《Tiger's Scar》
Prologue
Prologue:
The burning color of the young woman''s hair made a mockery of the sunlight as it streamed through the gnarled branches of the trees that loomed above her. A young man, who appeared to be only a few years older than her, followed swiftly behind, trying desperately to catch up with her. "Kathryn!" he cried after her as she sped away from him.
"No, Damien!" She said with a soft giggle, her pace increasing, her feet flying fast o''er the ground before he could get the chance to catch her.
"Come here you!" He cried, lunging forward, his hands wrapping tightly around her waist, her feet popping off the leaf-strewn forest floor, as he dragged her to the ground.
"All right, all right, you win. Let me up now, Damien. You''ll ruin my gown."
"Ah-ah-ah." He shook his head with a sly smile. "I''m sorry, Princess, not this time." His hand, which had been holding one ankle previously, now slid its way upward, under her dress, winding its way to her upper thigh.
"What do you think you are doing, Damien?" Her eyes narrowed, and she scowled at him.
"What''s the matter, Princess, don''t you like it?" His grin widened as he feigned innocence, his nails digging gently into her skin.
"I... I don''t know. However, I am asking you to stop." She pulled her legs up to her, and scooted a little ways away, maintaining a decent distance between them.
"But... why?" He asked quietly, a child-like tremor creeping into his voice, as he pouted. Then, with a disgusted sigh, he rolled away and sat down next to her. "Kat?"
"Yes, Damien?"
"Will you... That is... What I mean to say... Well... ah..." He pulled at the collar of his shirt, loosening it, as his face flushed. "Will you marry me!" He blurted suddenly.
She sighed, shaking her head silently, her eyes showing her pity. "You know that I cannot. The Council - "
He cut her off with a sharp growl. "The Council!" He snarled in disgusted rage.
"Always! Always the Council with you! Well!" He said with a bitter laugh, "Let me remind you, Princess, that your precious Council does not usually entrust normal mortals with their precious secrets, nor get close to their most important members. So I think we can agree that I am no ordinary case."
"Well no, true you are an exception, however-"
He cut her off again. "And didn''t they even teach me their language? Brought me in as though I were one of their own, and now look, here we are alone in the woods together, and they sent with you no bodyguard, no chaperon to insure your innocence. Why!" He smiled evilly, "Why they as good as gave you into my keeping, tonight."
"Well, yes, and that''s all fine and good but..."
Seeing that her arguments were falling thin, he leaned closer, his warm breath teasing her ear, "Then think you, truly, that they would forbid a union between us? Honestly?"
"Well, no," She stammered, her face flushing as she turned away, trying to get some space between them. He was far too close, and it was making her uncomfortable. "I mean, I... I do love you, Damien. But... It cannot be. It really cannot. You would be a..." She paused for a moment, the word "liability" had almost slipped out, and she knew him well enough to know that he would not take kindly to that. He could be a tad... hypersensitive where his masculinity was concerned.
"A what, Princess? A weakness? Hmm? Is that what you were going to say?" He snarled at her, his left hand darting out and grasping her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Look at me and tell me the truth! Were you about to call me weak?"
"No!" She gasped, jerking her chin from his hand, one hand coming up to shove him away from her. "No! Not at all... " Although it was true, he could be a weakness... for her. "You are a strong magician, and very powerful-"
Grinning maniacally and cutting her off with his words as she pushed him back.
"I am no magician, Kathryn! I do not do tricks. And neither am I weak. Indeed... Princess. I shall show you how ''weak'' I really am." He cut off with a manic laugh and held her with one hand as she tried to stand. "This magician can pull a few ''tricks'' over even such a great sorceress as yourself." His laughter turned bitter, "The great Princess of the Tigers." His left hand rose to hover over her face, his right one tightening its grip on her wrist. As he began to chant in a strange and ancient language that she didn''t understand, she felt him lower her to the ground. She struggled but found that she couldn''t move.
"Damien... what- what are you -? Doing to me? Don''t - Stop it! Damien... Please!" She screamed.
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X
Later that night when Kathryn returned to her lair, she found her brother there, waiting for her. He tended to her wounds, bathed and bandaged her, murmuring promises of vengeance as he soothed her battered body. When she was tended, and her servants had carefully dressed her, he escorted her before the rest of the Council. An old woman dressed in a cloak of owl feathers came down the stairwell from the giant dais and stood before them.
What she told them had the pronouncement of doom to their ears, but yet, in her words there was hope. Hope for the future at any rate. Though there was nothing could be done to save Kathryn, for she was compelled to return to the one who had wrought such terrible havoc on them, nor for the child already started within her, yet still, one day one would come, marked by the animals whose spirit she held merged within her own soul, chosen, someday, to restore the balance of magic in the world, and set things right.
Tiger''s Scar: Prologue
Prologue:
The burning color of the young woman''s hair made a mockery of the sunlight as it streamed through the gnarled branches of the trees that loomed above her. A young man, who appeared to be only a few years older than her, followed swiftly behind, trying desperately to catch up with her. "Kathryn!" he cried after her as she sped away from him.
"No, Damien!" She said with a soft giggle, her pace increasing, her feet flying fast o''er the ground before he could get the chance to catch her.
"Come here you!" He cried, lunging forward, his hands wrapping tightly around her waist, her feet popping off the leaf-strewn forest floor, as he dragged her to the ground.
"All right, all right, you win. Let me up now, Damien. You''ll ruin my gown."
"Ah-ah-ah." He shook his head with a sly smile. "I''m sorry, Princess, not this time." His hand, which had been holding one ankle previously, now slid its way upward, under her dress, winding its way to her upper thigh.
"What do you think you are doing, Damien?" Her eyes narrowed, and she scowled at him.
"What''s the matter, Princess, don''t you like it?" His grin widened as he feigned innocence, his nails digging gently into her skin.
"I... I don''t know. However, I am asking you to stop." She pulled her legs up to her, and scooted a little ways away, maintaining a decent distance between them.
"But... why?" He asked quietly, a child-like tremor creeping into his voice, as he pouted. Then, with a disgusted sigh, he rolled away and sat down next to her. "Kat?"
"Yes, Damien?"
"Will you... That is... What I mean to say... Well... ah..." He pulled at the collar of his shirt, loosening it, as his face flushed. "Will you marry me!" He blurted suddenly.
She sighed, shaking her head silently, her eyes showing her pity. "You know that I cannot. The Council - "
He cut her off with a sharp growl. "The Council!" He snarled in disgusted rage.
"Always! Always the Council with you! Well!" He said with a bitter laugh, "Let me remind you, Princess, that your precious Council does not usually entrust normal mortals with their precious secrets, nor get close to their most important members. So I think we can agree that I am no ordinary case."
"Well no, true you are an exception, however-"
He cut her off again. "And didn''t they even teach me their language? Brought me in as though I were one of their own, and now look, here we are alone in the woods together, and they sent with you no bodyguard, no chaperon to insure your innocence. Why!" He smiled evilly, "Why they as good as gave you into my keeping, tonight."
"Well, yes, and that''s all fine and good but..."
Seeing that her arguments were falling thin, he leaned closer, his warm breath teasing her ear, "Then think you, truly, that they would forbid a union between us? Honestly?"
"Well, no," She stammered, her face flushing as she turned away, trying to get some space between them. He was far too close, and it was making her uncomfortable. "I mean, I... I do love you, Damien. But... It cannot be. It really cannot. You would be a..." She paused for a moment, the word "liability" had almost slipped out, and she knew him well enough to know that he would not take kindly to that. He could be a tad... hypersensitive where his masculinity was concerned.
"A what, Princess? A weakness? Hmm? Is that what you were going to say?" He snarled at her, his left hand darting out and grasping her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Look at me and tell me the truth! Were you about to call me weak?"
"No!" She gasped, jerking her chin from his hand, one hand coming up to shove him away from her. "No! Not at all... " Although it was true, he could be a weakness... for her. "You are a strong magician, and very powerful-"
Grinning maniacally and cutting her off with his words as she pushed him back.
"I am no magician, Kathryn! I do not do tricks. And neither am I weak. Indeed... Princess. I shall show you how ''weak'' I really am." He cut off with a manic laugh and held her with one hand as she tried to stand. "This magician can pull a few ''tricks'' over even such a great sorceress as yourself." His laughter turned bitter, "The great Princess of the Tigers." His left hand rose to hover over her face, his right one tightening its grip on her wrist. As he began to chant in a strange and ancient language that she didn''t understand, she felt him lower her to the ground. She struggled but found that she couldn''t move.
"Damien... what- what are you -? Doing to me? Don''t - Stop it! Damien... Please!" She screamed.
X
Later that night when Kathryn returned to her lair, she found her brother there, waiting for her. He tended to her wounds, bathed and bandaged her, murmuring promises of vengeance as he soothed her battered body. When she was tended, and her servants had carefully dressed her, he escorted her before the rest of the Council. An old woman dressed in a cloak of owl feathers came down the stairwell from the giant dais and stood before them.
What she told them had the pronouncement of doom to their ears, but yet, in her words there was hope. Hope for the future at any rate. Though there was nothing could be done to save Kathryn, for she was compelled to return to the one who had wrought such terrible havoc on them, nor for the child already started within her, yet still, one day one would come, marked by the animals whose spirit she held merged within her own soul, chosen, someday, to restore the balance of magic in the world, and set things right.
Chapter One
Chapter One:
"Xeta! Are you even paying attention to me? You must know your history! You were born to stop the Colvent Family! Now! Pay attention to me! What happened next, to Kathryn?" Growled a large orange Bengal tiger to the poor young woman, unfortunate enough to be possessed of a wandering mind.
This was Xeta, the strong and willful, albeit attention-deficit Princess of Tigers. The tiger that stood before her, reciting the struggles of the past was her guardian: Zephethese. And it was with a sigh that she recited the fate of her predecessor to her irate tutor.
"After finding herself powerless, as well as pregnant, Kathryn went to the Council of Royals of Animals and told them what happened to her." The girl stopped with a scoff. "Council of Royals of Animals. Anyone ever tell you guys that you have the worst council name ever?"
"XETA!"
"All right already. Sheesh. Fine... Ok, where was I... oh right... She told the Council what happened to her... and then there was a geas on the spell... after she told the Council what happened she was forced to return to his side, the rest of the spell activating when she relayed his message and said her farewells. Powerless to resist, she was driven to his side," She paused, and her tone took on something that might be termed a mockery of a Shakespearean actor, "Bound to be his slave and lover til the day she passed on to her eternal rest!" She finished with a melodramatic sigh, which earned her a glare, and a much toned down swat from the paw of the great cat.
"Ouch! Oh fine." She huffed. "Can''t even take a friggen joke. Damn. The Council then passed an edict that no mortal should ever again be given access to the Council''s secrets. Which if you ask me was pretty stupid of them, I mean that should have been the rule all along, kind of a duh to me, oh alright!" She growled at Zephethese, to which he responded in kind, and with a huffy sigh, went back to her recitation.
"No mortal would ever again be taught the Secret Language, nor allowed to be close to the Princess of Tigers, nor even know about the Council at all. Also, it was declared that all of the Princesses of Tigers should take on the same name, that of Xeta."
"... Which means what, once more?"
"Ugh. Which means ''distant,'' in our language, thus changing our true names, and binding us away from the Outside world. Also, another Law was passed that each Princess must be fully orphaned to gain the power. Never again would a Princess be permitted to have so much as a sibling within the Council. Fate seems to take care of this on its own, each girl becoming orphaned before the power awakens within her, which is why sometimes it will be one girl and not her doppelganger."
"Very good, Xeta. It would appear you do listen to me, on occasion. However, tell me why the edict restricts family within the Council. Also, tell me about the doppelgangers."
It was a trick question, and they both knew it. Still, she sighed, drummed her long claw-like nails on the table where she was seated, and rolled her orange-hued eyes at him, irritation flashing within them.
"Oh of all the stupid.. oh FINE!" She sighed, as she ducked another blow, this one, she knew, would have hurt. He was losing patience, and for that matter, so was she. She never had been good at the academic stuff.
"Not within the Council in general, which you know very well that I know so that question was a pointless attempt to trick me. The edict in question was only for the Princess of Tigers, due to Kathryn''s Brother, whose name has long since been lost to history, who, unfortunately, swore an oath to his sister that he would kill Damien Colvent, and Destroy the Colvent family, leaving none alive to continue the prophecy that so plagued his," She rolled her eyes, unable to resist a bit of melodrama, "Darling sister." She chuckled, straightened, and forced a straight face as she continued.
"This, however, was not to be, for Damien''s vile spell required Kathryn to leave the sanctuary of the Council and stay forever at his side. Though it hurt her to choose the man she had once loved, and become his slave, over the brother who loved her, she had no choice in the matter."
She paused for breath, fighting the urge to thump her head on the table in aggravation.
"The brother did eventually locate Colvent Manor, and he did also eventually slay Damien Colvent. But this was where his triumph ended. For this so-called ''Prince of Tigers'' had very little magic of his own, and the Tiger''s Claw the blade that was granted him by the Council was useless against the very real power of the Colvent family. He had been able to slay Damien because he had caught him by surprise, but the son that Kathryn bore Damien, called Darius, a mere child of twelve at this point, had true, real power, a power that far surpassed either of his parents.
"And it was with this power, that he destroyed the Prince of Tigers, ran the Council out of Colvent Manor, and shielded the Manor House from the Council. Occasionally we find it again, storm in, and destroy everything we can before we''re run out again, but for the most part, it remains hidden from us, for decades at a time. Once the battle was over, Darius took the body, having first removed the head, and threw the body into the river, for the Council to find later.
"As for the doppelgangers, there seem to be two girls always born, different families, mirror images of each other, and the Council monitors these girls to see which one will wind up being orphaned and have the power, and become the next Princess."
"Very good, Xeta. Although we could have done without the reminder that the war is not going well for us, thank you. Now, I want you to list out the genealogy of the Colvent Family. Show me that you have your adversary''s as it were, on your fingertips."
Another disgusted sigh, and this time, she could not refrain from clonking herself on the head with the table.
"Damien Colvent the Betrayer," She began in a bored monotone. "Darius the Cold, Draull the Seducer, it was he who thought up that stupid death kiss thing they''re so freaking fond of. ''Lord'' Krystoph, the Cunning, was fond of separating the Council and running everyone who neared the Mannor through some sort of distorted maze. Then we have... Kardian the Cruel... who liked to torture people just for fun. Dephroen the Mad, Nicolai, oh I''m getting sick of listing off the various pet names and titles we''ve given the assholes! Let me just list the damned names and get on with it. Dryzul, Drago, Vyctor, Kryde, and then last of all, the ''Dark Lord'' Thyolyis."
"It''s a matter of respect and a way to remember what each man has done to your line."
"Why should I respect a man who intends to rape me, simply because I was born with certain Magic?"
"Because whatever else they may be, The Colvent Family are strong and worthy foes. If they weren''t so powerful, we never would have let them near the Council in the first place. And since you brought it up, who is the last one, Thyolyis'' son, who will someday seek you out, and challenge you for your power and freedom?"
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"The last name isn''t currently known. A child was seen, in the Colvent Manor, the day I slew Thyolyis when I was still young. He seemed to be a little older than me. No name was found, however, there is a rumor that he is known as Solestine."
"Now, one last thing you skipped earlier, that we should go over, and that is courting within the Council, and how it particularly relates to you, as the current Princess of Tigers."
"Oh come on..." She whined, thumping her head repeatedly on the table. "Why can''t I go outside and bash stuff around, start my physical training? I''m good at that! I don''t want to talk about boys... this is stupid. Going courtin''* isn''t going to help me defeat the Colvent family."
Zephthese growled at her, wondering briefly on the fact that a seventeen-year-old girl didn''t want to talk about the opposite gender. He briefly wondered about her orientation but refrained from comment. She was getting irritable, and if he goaded her, she was likely to run out on the lesson.
Xeta growled back but dutifully recited anyway, "It is forbidden for the Princess of Tigers to seek to mate outside of the Council, for it was Kathryn''s folly that brought Damien Colvent into our midst. Therefore, should a Princess of Tigers wish to seek a mate, she must find one within the Council."
"Good girl." Xeta flinched. The pet name was almost enough to make her gag.
"Now, who are the potential mates for you, young Xeta?"
Xeta growled deep in her throat. She truly hated this subject. "Xercseze, High Prince of Wolves, Souir High Prince of Hawks, Renock, High Prince of Foxes, And Adrial, the High Prince of Serpents." Xeta tried her best to sound bored, rather than irritated, however, the attempt was an extreme failure on her part.
"And on that note, Xeta, have you decided, of those four, which one will escort you to the Ritual tomorrow night?"
Xeta floundered under her tutors'' watchful gaze. She felt herself shriveling beneath his gaze, like a daisy under the scorching heat of an August sun. "Um... Well... no... not exactly."
"Always negligent, Xeta! You could lose your power with such negligence! However," He sighed, "I did anticipate as much, and therefore," He paused again.
Xeta could tell, whatever it was, it was going to be bad. Zeph was no great liar, and his voice gave away everything. He knew whatever he was about to say was going to upset her, badly. "And therefore, the council has chosen for you."
Yup. She had been right, it was bad. Now the only question was, how bad was it? She pondered over the list of available young men, disdaining first this one, and then that, as her guardian droned on, listening through all his blather for the actual name, or any other pertinent information through all the ritualized formal speech that accompanied a punishment handed down from the ruling members of the Council, through Zephthese.
"... And so the Council has decreed that by thy own negligence, you shall attend the ritual tomorrow eve with..."
Alright, well this was good, at least he was about to name the poor fool. And if it was one of her friends who she didn''t particularly wish to go with, like Xerceze, she could always slip something in his evening wine and insure that he was too ill to dance much tomorrow so she could go with Renock or something. At least he''d be more fun to talk to.
"Adrial."
"What?! Oh HELL no! I''m not dancing with that slimy git!"
"It is not my choice, Xeta. Adrial petitioned the Council. Said he would be pleased to escort you if you did not choose for yourself."
"But- but he''s so old!"
Zephthese scoffed at that. "Hardly, he''s only a year older than Souir. And you seem to get along with him well enough."
"Well, that''s different. Souir''s my friend. And anyway Adrial''s so... so...."
"So what, my dearest Princess?" Asked a voice from behind her. The words were soft, almost hissed, making the s''s almost a lisp. Xeta whirled around, to find Adrial himself behind her. She glared as she looked over her new date. He was tall, willowy, lithe, in short, scrawny, and to Xeta''s eyes, not very manly. Effeminate almost, the way he prissed over his long black, greased back hair, and his sharply pointed goatee.
His skin was sallow, pale, and sickly, eyes shrunken into his skull, giving him a desperate, hungry, nervous look. Every gesture was winding, coiling, much like the movement of the animals he represented. But there was more about him, that made her despise him so. He was always charming, always trying to flirt with her, but the charm was fake, calculated, and it oozed from him like some disgusting smell.
He returned her gaze, his bright emerald eyes darkening, as he looked her over, stopping briefly on her hips, and rising to her chest, and finally coming to rest on her face, his eyes locking onto hers, blazing with some intense emotion she couldn''t quite identify, but which gave her chills all the same. He smiled, showing his long white fangs, which she knew he did on purpose, being serpentine, they were retractable, unlike hers.
"Handsome, perhaps, my Princess? Charming? Suave?"
"Not quite, the phrases I would have used." She muttered softly.
"How then, would you describe me, now that you''ve had a moment to think?"
"Creepy." She stared blankly at him, having been as blunt as humanly possible with him.
Adrial didn''t miss a beat, but let out a theatric sigh, clasping his hands to his chest, as though in mortal agony.
"Ah! How you wound me, my dearest! Alas! We snakes have always had a bad reputation. But listen, pet, I''m not truly as terrible as all that, my sweet Tiger''s Scar." He paused, reaching out to trace the air in front of the four diagonal scars over her right eye, the mark that she was the one from that long ago Seer''s Vision. "Look, I shan''t even flinch should you dance with one of the others at the ritual tomorrow night."
She paused as she turned to look over at him, over her shoulder. "I- yeah. Sure, whatever, Adrial. It''s not as though I have a lot of choice in this, now do I? And don''t you use any more of those stupid pet names on me, Adrial. I swear I''ll bite you if you do it again."
He smiled, with a dark chuckle at her comment, his eyes lighting with an ill light. "Again? Didn''t we learn from the last time, kitten?"
She whirled around and glared at the Snake Prince, her arms crossed, her long nails shining wickedly in the light. "Watch it Snake!" She growled a warning, as her mentor looked over at her, a less than amused look plastered on the tiger''s face.
The Prince raised his hands in a pantomime of surrender, "Sorry!" Adrial cried although the smile on his face gave the lie to his words, just as the mentor turned to face Xeta. "Last time? You''ve bitten him in the past?" He asked, a delighted smirk lighting up the old tiger''s face, believing that he was witnessing a hidden attraction on Xeta''s part for the Serpent Prince.
"Tch. Yeah, whatever. Look... I''m going to go to the Archives, before training practice this afternoon." And she would, right after she took a detour state-side for some lunch. Maybe she''d pay a quick visit to her own doppelganger, a girl named Autumn. After all, what the Council didn''t know, wouldn''t get her in trouble. "What? Bitten--- are you insane? Ewww... No! And I''m leaving now. I got other shit to do!"
"Very well," Zephthease called doubtfully after her. "But do not work yourself too hard, nor stay up too late," Xeta swore that tiger must have been somebody''s mother in another life, the way he fussed. "For tomorrow night is also the Ceremony to welcome you to adulthood. You are eighteen tomorrow, do you forget?"
Her entire body flinched, and she came to a halt. ''Damn.''
That little tidbit of information simply made everything that much worse. As though the stupid ceremony weren''t boring enough already, now they had to add in all that falderall for her becoming the ''High'' Princess of Tiger''s, on top of it all? The coming of age ceremony also meant that she was of age to choose a mate for herself, and you could bet that twit Adrial would be asking for her hand. Hand? Paw? she wasn''t sure which, but that didn''t matter at the moment anyway, she could ask the librarians, or look it up for herself.
What was important, was the fact that Adrial looked as though he definitely would be seeking her hand, and you could bet that twitty Council would approve. Because oh wouldn''t that be a lovely way to circumvent the prophecy and keep her out of harm''s way? No way! She''d trained all her life for this battle, she knew her duty and was more than willing to end the Colvent family line and avenge a dozen women who had fallen prey to their terrible magics. And for that, she needed to remain single, and clear-headed. Lovers were for other girls. Girls who didn''t have the fate of the world hanging on the line. Or ancient grudges to settle.
Shaking her head, she waved at both guardian and irritant, acknowledging she had heard the warning and would heed it ¨C to a point. In the meantime, however, and her face lit up as she walked away from Tweedledee and Tweedledum, her thoughts turned to happier, tastier ideas. Turning left instead of right, towards the archives, she made her way to a circular chamber, and a stone pedestal, and transported herself to the United States, for some lunch. Besides, it was fall, tomorrow was Halloween, and she loved to look at the autumn leaves in the northeastern part of the country.
Chapter Two
As Xeta took form in a cave in the North East of the U.S, she sighed softly to herself. Looking about, and reaching behind a small rock formation, she found a satchel she kept full of more normal clothes, and make-up to hide the birthmark over her right eye.
With her eye looking more normal now and dressed after the fashion of local teens, she stepped from the cave, hiking the short trek to her dopple-ganger''s house.
Long ago, she had made contact with the girl, who was called Autumn, and on her advice, had hidden some things in this cave whenever she wanted to get away from the Council for a little while and escape from the pressures of her training.
Emerging from the woods, she approached the house, silencing the guard dogs with a whispered word, a small gesture, and a touch of calming magic. Though ordinarily, she would have no power over any canine, she was well familiar with these two dogs and had cast only a mild general calming spell.
Making her way up to the house, she knocked softly on the door, a smile lighting her face as an all too familiar face opened the door. Dark auburn hair and hazel eyes shone out of an all too innocent face, a grin lighting the features as sunlight through the clouds. With a soft, glad cry, the girl launched herself at the Tiger Princess.
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"Xe!" She giggled softly, as she hugged the other to her. "It''s been AGES! What are you doing here? Tomorrow''s the Ritual, right? You never show up so close to Halloween!"
"Yeah, I know. The council''s been riding my ass for ages now, and I finally couldn''t take it anymore. What with me turning eighteen tomorrow, they''re coming down on me even harder to go after Colvent. But first I have to go to the Ritual and be affirmed as an adult or some hooey. Oh yeah, and they''re making me go with Adrial."
"What? Ew! Isn''t he that slimy snake prince? Oh, he''s so gross!"
"I know, right? But they''re insisting. I''d have rather have gone with Renock, but... well actually, I''d rather skip the whole damn thing." Xeta replied as the other girl opened the door, and let her in. "So, I don''t have a choice, and I just have to deal. Hopefully, it''ll pass quickly, and then I can get on with the business at hand."
"Hunting?" Asked Autumn.
"Hunting," Xeta replied with a smirk. "It''s about time we stopped that family for once and for all. And I for one look forward to stopping the bastard. I''m just glad that I was picked, and not you. I at least look forward to ending him."
Autumn smiled at her friend and shook her head slightly. "I think we both know that I''m too gentle for something like that. You have the instinct to kill - I don''t."
"Prey and hunter, Autumn, it''s the way of the world. I never have understood your reticence. You''d be torn apart in my world."
"I know... and sometimes, I think that''s why you were picked. But ..." She paused, sighing softly. "I still hate seeing what you''ve been forced to become."
Chapter Three
Tiger''s Scar: Chapter Three
The next day was the Ritual, and she spent the whole of the day in bathing, purifying herself, and dressing. Her long auburn hair was bound back in a loose braid, but her customary dagger that attached to the bottom of the braid was not in place, for the night''s event. Her bangs were curled slightly. She was assisted in her dressing by the help of her giggling servants, into a long formal gown that echoed a tiger''s fur.
The front was white, over her stomach, and chest, and it narrowed into the bottom of a diamond, at the juncture of her legs, and it swelled into a shape the same as the top of a heart over her breasts. The sides and back were orange and black striped and the whole thing was tied off with a giant bow, the ends of which were meant to resemble a tiger''s tail, again, black and orange, to match the dress. The neck of the gown sat just so along her collar bone, and it molded perfectly to the shape of her body.
Xeta hated it. She couldn''t fight if she needed to, which, of course, was the point. This was supposed to be the one day when all the Council joined together, and went into the deepest of their secret caves, deep beneath the earth where no one would dare intrude. Not even the Colvent family knew where this place was located. For Damien had never been permitted there, in their most sacred of areas.
And the whole idea made Xeta nuts. She didn''t want to go to some stupid party, and commune with the balance of nature or whatever shite happened at this thing, every year. She wanted to tear out of here and go stalk her prey. Now she was an adult, she''d finally be permitted to go after that Solestine creep on her own.
At last, the arrangements for the night were completed. With an irritable growl, she grabbed her tiger-headed Staff, and headed out of her chambers, to find Adrial waiting for her. He was clad in green and gold, with an emerald-colored cobra head, jaws wide, over his head and shoulders. Though his alternate form was a black mamba, not a cobra, it was the traditional regalia for his office, and he wore it well, much though she hated to admit it. On his right hand, sat a golden ring, a cobra coiled about his finger, positioned as though in the middle of striking. In his other hand, he held a staff fashioned in the form of a golden cobra.
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In her opinion, the ancients had overdone the ceremonial regalia, but then again, the whole damned council was entirely too hide-bound and old-fashioned anyway.
With a slick smile, Adrial took her hand and led her down the hall.
X
Later that night, as the whole Council danced and caroused, the main business of the Ritual complete, Xeta sat, lump-like, in a velvet chair. Her glass of wine sat off to the side, mostly untouched. She hadn''t had much but evidently couldn''t hold it. Adrial came over and took her hand.
"Would you care for some more wine, my pet?" He asked with a charming smile. All evening he had been at her side, the perfect date, fetching her drinks, and guiding her through the requisite dances.
Xeta looked up at him and wobbled in her seat as the room began to spin. She shook her head but made herself ill in the process. " -'' M, not your pet, ''Drial. and no, thank you. I- I''m not feeling well... I think I''ve had enough."
"Poor Princess. Had too much?" He smirked at her. "But, you speak fairly enough. Come. You don''t look well at all, I shall escort you home, and back to the safe and loving care of Zephthease." He drew on her hand, and she popped out of her seat and fell into his waiting arms. He didn''t look it, but he was strong, or perhaps she was simply that weak and pliable from the effects of the wine.
She took a few unstable steps and then staggered. Clutching his arm for stability, she nodded stiffly. "Sure... ''Don''t know what''s wrong with me. I''m..." She broke off with a stifled yawn, and shook her head, feeling dizzy.
"Sleepy?" He asked, and chuckled at her drunken nod. "''Tis perfectly natural. Don''t worry. You''ll be all right. I''ll take good care of you, I promise. My Beauty."
As the carpeted floor of the Ritual Chamber rushed at her, she felt strong arms encircle her, one hand beneath her upper back, one arm curled beneath her knees. She heard a masculine voice make excuses for her, and then murmur soothing words into her hair. But she was too far gone to understand what was said, all she knew was that she was grateful to the enclosing blackness, for it washed away all fear, that would otherwise have been present at such appalling weakness and disorientation. Before too long, she relaxed into the strong arms and welcoming blackness, and she slept, her head cradled against Adrial''s upper arm.
As he walked her through a gilt hallway, he smiled and murmured lovingly to the unconscious beauty he held in his arms. Never before had he seen her so fragile and weak. He liked it. He wanted her to depend upon him more often. He leaned down and brushed his lips against the silken flesh of her temple, tenderly brushing a strand of auburn hair away.
"Soon, my pet. Soon."
Chapter Four
Xeta awoke, as though she were swimming through spider webbing, rather than how she usually awoke, as a wooden bowl held underwater breaks the surface.
When her head had cleared somewhat, she realized that she was cold, as well as hungry, and very, very groggy. She reached down to tuck her ball gown around her and felt... skin. She sat up and looked around. Her ceremonial regalia was gone, instead, she wore a green skirt, dark emerald in color, which came down, on one side, to her mid-upper thigh, and on the other side, came up all the way to her hip. Her top, for there was no way in which it could be termed a shirt, was merely a band of green cloth across her breasts, giving a rather generous view of her cleavage, and the barest hints of sleeves at her shoulders.
Her hair was still bound back in a braid but was now loose and messy. And at her wrists and upper arms, as well as at her ankles, she could see golden cuffs. She was certain there was one at her throat as well. She knew these cuffs, for she had studied them with Zephthease. They were power limiters, while these were on she could not change form, could not mold the earth, or use any of her powers. Above the cuff on her upper right arm, there was a golden serpent, a cobra, coiled about her arm. When she made to yank it off, it hissed at her and struck out as though to bite her. If she left it alone, it made no further noise or movement.
She turned to her left, and saw a line of wrought iron bars, stretching from one side of her stony room to the other, forming a wall. She looked about but there was no door that she could see.
Shaking her head she stood up, wobbled, and heard a clank. Looking down, she saw that her right ankle was enclosed in an old-fashioned ball and chain. It was heavy, but she could move it with some effort. Obviously, she was meant to be permitted movement, only at a slower pace.
With a sigh, she decided to look around at the rest of the enclosure. She noticed that there was a small bench, set into the wall with chains, over which hung two manacles. The manacles were made to look like snake mouths, and had fangs, which, no doubt, were meant to bite into the flesh of whoever was chained in the manacles, causing pain, with every movement, deterring struggle.
In one corner, the furthest away from the wrought iron bars, there was a chamber pot. Xeta wrinkled her nose in distaste. Obviously, whoever put her here, and she had a fair idea as to who that was, did not intend for her to leave anytime soon. But that brought to mind the question, why was she dressed in Adrial''s colors, and why was she in a cell with serpentine manacles?
Further investigation showed her only the green bedding she had been asleep on. It was something like a green pad, with a plush pillow, laid out on fresh straw. There was a thin cotton blanket folded at the foot of the bedding, obviously, when she was placed here, it was not thought that she would need the blanket just yet. She wrinkled her nose in irritation as her stomach gurgled at her, and she realized that, along with being famished, she was incredibly thirsty as well.
"Why haven''t you eaten, pet?" Came a familiar melodic voice from behind her. Whirling around, and sending her little skirt floating in the breeze, Xeta turned to see Adrial, standing outside the bars, clad in a green vest that lengthened into a coat of sorts, trimmed in gold, and skirt, the same green, and gold, but almost ancient Egyptian pharaoh like, finished with golden sandals.
As she whirled around to face him, she saw his eyebrow arch elegantly, and she realized that her skirt was meant to leave nothing to the imagination if she moved too much. A small smile slid across his features, and she flushed brilliantly.
Irritated with herself, she opened her mouth but had to cough a little to get her voice to work. "Eaten... what... exactly?" She was aggravated, not least of all by the fact that her voice betrayed her, and sounded something akin to a rusty door hinge swinging open after years of disuse.
Adrial made no reply but simply pointed behind her. There, beneath the bench, was a bowl of water, and another of raw steak cut up into bite-sized chunks. A hard crust of bread sat off to the side. It certainly didn''t look edible, and she wasn''t at all sure it was safe. She was fairly sure that her blackout the night before hadn''t been entirely the fault of the wine.
"I know it''s not your usual fare, my dear, but I am afraid that it''s all you''ll be getting for quite some time. I can''t have you regaining your usual strength, but then, neither can I have you dying on me either. So, be a good pet, and eat, or I shall feed you myself."
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She whirled at him, rage lighting up her eyes. "I''m not eating that crap! And I''m not your pet!" She shrieked, lunging at the bars. "And what the hell am I doing in this damned cage anyway? And why am I wearing this ridiculous outfit?!" She screamed, reaching through the bars to claw at him.
He snapped his fingers, and a slight jolt emanating from the collar and cuffs drove her back away from the bars.
"You will eat what I provide you with, pet. Naughty pets who do not eat their food are punished you see, and I would so hate to have to punish you further."
"I am not your pet! Don''t you dare call me that again, Adrial!"
"Ah... ever stubborn Princess." He said with an elegant sigh, before tilting his head slightly, as though a thought had just occurred to him.
"I beg your pardon, I mean, Your Royal Highness, the High Princess of Tigers. That is your new title, after all. Last night was, after all, your first Ritual as an adult. In fact, I do believe, your eighteenth birthday as well, am I right?
"At least you got a nice party out of it. I am so sorry to do this to you the day after your birthday, dearest, unfortunately, I saw a chance, and simply had to take it. As for the accommodations, until I know I can trust you, you shall remain here. As long as you behave, I promise your stay shall be quite comfortable.
"And lastly, the outfit..." He let the silence hang for a moment, his gaze wandering over her scantily clad form, making no effort now to hide the desire in his eyes. "I find it quite fetching, and I must say, I find you quite... irresistible in a collar and cuffs, my little pet."
"Pervert!" She spat ruthlessly. "You should have been crowned the Prince of Swine, not the Prince of Serpents, you miserable pig! I''m not some sort of... of... sex doll for you to dress up for your disgusting fantasies Adrial! I''m Xeta, your colleague, you''ve known me forever! How could you do this to me?"
"How?" He snarled at her, eyes blazing. "You dare to ask me how? For years I''ve tried to woo you, and you''ve never given me so much as the time of day, never missing the opportunity to belittle or deride me." He took a deep breath, pausing to regain his self-control.
"My apologies for my unseemly behavior, lovely one. You can be quite the aggravating little thing when you choose. Not that that''s any excuse for my behavior, you are what you are, sometimes I think you more minx than tiger, really, but you wouldn''t be half so enticing if you were not, after all, you. Aggravating and maddening as that may be."
Xeta took a deep breath, reaching out to hold the bars of the cage. "What is it that you want from me, Adrial? Why am I here, truly?"
"Ah beautiful one," He sighed as he walked through the bars, and into the cage. "You know what it is that I want. I want you." He lifted his hand and cupped her chin tenderly, she tried to jerk away, but his grip was stronger than she would have supposed.
"Be mine, pet. Marry me. And I swear that no harm shall ever befall you, prophesy or no."
She shivered, trembling uncontrollably. She wanted to blame the drafty cell, and the scanty clothes, but somehow she just couldn''t seem to convince herself of that.
"Think about it..."
She spat in his face, taking the opportunity to jerk away, as he wiped his face with a sleeve. "I will never be yours!" She cried as she retreated as far back as she could.
He advanced on her until the backs of her knees were pressing into the cold stone bench.
"You will regret that, my pet. By the time I am done with you, the pleasure I offer will seem as Heaven to you, and each refusal throw you deeper, and deeper into Hell. Though as much as I hate to mar such a perfect body, I can see that you will not give in to me without some... shall we say... persuasion?" He let forth a dark chuckle and smirked at her.
She lunged, intending to bite and claw him to shreds, one of her nails sliced him good on the cheek, and he slapped her as hard as he could. She staggered back, tripping over the bench, and hitting her head against the stone wall. He sighed as he knelt down to her, and felt the back of her head, his hand coming back slightly bloody.
"I''ll need to clean that up, and she''ll need a bandage now too. Fortunately, it''ll take a lot more than that to kill her. That would be such a waste." He leaned forward, and brushed her forehead in a gentle kiss, before pressing his lips to her ear.
With a soft sigh, he murmured, "In time, my beauty, you will see that I do this because I know what is best for you. You will see, in time..."
Then, shaking his head, he turned and left the cell, the same way he had entered. A short time later, he returned, with a bowl of clean water, a rag, and some bandages. After cleaning the wound, and wrapping her head securely, he knelt down, and picked up her pillow and pad. She would keep the blanket, for now. But further misbehavior on her part would see that privileged revoked as well.
He lifted her off the dirt floor where she lay in a crumpled heap, and laid her out gently on the straw bedding. Leaning down again, he tucked the blanket securely around her. He had noted earlier how she had trembled, and he wasn''t certain whether it had been from the cold, or his proximity to her, still... he didn''t wish to take any chances.
He sat there for a while, caressing her cheek, before finally tearing himself away from her side. He was hungry, and he had business of his own to take care of. They would know by now that she was missing, and if he wanted to avoid suspicion, he needed to make sure he kept up appearances.
Chapter Five
Xeta heard the sound of a child''s laughter. Opening her eyes, she saw a large house, painted blue-ish grey, with white windows, and side panels and corners. The yard was nice enough, with a large redish rock in the center, and other redish rocks of a different sort, with something of crumbling coal quality to them, filling out the majority of the rest of the yard.
In the inner right corner, from where Xeta was standing, near the front doorway, there was a bunch of rose bushes in bloom, and below them, a few small strawberry plants. The front door of the house was wide open, but the screen was shut. From inside she could hear the laughter of a small child, and other voices talking.
She took a quick look around, to see what she could of the surrounding neighborhood, and found that the rest of the houses were similar, of a decent size, none of them too fancy, but of what she would presume to be an upper-middle-class neighborhood.
With a shrug, she walked towards the house she had first seen and opened the door. "Hello?" She called but received no response, but still, from within, she heard the laughter and the conversation of others. With a shrug, she decided to go on in, to figure out why she had been sent here.
Upon entering the home, she saw that, along the main walkway, straight back from the front door, there was a dining area, and behind that, another door, this one leading outside, to a back yard. This door was also open, flapping in the warm summer breeze. It was from here that the sound emanated.
Before Xeta could decide whether or not to intrude further, she heard a shriek and ran out the back to see what was the trouble. As she stood blinking in the summer sun, she saw two children, a boy, and a girl, chasing one another on the lawn. The boy had short dark hair, and the girl had reddish-brown, slightly darker than Xeta''s own. She could not see their faces, for their backs were turned to her; the shriek she had heard was the sounds of children playing tag. The little girl bolted off the lawn and ran towards a tall eucalyptus tree, evidently intending to run the boy a merry chase around the tree.
As Xeta watched, she took a deep breath in and smelled the sweet scent of eucalyptus in a summer breeze, and something else, the scent of coal, and fire, and a faint whiff of gasoline. Someone had a barbecue going. She turned right, and saw a smoking grill, with the lid down. There was, however, no sight of any adults in the vicinity.
"Hey R--! Stop running a moment and come over here!" A high-pitched boyish voice called out. The little girl stopped running and turned towards the boy with an impish grin.
"What D? It''s my backyard, so what could you want me to see so bad in my yard?" The little girl giggled.
"I found something really cool! Come look!" The boy yelled as he took off for the very back of the yard.
The little girl sighed, and huffed, putting her hands on her hips, probably in mimicry of her mother, and stalked off after the little boy.
Xeta, realizing that no one apparently could see her, decided that whatever was going on, she was supposed to watch these two children, at least for now. So following, she soon saw the children come to a hidden spot behind some towering olive trees. No adult could have fit in the little cubby, not without being sliced by the wicked sharp thorns, but the two children fit easily enough, and what''s more the long branches hid them from the view of any spying grown-ups.
"So, what now? You just wanted to show me a bunch of dumb old trees, D?"
"No! I wanted to show you something else. C''mere." The little girl sighed, and stepped forward, figuring he probably had something gross hidden in his hand or pockets. Probably a worm, or maybe something nasty like a toad, or a slimy garden snake.
The little boy leaned forward, and dipping his head forward, stole a quick, messy kiss from his companion. Xeta heard the resounding crack of skin meeting skin, as the little girl showed exactly what she thought of the boy''s bravery.
Even Xeta thought perhaps the little girl had been a bit harsh, but then again, they were just children. It wasn''t as though Xeta knew a lot about relationships to judge whether the girl had overreacted or not.
After a moment of stupefied silence, the boy tore out of the yard, wailing and screaming for his mother, and his wails could be heard throughout the house as he ran. A moment later a tall woman dressed in white came out and knelt by the little girl as she came out of the trees.
"So, what happened?"
"D. Tried to kiss me." The girl replied sullenly, eyes on the ground.
"Did you mean to give him a black eye, dear? He had quite the shiner as he ran through the house." The woman said with a soft sigh.
"No. He must have turned into it."
"Well, dear, I think you''d best go and apologize. We are leaving tomorrow, and you''ll likely never see him again. He probably only wanted to say goodbye, you know."
"Alright. I''ll be back in a minute then." Sighed the little girl. She walked back through the house, and to another house next door. This one, more of a grayish tone, and it looked a little sad and dilapidated. Like an older woman who had once been beautiful, but let herself go.
As the little girl knocked on the door, a grown man jerked it open at the first knock and scowled down at the little girl.
"You the one gave my boy a black eye?" The man grunted. He almost sounded as though he approved, which was odd. Xeta wondered if he approved of strong women, then.
The girl nodded shyly, staring at her feet. It was obvious from her posture that the man frightened her, but she was trying to be brave, and not run away.
"Yes, Sir."
"I suspect he earned it then. He is a stupid twit. What''d he do?"
"He- uh... he tried to kiss me, Sir." The girl said. From behind, where she was standing, Xeta saw the girl''s ears turn pink until they almost matched her hair.
The man laughed, a deep rolling laugh, that sounded cold. To Xeta it reminded her of an incoming storm on the Atlantic, bitterly cold and wild. The child shivered and blinked up at him.
The man, getting the first decent look at the girl''s face, smiled coldly down at her. "I see. My son tells me your family is moving away tomorrow, yes?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Then I shall convey to him your farewells. He''s none too keen to give you another - shall we say, face to face?"
The girl nodded, and turned around, as the man withdrew, and shut the door behind him with an ominous click. As the girl started back to her house, she looked up and watched a passing flock of birds. As she raised her face, Xeta saw, there over her right eye, four diagonal scars, as though a large cat had nearly blinded her.
X
Xeta woke up with a strangled scream. She whirled around, looking for something to fight, but saw only the stone room of the cell. The blanket was tangled around her waist, and her head hurt severely. She was also dizzy now, as much as from the rattling her brain took when Adrial struck her, and she smacked the wall, as from hunger. With a sigh, she sat up and reached for the bowl of water.
Sniffing it tentatively, she decided that it was just water and that even if it was drugged, she would soon die of dehydration, and it would be smarter to take what she was given and take the chance than to let that bastard beat her, simply because she was too stubborn to eat or drink.
She gulped down the water, which proved to be a stupid maneuver because she immediately vomited it up. She stared at the raw meat queasily and reached instead for the dry crust of bread. This did nothing for her thirst, but it eased nausea some, and she lay down to rest.
It wasn''t until that moment that she noticed that both pillow and bedroll were gone. So, that was the way he was going to play the game, was it? With a sigh, she grabbed up a small pile of clean straw, and built up a slight pillow, and then, as an afterthought, grabbed a handful of straw and threw it on the spot she had been ill. That should do something for the smell at any rate.
After laying down, she closed her eyes, and went back to sleep, wondering briefly if she might be concussed.
X
Sometime later, Xeta woke, to find Adrial looming over her, a dark look cloud cast over his face. "You haven''t been eating, pet."
"Well surprise, surprise, I don''t feel well. I hit that damned wall pretty hard, you stupid son- of a- no wait, that would be an insult to Xerceze''s kin."
"You seem to be feeling well enough to give me lip, girl." The snake replied with a snap of his fingers. At the sound, the serpent chains on the wall sprang to life, slithering through the air, as though it were water, and clasping their shackle-mouths over her wrists, but for now, their fangs remained retracted and did not bite into her skin, they merely pulled her back to the wall.
Xeta sat on the bench, glowering at her captor. He gave her a dark, less-than-amused smile in return, and turned abruptly on one heel. "I''ve changed your food and water. Eat. Or you will only have yourself to blame for the ensuing consequences."
He paused, before turning to look at her. "I''ve also given you clean bedding. Do not try to hide any further signs of illness from me. Oh, and for future reference, when dehydrated, which you no doubt are, try sipping water, not chugging. You''ll make yourself sick if you flood your system like that. Should you get sick again, merely call out to me. I''ll hear you. I will always come to your aid, my little pet." His voice seemed to become gentler, as he finished his last sentence, and his eyes seemed to soften as he gazed upon her, before rounding on his heel.
As he walked away, Xeta let out a disgusted snort. After a moment, she felt the chains slacken, but they did not let go of her wrists. She pulled against the chain and felt them feed out of the walls. Adrial didn''t ''trust'' her enough to let her roam her little cage freely, he wanted to have better control of her if he needed to restrain her suddenly. Well, at least he was smarter than he looked.
With a sigh, she slid off the bench and bent down to reach for the bowls. The chains tightened slightly, so she slowly knelt to the ground, feeling the chains give a little at a time. It appeared she would have to move slowly, evidently, she would not be permitted any sudden moves.
She reached out with her hand and felt the manacles bite suddenly into her flesh, dragging her arms back behind her, and crossing them, at the small of her back.
"Alright dammit! How the hell am I supposed to eat then! Because he already made it clear he''ll thrash me if I don''t." She groused, as she glared moodily at the bowl of food and water.
After a few minutes of starring, a thought occurred to her, but she pushed it away as ludicrous. She knew he wanted to humiliate her, that much was obvious, but surely, not even he would humiliate her that much. There was just no way.
She tried jerking on the chains a few more times, to no avail, and in the end, saw no other way. She leaned forward and felt the chains ease up. As her lips touched the water bowl without interference, she screeched in a blind rage, and lashed out, wrenching her arms free and scattering the food and water on the floor.
It took the chains a moment to catch up with her, but in the end, they dragged her struggling form back to the bench. In order to keep her arms from being wrenched out of place, she was obliged to push herself off the floor, and sit on the bench, her wrists chained behind her.
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X
Meanwhile, Adrial was in front of his lascivious lair. He had had an unexpected visitor, in the form of the King of Lions, the pompous head of the council. Naturally, the overbearing fool was worried at Xeta''s disappearance and had come to investigate, as surprise surprise, Adrial was the last one to have seen her.
Adrial calmly admitted to walking the girl home. She had, as everyone had seen, been too drunk at her celebration to stand up on her own, and he had had to carry her out! He had set her inside the cave, not wanting to carry her in far enough to get her to Zephthease, and her bed, having had other business to attend to, of his own. Had the guardian not found his ward after all, then? Oh dear! Perhaps she had wandered off in a drunken stupor - Or perhaps even, had run away from her duties. It was well known that she didn''t focus on her studies, and showed little initiative when it came to tracking down the Colvent family.
As Adrial was about to bid farewell to the pompous fool, he stopped as though a sudden thought had struck him.
"My lord, if I might be so bold... what that girl needs, is a strong guiding hand. Zephthease is getting old, and no one really knows why he''s lived for so long or how many Tiger Princesses he''s guarded. Perhaps, what Xeta needs, is to be given into the keeping of another. Xercseze, perhaps, or Renock. I know that I am fond of the dear girl, and wouldn''t mind at all mating her, as I have previously pointed out, especially if it would keep her safe from those horrible warlocks who tend to prey on her line."
The King of Lions paused for a moment, eyeing Adrial momentarily. "I hate to admit it, but you do speak a certain amount of sense. I don''t believe she''s ready to battle Colvent, even if she is now an adult. Perhaps if she had you standing by her side, it would keep her out of trouble. When we find her, and I assure you, we will, I''ll announce that she is to be given to you."
"Given, my lord? But I rather think that considering her headstrong nature, she''ll rather object to being given, as though she were a gift."
"And normally, I wouldn''t word it as such, however, she is no ordinary girl, and we must circumvent the prophesy, no matter the cost. Even if it means taking away the freedoms and rights of one mere girl, already destined to surrender everything for the greater good."
"Of course, my lord." Adrial paused as he felt the serpent ring on his finger tighten slightly. Something was wrong with Xeta. "I beg your pardon, my lord, however, I''m afraid I have other duties to attend to. If we are finished...?"
"Of course of course." Said the King of Lions. "I''ll see myself out. And, Adrial?"
"Yes my lord?"
"Should you see her, let us know."
"Of course, my lord." Said Adrial, as he watched the older man walk out of Adrial''s lair, and vanish into the mists beyond. Then his pleasant demeanor dropping, Adrial turned on his heel, and walked deeper into the system of caves that was his home, his face bleak.
X
It was only when she was safely seated and bound in place, that her silent keepers were still. Moments later, Xeta heard the sound of footsteps echoing along a stone corridor. Her face paled in silent terror and wondered what now was to be her fate.
Before too long, Adrial rounded the corner, his emerald eyes blazing in anger, his facial expression, however, was stoic and cold. He looked like a walking statue, and Xeta had never seen the normally charming features so lifeless. It was obvious she had pissed him off beyond all reason.
He pressed a switch on the wall, and a doorway-like section of the bars lifted into the ceiling, and he stepped silently into the cage. With one hand he grabbed her arm, and with the other snapped his fingers, releasing the manacles.
His grip was as strong as stone, which Xeta thought ironically, matched his stony expression. It was the last amusing thought she had, as he dragged her from the cage. She tried to lash out at him, but he was too strong, and nearly three days without food or water had sapped her strength. When he led her into another room, she knew then, exactly what her fate was to be. It wasn''t hard to figure out when she saw the lengths of leather and chain, and the various sharp metal tools laid out. No, it wasn''t hard to imagine at all.
X
Xeta opened her eyes, warily, and looked around. She saw herself, younger, perhaps eight years old, accompanied by several older members of the Council. They were in England, outside of the Colvent Manor. She remembered this day. They had been tracking the Family for several years, they had moved to America briefly, rumors said that they were seeking a particular sorcerer in the States to aid in the training of the youngest member of the family, but now they had returned to their ancestral home. Where the Council had tracked them. A Seer of the Council had had a Vision of Xeta in a certain area in the English countryside, and by the description of the surrounding area, they had been able to find the very edge of the Colvent estate.
However, this seemed to be after the fight. Thyolyis was already dead, for there was blood on Xeta''s hands, and she was being bandaged by the older members of the council. Many of them were telling her that she had done well, facilitating the stroke that had ended the life of the man who had kidnapped her predecessor.
But all she had been able to do was cry. She was injured and had never seen someone die before. At least not a person. As the mansion vanished from sight, its cloaking spell going back into place, the Council carried away the young girl, after slipping her a drink that helped her to sleep, trying their best to figure out how to help her cope with a life that would see much more violence and death before all was done.
X
Later, she woke on the straw-strewn floor of her cage. The blanket was gone, but that was expected. Her wrists were chained, but she had known they would be. What surprised her, however, was the bandages wrapping around her rib cage and breasts, and another bandage wrapped around her lower left leg. She raised her hand slowly and felt the cheek where he had slapped her earlier was tender. She was certain it was starting to bruise beautifully by now.
With a sigh, she propped herself up on her hands and knees and crawled wearily over to the food and water. Placing her lips to the smooth metal surface of the bowl, she sipped, slowly, keeping in mind the last time she had tried to drink. After a moment, mindful to make sure the water would stay down she took a piece of meat between her teeth and chewed slowly.
She waited a while to see if she felt ill or if the food had been drugged, and found no ill effects, ate some more. Exhausted after even that little exertion, she lay down on her straw, chewing a piece of bread slowly. That much, at least, she was permitted to use her hands for. Thankful for small mercies, in this case, the silence which meant that Adrial was not coming to check on her again, she decided to close her eyes. She didn''t particularly want to sleep again, old memories were starting to haunt her, it seemed. Still, she was very tired, and she knew she should rest.
X
When she opened her eyes again, Xeta saw a small camp sight, in the middle of a rainforest or jungle of some sort. She saw a small child, barely more than a toddler, wandering away from the sleeping camp. A small boy dressed in green and gold was holding his hand out to her, as giant snakes slithered all around him. She saw two large black serpents slither off towards the campsite. The little girl turned to go after them, but the boy simply shook his head.
"No, it''s alright. They won''t hurt them I just thought it would be funny to scare them a little bit. They''re intruders, anyway, and don''t belong in my territory. But you''re OK, I like you. Want to come to see something pretty?"
When she nodded, he took her hand and, led her down a rough dirt path, taking her deeper into the jungle. In the distance, she heard screams and other loud noises, but the other boy said it was just a joke, so she knew that it must be alright. He led her to a waterfall, and a moonlit pool, which she thought was very pretty. She ran around collecting wildflowers, and he climbed up a tree and grabbed down a couple of pieces of fruit, and tossed one at her.
While she was happily eating the strange fruit, another large black snake came up to the boy and hissed at him in some kind of strange
language. The boy''s face paled, and he turned to the girl and smiled at her. "Um... it''s alright but, I have to go for a little bit. Stay right here, I''ll be back for you, I swear." Said the little boy as he ran off with the snake.
Hours passed, and she was starting to get sleepy. The boy hadn''t returned, and she didn''t know how they''d gotten here from the camp. So, picking a direction she thought might be the right one she started off.
Not too long after, a storm broke, and the little girl was no closer to finding her camp. She slipped in a muddy puddle and scraped her cheek on a stone. Groping about in the mud for something to lean on, she found a stick. Leaning on it, she continued on her chosen route, crying softly.
After having traveled for a while, the girl tripped over a tree branch and sprawled out in the mud. A large Bengal tiger walked out from behind a tree and sniffed her. Pawing at the staff, the tiger shook its head, and nosed her over on her back, revealing the four diagonal scars on her right eye. Picking the girl up by the back collar of her shirt, in his teeth, the tiger walked off into the night, eventually wandering into a cave.
X
Xeta woke with the odd impression that she had coughed. When she turned her head to the side, she saw a golden sandal and knew that Adrial was looming over her once again. As she sat up gingerly, Adrial knelt down in the straw next to her.
"You shouldn''t have made me hurt you to get you to eat, pet. I am glad to see that that unpleasant business is behind us and you have decided to take care of yourself."
Xeta looked up at him incredulously, wondering if he had gone completely mad after all.
Adrial took no notice of the astounded look on her face and reached out to stroke her cheek. Xeta however, was having none of it, and jerked away from him.
"No, no, no, little one, I won''t hurt you again, I swear. Not unless you force me to. I want only to take care of you. Here, look, I''ve brought you a gift." He said, pulling out a warm blanket from behind him, and draping it over her shoulders.
She wanted to get further away from him, and the blanket, but the cell was small, and he was crowding her. Besides, she really was cold, and the warmth of the blanket was welcome.
X
The council chamber was loud, and the High King of Lions growled to himself, as the noise gave him a blistering headache. A moment later he felt strong soothing fingers caress his temples in a counter-clockwise manner, as one of his mates attempted to ease him. The meeting was not going well. Most Council members were shouting, some were taking the opportunity to tear into Xeta in her absence. Others were saying that they had known all along that she was a coward and a flake, and that she could never defeat the Colvent family.
The Rabbit prince was running around poking others with a wooden spoon, ducking the swats of those he annoyed. Then out of the din of arguments and shouting, one bellowing voice silenced the rest of the shouting.
"I SAID THAT''S ENOUGH!"
The King of Lions looked over from his seat on the dais. Technically, he was in charge, he had the highest rank. So, the question begged, who the hell was attempting to take control of the meeting away from him when he had thought it best to let them sort out their anger before trying to work together?
His face paled as he saw the answer. Savaroth, the White Panther. Not a Council member, but an animal spirit that pre-dated the Council, and therefore, outranked the lot of them. If he was here, then things were far more serious than a run-away girl, on a fast-food spree.
Sav growled as the voices quieted, and did a quick mental head check.
"You, lion king - Who''s missing?"
"Adrial, my lord, had some business with a two-headed mutation grown in some scientist''s lab. He wanted to look into it. Also, Xeta-"
"I know the girl''s gone, you moron, that''s why I came. Who else?"
"Ah... Xercseze has gone out, trying to track her scent, but he should be back soon. And a couple other minor prey-class members, dealing with population control issues. Otherwise, everyone else is accounted for."
"That''s fine, then. Everyone will sit down and shut the fuck up. I''m taking over the meeting. You lot have had three days, and you''ve found no trace, so now I''m cleaning up your mess. Xeta is the prophesied one, therefore you should have kept a close eye on her. Did even one of you morons even consider that Colvent might have found her?"
He sighed at the shocked looks on the faces of the council. "I''ll take that as a no, then. Of course not, she''s headstrong, mouthy, and a teenager, so naturally half of you can''t stand her, and are more than ready to point the finger at the one you should be rescuing, not tearing asunder.
"She''s 18 the day she vanished. Don''t you think that family has records of your caves? Know the dates of the sacred ceremonies? Hell! It''s not like it''s hard. Half the neo-witches, and pagans these days, celebrate the same exact sabbats. Someone with power and training like Solestine would know when, where, and how to strike no problem!
"And instead of trying to trail him, or question the servants, or scry for her, you lot sit here, arguing, while the war may already be lost. And while she may be holding out, taking torture after torture for the sake of you nim-rods, you sit here blaming her.
"She is what you made her be. She doesn''t like history? She''s little more than a kid. Does she have an attitude? You made her kill for you before she could count ten years. She skips out on lessons? You make her memorize and repeat, and practice every day. Do you ever let her out into the human world for a day? To walk among them, know them, and admire their wonders? No. You tell her that all humans are like the Colvents and that she fights for the Council. For you lot. You make me sick.
"Worse, her anger and hatred of you lot make her ripe for his picking. He could, and would, show her his world, and who''s to say it might not look a hell of a lot better than the world you''ve given her? She''s certainly changed from when I last saw her.
"I remember her being a cute little ten-year, with a determined set to her face, but a smile in her heart. She thought she was protecting something then. That the blood she had spilled was for a good cause. Instead, you''ve botched her training and turned her into a hateful little brat. And you''ve no one to blame but yourself. When she returns, I''ll be handling her training, and show her the real reasons she risks everything."