Chereads / Short Stories The Ancient Owl / Chapter 38 - The Aviary (Pt. 4)

Chapter 38 - The Aviary (Pt. 4)

Guards came running from all directions, firing electro shocks at me. I jumped at them, knocking them to the ground with my weight only and proceeded running in. Durc's voice had been very weak - I didn't know what they had done to him in here. Nothing good, that was for sure.

One of the shockers hit my arm and I couldn't suppress a hiss of pain as my muscles contracted. I spun around and sent the guard flying with my tail, using it as a whip. All humans were now lying on the ground in pain, but more were on their way. I called Durc again, to point me the way. Silence. Adrenaline kicked right in. Durc wasn't responding. Durc wasn't responding. He's dead - dead - dead -... I screamed for him, begging for a response. And finally, I heard him. Faint and distant, but he was there. I almost burst into tears from relief. My legs moved on their own, carrying me to Durc, while I called for him, knocking guards out. And finally, after endless minutes, I kicked the door to his room in.

It was bright, very bright. And a lot of humans were in it. Durc, my Durc, was strapped onto a stretcher, and he looked terrible. Oh, he looked so terrible. The humans panicked as they saw me, a lizard, who just kicked their door in, towering over all of them. A few fled immediately. The rest was soon a pile of unconscious humans. Durc was weak. Very weak. I held his face in my hands.

"I found you", I whispered, while looking into his ash-gray eyes.

"Yea" His voice was very hoarse. "Let's get out of here." I nodded and started undoing his straps and shackles. His beautiful feathers were bent in a lot of places, and he missed quite a few on his chest.

"Just what did these horrible humans do to you?", I breathed. Then, pain. Pain everywhere. Blood flowing down my spine, hot, warm, iron-y blood. The smell sickening. Floor, coming closer. Eyes heavy. Pain. Can't think. Durc. Must save him. Can't move. Back. Spine. Blood. Human. Have to move. Stay alive. I heard a faint voice laughing, then talking to another human. Getting angry, arguing. I saw a man in a white coat talking intensively to a guard, gesticulating. My muscles wouldn't listen. Can't give up. Durc. And then, I heard him scream. Not call for me, an agonizing, paining scream. I am still alive. I must save him. Now. And somehow, I could get up. I grabbed the guards neck and pulled him away from Durc. He collapsed in a corner, blood streaming from his head. He hit a wall. The other human pressed himself against a cabinet, clearly afraid. Durc was barely breathing. I saw a syringe in his arm. No. Must focus. My vision was blurry. Durc. Syringe. Breathing shallow. My legs gave in and I fell on top of Durc. My fingers found his face, while the others undid his shackles. The air tasted of panic, death and his receding heart beat. It's slow. So slow. I pulled myself up to him and opened my mouth. I bit him in the shoulder with all my might, injecting all I have left of venom, feelt it run through my teeth. My fingers were numb. My head felt fuzzy. I cuddled myself into his warm feathers on his chest. Ba-dump. Silence. Long Silence. Ba-dump. Pause. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. His heart. It was beating. I smiled. He was alive. Durc was alive. I felt his breathing getting stronger, and his arms embraced me. He picked me up and suddenly I felt cold nightly air on my scales. We were out. I saw this horrible building disappear under us, Durc's wings carrying us away. The cold air filled my lungs and me with new energy.