Let us behold the story of a princess. The phoenix had rescued her from a life of imprisonment. That would be the second story of Sana Lightquiver and Asha Flamewalk.
Sana stared quietly into the mirror. Her newly popped fangs and bright yellow eyes glared back. They were like big and ugly sores. She wanted to but couldn't look away.
A knock at the door startled her. In walked the vision of hope herself, Asha. She wore a look of pure concern.
“How are you doing, as of currently?” Asha inquired. She was hoping that the answer wouldn't be so bleak. She did it so she wouldn't darken the poorly lit room more.
“Depends,” she looked on curiously but hardened. “What do you see standing before you?”
“You mean, do I see a beautiful, intelligent, traumatized girl barely older than I,” she paused and knelt to look at Sana as directly as possible. “Or do I see, in the same way, you may see, a terrifying monster” Tears filled each girl's eyes as Asha, with a heavy heart, softly whispered, “You know the answer to that,”
“Tell me anyway,” Sana whispered.
Seemingly avoiding the question, Asha posed another. “Do you want to talk about what happened at all?”
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The sunlight streamed in from the large open balcony doors. Sana blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She rolled over, stood up, and greeted the day like an old friend.
For it was after her time stuck in the tower. She thanked the day for Asha and well-placed choices. She also thanked the morning for her well-timed fate and, most certainly, for her freedom.
She wondered about her fiery rescuer, not for the first time since they last saw each other many weeks ago. Likewise, she was curious. Mostly she was worried about how exactly she was dealing with her current heartaches. The first thought was of her friend losing her mother and the second of not being there for her as she finally burnt out one last time.
Okay, enough of that, she commanded herself. If you want to know what's happened since that time, go and visit her.
.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Asha awoke that morning like every morning from a nightmare. The same dream that she always had, every night since that day. One of a dragon, the princess's distressed face, and phoenix ashes, spilling on the ground. But that wasn't the worst of it. Because the last image she always saw before she woke up was the image of a wolf staring into her, piercing through her with its eyes.
She looked to see her father still asleep after his drunk escapades of the previous night. The house was a mess as usual since that day. The night of mourning that had taken place on the eve of her mother's passing had been rough going. Asha glared at the mess that was her current life and thought solemnly. So this is my reward. Hopefully, the princess is faring better than I have as of currently.
She didn’t know why but that last thought made her smile. She decided at that moment to see Sana again if at all possible.
So it was to her fortune that not long after said moment, there was a knock on her front door. Asha tripped over herself, racing to answer it. Quickly dusting herself off, Asha arose and answered the door. Sana’s face peered back at her.
“Asha, I understand that my father hasn’t allowed you back into the castle,” she paused, seeing the devastation of the tiny home behind her friend, “How are you doing.”
Asha looked perplexed, then after a moment, the realization dawned on her. She looked around at the home and her own ragged appearance. She let out a big outward sign.
“I suppose not very well.”
"Anything I can do to help," Sana asked.
"Nothing, I'd ask a princess to help with" Asha snorted.
"What about a friend?" Sana asked pointedly.
Asha starred, she never thought about Sana like that before, but she supposed if she was offering friendship it wasn't a thing she was against. Plus she was also offering to help and Asha couldn't exactly turn her down on that front at any rate.
"Okay,then I suppose I could use the company on my nature walk" Asha felt horrible, but it was time to get back to her routine.
Sana looked perplexed at that.
"My mom said it was the way of phoenixes since the beginning of time, to do it in order to reconnect with the spirits of nature, humans did it as well at one point, but not anymore" Asha explained.
"How interesting, I would definitely like to join you then!" Sana exclaimed.
Asha winced at the excitement, the last time a human and a phoenix did things like this together was….
She pushed the thought out of her mind,as they got ready to depart, digging up old wounds would do no good for anyone.
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"Careful princess, these woods are dangerous for me, even" Asha started as they entered the freedom forest. No one knew how it got that ironic name, just that it was called that. Despite all the horrible atrocities that had happened to humans and sentient magical creatures alike back during the great rising. What still happened to some humans, and even a few monsters these days in these woods was downright terrifying. But the kings up until now had refused to broach the issue of the forest.
"Then why did we come to this forest in particular" Sana asked, following even closer behind Asha.
“Because it’s the best place to convene with spirits of our ancestors” Asha spoke in a point blank matter fact tone.Then she stopped for a second and looked back.
Sana’s and Asha’s gazes met. Sana then nodded solemnly that she was the one that asked to help in the first place. Silent understanding passed between them. Asha looked down.
“And I’ve been putting it off for too long,” Asha admitted, breaking the silence.
“Putting what off?” Sana inquired.
“Seeing her, my mother” Asha resumed her quick paced walk through the brambles, and Sana followed close behind, now decidedly more worried.
“It’s only possible to do this in the season they died in, although it happens each year.” Asha was decidedly determined. Sana could see why, however. If she had one last chance wouldn’t she speak to her mother.
As if reading her mind Asha looked back and smiled “Human spirits are lighter than other species’ spirits, but she could be here, the queen, I mean”.
“If you want to we could look, for your mother as well as my own but it might take more time here” Asha wasn’t any more keen on staying here then Sana, but knowing at least a bit of her friend’s struggle, she bravened fairly quickly.
“We don’t have to, but it would be nice,” Sana admitted.
“Alright then it’s settled we talk to them both” Asha said assuredly.
Sana smiled sadly. Two very different people yet..
“Sana, watch out!” Asha screamed frantically.
Sana looked at her confused then..
A wolf pounced on her tearing at her dress and at her leg. Chomp. She could feel the bleeding not just from there but her stomach. Asha rushed over pushing the wolf off and growling. The wolf, surprised by its prey's strength, retreated.
“Sana, hey, you’re gonna be okay, alright” She saw Asha’s face but her hearing had grown dim. As Sana closed her eyes, she could feel herself being lifted. Then she vaguely recalled screaming, then being laid somewhere soft, but not too soft.
Finally she began to feel numb, as all sensation drifted away from her, and she blacked out completely.
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Asha looked down at her friend with a look more concerned than her father had ever seen. He knew why too, those very few humans who survived multiple bites became monsters in their peoples eyes. If anyone found out about this Sana’s position, her legacy, her life, would be forever changed by the bite. Werewolf’s were hard to find even in the s.m.c community nowadays. Maybe once they weren't as scarce but…..
That and he knew that his daughter, as kind as she was, was generally closely guarded, for fear of hatred or bias getting to her more than it already did. But if she let this person go with her to the freedom forest. Well surely something must be happening, friendship was likely forming.
Asha looked at Sana with fear in her eyes realizing all at once what her nightmare had been trying to show her. Sana would survive, but those piercing wolf eyes probably belonged to her. The full moon was coming soon if Sana didn’t heal and turn before she was doomed. But Asha got the sense that wouldn’t happen. She was going to live, and she was going to go through hell. Asha knew she had to do anything she could to help her.
Sana slowly began to stir, and then opened her eyes. Her newly turned amber eyes. As she opened her mouth Asha could see the beginnings of fangs starting to form where normal teeth once were.
Then fur started to sprout bones shifting and crunching as she completed her transformation.
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Sana awoke in an open field. She felt cold at first, she opened her eyes, sat up and saw why she was fully exposed.
“Yeah the transformation does that, apologies”
She looked up and saw Asha standing there, and she flushed with embarrassment.
Asha saw and laughed, “Don’t worry despite their scarcessness, you’re not the first she-wolf I found like this” she managed through various snorts and giggles.
Sana flushed even more. Then Asha said “Apologies princess, I should explain what’s happened.”
“Yes you should, why are my wounds already so healed, why am I in an open field when we were just in a forest, what was that thing,...” her voice raised quickly and sharply.
Asha sighed then held out the clothes she had brought, not up to the royal code of dress but hopefully enough to cover Sana.
“Well I can fix one of those things at least”, Asha paused then “As for your questions I’ll explain everything while you redress”.
Sana took the clothes without complaint and started to do so. As she did Asha explained everything, and Sana’s face went ghostly white as she listened to Asha’s explanation
She had to be lying surely. Sana couldn’t be this, this, this thing! She was not a monster, she was not of the night, and she was nothing like them!
Asha seemed to notice Sana’s inner meltdown. Asha had come to her side in seconds,and was holding her shoulder whispering a word.
“Breathe just breathe, Princess it’ll be alright.”
“All right, how is any of this all right, I’m like one of those creatures that killed my great grandfather!” she screamed. “My father probably won’t even want to look at me, I’ll lose everything, everything I had left!” her voice was horse,deeper, and groveley. She growled then realized what she was doing and stopped.
Asha handed her a small mirror she had stuck in her pocket. As Sana looked in it she saw undeniable proof,fangs freshly in, amberish- yellowish eyes staring back at her. Losing her will to stand she began to sink down, and sob. Asha got closer and as she grabbed Sana completely up in her arms, she softly said “You’re not a monster, and for whatever it’s worth, I know we’re not close, but you will always have me”.
Sana smiled a soft sad smile after that, because it meant more than Asha realized.
After she finished getting dressed, they headed to what would be her home for the next few weeks.
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Asha trained her friend to control her inner wolf, and as she did, she recounted the history of the werewolves. Some, Sana knew by heart, other parts, she gawked at. None of it made her feel less afraid, but she felt more secure physically. Knowing she was part of a community helped with that much.
Eventually she went to the castle to gather up her things,and leave her father the letter explaining everything, in hopes she wouldn’t be permanently banished, she would then head back to Asha’s until she found a place of her own.
Everything was going according to plan, until as she was leaving, someone who wasn’t supposed to, saw her.
Her father breathed a deep sigh as he saw her face. It was finally back to normal, thanks to hours of training. But she got the sense that it wouldn’t last long if he was here. It was activated by strong emotions, from what she had learned.
She tried to leave, but her father stopped her, by simply raising his hand. He spoke in his mightier than thou voice so he could be heard.
“Sana, I know it’s been a difficult readjustment period since your rescue, but you can not neglect your duties as the princess of this kingdom”
Sana scoffed at that which caused her father to look mad, she didn’t care about that anger.
“Responsibilities, hmm, maybe if you sent a competent rescuer sooner, I could have been doing more of those .” his face was red as she continued. “I’ve been gone for weeks, if you really cared about me fulfilling my duties , you would have at least looked for me”, she paused as if to catch her breath, then “ If you even cared, you would have looked for me, or fought for me at any point in my life since mother’s passing, but you never did as such” Her father started to speak, but then Sana did the same hand motion he had with her hand. He looked baffled. Sana, feeling more confident than ever, handed him the letter she had written, and walked out of the room never looking back.
But as she got home she started to sob again.
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Asha let Sana have her space before coming into the small room they’d allowed Sana to keep. “How are you doing, as of currently?” Asha inquired. She was hoping that the answer wouldn't be so bleak. She did it so she wouldn't darken the poorly lit room more.
“Depends,” she looked on curiously but hardened. “What do you see standing before you?”
“You mean, do I see a beautiful, intelligent, traumatized girl barely older than I,” she paused and knelt to look at Sana as directly as possible. “Or do I see, in the same way, you may see, a terrifying monster” Tears filled each girl's eyes as Asha, with a heavy heart, softly whispered, “You know the answer to that,”
“Tell me anyway,” Sana whispered.
Seemingly avoiding the question, Asha posed another. “Do you want to talk about what happened at all?”
“I can never go back,” Sana said plainly.
“Do you want to?’ Asha asked.
‘He’s one of the few things I had left, one of the few people” she started.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do” she sank into herself as she spoke.
Asha looked up,and she pondered the situation, then she realized what she needed to say.
As she met Sana’s eyes Asha’s were sparkling brightly as she exclaimed “Come with me ! On my adventure”
Sana looked perplexed at her then as Asha explained it to her, her eyes lit up as well.
“Yes of course I will!”
So they started their new adventure, as they ended this misadventure. They went into a new life each full of hope. Not knowing what lurked just beyond the horizon for them.