Changes

Chapter 16

It was snowing! In New Orleans! "What the hell happened," Violet asked out loud while I thought the question in my head. "We need to get home," Z said and he teleported us back to the house. No one was there. From the papers on the coffee table we could tell they were out looking for us. While Z called someone to inform them we were back, I looked at a newspaper on the table and saw we had lost five months of time. Next week was Thanksgiving.

I then began to read over articles about strange weather changes all over the world, snow in New Orleans being one of them. Its dropped so low in temperature, parts of the ocean near the coast and the Mississippi river have become frozen solid. It was strange to say the least. What was causing all of this?

Soon the livingroom was filled with the rest of the Founders and my mother. She threw her arms around the twins as she began to cry tears of relief. "What happened the six months we were gone," I asked, getting straight to the point. "The world the creatures come from, the one you guys got sucked into, is beginning to merge with ours," Cherif told me. "It's causing a major disruption with the balance. Extreme climate changes, animal behavior changes, disease out breaks, and many more problems have risen because of it."

"Any way to fix it," Z asked them. "Not that we have found," Cherif replied. I looked at my mom, "And what have the Elders said about all of this?" She looked at me a little sadly then, "They were all hunted and killed. Many from the five families are being hunted because we are equipped to fight them."  I understood my mother's sadness then. She had been friends with a couple of the Elders. "Many have gone into hiding, fearing for their lives."

"What will happen if the merging is successful," Jay asked. "We don't know. If what is happening is a sign, then it's not gonna be good," Drako answered. "I say we get some rest and start fresh tomorrow. Despite it being six months for you guys, it's only been a few hours for us," Violet suggested. I nodded in agreement and Z took my hand, "You need to eat." He lead me out of the livingroom and into the kitchen.

I sat down and he began to cook. I can't believe six months flew by so quickly. The time difference between here and there was phenomenal. We missed six months worth of time. Did us getting sucked in be the cause of it? It's clear whatever sucked us in knew we could stop it and didn't want us getting in the way.

"You're thinking too hard," Z said as he sat down my plate. "It's all so much to try and wrap my head around," I told him. "Leave it for tomorrow," He told me. I nodded before eating my food. After I finished eating I cleaned my dishes before going upstairs with him. When we got to our room I saw a present wrapped in purple paper sitting on the bed. I smiled softly when I saw the card attached let me know it was from my mother.

"What's that," Z asked me. "During the six months we were gone, my birthday had passed. My mom had gotten me a present," I told him. He wrapped his arms around me, "How old did you turn?" "Twenty four," I told him. He kissed the mark I wore proudly on my neck, "I guess I should give you twenty four spankings." I bit my lip, "And don't forget the one to grow on." He chuckled, "I would never do such a thing." I unwrapped the gift and saw inside was a new sketch book with white leather covers. Embrace the joy and light, was on the front cover in gold cursive.

It had been a while since I had last drawn anything good. It's been nothing but horrors of the past. Maybe now with this handsome man by my side I can begin to draw good things once again.

The next morning I woke up to a small present on Z's pillow with a note saying it was for me. I opened it and saw a necklace with a dragon with it's wings spread, on a sword with its tail wrapped around the blade. Below it was a piece of paper.

Happy belated birthday Alanna. I know you may find it idiotic to give you a gift for your birthday since now you are immortal, but I find that I want to celebrate the anniversary of your birth. I am gifting you this necklace because it is the only thing of sentimental value that I own. It was gifted to me by the other Founders because I am a King who doesn't like wearing crowns. I also will gift you with my real name. It is Zeviathan. No, I was not named after the great legendary Dragon that ruled over the battle fields. I, and the dragon, are one in the same. I had worn the necklace when slicing down my enemies, and the dragon was the last many saw before they met their end. As the years passed, the legend of the Great Dragon Zeviathan turned from being a blood thirsty warrior to being of a true dragon. In a way, I was thankful for that. The battle that made me a legend was my most hated battle. I never wanted to kill so many, but I had no choice. Those soldiers had been taken over by dark spirits, and killing them was the only mercy I could give them. After that battle, I started going by Z, wanting to put as much distance between myself and that blood thirsty warrior as possible. I am telling you my name because I long to hear you say it. Maybe then, it won't make me cringe and bring forth those hated memories.

                                                                             Yours truly, 

                                                                                      Zeviathan

I smiled softly as I folded the paper back up and put the necklace on. It fell so it rested in the valley between my breasts. I got dressed then went down stairs and saw only Silver in the kitchen. He was sitting at the kitchen island in only his boxers with a cup of coffee in his hands. I made myself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal before going to sit next to him. Neither of us said anything while I took a drink of coffee. "Why did you step in when Violet was snapping at me when we were on the other side," He asked softly. I shrugged, "Because I truly don't like how she talks to you. Only reason I haven't killed her is because I'm not a murderer." "You could give one of us the order to do it," He pointed out to me. I shook my head, "I would still feel like it was I who did it." I then shrugged, "Plus she's a good person under all that goth exterior." "And why does it bother you at how she talks to me? You seem to be the only one that does," He said with a scoff at the end. "Because even though you and I don't get along, I still care about you. I care about all of you guys," I answered truthfully. He nodded and stood, taking his coffee cup to the sink. I was taking a bite of my cereal when I felt him kiss my temple as he placed a knife by my bowl. I looked down at the knife and I was surprised when I saw it was a pirate's dagger. I almost dropped my spoon in my bowl in shock. He walked out of the kitchen, not once looking back. I made the other two knives I was given appear.

Talos's knife was an old Native American knife with the top of the blade straight and dull, while the underside of it was was wicked sharp and curved in a way that was good for slicing and skinning. The blade wasn't the original, probably had to replace it as time went on, but the hilt was original. The hilt was a brown leather made from bison skin with what I'm guessing was his name or a blessing written in the language his people practiced. Axel's knife was a knife from the Bronze age. The dagger had a steel blade, sharped on both sides. The hilt was of black leather with steel beneath it. The leather had to have been replaced many times, but that was during times when it wasn't easy to clean the leather. Then you have Silver's pirate dagger. The hilt was of real gold and brown leather. The blade was light weight, coming to a thin point. It was meant to be used to help pick the locks of treasure chests.

You would think the knives would help me figure out their ages, but to be honest, they didn't. Pirates sailed the seas for generations before they were truly documented. And the Native Americans had tribes all over the United States for countless years before people across the seas came and settled, I only knew what was documented after they had been discovered. And the Bronze age was a very long time ago. Plus Axel could've gotten the knife after he became a Founder, same with the others.

I smiled as I attached my knives, including the one Silver gave me, to my belt. Things were truly changing, and not all of it was bad.