Unearthed (manxman)

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

The sky was dark. Even the stars didn't want to make an appearance as the gray clouds hid them in a thick, smokey blanket. Storm smiled to the dark sky feeling the humid air wrap around his body like a snake but instead of feeling the pressure of suffocation he felt the freedom of a bird cascading through the open sky. His blue wings sprung from his back as the rain began to fall in the clearing he had made his own.

No one came here. No one knew about it.

Years ago when the first war began between the fairies and the trolls, he was stowed away in this clearing in the fourth realm where no one, not even humans came. The trolls had destroyed his home by the ocean back in the fifth realm where all fairies and trolls had once living in harmony until that fateful day. The day the future troll king was born.

It was said that the mere power of his birth had caused an evil awakening in the trolls. It had poisoned their blood and turned them into murderous creatures, enslaved by their need to kill and destroy. Before the fairies knew what was happening, their blood had filled the lakes and streams of the beautiful oasis they resided in. All of them- earth, wind, fire, and water fairies were slaughtered and those who weren't, were made into slaves for the troll kingdom. The king of the fairies, Storm, was the only to escape after the push of his people. They chanted a spell, cloaking him and sending him to the fourth realm where only rain poured from the sky and half human- half animals walked the land.

Storm rejoiced in the rain letting his blue wings flap in the clearing, shining light onto the animals that surrounded him, freeing himself from the burdens of his past. They were his friends and his protectors. They could shifted into a human form but these creatures were outcast like him and chose to stay in their own form. The white tigers danced with him, pouncing on one another in celebratory fun. They loved when the long, blue haired fairy that fell from the sky showed his true form.

Thunder clapped and lightning shot through the black sky but Storm was in his own world. His skin glowed in the darkness, his eyes leaked joyous tears, and his hair wrapped around his body to shield him from the element that powered his soul. It was nights like these that made him miss his people even more but he couldn't return. They begged him to stay away and even after twenty-five years he kept his promise— so on these nights he rejoiced for them all.

One of the tigers, the father, Raja, brushed against his skin and he smiled, getting down onto his knees to brush his own face against the whiskers that tickled his skin. "I am okay, Raja, this realm grants me happiness, I just miss my people," Storm said as he pet his wet fur.

Storm let his wings fold into his back before standing and taking off into the forest where his cave was. The tigers followed the fairy king, nipping at his heels in a playful manner before all taking shelter in his cave. The four tigers sprawled out near the fire that was enchanted to stay aflame throughout the nights as Storm discarded his sheer skirt and the wrap that covered his chest. He was a feminine man but that was not uncommon for fairies. They saw no barrier between genders and bent the norm that most other creatures let divide them.

The tigers were used to his nudity so none of them bat an eye. Storm slid into a long, blue gown that was the same sheer material as all of his other clothing, bought from a store on the other side of the realm years ago. Storm walked over to Raja and laid his head down on his stomach smiling as the tiger licked his head and continued to bathe him. The tiger loved the prince. They treated him as family because they knew he had no other.

Raja was the father of the three other tigers, Norse, Moses, and Helena. Their mother was killed by their pack due to a misunderstanding of their king. She had been at the wrong place at the wrong time and because of that, she lost her life. Raja had taken his children to other side of the realm where no one came and lived his life taking care of his children hoping that one day they would have the strength to return to their people and find their mates, but for now he kept them safe. The king of their people would accept them back especially after learning the truth behind what caused him to kill Alana. She had merely been a pawn in the schemes of his brother who wanted to kill him to assume his crown. The regret filled his body but he knew he had to wait for Raja and his family to return at their own time.