The abomination in the realms

Destiny dealt with the supernatural frequently but it still amazed her how an entire world existed, unknown to the humans. Her becoming a Sister made her get involved in a lot of things. She'd seen wolves shift and fight, people that looked like humans move the ground she stood on. She'd seen someone pull water from the air and another conjure flames. She'd suffocated for some minutes when she'd pissed off a council member and had bled from a shadow's blade. She'd had her mind probed mercilessly by a mind weaver and sworn not to get involved with them unless it was necessary.

This was necessary, a storm they could not stop was brewing and it promised to take them all for a ride that would be written in history. She held her breath as the wolf in her lap stirred and stood up. Friend or foe? It seemed to ask with it's piercing blue eyes as it stared at her. One thing she knew about wolves or rather, werewolves, was the need they felt to run after shifting. Someone had explained it to her that becoming a wolf meant being almost everything that a wolf was.

She stood up slowly and opened the door. The wolf walked out of the cell and made its way to another. Destiny explained to herself why it was a really bad idea to follow the wolf even though it was Kara Cahill, but she couldn't convince herself to turn back. She froze after she opened the next door for it. She'd read of them but had never encountered them, at least, none had been sighted since she took on the supernatural position. Some thought they came only to the powerful ones but truly, they came to just those that could bring big changes. Those that cause ripple effects and shift the balance.

It was huge. The upper half was that of an eagle and the lower half was that of a lion, the tail had feathers at the edges. It was terrifyingly beautiful, she wished she could see it in broad daylight. The dungeon was dark and the torches didn't do justice to the golden Griffin. The light from the moon coming in through a little window showed her different shades of blue on the wings and the tail.

The griffin rubbed its head with that of Kara, it seemed as though they were communicating. The wolf girl turned to her, stared for a minute, before walking out. The griffin followed after nudging Destiny. She was still slightly terrified. Was this what she had sighed up for? A Griffin? An ice bender wolf? Screams that made her bleed? A part of her wished she had just stayed home and played chess with her niece.

They led her through the dungeon and out into the forest. It was even more terrifyingly  beautiful under the moonlight, the size was more pronounced. The griffin bent and gestured for her to climb onto its back. She hesitated but did so anyway. Her heart was in her throat as it took off. She couldn't look down but had seen the white wolf take off in a run into the forest.

The griffin landed on a clear path by a lake after what felt like a long time. Destiny got down and hurled her guts out. She hurried to the water and rinsed her mouth. She stared at her reflection for some minutes, she looked like a mad woman. She felt like it.

"I do not wish to do that ever again." She cried as she fell to her back.

Kara came to sit beside her. At first, Destiny thought nought of it till she noticed the gown. Kara was in a white gown and brown woven sandals.

"Wow." She whispered. Could all wolves do this? Have on different clothes when they take back their human form.

Kara chuckled and threw a stone at the lake. It bounced on the surface three times before sinking. She listened to the birds chirping and smiled at beaver tapping a log of wood. The flies, though avoided them, flew around them. Crickets cried at different angles around them.

"I had no idea I could do this." She said and touched the water. She'd missed how it felt, missed how nature melt.

She raised her hand and the water rose with it. Destiny stood up slowly. Kara made water balls and split them into smaller balls. She sent a couple flying.

"You can control water." Destiny commented in amazement and smiled at Kara.

Kara smiled back and grabbed her hand. "I can do much more."

Destiny felt her hand going numb and screamed. She felt excruciating pain that had seemed to attack her so fast her vision had blurred for some seconds. She couldn't move.

Kara stood up and moved her hand from Destiny's hand to her arm then to where her heart was. She could feel the thumping of the woman's heartbeat. It had been a while she felt that singsong beat under her palm that felt like music to her ears.

"Can I still stop a person's heartbeat and start it as I please?" Her voice was dulcet as she whispered. She tapped her index finger in tune with the beats.

Destiny wanted to pull away and run far from this girl, humans would have termed her a witch. Tears fell from her eyes and sweat ran down her back. Destiny could hear herself screaming in her head but nothing came out of her mouth.

"They called it blood bending, the ability to control the body but not the mind. With just a wave of my hand, I can drain you of all the blood in your body. People felt threatened by it, something that had never been seen before. Do you know what they called me?" She moved closer and whispered in Destiny's ears. "An abomination in the realms."

Like lilting whispers in the wind, Destiny could hear a portion of the prophecy.

*A law broken cannot be repaired

The consequences cannot be avoided

A child has been born

Forbidden and cursed

An abomination in the realms

A black spot on a pure heart

Time shall come, said child shall kill

Family and foe

Betrayed by its kin*

Kara pulled away and let Destiny fall back, weak. Her limbs didn't answer her, she could only stare at the full moon.

"I heard some words the day I died. The last verse let me know it was about me, 'Betrayed by its kin.' Then I realised they were my own words. I sang to myself as I counted each of the breaths I took, my last heartbeats." Fireflies circled them as she began to sing. Her words fell to the ears like hushed lullabies. "A child was born, forbidden and cursed. An abomination in the realms, betrayed by its kin. A law broken cannot be repaired, a black spot on a pure heart. The consequences cannot be avoided. Time shall come, said child shall kill family and foe."

Destiny shivered, the first part of the prophecy made sense at last. She finally had the strength to speak. "You are not Kara."

The one, that should have been, turned to her, her eyes were dazed as if she had forgotten she was not alone. She smiled sadly.

"My name is Hera. Hera Deville."