Winguard's Tail

Dripping in sweat, Windguard and Jennifer dig at the hole. It felt like years since this caved in, living in a dark cavern with no light, food, water, just each other and Alister. Alister stopped howling a long time ago, he pretty much gave up.  

So, when light started to pool in, Windguard cackled with glee, “I’m free,” he mutters as the light grows, blinding them.

As Winguard and Jennifer step out of the cave, Winguard is taken by surprise at their surroundings. Expecting to see an overgrown forest by a lake, he sees tall pillars covered in red moss and pinkish dirt everywhere.

“Where are we?” Jennifer asks, curiously.

A gust of wind brushes past them as a flash of purple light fills the area around them. “WHY HAVE YOU COME BACK?” A voice thunders, causing the pillars to shed a few inches of dirt.

Curiosity gone, Jennifer whimpers beside Winguard. Fear like he hasn’t felt in a thousand years boils quickly in his cold heart. “What is going on?” Jennifer stammers.

“We opened a portal to my home dimension, Jenny.” He turns around towards the cave, “We should go-“he is cut short by what he sees.

The cave has disappeared and in its place is more of the red desert. Alister has curled up tightly around Jennifer, his tail is nowhere to be found and Jennifer’s face is paler than normal, almost transparent.

In the distance, Winguard can see a group of figures making their way to them. The thundering voice booms around them again, “WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE FOR RETURNING?” Causing more dirt to shimmer around them. Alister yelps from Jennifer’s feet and Jennifer lets out a small scream, covering her face.

Winguard chances a look at Jennifer and Alister, “Everything is going to be fine.” He tries to reassure them.

Jennifer gives him such a sour look through her fingers that Winguard couldn’t help himself but be a little proud.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?” the thundering voice shakes the ground, an impatient tone causing Winguard to shutter. A movement catches his eye and he looks around them, more cloaked figures are coming towards them.

“I didn’t come because I wanted to,” he yells back.

The circle of figures comes closer, Winguard can see almost every face now, all except one. This is the circle of Djinn Elders, the one with his face covered is the leader.

The circle stops about ten feet from the trio and lifts their hands. Bright purple lights form into large spheres and the circle of Djinn elders begin to chant. The purple light gets brighter and brighter illuminating the whole area around Winguard, Jennifer and Alister. The brightness causes the trio to close their eyes and one by one they fall to the ground, drifting into a deep sleep.

         A low moan fills the darkness, Winguard rolls his head to the side. “Ow,” he mutters, as a stab of pain shoots through his head.

         “Where are we?” Jennifer’s voice comes from next to him.     

         “I don’t know,” Winguard mutters. “I think we may be in the dungeon.” He shifts his head side to side, trying to see something, anything. A whining causes him to turn fast, almost forgetting Alister is with them.

         “Oh, Al. I am sorry buddy.” Jennifer sooths.

         Winguard moves his hand along the ground, rubbing it on sharp stones. “Yeah, I think we are in a dungeon.”

         Shifting noises beside him tells him that Jennifer or Alister is moving around. A slight yelp comes from Alister followed by whimpering.

         “How long are we going to be here?” Jennifer asks.

         “I don’t know.”

         “Why were they so mad?”

         Getting a little annoyed, Winguard answers, “I did something I should not have done.” He can feel the questions build up in her, “I don’t want to talk about it, Jen. Please don’t ask.” He can hear a faint sigh from nearby. He moves his head around, trying to spot some light, “Do you think we are alone?”

         “I hope so,” Jennifer sounds winded almost.

         A light breeze comes from behind them, sensing someone coming, Winguard spins around and reaches for his staff. He gropes at the empty space in his cloak. Finding nothing, panic builds within him again. From beside him Jennifer shifts around causing Alister to yelp again.

         A faint light appears, growing bigger and bobbing around. A light tapping sound is coming from the area with the light. Winguard breathes in deeply, a familiar scent catches his attention. He climbs to his feet as the ball of light comes closer, a dark figure behind it just out of sight. But he knows who this is. He snarls his teeth, making such a noise that Alister lets out another terrifying sound and Jennifer inhales quickly. She’s never seen Winguard like this.

         “Relax,” a faceless voice breathes. “I am not here to harm you.”

         “What do you want?” Winguard steps forward, a force slams hard into his chest and sends him flying backwards. A scream vibrates through the space, a loud pounding in his head and a warm stream flows down the side of his head.

         “Winguard,” a shuffling sound closes in on him and a cool hand touches his own. “Winguard, are you okay?”

         Winguard pulls hand away, “I’m fine, Jen.”

         “Follow me,” the faceless voice says. “You were summoned.”

         Jennifer helps Winguard slowly to his feet. Her hands gently pulled him forward to the faceless voice. Alister whimpers and the sound of his claws follow Winguard and Jennifer through the dark.

         “The dog stays.”

         Winguard stops, stares at the faceless person, “No, he comes too.”

         “He’s family,” Jennifer’s grip tightens a little. “We can’t leave him.”

         “Fine.”

         “Where are we going?” Jennifer’s high pitched voice vibrates through the cavern they are being led through. Distant drops of water can be heard, echoing. 

         Winguard notices that the faceless person is deliberately hiding her face, like she doesn’t want him to recognize her as the cavern grows larger and more lights appear. But he can recognize her anywhere, he’s known her his whole life. She is still younger than him, even by only a few minutes. She is still family as much as he despises the idea. Jennifer and Alister are more his family now, not her. He stops so suddenly that Jennifer slams into him. A low yelp and an ‘owe’ comes from behind him. “Widdowthon, where are you taking us?”

         Widdowthon turns pulling her hood down revealing her face, her eyes a deep purple. Her ball of light is no longer needed, surrounding them are torches along the circular walls of a huge chamber. In the center there are two wooden chairs and surrounding them are thirteen more but convertible looking chairs, one having arm rests. She points to the two chairs in the middle, “sit”. She demands.

         Widdowthon watches them as they follow her directions. A smug smile crosses her face as her eyes follow her disobedient brother. She waited a long time for this. When the two sit, Widdowthon snaps her fingers and long claw-like branches swarm over them, securing them to their chairs.

         A blood curtailing scream comes from Jennifer, she pulls frantically at her bindings making them tighter.

         A low booming bark comes from Alister and a glint in his eyes, baring his teeth and clawing at Jennifer’s bindings causing them to slowly incase him in a cocoon.

         Winguard watches Widdowthon as she eyes the two with a menacing smile on her face. Winguard’s eyes move to Jennifer and Alister, realization dawned on him. “Calm down, the both of you. That is Devil’s Thorn, the more you fight the tighter it gets.  It will strangle you.”

         The fear in Winguard’s voice causes Jennifer to look up at him with terror in her eyes, Alister yelps in pain and collapses. “Al,” she tries to yell but the Devil’s Thorn reaches her face covering her mouth. 

         Anger boils back up in Winguard as he watches them. If looks could kill, the look he shoots Widdowthon would have stilled her heart in a second. His bright blue eyes begin to glow and a trace of fear crosses over Widdowthon, “Let them loose!” He demands.

         Widdowthon’s throat shifts as she swallows and snaps her fingers, losing the bindings on Jennifer and Alister but not letting them go. The dog proves to be dangerous when it comes to the girl and if the elders want to question them then the dog needs to be restrained as well.

         “You’ve softened, Winguard.” Widdowthon glares at him. “You were once the most talented tracker, what happened to you, brother?”

         “IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO QUESTION THEM,” a booming voice echoes around the chamber. Cringing, Winguard looks around, the Djinn elders are appearing out of thin air, one at a time. Each one settling into a chair leaving two open, the one with the arm rests and one to the left. Widdowthon claims the last normal chair and a hooded figure claims the chair with the arm rests. The hooded figure pulls a staff from his cloak and hits the floor in front of him, “Attention. Time to begin.”

         Jennifer looks around at each Djinn, every set of eyes she can see are all watching Winguard. All except the hooded one, she can’t tell where he is looking.

         “You have disgraced the Djinn race. You have stolen, seeked companionship outside our race, meddled in magicks outside our realm and murdered one of our own.” The hooded figure leads forward. “How do you plead, Winguard?” 

         ‘You must understand, father. I had no choice.”

         Jennifer looks at Winguard, “father?”

         “Silence,” his father commands. “So, you deny the charges?”

         “I do not deny nor do I accept. I want to exp-“

         “No”, Winguard’s father cuts him off.

         “But father,” Widdowthon leans forward. “Why not let him explain. He is your only son. It would be a great story to tell anyone who is thanking of following in his footsteps.”

         Their father leans back, folding his hands in front of him, “Fine, only because we have time.” He reaches up and pulls his hood back. Jennifer gasps. Under the hood is a scared face, three long marks cross his face from the left, crossing over his left eye, across his nose, over the right side of his mouth and down the right side of his neck.  His left eye seems to be gone and his eyelid is sewed shut.

         Winguard’s pale complexion becomes even paler and lowers his eyes.

         His father leans forward again, focusing his eye on Winguard, “you may begin.”

         Winguard shifts his feet, he’s never felt this nervous.

         “Well, we haven’t got all day,” Winguard’s father slaps the armrest of his chair.

         “Where do you want me to begin,” Winguard mutters through his teeth.

         “The beginning.”

         Winguard leans back and tells his story: “It started when mother told me that Widdowthon was the favorite. She told me that Widdowthon will be the next leader, that she’s stronger and better than me.” He eyes his sister and snarls, “Even though I am older, she’s stronger? Mother was so hateful to me, she told me I was a runt and I would be better off leaving and never return. She even told me she wished I was never born. When she casted her staff at me, I overpowered her and took her staff. When she fell she hit her head on a sharp rock, and died instantly.” He looks at his father, a tear falling down his cheek. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

         “Beautiful story,” his father spits. “How long did it take to perfect?”

         “Father,” Winguard sobs. “I didn’t mean to hu-“

         “Continue,” his father demands.

         Taking a deep breath, Winguard continues, “I knew if I came to you I would be prosecuted, so I ran. I opened a portal and escaped into the mortal world. I learned quickly that the mortal world is completely different.”

         “I could have told you that,” his father snarls.

         “The first few hundred mortal years I walked the lands, I found the best food there. The human soul, the younger the soul the better. I became lonely after a while and that’s when I found Alister, using the power of a witch I came across, I made him immortal. I learned that he requires the same food as I do. As time moved on, the mortal race expanded. Making it easier for Alister and myself to survive.” His eyes shift to Jennifer. “While on a hunt I met and fell in love with a beautiful mortal woman. I used more witch magic to change my appearance, and I soon married her. She died a year later, during childbirth.”

         The look of horror on the faces of the Djinn Elders told Winguard that they were not enjoying the story.

         He presses on, “She gave birth to a humi-djinn, a Human and Djinn hybrid. I couldn’t care for the child, so she stayed in an orphanage until she was ready. She grew slower than the rest of the mortal children, when she turned sixteen she looked like a ten year old.”

         Winguard pauses for a breath. “So as of now you have confirmed that you’ve murdered, stolen, mated with a mortal creating a hybrid, and meddled in witchcraft. I believe this interview is over.” Winguard’s father stands up. “I condemn you to death.” He looks around at the other Djinn Elders, “I want them locked up-separately. I want four to escort Winguard, he has shown he is dangerous. The girl will be placed with the servants in the kitchens.” He looks at his daughter. “The dog could be useful as well, take him to the pits and put him into training.” He slams his staff onto the floor, ending the meeting and leaves. Widdowthon follows closely, Winguard catches a look at his sister and sees regret in her eyes.

         Winguard bows his head, Jennifer realizing what happened lets out a horrible scream and begins screaming hysterically and Alister growls venomously.

 He may seem like a stupid dog and not able to understand anything but Alister understood everything that was said. These clocked Djinn were going to kill his master and enslave his friend, he needs to stop them.

         He watches as four clocked Djinn surround his master, Jennifer’s screams and cries fill Alister’s ears. He waits calmly for them to release him from these bindings. He watches as one walks casually over to Jennifer and him.

         “Winguard,” Jennifer yells as the four pull him from the chamber and back down the tunnel they came from.

         Alister growls again but muffles it the best he could, he doesn’t want them to figure out that he is more than just a dog. He is part Djinn as well, Winguard placed a piece of him in Alister when he cast the immortality spell. Alister is an immortal dog that has Djinn powers. That’s why his eyes glow the same way as Winguard and Jennifer’s. They are family, he can feel everything Winguard and Jennifer feel, they are connected by blood and magic. He’s not too worried about Winguard, he’ll know when something happens.

         “Help me, Al,” Jennifer screams as she is being pulled from the chair.

         Anger boils inside of Alister as the fear from Jennifer consumes him. He pulls at his bindings that still hold him down.

         “Alister.” The fear from Jennifer finally gives him the strength to free himself. He leaps to the Djinn that’s holding Jennifer. The terror on the Djinns face as Alister’s approaches him growling, snapping teeth, sends the dog into Djinn mode himself. Alister’s eyes begin to glow, saliva flies from his mouth.

         Alister leaps onto the Djinn and snaps at his throat. He can sense the remaining Djinn as they hurry from the chamber leaving Jennifer and the dying Djinn to Alister.

         “Alister,” Jennifer whimpers. “Please, stop. You’re scaring me.”

         Alister can feel the pulse slow as the Djinn’s life is drained from him. He releases the Djinn and lets him drop. A whimper escapes from Alister as he backs away from the dead Djinn.

         Crying from beside him catches his attention and he looks around to find Jennifer sitting on the floor with her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth.

         “What have you done?” Jennifer whispers, watching Alister.

            The sound of running coming from behind Alister catches his attention, he swirls around in time to see the one Winguard calls Widdowthon. The fur along his back stands on end and a deep growl escapes him as the Djinn skids to a stop looking down at her companions. Her mouth gaping open in shock.

         After a moment she pulls herself together, “Follow me. I’ll get you out of here.” And she turns to leave.