Chapter 5
Heart Stone
When Tiger came across a small stream, she had been travelling for days in her hyman form. She followed it into daylight then bumped into someone.
“Watch it!” The person growled.
Tiger stepped back and realized that the person she had bumped into was a princess. The princess had a peacock dress with parrot feather earrings, wolf ears, and a tail. She also had blonde hair with brown highlights tucked in a bun, blue eyes, and a hyman.
“Who are you?” Tiger asked.
“You’re kidding,” The hyman responded.
Tiger stared at her blankly.
“Still nothing? Ok, hint, I’m Topaz, princess of the Sun Kingdom. And who are you?”
Well, that’s not a hint, but okay. “I am Tiger, princess of the Stone Kingdom,” Tiger answered.
“The Stone Kingdom? You don’t look evil,” Princess Topaz said, startled.
“I’m not!” Tiger hissed.
“Oh yeah?” Topaz growled. “Prove it! Prove it that you’re not evil!”
“Why would I be evil?” Tiger asked.
“You invaded our territory and killed our prince and hatchlings! What do you mean, you haven’t done anything?” Topaz yelled. “Are all Stone Kingdom citizens this snail-brained? Because this is more of a reason to take over your kingdom!”
“I didn’t do anything,” Tiger argued back. “And that was eons ago!”
“What a little liar,” Topaz sneered. “I’ll enjoy crushing you under my talons once I transform.”
Tiger was pretty shocked. No one has ever threatened her like that.
She finally pulled herself together and was angry.
“AND THIS IS WHY WE ATTACKED YOUR KINGDOM, YOU SPOILED PRINCESS!” She snapped, anger overboiling. “By the way you won’t take over your kingdom, your servants will! And, I’d easily squash you in my form!”
“I’m going to… to…” Topaz trailed off. “Look, just come with me… umm what’s your name again?”
“Not telling, Topaz,” Tiger said mockingly. “Sorry, hatchling.”
“You will tell me!” Topaz ordered. Tiger was so fed up with this spoiled princess that she slapped her in the face hard enough to break the skin and draw blood. And then with her other hand, she unsheathed her claws in hyman form and swiped at Topaz across the face.
Once she got a hold of herself, Tiger stared in horror at what she’d done. Topaz was bleeding badly.
I need… moss to stop the bleeding. She quickly determined and went to hunt for it.
As she went around another bend, she bumped into another person.
“Ah!” Tiger shrieked.
The aura around the newcomer was dark and misty.
A monster. Tiger realized as she shifted into her hybrid fox-dragon form. The figure just seemed to stare at her and then turn around.
“Hey,” Tiger called out stupidly without realising. “Who are you?”
Oh wait, it’s a monster.
The creature whipped around and said in a grave voice, “Hello there, Tiger.”
“H-how do you know my name?” She stuttered.
“A serpent does not share its secrets. Neither do I,” It grinned wickedly.
Tiger hissed, “What do you want?”
“A deal,” The creature said simply.
“I’m not making a deal with a monster,” Tiger spat, but instantly regretted it when the thing shoved its face in hers, “Don’t talk to me like that unless you want to face my fire.”
Tiger gulped but said, “Then what do you want?” She hoped the fear she was feeling wasn’t showing in her voice.
“I already told you, a deal!” It screeched. “Are all hymans this dumb?”
Tiger stepped back. I’m not too fond of this thing… She thought. “I mean, what do you want in the deal?” Her voice trembled.
“I want you to free me, and in return, I will do something you ask.” The thing asked. “I will heal your friend for you. I will give you information.”
Tiger considered this. “What are you? I need to know this before I free you. Tell me about yourself.”
The thing growled. “I am Amren. I am a Darkblaze Bird in human form. There. Now free me.”
“Wait- in return I want you to heal Princess Topaz of the Sun Kingdom and to check on us and help us in any situation of need if you’re there,” Tiger ordered.
“Also, what's a human?” she asked curiously.
Amren scowled, “That's not part of the deal.”
Amren turned to her “human form” whatever that was.
She had black hair and black eyes that seemed to have white Starfire coursing through them. “Fine. How to free me is just to say, “I free Amren of the Darkblaze Birds.”
“I free Amren of the Darkblaze Birds,” Tiger started and grinned. “Under circumstances. She must heal Princess Topaz of the Sun Kingdom and must check on us every once in a while. When she is checking up on us, she must help us in every way possible. I bind her to me.”
A tendril of starlight wove through the two females and Tiger felt something attach her to Amren.
“There. You’re free.” Tiger said triumphantly.
“Stupid hyman,” Amren hissed. “Do you know what you just put yourself into, binding yourself to me?”
“Of course,” She lied, not wanting to seem more stupid than she already seemed.
Amren seemed to read minds because she snarled, “No, you don’t! I can’t believe what you’ve done! Featherbrain, you bound our souls together!”
“And….?” Tiger responded.
Amren spluttered and then rolled her eyes. “Just… figure it out yourself. Now, where’s that friend of yours?”
Tiger hummed nervously and then smiled. “Oh… I don’t know.”
Amren’s look was one of such annoyance, but she didn’t react but snarled, “Well, where did you come from?”
“I believe… that way?” She pointed east.
Amren shook her head in disapproval but started. As they rounded a few corners, Amren announced, “Be silent. Dark creatures lurk in these tunnels. Some of the foulest monsters dwell here.”
Fouler than you? Unbelievable, Tiger thought.
Amren curled her lip. As they rounded another corner, Tiger screamed. Because on the floor lay Topaz’s dead, rotting corpse.
“Topaz!” Tiger cried. She took another step closer, but Amren held her back. “Don’t…” She warned her. “Wychens are shapeshifters. They use your thoughts to lure you close, and then you’ll realise it’s not what you think. But once you realise that, it’s already too late.”
“But… Topaz!” Tiger scrambled.
“How could she have rotted so quickly? You slapped her on the face and drew blood. She can’t die of that, at least that quickly. You were looking for moss. Why is there moss where Topaz is lying? It’s a Wychen.” Amren hissed.
Tiger looked at the body in disbelief as it started to reform. Darkness swirled around, turning into a cloud of darkness and purple light.
A scream went around, emitted by the Wychen. Tiger flinched. The sound rattled her to her bones. She transformed into her hybrid form, Amren hesitating. “Well?” Tiger nudged her.
“I-I don’t think I should…” She muttered.
Tiger thinned her lips, but there was no time for arguing as the Wychen launched itself at her. Tiger yelped and dodged, but something was triggered in her memories.
“Use your abilities!” The Namaste Monkey urged her as he flung at her again.
Tiger closed her eyes and thought about becoming invisible. Once she opened her eyes and came out of her thoughts, she heard him shout, “Good job! Now, what can you do?”
She transformed easily into a wolf and sprang at him, teeth bared, and he stood no chance until she landed on him and ripped his neck open, but then it was too late.
Just then, the Wychen came after her again, but she shifted into a snake and bit him.
“Remember, you bonded us so if you die, I die!” Amren shouted.
The Wychen turned to her, noticing her for the first time, and zoomed towards her but Tiger intercepted the blow. She fell to her side, panting, as the Wychen drew closer.
I wonder how it feels to die. She thought miserably. Then she looked up at Amren and whispered, “Save me. Save us.”
Amren set her jaw and nodded. “Look away.” Tiger looked down at the floor as she felt Amren’s presence change. She heard a screeching and blazes set across the room, and then she heard a scream in pain from the Wychen. When all settled down, she looked to find a puddle of ashes and Amren above it.
“Well, let’s get going.”
...
“So… Which way?” Amren asked when they approached another fork in the cave.
“Right…”
“No, left!” Tiger quickly changed her mind. Truth be told, she didn’t know where she was going, but she had to guess.
Amren seemed to know. “Idiot,” She hissed. “How can you even survive this dumb?”
“As if you’re smarter than me?” Tiger bit back, and then realized how much stupider she sounded.
Amren snarled. “I’ve lived for millions of years, hatchling. And at this point, I’m not even going to try to talk to you if you’re this stupid,”
"Hey!" Tiger cried, but Amren already rushed toward a body on the floor. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEsbszlSml
"Is this her?" She asked.
Tiger nodded grimly. "Yes," she responded. "That's Topaz."
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