Chapter 14: Chapter 14

”Mummy!” Kathy yelled excitedly.

She stood up immediately and ran to April hugging her tight. April held her as tightly as she did her. Kathy breathed in April's scent.

”Sweetheart! I missed you so much.” April held her at arm's length, looking at her very much excited face.

”A lot has happened, mum. I have so much to tell you, ” Kathy babbled, bouncing up and down on her heels.

April chuckled at her over-enthusiastic daughter.

”Later, baby. First, we get food into your hungry stomach.”

Kathy pouted then pulled April to the table and introduced her to everyone. Hala was happy to see her daughter happy. If bringing her earthly mother to Lunae was best for Kathy, then Hala was happy she made that decision.

After breakfast, Hala reminded Kathy of her training with Cynthia. She told Kathy to get her mum settled in any of the rooms on her wing. Kathy left to meet Cynthia after filling April in on everything that happened.

Cynthia was standing in the picture hallway when Kathy got to her wing. Cynthia then went on to take her to a private training room.

”Feel, don't think, ” Cynthia instructed for the umpteenth time. She had been trying to teach Kathy the right way to release her fire element. It was difficult for Kathy to catch up. She wondered why Cynthia wouldn't let her stick to her thinking method, it worked for her in the aisle of consciousness.

”Try again. This time, don't think about releasing your element, feel the power flowing through your body and your arms.”

She tried to do as Cynthia instructed. She closed her eyes and focused on powers flowing through her veins. She could feel it humming under her skin, the blood running through her veins.

For a second fear of losing control over her powers gripped her and she lost the humming. The previous feeling disappeared.

”Focus, Princess. You can't afford to lose concentration in front of the enemy. That is one way to die, ” Cynthia instructed sternly.

”I did it before in the aisle of consciousness. Why can't I do it now?” a frustrated Kathy asked.

”From what you told us, that was as a result of anger. Your powers shouldn't depend on anger to surface.”

”It is all in your head, Princess. Let yourself go. Feel your powers and let nothing distract you. You are strong and I can feel it. It's time for you to feel it too, ” Cynthia advised and Kathy could feel nothing but sincerity coming from her.

Someone sincerely believed in her.

With newfound courage, she closed her eyes. The humming came faster than before. She could feel the addicting fire running through her veins alongside something else. The fire flowed through her body with an intensity that she found enticing. The fire then became one with her blood like it was flowing through her veins instead of blood.

She felt her palms heat up. Kathy could feel the flames before she released it. It seemed like it was she was one with the fire; like she was the fire. She opened her eyes, stretched her hands in front of her, and both palms were engulfed in flames. It felt natural like she was born for it.

”That is it, Princess. Quench the fire and start it again. You are a fast learner, ” Cynthia praised.

Kathy did as she was asked. Starting it was faster that time because she had already figured out how to do it.

”Good. Now we work on your aim and speed. Look in front of you, and you will see a few indestructible balls. Hit each ball in a given time,” Cynthia instructed.

They trained for a few more hours until Hala sent Cynthia a mind message asking her to let Kathy go to her father. Cynthia in turn messaged Aerial asking him where he was. After finding out, she released Kathy with an instruction to meet her at the same place the next day.

”Your father is at the terrace. Tomorrow we work on making things; shapes and objects.”

Kathy thanked Cynthia and walked away with her guards. Her arms were aching from practicing so much. For some time during the training, she thought she had exhausted her powers for that day but Cynthia told her that it wasn't true. She told Kathy that her arms can keep launching flames for as long as possible. Although she would get tired and weak the flames would keep coming until she can no longer keep her arms up to generate flames.

Her guards stood at the entrance of the terrace with other guards and she went in alone. Aerial was cleaning a sword when she walked in.

”Hello, my precious daughter, ” he greeted without even looking at her.

”How did you know it was me?”

”My mother was a tracker and I inherited her strong sense of smell. You smell like peonies, a scent you've had ever since you were born.”

”Oh...and what does mother smell like?” Kathy quizzed curiously.

”Like wildflowers. A common scent for nature elementals, however, your mother carries a distinct scent of the earth making her smell more addicting, ” he replied smiling.

Kathy bobbed her head in understanding.

”Let’s go for a walk around the castle and after that, you can braid my hair, ” Aerial said, sounding very excited about his daughter braiding his hair.

Kathy spent the rest of the day getting to know her father. She told him about how her training went and she did get to braid his hair which made her extremely happy. On their way back to the castle, Kathy felt a shift in the air.

”Something is wrong, father, ” she stated.

”I know, Precious. I can sense a strange presence in the kingdom. Although the scent is familiar, I can't recognize it. I am trying to communicate with your mother but her link is closed, ” he replied worriedly.

They hastened their steps and got to the castle in no time. To the throne room, they went, running all the way. Strange shirtless men, they found in the room. Men who looked a lot different from the men of Lunae for they were very muscular and hairy. They were barefoot too.

”Wolves, ” Aerial whispered to Kathy. She wondered what else existed in the world. Were there fairies and vampires too? Perhaps every supernatural creature was real.

Kathy found the men to be strange. They lifted their noses and sniffed the air as soon as she entered.

”That is my daughter, Kathy, ” Hala said and the men visibly relaxed.

”Alpha Asher, ” Aerial greeted respectfully.

”Lord Aerial, ” a gruff voice greeted back.

Kathy expected to see an elderly man of her father's age as Alpha Asher but was surprised that a young man answered. He looked to be around Triton’s age.

Alpha Asher was almost as tall as her father and her father was the tallest person she knew. He was built like a rock with huge muscles bulging deliciously. His biceps were even bigger than her thighs. He could crush her neck with his palms alone. He was handsome with short black hair and piercing grey eyes.

The second of someone clearing their throat brought her out of her inspection. She looked up to see that it was her mother who had cleared her throat. Everyone saw her checking the Alpha out. She blushed in embarrassment.

”Yes, mother, ” she answered in a low voice. She saw the Alpha smirking at her embarrassment.

”Come sit next to me, I will introduce you to our closest allies.”

She walked slowly to her mother and sat on the stool close to her throne. She looked around but didn't see her brother.

”Where is Triton?”

”He is supervising the soldiers today, General Atlas is a little ill.”

”That’s sad, I will go see him later, ” she said, concerned about Gabriel.

A low growl was heard in the room followed by a small cough. She followed the sound to Alpha Asher.

”Are you okay, Alpha?” Kathy asked.

His eyes widened slightly before nodding. He looked surprised that she asked.

”This is Alpha King Asher of the Royal Wolf Pack,” Hala introduced.

”Alpha King, this is my youngest child and only daughter. She is next in line for the throne.”

Kathy didn't know how to react to her mother calling her next in line. The worst thing that could happen to Lunae would be her as Luna Queen. She wasn't going to rule over anyone as that would be a big catastrophe.

”Luna Princess,” he greeted.

”Alpha Asher, ” she responded.

Another low growl came from the Alpha making everyone look at him weirdly. Kathy was confused by all the growling from him. She tried to read him but couldn't. It seemed like something was blocking her from getting into his mind.

Hala cleared her throat and said, ”Back to the issue at hand. The shadow magician entered the Royal Wolf Pack and killed four border patrol wolves and two guards from Lunae. The Royal Wolf Pack shares a border with Lunae, so, an attack on that border is also an attack on Lunae.”

”Did anyone see the intruder?” Aerial asked sitting next to Hala.

”Yes, a guard patrolling in wolf form spotted the intruder, ” another wolf replied.

”This is getting serious. At first, we thought they were after my daughter because he attacked her first, then an attack on the outskirts of the kingdom and another on the Western colony. Now he involved the wolves. All these were done by one person. What grudge could the person have against both kingdoms?” Hala summarized.

”I’ve ruled out all our common enemies because we took them out. It is probably a new enemy or an old forgotten one, ” Alpha Asher said.

A guard raced into the throne room reeking of anxiety.

”Luna, you need to see this,” the guard spoke.

They all rushed out of the throne room following the guard. He led them to the entrance of the castle where other guards surrounded a spot, with their swords drawn. The guards gave way for them to pass through. An arrow was shot into the ground with black smoke swirling around it. It looked like the arrow that was previously shot at Kathy but this time, the tip of the arrow had fire on it. The place the arrow hit had a bulge and multiple crack lines emanated from that bulge. Each line had black smoke passing through it and the lines seemed to be extending.

”Take it out, ” Hala ordered as the lines were getting longer and moving fast towards the castle.

The guard tried to pull the arrow out but it didn't budge. He pulled harder yet it still didn't move.

”Let me, it seems to be enchanted,” Alpha Asher said to the guard who gave way for him to try.

The Alpha grabbed the arrow bottom and pulled with all his might still nothing happened. He pulled again, his muscles straining hard against his skin and looking like they were about to pop out.

”I will try using my power to uproot it from the earth. Let's see if I can get the earth to vomit it,” Hala said, stopping the Alpha.

”Hala no, that could be dangerous. You don't know what lies under that,” Aerial stated.

”I know but what choice do I have?” Hala replied moving towards the arrow with her hands held out. The ground shook as Hala tried to pull the arrow out with her power. She grunted as she pushed harder. The arrow moved as she applied more pressure to her hold on the earth.

Kathy could see her mother's arms tremble as she struggled to pull the arrow out of the earth. Finally, the arrow flew out of the ground forcefully and landed in front of Hala. Black smoke came out of the bulge and entered Hala's body and she collapsed to the ground.

”Hala!” Aerial rushed to Hala and Kathy followed suit. He rolled her onto her back and hovered over her in concern. Kathy was scared to see what her mother looked like.

Hala's face was covered in black veins that were gradually creeping down her neck.