Chapter 1
June sat down at the edge of the cliff, her wide green eyes staring at the world in front of her. The air was filled with the sweet smell of wild flowers and freshly baked apple pies. The wind whirled around her gently, moving her light blonde hair back and forth slowly. A small smile had planted itself on her face. She looked to be in her early-teens when in reality she was in her late-teens.
"June!! Come on, dear, we're all waiting for you." An elderly women called from an open window in a nearby house.
"I'll be right there Gram. Go ahead and start without me." June called back, her voice light and beautiful, like a song bird's song.
"Alright dear, but be quick." Gram chuckled as she closed the window.
June smiled and stood up. She turned to leave when the wind blew a large gust and took the long worn out cloak she'd been wearing. The cloak danced around for a couple seconds before flying over the cliff and out of reach. June rolled her eyes and looked down at her white capris and her black tank top. She scrunched her nose up but went on inside, smiling big at her friends and grandmother.
"Okay I'm here." June sighed, sitting down at the table between her friends, the twins Ilia and Keagen. Both of them smiled at her and nudged her gently together.
"Well it's about time!" The boy 14 year old boy that sat across from her, Randall, exclaimed with exasperation. "I'm starving."
June pursed her lips but said nothing, just glanced around the table at the other people. Five other people sat around the table with her and the twins and Randall.
Beginning at the left of Ilia, who also sat to the left of June, were two boys. The first was about 7, the other about 20. The little 7 year old's name was Darrel, with light brown hair and big innocent blue eyes. The 20 year old's name was Jared, with pitch black hair and silver eyes. He also had pointed ears and light blue skin to show off his elven blood. The two of them were complete opposites but they were the best of friends. Jared is dark and silent, couldn't get him to crack a smile even if his life was on the line. Darrel was bright and chipper and hyper, never frowning.
The other three to the right of Keagen were two girls and another boy. The boy was older then a boy, more like a man actually. He was about 35 and he had a thick black mustache. Some of his dark hair was beginning to thin but he still looked young. His skin was purple and his ears were pointed, like Jared's. He was a dark elf, once a human before he made a deal with the wrong kind of man, the High Elf himself (hideous man, by the way. you'd never want to look into that man's eyes.)
The girl beside him was named Sarah. She had dark brown hair and dark green eyes. She was in her early-thirties, her face old and motherly. After having three kids and losing two of them no one would be surprised.
And finally, the last girl was about 13. She looked very much like her mother but sadder and younger. Her name was Misery. Her original name was Claire but after she was turned into a vampire and emancipated, she changed her name to show how she felt inside. Her dull, oily red hair and the bruises under her blank black eyes clashed with her pale skin, making her look sickly. In a way it made you want to feel sympathy for her. In other ways the b*****d inside of you wants to make her feel even worse. Or at least that's how June's father used to put it. He was a horrible old man, vile and evil.
"June, would you-" Gram walked over beside June and looked down at her when she was cut off by a knock at the door.
A deep voice came through the old cottage door saying, in a commanding way, "June Hollow, by order of the High Priestess, you are to return to Sharan where you will once more fight side-by-side with the military."
Chapter 2
June's green eyes were filled to the brim with fear. She remembered well how it was when the war was still going on. She remembered how this country had been taken from the dark elves. She remembered watching person after person die, from her hands. Her thoughts swam with the memories of the emotions and words that came from those people. Faces of the centuars and angel imps that fought alongside the country of Sharan, and the faces of the devil imps and orcs that fought alongside the elves. It was a nightmare she didn't want to relive ever again.
"June Hollow, if you don't open up in five seconds you will be dragged out. Now open this damn door!" The commanding voice yelled, forcing June from the past she hated more then anything.
The voice began counting. "1....2....3....4....5-" June swung the door open hard, anger flaring in her eyes. She was just a halfbreed, a mix of a werewolf and a vampire, but she still had the kind of power that made grown men who feared nothing, cry like little children.
"Go ahead!! Drag me out, General, but I tell you now: I will never, NEVER, fight in another war between countries!!" June looked like she was going to cry... or beat the ******** out of someone but there was really no difference either way. "I don't ever want to kill another human, orc, elf, imp, or centuar ever again! I don't want anyone else's blood on my hands. When I left last time I told you and that b***h of a High Priestess that I was never going to come back and I meant it. If Sharan wants to fight another country they can fight it without me. Now go away."
She slammed the door shut again, not taking one step away from it. The others were silent. Everyone in that room except for Randell and Darrel had been in or witnessed that war. Everyone except for the boys had lost someone or something precious to them. She didn't want to rip something away from someone after the last war. Not this time.
A softer voice, a women's voice, whispered through the door quietly, "Please, June, please. I beg of you, please come with us. The race of men need-"
June opened the door again, staring a girl, looked about the age of 7, coldly in the face. She had bright butterfly wings on her back and a crown that sat atop her bleach blonde curls. Her fair skin and pretty blue eyes were blank, like her childlike face. It would've stopped anyone's heart. Too bad June hated that little girl.
"The race of men didn't need me when they tried to murder all of our races, Cheyenne. It didn't need us when they slaughtered the kind hearted witches of Salem." June barked at her, a snow wolf's tail sprouting out of her spine and white ears sprouting out of her head. Her canines(fangs) became even sharper then before, sharper then the other teeth. "The race of men didn't need us when they were warring with each other. After all the god damn things the men have ever done to us and themselves, have they ever needed us?! Have they?!"
Cheyenne's eyes welled up with tears and she covered her face with her small hands. The little faerie princess sobbed, turning around and throwing herself into one of the other faerie men's arms. He held her tightly, looking at June with understanding. His face reminded her of someone but she didn't give herself time to remember who he was.
"Gram... pack your things. You're going to need to move into hiding again, I'm sure they'll use this land as battlegrounds. Take Darrel and Randell's family with you. They don't need to be in the middle of this." June's hate filled eyes watched the soldiers carefully as she gave orders to her friends. "Ilia, take Misery, Sarah, and the younger boys to the back room to get their things. Boys, listen to Sarah while this war goes on. You'll be staying with Gram until this ridiculous thing is over.
"Keagen, get the hunting equipment together. That includes knives and guns. Coach (I left out his name before in the previous chapter), go get the camping supplies. Don't leave anything out. Jared, I want you to come with me. Stay close beside me. Now, everyone do what I told you. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." They all answered her like proper children. She knew that as soon as they left the house they wouldn't listen to her again unless they were in danger.
"Good, now go." Jared and June paused in the doorway for a couple seconds to make sure that everyone did as they were told before they walked around to the back of the house.
They were silent, like mice, as they moved swiftly to the stables. They entered, the only sound was the stir of the wind in holes and an occasional whinny of a young mare. The two of them stared at the animals in the stable carefully, sizing them up. There were 2 big white horses and one black stallion in one part of the stables. In another part were two hippogriff, their sharp black beaks clicking as they passed on messages between themselves. And in the same part there were a giant eagle and a young dragon, lying next to each other and nuzzling the other.
"Choose one for us. Quick. There's not much time left." Jared whispered in June's ear quietly.
"I'll try. Just depends on how you want to travel." June whispered back, trying not to disturb the animals that lay in wait for them.
"I think the air would get us away faster. It would be best not to seperate the fledglings over there so we'll leave them to Gram and the kids." Jared trudged slowly and quietly around the stable, examining the ones that could fly easily.
"Don't you think they'll be expecting us to leave by air... we always do." June murmured, glancing at a white mare fondly. "We should escape with the horse's. They go quicker on land and they won't miss anything. The mare and the stallion are the only ones that get along. The younger mare belongs to Misery and Misery will obviously want to travel alone on her."
"Yes... you're right. I'll go tell the others, you get the stallion and the old mare ready to go." Jared nodded, staring at her calmly.
"I don't call your horse old." June stuck her tongue out at him and kind of danced over to the mare's and the stallion while Jared rolled his eyes and left.
The stallion whinnied quietly, showing his eagerness at wanting to leave. The older mare beside him stood there, serious and calm, no sign of want or need from her. She was Jared's horse. Her name was Atisha. She was the tamest horse June had ever seen. She'd belonged to one of Jared's family members, an elf of course, by the name of Kristen. She had been a hero and she had lived up until Jared was 12. She died in the war, fighting alongside the elves where she wanted to stay. It was very sad how she died. Her own lover had killed her, not knowing what was going on or who was who, he had stabbed her right in her heart. Quickly after that, her lover, Ashton, also died. He'd drank very effective poison. It was kinda like a Romeo and Juliet story except it was different. They both died the first time.
The stallion belonged to June. His name was Blaze. She had found him in the wild, wild and dangerous. Blaze was never tamed because June never felt the need to do so. She could calm Blaze down if she wanted to, whenever she wanted to.
She let the two out of their stables and led them to a closet where she got out a couple of riding clothes, a saddle, and reins. She put the saddle, the reins, and one cloth on Atisha. Then, she put the other cloth on Blaze. He was radiating excitement, you could practically see the energy flowing off him.
"I see your horse hasn't changed much, June." A familar voice alarmed her. Her head snapped to look at the door where the faerie from before stood.
"Landon..." June breathed.
Chapter 3
"Landon..." June breathed.
"Yupp. Nice to see you again, June. I thought after the war you'd find some peaceful place to die. You acted like you wanted to burn in hell because of all those deaths." Landon's snake like red eyes smiled at her evily. "All the people you slaughtered.. you acted like you had a heart. Of course... everyone from the military knows you don't... Otherwise you wouldn't have killed that boy. That poor... innocent... baby boy."
"Shut up!" June screamed, throwing something random she picked up out of the closet. "I didn't kill him! I didn't lay a hand on that child!" Tears ran down her cheeks.
"That's not what everyone else saw... Didn't your father order you to kill him. And you, being Daddy's Little Angel, followed orders. We'd never seen such a quick exacution in our lives." The item, turned out to be a hairbrush, almost hit Landon right between the eyes but he flicked it with his hand. It flew into a bale of hay, almost hitting the younger mare.
"I told you to shut up!!" The tail and the ears reappeared on June as she screamed, getting ready to launch herself at him. Her green eyes watched him carefully, making sure the boy didn't shapeshift into anything else.
"Aww.. come on," Landon smiled, too snakelike fangs protruding from his gums. "You shouldn't be rude to an old companion. That's just not right."
"Don't give me that 'old companion' bullshit, Landon. You betrayed all of us, even if we were doing the wrong thing, to stand by my father." June growled, white and grey fur sprouting all over her body. "He was evil... and you knew it."
"Ah, my dear old friend, your father and I have alot in common. We are both evil. And we can both get inside your head, June."
June could no longer speak, only growl and bark and howl, like a wolf or a dog. She wasn't like the normal werewolves who turned into man-wolves. She actually looked like a wolf. Her green eyes burned at the temptation to tear Landon's throat out.
Landon grinned, dropping down on his hands and knees and becoming a lion. He hissed playfully, his still red eyes grinning at her. He stared at her, just as she stared at him. Feline vs Canine, Halfbreed vs. Halfbreed, Shapeshifter vs. MultiTalent.
They launched at each other, meeting in the middle of the stable and rolling on the ground. June bit at his throat, Landon scratched at anything he could reach. Fur was flying and blood splattered the ground. It was horrible. Finally it came to an end when the sound of a shotgun fire came from close by them.
Landon took off, soaring through a stable window, leaving June to lay there on her back, panting. She had more wounds than Landon did and she was bleeding heavily from a deep cut in her side. She returned to her human/vampire form and lay there.
"Get some bandages, quickly. I'm sure that fight caught the attention of the soldiers." Jared's urgent whispering voice said as June closed her eyes.
"Right away, J... Heal those up as best as you can before I put those bandages on, otherwise they'll bleed through." A voice June hadn't heard in a very long time murmured quietly. "She'll probably black out in a couple seconds... so... don't fret about that."
Before June could hear anymore, just as the voice had said, she blacked out.
Chapter 4
Jared got onto the mare quickly, taking June as she was handed up to him. His dark eyes searched over her bandaged body just in case one of her wounds reopened. When he found nothing wrong, he positioned her to be sitting in front of him so he could keep a hold of her while he held the reigns.
"You're sure she's secure?" The girl that stood on the ground next to him asked, her crimson eyes looking at him seriously. "She won't slip off or anything when you hit a bump?"
"There's no problem, Holly." Jared murmured, nodding slowly. "She won't be going anywhere."
" 'Kay." Holly smiled, leaping onto Blaze with ease. "It's just not easy to remember how old she is. She doesn't seem like a 19 year old halfbreed."
"No she doesn't. She seems older to me. To you.. I think she'd seem much younger." Jared's expression was sympathetic. "She is your little halfbreed after all."
"Yes..." Holly smiled sadly, "My little halfbreed."
Coach and Gram came in, the children and the three younger adults coming in with them. Ilia jumped on the eagle's back as soon as she got in there. Keagen leaped onto the dragon's back also. Darrel joined Ilia and Randell joined Keagen. Gram mounted a hippogriff with Sarah and Coach mounted the other hippogriff. Misery jumped on her mare just as bright white wings spread from it's back. No one but Jared and Holly looked suprised. they hadn't known the horse could fly.
"Everyone flying through the air thats following us, up up and away right after we leave." Jared struggled to keep the surprise out of his voice but he succeeded in the end. "Everyone going in a different direction and coming back to find us, we'll be stationed somewhere hidden. Either Holly or I will be on the ground, being a look out so find us. If you're not coming back just... don't follow the ones coming back. Stay where they leave you unless danger is close. Understood?"
Everyone nodded. After they had, Jared and Holly took off, their horses whinnying as they rose onto their back legs and raced out of the stable doors. Coach took off after them, nodding a swift goodbye to Gram before he raced out after them.
Chapter 5
Holly sighed, leaning against the inside of an old oak tree. It's dead limbs hung uselessly out by its sides. It was cold and dark outside of that tree, but inside it was warm and comforting, the life within it giving the vampire warrior some warmth.
An eagle screeched outside and a dragon roared, notifying that Ilia and Keagan were here. Without wasting much time, Holly grabbed the flash light from her cloak pocket and shone it in the sky, signaling the two young twins. Soft thuds a few feet away told her they'd landed.
"You two make it here okay?" Holly asked, making her way carefully over to the eagle and the dragon.
"Not as okay as we wanted." Ilia murmured sadly, her voice seemed close yet it was detached. She was upset and from the way Ilia was talking, Holly could tell.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Holly's crimson eyes were wide and fearful as she searched the dark for the two young warriors.
"We should get inside so we can talk..." Keagen whispered thickly. He'd been crying.
"Alright..." Holly nodded, pointing her flashlight at a hidden door in the rock. "Go through there. Help me with the birds first."
" 'Kay." They said simultaneously. The eagle and the dragon went through another hidden door that led to the hidden stables inside fake trees.
After that, the three of them went inside the rock. When Holly got a good look at the twins in proper light, she gasped and covered her mouth in horror. They were scratched up and bleeding, Keagen had a black eye and Ilia had two. They looked like extremely poor gang members. It was horrible.
"Ohmygod.. what happened to you two?" Holly breathed quietly, her red eyes wide.
"We were ambushed." Ilia croaked. "We landed for three minutes to water the animals and then they attacked us. Werewolves. Vampires. And the halfbreed spawn of the two. It was horrible."
"They took our food and our camping supplies. The only things they didn't take that we needed were the hunting supplies." Keagen coughed. "Afterwards, they decided on which of us to take with them. They decided to take Misery and Gram. Sarah and the boys were hiding at that time but we didn't have a chance to see if they were okay or not. They killed Misery's flying horse and Gram's hippogriff. So the only way to get away was your Eagle and Luke's Dragon."
Holly began to sob, dropping down on her knees and putting her face in her hands. Her body shook so much that if she'd been carrying some kind of metal on her back, it would be making so much noise it'd wake the dead.
"Why... after everything I told them... after everything Luke told them... why did they attack a human and a vampire child. After everything I warned them about, did they even listen?" She sounded angry and sad and disappointed and hurt all at once. It was, after all, long ago, right after the race of men ended the war with mythical creatures, that she and Luke, a werewolf she'd fallen for, had told werewolves and vampires and their halfbreed fledglings that they could no longer feed among themselves or on humans.
"Holly..." Ilia murmured, putting a hand on Holly's shoulder.
"Go tell the others...please." Holly sat down all the way up against the wall behind her. She burried her face in her knees and sat there, not moving after she gave them their orders.
"Yes, ma'am." They whispered and hurried on their way to tell the others further inside.
~
"Keagen, do you think Luke was there with them?" Ilia whispered quietly to her brother.
"Would Luke really do something like that? He was the one that issued the order." Keagen rolled his eyes. "No way would he go against his word."
"Actually, Holly was the one to speak the words. Luke onl created it, he wouldn't have to follow it if he didn't speak it... unless of course he is a citizen of the country the law was issued to. But he is a loner so that wouldn't be the case." Ilia's brilliant mind was working quicker then her twin brother's slower mind.
"Oh really... where'd you hear that?" Keagen asked, wrapping a bandage around his forehead.
"If you'd pay attention in History you'd know." Ilia sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh whatever."
"But that was a serious question I asked you."
"What was?"
"About Luke being part of that attack."
"Oh.. yeah... it's possible but I highly doubt it. Luke wouldn't hurt Gram. He wouldn't lay a hand on her." Keagen shrugged, staring up at the ceiling as they walked.
"People change, Keagen... remember how Misery changed? She was once a happy and chipper Claire... after the deaths she became... miserable Misery."
"Well yeah, but Luke wouldn't do that would he? He loved Gram with all his heart. Almost as much as he loved Holly."
"You know... Holly and Luke had a baby..." Ilia looked down at the ground, her purple eyes glazed over as she though about it.
"Well yeah, one of those halfbreeds. Just like the ones who attacked us." Keagen shrugged again, thinking he knew everything about that topic.
"You know who it is, don't you?" Ilia's right eyebrow raised, revealing the scar that everyone knew her by that crossed over her blind eye.
"Nope. I didn't think anyone did."
"It's June."
Keagen stopped and stared at his sister with shock. He'd known June was a halfbreed but he hadn't known who her parents were or where she'd come from or how old she really was.
"But June's only our age... Luke and Holly are ancient, like Gram, only they don't age."
"No.. she's really about 113 years old now. Being a vampire and a werewolf really comes in handy when you want to live forever." Ilia yawned.
Keagen looked confused but kept his mouth shut the rest of the way to the final chamber of their hide away. He thought about June and Holly and Luke all the way.
Chapter 6
A centuar moved silently through the woods, his eyes roaming over the morning fall ground. Birds were chirping happily, deer grazed, squirrels gathered fallen nuts for the coming winter, and rabbits bounced around each other nervously. All was lively and peaceful, it seemed nothing could ruin the centuar's day.
Suddenly, the screams of many other centuars could be heard and the smell of smoke filled the air around him. Animals began flying and running away as fast as they possibly could from the direction of the village where the centuar lived. Fear sprang into his dark eyes and he turned to race back to the other villagers and his family. Before he could though, an arrow went right through his back and through his heart. His cry of pain was drowned out by the flames that progressed closer and closer to him. A young centuar girl flew away from the flames and to the centuar with the arrow through his chest. Tears flooded her face as her father fell to the ground, dead, as another arrow shot straight through his neck. The young girl screamed and began trying to escape the forest. She got all the way to the tree line and a spear went through her, like her father, and killed her instantly.
The screams of centuars died down as, one by one, each one of them were killed. The village of Dalia, that had once been a gathering place for creatures that escaped from the human world, had been burned to the ground. Every last one of its inhabitants dead. And who was to cause?
"My lady, Dalia has been destroyed." An angel imp murmured, looking up at a beautiful, tall women. Her dark skin matched her dark hair. But her eyes clashed with her skin and her hair. They were a brilliant bright blue.
"Thank you, Sergeant Green, you and your men have proven yourself well." The High Priestess smiled grimly, her human features evil in every way. "I think I'd like to take a look around, think about all of my old memories."
"Would you like an escort madame?" The Sergeant asked, his little hitler mustache blowing every time he spoke.
"No, that won't be necessary, Sergeant. You and your men get some rest. I'll take care of myself." The too beautiful human priestess of Sharon shook her head slowly, beginning to walk towards the ashy remains of Dalia.
"As you wish." The Sergeant went back to his quarters, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The priestess walked into a remaining patch of trees and raised her hands out beside her, two large bat wings flying out from her back, splating some blood onto the trees behind her. She flapped hard a few times and rose into the air, flying off towards her destination once she got high enough in the sky. Once she found a portal, she flew threw it and into the world of humans. She tucked her wings back into her back and looked around carefully.
At the bottom of the hill she stood on, she saw a small cottage and a stable that looked like it had been abandoned a little over 200 years ago. The cottage's back door was left open, standing off its hinges. The glass in the windows was broken and laid all around the small once cozy house. No noise was heard here in this part of the world, all seemed dead.
The priestess walked through the doorway, her blue eyes looking over everything. She stopped near a dresser in the second room she entered. It looked like an old bedroom for a teenager. Old posters and pictures hung on the wall, stuffed animals sat on the four poster bed, moons and stars hung around the room. Everything seemed childish. Especially the animals. But what caught the priestess's eye was a picture frame that held the photo of two little girls. One was a blue skinned elf and the other was a dark skinned batgirl. Their lips were upturned in smiles that radiated joy. They were the best of friends.
The priestess picked up the picture frame and wiped the dust off the glass, smiling sadly down at it. She turned it over and opened the back, dropping the rest of the pieces to the floor except for the picture and a small leather package that wwas hidden inside of the thick wooden frame. The back of the picture read:
Kristen Greenleaf and Jenna Night; 1803 June 14 Kingsley Manor
The priestess, Jenna, closed her eyes as a tear fell down her cheek, followed by others that plopped to the floor. Jenna's blue eyes went from the photo to the package. Her dark fingers opened the small leather package carefully, pulling out a ring that looked had a little blue saphire sitting on it, the intricate design on the outside of the ring looking like sunflowers or a sun with a leaf. Jenna slipped the ring on her finger and she felt her spirit soar, showing her the feeling to be a child again, a child who never lost her best friend, a child who was going to be playing with her friend right after she left this depressing scene. But Jenna's mind knew that she was an adult and that she wouldn't be seeing Kristen again. She just didn't want ot believe it.
The sound of human voices made her look up from the precious things she held. She quickly stowed the picture in a pocket and fled out of the house, wishing she could stay longer as she raced up the hill. She watched two female children passing by, dressed as little faeries, with their parents. Halloween night was one of those nights it was easy to fit in. But Jenna knew that she had to return to her camp before her soldiers became worried and went out to look for her. She blew a kiss to the old house, reminiscing on the old memories she had had locked away in the back of her mind, and turned and entered the portal.
Chapter 7
A man, looking to be about 23 or 25 with short blonde hair and gorgeous blue-grey eyes, raced through the woods. His expression was calm, he was just out for a run. The wind flying past him whipped his face roughly, but he it was barely a tickle to him. He just smiled calmly, continuing to run as fast as he could.
He slid to a stop near a cave where a large, beautiful dragon sat, resting his head beneath his wing. The man rolled his eyes and trudged over to it, patting it lightly so that it wouldn't be startled. It lifted it's head from underneath it's wing and looked at his rider with an agrivated glint in it's yellow eyes.
"Don't give me that look, I told you I wouldn't be long." The man chuckled, watching as the dragon stretched it's masive wings, which were over 16 feet in wingspan. "Maybe we'll go find some old friends today, what do you think?"
You've been saying that for the past 100 years, you know we're not going to find anyone now. Not unless we want to find the evil ones. The dragon's thoughts murmured to him, making him roll his eyes again.
"You know, if you keep being a smartass, Dusk, you'll be stuck on the ground walking with me." The man growled, irritation finally showing.
You've also made that threat before, Luke, when are you going to do it? Dusk asked, letting his rider, Luke, hop onto his back.
"When we find our friends." Luke sighed, holding on tight to Dusk's neck as the dragon took off, flying over the woods that Luke had just run through. "Maybe we should go see if Dalia is still packed full of people, see if we can't find some of the... er.... good guys."
You're sure? I saw smoke rising from it the other day. Dusk thought quietly, turning towards Dalia slowly.
"Yupp."
Dusk rolled his eyes and flew for about two hours, keeping certain thoughts to himself as he spoke to his rider calmly, trying not to upset him. He thought he knew what he would find once they got there... and he was certainly right.
As Dusk flew over the burnt remains of the little village of Dalia, he thought of how much it must be hurting his rider to look at what had happened. It was devastating, even for the dragon, so he knew that it must have been hurting Luke even more.
"Land..." Luke murmured, no emotion in his deep voice. When Dusk did, Luke jumped off and looked around the area. nothing could've been worse then this. Bodies of the centuars who'd lived here were strewn everywhere, the arrows and spears or Sharon in them. Out of all the centuars, he found one faerie, her limp little body lying on the ground beside a rather large centuar. He knew she wasn't young, she was probably around 27 or something. The centuar could've been that age too. Neither of them had the crests of the Sharon guard, they wore ragged clothing, their hearts stabbed with the same knife, which was still in the centuar's chest. The two were obviously lovers.
Luke...?? Dusk whimpered quietly, nudging his master with his nose.
"We need to find the others... now. Before anything else happens." Luke growled, his hands curling into fists as he began to tremble. He hopped back onto Dusk while he concentrated on controlling the transformation from his human form to the wolf-like man he would become.
Dusk thought nothing as he flew up into the air, searching the ground and the air for anyone he would know. The occasional screech of an eagle or the roar of another dragon could be heard but other then that nothing.
~ Two Days Later ~
Luke sat up in a tree, one leg dangling off the branch, while he waited for Dusk to return. His eyes were glazed over and his face was set in a slightly angry, slightly upset look. He wasn't thinking, he wasn't moving, you could hardly tell if he was breathing either. But the tiny movement of his chest rising and falling was slightly noticable.
He blinked when Dusk's thoughts began flooding into his mind, Gotta save them.... Have to help.... Misery.... Gram... Ilia.... Keagen.... Coach... Sarah.... The Boys!! It was so bizarre that Dusk couldn't control his thoughts, Luke thought to himself when something hit him.
"Ilia!!" His eyes went wide and his mind raced. "That was one of June's friends!!" He leapt up and jumped out of the tree, landing on the ground on his feet.
He took one step forward and his skin seemed to explode with hair. He was a wolf-man again. His blue-grey eyes were the only thing that looked like him now since he had a muzzle and a tail and he was covered in black fur. Although he hated the fur, he had to admit, he ran faster then his dragon flew so it was an advantage when he needed to get somewhere fast.
Luke?! Where are you going?! Dusk hissed angrily, figuring out that Luke had left his safe place in his tree.
Helping you... Luke howled, going faster and faster every second.
You don't want to see this Luke... you shouldn't have to see this. Dusk sounded urgent but Luke ignored him, coming to the bottom of a cliff and jumping up onto it to grab a ledge. He bounded up it easily like it was nothing. Once he got to the top he froze though. A large group of Vampires and Werewolves were standing in a circle around something. All he could really make out were the tops of two adult heads over the crowd and then a couple animals too.
Suddenly, a man's scream was heard. He could smell the fresh scent of dark-elf blood and he knew that someone had been killed. He could hear the pitiful "no's" and the name "Coach" being cried as two animal cries came also. It was gruesome. Pegasus and Hippogriff blood joined the dark-elf's and he had to hold himself back from going forth and taking a bite out of one of them.
"And now, which ones do we choose for later..." He could here the melodious voice of a male vampire. "Ohh I know... how about the little vampire and her old friend?"
"No!! Don't hurt them please!!" A girl cried before she screamed and a thud could be heard, followed by coughing.
"My dinner is my dinner, I will do as I please." The vampire growled again and the group began to disperse, carrying two animals, a dead man, and two live people.
Two children were left there,one lying on the ground sobbing and the other on his knees comforting her. He was about to go forward when three more people walked over to them slowly, an eagle and a dragon following them closely.
"We need to split up... this is the best we can do for now. The boys and I will walk from here on, you two just go." The women murmured through the tears she seemed to be shedding.
"Yes, Sarah." The boy from before sniffled softly, not looking at the women. "Be careful though. If you hadn't been hiding they would've taken you too."
She was quiet for a moment before she spoke, "I know. Now take your sister and go. Hurry."
The boy grabbed the girl laying on the ground, setting her on the eagle's back and hopping onto the young dragon's back as soon as she was situated.
Luke watched the take off, knowing who they were and what had just happened. His fur and tail receded back into his skin, leaving a painful burning sensation all over him, as he watch Sarah and the two boys with her disappear into a crack in the mountain wall behind them.
We should follow the children... Dusk murmured, landing beside Luke quietly.
"Yeah... let's go." Luke sighed, hopping onto Dusk's back yet again. He just sat where he was as Dusk followed Ilia and Keagen to wherever they were headed. He hoped it lead to everyone else, maybe even an explanation.
Yes an explanation would be very nice... Dusk bobbed his head in agreement, giving a mournful roar to the red sunset sky.
Chapter 8
Holly sat at the edge of the cliff, searching the sky quietly for anything that looked like danger. Her crimson eyes were still wet from the tears she had cried a few hours before and her dark hair was messy and fell into her face.
The sound of a dragon's cry made her glance behind her at the stables where the her eagle and Luke's dragon were supposed to be sleeping. She got up, stretching her long pale legs as she did, and trudged slowly over to the hidden stables. She froze when she saw the open doors. She could hear whispered words but could hardly make out what the words were except for the louder, "Shut up!!"
She hid just outside the doors, peeking around the corner to see if she could catch a glimpse of the whisper person. She spotted a rather large dragon that didn't look like the young dragon Ilia and Keagen had brought back with them and a man who was flicking it's nose.
"If you don't shut up we'll get caught, Dusk." The man hissed, his voice familar. The man paused before he asked, "What do you mean 'too late'?" Another pause. "s**t!!"
Holly reached for the gun she kept in her back when she realized that she'd left her bag by the cliff. Aww damnit!! She thought, looking around frantically for another weapon. When she spotted a tree branch, she picked it up, making barely any noise, and turned back around. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she did, the man standing right in front of her.
"That's not a good idea." He growled, his voice more recognizable up close.
"L-Luke?" Holly murmured, dropping the stick on Luke's foot.
"Ouch!! Damnit! Watch where you drop that thing!" Luke yelped, jumping on one foot for a moment until Holly grabbed his arm to hold him up.
"Why are you here?" Holly asked, kicking the branch away from them.
"I followed Ilia and Keagen. I just needed to wait until night to get Dusk into the stables." Luke muttered, rubbing his foot gently until it felt better.
Holly looked at him with wonder and rolled her eyes, letting go of him and walking towards the entrance to her hide away. Luke followed quickly.
"Everyone's inside, just find a place to sleep for the night. Then you do whatever in the morning." She muttered, pushing him inside.
"But I found out something important." Luke protested, holding the door open so she couldn't close it.
"It can wait."
"But-"
"It can wait. Go to sleep."
Luke watched as Holly trudged back to the cliff. He sighed and closed the door, walking in and laying down on the couch, immediately falling asleep.
Chapter 9
Jared yawned, turning over on his bed, his arm wrapping around June's waist. He nuzzled his face against her back, getting comfortable again as he drifted back towards sleep slowly. June's soft breathing helped but the muffled sound of talking began to bother him, waking him everytime he was close to sleep.
Finally, he got fed up. He sat up, slipping off his side of the bed and walking out of his room in his boxers. He trudged into the living room, gasping when he caught sight of the couch.
Laying there, sound asleep now, was Luke, his blonde hair already messy. Jared's surprise grew to wonder. How did he get in here? Everyone was asleep except for Holly and no one had left the hide-out since Ilia and Keagen had returned. His curiousity grew to it's maximum point and he made a quick decision.
Jared trudged quietly over to the sleeping Luke, leaning over the back of the couch and grabbing his shirt sleeve and belt loop, and flipping him off.
Luke yelped and leaped up, whirling around to find who'd awaken him from his slumber. When he saw Jared, Luke relaxed a little, his trembling stopping.
"Why are you here?" Jared asked slowly, cocking an eyebrow. "How did you get in?.
"I'm here because you guys are probably going to need more help." Luke muttered, laying back down on the couch and laying an arm over his eyes. "Holly let me in. I followed Ilia and Keagen here but didn't actually land here until dark."
"Why would we need help? You think we are weak?" Jared spat, glaring at Luke hostilely.
"No. I know you aren't weak. But you would never win in a fight against the whole country of Sharon." Luke sighed, "I went to visit the town of Dalia and I found it completely destroyed. Holly wouldn't listen when I tried to explain... told me to sleep. Which is what I'm going to do now... so go away."
Jared wanted to say something rude but the soft falling of stumbling footsteps made him look back into the dark hall. It was too dark for him to see so he couldn't tell by sight who it was. Luke tensed up on the couch and pretended to be asleep, faking a soft snore.
"Jared?? Why aren't you in bed?" June asked, mumbling the words as she struggled to stay awake, the bandages that wrapped around her wounds from a few days ago were tinted with a slight red.
"Sorry, June. I'm coming. Go back in there." He replied, glancing at Luke. When June stumbled back into their bedroom.
Home 
