Hide and Seek

The hall was deathly silent that day, even my movements went unheard.  Although instead of taloned, dragonic like feet, I was dashing down the hall barefooted with feet like that of a humanoid being.  I ran while looking everywhere for a good spot to hide but not looking to where I was going.  In my running I didn't notice my Uncle Careon coming around the corner until I smashed right into his legs, rebounding off of him I landed on my back, knocking the wind right from my lungs.

"What in all the Hells do you think you are doing you little freak?!"  Before I could respond he had me by my forearm and jerked my four year old form up to my feet, "What's this?  Pretending you're actually an Elf instead of the mutt freak you are?"  He smirked, "Pathetic little monster.  Your mother should be hanged for even letting you in her womb."  His anger and hatred was overwhelming my empathic nature, making it hard for me to struggle.  I wanted to throw up, I had felt so sick, so I hardly noticed the insults.  It wasn't until later that I realized what he had said and felt the deep hurt.  When he grabbed my length of blood red hair and began half dragging me down the hall, I hardly even felt that I was so dazed.  My human feet, which I was not fully used to, were trying to keep up with his longer and faster legs while being off angle.

The next thing I knew there was pain.  Great waves of it coming from my left knee, soon there was equal amounts coming from my right knee.  I cried out but all I heard was an echo in return.  Of course, I had been looking for a good hiding spot during our game and put myself right in the way to be alone without any help.  I couldn't lift myself from the floor, the pain was too much.  I know I threw up, I heard my Uncle leave but I do not know for how long I rested on the cold floor with my legs uselessly collapsed under me.  I couldn't even move to relieve my legs of the pain.  I don't even know where my Uncle went.  Everything was a blur of pain.

I felt a gentle hand on my cheek, one barely larger than my own.  I looked into the swirling pale green eyes of my big sister, she looked like she was ready to cry.  "I'm going to call Mystic."

"No leave!"  I had begged her.  "Dun wanna be alone!"  I wailed.  I hurt too much to think.

"I won't, I just am going to call Mystic.  She'll be here soon."

"No!  Don't tell her."

"What?  Dravex she needs to heal your legs," My six year old sister's brows knit as she looked to me.

"Don't want her to know."

"But Mystic will know…"

"Star it hurts!"  I began to cry again.  I screamed when she shifted my body so she could actually look at my legs.

"Dravex…you tried to shift forms…your knees are broken and the shift is stuck mid way…"

"Star!  Stop hurting!"

"I don't know how…we need Mys…" She had stopped mid-sentence and looked towards the door.  "I'm sorry Rex."  Suddenly the pain got worse before it got a lot better.  There was still pain but it wasn't nearly as bad anymore.  Before I could thank her, Star had me on her back and she was running.  Star was six and I was four, at the time, but we were already nearly the same height and weight, she ran as if I weighed nothing.  She ran until she got us into the most hidden on inner sanctuaries of the castle, I couldn't understand why we were there.  I only knew I wanted my mommy at that point, I didn't know why she suddenly ran.

She began to rub leaves all over me before rolling in them herself, making us both dirty.  Star had me on her back again and rushed for one of the fountains, where she dashed across the top of the water.  It was one of the few times I remember Star using her powers for something other than healing minor cuts and not worrying about it.  I held as tight as I could to her as she climbed up the fountain and jumped to the nearest tree.  Soon she was across the branches and into the next tree.

"Star I ca…"  She shushed me before I could argue the fact I could do it on my own.  At the third tree I slipped from her back, my legs still hurt so bad, and I was falling right out of the tree.  A hand caught my wrist, Star had one hand and a leg on the branch while her other hand held onto me, the other leg just hanging loose.  My big sister pulled me back up to her, her tail and arm holding me tight to her chest as she scooted herself back on the branch and was going again.  She got us to the next tree in the line, then the next.

It was there that Star hunkered us down among the branches were we could not be seen from the ground.  She piled some leaves on me, having me backed against the trunk of the tree while she crouched in front of me, on guard.  I didn't understand what was going on or why Star had done all of that.

Not until I heard the sounds of dogs yipping.  Star's ears perked and I could barely see as our Uncle Careon entered the sanctuary, dogs sniffing the whole way.  "I want those little brats found and ripped to shreds!"  He growled.  I remember how warm my big sister's hand was as she placed it over my mouth and used her other finger to tell me to keep quiet.  She watched, it was clear she was ready to fight anyone or anything that found us.  The dogs were too confused…so that's why she rubbed us in leaves and went across the fountain.  Why we stuck to the trees to travel.  They couldn't track us.  Soon they were just going in circles.

Uncle Careon snarled as he headed from the room, kicking one of the dogs as he went.  I watched as Star's claws threatened to dig into the branch she was perched on.  She didn't move more than that.  

"We have to tell Mommy what he did," Star had finally spoken after what seemed like forever.

"We can't do that…"

"Why not?"

"It would break Mommy and YaiYai's hearts to know…"

"But Dravex…"

"Star…I'm okay.  It doesn't even hurt anymore…"

"That doesn't make it okay Dravex!"

"Star.  Promise you won't tell!"

"But…it's not your fault."

"Promise!"

"I promise.  But I don't think it's a good idea."

"I do…And I'm the empath."

"You're also four."

"Six isn't much older."

"It's a lot older."  She eyed me, "And as the big sister I say we tell Mommy."

"You already promised.  You can't."  I remember sticking my tongue out at her and she growled a little.  Upset by the fact I caught her in a promise already.

"Fine."

It's been years since we sat in that tree for a few hours, hiding away.  I can't take a human form for long periods of time because Star couldn't heal me the way I needed to and we never told anyone.  I don't have problems in my natural form, my knees are better structured and stronger so they don't feel the stress like human knees would.

It's something that only my big sister knows of to this day…

And well…you now know…