Laura woke the next morning, after having a very short night filled with turns and discomfort. She still couldn't get her mind over what was being requested of her. She played back the last years and her suitors' parade, the long line of requests and invitations just to be showed off and her worth determined. She hugged, hitting her bed harder till the frame shook beneath her. Elaine entered just then, an empty laundry basket in her hand and Laura remembered their conversation yesterday. Laura had been trying to glean more information about her mother and seeing as Elaine was always ready to tell her about her mom, she asked her about her mother during her marriage with her father. Elaine froze then, slowly turning towards Laura and searching her eyes. She probably didn't find what she was looking for because she bussed Laura's cheek and whispered, "She was beautiful." And she walked out, nervously glancing at Laura as she closed the door. Laura knew that Elaine was hiding

The bear shifters were known for their revengeful hearts, despite the fact that everyone knew they could shape shift to bear forms.Other supernaturals feared them and avoided them like they were plagues. Any offense picked with them always ended in some sort of blood shedding and lives losing battle, to which the offender had always been the loser.They were fierce, they were hateful and vengeful and honestly, kind of annoying. Nothing called 'diplomacy' existed with their king and their kind knew nothing called 'dialogue'. It all had to be death till death with them, hence, making them a non-ally to everyone. However, despite their love for war and death, they were also good hunters. They had many successful expenditures to their name, due to their stellar hunting abilities and tracking skills.They could smell a threat from a mile away, track it down and kill it before dawn even peeked behind the clouds. They were that efficient. It was the reason why every one was shocked when th

King Alok was not at ease. For some reason, he'd been unable to sleep, the burden of some matter he couldn't place his hands on was dragging his spirit down and refusing any thought of sleep. It was like someone was placing stones in his chest, rattling them around and creating discomfort. King Alok was, in plain words, weary.Having tossed on his bed for the twentieth time, he sat up, determined to find out why he was so restless and put an end to it. He needed his sleep, even though they came with nightmares as their special package for him. He needed rest because he was starting to look like a crazed man with all the late night planning and thinking he'd been doing for the past few months.His personal advisor had told him that he was using the kingdom matters as an escape from his growing and sinking depression. He was throwing himself into more affairs that concerned the Kayaans, were sending spies and working on the Intel he was getting late into the night, on an empty stomach j

Baba Mbari helped Lily decorate her mask. The new commander busied herself with sharpening her arrows, trying to ensure all the edges were pointy enough to annihilate their enemies. They had to be prepared for whatever was to come. Today, they were finally going to put a stop to the bear shifters. Leading the soldiers to war was her first duty as commander. Usually, after the feast, the new commander was to go into every cave seeking for the people's blessings. It was believed that she was legitimately ordained by the people and their blessings meant a blissful reign. Lily couldn't wrap her head around the fast that she had to lead the war all by herself. Everytime she joined them at war, it was being allied to another kingdom and their protection was guaranteed. This was the first time she was ever hearing the Kayaans were at war.The commander stood from her stool, making her way to where her guardian was seated. Baba Mbari decorating her mask brought back memories. She always rem

The war had left a loss of words from Lily's mouth, all she felt was pain and pain and so much pain, it reeked and it destroyed all her emotions of happiness.As she held Mbazi's head in her hands, trying to cradle his already lifeless body, she started to rock herself, wanting to tear the last shred of humanity left in her, she wanted to rip them apart and this anger that she felt was dignified. The war had ended and she had led. Mbazi would have been so proud to know that she had been a good leader, when they spoke about her... Calling her a bad leader of all time, when they doubted her and how she could have been the wrong child from the river, how their words had hurt and sliced her, she never for once thought a war to be so cruel and demeaning.She was still on her knees when baba mbari ordered her soldiers to take mbazi's body away from her, she couldn't believe it, he was really gone. It flashed before her eyes, all the times they had laughed at each other's jokes, all the time