Romance Fan Fiction ❯ Saeron's Temple ❯ Confined ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Large paws jerked effortlessly forward through a tropically colored rain forest sending the massive beast hurtling on his way. He didn't know where he was headed, but his sense of smell told him she was near. His eyes more furious than they had even been in his life. He was going in for the kill.

I woke up, my head feeling groggy and no recollection of when I was. The last thing I remembered was a man coming towards me as I walked through the jungle. Had he kidnapped me? My eyes took in the scenery around me. The room-- or rather tent, I was in --contained a wooden desk, a chair, and a bed which I was now laying on. My heart suddenly skipped a beat as the sound of heavy foot steps echoed outside the tent. I was frightened like no other as the foot steps drew closer. I was sure I would lose consciousness the second my capture entered the tent, but before I could finish my thought a rugged face popped in.

"Your awake," my kidnapper said in a husky voice. I immediately noticed a whiff of stench brought in with him. It was almost more than I could take. Strangely his hair looked washed and his shoes well kept. I narrowed my eyes to his clothes and noticed his shirt was drenched. I had to turn my head quickly least I allowed him to realize I was disgusted by him. "Those ropes hold nicely," his voice boomed in the small tent.
I suddenly looked to my sides. My hands and feet were all tied to the bed. I struggled to break free, only succeeding in igniting a sudden burst of laughter from my captor.
"You aren't goin' no where," I heard him say, now realizing he had a western accent. He then began to muse to himself. "Why let a perfectly good looking gal waste away in the jungles. Pure luck I found you. Pure luck indeed. I'll make a pretty penny off of you when we get back to town. Every man will want to buy you."
I wanted to smash that malicious grin off his face. But the ropes held true and I eventually surrendered, laying my head back down on the thinly layered sheets, my eyes wide with fear.
A faint noise caught my ear and my head turned to reveal my kidnapper removing his clothes.
"Get away from me!" I yelled as he advanced towards me, pulling off each layer of clothing.
"What's the fun in capturing you if I can't have a little fun," The malicious grin spoke.
I began flailing, my arms and legs barely moving, but my body somehow managed to worm around.
"Hold still!" He commanded as he attempted to get atop the bed. My eyes widened. I could feel the body heat as he got closer. As he began removing my clothes I was sure it was all over. Suddenly a whisp of wind came into the tent with the sound of a loud roar and a black creature came crashing in.
"What in God's name--" This was all I heard him say. And then the blood came. Teeth sank into skin and flesh was ripped and thrown every which way as the creature, clearly possessed by a demon, not only killed, but destroyed my captor. When all was done, the black tiger licked its paws and swiftly turned to place it's gaze on me. His piercing blue eyes seemed as though they were looking into the very soul of my being, but at the same time calmed me, and I was indifferent to the fact that he has just killed a man. I didn't know why. His eyes seemed deadly yet so mesmerizing.
He quickly bit his teeth into the ropes that held me and gently nudged me onto his back. No words were spoke as we headed back home. Back to the temple.

As we approached the temple I quickly jumped off my saviors back. I looked up at our home, the radiant colors of the sun illuminating on the beige pillars that so willingly yielded themselves to the growth of lush greenery, as did the rest of the temple. The steps to the temple were very large-- plain yet facsinating --and I still couldn't wrap my head around how someone could have stacked such large pieces of stone. At the end of the path of the stairs of stone sat two statues who's forms were still mysterious to me. They looked vicious, with large, malicious eyes appearing as though they saw all that crossed they're path. More vicious still was the astounding and very frightening set of teeth. Each tooth about the size of my hand and sharper than any knife I had ever recalled seeing. The body was broad and muscular and the claws just as scary as the teeth. It's head covered with what looked like vast amounts of hair. It's tail laid unseen. The statues presence made chills go down my back as I walked passed them and into the temple.
The temple wasn't very elaborate inside. A very large pool lined by all matters of blue tile lay spread out before me. I passed it, turning left, passing a large garden inside temple along with a few other rooms set side for dining, storage, and so on.
I hardly noticed Saeron walking by my side, his paws giving off no sound as he walked stealthily in the direction I was going. The silence was maddening, but only helped gradually cure me from the embarrassment I still had from being found naked.
"I'm sorry I got kidnapped," I finally managed to say. Barely an ounce of truly being sorry in my voice. It wasn't my fault. I was only trying to escape from the temple. The black tiger followed me to the bed where I fell back, exhausted from the days events. He got up on the bed with me and allowed himself to lay near me. He began licking his paws and I suddenly became anxious. I wondered what he was thinking.
"I'm here to protect you," he told me telepathically. "I won't let anything happen to you....It's not your fault scum like that wanted to take you away." He gazed up at me with those piercing eyes. His features, though cat-like, almost seemed humanistic. He lay his large paw on me. I stiffened at this gesture, but tried my best to be calm just in case I might upset him.
I tried to distract myself by looking at the detailed lines on his body, each one faded into the whiteness of his lower body. The paw on my thigh-- unlike the others that appeared blacker than coal --was snowy white. My skin looked very dark in comparison despite the fact that I was very light colored. "Please, stay near the temple. I don't want you getting taken again."
I gave him an agreeing nodded. One of many I had given him when he asked me to stay near. But the truth was I wanted to be free. I had no desire to stay within the confines of these temple walls. I could agree to stay, but something inside wanted to get me further and further away from the temple. And in this sense it made me almost hate Saeron for keeping me here.
We lay there calmly for several hours. I was vaguely aware of his breathing as he kept it soft and controlled, a quality that made it easy to have him sleep next to me. However, I knew him well enough to know that he was never fully asleep. He always kept his ears perked just in case something happened. I smiled to myself as I noticed his ears were perked as always.

It hadn't always been this way for me. I once had a life -- a normal life -- with friends and a family. A mom, a dad, a brother. All who I loved me very much. The town we lived in was very small and the houses all modest. The people few, but very friendly. And though we lived in a world growing more into the future our town stayed simple. One factor, however, threatened to take all this happiness away and it was the reason I came to live here.
My life had changed suddenly when it was my turn. I had never thought I'd be next, but now the weight bore down on me. I had been chosen-- fated -- to go to the one place no one ever returned from. My parents assured me I would be back, but I knew the legend. I knew what was waiting for me within those temple walls. A creature so terrifying it caused my own family to give me up in a second. I was devastated, but I knew there was nothing I could do. So I waited to be taken away. It was only when I had been left near the temple's entrance-- the men who had brought me fleeing from my sides --that my body became overly petrified in fear and my legs began to give out. My head became dizzy and before I knew it the creature I had seen standing in the temple was now standing just before me. I wavered for a moment, waiting for its vicious to sink into my skin. Nothing happened. My vision suddenly became better focused and zoned in on the blackened creature now giving me an almost worried look. I remember thinking the words "worry" as I shook my head, not believing that this tiger could have human emotions. The last thing I could remember was the sound of his voice-- I knew it had to have been him-- saying "I won't hurt you" just before I went unconscious. I remember waking up, inside the temple on a bed, but nothing between that. It was from then on that I knew the creature they had sent me to was not going to harm me like he had the rest. I didn't know what he saw in me that allowed me the right to live, but whatever it was I wasn't complaining.
It was now more than a week since I had been brought here. I had communicated little with Saeron despite the time we had spent together in the temple. It was weird enough talking to a tiger, let alone having him talk back and giving orders. I must admit I didn't really care for him. It was bad enough that he kept me within the temple and even worse that he was my only companionship. I laughed a little to myself. A tiger was my only companion. A talking tiger.I didn't care that he was here to protect me, I just wanted to leave this temple and go back home.

I awoke to the bright sun beaming down on me. My vision was beginning to focus when I realized the black tiger still lay resting on the bed, staring at me with those piercing eyes. My back suddenly stiffened as I quickly rose from the bed. His gaze shifted to another corner of the bed and my back loosened up. My heart, however, beat loudly in my chest. Just the look in his eyes made me feel as though I was being preyed upon. I quickly got out of bed, turning my head in his direction as I left the room, making sure he wouldn't attack me while I wasn't looking.

As I walked out of the bedroom and into the hall I could feel the humid wind rustling through the white sun dress I had worn the day I was left at the temple. Despite the current conditions I was in the warm air calmed me and made me feel relaxed. It wasn't long before I ceased being calm and my thoughts turned to the massive creature now sauntering beside me.
I went to the supplies room-- which I had found on my second day to be filled with canned goods and other none parishables --and silently gathered the ingredients I needed to make my breakfast. I turned around, making sure Saeron wasn't intending to make me his breakfast-- an act I did almost every morning, still not getting over the fact that he wasn't going to hurt me --and saw that he wasn't even looking in my direction, but rather towards the jungle. I could only imagine what he had planned today. I didn't imagine. I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was that he left me alone everyday after breakfast to do as I pleased without his piercing eyes boring into my back.
I ate my breakfast as calmly as I could despite the shadowy creature in my view. Thought his gaze was not in my direction-- he lay licking his fur intricately --I couldn't help but keep my eyes and ears open in case he turned his attention to me. But I managed finished my meal without his eyes looking up at me and quicker than I had thought possible his stalky legs carried him out of the temple and into the jungle. I sighed as I caught a glance of his eyes just before he left, clearly focused on the errands he had planned that day.