Chapter 4

Sirena's POV.

I brushed my long silvery-blue hair and looked at myself in the mirror. I was already dressed for the summoning ceremony. I sat down on my chair and started to put my hair into a waterfall braid, using my element magic to create crystallized dew drops to decorate my hair.

"Hey sista," my older sister, Waterfall, said strolling into my room, slamming the door. "Your ceremony is soon," she said, frowning a little. She sat down heavily onto my bed, frowning at me.

I can hear her mutter something like she's taking the spotlight and I'm way better than her. I just rolled my eyes and proceeded to work on my hair. I saw a bright flash of light out of the corner of my eyes. I turned, my hands still working on my hair, and glared at my sister as she fed her otter, Delta, on my bed.

"Oops," She said sarcastically as pieces of fish landed on my bed.

Sighing, I turned back towards my mirror to finish braiding my hair. The maids will have to clean it up, I don't have enough time.

"I can sense that you are nervous," Waterfall sneeringly said from my bed. Delta gave her the gift of sensing people's emotions. Not that they really matter to her.

"So what?" I challenged.

"I mean, you might be the only one in our family to have no animal partner if you don't summon an animal today," She smirked.

I said nothing.

"Then you'll be the only one without an animal, which means that you won't be as important," She jeered.

I hissed and pulled her off of my bed, Delta squeaked as I gently picked her up. I shoved Waterfall out of my room, placing Delta onto the floor and slammed my door shut, locking.

"Sisters," I groaned. I picked up the gown my mother gave me and put it on. "I should've put this on first," I mumbled, carefully putting on the dress, not wanting to mess up my hair. I walked back to my mirror and looked at myself. The gown's light blue and faded into a purple. The jewels and pearls that decorated it shone in the sunlight.

Deciding that I'm ready, I marched out of my room.

"Sirena, you forgot your tiara," My mother scolded me "And hurry up, you have less than 10 minutes!"

I turned around and marched back into my room, picked one of my simpler crowns/tiara. Grabbing my crown, in a not so gentle way. I hate it, I'd rather be free than being royalty. Free... I sighed. If only...

I made it to my parent's side just as the announcer said " Now I give you King Tsunami, Queen Liquiss, and our 2 beloved princesses Waterfall and Sirena!!!" We walked out onto the stage, waving at our people. We stopped in front of 4 thrones and sat down.

My father spoke up "Thank you, everyone, for coming here for my youngest daughter, Sirena's 15th birthday and ceremony" Then he went into a long speech, that I didn't pay attention to because I'm literally freaking out.

"I am pleased to announce that Dewdrop will be performing the ceremony for Sirena," Everyone clapped politely as a woman with greying teal hair that is put in an elegant bun, silvery eyes, and wearing elegant blue robes climbed onto the stage. She curtsied and said "Thank you, your majesty, for that warm welcome. We will begin right away."

"Good luck, not!" My sister muttered to me, earning a glare from our mother. She shook her head and smiled at me.

I got up from my seat and approached her as she motioned me forward. I stepped ahead, trying not to trip, stopping just before her. She reached towards me, taking my hand. "I sense a great power radiating off of you," She said out loud, her eyes half-closed. "You're going to do great things."

"Uh thanks," I replied. She held onto my hands for a bit longer. She kept on repeating that I'll do great things. I looked at my family awkwardly, my mother beamed at me. My father gazed blankly back at me, and my sister scowled, her frown deepening as the old woman repeated the line.

"Hold out your hand," Dewdrop announced, coming back into the real world. I did what she said.

She opened a jar filled with a glittering glowing blue liquid and used her magic to pull out a golf ball-sized glob of the magical water. Placing it in my hand, the water, somehow, stayed in its round form.

"Now, I want you to close your other hand on it, making it disappear," Dewdrop instructed.

I did what she told me, the water circled my hand, then disappeared into a mist, fading. Then, a bright blue flash blinded me, dark clouds rolled in, covering the blue sky. People murmured as they heard thunder. Suddenly, there was a very booming clap of thunder and lightning struck the stage next to me, causing me to jump. My first thought was DANGER. Then I realized that, even though the crowd was in a slight panic, DewDrop stayed perfectly still. The clouds disappeared, just as quickly as they appeared, letting the sunlight hit the ground. The ocean glittered in the light.

I looked at the place where the thunderbolt struck, expecting there to be a fire, or at least a burn mark. But instead, a very big regal winged jungle cat stood at that spot.

"Impossible!" I exclaimed.

The Wise-one raised her arms and shouted "The 4th legendary beast has arrived!!! Ezera has returned!!!!" The crowd of people went wild.

Ezera, rose onto her hind legs, spreading her snowy white wings and roared, quieting everyone at once. She has snowy white fur with black stripes, icy blue eyes, and white wings with black markings.

My family walked forward as Dewdrop stepped off the stage, bowing.

"I can't believe you summoned Ezera!" My mother exclaimed as she hugged me.

My father gave me a smile as my sister scowled.

"But it's not like you're that important. I would've been a better partner for Ezera," Waterfall spoke sassily.

"THAT'S IT!" Queen Liquiss exclaimed "You have been rude to your sister for years now! You and I are having a talk after this!" she bellowed, ignoring the watching crowd.

Ezera nuzzled my hand. I smiled and stroked her large head.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light lite up the sky, and a cloaked noblewoman appeared onto the stage.

"Your majesty," She said, bowing. "I am Selia, leader of the Cloaked Callers. Your daughter has called Ezera. The last of the 4 Elemental Beasts. I'm asking for her to join me. I will take her with me to Cloaked Haven to join the other 3 kids who have summoned Zalop, Minbor, and Sactom. They will learn how to fight, survive, and protect."

"I won't allow my daughter to go with you," My father growled.

"Your majesty, I'm afraid that if Sirena doesn't come, the Century War will get worse. The Water, Fire, Earth, and Air elements will get sucked into it. Many will be lost," Selia stated urgently.

"Then you'll have to deal with 3 beasts. My daughter will stay with us, protected, in the castle," my father disapproved.

"Tsunami, I think that Sirena should decide," My mother mumbled "You have been pretty overprotective of the girls. They should learn how to defend themselves-"

"Sirena already knows how to!!! She is literally better than some of my best warriors!" My father interfered.

"Father! I'm going!" I exclaimed.

"NO, YOU AREN'T!!!" He shouted.

"Yes, I am!!!!" I exclaimed, raising my voice, but not yet yelling. Ezera, sensing my anger, started to growl, forcing her way in between me and my father.

"Father, please. I don't want our element to get sucked into the war! And you know that I'm good at fighting and defending myself. And now I have Ezera" My sister snorted unhappily when I said that. " I just want some real friends. Ezera and I can join the other beasts and their summoners." I begged my father.

He sighed and said "If that's what you want,"

I stepped back, shocked. I expected him to continue arguing.

"R-really?" I asked.

"Yes, but when you're coming home, you're coming home." He said "You may take my daughter with you," He told to Selia.

"Great," She said "Your stuff will be collected by my Cloaked Callers, and will be delivered to your new room in Cloaked Haven by the end of the day," She told me.

"Take my hand, we're going to meet the others," she said, taking my hand.

I waved goodbye to my family, before being whisked away.