Heiress Of His Abyss: Unmasking The Beast

Sylteena's feet remained planted on the spot, her eyes wide in disbelief as her body paralyzed in fear and confusion.

Her lips remained agape as her dilated mismatched eyes drank in the horrific sight before her.

Gleaming under the illuminating blue moonlight, the creature stood as tall as the forest canopy, its hunched frame casting a shadow over the trees.

Long black-painted hands dangled at its sides, tipped with razor-sharp nails. Its long black hair cascaded to the ground, obscuring its face in a veil of shadow, coated with a film of moss.

Sylteena felt the last air in her lungs wheeze out as her chest tightened and her head felt lighter.

Before her was what she couldn't believe. The very being of her childhood nightmare and fears; a thought she never wished would become a reality or dare to bear the sight of it in the physical... Now stood before her, alive and real.

The creature, Sliqruki, remained still.

A series of light giggles suddenly pierced the tensed air, seizing Sylteena's attention to the monkey on the giant's shoulder.

Her brows quirked as she watched a neon green mist swirl around the primate's small figure before elongating to morph into a humanoid being.

Her jaws dropped.

Now standing on the Sliqruki's shoulder was the long, slender figure of a woman dressed in a short, hide-skinned cloth and a long tail waving behind her.

Bearing short silver curled hair, she had dark brown skin marbled with white patches from her face down to her feet. Her neon green eyes narrowed at Sylteena.

The strange shifter tittered softly, turning to the Sliqruki. "Told you I'd bring her in one piece!"

Sylteena froze.

It— No... She spoke English.

"After wasting more than three hours."

Another voice echoed on the second shoulder.

A similar monkey leaped onto the shoulder as a swirl of green sorcery coated its body before transforming into a man. Having the same brown skin, spotted white patches, and curly silver hair.

He was dressed only with a cloth wrapped around his waist.

"Hey!" The female retorted. "I had to make sure she was alone before I could abduct her!"

The male then crossed his arms to gaze at the female, leaning against the head of the Sliqruki. "Excuses," he tutted. "You probably got lost again. As always."

The female let out a gnawing snarl with clenched fists before turning to the draped head of the Sliqruki.

"Look now! Aidan is bringing it up again!" She pointed.

The male, which she referred to as Aidan, let out a chuckle, "Bringing what up?" He shrugged.

The Sliqruki slowly turned its shrouded head in Aidan's direction, letting out a light growl.

Aidan immediately raised his hand in surrender as he sighed, "Fine... I won't tease Aislinn about her poor sense of direction that got her lost four times in a row."

"Aidan!!!" The female, Aislinn, stomped her feet.

Aidan snickered.

"You're such a horrible brother!"

"Ha! Like anyone wouldn't be when having you as a twin." He waved a dismissive hand at her attempt to flick his conscience.

"You rotten hell ape!" Aislinn cursed.

"Huh!?!" His voice deepened, hinting at his flared temper. "What did you just call me!?!"

"You heard me!!" Aislinn's voice heightened.

Sylteena remained static on the grass as her wide eyes flicked between the individuals during their exchange, contemplating what exactly was going on and why they suddenly forgot her presence for a moment...

Should she run? She questioned herself as her gaze trailed around to estimate her chances of making it away.

Her vision had already adjusted to the moonlighting, and the grassland was surrounded by only tall, shadowing trees. How far would she make it on foot? Wouldn't the Sliqruki's hair grasp her quickly?... Or what if she ran in a zigzag?

"Don't even think about it."

Sylteena's shoulders flinched at the sudden warning, turning to the male called Aidan. He then snapped his fingers.

In an instant, buds of green flames appeared on each towering tree like a torches, rounding the circular landscape they stood on.

Sylteena gasped.

Between the trees illuminated by the floating fire stood Forest Hounds, lining all routes of exit she thought possible as they all posed alert and fixed on her.

Her eyes peeled wider, feeling her knees weakened as she fell to the ground.

Aislinn turned her focus to her trembling figure. "Did you honestly think that you could escape?"

Sylteena cowered back on the ground, petrified.

The two similar-looking fiends suddenly jumped off the Sliqruki's shoulder, gracefully landing on their feet.

Aislinn then tutted, "How can we possibly let free the only creature that dared defile our master."

Sylteena's brows knitted.

Aidan's green eyes gleamed. "No being had ever escaped master's cocoon before."

The hair on her neck stood as the heart-gripping growls of the hounds reached her ears, each taking a step closer.

Sylteena's heart dropped to the pit in her stomach as she darted her gaze in all directions as each hound drooled with their empty sockets locked in her direction.

The marbled-skinned twins began to step closer, forcing Sylteena to drag back.

Wait! She was at the tip of her tongue, but her voice was far from gone as her throat felt dry and her chest almost void of air as she struggled to breathe in.

The twins then each raised their hands right hands, coating their fingers with green sorcery.

Sylteena was crippled with fear, already doubting her hope of survival at the sounds of the lurking hounds between the trees.

Sylteena's eyes didn't shift from the approaching beings that stared at her with murderous intent, their fangs grown out of their lips' margin, bearing slitted eyes.

"Aidan. Aislinn."

They paused feet away from Sylteena. Sylteena forgot to breathe as her humidified mind took a moment to realize where the hoarse voice came from.

All eyes slowly trailed to the being standing behind.

The twins frowned.

Aidan spoke up first, "But, Master, she—"

The Sliqruki suddenly stepped forward, the ground vibrating lightly to the thud of its foot.

Sylteena's breath hitched as she watched the being pace forth and the twins instinctively stepping aside.

Feeling her heart rampage against her sternum, her body refused to move off the ground, her fingers digging into the dirt.

The Sliqruki slowly lowered itself, pillaring its weight with its long hands as its moss-draped head leaned even closer to Sylteena's paralyzed body.

"Who... Are you?..."

Sylteena couldn't speak, unable to grasp the reality of her worst fear being able to speak in a language she understood.

Its voice was a low, husky rasp that rumbled calmly, its measured tone belied by an unsettling, monstrous undertone.

The Sliqruki crooked its head.

"You are bare of magic..."

Sylteena's face scrunched to the musky pungent odour.

"... Yet you are from the royal household."

Sylteena was sure her chest should have broken open because of how hard her heart pounded.

"How is that?" Its face crept closer; Sylteena lost her composure as she fell flat on her back, her eyes not leaving the Sliqruki.

The female shifter, Aislinn, then spoke, "I told you, Master! She is the crowned princess!"

"Don't be stupid!" Aidan retorted, "Why would the crowned princess of Weleria not have a single drop of magic in her?"

"I know what I am saying!" She stomped. "I saw them bow and call her Her Highness!" She crossed her arms with a pout. "Master, I know what I'm saying! Please believe me."

The Sliqruki continued to obvious Sylteena despite the dangling obstruction over its face. Despite staring with all concentration, Sylteena was unable to sight its eyes from between the slight gaps of its fleshy-like hair.

She gulped.

"I have faith in your words, Aislinn." Their Master responded without turning.

Within the blink of an eye, Sylteena felt a slippery slither wrap around her hand — without time to react, her body was jerked off the earth by its tentacle-like hair and suspended before its head.

She shrieked, feeling both dazed and frightened by her vulnerability.

The Sliqruki remained silent for a moment before saying, "But for a crown princess, she appears rather... Mismanaged."

Sylteena's brows quirked.

Tilting her dangling self with ease like a mere leaf, the Sliqruki then added, "Dry ashy skin marred with scars and burns... Yellowish eyes, and friable appearance... Her bones well outlined by her tacky skin... Then the blisters and calluses spotting her hardened palms and fragile nails."

Sylteena grunted softly as it finally stopped turning her side to side like a subject.

"She might bear the title, Her Highness..." Its hair pulled her closer to its head. "... But she wears the body of a slave."

Sylteena's heart thudded.