by Saybera on Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:39 pm
Three Bite Marks - A short story.
Once upon a roaring journey into the future, there, in an ancient time, was a unity upon the land within the races. After the many wars. After the requiem. After the apocalypse. The fragile earth was healing and rejuvenating. The races of all creatures and all beings found within their ranks some semblance of harmony. For a time.
A hum roared about the planet as it began to wake from its slumbering. Intricate machinations of travel came forth in this time while the humans, amazing lot of survivors that they were, created amazing wonders.
During her formidable maturing years, a young girl, was being guarded and watched over by three beings. A guardian spirit, an insane spell keeper called Lance D' St. Aubin, a blood enchanter by the name of Tehryn,
Both wanted her for their own.
Once a year, when the harvest moon shone brightly, humans were permitted to enter the circle of knowing and SEE their spirit totem. In this moment of time you could ask them of your loved ones long gone, curiosities answered, or be advised on your ways of life. However, the young woman was more curious about the being himself. "Tell me of you. I know of me. Whatever happens to me, happens, but you are more intriguing." she said with a laugh. He was an aged spirit and was able to leave the circle.
They would always walk together while they talked, "Well there are different factions among us. Some are purifiers, some are guardians, and some are of the vengeful nature."
She perched herself on a fallen tree whilst he sat on the ground and leaned back against the same tree. She noted his hair and his smell and while she looked at him, he looked at her. "Which are you?" she inquired softly.
"Guardian" said he.
"Why do you guard us?" she asked as she inched closer.
"Only the special ones are guarded. Like you." he laughed and used a lithe fingertip pad to touch the end of her nose with.
Every year, they met in the apple orchard at the edge of the village and every year, she asked about him, not herself.
Meanwhile, the two friends that watched her, observed her arrival into the status of young woman such as one observes winter turning into spring. Despite the opposition in the factions they belonged to, the two had remained friends for centuries. However, when they had both set eyes on the girl - something began to waiver in their bond.
"Tehryn. You are smitten with this creature. Let me have her, I will give you ...my books...any chit in the village to your liking and ...." with this, he dug fiercely in his pocket while his face fell into a frown of dismay. "I had something...perhaps I left it...either way...some shiny trinket ..."
Tehryn merely looked at his friend over the tops of his spectacles. "You like the girl? By gods, Lance, I have never ever seen you take an interest in anyone. You batty fools watch your desired choice for ages. Unlike we blood enchanters. We go on whim, and instinct, and their scent."
The spell keepers were often thought to be mad because of the task they are given. The keeping of spells. But spells were not kept in books. Books, though rare, could be lost. Spells could not fall into the wrong hands. They were implanted, literally into the memory banks of a person’s brain.
Lance's face changed once again. It was as if he could conjure the will to wear a different mask at any moment. He looked pensive for a second or two. "Are you saying...'no'...to my offer then?"
Tehyrn offered what might be considered a wan smile. "I did not say 'no' my friend, merely considering that perhaps we should make a wager...make it more interesting....a competition of sorts..."
The spell keeper felt his right eye twitch as he slowly moved to cross his arms. He uttered a few short, hisses as if he were whispering with an unseen friend, and having a discussion with them. "No...he is not tricking...what do you mean don't do it....its only for sport...what....you know where a 2nd Edition of Grabble’s Machinations of the Spell Keeper's Oath can be found? OH you Glorious...monkey!"
"Lance!" Tehryn shouted and the man who blinked out of the interlude with himself rather dazedly. "Y...yes? Tehryn! My friend! How have you been?!" -speaking as if seeing him for the first time - Tehryn knew then and there, today was an "off" day for the mad man and left him be. So he sighed and smiled at the mad man thankful he was what he was, and not a spell keeper.
No eyes living could see the being standing there with the men. Their senses would not detect his presence. However, with the quickness of light - he moved in silence to the girl and assured himself of her safety. He knew that it were she they discussed. He knew she was in danger.
She walked barefooted among a field of wildflowers and picked handfuls of them. He stood with his arms crossed in front of himself to observe her do this. He'd seen her do this many times before, but for the guardian every time was like the first time. He knew she would wear them like a crown, woven in a wreath. He knew she would pretend to be a princess in an imaginary land.
He knew too that the time for his guardianship of her would be dispelled on her 21rst birthday.
He knew she was in grave danger.
She heard her mother calling her home, and she knew that she must not be late. She was wading in the creek watching the fish with a vivid, violet eyed stare. "Hannnnnnahhhhh!!" she heard again and knew she needed to make haste. She scampered out of the water and grabbed up her basket and began to run. While she ran, her hair fluttered in her wake like a banner heralding its impish mistress.
The wane of sunlight captured her tanned skin and she looked like a golden being of light while she stormed across the land.
In order to get to her home, she had to dart through the woods. Only a few trees and a path stood between she and the safety of shelter.
She is abruptly caught up with two large, strong hands and then shoved against a tree. The palest, most vivid green eyes stared into hers before a heavilly accented voice met her ears. "Where are you going little girl?" Either corner of his full mouth lofted upwards to indicate a smile. He pushed into her and inhaled her like one would freshly baked bread. He did not even take the pains to hide his elongated canines. She knew he was a nocturne.
"Let me go!" she demanded sharply. Something about him was different than the other Nocturnes. She kept looking at his eyes. "What is it you see? Why do you look at me so?" she asked as she furrowed her brow into a frown.
"Beauty. Dark beauty. Not like the light ones about the land. Dark beauty." His fingers delved into her ebony tresses.
She prided herself on knowing who everyone was in their community and this man - she did not know. Some of the nocturnes were of the wandering sort and after a time, you knew who they were when they would arrive into this part of the land.
He was different. His accent. Something haunting and distinct she could not place.
What she did not know was that he was a enthraller. She had only been around the banes and chanelers. He was enchanting her.
He was old world. He had been asleep a very very long time. He did not know of the new way of the nocturne. The bags of man-made blood. He did not know about the powerful injections that would sustain them in the daylight. No, he was old world. He leaned closer, primordially and inhaled her scent. Her breath. Heard her heart pounding a rhythm in his ears and he smiled.
"After your chores, you will walk with me, yes?"
She nodded. He smiled
He leaned in closer still and nearly kissed her lips. He didn't though. Part of her was disappointed and the other part fearful he would have. "Go then, I will meet you here."
Drake watched her leave, then went into town. He attempted to purchase new clothing with the gold he had and was waved away like he were some sort of beggar. He was not. Not by any means or measure were he poor.
They took him by the arm and led him away from the gathered "We can help you my friend. I sense you are one of the ancients. Do you know what year you are in? Do you know the situation now? The wars have ended. We are in a new age of the Nocturnes.
Drake listened to them avidly and asked many questions.
"You have never sank your fangs into human flesh?" He asked astounded beyond comprehension. "You derive sustenance from what?" He was shown the packets and the devices used to inject the nocturnes with. "The humans cripple you this way. You are an ancient creature of the night! Be done with such!"
Drake learned that someone would accept gold. He learned of the money exchanges in the city of Illluverdell and purchased new clothing. He felt like himself again after he bathed and brushed out his long black hair till it shimmered in the moonlight.
Tehryn watched his transformation and offered a disinterested smile. "Where do you go so fine, my friend? Have you had chance to meet a woman already."
Drake offered a dazzling grin to the man. "Aye yes. A rare beauty indeed. Eyes the color of jasmine...she will be mine. I will drink her like a sacramental wine of sanguine heaven" Tehryn saw the nocturn’s hands tremble with his want, his need.
Crouched and reading a book, the spell keeper, Lance, had pulled his hair across his top lip and puckered his mouth to hold the auburn hair in place like a mock of a mustache. He looked from the book -which he held upside down- to stare at the man. Immediately his gaze was snapped to Tehyrn.
Tehyrn remained cool. "This girl...is a ....human?" His right hand that held a stick for kindling, snapped it and then dropped it to the floor. "Tell me sir, this girl....does she have hair black as night?"
Drake was pulling on the long coat, made of dark, brown leather. He shrugged his arms to allow it to slide over the curves of the broad shelf of his shoulders, he nodded "Yes. Dimpled cheeks. An air of innocence yet promise of passion within her. She will be mine. In the old way. As Sire and Chyder."
As they were speaking, Lance had slipped away and the book he was reading left abandoned on the on the stool.
Tehryn felt a sense of panic. He was old enough to remember the old ways - but now he felt threatened. He knew the Mad spell keeper wanted the girl but knew that if he had not reached the typical level of obsession for their kind, he could be easily distracted from her.
The following morning, as the sun was barely peeking over the edge of the horizon. Hannah's mother went out to gather eggs from the chickens. She came upon her daughter and let out a scream that would be heard over the entire village.
She lay like a rag doll, in the morning dewed ground with her eyes fixed and staring blankly at the sky. Either arm cast out in abandon. Her dark hair splayed like a fan of black ink over the light green lush grass.
On her right hand's index finger sparkled a signet ring of the Marquise Lance D'Malkav, a spell keeper. Around her neck, glittered with the new day's light, a necklace of the blood enchanter. Coveting her limp form was a long, brown, leather jacket.
Three bite marks.