-1Walking down the stairs, the sun shining brightly, Aria left school and got her bike. She mounted it and began pedaling down into town. She was on her way to Q's, a restaurant that housed and seated many kids from the school. She stopped at a red light and thought. It was only a couple of years since her dad had died. She blamed herself for it. She was only thirteen.
She had started a fire and her house burned down. She had no injuries, no burns, nothing. More so, her dad had suffered, all because of her. The light flashed green and caught her attention. She crossed and sensed someone was following her. She looked behind her, but know one was there.
Down, in front of the grill, she locked her bike and walked in. Ashely and Kyle, already seated with drinks, were in the middle of conversation. "Yeah, can you believe that?" Ashley had finished saying.
"That's really messed up?!" Kyle agreed.
"What? I missed something?" Aria said, slumping In her seat.
"Not really," Ashley stated. " I was just telling Kyle about the F I got on my report card in Mrs. Burling's class." she picked her glass up and drunk from it. A waiter had walked up and nodded in greeting.
"Hi. My name is Shawn and I will be your waiter. What will you guy's like to order? Would like today's special….." Aria heard him trail off. She closed her eyes trying to clear her mind. She was having one of those flashes she normally had.
A woman was in an alley. She seemed as if she was running from someone. She was panting and a man walked down the alley. "So…you thought you could get a way?! Where's the money!!!!" he stepped close to her and pushed her into the wall, making cats and vermin scrounge around in trash cans. "I don't have anything. Just go away!!!" she begged. Aria could see everything as if she was watching it, right there.
She blinked and everything came back into motion.
"Hello????" the waiter said, waving his hands in front of Aria. "What would you like to order?" the waiter asked, probably for the fourth time. "I'm sorry, Ummm. . . Cheese Fries?" Aria said, still thinking about what she saw.
"Sure." he finished writing it down and took the menus and walked away. She was still in a trance, so she got up and went to the restroom. Opening the door, she heard someone in a near by stall. She went to the sink and turned on the faucet. Filling her hands in water, she splashed her face. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her face, looking in the mirror.
Her eyes flickered a bright gold, almost yellow and her top and bottom canines elongated, making them into fangs. She felt something awaken inside of her. She looked in the mirror, horrified at the changes her face went through. She thought for a minute. This had happened when she started the fire……
She heard footsteps and she panicked. She dashed into a stall and sat there, noiseless. " Aria?? Are you in there? The food is ready. You should come back." she lost train of thought and her eyes softened back to her original light brown.
"I'll be there in a minute. She got up and sensed that the person that was in the stall that was next to her, disappeared. She felt feminine energy. But something…something had changed. She felt it somehow. She walked out and sat back into the booth. Kyle stared at her and said nothing. "Is something wrong?" Aria asked.
"No. Why, is something wrong?" Kyle asked. Aria just stared blankly at him. "No!!! God! Why are you always on my back!! Just leave me alone!" she demanded. She grabbed her bag in stormed out of the diner. Kyle and Ashley sat there in silence, starring into nothingness. Her life was spinning in a circle. She couldn't do one thing without doing something wrong.
Walking outside, the sun was now setting and the moon rising out of the east. How long was she in there? She walked to the bike rack and her head exploded into pain. She automatically turned, looking up and she saw a woman sitting on the ledge of the roof of the grill. Aria remembered. She called out to her. "You…..you were in my dreams…you son of a…" a long time ago she had had a dream of a mad woman destroying many things. So many things. She destroyed a whole house with a mere ball of radiant energy. 'Mommy?! She gonna kill me!!! Save me!!' she remembered telling her mom, waking from nightmares. She promised her it would be alright.
That woman's face was burned and etched into her mind forever. Aria felt a power deep inside her awaken. She felt something pulsate. A symbol appeared under her wrist. It was a Y marking with dots in each space. She felt the need and instinct to kill this hag. Her eyes flickered and her nails lengthened and turned ebony black. She bared her fangs. Kyle and Ashley had followed her outside, stopping immediately when they saw her. They were taken aback at the sight.
Try to avoid her Aria. She is serpiente. Her venom will kill you. Wait till I come for you, A voice said to her. Was that said out loud? Yes it was and It is me Menarda. I will explain later. Just stall. Her voice echoed I her head.
She knew that Menarda was her Aunt. But how did Menarda do that? But she wondered who this other woman was, probably probing her mind, her dreams and inner thoughts. She felt weird and it weakened her. By instinct, she imagined her mind putting up a barrier and she felt the woman back off a little. She had this felling, a feeling she couldn't put her finger on. She felt another pain, like a 5 by 8 being whacked into her head. Is that her doing that?, Aria took a lucky guess.
"Yes," the woman stated, smirking. "I'm doing that." Aria stared into wonderland. How could she read her mind. She can't do this?! Alex thought. Could she? She tried walking backwards, but the minute she took a step, the woman sent more pain; threads of transparent light wrapped around her wrists, locking her in place. So Aria tried to do the same, penetrating her barriers, getting into her mind. Instead, the woman recoiled, holding her head. She saw a flash of two children in a sanctum with statues. She saw a tall figure dressed in royal garments. So….I can do that as well, she concluded. What else could she do? "Who or what are you anyways?" Aria coldly asked. Maybe she could learn a bit more.
"You really want to know?" she sarcastically spoke. "Well then. I'll will show you." she jumped off the ledge, arms apart dropping three floors , landing on her feet. She looked up, very quickly, and opened her palms, as if she was holding something. Silver, whitish lights enveloped her hands. She was dressed in white linen. Aria squinting and her eyes zoomed in on her necklace. A silver serpent coiled. Somehow she could see far things.
"You shall see what I," the woman raising her voice, Audra Ashanti will unleash upon you." she stared at Aria, eye's flickering almost yellow, just like her eyes did. Wasn't that her surname? She charged at Aria and jumped in the air, levitating and kicking her legs. Aria spun stealthily, landing on one knee, one hand on the ground, avoiding the attack. The woman came at her again and they dueled with precision. Aria couldn't believe what she was doing. She was dodging and avoiding her attacks. It was like she saw everything in slow motion. She swung a left jaw and her fist connected with the woman, sending he to the ground. She growled, now irritated. She stopped and took a step back, her body changing.
She grew green scales on her skin and her body got smaller, coiling into a King Cobra snake. She then trailed along the ground and when she got close to Aria, she rose, arching her back. Her hood widened on her back and she hissed; then struck.
Aria acted instinctively; she back flipped, pushing upwards, and landed on a trash can with perfect balance. She stared at her hands, in disbelief. She then tried something. If she could do that, what else could she do ? She tried to picture herself as a snake.
She closed her eyes and tried to picture herself biting the woman. Filling herself with rage and thought's of killing, opening her eyes, she was level with the snake woman but not eye to eye. She wasn't a snake though, but a leopard, with tawny fur and black rosettes. Instead of attacking the woman, she glared at her, growling low in her throat. She then lowered her hood. Her back arched and tail straight. She turned and slithered away. That was all I had to do, stare at her? She thought. Fleeing the scene, farther down the rode in a alley, she coiled in a corner, wrapping her tail around her in a circle for warmth. She saw a woman run down the alley. Dressed in a suit, she appeared as if she came straight form work. She panted and then looked back. It was gonna happen….
Alex remembered how this had went. The woman looked different. She had an outline of greenish light emanating form her, like smoke coming off her arms and legs, enveloping herself. Instead of staying there, hid in the corner, she came out of the darkness and said to the woman, I'll protect you. Just stand back. The woman, scared at first, backed off, and then nodded as if she understood. Aria knew even though she was in a feline form, she knew enough about leopards. They were the most graceful of the big cats. And a dangerous one at that. The man ran into the alley and he jumped back, in shock. She smelled the fear emanate from him.
I'll bite you so hard, you'll die in a quick second, promise. I want you to turn and walk away, Aria echoed to the man. The man didn't even say anything. He just stood. She bared her fangs and jumped onto a dumpster. He walked backwards and sped away.
There was a faint wind, and looking up, she spotted a hawk in flight. It landed, shifting shape into Menarda. Wow, the royal Leopard…I'm amazed. Not a lot of hybrids can still assume the ancient form. You will make a great queen one day, much like your mother was… give me a second so I can change you backMenarda closed her eyes and touched Aria's forehead and her finger made a transparent ripple in the air and Aria transformed back, knees and head down; on the ground. The sky grew cloudy and large drops started to clink on the concrete.
"Come. You need to regain your power. You fought boldly. hold on." and she took her hand and Menarda closed her eyes, they turned transparent, and then invisible and disappeared.
When Aria woke, she was in her bed. She was in her night clothes and under the covers. She couldn't even remember getting into bed. A glass of dark orange liquid was on her nightstand. Drink it slowly. Menarda echoed in her mind.
She tasted it and it was tartly and sweet like mandarin oranges and mango's. A second later, Menarda entered the room. She was carrying 2 boxes in her hand. One was large and long and the other was small.
" WHAT AM I ?!" Aria asked in protest, automatically remembering what happened, emotions flaring. "Do you even know what happened yesterday???!!!!" Aria hollered. "I battled a snake slash woman, I changed into a leopard, and I almost got killed!!"
Aria went off on her aunt. "What did you do to me?! I want answers, NOW!!!" Menarda placed a hand on her thigh and tried calmed her. Aria pushed it off.
"I did nothing to you. I am like you." she started. "We are descendants of powerful people. Who could very well depend on you. You must, you cannot, run from this."
Aria was listening. She nodded in a okay manner, but she had a lot to ask.
"Okay….how do I say this…" Menarda placed the large box on the floor and the small one on the nightstand.
"Along time ago, our ancestors were a small group of tribes, each led by a different person. When drought caused famine, they became more protective of their belongings.
"In the middle of the worst winter, a woman gave birth to a daughter. She loved her child dearly but she knew she could never take care of her. So she brought the girl to a mountain and left her there, praying to the gods that they would take care of her.
"The child began to cry, and soon a pair of Leopards appeared before her. They cared for her as one of their own, teaching her the language of the forest and giving her their most precious gift: The wilderness. They gave the girl some of their magic and taught her how to change from her human form into that of a Leopard." Alex said nothing, as if this was a legendary folk story. But she was wrapped into the fabric of it.
"But there comes a time when every child must leave, and as she grew older she wondered who her real mother was. When she was seventeen, she returned to her homeland. She found her mother and her younger brother," she sounded happy. "Whom she had never known, but was horrified by the state in which they lived, by the fear and anger that seemed ever present among humans.
"The girl first led her family and then the rest of her mother's tribe into the woods and taught them how to be one with the wilderness. Later other tribes joined them and they each too took a form from the wilderness- bird, cat, wolf and snakes. The leaders of each tribe became fayths when they died, living statues of themselves. For the first time, these tribes lived in complete harmony, led by the young queen they named Mithra, which means guardian." Menarda smiled.
"That was a really good story, Menarda. What's the real truth." Menarda simply looked at her and chuckled.
"That was the truth. After she led her people to power she took a mate and bore a daughter which descends the Ashanti lineage."
Ashanti. That was the name the woman spoke of…Aria sat there, not believing any of it. "I don't believe you. Or any of this." She said sharply. Menarda simply got up and stood in front of her. "Well, how come I can do this?" She stood and looked at Aria, and her eyes flashed, turning completely white. She looked like storm from X-men. Except, something actually happened for real. The room's content's shook and a lamp tipped over and broke, bulb and all. Her bed shook, making her tremble.
"Stop!!!!" Aria said. "Okay…okay." She gave in. "I believe you." She got up off the bed. "So…you gone teach me that, right?" she smiled.
"Of course young one," she said picking up the boxes. "But first your body still needs to adapt. You only used a taste of your power. Once your bonds are eliminated and you train, you'll become potent. Very." she said. "But," she warned Aria. "Do not succumb to the darkness your sister has."
"What do you mean. I don't have a sister?" Aria asked. She never remembered having a sister. Or any siblings for that matter.
"You defeated her in battle." Menarda said. Aria smiled and then frowned. "So…my sister is a evil incarnate from the depths of darkness and let me guess," she said joking. "She's gonna take over the whole world." she rambled on as she and Menarda walked downstairs. Menarda stopped and looked over her shoulder's.
"Maybe destroy it. The cosmic balance has shifted and darkness has the upper hand. Don't wish for things you don't want…" she trailed off. She stood In the foyer. "Okay." Menarda started. "Basic things. Jump, teleportation, magic. But that we'll do the latter two later. Help's at night for ferals."
She then went to a wall, were a cupboard should have been. She muttered a word and a white light came into existence.
"How'd you do that?" Aria was still confused. "Later. Just later." She walked through.
"Go ahead. it's not a trick. Having powers can get you killed if not performed correctly." She corrected Aria. Walking through, she was in a forest like paradise. Housed under a sea of clouds, it looked wonderful. Voluminous tulips, lilies, roses and other flowers were planted around, here and there. Tree's of magnificent height's ate the skies.
"Why are we here?" Aria asked. Menarda looked Aria up and down, smirking, and then snapped her fingers. Aria's pajamas turned into a pair of black sweats. Menarda did the same but she had on white training pants and shirt. "Come at me." Menarda got in a fighting stance.
" Lady, I don't wanna hurt you." Aria joked, chuckling under her breath.
"Come on!!" Menarda hollered signaling a 'come over' hand motion. Aria really didn't want to; she ran and Menarda jumped over her in a quick second. Doing a cartwheel on Aria's shoulders.
"I thought you were gonna hurt me?" Menarda taunted. Aria went through relentless training teaching her the dragon, an ancient battling style. She taught her a little acrobatic moves now and again and how to block certain styles.
"Okay next is jumping." Menarda jumped in the air and levitated crossing her arms as if she was standing. Aria was impressed, she started jumping immediately. She wasn't gaining any altitude, at all. She sat on her bottom. Menarda floated down and landed holding a hand out. "Come on, practice makes perfect." She held Aria's hand floating with her. Once she was level with her, she let Aria go. Aria staggered for a moment and then she got the hang of it.
She landed and took a break. Sweat came down her face, Beads of sweat on her forehead. It was like she was trying not to squat. She turned and Menarda had disappeared. "Menarda!!!" her voice echoed, spinning around in a circle. Come and find me. Menarda spoke. Focus and listen to my voice and try to picture where I am at. Then, you will find me, She closed her eye's and focused. She heard footsteps pounding into the glossy ground. She focused on that, and she felt herself get lighter, like a dandelion and then she felt her self solidify again. She was standing in front of Menarda. " Good job," Menarda disappeared. ,Now find me again.
This time it was harder; she never stayed in on place. She tapped into her inner self and instead of teleporting to her, she will Menarda to her.
"How did you-" Menarda said, awe struck. "I don't know. I just focused you here. And you were here." Aria put her hand over her head. "How long have we been in here?" Aria asked.
"About…a couple of weeks." Menarda led her to a clearing. To gleaming swords each simple and durable were pitched into the ground.
"Oh no. I'm not using those." Aria put her hands up.
"I know your not. I'm gonna show you what we are going to do later." She dropped one to the side.
"Firaga!!!" Menarda cried, swing the blade. An arc of fire came from the blade starting a tree on fire. Aria's mouth flew open.
" I w-" Aria put a finger up, ready to learn. " Menarda chuckled. "Later."
Aria stepped through the portal. She felt something pull on her navel and she landed on the floor. She looked up and Menarda were standing in her face. "Hurt didn't it?" she asked as if she knew.
"Yeah…" she said unenthusiastically, putting her hand on her stomach. Walking in the kitchen, she sat down at the table and Menarda handed her a bean.
"Another fairy tale?" Aria picked up the chair moving it to the bar counter. It felt as light as a salt shaker. "It's not heavy anymore…" She trailed off.
"Yeah, of course. You have power. You are Archaic." Menarda spoke getting something out of the fridge. She poured a cup of milk.
"Its only…2,"Menarda said closing her eyes "Why don't you go to the mall or something?"
"I'm not gonna die am I?" Aria asked, hopping off the stool. Menarda shock her head. "Beside's, I'll 'ring' if I need you." she placed emphases on ring, making bunny ears with her fingers.
A panther with a blue half ying-yang symbol on it's forehead creped on the roof of south shore community mall. Another one, followed. It bore a similar mark, except it was red. The one in front turned it's head and hissed. They both shifted into humans. The Once blue marked cat, now human, had snow white spiky hair and electric blue eyes. The other was exactly opposite, dressed in all black like midnight and eye's of garnet.
"Why pursue me, your not gonna win, Amycus. She's on the side of light. Be gone." the angel eyed one spoke, looking at his nails.
"Not win I'm through with her. The master has plans for her. Big one's" he emphasized. Amycus snapped his fingers. A long sword materialized; he ran. Aclecto stood there until the last moment. He ducked, rolling backwards and Amycus turned swinging another strike; He jumped, doing a back flip in the same place, and roundhouse kicked Amycus, making him fly back. He kept his ground not falling, pressing his bare hands to the ground. Aclecto ran and kicked Amycus in the side; he flew to the other end of the roof, as if he was a coke bottle.
Aclecto then changed form into a pure, white leopard with pure, white wings on he's shoulder's. Snow white fur and the eye's of the ocean. Then he strode over to Amycus; standing on top of him. I am an Archaic. An ancient one…also, one who should kill you. But I'm also a feral and our law prevents me from doing so. So I will abide by them. Do not let us meet next time, he pressed his paws harder into Amycus' chest, unsheathing his claws, also white. Or…you will die by my hands and cease to exist. Then backing away, he jumped into the air and glided into the night sky, disappearing through the cloud, leaving Amycus to his defeat.
Aria walked into JC penny's and looked at a couple of jean racks. She grabbed one that she liked, and walking up to the clerk, she noticed something different. The woman had an outline much like the woman in the alleyway. It was blue, compared to the green one.
"How may I assist you?" she asked.
"Umm…I wanna pay for these. And I have a question for you." She paid. "Do you like leopards…?"
The woman looked at her and blinked uncontrollably. "It was me." Aria said simply. The woman gave her a warm smile. "Thank you. I didn't know what I would've done. May Bastet and Artemis bless you." after buying a gyro sub, she found a table. She thought about the past few day's rounding up everything. As she got up to throw her food away, a man grabbed her. "I'm sorry but you are in danger." the man had a distinct accent in his voice, sounding Egyptian. He wore white clothes, made of a simple fabric, easy and fluid, yet graceful. He was a gorgeous man, with bright eyes and a oval face. He looked as if he was o high alert.
"You have my eyes…" she realized in a second. "Yeah. I know that, Aria. But we need to go. Now." he knew her name.
"How do you know my name? And I'm not going anywhere with you unless you explain, now" she spit out the last word out.
"Okay," he said making a high five motion with his hands, flickering his fingers. Everything slowed down, then stopped. She turned and a little kids ball was still in the air. "I'm Aclecto. I'm-"
"Yea yea…like you." she said, finishing the sentence. "How did you do that? You know Menarda…don't you?" she was a little distracted. She saw something move. She turned feral, eye's turning cat like, pupils minimizing. "Don't move." she said, looking around. She zoomed in with her eye's, seeing a flare of light through a trash can.
She turned for a second; enough for the man to strike. He jumped out sideways muttering a word, sending a jet of red light at her and Aria's instinct kicked in. "Defendare!!! The jet of light deflected off her and hit the guy, square in the chest; the impact made everyone run in fear, breaking the spell.
"You know the ancient language?" the man asked, surprised. Aria looked at her hands and then at him.
"I don't know. I felt it, the attack coming." she wasn't sure how she explained it. "So I thought of shields." the man got up. "That was a class 7 spell."
"Duck!" she said jumping on her side. She got up and her eye's turned black crying, "Falagre!!" a black trail of fire made a circle, entrapping Aria and the other man, leaving Aclecto behind. He tried to walk forward but without looking back raised her hand and he was knocked of his feet falling face first.
Within the circle, walking up to the guy, he backed away shuffling his feet. She picked him up with one hand by the shirt, his feet hanging off the ground, a couple of feet. He kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying, sliding across the room to the edge of the fire. The man was almost close to her.
"Think of something!" Aclecto said. He walked closer to the fire and was knocked back, by the force.
She thought of sending him away. She waved her hand and an invisible force sent him receding to the middle of the ring of fire. He roared like a cat and changing form into a black panther, ran at her full speed.
Her feral instincts came back to her. Work them, not yourselfShe remembered Menarda say during sparring. She side-stepped and he kept running back at her, like a man clad in red trapped in a ring with a bull. He stopped running and she then her eye's changed color. She walked toward him, taking one step. He nodded his head in approval, bowing to her and disappeared, enveloping himself in blue fire.
The fire disappeared and Aclecto ran to her. "You did it. I thought you didn't know."
"Well we need to go. Or I do. I don't know where your stayin'." she said walking away. Right when they left, another panther sat, twitching it's tail from the perch on the second level. She is powerful. Her aura is strong. The dark queen will want her…she thought to herself.