Chapter 4
Tiger waited until the night to sneak out of the window, and thanks to her feline abilities, it was easy to climb down the towering vines. She debated whether to go to the cave near the sea that she had found recently, or to the jungle next door. She decided to go with the cave.
Tiger stretched out her talons and pushed off with her hind legs from the middle of the vine, soaring through the sky remembering the path. Above her, the stars twinkled as if they were saying hello.
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It was dawn when Tiger first spotted the ocean. She could just hear the waves lapping the shores. Tiger felt free for the first time in so long. She loved living in the palace, but sometimes it was frustrating. When Tiger had wanted to learn the Language of Crashing Waves, her mother hadn’t let her. 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9bUhpTUiM
“Sweetie, that’s for common creatures. Why don’t you learn Kazquan? That’s an elegant and majestic language… and it can help you marry a dignified prince!” Her mother said.
Tiger was furious. The Language of Crashing Waves was extremely hard, such as Hyrrhian, Lyazant, or Relentica. 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XRVvaD8JV
“But mother… I want to!” She’d objected, but her mother waved it off.
And, of course, Tiger had a feeling that she’d need to know some other languages on this journey.
Of course, the languages my mother doesn’t let me know I’ll need to know, Tiger thought bitterly.
She then started wondering about the stone palette.
What do I do with this thing? She wondered.
Maybe there’s a secret message to decode?! Tiger thought frustrated. Maybe I missed something?
Tiger landed quickly to scan the palette again, but then realized she must have dropped it.
She started to feel panic sear through her, into her bones as she turned back and started looking for it. Tiger spun around, remembering the direction she came from.
I came over a lake, she thought and saw east was a small lake. Well, there we go.
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About half an hour later, Tiger found the palette in a Cypressleaf tree.
She tilted her wings downward and smoothly landed on a giant leaf, and her wings were suddenly stuck in the Cypressleaf sap. Tiger transformed back into her hyman form, and then stretched a foot out onto the next leaf, which ricketed, shifted her weight, and gulped as she remembered her lesson:
In a certain season, Cypressleaf trees would lose their leaves. Tiger prayed that she would not fall to her death, hundreds of feet below her, for it was that one season.
Tiger walked onto the next leaf, and promptly fell. Her feet slid and she screeched as she started to tumble. She turned into her dragon-fox in midair again. 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOu5UVUFGH
Tiger latched her claws into the tree and something grey started to whiz past her.
“THE PALETTE!” She screamed and unlatched her claws as she twisted into a dive and caught the palette.
Tiger safely, however panting, landed on the ground as two of her former servants approached her. Snowflake, a human with a pretty white and blue dress, pink hair, and warm blue eyes, and Rainbowfall, with a colourful cape, black pants, green hair, and yellow eyes.
Snowfall had a white spiky tail sticking out of her dress, and crooked ice horns. While, Rainbowfall had wing–arms that had hands.
“Greetings, Miss…” Snowflake said politely.
“Koara,” Tiger responded, accented.
I’m so covered in leaves and sap they can’t even recognize me!
“Well, Miss Koara, would you mind telling me if you have seen anyone named Tiger? Princess Tiger, perhaps?” Snowflake smiled and asked.
Tiger’s stomach lurched, they were looking for her.
“Agkazagn?” She spoke Kazquarani, her own made up language. “Ohhh, sorryyy, I sayyyyy Tigerrr?” 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRUbP6Pxl0
“Tigerrrr isss forestttt innnn?” She asked.
Rainbowfall and Snowflake stared at her, bemuddled, but then realized she meant the striped forest creature and doesn’t know where she, as the princess, was.
“Never mind,” Rainbowfall said dismissively. “Have a great morning, Miss Koara!”
Wow… I’ve been gone the entire night! Tiger looked up at the sky.
As they walked away, she lifted her wings again, ready to find the cave.
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It was midday when Tiger reached the spot she had stopped in before, a few miles from the cave. She picked a few Moonfern- a plant that teleports the wielder to a place in desperate needs- and hunted deer to eat.
Not before long, she took off again.
The peaceful feeling of the sky was replaced with fear and hatred. It was darkness- Tiger knew the shadows were coming, only they could smell of such darkness.
As fast as she could, Tiger flew to the cave and made it there before the shadows reached her.
“WHERE IS SHE?” They screeched in unison, a screech that sent chills up your spine, a screech that sent the Dragon King running.
Tiger backed up as far as she could and stepped on something.
“HEYOHERKJEDSL!” A voice recording of Tiger’s voice spoke.
Why is there a booby trap of my voice here? Tiger thought in wonder.
“What was that?” A mind-controlled shadow user turned his blank eyes to the cave.
“Inside there.” Bellatrix, a mind-controlled friend of Tiger's, pointed to where she was hiding.
I will free everyone here, Tiger made a silent vow to herself.
The shadows covered the cave and Tiger hoped for the best.
“SHE’S HERE!”A shadow screeched.
Tiger screamed in the darkness.
“I WISH I WERE IN THE POINCIIN JUNGLE!” Tiger yelled and teleported to the jungle. As a whizzing burst of light teleported her to the place she had just wished to be.
“The Moonfern!” She whispered. “Thank the stars! Oh…” She suddenly noticed something.
Tiger realized that she was in the Poinciin Jungle alone, with danger. The Poinciin Jungle was the third most dangerous place in the world. First was the Hyrrhi Jungle, then was The Nyithis Mountains, then the Poinciin Jungle.
Suddenly, a giant plant shot forward and tried to eat her.
“AHHHHHHHHH!” Tiger screamed and dove forward and fell into a hole.
In the heart of the tunnels lies the heart of stone…
She understood. The Heart Stone was in this network of tunnels.
Tiger took a moment to memorize the prophecy. She was confused about everything, and a lot about the last lines:
Under the starry night skies
The Blue Moon will rise
Under is the Water of Clear Sight
But the creature Vengeance still lies…”
Vengeance? Tiger wondered. Water of Clear Sight? What? 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGYKFwHJC4
The only thing Tiger did understand was she needed to get the stones and something called the Water of Clear Sight. She had to get prepared to find the Heart Stone also, because she was standing in the Heart Stone’s chamber.
