The Kings Chosen

Chapter One: The Beginning

I always knew the end would end like this.

There was never a moment in my life that didn’t make me wonder if things could end differently, if there were any way things could end differently.

Different paths I could’ve taken or choices I could’ve made. It was always my destiny to fight the big fight, from the beginning of my birth to this moment I’m in now.

My life has no greater meaning or destiny than this one I am living. This life was chosen for me before I was even conceived. My whole life felt like a dream. The days passing me by in a mixture of colors and moments.

I followed my path and lived every moment to my greatest ability. I couldn’t have lived my days any better than the way I have.

But now’s not the time for that. Before I tell you about my ending, I'll tell you about the beginning. My beginning. A story that begins with me finding my own path in the clans of my people.

Of a girl that everyone overlooked or pushed to the side because she was different. A girl that even overlooked herself until the moment came that she knew the only way she had to end her story, was end it herself.

A story of a girl that lived but haven’t lived at all. But this isn't just my story, it's everyone's story. It's the story of how the ending, became the beginning.

Every morning is the same. I wake up, eat and drink, stay inside my home and listen to my mother. I’ve grown used to the repeating days and nights. I didn’t have reason to be bored with it, how can you be bored with something if that’s all you’ve always known?

But today was different. When I woke up this morning, the air felt different and I was told to get ready. I haven't been told to get ready before. Get ready for what? After I've gotten ready, mother took me outside and earlier than what I’m used to.

She told me today is my first day in class, in Unity Class One with the other kids my age. My first day around other kids my age or any kids at that. It’s also the first day where everyday after this isn’t the same.

The morning air was cool today, the summer sun beaming warmth down on me as I walked with my mother in the direction I’ve never went before. The warm sun felt cozy and comforting, making me want to sit awhile and take it in as we made our way to the school.

The air was filled with the happy songs of birds, chirping and flying above us as they played and swirled in the chilled morning wind. Their days filled with contemptment and delight.

I wish I could be like that, no worries or cares in the world. Flying and feeling the smooth wind go between my wings. Urging me higher, free to fly anywhere I wanted to. To truly belong. They didn't know what it was like to not belong, they didn't even know how free they truly were.

Mother liked to keep me indoors or with her at all times. She said the people living here with us in the clans were untrustworthy and unpredictable. It was hard growing up without other kids to play with or to have someone other than mother to make the days pass by quicker. I have her, but to have someone my age- I wish that were possible. I know mother has her reasons, she always does.

It doesn't make it any easier or make me feel even the slightest bit better. I seen the way mother worries, I can hear her crying some nights. I know she wants to keep me safe, but I want to live. This isn't living, just existing.

Our classes were split by age and this will be my first time going to one. I was never able to attend any before for a number of reasons. One of which was because I was too old to attend the first class in the system. I turned twelve summers this year, the age everyone attends their third class in the classroom together. To get together in one room and grow, learn and grow up together.

We have earlier classes but I was never allowed to go before. I'm three years behind. You go to your first class with the other children at nine summers, Mother said I wasn’t allowed to go before because I was deemed too dangerous around the other children. I never heard that reason before. And I'm not dangerous, I'm just me.

Today will be the first time I get to be in Unity Class One. The third class to take in the systems. The school had many students that came from our clans, every species of shifters were welcomed and came together at a young age to teach them- us- leadership and teamwork.

We all fit in here, taught to work together as a team and a family to reach our full potentials with our abilities. To learn how to be stronger as one. As a whole, just like the generation before us-even the Argia. All of us were taught to be warriors first, then leadership and work skills later on.

The Argia were the first shape shifter’s that had walked among our planet, they came here from another planet but no one knows from where. They brought some humans with them, a species that looked like us but at the same time didn't.

They were weaker with no known abilities, different from than us. They brought them with them to a new planet and repopulated the planet so that shifters and humans could live side by side.

Years ago, we were like gods to the humans, superior in every way imaginable that protected them from the Iluntasuna. We are the Arintasuna, beings with the ability to shift into animals. The humans never seen anything like it before and thought of us as gods. They worshiped us.

Wanted to be us. Not long after they had built a civilization, a home for humans and shifters, one of the humans betrayed them. He wanted to be powerful, more powerful than us and with that greed the Ilunasuna was born. He turned more humans to be like him, to form another species that he could control and command.

The Iluntasuna were immortal creatures that fed on the blood of humans and sought to control the human race. They threatened everything we believed in and would’ve destroyed our world as we knew it. The Argia decided to stay to themselves, not wanting a war that would damage the land and the people on it.

Their children after them believed differently. They grew up seeing what the Iluntasuna could do and knew what they were doing was wrong.

If you have the ability to change it all, why wouldn’t you? They formed an alliance together and trained hard, fought brilliantly together as one. They worked hard day and night to defeat them.

They started a devastating war that lasted for years. The war was long and brutal, many casualties on both sides. Bodies of the dead layed in the streets, there were so many that passed in the efforts to win. They eventually led us to victory in the battle against the vampires, the Iluntasuna. They had to be put down.

The Iluntasuna would’ve put the shapeshifters under their control for power and slavery. Their existence would mean nothing as they would become nothing but slaves like the humans. Pets even.

Since before the war, the vampires have stride towards being the better species and sought to control every other species. We were the reason they existed and had to be put down. There were too many of them, too many to go up against and win.

Our leaders made this home for all of us to learn and grow together as a whole after defeating them. They weren't all dead, just manageable.

We had to find our place among others and had to become a family. We built a home here and a place to become stronger and be stronger than before.

A safe place to learn of our strengths and weaknesses together and to learn how to use our abilities as shifters. A safe place to master your gifts and to become the best and fiercest version of yourself. As one. All except for me.

“Mother, please wait.” I say as I look at her face nervously with uneasiness rolling in my stomach making me feel queasy. “What if something happens?”

I was looking up at the back of her head as she pulls me along, waiting for her to slow down and take us back home. I didn't like being so far from home, I felt like something was going to happen at any moment.

She back at me for a brief second, pulling me along without a pause as I practically jog to keep up. She was determined to get me to where she was pulling me along to and that scared me more.

“Everything will be fine Ella, you’ll see. Today will be different for us, especially for you. If everything goes well, you'll be around kids your age and learn about things you should've been taught already.” My mother says as she holds my hand firmly to make sure I stay alongside her. All I wanted to do was turn back around and go home.

"And if everything doesn't go as planned?" I ask and hold my breath, waiting for her to answer. Mother stays quiet, walking without pause.

“They won’t like me, nobody here will.” I try again to get her to see reason and take us back. She was worried about what others would do if they saw me outside, and now she's willingly allowing everyone to see me at once. Had she gone insane?

I continue ranting, afraid more than anything on how this will go. “Why would they allow me into their school? I'm the enemy they all are taught to hate and fear. They only see me as a blood thirsty Iluntasuna." I sob out, my nose runny and my eyes watery. "I see the stares and hear the whispers from them, even from the elders.”

My mother, so strong and fierce looks back at me with a soft gaze. Turning back around, she keeps walking. “And what is it they say?”

“They want me locked up and exiled to the Dead Lands to be with the Iluntasuna Mother. I am a freak, I don’t belong in there.” I tell her honestly as I start to see the top of the school starting to show over the green grassy hills. More tears streak down my face and I sniffle. Anxiety eating at me as I run a hand across my face, wiping away at my tears.

She remains quite, so quiet my thoughts are louder then the rustle of the leaves we walk through. “Ella,” my mother says after a bit, her voice soft yet strong.

“The gods gave you to me not in shame but in admiration in what I have created for this world. You bare the right to live in this life just like me and the rest. They’re no better than you because of their blood. To the gods we are all the same. No one greater than the next.”

Her hold on my hand tightens as she runs her thumb over my knuckles that are white from gripping hers. “We are all the same. Wear your skin like you would mine because no matter what, you not only carry me with you in your blood, but in your appearance and heart as well.”

“The moon goddess gave you to me, set you right in my paws,” she continues as she rubs the skin of my knuckles with her thumb. “You were made to do great things and one day you’ll find your purpose. You have a huge part in this world as do the rest of us.”

“Your sole purpose of survival is out there, you just ought to catch it within your claws and hold onto it. Your meant for great things, mine was having you,” my mother pauses and turns around to bend down to my level.

I look up and see we are next to the doors of the building, I didn’t even realize we were here.“Follow your heart and you will know what’s right. You’ll be just fine.” She kisses my forehead and pulls me into a hug.

She pulls away, looks into my grey white eyes and holds me at arms length. “Now, get in there and show how strong my daughter is.”

She gave me one last reassuring squeeze on my shoulders before standing back up once again and taking my smaller hand in hers. Mother stares right into my eyes and I see the orange flecks of her eyes take hold.

In her gaze I see her animal spirit there, staring back at me and letting me see her presence. I feel her take a hold of my mind, easing it down calmly and I take in deep breaths. I feel my courage build as I feel the feathery light presence of my mother.

My tears dry up and my nose stops running. I mimic the calm breathing of my mother and feel myself calm down. I follow mother inside and the door shuts with a loud thud.

Nervousness takes a grip on me again and the courage mother helped me find leaves me with the whoosh of the wind closed off by the heavy door. The building was big, filled with multiple rooms and hallways.

I never been in a building so big before, just our small hut we lived in and yet the hallway felt small. Smaller than our home and suffocating.

As I look around my surroundings, one of the first things I notice is in the hallway we stand in now is three hallways leading from it with a slab of wood with words carved into them above each entry way.

The one to my right is a short hallway with a yellow door at the end labeled as Corridor One, eating section three. The other two on my left is labeled as Corridor two, Specials Class One and the other is Corridor Three, Class One.

“Come on, Eleanor, we won’t make it in time with you distracting yourself.” My mother says as she pulls me to left side of the lobby. The entrance to the corridors has a wooden door with a bigger slab of wood above it labeled as Chief Zekeual, our commanding chief.

“Are you ready, Ella?” I hear mother question me, not that I had much of a choice.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I say as I try to calm my racing heart.

I can do this, I have to. For mother.

Mother knocks on the door firmly and I step closer to her, as if I could hide away from whoever is going to answer the door.

My mother is a strong warrior, she’s fierce and fights with everything she has. I have to follow in her footsteps, I have to be as great as she was- still is. Every trial she makes through, I will follow with a mightier roar than before. “Come in.” A rough voice echoes through the door, making my muscles stiffen with fear telling us to enter.

My mother’s voice goes through my mind with a strong gentle voice, “You can do this. Deep breaths. Don’t be frightened. Now, be brave my little warrior.”

By the time she finishes talking, she grasps the door knob in her hand and pushes the door open. My eyes land on a tall older man sitting on a fur rug with a wooden table with small legs placed in the middle of the room.

He had a long black braid with grey showing throughout his hair down his back and wearing fur trousers. His hands spread out across his thighs in a calming stance, but I know anything but.

As his eyes flicker from my mother to me, a deep frown rests on his face at the very sight of me. “Ah, Jaiyana and Eleanora. Please come in and sit. Tell me what brings you here today.” While his words may sound welcoming, his body language and soulless black eyes beacons me to leave.

I nervously go to take a step back away from him but my mother firmly pulls me to where the Chief is sitting. The hatred ruling off of him hits me hard and my body stiffens more. Mother sits down and with my hand still in hers, she pulls me down next to her. The chief turns toward my mother and speaks with obvious distaste. “What brings you here child?”

I look away from the chief to look at my mother. Her face determined as she looks right back at him with defiance. “I want my daughter enrolled into this school along with the other children Chief.” She answers and waits in silence.

I look back over at the man and see his eyes are now a hard solid black in a cold stare back at her with with hatred as thick as mountains and as cold as winter. “Why should I let that hybrid into my domain when she’s dangerous to everyone here? She’s a monster. You know the rules better than anyone else and yet you still ask that of me?” Chief’s voice raises to a higher pitch that echoes through the room.

My mother glares back, a crack coming from under her clenching hands on the wooden table to restrain herself. “She has the right to be here just as much as every other child in this school. So please, save your breath Chief.” She forces his title out of her mouth with a snarl. “The Book of Laws state that no matter the shifter or abilities, no shifter shall be turned away. Everyone is welcomed here, even the rogues.”

At this he lets out a furious growl and slams his fist on the board of wood causing it to crack. She remains where she is, passive and unmoving from her position. The only evidence of him bothering her, is the specks of orange shown in her green eyes. “The book states no matter the circumstances, there will be no Iluntasuna in our peaceful home. She,” he pauses to point a finger at me causing me to shrink back, ”she is as dark and soulless as they come Jaiyana. She doesn’t belong here and neither do you anymore.”

My mother only raises her chin and levels her eyes on his, her determination unyielding. “Don’t use that with me father.” She spits the word out of her mouth as if just by saying it left a bad taste in her mouth.

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