The Tiger Within

"Someone send for Mally . " Demanded Clovis as he walked closer but Kyera couldn"t help but drop her head . Mally and herself were the only ones who could save her now . The depth of the wounds and the amount of blood lost… Kyera wasn"t even sure she could do this . He approached and put a hand gently on Kyera"s shoulder causing a shock of pain . She hardly realized it as the pain caused her shoulder to give .

"Your injured too…" He whispered to her gently . "You need to step back . Let me handle this . " He tried to coax her but Kyera refused to step back . She felt Mally"s control weaken . Soon she would be unable to hold her leopard form . Soon she would be a woman laying bare in blood on the grasee . She couldn"t let that happen…

Advertis.e.m.e.nt"Lazren . . " She whispered and his eyes met hers . The tears in Kyera"s eyes darkened his own expression . He knew the words on her lips and wished they weren"t true . Mally was going to be discovered .

"There"s only one choice…" He whispered and Kyera nodded as he moved closer to guard both ladies . Kyera focused all her energy into it, converting every inch of Mally into spirit matter . IT was a complex process and would drain Kyera of most of her energy… she was hesitant to do so with the lion nearby, but with the wolf pack"s attention… .

Clovis watched his eyes widening as the shadows engulfed the leopardess and he began to disappear into the shadows . Within moments there was nothing left but the pool of blood where the body had once lay . Kyera however felt her fill the stone upon her ear . The warmth of her heartbeat oft and clear .

"What just happened?" Alexi demanded as he came to stand behind his brother . Blood was still drenching Kyera"s fur . He placed his hand to it and sealed the wounds with his own internal spirit . Kyera looked back at him curiously it was not fully healed but it would stop bleeding . It would do till she could tend it herself . "Yea I can do it too Kitty, hold the applause . " Alexi told her teasingly before turning to his half brother .

"Your guess is as good as mine . She vanished . " Clovis replied with a shake of his head . He honestly had never seen this before . His eyes raised to the tower where his mother had been perched . She was the only one he could think of that might have some idea of what the devil was going on .

"Vanished?" The Emperor asked looking between them . He had joined his son"s now wondering what had become of the combatants, fully expecting the leopardess to be in ruins on the ground despite the tigress"s attempt at a rescue . He never dreamed the s.p.a.ce would be empty .

"I may know what has happened here but it is best we speak of it inside . This was quite a shock for all of us . I, in all my Years, have never heard of or seen such a battle in the gardens . There is no telling how many have been mortally wounded . " Evelyn added shaking her head as she watched them . Her eyes traveled over the white tiger that seemed to make the tides turn . Kyera nodded her head at the queen unsure of how else to respond to her gaze .

"Then to the tea room with us . Clovis, bring your Familiar . She should have a place at the table as well . " The Emperor reminded him with a gentle smile . Another step closer to the race . Just one leap to go and he would be ahead of his brothers in the race for the crown .

Clovis smiled as he looked at the white tigress at his side, her breathing nearly normal from the nearly deadly fight . He couldn"t help but feel a familiarity with her beside him . His hand lightly caressing her head . It was no doubt the tiger that rescued his daughter more than once, and now rescued him . "You heard him, Mood . Come along . " He tilted his head to indicate the door and followed his family inside . Kyera sighed and followed, for the first time conflicted as she entered these halls .

Would her father approve of her new path? Would it leave her wandering the earth till the land came to a end? She could only hope for the best .