Why did no one ever disclose that Thalava was my mom. Was she that embarrassed of me. I grew up in her residence thinking I was a refugee, a parasite living off her kindness. She never came to my rescue when other kids hurled abuses that I was a cursed kid. She hated me so much that at the instant that the whispering tree prophecied, she was so eager to get rid of me by declaring me a Goveri. 

I needed to focus. My priority was saving Altras and the wild. I swam through the memories stored in the leaves, finding the one where he was stabbed. I plucked it, and with the power of Pluntis, sent a vine shooting into the leaf, shredding it to pieces.

Altras gasped loudly, pulling me back from his memory lane.

He sat up with a jolt, looking confused. "Why am I here? What happened?"

"Oh my god, you're okay!" I exclaimed, hugging him tightly. He was the only person—aside from Seashells—who mattered to me anymore.

Around us, the wild began to recover from the earthquake. Trees that had fallen rose swiftly, like players getting back up in a football game after a slip, as if nothing had happened. Blood rushed to my face with pride as I realized that I hadn't just saved Altras—I had saved the whole wild. But tomorrow, I knew I would forget this feeling.

"Altras, you probably figured it out, but I just used Manorupa magic on you. That's why you don't remember the last hour. But listen in the merging ceremony the whispering tree prophesied that I would kill you. And so was declared a Goveri by Thalava and when they tried to kill me, you came on the way and tried to save me! I have to leave the wild as soon as possible and for that to happen you should help me merge with Seashells"

Altras didn't ask any questions. With a snap of his fingers, tantric circles and ritual torches appeared in a clearing nearby. The power of a Naga never failed to surprise me. He motioned us to take our places in the circles.

He stood before us, the breeze from Whisteria Isle gently lifting his long, grey hair. The moon was positioned perfectly behind him, creating a halo effect. The forest fell silent, except for the distant sound of waves. Even the crickets stopped chirping.

"Oh Mother Nature, oh Lord Suryat," Altras began, his voice carrying power. "Tonight, under the full moon and with the Pluntis as witness, these two souls and bodies shall merge. One they shall live as, one they shall die as."

Green light rose from Altras' eyes, forming beams that fell like spotlights on both Seashells and me. For a second, I thought nothing was happening. But then, I felt myself—along with the circle I stood in—being pulled toward Seashells. He, too, was moving toward me. I stole one last glance at him, hoping he wouldn't regret this. In a sudden gust of wind, I felt something invisible clap against my body. Everything around me seemed to double, then stabilize. When I looked down, the two circles had merged into one, and Seashells was nowhere to be seen.

'Seashells?' I called in my mind.

No response.

"Seashells, can you hear me?" I asked aloud, panic rising.

Still no response. This wasn't right—we were supposed to be able to communicate through our minds. Had something gone wrong?

"What's wrong, Mily?" Altras asked, concern etched in his voice.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Had I killed Seashells?'

Shut up, scaredy-cat. You're no fun to prank,' Seashells' voice echoed in my head, the same teasing tone as always.

"Seashells, you brat! You'll pay for that!" I giggled, tears of relief streaming down my face.

Altras stood by, smiling at our silliness, but the moment was short-lived. A chilling sound reached us—the marching of Dhadhoodis.

"They've found me," I whispered, dread sinking in.

"This must be it, the entrance to the wild," strange voices echoed from just beyond the trees. We watched from the shadows. A group of figures in black robes gathered at the entrance, carrying a flag with a red rose entwined by a green serpent. Leading them was a hooded figure, a dark shadow with no visible face. In the moonlight, all I could see was a hollow beneath the hood. His laugh—a twisted, eerie sound—rattled my bones.

"Let us begin our kill," the hooded figure sneered.

"Altras, who are they?" I whispered urgently. They weren't Dhadhoodis, nor humans. These were outsiders.

"Looking from the flag, they must be the Black Bloods," Altras replied, his voice tense. "The wild isn't usually visible to them, but the momentary shake when I was stabbed must have exposed us."

The hooded figure tried to enter, but the trees tilted and twisted menacingly, blocking their path. They began sending beams of energy, attempting to sever the branches, but the trees regrew instantly.

"Black Bloods still exist? I thought their bloodline had perished," I said, panic rising. No one who loved the wild would ever try to harm the trees. These people were dangerous, and the trees wouldn't be able to hold them off for long.

 If what I'd been taught was true, Black Bloods were a wild faction bent on punishing humans for destroying nature. They wanted to take over the world, but the Dhadhoodis and Nagas had opposed them, believing Mother Nature would never want that. The world belonged to every species, and humans' mistakes didn't give any of us the right to wipe them out. Such an act would only harm the ecosystem.

"Mily, you must leave now," Altras said urgently. "Shift into your cat form and go. The wild is no longer your concern. The Pluntis' magic will protect the wild."

"No, Altras. I can't abandon the wild. The Dhadhoodis may hate me, but I don't hate them. This is my home, and I won't let these trespassers destroy it. If they're Black Bloods, we need all the help we can get to stop them."

A flash of light suddenly blinded me.

The Black Bloods had created a massive clearing where they stood, the hooded figure at the center, radiating menace.

If they had the power to destroy the entire row of magical trees at the entrance, I had no idea how Dhadhoodis would stop them with the power of pluntis alone.

A tall girl  stepped forward and spoke "We didn't want to destroy the trees, Pluntis. I tried my best. You, of all people, should know we're doing the wild a favor." She was the only one not wearing robes. Instead, she wore a black leather jacket and black leather pants that glazed in the moonlight.

"KILL THEM, DHADHOODIS! EVERY LAST ONE! KILL! KILL! KILL!" the hooded figure screamed, brandishing a large, blood-stained hammer. His bloodlust was palpable.

"Drako, control yourself!" the tall girl hissed. "We're only here to kill the Thalava today. That's what Slovak commanded."

Thalava? They were after my mother?

"Mily, go now," Altras whispered urgently. "I will take care of them along with the Dhadhoodis"

"I'm not leaving until I know that my mom is safe," I said, my heart pounding. After all these years, I finally know her identity. I needed to confront her, to ask if she ever loved me, even if she believed I was Goveri. I wasn't going to let these bloodthirsty Black Bloods take her away from me.

I stood tall. "MRIGARUPA!" I commanded, feeling my body warp as I transformed. When I looked down, I saw paws where my feet had been. I had successfully completed my first transition. Earlier today, I had pictured this moment differently—showing off my transformation to Iniya and having one last adventure in the forest with her before leaving for the human world.

"Mily, WAIT!" Altras' voice faded as I sped through the woods, my four legs carrying me swiftly toward the Thalava's residence.

The bamboo house stood unguarded. They must have gone searching for the Goveri, oblivious to the real threat. Or perhaps the Black Bloods had cast a numbing spell on the Pluntis. There was no magic in the air, which could explain why they hadn't detected me.

I walked in. Thalava stood alone, holding a wooden tablet, her fingers tracing its carvings. She seemed lost in thought until she noticed me.

"Seashells? What are you doing here?" Her voice was soft, her eyes brimming with tears.

I had never seen her like this—so vulnerable. It took me by surprise.

"Oh my great god, Suryat! Mily, it's you!" she exclaimed, dropping the tablet down in shock. It was the one I had carved years ago of Iniya and me. I had forgotten its existence until now.

I shifted back to my human form.

"Oh my god, did you save Altras? He must have merged you. Look, your hair is now orange, like Seashells'," she smiled through her tears.

"Mom?" I whispered, and as the word left my lips, tears flowed freely.

"How do you—" Before she could finish, I ran to her, wrapping my arms around her. The warmth of her embrace flooded me with a sense of belonging I had longed for my whole life.

But suddenly, she pulled away and her face changed in that of the stern Thalava whom I had always known. 

"You must leave the wild now. It's too dangerous for you." She said turning away from my face.

"Mom, that can wait. You're in grave danger. The Black Bloods are here, and they want to kill you."

"What?"

Before she could say more, the walls exploded in a violent blast.

Through the dust and debris, the Black Bloods emerged, like dark serpents slithering out of a pool of milk.

"LOOK, WE HAVE ONE MORE EXTRA PREY TO KILL TONIGHT", Drako sneered , his voice seemed to sweep by and freeze the air we inhaled.

A/N:

1600 words. My dearest readers as you must have noticed by no. This not a simple romance. It is a fantasy story. I have heard that wattpad is no place for a fantasy story. May be you all have started hating this book now. But thanks for those that still trusted in me and stayed till here. And now I am findng very less time for editing so I am sure that you may find lots and lots of errors so please let me know when you find them. So until Sunday, lots of love, NatuR.