It felt like years had passed since I had last seen the sunlight.

From the moment I arrived in this place, the days seemed to bleed together. The only way I could tell time was whenever the yellow creatures came in, pinned me down and forced a needle into my arm.

Whatever they put into me was sapping my strength, so my magic was limited even further than before. I created the mist to hide in, which took a lot of my energy, so I couldn't easily fight off the creatures like I had before.

And so went the routine for what seemed like eternity.

The only disruption in my routine had been the humans from the concert coming into my domain. I took an interest in the dark-skinned male, because he was different, and he was the only one who really stood out in my mind.

After the humans left my domain, I headed to the glass wall, the only window in my prison, to see what they were doing. The tall male in the shiny shirt shrieked when he saw me at the window.

I suppose he was a bit scared of me after I burned his face. But he asked for it. Boys who play with fire get their fingers burnt. And grown men who play with Ventils get a new haircut.

I strained to hear their conversation, but the glass was too thick. So, I tried reading lips for a while, but I gave up after Ela tried to read them with me and ended up translating that one of the boys was from another planet.

Defeated, I slumped against the glass, facing into my huge cage. I had let my mist fade away after they left. After all, they knew what was in here; no reason to hide anymore. Besides, they weren't the ones who locked me in here, even if they seemed to be in league with the man in the shiny shirt.

I started singing a song, one from the concert when I was captured. Don't wanna be an American idiot...la la da da da da, na, na, I half sang, half hummed lazily.

There's one thing I just don't understand, Ela said, interrupting my song.
What don't you understand, Insanity said sarcastically. Lunalis here decided to let the humans go, who only happened to be the very people who put you in this cage!!! Why in the name of the sun, moon and stars would you let them leave?!?!?!?!

Because they're not the ones who put me in here, I replied. Even if they are directly in league with the human and creatures who put me in here, they aren't the ones who shot me with an arrow dipped in a sleeping potion. Why should they get the blame if their leader is cruel?

That wasn't what I was going to say, Ela sighed. I don't understand why, after all this time, they let children into our prison. And why now, instead of the night you were captured?

I think I have an answer to this, Cephas said.
If you say 'Because they did', I'm going to rip out your liver, Insanity promised.

No, I wasn't, Cephas said after a lengthy pause. I was going to say because they wanted time for you to heal. They wanted you to recover a bit more, so you wouldn't kill yourself if you tried to cast a powerful spell.

But why keep me alive, I wondered aloud. I have no use to them as a prisoner, and it's not like I'm a part of their grand plan for something, so why bother trapping me?

Well, we're trapped in a place where these creatures study dead animals, Scales spoke up. So if I had to guess? They're waiting for a good time to kill you off. An old corpse isn't as useful as a fresh one, so they're waiting until they have the space to store your remains.

Wow, thanks for being so sincere, I said sarcastically. And to answer you, Ela, don't you remember their faces? They were the humans singing those songs.

Uhh..., Ela mumbled, not answering me.
Didn't you pay attention to anything at the concert, I asked. Ela didn't answer. Just before I was going to comment on her lack of focus, the glass wall started to rise.

At first, I thought it was the creatures coming to give me more restraints. They raise the glass like this whenever they enter. But, then I realized it hadn't been long since they had last been in here. Then, I remembered what Scales said earlier.

Nonono, I said, starting to panic. This can't be happening!

Well, wake up and smell the flowers, Lunalis, 'cause it is, Insanity said flatly. I do not need your sarcasm right now Insanity, I shrieked. Standing and stumbling away from it, I turned and tried to summon magic into my hands.

Unfortunately, the yellow creatures had put more restraining potion into me recently, so the most I could conjure were a few weak, purple sparks on my palms. I ended up retreating further into my prison, trying to conjure more mist. Though, again, my magic eluded me and I could only conjure puffs of smoke.

Frantically retreating, I looked for another place to hide from the creatures. Without my mist, there was nowhere to go. I had nowhere to run, no magic to protect myself with, and barely any ways to fight.

This is where I make my last stand, I said. Standing up straight, shoulders back, I waited for my fate to arrive. Shutting my eyes as I saw the shining man approach, I whispered, I love you, Raven. I'll say hello to Scorpio for you.

Bracing myself for the inevitable stroke of fate, I waited for something to happen. I guess I was expecting something mind-numbingly painful, because I opened my eyes when I didn't feel my atoms imploding.

Instead, I was greeted with the same pack of humans as before. The one I'd cornered before, the one with dark skin and shoulder-length hair, approached me slowly.

Hesitating, he looked back at his pack with worry. The pale human with black and indigo hair gestured for him to get closer to me. Audibly swallowing, he kept coming closer.

He stopped about a foot away from me, completely still. Still keeping his eyes on me, he reached behind him and grabbed the weapon that he hit me with before. Hissing, I backed away.

Frantically speaking in English, probably trying to calm me down, he made odd gestures with his hands. Then, he realized he was still holding his weapon. Looking at it, then looking back at me, he tossed it to the side.

Well, I definitely wasn't expecting that, Cephas said, and I gaped at the human. Either he was stupid, dazed, or both to toss away his only weapon like that. Or, he tried to come off as a non-threat.

Coming a bit closer, he looked down at his hands before stretching his arm towards me. I tensed, expecting him to try and grab me. But, no. His hand was open, empty, palm up. I think he wants you to take it, Ela said, obviously puzzled. Please, we all know she's not stupid enough to do that, Zephyr said, giggling nervously. Right?

Wetting my lips, I weighed my options. I could take his hand and either get killed, or I could fake innocence and then kill him when we're alone. On the other hand, I might not be able to get him alone so I can pick them off one by one. And even at my maximum limit I wouldn't have enough magic to take on all the humans at once, even without the shiny man helping them.

Relaying my options to the voices, I waited to hear their opinions. If she takes his hand, she could die, Ela exclaimed. He might just be leading her to a slaughter pit!
But what if his intentions mean no harm, Aquarius asked.

Please, the last time we came into contact with humans they put us in a cage like animals, Insanity snapped. Besides, even Lunalis isn't stupid enough...to...

Her sentences turned to gibberish as I tentatively slipped my hand into his. Surprise glancing across his face, he looked down to our interlocked hands, and then back at me. With his free hand, he gestured to his ears, and then to his neck. I knew what he wanted.

Dropping his, I put my hands over his ears and hummed the enchantment. Ut audiat me audies...et loqueris quod tibi loqueris. In lingua mea...et congruum colloquium fecerunt...sicut lux mutare nos fratres.

Taking my hands away from his head and stepping back, I gestured for him to speak. "I really do not like this enchantment," he said. "I feel like a stranger in my own body." His voice was tinged with a strangely pleasing exotic accent, though I couldn't quite place where it was from.

"Why are you even in here," I asked, cutting to the chase. "You enter my domain, you make very brief contact with me, and then you leave. If you wish to gawk at wild beasts, go back to your zoos and animal prisons."

"Well....uh," he said, scratching his head. "I-I think it would be better if somebody else were to explain...do you think you could do whatever you did to me to my friends?"

"Why should I," I asked after a brief pause, deciding to play coy. Giving a sweet smile, twirling a tendril of fuschia magic twirl around two of my fingers. I knew exactly how to play this match of Rustiiru.

Stuttering, the male started twiddling his thumbs and studying his feet. "See," I said pointedly. "If you can't give me a good reason to even speak with you then you're wasting both our time." The male stayed silent.

"Well then, if all you want to do is mumble gibberish I'll go ahead and change you back to English so I don't have to hear your blubbering." Stepping forward, I leaned in to undo the enchantment before he started backing up rapidly.

"Wait just a sekton," he said. "I know why you should speak with us. All of us, not just having me be their spokesperson."
"And why should I give them the esteemed privilege to speak my tongue," I asked. "Better yet, why should I let you have this gift?"
"Because we can offer you freedom from this prison."

Even Insanity stopped grumbling profanities at that. "See," the human continued. "We both have things we want. You want freedom from this cage. We want to find an agreement that doesn't involve us dying in some horrifying way. If you allow us to speak freely with you, we can potentially come to some sort of arrangement."

Should we really consider his offer, Ela asked. We have plenty of other options.
I say we kill the human where he stands, Insanity snarled.
For once, I agree with the psycho, Cephas agreed. We can't trust this guy. Look at what he's offering! I mean, it is a pretty solid deal and honestly I can't think of anything better-

Cephas, you never know when to shut your mouth, Insanity snarled. Before I could stop her, I lunged forward, grabbed the human by the collar of his blue shirt and lifted him off the ground.

Panicking and shrieking, the human kicked at me with his feeble legs, grappling with the hand locked around his scruff. Insanity, stop it, I shrieked, struggling to gain control over my limbs again.

Grabbing my right hand, the one holding the human, with my left, I tore at the arm no longer under my control. After wrestling my grip from the human, I fought to keep Insanity in line.

Insanity, for once in your life, listen to reason, I shrieked mentally. If you kill this human now, we could lose our only shot at getting out of this place! Do you have wind for brains?!

I felt her presence slipping away, slinking into the furthest reaches of my mind. Good, now sit still and shut your mouth, I snapped. Grumbling curses, she didn't talk back.

Turning back to the human, I tried to recompose my dignity. The human was staring at me, eyes widened, rubbing the place where my claws had grabbed me.

"Apologies for my...disruptive behavior," I said, and Insanity huffed in annoyance. "I assure you, I am clear of mind now. I've decided to take an interest in your offer. Gather your council and we shall convene."

"Alright," he said, starting to smile. Turning to his pack, he beckoned them forward with a huge wave of his hand. Hesitantly, they all came forward. One by one, I whispered the spell to each of the humans, until even the shapeshifting cat traveling with them could speak with me.

"Now that we can all hear each other and we don't need a messenger boy doing the translating, let's hear if what you have to offer is worth your lives," I snarled. I summoned a coil of magic around my arm for emphasis.

"Alright, crazy flying bird lady, you're gonna tell us why you're here in Arcadia, or we're gonna send you flying all the way to Missouri," the large, blonde ogre yelled, brandishing an axe made of a large tooth of some kind, and charged me.

Snapping my fingers, I immobilized him in magic, a purple shell encasing him and freezing him in place. Whimpering like a baby, I could feel him struggling against my magic. Not wanting to waste it all on this pathetic excuse for a man, I dropped my hold on him, and he dropped to the floor like a ragdoll.

Dropping his axe like a hot coal, he shrieked and scrambled back towards his allies. "It appears your golden friend has yet to understand the importance of personal space," I purred, letting more magic pool into my hands, snake up my arms and curl around my neck like a tame python. "Allow me to teach him a thing or two."

"Nobody's teaching anything to anybody," the shapeshifter said, now in his dragon form, swooping in front of the lumbering oaf. "We come with a proposal, Ventil. We wish to bargain the terms of your release.

"We are aware you have been kept a prisoner here for quite some time. We also know that you were present during the Battle Of The Bands on the clearing overlooking Arcadia Oaks, our human settlement."

"We wanted to propose a trade," the male with indigo locks stepped forward. "You allow us to enter your den to converse with your Alpha, and we let you go."

Don't you dare even for a second contemplate that offer, Scales said.
Don't worry, I wasn't, I replied. Why not, Insanity whined. This is your shot to get away! As soon as they let you out, run for the hills and never look back!

I'm not going to do that for a couple of reasons. One, if I agree to this deal and I get out, I'll most likely be under constant surveillance and restraints. I won't be able to use magic to escape, which eliminates my only element of surprise. Second, when I make deals, I hold to them. I happen to have a little something called morals. You should try them sometime.

Turning back to the humans and speaking aloud, "If that's what you want, then I'm afraid I have to deny this offer."

"But...why," the dark-skinned one piped up. "You are going to be free, and we won't bother you ever again. You can do whatever you want. Why would you turn that down?"

"Because it might seem hard to believe, but I have family and friends to think about," I snapped. "I might live under a literal and metaphorical rock, but I'm not a beast and I'm certainly not stupid. I know you humans like to make deals just to twist them out in your favor, or break them in the end. So, no, I don't think I'll be taking your offers anytime soon."

OOOOHHHHH!!! Burn, baby burn, Cephas yelled. You just got roasted, boys!
Shut up, we all yelled in unison.

"Hey, Ms. Magic Wolf Lady," a human spoke up, slowly approaching me. This one was a female, with black hair like mine with a sole white streak in it. She also happened to be the only female in the entire pack of humans.

"I get that you want to protect your family. I've been there, believe me. But we're not here to hurt anybody, you or any other Ventils. We're trying to make a deal that we can both benefit from. Let's talk, woman to woman. What do you want out of this deal?"

"I want my freedom," I said confidently. "I want full assurance that I will be safely escorted back to my den, and we will go our separate ways. You won't take any other Ventils hostage, and we won't attack you. But, can I ask a question of you?"

All the humans looked to the pale human with the ebony hair. Their leader, most likely. He seemed to be taking charge with most things. "Alright then," he spoke after a moment of contemplation. "What's your question?"

"If we've never lashed out or given you a reason to attack, why keep me held hostage," I said. "We've left you humans alone for centuries. We don't interact. We don't intervene with your actions, even when you destroy our forests and pollute our waters. We don't attack, even when we desperately want to restore balance to our homes. So, I guess what I'm asking is...why now? Why take me away from my home and family when you have no good reason to?"

"You gave us plenty of reason when you decided to come to the concert," the shapeshifter replied.
"What sort of reason is that," I shouted, finally losing my cool. "'Oh, sorry, we're going to abduct you now and put you in a cage because you were observing humans in your free time.' What rock hit you in the head to dream up that logic?

"And another thing! Why do you want to take your spite out on creatures who don't even know you exist?! They're-"

"Wait," the coffee-skinned male spoke up, interrupting my ranting.
"Don't interrupt, I'm not finished yelling yet," I snapped.

Ignoring me, he continued on. "What do you mean, they don't know we exist?"
"What, a human settlement at the edge of the woods," I said. "That's just a rumor told to keep little children from going past the Magno Prato. Sometimes, Ventils with too many courage charms in their heads boast they've been there. Walked among humans in a disguise. But nobody's ever proven it existed...until you kidnapped me."

"Why would us kidnapping you suddenly make us a reality," the round one asked.
"For being a part of a species smart enough to change the air quality, you really are a thick one," I said, my eyes darting down to his midsection. "Um...no offense."

"I'm on a diet," he said defensively, putting his hands on his stomach and turning away from me. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Humans are so sensitive sometimes.

"To answer your question, Human, if you had any brains at all, you'd remember I said I have friends and family to care for. Don't you think they'll notice if, gee, I don't know, I get kidnapped by humans and go missing for a few days?!"

"More like a week," mumbled another human, this one bearing a huge sword. 
"A week," I asked, my heart starting to race. A week. I'd been gone a week. A whole week I couldn't take care of Raven. 

"I need to get back to her," I mumbled, turning away from the humans to think. I need to get back to Raven and my friends. But I can't be released without letting them into the den, which can only end in disaster. Sure, we could just move if they only want to talk, but when was the last time I could trust humans?

Never. You can trust humans never, Ela confirmed. So, what should we do? We need a plan to get out, Cephas said. We can pretend to go along with their deal, then strike when they expect it least, Scales offered. 

No, they'll see that coming a mile away, I groaned. And even if they didn't, there are lots of them and only one of me. 
Then, we take matters into our own hands, Insanity growled. Attack them now before they can get backup. 
That actually isn't a bad idea, I mused. Any objections? There were none.

Turning back around to face the humans, I faked considering their offer. "Well, I guess my hands are tied in this argument," I said, pretending to rub my chin with one hand, subtlety letting the other drop behind my back. 

"But there's one variable in this deal you humans didn't account for." 
"And what variable is that," the shapeshifter asked, taking a defensive position. I grinned, feeling the magic rushing through my veins, pooling into my hands and snaking around my arms. "You didn't think I was going to go quietly, did you?"

Eyes widening in realization the leader shouted, "Hit the deck!"  I sent a shock wave of magic rippling through the area, shaking the ground and knocking the humans off their feet. While the other humans were distracted, I sprinted for the leader. Grabbing his arms and taking off, I started to fly around the cage.

Carrying him higher and higher, he screamed, kicking and squirming, trying to free himself from my iron grip. "Fuzzbuckets," he shrieked, looking down and seeing how high up he was. "Douxie," the other humans shouted, and the shapeshifter flew after me, shooting columns of flame. 

The female from before was shooting magical projectiles at me, and stray, green blasts energy from before sometimes zipped in front of me. Dodging and turning barrel rolls to escape the blasts, still holding onto the human, I skidded to a stop when I almost slammed into the glass wall.

"Put him down," the shapeshifter commanded, scoring a hit on one of my wings. Howling in pain, I dipped, but pulled up just before hitting the ground. "You want this human so bad," I grunted, flying higher until I could see the ceiling. "Fetch," I yelled, throwing him up into the air. He hovered for a split second, then started to fall, screaming at the top of his lungs.

All the humans below me gasped, and while the shapeshifter was diving after the human, Douxie, I took the opportunity and sped quickly into a nosedive to try and grab another human. Trying for the round one this time, I swooped, plowing through the humans like they were nothing, and I zeroed in on the tubby one. 

The human with the sword must've caught onto what I was doing, and he shouted to the round human, "Run, Tobes!" The round human nodded, and took off, and for a second he was really moving. Then, his speed dwindled, and after a little while he was basically jogging. Easy prey.

Swooping in, I looped my hands under his arms, and I flew up. At least, I tried to. He was way heavier than I had anticipated; it was like bench pressing an oak tree. Gasping, I lost my grip on him and flew forward, hitting the ground chest-first and sliding. 

Immediately scrambling to get back up, the human was charging me, and somehow he was wielding a huge, flaming warhammer that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. "Feel the wrath of the hammer," he shouted, swinging it right at me. 

It connected with my chest with a sickening crack!, and I went flying into the glass wall in the back. Getting on my hands and knees, I was coughing like crazy, splattering red all over the floor. That definitely wasn't good. Every breath felt like inhaling shattered glass, and my ribs were most likely shattered.

"I'm sorry, Ventil, but you leave us no choice," the leader said, coming forward. He was limping on one leg. Good. The shapeshifter was sitting on his shoulder, glaring daggers at me. I tried to hiss, but winced as my ribs felt like they were being crushed by a rock. 

"We tried to be reasonable in our offer, but you denied us. So, we will be keeping you with us until you allow us to enter your den."
"You...," I rasped, lifting my head to face the humans. "You...you...will never-" I was cut off by another round of coughing, which covered the floor in drops of my blood. 

"Interminus nocti sluumberso," the leader said, holding his hand out to me, his fingertips glowing blue. Overpowered by exhaustion and pain, I immediately succumbed to the sleeping spell.

Hey guys! I know it's been awhile since I've published a chapter, but here it is! Chapter 8 is here! Let me know what you think of this chapter in the comments, and I'll try to keep my publishing consistent. That's all for now, so until next time. Peace out, Snowflakes!