"Come on, slowpoke!" Shanea shouted down to her friend, Donavon. The turtle- like gargoyle just huffed at her and continued climbing the rock face.
Shanea watched him trying to catch up with her at the top of the falls, her blues eyes twinkling with laughter. With his wings tucked into his shell like that, Donavon could have almost passed for an earth turtle. Shanea, on the other, resembled no earth creature, but did closely resemble a mythical dragon. Her skin and wings were a deep red color, the same as her triplets, Slade and Sabre. The three were stunning, though Shanea was easily the most majestic. Only her father, the king Kalydo, looked better.
Donavon had nearly reached the top when the outcropping of rock that he was holding broke loose. Caught off guard and off balance, his arms windmilling, he let out a squeak, started to fall backwards...and a strong hand clamped around his wrist and pulled him back to safety.
"Still don't want to do much rock climbing, do you, old friend?" Shanea asked. Donavon gave her an insulting look and grunted angrily. Shanea laughed at the antics of her mute friend and started walking. "Come on, they said they would be right up here."
Shanea and Donavon had walked a grand total of five steps when a huge splash of water smacked the two friends, completely drenching them. The two choking gargoyles could hear retreating laughter.
Shanea was livid "Why those low-down, good fer nothin...."Donavon clamped his hand over Shanea's mouth, having an idea what she wanted to say and how much trouble it would get them into. Shanea looked at him angrily, then her eyes got large as she realized what he had figured out before she had. She visibly relaxed, and Donavon let her go. He gave her a reproaching look. Shanea smiled sweetly, then bounded into a tree. Donavon could hardly believe it. Gargoyles generally stayed away from trees, since they could fly to that level. Why she was up there, Donavon had no idea, and he wasn't particularly sure if he really wanted to know.
As Shanea started off through the tress, Donavon followed at a safe distance. Whatever was going on, he wanted little part in it, though he knew he had little chance of that. He blew out a breath in frustration and kept going, praying he would not regret it.
"Hey, Daniel. Where'd Shanea go?" Shama called out. Without waiting for an answer, he turned to his brother, Shalanka. "You know her well. What do you think her revenge will be?" His brother shook his head. Being triplets, they should have had an idea, but their identical sister confused her look alike brothers all the time. It was as if the outside mold was the same, but inside, they were like night and day. Same red skin, same black hair, same blue eyes, but different people. Shanea was usually more serious, much quieter, and a lot better swordsman, not too mention the Sky Lord. Maybe that was why she was next in line for the throne, after their two older brothers.
Daniel, a good friend of the brothers, and the love of Shanea's life, looked at the two fools. "Do you really expect me to help you against her? You're nuts. I know better than that." From his spot in the water, Daniel considered himself safe from any retaliation. His dark blue skin was soaked from the water, and his jet-black hair hung down his back, completely slicked down. He shook his head to shake some of the water out, allowing his hair rise into a form of Mohawk. While he looked at his friends, the brothers grinned at him. Shanea could try all she wanted, she would never get in un-noticed. Not unless she climbed a tree, or something equally stupid. Knowing Shanea, though....
"Your Majesty's! We found this gargoyle walking this way. You said bring anyone we found, so we brought him." Shama and Shalanka looked up to see one of the guards walking toward them leading Donavon. Donavon had an angry look on his face, and if he could have, he would have fought with the guard. The guard, of course, was scared, and turned and ran as soon as the princes dismissed him.
The triplets were worried. If Donavon was here, then where was Shanea? They rarely separated. The brothers were about to try to get Donavon to help them, when a cry came from the trees.
"Bonsai!" Shanea screamed as she launched herself at her brothers. Not seeing Donavon, she didn't aim her splash well, and it caught Donavon. Surprised to have been dragged into the fight, he cupped his wings and used them to send a humongous wave in their direction. The wave re-soaked Danielle, who had just dried off. He promptly ran in and splashed everyone in sight, Shanea included. What followed was a rather undignified water fight, the kind the young royalty had been taught to try to avoid. It would have been fine, except for someone who got their attention.
"I'll give you five seconds to get of the water before I tell Father." A low and rough voice said from the bank. The triplets nearly trampled their friends in their rush to get out of the water. The reason for them getting out so fast was their eldest brother, Brian, who was standing on the bank. Standing with him was the rest of their siblings. Huge Brian, who's brown skin contrasted nicely with his twinkling green eyes, looked every inch the future king. Darien, the second oldest, was so orange he was almost red. Scott, of the pale blue of the sky against ocean, who was on his knees gasping for breath. Light green Travis and royal purple Shara, supporting each other as they laughed, and the black twins Cole and Connor, who laughed at the exact same time.
Shanea didn't see the humor the way the others did. She marched up to Brain and said playfully, "I owe you one, you big dumb tree trunk." Brian laughed at the use of the old nick name and gently shoved his little sister. It was clear that the brothers and sisters were close, even when they were mad. Shanea looked at her brother, then remembered something. "Oh, no! I was supposed to meet Anastacia at the castle!" Shanea turned and ran off, gathering herself to launch into flight. As she was airborne, she called over her shoulder, "Thanks for reminding me, bro!" As she flew off, Brian shouted at her, "Sure, thing, little sister!" Shanea didn't hear.
Shanea had been in the air for a few minutes when the spires of her ancestral home came into view. She loved the sight of it, and a smile sprang to her face. It quickly changed as her jaw dropped at the sight in front of her. The spires she had so lovingly watched cracked and split, falling from their places to the shocked screams of observers wandering the street below. Shanea looked at the castle, worried about her father, whom she was sure was there, and the urge to help the people below. The latter won. For her to do anything else would have been selfish and un-royal for her.
Shanea spent hours helping the people below when someone landed their flight behind her with a grunt. She turned to find Cole kneeling on the ground, his wings ragged and his skin slashed in uncountable places. Shanea gasped, and dropped down beside her brother to help him. As she worked, Shanea listened to her little brother's story.
In a choked up voice, the boy related what had happen. "Men...bigger than Brian, attacked us. We had no warning. They came in with double axes, maces, even a morning star." Cole halted and breathed deeply, coughing a small amount. He continued. "They killed Brian...before he could move. Same with Darien . They, they said......they needed Shama and Shalanka.....for bait." He looked at Shanea, his eyes growing clouded. "Shanea.......they were after you. They are coming......they'll kill you! You gotta leave, Shanea, you gotta! If Father's dead, you take the throne." Cole's eyes began to cloud over. He gasped out, "I believe in you, sister," then he closed his eyes. Shanea shook her baby brother, screaming over and over again, "No, Cole, you will not die, you can not!" She tried every herb and potion she could think of, but nothing helped. When it became apparent that her brother would not wake up, Shanea howled her pain to the sky. It was loud, piercing cry, a terrible sound that many would hear again, in their nightmares. The day, which had once been kind and gentle, was unforgiving, not listening to her pain.
When Shanea had worn out her voice, her tears cried out, a voice came from behind her. "So, this little snip is the one we were sent to destroy. Good thing we found her first." Shanea whirled around to face the speaker. He was a tough looking creature, a gargoyle without wings. He grinned wickedly at her tearful expression. "Ah, has the spoiled little princess been crying over her dead wimpy brother? Don't worry, we'll soon send you to join them." Outraged at the remark about her dead brothers, Shanea charged at the creature. Her anger won out, and a wrath like she had never known existed came over her. She fought like a demon, the way her mother had been rumored to fight. She bit, clawed and scratched at the creatures who were so cruel. She showed no mercy. When she came to and realized what she had done, Shanea gasped at the bodies before her. She started trembling, and backed up slowly. She turned and fled to sky, seeking a chance to escape, to understand what she had just done. Only one person could give her the answers she so desperately needed. Her father.
Shanea flew everywhere, seeking her father, or someone who could tell her where he was. She finally spotted one of her father's guards. She landed next to him, startling him half to death. The guard looked and saw who it was, his eyes brimming with fear. He began babbling. "I'm sorry, Princess, we tried, but we couldn't get to him in time, and it was so hot, we just....." Shanea cut him off.
"What do you mean? Oryl, where is he? Where is my father?" The guard looked at her, then answered, "I tried, Milady, but I couldn't get to him in time. He's dead, Princess. The king is dead. ARGHH!" The guard wailed in agony where Shanea's steel like tail had whipped him when Shanea turned away, he own cry echoing his.
