by Walls, Devri
“Will you allow me the same privilege?” said Emane. Kiora furrowed her eyebrows. Reaching out, Emane tucked her hair behind her ears. “Pretending that I don’t love you would be forcing me to live a lie. And I have lived enough lies.”
“But what If I don’t ever...”
“Say you love me?” he finished for her. “Do you have feelings for me?”
“Of course Emane, I...”
“Then I have to believe the rest will come.”
She looked at him eyes wide with wonder. “You’re really ok with this, waiting for me?”
“On one condition. You have to stop feeling guilty when I worry about you.”
She let out a long deep breath, stop feeling guilty. He might as well have asked her to bring him the moon. “I will try.”
“It’s only natural, Kiora, that I would worry about you whether love is involved or not.” He pulled her to her feet. “Come on, we need to get ready. We have a celebration to attend tonight and I was told we needed to dress appropriately.” Looking down at her he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Alright?”
She nodded slowly, “Alright.”
Chapter Eighteen
THE CELEBRATION
WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT their room there were two human-ish looking things waiting by Kiora’s door. One was tall and much too skinny— her skin was more yellow than tan, and green hair jutted out in all directions, which almost distracted from the fact that she had four arms, with six or seven fingers on each hand. Her companion had pointy ears and enormous eyes; they were pools of the darkest blue surrounded by long black eyelashes that rested on her cheeks. Kiora noticed that the longer she and Emane stayed here, the less the Shifters tried to appear human.
“Hello?” Kiora said nervously, unsure of why they were waiting at her door.
The two bowed and the one with large eyes spoke, “Eleana asked that we help prepare you for the celebration this evening. I am Muriel, and this is Sabina,” she said, pointing to the one with the extra arms.
“Um, I’m sure I will be fine… I just need… uh…” she looked back to Emane for assistance.
“Thank you so much!” Emane gushed, smirking at Kiora. “I am sure she can use all the help you two can offer.”
Kiora glared at him. With a smile, he put his hand in the small of her back and gently pushed her into the room.
“I will pick you up when it is time.” He backed out with a devilishly impish grin and closed the door. She would kill him later, she decided.
The two girls circled her clicking their tongues, “You are filthy, my Lady,” Muriel said, her long eyelashes batting disapprovingly.
“I know.” Crawling around in a cave sobbing usually does that, she thought.
They started pulling her clothes off despite her objections and pitched her in the tub. Kiora felt like a two year old. She sat there fuming to herself and thinking of what she was going to do to Emane when the two ‘helpers’ were done. The Shifters scrubbed and combed, pulled and clipped. They cleaned and buffed each fingernail and toenail and scrubbed her ears until she was sure they were bright red.
“What kind of celebration is this anyway?” Kiora asked through watery eyes as Sabina tore through the tangles in her hair with four combs at once.
“You do not know my lady?” Muriel cooed in surprise.
“We haven’t been told much… ouch!”
“It is a celebration for the magic that was bestowed upon Prince Emane. We honor not only Emane for learning how to use it, but also the mountain for giving it freely to him.”
“What does this celebration entail?” she asked Sabina as the girl used three of her four arms to pull her out of the tub as though she weighed nothing.
Muriel thankfully wrapped a towel around her. “It will be grand!” she giggled. “They have been preparing for two days!”
“And we,” Sabina giggled, “have been busy too… making you this.” She picked up a dress that was draped across the bed. Kiora gasped, it was beautiful. Through all the scrubbing, combing and buffing she hadn’t noticed it was there. She had thought that the dresses Eleana had sent her for the dinners were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but this one…it put the others to shame.
She fingered the fabric, “You made this?” she asked in awe.
“Let’s make sure it fits,” Muriel urged. Sabina giggled as if the thought that it wouldn’t fit was ridiculous.
They slid it over her head and laced up the back. It hugged tightly where it should and flared out beautifully at the waist. It had been made to perfection, not one inch of fabric was there that was not needed. Muriel and Sabina both cooed softly in appreciation.
Kiora smoothed the silken folds that surrounded her. The bottom of the dress looked to be the exact color of green as the band of magic wrapped around Emane’s arm. As the dress caught the light from the chandeliers, it shone as if it had a thousand pieces of cut diamond embedded throughout the fabric. The bodice glinted with crystals that shown with all the colors of the rainbow. The top reminded her very much of Arturo’s wings, it had a high collar on the back which was lined with the same green as the bottom of the dress. The front was open, with a scooped neck that accentuated her collarbones. She looked in the mirror and was taken aback.
“Thank you,” she whispered, “it’s beautiful.”
They giggled again. “Come, sit, my lady, we must make the rest of you match your dress.”
By the time they had finished, Kiora could barely recognize herself. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in tiny ringlets. They had managed to place little crystals throughout the curls so that when she moved they caught the light. Kiora had never worn makeup a day in her life, there was no need as she never went anywhere. But now she had soft red lips and lilac purple shadow to offset her fiery green eyes. Her lashes were black and looked longer than she had known they were. She stared at the stranger in the mirror, worried that she might disappear if she blinked.
The two Shapeshifters gathered their things.
“Thank you, you two have done a wonderful job.”
Their eyes suddenly became very serious. “My Lady, is it true that you are powerful enough to defeat Dralazar?” Sabina asked.
Kiora felt the air being sucked out of her. She tried to swallow her discomfort. “I will be.”
They both bowed. “We will fight with you, my Lady,” Muriel added.
“Thank you,” she said, humbled by their support. “And I will fight with you.”
They bowed again and left the room. Turning to look in the mirror again, she contemplated if the face she saw looking back at her would be strong enough for the journey ahead.
“Oh Ki-O-ra!” Emane’s voice sung as he swung the door open. “I see you entourage has left. I thought I would just—” He stopped dead in his tracks his mouth dropping at her reflection in the mirror.
She turned to Emane, smoothing her dress, nervous to meet his eyes. “How did the ‘entourage’ do?”
He took one step forward before stopping again. “You look... a..amazing,” he stuttered. “This dress is amazing,” she said as she moved the skirt from side to side.
“No, not the dress, you.” He swallowed hard. “Um, do you remember when we were in Arian’s cave and I told you of the girl I was engaged to?”
How could I forget, she thought sourly, “The most beautiful girl you’d ever seen,” she said dryly. “I remember.”
The Prince nodded slowly, unable to take his eyes off her. “Yes, that one. You are more beautiful than she ever was. I want you to know that.”
Embarrassed, she asked hurriedly, “And what about you, are you going in that?””
He looked down at the robe he had wrapped around him. “No. I don’t think I would be able to walk next to you if I went in this.”
She giggled. “Oh I don’t know, you do look rather handsome.”
“Give me a few minutes,” he said shifting from one foot to the other, his eyes still trailing over her. �
�I will be back to get you.”
He ran back to his own room, leaving Kiora to contemplate what the girls had asked her. She looked back into the mirror.
“Am I strong enough? To defeat Dralazar?” she asked out loud. Her reflection stared back at her without an answer, looking as lost as she felt. She had to believe that she could. If not, then why continue?
She was lost in thought as Emane came back into the room. Now it was her turn to lose her breath. She looked in the mirror back at him. He was in a full suit that looked as if it had been sewn onto him. His body was lean and muscular. The green cape he wore matched her dress and reminded her of the first time she had seen him, with his royal cape on. But now instead of haughty coldness, his eyes were full of warmth. His stance was still proud, his shoulders filling out his suit nicely, but it no longer smacked of arrogance.
Stopping behind her he caught her eye in the mirror, offering his elbow, “Shall we?”
She smiled “Of course.” Standing in a swish of fabric, she linked her arm though his.
They walked arm in arm down the corridor listening to the celebration drifting up through the center of the colony.
When they entered the main hall, Kiora could not stop herself from laughing out loud. The party was in full swing. The Shapeshifters did not need costumes or fancy clothes. Instead they shifted their bodies to match the occasion. And the color! Before them was a sea of Shifters, each taking their artistic liberty with their form of choice. Hair, feathers and fur were in a fantastical array. Bright and brilliant birds flew around the room, green and blue dogs ran by and a giant with hot pink hair pounded his feet to the music a little too hard causing the floor to rumble. What looked like Guardians zipped around the room leaving rays of color following behind them, twisting and turning in the air. It was joyous and fun and the most amazing thing she had ever seen.
Drustan stood across the room in a glittering green jacket, which seemed to be the color of the evening, and bade Kiora and Emane come and sit.
Emane helped maneuver Kiora through the spinning and dancing Shapeshifters until they reached the head table.
Drustan bowed his head slightly, keeping his eyes on them, “Welcome my lady, my Prince. He stood looking as awkward as he had the day Emane awoke. “It was never my intent, had I realized...” he halted, his eyes glazing over Emane’s shoulder. “My zeal sometimes does more harm than good. I do hope that my apology was understood as heartfelt.”
Emane bowed at the waist, “It was.”
“Excellent,” he said straightening his jacket before rolling his hand towards their seats with a flourish. “Please, sit and enjoy the festivities.”
Kiora and Emane sat and watched the crowd shift and change before their eyes. The sea of color was beyond the imagination. Animals flew by in shades she had never seen. Guardians had glittering wings of silver and gold. A mini dragon made its way around the room, trailing wings of fire. A butterfly the size of a cat flew by, its wings changing with every flap. It was a wonderful kaleidoscope of color and shapes that tickled every inch of Kiora’s imagination. There was so much to see, she could have watched for hours and still felt as though she could have missed something.
“Never,” Emane said loudly in Kiora’s ear, “did I ever imagine that I would be sitting here, witnessing this.”
“I know.” Kiora laughed as fireworks flew skyward dragged by two more butterflies, exploding against the roof of the cavern.
Drustan leaned over, “What do you think of our celebration?” He smiled broadly.
“It’s amazing!”
Drustan stood up and clapped his hands three times. The activity in the hall stilled and all eyes in the room turned their attention to them. One of the Shifters paused mid-shift, leaving his head as a tiny guardian while the rest of his body was ballooning out in what was most likely a lion. Kiora had to look away to hide her laughter.
“Thank you all for your hard work!” he announced, his voice reverberating around the hall. “You have made this a great success. I am, as I know we all are, pleased with the two we have sitting before us, the Solus and her Protector. I know we have all been repeatedly impressed with both their skill and character. We have chosen to fight against Dralazar and I believe with them at our side we will finally defeat him!”
The crowd roared their approval.
“Many of us have suffered at Dralazar’s hand and have witnessed his cruelty. This day is to celebrate not only our decision to fight against him, but more importantly the gifting of Prince Emane with magic. The mountain has deemed him worthy and so do we. May he use it in honor.”
A cheer again bellowed through the room.
“The war will begin soon enough, but tonight, we celebrate!”
Drustan sat down grinning amongst the cheers of his people. “Please, eat and enjoy!” he told Kiora and Emane. “My people have worked hard preparing this.”
Plates of food were set in front of them and their goblets were filled with a frothy red substance. Kiora and Emane sampled the buffet before them. The frothy drink tasted of apple and peach with just a hint of sour. Kiora tried some of everything, reveling in the flavors.
“Normal food is never going to taste as good as it did before!” Kiora said.
Emane nodded in agreement. “Even palace food doesn’t compare to this. The entertainment is better too,” he said as a dog jumped in front of them and exploded into a bird, midair.
“It gets better!” Drustan said, pointing to the middle of the room.
A Shifter stood alone in the center of the floor waiting for the crowd to clear. Once he had the attention of the room he began to change his features until Emane stood before them. The real Emane shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
“Don’t worry, just watch,” Drustan said, patting him on the back.
The Shifter threw his arms into the air, arching his back while his body shifted again, this time turning green and elongating. He changed himself into a giant green glittering snake twisting itself through the air. Even the Shifters were impressed— a few ahs and oohs escaped from the crowd.
The snake eyed the occupants of the room with its glittering black eyes, flicking its tongue out, tasting the air. With the sudden beat of a drum, a handful of Shifters stepped out and into the center of the room as well, each one changing into something on evils side. There was a dragon, a Hound, and a Fallen One. Two more drum beats thundered and a fifth Shifter, a woman, walked out to the middle, standing just in front of the snake. Turning around, it was a girl who looked exactly like Kiora.
Kiora now found herself squirming in her chair, understanding exactly how Emane felt. It was very disconcerting to watch a perfect copy of yourself standing in front of you, without being in control of what that copy does.
The snake reared up behind her as the drums began to beat faster and faster. The three circled the Solus and her Protector, hissing and growling at each other. The drums were rising to a near frantic pace and with one final beat of the drums the Solus threw her arms out, flames and sparks flying from her fingers. The dragon roared shooting flames across the room, the Fallen One darted around as it threw sparks in response and the Hound began to stalk. As though in protection of her, the snake struck over the top of the Solus, swallowing up each enemy in turn as it swept around the circle.
The crowd cheered at evil’s defeat. The performers gave a bow, then raised their arms up to where Kiora and Emane sat, giving them recognition as well.
Drustan stood, clapping. Kiora and Emane rose to their feet as well with a standing ovation for the performers.
Drustan waited until the clapping had died down before announcing, “Let the dancing begin!”
The musicians started playing a song with a lively beat. Kiora found herself bouncing in time to the music.
Drustan turned to Kiora, “If I may, My Lady.” He held out his hand.
“What?” Kiora looked frantically around. “I don’t dance.”
“Don’t be silly
, you are amongst the Shapeshifters. We dance however suits us, you cannot get it wrong.”
Two mice went scampering down the table, dancing to the music. One tripped and skidded face first into her dinner plate. He shook himself, bowed, and scampered off, moving to the music.
“As I was saying…” Drustan smiled.
“It appears you will be just fine, Kiora, go on.” Emane prodded her. “Just don’t crash into anyone’s dinner plate.”
She leaned into his ear as she was getting out of her seat, “I hate you!”
“No you don’t.” He grinned at her.
She took Drustan’s hand and he led her to the dance floor. The music was contagious and Kiora found herself moving to it.
“The colony is quite enamored with you,” Drustan said as they danced.
“With me? Why?”
“They all saw your test when you first came, and they speak of your kindness as well.”
“I have been so grateful for all the kindness your people have shown to me. You are all wonderful, and this dress is magnificent.”
“We do pride ourselves on our craftsmanship. Everything you find here has been handcrafted by at least one of us,” he said, pulling her arm above her head and turning her around.
“My quarters have some of the most amazing workmanship that I have ever seen. You are a very gifted people.”
“Thank you, My Lady,” he said, inclining his head.
“And that was quite the performance.”
He smiled. “They were quite proud of that, especially the part where the snake swallowed them all. It was a bit tricky.”
She hadn’t thought about that. “How did they do that?”
“My understanding was that they changed into gnats, before flying out his nose to escape unnoticed,” he said, clearly amused.
Kiora crinkled up her nose. “I would not want to fly through anybody’s nose!”
“Nor I, but they would have done about anything to impress you, I think.”