Chapter Twenty

Tygra's death and Jade's mysteries�

Tygra‘s eyes stared blankly before her, out to her sister and Jade‘s devastated features, as her vision began to blur. She felt her hand raise to her throat; feeling a wet, sticky liquid along her skin. Realization on what had happened had not yet come to her, but the searing pain within her throat had. She felt herself fall to her knees as the force holding her still released. Her blurred gaze fell back to the form of her sister, her gaze questioning before she fell face first onto the concrete floor, her life draining from her body in a pool of her own blood.
“Tygra!” Star cried, unable to move her petrified body. This can’t be happening… Hot tears streamed down her cheeks her gaze not once leaving her sister’s lifeless form. “Tygra can’t be dead!”
“Drake! You-!” Jade cried, her hands set out at her sides in jagged claws as she moved towards him. She was so enraged she was no longer able to form her thoughts into words. All she wanted at the moment was Drake’s blood to be spilt by her own bare hands.
The loathsome sorcerer twirled the dagger’s hilt between his finger; his gaze locked onto that of Jade’s. “You brought this fate onto that girl with your stubborn ways.” he looked down to Tygra’s still form, shaking his head in disappointment. “She had such a promising soul; one that would easily absorb any form of magic.” his gaze fell back to hers. “Too bad you took that away from her.”
“How dare you!” Jade screamed through clenched teeth, taking enraged steps towards him. “I am only doing what I must! What I am obligated to do for my standings!” she swiped her hands heatedly out to her sides as tears of fury and pain streamed down her pale cheeks. “Why won’t you just let me do what I am destined to do?”
“I don’t believe in destiny.” Drake said in a hard tone placing the bloody blade back within his sheath at his side. “Especially not yours…Gilabarous!”
At the sound of its name, Gilabarous’ movements shook the room they were in before charging into the room, smashing the wall within its path. The troll like creature trudge along towards them, its breathing deep and ragged as its gaze fell onto Drake and Jade standing within the center of the room.
Drake’s gaze remained on Jade. “All I have to do is stall your time, and you will no longer have to worry about fulfilling your destiny.”
“Drake!” Jade called out but it was too late. He had vanished with his last words to her. “Damn it! I don‘t have time for this!” her gaze fell onto Gilabarous as he looked to her with his sunken black eyes. With a ghastly yell, he charged at her with great speed.
Jade looked towards Star. “Move Tygra! Hurry!”
Star looked to Jade surprised, but did as she was told regardless. She pulled Tygra’s limp form to the far left corner, sitting her up against the wall before resting herself beside her. She watched Jade’s fight with this creature known to be Gilabarous. She watched because she couldn‘t bear the thought of sitting beside her sister now dead by Drake hands. Many thoughts raced through her mind as she watched the brawl. Many thoughts and many questions.
Jade jumped back away from the creature after its last attempted to rip her head from the rest of her body. Her teeth grit angrily while setting her hands rigidly out to her side, her fingers curled into jagged claws; her nails growing in length. “I‘m going to fulfill my destiny Drake.” she yelled angrily into the air, charging towards Gilabarous. “You will not stop me from finishing my journey!” Once in range, Jade brought her hand back before thrusting it into the creatures chest, rotating her hand and digging deeply into its chest, ripping its heart right from his chest. The creature stared blankly at her, unsure of why he himself had stopped before her until it fell to the ground with a devastating thud. Jade looked to the heart beating its last beats within her grasp before allowing it to fall to the concrete floor. “I am done with playing your games.” She then turned and walked over to where Star had moved Tygra.
The closer Jade came, the clearer the sound of whimpering sounded, the brief intakes of breath breaking through the pattern of sobs. Star looked up to the sound of Jade’s footsteps coming nearer and shook her head in dismay, her tears rolling freely down her cheeks. “You’re too late.”
“What?” Jade questioned stopping before her. She looked to Tygra. Even though she had a hunch on what Star had meant, she didn’t want to believe what she was about to be told..
“You’re too late.” Star repeated, emotionlessly, almost robotically as the words slipped easily from her mouth. Her blank eyes soon were covered by swollen lids as she spoke her next set of words. “She’s dead.”
Jade knelt down between Star and Tygra’s lifeless form. She studied Star for a moment before looking to Tygra leaving out a deep breath. “I guess I have no choice now, do I?” she stated moving closer to Tygra body, sitting so that she was now directly before her.
“What are you doing?” Star asked after a moment.
“Just watch.” .
Jade then placed her hands onto Tygra’s temples. A bright light shined from her forefingers. The light was so intense, Star immediately raised her arms up before her face, shielding her eyes from the brilliant glow. After a few seconds past, the light began to dim and Star was finally able to lower her arms. Blinking rapidly, she looked to Jade, confused. “What did you do?”
“I’m alive?” Star froze at once, the sound of the voice catching her off guard. Her eyes slowly rolled to the side where she saw what she found hard to be true. Tygra was now looking down to her hands, examining them carefully. The wound along her throat was no longer there, just the remnants of blood beginning to dry to her cream colored skin.. “I am alive!”
“Tygra!” Star cried, practically jumping towards her sister, embracing her into a tight, warm hug.
Jade stood dizzily to her feet walking over to the alter, a hand placed to the pendants hanging from her neck. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve used this necklace.”
“Jade...” Star trailed off..
“You gave up your technique, just to save me?” Tygra questioned, studying Jade with watery eyes.
Jade laughed briefly. “Don’t worry about it. Now, I’m just like the two of you.” she smiled. “Just more experienced.”
“You’re such a jerk!” Star said but laughed in spite of what was truly at stake. With Jade‘s technique now compromised, she may no longer be able to defeat Drake if her comes before them again.
“Now, you read the spell.” Jade declared gazing at the two with pure confidents.