Well… um… we'll see how I go, k?
Any suggestions or comments appreciated, k?
Amanda
I was trying to shake Ithiell awake when I saw her. Jade. My best friend since we could crawl. She was… different. Her clothes… she even had a strange necklace and boots to kill for… two swords…
The dragon turned to her, smiling. She didn't even flinch. There was something in her eyes… something was wrong with her. And I couldn't only see it, I could feel it somehow.
Then again, maybe it was just me.
She screamed, swinging the swords and bringing them down on the dragon! Straight into its snout! The thing screamed, but… Jade! She jumped up onto its head, running down to its neck! The thing swung its head… and Jade braced herself halfway down its neck, gripping the swords and shoving them down again into the creatures flesh.
HHHHHHHRRRRROOWWWWWAAAARRRRRRRRR!
I covered my ears, crying out in terror as the dragon desperately tried to get Jade. Then…
"Come on! Move back!" Robert was suddenly there, as well as Marco, and the two boys took each of Ithiell's shoulders and dragged him back, and soon someone else was tugging my arm. I let them, too fascinated by what I was seeing to do otherwise.
We backed up into a wall, with the boys leaning Ithiell against it. Jake was soon there, looking as terrified as I felt.
"We've got to help her!"
"How? All our morphs are useless against that thing!" Rachel snapped. Where was Cassie…?
"Maybe we can't, but the shifters might" Cassie said. Oh, there she was.
"No" Robert's voice was as frustrated as the rest of them "If I become that creature, there's a greater risk of me hurting Jade, then me actually being able to help her"
"THEN WHAT!" Jake yelled.
I never heard anyone respond, because I was transfixed by what I saw.
Jade was jumping up and down on the creatures neck and head, with it trying to dislodge her, and every time it did, it got another taste of metal. Jade was being merciless!
She jumped onto its back, and it swung its head around, snapping its jaws at her!
I don't know how she did it, but she pressed the blades of each sword together, kind of making it like a scissor, then pressed her foot down behind where the blades crossed as the thing tried to bite her!
The result was Jade one, dragon minus one. Jade had sliced off part of its nose!
Black blood pooled the floor as the creature lifted its head, screaming in pain. The noise was horrendous!
I almost puked at the sight, but my eyes were locked on what Jade was doing. I couldn't look away!
As the thing screamed, Jade jumped down, wiping one blade on each leg. She then grasped the handles more tightly, swung them around like a pro, then…
"HHHUUURRREEAHHHH!
Slammed them down into the beasts chest!
The dragon screamed again, then looked Jade right in the eye as it lay in a growing pool of its own blood. It gave a whimper, like a little hurt kitten, then it's head dropped and… and…
I looked away, retching at the sight and the sounds. I couldn't believe Jade had just done that!
WELL DONE. YOU WILL BE REWARDED.
That voice… I looked back, and saw something like a ghostly wisp at the side of Jade's body. Then it was gone, and she fell to her knees, dropping the swords.
"Oh god" I heard her moan, then she was suddenly on her hands and knees, sounding like she was fighting back doing what I just did. The others started to go to her…
"Wait! Stop!"
They all looked at me like I was nuts.
"Please, just… let me go to her"
"Let her go" It was Ithiell's voice, and I turned to see he was staring at me. I nodded, and the others seemed to accept this as I got to my feet and went over to her.
She was gagging and moaning and praying although she'd never truly prayed in her life. She was more than shaken. She was disgusted with herself.
"Jade?"
She looked up at me, those eyes… yes, this was Jade. This was my true sister. She was afraid, and desperate at the same time.
"We could have escaped, but… but I… it didn't… just like any other animal… I felt so angry, and… and I…"
"Jade, I think there was something else inside you"
"Wh-whoa-"
"I saw something leave you. Jade, I know you, and you would only fight to protect others, not kill mercilessly. There was something in you that made you. It wasn't your fault"
She looked like she didn't quite believe me. But I helped her up, and then checked her over. She looked ok, but…
"Hey, where'd this come from?" I wondered as I saw a long, thick ribbon attached to her waist. It was tied sideways, and was a mixture of the most amazing baby pink, as well as pure gold. I hadn't seen it there when she was fighting…
She looked dully at it.
"Must be the thing's lame excuse at a reward. Not like I deserve one anyway…"
(Hey, where'd you all get the cool outfits?) It was Tobias's voice, and when I looked up I saw him fly overhead, with Rtaia walking in from one of the entrances. I looked down, at myself, and…
"Hey!" I yelped as I saw I was dressed similarly to Jade. Well, except the ribbon. I turned around and saw Rachel and Cassie were done up similarly. The boys were dressed in something like what Hercules would wear. How… what the heck…?
Weirdly, they all seemed to be suited to each one of us. The colour, the design… the fit…
I touched the intricately woven necklace around my own neck, then scuffed my cool boots on the ground. Liked the boots. Didn't like anything else…
"Great. How are we supposed to morph in these?" Marco complained. Then I guess he saw Rachel because…
"Hey Rach, I guess you're X-OWW!"
I was too focused on the two having another go at each other to see what was going on almost right in front of me. Or… behind me or whatever.
When I did, I was shocked. I saw Jake holding Jade tight, stroking her hair as her wide eyes just stared into nothingness. Then… he kissed her.
And… well… then the whole truth about them was out in the open.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Jade
I walked along behind the others, with Jake on my left side. On my right the ribbon flowed along with the breeze. It was a beautiful ribbon, but other than that I really didn't see its purpose.
After Jake had openly kissed me, the others had a lot of questions. We didn't tell them anything. Instead, we all managed to find a way out of the volcano. We morphed or shifted, with the morphers clothes fully blending in with them as they did, and with Ithiell's incredibly good nose, and Tobias's experience with wind currents, we blew out of that place like bats out of hell.
Now we were walking again, and I was still in utter shock. I'd… I'd killed the dragon, but… Amanda was right, there was something else inside me as I plunged those blades down, screaming in triumph at my kill.
And we still had no answers, and no idea where we were going.
I looked at Amanda's back, where the horrendous scar went diagonally from her right shoulder to her left hip. She'd nearly died from that cut…
"So, where now? I mean, we have new clothes and swords, so…" Marco was saying, glancing back at Jake and me every now and then.
"So we keep going. At least until we can find a suitable place to rest for the night" Ithiell said, and Marco looked back at him.
"What then?" Robert's voice was a growl.
"Look, I don't have all the-wow!" Ithiell suddenly stopped, and we all kind of skidded to a stop right behind him.
"What? What is it?" Cassie asked.
Thankyou for freeing me…
It was a honey soft voice, and when I looked up I saw a flowing white mane, and a delicate golden horn…
The unicorn!
I pushed my way through my friends, finally coming to stand face-to-face with the creature. It was beautiful, and its purity…
No, I couldn't think like that. Nothing is pure, nothing…
"Did you make me kill the dragon?" I asked with barely contained anger.
I did not. But by this act, you have freed me of its curse. Come, walk with me sweet one, I will take you all some place quiet and safe.
"Don't call me sweet. I hate killing" I gritted my teeth to stop from screaming.
And your modesty strengthens what I know about you young one. Come, let me ease your pain for now.
The unicorn turned and started walking, and before I could scream or do anything, there was a hand over my mouth. I looked up and saw Jake, who just shook his head and looked dead into my eyes. When I didn't respond, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along, with the others following us. We followed the mythical creature, through the forest… around boulders and trees tightly packed together, soon ending up standing in front of a stunning waterfall. But where it met the river below… it was almost serene.
The horse-like figure treaded daintily along, stepping into the shallow water and heading straight for the waterfall. It seemed she wanted us to follow.
I stopped, sensing maybe a trap, but Jake pulled me forwards. We stepped into what I now saw seemed no more than a stream, following the unicorn as she… he… it, reached the waterfall. I watched as it passed through the water, then vanished from sight. I still had that gut feeling, but Jake's pull was too strong. I looked back at Ithiell, who frowned, but nodded anyway. He gripped the two swords he'd managed to carry out of the dormant volcano.
I knew then. If he saw we were in danger, he'd be over in a heartbeat. I saw him turn and start to talk to the others, but by then I was passing under the fall, and turned back to see where I was going.
I wiped the water, and my hair, out of my eyes with my free hand, watching as the horse, who seemed to glow in the dim light of what seemed to be a cavern. I could see the other end, as well as barely noticeable rocks and boulders on each side. Jake still pulled me along, and I followed without much resistance, suddenly having the feeling that whatever was on the other side was even more amazing than what I'd already seen.
Suddenly… we were out! The light blinded me for a moment, before my eyes adjusted… to see what looked like a real-life paradise. The trees and grass and water seemed bright, maybe just a bit too bright, and the sky was streaked with pink.
The horse continued on, but we'd stopped to admire what we saw. Soon, all eleven of us were gawking at the sight before all of us. Tobias was human, and strangely enough, dressed just like the other boys.
Take all the time you need. From now on, whatever you ask for, will most likely be given to you. The horse had turned back, then whinnied and nodded its head like any other horse… and all of a sudden we were surrounded! But… not like… like good…
They were boys and girls, like us, perhaps only a year or so older than us. All of them were beautiful, or incredibly handsome. I watched as Amanda was led away by two of the boys, and I heard her ask for some sort of meat.
Marco soon vanished with his own two girl helpers, and Jake and Robert followed. Cassie was a little reluctant, and a little shy, but soon she was led off as well. Tobias was a hawk again, and had flown off to follow the horse. Ithiell and Rtaia stood by me, looking tense. I can't say I didn't feel exactly the same way.
"Something about this just doesn't feel right" Ithiell muttered, then there was a voice. Gentle, but it wasn't exactly speaking any language I'd ever known. Ithiell jerked, and we all turned to look and… and saw two Chanaiben males, and two females.
Ithiell spoke rapidly in his own tongue to them, and a female answered slowly and sweetly. Rtaia and him looked worriedly at each other, and Ithiell sighed. He dropped the two swords, and was led off by the females. Rtaia, by the males.
Suddenly two boys were in front of me. One had the most luscious black hair that I could probably run my hands through all day, and the other had red hair. They were both as hot as I'd ever seen any guy. The black haired one smiled.
"You must be Jade. Come, we will get you whatever you wish" he held out an arm for me to take, and at first I was reluctant, but…
"Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you" the other said, and… well… everyone else had gone off, so why not me?
I linked my arm through his, smiling up at him. Oh those eyes! Midnight blue with a strange hint of burgundy in them. He smiled at me, and I thought I was going to faint!
"Um, okay. First, I'd like to have a nice hot bath, then maybe some cooked chicken, and… well… maybe a foot rub as well, and…"
I felt I might as well give them a 'break' for now. Hehehe…. no one will be expecting what comes next…
