Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
VALERIA
W hen Kai broke the curse it felt like someone had given new life to the entirekingdom. Kai looked at me and I knew that he needed to go with Eli and find his family.
I asked the kitsunes to take my babies out of that void, but one of the kitsunes asked, “Are you sure?”
“What do you mean?”
The kitsune responded. “Zamorra is still in the kingdom, maybe we shouldn’t take the risk of making babies visible and showing her Kai’s weakness.”
“What should we do now,” Anna asked.
“I think we should wait and watch.”
Anna and I looked at each other, both of us feeling discomfort and deep emotion. We were shifters, but this was unique. This was a gathering of wild things, a meeting of giant canines. We were human and stood among them.
Low growls and playful yips could be heard throughout the forest as the wolves reconnected with family members they hadn't seen in ten long years =. Some kissed each other while others playfully wrestled, and you could feel their joy. Coyotes had keen eyes that didn't miss anything, and their high-pitched howls were a mix of happiness and sadness as they found their lost loved ones and grieved for the ones lost. Some jackals were reunited with family members who had been sleeping forever bewitched by the evil witch Zamorra. We could see the relief in their eyes. The eyes of the fox also sparkled with tears of happiness and sadness. The canines talked to each other by making several high-pitched sounds. It was especially sad when they saw each other again because many of their pack had been affected by Zamorra's evil spell.
Everyone was waiting for Kai'scommand. Eli and Kai both ordered them to stay with us before rushing inside.
Anna looked at me, “I think we should head inside.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same.”
One of the Gryphones suggested, “It wouldn’t be wise to go inside together. I think one of you should stay outside and one should go.”
“But together we could help each other.”
The lion shifter intervened, “What if Eli and Kai are captured by Zamorra and they need help from you both?”
“What should we do then?”
A jaguar shifter joined the conversation. “I think in ten minutes if one of you doesn’t come back we will all come inside and attack. The kitsunes will stay outside with the babies because if they all die then the babies would be stuck in the void for the rest of their lives.”
“I should go inside because the sun has gone and,” I pointed at the sky, “the moons are up in the sky and I can use my electric powers if needed.”
“Take care of my babies,” I instructed the kitsunes before heading inside. I took hundreds of turns in a maze-like corridor before I finally started hearing voices. I followed the voices and reached the hall where Kai and Elli were dangling in a trap net in the air.
I shot my electric energy onto their nets and both fell on the floor. Zamorra thought I was some kind of mysterious witch, so she attacked me. Kai was running towards me screaming my name. I shielded myself and her attack backfired and she vanished in thin air.
Kai enveloped me in his arms firmly. I waited for a few moments before saying, “I think everything is fine, there is no need to suffocate me.”
Kai released me immediately and asked, “Are you alright?”
I coughed and nodded. “I need to go outside and inform Anna or the rest of your army are set to attack.”
“Do you know the way out?”
I coughed again and shook my head, “How can anyone navigate this maze-like castle?”
Kai giggled and we both rushed outside. Anna was worried and asked, “Where is Eli?”
“Eli is fine, he is inside we came out to inform you that everything is perfectly alright.”
“What happened to Zamorra,” the kitsune asked.
Kai told everyone, “Zamorra won’t be a problem anymore.”
“What did you do to her,” Anna asked.
Kai shrugged, “She just disappeared in a black cloud kind of thingy.”
I looked at the kitsunes. “Now you should set our babies free from the void.”
They started their spell and the same light erupted, our babies came back into a circle. Kai and I held our babies and Anna came inside with us. We headed to the hall where Eli was standing with Aria and their parents.
Kai also reunited with his family, and then Eli and Kai introduced me and Anna. When he was near introducing Aria, I raised my hand, “No need I already know she is Aria, your sister.”
“How do you know me?”
I looked at Aria and tilted my head, “Zamorra played a trick on Kai by disguising herself as you and then she stabbed him in the back.”
Aria gasped and looked at Kai, “I want to know everything since I fell on the ground and you both disappeared.”
Kai’s dad asked pointing at the babies. “Whose offspring are they?”
Kai and I responded, “They are ours.”
Kai’s mom stepped forward held them and started nuzzling them. Aria looked at Eli and Anna, “Where are your pups?”
Anna shrugged, “On Earth.”
“On where?”
Eli wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “It’s a long story, Ari. We spent thirty years in another world. You might think we vanished, but in reality, we entered a portal that transported both of us to a new world named Earth, similar to our own Eldaria. That’s where we met Valeria and Anna.”
“But why did you leave your babies there?”
Eli pressed his lips together, “Because we thought it would be safer to leave my babies with Anna’s brother and Valeria’s family.”
“Why didn’t Kai leave his babies on Earth?”
Eli sighed, “Because they weren’t born by the time we jumped here.”
“So where were they born?”
Kai’s mom intervened, “Stop with the interrogation Aria, and let your brothers have some peace.”
Aria opened her mouth but her mom shushed her and we all laughed. The room was filled with a mix of relief, joy, and a hint of sadness that lingered. Kai's dad looked out the hall window and saw two huge wolves standing there. "Ring the bell," the king said. "Let it be known that I want to address my people."
The servants gave a quick nod and left. Shortly after, the deep, strong sound of the bell rang out through the castle, reaching far and wide. The sound of the bell was a familiar call—a siren that everyone in the kingdom knew meant it was time to meet the king.
There was a sea of fur spreading from the door of the castle, and all kinds of canines were looking at the king.
"My people," he said, looking around the room, "tonight, we celebrate not only the reunion of our families and the breaking of the curse but also extend our deepest gratitude to our fellow kingdoms who helped us when we needed them the most."
There was a wave of murmured agreement and gratitude in the crowd, and many canines nodded to show respect to the shifters who had stood by them.
"Tomorrow," the king said, his voice full of pride and emotion, "Kai will be crowned as king. He has shown that he is a strong, brave, and true leader. It is time for him to succeed me and become your leader as he should be."
The crowd let out cheers and howls that could be heard through the castle walls. When Kai heard his father's words and saw how much love there was from his people, he got very emotional.
"And Eli," the king said with a proud smile, "will be in charge of our army. Due to his bravery and strategic skill, he will lead our troops with honor.”
The crowd let out another round of cheers. Then he looked at the shifters from the other kingdoms and said, "You are all our royal guests. Stay in my castle until you choose to leave."
When we all headed inside Aria asked, “How long are we going to be in this human form?”
Kai cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “The Earth we spoke about is actually run by humans. Anna and Valeria are not in the habit of life as wolves.”
Kai’s dad responded because he didn’t understand, “You mean on Earth they prefer to be in their human forms.”
“No, Dad. Earth is run by humans, they don’t transform.”
“So what are their powers?”
“Their brain, and trust me when I say they are running pretty well without having any paranormal powers,” Kai added. “By paranormal I mean powers that we possess, humans call this paranormal because these are not normal or regular for them.”
Kai’s mom asked, “But why do I smell wolf in Valeria and Anna?”
I raised my hand to stop Kai as I wanted to respond. “Because we are wolves and our shapeshifter community is secret on Earth. Humans don’t know about our existence.”
Aria’s eyes widened, “Do you think we also have a secret human community in Eldaria?”
Kai shrugged, “Maybe we do, but as long as I traveled I didn’t find any.”
Kai’s mom added, “No one ever traveled the whole Eldaria we even don’t know how many kinds of shifters we have in our world.”
“Kai, did you visit the dragon’s kingdom?”
Kai shook his head, “I didn’t have time to go there. They live thousands of years away from us.”
Kai’s dad nodded, “Yeah, our ancestors heard from the elders there are species in Eldaria who are as big and as powerful as dragons but no one has ever seen them.”
Kai’s mom clapped and before I could process why she did that, two towering wolves arrived. She looked at me and Kai. “You can give the babies to them and relax.”
I looked at Kai as I was not feeling comfortable giving my babies to anyone all this was new to me. Kai sensed it and told me, “Don’t worry, they will take care of our babies with their lives.”
“What if they don’t understand what the babies want?”
Kai’s mom kept her hand over my shoulders, “They are well-equipped.”
I nodded and we gave the babies to them. Then we explained everything to Aria and their parents about Earth like the time difference, norms, and different cultures, and the timing of the sun and moon in the sky. It all seemed exciting to them because they had never been to Earth. For Anna and me, this world was still pretty new and exciting for us.
Aria asked me, “So, you guys knew about Eldaria?”
I shook my head, “No, we only knew about the other seven planets. Eldaria was new for me just like my world to you.”
Aria shook her head, “Wow, that means your world is way more advanced than Eldaria.”
I made a tight line of my lips. “That’s not true because we don’t have skyblades .”
Aria’s mouth dropped open, “You guys used skyblades?”
I didn’t know what to tell her so I looked at Elli and Kai. Eli responded, “Yeah, we borrowed some from the felines to travel and gather an army.”
Aria turned her face to the king. “Dad, I think we should also start working on it.”
Kai’s dad pointed at Kai. “Now, it's up to him and how he wants to run the kingdom.”
Kai’s mom stood up, “I think we all should call it a night as tomorrow is the coronation.”
Kai took my hand and led me through the tricky castle passageways. When we got to a big wooden door Kai opened it. The moment the door creaked open, the enormity of the room struck me. Huge beams of dark, smooth wood held up the tall roof which was lost in the shadows. Even bigger than his already huge basement on Earth. A big, fancy bed was placed in one corner. More of those strange, living symbols adorned the posts. Soft, luxurious fabrics and furs covered the bed, giving it a warm and welcoming appearance. The far wall had a huge window, while the floor had a mosaic of smooth stones and thick, woven rugs. Through it, one could see beautiful views of Eldaria.
I stood there and took it all in, but I couldn't breathe. The room wasn't just a place to sleep and live; it was a sanctuary that told the story of Kai's life and the world he belonged to. I looked at him wide-eyed. Kai just smiled and gently squeezed my hand.
"Welcome to my world," he said softly.
I smiled and then he picked me up and walked over to the bed. Kai gently placed me on the bed and joined me. Kai asked, “How do you like Eldaria?”
I looked around, “Yeah, I am getting a hang of it.”
Kai smirked, “How do you like this Eldarian guy?”
I chuckled, “Super hot.”
Kai cupped my face and he crushed his lips onto mine. I couldn’t resist kissing him back and when he split my lips with his tongue I moaned. Kai whispered while continuing to kiss me, “You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you for the past few days.”
His hands were all over my body and it felt like it had been centuries since I felt his touch I was gripping his hair and lost in his embrace and jolted when I heard a loud thud coming from the window. Kai asked, “What happened?”
“Didn’t you hear?”
Kai exhaled, “Preparations for tomorrow.”
“Have you thought about what you will do after becoming king?”
Kai nodded. “I started mingling with the other kingdoms because of the way everyone sent their help to us, despite my dad and his dad never meeting any of them or their forefathers,”
“What if we all had died in the process of breaking the curse?”
Kai shook his head and sighed. “I have no idea, Val, because in our history we have never faced such a situation.”
“What if I had died?”
Kai leaned back against the headboard. “Then Zamorra wouldn’t destroy our kingdom because I would.” Kai looked at me and continued, “That is the reason. I always instruct you to never put yourself in danger because if anything happens to you, then there will be no power in Eldaria to stop me from ruining everything.”
I tilted my head and raised my hands while wiggling my fingers, “Don’t worry, I have my powers.”
“I think you were meant to come here because of the way the moon boosted your power where we have two moons.”
“Maybe you're right but still I have trouble recognizing the day and night here.
Should I go and check the babies?”
Kai pushed me back gently, “Val, you are going to be a queen and you’ll be responsible for many of the castle’s duties. You’ll need to make a habit of using servants to take care of our babies.”
I shook my head, “How am I supposed to perform a task when I don’t know anything about it?”
Kai looked at me and kissed me. “Mom and Aria will tell you everything and you are smart enough to learn everything in a few days.”
“How do you know?”
Kai tilted his head. “Because I have seen you working in my office. I know how you tried to match up with the pace of the work.”
“What would be my job in the castle?”
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know, what are my options here?”
“I would say you roam around the kingdom and whatever you want to do I’ll make the arrangements.”
I started thinking when suddenly Kai’s eyes widened and he asked, “What is it?”
“What?”
“In your hand.”
I looked at my hands, “It’s an amulet, the fate keepers gave it to me when I bid my farewell to them,”
“But why did they give you an amulet?”
“I don’t know, they just told me I would know.”
“But why is it blinking?”
My eyes rolled to the back of my head. The last thing I heard was Kai shouting, “Val, what is happening to you?”
And everything faded.