Kiara's body felt heavy and oddly... wet. Kiara slowly blinked open her eyes and saw a bunch of trees overhead and felt a warm fire next to her.
"Kol! I think she's awake!" the excited voice of a little girl spoke.
"About time princess," the face of the Dragon Prince appeared. Kiara instantly scrambled away and backed into a tree.
"Whow there, princess," the Dragon prince says laughing.
"Why am I so close to the fire and with you?" Kiara asks.
"Well you were soaked and we kind of jumped off a cliff into a waterfall to save Annalise here," the prince says pointing to the little girl from the cave
"Oh, right." Kiara laughs," And where are we?"
"Somewhere where the river got calmer and Annalise and I could climb out with you," the prince says.
"Did you all make it through the river alright?" Kiara asks.
"Yeah, but it was a bit difficult to carry a knocked out fairy. You're much lighter than you look, princess," he says.
"It's because my bones have air pockets and it makes it easier to fly. Also, can you stop calling me princess? My name is Kiara," Kiara says annoyed.
"Nice to know princess, my name's Kol," Kol says laughing as Kiara's eyes narrowed.
"And you must be Annalise," Kiara says ignoring Kol.
"Yeah," the little girl says pushing her black hair behind her ear. Kiara stands and stretches out a bit.
"So, what now?" Kiara asks looking at Kol.
"Dunno, when I jumped I didn't think of a plan. I just jumped," Kol says shrugging.
"Well, now we got two people with poor decision making," Kiara says walking and plopping down next to the son of her worst enemy.
"Can't you just go back to your kingdom?" Kol asks.
"No, I choose to save dragon royalty, when I couldn't even save my own father," Kiara says as she grows the moss of one of the trees near her.
"Your father wasn't your fault. You were busy fighting," Kol says bumping her shoulder lightly.
"No, you don't understand this was my first day in battle and I already let one of my companions die. I'll never be fit to be Queen," Kiara said anger lacing her voice.
"Not, everyone is meant to be royal," Annalise says sitting closely to Kiara.
"I suppose, you're correct but I was hoping that someday my brother and I can rule together. Not in like an incest kind of way and have kids. But where both of us would be there to help the other," Kiara said clutching her fist in anger.
"You two did seem pretty in sync," Kol says.
"Enough of regrets, can you actually control the colour of your eyes? And regulate your own body temperature?" Kiara asked turning to Kol.
"The eye thing some can some can't. Every dragon can regulate their body temp," Kol says laughing.
"Oh and do you all have actual Dragons, you know with wings?" Kiara asks.
"Yes, but they're very headstrong and only a handful of people can actually ride them," Kol says.
"One last question, can you all really speak to each other-and actual dragons- with your minds?" Kiara asks.
"No for the most part. There is at least, however, one per generation. This generation's is Annalise here," Kol says.
"And how does she do it? Can she speak with more than one person at a time? Ooooh, and can she connect minds?" Kiara asks amazed.
"It's just something that I can do, it feels completely natural. I can speak to multiple people at one and no I can't connect minds, yet," Annalise says smiling.
"Okay, now you can ask me questions if you have any," Kiara says.
"Can you all really fly without wings? And shrink into dust particles?" Annalise asks making a small gap between her thumb and index finger.
"Why of course I can fly without wings," Kiara says effortlessly lifting herself off the ground while sitting.
"And the smallest a fairy can get is the size of a baby field mouse. As far as I know," Kiara says sitting back down.
"Can I see?" Annalise asks her amber coloured eyes changing to a warm orange colour.
"I don't see why not," Kiara says shrinking down and starts flying around Annalise-who watches with amazement-.
"Can you shrink other people?" Kol asks.
"Um, honestly not sure. I'll have to find that out," Kiara says scratching the back of her head as she regrew.
"How much weight can you pick up when you're that small," Kol asks.
"As much as I can while I'm full sized well proportionally. So when I'm at my normal size I can sustain a constant weight of 5 times my body weight and monetarily carry 7 times my body weight that will stay the same but one a much smaller scale. Like, say I wanted to pick up Kol up. While at full size it would be easy but being fully shrunk I couldn't. Does that make sense?" Kiara asks.
"Perfect, is there a limit to how much you can use your abilities?" Kol asks.
"Yes, much like you can only run so much before you're worn out," Kiara says.
"Now can I see you grow a plant?" Annalise asks.
"I don't see why not," Kiara says looking around for a small plant. She finds a sprouting Lily.
"Watch closely," Kiara says connecting to that one flower and gently putting some of her energy to help the little flower bloom. It grows quickly right in front of their eyes.
"Whow," wonder clear in the little dragon's eyes.
"So... what do we do now?" Kol says suddenly.
"Well... I think we should figure out who has the stone... if they even have it,"
"I dunno, let's take a trek back to the ruins," Kol says.
"From there we'll be able to find out who has it," Kiara says nodding.
"Before we go don't you think you should do something about the giant gash in your forehead?" Annalise asks.
"Huh?" Kiara says as she dumbly touches her fingers to her forehead making pain shoot through her.
"Is it bad?" Kiara asks.
"Meh," Kol says. Kiara groans
"Some help you are!" Kiara says uses her water ability to search for the river. Once it's found she looks down at herself.
Same blonde main, and green eyes, but now she's sporting a large gash on her forehead. SHe gently makes a sphere of water and washes away the dried blood. It still looks bad but not nearly as bad as she thought at first.
Kiara searches around and swears under her breath. Her bow it's gone! When had she lost it? She'd had it when she found the deer since she got her burn ointment from the pouch in it. DId she have it when she was fighting Kol? Or did she lose it in the water?
All she knew was she was down weapons since she knew for sure she'd lost her Katana when battling Kol. Not only did she not have a single weapon but she also didn't have her med-kit!
"What's wrong, princess?" Kol asks gently touching her shoulder.
"I lost all my stuff!" Kiara says defeated not bothering to correct him.
"Oh, you mean the awesome bow and the badass swords?" Kol asks.
"Yeah, those would be it," Kiara says her voice defeated.
"I'm almost sure you threw off the bow when we were about to start fighting, and I knocked the sword out of your hand. Yet another reason to go back to the waterfall cave," Kol says.
"Yeah I suppose you're right," Kiara says," for now this gash is gonna have to wait. Let's just go, shall we?" Kol and Annalise look at her strangely.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Annalise ask.
"Nah, Alexander has done much worse to me when we practised," Kiara says laughing lightly.
"What exactly did he do?" Annalise asks.
"What hasn't he done? The worse thing he has done would probably be the time he accidentally stabbed me millimetres away from my heart."
He'd been expecting me to dodge but I was distracted because they'd called for lunch and he got me. I've never seen Alexander more scared in my entire life. Nor have I been that close to death in my entire life. That's why he always ensures I have a chest plate on when we spare," Kiara says shrugging as she pulls up water to put out the fire.
"I bet you were so scared!" Annalise says.
"Not really. Death isn't something that should be feared in my opinion. Life would be quite dull if I feared death," Kiara says ruffling the young girl's hair.
The group then started following the river back to the waterfall. It turns out they were only a few hours past it. But on the wrong side to get across.
"Can you build a bridge, Princess?" Kol asks. Kiara groaned at the word princess but answered anyway.
"Ugh... I don't know. I can try but it might use up a lot of energy. And also stop calling me Princess!" Kiara says making laugh. She closes her eyes and pulls up the bottom of the river.
"I dunno how long I can hold this so I suggest we move quickly," Kiara says running across the land, Kiara releases the land when everyone's crossed safely.
Kiara looks around the ruins still feel heavy and reeks of blood. Kiara shutters at the number of bodies lying about. This is what war looked like. People who gave their lives for something they believed in.
Something caught Kiara's eye as she looked around the landscape.
"Give me a second," Kiara says as she approaches the deer she found earlier. It allowed her to approach.
She grew some grass for it to graze on as she looked at the deer's burn. It's completely healed, it made Kiara wonder how long she'd been out.
"How long had I been unconscious?" Kiara asks.
"At least a day or two, why?" Kol asks. That's odd since her clothes were the slightest bit wet when she'd woken up.
"If it's been two days then why were my clothes wet?" Kiara asks.
"Oh, because Kol tried to wake you up by splashing you with water!" Annalise says quickly throwing her brother under the bus. Kol blushed as he avoided Kiara's gaze as she gave a hearty laugh.
"I guess that didn't work, huh?" Kiara says laughing.
"No, princess, it didn't," Kol says pouting. Kiara really needed to come up with a stupid nickname for him when he calls her princess, just to show how annoying it is, yet nothing came to mind at the moment. Kiara gave the deer one last glance before heading back.
Kiara leads them back up the mountain, she even pulled some water from the fall to splash all over Kol. He cursed as it soaked him yet left everyone else dry.
"Yah, know princess, I'd watch myself if I were you," he gruffs.
"And I should why?" She asks laughing lightly.
"Just because you saved my sister doesn't mean we're on the same team, I'll still kill you if I think you're a threat and I have elemental powers too," he says summoning a ball of fire and hurling it straight at Kiara. She gasps and pulls up a shield of water. Anger floods her but is quickly drowned out by the realization that his name was Kol and he made fire. Man, these Dragons were hilarious. Suddenly calling him a nickname wasn't a need since his name itself was a joke.
"Why are you laughing?" Kol asks his pride clearly hurt.
"She finds it humorous that your name is Kol and you can make fire," Annalise says making Kiara laugh even harder now that it was out in the open. Kol's face flushes. He shoots another fireball at her while she's bent over laughing it licks her forearm making her shout in surprise and pain.
"Hey! That actually hurts! Mine doesn't hurt! Plus if you ask I can remove the water!" Kiara says her anger returning.
"Now that you're covered in water I can freeze you, and if you didn't know there is water inside you that I can remove and kill you instantly!" Kiara says instantly covering her mouth. Shit! She just gave away her most important secret.
"You can what?" Kol asks his eyes wide and fearful. Kiara gulps.
"You heard me. Now let's go into this cavern," Kiara says flicking her hair over her shoulder trying to act as if she meant to say those things.
Annalise and Kol are quiet as they follow after her. She pushes all the water out of their way and swallows the lump in her throat as she looks at Lillies on the cavern ground from where her father's blood hit it.
"I'm really sorry about your Dad," Kol says his voice soft and mournful.
"There is no use in apologizing it will change nothing," Kiara says as she plucks her bow from off the ground. she searched the area for her katana but didn't find it anywhere. Her bow was flung in the corner of the cave closest to her she picked it up and luckily her quiver pack was still there too. She sighed sadly and tried to ignore the white roses that grew there now.
"Why are there flowers?" Kol asks confused.
"When a member of the royal family dies flowers grow where they die. Each person chooses their death flowers, my father's was white roses. He said they symbolized purity. We also grow flowers with our blood too and their different and it's only if it touches the earth. We can't pick those his were Lillies." Kiara said touching the rock that once held the stone.
"What're yours?" Kol asks.
"Gladiolus for death and Tiger lilies for blood," She answers softly.
"What?" Kol asks.
"Gladiolus, they mean strength and generosity," Kiara says.
"Did you pick that?" Kol asks.
"No, Alexander did, he said it fit me," Kiara said pushing both her elements into the fixture it snapped open and it was empty. She already figured that. Her eyes trailed the ground looking for signs of battle. Slash marks on the other side of the cave gave Kiara the information she needed.
"They went through a passage here," Kiara says using her earth to open the entrance.
"Who?" he asks.
"I dunno," she says following the path.
"It had to be a fairy, no dragon can use earth," Kol says.
"No, but this door looks like it can be open through a weight system. Looks like when your dad opened the safe this door opened," Kiara said pointing to levers and pullies.
"Cool," Annalise says tugging on a rope.
"No!" Kiara said using the earth to encase the girl as an Iron brick fell on top of it.
"Kol move the brick!" Kiara says. He gives her a look of confusion.
"It's iron! It was a trap meant for fairies, I brick that weight and made of pure iron would kill any fairy it lands on," a shiver runs through Kiara as she looks at the brick, Kol flings it off the mound of earth around his sister. Kiara releases Annalise, she clings onto her brother and starts balling. Kiara stands awkwardly off to the side.
She inspects her burn Kol caused, it was nasty. but she now had her bow and its arrows in it held her burn ointment and her med-kit she'd have to dress them later.
"You two stay here I'm going to make sure the path is clear for us up ahead," Kiara says. Kol gives her a single nod as he consoles his weeping sister. Kiara carefully wonders down the path keeping earth close to her as she does so in case she needs it.
A large Iron log comes crashing through the centre of the hall.
"Shit!" Kiara says leaning into the cavern walls to avoid the Iron log taking off her bow and arrows to make sure they didn't break from the force. She waits to move from cover but gasps at seeing two more logs coming down the other side of the hall Kiara drops to the ground and uses Earth to cover herself further. She feels the Earth get scraped off her back and instantly a burning sensation courses through her.
She lets out a small shout of pain before she controls herself and only lets out small whimpers. she opens a gap further in the ground and waits for the things to stop swinging. After a few moments, she hears two sets of footsteps come from where she came from. She unburies herself and carefully flips over so she can see the two of them.
The metal got the area not covered by the light armour and she could feel it burn her. She groans as her back makes contact with the ground.
"Stay there. I'll stop them," Kiara says pulling roots from trees above them and asking them to take the logs up into the earth above.
Kol rushes over and offers her a hand.
"What happened?" he asks.
"Your father made another trap, I tried to get away but the Iron burned through the clothing on my back and burned me," Kiara says her tone sour.
"So Iron really does hurt?" he asks.
"Well, actually, it makes our healing abilities to stop completely whenever we are injured by it. So, until this heals none of my other wounds will heal. So, if I get a cut, then I get hurt by iron. The original cut won't stop bleeding until the Iron's cut heals completely," Kiara answers.
"So you'd bleed out if Iron slices you while bleeding," Annalise says her eyes still puffy.
"Exactly, that's why we avoid it at all costs. Now if I get hurt it won't stop bleeding or start healing until the cut I got from the Iron heals," Kiara says flinching.
"So the burn I gave you earlier will stay the way it is until those back wounds heal?" Kol asks.
"Yeah, let's hope that and this doesn't get infected," Kiara said pointing to her forehead and arm.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have let you go alone when I knew there could be traps," Kol apologizes.
"No need I volunteered to go ahead," Kiara says shrugging it off and walking back on the path. Kiara wished her water was with her but if she pulled water from above them it would flood this area and they'd drown.
Hopefully, there were no more Iron traps set up. Kiara's back was in constant pain but she put her bag of arrows back on her back and the bow across her body.
"Is there any way to increase Iron damages heal time?" Kol asks.
"Yes, but it's a secret only known to fairies who live their life by the healing arts, they abandoned our kingdom when this cursed war started. With battle there is Death and as healing faries, they refused that idea."
"Do you know where to find them?" Kol asks.
"No, I wish I did," Kiara thinks to her mother who could've lived if those bloody healers would've helped her.
"Well, looks like we found our first place to go," Kol says his eyes sparkling.
"No, we need to find that stupid gem!" Kiara says shaking her head.
"No, we'll need you in one piece if we have any chance of getting that gem," Kol says.
"I want to destroy that thing, you know? I don't want to actually use it," Kiara says her eyes watching Kol's face for his reaction. His eyes crease and he gives a slight nod.
"Good, because I want that too, I lost my mother to this war and almost my little sister I'm not letting that gem do any more damage," Kol said his voice sure and strong grabbing Annalise's hand and smiling softly at her.
"You lost your mom at war?" Kiara asks before she can stop herself.
"Yeah, what's it to you? Your people killed her! So sorry if your perfect home life seems like a struggle," Kol snaps suddenly, igniting Kiara's own anger.
"Well, you know what it's totally not like I've lost my mother before I even got to know her because I was some demon child to birth! Then had to watch as my father was killed in cold blood! So, excuse me for being surprised your family isn't perfect either," Kiara shouts her voice echoing off the walls as she marches forward not giving Kol a chance to retort.
"Kiara..." Kol says softly but Kiara pays him no mind as she walks silently as she fights the tears clouding her vision.
She is the reason her mother died, not the war. Her brother's birth was painless and easy, but when Kiara came she started to crash and died within minutes of trying to birth her. She killed her mother, Alex always claimed it wasn't her fault that if anything it's both their responsibilities. But she was perfectly fine when she birthed Alex and was stable until Kiara started to come out then her mother died.
The nursemaid claimed to never see someone die so quickly at childbirth. No one knew why she died so suddenly, all Kiara knew was that it was her. It's always her and it always will be people around her die, people who she let in die.
"Kiara!" She's pulled from her spiral as she hears her name bounce through her mind.
"Kiara look out!" the voice shouts again, this time Kiara halts and sees a huge cavern in the ground she almost walked right into it. The bottom wasn't in sight, she was sure that if she fell down it she wouldn't make it out. She felt herself wobble on the edge of the cavern, the dirt beneath her feet crumbling. Then the earth fell from under her and her stomach dropped. A hand grabbed her forearm as she started to fall and pulled her up with ease.
"God! We have been screaming at you for ages! What on earth was going through your head? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kol shouts as Kiara looks at him in astonishment.
"You saved me...you actually saved me," She mumbled to herself.
"What?" Kol asks his breath short and fast.
"You saved me," she says looking up at him in wonder.
"Well, you saved Annalise and me from dying so don't think too much of it. I was just returning the favour," he says gulping in a breath.
"Why are you breathing so hard?" Kiara asked.
"I had to run up and catch you! I was a good few meters away! Annalise saw you about to fall into a pit," Kol says pointing to Annalise. Kiara smiles at the shy little girl, she gives a small nod at her and hides further behind her brother.
"Well...anyway... thank you..." Kiara says as she pulls up some stones to build a bridge so they can cross the pit. She felt her strength start to waver, she'd used too much energy already not to mention the fact that she was injured by Iron for that matter.
"So after we get out of here we head to find those healers," Kol said. Kiara didn't have the energy to fight him.
"Yeah, fine. But the only information we know about where they are is that they are in a neutral area covered in forests," Kiara says trying to pull an old memory from the depths of her mind.
"So that leaves out both our kingdoms, the only other kingdom that has nature is the wilds outside the borders," Kol says.
"That's not far from here, but I doubt we'll be granted access to the wilds."
"Why's that?" Kol asks.
"Because the forest is very particular to who they let into it."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, according to what we know about it is, the plants are actual beings like you and I. They think, they love, and they hate. Just as we do, so naturally I nor any other Fairy can control them as we can here. There we have to ask the plants to do things and be deemed worthy."
"So...we have to literally win over the forest," Kol asks.
"Yes."
"Well that'll be easy," Kol says sauntering away.
"No, Kol. It isn't. Why do you think my people avoid that area?" Kiara pauses.
"Because we cannot connect to anything there, back to when the wars started the forest allowed access and everything was good. But once the Gem war started the forest was used as a battlefield and destroyed part of the wilds. Since then no one has stepped foot into the woods."
"I didn't know that," Kol says his eyebrows scrunching.
"Our kingdoms focus on different types of education," Kiara says trying to be civil.
"Ours focuses on battle strategies and the best way to kill an opponent," Kol says bitterly.
"Don't worry once we rid the world of that blasted Gem, we can start a truce between our two nations and we'll teach each other things the other doesn't know," Kiara says her voice confident.
"What makes you so sure we'll become allies?" Kol asks.
"Well, You and I are royals. We have a lot of say in what the world needs if we stand together so will our kingdoms," Kiara answers sure.
"What if I don't want to stand with you?" Kol asks challenge in his voice.
"Then I will ignore your kingdom and keep all my secrets to myself," Kiara says her voice deadly serious.
"And what if our people don't agree?" Kol asks.
"They will learn, if we set the example they will eventually understand."
"Princess, you are becoming much too confident in our relationship. Just because we both want this damn Gem destroyed doesn't mean I want you as an ally, as far as I'm concerned you and I are still enemies. But since we are after the same goal I've decided that not killing you will help me get this damned Gem," Kol says his words venomous. Kiara straightened her spine and looked Kol right into his amber swirling eyes.
"Those are thoughts for later and if it comes to it. I will protect my kingdom and my people."
"How you couldn't save your father from being killed let alone beat me in a swords battle," Kol prods her. Kiara flinches her father's death still fresh in her mind. Pain flares in her then rage replace it. She turns to Kol and lifts her arm and watches as panic flood through Annalise. Annalise hears what Kiara is doing. Slowly Kiara starts to pull the water inside Kol's body.
"Kiara!" Annalise warns.
"Annalise, stay out of this!" Kol shouts as he struggles against Kiara's grip.
"You better watch that mouth of yours Dragon boy, or I'll drain you of every drop of water in your body," Kiara warns as she moves the water closer to the outside of Kol's body. She realises him and lets the water return to where it belongs.
"I will not hesitate to kill you when this is over, you monster," Kol spits at her as he stands back up. A chill runs through Kiara at the word monster, though her mouth says.
"Nor will I," Kiara says her words so heavy they could be felt in the air around them. They were a promise.