Prologue
A new beginning.
A new life, but one that is not wanted.
It was a clear and calm night, the full Moon blue in color up in the sky. It was a full Blue Moon tonight, the most powerful phase. The Moon's light casts a serene glow on the surface of the ocean. Far below the waves — where no human could ever reach — the cry of a newborn could be heard.
A Meor, brown hair and teal-blue eyes, lay in bed. The soft light of the blue ocean fire made her silver scales glisten as she held her first child. Instead of looking happy though, she looked confused.
Her newborn daughter didn't have features like every other Meor, brown, maroon, or black hair, nor did she have dark blue, teal, brown, or green eyes. She had blonde hair, almost white, and her eyes were an icy cyan-blue.
She looked at the father. "How is this possible? It's never happened before," she questioned him.
Before he could answer, a glow that came from the newborn's left hand drew their attention.
On the palm of her hand was a symbol, glowing blue. It was shaped like a teardrop, a dark, stormy blue with silver and turquoise swirls. Inside it was a smaller teardrop, a darker color. Surrounding the teardrop symbol were eight round water drop-like circles. At the top, they were lighter and grew darker towards the bottom.
The image here: https/pin.it/fUr8WYO (I will be changing the design another time)
The mother shrieked and dropped her child, who slowly floated down in the water, crying. The father grabbed his daughter and looked confusedly at his wife.
"What-" before he could finish his sentence she had pulled out a knife, and he quickly backed up.
"She has the cursed element! We have to kill her," she said, wild fear in her eyes.
The father shook his head, "No, I'll take her to the surface. The scent of blood can lure sharks here," he said, the best excuse he could come up with.
She is too different, would be shunned all her life if she grows up here, but it is too cruel to kill her in cold blood.
His wife nodded and he went on his way.
The girl with no name screeched. As the fist came towards her again, she nimbly avoided it and bit the person it belonged to.
He slapped her, and she fell, defeated. Thousands of years later, she will still wish that the memory feeling of his rough hands on her, his cruel and traumatizing actions, would be nonexistent, just another lost memory. But she is cursed, and she will never forget the first three thousand years of her life, as she comes to learn much later.
The people were angry outside, the nameless girl noticed. They were carrying pitchforks and torches — although she didn't know what they were at that moment — shouting words no one bothered to teach her in fury. Hatred burned in their eyes, and with a feeling of dread knew they were there to end her.
She backed away from the window, and went to her door. She held something thin in her hands, of which she had used to unlock the door that she never went through all her life.
She did not think when she walked through it. Only followed the scent of one who caused her endless pain. Walking through another door, the scent growing stronger, the girl noticed something sharp. She picked it up, then preceded cautiously.
She finally found him. He was not awake. She stepped into a vast bedroom, one fit for a king. Without hesitating, she walked calmly to the devils bed.
Raising the knife, she dragged it across the left arm of the man. He woke up screaming, he called out a single word she did not understand, but no matter what he did, no matter how far he retreated, he couldn't escape the wrath of the vengeful girl. His days of harm and evil are over.
She stood over him, and as he crouched there with fear in his eyes, she heard him utter one sentence that stayed with her.
"Your eyes are like sapphires."
She dragged the knife across his throat, and he never moved again. Never harmed another soul again.
As she left behind the only place she knew, she spoke her first word.
"Sapphire."
It has been thousands of years, and Sapphire Wavebreaker has learned what and who she is. She has learned of her existence:
To protect the innocent and kill the guilty.
But that was being threatened. Everything her and her species, the Meor, stand for.
Sapphire Wavebreaker flew through the trees in her dove form. She stayed under the canopy of them, trying her best to stay out of sight as she slowly flew through a forest, flying up, down, around, and between their branches.
The sky was clear, the sun was climbing down the sky, the warm air of spring surrounding her. Dusk was nearing, her favorite time of the day. Sapphire could've been happy — if she was able to feel positive emotions — but she was far from that.
Her small bird body shook with fear and dread, pain shooting through her as she struggled with each wing beat, wishing that she could just lay down and sleep for a year. For days, she has been fighting against the destruction of her kind. She was riddled with battle wounds, and they have yet to begin healing. They were hidden by her white feathers, helping her in stealth. It would not bode well for her if she was seen as a strangely red, bloody dove. Too suspicious.
She drew closer to the tree where the other three of her species hid. They are all that's left. Just four of them. She shuddered, and her wings momentarily faltered, narrowly missing a tree branch that could have dislocated one of her white wings. She moved on sorrowfully, thinking of all those innocents their creation killed.
We created them by accident, we gave birth to them, literally, and this is what they give us in thanks. They slaughter their creators. How could a kind, pure species give birth to such darkness? We were made of light! We protected the innocent ones from those who have committed sins, how can our land kin be this cruel? I don't understand.
She was almost to the hole in the tree where the other three were when greater pain exploded in her. She shrieked as she fell, trying to flap both of her wings, whimpering when she tried moving her left wing. She looked at it and dread filled her. There is an arrow piercing her left-wing going straight through the thin, brittle bird bone, rendering it useless. She turned her bird body around with difficulty, and then fully extended her right-wing. She started falling in a slower downward spiral after her whole body lurched.
Serafina! I think they know we are here! My wing has been shot! Can't fly, but don't worry about me, I'll be fine, just go! Sapphire telepathized to Serafina, one of the other three.
Are you mad?! You know we won't leave you! I'm coming to get you! Serafina telepathized back, her words frustrating Sapphire.
Are you an idiot? Sera, they can't get all of us! The entire Dimensional Universe depends on our survival! If I get captured, you three can still fight to protect it! Sapphire flinched as her useless wing smacked into a tree branch. She looked up to see Sera flying down after her in Eagle form, leaving her twins unguarded. You need to protect my two daughters! I can get captured, long as they are alive and safe!
Sera ignored her and flew down quickly. She grabbed Sapphires' good wing with her eagle feet and flipped her back around. Sera then grabbed Sapphires' feet with her own, her talons digging into Sapphire as she beat her wings to stop her fall so they can go back up. Sapphire huffed with anger, knowing she couldn't change Serafina's mind.
She started looking around and realized that she had almost hit the ground. She didn't like how close they were to the forest floor. Sapphire kept looking around, keeping an eye out for danger as Sera struggled to carry her back up to the hallow.
Mom? Is everything okay? Laelynn — Sapphires' eldest daughter, older than Iliana by 5 minutes — telepathied to Sapphire, worry evident in her voice.
Hey baby. Everything is okay, I just got shot, that's all. Sera is bringing me back up right now, Sapphire looked up worriedly, hoping the hunter won't see them go into the hallow. It was bad enough that her wing was now useless. They were halfway there.
I'm coming down to help, Laelynns' reply made her blood run cold. If Laelynn comes out, then Iliana will follow. They will both be exposed.
STAY IN THE HALLOW! A hunter shot me, and I don't want you getting hurt! You and Iliana need to stay out of sight. And you know you won't be able to help. You are too injured and must rest, save your energy because you might need to get away, Sapphire frantically looked around, praying the hunter wouldn't get here before they managed to enter the hallow.
Of course, Sapphire was ignored as Laelynn and Iliana came out in their dove forms to help. Sapphire couldn't help but think back to their fight as her two daughters came down to help take her back up. She wasn't surprised they were going to disobey their mother.
Suddenly, a flash of pain that was not her own went through Sapphire. She remembers hearing three separate sounds of whooshing air, seeing a flash of silver and light brown, three loud thunks and cracks, three screeches of pain; two loud and long, one low and short as it was suddenly cut off, the metallic scent of blood filling the air, a brief glimpse of crimson as she suddenly felt nothing holding onto her and only the cold feeling of wind biting her feathered body, her stomach flipping upside down as she flailed her wings.
She felt crushing grief and horror as one mind that was previously strongly connected to hers disappeared. The line that connected them snapped with a sense of finality; a soul that belonged to the person who found Sapphire broken, lost, and alone, the person who took her in and raised her to be a warrior, who was her mother figure, a friend, a sister, a loved one, the first person that showed Sapphire kindness and love was something that existed, went cold. The one person that Sapphire trusted completely, that she didn't want to live without, is gone. Forever. There is no more Serafina. That beloved sister went to join the stars, leaving behind a world full of pain and regrets.
Or so Sapphire thought.
If a Meors' connection to your mind snaps, still have hope, for a connection to one's mind can snap if the pain is too great, or the Meor has been knocked unconscious. This is the mind protecting you as it abandons doing anything but trying to keep you alive.
Serafinas' words come back to Sapphire as she used her good hearing to listen to the heart of her friend. Only a second has passed, the adrenaline slowing time.
Thump...thump...
There is a heartbeat. She is alive. Sapphire felt a little relief, but the danger was still there. She could tell that the arrows must have been made out of Ancient Iron, judging by the flash of silver she had seen. She looked down and saw her two daughters, still alive. One of their wings looked broken, although she couldn't tell if it was Iliana or Laelynn, for a second later she crashed into the forest floor. Pain flared across her body. Split-second later, Serafina fell on top of Sapphire, cushioning her fall.
Sapphire chittered in slight pain but knew that neither she nor Serafina broke a bone from the fall. She silently thanked the fact that their bones were strong enough to withstand a lot of pressure. She worriedly looked at her two daughters as she struggled to get up.
Are you okay? Sapphire asked her twin daughters through telepathy. She was fearing for the worst.
Sapphire started breathing again — she didn't realize she was holding her breath — when she heard both of her daughters reply that they were fine.
Ilianas' right wing is broken or dislocated, and her left-wing is for sure broken, Laelynn telepathied to Sapphire, who was starting to look like she wants to murder someone. And I probably broke my left foot, Laelynns' telepathic voice sounded strained.
Sapphire quickly looked around and used her senses in case the hunter was near, and then transformed into her Moon Wolf form. She knew that her wolf form wasn't that damaged, since some wounds stay attached to whatever form they acquired them in and often wouldn't follow them when they change into another form.
After the transformation was complete — only taking a few seconds that seemed to stretch on — Sapphire swiftly made her way to her daughters with Seras' limp bird body gently held in her mouth, her black fur blending with the shadows. She carefully placed Sera beside Iliana and Laelynn and started looking at her two daughters and their wounds.
Laelynns' left foot was indeed broken. Looked like she had hit a tree branch that bent her foot at a bad angle, causing her ankle bone to break. Sapphire never thought of studying their skeletal structure, so she wasn't sure what the broken bone would be called. Ilianas' right wing was not broken but dislocated, held at an awkward angle, and her left-wing was broken, an arrow going through the bone.
When Sapphire pulled the arrow out — Iliana giving a pained chirp in protest — her suspicions were confirmed; the arrowhead was made of ancient iron. It was a medal that looked like iron and might have been just that if it wasn't ancient iron, but it was a lot stronger than normal iron. It was strong enough to kill a Meor old as Sera and young as a baby, but not Sapphire.
Sapphire is nearly three thousand years old, the oldest Meor to ever live. Some Meors could live forever, not all, but none ever made it past age two thousand, five hundred, and twenty-seven. They would be killed in cold blood before they were too old to be killed. No Meor was strong enough to keep fighting for long after age two thousand, which was the age they usually retire from their purpose if they choose to do so.
But whether a Meor retires or not, once you hit two thousand years old, others who are jealous that you have made it to that age will start sending assassins to kill you, or you will eventually die another way. Sapphire was the first Meor to be both strong and smart enough to withstand that and keep fighting to protect the innocent.
Sapphire turned back to Sera and quickly took the arrow out of her chest using her teeth. Tossing the arrow aside, she then bit her paw hard enough for blood to come out in a stream. She held her paw over Seras' wound, allowing her blood to heal the deep gash in her chest. She was glad that she can heal many different wounds with her blood and saliva. She just wished it could have included broken bones.
Sapphire turned back to her twins. There isn't much I can do about your injuries. It's best if you just transform into your wolf forms, Sapphire said through telepathy. She stepped back and stayed alert for the danger that was sure to come while she waited for Laelynn and Iliana to shift into wolves.
Thankfully, they both had wolf forms that would help them blend. Laelynn was a dark brown wolf, called a Forest Wolf, and the striking blue eyes she inherited from her mother made her even more beautiful. Iliana looked just like Sapphire, except Iliana was shorter and her fur was slightly more on the gray side.
Sapphire silently motioned with her head to go south, away from the hunters and towards the ocean, where humans would not be able to follow them. She picked up Sera with her mouth again, careful to not crush her brittle bones with her jaws.
Sapphire then started running to catch up with her daughters and took the lead, but had to restrain her pace to not leave her daughters behind, even though she yearned to stretch out her legs and go as fast as she could. Running always made her feel alive, but now was not the time.
They ran without rest. Unlike humans, Meors are born with massive energy, and with good training could have immense stamina that could allow them to run for weeks on end. Sapphire looked back at all the grueling training Sera forced her to do — in a friendly way — to make her a fierce warrior, and was glad that she passed down her acquired fighting knowledge to her daughters. They were far from being at her level, but she prayed that it would be enough to get them through this nightmare.
They traveled all day, but when dusk came, Sapphire knew that her daughters needed rest. They were struggling to breathe, and it would be cruel to make them keep going. She slowed down until she came across a dense part in the forest that could hide them until morning, then stopped completely.
Her daughters still not understanding how she can stop instantly even when at an almost flat out run, naturally overshot her by a lot. Sapphire patiently waited as they finally trotted back to her before speaking.
We rest here tonight and resume our traveling tomorrow morning, Sapphire telepathically told her daughters. The human hunters either gave up the hunt or lost us, and even if they are still tracking us we are faster than them. It'd take them days to catch up to us, and that's if we stayed in one place the whole time. So we'll most likely be safe and hidden here. She saw Laelynn open her mouth, the look she gets when she is about to argue on her face, and Sapphire added in her mom-voice, you two need rest, and I need to try and wake up Sera as well.
Sapphire watched Laelynn close her jaws and look away with a huff, then Sapphire looked forward and made her way into the dense foliage before placing Sera down gently, who to her worry still hasn't woken up.
She told Laelynn and Iliana she'd be back before she went to gather some moss as bedding for Sera. She returned to see Laelynn sitting beside Sera, watching her.
Sapphire walked over to Laelynn and set down the moss before she gave her ear an affectionate lick. "I love you," Sapphire rumbled in Wolf.
Laelynns' ears flicked with annoyance before she mumbled back, "I know," and then got up and walked away. Sapphire watched with sadness as Laelynn walked away from her, evidently still mad from their fight from about 7 moonrises ago.
Sapphire got into a fight with her daughters because they were mad that she would hardly let them out of her sight. They didn't like how overprotective she is, and they hate her for that trait. She didn't care though. She didn't need them to love her, she just needed them alive and safe.
Sapphire closed her eyes as a tear fell from her left eye. She quickly wiped it away as she was again consumed by a painful past, a past filled with the loss her daughters had yet to understand and go through. They do not know why her decision to do whatever she must to protect them is fueled by the deaths of the ones she loves.
Don't worry about them, they'll understand one day.
Sapphire whirled around to see an awake Serafina.
Sera! You're finally awake, Sapphire said telepathically and grinned before she continued. Took you long enough. You were out all day, I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever stop being lazy. Sapphire chuckled, and Sera smiled in response.
Hey Sapphire, I need you to do me a favor, Sera said. Sapphire blinked at her, confused.
Are you talking about your wounds? Because if so, I already healed your outside wounds, although we both know that neither of us has magic strong enough to heal wounds inside the body, Sapphire replied, assuming that's what Sera was asking for.
So she was surprised when Sera shook her head.
No, Sapphire, that's not what I'm asking for, Sera lowered her head, a sad look crossing her face, and Sapphire could swear she saw regret. She waited patiently as Sera transformed into a wolf. She was an auburn brown color.
I need you to promise me that if we are about to be captured or killed, that you run and don't stop until you reach the safety of the Ocean. She will protect you, and Humans dare not tread deep into her waters, we both know they cannot follow, Sera glared at Sapphire when she opened her mouth to protest, and she closed it, crestfallen. Sapphire Wavebreaker, if there is one Meor that can survive the destruction of our brothers and sisters, it's you, no doubt about it.
You are the fastest, strongest, and wisest Meor I know, and I wouldn't doubt for a second if you were the best Meor in history. I have never met a warrior like you. You have always tried to do the right thing, you saved a human child's life four days ago despite what they were doing to us for Selenes' sake! I know that if we all fell, you'd be the last one standing, tears began falling from her eyes. We both know that you can survive this. Sapphire, you can't die. If you do, darkness will take over and destroy the dimensional universe. You can protect the dimensions from darkness Sapphire, I know you can. You will do what's right because you always do, Sera finished, and the look in her eyes told Sapphire she meant every word.
Sera, I don't want to be a-alone, Sapphire told Sera, her voice cracking with the effort of holding back tears. I'm sorry Sera, but I just can't promise you this, she finished, her ears drooping.
She heard Sera sigh before she spoke, I knew you would say that, and I wish I didn't have to resort to this, but you leave me no choice.
Sapphire looked at Sera, her head tilted and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and uncertainty. She then froze as she realized what Sera was about to do.
"NO!" Sapphire screeched and leaped at Sera, planning on knocking her out before she did it, but she was too slow.
Sapphire was flung backward, the force of powerful dark magic slamming into her. She heard Sera start speaking, and Sapphire collapsed on the ground with defeat, betrayal of the one she trusted completely shattering her heart.
"Sapphire Wavebreaker, I command you to do whatever it takes to stay alive and free of evils' grasp, to keep fighting evil, and to do what you believe is right ," Serafina spoke, and Sapphire became consumed by the pain of dark magic being performed on her, taking over her senses. She could faintly hear her daughters yelling something in anger, and she yearned to get up and tell them everything was going to be alright, they needn't fear. But the pain was too great.
Everything went dark. The pain pulling her under, the darkness consumed her consciousness.
Sapphire came to with a pounding headache and sore throat, usually, the side effects received when exposed to dark magic. She swore when she remembered that she wouldn't be able to chirp or screech for a while.
Mother, said Laelynn, her telepathic voice loud in Sapphires' mind.
Sapphire looked at her and was shocked to see fear and worry on Laelynns' face. Iliana, sitting next to her sister, wore a similar expression.
Hey babies, Sapphire said. I'm fine. Just feel like I was hit by a blue whale. Iliana gave a small smile at that, but Laelynn still looked worried.
Where is Sera, Sapphire asked.
Laelynn shared a look, then turned their heads to look at something. Sapphire followed the path of their eyes, and she saw her.
Sera was on the other side of the dense foliage, far from Sapphire. She looked pained and guilty. Sapphire tried to hatch her eye, but Sera refused to make eye contact.
Serafina?
I'm sorry! Please, forgive me Sapphire, but it's for the best. We can't let the world fall to darkness forever. You know that, Sera burst out, words falling from her mouth.
Sapphire sighed, closing her eyes as she came to terms with what Sera just did to her. She placed a very dark spell on Sapphire. Only the most gifted and powerful Meor could use it, and only once in a lifetime. It allows one to place one order on one person, and no matter what they cannot go against the order. It was the darkest of magic, so forbidden that it was punishable by death. It had no name.
Before Sapphire could reply though, twenty humans burst from the undergrowth and attacked.
With a ferocious growl, Sapphire leaped to her paws and lunged for the nearest one, the other three not far behind her.
Sapphire lunged for the throat and met her mark, gripping it as she dug her teeth in. After a gurgled scream that was quickly cut off, Sapphire ripped the human's throat out. Lunging out of the way as the body fell, she whirled around and kept attacking.
Sapphire fought with the speed of a cheetah, the strength of her jaws reflecting the bite force of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and her cyan eyes bright and furious in the light of battle.
A familiar screech stopped Sapphire in her tracks, and she turned to see Laelynn in the hands of a human. The look in his eyes was chilling as he held a knife to her daughters' throat. The threat was clear. Stop or she dies.
Sapphire howled, and soon as Serafina and Iliana saw Laelynn, they stopped fighting too.
With her head bowed as Sapphire transformed into her human form, they were taken hostage.
Sapphire opened her eyes. She didn't recognize her surroundings for a second. The last thing she remembered was transforming into a human, head bowed. After, there was missing time. They must have knocked us out.
She looked around. They were in an open clearing, still surrounded by the forest. She was bound with something that felt like ancient iron. In the middle was a fire, surrounded by stones to keep it from spreading. There were two small human-made structures, and near one of them were weapons and other tools, probably also very dangerous. Serafina, Laelynn, and Iliana were next to Sapphire, also bound.
"I see you are awake," said a masculine voice. Sapphire turned to see the man that had threatened Laelynn. He was at the edge of the forest, the shadows giving him cover. "Good. I've waited long enough to get my hands on the last ones left. You thought you would get away so easily , it's cute, honestly. You had no idea we were tracking you." The disgusting human smiled, and Sapphire shivered.
She could see it in his eyes. He wanted to hurt them. He wanted to make them suffer. And no matter how far Sapphire looked into the future, she could see no way where they would all get away alive.
There isn't even one future I can see. All I can see is him torturing us, killing the others in front of me.
And me, forced to live forever, unable to die, Sapphire realized with horror. She looked up. The Moon was full and blue. It's a full Blue Moon. It's almost reached its peak. I'll be 3 thousand years old. I'll be completely immortal. I won't be able to die.
Sapphire couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face. This was it. She will be alone. Forever.
The human, eyes cold and smile cruel, came over and grabbed Laelynn. He dragged her over to the fire, Sapphires' eldest daughter still unconscious.
She couldn't stop the screams as the demon threw her daughter into the fire. The torturing has begun, and soon everyone she knows and loves...
Will be dead.
Sapphire cried, tears falling down her face.
Tears…
Forced to watch her twin daughters and mentor be tortured and killed, Sapphire Tears Wavebreaker turned 3000 years. Her hope has died. Her light has faded. All left was a vessel with a dead soul. As Iliana — the last one to go — fell, her light snuffed out, the symbol on Sapphires' left hand appeared and began to glow. The color darkened as new power was awakened through Sapphires' grief.
Sapphire broke free of her chains and ran to the sea, where she slept for many, many years. And when she awoke seven thousand years later, she returned to the surface to find a human world where no one knew about her kind.
She was alone, but she has a purpose, and she will do what she was created to do.
3,320,333 Years Later
Sapphire is now 3,333,333 years old. She never stopped protecting the very species that slaughtered her own.
She was a wolf, strolling through the woods when she heard a cry. She rushed towards the sound, and found a young boy on the ground, in the middle of a clearing, she could tell he was still a child. Standing over him was a bear.
Without a thought, she raced forward and boldly took on the bear head-on. She hurtled herself against its chest, causing it to fall backward. This gave the boy time to move out of the way.
Sapphire leaped off its belly right before it moved to get back up. It turned its head towards her, its beady eyes gleaming with malice. Sapphire was not afraid though. It raised its forepaw, and she darted away from its swing and then darted forward to bite its hind leg.
The bear roared and tried to kick her, but she darted under its belly at the last second and nipped it hard.
Before she could get away, its other hind paw hit her, and she flew across the clearing into a tree. She got up, yelping with pain, and looked up to see a paw hurtling towards her. Unable to move in time, the bear slammed its paw on Sapphires' back and its snout moved forward, taking hold of her throat. It shook her, and Sapphire screamed.
A second later, the bear threw her like a bothersome thing and ambled away.
Sapphire lay there, her body broken and tears falling down her black snout. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, assuming the human child ran away to leave her to die.
Which was why Sapphire was so startled when she felt a hand on the side of her head, gently stroking as a soft, kind voice spoke soothingly to her.
Sapphire focused to see the same boy. He had teal hair, it hanging down over his eyes. It was a bit long, for a boy, who usually have short hair. His eyes were a soft, gentle brown, like the bark of trees. He was beautiful.
Sapphire found herself relaxing, and a feeling she never experienced before consumed her. She felt… calm… like if there was nothing to worry about.
The boy moved his hands, and Sapphire yelped with pain as he picked her up. He made a soothing sound and said something along with the likes of, "It's okay. I got you. You'll be fixed up in no time, okay angel?"
Sapphire closed her eyes and allowed the new emotion to consume her as she fell unconscious, her last thought drifting through the haze.
He must be something, to carry a large, heavy wolf like me. Maybe not all humans are bad…
Maybe it is time for a new beginning…
