Twisted Wonderland: The Seven Treasures

Twisted Wonderland & The Scars of a Ruler-Part 3

  As the three ran down the hall, Leona saw something flash in the corner of his eye and stopped, Jack and Ruggie continued ahead.
  "Who's there?" Leona asked, slowly walking back down the hall.
  "Hello Leona."
  Whipping around, Leona's eyes narrowed as the figure stepped out of the shadows, one hand on his hip. "I was wondering when you'd be able to see me," Overblot Leona said. "I wanted to finish what was started."
  "If your talkin' about my Overblot incident, that was finished," Leona repiled. "I recovered and was done with the matter."
  "You don't mean to tell me you don't crave the power you held?" Overblot Leona asked. "For a moment, you held the power to get what you wanted!"
  "It wouldn't have changed anything," Leona growled. "I'd still be the second prince, with no claim to the throne."
  "And yet, here we are," Overblot Leona said. "You still want that power, the power to claim the throne."
  "I've accepted my claim," Leona snapped. "Now get out!"
  He sent a blast of magic towards his Overblot form but it turned into sand before it could touch Overblot Leona.
  "You think a weak spell like that," Overblot Leona said, walking over the sand and towards Leona. "Could actually hurt me? You really are pathetic. I should just take your body now and release the rest. Then I could take what I want, what should have been mine!"
  Leona growled, his teeth showing. "I am your hunger. I am your thirst," he began. "I am what steals-"
  "King's Roar!" Overblot Leona cried, the magic shooting forward towards Leona, breaking his concentration as he dove to the side.
  The magic struck a nearby door and it crumbled into golden sand, spilling into the hall.
  "Don't you see how much more power I have?" Overblot Leona asked. "I can cast your signature spell without that ridiculous chant." He raised his hand, the sand gathering around it.
  Leona got to his knee, baring his teeth.
  The sand solidified around Overblot Leona's hand, creating The King's Claw.
  "You stole that?" Leona asked. "If you were confident that you could take what you wanted, you wouldn't have felt the need to carry around a dead relic."
  "Dead? Oh no," Overblot Leona shook his head. "This relic isn't dead in the slightest. It works perfectly. I'll show you."
  He whistled sharply, making Leona's ears fold down in pain, but they popped back up as a raven's cry and flap of wings filled the room.
  A raven, with feathers so black they were almost blue, sat on Overblot Leona's wrist, talons clinging into the skin of The King's Claw.
  "Do you recognize this bird?" Overblot Leona asked, stroking the raven's head gently. "I don't think anyone has yet, but it would be much easier if I could just remember his name...."
  "Enough games!" Leona cried, getting to his feet and charging forward, his magestone glowing as he prepared another spell.
  "Oh...that's right," Overblot Leona said, grinning. "His name is Crowley."
  Leona's eyes widened and he skidded to a stop, a few feet from the Overblot form, the magic fadding. "Crowley? You mean that bird is the Headmage?"
  "He is," Overblot Leona said, stroking the bird's feathers again. "I would have thought you would pick up on the magic of the Claw and figured me out much earlier. After all, I did turn your little hyena into my slave."
  "So you're tellin' me that the King of Beast's Claw can actually turn people into animals?" Leona asked. "That's lame."
  "On the contrary, it can bring about a new era of beasts," Overblot Leona said, looking at Leona. "One where the King rules. And if you won't take this opportunity, then I'll have to make you mine as well."
  The raven cried out, flying into the air as Overblot Leona swung his arm out, pointing the claw at Leona. "Long live the King!" Overblot Leona cried, before leaping forward, the Claw extended out.
  Leona ducked and twisted, avoiding each swipe of the Claw as it came towards him.
  "Hold still and become mine!" Overblot Leona exclaimed, lunging again.
  "Yeah...Not interested." Leona replied, skipping backwards and out of range.
Overblot Leona growled, then opened his mouth and roared, making Leona wince and drop his magepen to cover his ears at the volume.
  "Leona!"
  The cry made Overblot Leona turn. Ruggie stood at the other end of the hall, his magepen raised.
  "I should have killed you when I first saw you!" Overblot Leona yelled, leaping forward, the King's Claw extended.
  "Ruggie! Get down!" Jack exclaimed, diving on top of Ruggie, sending both of them to the ground and Overblot Leona through the window outside.
  "Get off," Ruggie said, getting up. "I had it."
  "..."
  "...Thanks," Ruggie said. "I didn't actually have a plan."
  Jack nodded.
  "Can you two be any more cringe?" Leona asked, standing up.
  Ruggie and Jack ran over. "You alright?" Jack asked.
  "Fine," Leona said, picking up his magepen. "It's nothin' I can't recover from. Ruggie."
  "Yes?"
  "I take it that's the guy who used the Claw on you?" Leona asked. "Speakin' of, where's the other Ruggie?"
  "The hyena?" Ruggie asked. "He's over there." He pointed behind him, where Hyena Ruggie poked his head around the corner before padding over.
  "What happened with the students?" Leona asked.
  "They were all fully animals," Jack replied. "When a whistle blew, they all scattered outside."
  "Tch," Leona frowned. "How many?"
  "At least half of the dorm," Ruggie answered. "That was your overblot form, right?"
  Leona nodded. "I don't think he'll stay down for long," he said, looking towards the window. "He'll be back."
~~~~~
  Returning to his room, Jack rubbed the back of his neck, fingering the scratches on it where The Claw had just barely broken skin.
  As he rubbed, Jack paused at a familiar sensation and pulled his hand away, noticing a white tuft of fur on the back of his hand.
  "Hmm." He mused, looking at it.
  "I knew that I got one of you," Jack turned around, looking for the voice, but no one was there. "I would have preferred the expendable hyena, but a ravaging wolf works as well. I'll claim you when you're ready..."
  The voice faded away, leaving Jack in silence once again.
~~~~~
   Leona walked into The King of Beat's exhibit room the next day and narrowed his eyes. The Claw was still there, encased in the glass.
  "I don't get it..." he muttered, looking at the Claw. "How can you be here and with my Overblot form?"'
  The room was mostly empty yet Leona felt a pair of eyes on him and started to turn.
  "Don't," Riddle's voice said, making Leona pause. "I have something very important to tell you."
  "Oh yeah?" Leona asked, his gaze flicking over to the other students. No one had noticed Riddle it seemed.
  "Savannaclaw is the only dorm being targeted by your overblot form," Riddle said. "And no other dorm has noticed the missing students."
  "This is useful to me because?"
  Riddle's voice became Trey's. "Do you really want to be missing students?" He asked. "Especially when most of them are uperclassmartes?"
  "Has anyone noticed Crowley missing?" Leona asked in reply.
  "Crowley? What about him?"
  "He's been turned into a raven, using this claw," Leona said. "But I think you've answered my question already. So no one knows Crowley's missin'."
"I didn't know that the Claw could affect the facility," Trey said. "I suppose this means more caution from now on."
  "...You're not Riddle or Trey," Leona said. "So who are you?"
  "No one you'll meet again," Trey said. "At least, not in this form."
  "You're that Queen of Heart's Card," Leona realized. "Illusions are your specialty."
  "Guilty as charged, but you're dealing with your own Treasure," Riddle's voice came back. "It can't tell the difference between you and your Overblot form but The King of Beast's Claw chose you to be its partner."
  "Like a relic could actually have a mind of its own."
  "Can't it? I'm speaking to you while the real Riddle and Trey are in class," The Queen's Card said. "No one ordered me to come tell you this stuff. Doesn't that make it a free choice?"
  Leona didn't reply.
  "Jack wants to see you after class," The Queen's Card said. "He said it was important. Think about what I've said."
  Leona waited for a moment before turning around. Just as he thought, there was no one there.
  "Hmm..."