AMETHYST: The rise of Tetra

Chapter 27

    A lot of work had gone into forming the characters of the great Alpha and Luna of Gloarian. Their progression in life was more than just a bunch of coincidences. It wasn’t through an act of random coincidences that this pair lost their parents at early ages, or that they rejected each other time and time again. It even wasn’t a coincidence that they were both one in the same, just in different genders. All the flame had done was use tools and technicalities to ensure that their very personalities be the very characteristics that bind these two people together. Without their strong natures, neither would be able to support the other in a time of need. Without their strength they would not have been able to fight their battles and save each other. Most importantly, without their stubbornness and flaming passion they would not have been able to love each other the way they did. It was the same factor that had left the two to keep together even though they were very much not allowed to do so. 

    Despite Paulina’s direct orders to follow the rules, the obstinate pair had decided to meet, in secret of course, and spend a good hour before each decided it would be best to part to avoid further troubles arising. 

    Luckily neither had been caught officially by the time they returned to their lifestyle with members of the same s*x, though that hadn’t meant that people hadn’t realised on the down low. Tiria had been smirking the entire time from the corner of the cafeteria, and that was enough for the Hybrid leader to know that people had caught onto their mischief. Trotting towards her only friend on Warmeck grounds, she stopped right in front of her with a knowing look. 

    ‘What did they tell you?’ She asked, getting straight to the point. A chuckling Tiria grabbed onto her food whilst leading the Luna back to their usual table. 

    ‘Oh Razaar, how I miss-’

    ‘Ok nevermind I get it’ interrupted Eliana once her friend had begun imitating the very scenes that had taken place not too long ago. The woman glared at her friend as she continued laughing hysterically, and soon when it came to an end, she continued ‘does no one like to mind their own business on these grounds?’ Complained the immortal woman, making it no better for Tiria, who could not stop laughing. 

    ‘I told you, word spreads fast around here. Next time you meet your mate in private you’ll need to be more careful than that’ suggested the woman, munching on her meal. ‘Why haven’t you guys mated yet?’ Questioned Tiria, causing Eliana to choke on her own spit by the question. 

    It had been a question that for a while now the immortal woman had questioned. Why hadn’t she mated Razaar? What was stopping them? She did love him, so what was pushing her away from doing so? Thinking back to all the times she had spent with nightly companions, a feeling of guilt penetrated her, though was soon replaced by a fire of jealousy at the recent events with Lyra. It was a mixture that altogether had resulted in distance that the Hybrid leader was sure putting between her and her mate, and though it made no sense, it seemed the woman was waiting for a certain confirmation to tick in her mind before she would allow herself to experience such love, pleasure and passion. No doubt it would be an electric night, though she only wished to be ready mentally to process the burden of attachment that would come with it. 

    Since birth the woman had been a strong, independent, and very much detached being, even more so after her rejection and the passing of her parents, and despite reuniting with her mate, somewhere deep down the woman was worried she would lose all sorts of detachment as soon as she would mate her man. Why the thought was so prominent in her head was something she still had to figure out, though Eliana was a woman who had always been ready for the worst since the worst began in her life, and she wasn’t sure it had come to an end yet, or if she wished to push away her feeling of power and individuality just yet by succumbing to the body of her mate. However, it had also crossed her mind that she did indeed love her mate, and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, as the flame had planned, though for some reason that thought alone wasn’t enough for Eliana to push herself into the mating procedure. 

    Tiria clicked her fingers in front of the woman who had completely lost and immersed herself into her thoughts, and soon Eliana found no choice but to share her thoughts and perhaps get feedback from someone who might be able to help her, or at least hear her out. 

    ‘I...I don’t know. Razaar and I have had a complicated history, and we’ve faced a lot of things on our way here, I’m just not sure if I’m ready yet. This may sound stupid but I just want to hold onto individuality a bit longer. I fear that if I mate Razaar I’ll lose that detachment I have to people. Getting attached is a scary thing, and I really don’t think it’s something I’m ready to do right now, no matter how much I love him’ her speech had for once wiped the smirk of Tiria’s face, and soon the woman sympathised with her new friend. 

    ‘I understand that, and I respect that. I know for a fact I’m not the type of person to not be attached, I just can’t be. I’ve grown up closely with my entire family, and despite the whole no love policy on Warmeck grounds, I think it’s become evident to me that when I do get a chance to be with my mate I want to immerse myself completely in what I do know: being loved, loving and attaching. I wish I knew another way. Whatever you do, make sure it’s the right thing for you. We may have mates in this world but the decision to love them is purely on us’ commented Tiria, blowing away Eliana’s mind by the seriousness in her voice. It was perhaps the first time that the Hybrid had seen her friend so serious, though she appreciated the input she had received back, and decided to take the rest of the day off to herself to think about what she wanted to do. ‘By the way, all mate rules are exempt tomorrow, which means you and Raazaar will be free to roam around without hiding, and can even sleep in the same room’ she mentioned as Eliana rose to her feet, a smirk returning on her face. 

    The revelation of the upcoming day had only created more knots and twists in the belly of a woman who needed more time to think about what she wished to do with her night the following day, and that ample amount of questions were certainly not helping her make a decision. 

    Should she mate Razaar right before a dangerous war? Should she give up her individuality? Would their love last or were there any more threats to come? 

    Circling around the training areas, Eliana faded away into the forest, arriving at the lake that remained calm upon her entrance, and seating herself on a rock nearby she played with her powers, creating ripples in the water that were the only source of satisfaction at the time. That was until a voice interrupted her thoughts. 

    ‘Affairs of the heart?’ Questioned the voice, and as the Hybrid leader turned around, she had been surprised to find Paulina standing right behind her, as rigid and formal as ever, ready to be of service to the conflicted woman. 

    ‘Is it that obvious?’ laughed Eliana, still unsure of how the commander had picked up her discomfort. 

    ‘I’ve seen my fair share of upset people on these lands, Miss Genova. The rules here aren’t easy, I do admit that, though they work. However due to them I have witnessed several members go down the very same trail of thought you are. If you would like to share your issues then please do, I can be a great listener’ she informed, taking the woman by surprise at her sudden change of mood. Gone was the intimidating commander, and in front of the great Luna stood simply another woman, one who was there to listen and advise, as most women did. With a smile the leader decided to take the commander up on the offer, though approached the matter in a way that perhaps would open up Paulina more than she wished to. 

    ‘Have you ever thought about having a mate, Coomander Stem?’ Asked a nervous Eliana, only earning a knowing smile from the commander who walked forward to seat herself next to the Hybrid leader. 

    ‘Of course I have. I may not look like the soft type, but I assure you I think of having a mate as much as anyone else does. Not many people on this territory see that because they’re used to my more...commanding side, though I am a child of the flame at the end of the day, I do wish to find my mate some day’ responded Paulina with the utmost honesty. It had amazed Eliana the ease with which the woman had opened up to her, and decided to take this opportunity to get to know the woman who would be training them better. 

    ‘How do you think your relationship will be with your mate when you find him? Do you think the rules would affect you a certain way? Or would you be madly in love, like any other mated pair?’ A slightly confused Paulina looked in the direction of the great Luna of Gloarian with a small frown, wondering what exactly was going through her head. 

    ‘You and I are both leaders, Miss Geonva. We don’t have time to be a kid in love, we have duties and responsibilities to attend to. Though something tells me it’s not the rules that’s bothering you today, Eliana. What is it you truly seek the answer to?’ Posed Paulia, and Eliana felt herself feeling more vulnerable than ever. 

    ‘I have been struggling, trying to decide if it’s worth it to mate with Razaar. I’m sorry if this is too forward, I just wish I could figure out why it’s taking me so long to come to terms with a decision. I do love him and want to spend my life with him, though at the same time I want to hang on to my-’

    ‘Freedom? Individuality?’ interrupted Paulina, with a smirk on her face. The immortal woman nodded, amused by how understanding and sharp the commander had been, and how easy it was turning out to have this conversation with her. ‘Sooner or later you’re going to have to give yourself to him if you  love him. As for the individuality, that will always be there with you, Eliana. You are a natural born leader, one who is strong and gifted, you have trusted the flame this far with your journey, trust that the flame will ensure you are always on the path you need to and want to be on. Don’t ever push something away because of fear. If you have a fear, face it. Fears are irrational, they don’t make sense, that’s what I’ve come to learn in my years of training. Get rid of fear and nothing remains in your way to happiness and freedom. If you want to claim that freedom then face your fears, and have faith in the flame’ spoke the woman, perhaps having given Eliana the best advice of all, and it was one the Luna certainly appreciated. 

    ‘Thank you, Commander Stem, I appreciate your help’ voiced the immortal woman before taking off, returning to her chambers with her mind suddenly made up: she was going to take a leap of faith, and do what she had been fearing to do, because fear was irrational, and sooner or later she would have to face it. 

    It seemed funny for a woman so strong to be dealing with an issue so minor with the vulnerability she was given everything that was right in front of her as a greater threat, including the war and and her own strong personality, though as Eliana made the decision, she felt herself returning to her usual behaviour in no time.

    Though the real question was: why was Eliana having these doubts  to begin with when she was a reincarnation of Cassandra, a woman who had loved Leopold more than anything in her life. Why wasn’t she throwing herself into the arms of her mate the way Cassandra had always dared to do? Perhaps the reason lay in the first memories that Leopold and Cassandra themselves had created. 

    The flame watched with a smile, recalling his own first memory of his first time with Cassandra, and he knew that despite the love that was there, that moment had led to several issues that would happen to any pair on any planet. Despite the obvious differences of each planet, the one thing that refused to change on Zaleon had been the natural nature of each gender, and the associations that came with it. 

    Cassandra had been the loneliest after her first memorie with her dear Leopold, as he embarked on a journey to be the guy who, after the night of their mating had fought terribly with his Princess all due to fear and miscommunication. The concept of intimacy having a crazy effect on people was boggling to the woman, though it was one of the wonders of nature that would remain a mystery, one that was worth keeping no matter the cost. This fight had been a most challenging one for the pair, and the timing had made it even worse, though like always Leopold and Cassandra had found their way back together, and so would the pair on Zaleon.

    It was a balance of good and bad that existed that made the fear arise and the decision so tough, though ultimately facing the fear and acknowledging balance was the best thing to do. 

    The great Alpha of Gloarian had not even considered half the things Eliana had, in his mind the canvas was blank, and all he ever thought of doing was mating his woman, knowing that would be the most sparkling moment of his life, though he had never considered the after effects of the situation, nor was he aware of the worries in his own mate’s head that had previously stopped her from going the whole way. 

    In his own experience Razaar had been enjoying his time hanging out with Remo and other warriors that reminded him of the life of training and battle he had back on his lands, and it was a feeling he had been thoroughly embracing and enjoying as he missed the feeling of being in control and in power that he had lacked for a while. The truth was that the Alpha knew just how powerful his own mate was, and throughout this journey he had been less of an Alpha male than he ever had been, merely due to the strong nature of his woman. He had not hated the fact, nor detested his mate for it, nevertheless he wished to be a man in power once again, and so he felt in the company of the warriors that were more interested in his stories than anyone else, thus giving him the attention he required. 

    It wasn’t until nightfall that Remo had announced to the man that the following day would be the day of the exempt, meaning that he would be free to spend the day with his mate the way he pleased, and that had raised the question in his mind for the first time of what he would do with his mate when they would reunite. Though the decision in his head had been made easily without the doubts and fears that were in the mind of his head, and within minutes he settled with the thought and fell into deep slumber with no issues whatsoever. 

    Nightfall had also meant that the tossing and turning had begun for the leader of Hybrids, who despite having settled with her decision remained nervous for some unknown reason. Luckily a distraction had appeared right at her doorstep, and within minutes of adjusting to her bed her door had been busted open, and surprisingly a worried Tiria came tumbling inside. 

    ‘Tiria, what are you doing here?’ A confused Eliana posed, watching her perspiring friend walk in. 

    ‘I found my mate’ she stated, with eyes wide and terrified, unlike what Eliana had expected her to be like when she would find her partner. 

    ‘Congratulations, why do you look so terrified?’ The Hybrid leader simply could not bring herself to understand what had been so terrible about finding their mate, unless they rejected each other. Though by the look on Tiria’s face that was perhaps not the case. 

    ‘He's a guard from the very southern borders of Tetra. He came back to the grounds to get some rest, and I spotted him entering through the doors and ran away’ she commented, not quite making sense in any way. Just hours ago the woman had mentioned her need and want to be around her mate when she would meet him, though this behaviour was certainly unusual for a woman who claimed to be the complete opposite of what she was demonstrating. Eliana’s look had said it all, but it hadn’t been enough to get the girl talking further.

    ‘What’s wrong with you? Why would you do that?’ Blurted Eliana, surprised as ever. 

    ‘Because I panicked. I freaked out. I didn’t know what to say or do. Daylight means the day of the exempt, that means I’m free to be with him and mate with him, but now I’m panicking because of our prior conversation. I realise that I said I would be a lot more open to this, but suddenly I’m not. I don’t know what I want. I don’t know if I’m ready to have a mate or to be distant from him’ she revealed, and it struck the Hybrid leader that the woman was simply panicking due to the distance she would soon have to suffer. 

    ‘Tiria, you do realise you’re in your last year of training. It’s just a matter of a small while, then you’ll be free to marry him-’

    ‘With an upcoming war?’ Countered the tiny woman, making a firm point. 

    ‘The war is going to affect all of us, but we keep going, don’t we? You’re Warmecks, the most trained kind on this planet, I wouldn’t be too worried about dying. If you feel like you’re not ready to mate you don’t have to. Though don’t shy away from what you want because of an upcoming war. Someone told me today that you need to face your fears head on, and I think that’s exactly what you should do’ responded Eliana, being the source of positivity that not too long ago had been provided by the commander of Warmecks herself. Tiria calmed down visibly, taking deep breaths as she processed the wise woman’s words, and soon turned to face her. 

    ‘You’re right, I should not be afraid, he’s my mate, I just need to face it and do what I think is best for me’ despite having said it to her friend it seemed Tiria was speaking to herself, convincing herself that she was better than she was actually doing.

    ‘Consider yourself lucky that you met your mate just about on day of the exempt, imagine how terrible it would have been for you if you would have had to sneak around just to get to know him’ added Eliana to make the feel the woman better, and it sure as hell did the trick as a small smile slowly appeared on the jolly woman’s face.

    ‘You’re right, I am quite lucky. Thank you for your help, sorry to just barge in at this time of night. I’ll leave now’ she spoke, elevating from her seat rapidly and making her way out to leave the woman to her own thoughts. She had been ecstatic that her friend had found her mate, and as she looked at Tiria’s reaction it only reminded her of herself, and the fool she was being, questioning herself over something so silly and normal as mating. 

    The rest of the night came with the peace she had finally been looking for, and with positive thoughts and a good lesson learnt, she braced herself for the day to come, for that day would bring changes to her life she never saw coming in the near future, and she was ready to embrace it to the best of her abilities.