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 Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2022 12:40 pm
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His cold stare haunted her memories. A deep fear instilled in her mind that she would be killed if she ever returned home or if he ever caught sight of her. She was supposed to be dead, lead by the knights on whom once called her "Princess." Deep in the forest, where the feral beasts roam is the place she was to meet her early demise. However, the knights instead turned a blind eye and let her escape.
Someone who she called "Uncle," so fondly in her youth was now the nightmare that never ends. He took her birth right, the throne, the kingdom after her mother's untimely demise. None would question him for her disappearance. He was a proud warrior that everyone looked up to, he wore the battle scars to prove his worth.
Handsome but cold, and yet she still had thought of him as family then, he even let her play with his dark long hair when she was just a foal. Be it to his liking or not, he never showed much disinterest or hatred back then. But everything changes when the Queen dies, his sister and the one who was the rights to the kingdom was simply a silly little girl as he called her.
Her fears of him finding out that she was alive remained even after many years have passed. She looked to her mate, Lunar for protection and as she slept in her tiny form hidden in a tree. She would awake every now and then after hearing her uncle's cold voice saying "Take her away!" in her restless dreams.
The sudden thunder clapping in the distance awoke her from her cursed dreams. Her heart pounding and her head raising straight up as her ears flattened in distress, the lightning illuminated the hollow of the tree. Her pink eyes brimmed with tears threatning to spill "Its just a dream..just a dream" she quietly said, careful not to wake her daughter who was sleeping soundlessly in the corner. She got up from the ground in the darkness and headed towards entrance of the hollow, peering out into the storm. It started to pour, drowning out most of the sounds besides the thunder cracking every now and then as it followed after the lightning.
It was no longer safe in the tree. The storm was distant but it was coming their way. Azura headed over towards Astrid's sleeping form an nudged her lightly to wake her. They would need to flee the tree and seek shelter in a nearby cavern.
"What is it?" Astrid asked sleepily.
"There is a storm heading our way. We must leave the tree." She told her daughter and headed towards the hollow's entrance. She grimanced at the rain as it came down, flutters never did well with water. As she looked back at her daughter who headed her way "Its best to land first and change size, we'll have to make a run for the cavern."
"Where are the others?" Astrid asked looking around for her siblings, perhaps they never returned when she fell asleep.
"Perhaps with Lunar..." she said hopefully, she knew her children were smart enough to seek shelter and same for her mate.
As the two landed and resized, they ran through the rain the thunder clapping loudly as it grew closer. They headed towards the cavern, unaware of the danger inside. As they stepped into the darkness, the lightning illuminated the cavern and there stood a feline shifter. Her crimsons red eyes lit up at the sight of them.
"Well, what do we have here?" the menacing feline shifter asked as she headed slowly their way "Here I thought I'd grow hungry waiting out this storm."
Azura froze, while Astrid lowered her head; if anything the young mare had a horn to use.
"Hmmm..." Luna looked Azura over with even more interest "I feel like there was something in the past I was promised..." she tilted her head slightly to the side as she tried to jog her memory "Ah yes, whatever his name was..." she tried to recall "Yoru, was it?" she smirked a bit.
"Yoru...." Azura grew pale.
Luna's smirk grew bigger flashing her terrorizing fangs, she knew her prey would come back one day. How lucky she was to have chosen such a cavern. As the feline slowly crept their way towards them, Azura felt paralyzed in fear.
"Not another step!" Astrid cried out, she was not brave like the others in her family and considered the dainty one but at this very moment she would fight for their lives. Perhaps it was pure adrenaline, but she wasn't about to cower in fear.
"Is this your daughter? Oh my, I'm sure he'd be interested to learn about your little family. Considering you were supposed to be dead." she said with a menacing tone "Well girl, do you really think you stand a chance against me?" Luna said as she looked towards Astrid, she flashed her claws.
"Since when do shifters do dealings with flutters..." Azura asked with a trembling voice, both from being cold from the rain and fear.
Luna looked towards Azura "Dealings? Oh, this was simply a trade...I despised Queen Yuna and the lot of you, but your Uncle manage to persuade me with his words." she said before as she began to circle them, like a predator stalking its prey "He fed your mother the deadly nightshade. I believe he said he'd put it in her tea. Then he'd cast you out into the woods where I would find you and well..." she smirked "I'm sure you could put things together in that little mind of yours."
Azura's expression of fear wavered with confusion. Her uncle poisoned her mother?! The big reveal was hard to grasp, she knew her uncle was a cold person but to commit murder?! Kill his own sister....her mother..
Her heart ached with grief.
Astrid looked towards her mother with confusion, she had no idea what was going. Her mother spoke very little of the past, she did know of a flutter who'd visit her every now and then. Someone that apparently served her in the past. But, she didn't think it was to the extent of a princess. As the shifter noticed Astrid's attention drawn away, the feline made her move and went to swat at the daughter with her clawed paw.
But Astrid was quick and that paw met a very sharp point, Luna groaned in pain and drew back "You do have a fighting spirit! Unlike your mother here!" she growled as she snapped her jaws making a sickening sound causing Azura to flinch.
"Why didn't you tell him, that you never got to kill me?" Azura asked.
Luna just looked away with annoyance instead of responding.
"What does my Uncle have on you?"
The shifter looked towards Azura "On me?" her crimson eyes widen with surprise "You think a flutter has something on me?" her head tilted back and she fell into a fit of laughter that erupted in the cavern.
Astrid looked towards her mother. As if hinting for an escape by nodding her head towards the exit of the cavern. Azura gave a nod and the two dashed out of the cavern, the shifter's laugh ceased but the sound of claws running on the cavern floor echoed after them.The two of them were lucky, the storm had stopped, taking in their small forms they disappeared. The shifter halted in her tracks, her crimson eyes narrowed "I'll get you! I'll rip the two of you apart!" she snarled out into the darkness.
The shifter lost her prey once more. As she shifted into her feral form she ran off into the night. A visit shall be made. A nightmare was about to become reality.
Azura found the nearest tree hallow and landed, her daughter followed in after her. She felt sick to her stomach with weary thoughts that now ran through her mind. He'll find out. He'll find out. She said over and over in her mind. She was so troubled she began to walk in circles.
"Mom, what's going on?" Astrid asked.
She couldn't hear her daughter. Her anxiety was starting to control her mind and making her blank out. Her steps in her pace quickened and her heart raced, she nearly couldn't breath. Astrid looked on with worry and approached her, nuzzling at her side trying to calm her down. The touch of her daughter caused her to stop.
"Its okay mom, whatever happens I'll be there to protect you! Dad will be there! Artemis and Perseus--we'll all protect you!" she assured her.
Azura wept, she was such a coward compared to them. They would have to leave this area. This place they've called home for years. She looked towards her daugher gave her a weak smile and a nod "I know...I know.." she repeated herself.
She would start by telling Lunar.
But for now, all she wanted to do is rest. She plopped down in the safety of her tree hollow and looked towards Astrid. Her daughter gave her a light smile "Sleep, I'll keep watch." she said and headed towards the hollow's entrance.
Azura doubt she'd get much sleep. She just needed to rest, to gather herself so she can face the day that approaches.
FIN
WC - 1568
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