DoL Part Three

chapter three

All of Winter, I named this snow ridden world Winter and called the cold white substance snow, I studied all I could. Learned all that was offered to me. I slept little to attempt to gain this knowledge my parents had asked me to gain. It was one of those rare nights that I closed my eyes for more then a minute to sleep that it happened. The change. The season burned from winter to... to something else. Something that smelled sweet and bitter at the same time. A season that burned my nostrils and made me sneeze but had me ecstatic, running with joy and hunting happily. It, this new season, was green and full of life.
There were plants of all kinds and new animals to meet and name and learn about. There was a whole new world wrapped around me and I was frozen with terror that first day, when I had first awoken to the sight. My breath had caught in my throat, my heart slammed into my rib cage and did not fall away. I just stared at everything around me, about to die from lack of blood flow and oxygen when a voice whispered to me across the grassy meadow in the wind. No, it WAS the wind.
Singing through the reeds, the trees, the rocks. Running with the gargling spring and bubbling brook. Rolling with the lake and glistening with the pond. She sang to me, this new season. She sang to me her sweet melodies and gentle tunes. Spring, I called her spring. Because everything was joyous and warm and alive. Everything sprung up from beneath that blanket of white snow to greet the sun and spread their limbs to its warmth. I looked up, and there my father stood smiling at me. The wind spoke to me, she told me....

- - - From the Pages of the Diary of Life

I stood, alone, in the night. Staring up at the moon and her silver rays. My enemy, my mother, my savior, my guardian. All at once, she was all of that at one time. The chains, they hurt the worst, they burned my wrists and made my skin bubble and redden in irritation. The pain built up until I could not longer ignore it had to cry out.

I clawed at the contraptions, at the bonds that held me in place and they tightened. They tugged my arms wide and my back was against a wall, a ceiling with a barred window bled with the moonlight. Why did she not save me? Why did she not drag me home and let me run with her, with her and her husband? Why did she just leave me like this, crying and alone and in pain?

I hated her, in that moment. I hated the goddess, because she betrayed me. She left me to die. And my ankles joined my wrists burning and throbbing and boiling up with welts from the reaction and I realized, what bound me was not steel but silver. Silver cuffs and chains. She couldn't save me. She was as tormented as I was, but I did not forgive her.

The cuffs tightened on my burning wrists and ankles and I threw my head back screaming, it came out half animal half human. I had been trying, she had been trying, but the silver �" D****T! The silver wouldn't let me! It wouldn't let me shed this hideous painful form and heal and run! I scream again and struggle, succeeding only in causing a burning ache in my back and shoulders where I strained muscles not used to this work. My feet, they were cold. Bare against the stone floor I stood on. My back too was cold against the wall I was chained to.

My hair fell into my face as I hung my head, almost in defeat but not quite. I was tired, yes, I was aching, yes, I was scared, yes, but I wasn't giving up. I will never give up as long as I live. I will never stop trying to get free, never!!!

I don't know how long I hung there, but footsteps reached my ears and I lifted my head just a little bit. Only to see what was approaching me. Who dared to tempt my rage. I press my palms against the stone, willing them to break to collapse anything, but they did not. The chains binding me had loosened, slackened would be more like it, and I hadn't realized it. The stranger stood in front of me grinning a taunting grin and touched my cheek. I don't know if he knew the chains were loose but I wasn't going to enlighten him yet if he hadn't.

I glare at him, and he laughs. The sound was harsh against my ears. "You stupid whelp! You, you are nothing but a dog! I pet. You will be taught. Just like you mother. Oh yes, I see it in your eyes. You're nothing but a mutt. You didn't know it? Your mother was the inheritor of two vampyric clans. You, you've got some heritage there, mutt. However, dogs are nothing but play things." He laughs and I lung to grab him and hurt him, the way I had Carlisle only when I got hold of his wrist nothing happened.

"Stupid b***h! Do not touch me!" He back hands my and I fall against the wall to the floor, my jaw throbbing where he'd struck me. "Silver bars all of your gifts little whelp. Your mother passed none on to you. Unfortunately for you...." I push to my hands and knees gritting my teeth, I could taste the blood in my mouth from the strike. I knew it would bruise, my jaw. I lunge at him again and claw the side of his face, he strikes me again �"

"Princess! Princess Azraella!" Carlisle calls to me and I sit up gasping, my body covered in sweat. The door bursts open and he stood above me holding me. "Princess, are you okay?" He asks, I didn't know what to tell him, 'yes I'm fine' or 'no I just had a f*****g nightmare like a f*****g three year old and feel f*****g stupid!'

"I....I don't know...." I tell him and cling to him tears in my eyes. I turn my face against his chest trembling. "I don't know!" I choke on a sob. "What's happening to me? Why his he.... why is he back?"

"Back? He? Who? The.... oh Azraella!" Carlisle tightens his arms around me kissing my brow. "Azraella, you're safe. He can't get you! He can't hurt you!" He whispers gently.

"It's coming." I whisper right back at him. My fingers kneading at his arms, twisting his shirt. "It's coming..."

"I won't let it hurt you, I promise. I won't let the night get you, or him... what did he tell you?"

"That my mom... she... was the heir... to... to two vampyric... kingdoms...
Carlisle? Is it true?" I ask looking up at him. "Please, please don't lie to me, Carlisle. Please."
"I cannot lie to you, nor can I answer this question. Princess. That is for your father to tell you."
"Father won't even look at me! D****t Carlisle!" I scream and beat my fists against his chest. "Father hates me for loosing mother! He doesn't want anything to do with me! ME  his only daughter, his heir!!!" I don't know what came over me, but I wasn't going to apologize for my tantrum.

"Azraella..." Carlisle starts to say something, and stops. "Come on." He says finally. "Lets get ready, you have a meeting, remember?" He scrunches my hair and gives me this odd look before stepping out of my room. He was right, I needed to get dressed and hurry.

I dragged on a black bustier with its red and purple embroidery (all my outfits had this) and a pair of black leather pants that didn't even touch my hips, just... defied gravity to cling to my body. I step into knee high stiletto, six inch heel boots and roll the leather pants down over them before walking out tying my hair up. Carlisle had changed as well. His broad shoulders and muscular chest were covered in black fishnet and he too wore the black leather pants that seemed to defy gravity. However, his pants tucked into his boots and those boots were pirate like and only came half way up his lower leg.

"You're cruel, Azraella, to wear that." Carlisle says calmly. "That prince won't be able to keep his paws off you."

"That prince deservers respect for defying his father to contact me. Carlisle. If you think Righ Azriel is cruel, you ain't seen nothin." I tell my body guard and step out to see Damien, dressed as my faithful yet hateful Carlisle waiting for us in the hall. "Lets go boys." I say calmly before letting my body shift and taking off down the hall straight to the open garden doors. Both of them paused to snarl at each other before following my out the door. I leapt, yipping joyously, over the tall balcony wall that looked down into the garden rather then following the stairs down.

The wind rushed through my fur and a second yip bled from my jaws. My ears flopped back against my head and tears blurred my vision, but I didn't slow down. I enjoyed it. The sifting of soil beneath the pads of my feet, the rocks tossed out of my way, the burning of my lungs with each strong breath, the rush of strength from those finely carved well designed muscles streaking through my body and propelling me forward. I loved all of it.

I stop running and stand looking back at my companions panting lightly, tongue lolling from my mouth snout raised into the air. My ebony colored pelt water logged and plastered to my body from all the puddles I'd run through. The moisture would fade once I shifted. The two catch up to me and nip my flanks before I could take off again, pressing their shoulders against me to pin me between them. Oh damn.

I pad, panting cheerfully, towards the herd, once we finally reached the clearing. My tail lifted and wagged as I approached Ramses who nickered to me. Rheese tosses his head up from nibbling his baby brothers steely black and gray colored shoulder. The chestnut colored young stallion canters over nearly tripping into Ramses trying to shift and move at the same time. I shift and laugh at Ramses' snort of disapproval at his 'young son's' behavior.

"Rheese, don't be a fool. Don't run and shift to a human form at the same time. You'll hurt yourself. I can't even do that... yet. But eventually we will be able to!" Ramses snorts violently scowling at me before turning and walking to his painted mate's side. Well, one of his mates. His herd milled about at the bottom of the hill uncertainly, but none of them dared challenge or question Ramses. He was too good of a leader, a protector, to doubt his decision now.

"I'll keep that in mind!" Rheese laughs, his voice was rich and warm. It was the sound of spring, but strong at the same time. Like the river, and the forest both. He had a nice voice, and was hot! His hair was a flaming copper that matched the metallic red of his equine form. His skin was pale and smooth, the same shade as the silver markings on his equine face and legs.

"Rheese, you look great." I say smiling and start walking up the hill. Carlisle and Damien snarl at each other before taking up positions at either side of me, one to each hip, leaving Rheese to follow. He had broad strong shoulders, and strong legs. God, he looked edible!

"Thank you!" He grins, and I knew right then what his side ability was. Empathy. I glare at him and he laughs tackling me in a hug kissing me. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that!" He says watching me for a reaction. I didn't know how to react, but Carlisle seemed to have an idea. The sandy brown wolf snarled at us teeth bared and hackles raised ready to attack Rheese.

"Carlisle, heel." He snarls at me, "No, you aren't a dog but you'll obey commands like our descendants when I give the commands or face my rage." Carlisle seemed to think that one over and sat down silently glaring needles into my back. That's when the yip, an annoying one at that, burned the air and filled my ears. I jerked out of Rheese's arms as Ramses gave his battle call summoning his colts to him.

Rheese turns and I grab his arm. "NO!" I cry and run ahead of the 'younger' man throwing him back as three big black wolves lunged at the charging black stallion. "RAMSES!" I scream stumbling down the hill to reach my 'father' tears in my eyes as one wolf gets him on the hip and another lunges at his shoulders. I felt fur slide over my body replacing my very human skin.
My bones burned and dragged and snapped and rebuilt while I ran. My face extended into my lupine snout and my scream became a fierce howl. I tackled the third wolf just as his jaws snapped shut, shoving his face away from Ramses neck as the black stallion fell beneath the combined weight of the two other wolves. Carlisle snarls and a wolf yelps. Ramses snorts and I heard a whinny that had to come from Rheese's mother calling him back to her, or was it her new son she was calling? I couldn't tell.

I want the girl alive. Bring her to me.

I yelp as a second wolf tackles me, my teeth sinking into the black males shoulder. He jerked free of my grasp as the wolf on top of my grabbed my neck in his jaws trying to suffocate me. My ability might be considerably weakened when I'm a wolf, but it always works as long as I'm in contact. I howl angrily and let the energy of my ability burn through my veins, through my back, into the wolf's paws and force it up his legs. I felt the energy wrap around and crush his heart and felt sickly satisfied. Why shouldn't I?
 I felt blood trickling, in a nice red river, from my shoulders and neck where claws and teeth had settled into my flesh all comfy cozy. The male in front of my snarls and raises his hackles. I bare my teeth at him and lunge as he lunges. His massive black body threatened to over throw me before the wild energy I had released on his companion burned between us and paralyzed his muscles. He howled in pain and struggled to shift back to human.

The magic grabbed him and dragged him through every shape you could imagine. Every animal form you could picture. He howled again as the magic constricted against his bones and muscles, bones and muscles that struggled to find and hold a form that would protect him. I stare in disbelief forgetting the horrible danger I was in. His body stopped moving and he howled again, the sound trapped somewhere between a were-cat, wolf, and bird call all at once. It was a horrible morbid sound.

Get her! Get the girl! Grab her while she's busy!

I yelp in pain as another massive wolf slams into me and grabs me by the scruff of the neck trying to drag me away. A snarl echoes around me as I struggled with my captor, struggled with my magic horrified by what I'd already done, and what I'd learned about our enemies. They weren't shifters, they were monsters. They had signed a contract with the devil himself! The hell hound, that's what they were modeled off of! That's why they were so massive and black!
So why wasn't brimstone and sulfur burning my lungs and nostrils!? Why wasn't I suffocating from the presence of such evil instead of from the now constricting lock on my neck from those massive jaws?! I look up, barely, at the wolf standing in front of my captor, blocking his path. Obviously the only path he wanted to take, and was grateful for it. I whimper in pain as the hell hound clutching me tightens his jaws on my neck. Samuel!!!  I heard myself cry out as the pain burned through me from my neck. My howl of pain raised hairs, I know because I saw rage in the gray wolf's eyes. The hell hound tightens his grip a little more as Samuel steps towards us. Stop! I whine rolling my eyes.

No! Don't kill her you fool! Let her go and get back here! Just let her go!

Where the hell was that voice coming from? The pain was almost too much, my body started to burn with the tell tale signs that it needed to shift, that it would whether I liked it or not. The hell hound bit a little harder before releasing my neck and vanishing, alone. I collapse to the ground, I hadn't realized that the beast had lifted me off the ground. Samuel rushes towards me shifting in the process, and drags my shifting body into his arms.

Rheese and Carlisle were standing over us. I blink once, twice...