The Torment • Alternate Reality Book One

Chapter 3- The Discovery

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.

Angel's POV

"Are you ready?" I ask Inferno. We are standing in the middle of the backyard, preparing ourselves to shift into our bird forms and fly off over the forest in search of hints to what happened to our friends.

"Yeah, let's go." Inferno answers, looking tense.

"Just stay calm, okay? We'll find out what happened. It'll be fine." I soothe him, putting my hand on his arm. Inferno snorts in dry humor

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you? It is your charges that are missing. I know how important they are to you." He replies.

"Yeah, maybe, but I'd be able to tell if something is wrong, and I can sense where they are, we just need to know more because I don't know an exact location, just the realm. Also, we need to know what situation they could be in so we can figure out the best way to help them." I babble nervously.

Inferno stares at me, lifting his eyebrow. I sigh and admit "Okay, I might be slightly freaking out inside and totally nervous about the possibilities of what is happening to my charges and my friends and feeling angry towards whoever captured them but I just need to keep a level head or I will end up screaming or breaking down into uncontrollable tears." I say in all one big breath.

Knowing me, Inferno stays silent and simply brings me into a hug. I relax into his touch, finding comfort in it.

"Thanks." I whisper, and let him go. "Let's go, we really need to start moving and fly around before night hits. Your phoenix form will be more easily seen by the humans at night."

"Very true. Alright, let's get into the air." Inferno agrees and then quickly shapeshifts into his phoenix form. Following suit, I change into my form of a grey bird. We launch ourselves into the sky, with Inferno staying under the tree tops so he can sense any traces of Darkness, and so he can spot details easier. I will be staying up in the air to keep a high perspective over everything and keep watch for anything suspicious, or any approaching Dark Warrior groups.

We fly for a while until I see Inferno land, meaning he wants to talk, or he found something. I swoop down and gracefully land on the branch of a tree, shifting into my human form and releasing my angel wings. It slightly tickles my spine as they come out, but it's also a great relief. It was like a massive weight was being put on my back, and releasing my wings made that pain disappear. Inferno shapeshifts back, and stares fondly at my wings.

"Wow, your angel wings are beautiful." Blushing, I smile and reply

"Thank you. But, why did you land? What did you find?"

"I can sense a really strong surge of Darkness around this area, and I have been following a trail of Darkness for a while. The Darkness was obviously traces from Dark Hounds and Warriors, but this is potent, obviously someone high up in the army, but it's really weird. It seems like a large group of Dark Hounds was here, but a bigger power linked to the Dark Hounds somehow here as well." Inferno freezes, fear clearly showing on his face. "Wait... no. Oh no. This is bad."

"What...? What are you talking about, what's wrong?" I ask, fear striking my heart.

"I think Nia, Saber, all of them might be in serious trouble." Inferno says

"What?! Why, what do you mean?"

"The gathering of Darkness in this way and with this many Dark Hounds can only mean one thing. The Dark Hound Mistress, Lauren was here and participated in the capture of them. She is the creator of all of the Dark Hounds and apparently, the only person who can fully control them. I heard rumors around the castle when I was still a Dark Warrior that the only reason that the Dark Hounds obey the Dark earth Queen is because Lauren tells them to follow her orders."

"Seriously?" I exclaim "Not even Amaro either? He is technically the Dark Earth King, but he just refers to himself as the leader of the Dark Warriors, even though he is much more."

"The only way that the Dark Hounds listen to him is if he has a direct order from the Queen. The Hounds don't like him for some reason."

"Wow, interesting. I didn't know that, and I know a lot about Amaro."

"Like what?"

"Amaro is immortal, and centuries old. He was alive when the first ever Dark Earth Queen was. Her name was Elizabeth. They fell in love, but Elizabeth became extremely ill, and nearly died. But, Amaro prayed to the gods for help, and the powers of Darkness and Earth answered the call and fused with Elizabeth and Amaro's souls, making them immortal. The only way they could die is if someone took the powers from them. But, this was only said about Elizabeth. So, when they had twin daughters, one took Elizabeth's position and killed her. Amaro obviously fell into despair, because he lost the love of his life, but he held onto the thin thread of love still in him that was his daughters. But, one lived a normal life, and died. The other one that killed Elizabeth had twin daughters as well, it's something that always happens in the royal Dark Earth family for some reason, and the same cycle happened. Soon, Amaro kept getting more and more hurt over him constantly having to see his family grow up, have children and die while he lived on. So, he lost his emotions, and let the Darkness corrupt him into a truly twisted being that cares about nothing."

"Wow, that's a serious and haunted past. No wonder he is the way he is."

"Yeah." I gasp in pain as I suddenly feel extreme pain start on my back, coming from both Nia and Ivy. The pain from Nia is stronger, meaning it's happening to Saber as well. The pain continues as it feels like Darkness is being pushed into my heart, even though it's not actually happening to me. I scream in pain and fall from the tree branch, plummeting to the ground.

"Angel!" Inferno shouts and catches me as I black out from the pain.

Molly's POV

I hear Angel and Inferno's plan, so I follow them out into the forest. When I hear them say that Sophia is in grave danger, I lose it. Anger fills me, and starts to control me. I start running through the forest, using sound waves to travel quicker. I race through the woods to the portal and quickly step through, needing to get to my sister.

I screech like a banshee in my anger as I quickly travel as sound to my final destination. I look up at the mountains looming above me menacingly, and I smirk. Letting out a warning screech, I launch myself up the mountain and stand in front of the dark castle. I glare at in in anger and the Dark Earth Queen confidently strides out with Dark warriors flanking her. I wail in a high pitched voice

"Where is my sister?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Note:

Hey kittens! Kind of a crazy chapter, right? You find out a lot, especially because of the little revelation about Amaro! I hope that gives you guys a little more insight to his character and why he is the way he is, etc.

Question:

What do you think is going to happen to Molly?

~Cat Queen