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Rated: 13+ · Other · Fantasy · #2011595
Character Gauntlet Challenge Day Twelve
After her last torment by Ido, in which a dark cleric had trapped her in a dream world Onyx decided it was time to eliminate any weakness her half-brother could use against her. She remained aloof from her palace servants, and any man she happened to engage in a relationship she would keep at arms-length outside of her bed. When she was not eating or sleeping she was honing her magic. By age thirty she mastered all five natural elements. She was now as strong if not stronger than all four council members put together. This fact did not escape the councilâs notice. They realized that despite their dislike of the woman she was the only one who could bring Ido under control. They decided to send an emissary to present their request to her.

Onyx stared at the young man who stood before her, resting a seven foot ax on his shoulder. She enjoyed an inner chuckle at the thought of him compensating for a small manhood with that ax. She stood, and moved down the steps of the dais to stand in front of him.

"What is your name warrior?"

"Hitaru son of Haru."

"Why have you come to my palace?"

"I was sent here by the Council to assist you in subduing Ido."

"I did not ask for their assistance."

"They feel that two of us might be better suited to the task."

"Is that how they feel?"

Onyx set her staff between them, and a ball of fire coalesced around the chatoyant stone set on the top. When it was formed she released it straight at Hitaru. He swung the large ax, and sliced through the fire ball dispelling it into sparks.

"So, you are a defensive caster," Onyx observed. She set her staff aside, and shifted into her hybrid form. With a savage snarl she launched herself at him.

The ax made a loud clang as he cast it aside, and shifted into the hybrid form of a bear. The two grappled until he had her pinned beneath him. She snapped at him with sharp fangs until he gripped her face between massive fur covered hands. He held her so that his brown eyes stared into her green eyes.

"I do not want to hurt you Onyx," he growled. "I want to help you."

"I do not want your help," she snarled. "Ido is my problem, and I will deal with him."

"So far you have done an excellent job of handling him."

Onyx could not reply to that. Ido was the one on the offensive. He did everything in his power to make her life miserable, and she would not or could not seem to bring him down. Though she hated the things he did to her, he was still her brother, and her father had instill a very strong sense of family inside her. She shifted back to her human form beneath Hitaru, and he did the same. They lay for a moment staring at each other both fight the feral desires coursing through their veins. Hitaru leaned down and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. He stood, pulled the bear skin cloak around him to cover his own nakedness, and hefted his ax to his shoulder.

"We will start the hunt at sun set," he stated. He took a moment to admire the beautiful naked creature that lay before him. It amazed him that such a soft thing could exist beneath such a savage woman. He turned, and left the main hall.

Onyx went to her room, and dressed for the hunt. She dressed herself in leather breaches and a leather corset. There was a knock at her door while she laced her hunting boot.

"Come!"

Hitaru entered dressed in similar clothes. His ax rested on his shoulder. He looked around in awe. He was not sure what he expected but it was not such splendor. In his mind the room was fit for royalty. She is royalty, he reminded himself. She was the Lady of the land.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I am," Onyx took her staff from its place, and led the way to the court yard.

Black Wind and another horse were waiting for them. The both mounted, and began their journey toward the lands of the shape shifting dire panthers. They plodded along in silence for a while until Hitaru decided to make conversation.

"My father knew your mother," he offered.

"I am the only one who did not know her," Onyx stated. "I remember Haru, he was kind to me."

"He speaks of you a lot," Hitaru stated. "Mostly of your childhood.

"My father spoke of him too."

"Did you know your mother hoped that we would marry?" Hitaru asked.

"I never met you until today."

"I have seen you, but no we have never met formally."

"I thought both of your parents were human."

"They are," Hitaru confirmed, "my shape changing was taught to me by a druid."

Onyx hushed him as they neared Idoâs camp. The entire area was too quiet for Onyx. She pulled the horse to a halt. Hitaru stopped beside her.

"Can you change into a bear?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Then we continue on foot."

Onyx dismounted and shifted into her panther form. Hitaru followed her in his bear form. The two animals made their way through the tall grass to the center of the camp. They heard the sounds of moaning and heavy breathing coming from the largest tent.

"He is mating," Onyx growled.

"I guess we can wait until he is finished," Hitaru growled softly.

"That is the polite thing to do."

They watched as two dire panthers emerged from Idoâs tent. They shifted back into women, and headed for their own tents. Once they were out of sight Onyx shift back to her human form, and formed a fire ball in her hand. Hitaru shifted back to his human for as well. Onyx chucked the fire ball at the tent and the roof burst into flames. Ido came running out of the tent naked and angry.

"What is the meaning of this?" he roared. "Who dares?"

'I dare brother!" Onyx stepped from the shadows still wearing her leather armor.

Hitaru emerged in a pair of breaches he had brought along. He and Ido sized each other up. The three of them shifted into their hybrid forms.

"You are not one of us." Ido snarled at Hitaru.

"No," Hitaru agreed. "I am just a well-trained warrior mage."

The two men grappled with each other. Onyx watched as they rolled around on the ground as Ido and Kyo had. She watched as Ido gained the upper hand over Hitaru. Just before Ido got his mouth around Hitaruâs throat Onyx shifted into the monstrous beast that dwelled within her. It was much bigger than her hybrid form, and much more savage. It grabbed Ido by his throat from behind, and pulled him off an injured Hitaru. It tossed him so that he slid across the ground. Ido shifted back into his human form as the monster advanced on him.

"Onyx, no," he pleaded. "I know you are still in there. Father would not want us to fight. He certainly would not want you to kill me."

Onyx stopped just over his body, and slammed a large hairy fist into his head. Ido lay beneath her unconscious. Onyx calmed herself, willing her body to return to its human form. She stood over Ido naked. The leather armor was only made to stretch to fit her animal and hybrid forms. Hitaru stood and walked up beside her. He hoisted Ido over his shoulder and carried him back to their horses.

"What made you stop?" Hitaru asked as he tied Ido to his saddle.

"What he said about father is true." Onyx pulled clothing out of the saddle bag on her horse and dressed herself. "Father did not want us to fight, and he did not want us to kill each other."

She climbed onto her horse. Hitaru climbed on behind her. He held the reins of his horse in a tight fist, and wrapped his free arm around Onyxâs waist. They rode back to her palace, and put Ido in the dungeon to await his trial before the Council.


Word Count: 1,387
© Copyright 2014 Vixey Todd (jlh1982 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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