"I should start charging each time I have to heal someone." Que muttered as she set her glowing hands against Hermes' scratches on his chest.
"Very funny." Hermes muttered, looking over to the newest among them. She had her right eye shut as she looked around them, but the left eye was a deep brown.
"So why are you folks getting attacked my dragons? Did you step on his tail or something?" She looked around warily, her eyes stopping on Hermes more than anyone else.
"No." Alisha smiled softly. "He wanted to kill me."
The woman looked to her, glancing over her with a wide eye. "You're a human." She gasped. "How did a human get here?"
"My name is Alisha, and Hermes brought me here." Alisha pointed over to Hermes, who brought up a hand in greeting as he was healed.
The woman narrowed her eye at him warily, looking back to Alisha. "He brought you here? Why? Are you important?"
"I didn't know it back then, but apparently I am. You know Stardust and Sinto?"
"Of course. Everyone knows who they are."
"They're my mom and dad." Alisha said simply.
The woman stared at her for a minute, looking to the rest of them for their reactions to her statement. None of the others seemed the least bit surprised- on the contrary, they seemed to be waiting for her reaction to it.
"Can you prove it?" She asked cautiously.
Alisha sighed and moved her long hair that had been hanging over her face, revealing the long swirling scar that covered her cheek and neck.
The woman stared for a minute before breathing out a heavy breath of shock. "Alright then, you're the daughter of two of the most powerful beings in this world. No big deal, right? Well either way it looks like Asmarath knows who you are- so I'm coming with you."
"No way." Kandor growled. He didn't like the look of this newcomer.
"Got a problem with me, feathers?" The woman looked at Kandor with a suddenly cold expression.
"Yes- you have too much of an attitude. We don't even know your name." Kandor said, his voice hard.
"Well, my name is Risk. Problem one solved. As for my attitude, I suggest you get used to it."
"Do you have a problem with birds or something?" Pirko grinned wryly.
"Maybe. I have my reasons." Risk bared her fangs, her golden cat ears flipping back angrily.
"No big deal, just wondering." Pirko shrugged.
"I have to ask- for some reason it's bugging me." Hermes stood and pointed to her earrings, which were short black feathers. "Where did you get those feathers?"
"Oh, some macho shadow decided I looked weak enough to fight. Too bad he was wrong. Got some of his wing lopped off in the effort, too." Risk grinned. "He looked a lot like you, actually. Except darker."
Hermes' mouth pressed into a hard line. "I think you might have seen my shadow."
"Is that so? Well next time I see him I'll be sure to tell you." Risk grinned slyly, and looking around expectantly. "So where are you guys heading?"
"North- Alisha needs to be trained by Orisir." Hermes grumbled. He wasn't liking Risk much either.
"Alright then, let's move out. I don't doubt that dragon will be back soon- and with a very bad attitude, I bet." Risk pointed over her shoulder at the large chunk of tail behind her, her feather-shaped sword strapped to her belt.
Alisha nodded, looking over to Hermes to see if he was alright. The scratches weren't healed all the way, but Que was starting to look tired.
"Why is it that you and Pirko are always the ones to get hurt?" Que looked up at Hermes. "You should be more careful."
"I'll keep that in mind." Hermes chuckled, looking up to Alisha's concerned expression. "I'll be alright." He said reassuringly, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek absentmindedly. Que let out a high pitched giggle and ran over to Irtasu as Pirko growled from the other side of Risk.
"I'm starting to get really annoyed with all this snow." Pirko growled as he trudged through the now knee-high drifts of snow between the trees.
"Oh stop complaining. This is nothing." Que chuckled, wading easily through the snow ahead of everyone else.
"It is getting rather cold." Hermes said, trying to keep his teeth from chattering as he walked beside Alisha, who seemed rather used to the large amounts of snow around her. "I'm just glad I'm used to snow like this." She laughed, looking to Hermes, who was used to more tropical climates. "You alright?"
"I will be." He said, wincing as his teeth chattered at the end of his sentence.
"Well well." A voice said from the trees beside them, the entire group taking on a defensive stance in almost an instant after the last encounter. Risk looked around with her good eye, sniffing the air and pausing in confusion.
"Looks like you finally showed up. Do you know how long we've been waiting in this spot?" A deep voice said, as a man walked toward them. He looked around at the group with amused purple eyes, and grinned wryly. "I'm not going to attack you, lower your weapons."
Hermes watched him closely, still standing between the stranger and Alisha. "Who are you?"
"My name is Gleddon. And you, bird-boy need to get a better coat than what your wearing. You're going to be an ice cube by the time you get up north."
Hermes glared back at the man, suddenly more wary. "How do you know we are heading north?"
Gleddon just rolled his eyes. "By the direction you were walking."
"Oh." Hermes blinked in surprise.
"My alpha, Garu would like to meet you if you'll follow me." Gleddon pointed toward the forest behind him.
"We'd better follow him, Hermes." Pirko whispered to him, leaning over.
"Why?" Hermes said, not liking the way Gleddon knew them so well.
"Because I think he's a werewolf." Pirko said uneasily, keeping an eye on the man as he waited impatiently, a bare foot tapping on the snow.
"You think so?" Hermes said in surprise, glancing over as well. "Alright, we'll go- but keep an eye open for trouble." He stood up from talking with Pirko and looked over to the man. "Alright, we'll follow."
"Good. Misa will be happy to finally meet you." Gleddon said, turning around and walking back through the forest.
"Who's Misa?" Alisha whispered to Hermes, who only shrugged in confusion.
"Head's up everyone, I have some visitors." Gleddon shouted before entering into a clearing, the people gathered there looking up curiously. A shout came from one of them and a girl jumped up from her spot, looking over the group walking behind Gleddon with eagerness.
"It's you! All of you!" She said giddily, clapping her hands together.
"Calm down." A silver-haired man behind her laughed, standing as well before he walked forward beside her. "My name is Garu and this is my mate, Misa. This may sound strange to you, but we have been waiting a long time to meet you guys." Garu grinned.
"Okay, how can you be waiting for us? We have no idea who you are." Pirko asked, looking around at the legendary werewolf pack- the next strongest race other than the sorcerers. The sheer number of them was making him uneasy.
"I will leave Misa to explain that." Garu motioned to the girl beside her, who was beaming with happiness.
"I'm Misa, pleased to meet you." She made a small curtsy, and Garu couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't be so formal- just tell them." He grinned.
Misa chuckled and looked back up, her pink eyes wide. "I am a soul binder, such as yourself. I have been seeing visions of you for many years now- not all of them good, unfortunately." She stopped uneasily before continuing. "But know this- I see not only the future, but also the present. What is to come is never set in stone, and changes with the different decisions you must make. I can show you the current future if you'd like, but it may not be the one that will happen."
"You can show the future?" Hermes' eyes widened. "Wait- you're an albino, aren't you?"
"And a deer- you're the-" Pirko looked to her with wide eyes as well.
"Yes yes, the white doe." She waved a hand dismissively. "I cannot show you all the future- only one of you, and I was thinking it would be the sorceress." Misa pointed toward Alisha, who looked to the others uneasily before nodding.
"You're saying this is only a possible future, right?"
"Correct- one that will come about if the same decisions made now, apply then as well. Which is not usually the case, especially when it comes to great battles like what is to come."
"Great battles?" Hermes asked.
"Yes, the battle that will determine whether Wonderland falls or prevails. Asmarath not only wants to rule Wonderland, he wants to destroy it." Garu explained.
The group went silent for a little bit as the news hit them.
"So, what we're doing not only will save us, but everyone?" Que squeaked in shock.
"Correct." Garu nodded.
"No pressure." Alisha muttered.
"Do not worry sorceress, the pack has pledged allegiance to you. We will fight in your defense." Garu looked back toward the other wolves, who nodded.
"Wow, um thanks." Alisha smiled.
"Okay- now, hold still." Misa said, walking toward Alisha with a hand raised. She touched Alisha's forehead gently, and Alisha stiffened as the vision was transferred into her mind.
Rage filled her until every pore of her being was filled with a mindless red haze. They would pay for his death- and they would suffer like he had. Fire surrounded the land around her, incinerating her enemies while sparing her allies. Pirko turned around to look at her, a large gash cut across his face from a sword.
"Alisha, stop!" He yelled, defending off another shadow from Arya as she clutched at her shoulder, blood falling down her arm.
Alisha could not hear him- her eyes glowed with her fury as she walked through the battle scene, toward her enemy at the far side. She was blocked by someone, and stopped cold at the sight of him. His black feathers falling around his face were ragged from the fight he had internally fought- and the blue red and yellow roots the only thing that remained of him. Red eyes looked up at her as a cruel smile came over his face.
Her mind went silent with horror at the sight, and she didn't notice Asmarath behind her until she felt his claws sink deep into her back, her friends cries of pain at the sight as she froze from the agony.
"You have lost- this world is mine." A raspy voice whispered into her ear as he let her fall to the ground to die.