Into the Realm of Magic

The Eldest Son

Alice POV

I turned to Alex to see he had gone pale like a ghost. If this is his reaction, it makes me wonder just how awful his brother is....

I mean, he couldn't be all THAT bad, right? His brother is nice and Kiu is a little.....odd but nothing bad. I looked back at the door the butler was standing at to only see that he was no longer there. What was he? A demon butler from Black Butler?

Anyway, I went to attempt to get Alex to stand up. Unfortunately, he wouldn't move from his spot.

"Alex. Alex, are you ok", I tried to get his attention. He only shook his head.

He looked up at me and said, "Why would he want to see us right when he gets home? You've only been here for what, a couple hours? And you had arrived here this evening. My brother has been off at work since early this morning and hasn't been home since until now. It doesn't make sense how he would KNOW that you are here. Unless........." he stopped talking.

"Unless?"

"...."

"Unless, what? Alex, you're starting to worry me", I told him with some concern and a bit of fear creeping into my voice.

".....His protector....."

"What", I said a little confused. For one, he spoke so softly if I wasn't paying attention, I would have missed it and two, protector?

"You mean some sort of familiar? Something like the little fox that follows Kiu around?"

"What everyone knows them as are familiars, yes, but everyone has their own name for them as well, like warrior, guardian, things like that. For us they are known as protectors and we are able to communicate with them. I am the only one in my family who doesn't have one since I am technically not related to them by blood. The protectors choose whom they wish to protect. They are with us until the day we die, whether it is by accident or by natural causes. The three-tailed fox, Sai, chose to protect Kiu ever since she was a baby. Mothers protector is a snow leopard. Father's protector is a white lion. Sakura has white wolf that is her protector," he hesitated before he spoke, "my brother, however, is a different story....."

..................

.................

"My brother's protector is a blank panther", Alex said quietly.

"Why a black panther? Nothing's wrong with that". I said a little confused.

Alex shook his head again. "Everyone in the family's protector was white. White is a part of the symbol to the family. To us it means luck, wealth, and a bright future. For my brother's protector to be black wasn't something the family was pleased about. Especially mother."

"Well if white symbolizes luck and whatnot, what does the black mean?"

"To be honest, I am not really sure. All mother talked about was of our protectors and what the white symbolizes. What it should mean to us. She had never spoke of our family members getting anything other than white. Grant it, though, it isn't uncommon for people to receive protectors of many colors. However, our family specifically was only known for receiving protectors that were white. That was until my brother's protector came. I wasn't here when he had first met his protector but mother likes to talk and we have heard many stories about it."

Alex had gone silent after that. Probably going down memory lane, flashbacks and whatnot. Could it really be such a bad thing to have a black panther as a protector? Then again, their protectors have been of the same color for probably a long time. It must have been quite the shock to see someone of the family with something different...............

"I think because we know so little of the meaning behind it is what frights my family most about it", Alex said. Suddenly the doors were opened again and not by the butler this time.....

It was the black panther and not just any normal one you would see in the zoo. This panther was bigger to were you could practically ride it if you wanted to. It seemed to have this dark atmosphere around it that makes the creature appear deadly, which it more than likely what is the case. I was frozen on the spot, as was Alex. Next thing I know, the panther is carrying (dragging?) Alex and I away by the back of our shirts like it would its baby. The panther went down a series of twists and turns and eventually made its way to a maroon color door with black and silver lining. The door opened for the panther and it walked into what looks like some fancy office. One of those fancy spiny chairs was placed behind the office desk except it was facing the window. Watch some evil villain is going to appear in the chair.

The chair turned around to reveal.......................