Tala:

Kaan:

Kaan, Godly Form:


Lyra:

Kelsey:

Kelsey,Godly Form:


Queen of the Zolnixis:
Tala was pacing her cage, spitting curses at the Morkkos outside.
"They can't understand you."
Tala whipped her head around, glowering at the other Vulnyx in the cage beside her.
"I know they can't. That's not the point."
She continued to spit out insults like angry fire and Kaan sighed. It was her way of tiring herself out, and he couldn't stop her if he wanted to anyway. He was her brother, and her best friend, but she listened to no one, not even him. One of them twisted his large brown head around and spoke in a loud booming voice.
"We can understand you. And I would be quiet before one of us makes you."
His voice was calm, but tipped with daggers of menace. Kaan whipped his head toward Tala and glared at her. She bent her head low and looked sorrowful. Kaan rested his head on his legs and slipped into peaceful sleep.

A huge rattling and shaking noise awoke Kaan from his slumber. Tala was sitting straight up, her ears bent against her head. Kaan looked up. The Morkkos were carrying them to a huge black fortress carved of what looked like obsidian. The Morkko in front, who had hissed at Tala before, stopped there and laid their cage, along with another empty one, in front of the gate. He bowed his head low and as he passed their cage, he gave a wicked little smile to Kaan and Tala. After they left, a Zolnixi, red as blood, padded out and picked up the cages in her jaws. She winked at them, and continued to walk past legions of Zolnixis in deep sapphire armor. She descended nine sets of stairs until she came to a white wall, the giant door locked with a padlock. The Zolnixi set down the cage carefully and pulled a large key off a chain on her neck. She inserted it into the key, punched in a passcode, and turned a huge stone wheel until the door creaked open. She pulled a syringe from a pouch on her back and smiled at the two Vulnyxs. She carefully pricked them both with it, and then everything went sideways, and the world went black.

Kaan awoke to a buzzing noise. He jolted up with a start, and quickly looked around. Tala was lying at the bottom of the cage, still unconscious, and there was a Zolnixi watching them. He flicked his paws unhappily and settled down to sleep when the voice spoke.
"The door is open you know."
He stood up slowly, his tail weary, his legs tired, and glanced to the door. The Zolnixi was right, the door was wide open. He tentatively stuck his tail out the door.
"It's not a trap."
The Zolnixi sounded amused, and he took a better look at her. She was a dark shade of blue, cream patterns accenting her fur. She had an amused look on her face, like she was dying to see what he would do next. He leaped suddenly, his claws brushing her ears. She stood up slowly, like she knew she could kill him whenever she liked, and wasn't hurried.
"Oh, that was a mistake."
The wall behind her opened a crack and she slipped out before he even knew what she was doing. He leaped after her, but hit the wall full-on as it closed behind her. She frowned and rubbed her ears where he had scratched her. With a flurry of her wings, she turned away into a long corridor. Kaan fell down into the depths of sleep once again.

"Kaan! KAAN!"
Kaan awoke to Tala screaming his name at the top of her lungs. He jolted up, his claws extending, his fangs bared.
"The Zolnixi says I should come with her. Should I?"
Kaan looked tentatively at the Zolnixi.
"You can come if you'd like. It's nothing special, you'll get it too, the Court just wants to inspect its 'new arrivals'."
The Zolnixi wrinkled her nose. Unlike the dark blue and cream Zolnixi of before, she was a pale, almost pastel, green, accented with seafoam. As if she had read his mind she suddenly spoke.
"The other Zolnixi is my aunt Lyra. She's the head scientist here. I'm her apprentice and her niece, Kelsey."
She carefully wound a chain around Tala's ankles and Kaan followed her dutifully. She wrinkled her nose at him and slid a length of chain around his neck. She tried her best to look stiff and guard-like, but she was evidently failing. Tala giggled silently and Kaan allowed himself an amused look. They arrived in front of a huge rot-iron gate guarded by two Zolnixis. Kelsey bowed, as did the guards. One guard patted her on the head and opened the gates. Kaan gave Kelsey a questioning look.
"My brother."
She whispered back. Kaan nodded and looked around. They were in a huge marble room, gold statues and fountains rimming the walls and a huge gold and silver throne. Seated on it was a large, regal Zolnixi, wearing a pale blue mask that accented her pastel pink fur. She glanced down at them, a haughty look on her face. She flicked her tail and Kelsey led them out of the room.
"So she's not interested."
Kelsey turned back, an amazed look on her face.
"She's really interested."

Kaan paced his cage. Lyra walked in again, her features a mask.
"What do you want Lyra?"
The Zolnixi smiled coldly.
"None of your business. How's your sister?"
Tala was asleep, her tail over her nose.
"She's fine."
Lyra smirked.
"The Council needs her. I will allow her sleep though, as long as you go in her stead."
She seemed to take his silence as an answer, and she soon had him bound in silver chains. She led him past a lab where a Nephini was lying, a needle in her arm. He shivered and continued to walk. She led him to the Council Chamber. The Queen of the Zolnixis was perched on her throne. She smiled at him in a cold way and beckoned to a low bench. Kaan sat down and Lyra unwrapped his chains. Now he couldn't escape, as long as they had Tala of course. The Queen, or as he had heard some Zolnixis say, Kiyani, was smiling greedily at him, her eyes seeming to glow.
"Hello Kaan."
Kaan felt spiders crawling up his spine, the way she said his name. He dipped his head the slightest bit and watched her reaction. Her face had shifted back into that expressionless mask, and her features didn't change as he nodded.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge fireball burst through the side of the glass window. Lyra and the Queen both keeled over, dead. Kelsey raced in, Tala in her arms.
"Come on!"
Kaan raced beside her as they fled. They ran until their legs collapsed, until the gates of the Zolnixi kingdom were miles behind them. Kelsey laid Tala down on a bed of leaves.

When Tala awoke, Kaan rushed to her side. Kelsey did as well. Tala smiled weakly and then groaned with pain.
"You two are made for each other. I won't be here for long so I need to let you know."
She coughed. Kaan opened his mouth but Tala silenced him with her tail.
"No. I need to speak. Kaan. Mom sent me a message today. She said that she needed you back. The kingdom needs the help of a God. You two are Gods in your own right. So go. Goodbye."
And with this she closed her eyes, never to open them again. Kaan stared, unable to do anything except shed endless tears over the death of his sister. Kelsey pressed her tail against his, entwining their tails in the process. Kaan screamed, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. He rose into the air, sprouting wings and glowing.
"God forms."
Kelsey whispered. Kaan flew down, his eyes brimming with rage and tears. Kelsey cried, but her heart leaped for Kaan. At that moment, she too sprouted huge wings. A tingling sensation filled her whole body and she smiled at Kaan. Kaan's eyes were red with tears and fury, but her warm tail calmed him down. They fell to their knees cursing and praising the heavens. For they now had unspeakable powers, but at a horrible price.

Kaan raced, Kelsey at his side. They were back to their normal form, and they were running. Fast. They had been chased from five villages already, and Kelsey, despite her formality, was a target everywhere. Everywhere, Zolnixis were targets to discrimination and hate, and she was a pretty well-known Zolnixi target. A Faelora stepped carefully out of the underbrush and, without saying a word, motioned them in with her hoof. They followed dutifully and she hissed at them.