Ziara opened her eyes remembering feeling the sunlight warming her body as the sun was just coming up over the horizon first landing on the tiles of the rooves of the city. She remembered the night before and still felt the warmth of night before and she smiled. The fact that anybody whether it was a beast kin or a god would help her was a miracle in her eyes.

Ziara stretched as she rose from the tiles of the roof and made her way toward edge. She lowered herself down the drainpipe toward an alley. She could then make her way in to one of the markets and see if she could get some food. She slowly used her feet and hands to shimmy down the pipe using the brackets holding the pipe to the wall as hand holds and foot holds.

She reached the alley when she heard a noise and turned around and saw three wolf beast kin standing there holding pipes and pieces of wooden crates. The lead person was the one she was least wanting to see, and the grin he had on his face showed he was not thinking pleasant things. She knew him as Bruel, and he was the one that beat her up on a regular occasion. She recognized him clearly and two of his pack mates.

“Looky hear, looky hear.” Bruel said in a sarcastic voice. “We didn’t find that snot nosed bitch, but we are lucky to find one of her cursed kind. I guess we can have our fun finally.”

Ziara froze out of habit at the three and knew that she couldn’t possibly climb back up in time before they reached her. She wasn’t in any condition to fight all three and she was in the alley and trapped against a dead end. Her natural reactions were to shiver and get down and plead for them to have mercy, but she remembered that she was not that same pitiful crow kin anymore. She was sixteen years old and she was in the best fitness she could be in. She didn’t think she could win, but she would definably cause some harm to them.

“You seem to be a fierce piece of cursed crap.” Bruel said flatly. “Though I have to say if you weren’t cursed, I might invite myself to allow you to pleasure me a bit.”

Ziara fear suddenly dissipated at that comment and she felt an anger in her heart. Normally she wouldn’t be treated like that because it was taboo to have sex with a cursed beast kin, because they say that the curse might spread. It still didn’t sit well with her, because Bruel had always tortured her more aggressively because of that.

“If you attack me, I will make sure that you will pay for it.” Ziara spat out.

“Feisty.” Bruel laughed and then his face turned cold. “Nobody is going to save you and believe me when we are done with you. You will have wished you could become my bitch.”

Ziara looked around the alley for something to protect herself and finally saw something that looked like a broken spoke from a wheel. It would have been something she couldn’t have handled in the past, but now she had the strength to handle something that heavy. She slid over and reached down and picked up the spoke while keeping her head forward not letting the three out of her view to attack.

All three of them chortled as they started to move forward the other two of his pack spreading out to attack her from the sides. Ziara gripped the spoke tightly as she decided to try to use speed once they spread out to get by Bruel and escape the alleyway, but as if he knew her plan he smiled and stepped back making sure to be able to block her path if she tried.

The two wolf beast kin lackies attacked at the same time but just as they struck out Ziara stepped back quickly and then struck down hard at the arm of the one coming from the right. She heard a crack sound as the beast kin dropped his metal bar and screamed in pain holding his hand. The second beast kin adjusted quickly and struck with his wooden club and hit Ziara in the stomach causing a flash of pain to explode and the air was nocked out of her. She could only gasp as the wooden club came down for another strike.

She was able to move her head, but her shoulder was struck causing her to crash down on her knees. A kick came next knocking her back on her ass as she still tried to gasp for air from the strike to the chest. Her shoulder had a sharp pain as well but as she was finally able to gain her breath another strike came in but this time it was from the other guy using his metal bar in his other hand. She knew she was going to get severely hurt but just at that moment a hand grabbed the back of her rags and pulled her away from the strike.

She looked up and saw a female feline beast kin standing over her. She was pretty and was in her beast form her body full of dark fur and her eyes red with anger. She was a second-tier beast kin and had already gained her combat form. Her face was elongated a little showing her blackened nose and silver whiskers coming from both side of her face.

The two wolf beast kin looked stunned at her form and started to back away. Bruel also looked a little shocked at the new beast kin. He gave snarl as he backed away and said. “I don’t know who you are, but you are interrupting our business. You maybe have a second-tier form, but can get five the same level as you.”

He was just backing away when Bruel suddenly stopped and turned and swung his steal pipe backwards, but the pipe stopped halfway when a hand grabbed it. He looked up to see a huge bear beast kin with a very frightening smile looking down at him. The bear beast kin pulled the iron bar away in one motion also his other hand shot forward sending Bruel flying forward to the ground landing five feet away.

Bruel turned around and screamed. “She is a cursed one. If you just leave now, we won’t hold what your doing against you.”

“What makes you think that we aren’t holding this against you?” A feminine voice said. The voice was light and airy as another figure walked out of the darkness. The figure was in a black cloak and there was a soft glow around her.

Ziara was somewhat shocked by the woman as she walked in from the shadows. She looked at the gang members and then over toward her. She gave a beautiful smile and then her gaze turned to Bruel and her eyes turned cold.

“I was going to spare you, but then you went and threatened me and my people.” The woman continued walking toward Bruel with even steps. She took out a small bag from her waist and tossed it over to the large bear beast kin.

The bear beast kin grabbed the bag and for the first time he smiled showing his sharp teeth. He looked down at Bruel and then over to the two other pack members and with out hesitation he stepped forward tossing the metal bar to the side and grabbed the Bruel and raised him up to his height. With a flued motion he took a small pill from the bag and placed the bag in his pocket. He then clamped his hands on the bridge of Bruel’s nose and shoved the pill his mouth. Bruel took a deep breath and then his body started to shake, and the bear beast kin tossed to the ground.

He did the exact same thing with the other two pack members and all three were now still convulsing on the ground. Ziara was shocked and looked up at the large bear beast kin but her attention was drawn when the woman that gave the man the bag stepped into her view. She looked at her with a smile that reached her eyes and then said. “I was sent to help you. My master allowed me to find you by using this.”

She pulled out a chain and it had the same rune that she had around her neck. Ziara was still in pain but for some reason seeing it made it feel better. She tried to get up but cringed and the feline beast kin behind her quickly caught her, so she didn’t fall back to the ground. The woman looked worried a little and then asked. “Would you be willing to come with me so we can talk. It probably wouldn’t be a good thing when these three wakes up.”

“Alright.” Ziara stammered. “Aren’t you afraid of my curse?”

“Curse?” The woman said. “A person my master helps are never cursed she is blessed. My name is Vespa and if your willing I can show you things that you have never seen before.”

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Cora watched as the Ket placed the dark cloak over the girl and couldn’t help but smile. She truly was lovely, and she thought that her master truly had a good eye for females. She hadn’t seen Alusha, but he knew she was married currently and why her master could alure her to be his. She didn’t think he would, but this young woman was beautiful and good candidate for him.

As they traveled through the city the girl’s steps became more stable and Ket had to help her less, but Cora could see her master’s aura in her. By the time she came back and had the girl in the room at the Golden Dove she had already decided on how she wanted to act to best benefit her master. She had already planned to open a temple here, but it wouldn’t be an easy task. She had to plan everything out very carefully, but first thing was first.

“Simala please prepare some breakfast for us.” Cora said.

“Yes master.” Simala said.

Cora turned to the young woman and asked. “How are your wounds? I am sorry we couldn’t get to you sooner.”

Cora watched as she seemed to struggle with something before, she slid down the cloak hood and looked back at her. There was pain in those eyes and a spark of hope as well. She must have had a very hard life before this, and Cora saw much of herself in this girl. It also included the hope she had because her master had saved her just like she just did for this girl.

“The wounds still sting, but they are healing faster than I thought could happen.” The young woman said. “The rune you have around your neck is the same as mine. He said somebody was coming to me, and even though you did I wasn’t sure if his words would come true or not. He saved my life twice now and I doubted him. Do you think he will be mad at me?”

Cora felt a wave of sorrow in her soul and it was an emotion she knew well. She gave her best smile and said. “No, I don’t think so. He believes in free will and following the path you want. Even those like me that don’t really know how to do that. He wants to give me a chance for freedom from my previous fate, and I think he wants to give you the same chance. I personally want to be with him and don’t want to be apart from him, but I know to do that I have to overcome this hurdle and show him how much I freely love him. So even if I die here, I can join him, but before I go I must make my mark here and leave something behind that can grow and let people know that they can follow him as well.”

“So, he is a god?” The woman said.

“In my heart he is, but he is so much more.” Cora said with a smile in on her face and eyes. “What you want to do is up to you, and he is giving you this chance I believe. You say your cursed, but I don’t believe he thinks that way, or at least he doesn’t think your soul is that way.”

“What do I need to do?” The young woman asked.

“Nothing if you wish or anything if you wish that as well.” Cora stated. “He asked me to help you have that chance and that is all. I think everything else depends on what you want and desire. Thought first I think you should eat something and then we can get you cleaned up. We have plenty of time to talk about what you want in the future.”

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