Foxfire and Rose Briars: A Rose's Thorns

Chapter 7, Kidnapped

Rosaleen's PoV

My eyes cracked open slightly, I coughed harshly the dust spraying across the hard floor as I rolled onto my back and sat up. Looking around my eyes adjusted to the lighting. It was dim but I could see.

“You’re new.” I heard a small voice behind me and I turned slightly, seeing a young child about 13, my eyes widened when it started to fall into place.

“Were you kidnapped from the same place?” The little girl asked, her big eyes staring at me as I threw my knees around to sit on them and looked at her.

“Yes, I came to help you and the others.” I said determined and the little girl looked confused as she motioned around.

“Me and that girl over there are the last ones. Aside from you of course.” The girl said and my eyes widened as my chest tightened, we weren’t fast enough. I let out a gentle sigh before squaring my shoulders defiantly.

“I will save you two then.” I said my eyes were determined and the little girl smiled slightly, but I flinched upon hearing footsteps approaching fast. My eyes flicked to the door and I felt around my person.

“Come on… Where is it…” I muttered as I tapped around and found it, the tracker and I nodded determined, smirking slightly, knowing Alan would be here soon. At least hoped.

The door creaked open as the same man from before walked in, his eyes weren’t normal, now that I could see him in the low lighting he actually didn’t look human at all. He had nothing more than 4 fingers on each hand, and a tail was now raised slightly, my eyes narrowed slightly as his reptilian eyes snapped towards me. A cheshire grin that seemed to big for his face pulled across his lips, a forked tongue flicked out quickly as he went to approach me.

Right as he got near me I stood quickly, lashing out and kicking him in the gut, which launched him back hard. He wasn’t expecting it, he coughed and stood again his yellow eyes glaring at me as his body began to morph and change. He had now been standing in front of me as a large reptilian-like creature, my heart clenched when I realized what was wrong.

“Girls. Get behind me.” I snapped putting myself between the girls and the dragon, I knew something was wrong with this scenario and it made sense, he collected females for his horde.

“What are you going to do? Hmmm?” He hissed slowly as he circled us like a tiger, my eyes not leaving him as he launched forward with supernatural speed. Knocking me in the chest this time knocking the air from my lungs, I coughed aggressively at the hit, the girls were huddled against the wall.

I recovered, keeping myself between the anomaly and the girls. My eyes narrowed as I tried to think of a way out of this den.

“No one is coming to rescue you, might as well give it up now.” He said eyes focused on me as I got into a defending stance, we had to capture this guy alive so the academy could study him.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I said as I blocked a blow of his tail to my side, my eyes narrowed as he went to hit me again but I jumped back, avoiding it.

But before I could jump out of the way again a scream of pain was heard behind me, I spun and saw the second girl on the ground clutching her stomach as she shivered. Something was wrong.

I raced over, sliding on the hard floor right next to her as I noticed a blossoming red color on her shirt and my eyes widened. ‘How did I not see the attack?!’ I asked myself and my eyes flicked around unsure until I noticed, the shadows moving and dread started to swell up in my stomach.

“Sugar Honey Iced Tea.” I hissed as the girl was crying, she was about 17 her golden brown eyes stared at me fearfully, as she looked at the younger girl.

“Get my baby sister out of here… Don’t let him get her…” She said, coughing my eyes sad as I tried to keep pressure on her wound, watching the blood pooling around her.

“No. I am not leaving you here!” Her sister cried, the older sister coughed and held her sister's hand gingerly, blood dripped from her mouth slightly as she looked at her sister.

“I am not making it out of this Ella. I want you to go back to mom and dad… Tell them what went on…” The girl said softly as the little girl cried, shaking her head defiantly I sighed as I heard his dry chuckle behind us going to reach for the little girl. I lashed out, grabbing his wrist quickly and throwing him back, taking him by surprise. Blood covered my hands from the girl's wounds, I clenched my hands angrily.

“She is mourning her sister, have you no respect?” I said slowly, my voice eerily calm as I grabbed the keychain on my hip, the dragon started to laugh cruelly.

“Nope. What are you going to do with dual fan keychains?” He asked, laughing bitterly and I smirked this time, his entire body froze when my stigma wore off and I was taller than I was before. My hair longer and back to its fiery orange color and the color drained from his features, as he gulped stepping back.

“You kidnapped the wrong girl” I said quietly, my fans growing and filling my hands now, as they glowed softly in the dim lighting of the concrete room.

“W-Who are you?” He asked as I hummed gently the fans twirling in my hands as I stared at him with my darkened eyes.

“The one who's gonna get these girls home.” I hissed and his eyes narrowed at me getting into a fighting position as I glared at him, his fangs bared as I grinned slightly ready for a fight.

I hadn’t gotten the chance to react, he was already launching at me and I slid to the side slightly kicking my foot out causing him to trip slightly and he caught himself.

“You tricked me!” He screeched as he launched again, I twirled and with the fans blocked his attack now fanning them open the jeweled blades of the fans twinkled slightly with a light of their own.

He attacked again relentlessly as I dodged, but I found my window doing a quick fluid like dancing spin and launched the air blade at him. Knocking him back hard, it didn’t cut him as I had hoped but it surprised him for sure. As I couldn’t get into close contact with him.

“Ariana! Please! Don’t leave me!” I heard the small girl cry as she shook her sister's body softly, I clenched my jaw to keep the determined look on my face, this was my fault. I should have protected her better.

“Tsk tsk tsk. What a fine specimen now gone and no longer valuable.” The dragon sighed, he was now standing again, eyes on the two girls. I blocked his view and my eyes narrowed on him angrily.

“You. Are not getting these two. Ever.” I said, my eyes pinned on the being as it tried to make it past me but I blocked the path and lashed out with one of the fans, effectively leaving a gash on his upper arm where something that wasn’t blood leaked out, it was black like darkness that oozed from the wound. My stomach lurched, I would have preferred blood.

“f*****g dragons…” I muttered as I went to defend again but wasn’t expecting the stabbing pain in my shoulder, I yelled in pain as one of the fans fell from my hand onto the floor with a clattering twang.

“s**t!” I screamed in shock as I angled the injured shoulder away from the anomaly, which just grinned widely again and I glared at it.

“Rose!” I heard Alan’s deep voice in the distance, the earpiece crackling back to life. My heart lurched when I noticed the dragon had heard it too.

“Oooh~ Knight in shining armor. Don’t mind if I do-” I cut him off, launching a harsh wind blade at him, cutting into his thick skin leaving a small gash in his back. Stunning him as I yelled out.

“Alan!” I yelled hoping he could hear, the warm blood was trickling down my arm as I stepped back landing on my knee defending the last girl now, who was crying over her sister’s limp form. My head moving as I looked over my shoulder.

“E-Ella.” I called to the young girl who sniffed and looked over at me, her green eyes wide and sad, I grimaced remembering that feeling myself as I reached out to her.

“Come… Come on… Let’s go while he’s distracted.” I said and she sniffled looking at her sister shaking her head quickly, her eyes wide.

“I-I can’t just leave her!” She cried and I bit my lip to contain the heart wrenching breath that wanted to escape my chest.

“Ella… You need to live for her… I am sorry I couldn’t save you both… Come on…” I said hurriedly as I heard heavy footsteps and hope sprouted within my stomach as I looked back, the Dragon was standing now smoke emanating from his skin, shadows bubbled and moved as the door burst open. Alan came in his artifact at the ready, his steely eyes landing on me and the girl, his eyes hardened as they looked me over the back at the anomaly.

“Look at the knight in shining armor, right on time.” The dragon chuckled as it launched at Alan, I grabbed the girl that tried to fight me off but soon gave up now grabbing me and hugging me tightly as she cried into my shoulder.

Alan attacked the anomaly as I got out the door, looking left and right down the halls of the place we were kept, my eyes adjusting to the darkness as I turned, seeing Alan wrestling with the creature. My eyes watching them scuffle.

“GO!” He yelled as he noticed me standing at the entrance still, against my better judgment I took off down the hall my combat boots bouncing off the cold floor. I came upon a set of steep stairs that led up to a cellar door, my eyes narrowing as I adjusted the girl onto my back.

“Hold tight Ella. Please… I don’t want you to slip.” I said as she grabbed around my shoulders, I hissed under my breath when she accidentally dug into my wound. But I bit back the pain.

“You’re bleeding, you were hit!?” She cried out as she looked at her hand seeing the blood and I shook it off.

“It’s just a flesh wound, I am fine.” I said gritting my teeth as we went up the stairs and I opened it welcoming the evening sun as I plopped Ella on the ground. Looking around, my jaw ticked when I looked around not recognizing where we were.

“Stay here. I need to go help him.” I said crouching in front of Ella, she was shivering and I removed my coat draping it around her like a blanket.

“No! Please!” She cried and I froze, hearing the fear in her voice and I did, I crouched down in front of her.

“Ella… If he is not back in 5 minutes I am going back for him, got it?” I asked and she hesitantly nodded her big eyes scared and unsure.

“Rosaleen! You out?” I heard Alan’s voice call from the cellar and I relaxed, it was 4 minutes of the 5 and I got up instantly. Rushing to the cellar Alan climbed out.

“Thank god you’re okay!” I said looking him over like a worried mother, my eyes searching for wounds, the adrenaline still running its course through my body. The wound on my shoulder aching immensely.

“I am fine. You, on the other hand, are not. You need immediate treatment, you don’t want that wound to fester. But first.” He said looking at Ella.

“Hey sweetheart, are you alright?” He asked crouching in front of Ella who nodded slightly, her mouth still clamped shut as I stepped over, dizzy from the wound as I crouched too.

“It’s alright Ella, come on we need to take you home.” I said offering my hand but Alan stopped me, his hand on my wrist as he stared at me, eyes searching my features.

“You can’t carry her, you are about to pass out. Relax Flower, I have her taken care of.” He said softly, I was losing my strength at each shoulder movement and I huffed and nodded softly.

“FIne.” I said, stepping back, wavering slightly as I studied the surroundings, my brain feeling fuzzy as I looked back at Alan and Ella.

“Where is home?” He asked her, my ears started ringing as exhaustion hit me, I grumbled softly. ‘I should have eaten more than just berries’ I huffed softly.

“I live a block away from the park that the man took me from…” She said and Alan nodded softly and I could tell he looked back at me, noticing my pale features and the wound darker than it was. The sun started to sink below the treeline as the moon rose, my eyes looking out at the fields of grass that stretched for what seemed like miles.

“Where are we?” I asked looking around, noticing it was far very far from civilization, turning to Alan I looked at him.

“I don’t know, I had to take the train to a stop nearby, I was lucky it was there or it would have taken longer…” He said, I could tell he was a little stressed looking back at the cellar unsure as he stood walking over and slamming the cellar door shut. Locking the anomaly inside.

“It’s not dead, but I have to make sure he can’t escape.” Alan said as he grabbed a large rock from nearby, it looked heavy but Alan made it look easy.

“Alan… I don’t feel right…” I mumbled as I stumbled slightly, my hands shaking as I caught myself. Well I didn’t catch myself, Ella was holding onto my legs in a tight hug. Holding me upright and I smiled at her softly.

“You were a very brave kiddo.” I said, making the little girl look up at me, her sad green eyes staring at me quietly as I patted her on the head with my none bloody hand.

“You were what helped me be brave.” She said as Alan picked her up and put her on his shoulders, she yelped in surprise, still covered in my coat as he made sure she was up.