"Get up." He said to a girl laying on the ground in front of him. The girl slowly sat up, tenderly touching her cheek which was cut and bleeding, making a trail of red blood accross her light brown skin. The man yelled at the girl to get up then brought the staff down onto her ankle. The girls cry of pain sounded through out the black and gold castle.
Somewhere deep in the dark forbording castle another cry of pain from the court yard reaches the ears of a woman laying down on a bed with three maids busying themselves.
"Lisen to her ladies, all that sobbing, and her father is going beyound easy on her." the woman says with a laugh. One of the maids begins to brush the womans long black hair, just as a cry of rage coming from the girl in the couryard is heard followed by a loud crash, making them all jump.
"Maybe there's hope for that child yet." The woman says softly. The maid smiles to her self.
"Don't get to pleased, Suzanne." the lady said harshly then turn and grabbed the maids', Suzannes', face tightly in her small brown hand. Just then there was a knock at the door and entered the shadow figure of a man.
"Demetri." the woman said slightly surpirsed and let the maid go. At that the maids quickly left the room leaving their misstress and the shadow. Except for Suzanne who stayed within ear shot.
"Mother, is all this really nesseacy?" the Demetri asked. "I mean,we come and take her without giving her warning, and train her harder then I train my own soldiers."
"This will help her later on, you wouldn't want her to grow up spoil, vain and weak. Now would you?" the woman asks harshly without emotion.
"But she already is none of those. Angie and Demona aren't around often to spoil her, and the childen of the court treat her no different then they treat each other, and mother, when was the last time you saw here in the mirror for longer then about ten minutes?" Demtri asked with a note of pride in his voice.
" And plus she's the one who raised the last litter of dragons we got and still has her own and others to raise and train. All that has to prove that she's not weak, vain, nor spoiled." Demtri said.
"And who, pray tell, told you all this? Demona? Seruna? Or was it Angie?" the last name was said with a sneer.
Someone tapped Suzanne on her shoulder, Suzanne froze and slowly turned around. In front of her stood two women both in fire pattern dress, one red the other blue. The woman in red put her finger to her lips, to keep the maid quiet.
She wore a gold band around her head that had a red gem on her forehead. On her left arm was the sign of chaos. She had dark brown hair with two red strikes in front. Her brown eyes flashed red with an obivous angry and distaste.
The woman in blue, remained motionless as she lisened. Her eyes looked sad, and seemed to be the oppsite of the woman beside her. The gold band on her head held no gem but she also wore a gold anklet, and bracelet. And like the woman beside her she had two strikes of the color of her dress in her hair. And a white bandage on her arm
"Go get Seruna." She whispered.
"Yes M'lady." the maid said happly. The woman in blue stopped her. "It's just Angie." she said and let the maid go. As soon as the maid was gone the woman in red pushed the doors wide opean and walked in with Angie right behind her.
"Demona!" the woman Demetri called mother spat.
"Cleo." Demona said pleased with herself for getting such a reaction.
"Demtri.' Angie says softly with a nod.
"Angie." he replies with a slight bow.
" Yes now that we all said are hello's, Cleo, where the hell do you get off doing this, taking Seruna three whole weeks early, and nearly killing my guards!" Demona demanded.Cleo laughed.
"I could have sworn that Angie was the child's mother. and who do you think you are coming to my castle, and talking to me as if I your child." Cleo said harshly. Demona then laughed.
"So it is true, you work through your own son." Demona accurseed. Just then Suzanne came in half carring, half dranging the girl, Seruna along side her. Demona, in one swift movement, moved from beinging inches from Cleo to accross the room and helped Suzanne keep the girl off the ground.
"What the hell did you do to her Demtri!" Demona asked. Angie hesitanly reached out and tenderly touched her daugters' face, causeing the girl to wince.
"Oh god, Demtri what did you do to her, she's come back from training wild, full grown dragons then this." She said softly but the rage in her voice was heard clearly.
"What are you talking about Angie, Demtri was going far too easy on that weak thing. Your to soft to see the makings of a true warrior, but i'll make sure that that part of her comes to light." Cleo said lauging. Before anyone could say anything, Angie had crossed the room and slapped the woman accross the face.
"I don't ever want to hear your voice again, nor do i want to see you. I don't even want to hear your name. If you have any more contact with the children, with anyone who isn't your son, or servent, and I hear of it, you'll be sentance to enturinty of a living black hole. Til your reduced to nothing but dust, then that dust will be mixed in with Chaos' cat litter. " Angie said icly trying to keep her voice low. With that Angie turn away and takes Seruna away from Demona and Suzanne and leaves.
"I quit." Suzanne says folowing, "I can't work here anymore the conditions are to hard."
Demona snickers at Cleo then leaves the way she came.
Black sheer curtains was all that Seruna could manage to see. The castle was silent like a grave, like he fathers' castle always was if nothing was escaping her lips. Nothing like the joyus music that could be her late into the night at her mothers. Suddenly Seruna's view of her canopy was interruppted by a smiling face. The woman had hazel eyes, and light brown hair pulled into a bun.
"Bout time you woke up, don't try to move yet, your mother'd be back in a moment. She went to get you a fresh rag." the woman said with a scottish accent then disaapeared from Serunas' line of sight.
"Oh you should have seen them, your mother and Demona. When i brought you into the room they were shocked. Demona looked as if she was ready to kill your father." the womans' voice said with a laugh.
"But your mother! Cleo said that you were weak and your mother knocked the woman right off her feet. Your granny's a wanted woman now, no ones' even suppose to talk about her, starting tomorrow. Oh yes, and your home now too." the woman said happily, "Oh and guess what else? Oh yes, you can't reall y talk now can you? Well, i quit, so now i can stay here with you instead of only seeing you half a year.
"Did i tell you that you were back at your mothers palace?" Suazanne wondered aloud, dropping her accent.
The sound of a door open and closing softly floated through the air, followed by a pair of footsteps coming towards the bed. Seruna felt a pair of gentle hands placed on her her stamach and at the base of her neck. There was a slight tingle sensation then the hands pulled away and was replaced by a pair of much firmer hands that pulled her up into a sitting position. Seruna's gaze was met with brown eyes with a hint of red in them. Demona stood the girl up and examined the back of her head, clicking her tongue at the sight of still wet blood in the girls brown hair.
"You better hurry before the others know your up." she said steping away and dissappearing without another word. The doors opened again and Angie walked in holding a cloak and small bag. She noded with a smile and placed the hooded cloak on the girls head and pointed her chin to the balcony. The sound of running feet and young voices come down the hall. Seruna laughed quietly to herself headed to the balconys' railing. She blew a kiss and then jumped off. Angie watched as the cloaked fingure of her daughter run accross the field to the stables. Suddenly there was familiar roar and a jet black, arrow headlike space ship appears with the word "Tigersclaw" written in gold accross the hull, lands in front of the blue and gold castle, next came the excited knocking and voices at the door. Angie sighs tiredly and goes to sit down on the bed, but dissappears in the process.
A boy, a young man, in his late teens with brown hair and golden eyes, walks off the black ship that had just landed in front of a blue and silver castle, following a couple in front of him. As they past though court yard, on their way to the throne room. A group of girls ran by, pausing to look then ran ahead into the throne room giggling, followed by a solmen trio of young men each bearing a wooden staff.
As the boy and and those ahead of him enter the throne room, they could feel emotions were running high. He cast a look into the crowds and heard giggles from the girls at whomed he looked at, but none of them was the one he was looking for. Still they continued on, down a red carpet, at the end stood three empty thrones and a woman wearing a red and silver, looking to be in her late twenitues, leaning beside the light blue one on the outter left side with her arms crossed looking bored.As they approuched the thrones a woman dressed in dark blue suddenly in front of the blue throne.
"Welcome Lord and Lady Karisto it is always nice to see old friends, and you as well young prince Alan." Angie says as she walks to meet them.
"Lord and Lady Karisto, even through it is a plesure to see yous and your son again, I feel I must ask of the reason of your visit. Normally you would send us word of your arrival." Demona says standing up.
"Forgive our haste Demona, i fear our trip traveled faster than our message." Lady Karisto said with a laugh. "We recieved word of what happened, and Alan and I were eager to come see how things were, and what the punishment was." she said gravely. Alans' gold eyes looked around the room again and were met by Angies'. She smiled and jerked her head slighty towards a wall, then turned back to the lord and lady an said aloud so the members of court that were present could hear.
"My friends, while we disscus this bussiness, why not we let the young ones have leisure time?" she says. There is a black poof of smoke and from it appeatrs a man dressed in all black, wearing a black cloak , with gold velet on the inside appears at Angies' side. A low growl exscapes Demona's throat, which quickly dies as the smoke clears.
"Tis a perfect idea my love." He says and kisses Angies' cheeck quickly.
"Theres' no reason for the childen to have to sit through our disscussions once again. Sorry if I scared you Demona." he says over his shoulder. That's all Alan heard for he was already out the door and heading towards the area Angie had indictcated.
As he entered the wooden lands behind the stables, his senses were bombbarried with many sights and sounds. There were the willowly tree nypmhs which beckoned to him to come and play with them. Along with the mingle of voices of the human like creatures of water, mermaids, nymphs, and young Sirens, who immeditaly stopped their singing as he drew near and studied him as he left, for he already appeared hipnotized.
"I know the one that whom i seek..." a familiar voice sang softly. The words became more clearer as Alan came to the entrace of a cave.
"Seruna?" he called.
Seruna sat on a pile of gold and was leaning against a silver dragon, with it's eggs at her side. She softly sung aloud as she pulled her shoulder lenght black hair into a bun. Seruna heard a familiar voice call her name, all the dragon heard was an intruder. The dragon quickly turned it's head to the entrance of the cave and shoot a blast of frost and ice at Alan.
"Alan? No! Lu stop it. It's a friend." Seruna said as she ran up to the dragons head, and tried to close it's mouth.
"Be a good girl Lu." Seruna whispered and released the dragons mouth. Seruna walks out the cave to see a pair of golden eyes looking at her from a pile of snow. She shakes her head and puts her hand in the snow searching for Alans' hand and then drags him into the cave.
"You really shouldn't do that ya know? Seruna said making a bare spot on the floor and began to try and make a fire.
"Damn... Your dragon has some minty breath." Alan said as clearly as he could. When the fire was finally going and Alan was thrawing out, Seruna laid down facing the fire and with her back against Lu's side.
"Why are they meeting this time?" Seruna asked softly.
" I wouldn't really know," he replies. "I think it has something to do with our clans beginig to raid your colonies."
"Hmm......." Seruna replies staring into the fire.
"Hmm in deed." Lu said softly as she rolled her eggs.
"We should go, i have something i wish to do really quick." Seruna says grabbing Alans' hand and running out the cave.
"Bye Lu!" she yells over her shoulder.
"Okay, now let's see." Seruna said looking around the stable, then walks over to two beutiful white mares.
"What do you see when you look at theses mares?" Seruna asks
"Horses in a stable?" Alan replys after a few secounds.
"Your looking to hard, just glance at them." she says
"Okay, what am i looking for?" Alan asks
"To see which one is a unicorn." Seruna replies. He pionts to the one on her right.
"And why do you pick that one?" He shrugs "lucky guess?"
"Nope, you can tell a unicorn, if you for some reason you can't see their horn, or a spell is cast making it in visable, look for the star mark on their fore head." Seruna said tieiing a rope around the neck of the Unicorn and leading it out of the stall.
" Her mate should be waiting near by." Seruna said as she began to opean a large set of doors opposite of the door which they came in through. Suddenly the animal reared snacthing the rope out of Serunas' hand and lunged at Alan, it's horn now clearly visable. Alan who usally had quick reflexes, remained frozen on the spot as the creature came towards him. The Unicorn went past the young man and there was a thud as it's horn hit the wooden wall behind him. There was then a sound of stuggle and an angrey male voice muttering.
Alan turn around and drew his sword, the unicorn stood by the wall where it's horn was still embedded, but it had also pinned a burgandy cape that led behind a bile of hay. Alan heard Seruna's soft laughter as she came and stood beside him.
"All that training and you still can't bring yourself to kill me." She clucked her tongue and eased the uincorns' horn out the wall.
" You might as well forget it, you're never gonna be able to if you haven't already. Admit it, you care for to much, just as our mothers care not to kill each other, only thing is is that your not my brother." Seruna said with a slight sneer. Laughter came from behind the hay and a young man stepped from behind them. His eyes and hair were more burgandy than brown, he held out a dark green flower the shade of Serunas' dress with a sheepish smile. Seruna shock her head with amusment and accepted the flower. She smiled then in quickly she slashed the young mans' cheek and quickly jumped back out of his reach. A deep thaothed roar came the man as he lunged forward, but was stopped by the cold silver blade of the sword Alan had at his thoat.
"Play times' over Issac." he said coldly. the young man, Issac, eyes' narrowed with rage, then he backed away with a smirk.
" Alan, your joking right? You and her, she'll drive you nuts, and plus... look at her she'd gladly let fight her battles. She ..." Issac was forced to stop as Seruna moved the sword from his neck and gripped it with her hand and squeezed, digging her nails into his flesh.
"Issac, cousin, as much as i have that emotion, love, for you, i'll rip your thoat out if you keep this up, your still mortal like me." Seruna said through clenched teeth by his ear so not to be heard. He laughed at her and removed Serunas' hand from his neck. "What are you going to do huh? Last time i heard your father was still trainig you with a staff. Your still magicless, and have little skills in fighting, and that not counting running." he said with a sneer. Serunas' eyes narrowed, then she smiled and sliped her arm into Alans', "That only proves how little you know. You should never underestimate people." she brought her hand to her lips and blew a kiss. A black glitter powder flew from her lips around Issac, and he began to scream in pain. Seruna smirked as she, Alan,and the uincorn walked out the door.
"Wait! What did you do to me? Tell me!" Issac called out. Seruna popped her head back into the door way then leaned against the door frame and watched mezerirized. She looked around puzzled then snapped. Issac stoped screaming and just laid on the hay catching his breath.
"In truth, i don't know what the hell that was, but for now, i'll call it...jugdement." And with that Seruna left.
Alan and Seruna walked in silence as they walked around the field. The uincorn continued to follow when the rope was removed and was quickly joined by her mate. Even through he was was a unicorn he was almost the exact opposite of his mate. As they walked they heard a mummer that grew louder as they grew nearer. There were three voices, two men and a womans. Then their were hoof beats coming from behind them. Issac quickly caught up with them ridding a white mare looking paniced.
"Hurry move it! Theres' a whole army coming this way!" He said and kept looking behind him.
"I have no time for your lies," Seruna started then heard the thunder of hoof beats. Seruna didn't even look back, but quickly began to give orders.
" Alan hurry and get on S.P. she'll let you." She said inticcating the white unicorn.
"Issac, you and Alan continue going straight, the parents should still be there argueing, Tell you mother 'chaos leads to death' if she doesn't lisen the first time."
"What are you going to do?" he asked
" I don't train dragons and such,for nothing. I'm gonna do what i do best, and blow some hot kisses." Seruna said. "Now go!"
Issac looked at Alan for help, then back to Seruna, "Are you nuts! Your coming with us." He said in disbelief then grabed her wirst.
" We need help here, don't try and play hero on me cuz you'll wrind up having all of us killed." Seruna spat and yanked her arm back. " You can't be hiding benearth your bed, Issac, and i'm gonna do what need to be down, i don't like theses kind of surpises, and yous aren't going to like this one either. Hang on really tight." And with that Seruna hit the horse and uincorn with the rope and they galloiped away.
By time the guys had their horses under control they were at a pinic where the adults were. Angie and Lady Karisto were sitting on a green blanket watching rather intently at the "conversation" in front of them. Standing up was Demona, Lord Karisto, and Demtri, having a heated conversation. Alan jumpped off S.P. and approached his mother.
"Mother, we have to..." Alan was cut short as his mother put her fingure to her lips signaling him to keep quiet, while never taking her eyes off the three standing. Seeing this Issac tried his luck and tugged at Demonas' elbow. "Mother..." "What is it boys? i'm sorry but we don't know where Seruna is and we're busy at the moment." Demona snapped irritbly. "No that's not it, mother!" Issac hissed lowly. "Go!" Demona ordered her eyes narrowed. Issac turned and started towards his horse.
"Chaos leads to death." Alan said aloud. "What did you say Alan?" Angie asked standing up. "Chaos leads to death." he repeated. The second time Demona heard him," Huh,he didn't say what i think he did , did he Angie? Shut up already, we might have trouble here." Demona snapped and the the two who remained fighting.
"I'm afraid he did." Lady Karisto said while she stood up. "What are they talking about?" Lord Karisto asked Demtri. " I haven't the foggest Darren." Demtri replied. Demona walked to the blanket and placed a water filled bowl in the middle.
"Chaos leads to death," Demona said.
"As wisedom lets to life." Angie added.
" What we ask, what we seek is the one who who makes this balance weak." Lady Karisto finished. Suddenly an evil laughter came from the bowel of water as everyone peered into it they heard hoof beats and the image of Seruna riding the black unicorn came into view. As she rode there were the sounds of hoof beats and vioces behind her. She let out a long, high whistle.
"Shut her up!" a familiar voice yelled as the girl whistled again.
"Cleo." Demtri said bitterly. Suddenly there was a shower of arrows, two arrows hit the hunches of the unicorn causing it to rear throwing Seruna off.
"Demona, i'm sorry but all we have are the young ones, you'll have to go to your planet for help." Angie said breaking the silence. Demona hesitated then turned to go.
"I should go to." Demtri said, "Wait Demtri, as you see it's not safe to just asome anymore, so i feel we need to know where does your loyolt lie, since Cleo is your mother and your people?"
"My mother died along time ago, and those are not my people." Demtri said then dissappears.
"I only have a vague idea why you love that guy." Demona said then she to dissappeared.Everyone turned when Issac began to chuckle.
" Cleo thinks that their in the wild part of the forest, that cave ahead as Lu and Ray in there." He chuckles again.
"Good." Angie said shirking the water and shattering the images. "That'll by both her and us some time we can't fight here, we're in a valley, and the message that we're being attacked is still traveling accross the forest." Just then there was a shower of arrows.
Seruna tired to get up and run but her ankle gave way just as she stood, the hootbeats were getting closer she quickly began to crawl under a thick patch of thickets as the men on horses came to the spot where she had fell. It was quiet except for the low mumur of their voices, Seruna let out another whistle and suddenly a hand reached under the bush and began to drag her from under. The ground began to shake and Seruna heard a famliar voice call her name.
"Lulu! Help!" the girl screamed then stabbed the hand that was draging her with a rock. The hand jerk from under the bush pulling Seruna with it. Seruna was lifted off into the air by the front of her dress then tossed aside. She opeaned her eyes slowly with her arms in front of her, looming over her was gold color dragon, in front of it was a simicircle of the dark clothed riders with swords drawn but visibly intimitdated.
"What are yous waiting for, all it does is blow frost. Attack them!" the only man remaining on his horse shouted.
"Well i also remeber Cleo saying it didn't venture out of it's cave." someone yelled back at the man. The dragon actully chuckled.
"I'm sorry to tell yous this, but Cleo wasn't talking about me.I do breathe fire, and i do leave the cave, yous apperently weren't expecting me home." and with that the dragon let out a blast of fire , causing the men to flee leaving their horses and Seruna to cover her face from the heat.
"You should run now."The dragon said looking down at her. "I can't, i hurt my ankle. I was barely able to crawl under the thickets before they got here." Seruna replied.
"It isn't broken is it Ray?" Lus' voice asked from within the cave. Seruna quickly shook her head no.
"No just a bad spran," he replied. Seruna stood up shakly and walked slowly, and painfully towards one of the remaining horses and mounted. Seruna cupped her hands over her mouth and let out a long wolf like howl. In response there were many more howls from the forest, the nymphs, and sirens peered from their hiding places, along with the other creatures of never.
"My friends, our home is under attack by Cleo and her minions," at that there where many sounds of displeasure, so much that no one heard what she said next. "Quiet!" Lulus' voice yelled from the cave and all was silenet.