Angelwolf

I am sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I had a bit of writers block, then had a medical emergency that I couldnt avoidI promise that this will not happen again. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and know that I am already working on a special chapter that I think you readers will love. As always love ya <3

For the next couple of days, I was stuck training with Nivtal. I didn’t complain much. Amethyst and Kiena visited me when they could. Nivtal said that it was best if they weren’t around so much because they would just be a distraction. I wanted to argue with her, but I knew she was right with how new everything was to me.

In the two days that I had been training, I had learned how to control water, help plants grow, and even how to conjure fire. It felt different than when I was acting in anger. I could actually feel the nature around me. I wondered if part of it was due to my tails. It was only after I grew the newest tail that I was able to use these powers. It felt amazing. It only saddened me that I would have to use these powers against humans. The thought of creating a rebellion was still something that I didn’t want to think about.

I was just about done with my training for the day when Nivtal stopped me. There was a look of concern on her face. I wondered if she was missing home.

“What’s wrong, Nivtal,” I asked. She looked away from me, then sighed.

“It’s nothing. You just remind me of my mate. She was an amazing magic user, much like yourself. She was taken by a human and used for her sight until she was no longer useful. Then they just killed her. I could feel it too. We were connected spiritually,” Nivtal said. I felt my heart sink as she said those words. The constant use and abuse of races that were different from humans were ridiculous.

“I am sorry that that happened to you,” I said, sitting down on the ground.  Nivtal looked at me as tears formed in her eyes. It was amazing that she had kept that in for so long. At least while she was around us. I am sure that things were different when she was in her village.

“There is nothing you can do about it, so there is no reason to be sorry,”

“But, your elder suggested that I start a rebellion,”

“What is that going to solve. That just means more meaningless death,”

“But if it means the safety of others like us, isn’t it worth it then,”

Nivtal took a moment to think about it. It was adorable, the way her face scrunched up when she was thinking. After a few moments, she sighed.

“Your right. It doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do. Why can’t an agreement come peacefully?” Nivtal said, sounding defeated. I understood her feelings. It was the same question many of my people have asked throughout the years of their existence. Unfortunately, most conflict is never solved peacefully. Look at the civil war. Even then, there was still discrimination and pain.

“It is in human nature to fight. It was that way in my world too. It is a sad truth. People would rather fight each other rather than come to an agreement,” I said as I looked at the ground. Was I any different than the humans here? I mean, I didn’t want to fight, but something inside me told me that it was inevitable.

Just as I was about to say something else, I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around, I found Amethyst and Kiena standing there. Amethyst looked happy, and Kiena had a grin that stretched from ear to ear. It was nice to see their smiling faces after a grim topic.

“We thought we would come to see you. Are you done for the day?” Amethyst asked. Her tail was swaying back and forth. She must be excited about something.

“Yes, she is done with her lessons for today. If you do not mind, I will remain here for a while,” Nivtal said. Part of me wanted to reach down and pull her into a hug, but I knew that I didn’t want anyone to touch me when I was feeling this way.

“Will we see you back at home?” I asked. Nivtal nodded, then went back to looking at the ground. I motioned to Amethyst and Kiena to leave. I knew what it was like to need space from people

Once we were back in the heart of the village, Kiena took my hand. She seemed so happy. It made my heart flutter. How I ever got so lucky to have a family like this, I will never know, but I wasn’t going to let it slip through my fingers.

“We have been waiting for you, Coralin. Momma worked on something for you. We wanted to show it to you,” Kiena said, trying to pull me with her towards the stairs that led to the treetops. Although they could climb, they felt terrible for me, so they chose to walk with me instead.

Once we were back in the treetops, Amethyst led us to her mother’s house. I wondered why we were going to see Talissa. I hoped that she wasn’t going to ask us to go on another hunt. I was kind of tired of leaving the village. I know it sounds strange. You would think that I would want to explore the world around me, but really, I was afraid to.

“Ah, there you are,” Talissa said. She was standing outside her house as we approached. She had a smile on her face. It was a strange look for her. I was used to seeing worry or annoyance on her face.

“We had to go get our mate,” Amethyst said. That immediately put a toothy grin on my face. Just hearing those words was enough to make me swoon.

“Yes, I figured she would still be in training. Now that you are both here,” Talissa said as she motioned for us to step inside her house. I was prepared for anything.

“Mother, please don’t do this right now,” Amethyst said. I wondered what she thought that her mother was going to do. It had to be awful if Amethyst was worried.

“What exactly do you think I am going to do, my sweet girl,” Talissa asked. It was weird for them to be addressing each other as mother and daughter.

“We are not here for a lecture,” Amethyst said. Her ears were lowered as if she was waiting for something.

“I was not going to give you a lecture. I wanted to tell you two that I am throwing a banquet for you two to celebrate your bond and your break from solitude, my sweet girl,” Talissa said. I loved the sound of a banquet. I was starving from all the training that I had been doing.

“That is great,” Amethyst said. I could hear a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Something told me that she didn’t like that idea, but there was nothing that she could do about it. After all, her mom was the elder until she died.

“Great, it will be tonight at sunset. I am so happy for you, my sweet girl,” Talissa said. Amethyst and I looked at each other confused. How did that happen so fast? I barely had time to register what was going on before we were shoved out the door.

“So. What did you want to show me?” I asked. Amethyst perked back up after that question. Without warning, she grabbed my arm and dragged me towards our home. I wondered what it could be that gt her so excited. I hadn’t seen anything at the house before I left. Maybe she had it hidden somehow?

“Close your eyes,” Amethyst said as we got to the doorway. I gave her a look of confusion but complied with her request. I have been able to trust her this long. There was no reason to start mistrusting her now. When she was satisfied that my eyes were closed, she led me into the house. The anticipation was killing me. I almost ran into her as she came to a stop.

“We are very excited for you to see this,” Amethyst said as she let go of my hand. From behind me, I could hear the sound of little footsteps. I guess that Kiena hadn’t been that far behind us. I could hear her giggling as she grabbed my hand. That giggle had me even more curious. “You can open your eyes now.”

As I opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Sitting here, on a makeshift shelf, was a statue of Amethyst and me. I recognized right away that the craftsmanship wasn’t made by Keba. It was still amazing and almost made me cry.

“I love it, my love,” I said as I licked her chick. She hid her face with her tail the best that she could. She was so adorable when she is embarrassed. Kiena was bouncing up and down as she looked at Amethyst and me; she seemed really happy that her Momma and I were bonded. For a time, I thought I would never marry, but now I was about as happy as I could be.

“We have been working on that for the past two days,” Amethyst said, sounding quite proud of herself. I was in awe of her craftsmanship. The statue was beautiful.

As the day dragged on, Amethyst and I just spend the day together. We went for a walk around the village, then we went fishing. I was able to catch a few fish, but Amethyst was an expert. By the time we were done fishing, we had an entire basket full of fish. The cook was going to be happy about that.

As we got back to the village, people were coming up to us, congratulating us. I guess that word had gotten around about the party tonight. I wondered if Talissa was just trying to win her daughter back or if she genuinely was happy for her. I hoped that she genuinely was delighted because I couldn’t stand to see Amethyst hurt again.

We dropped the fish off with the cook, who congratulated us. Once we were done with that, we headed back to the house and had a late lunch. Kiena busied herself as Amethyst laid in my lap. As I stroked her hair, I could feel her purring against my legs. It was a fantastic feeling. It was also turning me on. I didn’t know how much more of it I could take. I would probably have to make a stop at the cave later.

It was nearly sunset when there was a knock at the door. Turning around, I saw Talissa standing there. I guess that it was time for her celebration. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed festivities, but something about this just felt weird. It was thrown together at the last minute. We bonded only a couple of days ago, and now she was rushing to a celebration.

“Are you two ready?” Talissa asked, her eyes glued to me. There was something different about the way she was looking at me compared to any other time.

“We are,” Amethyst said, getting up. There was a slight feeling of depression as she moved. I was enjoying her laying there on me like that.

“Everyone is waiting for you,” Talissa said before turning around and walking away. I sighed as I got up. There was no fighting it.

 Kiena got up and dusted herself off. Looking around the room, I didn’t see any sign of Nivtal. I know that she had been depressed, but I figured she would have come home by now. I wished that there was something that I could do to cheer her up. After all, she was only here because she had to teach me how to use my magic.

As we left the house, we were surprised by the village’s sight lined along the bridges towards Talissa’s house. It was a strange sight. Everyone greeted us as we passed-even Keba was standing in the ranks. He gave me a wink then went back to his stature. We followed the bridge that leads to the elder’s house, doing our best to greet everyone that greeted us.

Talissa was standing in front of her house, with people circling around her. This was starting to look like something out of the cult textbook. Was there some ritual for bonding that I didn’t know about? I mean other than the standard offer and acceptance. As we reached her, she raised her hand, and everyone went quiet.

“My friends, we have waited three hundred years for this night. The prophecy foretold of the one who would lead this world into peace once more. It also spoke of her taking a keyama as their bonded. And two days ago, part of that prophecy has been fulfilled,” Talissa said. I could hear whispers from all around as her words rang out. People seemed surprised and excited. I, on the other hand, was confused at what she meant by prophecy. I was never told about any prophecy.

“The goddess has delivered unto us, our savior. With her power, she will help us face the humans and be victorious,” Talissa continued. This was greeted with cheers and whoops. Everyone seemed so happy. I still wished that there could be a peaceful way of resolving all of this.

“Now, without further ado. Nival, would you come forward,” Talissa said, summoning the little sprite. Nivtal appeared from behind Talissa, smiling as if nothing was wrong. She produced two rings, which she gave to Talissa. It was then that I realized what was going on. Judging by everyone else’s reaction, they had no clue.

“These bands are made from the bark of elder ent. They were crafted as a symbol of the bond between Amethyst and Coralin. Amethyst, Coralin, would you please step forward,” Talissa said. Amethyst and I did as she asked and moved towards here till we were only a foot apart.

“With these bands, I bless your bonding and wish you all the happiness you could ever hope for. Please stick out your hand,” Talissa asked. I offered my left hand. Amethyst, who was watching me, did the same. Talissa then slipped the rings on our ring fingers. Immediately, I could feel an intense feeling. It was as if I was feeling someone else’s emotions. They were happy. It was as if someone was painting a painting with very vibrant colors.

“With these rings, you will be able to feel how the other is feeling. They were a gift from the elder sprite. She sends her best wishes,” Talissa said before turning to Amethyst and smiling. Then she said, “My sweet girl, if only your sister could have been here.”

As she said those words, I could feel the change in Amethysts mood. It was as if someone had flipped the switch, and now she was ready to attack. I know why she was feeling this way, but I thought things were getting better. I guess she was good at putting on a mask. I patted her shoulder and nuzzled against her. This seemed to calm her down some.

“It is my pleasure to announce that you are now eternally bonded. May you always walk in the light,” Talissa said. At first, everyone was quiet, probably a bit confused. Then all of a sudden, everyone was cheering and clapping. Some were even coming up and hugging us.

After almost everyone had congratulated us, we all filed down to the ground, where dinner was served, along with some type of drink. It reminded me of my dad’s rum. I tried some and almost fell on my ass. It was strong. This night would be one that I would never forget.