The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

6: Fury

The coldness of the air had sank into the depths of Dawn's bones. She had lost count of the hours she had been in the dungeons, time seemed never ending there. At some point, she had sat up to stretch her aching limbs. The Venturer's entire body had gone stiff with lack of movement, her legs especially. The wooden slab she was using for a bed did not help.

The monster still had not moved from her position at the mouth of the cell. Dawn's anger, which she clung onto with a vice grip, had her seeing red. She seethed with hatred, her whole body quivering with the intensity of it.

"I know you're staring at me, human."

Dawn said nothing but continued to glare in the dim light, at the silhouette of the monster she hated most in this world.

Syrena turned her head ever so slightly, eyeing the Venturer from the side. Dawn could tell her lips had formed a smirk from the smug expression on her face. "Want me to give you a weapon? You look as if you're itching to kill me."

She was. Dawn wanted it so badly she was suffocating with the desire.

"Though with how badly you fared before, perhaps I should be the one in chains to make the fight more even."

The Venturer had never felt such raw hatred before in her life. Her body shivered and she had to fight back the scream that rose to the tip of her tongue. Not wanting to give the Commander any more satisfaction, Dawn angled her body away from the cell door.

"Oh? Don't tell me that's all it takes to get you angry."

"Don't think for a moment that your words are having any effect on me." In truth, they weren't having an effect on Dawn as Syrena was only pointing out what she already knew.

"I beg to differ, but I am curious," Head tilting ever so slightly, the monster moved to face the cell. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I've been angry from the second I woke up and now," Dawn stood, struggling to keep her voice controlled and she met those silver eyes that she loathed. "I am filled with so much fury I could burn this kingdom to the ground and it still would not be enough to sate it."

It was too dim to see clearly, but Dawn could have sworn she saw shock momentarily cross Syrena's expression. Clearly, the monster was not expecting nor prepared for the venom in her words. Silence settled in the damp dungeon, the last words spoken seemingly leaving a heavy warning in the air. Even the monster was at a loss for a retort.

Dawn sat back down, closed her eyes and returned to her curled position. If she were to make it out of this dungeon alive, she needed a very carefully thought through plan. She had mapped out the layout of the dungeons in her mind, knowing that it had one entrance and one exit. She also detailed the route they took to get here; the stairwell, the hallway with the arches, the gardens with the view of the kingdom. The only variable that she could not predict was what lay beyond that. In between the dungeons and the clearing lay too many risks, too much room for error. How was she to plan her escape when she did not know the way? Or who would be waiting to meet her?

At some point, Dawn had fallen asleep during her scheming, only being brought back into consciousness by the loud screech of a door.

"Commander Syrena." Came a high pitched voice from further down, pleasant sounding but it held an undertone that was oddly familiar. As though the person who owned the voice was looking for trouble.

"Leixa." The Commander acknowledged her Second, footsteps growing louder then coming to a stop. Dawn pretended to be asleep, keeping her breathing deep and even.

"This is the human?"

"Yes."

"She looks so different from us." Leixa sounded amused. "It's creepy."