Chapter Four: History Lesson
"A'Kuna, tell me what you know about T'Kai. I deserve to know since I got dragged into this mess" Tabitha said idly as she picked up Saryon. The two were staying with A'Kuna for the weekend after the two had convinced Emily and Beth that this was something that needed to be done. The two spirits were staying in a small house owned by their friend Adam's parents. It was supposed to be rented out but no one had taken up the offer and Adam's parents agreed to let the girls stay in the house over the weekend. A'Kuna looked up at Tabitha from the world map she was studying. She had marked the map with a red marker to represent the places an animal resembling T'Kai had been recorded in history.
"I don't really know that much about her in reality. I only knew her for a little while in the past." A'Kuna admitted, earning a confused look from Tabitha.
"Then how do you know that she is as violent as you say she is?" the young witch asked.
"I just do, but if you really want to know I'll tell you what I remember. She originally came from a small desert tribe in Egypt. She was shunned for her..ability I guess you could call it. Shape Shifters were viewed by her tribe as hideous monsters. She wasn't much older then five when she was given to a traveling mage. She served as a servant to him until she was a teenager, then he shipped her off to the Palace and she was given to the Prince as a pet." A'Kuna said, closing her eyes to clearly remember her first meeting with T'Kai.
*FLASH-BACK*
A'Kuna lurked in the shadows of the market place as the golden grains of sands were blown in dizzying patterns by the desert winds. The desert residents didn't seem to notice them as they went about their normal days; milling around the market place to try and find the best deals or being the ones that were doing the selling. The guards for the Palace had long left for their shifts while the night guards were returning home to their families. All in all a pretty normal day from what priestess could tell.
A'Kuna was not a priestess from Egypt. She had escaped from what one day would be called Japan and had traveled to Egypt in search of a place where she wouldn't be persecuted because of who she was. She had been here for nearly a month now yet had no connection to anyone here. They all seemed to be involved in their own lives with no concern for new comers to their kingdom. They were all happy enough under the rule of the Amenhotep dynasty. The Pharaoh was adored by his people, as was his son that would often time sneak out at night to mingle with the commoners. Prince Yami would frequently visit the dueling fields with his friends Jono and Teana. There was no reason for anyone to worry or be unhappy with their lives.
However, this day wasn't like all others. An old mage still loyal to the Pharaoh was arriving this day with a gift for the Prince and his annual visit with his old friend. And there he was, riding in on a white desert stallion being followed by several of his servants, one of which led a beast of burden that carried baskets of random sizes. One basket in particular seemed important enough for a servant to be placed on the beast's back to ensure that whatever was in it didn't escape or fall out.
Normally this wouldn't have caught A'Kuna's attention, but the hissing sound that emerged from the basket pricked her interest. A silver reptilian head peeked out from under the basket lid as a cobra struggled to get some fresh air. The servant girl looked down at it and sighed, shaking her head as she lifted the lid and grabbed the cobra behind its head.
"T'Kai, stop trying to get into trouble. I don't want to get punished because of you." The girl said softly to the cobra, but it was loud enough for A'Kuna and the man in charge of keeping the servants in line gave the girl a quick rap with the handle of his sword. She meekly bowed her head and stuffed the snake back into the basket made out of dried river reeds, placing the lid back on it. So, the snake had a name did it?
A'Kuna followed them until she was side by side with the basket and the girl. The servant looked down at A'Kuna with a frown but didn't say anything to her. The snake could be heard moving around in the basket that must be uncomfortable after a long journey. The servants walking on foot shooed A'Kuna away as they neared the palace but that didn't stop the determined young woman from blending in with the crowds that had gathered to watch the mage present his gift to the Pharaoh's son that had become an annual tradition.
A'Kuna could see the Prince sitting boredly beside his parents, his tri- colored hair the most unusual aspect about him. He watched the proceedings with half closed eyes, looking very much like the tawny lithe-bodied felines A'Kuna had seen wandering about the streets and near the palace. Something about the way he looked told A'Kuna that he would rather not be here and she couldn't blame him. If she had a choice between sitting through an event such as this and being out with her friends, she would have chosen to be with friends...not that she had friends here.
Her brooding came to an abrupt halt as the presentation of this year's gift began. She saw the servant girl from before approach the center of the room, her head bowed and her eyes adverted from looking at the royal family. She carefully set the basket on the floor and removed the lid, reaching inside and pulling out the cobra by its tail. The snake whipped around, as if to strike the girl. Instead, it merely coiled itself around and slithered up her arm, making its way across her shoulders and down the other arm before she let go of its tail and it touched the floor, flowing off of her arm like a small river.
"It's a cobra." The prince said after a moment of watching the silver and blue reptile coil itself up on the floor.
"Look closer young prince" the mage said. The prince sighed and watched the snake, his crimson eyes fading to a dull red as boredom set it. Slowly yet surely the scales on the snake were giving way to white and black feathers. Its body mutated, shorting and growing talon feet and two powerful wings. The last thing to change was the reptilian head, being replaced by a feathered head from which intelligent eyes set in a permanent glare stared daringly back at the prince. With a soft hiss the falcon flapped its pinions and perched on the servant girl's shoulder, gently nipping her ear in a sign of friendship.
"A shape shifter?" The prince inquired of the servant girl. She nodded lightly, a barely noticeable movement of her head. The shape shifter turned its head towards the prince, its golden eyes locking with his own crimson ones.
"She is yours Prince Yami. She is a very reliable servant that I have trained to obey everyday commands. She was given to me by her parents who saw her as a demon" The mage explained as the prince continued to have a staring contest with the bird that wasn't really a bird. "The girl is her care taker and will stay with her if you will have them." The mage continued.
"What are their names?" the prince asked.
"The girl is Alera, the shape shifter T'Kai." The mage answered. Yami nodded as he repeated the names over to himself. He nodded to one of the palace servants.
"Take them to my chambers. I will decide what to do with them from there." He said. The servant nodded and led the obedient Alera out of the room. As for T'Kai, she flew back into the room with a soft squawk and landed on the arm of Yami's throne. The prince smiled faintly and gently stroked the bird's breast feathers as he had seen the falconers do to their birds. As he expected, T'Kai's eyes closed and she let out a soft chirp. A'Kuna, growing bored with the whole thing now, left with the crowds. She herself couldn't imagine being trained to obey commands or really being controlled by one person, but then again, she wasn't someone's pet and had a free will of her own.
*END FLASH-BACK*
"Yoohoo, anybody home?" Tabitha asked, waving her hand in front of A'Kuna's face. A'Kuna blinked then slapped Tabitha's hand away.
"Gah! Don't do that!" she hissed.
"Well excuse me but you were the one that zoned out and had a zombie-like expression on your face!" Tabitha growled and stormed off into the other room. A'Kuna sighed and pushed her chair away from the deck she was sitting at. Turning off the lights she got ready for bed, deciding to leave everything until morning. Things were always better in the morning.
A/N: Well, another chapter done! This one is more of a filler chapter then anything and the ending kinda sucks but it was the best I could do one five hours of sleep.
"A'Kuna, tell me what you know about T'Kai. I deserve to know since I got dragged into this mess" Tabitha said idly as she picked up Saryon. The two were staying with A'Kuna for the weekend after the two had convinced Emily and Beth that this was something that needed to be done. The two spirits were staying in a small house owned by their friend Adam's parents. It was supposed to be rented out but no one had taken up the offer and Adam's parents agreed to let the girls stay in the house over the weekend. A'Kuna looked up at Tabitha from the world map she was studying. She had marked the map with a red marker to represent the places an animal resembling T'Kai had been recorded in history.
"I don't really know that much about her in reality. I only knew her for a little while in the past." A'Kuna admitted, earning a confused look from Tabitha.
"Then how do you know that she is as violent as you say she is?" the young witch asked.
"I just do, but if you really want to know I'll tell you what I remember. She originally came from a small desert tribe in Egypt. She was shunned for her..ability I guess you could call it. Shape Shifters were viewed by her tribe as hideous monsters. She wasn't much older then five when she was given to a traveling mage. She served as a servant to him until she was a teenager, then he shipped her off to the Palace and she was given to the Prince as a pet." A'Kuna said, closing her eyes to clearly remember her first meeting with T'Kai.
*FLASH-BACK*
A'Kuna lurked in the shadows of the market place as the golden grains of sands were blown in dizzying patterns by the desert winds. The desert residents didn't seem to notice them as they went about their normal days; milling around the market place to try and find the best deals or being the ones that were doing the selling. The guards for the Palace had long left for their shifts while the night guards were returning home to their families. All in all a pretty normal day from what priestess could tell.
A'Kuna was not a priestess from Egypt. She had escaped from what one day would be called Japan and had traveled to Egypt in search of a place where she wouldn't be persecuted because of who she was. She had been here for nearly a month now yet had no connection to anyone here. They all seemed to be involved in their own lives with no concern for new comers to their kingdom. They were all happy enough under the rule of the Amenhotep dynasty. The Pharaoh was adored by his people, as was his son that would often time sneak out at night to mingle with the commoners. Prince Yami would frequently visit the dueling fields with his friends Jono and Teana. There was no reason for anyone to worry or be unhappy with their lives.
However, this day wasn't like all others. An old mage still loyal to the Pharaoh was arriving this day with a gift for the Prince and his annual visit with his old friend. And there he was, riding in on a white desert stallion being followed by several of his servants, one of which led a beast of burden that carried baskets of random sizes. One basket in particular seemed important enough for a servant to be placed on the beast's back to ensure that whatever was in it didn't escape or fall out.
Normally this wouldn't have caught A'Kuna's attention, but the hissing sound that emerged from the basket pricked her interest. A silver reptilian head peeked out from under the basket lid as a cobra struggled to get some fresh air. The servant girl looked down at it and sighed, shaking her head as she lifted the lid and grabbed the cobra behind its head.
"T'Kai, stop trying to get into trouble. I don't want to get punished because of you." The girl said softly to the cobra, but it was loud enough for A'Kuna and the man in charge of keeping the servants in line gave the girl a quick rap with the handle of his sword. She meekly bowed her head and stuffed the snake back into the basket made out of dried river reeds, placing the lid back on it. So, the snake had a name did it?
A'Kuna followed them until she was side by side with the basket and the girl. The servant looked down at A'Kuna with a frown but didn't say anything to her. The snake could be heard moving around in the basket that must be uncomfortable after a long journey. The servants walking on foot shooed A'Kuna away as they neared the palace but that didn't stop the determined young woman from blending in with the crowds that had gathered to watch the mage present his gift to the Pharaoh's son that had become an annual tradition.
A'Kuna could see the Prince sitting boredly beside his parents, his tri- colored hair the most unusual aspect about him. He watched the proceedings with half closed eyes, looking very much like the tawny lithe-bodied felines A'Kuna had seen wandering about the streets and near the palace. Something about the way he looked told A'Kuna that he would rather not be here and she couldn't blame him. If she had a choice between sitting through an event such as this and being out with her friends, she would have chosen to be with friends...not that she had friends here.
Her brooding came to an abrupt halt as the presentation of this year's gift began. She saw the servant girl from before approach the center of the room, her head bowed and her eyes adverted from looking at the royal family. She carefully set the basket on the floor and removed the lid, reaching inside and pulling out the cobra by its tail. The snake whipped around, as if to strike the girl. Instead, it merely coiled itself around and slithered up her arm, making its way across her shoulders and down the other arm before she let go of its tail and it touched the floor, flowing off of her arm like a small river.
"It's a cobra." The prince said after a moment of watching the silver and blue reptile coil itself up on the floor.
"Look closer young prince" the mage said. The prince sighed and watched the snake, his crimson eyes fading to a dull red as boredom set it. Slowly yet surely the scales on the snake were giving way to white and black feathers. Its body mutated, shorting and growing talon feet and two powerful wings. The last thing to change was the reptilian head, being replaced by a feathered head from which intelligent eyes set in a permanent glare stared daringly back at the prince. With a soft hiss the falcon flapped its pinions and perched on the servant girl's shoulder, gently nipping her ear in a sign of friendship.
"A shape shifter?" The prince inquired of the servant girl. She nodded lightly, a barely noticeable movement of her head. The shape shifter turned its head towards the prince, its golden eyes locking with his own crimson ones.
"She is yours Prince Yami. She is a very reliable servant that I have trained to obey everyday commands. She was given to me by her parents who saw her as a demon" The mage explained as the prince continued to have a staring contest with the bird that wasn't really a bird. "The girl is her care taker and will stay with her if you will have them." The mage continued.
"What are their names?" the prince asked.
"The girl is Alera, the shape shifter T'Kai." The mage answered. Yami nodded as he repeated the names over to himself. He nodded to one of the palace servants.
"Take them to my chambers. I will decide what to do with them from there." He said. The servant nodded and led the obedient Alera out of the room. As for T'Kai, she flew back into the room with a soft squawk and landed on the arm of Yami's throne. The prince smiled faintly and gently stroked the bird's breast feathers as he had seen the falconers do to their birds. As he expected, T'Kai's eyes closed and she let out a soft chirp. A'Kuna, growing bored with the whole thing now, left with the crowds. She herself couldn't imagine being trained to obey commands or really being controlled by one person, but then again, she wasn't someone's pet and had a free will of her own.
*END FLASH-BACK*
"Yoohoo, anybody home?" Tabitha asked, waving her hand in front of A'Kuna's face. A'Kuna blinked then slapped Tabitha's hand away.
"Gah! Don't do that!" she hissed.
"Well excuse me but you were the one that zoned out and had a zombie-like expression on your face!" Tabitha growled and stormed off into the other room. A'Kuna sighed and pushed her chair away from the deck she was sitting at. Turning off the lights she got ready for bed, deciding to leave everything until morning. Things were always better in the morning.
A/N: Well, another chapter done! This one is more of a filler chapter then anything and the ending kinda sucks but it was the best I could do one five hours of sleep.
