sleep."

Turning towards Karisif, his head was held low with the moonlight painting his shadow upon the colder stone.

"Why?"

"Senshi, it's our first night for all of us here, I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."

Silence.

"This is only your first day here?"

"Yes. Now, please I would like to get some sleep."

He left into the shadowing corner of his cell. A wind howled, strong and powerful the sound was reminding me of a cold autumn's night. It was an unnatural sound, the wolf's howl throughout the night. An eternal search of thought went through my mind, asking questions without answers, and creating a confusion that stayed until the restless sleep I had that late night.