Solar Song, Frozen Fate ✓ | lion girl, frenemies, frost curse

Chapter 16: Solar Magick

A bout of nausea crept up her throat and she heaved. The needle touched something before the core of her magick. It was so close. If it pierced the core, her magick would be sucked into the shield. Having strong powers meant her heart would give out.

The savat, trying to kill me!

Surrounded by Humans with more shots of medicine at the ready, Sovanna couldn't make any sudden movements. Six Humans stood around her, watching with blank expressions. The shield warmed against her side. Her magick shuddered, sending another wave of nausea up her throat. Sovanna gasped for breath as her chest compressed and she convulsed.

Help, someone, she thought as tears and snot ran down her face. The needle came face to face with the core and in her mind's eye, a ball of pale-yellow light floated in a dark blue space. Red and purple flames on one side, yellow and orange flames on the other, the core represented sunset and sunrise. The golden sparkles in the center were like stars.

It's beautiful, she thought as her vision darkened. When the needle touched the center of the core, a flash of memory rushed into her mind. 

The spirits of her parents telling her they believed in her. Taro and Rokki wanting to help. And her own imagination of herself as queen, standing before her pride with her head held high as her father did, gazing upon Kaunlutha who survived time and again as long as they had their king. They would unsheathe their claws and raise them to the sky in respect. Sovanna didn't know when Ogalutha gave up, but she knew they followed their king.

Kaunlutha. The pride. They follow him.

Then the vision switched to the present of Kaunlutha without a leader, heads bowed, following the orders of those smaller and weaker than them. Willingly, they gave up their identity as Kaunlutha.

They need a leader, she thought, forcing herself back into consciousness. She could exist as a leader, doing leader things like standing before them and declaring herself, but that wasn't what it was about. Her father was a symbol for them. Because he was there as their identity, they followed and never lowered themselves to Humans.

Sovanna growled as the vision faded, forcing the needle back. She snapped her eyes open and reached deep within herself, seeing her core again. Her full potential, dormant this whole time.

It's time for solar magick. Time for sun.

She took a deep breath and roared. Together, her magick pushed out from her throat with such force that her voice tore through the Humans and Oolid as wind, throwing them back across the clearing. The shield went flying, crashing into a tower wall where it shattered. A myriad of orange, red, and yellow sparkles shot out of the shield and pierced the chests of their Kaunlutha. Manes rippled with newfound sparks of fire.

Golden and orange sparkles of magick rained down on Sovanna, giving her a warm hug. Sovanna blinked as fingers fumbled around her now thickened neck as she took on her lion form.

Her instincts were to hiss at him and first he let go.

"Kaunlutha are more than lions," he said, "Let me help you."

She growled again in warning but turned her head. Tears pricked her eyes. There were still good Humans, but Sovanna wasn't sure if she could ever trust another Human fully again.

But before the last knot could come undone, a gunshot went off. The young male fell to the ground and blood pooled out of his neck. Beyond him, Oolid with glaring eyes held a smoking gun.

"No use," He threw the gun on the ground, "We fight you but you have magick. We work with the Guardians to weaken you. Make sure females can't get pregnant. Make sure iceblood spreads from time to time. Finally, an endangered, dying species all on their own without mass murder." Then he snatched up the gun again and aimed it at her. "I hate to do this, Sovanna, but I can't have you doing all this magick."