Here I am! This part is a little backstory; we meet someone of Raz's past, and, since no one is ever going to guess about the Gryphon Queen, that reveals who that is! Be ready! KaylaDestroyer kinda gave me the idea for this! Kind of! XD
By the way, two new characters in here have complicated names. Kari is pronounce Kah-ree. And Kertenkele is pronounced Ker-ten-kee-lee. Got it? Ok good!
Kari stood tall on a ledge high above the ocean. Her expression was relaxed, though her silver eyes were critical and calculating, sweeping the horizon, sharp ears listening for any sense of movement. Currently she stood in her human form, a cloak of animal fur adorning her shoulder, the hood up and pulled down to hide her face. In her hands she clutched her golden staff, watching the sun set beyond the waves. It turned the sky rose and crimson, the waves shimmering bronze far below her. She blinked her eyes and reached up one hand, pulling back her hood. Her skin in this form was the color of creamy peach, her eyelashes long. If you had seen her, you'd think her a normal human being, save for her full-moon eyes and hair the color of a lilac bloomed to it's fullest beauty. As she pulled back her hood, she summoned a wind to blow her hair out away from her face, whipping at her cloak as well, revealing the circlet of gold on her head, crowing her. Her staff glowed with power at the tip at the smallest thought. "Hmm…" eyes sweeping the horizon once more, she turned her attention skyward. Not a cloud in the sky. Good; they wouldn't try anything tonight. She could rest easy.
Turning her back to the ledge, she looked out at the island that was spread below her. The mountainous area was full os forests, valleys, meadows, and rivers snaking their way around. Taking in a deep breath, she clutched her staff close to her chest and backed up, and when her heels met the cliff edge, allowed herself to lean back, summoning a slight breeze to push her over the edge. A smile crossed her beautiful face as she fell, down toward the awaiting ocean below. However, just before she hit the waves, the jewel at the top of her staff glowed, and she disappeared.
When Kari opened her eyes again, she was standing at the entrance of a cave, near the top of the highest mountain. It looked dark and foreboding, but she went inside fearlessly. As she went inside, with a blink of an eye, she changed her form again. In the next moment she was hopping, feet perfectly in sync rather than taking individual steps. Her hands became clawed and furred, and her body was covered in the red rose-colored fur. Her height changed; she'd gone from five feet to nearly seven in an instant. She smiled to herself; she enjoyed her natural animal form much more than she'd ever loved her human form.
At last she arrived at her destination. The walls were pink, flowering plants spread all around. There were shelves all about, adorned with countless amazing trinkets. But her focus was on the cradle in the middle of the room. She moved in, peering down into the bassinet. In it lay her baby daughter, about seven months of age. She was tucked snugly under a pink fur blanket, curled up on her side, sucking her thumb and hugging her favorite stuffed toy. Kari gave a content sigh, smiling down at her baby. She'd had to try seven times, but finally she'd been blessed with a girl. A darling little girl that would one day hold this very scepter in her hands, command the world, and all would bow to her. She was born for greatness; destined to lead. "Oh Razzie…" she reached in and stroked her cheek; so soft and tiny. "Y'll make a fine Queen one day. So beautiful, so smart…"
The baby began to stir. Fluttering open her golden eyes, she rubbed her face and yawned as wide as a baby girl could, before peering up at her mother. Instantly, when she saw her, she smiled that adorable toothless smile filled with the impossible innocence and joy as could be, and giggled, her bubbly laugh wondrous on Kari's ears. She reached up her tiny hands to her mother, and she smiled. She held up her scepter, catching the child's interest. "Ya see this darlin?" the joey's eyes followed the large jewel on top as her mother swung it back and forth above her cradle. "One day, this'll be yours. You'll be-"
A deafening screech rattled the cave, and the baby instantly burst out in tears, frightened. Kari, though, simply sighed and shook her head, reaching down to pick her up. "Shh… hush…" she gently bounced the child in one arm, her scepter in the other. She switched back to her human form so her crown wouldn't fall off; with a baby in one arm and a large magic staff in the other, hopping would surely make it topple of her head. As she briskly walked to the outside, she shouted out "What is it, Alev?" Her second-in-command toward several yards over her. He was a large gryphon, his eagle talons connecting to his lion body, his sharp predatory avian eyes staring at her. He bowed respectfully, though she was in no mood to care. "This bettah be good- ya frightened Razzie!"
"I apologize, my Queen, and my Princess."
"What is it?!" she snapped.
"Dragons, my Queen! Dragons! On the outskirts of the island!"
Queen Kari gasped; dragons were a mortal enemy of hers. As Queen of the Gryphons, it was only expected. The two species had been at war for millions of years. And as the Queen, it was her job to keep them in check and keep her subjects safe. She looked down at her daughter, who was now very contentedly gumming on her mother's crown. "No no Razzie." She took it back and replaced it on her head. Then she started inside. "Rally the armies. If it is a fight they want, they will get it."
Raz cried when her mother left. Kari made herself ignore her wails though; she needed to tend to this, and she couldn't very well bring her seven month old daughter and only heir to a battle! It broke her heart to hear her cry for her, but she comforted her briefly, taking her in her arms and kissing her forehead before she had to go. "I love you Razzie." She whispered to her before she had to go, kissing both of her cheeks and laying her back in her cradle. "So so much."
…
The dragons await them on the beach. They were large and scaly beasts with dark scales and glowing eyes. Their own Queen stood before her army, Kertenkele smiling at Kari in a way that disgusted her. She held her own item of power in her hands, her Obsidian Orb that could morph into a million kinds of weapons. Her skin was scaly and green, her black hair braided with dead snakes. When she smiled, it showed her pointed teeth, her forked tongue slithering around sinisterly in the air.
Kari snarled at her. "Leave our land now, Kertenkele." She kept her voice calm, though the malice was visibly there. "You are not welcome here. Leave now, and no blood will be spilled."
Kertenkele smiled. "Ah Kari, never the brightest, were you? Alright, we will leave. We have what we came for anyway."
As she turned to go, signaling her subjects, Kari blinked. That was it? Something about this made her uneasy- it wasn't like her mortal enemy to just-
A blood curdling scream nearly made her jump out of her skin. However, she went rigid with shock and her eyes widened drastically. She felt numb and cold and her heart nearly stopped. "RAZZIE!" the rival queen's evil cackle echoed in her ears as she disappeared with a pop of energy. She didn't care to notice the war screams as the two armies clashed in rage. Her only daughter was in trouble!
…
She found Raz in the clutches of a relatively small dragon; still young. She snuck up on it, raising her Scepter. "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!" with that enraged scream, she blasted the youth into oblivion, sending a shower of scales and claws into the air. Her daughter screamed as she fell through the air, but landed safely in a pair of arms. "No!"
Kertenkele chuckled as the baby squirmed in her grip, tickling under her chin. "How cute…" she cooed mockingly. "How old is this little one Kari? Eight months? Nine?"
"Put her down!" Kari yelled, raising her spear. "Or I'll-!"
"Oh, I don't think you will." The other queen laughed. Her orb became a black as night knife and pressed dangerously hard on the baby girls throat. "Lower your weapon, or I cut out her throat!" she grinned. "Right her, right now."
"You wouldn't!"
"Watch me." She pressed harder, and a drop of blood slid down the tots neck. "Drop it!" she screamed. "Or your precious daughter dies!"
With tears in her eyes, Kari threw down her scepter. "Now let her go!"
Ketenkele clicked her teeth and shook her head. She handed the child to a nearby dragon, where she whimpered. "I said drop it or I'll kill hr. I never said I'd let her go!" she threw back her head, and that was when Kari pounced. Her claws made contact with her throat and, in a rage to protect her daughter, tore at her flesh. The other woman responded the same, clawing at her. As the two tumbled across the ground, Raz squirmed. The dragon sneered down at her.
"Hold still ya little brat." Impulsively, Raz kicked her feet, and, though they were small, her the claws were very sharp. They broke skin, and two rivers began to flow from his hand. He yowled in pain and waved his hand, throwing the child away accidentally. Seeing this, Kari leapt up from where she had Kertenkele pinned, ready to rip out her already-bleeding throat.
"Raz!"
Shakily, the Dragon Queen rose, a hand going to her throat. Holding her gushing neck, she turned her orb into a wand. If she was going down, then so was Kari! Using what little strength she had left, she whipped her hand around her head twice, gathering power. When the tip emanated a ball of ghostly green energy, she thrust it forward. A bolt of pure energy shot out, striking Kari right in the back. She screamed as it enveloped her, cocooning her in its magic. She clawed desperately at it, trying to break away. But slowly, her struggling stopped, becoming more forced, before finally stopping altogether. Kertenkele fell to the ground, a smile crossing her face. At least now Kari would no longer reside in the world. And her warriors would find the Princess and destroy her.
As her eyes closed for the last time, she failed to notice the stone statue not far ahead, the perfect likeness of her enemy.
Kari had been turned to stone.
Ha! Betcha didn't see any of that comin, didja?!
There! Part 1 of Raz's little backstory!Hope ya'll like it, part 2 shows the pirates finding her!