《The Demon Queen System》 1 A Life Must End, To Begin A New One A young woman no older than twenty raced through the forest, her ruby red hair whipping around her as she continued her dash through the forest. Bloodied tears ran down her face as she pressed on, her dress had been ripped from the back. Exposing her soft and supple Jade skin, however, grand claw marks marred the beauty of her skin. Bleeding profusely she didn''t know much much longer she could carry on. Her vision swam and she continued through the deathly silent forest, the whistling sound of a blade drew her attention. She turned and raised the sword in hand to block the hidden blade that sought to end her life. But it was too slow, she gashed her teeth as the power of the strike sent her reeling backward slightly. Blood dripped out from between her lips. "Damn!" She cursed and decided that she would dodge the next blade that flew through the air trying to hit her. She danced like a graceful butterfly, no blade touching her. In the end, she''d only managed to be injured because she''d been ambushed. Betrayed by the one that she had trusted the most, what a fool she''d been to trust him. She''d felt a great deal of a anger and rage, towards her self for being dupped by his charade. As if it was yesterday she remembered their meeting down to the second. Every fine detail and feeling had been unique, something that she had never felt before. That''s what had lulled her into the false state of sentiments and feelings towards that man, never before had she experienced love or a man''s warmth, maybe that''s why she''d been drawn to him. Twisting through the air, she couldn''t help but remember these feelings as she felt her life draining away. Growing weary a blade managed to break through her defense and sliced deep into her stomach, she coughed up blood and like a butterfly with broken wings plummeted to the ground. Twisting she tries to break her fall, she managed to create a soft pocket of air as she fell, landing on the air she couldn''t relax. Her body was in so much pain that she felt slightly drowsy. Her stomach was pouring out blood, she hastily pressed her hand to the wound trying to make the bleeding stop. The menacing laugh of a woman drew her attention away from her body. Looking upwards she found her two tormentors, a handsome man with dark eyes that reminded one of a pitfall and raven black hair to match those enchanting eyes of his. His normally calm and collected features were twisted into an unsightly smile, that reminded one of a clown. "Aren''t you pitiful Salina," the woman with eyes the color of oceans and hair the color of the sun sneered from above her. They descended from the sky on the back of a beast, that had four wings and two huge talons. A couple of knives dangled from the hand of the woman, she hurled them through the air towards Salina, they cut her face. Anger, that''s all she felt at this moment. It didn''t matter what they did to her body, because she''d never give them the joy of seeing her cry. All she wanted was a chance to rip those deceitful masks off their face and to give them a fate much worse than death, her spiritual veins had been severed by the two in their sneak attack. Her strength was starting to fail her, as her blood ran out of her in crimson rivers. "Why?" She calmly asked, her voice no louder than a whisper, but she knew that they could hear her. Lifting her head, she fixed her bewitching light liquor colored eyes onto the man in front of her. His arm wrapped around another woman''s waist, holding her gently. "You were always meant to become a sacrifice for her, your body will be fed to the great god so that he''ll bestow power upon her," he couldn''t help but raise his nose up in disgust towards the woman that he''d once said he had loved. Her eyes that had once looked upon her with softness and unending love, now looked at her as if she was the vilest thing to walk the earth. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, at that moment she found peace. Even if her life was ending, she wouldn''t allow it to be used to give these hateful people a chance to rise to power. She''d end this on her own terms. Opening her eyes she turned and looked at the woman that had a smile of victory on her face, her cool eyes were slitted into half-moon she was so pleased. Looking back at the man that she''d loved, she dropped the sword that was in her hands. "My body has always been mine, and mine alone. You can''t have it," her voice was like that of a howling banshee, she gathered what little energy and spiritual force that she could muster and began to cast her spell. The man recognizing what was happening quickly darted away from her, but it was far too late in that second a violent wind had picked up the whole of the forest. With a deafening boom, her body broke apart and all the energy in her body kicked out, lashing out like a wild dragon. It rushed forward and tried to consume the man and that woman that were fleeing from the scene at high speed. But the flood dragon of energy soon enveloped them. A calm and peaceful smile had been on the face of the woman till the end, her last thoughts were, "What a shame I wanted to kill them, I swear in my next life I''ll hunt down their descendants and kill them," with those last thought she faded from the world. However, other forces were at work. [Located a compatible soul for transmission] [Soul has accepted transmission] [Activating System] [Searching for Body] [Body Located, Begining Soul Transmission] [Transfer Completeled] The eyes of a girl fluttered open, and the face of a dog appeared to greet her. The only thought going through the young girl''s mind was that I hadn''t died. 2 Astarte Leticia Morninghelm I was alive? But I shouldn''t be, I swear that I had used the self-imploding spell. Even though it damaged the soul on executing a technique like that, it had been well worth its use. As if hearing my inner thoughts the dog bent it''s head down and began to lick my face as it made soft and pitiful whimpering sounds, it''s body was far bigger than any dog that I''d ever seen before, and it wasn''t your standard run of the mill dog. It must have sensed that I was confused, it bent its head and continued to whimper pitifully. I wanted to reach out a and to pat its head, but I stopped when I noticed my hand, it was so... tiny. Twisting my wrist slightly I examined my hand. Lowering my hand, I push myself up onto my elbows looking down at my body, I almost scream. Expect, my throat felt as if it was on fire at the mere thought of using my vocal cords. Other than that I think I had bigger problems, my body was that of a child. Delicate looking legs that belonged to a child greeted me, had I been reborn as a child, I quickly reach a handout and check down there. I let out a small sigh of relief, to say the least, I was still female. If I had been reborn as a man... I don''t think I would have survived. But if I was reborn, why do I still remember my memories and shouldn''t I have been into the body of a baby? What had happened? "Hello!" A voice sounded in my head it was clear and crisp. Twisting my head around, I look to see if anyone else was there. But it would appear that I was alone except for this dog, who still had its head bowed down and was looking at me with its big brown eyes. It looks like I was in the room of a child, there were books and toy all around the room, I saw that there were a number of magical items as well. "Can you hear me?" The voice in my head persisted, seeing as it wasn''t going anywhere I might as well answer it. "I can hear you, but who are you?" I ask it, I got another shock at the sound of my childlike voice, it sounded very much like an egotistically young princess. Another reminder that I''d really been reborn as a child if I wasn''t going to be a baby the least that they could have done was given me an older body. "This body is perfect for you! Your soul wave length''s match perfectly and the host has just recently perished, it''s a supreme grade A body for you to be matched with," the voice in my head retorts. "Just what are you?" I ask the voice again, I try wiggling my toes, and found that there wasn''t any delay in the reaction time. I had heard about reincarnation like this, normally the reincarnated have a tough time adjusting to bodies like this because of some regret that left behind or they aren''t compatible. "Hmph! What do you think I am some cheapskate? I''m the mighty Demon Queen System!" The voice in my head scoffs at me, was it reading my mind? "Of course, I can read your mind. Your mind is also my mind, I''ve become bound to your soul!" It replied. Rocking myself forward, I try to stand up. Resulting in me falling forward, except I don''t hit the floor. The huge dog had maneuvered its body underneath of mine and supported me. "Good dog," I mutter as I pat its head, it''s tail wags uncontrollably knocking up some wind. What an interesting beast. "What is the Demon Queen System exactly?" I ask. "The Demon Queen System is to pick the next wife of the Demon King! Because behind every man is a strong woman," the system stated matter of factly. I couldn''t help the laugh that bubbled up out of my throat, which was soon stopped by the painful burning sensation that I felt in my throat. "I''ve got news for you, I wouldn''t have my husband be chosen by something so deplorable as that, how am I to know that the Demon King wouldn''t have me killed or use me for his own purposes?" I ask the system. Who replies to me with silence, I can''t help but shake my head. "I''ve lived one life before, that one I chose to side with a man. A man that I did everything for, I shall this time pick the man that I will be with through his deeds rather than this bullshit ideal known as fate," this egotistical statement coming from a child''s mouth was rather fun. [Computing... Host''s Will has been deemed suitable for another pathway] This time a mechanical voice sounded in my head. [Does host wish to embark on another path?] "Yes," I reply as I find my balance and walk towards the mirror that''s in the corner of the room. Taking another look around the room, I noticed that it had great dressers made of wood and bone and other furniture that looked quite ancient. [The host shall strive to become the villain of this world then and replace the Demon King if they wish, do you accept these terms?] "I accept," I reply as I stand in front of the mirror. Becoming a villain wasn''t a bad idea. A beautiful lolita appears before my eyes, her cheeks are a little gaunt from lack of food and her eyes are a bit hallowed. But all and all she is indeed a beautiful little princess. I noticed two small horns that are on either side of her head. Twisting around, I also find a tail. Look like I''d been reborn as one of the Beast Kin. [Host conformation accepted, completing changes!] A defending sound almost burst my eardrums, clutching my head, I notice the purple glint in my eyes as they flashed in the mirror. [Transferring previous owner memories] In a blur, a flood of images, feelings, sounds, and information poured into my head. I felt bile build up in the pit of my stomach it was sickening. My hand slams into the mirror as I use to stabilize myself. "Astarte Leticia Morninghelm," I whisper out, that was the previous host''s name and now my name. The poor girl she''d been poisoned, I looked over at the plate of cookies that we''re on the floor of my room. It appeared that her family was in a bit of a crisis at the moment. Better put, they were trying to wrack their brains to figure out how to kill... Astarte. They had succeeded but to bad for them, I had now taken her place. To show my thanks, I would get rid of these eyesores that had plotted to kill me. Then I''d become the strongest and show these fools their place. [Upgrade completed would host like to enter the magical space?] The mechanical voice asked me. "Yes," and with that, I felt my body vanish and then reappear, except when I reappeared I was no longer in my room. 3 The Alluring Teacher The space that I had been transferred to was beautiful and spacious. I stood in a grassy plain, where there are rows and rows of plants, walking forward to one of the plants I bend down to examine it. Its leaves are glistening a light blue and the flower itself is a glowing white. This was a [firelight water lily], these are extremely valuable medical herbs. Letting go of the leaf, I stand up and look and see row after row of the plant. I could see [rose of the ten infernal hells], [bamboo of the seven howling forests], and I caught sight of a [ten thousand-year-old demon fruit tree]. There were too many rare plants in this place, enough to make me wonder just who''s had created this place. Just what had I been gifted, sweeping the spacious field again I notice more and more medical herbs. This was enough to start a large magic school and to nurture countless generations of its students. "I see you understand the wealth of this grassland," a voice echoes from behind me. Turning around I look and find a beautiful woman. Her face is exquisite as if it was carved from fine jade. A lazy smile hung on her lips as she walked towards me, a huge building was behind her. Her enchanting golden eyes are half-lidded as she stares at me. "Indeed, who are you exactly?" I ask as I turn and face the woman. She''s dressed in a beautiful red dress that flutters around her feet, a delicate looking red horn rest in between her eyebrows. Her inky black hair spills around her shoulders and down her back. Each step she takes was like an elegant dancer performing. Black jewelry adorned her body as well, that gave her a sinful feeling. "For now you''ll call me your teacher," she smiles as she stops a couple feet in front of me. I have to take a few steps back so I don''t have to incline my head to look at her. This childish physic was posing a problem already. I give her another glance before, I decided to give her a bow. "Teacher, are you apart of the Demon Queen System?" I ask her. A light laugh leaves her mouth as she places a hand on my shoulder, I straighten my back. Her beautiful face is inches from my face now, a pleasant smell wafted up from her body and her golden eyes are turned up in a smile. "Indeed, I''m the main core of the system. Although, I''m only activated when the host of the system rejects the normal system settings of becoming the wife of the Demon King. I''ll only become a teacher to those that want to surpass the Demon King and conquer the world," she says her body releases a thick aura of bloodlust and chaos. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up a bit. "Then what exactly does this system entail?" I ask her. The bloody aura vanishes and she stands up straighter," This system is meant to nurture you into a supreme being, hence, why this body that you now possess is perfect for that. Beast Kin because of their bloodlines are the strongest race, but also the race that is most prohibited in later growth depending on their bloodline," she began to explain. All of this information I knew already, but I still listened. "While humans are generally unable to obtain a bloodline, but you''ve been born of both a human and a beast kin, resulting in a body that can obtain a bloodline and also pursue the tiered magic law''s of the human race." "Now what the system allows you to do, is obtain high ranking magical artifacts, medical herbs, and I can even allow you to obtain more than one bloodline. There are other benefits but these are the one that are most valuable to you at the moment," she finished with a bright smile. "I''m assuming that you can then fix the broken spirit veins in my body, they''ve been damaged and as such I''ve been treated like a trash for the whole six years of my life," I ask as I mull over everything that she''s said. "No problem at all, it''ll just take me a day to get everything ready to do that," she says after a moment. "Very well, I also have reached the tenth tier of magic in my previous life," I tell her with a pointed look. "Yes, you were very dazzling, but even so your true skill lied in the beast taming, right?" She asks tilting her head to the side trying to act innocently. Although, it doesn''t look convincing at all. She was indeed correct, although, the majority of my contracted beast had been killed by that... man. The mere thought of him was enough to send me into a spiraling rage. "In that case, I''ll be your magic teacher and I''ll also help you prepare the medical bath to fix your broken spirit veins, I can tell you it''ll be painful so prepare yourself," she smiles brightly as if my pain was a good thing. However, it was a system to create a villain I''m sure that it was a bit of a messed up system. "Very well," I sighed rubbing a hand over my face. "I''ll send you off now," her golden eyes glowed as she spoke. "Before you do that, what year is it?" If I''d been reincarnated that meant that I was probably in the same world and that meant that I would be able to obtain my revenge if that bastard was still alive. "The year 245 of the Great God," she replied before she sent me out of the space. In a moment, I was back in the room in front of the mirror. Looking in the mirror my face was twisted into a dark grin, the soft looking features of a six-year-old were replaced with eyes of madness. I''d only been reincarnated twenty years in the future, that meant that he was probably still alive. I''d have my revenge once I sorted out my revenge for Astarte. 4 The Incompetent Maid A fire burned in my stomach, I threw out my hand and punched the mirror. It shattered and the shards of glass fall below, whilst some cut into my fist and draw blood. Pulling my bloody fist back from the broken mirror, I couldn''t help but grind my teeth. That damned bastard and that whore would pay for what they did. After a moment, I couldn''t help myself a laugh poured out of my mouth as I held my stomach, I couldn''t stop myself. Tears ran out of my eyes that I laughed so hard. They were going to die by my hands, I''d get to watch them in their final moments, knowing that I''d come back and haunt them. I wouldn''t even allow them to reincarnate, they''d suffer at my hand for all eternity. After I calm myself down, I flex my hand and look at the bloodied gashes that are in my hand. At least most of the glass hadn''t sunken in deep at this point, using my other hand I clumsily begin to pluck the glass from my hand. It was all just superficial wounds on my hand. This body was in really bad shape, I''d have to be careful about what I did it with for the time being. I needed to slowly renourish it and stave off the malnourishment, at the least, I could make it so that my growth wasn''t impeded by the lack of food at crucial developmental points. It was a shame that the poor girl had to live with what she did, even though she was the one that was to inherit everything that the Morninghelm family had. It would appear that her family was trying to kill her off, although, it would seem that there were some faithful servants that had kept her from being completely killed. Looking around the room, I walk towards one of the dressers and pull out a dress and begin to shred it; it took a great deal of effort. Too weak, I was still far too weak, I needed something to shield myself with for the time being. Biting my lip, I wrap the shred of the dress around the wound on my hand. Tilting my head back I look at the dog, its name was Beni, it was apparently the only friend that I had around here. His ears are still turned down and he''s whimpering. Animals can always tell, can''t they? Raising to my feet, I walk towards him and pat his head. "I''m sorry she''s gone, but I''ll take care of you in her place," I say rubbing his big ears he seems to perk up at my words. Nodding my head, I walk towards the closet and pull the doors open searching for a jacket. It was in the middle of winter and I was dressed in this flimsy dress, I would die at this rate. I had no desire to die after having been just reborn. Licking my lips, I pull out a patched jacket. I was the young daughter of the notorious Morninghelm family and all I had we''re patched jackets. Interesting, I thought as I chuckled to myself, throwing the jacket over my shoulders. I head towards the door and pull it open. A maid was standing in front of the door her name was Marissa, she was my aunt maid. Just what was she doing outside of my door? Her eyes dilated as she looked at me, I felt my face twitch I wanted to smile, but I control myself and put on an innocent look. It seems that the I''d been a quiet and weak child, never stating my thoughts. "Young Miss, what are you doing out of your room?" Her voice held a strong hint of surprise, she didn''t do a good job of mask it. But I suppose in front of your average six years old there would be indeed no point in trying to hide your intent. "Why can''t I leave my room as I please?" I ask innocently, turning my head up and giving her a confused look. "Are you trying to order me around?" I ask her with wide eyes, her own eyes widen and she hastily coughs. "I would never assume that I''m above you Young Miss," her voice trembled a bit, I smirked inwardly. These fools would regret the day that they''d killed their original young miss. "Of course not, I was just joking Marissa," her body visibly loosened up as she relaxed. She''d keep her head, for now, I thought ruefully. Rolling out my shoulders I walk closer towards her and grab onto her dress. It was actually in better order than the clothes that I had on, I wanted to laugh a bit. What a stupid family I had... to dress me the daughter that would inherit the whole clan worse than a servant. No matter, I thought idly to myself. She looks down at me with surprise and a mixture of disgust, the cat ears on her head twitched as she looked at me with unmasked disgust. "Marissa," I gave her a smile," take me to my Grandfather. I miss Grandfather," the superior look on her face quickly vanished. She looked away from me and then towards the right. As far as my memories told me, I''d be isolated from my Grandfather. I had thought that my Grandfather had hated me and as such whenever I got a chance to met him I''d run away, causing a misunderstanding that the rest of the family had used to separate us. My Grandfather the pillar of the Morninghelm family, was my father''s father. Meaning that he supported my claim to become the next heir of the Morninghelm, he didn''t seem to care that I was a half born. "Young Miss, your Grandfather has been very busy and has ordered that no one disturbs him," she tries as she places a hand on my head. "Marissa," I say her name slowly, letting the bloodlust I felt leak out slightly. I could hear her voice catch and the hand that was on my head trembled, the fact that she thought she could touch me... disgusted me. "Are you telling me... as a mere servant that I can''t see my Grandfather? I as his only Granddaughter... that I can''t see him?" I asked giving her a dark smile. She lowered her hand from my head and took a step backward until she fell to the floor on her knee. At that moment, her only thoughts were what the hell was this child in front of her. A strong sense of fear permitted her body, it felt like a snake had wrapped around her airway and was constricting it. The little girl in front of her seemed larger than life, she felt tears run out of her eyes as she dipped her head. ''Did you release my bloodlust?'' I asked the system. ''A little bit,'' the sultry voice of my teacher rang in my head. I rolled my eyes before I raised my hand and put it onto the shoulder of the woman cowering in front of me. "Take me there now," I say and I felt my bloodlust receded back into my body. 5 A Small Rabbi She leads me down the hallways quickly and didn''t make a sound, she''d been thoroughly scared witless after our brief interaction. Not that I cared at all for her in the least, it was quite enjoyable to watch the smugness run off her face. The halls that she leads me down we''re indeed grand, I didn''t have any recollection of this family back from my first life, but it seems that they had been prominent, I''d only lived a short life and I hadn''t been the least bit interested in meddling with the Beast Kin. It looks like I''d been born into a fortuitous situation once I cleaned up the trash that was trying to bar my way. I smiled to myself. Even though I knew little about my father''s families affairs in the world. I did know about my Mother''s family, the Celestin''s family, they are a prominent political family in the human realm. They were known for their disdain towards the other races, it was a bit shocking to think that my mother was from that family. And had fallen in love and married into a Beast Kin family, I smiled ruefully to myself, it looks as if my Mother was a bit of a wild one. The Celestin''s we''re deeply connected throughout human history and blood to the royal family, although there had never been a direct descendant of the Celestin''s family on the throne, they''d been manipulating the crown since the beginning. But I wasn''t overly concerned, I don''t think I would end up running into them anytime soon. Plus they didn''t seem to acknowledge that I existed, which was fine. It was a good thing that Astarte hadn''t been born into that family, she''d probably been killed right after they''d yanked her from, our mother womb. Frankly, they probably wouldn''t have let my Mother grow an impure baby such as myself. A small giggle left my mouth at that thought this was indeed a quite terrible position for a young one to be in, but don''t worry I''m not the newborn fawn that you think I am. I''ll polish my weapons and bide my time. I caught Marissa turning her head back to look at me and I give her a dazzling smile and bounce my way closer to her. A look of fear and hesitation pass over her features as I grab her skirt. She''d been leading us in a very roundabout manner for the past couple of minutes. She thought that she could deter me from seeing my Grandfather, how foolish of this woman. I''d already memorized the area that we''d walked and pieced it together with the information that I had from before and knew that we''d made a huge loop. I''d always had a keen mind, but ever since being reincarnated I felt like it had gotten even clearer, I wonder if that was due to the system that I had in my head or that I''d been born of another race. At the moment I could remember anything with but a glance, this was something that would come in quite handy. This girls, body, was perfect for learning magic, I''d just have to fix the spirit veins and then I would stun this whole tripe family or bandits. Turning my eyes up to look at Marissa, I feel her body stiffen and we stop walking. Now standing in front of a large window that shows the front of the estate, we''d only been walking in the north wing of the family house. "Where do you think you''re taking us?" I ask with a foxish look on my child like features. A cold sweat ran down Marissa back, she''d been told that she shouldn''t allow the Young Miss to see her Grandfather, she''d also been the one that had delivered the poisoned cookies to the Young Miss. The mere fact that she was conspiring against the Young Miss of the Morninghelm family could have five generations of her family slaughtered. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead as she struggled to take a breath, ever since the Young Miss had come out of her room, it was like another had taken her place. There was something extremely different about her and she knew that it wasn'' a trick. Rabbit''s we''re very keen on changes and knew when they''d encountered a predator, it was something that ran deep in Marissa Instincts that told her she''d was in danger. Of course, Astarte didn''t know for sure that she was the one that brought the poison that the original owner of this body had eaten, but she was sure that this woman had something to do with the whole incident. "Marissa," I sang out her name this time, her eyes refused to meet mine as I called her name. "Y...es, Y-young Miss," her voice came out in stutters and I couldn''t help but smile. This rabbit woman was to easy, they should have sent someone with more backbone to bully me. Reaching out and grabbing her hand, I stroke it gently and her whole body turns stiff as a rock. "You''ve got such pretty fingers, so long and delicate looking," I murmured as I held her now clammy hand. "T-thank you," she says lowering her head. She tried to jerk her hand back, but I applied just the right amount of pressure and with her sudden motion, I broke two of her fingers. Snap, the sound echoed in the still hallway. "Ah..." A shrill sound left her mouth as her legs buckled due to the sudden pain. Her ears flattened themselves against the top of her head and she looked at her two fingers that were misshapen and crooked now. "You Bit-" The words almost left her mouth as she looked up at the little girl that was now about her same height, due to the fact that she had fallen to the ground, but the words caught in her throat. The most chilling smile rested on the face of the Young Miss, it was as if she was staring into a void it was so cold and threatening. How was it even possible that a six-year-old girl could do this... unless all these years... had the little miss planned this... A false realization dawned on the woman as she stared into that cruel smile, to be honest, she''d had been able to keep bullying the girl in front of her if she was the same girl, but she was not the same girl. ''Would you like to kill her?'' The soothing voice of the teacher rang out in my head. ''No,'' I replied. It was tempting to kill her, but at the moment it would also draw undue attention to myself. I hadn''t awakened my bloodline power, nor did I have any magic to draw from at the moment. I was weaker than a newborn baby at this point. ''Shall we just scare her a bit?'' My teacher asked a then, as I looked at the woman whose face had fallen in despair. I thought that it was such a beautiful expression for her to wear. ''Let''s break her jaw since she dares slander me,'' I thought as I reached a hand forward and grasped the jaw of the woman. Her whole body shook like she had a terrible tremor. ''I''ll lend you some power, but don''t overdo it. I''ve only got so much since you''ve got so little spirit energy,'' the sluttery voice murmured as I felt some magic flow into my hand. ''Okay,'' I replied as I flexed my hand and started to apply pressure on her face. A muffled groan left her mouth, she started to raise her hand to try and push me away but I pinned her with a look, and her thoughts of retaliation faded. Another snap sounded and then a pitiful wail left her mouth as she clutched her now broken jaw. Flicking my wrist, I look down at my hand and find that my pale hand we''re now a dark black, it reached just below my wrist. ''What this?'' I asked examining the black of my hand. ''Death Magic,'' she replied to me simply. Soon it bled away and my hand returned to normal. 6 A Shrewd Eyed Little Girl Once the black around my hands had completely faded, I turned my attention back to Marissa who was currently on the ground with a hand to her jaw and tears pouring out of her eyes. Sighing, I bend down a little bit and get closer to her ear. "Listen good," I say as I stroke her trembling head with my hand, "don''t ever slander me again. I will kill you, as it''s my given right as the Young Miss of this great house," I breath out into her ear. Her whole body shook and I give her head one last stroke as I stand up from my bent position. "Now stand up and take me to my grandfather," I say icily. Seeming to understand that there was no escape or chance of her fooling me, she pulls herself to a standing position and began to lead the way. This time we went down a path that we hadn''t been and the luscious interior of the mansion got better. Golden gilded chairs and picture frames came into view, the carpet and decorations became more and more abundant. It was also the warmer the further inward we went into the house. I shot a look towards Marissa and found that she was glaring at me when our eyes made contact she hastily turned them downwards. I had to give it to her, I''d broken her fingers and her jaw, yet she still had the gull to glare at me as if I was in the wrong. This house needed a new discipline, if I didn''t do something about the servants, how would I ever clean up the trash of the family. Evil thoughts had entered my mind at the thought of cleaning up trash, I''d been abused by almost everyone in my family. Those that had sided with my claim, in the beginning, had been quickly ostracized or forced to conform with the majority of the family. It would seem that my aunt, that had married into the Keelin household tried her best to support me, it would seem my uncle doted on her dearly and she''d tried her best to help me when her brother had died. Although, the rest of the family had decided that they wanted nothing more than to consume my father''s, well now my position on the family. What a pity, I''d eat them all alive. It would be enjoyable to teach them a lesson. As we got to a grand foyer, I noticed that I could see more servants walking around all carrying out their duty. They were all dressed very nicely. A few of them would cast looks in our direction with confused glances. I just smiled at them and they quickly turned away and hurried to get on with whatever they had to do. I smiled to myself, as we headed towards another hallway. I walked closely next to Marissa making sure that she didn''t do anything stupid, not that I thought she would after the scare I put into her. ''Someone spying on you,'' the enchanting voice of my teacher sounded. ''I know, they''ve been watching since we left the circle that I was being walked around,'' I say nonchalantly as we turn another corner. It was expected for someone to be watching me, there were so many servants and prying eyes to be found in the area that we just stumbled into. ''It seems that there are a quite a few people that are watching us right now,'' she laughs I can hear the devilish smile in her voice and I shake my head and continue following Marissa. It was expected for someone to be watching me, there were so many servants and prying eyes to be found in the area that we just stumbled into. Soon, we left the endless hallway and entered into another hallway, this time there was a single door that the hallway lead to. As we walked I noted that both sides of the hallway were covered in paintings, there is an assortment of men and woman painted on them. They all had a common feature among them long elegant golden horn''s jutting out from their heads. It would appear that these are the ancestors of my house, they all look strong and proud, reaching the end of the hallway. Marissa raps her knuckled against the wooden door and takes a step back as she bows her head slightly. In the next second a door opened and a man''s face appeared, it wasn''t a younger man''s face and I recoiled for a second. He was quite good looking, his skin was a warm earthen brown his steel grey eyes are sharp and narrowed. His uniform was pressed and prime, he exuded an air of diligence and authority. I saw a black tail behind him and two black ears atop his head. But then I was able to place his face, it was my Grandfather''s butler his name was Jun. I hadn''t interacted with him much, but he was quite nice to me in my memories he''d given me candy and the occasional warm greeting here and there. Yet this poor child used to acting so timid that she''d always been shy. That she''d never used her connection to get better treatment. Jun cast his eyes towards Marissa and she shuddered and lowered her body even further. Turning his attention to me, his cold grey eyes softened considerably. Stepping forward he dips a hand across his chest and performs a bow in my direction. "Young Miss, what pleasure brings you here to the Master''s study?" His silky smooth voice drifts through the air and I felt my little heart skip a beat. ''Hehe,'' the snickering voice of my teacher sounds in my head at my reaction. I clear my throat and try to steady my beating heart, soon it fell back into a normal rhythm. "I''ve come to see, Grandfather," I replied with a sweet voice. Not displaying an ounce of arrogance that I had in front of Marissa. Those that had been nice to me before my reincarnation would have my utmost respect. They''d be kind to me even when I''d been weak, they''d been true friendships and respectful to me as was rightful in my position. A look of surprise flashed through those steel grey eyes of his, but then they narrowed as he turned his attention back to Marissa. His eyes are cruel as they look at her like she nothing more than a worm in front of him. Those eyes could see the truth, I thought slyly to myself. "You can leave now, I''ll handle the Young Miss from here on out," he replied with a cold face as he turns back towards me and steps to the side holding out an arm. Smirking at Marissa, I can see her eyes are focused on the ground, I turn and walk towards the door Jun standing in front of I pause in front of him and grab his hand that at his side. His eyes widen a bit, I give him a wide smile and he lowers his head but a small smile plays on his lip. "This way Young Miss, the Master is just ahead," he tells me as he walks forward and I nod my head. Following his lead, I watch as Marissa raises her head, I give her one last look before the door closes behind us and she vanishes from my sight. 7 The Battlefield! rewrite Jun walks through the grand doors with me in his arms. He seemed keen on not allowing me to walk, that was fine, my legs and body were already feeling fatigued from the walk over here. This body of mine was seriously in a dire situation. Entering a huge room comes into view, a number of paintings cover the walls of the room. The painting was of men and woman, they all have the same golden horns as I do! Some of the individuals look demonic, some angelic. Old, young, thin, fat it didn''t matter the variety of the painted individuals was vast. Seeing as all of them had golden horns, I think it was safe to assume that they were my ancestors. Besides those the room was glittering with spiritual energy, it was floating around the air without a care. It made this room felt different from the rest of the house, only because the spiritual energy was so thick. It seems someone must have enchanted the whole of the room. That''s when I notice the pots of flowing blue threes, there were sapling spirit trees, they help to purify the air and also release spiritual energy. My broken and tattered spirit veins felt even better just from breathing in the air within this room. It was quite a good environment; I was right to assume that I''d been born into a wealthy and powerful family. ''I can make something even better than this!'' My teacher whispers in my ears. I just rolled my eyes at her¡­this woman¡­actually, I wasn''t sure if she was a woman at all. I knew that she was the core of the system per se, but that didn''t mean that she was anything then. I shake the thoughts from my head, it''s best not to get hung up on that! The large room itself was host to a huge table, and there was a lot of people seated at the table. However, the one that stood out the most was the man that was sitting at the head of the table. He''s an older man but that doesn''t take away from his strong presence. He was quite a large and robust looking fellow. He had a head of grey hair and a neat and trimmed beard that was also white. Coming out of his head are also two large golden horns. His eyes are the same liquor color as mine, however, minus the white circle and the ancient letters under my eyes. It would seem that those are probably traits that I inherited from my Mother. His posture was perfect, he looked like an upstanding military man. There was an overbearingly strong pressure the emanated from him, I felt my hands start to shake ever so slightly. This man was a beast, he was strong! In comparison to my broken and malnourished body, I felt like an ant that was standing in front of a dragon. If he was careless with his energy, I''m sure he could crush me! This man was none other than my Grandfather, Maximums Morninghelm! Clenching my hand into a fist; I wouldn''t let his presence scare me. I wouldn''t falter this man was my first target. I''d gain his affections and then I wouldn''t have to worry about anyone coming from behind and cornering me. With him in my corner, it was like an unstoppable vanguard that no one could penetrate! I''d have all the protection that I would need to grow, I''d only have to worry about threats that were coming from the front. With that in mind, I''d be able to start weeding out the poisonous snakes that were living in my house! This was a war that I needed to win if I wanted to ensure my own survival. Not only serving as a shield, but he''d also serve as a blade that I would use to cut down those that stand in my way. I felt the blood in my body start to heat up at the thought of killing those that tried to have me killed! It wouldn''t be an impossible task either, from what I can remember my Grandfather was really close to me when I was a baby. He''d always doted on me and spent a lot of time with me, but then when I was five and my parents had been mysteriously slain. He''d been away taking care of something and couldn''t return. This was how I fell into the clutches of my aunts. It was a year ago that he''d returned but by then my confidence had been all but eroded into nothingness. I''d been taught that by my Aunt''s that my Grandfather would punish me if I displeased him and all sorts of other slanderous lies. But I knew that those were all false statement, my aunts wouldn''t have tried to keep me away from my Grandfather as much as they did if that was the case. I was the only link back to his son, and the heir to his estate! These wrongs would be righted, even if I have to carve up a body! Other than my Grandfather, the only person that I could recognize from the table of people was the woman to the right of my Grandfather. She had lavender-colored hair that was pulled up into a simple twist, with tendrils falling down. Her golden horns curl around her ear slightly. Her eyes are narrowed into fine slights as they look at me, they''re the color of grass, and just as poisonous as venom. She has a few wrinkles around her eyes and her mouth, but for the most part, she looks very youthful. She''s dressed in a beautiful skintight black dress, that''s low cut and highlights her cleavage and a huge diamond necklace rested around her throat. Indeed, she was beautiful on the outside, but inside she was rotten to the core. This was my aunt Mora. Looking around the table at the others in the room, I could tell that they were important people, but I really didn''t know any of them. I''d been completely isolated and left without education by the hands of my aunt. Sadly, even before I never cared much for the affairs of the Beast Kin, since I had nothing to do with them. \"Ahem,\" Jun clears his throat and stands a few feet back from the table of people, with me still in his arms. Everyone''s eyes if they weren''t already are now focused on me. \"The Little Miss Cloud has arrived and asked for you, Master,\" Jun says directly talking to my Grandfather. Looking back towards my Grandfather, I see a murderous look appear on his face as he looks at me. His strict facial features appeared even stricter as his eye surveyed over me. I was defiantly a sight to behold if anything I was surprised more eyebrows and questions weren''t being raised if this was a joke. I didn''t look like the Young Miss of a great household in the least, I looked worse than the servants even. These were clothes that would be worn by a street urchin that was struggled to survive, not to mention the gaunt look of my skin and my lack of fat even though I was a child that was still growing. My Grandfather''s jaw was set in a grim line as he finished looking over me. If it was the old me, I''d be quaking in my bone, but I was still and poised. This situation couldn''t have been any better either, plenty of important figures and I was dressed and malnourished in front of them. No doubt there would be a temper tantrum that would be thrown at my state of being. I could tell that my Grandfather was about to begin speaking, but I wouldn''t allow him to speak first. I would be the one to draw the first word. Tapping on Jun''s arm, I give him a look that says, ''put me down.'' Understanding, he lowers me to the ground, and I quickly smooth out my patchwork dress and make my way towards the left side of my Grandfather''s seat, away from my Aunt. \"Grandfather! Aren''t you happy to see me? You didn''t even greet me!\" I pout as I try to reach out a grab him arm. But the chair was a little too high for me. I''d have to make do with grabbing his leg. I willed my eyes to produce tears, and make it look like I was upset. At that moment, the only thought going through Maximus''s head was that his Granddaughter was adorable! Her large liquor colored eyes were glazing over with tears, and her little face was set in a pout. Not many wouldn''t be moved by the look that was on her face. However, at the same time, a great many other thoughts started to creep into his mind. Why in the world was his Granddaughter dresses in such away? He could also tell that her body was weak, starved basically, when she grabbed his leg if he wasn''t careful, he thought she might snap in half. Her hair was dirty, and her body lightly gave off the stench of blood. His emotions were once against swept away from adoration to murderous rage at the state of his Granddaughter! 8 The Battlefield Pt. 2 rewrite A deafening second of silence falls over the room, however, my Grandfather reaches his arms down and pulls me up from his leg. He was gentle as not to pull too hard, he places me down into his lap. His body war warm and it felt like I was sitting next to a soothing fire. His magic wafted off of his body, it was warm as well and seem to coat my body in a warm shell. However, there was also another magic that was bursting out from him in almost a chaotic manner towards everyone else. \"My dearest Cloud,\" he says as he began to stroke my head. It was comforting to have someone do that, it was the first time since I''d been born that someone had spoken so nicely to me. I felt a warm feeling blooming in my chest. From the corner of my eye, I could see a look of vehement disgust on my aunt''s face. She quickly tries to cover it up before anyone else sees it. Rearranging her face into a soft and concerned smile. Ah, what a slippery snake this one was turning out to be! But she wouldn''t be getting in my way, anymore. Sitting up on my Grandfather''s lap, I reach out with my arms and wrap them around his neck. Pulling myself closer towards him. His whole body stiffens slightly at my sudden movement, it looks like he wasn''t expecting that. Soon enough his body relaxes. \"Grandfather, I missed you,\" I tell him nuzzling my face into his neck. Thump! His hands were hanging loosely at his side, quickly closer around my frail body. He gently pulls my arms away from his neck and I let him. Lowering me back down from his neck, he lets me sit on his lap. He doesn''t seem bothered by the fact that I''m pretty dirty either. The way he was looking at me was the way someone looks at a treasure! \"Of course, I missed you as well,\" he says genuinely as he taps my nose lightly with a finger. ''Who would have thought that he was such a granddaughter fiend!'' My teachers chuckle in my mind. But I don''t disagree with her, I knew that he doted on Cloud before he left. But it seems like that wasn''t the full extent of his doting! The poor girl¡­ If she''d have been brave enough to talk to her Grandfather, then none of these people could have bullied her to death. But that didn''t matter now, she was dead and now I''d easily take revenge for her and make them all pay for what they''d done. Once I was finished with that then I''d make my betrayer pay as well. As I was lost in my thoughts, my Grandfather picks up my hand that I''d crudely bandaged. It still hurt quite a bit. I''d just been too busy trying to make my way here to give it much thought. The blood had stopped flowing for the most part, but not before it''d dyed the strips of tattered fabric a light red. His eyes darken as he looks down at my bandaged hand. \"Cloud, who did this to you?\" He asks lowly. The chaotic magic of his swirling, even more, it felt like a churching sea. Looking towards my Aunt, her face was the mask of nothing but concern for my wellbeing, but I could see past that. Within her eyes are a deadly warning, it was practically like she was screaming a death warning at me, if I went too far, then she''d make me pay for it. That was a bold move on her part, to try and scare me right now. Considering right now, I had all the power. It looks like she''d expected me to cave by now. It looks like she was trying to figure out how I''d even managed to get this far. No doubt, she''d been expecting that weak girl that she was used to treating however she wanted. Bullying her and beating her without and repercussions. I''d soon teach them all a lesson, they''d be the ones that''d be bullied and beaten! I couldn''t tell if she was the one that had poisoned me¡­ However, if she didn''t, I knew that she wouldn''t hesitate to kill me in some way. But it was likely with my lack of nutrients and starvation, I''d die soon enough. She thought that she could sit back and let me die. Looking away from her, I turn my attention back to my angry Grandfather, who was still looking at my hand. His face was getting sterner as he examines it. \"I fell into my mirror, it was my fault,\" I tell him softly ducking my head. \"Why has no one tended to it, yet?\" He asked obviously annoyed. He''d slowly undone the tattered strips of clothing from my hand. It wasn''t scabbing over, even though the Beast Kin, were known for their superior healing capabilities. However, I was a very unhealthy child and had a weak body due to neglect. I just hope, I don''t end up stunted by the lack of food in my formative years. The people at the table didn''t seem altogether that bothered by the fact that my Grandfather was completely ignoring them. It seems like they''re all used to his temperament, that or he was the most important person in the room. \"You,\" he turns his attention towards Marissa. \"Why haven''t you tended to her wounds? We''re you not the one that brought her here! How could you have been so blind to her injury?\" He asks in a low and dark voice. His magic gushing out darkly and I feel the overbearing force of it reach the top of the ceiling. Garnering his full attention Marissa''s face was a mixture of shock and fear now that she''d been thrust into the spotlight. She was cradling her broken fingers and her jaw was already slightly swollen. It was safe to assume that she was in a great deal of pain and was doing her best to not show it. I honestly, wouldn''t be surprised if she couldn''t speak. \"Master!\" She drops down onto the ground with her forehead to the ground. It sounded like she''d slammed her head into the ground. \"It''s my fault, I didn''t notice that the Young Miss was hurt,\" she was obviously speaking with great effort. \"You''re an incapable maid, how can you not notice her hand that''s bleeding?\" He asks again. This time the force of his magic rushes forward with some force, slamming Marissa head into the ground. I smelled the scent of blood in the air a bit, it looks like she was bleeding. \"Not only that, why is my Granddaughter dressed in such a way?\" He continues his line of questioning. Marissa jolts slightly from her position on the ground, it looks like she knew there was no good answer to this question. While on the other side my aunt flinches ever so slightly, a bead of sweat or two began to run down her face. He slams his hand down onto the table! \"Answer me!\" He shouts. \"I-I don-t k-know,\" she stutters outs. All that managed to do was stoke the already burning rage in my Grandfather''s stomach. \"You don''t know? You don''t know why my Granddaughter is dressed like a child that lives on the street?\" He snarls. This time a wave of magic energy gushes out of his body like a violent demon, it darkens the whole of the room. It''s like a roaring fire now, and I felt a shiver runs up my body, this was such a dark and evil magic. Turning to look at my Grandfather, I see an apparition appear behind him. It looked like a demon, thankfully, its full attention was on Marissa whose head is still being ground into the floor. Some more blood began to pool under her forehead. The energy quickly rushes toward Marissa, and I felt my stomach drop, her whole body began to spasm, and she falls over. She''d pissed herself, and I saw foam coming out of her mouth. Her body was twitching slightly. I could see that her eyes have rolled backward and tear-stained marks run down her face. She''s out liked a light. That was scary, the swirling black energy was ominous as it hung around her body, but my Grandfather seems to have calmed down. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my beating heart. \"Are my clothes that bad, I wore my best outfit to see you,\" I say looking at him. A shocked expression ran across his face, and he coughs into his hand. \"My dear your beautiful no matter what you wear. But there are much grander clothes that would suit you even better. Grandfather just wants to see you looking like the little Princess that you are,\" he says with a hurried tone, and I wanted to laugh. He wasn''t a bad person at all. 9 Whisked Away rewrite \"Grandfather, I''m hungry,\" I say to him. He had a far off look in his eyes as he stared at the maid that was still on the ground and then he looked down at me with a conflicted look in his eyes. Throughout the whole exchange, a lot of emotions and thoughts were running through the head of the Mornighelm family''s leader. His only Granddaughter from his son, the one that would inherit his title as head of the clan was obviously being treated horribly. Not even that but she was being treated worse than a servant, he couldn''t help but look at his eldest daughter. He''d left his granddaughters in the care of his daughters, hoping that they could provide her with love in place of her parents. He''d believed that she needed a mother''s touch¡­ However, it seems that they''d been doing the opposite of what he''d hoped! Even though he''d punished the servant, he didn''t feel any of the weight of the guilt he had lifted from his shoulders. He''d been too busy managing the family to realize that she''d been neglected and mistreated. It was his own foolish trust that had brought these troubles upon her. He thought that he could trust his own kin to take care of their blood. Looking down at his Granddaughter, who was adorable, he couldn''t help but sigh in frustration. Maybe, her mistreatment was to be expected, she''d been born between a Beast Kin and a Fairy Folk. Something that just wasn''t done! She was in the eyes of most just a halfbreed, a disgrace, and stain on the family name. He knew not much of his daughters in law''s family, they were reclusive as much of the fairy folk tended to be. He couldn''t send her away to them, even if he could they might mistreat her as well. Clenching his fist, he looks down at the small child in his arms and made a firm decision in his heart. He''d support her and wouldn''t allow any more harm to befall her. \"Everyone, I believe you should leave us. I must tend to my Granddaughter,\" he says pushing his seat back and standing up with me in his arms. The room was silent, but most gave a soft bow of their head in agreement. He turned his attention to look towards my aunt. She was the picture-perfect look of calm as he looked down at her. I felt an unlimited amount of hate when I looked at her. All in good time and I''d take care of her. \"Father, might I also tend to Cloud?\" She asks raising her lavender eyes to look at him. \"There no need,\" he responds gruffly as he turns away from her. Walking around the table he heads back towards the door; I was still tucked away in his arms. It was quite soothing to be this close to him, his spiritual energy was calm now. Jun was still standing at the door, looking quite dignified. He opens the door and we step out into the hallway, and he steps out as well closing the door behind him. \"Jun bring the doctor to my quarters, also tell the chiefs to prepare a meal for Cloud,\" he tells Jun with a backward glance as he began to walk off. I see Jun give a bow and then quickly head off to carry out the orders. We don''t walk far before we enter head up a staircase and make our way forward. ''Looks like you''ve won him over,'' my teacher chuckles in my ear. ''It would appear that way. But I can show my real intention now that there wouldn''t be an audience around,'' I say softly to her. Soon we''re in a section of the house that was quiet and had very few servants, opening a door he steps into it and it''s a bedroom. It was quite a large bedroom, and it felt the same way that the room had felt, I notice a few of the same saplings within it. \"Cloud, I''ll leave you here to get cleaned up, I''ll send a few maids in. Then I''ll get you food and have a doctor look at your hand,\" my grandfather says placing me down onto the huge bed. His towering frame making me feel even smaller once he''s stood up. \"Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to stay?\" He asks me with a concerned expression. \"No, I''ll be okay,\" I tell him with a small smile. He nods his head, and then turns and head back out the door. He shuts it softly and I fall backward onto the bed letting out a small breath of air. I''d successfully escaped from my aunt, and it seems that my Grandfather would support me. I''d be safe for now. A wave of relief washes over my body, and I felt my whole body start to ache. It was in really bad shape. Knock Knock. \"Hello Young Miss, may we come in?\" A soft voice asks from behind the door. \"Yes,\" I say weakly. The door opens and two maids come in the door, dresses in a beautiful maid''s outfit. They give me a small bow and then start to speak. \"We''ve been instructed to bath you and dress you,\" the maid that spoke had soft blonde hair that was tied with a simple black ribbon, I saw two black cats'' ears coming out of her head. Her eyes are shut, and she speaks softly. \"Okay,\" I say softly. After that they quickly whisked me away into the bathroom and drew me a bath. She''d stripped me out of my clothes and then began to delicately and carefully wash my thin body. They''d quickly and dutifully carried out their task. The whole time they cleaned, I was noticing a thick layer of dirt that came off my flesh. It felt quite comfortable to be free of dirt. This sort of treatment was something that this body had sorely missed out on. That was probably in part to me being treated as literal trash, due to my spirit veins and my luck. However, this didn''t mean that the body lacked potential, it was impossible that I''d been born with broken veins. Especially being half fairy folk. Peeking an eye open, I found that the thick layer of magical energy coating my body was trying desperately to invade my body. Because the veins we''re ruined there was no way for it to enter. I just shook my head; this girl would have been hailed as a genius of a genius if her veins hadn''t been mutilated. Sitting in the bath, I couldn''t help but let out a deep sigh. It was a pain, to have ruined veins was one thing. But to have a conspiring family was another thing entirely. ''We''ll just kill them!'' The bewitching voice of my teacher drifted into my ears. ''You''re not wrong, however, there is no point in taking revenge to just kill them. We''ll make them suffer slowly; you''ve got to repay all the evils that''s been done to you. For every sin they''ve committed against you; you must strike a hundred times harder,'' I snort, as I slowly sink into the water. ''Indeed,'' she whispers softly. 10 Squeaky Clean rewrite Getting out of the tub, the water slosh''s light and I find that the once clean water was filthy. All the dirt and grime had been cleaned off of my body. It looks as if I''d cleaned off a year''s worth of dirt. Rubbing a hand along my water covered arm, I find that my skin is soft and doesn''t feel gritty at all anymore. It felt like smooth satin, I was also sparkling like ivory. I press a hand to my chest and frown a little. I''d forgotten that I was in the body of a child for a second. I was flat as a washboard. ''Hehe,'' the ringing laughter of my teacher''s voice echo''s in my head. That damned big-chested woman! I was still growing there was hope that I would turn into a captivating woman. Once, I rid this body of its malnourishment. I just hope that no lasting damage had been done. \"Why''d they have to go and starve me?\" I grumble to myself. They couldn''t have just beat me and beat me, at least that would be better than starving. No instead, I''d been beaten and starved. Double the damage had been imparted onto this small body. \"Young Miss shall I dry your hair?\" The blonde-haired maid asks me softly. Turning to look at her, I find that she''d got a towel and brush in her hand. It looks like these maids had some understanding of their job, not that my Grandfather would have sent one that would treat me badly. \"Yes, please,\" I say softly. She walks forward and gets down on her knees and begins to lightly towel dry my hair. She was careful not to pull too hard on my horns and once she''d lightly dried my hair. She began to brush the hair with the hairbrush. It felt like heaven to have someone tenderly take care of my hair. After a bit, I heard her mutter a small spell and I felt hot air slowly began to dry my hair. It was a comfortable temperature that soothed my body. It looks her a little while to completely finish drying my long mane of hair. But she finished and then moved onto brushing my tail as well. It felt weird at first and then it began to feel very pleasant. Once she was finished, she stood up and mutters another spell, this time a gust of wind blows across my body and dries the remaining water that was on my skin. Smiling, I drag a hand through my hair and find that it''s completely dry and silky smooth. I curl my tail around my body and rub the soft fur. This was something new I''d never had a tail in my last life. But it seems simple enough to control, it was like having another limb, that sometimes moves on its own. \"Young Miss, how do you feel?\" She asks with a smile. \"Perfect, thank you,\" I replied with a bright smile, a small hint of blush crawls onto her cheeks. \"You do this servant a great honor with your words, Young Miss,\" she says bowing hastily. These were high-quality servants, indeed. Much better than Marissa and the ones that my aunt would send to tend to me. \"Do you have any clothes for me to wear?\" I ask her as I curl my tail around my body. She bows again. \"We''ve prepared a dress and all the other necessities for the Young Miss,\" she explains as she held an arm out in the direction of the bathroom door. The other maid that had come in with her appearance and I see she''s got a dress draped over her arm, with a bag in her other hand. She was a huge woman; I saw two black and round teddy bear ears atop her head. She had a bit of a rounder face than the other made, but that was probably due to the fact that she was a bear Beast Kin. By nature, she was going to be larger due to her heritage. She got closer and I saw that she hair a beautiful black dress with intricate lacework on her arm. She hangs the dress on one of the hooks in the bathroom, that was at a height where I could reach it. Getting a closer look at the dress that had been brought, it was a beautifully crafted dress that was a slim fit and had a heavy lace that reaches up to my neck and down my shoulder and around my chest. The rest was made from a silky looking black material. The bottom of the dress had a slight flare to it. The sleeves of the dress are decorated with a white cuff. It was beautiful and elegant. \"It beautiful,\" I mutter as I walk over and run a hand down the fabric of the dress. It was as smooth and soft as it looked. \"Would you like our help, Young Miss?\" The maid that brought the dress in asked me. Her voice was a bit gruff in comparison to the other maid, but it was still warm. I glance between the dress and the maids. I was more than capable of dressing myself. \"Thank you, but I can do it myself from here. Please wait outside for me,\" I tell them as I reach a hand out for the bag still in her hand. She quickly places it in my hand and takes a small step backward and bow. They both leave the bathroom and I let out a small breath. Opening the bag that she''s given me I found all the important things. A pair of underwear, and socks and a pair of shoes, there was also a simple neckless with the symbol of a nine-tail fox on it. The only thing missing was a bra, but I remember there was no need with such a small chest. I wanted to cry. Grabbing the underwear, I slide them up to my legs and into place. I was a little surprised, I wasn''t that embarrassed by my nudity, in my last life I''d rarely liked to be naked. Maybe, this was a trait of the Beast Kin. I''d have to read up about them, I thought as I take the socks and slide them up to my knees, there black knees highs. I was starting to feel like a doll. Reaching out, I remove the dress from the hanger, and undo the zipper and step into the dress and slide it up to my arms. It went on easily and without any struggle, it felt like this dress had been made to fit my body. It fit almost a little too well. Could someone had taken my measurements, but when did they have the time to do that? Shrugging, I reach a hand back and try to grab the zipper but fail. ''Let me help,'' my teacher says. An invisible force pulls the zipper up for my, it zips up around my neck, there a slot in the dress for my tail to come out from, it was very comfortable to wear. Rummaging through the bag, I grab the black heels and strap them onto my feet. Grabbing the necklace out of the bag, I easily clasp it around my neck. Twisting around, I try to look at myself. Then I remember that there is a full-length mirror, walking forward I look into the mirror. My cheeks are still a little gaunt and I look a little starved. It was safe to say that I was both on the thin and small side for children my age. But now that all the dirt and muck had been cleaned from my face, body, and hair. I found that I was even prettier, the egotistical princess look was even stronger. I''d been pretty in my last life, but this was an almost inhuman beauty compared to what I''d looked like. My liquor colored iris seems to burn with a renewed fire, the white halo around my eyes pop even more. The dirty matted hair was no more either. In its place was beautiful pin straight locks of snowy white hair. My bangs fall around my forehead shifting delicately around my horns. I felt royal and dignified with the all black outfit standing out against my skin and hair. It was a striking combination. I smirk as I stare into the mirror, this was a far more befitting look for the Young Miss of the Morninghelm household. 11 Abandoing the Family Stepping out of the bathroom, both of the maids stood outside with a calm expression on their faces it looks like they''d been waiting for me. \"Young Miss, we''ve been instructed by the Master to see to your every need. Master would like if you''d join him for dinner,\" the one with the inky black cat ears spoke. She had a soothing voice; it was full of patience and light to the ear. The other maid stood beside her but didn''t speak at all. \"First, what are your names?\" I ask them. The bear maids ear perked up and she quickly answers, \"Young Miss, my names is Bitsy,\" she gave a slight bow and she looked me in the eyes. That was the first time she has done that; I returned her enthusiasm with a smile. I turned my attention back towards the cat Beasts Kin maid,\" Young Miss, it''s an honors me to have you ask my name, Yoko, I''m at your service,\" she was so formal as she gave a half dip. Well, neither of their response had been bad, it looks like they might be able to serve me wholeheartedly. That was a pleasant thought, for now, I need to add more allies to my side. Or else, I''d come to an untimely end. ''We should collect some information on our enemy, don''t you think?'' My teacher''s voice sounded immensely evil, I think she wanted nothing more than to bathe in the blood of my enemies, or maybe anyone. I didn''t respond to her, but I did agree with the fact that I needed to learn more about my situation as a whole. It was clear that they wanted me dead. \"Young Miss, shall we take you to Master now?\" Yoko asks softly. Shaking my head a bit, I give her a small nod. \"Right this way then,\" she replies as she walks to the door that to the far right and opens it. I follow behind her, with Bitsy following behind me. We made our way through a maze-like hallway of what I assume is my Grandfather''s wing of the house. It seemed to be a decently sized wing, the more I walked through the hallways, the more that I felt like it was a pocket dimension that had been moved here and connected to the house. There was just no way that this was all in the house, with the air quality alone. I could tell that a great deal of magical energy and spirit energy was wafting around the air. That what the only thing that I could think of, plus I hadn''t felt the prying eyes since I''d left the meeting room with my Grandfather. It would seem that this space was closed off to the others, what a perfect base of operations, I thought gleefully to myself. After walking down a staircase, we arrived in an open room that had the smell of food drifting all around it. I wanted to drool the food smelled so good, it might have been the fact that I''d been reborn half-beast kin, but ever since my sense of smell had increased dramatically, along with my appetite. I felt like my stomach was gnawing on itself, I was so hungry. My Grandfather sat at the table with a stack of documents in his hand and a stern look on his face as he leafed through them. Every page he turned the more the stern look turned into a deep and vexing frown. How interesting, I wonder what he was looking at. Smiling, I decide to dart forward, I moved with a bit of speed as I hurried towards my Grandfather. I reached him in a couple of strokes of a brush, I reached a handout and touched his arm. Which seemed to rouse him from his displeased mood. \"Grandfather, what are you reading?\" I ask him, with a curious expression plastered onto my face. I truly was interested in what he was going over, but I was a bit worried to show the cold and calculating side of myself. I was in the body of a six-year-old, one that had been brutally traumatized and beaten by her own family, only to be killed by them not even a few hours ago. However, my Grandfather didn''t know anything about the old Astarte, I might just be able to get away with this personality flip. The gears in my head were turning, if I was wrong, I didn''t know what might happen to me. A smile broke out on my Grandfather''s face as he placed the document down and reached out a hand to rub my head. His hand was huge it could easily squash my head, but he touched me so tenderly. It made me want to cry, I hadn''t had a father or a mother in my last life and it looks like I wouldn''t have them in this life either. However, I''d been gifted a Grandfather, who was loving. I wouldn''t let any harm come to him, or those that had protected me. \"Cloud, don''t you look like a cute little princess,\" he says warmly. I would repay kindness with kindness and evil with an even darker evil. \"These are just some documents of the family''s spending and gain this year, nothing for you to worry about my dear,\" he spoke with a soft tone. He removes his hand and quickly shuffles the documents back into a stack. Finances, huh? I would like to see those. \"Why don''t you go and take a seat, I had them prepare a lot of food for you, my dear,\" he quipped again as he motions to the seat that was right next to him. Turning, I reach out my hand to pull the chair out myself, but Bitsy was already there moving the chair for me to sit down. I look at her and she got a respectful look on her face, smiling I climb up into the chair and sit down. She pushes it forward so that I''m able to reach everything. There is quite the number of dishes that are on the table. All the way to some sort of roasted animal to fruits and soups. It looks like he hadn''t held back, plus there was a thick essence of magical energy radiating off of each dish. Although what really caught my attention was the thick slices of a purple fruit that radiated spiritual energy, this body had a lack of spiritual energy. Reaching my hand out I quickly grab the plate of the purple fruit and began to munch on one of the slices. At the first bite into the fruit, a large amount of spiritual energy gushed into my mouth, along with a luscious taste filled my mouth as the sweet juice poured out from the fruit slice. My Grandfather seems surprised by my choice of food. \"Cloud, why did you choose that?\" His voice was soft but hinting that I''d made a surprising choice in his mind. Which was true, a lot of the other food, for instance, was meat and cakes and other things that a child might like. Not many would have gone for the strange purple fruit. \"I just like the way it looked,\" I decided to respond vaguely, to gauge his reaction. A hesitant look passed over his face before he decided to probe further. \"What do you mean by it looked good? Can you see Spiritual Energy!?\" He asked with a slight note of urgency in his tone. I took another bite out of the slice of fruit that I had in my hand. More of the delicious juice and spiritual energy flowing into my body. My sore hand that I had been cut up started to feel even better. \"Do you mean the swirling energy that was floating off of the fruit?\" I ask with slow words as I swallowed the whole slice of fruit. It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. I''d been able to see magical energy and spiritual energy in both my last life and this life. \"I can,\" I simply stated as I took a bite of another slice of fruit. It was like a spell had misfired; my Grandfather slammed his hands on the table. Resulting in a few dishes toppling over and some drinks spilling. But he didn''t seem to mind that in the least, and I think I saw tears running out of his eyes. \"The gods haven''t abandoned us yet,\" he breathed out as he looked upwards. What did God''s have to do with anything, if God''s cared they wouldn''t allow good people to die. Well... maybe it was a good thing the God''s didn''t care because I was going to be killing a lot of people. Yes, it was better if God''s kept to their nose out of our affairs, I thought to myself. \"Tell me dear are you Spirit Veins, really ruined?\" He asks as he whipped a hand over his eyes, clearing away the tears. \"It''s true that they are ruined,\" he looked deflated at my words,\" however, that doesn''t mean that they can''t be repaired,\" I finished, picking up another slice of fruit I take a bit out of it. \"Y-you don''t mean that you''ve found a way to fix your ruined spiritual veins?\" His voice was shaking, a mixture of joy and hope intermingled in those words. I raise an eyebrow before I place the fruit in my hands down. Looking down at my hands, I try to decide if I''m going to take a gamble. Clenching my hands, I raise my head and clear my throat. \"Grandfather, I can fix my veins, and I will soon be able to start my learning into the tier magic, along with cultivating the bloodline of our house. But for these six years, I''ve been tortured and ridiculed, I, The Young Miss... The Heir to the Morninghelm name,\" I laugh as I sit back in my chair. \"What I seek is revenge, no matter, if it''s kin and kith. I shall not stand to be treated like I have these past years of my life. I want to seek out justice, against those that have attack me. If you wouldn''t allow me to, then I shall leave this house and abandon my name and family,\" I speak with a firm resolution as I look at my Grandfather. This was all a bet! 12 The Resolve of a Leader He''d already to some extent expected this reaction from his Granddaughter. He''d made his choice on the matter once he saw how she''d been treated when she''d come into his meeting. The fact that she had the sight, was already more than enough reason for him to support her and allow her to do what she wanted. It was also, still feeling guilty at his own neglect of her care. Although he was a little shocked at her sudden change, it also made sense that she wouldn''t show it in front of his daughter. Who he was almost sure had a hand in her mistreatment, but that didn''t mean he wanted to move against his own child! Looking towards his granddaughter, he thought that she was lovely. Like a flowering that was defiantly blooming in the cold frost of winter. This child would have been a force to reckon with if her veins hadn''t been trash. Yet, she''d shed hope on her situation, she said that she could fix her destroyed veins. If that was the case then she wouldn''t be only a genius, but a holy child! It felt like a fire had been built in his long-dormant heart. Although, if he didn''t allow her to weed out the family then she''d choose to toss it aside and tread her own path. She''d forsake her own namesake to wander as a nameless orphan. Then not only would the family lose a shining jewel from its crown, but he''d also lose the only link to his son. A shape pain shot through his chest at the thought, she was merely a six-year-old child, bow could he let her roam on the streets. Lowering his eye''s from her, he glances towards the table and the stack of papers on it. She was indeed right, there was a problem within the family, and he''d let it grow into the monster it was. A cancerous weed, indeed, had grown in the midst of the family. He could only let out a sigh, it was his fault he''d placed his trust into a hungry pack of wolves. He''d offered everything up to them on a shiny silver platter for them to devour whole. \"What shall you choose, Grandfather?\" Her sweet voice carried the tone of a haughty woman. He clenched his hands into a tight fist. He''d have to make a choice! He turned his head to look at the young girl to the left of him. Even though she was merely waiting for an answer, a powerful pressure seemed to ooze out of her body. It felt like an invisible weight was pressing down onto him. The more he looked towards her the more something began to take shape behind her. He saw the form of a ghastly looking woman floating over his granddaughter''s head. Her hands were outstretched towards him. The clawed hands were dyed a deep black and were dripping with a black and red substance. Purple flames seemed to be burning around his granddaughter like a halo. His eyes were glued to her, and he couldn''t remove them from the bewitching woman that was wrapped around her. The clawed hands stopped reaching towards him and were resting on the top of the chair his granddaughter was sitting it. Inky black hair curls around her, and it made him draw in a short breath. He felt like he was looking at the hungry aura of a beast. A shiver ran up his spine, he felt as if he was looking into deaths doorway! Was it even possible for a child to produce this sort of aura? It was a combination of bloodlust and pure malice. He''d felt a similar aura on the battlefield where it was a constant battle of life and death. But this was a child that had never been onto a battlefield and never been exposed to one either. It was as if she''d fought a life and death battle. Yet, he knew that she''d never killed anyone¡­ But it felt like she had! He blinks a few times and when he looks at her again, the aura of malice and bloodlust was gone. So was the woman figure that hung above her. Instead, his granddaughter sat there with a sweet smile on her lips. It was like he''d imagined the image of the woman; he couldn''t help but blink more as he looked at her. But no matter how much he did the apparition of the woman never appeared. At that moment, he felt a mixture of emotions, worry, concern, and fear. Yet at the same time an overflowing sense of love and admirations, when he looked at her. Looking into her bright and clear eyes, he made his decision. There was only one course of action to take. \"My Granddaughter, Cloud, I will support your claim,\" his voice was clear and resolute as he locked eyes with her. He''d grown soft with his family, and in the wake of it a beast had been produced. A beast that sought blood and carnage. This beast would bring his family back to prestige, and he''d either make an enemy out of her or become the backbone that supports her. He''d decided that he''d be the backbone, no matter what. Even if she''d become a monster. He''d follow her into the pits of hell and slaughter because she was his family. Now he only had one thing to do, and that was to nurture her. He''d spare no expense to make sure that his granddaughter had an unshakeable foundation. \"Thank you, Grandfather, I wouldn''t disappoint you. I will clean up the scum in your place,\" a sweet smile rolled onto her face as she began to stuff herself. He continued to think as he watched her eat. He''d have to nurture her; he began to plan how to raise the little monster in front of him. A lot of time had passed by the time she''d polished off most of the food on the table that had the highest concentration of spiritual energy. \"Grandfather, if you''ll excuse me, I think I will head back to my room,\" her voice was soft as she turned away from the table and looked at the two maids. They''d be silent through the whole exchange, but they felt as if the little Young Miss was amazing. \"Cloud, if you need anything you know that you can ask Grandfather for anything, just give Yoko the word and it''ll be done. For now, I would like that you don''t venture out from my wing of the house.\" He needed to make sure that she didn''t rush, she was extremely fragile at the moment. She turned her head and gave her Grandfather a small bow. \"I will do as you ask, Grandfather,\" she assented to his wishes and left the room. He slammed his hands on the table after she''d left, they easily split in half. The food and plates crashed onto the ground and he still hadn''t vented his anger. He wasn''t angry at his granddaughter; it was quite the opposite he was angry enough that he wanted to go and kill the maid and servants that had bullied her. But he sensed if he did that, he''d ruin his Granddaughter''s plans, all she needed was from him was time, he''d be the shield that kept the vultures away from her.