[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

After a few weeks, a new human began to join the two that fed her. Cvetka snarled as the new human, bolder than the others, stepped closer to her than they had ever dared to. The human said strange words, and at her command the young male pressed the lever to loose Cvetka's chains.

The human laughed as Cvetka launched herself at her, and sidestepped quickly. Cvetka was not able to change direction so fast, being heavier than before and still lethargic, and tripped over her own paws.

[16]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Cvetka got to her feet and faced the female human again, growling all the while. She aimed for another charge, but the woman seemed satisfied and stepped back towards the others. This time, the woman signalled for her chains to be tightened, and she was pulled back towards the statue.

They left slightly more food for her that time, and left the plate there and the chains loose. Cvetka pondered over the curious behaviour of the humans that day.

[17]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Every day the woman was there, and every day Cvetka lunged at her. This continued until one day, the chains were tightened on her instead of being loosened. Cvetka struggled in vain, as she was pulled ever closer to the statue. She watched helplessly as four unfamiliar human males entered the room, and began to clean it. Whenever they stepped towards her, she snarled and twisted against the chains, but they ignored her.

[18]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

When they were done, the woman walked towards Cvetka with a pitious look on her face. Cvetka didn't lunge at her, but only because she was bound so tightly by the chains. She didn't notice the glance the woman gave her food dish as she set it down in front of her.

The woman turned away and the young man released the lever which controlled the chains, allowing her to eat.

By the time Cvetka realised something was wrong with the food, she was falling unconscious again.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

In and out of feverish consciousness moved Cvetka. Each time, she was able to focus her vision slightly more. She could see a group of humans surrounding her, chanting something in that odd language of theirs. She could smell brimstone, and the room was filled with dull red light. Her breathing was heavy and laboured and she had to fight to stay awake.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Cvetka let out a low howl, which echoed around the chamber she was in. She struggled to raise her head, then whimpered as she realised she was bound in place. She could see the woman who had challenged her from where she lay. The woman was looking directly at her whilst continuing to chant. For some reason, the woman did not seem to wish to look away.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

On and on the humans chanted, and Cvetka felt her fever increasing as they did. Her breathing became heavier and more laboured, and it was harder to raise her head. She felt like she was being suffocated by something intangible. She let out another low howl, and this time it clashed with the chanting enough to ease some of the pressure on her. She howled again, louder, with more effort, to see if it would free her.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The humans began chanting faster, louder, trying to complete their ritual. Cvetka found herself too weak to struggle against whatever power was suffocating her. She let out one last long howl, before she fell unconscious again. As the ritual was completed, the woman smiled whilst looking at Cvetka. She patted Cvetka on the head before turning and leaving the room.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

When Cvetka awoke the next time, it felt like she was on fire. Every muscle felt like it was stretched to breaking point. Every bone felt like it had been smashed with a blunt object. Her head was pounding, and she was shaking with thirst. She tried to raise her head, but was too weak, and passed out from the effort.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

At last, the pain eased, and Cvetka began to breathe more easily. She awoke slowly this time, groggy from what she had been through. Everything still hurt, but now it was a dull pain, bearable, with exhaustion just behind it.

She was still thirsty; from where she lay, she could see a bowl of water had been left out for her. She did not trust herself to stand, so she crawled over to it to drink.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

She no longer trusted anything the humans gave her, but there was no other source of water in the room and she was desperate. Still, she sniffed the water cautiously before her thirst overwhelmed her and she began to drink deeply. As she did so, she felt her aches and pain began to ease. There was something in the water again, then, but at least this seemed to be helping her. She finished drinking and curled up beside the bowl to see what would happen to her this time.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

A short while later, Cvetka was disturbed by a young man bringing in a bowl. The bowl smelled like it had meat in it. He put it down on the ground close to her, and walked away, keeping his eyes on her the whole time.

Cvetka watched him retreat, then crawled over to the bowl. There was fresh, raw, ground-up meat in the bowl, and she sniffed at it warily.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

This time, however, the meat in the bowl smelt different. There was something in there that called to her, and it took Cvetka a moment to realise what it was. It was the smell of fresh blood in the meat that she could smell so strongly. Normally, the humans gave her meat that had been stored for a while, but this was a fresh kill. She could not identify the animal, however, and that made her wary.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

She looked around, to find that she was alone in the room again. The human had retreated into the door and had shut it behind him. Cvetka thought that was a little odd, until she realised she was no longer bound. The shackles binding her to the chains had been removed during the ritual, and had not been replaced afterward. She growled at the thought that they no longer considered her a threat, before realising that as weak as she was, they were right.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Slowly, Cvetka regained her strength as she healed. There was something niggling at her constantly, always at the back of her mind. She saw no more of the woman until one day it was she who brought the bowl of meat. Cvetka snarled at her, as she entered the room without fear. Who was this woman, and what did she want?