LUCIA

7 The Four Kingdoms (Part 1)

Lupin was a kingdom located to the west of Neinhart. The only thing was, it was underwater and not easily reachable to those with little or no magic due to the magia regiones. It was also made up of two races just like the other kingdoms. The two races were humans and fairies.
   Lupin was also the one place a very rare material known as Lupinite could be found. This material, although more beautiful than stars, was also stronger and more valuable than diamonds. Due to it absorbing the magic near the magia regiones, it came in different colours and had different properties, making it resistant to magic to a certain level. Which was why it was used in almost everything Lupin did; weaponry, armour, jewelry, currency and even building.
   Lupin was ruled by the House of Lupin and their queen was a hundred and two year old woman, in the body of a thirteen year old child. To top it all off, not only was she the queen, but she was also the heart of the kingdom who was born to two humans who just so happened to be the king and queen with high affinity in water based magic.
******
Luke finally bursted out of Lupin's magia regiones and the sea had become dead calm. Looking behind him, there was no sign of the cyclone he had passed through. He was breathing heavily as blood was dripping down most parts of his body. His vision was also blurry but he could spot the gates of Lupin several miles away.
'I didn't do this before because of the effects it might have on Lucia but, my body won't take me far' Luke thought as him and Lucia's bodies disappeared in a flash and reappeared in front of the kingdom's gates.
The gates of Lupin, were large and made with multicolored lupinite that didn't seem to be affected at all by the sea currents. Maybe, it was because of the large dome surrounding the entirety of Lupin right before the magia regiones. Behind the gates and large long walls, was a modern-like city made from the same material as the gates but, the buildings weren't the same colour as that of the gates.
   The walls had a couple of guards stationed in towers beside the gates. And those same guards had spotted Luke reappearing at the gates. One of the new recruits pulled out a telescope and viewed in on Luke and Lucia before meeting her superior
"Sir Jackson, there's an injured wolf with a girl on top of it" the woman reported
The squad captain after hearing what she said, dropped what he had in his hands
"Did you just say, an injured wolf and a girl?" Jackson asked
"Y-yes. Is there a problem?" the woman asked
"Tell them to open up the gates and inform the royal palace. Sir Luke has returned" Jackson said as he left his office with the woman behind him
"Open the gates" the woman shouted and there was a ruckus in the two towers as the gates were being opened
The vines that Luke used to tie Lucia to himself, began to disappear and Luke walked through the gates to meet Jackson and the woman, who was called Irene, standing next to each other.
Jackson was a thirty year old man with wild black hair, blue eyes and an anchor beard while Irene was an average brunette haired beauty with pink eyes.
As soon as Luke crossed the gates, they shut behind him and he collapsed with Lucia rolling off him. Jackson rushed to his aid as he could see blood around Luke's body. Luke was engulfed in purple flames and when they disappeared, he was back in his human form and the severity of his wounds could be seen.
'This is bad. How was he even able to get through the magia regiones with a person on his back?' Jackson wondered as he glanced towards Lucia
"Call...Marcia.....right now" Luke said through gritted teeth before he passed out
"Sir, how are we meant to call the Queen?" Irene asked "The royal capital is a week away and we don't have any fairies on our squad. Even the message you sent to the royal palace won't reach there on time"
"You don't have to worry about that" someone said and as soon as Irene looked to her side, there was a girl with calf length platinum hair and innocent ultramarine eyes, talking to her with a warm smile.
She wore a beautiful kobi cape dress with butterfly detailing around the neckline and hems of the dress. In her hair were two golden hibiscus shaped hair combs at the sides which held together her waterfall braid
"Your Majesty" Irene let out
"I came as soon as I felt him enter the magic region" Marcia said as she walked passed the two and squat next to Luke. She rested her forehead on his "Welcome home, Lu-Lu"
******
When Lucia awoke, her clothes had been changed and she was laying in a soft and comfortable bed. She touched her neck and noticed she wasn't wearing the necklace Jane gave her nor was her father's sword around her waist again.
"If not for the colour of the ceiling, I would have thought that everything was a dream" Lucia said as she sat up. It wasn't just the ceiling, but also the whole room was made from a black to blue gradient lupinite.
She looked around the room and noticed there were only five pieces of furniture other than the bed she was laying in. A closet opposite the bed, a mirror next to the closet, a chair and a small table, and the nightstand right next to the bed.
'Last I remember, Uncle Luke and I were attacked by an assassin' Lucia thought 'He was seriously bleeding...and it was my fault. Then...it threw an attack and the shockwave knocked me out'
While she was thinking, she noticed the white longsword resting against the nightstand and wrapped around her right hand, was the necklace she was looking for. It was still the same design as before except, it had taken on the form of a bracelet.
'When did this happen?' Lucia wondered as she got out of the bed and headed towards the door 'And where's Uncle Luke?' just as she exited the room, Marcia was also exiting the room down the hall with a tray
"Ah...I see you're awake" the Marcia said as she dropped the tray on a table by the door "I was starting to wonder when you were going to wake up. I had to heal Lu-Lu before you because you were really draining my magic"
"You're a heart too?" Lucia said "But, you're a kid"
"No, YOU'RE a kid" Marcia said as she crossed her arms and walked towards Lucia "I'm a hundred and two year old woman. My body stopped aging at thirteen, Luce"
"Luce?"
"My name is Marcia Lupin" Marcia said while standing two feet away from her "But you can just call me Aunty Marcia"
"Ma-Marcia Lupin? You're the queen of Lupin?" Lucia asked
"My oh my. You're so full of energy right after waking up" Marcia said "Not many outside of the kingdom knows that this is my true appearance. You look just like your mother. It must have been hard on Lu-Lu"
'Lu-Lu? Is she talking about my uncle? He doesn't seem like the type to let anyone call him such a childish name' Lucia thought
"Well, he lets me call him that" Marcia said "I'm not used to calling him by his name"
"You can read my mind?"
"I'm not supposed to be able to" Marcia explained "You're stronger than me in terms of magic power. Only stronger hearts can read a weaker heart's mind" she took Lucia's right hand "That aside, I tried to take this off but, as soon as I took it off your neck, it snapped itself back around your wrist. There seems to be some kind of creature in it"
"Jane, gave it to me" Lucia said sadly before changing the conversation "Anyway, my uncle...is he alright?"
"Come with me" Marcia said as she pulled Lucia by the hand towards the room she had just come out from. Reaching the door, she knocked but didn't wait for an answer before barging in.
Luke was laying on the bed with bandages around his left arm, his stomach and chest while a blanket covered him up to his waist. He was sweating as he gripped the bedsheets tightly
"As you can see...Lu-Lu, is fine" Marcia said as she let go of Lucia's hand and stood next to Luke's bed
"Fine?" Lucia asked "What part of him looks fine to you?"
"He only used too much magic and was moving about with terrible wounds. He's fine" Marcia said "This is not the first time he's returned to me looking like this"
Luke slowly turned around and opened his eyes
"Lu-Lu, you're awake" Marcia said as he sat up. Seeing Marcia, he could already determine the events that followed after he fainted
"You saved me again" Luke said and Marcia smiled
"You've saved me more times than I have, you" Marcia said and Luke got out of bed and started to take off his bandages "You shouldn't..." her voice faded as a blush appeared on her face while his perfectly sculpted body came to view along with a couple of scales here and there
"That will be the last time you partially heal me" Luke said as he combed his hand through his hair and the scales began to disappear until normal human skin was left
'What on earth was that? Scales?' Lucia wondered as she stared at the area where the scales once were
"You grew" Luke said and Lucia stared at his face
"I didn't gro...." Lucia's voice faded as she caught her reflection in the mirror. She had increased in height and had gained an hourglass figure, with longer hair and larger three sizes which made her look like she was sixteen. "When did this happen?" she asked
"Exactly two hours ago...while you were being moved here" Marcia said
"But how...I just recently turned fourteen" Lucia said
"It's your first ever growth spurt. From my father's side of the family" Luke said "You most likely didn't feel anything because you were knocked out cold, but it usually comes with a pain that feels like your body is being ripped apart" the lost look on Lucia's face made Luke sigh
"Forget about that" Marcia said as she ran to the door "We have important things to do. Follow me"
******
"What a way for things to go" the hooded woman said while resting against a tree. She was at the centre of Lupin, surrounded by Lupinite while staring at a large mountain made of Lupinite.
'I need a way to move around' she thought and her body was covered in oxblood light. When it faded, she had become a handsome young man with blue hair and silver eyes. "Much better"