Angelus: Clan Leader of the Cheetah Breed,

Lore Highlands,

Realm of Spells

Angelus stepped into the makeshift hall that the Niberius clan used for their meeting and scanned the premises cautiously. His warriors were right behind him, ready to defend him when the need arose, but no one knew that Angelus had a trump card up his sleeve. There was no warrior in that tent that could take him out—not even Amara, who was the current clan leader.

When Angelus received the invitation to an audience from the clan, the first thing he thought was that he was going to walk right into a death trap. The Niberius clan never associated with any other species because they believed they were superior. The clan went around claiming land by slaughtering thousands, burning down their towns, and kidnapping their children so that they were raised like soldiers.

Because of that, Angelus had to move his people several times before they were able to settle up in the mountains, where their lithe bodies gave them the advantage of navigating the treacherous landscape. Centaurs could barely scale up those boulders, so they were safe for a while. It frustrated Angelus that not only were they avoiding conflict, but they were barely keeping their babies alive. Thanks to the herbal formula that Sophia concocted for them, they were about to keep several babies alive, but still, they were not as strong and needed constant monitoring.

Angelus thought that he was going to meet with Starx, the male centaur so brutal and hostile that even the brotherhood refused to challenge him. If it were him, Angelus knew there was only a margin that he was going to be given to survive. Some said that he used the dark arts to keep himself alive and invincible. However, it was communicated to him that it wasn't Starx who wanted to meet him. It was his first daughter, Amara.

His advisory board was completely against the invitation in the beginning but soon learned of the death of Starx. Angelus was curious as to what Amara wanted to meet him for. The clan had been driven to the outskirts of the Lore Highlands, where there was barely any food after the Lord Mage intervened. If King Tyran wanted to rid of the clan, he would have done so in such a short period of time, but he left it to the northern sector, specifically Orisidia, to take care of it. By that time, Orisidia was working with the rebels, trading Iyrosium out of the Realm. Those were dark times but Angelus was glad that a trustworthy female took that position, his sister Naznin.

"Welcome, Prince Angelus." The sultry voice of the new clan leader came through the dimly lit hall, and Angelus could make out her silhouette. She was seated on a chair clad in animal fur. As Angelus and his warriors made their way into the camp, he could see that all the structures were made in a way that they would be easy to fold and carry to the next site.

That part of the Lore Highlands had bitter cold season winds and nothing grew of the earth, so the clan had to hunt for food or ravage nearby smaller settlements and steal their food.

"Clan leader Amara." Angelus acknowledged her. Even though she was a clan leader, she was not of royal blood and thus couldn't be referred to as a princess.

"I do apologize for the short notice meeting, but our circumstances are dire. Please, sit down." She extended her hand out and gestured for Angelus and his warriors to sit. "I did not hear any horses or cars that announced your arrival. The speed and agility of the Duma must be true."

Angelus didn't know why Amara was spending precious minutes having idle conversations when he had so much to do. He and his people traveled a great distance, and they didn't share information with the brotherhood, so if they were called to an ambush, no one would know what happened to them.

"You must be tired and hungry after your run. I will get—"

"Clan leader, we are not here to have tea with you. You sent an invitation, and we accepted. The least you could do is get to the point so that we could be on our way." Angelus pointed out.

"Your home—it is up on the Hallen Plateau, isn't it? A five-day trip from here. The pathway is quite precarious, which makes me wonder how you managed to build a settlement all the way up there." Amara remarked pensively, and her dark eyes landed on Angelus, assuring him that she had information about where his people were. "You are a male of many skills, wisdom, and knowledge, and after a long period of conflict—I think it is time we put our differences aside and...help each other."

When Angelus first entered the camp, he did a quick sweep of the place and saw how weary the warriors were. They were tired, wounded, and hungry. The very air that surrounded the camp carried the pungent scent of disease and death. It made him wonder if any of their healers made it alive. If they were not equipped to heal Starx after he was injured, then they might have succumbed to hunger or the bitter climate.

Though the guards that stood on either side of Amara's chair were burly, they were tired.

"Your clan slaughtered hundreds of good males and females in these lands. There isn't a place that has not been spared from your wrath yet; you can sit there and ask for assistance from me." Angelus didn't hold Amara directly responsible, but the moment she took that position as the clan leader, she agreed with what her father did.

She shifted in her seat and allowed more light to illuminate her face. She was nothing like the brute that birthed her. Large and lustrous black locks fell around her oval face. She had brown eyes that shone with knowledge and determination in the dim light and full pink lips. She had a tan which told Angelus that she spent a lot of time outdoors.

The fur that covered her gave an illusion that she too had a large body but Angelus saw past that. She was as hungry and tired as the rest of them.

"The male responsible for that is long gone from this world and the people in front of you are done fighting. Many of them left their families behind and don't even know what happened to them when they left. I never believed the war my father fought and that is why I have asked for an audience from each clan separately." Amara explained.

"What happened to Starx?" Angelus inquired. He noticed something in Amara's eyes when she spoke about her father.

Her brown eyes darkened, and her glare became hostile. "He was poisoned, and the healers couldn't break down the poison. He died a miserable death, if you ask me."

And there it was...the saturated burst of loathing that made the very air they breathed acrid and thick to take in. Amara must have hated her father so much, but was it enough for her to have killed him? Did she kill her father so that she could take cover and lead the clan back to their families, or was it another ploy to rob them of supplies and then slaughter them like animals while they slept?

"What guarantee do we have that you will not carry out your father's desire to kill off every other species in these highlands so that you can claim the land?" Angelus asked.

"When you entered the camp, Prince Angelus, what did you see? If my father were alive, do you think you would have crossed the highlands safely?" She asked him as she got up from her seat and allowed her furs to fall back.

Angelus' warriors sprang up and were ready to defend him. Amara's guards also reacted, and she quickly held her hand up to stop them.

"I want to show you something." She nodded to a male who stood to her right. The male produced a small pouch and handed it to her.

Amara took the pouch and turned to Angelus. "Please." She motioned for him to get up and follow her.

Angelus didn't think it was a good idea to follow the daughter of a rebel around, but he was curious, so he got up from his seat and followed Amara out of the hall. The moon was a large silver orb in the clear sky.

"My mother was the clan herbalist for the longest time. She was taken from one of the smaller settlements during my father's reign because he fell in love with her eyes." A smile appeared on Amara's lips as she recalled the fond memories of her mother, and Angelus was sure they were the only thing that kept her warm at night. They took a small, rocky pathway away from camp and towards a flat area that didn't even have a brush or living thing. Rock shards protruded from those white sands like grotesque creatures of the night. The rocks gleamed in the moonlight with an eerie green color.

"When my mother finally succumbed to the abuse she endured each day, my father removed her eyes and kept them with him. Others believed that it was through my mother's dark arts from her eyes that my father was able to become invincible, and I grew up being known as the daughter of a sorceress." Amara stopped in front of one of the rocks and crouched down. "I didn't mind the name because it meant everyone stayed away from me—with the exception of my father, of course. He was enraged when I was born female, but that did not stop him from training me the way he trained his warriors."

She claimed that she was hated by the others, yet she became their leader. Something didn't add up.

Angelus couldn't help but want to know what Amara was doing. She opened the pouch and poured the contents right on one of the shards. The contents flowed like water, but the stench was nauseating.

"Do you have children of your own, Prince Angelus?" She looked up at him for a moment, then got up as the shard of rock began to crack.

"No, I do not," Angelus replied.

"And how are the ones you are barely managing to save?" She asked him, and Angelus snapped his gaze at her.

Did she have something to do with it? Did she poison something that they were using in their diets, just like the way she poisoned her father? There was no doubt that she did her father in because she had a motive: revenge for her mother and her freedom.

"How do you know about that? Did you do something to our food sources? To our water?" Angelus asked her.

"Why would I do that when you are beneficial to me alive and in large numbers?" She chuckled lightly and hummed softly. "The human is doing her best, but she is missing the greatest ingredient of all."

The rock whistled and exploded before revealing what looked like a green crystal plant inside it. The crystal plant pulsed with energy and seemed to brighten as the moon shone over it.

"Ever heard of the Lunarte Iforis—kiss of the moon—Prince Angelus?" She crouched down, produced a small knife from her waist, and dug the crystal plant out. Its leaves clanged together and made a beautiful sound. "They only grow in these cold and inhabitable parts. The rocks protecting them are soluble in water, but unfortunately, they make the water poisonous. They contaminate the ground around them and change the soil structure so that these plants don't have competition for food." She extended the plant to Angelus, whose eyes widened in surprise. "Do you know the properties of the Lunarte Iforis? It is a potent multinutritional plant that boosts immunity, health, and vitality. This is what the human healer was missing in her research."

Angelus swallowed hard, and his heart thumped painfully in his chest. All the time and all the research he carried out with the best healers in the sector, and they couldn't find the problem. How could Amara, a rebel's daughter, stand there and lie to him about a crystal plant that could end his misery?

"I don't believe you," Angelus said tautly.

Amara's eyebrow arched up and she smiled softly to herself. "How do you think we have been surviving here all this time? It kept us alive and we would have been in a better physical situation if it weren't for the fact that there is nothing else to supplement it. We can't grow anything here or rear livestock. While the protective rock is poisonous, this plant, when dissolved in water can boost all bodily functions. This could be the answer to your babies, Prince Angelus. If you don't trust me then I will show you how it works."

One of the guards who escorted Amara to the plains handed her a small bowl that looked like it was made from a skull. Amara placed the crystal plant inside and poured some water on it. A sweet scent escaped from the bowl as the plant dissolved, but the green energy still pulsed in the water. Amara placed the tip of the bowl on her lips and drank the contents. The effect was almost immediate. The dark circles under her eyes faded away, and her skin glowed. Her eyes brightened, and Angelus could tell that the drink gave her vitality.

How come no one knew of such a plant? How did the Niberius find out about it? Angelus looked across the desolate plain, and there were so many protruding rocks that pulsed with green energy. That was enough to save his people and help the babies grow strong and survive.

"When we take the water, it vitalizes our bodies, but it does nothing for the hunger we feel. The hunting team has gone out in search of food and meat, but it's been almost three weeks since they left. I sent trackers out, but I have yet to receive information about what happened to them. It's possible that the brotherhood has captured them. I am responsible for all the people you see here in the camp, but I can't feed them, Prince Angelus."

Angelus swallowed hard and turned to the field again. "But this land doesn't belong to you."

"This is what I have to feed my people, and if I should lay my life to protect this land, then so be it." Amara didn't have much to lose except for her people. She must have gone through a lot in her short life. Angelus could tell that she was a warrior. If Starx took the time to train her himself, then she could be a formidable enemy.

"What is it that you ask in return?" Angelus asked.

"Safe passage to hunt and gather food in your lands," Amara said softly.

"I will not allow your warriors anywhere close to our towns!"

Amara nodded. "My warriors will not go anywhere close to your towns."

If word got out that he was negotiating with the Niberius clan, the brotherhood could take action against him and his people. "And what about the brotherhood?"

"I am having an audience with the brotherhood in two weeks. However, I will give you until then for your answer." Amara stated.

"And if I refuse?" Angelus was put in a tight situation. He needed to get his hands on at least one of the plants and take it back for research.

"Then I will burn this plain and take over your lands forcefully. I don't want to be like my father, but it seems everyone wants someone to play the villain in their story. I don't mind playing one in yours, Prince Angelus." A grim smile appeared on her lips as several warriors stepped out from the surrounding shadows. "Just because we are hungry, it doesn't mean we can't fight."

Prince Angelus saw the way his warrior's spots began to pulse on their skin, and he knew they were preparing to embrace change. Angelus knew he could take the centaurs on, but he didn't make that five-day trip so that he could go back wounded in vain.

"If this plant could boost the vitals of the body like how you claim, then why didn't you use it to save your father from his death?" Angelus asked.

Amara's eyes darkened and turned away before saying. "I, the sorceress' daughter, was the one who discovered this plain and the plant. I came back every night once we settled here and researched it. Back then, I didn't know the rock was poisonous so I accidentally poisoned my father. It wasn't rune poison that killed him. It was the stone."

Angelus was an idiot if he thought Amara wasn't capable of murder. She was very cunning but she laid out her truth in front of him and let him decide his fate. Angelus didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Two weeks." Angelus gritted his teeth. Amara had learned well from her father. She learned about his weakness and used it against him. Angelus needed to buy time until the brotherhood met up with her. The Duma had vast lands where they ran wild and free on the outskirts of their towns. The lands were teaming with wildlife and food, and Angelus could see why Amara came to him first. Their fellow centaurs were aggressive, even though they also held massive pieces of land and had several cities in Gyan and smaller settlements in Jude. The pixies held on to the valleys surrounding the highlands. Centaurs didn't fare well in the valleys.

"Halls." Amara turned to her left side, and one of her warriors moved forward. "Get the Prince, five Lunarte Ifori...a parting gift from us."

The warrior nodded and went to work extracting the plants from the rocks. Once he was done, he returned with him to his clan leader and handed them to her. Amara looked at Angelus and smiled softly. When she did that, Angelus almost forgot that she was the enemy. She looked feminine and harmless.

"Have the human healer look at these and make a trial, Prince Angelus. Save your people and let me save mine." She said.

Amara delicately packed the plants in a leather pouch and handed them to him. "They get their energy from the moon so when you mix them with water, make sure you are under the midnight moon. Do not try to plant them in your lands, they will poison your soils and kill everything. Your lands will reduce to this barren land you are standing on."

Angelus accepted the pouch but his mind was conflicted. Was it right to trust an enemy of the Northern Sector, specifically the Lore Highlands? Did he need to report this to anyone? And what if Sophia started asking questions about the plant? With a heavy heart, Angelus accepted his fate because all he could think about at that moment was the Duma babies.

"Thank you." He grunted lightly at Amara.

"What I expect from you, Prince Angelus, is to keep your end of the bargain." She said then turned around and walked back to the camp, dismissing Angelus and his warriors.

Angelus stood in the moonlight for a couple of minutes not believing that what he was holding in his hands was what he had been praying for. He looked at his warriors and they were as conflicted as he was but they had hope shining in their eyes.

That evening, Angelus decided to save his people and whatever punishment he was going to get from it, he was ready to lay his life—just like Amara. With one last look at the camp, Angelus turned towards the vast barren land and called out.

"Let's go home!" He slung the pouch on his shoulder and embraced the change before he started racing into the night with his warrior. With each mile he made, his heart beat faster because he knew he was getting closer to home with the one thing that would save them.

That particular night, the moon was silver and beautiful...

THIS IS A SUBSCRIPTION STORY ON INKITT. IT IS COMPLETE. 

https://www.inkitt.com/stories/romance/1211335