Whispered chanting reached my ears in the darkness I laid in. Louder and louder those voices sang until their garbled words rang in my head. The magic in their words twisted and pulled me, sucked my breath away only to bring it back a second later.

Soon, guttural growls and snarls punctuated each sentence. Something... something dark and twisted fought to break free. My eyes opened partially and that's when the creature leapt.

I startled awake with a gasp, eyes desperately searching for a creature that didn't exist. Cold air brushed my skin and, disorientated, I tried to stand. My wrists encountered bonds and my knee gave a shriek of pain as I moved it.

Everything came flooding back.

"LERAJ!" I screamed furiously, "Leraj, get here now! Where the hell are you?"

"I don't think he'll be of much help at the moment," said a man. My eyes trained on the shadow to my left.

"Who the hell are you?" I struggled again at my bonds but to no avail. My eyes scanned the room, as if searching for an escape.

Cavern walls of a dark grey, stalagmites dotted the ground and stalactites hung from the ceiling, their tips only distinguishable in the shadows that clung there. No entrance and no exit as far as I could see, even with my good eyesight. A lantern hung close to my sweating body.

The air in here was heavy and oppressive, a chill shuddering through my body when I realised what it reminded me of. Even what I lay on was almost the same as what I had first woken up in this new time, so long ago it seemed.

An stone altar. Only this time, no one danced around it and chanted in an ancient demon language.

This was a right mess I had gotten myself into.

The man stepped into the light. Short, spiky white coloured hair and a goatee of the same colour. Slanted eyes that pierced my own. He was dressed in what reminded me of Holy Knight attire.

I snapped my teeth and fought again against my bonds.

"Allow me to introduce myself, young Fox. I am Hendrickson, the Grand Master of the Holy Knights," he said, drawing closer.

"Stay away from me!" I screeched.

I had a guess that a Grand Master Holy Knight was not a good thing. The fact that I had been kidnapped? Not great. And that he knew I was a Fox? Even worse.

Much worse.

"I don't intend to hurt you," Hendrickson attempted to placate me, moving close enough to stand beside me. "I'm actually wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me. You see-"

I spat in his face. He stopped speaking, wiping at the blob of saliva on his cheek with the back of his hand.

"I hate Holy Knights," I hissed, "so I will never help you. You tried to kill my friends, you hurt and punished innocent citizens. I don't know how many more atrocities you've committed but even if you did do a good deed to make up for your evil, I will never help you."

Hendrickson's demeanour never changed. He neither look fazed nor angry. "I guess it doesn't really matter about what you want. Right now, the Holy Knights need a soldier capable of besting a Seven Deadly Sin. I only asked permission as a nicety." A knife appeared in his hands. "Leraj," he called.

The golden demon materialised to my right side, still dressed in his silver armour. I stiffened when his eyes darted to me.

"Are you hurt?" was the first thing he said. Actual concern laced his voice.

"Have a guess," I snarled, wrenching at a manacle. Hendrickson laughed.

"Estra, I didn't-"

"Don't you dare say another word! Once I get free, I'm going to maim that little pretty face of yours with my claws. Both of you!"

Leraj's eyes betrayed the sadness he felt but I wasn't going to fall for it. I became friends with this demon, let him train me to fight, and he betrayed me.

"My, my, a couple's squabble? Don't be too hard on him, Estra, it wasn't as if he had much of a choice. The contract he formed with me has been in motion since the very beginning."

Understanding dawned on me. "You knew everything that time in the forest?"

"Yes," he admitted, unable to meet my gaze. "I knew what you were and who you travelled with."

All my energy just seemed to rush out of me. I had been played.

"Now then, moving on?" Hendrickson walked behind me and I craned my head back.

My breath caught in my throat. A monstrous red, clown faced head smiled down at me. No, not a smile. Something this horrifying wouldn't smile. More like a sadistic smirk. Striped horns curled around its face and little beady eyes stared down at me. It was suspended from the ceiling, directly above me. 

I suppressed a scream. 

"What the hell is that?" I screeched. 

"A demon," Hendrickson responded calmly. 

My head moved when I heard a clink. He tapped a ringed finger against a golden chalice. In the other hand, he held a knife. He slashed at the demon's body and blood sprayed everywhere. The goblet he held under the slash and it filled with blood. 

"What the hell? Leraj, what the hell is he doing?" But when I looked around, Leraj had disappeared. 

"Poor demon," Hendrickson tutted, "His heart wants to help you but his oath binds him to me. I guess all that he can do to help you is to leave and avoid seeing what you become." 

"What?" I breathed out as Hendrickson called in three Holy Knights. He gave the shortest one the goblet and they moved towards me. 

No, this... this couldn't be happening! I couldn't! I fought against my bonds again but, just like the first time, it was pointless. I had no idea what the demon blood would do to me and I was in no rush to find out. 

I had to escape! If I didn't and this blood turned me against my friends, I would never forgive myself. 

The taller knight grabbed my chin tightly, tilting my head back. I thrashed my head and he twisted his fingers in my hair, yanking harshly to keep me still. The other pried opened my jaw with rough fingers and I snapped my teeth, biting down on his hand. He gave me a hard slap that sent my eyes spinning. 

The goblet was smashed against my lips and I screamed as the demon blood touched my tongue. I dared not swallow, spitting it out until I frothed red at the mouth from the liquid. But they kept pouring it in. 

Someone grabbed my nose and I held my breath for as long as I could. My vision swam, my lungs screamed in agony, but I would rather die then drink the blood, even if it meant giving up on everything! 

My hearing dimmed, my eyesight blacking out. Is this the end? 

Betrayal came from close at hand. 

My body instinctively sucked in a lungful of air. 

~ 

I woke with a throbbing headache. 

"Ugh." I sat up, nursing my head as I looked around the room. 

Wooden walls, wooden floor, wooden door. Even the cross shaped rack my burnt orange armour sat on was wooden. How I loathed wood after seeing it constantly for four years. I swung my feet out of bed, suppressing a yawn. 

The whispers of a strange dream called to me, something about a quest to find a wizard to turn me into a fox, but I brushed it from mind when I saw the sun in the sky. Almost dawn. If I didn't hurry, Hendrickson was going to have me humiliated in front of the Holy Knights. Again. 

I dressed in a light singlet and long pants, strapping burgundy leather gauntlets to my wrists and slipping my leather chest plating on. A knock sounded on the door. 

"Name?" 

"It's me," replied a male voice. 

I scowled as I grabbed my silver cloak from itss perch on the mirror, clipping the buckle under my chin. My eyes glowed like miniature fires in the mirror's reflection. "You know you're the only one who doesn't say their name?" 

"Names have power," he replied mysteriously, before poking his head in. "You dressed yet?" 

"Why do you always ask that question after sticking your head in, Leraj?" I watched him as I ran a brush through my long orange hair and tied it up.

Leraj grinned as he leant against the door frame, droplets of water still clinging to his face and his golden hair. Silvery scars and his red and gold tendril tattoos peeked out from the unbuttoned collar of his black shirt.  

"Because there might actually be a chance I catch you... naked," he responded seductively. 

"Cut it out," I lobbed the brush at him which he caught, unsurprisingly. My eyes darted to his sword, which hung to his belt. "Aren't we running today? What's with the sword?" 

"Hendrickson's changed up the program. Him and Dreyfus are having an important meeting so we're stuck with the newbies for sword skills." 

With a groan, I dramatically flopped myself back onto the bed. "Wake me when it's all over," I said into my pillow. 

Arms encircled my waist and dragged me to my feet; I grappled for my blankets like a grumpy cat. "Leraj, stop it! I hate training with the newbies!" And Jericho, I added in my head. 

"Aw, come on Estra, don't let me go alone," he pouted against my ear. My breath caught in my throat. "Do I take the silence as an answer?" he asked slowly, lips brushing my earlobe. 

I spun in his arms and pushed him away. "Fine then." I stomped around the room, gathering my sword and boots, while I tried to slow down my thundering heart and clear my head. Leraj always had this effect on me and it irked me that he held this kind of power over my emotions. 

"Let's go," I grumbled angrily, kicking him in the back of the leg to usher him from my room. "We better be getting food before this though." 

"No problem, Fox," he purred my nickname. Something rose to mind, a fuzzy memory of a golden haired man and a large clearing, but it was instantly dashed by the gurgle of my stomach. Leraj's eyes flashed with something akin to disappointment. 

Confused, I asked, "what's wrong?" 

"Nothing," he mumbled, then broke out into a grin, "only that you never seem to respond quite like you used to." 

"Like how?" I shut my door, locked it and slipped my key into the little pocket sown into my belt. I felt like this part of our conversation was a recurring event and for some reason, it unnerved me, like I was missing an important piece of information. But I couldn't see how a simple nickname connected to the uneasiness within me. 

"You know, the usual, a kick here, a taunt there. Some days you would pout and call me dirty names for hours on end." 

"Haha," I pulled an ugly face, before punching him in the arm. "Come on, the supervisors will be waiting." 

So.... 

Who saw this coming? Anyone? Comment if you did. 

So basically, the demon blood and a bit of magic screwed up Estra's memories. Like, really screwed them up. 

Leraj POV or Hendrickson POV next - can't decide yet - maybe Hendrickson's to explain what happened a little bit more.