Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.
Nia's POV
The Queen, apparently my aunt, laughs at my confusion.
"Oh, have you not been told of me?"
"No." I stare at her, dumbfounded. I just found out about my real parents, I don't know about their siblings! Is this woman insane?
"How rich! Your mother didn't tell her own daughter about her older sister!" She cackles with glee. "Well, I will explain. I am your mother's older sister. I was to be married to the king, your father, to bring peace between our two kingdoms and unite them, for you see, your mother is from the Dark and Earth royal family, obviously as am I, and you. But, I started to learn about the powers that the royal family possesses, to control the Darkness and the Earth. I loved these powers. My parents said that the manipulation of the elements was changing my mind, that the Darkness was getting to me, like it has gotten to many others of our family in the past. This made my parents change their mind, and have my sister, your mother, marry your father instead with the excuse of I'm insane and not fit for marriage."
"Wow, that sounds rough. I'm sorry your mom said you were insane." I say sincerely. My aunt just waves it off, so I continue. "Well, if you're my aunt, I think we should introduce ourselves and maybe talk in a better place than this. Hi I'm Antonia, but I prefer Nia."
"Hello Nia, my name is Coraline, but people who know me closely call me Cora." She smirks "But let's skip the pleasantries, and get straight to business. I imagine you are wondering why you are here. The answer to that is simple. I need an heir, a successor, to my throne, one that will continue my work for me once I am gone. For you see, even if I wanted to have children, there is nobody who interests me, for I am certainly surrounded by imbeciles." I stare at her in shock.
"Y-you... you want me to be your heir, don't you?" I stutter in total surprise. I didn't expect this... but to be honest I don't really know what I expected. "But I don't know how I can be your heir, I don't control Darkness or the Earth, I'm just a shapeshifter."
"You are much more my dear, much more. I just need to unlock your potential." My aunt Cora states evilly, waving her hand to gather tendrils of Darkness around her hand. They group together to make an immediately recognizable object... a whip.
Is she really going to lash me?
Why would my aunt want to do this to me, just so the supposed Darkness and Earth powers I have can unlock and I can take over her rule once she dies or whatever?
Aren't people usually lashed on their back?
Why am I in a chair if I'm going to be lashed?
Is she going to move me?
How will this help getting my powers to unlock?
Cora laughs maniacally while walking slowly towards me as she waves her left hand, the one not holding the whip of darkness, and other bits of Darkness break off from the group filling the room. They unlock my restraints on the chair, and push me into a standing position with my arms raised that no matter how much I struggle, I can't get out of it. I am soon chained up by my arms, in a way dangling from the ceiling, even though my feet can kind of reach the ground and there are very short chains attached to my ankles as well as my wrists.
My aunt laughs again as she sends the whip against my flesh everywhere on my body except my face. The pain is so excruciating, and it feels like each time she hits me a bit of Darkness is embedded into the cut, making it even worse. At this point, all of my hope is lost. I can't move, there's no chance of escape. The blood loss soon has me too weak to shift, so all I can do is scream...
scream...
scream...
Saber's POV
I wake up screaming in pain, feeling like I'm cut deeply everywhere on my body. I look down and inspect my body for injuries, but I don't see any. So this pain that is still in my limbs isn't mine, and the pain sharpens with the sound of a whip cracking and a woman's insane laughter echoing in my head. If it's not me, this must be happening to...
Nia.
No. No! The Dark Earth Queen is torturing Nia, my connection mate, my love. She is not going to get away with this. I am not going to let this happen!
Frantically, I sprint downstairs, desperately searching for Sophia. If the only way that we can do this is through me turning into a mythical creature, then so be it. I will do it, even if it hurts as bad as the pain Nia is currently going through. She must be saved, and I will inflict twice the amount of pain to the heartless queen that she is inflicting to Nia, the only girl I have ever had an interest in, the only girl I've ever loved.
"Sophia! I need to be taught now!" I yell, trying to sniff her out. It's hard to pinpoint one scent through the many that are in the house. Nia's scent still lingers...
I push past that thought as I hear Sophia shouting for me from the kitchen. I rush in there to speak to her
"Sophia, I need you to teach me how as soon as possible, preferably now."
"What has gotten you so motivated? Last night you were so skeptical." Sophia asks, crossing her arms and glaring at me.
"Nia is being tortured, I can feel some of her pain, and it hurts badly, so it's even worse for her. So just teach me, we need to rescue her!" I wail. Sophia stares at me in shock for a second, then rushes out of the back door with me right behind her.
"Okay, I think it'd be easier if you are in your lion form, then you can connect with the chimera and try to draw its energy around you to change you into it, like you do with all cats, or like I do with mythical creatures. You also need to concentrate, but I can't really help, other than give you some advice. Imagine a chimera in your mind, and imagine a glowing aura type thing around it. Imagine you pulling the aura off of the chimera and wrapping it around yourself like an extra layer of skin, then imagine the aura is yours and you are the chimera. Also, stay focused! I'll have Ivy start trying to shift as well." Sophia runs off, presumably to find Ivy.
I concentrate and imagine the chimera as Sophia instructed, and continue to try to shift into it. I try for hours on end, well into the night. I won't stop trying until I pass out from exhaustion, or I shift. Whichever comes first.
Finally, at sunrise, when I honestly feel like I might pass out from the loss of energy, I focus my mind totally on the chimera's aura, and gather up my energy, using it with a roar to bring the aura to me and wrap around me, imagining myself as a chimera.
My wish has been answered.
My roar has changed from not just being a lion's roar, but being an epic combination of lion, goat and dragon. The noise seems to power me as I roar again in joy.
I'm ready.
But then, the adrenaline rush I got when shifted wears off, and I feel extremely exhausted. Mustering up enough energy to shift back into human form, I turn back, and immediately pass out, letting the dark drag me in for rest.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Author's Note:
Finally! I don't end on a big cliffhanger! Hehe 🙂 anyway, I hope you liked it! Also, sorry for probably making you want to scream with the Nia and her aunt thing... but I'm a slightly evil writer, so be warned. This is way too fun for me. Oh well! Here's the question for this chapter!
Question:
What's your favorite animal?
Pretty sure it's obvious as to what mine is! I love cats, any type, wild or domestic!
~Cat Queen