I woke to the heat of sunlight on my face and birds chirping in my ear. I started to open my eyes when pain shot through my skull, jerking me into total awareness. I gasped in pain. My entire body, from the crown of my head to the balls of my feet, was stiff with a muscle-clenching pain. Tears streamed down my cheeks with the force of it. I don't know how long I lay there, waiting for the pain to pass, but I eventually lifted myself, slowly, into a sitting position. I crawled to a nearby tree and leaned against it, gasping for air. I had to stop for a while longer before I could think straight. I looked around, trying to figure out my location. The place was very unfamiliar. I was in a glade, surrounded by a thick circle of trees. The trees were so thick that the little light that filtered through only showed in sparse areas. It was very peaceful here. The birds were chirping, their hearts filled with the wonder and joy of spring. The little bit of sunlight that filtered through was a bright, happy jade green, giving the area a nice glow. The trees still had some of the red and gold leaves of winter, but for the most part they had dark, crisp green leaves. Most of them were large, proud oaks, but there were also pines, magnolias, and other various trees that I did not know the names of. Wild flowers grew in patches, and in the center of the glade was a single bush, covered in wild, white, magnificent roses. Looking at those roses, I felt the urge to cry. This puzzled me, I did not usually cry, and deffenitley not for any old reason. I slowly stood, and took a step towards the bush, then stopped. Hadn't I broken my foot? I looked down at my bare feet and wiggled my toes. Nothing hurt, at least not in that specific area. It must have healed some how. I wonder what happened last- I gasped as patches of memory came rushing to the front of my mind. I remember...darkness...pain, of course, screaming...and...blood. I shuddered as I remembered the last part. I remember having no control. Whatever did have control, was angry, and strong. Really strong. I ground my teeth as I struggled to remember more, but nothing else came to mind.
With frustration and anger beginning to consume me, my ears pricked forward as a breeze gently began to blow through the glade. With it, the breeze brought the smell of fresh water, warm, clean skin, and...roses. I opened my eyes and looked around, sensing I wasn't alone. I looked around, trying to avoid looking at the one place I felt the presence was coming from. Finally, I couldn't ignore it: I looked at the bush with the white roses. My ears lay flat as I gazed at the bush. I couldn't see anything unusual, and I shook my head.
"You're crazy. Too much time alone has made you-" My ears shot forward as the sound of giggling broke through my rambling. I looked around, then, seeing nothing, focused on the rose bush again.
"Hello?" Another giggle was my answer. I took a step towards the bush, eyes narrowed, ears forward, and nose catching the light scents of roses and clean skin. Just as I was about to take another step towards the bush, a small figure jumped out from the center of it. It looked like a small child. When the figure stood up, giggling delightedly, that turned out to be exactly what it was: a little girl with strawberry hair woven into a tight braid, then curled into a bun and topped with a thin, yet intricate silver circlet, and dressed in beautiful white robes. She had the smell of clean skin and, of course, roses. Her face was flawless, no scrapes, blemishes, or freckles on her fair skin, and a huge grin graced her face, filled with perfect, straight, white teeth. Her eyes were the most striking about her appearance. They were a bright, happy pink.
"You're not crazy, you're just bad at this game. I win!" She giggled again, jumping up and down, clapping happily. I raised an eyebrow and waited for her to quit bouncing.
"Who are you? How did I get here? And where exactly is 'here'?" I watched as she giggled again, and wondered if I had said something funny. I hadn't.
"You ask a bunch of questions. My name is Antibelle, but you can call me Bell. You are in my kingdom, and I had you brought here. I saved you!" She giggled again and began dancing around me, repeating "I Saved You" in a singsong voice. She was making me nervous.
"Um, ok, Bell. Where are your parents and who did you have bring me here?" I suppressed a growl as she giggled again. This was getting very irritating.
"I don't have any parents, silly! This is my kingdom, I don't need parents. I told my servants to bring you, of course! I'm so smart, I saved you!" I had to keep myself from smacking her as she began to sing and dance again.
"Bell, this is serious. I need to know how I got here. Where are your servants? Also, if this is your kingdom, where is the castle?" I almost sighed when she finally stopped bouncing and giggling. She, however, did sigh, and I thought I saw her eyes flash briefly from pink to red, then back again.
"You're no fun. Fine, I'll show you my servants, but you can't tell anyone about them. The others will try to take them away if they find them." Before I could question her about 'the others,' she danced, yes danced, to the edge of the glade and began singing a wordless tune. As I listened, I found the pain in my body begin to ebb, leaving my limbs, and I felt my frustration die as well. By the time she had circled the glade, I felt relaxed, as well as a slight grin on my face. When she made a complete circle, she returned to my side. I was about to ask what she had been doing when my ears pricked forward, catching the sound of approaching foot steps and breathing. I was rendered speechless as the most magnificent creatures I had ever seen stepped into the glade.
There were two, and they were unlike anything I had ever seen. Their upper halves were that of any other human, aside from the astounding, almost unearthly beauty, and their lower halves were that of horses. One, the male, was extremely handsome. He had sharp, dark eyes, long, black hair, and an olive complexion. His equestrian half was covered in a glossy black fur and a tail that trailed the ground behind him. He was very muscular on both halves with a defined chest, strong arms, and his four legs looked as if they could crush the skull of an elephant.
While he looked astounding, he was nothing compared to the female. She had a pale, soft complexion, with a flawless, beautiful face. Her long hair was so blond, it appeared silver, and was held with a band and draped over her shoulder with a pink flower tucked behind her ear. Her eyes were a blue so light, they looked almost like ice, but had a warmth to them that made you want to tell her your every secret. Her lower half was white, and her long tail had flowers woven into it. She wore a long wreath of flowers around her neck, that hung at just the right length to cover her breasts. She was not muscular like the male, but she was toned, and looked as if she could hold her own in a fight. Together, standing side by side as they were, they looked so strong and beautiful, I felt tears come to my eyes again. I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I wanted to know what they were, their names, and where they came from, but I found myself speechless.
"These are my servants, Alana and Milian. Aren't they beautiful?" She giggled and clapped again. It seemed wrong to call such magnificent creatures servants. As I wondered how they thought about being referred to that way, the female, whom I assumed was Alana, smiled warmly at Bell, while Milian looked as if he were slightly annoyed, maybe even offended at being considered the servant of a child. Alana stepped forward and inclined her head towards me.
"I am Alana, as I'm sure you already know. We did not think you were going to wake up when we first found you. I am pleased to find you in good health." She smiled a smile so warm that it reminded me of melting butter. I caught myself starring, and grasped for a response.
"My name is Miyasha. I can't thank you enough for what you've done. I've never seen anyone like you before-" I blushed as I realized that last part might offend them, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so-" Alana laughed, a sound like tinkling bells, and brushed off my weak apology.
"Nonsense. You have a right to be curious. Not many have had the privilege of seeing one of our kind, let alone us, the Elders of the centaurs." She smiled when I gasped.
"Centaurs? I thought you were things of myth! I've heard stories of your magic, archery, swordsmanship, art, music! I've heard so-I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I don't usually do that, this isn't like me." I blushed again, clamping my lips tightly together. Alana laughed again, and I thought I saw Milian give a small chuckle. My cheeks burned, and I tilted my head until my face was hidden by a curtain of dark hair. Figures, the first time in my life that I'm embarrassed, and its in front of the two most beautiful creatures I've ever seen. Alana put a soft hand on my shoulder, the other under my chin and lifted my face to meet her smile. Milian was standing behind her, smiling at me.
"Don't hide your face, its much too pretty, neither should you be ashamed of being excited. We are used to the gushing when people have the rare chance to meet us. We keep our existance secret from most of the world to preserve our numbers. Only a select chosen few get to meet us. You are the first in over a hundred years to meet an Elder." She brushed my hair, tucking it behind my ear with her soft fingers. I instantly felt more calm at her touch.
"Where did you find me? I don't remember anything about last night. Do you know what happened to me?" At this, her smile softened from one of open kindness, to one of sympathy. She glanced back at Milian, looking like a parent seeking a way to tell a child something difficult.
"Oh, my dear, I-" She faltered, unsure of how to continue, then seemed relived when Milian stepped forward to take over.
"Miyasha, you may not like what we have to say, but you must hear it," His voice was firm and deep, but still kind. I was puzzled, and I didn't like the way Alana was looking at me, like I was child about to be told my parents were dead.
"What? What do you have to say?" I could feel panic rising. I did not like the way they were looking at me.
"When Alana and I found you, you were not yourself. Neither in body, nor mind. You had taken a different form entirely. We are not certain of how it happened, but somehow, you took the shape of Morzana, the wolf demon. We thought she had been destroyed centuries ago. When Alana and I were mere children, and mind you, centaurs age much more slowly than other creatures, the Elders at the time faced Morzana and sealed her away. No one ever believed that she would ever be able to get out of her prison, she was too weak from the battle with the Elders. We believe that she must have taken root in your body, attaching to your soul, when you were a baby. We also believe that is the reason for your...canine appearance," He smiled a bit at his own joke, and I glanced up at my ears, "What do you remember about your childhood? Did either of your parents seem...more than human?" He looked at me with narrowed, piercing eyes, and I flushed under the heat of his gaze. I already new my answer, but I tried hard to please him, digging deep into my memory.
"No, Milian. I don't remember my parents. The only thing I know about them is that they were murdered when I was a young child. I went into an orphanage for a short time, then I ran off. I've been on my own ever since. I don't even remember their names." My voice dropped to a whisper as I admitted that last part. I felt as if I had let my parents down. It was bad enough that I didn't remember what they looked like, but to not remember their names? What sort of a daughter was I?
"No matter. I'm sure it is safe to assume that your parents were entirely human. We are not sure how Morzana escaped, nor how she found and bonded to you. We could not even find you until last night. Which reminds me, we found you completely by mistake. We were scouting ahead of our clan when you attacked us. We nearly killed you, thinking you to be Morzana, when Antibelle showed up, telling us of your true identity. She is the one that actually brought you out of the maddened, possessed state you were in. Once returned to your normal state, we carried you to the glade. You didn't appear to have any injuries, but we gave you a tonic to ease your mind and help you sleep. After that, here you are." He smiled, inclined his head, and returned to his place behind Alana. It was some time before I could speak. I had to clear my throat several times, and I knew I looked like a gaping fish with the way my mouth kept opening and closing. Finally, I found my tongue.
"Is...is there any chance that you're wrong? About the demon, I mean?" I looked to them, though I felt no hope. I was ready for their answer when it came:
"There is...a small chance that your...other half is the result of something else, but we are fairly secure in our belief that it is Morzana. The only way to be positive would be to travel with us and allow our, what your kind would call a shaman, to study you. You may come with us, but be warned, it is a long journey." Milian looked me over, as if doubting my abilities in traveling. I nodded, though I wasn't looking at him. I was deep in thought. Finally I looked at him, and gave a more sure nod.
"I can make it. Trust me, I'm used to traveling. Besides, I have better endurance than most. When do we leave?" Behind me, I heard Bell clap her hands, giggling.
"Wonderful! You'll have such fun with Alana and Milian! You must tell me all about it when you return!" I turned on her, eyes wide. I had questions for her too. How had she saved me from that awful form? Who was she? Before I could even open my mouth, she was shoving me towards the trees, as if she knew my intentions.
"No time for chitchat, you have to go! The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back and tell me how it went!" She giggled again and when I turned to look at her again, she was gone. I looked around, but there was no sign of her. Finally, I turned and faced Alana and Milian, then I looked into the darkening forest. Here goes nothing. And I stepped into the forrest, into the unknown.