Email: maskedshadowknight@hotmail.com
For complete disclaimers, see part 1.
Author's note: Please feel free to leave feedback by email at maskedshadowknight@hotmail.com .
*******
Chapter 15
Year 2015 AD or 0000 BI…
Anna stared from above the chasm as Thomas smiled at her with sparkling blue eyes. It almost looked like an apology. She could see her falling in slow motion and she was moving so slowly to try and reach her hand out to grab her. Tears fell down the sides of her face as she didn't want this to happen.
Her green watery eyes watched in horror and sadness as Thomas seemed to give up. It was like she had nothing left to give. She tried to reach out toward her. Wanting desperately for Thomas to read what was in her heart. Please stay with me. I don't know what I will do without you. Thomas!
She stretched out her hand as far as she could, but it was no use. Thomas was just outside of her grasp. Their fingers barely touched each other and then hope fled her entire being. She wanted to help, to save her. Return the favour which Thomas had done countless times for her.
She could feel her head pounding and her heart racing. Blood poured to every part of her body as she cleared everything from her mind besides the fact she wanted to help Thomas. A brilliant glow emanated from her green eyes as magic immediately flowed out of her body in waves. Her entire arm began to burn as all of her bones started to break and reform. She could feel all this pain shoot throughout her body, but she was too focused on wanting to save Thomas to react to any of it.
Blue eyes watched in amazement as Anna's arm began to change visually. Her skin was no longer a pale tan. It morphed into leathery white scales as her arm increased dramatically in size. Claws were being formed and her entire arm elongated to reach out to reach her.
Anna's eyesight began to change as everything became extremely focused as if she had been using a magnifying glass. With her vision making everything sharp, she could see Thomas so clearly. She only looked at the woman her heart yearned to save and nothing else; not even her own arm.
Thomas's blue eyes widened further as she continued to see what was happening to Anna. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her love was shifting into another form which had been similar to her dragon form. The only real difference was the colour of their scales. Her scales had been black while Anna's were white. It was strange to see someone else transforming into a form that she had only recently transformed into. It almost seemed like the blonde beauty was copying her. However, she knew the truth that this was Anna's true form.
Thomas reached out her hand to grab onto Anna's outstretched claw. She was amazed that the younger woman was still clamped onto the mouth of the chasm with her powerful back limbs while her wings flapped gracefully to keep her balance. Staring into green glowing orbs which were full of worry, her smile had never left her lips, but now they showed an entirely different emotion. She was truly glad Anna was alright and she was being saved by her.
Thomas was safely on the ground next to Anna. She looked up at the beautiful white dragon and smiled brilliantly to show she was alright. However, worry marred her features as she came to realise this was the first time her love had ever transformed. What if she doesn't know how to change back? What if she freaks out because she did change?
She slowly inched toward Anna, making sure she had her total attention. Transforming into a dragon before, she knew everything she needed to know to help the young woman to remain calm and change back. She carefully made sure green sharp eyes were only focused on her own blue sparkling orbs. Small tendrils of magic drifted into the air and she reached out with her hand for her love to grasp it.
She saw Anna watching her carefully and knew there was no indication she had seen herself. Stepping a bit closer, she got green eyes to really focus on her. She would let her love fall deeply into them and forget about everything else. It would be the only way to release Anna from her urge to transform.
Anna looked deep into those blue orbs, loving them dearly. She loved Thomas and knew she was safe. Her love was safe. She continued to look deep into those eyes until a flash of sunlight cast a reflection. It's not possible. Rearing back in shock, she looked down at her own body and was amazed to see she was not herself. A huge creature with claws and sharp teeth stood in place of where her body should be. She had changed into the beast Thomas had transformed into to help her. Her mind was frozen by the one thought she was a mighty and fierce white dragon.
Her green eyes began to water as she looked at what used to be her hands. How could this happen? How did I become like this? How am I going to change back? Worry marred her features as she looked down at Thomas who was as concerned as she. She knew she had to calm down. Thomas will know what to do .
“Anna, look at me. I want you to look deep into my eyes and grasp my hand. Clear your mind of everything and only think about me. Think about us.” Thomas urged sympathetically. She could see Anna trying to master her fear. It was strange and frightening to see her so scared of herself. Reaching out with her hand, she looked deep into those green eyes. She let out a deep breath and emanated calmness around her for her love's body to assimilate everything she was feeling.
Waiting patiently, she smiled as Anna began to relax. Her blue eyes were glowing slightly as she felt the stirrings of energy indicating her love was shifting back into her human form. Opening up her arms, she embraced the young woman fiercely. Closing her eyes, she was finally able to let her mind catch up to her body.
“Erhem, I brought these. Juliana is waiting behind those trees. I told her you two needed some privacy.” Furry growled amusedly. It had only witnessed Anna returning to her human form, but knew Thomas must have transformed as well. There was still an essence of lingering magic in the air as if it were a thick blanket. It had brought the two naked women some clothing since shifting always resulted in torn clothing when the transformation was larger than their human form.
“Will you please help us? I don't think either of us have any strength to get dressed. We might have to call Juliana to help us back to the house as well.” Thomas replied exhaustedly as she opened her eyes a fraction to see Furry's smiling face. She knew she was butt naked and Anna was in a similar state. Her instincts could already feel what Furry was thinking as well. “Pull your mind out of the gutter. We both need proper rest.”
“Well I thought you'd want to seize the moment since you are both conveniently unclothed. Perhaps you really are tired if you are not thinking about it.” Furry commented teasingly. It quickly nodded its blue head and magically clothed Thomas and Anna. This was much easier than picking garments out of thin air. It turned its blue head in the direction Juliana was in before calling out to her.
Juliana ran over and was surprised to see both Thomas and Anna so wiped out. She looked around the area and could feel the blanket of thick magic in the air. Confusion marred her features as foreign magic was mixed with Thomas's and Furry's. Her blue eyes darted around to see if there were any possible enemies since it looked as though her friend had been in a tough battle.
“Are you alright?” Juliana asked concernedly.
Thomas smiled. She was alright since Anna was safe. Glancing over at Furry, she could see it already shifting into a more humanoid form. Her blue eyes carefully caressed her love's fragile form as she assessed if she was injured by the transformation. She was not surprised the blonde had fallen into a deep sleep on her feet. “We are both alright.” She answered wearily.
“Pass her over before you pass out.” Furry instructed hastily. Its arms were still blue furred, but at least they were humanly shaped. Carefully lifting Anna up, the blue furred beast waited as Thomas checked her over again. “We should head back.”
Thomas smiled brightly before she turned to Juliana. She was already falling before her second in charge stepped in to catch her. Smiling cheekily, she stared at her friend. “Thanks, I'm totally exhausted. I tried something new and the consequences are as you see.” She explained drowsily as she was lifted onto a broad back in a piggyback ride. Her arms were loose around her since she couldn't really muster the strength to even hold on.
“What about Anna?” Juliana asked curiously, but cautiously. Being unsure as to who the young woman was, she hadn't quite accepted Anna into their family. She suspected the other large portion of magic lingering in the air belonged to the blonde. However, her fears kept her sceptical of the facts in front of her. She was afraid something would go wrong or Anna would distract Thomas from making decisive decisions if the blonde had ulterior motives.
“She is truly an Eliteous.” Thomas replied tiredly happy.
“I told you so.” Furry commented under its breath with a huge smirk.
*******
Present…
Thomas continued her assessment of the barrier as she remembered how they had both shifted into dragons. She smiled at what had transpired afterward. It had been a simple explanation to enlighten Anna that she was not human. She had laughed at the easy way the blonde had accepted it and everyone else fell to the ground in surprise. All of her friends which gave her a sense of family thought the young woman was going to be ballistic. They had all been prepared to try and calm her down. Even Furry was in a ball of laughter on the floor.
She had after that time tried to teach Anna everything she needed to know. It meant they could spend hours in each other's company. Although not all of those hours were spent learning.
*******
Year 2015 AD or 0000 BI…
Anna was lounging in the study with a book propped open as she tried to read the history of a group known as Faksus. She had so far learnt over three hundred different creatures that existed without humans being aware of them. Being amazed at the different types of creatures as well as their abilities and history, her knowledge of a world kept secret was expanding rapidly. However, she had come to learn she was afraid of some of them. This was natural since they were ruthless, evil creatures which Thomas had to sometimes deal with.
Luckily, the Faksus were a peaceful race since they were tree dwellers and looked after trees. She found it interesting in their history that Thomas was mentioned on many occasions either giving them more land or defending them in some way. Her interest was even peaked as she became more surprised to learn Thomas's age; but had laughed at the thoughts that came to mind. Cougar.
It had been weeks since she came to live with Thomas and the people who worked with her. She had become close friends with everyone which surprised most since at the start everyone had been worried. Juliana had been the most interesting person of all since she had to be just like Thomas. Their conversations were quite broad and sometimes ended on a subject in which the tall woman had to strive to maintain her Thomas image.
Green eyes looked up at the large windows where sunlight was pouring in. She didn't mind they were far from society. Her new living arrangements and the wonderful views made her feel content. The apartment she owned had been sold and all of her things had been brought up, thanks to Juliana.
She was supposed to be reading her book while waiting for Thomas to return from her morning meeting. However, she was starting to feel restless like all of the other times she had to wait. Discarding the thick volume onto the only table in the room, she cast her eyes around. There was really nothing to do in this room, but sit and read. Many books filled the shelves and each one was magically updated by Gillen, the unofficial butler and everything else he did. The lounge was quite comfortable and was positioned to face the window where a view of the valley could be seen.
Her eyes longed to walk out there, but Thomas had forbidden her to go out until she had mastered her abilities. She looked at her hand and carefully shifted only that portion of her body into a cat's paw. It was fascinating to see the transformation and feel it. The simple animals she shifted into were easier to do and less painful. She had learnt bigger creatures such as her dragon transformation required more energy and magic.
She did have difficulty at first trying to believe she could perform magic and transform. It had been a very steep learning curve and Thomas was always by her side. Making plenty of mistakes, she almost left the garden in ruins. Luckily, her love was there to either prevent the destruction she would have caused or stopped her before too much was damaged. It was kind of troubling whenever there was an accident since Daniela would blow a casket. The garden was her sanctuary and she had worked hard to get it to look as beautiful as it did. She had to persuade Daniela she would help to fix everything and after a while she didn't mind.
Ileus was always coming to watch the magical sessions since he thought her mistakes were hilarious. He would laugh until he cried and always ended up on his backside still giggling. It had annoyed her at first, but she began to laugh at her own mistakes as well and could see how silly some of them were.
She was happy with her new friends. It didn't feel lonely in this house at all. Everyone was different and everyone was entertaining in their own way. She even had the opportunity to watch Antonio and Thomas sparring. Each time they were practising, they would have a different weapon. It was interesting how many weapons were stored within the house and none of them were the modern type either. Although there was a separate room for the modern day weapons which were seldom used unless heading into cities or such likes. She had found to understand her love preferred to fight with a sword or empty handed. She had seen the tall woman was good with every weapon, but knew it had to do with her age and how much practise she had.
“Ah hem, looks like you are daydreaming again.” Thomas commented amusedly.
Green eyes hastily swooped to the door before a smile graced her lips at seeing Thomas leaning against the back of the door. She quickly patted the seat next to her in invitation and watched that body move toward her. “How long have you been standing there?” Anna asked distractedly.
“Long enough to know you were playing with your hand.” Thomas replied silkily.
Anna smiled as Thomas took a seat next to her. She leant over and hugged her which was returned just as fiercely. Looking up into blue eyes, she saw there was something wrong. She wondered what had her love worried. Her own smile was wiped away as concern marred her features. She couldn't hide any of her feelings from the extraordinary blue eyed woman and knew it was the same with her.
Thomas sighed and looked into green eyes. She sometimes wished she wasn't so see through with Anna. “The meeting was interesting. It seems like the faction has set a date and will be going forth with their plans. However, there is no way to stop them face to face since there are many of them. They have planned to do a ritual in several different places at the same time so that I can't stop them.” She explained exasperatedly.
“What will the ritual do?” Anna asked uneasily.
“It will change all of the humans in this world into beasts. They will become inferior to those that belong to our world and will be preyed upon. I fear it will be the end of humanity.” Thomas stated angrily, but her anger wasn't directed at Anna.
“You will stop them though right?”
“I don't know how yet.” Thomas replied with a sigh.
Anna and Thomas sat together for a while, thinking about a solution to the problem. Her green eyes glanced at Thomas's serious face and knew it must mean they were really short on time. “When is it set?”
“A week from now.” Thomas answered absentmindedly.
Anna sighed in worry. There were not enough of them to stop several groups of people from performing the same ritual at the same time. It must have been well planned. She shook her head in disbelief. Who would have thought I would be kept from humanity, only for humanity to fall a few weeks after finding out what I truly am? She shook the problem from her head and quickly straddled Thomas's legs. She smiled mischievously before slowly moving forward and letting their lips touch in a tender caress.
The gentle kiss was tentative, but soon became more passionate. Thomas parted her lips and found Anna's tongue caressing every part of her mouth. She tasted the sweet nectar of Anna's lips as her hands drifted under her shirt. Her fingers trailed upward and around to stroke her back. Without letting their lips part, she held her love close to her body before gently lowering Anna back onto the lounge. Her eyes slowly opened to see green eyes ablaze with desire.
“Are you sure you want this?” Thomas asked silkily. Their previous encounters had never gone further than kissing and embracing each other. It had always remained innocent. She had felt their feelings for one another deepen over the past few weeks. Wanting to make sure Anna was not rushing things, she had held back. She craved to feel her love for so long now it seemed almost ridiculous she was caving in to her own desires.
“Yes.” Anna purred, full of desire.
Thomas carefully unbuttoned Anna's shirt and lifted the material over her head. She trailed her hand down her bare stomach and gently moved forward to claim those lips once more. Her own shirt had been skilfully unbuttoned and cast aside. She placed tender kisses onto now bruised lips and slowly trailed down her smooth pale neck. Feeling Anna's pulse race with each touch, she couldn't help but feel her own heart beating in tandem.
Anna moaned as she felt Thomas's lips upon her neck and trailed one hand through her partner's shoulder length hair. Her other hand was trailing down her lover's bare back as her legs enclosed around the firm muscles of her lover's middle. Breathing heavily, a warm tingling sensation gathered at the pit of her stomach. She felt firm hands slowly slipping her pants down her legs while she trailed kisses down the middle of her chest. With one less garment, her skin craved for Thomas to slowly move her way back up with kisses until their lips met again.
Thomas felt like she was on fire as she slowly stroked every piece of bare flesh she could get her hands on. Stroking Anna's back, she carefully undid her bra before removing the hindering garment away. Her hands gently caressed the newly bared flesh as she squeezed her lover's breasts which caused another moan to escape those tender lips. She flicked her tongue against the top of Anna's mouth and gently moved her hands down to remove the last piece of clothing left.
Anna wanted Thomas to move faster. She wanted her to claim her body, heart and soul. Hearing her heart pounding, her entire body became sensitised to every touch Thomas made. She carefully removed Thomas's pants as Thomas removed the last thing she was wearing. Goosebumps were raised where warm hands trailed down the sides of her legs, though she wanted those hands elsewhere. Her body hungered for more. Even their bodies coming together in a gasp of pleasure as bare skin and flesh kissed, wasn't enough. Her hands tried to urge Thomas on, but it was as though her lover had all the time in the world and was drawing out this moment as long as possible.
Thomas could feel Anna's heat between her legs. Her sensitive nose smelt the nectar of her nether regions. She could feel her body was tingling with need just from listening to her lover's moans. Groaning as they parted lips, she felt Anna move to lather her neck with sweet attention. She seductively trailed her hand down her navel and the inside of her thigh. Upon hearing her lover's slight gasp, she moved toward the sweet nectar before fleeting away. Her back felt sharp nails digging into her skin pleading for more.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!!
Thomas trailed her lips down to Anna's nipple and began to suckle feverishly as she slowly entered one of her fingers into her nether regions. She smiled as her lover groaned even louder than before. Sensing the person on the other side of the door had hesitated to knock again, she smiled as she continued to fill the need of her desires. She slowly moved her finger in further which caused her lover to moan even louder. Whoever was at the door paused before shuffling away quickly.
She returned her full attention back onto Anna and slowly moved her finger half way out before slowly thrusting back in. Feeling teeth clench onto the skin of her neck, she moaned in pleasure as she continued to slide her finger in a steady rhythm to Anna's breathing. Her finger was being drenched and so another had been added. She felt her lover moving along with her as she penetrated deeper to satisfy her needs.
Anna moaned louder and louder as her partner began to increase her thrusting. Her breasts felt like they were on fire as lips lavishly suckled one nipple and then going to the other. It was as though Thomas didn't want either of her breasts to be jealous of the other. Her entire body felt sensitised at feeling bare flesh upon her own body. She was falling deeper and deeper. The overwhelming sensations cascaded over her senses like the rush of warm water from a waterfall. She was going to explode. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears with her laboured breath. She couldn't take it anymore as she let go in a scream of ecstasy, “Yes, yes, YES!!!”
Thomas embraced Anna tightly as her lover's entire body shuddered in waves of pleasure. She could feel her hand was soaked with her love's sweet nectar. Kissing her gently on her chest, she slowly moved upwards to plant small kisses all over her lover's face. Her blue eyes stared into satisfied, teary green eyes and smiled. “I've got you.” She whispered reassuringly. Holding her close, she felt the shudders dissipate. “Are you alright?”
“Yes.” Anna whispered timidly.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No.”
Thomas smiled toothily and pecked Anna on the lips. She gently closed her eyes as she slowly retrieved her fingers and felt Anna shudder before she became limp. Hearing Anna's heartbeat slowly returning to normal and her breathing was decreasing, she smiled in satisfaction. She was about to cuddle Anna, but before she knew anything, she was flipped onto her back and Anna was lying on top of her. “What are you doing?” She asked in surprise.
“Returning the favour.” Anna replied cheekily. She passionately kissed Thomas and caused her to moan in pleasure. Her fingers were already trailing across her lover's body. Carefully running her fingers along the inside of her muscled thigh, she could already feel the wetness upon the back of her hand.
“Stop teasing.” Thomas whispered on a laboured breath.
“I said I was returning the favour.” Anna whispered seductively into Thomas's sensitive ear. She nipped gently onto her lover's earlobe and was rewarded by another loud moan. Her hand trailed back up her body and gently caressed each breast. She felt her heartbeat increasing and slowly glided her fingers across her navel. Dipping her hand between her lover's legs, she flicked her finger teasingly along the sensitive opening. She could hear the groans of frustration as she continued to torment her.
“Please don't let me wait any longer.” Thomas pleaded as she nipped Anna's ear. She could feel her entire body waiting for the first touch to ease inside of her and release some of the tension which was being built up. Everything felt so good, as her lover trailed kisses all over her sensitive body. She felt her lover kissing lower and lower down her body. Her lower region was already soaked, anticipating what was to come.
Anna moved slowly down as she tenderly kissed Thomas's navel and went even further south. She kissed her opening and was rewarded by a loud moan. Flicking her tongue along the edge, she could hear her lover hissing in pleasure and frustration. She smelt the sweet juices which intoxicated her. Her tongue licked against her lover's erect clitoris while sliding in two fingers at the same time to cause her blue eyed love to scream out in pleasure. She continued a steady rhythm as she felt hands on her head urging her to go faster and faster.
She continued to thrust her fingers in and out as she suckled on her lover's hard nob of desire. Hearing her pounding heart, the cries of pleasure escaped her lover's lips. She smiled and continued her torment until one last flick of her tongue sent her lover overboard. The waves of pleasure came and passed through her lover's body before she carefully slid her fingers out.
Thomas cuddled with Anna on the lounge. Both of their skins were drenched with sweat as they were pleasantly exhausted. Blue eyes looked deeply into green orbs. “I love you.” She whispered in a loving caress.
“I love you.”
*******
Chapter 16
Present…
Owie, owie, owie… What ran over me? My head feels like it wants to escape. Anna moaned in pain as she tried to figure out where she was. She barely let her eyes open and knew immediately that it had been a bad idea. Sharp pain magnified her already sore head.
“Don't move. You have a concussion.” A male voice said.
Anna became rigid as she didn't recognise who that voice belonged to. Her heart started to pound furiously in her ears as panic slowly seeped into her very core. She didn't even notice her headache anymore as a more serious problem made itself very aware. Where the hell am I?
“Leslie what are you doing?” The same male voice asked exasperatedly.
“Leslie should give her something? Gabriel, help her?” Leslie asked slowly.
“Not for this.” Gabriel replied calmly.
Anna tried to get her bearings. She felt like she was lying on the hard ground as if they were outside. Her skin was cold from the cool air which brushed against her face. Something heavy was weighted over most of her body which kept her slightly warm. She would have shivered if she could muster the energy to do it.
“What should Leslie do? Orana will make Leslie carry her soon. Leslie feels bad if she is sick. Leslie doesn't have much time to think.” Leslie held a bottle of rum in his hands with Gabriel continuing to shake his head. He just didn't want to let Anna suffer since it had been Tyler 's fault she wasn't feeling so well. “Leslie give her some?” He asked eagerly while gesturing to his bottle of rum.
“No!” Gabriel replied adamantly.
Orana stood up from her seated position on a rock which overlooked the majority of the small occupied area. She had the duty as leader of their group to make sure everyone was well rested as well as keep an eye out for danger toward their group. Her silver eyes scoped the snow clad area with a little wonder. It had been ages since she had seen so much snow in abundance. She smelt the fresh air and knew one day she would retreat to an area similar to this one to retire her sword.
She could hear Leslie and Gabriel whispering not far from her. Her current problem was with the woman they had just acquired. They still had to meet up with the second group who was led by Katarina. A concussion will surely cause us problems if we need to move quietly. However, time is not on our side. There are sure to be many beasts out here lurking around in the shadows. Staring at Anna intently, she tried to formulate a plan. She knew people would eventually come after them since it was the main objective, but they weren't ready. They needed to combine forces with Katarina to be able to follow through with their mission.
She glanced toward Preacher who kept his eyes trained on Anna as if she were a precious metal that would disappear if he looked away. Feeling horrid to be doing this sort of thing just to lure out a monster who hadn't been home, her thoughts slightly delayed her. What sort of relationship does this woman have with the monster we are going to capture?
“Orana!”
Silver eyes immediately found her brother's black eyes. She wondered how many times he had called her since he seemed a little bewildered at her. Moving toward him, she gave her full attention to her brother.
“Why are the trio following us?” Tyler asked a little angrily.
“They are a part of this mission and provided us with the necessary information to locate the target. They are a part of this group even if they were late to the human village and were not involved in the raid. Is there something wrong with them being here?" Orana asked calmly as she glanced at the trio in question.
“Why does it look like the rest of us have to do the dirty work and their hands are clean? Why weren't they involved in the raid? It doesn't seem fair. It's like Preacher is making sure they don't have to do any real work.” Tyler stated, defiantly sure he was right.
Orana sighed. Every time that another group would accompany them without being involved in the more direct approach Tyler would complain. He would always come to her and voice his opinions without realising the totality of what he was saying. It was true they had to be involved in the more direct parts of the mission, but information gathering was also hard work and dangerous. She could understand how it would all look to Tyler who didn't understand the finer details of a mission.
“Keep what you said to yourself and let me worry about it.” Orana said sternly. It was her usual comment to Tyler in which he would sigh and walk away. She really did want to make him understand, but now was not the time. It was time to move out. They should hurry to not let Katarina complain about their pace. She raised her voice, enough for everyone to hear, but not too loud to attract any unwanted attention. “Get ready, we are moving out now.”
Anna groaned as the feminine voice screeched within her ears as if someone was running their nails on a chalk board. Her head was pounding madly and everything just hurt. Hearing the people around her, they were busily packing their gear. She wanted to get up and run as far away as she could. She really did, but her body protested the tiniest movements. Did I fall down the stairs?
“Leslie pick you up.” Leslie warned in a grunt of a whisper.
She braced herself as she felt Leslie's arms move underneath her and lifted her up. The drastic change in altitude made her dizzy and wheezy. Her stomach wanted to rebel, but she held everything back. Someone was bound to come and save her, she hoped. It didn't really help that Leslie was tall and also had to carry her over his shoulder. She felt like a sack of potatoes.
Anna's white eyes remained tightly shut as her head began to swim. Her nauseousness was going to be her downfall any moment now. It didn't help she remembered what she had for dinner either. Kayla and Katsi had prepared a steak with mashed pumpkin, peas and carrots. It had been very heavy and had tasted so nice she had gone for seconds. Now she was wishing she hadn't had anything.
Her hands were limp as they swayed with Leslie's movement. She wasn't even sure where they were headed. Her sense of direction was shot out since she hadn't been able to determine anything with her eyes shut. She wanted to know though and maybe leave a trail of some kind. Maybe she could help the others, if they weren't captured, to find her.
Leslie kept on walking while his gear was carried by Gabriel. He followed Orana like a lost puppy since he wasn't even sure where they were heading. The thing he only knew for certain was they needed to meet up with Katarina and her group before sunrise. It was already pretty late and it seemed as though the night was going to get much colder than it already was. He wondered if he should put another blanket around his charge. Glancing back at Gabriel, he immediately got his attention.
“Keep walking. I don't think Orana will let her die and neither will Preacher. We will walk for a while before we go and rest again. It will be a long night for us to catch up to Katarina. I know you're worried about her.” Gabriel stated as he readjusted his extra baggage. He wasn't accustomed to holding Leslie's stuff, but knew it was better than carrying the things that might be in Mike's bag.
“Leslie should put another blanket on her. Leslie thinks she will freeze in this weather. Should Leslie stall Orana to ensure she survives the journey?” Leslie asked as he continued to walk. His giant boots were making huge imprints in the snow while everyone else had lighter and smaller foot prints. “Leslie feels wind picking up.”
Gabriel looked at Anna and could see she was quite pale for a person who was naturally pale. Glancing up ahead, he could see Orana who was creating a fierce pace. He even glanced at Preacher who seemed quieter than usual. Guessing Preacher was still planning since their target hadn't been found and they had acquired bait instead. We should probably make sure she stays warm. She already has a concussion. There is no need to add more ailments because of our carelessness.
He decided to pick up his pace and catch up to Orana. Making sure to match her pace, the group didn't have to slow down. He caught her attention almost immediately since it was rare for him to be near the front of the line. It was always his duty to be the rear guard in her group and in a way he still was even if the trio were still behind him.
“What's up?” Orana asked. Her breathing was natural as if she were going on a leisurely walk. Her pace was vicious as she ploughed through the snow. She was slightly helping her brother who was trailing behind her. Her slender body betrayed her image since she was much stronger than she looked.
“We need to bag her up if we want to keep her alive. She won't be useful if she freezes to death or gets sick. I just need blankets from all of our kits to wrap around her. Her concussion is a bit worrisome as well.” Gabriel stated swiftly.
“Is she awake?”
“Yes, but she hasn't said anything.” Gabriel replied whisperingly. He glanced behind his shoulder and could see Leslie was still managing to keep up with the pace while holding Anna. Knowing for a fact she was lucky to have someone able to carry her or she would probably have been made to walk. “When I tended to her head before, it had swelled. Right now, it is less swollen because of the cold, but we run the risk of her health if her body is not warm.”
“Do what you can.”
Gabriel quickly rushed back to Leslie and carefully managed to wrap Anna up so she was as warm as possible. He inspected her head gently while they were all still moving. There was no time to waste in this kind of cold to stop to attend to her. He didn't really want to delay the group either and managed to do his best to make sure the young woman was alright.
Anna kept her eyes firmly shut. She knew from the first touch by those strange hands that he was not going to hurt her. For the time being, she was able to relax a little bit so she could concentrate on not vomiting on Leslie. She didn't feel keen on walking and her head was still swimming.
She wondered where Katsi and Kayla had gone. Knowing for sure Rumeria would protect Hattie at all costs, they would be safely hidden somewhere. She had heard whisperings while everyone was going about their own business. They were on some kind of mission, but what did it have to do with her?
Her body was numb as she felt the slight movement of Leslie's chest. She knew he was a big man and had to wonder if it hadn't been him who had tackled her back at the house. Remembering people barging in from the front door, there had been a huge body taking her down upon the stairs. Maybe I'm all sore because I did sort of fall down the stairs. I know someone must have hit me over the head.
She continued to think about the situation she was in. Her mind was going around in circles with nothing definite figured out. However, she kept swirling back to the one question she couldn't answer. Why did they take me? The others were also in the house. They seemed content with just having me, mainly the old man. Her eyesight was getting better. She could open her eyes now since there was not much light around at all. It is still night. I wonder how long we've been travelling for.
Anna felt Leslie stop. Her white eyes hastily looked around without everyone noticing. She was surprised to see another group of people who looked as though they had been waiting for some time. Her eyes fell onto a woman with blood red hair and orange eyes. She stared at this stranger who looked strong and wild in many ways. Her sword was in her grasp and she looked fierce even though she was just standing idly.
“Katarina.” Orana greeted tersely.
“Took you long enough.” Katarina replied brusquely.
*******
Thomas walked the perimeter of the valley. She had been going nonstop since she had arrived. It would mean she would be able to get back to the house a lot sooner than she predicted. She only had a hundred metres to go and she would be done with her inspection. Making sure the magical energy used for the shield was intact and replenished, everything looked fine.
Her blue eyes marked the point where she had started from and smiled. She would be able to go back to Anna and make sure she was alright. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind was still trying to crawl its way to her attention, but she pushed it aside. She needed to concentrate or her walking for the past few days would be for naught.
A smile spread across her lips as she finally made it to the point where she had started from. She released her hand from the magical shield and couldn't believe she had pushed herself for so long. Her entire body was sore from the abuse she had put herself through. She felt her hand was numb and her feet were aching. Her stomach even growled in protest. A slight laugh escaped her lips at being light headed, which was a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time.
Thomas slowly sat on a rock which was nearby. A small sheen of sweat was on her brow. She felt quite icky for once considering she never had the chance to actually sweat unless she was sick which wasn't very often. Her mind felt relieved at having accomplished a task which she had put aside for too long. However, it occurred to her there was really nothing wrong with the magical shield besides it being slightly weakened. Why are there still dangerous creatures in my valley without me knowing about them? Did I miscalculate something? The magical shield feels perfect. What am I missing?
Her gaze flew high into the air as she traced the magical barrier with her sight. The magical shield was magnificent since it spiralled into the air and formed a dome around the entire valley. The mountainous region around the valley was really a sight to behold, but an arduous challenge to create a shield as she had. Maybe I am missing something.
She looked around at the greenery surrounding her. This was something she rarely got to see unless she ventured near the perimeter which she seldom did. There were just too many things requiring her attention within her valley. Her thoughts quickly returned back to Anna who she surely thought would be at home being entertained by the entire household.
Thomas quickly gathered her things which she had left at this precise spot to help her mark where she had started from. Eager to head back, she uncharacteristically shovelled her belongings into her pack without a second glance. However, still that nagging little feeling in the back of her mind was trying to make itself known.
Suddenly, Thomas stopped. Immeasurable pain filled her heart as if someone had thrust their hand into her chest and was trying to tear the muscle out. She fell to her knees and searched around to get her bearings. Fear consumed her features like it never had before as she felt lost at the cascade of emotions which she had held back from feeling. What's happening?
She stood up on shaky legs and looked around imploringly to make sense of what she was feeling. There had never been a time where she felt this way before. However, a small voice in the back of her mind was urging her to get home as quickly as possible. So she summoned the small amount of ancient magic she had in reserve for the trip home and used it. A kaleidoscope of colours transpired through her vision before she realised she was standing on the porch of her home.
Dread filled her to the brim at seeing the front door left ajar. She numbly reached her hand out and pushed the door wide open. It was clear other people had been in the house. She saw footprints as if the owners hadn't even bothered to wipe their feet on the mat. Her blue eyes looked up toward the stairs since she didn't sense anyone on the ground floor. Maybe there was still hope.
She rushed to the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Her thoughts concentrating on only one person… Anna. Where are you? She scanned the hallway and could see it was deserted. All of the doors had been left wide open and not a sound came from any of the rooms. They're all gone, but where? Swiftly, she turned on her heel and ran back down the stairs. She made her way out of the back door instead and ran into a blue furred mass.
“Thomas!”
“Furry!”
Furry smiled in relief at seeing Thomas. It quickly disentangled itself from its master and stood in front of her. Slowly the beast's features sank into despair as it related what had taken place in her absence. “They've taken her; Preacher!”
Thomas was left speechless. She was sure she had left Anna in the care of Rumeria and the others. However, she didn't think Preacher would travel into her valley and take her. Her blue eyes were glazed over as she tried to think. Her body was already reacting to the need to get her back. She had promised to take care of her. “Which way did they go?” She asked hesitantly anxious.
“Rumeria is tailing the group of Preacher's followers as we speak. She has taken Hattie with her. They have been gone for one whole day. I sent Kayla and Katsi to stay with Allen's clan. I think Allen will be arriving shortly to lend a hand.” Furry informed concernedly.
“Tell me which way!” Thomas yelled furiously.
“I will not tell you until you take a small break and eat something. Otherwise, you would not be asking me where she is. You can at least wait for Allen. Rumeria will make sure no harm will befall Anna either and she won't take any risks with Hattie with her.” Furry warned lightly to reassure her they still had a little time to spare.
Thomas slowly started to calm down. It was true she should have been able to locate Anna without needing to ask. Her emotions were on high and she had not replenished any of her energy from her trip and task. She could see into Furry's worried golden eyes. Rumeria is watching her. This mantra was repeated in her head as she walked back into the house. She slumped onto the lounge without thinking or feeling. It was a surprise to her when Furry came from the kitchen with a bite to eat. “I didn't know you could cook.” She stated numbly.
“Furry can't, but I can.” A feminine voice stated amusedly.
Thomas looked up and recognised the feminine purr which sounded so much like her own voice. She was wearily surprised at who was addressing her. A woman stood by the door frame with a slight smile on her lips as her azure eyes sparkled. She elegantly lifted her hand without a wasted motion and swept her shoulder length black hair behind her ear. It was as if she had all the time in the world and no one could judge her. The shoulder of her black leather jacket was rubbed against the doorframe as she glided across the room and sat on the couch where Thomas usually sat.
“Juliana?” Thomas whispered as if she were unsure whether she was there.
“I'll have to just say that I'm tired of pretending to be you for the past three thousand years. It's gotten to the point where I want to simply be me again even if it is just for a little while. I understand you needed time to recover from the mission, but I haven't heard anything from you. Where is Anna?” Juliana asked happily.
“Hasn't Furry told you?” Thomas asked astonished as she looked around the room for Furry. It looked as though the beast had left during the time in which Juliana had made her appearance. Confused, blue eyes looked at her double as if nothing in reality made sense.
“He said you had the answers. So I'm asking you. What has happened?” Juliana asked with a glint of seriousness in her eyes. She was all business now since she saw the worry and numbness radiating from Thomas. It was really unlike her to be so.
“How are you able to leave the house?” Thomas asked calmly as alarm bells of another kind rang voluminously in her head. She had been sure to cast another shield around the manor to prevent anyone from leaving or entering. How is it possible for Juliana to be here? I was sure to set up the magical shield before I left with Anna. Slowly, she sat forward to really look at Juliana.
“Well we remained confined within the manor for two thousand years. We thought from your letter, which you conveniently left for us prior to leaving us there, that you had erected a magical field for our protection and to keep us from leaving. You also stated we had to wait for you to return before we were able to leave home and check up on the factions. All of us considered Anna and you would complete the mission, get healed and come back to let us out. However, Daniela found out one thousand years ago there was no magical field erected. Gillen inspected our surroundings and determined the shield had been broken right after the completion of the mission. Are you still following me?” Juliana explained with a little accusation in her voice.
Thomas abruptly stood and started to pace. She knew the person in front of her was genuinely Juliana since they still shared the link that made the woman her double. Her nerves were slowly calming down as she pieced together the implications of the mission Anna and her had completed to save the world. Could it be possible that we might have accelerated the rate of evolution by our involvement?
“You should eat something.” Juliana suggested lightly.
Blue eyes swirled over to Juliana as if she had momentarily forgotten about her. She quickly sat back down and decided that food was actually a good idea since it would calm her even further and would definitely help her in finding Anna. The young woman was the most important thing she had to concentrate her mind on. There was no urgent need to debrief Juliana right at this moment. “Are the others here as well?” She asked between bites as she shovelled the moderate meal into her mouth.
“Everyone is here. They are all waiting outside for you.” Juliana informed joyfully in a reserved manner. Only the sparkle in her eyes and the slight curve of her lips revealed any emotion at all. It was the way Thomas would have reacted if their roles had been reversed.
“Good.” Thomas grunted as she devoured her meal swiftly.
Outside in the cold snow, Furry looked up at the faces that it had not seen in three thousand years. It was not surprised to see no one had changed. The blue furred beast hadn't gone back to the manor, but it had been aware Thomas's trusted people were alive. That was all it needed to know and with everyone gathered, it knew the time was nearing. Thomas is running out of time.
“You look contemplative, Furry.” Daniela stated airily. Her hazel eyes sparkled with joy at being able to once more truly serve under Thomas. It had been no secret in the house their leader had kept them there for their own protection. However, it had been frustrating to see the world crumbling without being able to do anything about it. Now they had a chance to do something. “Is there something you want to talk about?”
Furry smiled toothily as its golden eyes sparkled. It appeared everyone was still the same. No one had changed one single bit. It could clearly see Ileus squatting on the ground obviously doing something without appearing to be. Antonio was leaning against a tree which made him look like a giant and Gillen was waiting by the door.
SPLAT!!!
“SNOW FIGHT!!!” Ileus yelled joyfully with a huge smile on his face.
Daniela whirled around and picked up some snow to retaliate after the first snowball had hit the back of her head. She quickly made a series of compact snow balls and launched them against everyone. Ducking several snowballs, she saw they were launched by Antonio who had joined in the fun. She was surprised by Furry's enthusiasm as she was hit square in the face by one the blue furred creature had tossed.
Ileus dodged and threw as many snowballs as he could. His messy brown hair had plastered to his head after it had been drenched from the balls of snow which managed to hit him. He was glad he was able to lighten the mood and get everyone having fun. It felt great to be able to do this with everyone in the vicinity. Quickly making more snowballs, he threw some in the direction he had glimpsed movement in the corners of his eyes. However, it was unexpected to suddenly hear everyone stop what they were doing. His brown eyes gradually looked up to assess what he had gotten himself into and winced at the snow faced Thomas, Juliana and a plus one.
“Yummy! I haven't tried fresh snow before.” Juliana stated cheerily.
Thomas shook her head in dismay as the snow dripped from her face. Her blue eyes glanced at the third snow filled face and smiled at the comical expression. It was really odd to see Allen's seriousness thrust into a situation like this. However, she couldn't really blame him since she knew from experience how their world worked which left little time for fun.
“What is this game?” Allen asked in a deep tone which hid all of his emotions.
“It's called a snow fight.” Juliana stated blatantly as if it couldn't have been called anything else. She raised her eyebrow at Ileus who smiled and dropped the rest of the snow he was holding. Turning toward Thomas, she could see a small glint of the fun childhood friend lurking underneath the weight of responsibility. “It's time for business.”
“As I've explained before, Anna is so far alright. She seems to be in some sort of distress, but nothing life threatening. Rumeria and Hattie are following the group as we speak and they won't let anything happen to her. It is best if you just stay put and not get your clan involved.” Thomas explained exasperatedly as she wiped the rest of the snow from her face.
“You can tell she is alright from here?” Allen asked incredulously.
“She has a strong link with Anna. It's pretty amazing if you think about it. I'm sure you can find a way to understand it. The only thing I'm surprised about is the reason why she is still standing here and not wherever Anna is.” Juliana stated swiftly in such a carefree manner that Allen was surprised Thomas had not reacted to it at all. She saw the disbelief written all over his face and so decided to add a small piece of information. “We are childhood friends.”
“Although it has been a long time since we have caught up.” Thomas said lightly chastising her before she surveyed the old faces she hadn't seen for as long as she hadn't seen Juliana. She smiled and felt the warmth spread through her body at being with her family once more. They had all finally come home and now she would be able to bring home one more person… Anna.
“So you really don't want me to call my people and get additional help when she is also a part of my clan? You don't want me out there helping to bring her back home when she is my daughter? You want me to stay here and wait for good or bad news? I will not.” Allen yelled aggressively as his cool façade was broken by her calm response. He had to make her understand that Anna was just as important to her as she was to him. “Please change your mind.”
“I do not bend to your will, Allen. You should know by now that I only do this for the best. It will be too dangerous to involve more people and this can spiral out of control. I already have people helping me. There is no need for further people. They will be needed within the clan. Just trust me.” Thomas said calmly, trying to be reassuring.
“I trusted you to keep her safe and look now.” Allen continued in his tirade. However, his anger was muted and his lips were halted from saying anything further by a blade resting gently and threateningly at his throat. He took a tentative breath as he looked into the sparkling blue eyes of Juliana.
“Enough of this, you are wasting valuable time we need to save Anna. Just do what she says. She has never failed you before and she won't now. So just trust her. It was unforeseeable they would come into this valley in the first place. She will get her back even if she has to sacrifice herself. So please just leave it at that.” Juliana explained in a mere whisper with an undertone of threat and anger.
Thomas smiled as she walked away. Things never change. She would always have Juliana backing her up without questioning her or just knowing what was going through her head. Trusting her friend before and now she knew she could still trust her. The small bond they shared as friends had never been severed even though she had made an unfair choice for her friend. I wonder if she has forgiven me for leaving her with the others at the manor. I wouldn't fault her for being angry at me. She has her own will. Her blue eyes glanced at her double and knew things were moving along. The time she had left to spend with Anna grew shorter in front of her eyes.
She glanced around at her comrades and friends. It was time to track down Anna and get her back. Her safety was of the highest priority and the thought that the group led by Preacher would harm her caused a dull ache to start blossoming in the pit of her stomach. She wouldn't be able to bear it if anything were to happen to her. Her friends would help. They were all Anna's friends as well.
*******