Anira Part 2

The roars echo all around, filling the night and making my fur stand on end. The intensity of the reverberation increases as Auror shows Roman to everyone. His white hair and pointed ears, his exposed tail, all reveal a unique and unprecedented fur.
The roars grow louder, and we can feel the life pulsating among all. When the presentation ends, everyone comes to us, placing gifts for the newborn at our feet. Gold and jewels begin to accumulate, and I am surprised; this happens with every baby presented. Each species gifts the family of the new member with their most precious possessions.
When everyone has presented their gifts, the celebration begins with abundant food and drink. Arow and Jacob help Black gather all the presents Roman has received.
“Is everything okay, Ann?” I feel his concern, always attentive and very careful.
“Yes.” I smile at him as he hands Roman back to me. “I’ll get something for you to eat.”
I look around, and some women approach. They play with Roman and take him from my arms. Emmy, Mayllini, Beilly, and Marty come to me as we watch the férnus dancing with Roman. They spin him around and introduce him to everyone. Auror had already told me it would be like this and that I should not refuse if they asked to hold him.
The party continues peacefully; everyone laughs and drinks, some dance, and many children run around. Auror, after giving me something to drink and eat, goes to join the other males. We socialize and enjoy ourselves with everyone. Despite being at a distance, his gaze never leaves me; I am always in his line of sight.
I am pulled into a dance, Roman is handed back to me, and I try to mimic the dance steps. Roman smiles, clapping his hands. Yes, his growth is accelerated, and when he turns ten in human years, he will look like a twenty-year-old adult.
As I spin, smiling, my eyes always fall on Auror’s. Then, as I turn again, a scream echoes through the party, and everything happens too quickly for me to understand.

***

Auror


I see the moment when five exiled férnus with blood-red eyes appear behind where Ann is. The warning shout comes from Mayllini, who, being one of the most sensitive angelics, feels the effects of the ancient magic more intensely.
With two leaps and a roar, I take down the first male, throwing him far away. I need to protect my family, but as the leader, all clan members must be moved to safety.
Right behind the exiles, the border férnus rush to attack them. The fight continues, and I leave Ann behind me. Everyone is fighting, as there seem to be more than the five males I see; they are coming from all sides.
“Get Anira and Roman out of here!” I order as Black approaches.
I watch him jump next to Ann, taking them away. I take down two of the exiles who fall at my feet. I grab one by the head, tearing it off after biting his neck and splitting him in half, then fling his lifeless body away. With my foot, I pin the other male, attacking him with my claws and slashing his throat.
With a deafening roar, I turn and see Bourn charging through the forest towards Black and Ann, who are being followed by two more border férnus who are protecting them.
Amid the battle, I feel my blood boil with rage. The damned traitor Moriah tampered with ancient magic to make me pay for what I did to Clint.
I run like a madman, slamming my paws into the ground with such fury that I can feel the earth shifting. I’m heading toward them when I’m intercepted by two more exiled males. I feel one’s claws tearing into my chest, but it’s not enough to stop me. I bite off half of one’s face, and he falls, dragged away by two clan férnus. I grab the other’s head, splitting his jaw in half.
I run back, foaming with rage and filled with fear, unable to access my connection with Ann. I can't find her anywhere. The fear tries to overtake me, but I focus on what truly matters.
I cross the open field to a large clearing where five exiles are fighting against Bourn and Cellen, who seem to be trying to prevent them from reaching my family. Black and the males form a protective circle around Ann and Roman as I soar over Bourn, attacking him with a kick to his face, sending him flying.
“Auror, no!” Black shouts, and when I turn, I see the exiles flying toward them under Cellen’s command. She is imbued with ancient magic, and her orders are clear: kill Roman, a child for another.
Before I can reach Cellen, I see Bourn attacking her, and the two begin to fight, their roars and growls filled with fury. I shift my focus back to my family. Three férnus are now battling the two exiles, while Black and another male create a protective line between them.
“Auror, only Cellen can stop the exiles. She controls them,” I hear from behind as Jacob and Arow approach to protect Ann and our child.
Black and I launch into attack mode. He joins the border males against the two exiles while I advance on Cellen. With a brutal strike, I tear off her arm, making her scream in sync with her marionettes.
“Damned leader of nothing,” she roars at me as I rip off her other arm.
By now, Bourn is devastated, roaring in pain as I break Cellen's spine. She was one of the strongest females our clan ever had, and her roar blends with the sound of her bones breaking.
“I regarded her as a mother,” I growl furiously.
“I would never have a killer as a child,” she spits her words as I tear her body in half, bathing in her blood, throwing her remains away from me, roaring so loudly it could be heard by all the clans.
I turn and see the exiles falling dead. Panting, I face Bourn.
“I didn’t know. I followed her here knowing everything. I didn’t know. I would never kill you; it’s not what Clint would want,” the old férnus cries, transforming before me into his human form, showing his submission to me.
I roar in his direction, close enough to bite off his head and send him to death.
“Take your things and go far away. Disappear. I do this for Clint; you can be received into any clan, I’ll ensure that. But don’t come back to Forty Mile. I’ll kill you if you set foot in my domain again.” I turn and walk toward Ann and Roman.
The trail of destruction caused by Cellen is immense.
"Auror." Ann cries with Roman in her arms when she sees me, finally allowing everything to collapse. "It's over, my mate, let's go home."
I gather my family in my arms, taking them away from the devastation.