Leviathan

Chapter 13-- Change

Chapter 12:

Emerald

Laura and I ran into the forest along with all the other teenagers, but the weirdest thing was, normally everyone would be chatting with each other, but now not a single whisper could be heard above the noise of footfalls hitting the forest floor. Before long the people had branched out in different directions and I slowed down to a walk.

"Lau, this is so exciting!" I gushed.

"I know, it’s like a key moment in our lives," she responded. We came across a clearing and sat down, breathing heavily. In a comfortable silence, we watched the moon slowly move in the star-filled sky.

The sound of heavy footfalls startled me out of my reverie and I sat up as Hunter barreled into our clearing.

"Hi Emerald, I've practically been looking for you everywhere!" he said.

"Oh, Laura and I got too tired to keep running so we just sat here."

"Okay..." He sat down beside me and I put my head on his shoulder, relaxing in the moonlight.

I lay back and counted the stars. As if my body could feel the moon's movement, prickles of excitement flowed down my back.

I reached out and grabbed Laura's hand. "Its time," I said tonelessly. We stood up from our spaces on the ground and turned our faces skyward. The blue-tinted moon reached the zenith and its blue-silvery light shone down on us, washing everything in its glow.

**********

Aaron

Skylar warned us that there would be pain; that there would be suffering. I didn't take him seriously. I screamed as my spine lengthened to create a tail. The bones around my nose crackled and popped as they expanded to form a wolf's snout. My teeth sharpened to points and my nails were replaced with razor-sharp claws that glinted dimly in the blue moonlight. The scream turned into a howl as I rose up, fully changed into a silver-gray wolf with gleaming sapphire eyes and glinting teeth. I took a moment to just sit there and feel everything. It was like I was still in my body, only there was another voice there now. My wolf. He was urging me to find prey, find something to chase and not just sit there like a weakling. Taking a minute to think isn't weakness, I told him. I took a deep breath through my nose. Scents flooded me as I tracked each one.

I smelled Damien-- his rich oak and ozone smell. There was the pack leader, Skylar, with his dirt and grass smell. One very familiar scent sent me running after it. Emerald. Her scent of snow and sunlight called to me and I loped after it. Then, a piercing scream shattered the night. I growled and pushed on faster, determined to find Emerald.

She was on her knees in a patch of moonlight. Laura and Hunter hovered close by, wings brushing the ground as they hurried closer. Laura had red wings that looked like they shimmered with heat, while Hunter had wings the navy color of the night sky. Damien’s favorite color was red, I thought disjointedly. Emerald shrieked wordlessly and curled up on the grass, whimpering slightly. Laura turned to face me once she heard my footsteps approach. She saw the question in my eyes.

"I don't know what's happening," she trailed off. "Hunter, can you go look for Diare?"

Hunter tore his eyes away from Emerald's prone form and spread his wings. "Sure. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that he flapped his wings and spiraled into the night sky.

I trotted over to Emerald and nudged her burning forehead gently. She groaned and turned her head slightly, squinting. I whined and curled up beside her, tucking my tail over my snout. She smiled shakily and reached out to smooth her palm between my ears, sweat glistening on her forehead. "Hey Aaron," she whispered. "This sucks, doesn't it?"

I whined again and inched closer. She sucked in another breath and screamed again, the shrill sound of it jarring my bones and marking my soul. I licked her chin consolingly, wishing I could take the pain away. I watched as pure white wings shot through with gold and silver emerged from Emerald's back and quivered gently, before folding against her back and stilling. Emerald sighed and relaxed, previously clenched hands uncurling and straightening.

"Emerald!" Laura cried. "Are you okay?" She rushed over and helped Em up. Emerald sighed, brushing the grass from her blue shorts and tucking her hair back behind her ear. I touched her leg gently and gazed questioningly up into her emerald eyes. She laughed, and it sounded like pealing silver bells. "I'm fine, Aar, don't worry aboutme." I huffed and sat on my haunches silently. I quite liked being in wolf form for now. My ears twitched as I registered the sound of wings beating the air.

Diare and Hunter landed swiftly. Hunter ran over to Emerald's side while Diare took her time walking, seeming deep in thought. "Emerald," Hunter exclaimed. "What was happening?"

Emerald shrugged as Diare came closer. "I have no idea. Maybe we should ask her."

Diare came to a stop in front of Emerald. "What are your wing colors?" She asked.

"See for yourself," Emerald replied. She turned around and unfolded her blinding white wings. The skin around the meeting point was red and shiny, almost as if it had been burned. Diare gasped. "So what element are you then?"

"I don't know," Emerald said evenly. "I was hoping you could tell me."

"Maybe your powers come out when you are under pressure..." Diare pondered. "Hunter," she barked. "Now is the time for you to try out your new powers."

"But--"

"Now!"

Hunter moved to stand across from Emerald. I growled and went to stand beside her, baring my teeth and crouching down. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Wind blew around the forest and droplets of water whizzed into Hunter's hands, coalescing into a ball of churning, choppy water.

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Emerald

The ball of water hovered between Hunter's hands. If I have powers, I prayed. Now would be a good time! I felt a tingling in my wings and suddenly I knew my power: Ice. Just as Hunter prepared to hurl the water at me I stuck out my hand, wiggled my fingers slightly and turned the entire thing to ice.

"What the--" Hunter cursed and dropped the hunk of ice. It bounced once and shattered into a million pieces.

Diare nodded in approval. "I see you have the power of ice. Lets see how well you do against fire. Laura!" she commanded.

Laura stepped forward hesitantly. "Just shoot a little jet of fire at her. I guarantee she'll be fine afterwards anyway. Leviathans heal fast." she reassured.

Like me, Laura twinkled her fingers and a flame popped into existence at her fingertips. As she moved her hand, my wings tingled again and I waved my hand in a wide arc. A jet of water splashed onto Laura, drenching her from head to toe.

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry?"

Laura grumbled and crossed her arms, water dripping from her hair and her clothes. Diare nodded again and stepped forward. "Let's see you try against earth, Emerald."

She held out her hands and the leaves on the trees quivered. With a loud rustle, a whirlwind of leaves leaped off the trees and dove towards me. With the almost familiar tingling sensation curling down my spine, I pointed at the whirlwind and sent a bolt of white-hot flame towards it. The scent of burning leaves filled the air as the whirlwind disintegrated a meter in front of me.

I lowered my hands wearily and put them into my pockets. "So what, I've got three elements?"

"No," Diare corrected. "I think you've got all of them."