Arakim's Legacy(#Wattys2015)

Chapter 6

What is it?' asked Mena, who was watching Tyr closely and didn't miss the shiver he couldn't suppress nor the slight jump in his heartbeat. Drawing the attention of every shifter in the big room that were talking quietly amongst themselves but stopped when they heard Mena.

Because even though she spoke in a whisper, they all heard it clearly. Maybe it was her tone of voice or the underlying fear and shock they all heard in her voice. Which was shocking in itself because they knew Mena didn't show fear no matter what situation she found herself. Even with the discussion already going on before she asked her question that had freaked most of them out didn't seem to faze her but something in the last few minutes must have for she sounded scared.

"What happened?'' Mena persisted, narrowing those freaky green eyes, fists clenched. "Something made you shiver and your heart jumped in your chest. That had never happened to you before''

"You are like a dog with a bone.'' said Myra, the tigress sentinel who never let an opportunity to incite discord pass her by, especially if Mena was involved but who unwittingly diffused the tension that was ramping up in the room "Hey.'' Raising her hands with their very long sharpened nails up in defence, when Mena turned her glittering eyes on her. "I'm just saying.'' opening her brown chestnut eyes innocently.

Mena didn't have time to bandy words with her. They were more pressing issues here demanding her attention. Like what could make their powerful leader lose his cool for a second. Turning back to face Tyr whose black obsidian eyes betrayed no emotions, staring blankly at Mena.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.'' Turning to look around the big room at the eight shifters sprawled in their chairs, looking on with interest. "Didn't any of you hear it too?''

All shook their heads except the tawny brown eyed male jaguar who shrugged without answering.

"Well, did you hear it or not?'' she snapped at Edum.

'I did.'' he murmured in his deep voice, lifting an eyebrow.

When he didn't say anything else, Mena rolled her eyes and murmured sarcastically. "Really. That's all you can say when our mighty and esteemed leader flinches and his heart jumps?'

Edum, the jaguar sentinel shrugged again. When it looked like things would escalate into a more heated arguments, Taylor, the bear sentinel turned to Tyr. "Well, did you flinch?'' he mockingly asked.

And Tyr's. "Aye. As a matter of fact I did.'' Brought a halt to the argument going on between Mena, Djou; a male lion shifter and Kaite, a female wolf shifter, with Mena giving them a smug look and Myra sticking out her tongue at her and Tyr looking on indulgently like a parent with his children.

"And?'' asked Nesso, the panther shifter, looking at Tyr.

Leaning back on his chair, Tyr gestured to all of them to settle down. "I've never told this story before and wouldn't even think of telling it because of promises made a long time ago but in view of what had occurred in the last several days and more importantly today, I feel you need to hear the beginning to understand the now.'' Closing his eyes briefly, Tyr resumed.

"Many millennia ago, there were only three beings in the world. How they came to be, they could not say but there they were. They came to call themselves brothers even though they were nothing alike except for their existence. They became companions roaming the world as they saw fit, learning about the world they found themselves in. And with knowledge came emotions and with emotions came personal awareness. And like siblings, did not always agree with each other for their minds had evolved'' Another brief pause.

"The first brother liked to lord it over the other two. Believing that he was superior and they should accede to him on every issue which wasn't going to happen for the three were of equal strength and weakness, but that did not stop him from wanting it.