Chapter One: Red and Copper, White and Black
She sat there, watching the twirl of heat and light spiral in front of her ivory face. At 5'8" the fifteen-year-old girl was one of kind. With deep red ringlets, and piercing emerald green eyes, the teen had a wild unconquerable spirit and a courageous yet loving nature.
She loved to curl up in the comfy, blue armchair and lose herself in the simplicity of a crackling fire. Usually she would bring a book along to read, but this time she just wanted to sit undisturbed in her private world. As soon as that thought stepped into her mind she was interrupted by a scream. Unmoving, a mischievous smile crept across her smooth features.
"Lilith Kali Evans! Come here this instant!!" Lily cringed and ducked as a short thin woman stormed into the room, throwing a rolling pin at the girl.. With grey hair, and a bitter temper, Madame Miriam stopped at the edge of the rug, spitting with rage. "Lily, this has gone too far. You are hereby grounded. You are no longer allowed anywhere except for your room and the bathroom for the next two weeks! I can't believe that you would do such a thing as to cover that room with toilet paper, silly string, shaving cream, and honey! Now, get to your room immediately."
"Yes ma'am," replied the teen mockingly. Madame Miriam slapped her across the face. Gathering up her dignity, Lily bowed to the seething woman, and left..
As she left, Madame Miriam watched her go, thinking, Why was I stuck with her? What did I do to deserve this?! She turned and left for the kitchens, preparing to yell at the cooks for the trouble they had caused.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lily entered her room, rubbing her cheek where a red handprint was forming. She crossed to the circular window, happily remembering the fun that she had had 'decorating' the study room. She looked up at the stars, gazing at the simple beauty of the star-filled night.
She flicked her wrist behind her, and caught a book as it hurtled into her hand. Climbing up onto the windowsill, Lily opened up her newest read and started in. Within just a few minutes she was so deep into the book that she didn't notice the knock on her door. The knock repeated itself a little louder, finally snapping Lily out of her reverie. She slipped towards the door, quietly pulling it open. A shadowed figure swept into her room, and she closed the door softly behind it. When she turned around she saw the face of her best friend, Archer Silas Keith. A handsome boy with slightly long, copper coloured hair, 5'10", and a roguish twinkle in his emerald eyes, smiled at her.
"Kal," he sighed exasperated. Archer had come up with the nickname Kal when he found out that Lily's middle name was Kali. It had stuck, and now was all that he ever called her. "Why did you have to go and get into trouble again? I thought we were going to explore the grounds tonight? And what happened to your cheek?"
"Miriam," was Lily's only answer.
Archer pulled her into a hug, "I'm so sorry. Did she ground you too?"
"Yeah. I'm not allowed to leave my room or the bathroom at all. No food once again."
"Kal, you need to stop causing trouble. All that happens is you get hit with something, and then grounded."
"Hey, do you think that a grounding affects me? Geez, Sil, where are you today? We're still going, just let me grab my necklace." Each of the two teens had a necklace symbolizing themselves, and their friendship. It also worked as a way for them to communicate when in trouble. If one of the two friends were in trouble both of the necklaces would begin to glow and heat. Archer's was a silver chain with a white sun. Lily's was a silver chain with a white moon. Archer flicked his hand, and Lily's necklace soared to his outstretched arm. He handed it to her, and the two glided out of the room.
The two best friends were infamous troublemakers in their orphanage, and lived for the thrill of danger. They spent most of their nights exploring the infinite grounds of their hated home, slipping in and out of the liquid shadows, setting up pranks and finding hideaways.
Tonight they were going to explore a dark tunnel that Lily had found in the ground near the North wall. As they slipped outside, two powerful leopards, one a sleek midnight black the other a graceful snowy white, both with emerald eyes, took their place. Lily and Archer didn't know what their ability was called, but revelled in the possibilities that it allowed them.
The two friends bounded across the dewy grass towards the North wall in search of their newest adventure. Though they wouldn't admit it, each adventure was in truth not for the pure fun of it, but for their search for freedom. More than anything else, the friends wanted to be free of their horrible life at the orphanage. They wanted a life of liberty filled with unlimited opportunities and possibilities. With this thought in the recesses of their minds, the two leopards silently approached the deep tunnel. After exchanging a quick look, Lily leapt into the darkness and bounded ahead with Archer following. They padded swiftly through the tunnel, silently watching their surroundings.
"Grr," emerald eyes turned expectantly towards her friend. Archer created a short sound telling her to move faster. Lily snapped playfully and sped up. A couple hours after their 'discussion', Lily spotted a light. Could this finally be our way out? She thought. Quietly growling to catch Archer's attention, Lily moved cautiously towards the light and pushed at the moist dirt surrounding it.
The dirt gave way easily, and she tumbled down a grassy hill landing softly at the bottom. Before she could move, Archer rolled down the hill, landing on top of her. She pushed him off with her paws and immediately transformed back into her human self. Spinning to her friend, Lily asked the question that was on both of their minds, "Are we really free, Sil?"
"Kal, I think this is it. Look up there, that is the North wall, we're on the other side of it," he replied pointing to the top of the rolling hill. Archer and Lily looked at each other for a moment, and then flew into each other's arms, twirling around and laughing hard.
"We did it, Sil! No more Madame Miriam. No more boring days. No more horrible people. No more being told what to do. Freedom! Just plain old wonderful freedom!! I can't believe it!! We really did it, Archer!!" She looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes, and grinned.
"Come on, Kal! Let's ditch this place and get moving to somewhere happy." Archer transformed into his striking leopard form, and turned to his friend. There stood an elegant leopard with determination and joy written all over her powerful body. Archer gave Lily a toothy leopard's grin, and the two bounded softly into the light of the gathering dawn.
She sat there, watching the twirl of heat and light spiral in front of her ivory face. At 5'8" the fifteen-year-old girl was one of kind. With deep red ringlets, and piercing emerald green eyes, the teen had a wild unconquerable spirit and a courageous yet loving nature.
She loved to curl up in the comfy, blue armchair and lose herself in the simplicity of a crackling fire. Usually she would bring a book along to read, but this time she just wanted to sit undisturbed in her private world. As soon as that thought stepped into her mind she was interrupted by a scream. Unmoving, a mischievous smile crept across her smooth features.
"Lilith Kali Evans! Come here this instant!!" Lily cringed and ducked as a short thin woman stormed into the room, throwing a rolling pin at the girl.. With grey hair, and a bitter temper, Madame Miriam stopped at the edge of the rug, spitting with rage. "Lily, this has gone too far. You are hereby grounded. You are no longer allowed anywhere except for your room and the bathroom for the next two weeks! I can't believe that you would do such a thing as to cover that room with toilet paper, silly string, shaving cream, and honey! Now, get to your room immediately."
"Yes ma'am," replied the teen mockingly. Madame Miriam slapped her across the face. Gathering up her dignity, Lily bowed to the seething woman, and left..
As she left, Madame Miriam watched her go, thinking, Why was I stuck with her? What did I do to deserve this?! She turned and left for the kitchens, preparing to yell at the cooks for the trouble they had caused.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lily entered her room, rubbing her cheek where a red handprint was forming. She crossed to the circular window, happily remembering the fun that she had had 'decorating' the study room. She looked up at the stars, gazing at the simple beauty of the star-filled night.
She flicked her wrist behind her, and caught a book as it hurtled into her hand. Climbing up onto the windowsill, Lily opened up her newest read and started in. Within just a few minutes she was so deep into the book that she didn't notice the knock on her door. The knock repeated itself a little louder, finally snapping Lily out of her reverie. She slipped towards the door, quietly pulling it open. A shadowed figure swept into her room, and she closed the door softly behind it. When she turned around she saw the face of her best friend, Archer Silas Keith. A handsome boy with slightly long, copper coloured hair, 5'10", and a roguish twinkle in his emerald eyes, smiled at her.
"Kal," he sighed exasperated. Archer had come up with the nickname Kal when he found out that Lily's middle name was Kali. It had stuck, and now was all that he ever called her. "Why did you have to go and get into trouble again? I thought we were going to explore the grounds tonight? And what happened to your cheek?"
"Miriam," was Lily's only answer.
Archer pulled her into a hug, "I'm so sorry. Did she ground you too?"
"Yeah. I'm not allowed to leave my room or the bathroom at all. No food once again."
"Kal, you need to stop causing trouble. All that happens is you get hit with something, and then grounded."
"Hey, do you think that a grounding affects me? Geez, Sil, where are you today? We're still going, just let me grab my necklace." Each of the two teens had a necklace symbolizing themselves, and their friendship. It also worked as a way for them to communicate when in trouble. If one of the two friends were in trouble both of the necklaces would begin to glow and heat. Archer's was a silver chain with a white sun. Lily's was a silver chain with a white moon. Archer flicked his hand, and Lily's necklace soared to his outstretched arm. He handed it to her, and the two glided out of the room.
The two best friends were infamous troublemakers in their orphanage, and lived for the thrill of danger. They spent most of their nights exploring the infinite grounds of their hated home, slipping in and out of the liquid shadows, setting up pranks and finding hideaways.
Tonight they were going to explore a dark tunnel that Lily had found in the ground near the North wall. As they slipped outside, two powerful leopards, one a sleek midnight black the other a graceful snowy white, both with emerald eyes, took their place. Lily and Archer didn't know what their ability was called, but revelled in the possibilities that it allowed them.
The two friends bounded across the dewy grass towards the North wall in search of their newest adventure. Though they wouldn't admit it, each adventure was in truth not for the pure fun of it, but for their search for freedom. More than anything else, the friends wanted to be free of their horrible life at the orphanage. They wanted a life of liberty filled with unlimited opportunities and possibilities. With this thought in the recesses of their minds, the two leopards silently approached the deep tunnel. After exchanging a quick look, Lily leapt into the darkness and bounded ahead with Archer following. They padded swiftly through the tunnel, silently watching their surroundings.
"Grr," emerald eyes turned expectantly towards her friend. Archer created a short sound telling her to move faster. Lily snapped playfully and sped up. A couple hours after their 'discussion', Lily spotted a light. Could this finally be our way out? She thought. Quietly growling to catch Archer's attention, Lily moved cautiously towards the light and pushed at the moist dirt surrounding it.
The dirt gave way easily, and she tumbled down a grassy hill landing softly at the bottom. Before she could move, Archer rolled down the hill, landing on top of her. She pushed him off with her paws and immediately transformed back into her human self. Spinning to her friend, Lily asked the question that was on both of their minds, "Are we really free, Sil?"
"Kal, I think this is it. Look up there, that is the North wall, we're on the other side of it," he replied pointing to the top of the rolling hill. Archer and Lily looked at each other for a moment, and then flew into each other's arms, twirling around and laughing hard.
"We did it, Sil! No more Madame Miriam. No more boring days. No more horrible people. No more being told what to do. Freedom! Just plain old wonderful freedom!! I can't believe it!! We really did it, Archer!!" She looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes, and grinned.
"Come on, Kal! Let's ditch this place and get moving to somewhere happy." Archer transformed into his striking leopard form, and turned to his friend. There stood an elegant leopard with determination and joy written all over her powerful body. Archer gave Lily a toothy leopard's grin, and the two bounded softly into the light of the gathering dawn.