"So there you are..." Riant was out in the open in the middle of a forest clearing, little Liami fluttering by his side.
"Where do we go now?" Riant asked.
"I would say to the kingdom of Ranimorth in the south. The Blank Mage was said to have wondered there," the lesser faerie said. "We have to make haste, or we lose thy trail."
"Alright then, but where's the exit?" the prince said looking around.
"There is no exit, prince Riant Sochar..."
"Who said that?! I demand that you show yourself!!" Riant shouted, his body stiffening.
"Here I am..." the voice echoed. "Right behind you..." Liami fluttered towards the building heat behind them, but was swatted away by a hand. Strong arms gripped Riant's shoulders and the soft yellow hair fell to his shoulders. "It's been a while, little brother..."
Riant jerked away and reached for his sword. "Who the hell are you?!"
She laughed. "I'm surprised you don't know me, Riant. But yet, only a responsible mother would tell her child that he had a long lost sister."
"Don't you dare talk about my mother!!" Riant shouted, ripping out his sword, the tip one inch from her throat.
"I see we must properlly introduce ourselves. Very well. Riant, I am your older sister. Make that half-sister. My name is Daniya, the most beautiful of all the Rouge soldiers," she cooed.
"Rouge soldiers? Prince, thou witch is sided with thy enemy!" Liami cried.
"What? You're not my sister!! I'm an only child!!"
"To Amaldia you are. But your father wasn't always that faithful. There was another..."
"Stop it! Don't dare talk about my father that way!!!" Riant shouted, shaking his head. Daniya slowly pushed the sword away with one delicate finger.
"You can ask the queen yourself...that is...if you ever find her." Riant hissed as she laughed. "Fate has reunited us, brother. I have been sent here to prohibit you from going to Ranimorth."
"I am not your brother!"
"And you are not worthy of being future ruler of Windgold!" Daniya screamed. Riant gasped when she swiftly pulled out a large golden bladed boomerang and threw it at the prince.
"RIANT!" Before the blade could slice his throat, Riant was at the ground.
"What the heck...?" Riant grumbled, feeling a heavy weight on him. He pushed himself off the ground and looked over his shoulder. Liami fluttered to him.
"Miss Myna has saved thy royal hiney!"
"Never expected you to say that," Riant replied, staring blankly at the lesser faerie.
"Riant, I'm so glad you're alright!" Myna cried, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him.
"Not you again! How could you defeat my hell hounds?!" Daniya hissed. "But no matter. I'll get rid of you once and for all!"
"Knock it off!" Daniya was suddenly splashed with stong water.
"Liami, is he a part of the kingdom?" Riant asked.
"That's Jeremy. He helped me find you," Myna said.
"And he's a greater faerie," Liami replied.
"Jeremyriantho...it's been a while," Daniya said.
"For the love of the faeries, you still have sly tricks up your sleeve. You haven't changed since I kicked your sorry butt a year ago!!"
"What?! Jeremy, you know this witch?!" Myna exclaimed.
"Nobody ever calls me a witch!!!" Daniya screamed, stamping her feet.
It's soo easy to piss her off. How pathetic... Jeremyriantho thought.
"That does it!! Even if it goes against orders, I'm going to stop you all here and now!!" Daniya screamed, a strange symbols forming around her.
"What's this aura coming from?" Riant shouted to his guardian faerie, trying to block out the bright light surrounding her.
"That woman is not human," Liami answered.
"Don't you know anything? She's a shapeshifter! So watch your back!!" Jeremy shouted.
The light encased her body and the three gazed at her as her long, thin arms and legs stiffened. Her hands and feet slowly shifted into big, powerful paws as her ears began to grow longer and more pointed. Her back stiffened as she knelt to all fours, a long tail growing from her back. Her face began to shift into a more cat-like face as hair began to grow. When the light dimmed, a large tiger roared into the air.
"Oh my goodness!" Myna cried, running behind Riant.
"A shapeshifter? Where did the Blank Mage find such a..." he began. Suddenly, the tiger slammed her front paws into the ground, causing fire to encircle Riant, Myna, Liami, and Jeremy. The tiger walked through the flames and approached the prince, a murderous intent in her eyes. Suddenly, Riant could see the stars' constellations around the tiger.
"Look! It's Trasalia!!" Myna exclaimed, seeing the little red dragon flying over the tiger. The constellations merged together into one giant sphere and fell onto the tiger.
Riant collapsed to the ground. "Oh no! Is thy prince alright?" Liami asked.
"This is too much to take... I just got my memory back and I've already seen elves, greater faeries, shapeshifters, and dragons... I can't take it!"
"Don't let it get to you! This is nothing compared to what to come!" Myna cried, shaking him. Jeremy saw the commotion and threw his arms into the air, water dousing the flames. He found a sharp tree branch nearby and began swiping at the tiger.
"That's enough Jeremy!" Myna cried.
"We must withdraw!" Riant ordered.
"Do as you wish! I'll fight her alone!" Jeremy replied.
"Don't be foolish!! You can get killed!!" Myna cried. The tiger pounced on the elf/greater faerie and growled.
"Stop it!! You're after me!" Riant shouted, standing up. He dashed towards them, Myna crying his name. Riant lept into the air and slashed his sword onto the tiger. She roared as she fell back. "Are you alright?" the prince asked.
"Thanks for saving my neck, kid. But don't rest now. Here she comes again!" Jeremy replied, pointing at the tiger sprinting towards them. The tiger left into the air and Riant closed his eyes, raising his sword. Myna cried and closed her eyes as well, unable to see if her beloved prince would make it. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the tiger on the ground, a deadly gash across her right cheek. Riant was heaving as he saw the tiger collapse. He collapsed to the ground once again, Jeremyriantho catching him in time.
"Whoa. Take it easy kid," he said, trying to help the poor prince up. The tiger quickly shifted back into human form as Daniya stood up.
"YOU INGRATE!! Nobody EVER does that me!!" she shrieked. She raised her right hand into the air and Riant weakly watched fire and dark clouds swarm together in her hand. "Now you die!!"