what i once was

chapter 1

My heart pounded as I ran through the castle in search of my uncle. I heard the foul footsteps of someone I didn't know. I sobbed and ran as fast as I could to his office but he wasn't their. I heard a smooth laugh behind me and I quickly turned around. There was a cloaked man holding my stuffed kitty in his left hand. I sobbed and whimpered as he reached for me and I heard screams off in the distance and before I could think, my twin cousins Violet and Sephix charged at him but he disappeared before they could land a hit on him. Sephix ran over and picked me up. Violet stood beside her and they took me to where my uncle, Felix, was. He was slightly wounded in the side and looked content after seeing that I was ok. Sephix handed me to him and looked down, her red hair covered her sage colored eyes. Her twin, violet, was looking at me, her rose colored eyes showed sympathy for me. Felix set me in his chair before he scurried off to the healers quarters. I looked at Violet and Sephix and they always seem fascinated by my green and grey eyes. Green eyes are rare in our family and the only other one to have green eyes was the lost king, Drath, who left after the nagas who killed his wife. Violet just stared at me until Sephix broke the silence, "you look so much like him...Karael"

I didn't break the stare as I have a soft nod. "Yes....that may be true but that's not a very good topic right now.." I replied softly.
"That may be true but we haft to get you out of here" I hear Felix say from the other side of the room. "Can I get Aristaeus from the stables?" I say quietly. Felix nods and looks at Sephix and she follows after me.
When we get to the stables Aristaeus was up on kind of excided to see me.
"Wow...I still can't believe you have a almost full lion breed Griffin."
I smile at her and look back at Aristaeus, he was a fully white lion with two sets of Griffin wings and he had feathers on his back legs and tail. He also has light grape colored eyes. I quickly open the door to his stable and he walked out. I mounted him and Sephix chimed in, "don't you need a saddle?"
I shook my head and petted his ears.
She mounted her white wyvern with red eyes.
"Can we tag along?" I hear a male voice say. I turn around to see two males and Violet. Violet walked up to me and said, "this is Rasenth" she pointed to a tall, thin male with light brown hair and blue eyes. "Hey" he said with a slightly scratchy voice. She pointed to the other male, "and this is meseth" she pointed to a warrior looking male with dark brown hair and grey eyes. I just nodded, and took a deep breath. The males smelled like lemon grass and pine. Aristaeus sniffed and sneezed and I patted his head and nestled between his wings and gripped the bases of them softly. Violet mounted a black wyvern with red eyes. The two boys mounted a wyvern of two heads, brothers I'm guessing. Aristaeus walked out of the stables and stretched his wings and shook his head. He was bored. I set him into a slow walk and gradually picked up his pace until he was in a run. We headed straight for the cliff like we always do. The wyverns were already in the air when Aristaeus jumped off the cliff. I locked my legs around him and leaned down ready for his swoop. Aristaeus soon swooped and jumped of the wall of the cliff up into the air. We stayed low to the ground, we all knew where we were going which was the castle of illusions. Drath's castle, which is being ruled by his son, prince  Cerviel, prince of the jokers mirrors. The wind rushed through Aristaeus mane and my hair. I wore a tailed tunic of the purest white and purple, and pants of silk. But I had no shoes on, which was fine with me. I ware clothes like these so it won't bother Aristaeus during out flight sessions. Aristaeus quickly flew faster than the wyverns and the wing beats were strong and bold but soft and gentle. I braced my hands against his shoulders and leaned further down so my face was against his soft mane. He smelled like the purest lavender and mint. I hear a chuckle from one of the boys and I lean back up and relax. Aristaeus suddenly swoops down and I quickly grab the base of his wings again and regain my posture on him. He looks nervous and I look around. There were three cloaked men, cloaks of the purest black.
"Ah, the people of the mansion of midnight are out." I chirp and the others nod.

We soon land at a heavily wooded area in the woods by the sea. Aristaeus walked along the coast until we got to a cave of many mouths. We entered and a giant castle of silver, glass, and gold was the center of a city of silver and glass. I dismounted Aristaeus and walked along a path before a panther of silver fur jumped in front of me. Aristaeus growled and stepped forward, in a challenging manor. "There's no need for that now is there" said a voice of silk. I turn to see a teen male with silver hair, gold eyes, and tan skin stand before me. He wore a tunic of indigo and tumbleweed. Cerviel. As if he read my mind he nodded.
"Yes, and this is my panther Amara" he gestured to the silver panther before us. "And you must be my second cousin, Karael? And her mount Aristaeus?"
I nod, he had the scent of driftwood and white grapefruit, and he seemed to be delighted with company. He smiled, "its been a while since I've seen you four" he spoke to Violet, Sephix, Rasenth, and Meseth. They nod and give smiles.
I hear a playful mewl and Aristaeus and Amara are roughhousing. Cerviel chuckles and looks at me in the eyes and gives a warm smile. "How old are you now?" He asks, "I'm five" I reply. He ruffles my hair. "Adorable," I scowl.
He offers his hand in which I take and he leads us down a path until we get to the castle.
"Is it ok if she stays here for a while?" I hear Sephix say. "Of course, but may I ask why?" They talk while I play with Aristaeus and Amara.
Sephix and Cerviel go into another room to talk for a while. I go into the lonely livingroom and play with some random stuff I find lying around until I find some interesting historical books. I get lost in reading that I don't even realise that I fell asleep until I jolt awake in a room I don't recognize by thunder. I whine and Aristaeus jumps up on the bed and comforts me. I push him off after petting him and get up. The sun should be setting but its dark because of the storm. I walk out of the room and down many hallways until I see some people talking in what looks like the dining room. I walk in and they turn to me, the only one I recognize Is Cerviel. The people are dressed in fine cloth with many gems and fine stitching on them. I back up a little bit until Cerviel opens his arms in a silent invitation for a hug.
I hesitantly walk over to him, the wooden floor slightly creaking beneath my feet. He picks me up and sets me in his lap.
"When in the bloody hell did you have a child?" One of the men said, he had white hair and orange eyes. Cerviel shook his head, "she's not mine, she's the offspring of Lord Ahteus.
They looked at each other with now sympathy. "Does she know?" One asked and Cerviel scowls and shakes his head. Aristaeus stalks in the room and one mad gasps, "who's is that?"
I jump off of Cerviel and run to him and hug him. "He's mine," I say sharply. Cerviel stands up but one man chimes in, "she needs new clothes, clothes of white are....are not normal here" he says.
I suddenly blurt, "I wish to know your names."
They all walk towards me, a man with black hair and twilight color eyes steps the closest. He smelled like a midnight breeze and the clear lake. "I'm  Eztyx, Lord of the Midnight Mansion." He says, a voice with a raspy touch. Two men step up, one with white hair and one with black, both share marble color eyes. "I'm Xatos, and my brother in black is Xyione" they both smile sheepishly. And the last man steps forward, "and I'm Mason." His voice was like a fork on a chalk board.
"Nice to meet you all, I'm K-"," oh we know who you are" Xyione smirks. I slightly cower and he cooes, "don't be afraid of me kid, but be warned you may be to adorable to resist someday" he winks and Cerviel elbows him, hard, Xyione chuckles and backs off. I stand there confused, holding on to Aristaeus's pelt. Cerviel picks me up, " to be honest I think your going to be safest with Xyione and Xatos tonight" he says as he hands me to Xatos. Xatos nods and walks to a very large, open room with two large beds, a bathroom, some book shelves, a balcony, and some other stuff. Xyione smirks and walks to a wardrobe on the other side of the room, "I can help you undress if you want?" Xatos scolds him for long enough to give me some time to change in the bathroom. When I get out both boys are in the bed closest to the window. Xyione gets up, and I didn't know that he sleeps naked so.....yea. I saw all of his glory, I covered my eyes only to gasp and quickly uncover them when I feel myself being picked up. Xyione carries me to the bed and lays me in the middle. "Cutie" he cooes. I blush lightly and nuzzle against Xatos and soon fall asleep.