Sophie landed in a thick forest by the port. Her wings folded into themselves and returned to their decorative position on her shoulder blades. Twenty feet away, she heard the bustle of the port of Dover. Immediately, her ears picked up the nearest voices. They were two officers. She heard her name, and the word "Wanted."
She cursed. In the back of her head, she hoped that the Prince was alright, but she knew she couldn't go back. No one would believe that she cut off his arm in an act of self defense.
She looked around. The woods were thick, with nowhere to be seen from but above. She started to undress. Her black gown would not due for a stowaway on a ship, which was her plan of action. She untied the bed sheet and pulled out the Prince's clothes, slipping the final parts of the dress off of her soft body. Standing naked, drenched in moonlight, one could see every tattoo on her body.
A snake was tattooed up the inside of her right wrist, a dragon on the inside of her left. On her bottom was a dolphin leaping from one side to her spine to the other. On the left side of her neck, right behind her ear, was a small fish, and on the back of both arms were raven wings. The wings she had used just previously, on her shoulder blades, were butterfly wings. They draped down to the middle of her back. On the top side of her right wrist was a chameleon whose tail wrapped around her pinky. On her left middle finger was a small firefly. There was a vine of ivy wrapped around her right calf and flowers tattooed in a line that wrapped around her left. A swirling cloud was under her right breast and a seahorse was on the top of her left thigh. Along the edge of the top of her right breast were stars, as there were on her neck on the left and on her face, above her eyebrow by her hairline on the right, and around her belly button and left nipple.
She sighed. She had been cursed for years, but being back in Europe just illuminated the fact once again to her.
When she was in the Far East, particularly Japan, she was sent to a school under the premise that it was for Geisha. Soon, after she picked up every rule they had so quickly, she was sent on past the other girls to a special house. There, thinking she was going to become a Geisha for kings, she was taught to fight. Once she was strong enough, they bestowed what they called the "blessing" upon her. There was some lore to go with it, but she hadn't listened hard enough to remember. She had left immediately, but not without being completely tattooed upon first.
Her tattoos came to life, all in different ways. They were embodiments of the powers she had been given. The dragon came alive off of her arm and protected her briefly, and allowed her to call on the assistance of fire. The snake allowed her to slip out of tough situations and places by elasticizing her body. The dolphin let her swim under tremendous water pressure, and the fish let her breath underwater. The raven wings let her fly with cover, the butterfly wings let her fly with speed, but not at the same time. The chameleon allowed her to be unseen unless someone knew exactly where to look for her. The firefly made her glow. The vine came off of her in impossible lengths and served whatever purpose it was given. The flowers came off of her and grew on the ground she walked on. The cloud called gusts of air, and changes in temperature and weather. The seahorse allowed her to call on the assistance of water.
She could not use them if they were covered, nor if she was bound.
Nor could she use them if she could not speak.
The other problem with this so called gift was that it drained her energy horribly. The only powers she could use without serious stress on her body were her raven wings and the flowers, the latter of which happened spontaneously.
Now, she changed into the Prince's clothes, tucking her long black hair under a bandana and fastening his belt around her waist. She put the soft leather boots on and dropped the sword into its holster. Looking over herself, she removed any decoration or design quickly. She then tied up the bed sheet again, threw it over her shoulder, and faced the wall of trees and underbrush.
Immediately, the trees recoiled their roots and the underbrush disappeared into ash in front of her. She took a step, and it disappeared another foot further ahead. She began to walk faster. Suddenly, she tripped out onto the dock. She stood up straight and brushed herself off.
Behind her, in the woods, was a trail of flowers.
(A/N: Chapter 2! I would appreciate reviews! Don't worry, all of this curse/blessing crap is going to be explained, at very least to the point where you're not so baffled. Again, reviews are nice, and I'll be happy to review back!)