The Three Crystals

Chapter 2

Tiger had found a single guard holding the two crystals in his arms. However, he was not alone. Tiger saw others were helping the thief escape. 

"Give me the crystals, thieves." 

The clothes showed that they were guards from Tiger's army and he felt angry and betrayed. He did not know why they would do this. He was their Keeper and he had protected them from the Zombie Plants. They should not be doing this.

"I am sorry Almighty Tiger, but the stones belong to the people," the man told him, holding the stones closer to him.

Tiger growled at him. "Why?"

"The people have been fighting the Plants, not the Keepers. We should be in charge." With that, the guard with all the crystals took off. Tiger began to charge, but a force greater than him stopped him. A metal chain was thrown on his neck and was tied to the floor. 

They had planned this. He was so angry that he did not even notice them holding the chains. 

He clawed, bit, and pulled on the metal chains until he fell to the floor. The other people that helped the thief ran off, leaving Tiger alone. His eyes drooped in sadness that he did not look up when a pair of wings flapped outside the window.

"It is the Almighty Tiger!" a male yelled. A thud came from the window, and a pair of feet rushed to him. "There's a chain on his neck!"

"Can you take it off, young warrior?" His friend, the Unicorn asked.

At the sound of 'warrior', Tiger growled and pulled away from the boy. The boy, no older than thirteen, jumped away to avoid Tiger. Tiger's grey eyes stared at the boy, and his claws were out. "You."

The boy was scared and Unicorn covered the boy with her wing. "Tiger, what are you doing? He is trying to help you."

"His people did this! They took the crystals from us. They do not deserve our help and I do not want his help," Tiger told her. 

"If he does not help you, then the Plants will get you," Unicorn said.

Tiger lay there in silence, and the boy slowly came forward. The boy removed the chain that was tight on Tiger's neck before walking away. Tiger stood and shook his body. He did not look at the boy or say thank you but walked to the window. 

It was already too late. The Zombie Plants had taken over most of the people that had come to Strength's lands for safety. Tiger clawed the curtains in anger. He was supposed to protect them, all of them. If Tiger could not defeat his own guards, who was supposed to protect them now? 

In the distance, he would see the soft glow of the crystals. He was about to rush out when Unicorn stood in his path, blocking him.

"Move!" he growled, his eyes glaring at his friend.

Unicorn stomped a hoof. "No. The Plants are all around this place. We have to wait until sunrise and then they will be gone."

"They'll be gone by then. We have to leave now!" Tiger rushed around but got a face full of feathery wings. 

"Almighty Tiger. If I may speak. I know where they will be heading," the boy spoke. Tiger stopped and looked at the boy. He stood looking at him with his bright green eyes. He shifted his boot on the ground and ran a hand through his red hair. 

"Speak."

"They said they would head to Vision."

Tiger looked at him. "How do you know this?"

The blond boy shifted his foot again. "My dad is the leader of the group."