The Lioness of Earth

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" GET UP YOU RUNTS!" Ambu gasped and sat up. " It's just a dream, a silly little nightmare" she repeated under her breath over and over. " OI WATER GIRL!"  Ambu continued to repeat the phrase to herself as a figure approached. It had crazed red eyes, gleaming with malice. Choppy black hair hung around the face, it's fists glowing with fire. It cornered her, raising a fist above her. A small cry from behind her alerted her to another. A small girl with cat like green eyes and pale skin. Her hair was shortly cut, brown with streaks of green running through it. Her fair skin had many scars, some new and some old. As she cried, it seemed like the world was crying with her. " Hey, hey, don't worry!" Ambu whispered in a voice that was definitely not hers.

"It will be alright my little lioness"

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Ambu awoke with a scream. " Bambi?" her roommate Ciro, was a very heavy sleeper. She must have screamed loudly then. "It was just a dream idiot!" Eda, his royal bluntness, snorted. But it seemed so real. So very real. " It seemed so real," she whispered, brushing her hair from her face. " Was it about the guy with the fire hands? And the little lion girl?" Ciro squeaked, looked excited. Ambu nodded, siting up and rubbing her eyes. Ciro made a happy noise, curled into ball and rolled back and forth, content with a correct assumption. Eda, on the other hand, started to fidget with the blanket. " Was I there too?" Eda whispered, making his voice quiet enough for Ciro not to hear. She nodded and he sighed, hanging his head.

Ambu, Ciro and Eda had been friends as long as Ambu and Eda could remember. Ciro claimed he remembered more, back when they were 'heroes of lands long forgotten'. Ciro also had ADHD, a form of psychosis and eidetic memory, so you couldn't be sure if he was telling the truth or not. Ciro had steely grey eyes and black hair so dark you would swear it was blue. He was normal height, dark skinned and had several scars from his previous foster homes. Eda, on the other hand, was completely different. Eda was blessed with no ADHD or Anxiety, but suffered immensely from depression. His eyes were like lifeless coal and his hair was a shade below ginger and his skin was tan. He was the tallest, being the oldest. Ambu was the shortest, to her dismay. She had ocean blue eyes, chocolate brown skin and caramel coloured hair, earning her the title of 'the beachiest beach girl in London' (all Ciro, only Eda reminding him that they lived in Cerlios, not 'the big smog'). 

Cerlios was the town you see in fairy tales. Small cottages left and right, fresh produce available in the market. Ancient castles had been refurbished decades ago for schools. Forests with flowers that bloomed in every season. Perfect in Spring, wonderful in Summer, perfect snowy Winters and gorgeous Autumns. Every day was either perfect or slightly bad. The only dangers were the creatures in the mountains. Legends of old said that the mountains were the land of an ancient people, older than life itself. It was rumoured that those who tried to leave were chased back into town by either two wolves, one black and one white, or a green blur fast as the wind.

As Eda picked himself up, Ambu helped Ciro pick an outfit. One that would simultaneously look perfect in summer weather, while also not too much skin. Ciro was very particular about that. After settling to the usual white 'floaty' top and jeans, he happily ran downstairs to dibs the first food. Ambu's cousin Artemis would stop by every morning to make the three breakfast, before vanishing to sleep. Artemis and her other cousin Helios worked night shifts in the mountains as wolf hunters. More like wolf corpse retrievers, picking up the dead wolves and selling them in town. The two were some of the few that could survive up there, every morning coming back with a new story.

As she plopped downstairs, Artemis' face shocked her. Unlike the usual silver eyes and blue lipstick, accompanied by white hair and olive skin, she was a mess. She was hunched over the small island in the kitchen, an open wound bleeding steadily on her right shoulder. She looked freezing and was shivering crazily. Ciro was digging through the cupboard, looking for bandages, bandaids, anything. A sharp inhale behind her informed Ambu that Eda was in the room. Eda rushed over to Artemis and held his hand tight around the wound. " Ciro, get some of the special string and a needle!" He called over his shoulder, eyes firmly on Artemis. " What happened?" Ambu finally got out, moving her with Eda to the nearby couch. 

As she sat down next to her, Artemis glanced at the back door quickly before taking a deep breath. " They found us, Derek and John, the wood chopping couple." She started shaking slightly more. " They found us and this thing attacked them, a bright green blur, shredding and ripping at them". Ciro gasped and dropped the needle. " Then it turned on us, barely getting me, but Helios.." She trailed off, glancing back at the door, like something was about to walk through the door and kill them. " Where's Heli?" Ciro whispered, hands clasped over his mouth. Artemis shook her head. " Derek and John?" He asked again. Artemis shook her head once more, tears spilling out of her eyes. As the minutes passed, silence filled the room.

As Eda hugged her, Ambu heard movement from outside. Glancing at the clock, she knew it wasn't the milkman, nor the postman. " Who's there?" she yelled standing up and facing the door, inching toward the door handle. " Bambi don't!" Artemis yelled as she flung open the door. The famous green blur ran in, launching at Artemis, hitting the table and chairs. " NO!" Eda flung himself over her, waiting for the attack. " RHEA STOP!" All eyes in the room looked towards the door as the blur hid behind a tired looking Helios. His golden hair was messy and his blue eyes just looked plain exhausted. Ciro cheered and ran to him, before stopping to stare at the blur, which was slowing down. 

Helios sighed and pulled Ciro into a hug, making Ciro giggle like a kid. The others wanted to go over, but the blur had stopped moving. Ambu's heart stopped. It was a girl with fair skin, bright green eyes and brown and green hair. Exactly like the one in the dream. Eda looked equally shocked. Ciro was confused, but pushed it aside to be polite. " Hi I'm Ciro! What is your name?" he asked cheerfully, holding out a hand for her to shake. The girl looked on the verge of tears, which was odd. She looked at Helios and then back at Ciro, almost like she hadn't the faintest clue what to do. Helios nudged her with his foot and smiled. She smiled too, looking at Ciro and laughing. 

Everyone in the room was shocked, for that laugh was incredible. " I'm Rhea, said ray-a not the other way," she giggled at herself, like she was telling a joke. She looked at Ciro's waiting hand and looked back up to Helios. She asked him something in another language, to which he replied "Sure". She launched at Ciro engulfing him in a hug, like she had known him forever. She whispered something and Ciro hugged her tighter. Ambu and Eda exchanged glances, while Helios was having a whisper conversation with his sister. " Okay guys, get upstairs and pack your essentials, we are leaving soon" Helios said, his face solemn. " Why?" Ambu asked, Eda looking even more angry. " Because they are coming for you" Everyone turned to Rhea, who had stopped hugging Ciro and was now sitting on the island.  

" Who?"

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