Chapter 17
ELENA AND THE MANTICORE CREATURE:
That night Elena had another dream.
She saw herself walking along a bushy path. Looking behind her back to see if she’s being followed by any creature, but she didn’t see anything. Everywhere around her became calm as she walked on. She doesn’t even know where she is going, her feet seem to have their own thoughts and seem to know where she is going.
The dream looked so real and she had to pinch herself to see if it would hurt her or if it would wake her from sleep. It hurt like hell after she pinched herself and still saw herself walking faster than before.
The night was cold as her body became cold and she was freezing. The full moon was shining brightly and lightening her way.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
She found her legs coming to a stop once they reached an open place in this strange Forest. No leaves or trees were seen, the open place looks neat and clean. She saw a fire burning which was built with dried sticks in the middle of the open place. Once again, she found herself walking towards it and tried to stop her legs from moving, but all to no avail. She was suddenly feeling warm and saw two large woods opposite each other. She didn’t know that she sat down in one of the woods. In this strange looking forest, it seems her body has a life of its own.
Sitting near the already made fire which smoke rises to the sky, she stretches forth her both hands to the fire to warm it from the cold.
Why is she here?
Elena thought as she looked around her again. She is sitting down in one of the woods and the other one is empty.
Does it mean someone who is not yet here is coming to sit in the other empty wood?
She thought and suddenly became alert when she heard a twig of sounds inside the trees around her. Looking around her once more with the help of the full moon, her eyes rested on a pair of red glowing eyes which were slowly approaching her.
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw who the eye glowing eyes belonged to. In front of her was the beast in her previous dream who had chased her down to the cliff and surprisingly asked her to come forward.
It was at this moment she needed her legs to move so that she could run away, but they seemed to ignore her and didn’t move even as she tried to move her legs.
Finally the mystic creature approaching her stopped a few meters away from her and went over to the other empty wood which was in the opposite. Sitting down and staring at Elena. The only walls between Elena and the creature was the fire burning.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me Elena, I won’t hurt you.” The Manticore beast feminine voice was heard over the fire. “I brought you here for a reason.”
Swallowing her spit she stared around them before her gaze landed on the creature. The creature had assured her it wouldn’t hurt her. “Why were you chasing me the other night? Why are you appearing to me in my dreams? What do you want from me? Are you real in life? Who are you?” Elena poured out her questions at once.
“One question at a time Elena.” The Manticore beast said. “I wasn’t chasing you, rather you were running away from me and I had to pursue you to stop you and also to tell you that there was a cliff ahead of you. To your second question, like I said before, you are here for a reason. To your third question, to tell you who you are and the time has come. To your fourth question, yes I am real in life and can appear to you in your reality but I choose not to, at least you were scared when you saw me for the first time, right? Imagine when I appear to you in life. To your final question, my name is Arabella but do not call me that, I am a beast.” The Manticore beast finished saying.
Since the beast started talking, Elena saw that she wasn’t as scared as she was the first time she had stared into those red growling eyes that are still staring at her. “Okay beast, why did you bring me here?”
“To talk to you about things. First of all, do you know who your mother is?” The Manticore creature asked.
“No, I haven’t seen her and I don’t even know what she looks like. The only picture that shows my mother has her back facing the camera and she has purple hair like mine. Do you know her or are youuuu….” Elena broke off drawing the words as she stared at the beast. “My mother?”
The surprising laugh from the beast left Elena confused. “I am not your mother Elena, I am your grandmother.” The beast revealed.
Opening her mouth in wide shock, Elena didn’t believe her. “You are my grandmother?” At the Manticore beast nod she continues. “That is impossible. My father told me I have no grandmother or relatives but I was surprised when he sent us to live with my distant auntie which I came to know existed a few days ago,” Elena aaid.
“Your father only told you what we wanted him to tell you. For your own safety, we have to stay away from you.” The beast told her.
“When you said we do it includes aunt Jess too?” Elena asked.
“Yes Elena.”
“Then why do you choose to reveal yourself to me after all these years?”
“Because the time has come for that. You will soon be clocking 21 and so shall your powers begin to manifest, just like it did to your mother only that your mother chose the wrong path.”
“Auntie has said that before and I wonder what’s the wrong path she has chosen. I need to know everything.”
“I will tell you.” The Manticore beast said, removing her gaze from Elena and stared inside the fire. “It all started with the fire you see here. Once the chosen one is of age, the fire chooses him or her. This time around, the fire chooses my family and it permanently decides to choose only my generation.” The beast stopped and used it’s tongue and wiped off it’s razor sharp teeth. “It was me first and after a while, I had your mother, when she comes of age, it was her turn and now it is your turn.”
“I don’t understand you, my turn to do what?” Elena asked, confused.
“Your turn to decide which path to take, the good or the bad path, it all depends on you.” The Manticore creature answered.
“I still don’t understand it. What path are you talking about?”
“The fire never made a mistake when it chose it’s successor but I think it did when it chose my daughter. Your mother used her powers for evil and joined the league of devils.”
“What fire are you talking about?”
“Fire of a protector. You will get to understand your role as time goes by. Starting tomorrow, you will now see the world with a new eye, then you will understand your role.” The Manticore responded.
“Will I be able to change into this beast of yours?” Elena asked.
“Yes but that’s when you come to understand your role. Your aunt too is also a Manticore beast and she will teach you everything you need to know.” The beast said and stood up to its hind legs. “It’s time for me to go, I will see you once you understand everything Elena, until then, goodbye my grandchild.” The beast turned to go when Elena’s voice stopped her.
“Wait, when next you are coming to me, can you at least stay in your human form and not in this, at least I also want to see the real face of my newly found grandmother,” Elena said.
“I cannot change into my human form Elena. Your mother took that away from me once she decided the path she wanted to take. I have been in this form for a very long time.” The beast replied to her.
“Why will she do that?”
“Annabel is greedy.”
“Where is she now? Aunt told me she is still alive.”
“Yes, my daughter is still alive and out there patiently waiting for the day when you will come of age to steal your powers Elena. You have to be very careful.”
“Why will she come to steal her own daughter’s powers?”
“There are only two reasons why she will come for you, first, like I told you before, she is greedy and will stop at nothing to get what she wants and secondly, the fire will end in you. There will be no more chosen one after you. So as you are the last generation to have the powers, you are the strongest Elena Manticore Creature.”
Elena seemed shocked by what she heard. Why will it end with her?
“I will try to be careful, thanks for telling me.”
“You are welcome.”
“Did my father also know about this choice of a thing?”
“He knows. You can ask him all the questions in your heart, he will give you an answer.”
“And Eva? Is she also a Manticore creature like I am?”
“No, she is purely human which you have to also protect. See you again Elena.” The beast said and ran into the bush with lightning speed.
Elena suddenly felt dizzy and fell down to the ground, holding her head with her hands. She fought the dizziness but couldn’t win against it. Her eyes closed slowly and then again, opened, before it finally closed to sleep.
*****
After Dave had left, he went up to his room and ordered the Shadows around him to create a portal. Hades’s face was seen.
“Have you gotten the princess soul?” Hades demanded.
“Not yet, I haven’t seen anyone who looks like the princess. But do not worry, I shall get her.”
“If you are not with the princess soul then why did you summon me?”
“To ask you why you have to send David to take the job if I failed to do it. Have I ever failed you before?”
“Don’t be mad, Demon. I have this feeling that you might not kill the princess once you see her. But do not forget that your wife is your first priority in case you have a change of heart.”
“I won’t have a change of heart. So tell David not to meddle with my affairs if he doesn’t want to die. And if he does meddle with my affairs, you Hades will have me to contend with. You know fully well that you are no match for me.” Demon warned and before Hades could reply back, the Shadows quickly dispersed.
A male demon suddenly appears next to him bowing his head. “You sent for me my Lord.”
“Yes I did. Go and check the history of Ena,” Demon said, touching the other demon’s shoulders showing him Ena’s face. “Find me everything about her and report back to me. Find out if truly she is a Princess. Because with the way I saw her fight, it shows she is either a Princess or a knight.”
“I will do so, my Lord. I have never disappointed you before.” He said and disappeared to carry out his master’s orders.
Demon took his bath and waited for the news he knew was coming.
He lay down on his bed and slept off. Few hours later, his eyes flew open as the demon appeared next to him..
“Did you get the information I needed?”