Mine (Book 1 )

Part 27

The Capital, Kingdom of Ayra

Norvyr and Verta had made earth their home millennia's ago. It was when the Old Gods had left. Their sisters ruled well and they believed their sisters were great leaders and Gods. The inseparable twins had descended earth and lived in the forests. They had disguised as humans and lived amongst them sometimes and retired back to the forests when they didn't want anything to have to do with them. They had sired only a few sons. A handful of them. Their sons walked with them, never leaving their sides. Their sister Vaira had teased them of not building an army of lions. But Norvyr would smirk and tell her a pride never needed an army, just one could ruin the world if it wanted to. 

They had masked their scents so even their sisters couldn't spot them on earth through their Effta's. When Vaira had come to them to fight for their sister Raissa, they had thought it unnecessary to put innocent people through war when their child had been returned. They didn't mind fighting Luka, they insisted on it even but they didn't want a war. Not when the innocent would be harmed. They still carried the guilt of Raissa's death with them, even though they had destroyed the Helviti and Luka's sons, they still carried the burden of him being able to breathe while their sister was annihilated. 

After the war at Hytell they had retreated back into the forest of Lyska. When they heard of the birth of Devra's son, they travelled to Ayra to see their best friend's son. They had watched the King claim it as his own raising it to the public a moon after the child's birth, announcing to them that another wolf had been born. But the same day they smelled their sisters on earth and even Nerak close by. They had followed them from a distance and saw them place a child at the Domus Dei. They waited for them to leave and had held their niece in their arms. Smelling the scent of Luka's blood coursing through its veins. Verta pretended to be a local, running to the orphanage and begging it's warden to follow them. 

Miss Ava had see Norvyr with the child at the Domus Dei and taken it from them. 'You don't have to call me every time you see a child, you can bring them to me and I will take them in' the woman had promised. Norvyr and Verta both sired children after millennia that night. Norvyr and Verta were cursed with the women dying after the births of their children. It was the reason they sired so few. They pretended they had found their newborn sons and placed them close to the daughter of Elixia. It was after eons Elixia had had a daughter and they would do anything to protect her, even if it was fathered by Luka himself. 

Verta and Norvyr watched them grow, masked their scents and watched over them from afar. They had even led their niece to the Domus Dei to befriend Devra's son. They had watched fondly over all four of them. They had left when they were a little older, promising to come back when it was time. They went back to Lyska, the kingdom with the most lions. 

The twin Gods of animals had continued to live their life in Lyska till they had heard about Luka's descent on earth. They had left to Ayra immediately. But their sons or niece were nowhere to be found. For the first time they wished for Effta's to look over all the world. They had seen Luka build the Helvite walls and watched him marry their niece of forcibly. They just needed her to be safe before they attacked. The sons of the twins would take turns to watch over their cousin even from afar when she walked out of the Palace. They had seen the bladesmith push a piece of paper into her hand. They had told him about the legend of Sanguis Leonis. They had waited for their Lexie to walk into the forest and had blessed the birth of  a lion the minute she stepped foot into the Ayrian woods. They had felt Orro being blessed on earth and realised she was safe now. At the same time, they had seen the Helvite crack from the outside. 

Norvyr called his sons and nephews as he hurried along with Verta towards Orro. They saw him pounce and free Lexie from her shackles while the Helvite around them cracked further. Verta stepped closer as he saw Lexie smile down at Orro and stand beside him. They watched the guards scurry in fear but a woman stay put. She turned around when she felt a presence and immediately furrowed her brows, putting on a face of readiness to attack. "Lexie" Verta smiled. She didn't recognise him and was ready to destroy him. "I see you've met Orro" she looks at him confused. The girl behind her rushes to her side while Lexie looks at Norvyr and the rest stand behind Verta. "We're the brothers of Elixia, it's nice to finally speak to you dear niece" Verta smiles and Lexie still hesitates to let her guard down. The cracking of Helvite distracting her a little. " I am Verta, this is Norvyr and these are our sons" he steps closer. 

She watched their lions and appear from behind them and stand beside them. "That one's yours to keep. " Norvyr smirks pointing at Orro "Consider it a gift from your Uncles" he walks past Verta and is now close to Lexie. She finally lets her guard down a little. The Helvite wall cracks making them all look up but instead of a brighter sun they see a purple halo. 

"Nea" the men say in unison. Lexie and Rosalynd look at them confused. 

"Come on, we don't have much time" Verta says to Lexie and she looks at Rosalynd. Norvyr notices his niece's worry about her friend. He whistles into the forest and a hound comes running. 

"She'll guide your friend to safety" Norvyr says to Lexie. He looks at the hound "Take her to the Domus Dei" he commands and the hound whimpers in response and walks to Rosalynd. Rosalynd hugs Lexie before following the hound. "Come on" he says to Lexie and they walk to the river. Oslak, the son of Verta raises his arm into the sky. With the sky clear, Oolvana's swooped in for them to mount. A whole pride of lions gathered. They watched Nea's creation of the dome and waited for the right time to grace the skies with their presence. 

They heard Luka's frustration and signal them to fly into the sky. Their lions running close behind them. As they flew up the sky. Verta and Norvyr took on their original forms. They were the handsomest men of all the gods. They were the strongest next to Devra. They were the bravest and most powerful of the gods next to Devra. Norvyr had a bow of arrows at his back. He arched his back and shoots an arrow at the Domus Dei, destroying the Helvite that surrounded it. "You know how long I've been waiting to do that?" Norvyr smirks. 

The lions make their way to the foot of the Palace roaring at the entrance of the brothers of Elixia. Taissa knew in her heart they would come. They had looked after her as a baby, she knew they would come. Her breath hitched as she swallowed a lump in her throat at the relief of seeing the Oolvana with Norvyr and Verta. She lets out a gasp when she sees an Oolvana beside them with her daughter on it. Vaira's confidence is returned as she sees her niece safe flying beside her brothers. Both of them protecting her. They knew, she thought. 

Hal let go of Djolna on seeing Lexie. All he wanted to do was hold her and make sure she was alright. It was all he cared about. Her. Her eyes caught his. She swooped down immediately when she sees Djolna trying to stab him from behind. She pulls the dagger Oslak gave her and screamed as she charged and slit Djolna's throat. She stumbles into Hal's grip as she dismounts her Oolvana. "Hal" she breathes. His hands come up to her face and he pulls her to his chest. He lets go of her and holds her hand as they run not knowing where to go. Away from Luka, is all Hal could think. He raises his hand praying for an Oolvana and one appears. 

They mount it. Lexie quickly follows him mounting the Oolvana. "They listen to you" she says as she sees the war that ensued before her eyes. Fending off the creatures that tried attacking them with her dagger, she grips onto the Oolvana with her feet. 

"Turns out Eckhard wasn't my father" Hal says in between slaying a Helviti creature trying to bring them down. 

"Who is?" Lexie asks. 

"Devra" he says and her eyes widen. Their Oolvana screams as Helviti pierces through its chest. "Off" he says to Lexie and they both jump to the ground and look up to the Oolvana disappearing into thin air. 

"Lexie!" Taissa frantically runs to her daughter and hugs her. "You are okay" she says to herself. 

"A reunion!" Luka's voice thunders alerting them again. Taissa pushes Lexie behind her. Lexie instead remembered what Verta told her. Her eyes search for Verta and sees him slay the Helviti with his sword. Lions and wolves all over tearing the creatures apart. Verta's eyes catch his nieces and realise she's close to Luka. Norvyr follows his brothers signal and commands the lions to surround Luka. 

Lexie concentrates hard on what she looked like in Ozea and her true form appears leaving Hal looking at her in awe. A sword appearing in her hands. Taissa looks back at her daughter and Lexie urges her to let go of her. Taissa reluctantly heeds to Lexie's signal. 

Verta had told her about the prophecy of the gods. Of how Luka was blessed by his mother of never being killed by a god. But he was cursed by his father that the blood of a lion would kill him. But the pact of Elixia's old god prevented his sons to bear unto him any death. Luka had feared the lions less because of it. But he had failed to remember Elixia's daughter. The daughter of the earth, skies and the seas.