ilbarker's POV

RAGE.

CHAOS.

DESTRUCTION.

DEAth.

Anger.

Revenge.

...

Regret....

What...What happened?

What are these...emotions?

Where...am I?

What happened...?  I was...in Jeremy's hut...and...he made fun of Jerome in a way that made me super mad...and then...nothing....

They...looked scared before I went unconscious...but what happened?

I started to feel again, and then I wished I couldn't.

EVERYTHING HURT.

I felt like I'd gotten shot with arrows and stabbed with axes....

And...was I moving?  Everything felt like it was moving....

"...almost there!"  Jerome's voice called.

Almost...where?

I slowly opened my eyes.

It was a bit light out, making me think it was morning or evening.

And...I tasted something weird in my mouth....

I tried moving my wings, but...they seemed to be stuck....

But on what?

As my vision got more focused, I could see...a bunch of vertical lines in front of me.  Well, vertical if I was sitting up.  Which I'm not.

And...I couldn't move my hands, arms, or legs.  My torso area felt...kinda constricted....

Oh no....

I looked down to see very thick vines wrapped around my torso.  My wings seemed to be trapped underneath.

Whatever happened, I now have my wings wrapped around me like a burrito.  Or something.

I could probably assume the same was done with my arms and legs....

And...were my wings darker?  Maybe it's just because I'm not in full light....

Like, how did I get here...?

I shifted and tried to push up, but my head banged on something above me, making me lie back down with an oompf.

The movement froze almost immediately.

"Jerome...I think she's waking up!"  A voice nearby whispered.

There was no response.  We only started moving again.

I looked around to the best of my ability to see more of those vert----

O-Oh....

I...I'm in a cage....

Being...carried somewhere....

I could feel myself shaking.

What happened to make me be in this position?  And...if Jerome's near...he's ok with this?!

What happened while I was out?!

I tried to call for Jerome, but my voice was muffled.

Oh...so that's why I tasted something weird in my mouth....

Why was I gagged...?

I decided to be silent and still for the time being.

I didn't want to anger anyone.

Though I think I already did with the position I'm in....

We walked in near silence for a little longer before the light seemed to brighten slightly.

"We're here.  Place her down over there."  Jerome said.

Wait...he was ok with this?!

I was moved a bit more before I was dropped slightly onto the ground.  I winced, my body still hurting, though it was more of a dull ache now....

I'm scared....

I was facing the area we had come to, so I could see where we were.

Jerome's place in the woods.

But...I could see a lot of sets of feet walking about, though many seemed to be facing me.  I think they were bacca feet.

One set seemed to walk towards me, and I tensed.

The bacca stopped and knelt down before bending over slightly, looking in.

Jerome.

"ilbarker?"

I stared at him with wide eyes.

I tried to ask what was going on, but I couldn't.

He looked at me sadly.  "ilbarker...do you know what happened?"

I shook my head.

He sighed before turning over, lying on his back like he was cloudgazing.  He looked at me.  "After...Jeremy insulted me, your eyes...they...turned blood red.  Your wings became black as night almost instantly.  Jeremy took a step back, but you just...leapt at him and...and...ripped his head off...."

WHAT?!

"After that...you looked at me with a bloodthirsty look and bolted out the door.  It took me a second to register what happened, but...the screams outside woke me up.  I ran out to see you...tearing apart a bacca, laughing at his screams....  I tried to stop you, but...you threw me back with amazing strength.  I was dazed for a bit, but that was all you needed....  You had, somehow, set fire to one of the houses.  It spread like crazy, killing a lot of the tribe.  We fought you, but...you were too strong.  You ended up biting my arm pretty hard....  Your teeth were razor sharp...."

He showed me his arm and I winced, seeing the bandages wrapped around it.  It was a bit bloody.

I guess that would explain the thing in my mouth....

"So, I...ah, got the doc and he came up to you.  You froze and backed away, keeping your eyes trained on him.  That gave me time to run around you and knock you over the head with Betty.  You collapsed and your wings turned gray....  I told the baccas around to restrain you while I checked out the situation.  3 injured and...24 dead....  It was a tribe of about 70 before....  The chief was dead, meaning I was now the chief.  I immediately got Mitch and Kirby out, sending them this way early on.  So...now...here we are...."  He finished.

I...I...killed...24...people...?

Oh my God....

"Do you know what that was?"

I shook my head.

What was wrong with me...?

"I didn't think it was you...."  He muttered.

He sighed heavily.  "I'm going to let you out.  However, I'm not releasing your wings or arms.  Got it?"  He said in a leadership-like tone.

I nodded.

He stood up.  As he did, I saw the crowd of baccas take several steps back.

The cage creaked before it cracked slightly.  Jerome took the top off.  I squinted my eyes at the sudden light.

Ok, it was morning since the light was getting brighter.

I felt him hold my legs as he cut the vines off.  He then cut the vine around my mouth off.

I coughed harshly as he lifted me up.  The crowd of baccas murmured and stared at me.

Jerome put me on my feet on the grass and I nearly fell over.  I guess it was the pains of the...fighting...and them being cramped for a while....

I looked up at him before pushing up against him slightly, tears pouring out.  "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...."  I cried.

He wrapped an arm around me for a moment before taking a step back.  I looked at the ground, not wanting to see anyone.  I could also see my wings.  They...were gray....

He placed a paw on my shoulder, pushing me slightly.  "Come on....  I'll show you back to your room...."

I sniffled and walked forward, looking just at my feet.

"...crazy..."

"...killer..."

"...staying..."

I clenched my fists for a moment before sighing.

What was I to expect after learning that?

Jerome took me into the house.  It seemed to be set up as a small hospital.  There were more than 3 baccas in there, but I just saw some cuts and bruises.  And...the other 3 baccas.

They looked way worse off.  One seemed to be missing an eye, one looked...burnt, and another had a huge gash in his leg.  From what, I don't know....

There was a bacca standing at the door to the room I had stayed in.  He looked me over before opening the door, letting me and Jerome in.

There were 2 more baccas in there, sitting.  Both were armored and armed.

To be honest, from what I heard about me, I doubt that would hinder me in the slightest....

Jerome walked me over to the bed and sat me down.  I looked up at him sadly.

He sat down next to me.  "Until we can figure out more about that...thing you turned into, you'll have to stay like this.  Ok?  And...it's not you.  It's...well, it.  If it does come out again, I'd rather it be hindered in some way...."  He trailed off, looking at me apologetically.

I gave a small smile.  "I don't mind....  Uh, well, in technicality, I do, but...I do agree with you.  Keeping it hindered for as long as possible is...smart.  I'll be ok.  But, uh, how do I eat and...stuff?"

"They'll untie you to eat and...other stuff, but...after that...they'll...well, tie you again...."  He grimaced.  "I'm sorry, ilbarker.  I wish that it didn't have to be like this...."

I looked down.  "I do, too...."

He placed a paw on my shoulder for a moment before standing up and leaving.  The guards pulled the chairs closer to blocking the door before sitting again.

I watched them for a moment before turning away and lying down, my back to them.

What am I...?

Am I...a fallen angel?