~Chapter Zero~
(Prologue)
The black brambles slashed open her palms, leaving the silver blue of Esiwe blood dripping from the thorns. The screams behind her slowly faded into the distance as she doggedly forced herself onwards, she tried to ignore the pain, the sorrow, the anger and just focus on the small silver and white ghost cat urging her onwards.
She bit her tongue, holding back the bitter tears that threatened to burst from her blue eyes, but as she glanced at the small heart-shaped stone in her palm the memories flowed freely.
It’d been happy, she’d just returned from her job to keep the peace, the one peacekeeper to keep the Vampires, Werewolves, and Dead on good terms. The new king had called upon her, claiming it was to begin his duties, though she loved traveling Arrisch, it felt like it was solely her world.
Ermous had greeted her as always, with a tender kiss, but this time he had pressed something into her palm. Upon inspection she saw it to be a small dark red heart-shaped stone, the one she carried now, spider-webbed with black and the same silver-blue of their blood.
“I always loved jasper,” she’d murmured wonderingly, holding it up to the light.
“And so that shall be my name,” he had replied, holding her close and nuzzling her cheek.
They shouldn’t have been separated, Serous, soul mates. They should’ve passed on to Gaia, Earth Mother, Earth, together, where they’d attend to their jobs set by the All-knowing and once they were completed they could return to Arrisch, or go elsewhere. She was hesitant to leave though, and had paused their aging so to spend more time at home, because once they were with Gaia it could take them hundreds of lives to complete their jobs.
She paused momentarily to look at the heart, knowing full well that it was dangerous with them being followed, until the guardian cat called her. The guardian, invisible to all but the Esiwe unless they chose not to be, lent her light in the dark forest, where little moonlight could shine through the dense black branches.
“Maura!” Kannen had shouted, rushing forward to greet her friend. They were Seres, soul friends, and would help each other with their most difficult tasks. Kanni could easily dip in and out of visibility, her talent, Ermous’s being his wings. Ander sulked behind her, his regal clothes were rumpled and he had acquired quite a few more gashes, he was the only Esiwe ever to react to a werewolf bite, and his ability had been traded for the power of the Fur. He’d obviously gotten in another fight with Victor, a bad one, for this time he had limped.
“I’m glad to see you too Kanni,” she had greeted her friend, watching as the bat, cat, rabbit, and fox greeted each other with a flash when their noses touched.
Kanni’s green eyes darkened, “There’ve been rumors , about the Fur and Fang Maura, about a battle.”
“Victor’s been cocky too, always grinning like a fool now,” Ander had growled.
“No, they’re not fighting…”
She cursed under her breath, no, not each other, them. Fools, she thought fiercely, you don’t know what’s going to happen now! Without us, me, feeding the Suneater it will indeed devour the sun! There will be no more rain, no more Esiwe brought into existence to keep the peace, to pass on and help the living. And that Sydel, she had a bad feeling about her, a feeling that sent shivers down her spine.
Sydel had started talking about someone called Brenat, and she’d changed overnight from being a weepy, heartbroken mortal to a powerful and heartless mortal. She had briefly pondered if this Brenat was the one from the childhood stories, the one who’d turned away from his people and tainted his guardian but dismissed it as a legend.
Its not a battle anyways, she thought sadly, Its slaughter.
She’d woken abruptly, something hadn’t been quite right…Though she hadn’t seen anything, she wouldn’t take any chances and grabbed the small cross amulet she’d made, vampires were known to become addicted to their blood. Tying the ribbon around her neck, she stroked the metal-like cross, feeling the pentacle she’d engraved in it, a more comforting symbol. The room grew cold, and she heard her guardian growl to alert her and sure enough, there was a figure.
He was easily recognizable, the new king from the fifteenth century. He had forgotten his memories but managed to attain the throne anyways, deciding to make new memories.
“What is it you want?” she growled, fully ready to fling her power at him in protection, which, without a spell or thought direction, consisted mostly of fire. She’d been gifted with magick, and an unusually high amount of it.
He’d just looked at her for a moment, a conflicted look on his face, before speaking.
He took a deep breath, obviously not having been breathing, “There’s a war coming over land we’re out of space the Werewolves are needing land I’m truly sorry I had to do it I really am and its too late to stop it now you just need to run and get away,” The words had come out in a jumbled mess and he shifted his weight and looked at the ground, “I-I really am sorry, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She was shocked at his timidity, he was normally proud and self assured. But before she could ask questions he had burst into mist and disappeared out the window, leaving her confused.
She knew she was definitely being followed as the bushes behind her burst into fighting, one quarry cannot be shared. She quickened her pace, trying to find more strength within her, borrow strength from the trees, or the heart-shaped stone in her hand. Her guardian was as tired as her, it took a lot to force one to cross over, let alone three.
“I’m sorry,” she’d told Ermous the next day.
A sad smile played on his lips, “Shall I know what for?”
She pulled out the green twine that would connect their wrists, had they been leaving together. She needed to make him pass over without her, so she could try and stop the war from coming. She knew the problems it would cause, about how they may never see each other in all their lives, or after. She hoped though, that if cut directly in the center of the thread, they might find each other again.
She moved forward to tie his wrist to hers but he jerked back, “I’ve waited…Eons…for you to be ready to leave Arrisch, and you think I’m going to leave you now?”
“Please Ermous-”
“Please what? Don’t I get a choice? An explanation?”
“I’m sorry,” but the words sounded hollow to her ears as he fell limp, knocked out by the small cat’s spell.
She had barely managed a thank you to the guardian she was too busy trying to get the knots right and not cry. Normally they would go together, with Kannen and Ander too, and an official would do the ceremony, but it had to be quick. She cut the string with one of his fallen feathers as the circle began to glow, but slipped and the razor feather sliced too close to her wrist. She gasped and pulled the thread out again but the circle had already faded, leaving no trace of her beloved or the small bat that was his guardian.
She’d wanted to cry, to wake up and find out it was a dream, but it wasn’t, and she wouldn’t allow herself tears, knowing that if she cried she couldn’t go on. She found Kannen and Ander, but took no chances with them, they were knocked out and sent over together. Once again she wanted to cry, had to stop and sniffle a bit, she could never see her friend again.
She gasped for breath now, feeling drained emotionally and physically. She had tried to prepare them, tried to stop it, but he was right and it had been too late. She’d fled once Jeager appeared, he’d always been violent and had always watched her with greedy eyes, hungry eyes. It surprised her, she didn’t normally flee but if they could make it to The Seven, one of the sacred spots, then her guardian could send her over without trouble since she’d already tied the knots. If they didn’t make it, then she could still send her over, it would just hurt the small cat.
She burst into a clearing filled with bright moonlight, and an exposed a root sent her sprawling over the ground. The stone skittered across the ground, she wanted its comfort but was too tired to move.
“Come on!” The cat urged, stopping to look at her. She noticed the lavender that glowed from the eye sockets was dim, she was weak too.
“I can’t,” she murmured, closing her eyes, “I’m too tired.”
The cat circled back and urged her into a sitting position, then standing. She wobbled a bit and reached into a cleverly disguised pocket in search for the amulet cross, if her follower was Fang then it might temporarily stop them. It wasn’t there, she must’ve left it when it all began.
She swayed like a tree in a storm, trying to muster the energy, any energy, to keep going. Another noise, a voice, and she whirled to face danger wishing desperately she was rested and armed. Normally she didn’t need to be, she could normally do anything she put her mind to, but not now, not when she could barely keep her eyes open.
Her attacker was Fang, in fact, it was The Fang, the king. She wondered briefly if he wished her harm after all, he did warn her and say that he wanted her safe, but quickly decided yes, and that it was all part of a plan.
He towered above her, an imposing figure too close for comfort. Though he stood on the other side of the clearing she knew that he could close that gap without her being able to react.
“What do you want?” She yelled, her voice squeaking.
He opened his mouth to speak a few times, each time backing up a step. She let down her guard a bit, and suddenly there were arms around her, holding her in a death grip. It was quick, a slight razor sharp pain in her neck, warm blood flowed to be guzzled immediately.
Everything went black.
Time passed unnoticed, with brief flashes, but it always came back to the warm inky darkness that held her suspended. There were others too, that came and went but she never saw them. Then just as suddenly as she’d been thrown in, she was tossed out. Squeezed until she felt she would pop, then it was cold and bright. There was a quick pain somewhere outside but she didn’t notice it, she couldn’t remember, no places, no times, no beings, no joy, pain, nor sadness but she knew of things lost to her, could feel it all.
She squinted shut her eyes from the light and felt the pain, the sorrow, the heartbreak, the vulnerability, the aloneness, the helplessness all boil over and
She cried.
^The prologue(obviously) but just a rough draft.^
This is a place for me to post my story and i'll take suggestions. It's called 'Untitled' because it really is untitled at the moment. I'll take suggestions on names for it too. If you steal it then i WILL know, especially if it's published or something because i have the dates that i saved all the chapters on the computer. SO DONT TRY IT!
Update: Title may be found, still considering...
