"Queen Skylar Queen Skylar!" I came running through the huge golden doors. Embroidered with tiny feathers the colors of silver and gold, they quickly opened on my arrival. Skidding on the wooden floor, I finally came to a stop.
"Sorry for the interruption my Queen, but the owl king, Lord Eurell, is just outside the castle," I paused to catch my breath, my snowy white paws shifting nervously in front of me, "and he says he has your daughter."
I was a bit nervous, I knew Queen Skylar had a daughter, but she disappeared when she was just a kit, it's best to avoid talking about it. Sometimes I think of myself as a second daughter, but I'd never voice that. It would just bring up the pain of losing her only kit, Artemis.
"Tell Lord Eurell that I am coming," she paused as if to say something else, and then continued, "that is all."
I bowed and quickly made my way back to the owl Lord. The Owls never seemed like a threat to me, not till now, when I pretty much wanted to rip their heads off. Approaching the Owl Lord, I delivered the message from Queen Skylar. "The Queen is to be out soon." I sat down, not knowing what else to do, but stayed on guard.
Queen Skylar arrived quicker than I thought, along with Diel. Diel was my counterpart in color, as where I am pure white, and he is jet black. I was startled to see him in battle gear; a light silver color, with darker gray wings etched into the sides. There were slits at the top, the ancestors of the Sky Kingdom had wings, until eventually the wings were no more. A kit born with wings was very rare and special, it was considered a blessing. But since the ancestors of the Sky Kingdom were foxes, only fox kits were born with wings. Other species born with wings were accused of mixed breeding, leaving them as outcasts, unless you have demon ancestry.
"Hey Nakita, what's up?"
"You have serious issues Diel."
"And why is that?"
"You come out here and act like nothing's wrong!"
"Wait, there's nothing wrong? I got my gear on for nothing?"
"Behold, Mr. Sarcastic, to the fact that your sarcasm never fails."
"You got it."
With that I turned around, not seeing anywhere else to go I sat down, trying my best to ignore Diel. There was no other option but to just sit and wait. Queen Skylar was quietly conversing with Lord Eurell.
The owls were tricky folks, when you want something, you say exactly what you want, nothing more nothing less.
A few minutes later Queen Skylar stepped in-between us and sat down. Natural height, she was inches shorter than Diel and I, but with her brilliant and enormous white wings, she towered above us. She might be elegant on the outside, but don't ever mess with a Sky Fox, you'll soon regret it.
A patch of owls then stepped forward, the fluffy cloud beneath us molded to their foot-steps. When the owls parted, a stunning night-blue fox was revealed. Her eyes the color of polished gold, and wings the shimmering silver of moonlight reflected on water. Around her neck she wore a pendent the shape of a crescent moon. Her pelt was alive with stars, twinkling as she moved, and a giant mark of the current moon phase on her back.
"Artemis!"
"Did you not believe us, Queen of the Sky?"
"N-no not really…" Queen Skylar looked astonished, from what I know she had lost Artemis at a very young age. Her expression was a mixture of shock, anger, relief, and something else?
"However, if you do not agree to our terms, she will continue to be held captive. Yes, we are admitting that we have held her the last couple of years now actually." The Owl Lord looked off to the side dreamily, as if in deep thought. Until I had to stop Diel from nearly tearing the nearest owls throat out.
"Diel don't," I growled under my breath, "If you start a fight nothing good will come out of it."
With that Diel stepped back, but not before Lord Eurell noticed.
"And how cute is that? A servant so loyal he will fight to his death and not know what he was fighting for in the first place? What a couple you've raised here. You two wolves should think before you act, Artemis here is in captivity partly because of her mother's fault."
"You foul monster, hand me back my daughter!" Queen Skylar was furious, I had never seen her this angry.
Diel and I stood up and guarded Queen Skylar, we would die for her if it was the last thing we did. She took us in when we were only cubs, and has raised us ever since, and did a great good job at it too.
Ignoring Queen Skylar, Lord Earl turned back to Diel and me. "Princess Artemis here would like a word with you two," Diel and I both stepped forward, "separately." I took a few quick steps and stood politely in front of Princess Artemis and bowed respectively.
"Nakita," her voice sounded inside my head, and it kind of freaked me out, "I'm talking to you telepathically, no one else can hear me but you. Don't make any sound, I'm going to give you my necklace, it will automatically try and find its way back to me. Don't fret, I charmed it so only you know the way it's pulling. It was nice meeting you, you're probably wondering how I know things about you. I will explain this all when you find me." Princess Artemis then bowed back and I gently took the necklace from around her neck, raised my head, and shook my head lightly until it fell around my neck.
I mouthed a silent thank you and padded back to Queen Skylar and Diel. As soon as I got back Diel stepped forward to greet Princess Artemis. I waited quietly, eying the crescent moon necklace and feeling the gentle tug of it toward the Princess.
Diel returned quickly and we took our spots on either side of Queen Skylar.
"You have a month to reconsider my offer, a considerably large amount of time, use it well."
With that, the Owl Lord and his followers left with Princess Artemis, as we stared at the sky until their figures were tiny dots in the sky beyond.
"Well, that was touching now wasn't it?" We all whipped around to see a fox, darker than the blackest night, walk out from behind the castle.