Thank you, c7a7t7, for the lovely review. I hope this is everything you were expecting. I shall try to upload chapter 3 as soon as possible.
Thanks, HockeyKid6622 ;D
The night was cold and dark; frost crept upon the thin blades of grass as a cold wind whipped over the deserted streets. The flapping of wings sounded through the intercrossed streets as the wind scrapped the ground.
"What is that?" A young voice asked, his voice echoed across the street as a light flickered until it failed and shut off bringing the street into complete and utter darkness. The owner of the voice stepped out from behind a tree. He was tall and had a stocky build with a winter jacket pulled over him. A young female around the same age as the male stepped out from behind him. Her hand was pulling at her longer hair nervously as the silhouette of big wings folded behind her.
"I don't know," she answered, her voice was soft and nervous. She turned her head to the middle of the street as she bit her lip, "What do you think, Tanner?" She asked.
There was a soft THUD as a new figure joined the picture but instead of hiding she stood tall and proud in the middle of the street. The figure stood tall and obviously female. Like the other female she wore a pair of wings on her back but they melted into her back as she stood tall, her eyes scanning and precise. She stepped forward, her big, heavy army boots made more THUDS with each step she took. Her strides were full purpose and pride. Her eyes glinted in the little light there was but smoldered with a deep fire. Her eyes were two pieces of murky, blue green glass. She was clothed in a light sweater and a pair of jeans that had seen better days. Her hair was shorter than the other girls and spiked out around her head giving her a feisty, tough atmosphere.
Her keen eyes stared at a giant shadow that laid over the road unmoving. Tanner stalked towards the figure her eyes flickering around cautious and aware. She kneeled before the shadow and stared as her eyes froze, they too unmoving. Then she nodded.
"It's Mikko," Tanner said. Her voice was sharp and booming with authority. The two others shook their heads and joined Tanner's side. "What do you think, Hartanna?" Tanner asked looking up to the star filled sky.
Behind her a dragon landed behind them, the dragon's wings folding tight against her ruby red scales as her red eye beams scanned the shadow. Hartanna sagged her shoulders in defeat and shook her mighty head.
"It is Mikko," Hartanna agreed stepping closer to Tanner. Tanner leaned forward and touched a black, viscous liquid oozing from the dead shadow. The dead dragon. Tanner lifted her finger to Hartanna as she rubbed her fingers together.
"It's blood, dragon blood and fresh; Mikko has only been dead for at most three hours," Tanner said wiping her finger against her jeans shaking her head and punching the ground cursing, another mighty dragon dead.
"What killed her?" The other girl, Bonnie Silver, asked clutching the male, Billy Bannister's, hand tightly.
"Not what but who," Billy corrected looking behind him as if expecting somebody to emerge. He turned back to Tanner and watched as she grabbed something under Mikko's corpse. "Find something?"
"A knife," Hartanna mused as Tanner held a knife to the sky inspecting the knife, her eyes looking for any clues. Finally she shook her head and stood up looking eastward towards a rising sun.
"What is it, Tanner?" Bonnie asked softly, she had lived with her long enough to know when she was upset. Tanner shook her head and looked away back to the knife glinting in her hand.
"This knife belongs to the Cobras, they are another group, cult, similar to Devin but they have more numbers and are far more advanced then Devin ever could dream," she said. Billy nodded.
"How do you know, Tanner?" Billy asked watching the young warrior. Tanner paused then turned around with flaming eyes. Her hand formed a fist around the blade so tightly her knuckles were white and blood began streaming down her fist.
"It was the Cobras that killed my parents." Tanner shook her head and looked to the rising sun. "We should go and report back to Makaidos," She advised. Hartanna gave a nod and took off into the sky.
"What do we with Mikko? People can't see her but we can't carry her," Billy asked his eyes were concerned as he glanced at the dead dragon carcass. Bonnie shrugged looking at the dragon as tears rose to her eyes.
"We must bury her, give her a proper funeral," Bonnie decided. Tanner nodded and lit a match watching the flames flicker in the wind as if dancing. She watched fascinated, her eyes mirroring the dancing flames as the tiny match reached upwards like hands trying to grab ahold of her hair. She looked back up at the sun. Her sensitive ears caught the sound of people waking, preparing to start their day.
"We don't have time," she stated and stood over Mikko.
"What do you suggest, Tanner?" Billy asked as his hand hovered over Excalibur, he sensed the locals awakening too. Tanner flashed him a shift smile and dropped the match into Mikko's gaping wound. Her body burst into flames, the fire painting the dawning sky with orange and violent red. Within seconds flames had climbed high into the sky as if climbing to heaven.
"What are you doing?" Bonnie cried as the fire crackled and popped, consuming the once mighty dragon.
"A funeral fit for a king, for a fire breathing beast dragon blood is extremely flammable," Tanner said pocketing Mikko's fatal weapon as her wings materialized behind her. Her skin shifting painlessly and flawlessly as her wings stretched outward big and strong. She glanced up the street where the shadows were being pushed away as sirens screamed. It was the fire department.
"C'mon, we have to go," without another word Tanner jumped up into the sky disappearing under a blanket of smoke.
"She's right," Billy whispered, "we have to go." Bonnie nodded and grabbed Billy holding him tightly in her strong arms. Bonnie looked back to the heap of flames and shook her head.
"We will find your killer, may you find peace in heaven," she whispered and with that took off into the sky with Billy tightly secured in her arms and flew away.
A few hours later the three huddled around a table inside a giant stone church, now abandoned. The only living things other than the three were spiders as they spun their webs. Cobwebs covered every corner with a thick layer of dust coating the cold cement flooring. The walls were an off-white with some revealing dry wall. The last line of pews remained but the others had been removed. With windows that were big and dirty, so filthy you could scrape off an inch of grit and grime. However it kept the church-like feeling of home, comfort, safety and solitude.
The table itself was made of sturdy oak, dark and cracked with age. The legs were hand carved many years ago, shaped into the glorious head of a lion but was now chipped and worn down. On top of the table were wrappers of various fast foods and empty pizza boxes. As well as some paper, pencils, pens and in the center was the knife.
The knife shone silver in the sunlight. The dagger was about a foot long and was sterling silver, gleaming, as if smiling saying, "I killed the once great Mikko and there's nothing you can do about it." The blade itself had engraved marking, engravings of snakes and incoherent lettering. The handle was aesthetically pleasing and sturdy but had an evil, malicious look to it. The top of the handle came into the form of a snake head with two red rubies as eyes, a vicious red, coloured by the innocent blood of thousands it had murdered.
"Hey guys," Ashley, their friend another anthrozil, called as she joined them inside the stone church. "Any progress on the dagger?" She asked setting her bookbag on an empty chair.
"No, but we didn't want to start anything without you," Billy answered sipping at some pop. His eyes had bags under them.
"How was the flight here?" Ashley asked stealing a frenchfry.
"Thoughtful," Tanner muttered rotating her shoulders, "And boring." Tanner bit deep into a greasy burger chewing with her mouth wide open. She gagged and spat out the chewed up chud. "Jeez, Bonnie, Billy! We gotta stop buying the cheap, half rotten burgers!" She shook her head and walked around joining the others at the table.
"Is Walter with you?" Bonnie asked softly lifting her tired head up. Ashley shook out her long brown hair.
"No, but he will soon, have you seen my dad?"
"No, he's been gone ever since we got back, he was looking for Tamhla," Billy answered. Tamhla was another dragon descendant like Mikko was. Ashley shook her head.
"First we thought it was over when Devin died and then again with Second Eden but now it doesn't seem like it," she sighed taking a seat and grabbing a piece of cheese pizza. Tanner walked towards the windows and stared out the gritty stained glass. A ray of light hit her eyes turning the hard, glass-like diamond to a running, fresh creek; wild and untamed, constantly moving.
"What is it?" Bonnie asked her thoughts on Mikko and Tamhla and all the other missing anthrozils. Tears filled her eyes as she empathized for each and every one. "What is killing them?"
"Well," Ashley murmured as leaned over the dagger inspecting the gleaming silver. Her eyes scanned over the weapon searching for clues. "Well the engravings on the dagger is definitely a clue but I don't read that language or understand the meaning of the snake. The-"
"The dagger belongs to a secret group called the Cobras, they originate from a time after Noah's ark where they first emerged, along with Naamah and Lilith, creating havoc and chaos. They went into hiding as the Rise of King Makaidos and the rise of the dragons and weren't seen for thousands of years. Then after the emergence of dragons again they rose; quietly and swiftly, killing many. No one knows much about them, except they are are worse then Devin, ten thousand times worse. They are highly trained, trained to kill dragons and other anthrozils. You can never ever underestimate them, while we know nothing about them they now almost everything about us," Tanner spoke, her voice was clear and strong with a hint of resentment as her eyes burned deep with an fiery, inner passion.
"How do you know?" Billy asked. Tanner turned and faced them and as she did pulling out an incandescent silver blade with the exact same markings and writing as the dagger lying on the table but this one was older and sturdier but still shone as if it had just been polished. She joined them at the table and laid it next to the weapon that killed Mikko. They were identical. Ashley jumped at the knives comparing the two, searching for any clues to indicate her questions.
"Tanner," Billy breathed his eyes wide and full with amazement, "Where did you get that?" Tanner stepped back her eyes were mystical and far away as if her mind was elsewhere. She stared at the knife with an obvious pain in her eye, her hands twitched nervously at her side as her hand hovered over her own sword, her mother's sword. Her hand ran over silver handle feeling the familiar grooves and corrugations. She slowly looked up and stared Billy right in the eye as if seeing his very soul.
"That was the blade that killed my mother and father many years ago," she whispered. Billy broke eye contact and looked to the ground ashamed as fire rose to his cheeks. Bonnie blinked back more tears and held her adopted sister's gaze. The gaze held love, affection and comfort. Ashley just looked back to the blades but paused remembering her own parent's horrendous deaths, but unlike Tanner she regained her parents when all the anthrozils regained their dragon form but Tanner's mother, the Great Lioness, didn't; she remained dead. As a memory.
"I managed to get it just before I escaped," Tanner explained sitting down and resting her head on her hands. Billy nodded and turned to Ashley.
"What are you finding?" He asked watching as Ashley studied the blade intently.
"This one," she pointed to Tanner's knife, "is definitely older, it's heavier and made more similar to a medieval style knife; heavier and sturdier whereas the knife that killed Mikko is lighter and sleeker, more like a present day knife."
"What do they want, Tanner? You said they have re-emerged several times, why now? Why after the peace between Second Eden?" Bonnie asked standing up, her eyes burned with passion as she searched for her answer. Billy and Ashley both shrugged and turned to Tanner who stared at the table and began to fiddle with a piece of garbage.
"I don't know, Bonnie, not yet anyways." Tanner yawned and stretched out also stretching her wings as her teeth elongated growing into the sharp, razor teeth dragon teeth. "I'm gonna sleep on it, let me know when Makaidos returns." With that Tanner stood up and left, going to her bed.
Her room was located in the very back of the church where it was the darkest and coldest but Tanner didn't mind, she enjoyed feeling her skin crawl as frost covered her skin. Her scales and wings kept her warm and the shivers kept her alert and ready, even in her deepest sleeps. Her room was small with a mattress as a bed but throughout Tanner's rough life she had learned to be content. She looked up at the high ceiling, so high a fully grown dragon could stand with wings up and still have room. Giving a sigh Tanner jumped to the ceiling flapping and exercising her wings. She touched the cement roof then tucked her wings in and fell to the ground. Her pupils widened as the wind screeched in her ears and pulled at her clothing. Then she snapped her wings open and floated to her bed, landing softly on the mattress. She stared at the roof collecting her thoughts as her eyelids became heavy.
"Why are you only re-emerging now?" She whispered stroking her leathery wings. "You know how strong we are, why come now?" She yawned and rolled to her side, her wings wrapping her in a small, warm cocoon. "Unless," she yawned her eyes closing, "unless you are stronger." Then her eyelids closed and Tanner Hawk fell deep asleep.
But Tanner's sleep was not productive. Tanner entered a dark room where a dainty hand landed on her shoulder.
"Tanner, Tanner," the voice cooed softly stroking her hair. Tanner watched the scene as an outside would but she could feel the warm, comforting hand on her shoulder. The room was a room for a young child. The room was dark as it was the night. A young, five year old Tanner sat upright in her bed as a woman stroked her hair. The witness Tanner could feel sweat roll down young Tanner's face.
"No," witness Tanner muttered rubbing her face exhaling sharply, "Please, God, no. I've lived through it enough."
"Tanner, sweeite it was just a dream," the woman assured pulling her close.
"No, it was real! Something bad's gonna happen, Mommy!"
Mommy! The word brought hidden tears to Tanner's eyes as she stared at her mother, the Great Lioness, Mariah Hawk. She was beautiful with her long, brown hair and sparkling emerald green eyes and a wonderful, exhilarating smile. She wrapped Tanner in her strong arms and began humming in Tanner's ears. She took a step forward and stared at her mother.
"No, baby, nothing bad's gonna happen," Mariah murmured kissing her forehead.
"No!" Young Tanner stood up on her bed shaking out her reddish- brown hair hair hair as her murky eyes smoldered. She gripped her mother's hands tightly in her own. "No! Mommy, I know something is!" Tanner laid back into her mother's arms. "I know it." Mariah gave a sigh and rocked back and forth humming a tune.
"Alright, alright, baby, let me talk to your father, go back to sleep and I'll get you if anything happens okay?" Mariah asked her eyes shimmering with pain and empathy. Young Tanner gave a nod and Mariah left the room and joined her husband, David Hawk at the living room. Witness Tanner followed her eyes never leaving her mother. She leaned against the wall watching her mom with longing.
"David," Mariah sighed pulling her husband into an embrace. Tanner nearly collapsed at the sight of her father. He was strong, sure and loving. He was handsome with dark curly hair and piercing blue eyes. He was the calm to the great warrior, Mariah. He was the water to her fire, the yin to her yang. he gently kissed her lips and held her close. Tanner watched shakily as she watched her long- gone parents.
"What is it? Is Tanner okay? Is it just her wings growing again?" David was an accomplished geneticists. He found Mariah and Tanner's dragon heritage fascinating and loved them for it.
"No, David, she says something bad's gonna happen." Mariah looked up into his blue eyes.
"You believe her?"
"Dragons are known to have a very acute sense of danger so she very well could be-"
"Do you believe her?" David asked again his eyes unmoving. Mariah looked up into his eyes and nodded.
"Yes, Tanner is extremely gifted I trust her instincts as well as I trust my own," she said her eyes were smoldering with passion.
"Okay," David ran his fingers through his hair, "what do we do? Do we alert your family? Your brother, Patrick is nearby."
"No, no one but Irene knows about my existence, we must deal with this as I dealt with all my problems, on our own." Mariah turned away as Tanner crept closer to her parents watching them with. "We have to get Tanner and get as far away from here as fast as we can." Mariah pulled her scabbard out from behind the couch, clutching her sword close. "Get the car, I'll get Tanner."
There was a boom as David flinched falling to the floor clutching his chest as blood rose to his face. He looked behind him where a sword protruded out of his stomach. Tanner let out a scream clutching her face. Mariah pulled out the silver sword and held the sword high in the air her eyes were aflame. Her body leaned back into the familiar battle poses her muscles bulging as her muscles flexed. Tanner walked forward and watched as a telltale tear slid down her mother's cheek. Mariah eyes darting to the body of her dying husband.
"Stay back!" She hissed her sword shining in the moonlight.
"Or what, Mrs. Hawk? You'll hurt me?" A man stepped out of the shadows holding up young Tanner. Mariah flinched as her heart raced.
"Put her down!" Mariah ordered.
"No, I don't think I will, Mariah," he hissed smiling pulling his own shimmering, silver blade. The very same blade that now sat on the table at the church under the watchful eyes of Billy, Bonnie and Ashley. Witness Tanner shifted her weight nervously watching the scene intently. He pointed the blade at Tanner's vulnerable neck. Mariah snarled and gripped her blade tighter.
"Put down the blade, Mariah, I would hate to have to hurt your precious, spirited daughter," the man hissed flashing Mariah a smile that gleamed in the moonlight. She spat on the floor in front of the man hate emanating from her eyes as she dropped the blade on the floor.
"Tanner, baby, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Mariah asked then turned to the man, "If you hurt my daughter I will kill you slowly, that's a promise."
"No, Mommy, I'm okay. Where's Daddy?" Tanner looked to the floor where her father lay dying staring at his family helplessly.
"No!" Mariah yelled making Tanner look at her. "No, baby, don't look for Daddy just look at me okay? We're gonna be okay? Then we're gonna go on a big plane, I promise, sweetie." Mariah smiled at her cherished daughter. Tanner nodded and kept her eyes on her mother while her mind rotated.
"Cute kid," the man commented stepping away from Tanner and towards Mariah still wearing his cruel smile. "Too bad that must end."
"Why are you here?" Mariah asked her eyes on the man as he circled her smiling at her the same way a lion eyed a zebra. "Why us?"
"'Why us?' My dear, Mariah, you should consider this an honour; we have looked for you for many years, you are good. I'm here to end the race that should never have been given life in the first place. You and your race plagued the world of its purity, tainting the human kind through your evil songs and evil ways."
"What evil songs? What evil ways? Dude, you need a history lesson," Mariah hissed. She may have lost her weapon and her daughter in the hands of evil but she still had her wit. The man gave a chuckle and put a hand on Mariah's shoulder brushing her hair off her cheek. David gave a weak growl from the floor as he struggled to his feet to go his wife's defence.
"Mariah, you are beautiful a source of sin for mankind."
"Well then mankind should have stronger will power," Mariah retorted pushing the man's hand away from her.
"You and your blood must cease to exist before the world can re-enter the pearly gates of heaven. You and that scum you call a waste."
"Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?" Mariah asked giving sigh and relaxing her muscles leaning back on one leg. The man laughed and shook his head stepping behind Mariah and putting the silver blade at her throat. His eyes widened as his breathing increased as he stared at knife.
"I will destroy your race but you shall be my greatest kill, the Great Lioness, taken at my feet, the Cobras will rise once more!"
"Leave my Mommy alone!" Young Tanner ordered holding up a knife. The other Cobras were lying at her feet unconscious. The man gave a laugh and left Mariah and stepped towards Tanner.
"Cute, really a real shame she has to die," he commented then turned to Tanner. "Give me the knife will you, darling?" Young Tanner shook her head and took a step back clutching the knife close to her chest. "Darling, we don't want to misbehave in front of Mommy would we?"
Witness Tanner felt rage course through her veins as she watched the man. Ever since that night Tanner could never stand to be called darling. Ever. Her hands made a fist as she breathed hard.
"No," little Tanner protested stepping back once again. The man yelled and turned back to Mariah.
"Mariah, you might want to teach your daughter a lesson in obedience," he hissed smiling but his eyes blazed with annoyance. Witness Tanner gave a proud smiling knowing that if anything successful she did that night she annoyed the man.
"Tanner," Mariah called her watchful eyes on his child. "Put the knife down, please, baby."
"Yes, Mommy." Tanner laced the knife on the ground and glared at the man. He laughed and picked up the knife.
"Thank you, darling, wouldn't want you to get hurt, would we?" He turned back to Mariah spinning the knife in the air. "No, Mariah, where were we?"
"You were about to jump off Mount Everest I believe," she answered flashing him a witty smile. The man laughed gripping her arm tightly in her hands so tight his fingernails turned white.
"Funny, Mariah, funny." Then he threw a fist and caught Mariah in the face knocking her over. Young Tanner gave out a small scream as Mariah sat up, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were unfocused and her breathing was off.
"Mommy?" Tanner asked from the back of the room, "Mommy, are you okay?" Tanner whimpered.
"Yes, baby, Mommy's okay," she answered breathlessly as she glared at the man her eyes radiating hate.
"Now as much as I love our conversation I really must be going so," the man held the knife high above Mariah's head as she looked to Tanner.
"Leave my Mommy alone or suffer my wrath!" Little Tanner's voice demanded but her voice was full of authority and control. The man turned behind him his eyes an inferno.
"What?" He hissed gripping Mariah's shirt. Tanner stood tall her eyes burning with a fiery passion.
"Leave. My. Mother. Alone. And. Leave. This. House. Now." Tanner stood tall the man stood up slowly all out of laughs, this had stopped being funny and cute minutes ago.
"Or what, darling? You have no weapon." Tanner looked down and looked back up as her wings grew out of her back, her spine shifting to support the wings as the skin around the wings turned to small, tiny red scales. The man smiled and laughed.
"So you have wings, that's lovely, darling, just hold your turn and let me finish with your mother okay?"
"No! Leave now!" She ordered stepping forward. Mariah gave a smile watching her daughter with pride, she definitely had the Great Lioness within her.
"Now I am tired of this, Mariah you are going to die and Tanner you will be next if this is the last thing I do!" The man grabbed Mariah and raised the knife above her head once again.
Tanner gave a battlecry and jumped to the air flapping her wings with proficiency. She rose in the air and bolted towards the man as she did her nails growing into the razor sharp talons of a mighty dragon.
"GO!" She screeched raising her clawed fist to the air. The man turned towards her right as she swiped, forever leaving the man with three scars running down his cheek. Tanner landed on the floor as the man fell to the ground yelling in pain.
The Cobras lifted up their crossbows and began firing at the young child. Mariah threw the Cobra holding her down and leaped to her feet grabbing her sword tightly in her hands. The sword sat familiar in her hands, the red rubellite twinkling like an old friend.
"Tanner! Scales!" Mariah ordered slaying one of the crossbow Cobras, throwing him onto the ground as if he was nothing but a sack of potatoes, but to Mariah a sack of potatoes had more worth. Tanner gave a slight nod as her skin turned into small, red scales protecting her from the worst of the arrows. Her scales shone brightly in the moonlight, like rubies.
"Mommy!" Tanner called from the ceiling as she banked each arrow.
"Get the child and kill her!" The man shouted as he struggled to his feet. "KILL HER!" Then the arrows flew at Tanner as if it was rain. An arrow caught her scally arm causing the scales fade to peachy coloured skin as fear overcame the small child.
Witness Tanner jumped forward popping her wings open as her hands grasped at her sheath, where there was no sword. She threw a hard punch at a Cobra but the punch went right through him as if the Cobra was a ghost. She stepped back and leaned against the wall watching the horrific scene breathlessly.
"Mommy!" Young Tanner gave out a helpless cry as her arm returned to scales but her energy was draining fast. An arrow whizzed past her ear and stabbed her in the wing, punching a perfect whole in her leathery, red wings. Tanner gave out a cry and fell to the ground as scales diminishing into soft skin.
Witness Tanner took a step forward as her keen, sharp eyes caught sight of something she never saw before. Young Tanner was busy jumping away from arrows while David continued to bleed out watching the spectacle in front of him. Mariah fought furiously against the Cobras, fighting like a great lioness to get at her defenseless child but it was the man who caught witness Tanner's attention.
He had now pushed himself into a sitting position and had grabbed ahold of the knife, the knife that killed her mother. Tanner crept closer to him watching him, glancing at her mother ever so often. Mariah had gained some ground closer to young Tanner her eyes blazing and fierce. The man held the knife and aimed, reflecting the moonlight into Mariah's eyes. She squinted and briefly looked away. Her eyes widened and took in a sharp breath as she spotted the blade in the man's hands. She looked to where he aimed and gave a strangled cry.
"Tanner!" The man threw the knife. It flew through the air shining and shimmering in the moonlight as it sailed through the air. Mariah pushed the Cobras around her and jumped to Tanner.
"TANNER!" The child looked up with big eyes right as the knife plunged deep into her mother's abdomen protruding out Mariah's stomach, an inch away from Tanner's face. Witness Tanner gave a startled cry and covered her mouth as tears rose in her eyes. Young Tanner just simply stared at the knife too terrified and too stunned to do anything. Nothing could kill the Great Lioness, nothing.
"Mommy?" Young Tanner finally whimpered, her bottom lips began to quiver as she pulled on her mother's arm. "Mommy? Please." Tanner pulled her mother onto her lap and stroked her mother's hair affectionately. She gasped as she saw the knife's handle deep into Mariah's stomach.
"Hey, baby, it's okay," Mariah whispered smiling gripping her daughter's small, frail hands. "Mommy's gonna be okay, we all will." A tear rolled down Mariah's face as tears dripped off Tanner's chin.
"Mommy? You okay?" Tanner asked as Witness Tanner glared fire at the man. It was too dark to make out anything other than his gleaming smile and shimmering, cruel eyes. Then she jumped up and joined her former self and mother watching the heart jerking tragedy.
"Dear Lord Jesus above, please save and protect my daughter, my little, precious Tanner Hawk, the Lioness Reborn. Save her and deliver her as you did to the Israelites in Egypt, save her," Mariah prayed pulling the knife out of her belly. "Now, Tanner, take this it may serve a purpose later and take this," Mariah handed Tanner her beloved sword, the sword she had since the time of King Arthur, the birth of the Great Lioness. "It is yours now, take it and use it for righteousness and justice." Tanner began shaking her head and pushing the sword away.
"No! You can do this because you are my daughter, you are the Lioness Reborn! Take it and find Hartanna, she'll know what to do." Mariah kissed the top of Tanner's head and looking back at the man.
Suddenly there was a blaze of red hot fire behind them creating a portal. Mariah gave a smile and mouthed thank you.
"Tanner, jump through the portal, go now!" Mariah yelled.
"Do not let Tanner escape!" The man ordered sitting to his knees. Young Tanner glanced at him and stared at the three gory marks her claws caused and his red, yellow hateful eyes. The Cobras raised their crossbows and began shooting again. Mariah and David both jumped up catching the arrows in the chest.
"Tanner," Tanner looked at her mother as a tear trickled down her face, "go, baby, run." Without another word Tanner jumped through the portal, the last thing she saw was her mother and father as the man slit their throats. Their bodies fell limply to the floor holding each other's hands. And the man as his yellow eyes glared through the vanishing portal.