I took another step forward before throwing my shoulders back to release my wings.
As they unfurled I extracted my claws and my fangs shot out making their eyes widen in horror.
"Obviously you weren't warned about judging a book by its cover" I growled mockingly as I lunged at them tearing into the leader's shoulder with my claws.
They racked across him as he dodged to the left making him howl in pain. He snapped out of his shock and lunged out at me with his claws extended. I dodged him which sent him sprawling behind me.
Before he could get up I grabbed him by the ankle and swung him back towards his friends sending him flying into a tree beside them. They looked at him shocked before turning toward me and snarled as they got to their feet.
I smirked and gave them the bring-it motion as they lunged towards me. I ducked under one's swing and quickly spun around kicking him in the back, sending him flying. The other one's claws sank into my leg making me scream as he pulled back and went to punch me.
Suddenly something flew over me and collided with him being him to the ground.
I staggered back as I saw Emma on top of him punching him in the face. He pushed her off of him and went to attack when I roundhouse kicked him sending him headfirst into the oak tree by the stairs.
He shook himself off and slowly staggered back to his feet. after a moment, he came at me again so I levitated him mid-jump and threw him harder back into the tree. He slumped unconscious against the tree as I spun around to check on Emma and saw the other warrior about to jump on her.
*I wish I had a dagger* I thought to myself as I took off towards her when suddenly I felt a weight in my hand.
Looking down I saw a dagger forming from the deep purple mist that was coming out of my hand.
I grinned and quickly threw the dagger at the warrior impaling him in the shoulder and into a tree giving Emma time to knock him out.
As I walked towards her something flew into my side tackling me face-first into the ground. The leader had regained consciousness and attacked me again clawing down my back.
I screamed out in pain and pushed him off of me before grabbing ahold of his collar and bracing my feet against the ground.
I pushed off and we flew into the air with him struggling and attacking me to get out of my hold until he realized we weren't on the ground.
We flew higher and when I was satisfied with height I Iet go and punched him in the face, sending him flying back as he plummeted to the ground.
I dove down on top of him and brought my wings in slamming him into the ground. He groaned but stayed still. I got off of him and flipped him over. He coughed and wheezed clutching his chest. I was sure I broke a few ribs.
I leered over to him and grabbed him by the collar once more jerking him up so I could see his face.
"you are the only one still conscious because I have a message for you to relay" I stated as Emma walked over to us.
"Up until now, I haven't killed anyone because I know you are just following orders and have people who care about you. This is your only and final warning. If we are attacked again I will not hesitate to Put. Them. Down. Do you understand?"I asked daringly as I steeled my gaze and rose my eyebrow questioningly
He nodded furiously and I released his collar allowing him to slump back down to the ground. "If you stay out of our way, we'll stay out of yours," Emma said menacingly as she squatted down to stare at him gently, He nodded again. "Good" was all she said before she punched him in the face knocking him out.
"Son of a.." she cried out and clutched her hand. "I don't know how you do that Izz, it hurts like a bitch"
I laughed and shook my head. "It's an art em, plus my extra strength comes in handy. Let me see your hand."
She held her hand out to me and I encircled it in my palms. I focused my healing on my hands and after a moment felt the tingling sensation begin. After a moment I pulled my hands away and she flexed her fingers looking at me in awe.
"It's something I learned a long time ago. I'm able to focus my healing to help heal others" I said as I shrugged. She grinned and nodded. "So what's next?" She asked once more.
"I believe someone said they wanted to head towards California for beaches and sunshine?" I asked rhetorically as I tapped my finger against my chin and looked off into the distance
"Oh yes!" Emma exclaimed happily and pumped her fist in the air.
I laughed and shook my head. "First things first, stand still." I grabbed her shoulders and pictured a harness as the same purple mist creeped out of my hands and down her chest as the harness formed. I repeated the same for myself adding in a hook to attach us.
"Oh wow!" She exclaimed and pulled against her harness to test its strength.
"It's something new due to the latest phase. Easy Item manifestation. I got to use it during the fight when I wanted a dagger to throw at one of the guys attacking you"
"Oh yeah, thanks for that," she said as she laughed awkwardly.
"No problem girlie. Come here and turn around facing away from me so I can connect us." I replied excitedly.
She did as I asked and I clipped our harnesses together, making sure they were secure. "What are these even for," she asked turning slightly to look at me over her shoulder.
"They're for this," I said grinning as I pushed off of the ground sending us soaring into the sky.
She screamed out and started to giggle as we flew through the clouds gaining height.
----------
"This is amazing!" She yelled over the sound of the wind.
"It really is. I never would've imagined being here right now. Hell if you would have told me this a month ago, I wouldn't have believed it. I yelled back and laughed.
"Oh wait! I have an idea that will make this better!" I yelled out and started to drop elevation.
Soon we touched down in a field a few states away from where we were before and I released her harness before retracting my wings.
"We're going to be together for a while and I trust you just as much as you trust me right?" I asked Emma as I looked at her nervously.
"Well duh," she said playfully and lightly punched my shoulder.
"How would you feel about making a blood bond so we can communicate through mind link? I asked as a glanced down at my feet slightly nervous about how she would reply.
It's a big commitment and unbreakable unless one of us dies. If we do the blood bond, we would be connected forever. It would open a mind link that would be accessible no matter how far apart and I would be able to tune into her emotions and vice versa.
"Hell yeah!" She exclaimed excitedly as my head shot up to look at her.
"I completely forgot about being able to do that or I would've suggested it years ago. You're like a sister to me and I would love to have that kind of connection with you," she said genuinely.
I teared up a little and threw my arms around her crushing her into a hug. She hugged me back, rubbing my back soothingly.
I stepped back and wiped my eyes. After calming myself down I turned my hand's palms up and conjured a golden dagger with a wolf head at the end.
I sliced the palm on my right hand and handed the dagger to Emma. She did the same, slicing the palm on her left hand.
"With this bond we are bound to one another, forever finding new things to discover. Trust is something that's rarely found, so here's to always being around," we repeated together and clasped hands.
As we did, a strong energy pulsed between us pushing us apart and sending us falling on our butts.
"Whoah! I've never seen that happen before for a blood bond" Emma said as she got to her feet and stuck out her hand helping me up.
I dusted myself off as well before responding. "Me neither. I wonder if it has anything to do with the whole me being a part of the prophecy thing"
"Maybe. We need to.. " she began but stopped abruptly, clutching her chest above her heart as she cried out in pain.
"Ahhhh... what the hell!!" She screamed and ripped her top open. There on her chest above her heart was a black tattoo
In the shape of the royal crest that was on the box.
A second later I felt a searing pain on my chest In the same spot. I cried out and pulled my shirt down revealing the same mark in the same place but mine was surrounded by three rings of deep gold.
"It's the same" I mumbled astonished as pulled my duffel bag out of my pocket.
I enlarged it, sitting it down on the ground, and rummaged through it before pulling out the chestnut box and setting the bag aside.
"What are you talking about and what the hell just happened?" Emma asked exasperated as she came over to me still running overhand over her new mark.
"My parents gave me this box before I got separated from them. It came directly from the goddess and can only be made and opened by those blessed by her"
I put my hand over the clasp and felt the sting of it stabbing me. I wiped the residual blood off on my pants and opened the box.
Inside were new documents I hadn't seen before. I pulled them out and started to go through them.
The top one had the royal crest sketched onto it with some writing below. It explained that as the chosen descendant when I make blood bonds they are stronger than others. It will mark whoever the bond is with and I will be marked the first time it is done.
It goes on to explain the rings stand for the phases I've completed and that I can form bonds with others that would establish the same link without such an unbreakable link that is done through magic. All of the marks will allow me to communicate with others and will signify that they are under my protection.
I handed the paper to Emma to let her read it as I glanced at the next one.
It explains that along with being able to heal others, faster healing, magic, enhanced speed, strength, hearing, and mind-reading I also will be developing quite a few new powers as well as the ones I have getting stronger with each phase.
The new ones I should be getting include levitation, immunity to silver, wolfsbane, and all alpha commands, fangs, visions, and teleportation. I grinned as I handed that paper to Emma as well. Those could come In handy if I could learn to control them.
The last paper explained how to do the magic bond with others by putting my hand on their chest above their hearts and focusing my magic there. With each bond that is created, I would grow stronger.
After we were done reading them I put the papers back in the box and closed it handing it to Emma so she could see the shield. "That's what I meant when I said they matched, our tattoos are the royal seal on my box"
"Oh wow!" She said gently as she ran her hands over the shield inspecting it for a moment before handing it back to me to put in my bag.
I placed it back in and zipped it closed before shrinking it again and placing it back in my pocket.
"I had no idea that would happen, I'm so sorry em," I said meekly as I stared at my feet.
"Hey," she said as she came over and shook my shoulder. "There's no need to be sorry, I would've done it either way. Now I just have a badass tattoo that shows our connection." She said as she laughed happily.
I joined in laughing along with her. "Very true. Come on, we've been here long enough, let's head out"
"Sounds good," she said and turned around.
Just as I was about to clip to her though, we heard a girl's terrified scream come from the forest behind us.