Seraphina Alexandria Drogonir

A soft smile graced my lips as I passed the colourful lights that lit every street and tent. The laughter of children was like music as they chased each other through the busy market, squeezing their way past customers and vendors alike. They had not a care in the world, playing with each other regardless of their kind. I pulled the hood further over my face as I walked up to one of the vendors. She was one of the older ones there, with her striped skin now wrinkled and her once dark hair now silver. Her yellow eyes watched me closely as I approached her stand, her slit pupils betraying her sharp mind.

I did not meet her eyes as I looked over her wares, a seemingly endless table of weapons, I could feel her eyes following my hand as I picked up one of her blades. A smile broke across my face as my fingers ran across the smooth metal of the dagger. The blade was as light as it was sharp, making it perfect for use in battle, its handle was simple but allowed for a good grip, nonetheless. A scoff left my lips as I thought of the arrogance of my people who believed everything we did was superior, but yet not a single one of us has made a blade that could rival that of one made by a shifter's hands.

"How much is this?"

"After all that you have done for us, my Lady, free."

I instinctively tugged my hood as far as I could over my face, my mind racing as she spoke those words. I had been so careful, but yet she had figured it out. The lady smiled as she took my hand.

"You can disguise all you want, my dear, but you cannot hide your years as a highborn. No one moves like you do unless they grew up in the aristocracy. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

My shoulders sagged in relief as I reached for my pouch to pay for the dagger. The lady protested but soon stopped when screams filled the air.

"No...not again."

People were running in every direction as if something was chasing them, knocking over the tables and trampling tents. I quickly bundled up the lady's wares as best as I could.

"Run!"

Her face was full of fear and terror as she turned to run as fast as she could. I turned around to see chaos as many of the patrons shifted to their respective animals to avoid the soldiers and their Atshens. Some turned into such large animals, but yet none turned to fight. Those that couldn't still ran with all their might, tugging their children or friends from the hooves of the horses that chased them and the claws of the predators who snapped at their heels.

"You dare hold your bazaar on my land!"

My jaw clenched as I watched the people beg for mercy as soldiers overturned tables and set fire to their tents, not caring if people were still in them. The terrified people threw gold and jewels at them in a frantic effort to make the chaos end, but the soldiers only took the gold and laughed before carrying on with their fun.

They ransacked and rampaged till they found a lady dressed in rags frantically packing her simple wares of fruit with one hand while the other held on to her child. She was exactly the type they loved: scared, vulnerable and poor.

They circled her with their large chargers, laughing and jeering as she dropped her wares to grab her son in both arms. She was a human, unable to shift and run away like most of the other patrons. She cowered even more as leopards, foxes and other beasts snapped their jaws around her.

"Well...well Miss, you know the rules. You sell your wares on our land... you pay the price."

'P...Please, Sir. I do not have any money, my son and I are here to sell our only harvest to last the next few months."

My heart filled with outrage as the leader of the group swung his spear at her, causing her to drop her child as she hit the ground.

"You might not have money, but your son here might fetch a pretty penny in trade."

The child screamed as he was picked up, his mother threw herself at the feet of the horse to beg for mercy. The rest of the patrons stayed still, hanging their heads as the scene unfolded. This was their reality, this was their norm.

"How dare you call this your land, you coward!"

I could not watch any longer as I stepped forward, the other patrons quickly moving away from me as they were afraid of being punished along with me. The leader froze before dropping the child, whose mother quickly picked up and ran into the crowd. I knew that he would have no choice but to confront me as I had just embarrassed him in front of his 'inferiors' and he now had to reassert his power to maintain authority.

"You dare call me a coward! Do you know who I am?"

They group sneered at me before charging towards me, the hooves of their large horses caused the earth to rumble. People screamed at me to get out of the way, but yet I remained as the soldiers came nearer and nearer until they were slightly further than an arms-length away.

"Stop."

It was a whisper but yet their horses, as well as their Atshens, came to a halt, causing some of their riders to fly and land at the feet of the very people they had chased.

"The horses seem to know their princess better than you, Karriff."

I pulled my hood down to meet the eyes of one of my father's ministers. I wore no crown or jewellery, but my eyes were enough to betray identity which was always the reason I wore a hood and kept my head down should I venture out. I clenched my fist as I heard gasps from all around me. This was not what I wanted, I just wanted a day to myself where I could be free from judgement. The people here might have judged me if they knew who I really am but it was nothing compared to what I had to deal with behind those walls.

"You shouldn't be out here, Princess. You shouldn't be amongst such filth, now...what would your father say?"

He smiled as his soldiers jeered at me.

"Your eighteenth birthday is today, Princess, I might offer your father a price for hand. After all... it might be the best offer he would get..."

I grit my teeth as his soldiers continued to jeer at me, mocking me... the daughter of their King.

"Come."

That was all I had to say to get their horses moving towards me, ignoring their master's screams and digging of spurs to their sides as they continued to walk before stopping right at me. The creativity of their curses increased as they saw their Atshens following suit.

"Kick."

They screamed as the horses kicked their back legs causing their masters to fly to join their comrades on the ground.

I walked up to Karriff's horse, removing its blinders and reigns letting them watch in awe as the horse willingly bowed so I could through my leg across and mount it. Blood pounded in my ears as I surveyed the utter carnage around me, before turning my attention to Karriff and his men. They looked at me with pure hatred and venom as their spirit animals stood by my side.

"You are nothing but an abomination, Princess, nothing like us."

My nails dug into the palms of my hands, the animals must have sensed my emotions as the horses shook their heads violently while the predators gnash their teeth. He was right... I was nothing like them.

"What makes you think you can lord over these people... you aren't their king and even if you were, they do not belong to you. They are not your toys to abuse and use."

With each word I spoke, the horses surrounded their former master's, my blood ran like fire through my veins as the other horses raised their front legs, ready to deliver punishment... punishment for everything they have done, to all they have hurt. Karriff's Atshen, a large hyena, advanced towards him its lips pulled back in a snarl. The other Atshens did the same to their respective companions, ignoring commands to stop. The fire I felt in me burned hotter than ever as I was about to deliver the punishment these men deserve before something jumped right in front of me.

"Sera!"

My brother had found me and had placed himself right in front of my horse.

"Leave this be! Do you really want to prove them right! They want you to lose your temper so that everything they said about you is true! Do you want to give them that satisfaction?"

The pain in his voice as he said the last sentence caused the fire to be immediately quelled. My brother had always protected me, never physically but always emotionally and mentally, pushing me to make the right decisions.

I dismounted the horse and walked up to Karriff, whose once face full of terror had turned to a face of triumph.

"My brother is wise, but he has a soft heart. I will not punish you in the way I please but in a way that is right. I, command that you pay all these people back for the damages that you and your men have caused. Not just once but eleven times over, one for yourself and one for each of the men you have brought to carry out this chaos."

"That is outrageous!"

"I believe that it is quite far since you often boast about how your gold could rival my father's so I'd rather think myself generous for giving you a chance to prove this."

I walked up to him, gesturing my hand so that his horse followed me placing its hoof on Karriff's chest.

"Never ever let me hear you call this land 'yours', or I will make sure you get charged with treason and get executed."

I turned heel, pulling my brother along with me. We barely made ten steps when Karriff's voice caused me to still.

"Who do you think you are? Even as a princess you do not have the power to command me, a minister!?

"Yes, I realised that a long time ago. I as a princess do not have that power, but I as the woman who knows exactly where you go when you excuse yourself from important meetings with my father suggests that you take my command as seriously as you can."

I turned my heel once again, pulling my brother along. Which might have looked extremely ridiculous seeing that he is a good head taller than me, not to mention broader.

"We need to go back to the..."

"I need a run before I kill somebody."