Iron Lust

Chapter Three
Imprisoned Soul



Mad brown eyes clashed with fed up sapphire ones for the sixth time that day. “Will you stop looking at me?” Brayden snapped partially hiding his dirty face and blood shot eyes behind his worn out brown and white teddy bear. Allydah glared at him again lightening snapping deep within the dark depths. “I’m not looking at you I’m making sure your butt is behind me, not my fault you’re too quiet.” Snapping her head around she stuck her nose in the air stomping faster farther making Brayden run to keep up. “That’s not fair my legs are too short and my feet hurt, carry meeeeee!” Brayden stamped his bare feet staying in place.

Allydah came to a halt, slowly turning to look at the smaller child glaring brightly before swallowing her pride with thoughts of getting him to the corpse mother, fidgeting under his glare while moving the small backpack she found that held the orb. “Yeah, yeah fine come on you brat.” With her arms out stretched and eyes rolled back, she picked up the smaller child easily placing him on her hip as they began to walk to the morgue. “Allie?” Brayden whimpered softly. “You went potty before we left you can’t need to go again!” Huffing agitatedly, she looked at the younger child. “No…it’s not that…I’m hungry…” She looked directly into his watery brown eyes in somewhat shock. “Hungry? Great just great…like I needed another problem” and the crying began.

Hours of walking and mugging then eating and then after that going on potty breaks, the sun began to set, purples, oranges, yellows and reds littered the serenity sky the weaning moon standing out amongst it all in its white, blue hue. Brayden slowly started to drift off to sleep, his tummy full and his body tired Allydah’s heart beat slowly put him into a deep relaxed sleep. Without noticing her charge had fallen asleep, her sapphire eyes narrowed into the distance just wanting to be done this task already, and then find a place of shelter before nightfall and before the cold set in agitating the young human further.

“Brayden do you know this area at all?” Looking around Allydah’s inner sense of direction was going haywire with panic as night drew closer and the cold crept through the holes in her rag adorn dress. “Brayden?” Finally, looking down a warm smile tugged at her cherry lips and her eyes softened to a glittering sapphire glow “aw Brayden…” Shaking her head, she began to rub his back gently humming a tune she heard her elder sing to her when they wanted her to stay calm and rest. Brayden lay sucking his thumb his teddy bear pulled tight to his chest in the cutest little picture ever.

The nosey people that looked at them while Allydah trudged on to get to their destination gave looks of pity as if thinking the young child belongs to the girl like mother and child. Allydah didn’t return the looks, her mind lashed out at them in their stupidity to not see the racial difference between the two of them. A small adoring ping in her heart, for young Brayden, kept her silent also of any obscenities that wanted to come out, fearing of waking the boy and disturbing him from his much-needed slumber from reality.

Nightfall came quicker than expected and the chill in the air was enough to bite and wake the young lad into a crying fit. “Brayden shh shhh it’ll be okay shush! Someone will hear you! BRAYDEN!” Screeching Allydah dropped Brayden as his tears became red as blood and fire erupted from the left palm of his hand encircling his body like a thick boa constrictor before vanishing into his right palm. “Oh holy shit…” Looking around she analyzed where the two of them were. The streets were lit up with dull yellow street lamps and porch lights waiting for their workers to come home.

In quick panic of not knowing how to handle a toddler, she pulled out the ball from the ragged backpack. “Listen! Make a wish maybe it will show us where we can stay! BRAYDEN!” Shoving the ball into his little pyromaniac hands a blood tear hit it activating the ball and with a burst of blackish light, it consumed him before vanishing. Allydah’s mouth dropped, Brayden now wore a pair of black sneakers, heavy dark gray sweatpants, a black long sleeved shirt and a black winter coat. “How in hell’s blazing name?” Allydah eyed the orb no longer trusting its mysterious powers. Taking a second look at Brayden, Allydah stumbled back gasping and pointing at him. “YOU AGED!” Looking down at himself Brayden had grown over a foot taller and now looked like a 7 years old than the 4 year old he had been only a few moments ago.

Rubbing her face in her hands and with her mindset, Allydah snatched the orb away. “Apparently it would seem your true wish was to be a few years older and warmer, stupid termite wasting...” Looking around, while grumbling nastily, she noticed it was darker than before. “Oh Bloody Hades, what to do, what to doooo?” Snatching his hand roughly, Allydah dragged the kid along with her, shoving the orb back in the ragged backpack. Storming down the road, Brayden dragged in tow, the older girl started weaving in all sorts of directions through multiple streets and alleyways, fear apparent in her eyes as she kept her eyes on the sky above and the shadows for movement. “Allie what’s wrong?” Brayden’s ability to speak improved greatly with the small fact of his baby teeth had grown in with the changes.

“Someone’s after me, and if you keep using that orb not only I will be caught but you too! I don’t know about you but I’m willing to bet someone would pay A LOT to have you as a slave.” Pulling out the teddy bear that was safely tucked in his jacket, Brayden hugged it frightened by what the older girl said. Looking around Allydah’s bolt-shaped pupils narrowed in on treetops only mere streets away from them, “Jackpot!” Grinning wickedly, she sprinted, dragging poor Brayden along, through yards and alleyways as quick as she could. “ALLIE STOOOOOP!” Could be heard for the brief moments there were out in the open before a raven’s caw echoed short distances away.

Allydah wasted no time sprinting into the forest and further away from the bird, diving into thick bushes pulling Brayden to her tightly all the way. A hand smacked over his mouth so he wouldn’t say a word or sound to give away their location as her sapphire eyes were filled with panic darting all over the sky and shadows. After a few minutes passed, Brayden became restless and pulled away from his self-proclaimed guardian. “What was THAT about?” Angry fiery brown eyes pinned her to where she sat.

Guilt washed over the young being but she didn’t look away, meeting his angry look with a gentle look. “Alright, let me explain a few things first. You, some how I do not know how but you did, accepted a dark force into your soul. Well to put it in lames term, you are bound with a demon and the more you use the powers, the more your mortal body will take on the characteristics oh the demon, pointed ears, weird eyes so on and so forth.” Brayden blinked looking at her, “So you are saying?” The older child frowned deeply, “I’m saying you have another’s soul in you, with your own.”

Brayden’s legs seem to turn to jelly and his pants covered knees hit the dirt below, his mouth dropped open and eyes wide in complete shock. “How can that be…?” Allydah looked over his form in concern and astonishment. How could he not know someone else was in his body with him? Was the demon that good at hiding that even taking over on occasions the charge had no full aware of it? Possible…damn she needed her books now than ever. “I’m sorry Brayden I don’t know how but…I will say this. Darkness isn’t always evil and light is always good.” Nodding more to herself than him, Allydah remembered multiple times having fruity angels, point a weapon of some kind at her from just looking at them, and she was just a child herself then.

Tears pricked Brayden’s eyes and a full-blown wail poured from his dark lips, “I DON’T WANT TO BE A DEMON! I WANT MY MOMMY!” Spinning on his heels, he bolted through the woods leaving his teddy bear at her feet. “Brayden?” Groaning the older being got up looking around first for the dark birds that were the eyes of the twelve shadows then reached down picking up the worn toy clutching it to her dirty chest hands clasped in prayer. “Great grandma if you still would lend me your ears, help me protect the young one into the journey our fates have set for him and please keep that nasty man from finding us. I promise to make you proud of me…one day.” Bowing slightly she took off like a rabbit speeding through the trees and bushes, allowing her powers to take control her face took light lines of that of a cheetah, her ears grew larger pointing out to be more like fox ears then elf and her hands and feet curled to slight looking paws. With only those slight changes Allydah’s speed, hearing, smell and hunting skills tripled.

Long reddish furred ears swerved forward and back, picking up sounds from all over as she ran through the forest. Distant howling forced her to slam on the breaks and change direction; they were the howls of a pack finding an unknown pup and hopefully considered not to eat it.

“Brayden if you get eaten I swear!” Racing against what seemed like time Allydah moved keeping her ears tuned into the wolves barks and howls. Once more, she was forced to stop in her tracks sliding face to face with a growling, alpha male timber wolf. Looking around the wolf Allydah slowly retracted her demonic features, seeing Brayden playing with a young black and brown pelted wolf. “Brayden!” The older being snapped gaining the wolves and his attention oddly enough.

Smirking Brayden pulled the wolf close to him his eyes shining like fire from a volcano. “MINE! He comes with us!” Nuzzling his face into the wolf’s silk coat Allydah smacked her face rubbing her temples weakly. It was going to be a loooong night and the sun has just finally fully set.