Before we could even react to the Fallen, a Vampire had landed on top of me. I was pinned to the ground, and I heard Damien and Lucas shouting for the Vampire to get off of me. I struggled underneath the Vampire, trying to get away from them, but they had hit me in the head. Everything went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I woke up, but I wasn't being pinned anymore. I looked around and saw that I was still in the field, but it looked different. There were more trees and boulders, and I was the only one there. I looked down and saw that I was standing in beautiful green grass, each blade was covered in small raindrops. I could feel the grass between my toes, and it was unbelievably soft. I looked up at the sky and saw that it was a deep dusk color. Two bright red moons hung in the sky, coating the field in a gentle red light. I had an instinct to raise my hand and try to reach one of the moons, so I did. My charm bracelet glistened in the red moonlight, giving itself a pinkish aura. It was beautiful, but confusing. 'What happened?' I asked myself, and to my surprise, the voice didn't respond. I put my hand down and looked around me once more.
"Adelina..." a voice called out to me. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Adelina..." The voice sounded closer. I looked around, frantically this time. I tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, but I couldn't. It sounded like it come from every direction and in my mind. I felt like I was going crazy.
"Adelina." The voice was getting closer, its tone changed to one of sternness. The voice riveted off of every twig, leaf, branch, and stone. I was panicking, I didn't know what to do. "Adelina!" The voice said from behind me. I spun around just in time to see a blur of beige lunge at me from out of the dark woods. My body reacted and I reached out with both of my hands. I grabbed the wolf's upper and lower jaws as it pinned me to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of me, I struggled to regain my breath as the wolf tried its best to move its jaw over my throat. My heart was pounding against my ribcage, I was losing focus on the wolf. I held the wolf's jaw and muzzle tighter as I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Why didn't you tell me, Adelina?" I knew this voice. I snapped open my eyes and saw pale blue eyes staring at me, violet rings glowing around the pale blue. Lucas' eyes were moist, he looked at me with such sorrow. "Didn't you trust me?" I could hear the heartbreak and pain in Lucas' voice. I looked at my hands that were now holding onto nothing, blood slowly dripping down my palm from where wolf teeth had broken my skin. He took my bloody, shaking hands into his own, gently kissing each of my knuckles.
I drew a shaky breath, "Lucas, I'm so sorry... I wanted to tell you; I really did. I-I just didn't know how." I was living this pain all over again. Lucas looked at me with a soft, broken-hearted expression. "I thought we could tell each other everything," Lucas said in a soft voice, bringing my hands to his chest.
"Feel my heartbeat... You hurt me, Adelina." Tears began to fall from his eyes, a few of them falling onto my cheeks. I never like seeing Lucas like this: in so much pain, feeling so betrayed. "Lucas, baby, please don't cry," I moved my hands and carefully cupped Lucas' cheeks. The moment I touched his skin, Lucas shifted into his Lycanthrope form and lunged at my throat, sinking his teeth deep into my throat. I screamed louder than I've ever screamed before. From the corner of my eye, I saw my blood spilling into the soft, green grass in large amounts. My blood glazed each blade of grass around me as I felt my body go limp. Everything around me faded to black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Adelina... Adelina...!" I heard a frantic voice calling me from the dark. I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn't for some reason. "Adelina, wake up...!" I fought to open my eyes, I closed my hand and felt grass, but it wasn't the soft grass from the field. I could smell blood and ashes, I could hear screams and yells. Then, I felt someone shaking me vigorously.
"Adelina!" I snapped open my eyes to see Lucas shaking me awake, looking at me with such worry. "C'mon! You have to get up!" He demanded as he helped me sit up. I tried to look around me, but it was all a blur. Moving white wings, flashes of lights, bodies laying on the ground. tall towering figures dodging left and right, flickering flames - my mind was spinning. "Look out!" Lucas yelled as he covered my head, I looked up at him to see him holding his necklace to a Fallen that had snuck up behind us. The peridot stones were glowing brighter than they had when we had found them in the mural. The Fallen stopped in its tracks and tries to cover its face with its mangled hands, screeching as the light engulfed it. After a few seconds, the light faded and there stood a little boy. The little bow uncovered his face, revealing Vampire eyes.
"W-where am I?" He asked - more to himself, I think - as he looked around. He began to shake as he saw the blood and corpses around us. This little boy couldn't be anymore than 6 years old. I sat up on my knees and grabbed Lucas' arm. 'How could something like this happen to a child?' I asked myself to which the voice replied: 'Is Ginger capable of being this demented?' I couldn't even think of an answer, I didn't know Ginger beyond the fact that she was my bully. Lucas looked at me, the violet in his eyes glowing.
"Get him out of here and to safety. Don't worry about me, I can hold my own for a while," I told him. Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but I put a hand over his mouth. "Don't try to argue with me, go now." I uncovered his mouth as he shook his head slightly.
"Fine, but I'm getting back here as soon as I get him to a safe place," Lucas said as he shifted and lifted the little Vampire boy onto his back. The boy whimpered before holding onto Lucas' fur, gripping it tightly with fear. Lucas took off with the small boy, dodging Fallen and Angels that stood in his way. The child hid his face into Lucas' fur as they disappeared into the dark of the woods.
"Get offa me, ya bloody wanker!" I heard Kiel shout. I whipped around to see him being pinned down by a Vampire. The Vampire was snarling and fighting to tear his fangs into Kiel. I gave in to the wolf inside me and shifted once again, landing on all fours before sprinting over to Kiel. I jumped and tackled the Vampire off of Kiel, allowing him to get off the ground. The Vampire struggled underneath me and hissed at me. I didn't hesitate - I closed my jaw around the Vampire's head and ripped it off of his body before tossing it away from me. The body jerked and twitched under me, blood spraying from where the head had been torn off. I shifted back and moved away from the body. 'Oh my God... I'm stronger than I thought.'
"Thanks pup. If it weren't for you, I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to fight him off for long," Kiel stated as he stood next to me. I looked at him, wiping some of the blood from my mouth. "Where's Teotwawki and Damien?" I asked. Kiel looked around and I saw anger flash through his eyes. Then, he took off, yelling, "I see Teotwawki! You go deal with some of the Fallen!" I looked to where he was running and saw Teotwawki surrounded by Fallen, holding his necklace to them in an attempt to stop them. But, his light wasn't glowing as bright as Lucas' had. 'Is Teotwawki not strong enough to purify a Fallen?' I shook the thought out of my head, I had to get into this fight.
I looked around and saw an Angel coming towards me. Before I could do anything, the Angel picked me up and flew me high into the air. "Hey!" I screamed as I struggled to pull away from the Angel. I looked at her and her eyes started to glow. "This will be painful, you dog." She said in a cold tone. My body started to feel very warm, and that warmth soon turned into a fire. A fire inside of me. She's going to incinerate me from the inside out. I screamed, "Stop!" I moved my hand and punched her hard in the jaw, causing her to drop me. I fell from the sky, watching everything around me move in slow motion.
Then, I saw my mom when she was younger. She was smiling at me and feeding me apple sauce. A memory from when I was a toddler. My mom changed to my dad and uncle who were cheering for me as I reached the finish line in my first race. Then, I saw my grandfather in the hospital, he was telling me that he would be okay. I was back in the forest, being bitten by that jewel-toned eyed wolf on that fateful day. I then saw Lucas and Chase when they were 12, they were talking to me and smiling.
My life was flashing before my eyes. 'Isn't this something that happened before a person dies?' I felt the rushing wind slashing my cheeks, my heart was stuck in my throat, I was still falling. That Angel flew us very high, now I'm falling to my death. I closed my eyes, waiting for the ground to break my body - but that never came.
"I got you Adelina, you can open your eyes," I heard Damien's voice say. I opened my eyes to see him holding me in his arms just a few feet above the ground. But, Damien was levitating. Must be another Demon power I never knew about. Damien softly landed on the ground before setting me on my feet. I wobbled slightly, "How did you-?"
"I saw you falling. I just reacted and caught you before you smacked into the ground. You can thank me later," Damien moved me out of the way of a very large Fallen sprinting at us. He held up his necklace and a flash of red covered my vision. Before I could shield my eyes, the light was gone and stood a woman who looked to be in her 30s. She looked around, confused and shocked. The woman flicked her wings. 'An Angle, like what Chase and his sister were...' I thought sadly, remembering how Chase had to incinerate Gracie.
"Ginger really made a Fallen army. I've purified at least 15 Fallen, yet more keep coming," Damien said, looking at me. I looked at him, "She's worse than a monster." Damien nodded in agreement. We looked back at the woman to see her flying away in a frantic state, wobbling in the air slightly before steadying out.
"Adelina!" I spun around to see Lucas running towards me. Behind him, I saw two Fallen chasing him.
"Lucas!" I cried as I ran over to him, taking off my necklace. A bright green light began to shine in my hand. I reached Lucas and quickly held my necklace to the two Fallen. The light from the peridot shards grew brightly; I felt more empowered than I had in the ruin. The power was overwhelming my body, but I didn't struggle or step down. If anything - I relished in the power from the shards. The Fallen covered their faces and screeched in agony. The light engulfed everything in our sights before fading away. I blinked a few times to see teenage twin boys before me. The looked at me with pure black eyes.
"Go! Get out of here! Get to safety!" I instructed them. They nodded their heads before running into the woods and away from this battle. "How did Ginger manage to turn two Demons? They're not as easy to turn as the other Nao classes are," Lucas said behind me. "I don't know, but we need to end this right now."
Lucas and I took off towards Kiel, Damien, and Teotwawki. Teotwawki looked at us, his face had a few lacerations and bruises. "Alpha," He called to me. Kiel and Damien looked at me, they both had injuries of their own. "Guys, this won't work. We need to take care of the Fallen all at once!" I yelled. "But how? The stones aren't as strong as they used to be thousands of years ago!" Damien stated.
"Give them to Adelina," Lucas said as he stepped up next to me. We looked at him confused. Before any of us could protest, he continued, "Adelina's light shined brighter than any of ours. She didn't struggle to keep her Bijou shards in front of the Fallen. She needs all shards of the Lycanthrope Bijou." Kiel and Damien looked at Teotwawki, who handed his necklace to me. I held his necklace and looked at Teotwawki.
"You can do it Alpha," He said to me with a small smile playing on his lips. Lucas placed his necklace in my hand, gently making me close my fingers around it. I looked at him.
"Just try babes. This is our chance. I know you can do it," Lucas said as he gently kissed my forehead. "But, what if I can't?" I asked. "You just need to focus on the energy and power of the Bijou. Embrace the strength of the past, pup. You are our last stand," Kiel said. I looked at all of them before taking off my own necklace, holding all three necklaces in my hands. I turned away from them and walked into the middle of the field.
"Get her!" I heard Ginger's voice shout. All of the fighting had ceased as every Angel, Vampire, and Fallen came rushing at me. I held the necklaces in front of me as the shards began to glow. Suddenly, I could feel everything and everyone around me. I could feel Lucas holding himself back from running to my side, I could feel the thundering footsteps of my enemies vibrate through my body, I could hear Teotwawki's heartbeat, I could sense Ginger's insatiable hunger for my death. The shards broke free of the gold chains and lifted into the air.
"Stop her now!" Ginger cried. I looked at the shards as they floated in front of me, the light becoming brighter. Then, I could see glimmering threads in the air. As I looked around, each thread was connected to something. I noticed that I had a threat coming from my chest. As my eyes followed the thread, the shards had merged together in the blinding green light. I looked back at Lucas and saw that our threads were connected.
'Please don't let anything hurt her!' I heard Lucas' voice cry in my mind. I looked back at the light as it enveloped everything in a blinding bright green radiance. I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the strength and endurance of the past as well as the power and evolution of today. My body was absorbing all of this - I was absorbing all of this.
Screeches rang throughout the woods, practically shaking the ground. Then, the light faded. When I opened my eyes, the Fallen were back to their true Nao forms. As I looked around, I didn't see any Lycanthrope that were purified from being Fallen. 'How is that possible?' "Adelina!" Lucas shouted as he ran up to me and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back and saw Damien, Kiel, and Teotwawki running towards us. The threads remained in my vision, they moved with each of their steps. I guess everything in this universe really is connected to each other. "Adelina, you did it!" Kiel said with the most excitement than I've ever seen him show. "Woah, Adelina," Damien said in awe. I looked at him confused, "What?" Lucas stepped back and looked over me, "Your hair looks different."
"And so do your eyes," Teotwawki chimed in. I looked at them confused. "I think you had somehow fused with the Lycanthrope Bijou, pup. You have green streaks in your hair and eyes that match the color of your Bijou," Kiel said. I was now even more confused. I moved some of my hair over my shoulder and looked at it, only to see that Lucas was right. Some strands of light green were shimmering against my black hair in the moonlight. "Wow," I gasped in admiration. I felt something on my collarbone, I looked at it and saw that the Bijou had become a smooth stone and taken the shape of a beautifully cut arrowhead. The peridot was strung around my neck on a white gold chain. "Woah," I gasped again. "You've definitely embraced the power your Bijou had to offer, Now, it has become one with you," Damien said.
"No! You idiots were supposed to stop her!" Ginger cried. we all looked at her and I could feel her rage reaching a new peak. "You're worthless, all of you!" She shouted to the Vampires and Angels. She then shifted her eyes to me, and I took a step beck. Her eye color was no longer the glowing red it was before. There was nothing. It was like her eyes were gone and there was nothing but the hollow sockets in her skull. Seeing this sent shivers down my spine. "I guess I'll have to do this myself!" She then came sprinting at me. Lucas and Kiel stood in front of me protectively, but Ginger moved her hand in front of her and sent them flying to the sides. Kiel and Lucas crashed into some rocks. I stepped back more as Ginger launched herself into the air before coming crashing down at me.
I growled and held my own, preparing to take whatever blow she could deliver. I snarled as she landed on top of me, creating yet another crater. The blast pushed Teotwawki and Damien away from us. I shoved Ginger off of me and quickly climbed out of the crater. I had some time as Ginger was dealing with the recoil of her landing. I looked around and spotted a dead tree laying on its side, sharp roots jutting out into the air. I had an idea. I turned back to the crater and looked down at Ginger.
"If you want me, then come and get me, haole!" I called out. She screamed with rage before launching herself out of the crater. I took off towards the dead tree. Ginger dove down towards me and I shifted into my Lycanthrope form, running just fast enough to dodge her hands, I ran under the roots and looked at Ginger, who was now floating towards me. 'What are you doing?!' The voice yelled frantically. 'Vampires will die from a wooden stake through the heart. These roots will be my wooden stake.' I answered, to which I knew the voice already disagreed with. The voice said, 'You'd better hope this works otherwise you're a fur rug for the Vampire Queen.'
"Adelina, you should know better than trying to hide in plain sight," Ginger cooed, landing just a few inches away from me. I shifted back and crouched more. "I don't see you getting any closer. Are you afraid?" To my remark, she just started to laugh. "Oh honey, the only one afraid is you. Look at you, trying to hide like the pathetic coward you've always been." Ginger snapped at me. I crawled out from my spot underneath the roots. "There's nothing stopping you now, so why don't you make your move?" I said as I held my arms out to my sides, waiting for Ginger to strike.
"Because I know you're planning on overpowering me and shoving me into those roots," Ginger smirked at me. 'Oh crap... Totally forgot Naos can read each other's minds,' I thought. "Well, that was your mistake for forgetting. Now, to finally end this petty fight," Ginger grabbed me by my throat and slammed me into a tree. I gasped in pain as I felt splinters dig into my back. Ginger tightened her grip around my throat as I scratched at her hands, desperate for a way to breathe.
"Remember when you did this? Unlike you, I won't let go until you're lifeless," Ginger snarled. I started seeing stars, little faded colors of red and blue. Then- "Drop her. Now." Lucas said in a harsh tone. "I'd listen to him if I were you. You never mess with a wolf's mate." Kiel said with a cold stare. Damien and Teotwawki stood beside them, ready to strike Ginger in any way they pleased. Ginger snapped her gaze back at them. I tried to focus on them, but my eyelids were closing against my will. 'Can't... breathe...' My fingers and legs felt numb, I felt my strength fading. I couldn't hear what else was being said. 'Don't you dare give in, Adelina! Use the power from the Bijou!' The voice demanded. I listened and focused on the power and determination I had felt before. I focused on how overwhelming the energy was. I could feel the power of the first Naos to ever use Bijous. I snapped my eyes opened and grabbed Ginger's wrist, shattering her bone.
She screamed as she stumbled away from me, gazing at me with such fear. The hallow sockets now had her glowing red eyes. Lucas, Damien, Kiel, and Teotwawki stepped out of my way, watching me - waiting for me to finish what had been started. "W-what are you?" Ginger cried in a fearful voice. She backed up more until she was a few inches away from the roots. "I am your judge, your jury, and your executioner," I said in a voice that wasn't my own. I couldn't quite tell what - or who - my voice was, but it made me feel invincible. It was my own voice, but it sounded like another Nao - a few other Naos to be exact. Like, my voice was being used to project the voices of the Naos from thousands of years ago. "You have been found guilty of committing crimes against humanity and Naos as well as creating mass violence in the Nao world."
"W-wait, please. D-don't do this!" Ginger pleaded, but I felt no empathy towards her. "Your punishment shall be eternal damnation of your soul," I stated. I stalked closer towards her. "Don't you dare do this, Mutt! Do you h-hear me?" Ginger cried before she hissed at me. But I did not flinch.
"You shall pay for your crimes. You will never harm another soul again. Enjoy purgatory, Ginger Aguior." I grabbed Ginger's throat and shoved her body into the jagged roots. Her eyes widened as she let out a choking sound. Blood dripped from her mouth as she put her hands weakly over two of the roots that are now protruding from her chest. She looked at me with her wide, red eyes before her body slowly went limp. The red light in her eyes dimming and changing to a decayed gray color. I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding and felt all of the energy and invincibility disappear. I wobbled a bit before feeling a pair of arms wrap around me, keeping me on my feet.
"You did it, Adelina. It's over," Lucas whispered in a soft tone, "we won." I couldn't really process what he had said to me, I just knew I felt safe in Lucas' arms. I felt myself being carried out of the woods and back into the field. As my eyes regained focus, I looked around and saw the Vampires staring at us in sorrow and the Angles looking with stoic expressions. "Your queen is dead!" Teotwawki shouted so that everyone could hear. Our pack and Kiel's Demons began to cheer and howl with joy. "This war is over!" Teotwawki finished. The Vampires hissed before speeding away into the woods, but the Angels stayed and began to clap. Surprising reaction, but I guess they knew Ginger was evil - they must've been afraid to go against her. Soon, every other Nao had walked into the darkness of the forest to return to their homes. We were the only five left in the field among many bodies of slain Naos.
Kiel moved in front of us and looked at me with a smile. "Well, deal's over pup. This has been a helluva fight, I was really enjoying it till things ended, but it was bound to end. We agreed that you would help us find a piece of our Bijou. For that, I thank you," Kiel bowed to me before looking over us, his eyes landing on Teotwawki last. Kiel's mischievous smiled turned to one of soft affection.
"I'll always be around, however," Kiel said as he stood up straight, returning his gaze to me, "but only for you nutters." Kiel winked at us; I couldn't help but smile. I stood up and held Lucas' arm. "Thank you, King Kiel," This made him chuckle. "Oi now, none of them formalities. You just call me Kiel," he said, his infamous mischievous smile returning to his lips. Teotwawki stepped closer and held Kiel's hand, looking at us.
"Let's get you two home," Teotwawki said. "Yeah, let's get out of here before anything else exciting happens," Damien said with a slightly sarcastic tone. "Har har," Lucas fake laughed as he picked me up in his arms. The four of them carried on their conversation, I stayed quiet. A lot was racing through my mind now, but one thought stuck out the most. I looked up at the moon, admiring its beauty as it shined over the massacre that had happened not too long ago. But, war is war. Fights are fights. Blood is bound to be spilled no matter what. 'We won, but at what cost?' I asked myself, to which the voice replied: 'It cost you the rest of your normality. You became the Lycanthrope you never wanted to be.'