Vera's Song (Creatures of the Lands Book 2)

by Natalie Erin

  “I prefer to be called Von,” he sneered at his father. “Sounds a lot less stupid.”

  “Hello Von. I’m your Aunt Kia and this is my husband Keota,” Kia said, trying to seem polite.

  “I hate people that act happy,” Von said bluntly. “Your husband looks like he was beat up by an ugly elf and the ugliness rubbed off on him.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Keota said. “Who do you think you are?”

  “Calm down, Keota,” Kia said. “We’re guests here.”

  “Didn’t you hear what he said?” Keota stared at his wife. “He’s just a spoiled little brat!”

  “We are well aware of the fact,” Flare sighed. “We have tried everything to straighten him out. He just won’t behave.”

  “You think I need to learn how to behave, but I think you need to learn how to shut up,” Aravon cruelly told his mother.

  “Vixen thinks she could straighten him out.” The fox-like fairy walked forward and glared at the boy, her small ears appearing.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Aravon laughed. “I could beat you in a fight any day.”

  “Vixen would like to see you try.” Vixen’s small eyes narrowed.

  “Can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Von said, pulling back his fist. He aimed for Vixen’s face but she caught him by the wrist easily, flipping him upside down so he came crashing down on his back.

  “CAN YOU TAKE ME NOW, LITTLE BOY?” she screamed. “OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO RUN CRYING TO YOUR MOMMY?”

  Aravon crawled across the floor to hide under the table. His father laughed loudly at him, and as he did so the boy sent him a look of pure hatred.

  “Go back in your room, Aravon. You’re an embarrassment to your family,” Nicholas said, waving his hand at him. The fairy crawled out from under the table slowly, heading back into his room with a sneer.

  “I think we have bigger issues right now than a pissed off teenager,” Kia said, turning to her sister. “Nineva has turned into a problem.”

  When Kia was done explaining her story, it was past dark. Flare looked out the window, a concerned look on her face. “So you’re telling me that Nineva and her husband are trying to take over the Lands?” Flare said. “That girl couldn’t even kill a rabbit for food, let alone a person.”

  “I’m just telling you what happened to us,” Kia shrugged. “Don’t ask me how she turned so cold.”

  “Is that why you have her children?” Nicholas asked. He leaned on elbows on the table.

  “Pretty much,” Keota said. “We’re not sure what we’re going to do with them at the moment, but we can’t go back to the forest yet.”

  “Stay as long as you like. There’s enough room here for all of you for now,” Flare said.

  “That’s a good point. What are we going to do with Soran and Vivienna, Kia?” Keota said, turning to his wife.

  “I don’t know, Keota. We’re probably going to have to leave the forest behind and raise them ourselves,” she told him sadly.

  “The queen will do no such thing,” Vixen said sharply. “Vivienna, Soran and their Changers will be sent to Nesting’s Haven. They have dormitories at Dinkleberry University. They will be safe from Wyntier there and will be brought up properly among their own kind.”

  “But where will you live, Vixen? Your valley was destroyed,” Kia protested.

  “Casiff and Vixen will live on the old plains by your forest with the unicorns. We’ll have to build a house as soon as we get back, but with Dragonstar and Ionan helping it shouldn’t take long at all,” Vixen said.

  “But what about Wyntier?” Keota snarled. “We can’t hide out here forever.”

  “We have nothing to fear from him. It is him who should be afraid of us. We won’t live in fear because we are afraid of what will happen. That, my friends, is terrorism and that’s exactly what he wants. He will be caught in due time, just you wait,” Vixen snarled.

  There was a light knocking at the door. Aravon was in the hallway, pouting as usual. Rubbing her eyes, Flare said, “Von, can you get that?”

  “Make me,” Aravon whispered, but he moved towards the door anyway. He opened it to find a large white unicorn standing in the doorway, an infant in a sling around his neck.

  “Oh look, it’s a mutant horse,” Aravon said, rolling his eyes.

  “Mutant horse!” the unicorn whinnied angrily. “I am a unicorn, now I demand to see Vixen!”

  The boy’s cruel look seemed to vanish and be replaced with fear as Vixen was mentioned. He looked behind him nervously. “Miss Vixen, there’s someone here to see you,”he said cautiously.

  “Who is it, Aravon?” The fairy rose from the table and came over to the doorway. “Dragonstar!” Vixen screamed, throwing her arms around the unicorn’s neck.

  “Careful Vixen, you don’t want to hurt the little one.” Dragonstar backed up slightly so Vixen could see the child around his neck.

  “Vixen’s little Lyrica,” she whispered. The fairy snatched up the child and held her up in the air. “Oh, Vixen must show Casiff at once!” She ran over to Casiff, giving the infant to him. “This is our daughter,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.

  “Lyrica.” He looked at the small child in awe. “She’s so beautiful. Hello there,” Casiff said quietly. “I’m your daddy.”

  Lyrica smiled broadly at him and reached her arms up into the air. Casiff bent down his head and the baby wrapped her hands in his blonde hair, beginning to pull.

  “Ow ow ow!” Casiff screeched. “Lyrica honey, I love you but let go of me!”

  Everyone at the table began to laugh.

  Outside the house the wolves all huddled together in a pile, sleeping their cares away. Ionan laid next to them, keeping careful watch. There are a thousand places Vera could be, he thought. But I can’t just sit here while my wife’s in danger. Wyntier’s afraid of me. I’ll have a better chance going out and looking for her alone then I will if anyone else comes with me.

  The dragon got to his feet. I’ll tell Ana and Maekrel where I’m going so they can let the others know. He crept away quietly, lumbering around the house to search for his brother. Where could they have gone? They were just here a minute ago...

  His thoughts were interrupted as he came upon Ana and Maekrel locked together in an intimate kiss behind a large boulder. As Ionan’s mouth dropped open Maekrel pulled away from Ana, his face turning white. “Ionan. I...I can explain.”

  Ionan strode forward, pushing the two apart. “What are you doing? This is an abomination!” he hissed as loudly as he could.

  “Ionan, you out of all people should know what it’s like to love somebody you can’t be with,” Maekrel said in a pitched voice.

  “Don’t lecture me! This is disgusting, Changer and Accompany together like this! You should both be ashamed!” the Changer said, lashing his tail.

  “But he’s not a Changer anymore! He’s a person!” Ana cried, and her hair swept up around her face at the force of Ionan’s breath.

  “That doesn’t matter! The history you two have should be enough to keep you apart,” he said.

  “Brother...” Maekrel started but before he could say another word Ionan had taken to the sky, beating his wings furiously.

  “You’re no brother of mine. You’re just like Keota,” Ionan snapped. “You fall in love with whoever you like and don’t seem to care who you hurt in the process.”

  “Where are you going?” Maekrel called as Ionan flew farther and farther into the sky.

  “To be with the one I love! To find Vera!” Ionan disappeared, and Maekrel looked worryingly at the Accompany beside him.

  It had seemed that winter was so terrible that snow even fell on Mt.Deathern. The children awoke the next morning to a fresh white coat lying on the ground and ran screaming into the powder with joy.

  “Got ya!” Melodi screamed as she launched the biggest snowball she could carry in her claws at Vivienna. It fell from her talons right onto Vivienna’s head, but when she threw a second snowb
all at her in retaliation, it missed and hit Soran in the face.

  “Ow!” he cried. He ran forward with a loud yell, tackling Vivienna to the ground and mashing a snowball into her shoulder. She laughed and pushed him off of her, but before they knew it they were in a giant tickle fight. Kennu pounced and joined in, and soon they were all rolling in the snow.

  “I’m the evil-guy! Don’t let me touch you or you’ll get evil too!” Jade proclaimed. The other pups screamed and all ran away, trying to avoid Jade in their second-favorite game of tag.

  Zorna, who had melted the snow in his main form, became a reindeer fawn and started pushing a snowball down the hill. He had wanted to make a snowman, but unfortunately the mass picked up speed and he was chasing after it. “Snowball! Wait!” he cried, and everyone looked up and screamed. The kids ran out of the way and it exploded against a large boulder, showering everyone with snowflakes.

  “Whoa! That was totally cool! Did you see how we avoided that thing? We were like, ahhh! And Zorna was like, running his head off and then we jumped.” Shadowin said this all in one breath. “It was like we were in a story or something. Let’s do it again!”

  “Yeah! Again!” Caini agreed and they ran up the hill to make more giant snowballs. The other kids, excited to play their new game, stood ready against the boulders to dodge them as they rolled down the hill.

  Kia watched happily, stroking Lilja at her side. “It’s nice they get their mind off everything that’s happened,” Lilja said, rolling a snowball up with his nose. “Hey Lottie, catch!”

  He threw it at her and it hit her in the muzzle. “Not funny,” she laughed, throwing another one back. This one hit him on the head. The small puppies laughed at her sides. “Unkle Lilja got the smack-down,” Rabika whispered and they giggled.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked and pounced around them, pretending to fight.

  “Yes,” Kia said. “It is nice they don’t think about Wyntier too much.” She let her smile drop and said, “All but one.”

  Allie watched the other children play, her ears back. She sat in the snow as a fawn, watching Kennu roughhouse with Soran disapprovingly.

  Zorna spotted her sitting alone and trotted over to her gayly. “Hey, you want to go sledding? It’s really fun, you just lay down and have someone push you and then you go weeeee...”

  “Why are you talking to me?”Allie turned to face him and stood her ground squarely, as if they were to fight.

  Zorna gaped.“I…I just wanted someone to play with.”

  “Well don’t look at me.I’m not friends with Changers of traitors.”

  “What do you mean?” Zorna asked, but before she could answer there was yelling from the house and the door slammed. Aravon strode out, not looking where he was going and rudely tripping over Allie. He fell face-forward in the snow and Allie changed into a lynx, hissing. Her teeth were bared and she lunged towards his leg to bite. Kennu stopped playing automatically and looked up.

  The fourteen-year old swore and got to his feet. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going!” he said, kicking her. Kennu screamed, “Allie!” and the adults nearby jumped up.

  “Don’t hurt her!” Zorna yelled. He pawed at the snow with his hoof and jumped up, butting the boy in the gut with his head.

  “Ooof!” Aravon cried. He would’ve retaliated, if Lilja hadn’t grabbed his jacket and pulled him back to the house. “Let me go! I hate wolves!”

  Lilja ignored him and threw him back inside with his jaws, closing the door with his back paw behind him.

  “Hooray Zorna!” Kennu cried. The rest of the children began to cheer as well but Allie got up off the snow and acted as if nothing had happened.

  “Are you okay?” Zorna asked.

  “I’m fine,” Allie said. “But next time, don’t bother. I don’t want your help.”

  “Why?” Zorna asked.

  “Because you’ll be just like Wyntier,” Allie said with a shrug, turning away from him.

  “No I’m not,” Zorna whispered.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, you are. You’ll grow up and your Accompany will turn bad, just like his parents. And you’ll end up the same way because we love our Accompanies too much to not follow what they say. And even if you do end up doing what’s right you’ll still be on his side because he’ll enslave you like Vera. I’m not going to be friends with someone like that.”

  “No, that’s not going to happen! Why do you have to be so mean?” Zorna started to cry and Soran rushed over, throwing his arms around his furry neck.

  “Allie! Stop it now!” Kennu scolded. “You’re being such a bully!”

  She rounded on him. “Don’t you understand? Wyntier’s the bully, not me, and Soran’s going to end up just like him! You’re the only one I’m concerned about protecting, Kennu. We can’t trust anyone, not even our friends. Vera loved us more than her own life but it still wasn’t enough to keep her from abandoning us. Not enough for keeping my own parents abandoning me.”

  Zorna was still crying. The rest of the adults had gathered around them and Kia asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Come with me, Kennu. Let’s run away,”Allie said and she changed into a griffin, expecting Kennu to get on her back.

  “No. You stay Allie, and tell Mommy what happened,” Kennu ordered.

  At first it looked like she was going to obey. But she held her ground, and whispered, “No.” Her eyes began to shine and she grabbed Kennu by his jacket, throwing him on her back and launching herself into the air.

  “Put me down!” he screamed, and although Allie quivered in the air, she didn’t land. Kia screamed, “Get them before they get hurt!” and Casiff sprang into action, rising up on his wings and grabbing Kennu from her back. Allie went to retaliate but Kia had flown upward to grab her as well, holding her tightly. She took her into the kid’s bedroom in the house, locking the door and saying calmly, “Allie, you’re getting a time-out.”

  There was hysterical screaming and a lot of banging as Allie shattered items inside the room and threw herself against the wall. Kia walked calmly away from the door and left Allie to her tantrum, shaking her head.

  Nobody much felt like playing now. Casiff quickly said, “Who wants to help me make a snow fort?”

  There was a bit of murmuring but the kids agreed. Even Kennu eventually stopped listening to Allie’s shrieks and helped to roll up snowballs.

  Watching the scene with Lyrica in her arms, Vixen turned to Dragonstar. “Are you thinking what Vixen is, love?”

  “It would seem our Allie has done what no other Changer has managed to before,” he agreed.

  “Disobey a command,” Vixen nodded. “It would seem she grows stronger everyday.”

  Allie’s screams from inside only seemed to intensify with the shouting that was clearly Aravon and Nicholas going at it once again.

  “What if I refuse?” Aravon yelled loudly, throwing a chair across the kitchen.

  “Well that’s too bad because you still have to do it!” Nicholas yelled back at his son. “You’re under my house, so you live under my rules!”

  “Maybe I’ll just leave this stupid place and never come back!” Aravon yelled.

  “Maybe you should!” Nicholas lost his temper and pulled his hand back to hit the rebellious boy. Aravon pushed his father onto the floor, where the fairy looked up at him in shock.

  “I’m leaving and I’m never coming back! If anyone tries to stop me there will be blood involved!” He kicked the door open, stomping out and into the snow.

  “Aravon!” Flare screamed. She went to run after her son but Nicholas caught her, holding her still. “Let him go, Flare. There’s nothing more we can do for him,” he told her.

  Flare bawled against her husband’s chest. Her cries echoed about the large room and Nicholas stroked her hair gently as she sobbed. “How could you…just let him leave like that?” she gulped. “Von is just a...child!”

  “He would have left no matter what happened, we both know t
hat,” Nicholas said softly.

  “But…he’s only sixteen.” Flare gasped. Her eyes were red and swollen as she looked up at him. “He’s my only son!”

  “We taught him how to take care of himself. Within a few days he’ll realize how much he needs us and he’ll come back,” Nicholas comforted. “He’s too spoiled to survive on his own.”

  The little girl named Mela crept into the kitchen, tugging on her mother’s dress. “Mommy, why did Von go away? Doesn’t he love me?”

  “Of course he loves you, Mela,” Nicholas told the four year old. “He just needs a little time to cool off.”

  “But...if he’s too hot he could just go sit in the snow,” Mela said, confused.

  Flare chuckled sadly. “No honey, he needs some time alone so he’s not so angry anymore. He’ll come back.” Flare wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at her daughter.

  Kia came inside, kneeling by her sister. “I’m sorry your son ran away,” she said.

  “He’s just stubborn,” Flare said, getting to her feet. “Nicholas is right. Aravon is too spoiled. He’ll come crawling back to us in a few days.”

  Keota walked into the room then with Vixen and Casiff trailing behind him. “Have you seen Ionan, Kia? I haven’t been able to find him all morning.”

  “We know where he is,” Maekrel said, slowly coming out from the bedroom next to the children’s. “He went to go find Vera. He could be anywhere right now.”

  “Ionan’s gone?” Lilja said, flooding into the house with Lottie and Cornia behind him. “Then we have to go and find him. If he loves Vera that much, we have to help him bring her back.”

  “I agree, Lilja. I’ll stay to watch the pups while you’re gone,” Cornia said, giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

  “We’ll take Snow Drop, and Lottie and Lilja can sweep the ground. He couldn’t have gotten far,” Kia said, turning to her husband.

  “Do you need our help?” Casiff said, striding forward with Vixen in hand.

  Keota shook his head. “You should be with Lyrica. It won’t take too long to find him, and with the fewer of us out there, the less chance Wyntier will find us.”