Shadowlegends
Nothing much interesting, just the second and third chapters and part of the fourth.
Disclaimer: None of the characters or situations depicted herein are intended to resemble any person, place, or real life event.
New Beginnings : (Chapter Two)
Aishi left the table rather quickly after she finished her dinner, eager to get to the gardens in back of their home. She loved plantlife as did nearly all of her people, and their family's gardens were among the best in the village. She'd had a pleasant conversation with her mother about mostly trivial matters, like the latest fashionable clothing that the tailor a few houses down had on display. She and her mother were very different, but they got along well by keeping their conversations small.
"Mother, would you like to visit the gardens with me?" Aishi asked, smiling. She loved her mother, and despite their many differences, the two often enjoyed sitting amongst the trees together in a comfortable silence.
"Oh, not right now, dear," her mother replied, "I have to clean up the plates, and I think I should like some time to myself to have a nice bath for awhile before your father gets home. It's been awhile since I last relaxed. Perhaps later?" Her mother replied in that kind, faraway voice of hers.
"Ah, of course. See you later then; love you," Aishi said as she gave her mother a quick hug before she headed out into the gardens.
"Love you too, dear." Her mother said, as she began clearing the dinner things off the table.
Aishi made her way through the garden to her favourite spot, which was next to a small water fountain, amidst the rosebushes and amaryllis plants. There were many different types of plants there; among them were rose of sharon bushes, Iris flowers, and dwarf white poplars which were no taller than herself, and native only to this land. They all bordered the fountain in a half-circle, with a few tasteful statues of faeries peppered between them. Overall, this corner of the garden had the most pleasant, and peaceful feel to it.
It was also the corner closest to the village streets, so that one could hear noises from the outside filter in, but no one on the other side could see in. It gave her a safe, secure feeling while also making Aishi feel not too far away from others. She sat there for quite some time, just breathing in the fresh, fragrant warm air and relaxing. She sat down on the bench next to the fountain and leaned back, closing her eyes. She entered into a state of meditation, her thoughts near- nonexistant. The sun started to go down over the trees before she stirred, getting up from her place and stretching.
As Aishi got up from the bench and prepared to go into her home she caught the sounds of some sort of commotion, and curiousity got the better of her. She walked out of the gardens to the front of the house, and noticed a group of Nymaran's standing nearby conversing rather uproariously. Aishi decided to see what was going on, and approached the Nymaran closest to her.
"Hello, miss-- oh, Talei, I didn't notice it was you." Ashi said, recognizing the Nymaran as an acquaintance, "What's all the commotion about?"
At her question, Talei looked very excited and said, "Oh, Aishi, haven't you heard? We did it! We caught one! One of the village hunters spotted one of those... things while he was patrolling the border of our lands, and captured it. Right now it is in holdings, and it's bound up right good. No way is that creature getting loose in our village. By the look of things, this one must know where the rest of its kind are, as it's carrying the mark of their village. This could be the big break we've been looking for, the chance to rid ourselves of all their ilk in this area!"
"A-ah... Oh..." Stuttered Aishi, clearly taken by surprise. She quickly recovered, and put on a fake smile while she tried to appear happy at the news though it made her stomach turn, and she replied, "I'm sorry; I was quite surprised, Talei. This is wonderful news indeed! I must go tell my friends... so we can celebrate."
"Oh, of course..." Said Talei, "Perhaps you can go fetch them, and join in the festivities. The village is hosting a great celebration in honor of its capture. Afterwards, the guards will bring the thing out - in a cage, of course - so the people may take turns in exacting retribution, and they may help also in learning the location of the rest of its people in our area."
"Yes, of course. I am sure they will be joyful to hear of this, and we shall see you there. It has been well met, Talei." Said Aishi, the words ash in her mouth. She was horrified by her friend's excitement about torturing someone, vampire or not.
"Well met yourself, Aishi. Good travels." Said Talei, as Aishi turned to go.
Aishi nodded her head, and smiled stiffly at Talei's comment before she set off towards Vaere's home. The brunette wasn't sure what exactly she was planning on doing... she was never as adamant or sure as Vaere about the Kaian's, but she knew that this wasn't right and she had to let him know what was going on. She didn't want to give him the chance to do anything foolish, but just thinking about what they were planning to do made her feel sick. She had to talk to Vaere; She was desperate for his counsel.
The nymph girl sped up as she ran towards his home on the other side of the village. A few Nymarans standing outside noticed her running past and raised an eyebrow or two at her as she sped by. After what seemed like an eternity to Aishi, but in reality was only a few minutes, she reached Vaere's house. Not bothering to knock on the door, the brown-eyed girl bolted through the entrance. Vaere's parents looked at her strangely as she ran in, but Ashi didn't spare the time to say hello before running up the stairs towards the red haired nymph's room. His door was open, so she hurried in and shut the door behind her.
Vaere looked up at her, surprised by her sudden entrance and asked as soon as he saw her, "Aishi? What's wrong?" Because by the look on her face it was obvious something wasn't right.
"Vaere, It's terrible... as I was nearing my home, some people were standing around talking, and I found out one of the hunters captured a Kaian," At this point, Aishi heard a sharp intake of breath from Vaere, "They said there will be a celebration tonight over it, and that the people would 'exact retribution', and yet I have heard nothing of him committing any crimes whatsoever... I am sure, it is only because of what he is. Vaere, I know I don't share your views exactly, but... this cannot be right. I'm not sure what to think, or do... or if I should do anything," said Aishi, in a rush.
Vaere's expression turned instantly serious as he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. His voice was muffled a little but Aishi could still make it out as he said, "I had feared that something may have happened. I knew something was amiss when I noticed several neighbors were not here, and I heard talk of a gathering... but still, I could not have guessed that this would be what had happened. Aishi, you know I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"What are you going to do?" she asked, fearful of the answer.
Vaere turned away from her. "Go home, Aishi. We didn't talk, okay? Just go home."
Vaere quickly escorted her out the door and shut it, somewhat forcefully, behind her. Aishi could barely process what Vaere had just said to her. With out any better ideas of what to do at the moment, Aishi moped as she made her way back to her house.
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Several hours later, Aishi awoke with a start to the sound of the village alarm horns blaring. After she went home, her head had been swimming with the events of the day, and she'd been worn out, so she decided to nap. Now though, it was full dark out and Aishi realized she must have been asleep for some time. Fearing the worst, the nymaran quickly ran out of her room and to the front door, which was thrown open. The brunette ran through the door to see her parents already outside, staring at the villagers running past. The young nymph ran up to one of the men who was running past, whom she noticed was a hunter, and asked him what the commotion was about.
"The prisoner has escaped! The cage he was being held in was broken open, and the building he was caged in is falling apart! It's as though a massive fire was lit inside, and the cage was blown open; the villagers are doing what they can to put out the fire while the hunters have been summoned to track down the creature!" The man yelled, as he sprinted off presumably to track down the Kaian.
'Goddesses, no,' thought Aishi, 'This can mean only one thing. Vaere is the only one in this village blessed by Salamander's fire, and he lacks control over it; who knows how much damage he did!'
Aishi started towards Vaere's house at a brisk pace, avoiding the villagers running past as she trekked there. About halfway there, though, she heard a strange noise coming from the forest bordering the village. Since she had never been a person to stop and think about common sense, she headed straight into the forest. As she got closer, she realized the sound was similar to a person crying out in pain. The brunette ran in the direction of the noise, and entered an area with a small copse of trees which were surrounded by undergrowth.
"Oh, Vaere; what have you done?" said Aishi, in despair, at the sight that met her eyes. There among the trees, was Vaere who was leaning over a wounded Kaian. He was attempting to help the vampire to his feet, but the Kaian seemed unable to stand. Aishi felt a pang of sympathy, but quickly squashed it. She had to remain objective, because it was very likely Vaere would end up ostracized from her village for this.
As Aishi looked over the Kaian, she noted that his leg was most definately broken, and he had many cuts and bruises. It was unlikely that he would live for long if left alone in the forest, what with the creatures that lived here. The Gorgoneion would turn his blood to stone, and the Kirin would rip him to shreds; he would suffer an unpleasant death. The nymph girl looked over at Vaere and saw he was looking at her expectantly, and Ashi realized that while she'd been busy thinking he'd obviously said something.
"Sorry; I'm just so stressed out, and I was thinking, I didn't hear what you said..." Aishi started to apologize, before Vaere cut her off.
"Don't worry. It is a stressful time for us all. I wish you hadn't seen this, Ashi. I had hoped to keep you out of this mess." The black eyed nymph said.
Aishi smiled wryly, and replied, "And I'm sure the fact that you knew I would disagree had nothing to do with it."
Vaere replied in a falsely horrified manner, "Of course not! Why ever would I do a thing like that," and then the red haired male grinned impishly.
The brown eyed girl smiled again, grimly this time, and bit her lip. She hestitantly asked,
"Vaere, what happened? Did you burn down the building he was in?"
Vaere stopped grinning and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Aishi," he said, "I did not plan for things to go this way... believe me..."
Aishi sighed and ran her hand over her face, before asking, "Vaere, what would you have me do? I cannot believe you would do something so foolish... as immature as you have been, you have never been a fool."
"And I'm not a fool now," he snapped back. "Listen, I know what this looks like, but I know what I'm doing. The fire might have gotten a little out of control--" "A little ? This is insane. I mean, I know I sound like Mailan right now, but... do you realize what they're going to do to you?" she said, her voice shaky.
Vaere shook his head a little, and replied, "Forget it for now, okay? Look, they really hurt him; you can see that, right? He's terrified, I can't just leave him."
Aishi had to admit the Kaian looked frightened, and very confused. The poor thing looked so small and delicate, pressed fearfully against the ground as he was. There was no way he'd be moving under his own power any time soon. She crouched down by the slim Kaian's side.
"Hello. Can you understand what I'm saying?" she asked.
The vampire's expression implied that he didn't. Aishi sighed again, and said, "He can't even speak our language. What are you going to do with him? You can't take him back into the forest and you CERTAINLY can't keep him here."
"How quickly you forget, my dear. I always have a plan." Vaere replied cheekily.
"What sort of plan could you--" Aishi started to huff out, before he cut her off.
"I have a plan," Vaere snapped in a tone the brunette had rarely heard before. "Leave it at that. I want you to leave right now, and I want you to pretend this never happened, that you never saw me, or this boy here tonight. Understand?"
"But the fire, Vaere. They have to know--" Aishi tried again.
"Leave. Now." Vaere's eyes changed colour briefly, to a bright glowing red, before they went back in mere seconds to the normal black shade they always were. Aishi had only seen his eyes change in this way once before. Something was really upsetting him, and she couldn't help but think there was more going on here than she realized. She wondered how well she really knew Vaere; despite all the years they had spent as friends, he'd always been a bit distant and somewhat mysterious to her.
"Take care of yourself, okay? And... take care of him." Said Aishi, in parting. She sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do, and Vaere watched in silence as she walked away.
After he was satisfied she was far enough away, Vaere turned his attention back to the injured Kaian. The boy looked as though he couldn't have been much younger than Vaere. He was obviously, and with good reason, feeling a lot of pain and fear. Vaere had to admit to himself that the escape itself had probably been very frightening to the boy, and the fire had probably spooked the poor vampire more than anything else.
"So, you think I'm out to get you just like everybody else; and you can't understand me, so I can't tell you that I'm not." Vaere sighed inwardly. "Well, let's see if we can get you to stand. Maybe you can balance on me to take some weight off that leg."
But when he bent down to try to lift the Kaian, the youth beared his teeth and hissed. Vaere immediately took a step back, whipping his tail away from the mouth it was drifting dangerously close to. The Kaian snapped his teeth, and placed his hands on the ground, trying to support himself as he attempted to rise.
"No, wait!" Vaere started, but he didn't dare to get any closer in the boy's current state, so he could only watch helplessly as the Kaian's leg gave out and returned him violently to the ground.
Vaere winced in sympathy and said, "I'm really not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want to take you someplace safe, okay? Can you stop with the biting?"
To his surprise, when Vaere attempted to approach again, the Kaian gave none of the resistance he had expressed earlier. "Guess you gave it everything you got, huh?" Vaere mused. But no, the boy was clearly still able to move just as well as before.
"Wait, can you understand me? Did you hear what I just said?" But the vampire again gave no indication that the words were registering.
Shrugging, and with nothing better to do, Vaere decided to keep on talking. "Okay, walking is obviously out of the question, so I'm going to pick you up by the waist here," the nymaran hesitantly reached his arms out, and when he met no resistance, continued, "and try to fly you to my safe place. Okay?"
He waited a few moments for a response, and when none was forthcoming, he said, "Right, then. Let's try this,"
Vaere wrapped his arms around the Kaian, spread his wings wide, and started to rise into the air. It took considerable effort, as he was not very used to taking people along with him on his flights, but he managed to get a few feet off the ground. Staying low to avoid the gaze of any starwatchers that might happen to be out tonight, Vaere plunged into the forest.
His safe haven was a few dozen feet into the woods. It had been years since he'd been to his little treehouse. He had built it all those years ago after his parents died as sort of a safe haven, a place to be alone when he didn't feel like seeing anyone. Aishi had known about it, but it had been so long since either of them had visited it that he doubted she would even remember it existed. No one else had any idea it was even there.
"The perfect hiding spot, wouldn't you say?" Vaere asked, but the Kaian remained silent as ever. "Sure, it needs a lot of work by now, but it's not going to fall on your head if that's what you're worried about. You'll be just fine in there." The nymaran finished, to which the vampire still said nothing.
Vaere shrugged and flew them both through the entrance. There were no ladders leading up to the door, which was another benefit of this particular hiding place. Hardly anyone else in the area had wings, so even if they found his hideout, they very likely couldn't get in to see what was inside. Vaere gently placed the wounded Kaian on the floor of the wooden construction.
"Sorry about the lack of proper bedding, I was a little short on time tonight. I can get you some supplies in the morning. I did manage to grab this for you, though." Vaere pulled out a small vial, some herbal paste and a length of bandage.
"This," he held up the vial, "is for the pain, and these," he held up the bandages, "are for healing. They won't work instantly, but I might be able to get you walking again within a few days; and this," he held up the salve, "Is also for healing, to go on under the bandages." He held the vial under the boy's mouth. "So... drink up?" Vaere asked.
The Kaian made no physical response, but when Vaere tipped the vial, the vampire allowed the liquid to flow into his mouth, and as far as Vaere could tell, down his throat.
"Okay, now the herb paste," Vaere said.
The nymaran had to remove the boy's shirt to get at his injuries, so he was very careful not to make any sudden or threatening moves as he attempted to divest the Kaian of his shirt. Despite the vampire's apparent cooperativeness so far, Vaere was still a bit surprised that he didn't give a fight nor even appear uncomfortable. The poor thing just looked tired.
Vaere shrugged it off, and began applying the paste. The boy hissed and snarled at him, but he at least didn't attempt to bite him. When he got to a particularly nasty cut, though, the unfortunate Nymaran was the recipient of a rather nasty bite to his shoulder. Vaere reared back, and thrust his wings out, knocking them into the Kaian and propelling the youth backwards in the process. Vaere yelled out, "What was that for; I was just trying to help! I know it stings, but for goodness' sake its medicine."
As he screamed this, the Kaian looked ashamed of himself, and ducked his head while pulling himself into a ball. Vaere couldn't help but feel bad for yelling at the blue haired boy, even if the Kaian had bitten him. He figured the boy must be very scared and stressed out right now, and yelling had certainly not helped the situation any.
Vaere slowly approached the Kaian, and crouched down next to where he was huddled. "I'm sorry," He said, "I didn't mean to hurt or scare you. But you DID bite me, when I was only trying to help. I'm really sorry... will you please let me help you?" he asked.
The vampire looked up just then, and stared at him for a minute or so before complacently sittting down in front of him.
Vaere decided he may as well try and finish what he started, and this time he wasn't surprised when the boy didn't fight him as he finished applying the paste. He was fairly suspicious now, that this Kaian might understand a little more than he let on.
The nymaran, having finished with the paste,announced, "And now for the bandages.Hopefully, I won't get my head bitten off instead this time. " and Vaere glanced over sharply at the boy when he was sure he heard a snicker. He shook his head and told himself he must be imagining things.
As he began to work on the bandages, Vaere had to lift the injured leg slightly in order to wrap the magical bandage fully around the wound, which earned him several more snarls and growls from his vampire patient. But still, no more attempts were made to bite him, so he carefully proceeded until it was fully wrapped.
As soon as it was done, he told the Kaian,
"I've done all I can do for you tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow with food, and hopefully a mat to lie on. How's that sound?" The vampire once again made no reply, and Vaere sighed as he cast a look about the "room".
While there was no mat to lie on, there were two somewhat thick blankets rolled up in the corner that he must have left here at some point in time. They looked rather ratty, but he figured they would have to do for now. He put one down on the left side of the treehouse and doubled it up; he then gestured for the boy to lay down there as he said, "Here... this is the best I can do for now, but it should suffice as a place to sleep for tonight."
The boy carefully crawled over onto the blanket, keeping his broken leg straight, and laid down. He hissed slightly as he laid down, and Vaere figured it probably hurt a lot to move.
"There you are," said Vaere kindly as he put the other blanket over the Kaian, "Sleep well, then. I will be back tomorrow and I'm sure it won't be long at all before you're well again."
Just as Vaere was starting to move away, The vampire pulled the nymph somewhat forcefully to him, pulling the red haired male half on top of him. The nymaran cried out in surprise, and then squeaked even more loudly as he felt the boy attach his mouth to the bite from earlier. The black eyed boy tried to pull away, but Kaian was holding him tightly so that he couldn't move.Vaere could do nothing but sit there and blush hotly as he wondered why the boy was doing this.
The nymph was mortified when he felt a tongue lap at his skin, and warmth flooded his body. He bit back a moan as the vampire began sucking gently at the wound, taking a bit of his blood. Vaere gasped as the feelings began to intensify when the vampire drew the blood more forcefully from him. Suddenly, the Kaian stopped, and gave a few final licks before he released the nymaran. Vaere looked down at his shoulder, and saw that the wound was completely healed. His brow furrowed in confusion; he hadn't heard of a nymaran having the capability to close wounds.
He looked at the boy, who he immediately noticed was blushing. The Kaian appeared to be feigning disinterest, but Vaere mused that the blush gave him away. The nymph wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, but he assumed the vampire had been hungry.
"Well," said Vaere awkwardly, "Thank you for healing my shoulder. I really should be going now; I need to get back so that I don't raise more suspicion than I already have. As I said, I will be back tomorrow. So... goodnight, then."
Vaere gave the Kaian a wave goodbye, and flew back towards the village, again staying as low as possible. As he got back to the settlement, Vaere allowed himself to rise a bit higher in the air, as the sight of him flying about the village was a familiar one to those living around. On route to his house, he flew over Mailan's household as he usually did, and he noticed the door was open.
"That's odd," Vaere mused to himself. He shrugged it off and flew over to his house, entering his room through the window he'd left open earlier. He climbed into bed, his heart beating wildly, and waited for his racing thoughts to calm down. No noise came from anywhere else in the house, so he could only assume and hope, that he hadn't been missed. It was early morning before sleep finally came to his worried mind.
TBC...
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After Notes:
Gorgoneion are taken from the Gorgon myth; in this fic they have the intelligence of a normal snake, and view all others except their own race as food. In appearance their hair is comprised of snakes, and their bodies are fully scaled; they have slitted eyes and lack ears.
Kirin are Unicorns in Japanese mythology. In this story, they're black in color, have 2-3 curved horns, a mouth full of sharp fangs, and red eyes. They are viciously violent, and untameable.
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Disclaimer: None of the characters or situations depicted herein are intended to resemble any person, place, or real life event.
The Cities of Avalon : (Chapter Three)
Nian sighed in relief as he caught sight of the familiar landmark over the entrance to his home. It had been a very difficult trip from that nymph's 'tree-home' to here, but Nian didn't want to waste any time, even to heal. He gasped slightly in pain as he carved the runes needed into the tree which served as the entry point to open the pathway into the cities. In order to survive, the Kaians had many access points spread out over the continents that all transported a person to the same location when the proper runes were carved in. It was the home of the Kaians, a vast "world" underneath the Shadowlands' surface, known as the Cities of Avalon.
Originally, they had been the ancient home of a vast civilization that had died out many thousands of years ago; but during the great war of Gaia one of the vampires' leaders had stumbled upon one of the acesss points. Up until that point, the Cities were believed to have been lost to time, and so it became the perfect place to hide themselves away and be done with the rest of the world. The cities were somewhat of a mystery; even after all the time that his people have lived here, they hadn't been able to reach every part of the cities.
Strong magicks blocked off many of the areas, and other areas would even disappear, only to reappear somewhere else. One area in particular, the western city of Valeria, would disappear for years at a time. Nian and his family lived in the northern lands of Hsi Tien, which was the capital city of Agartha. Some of the surface dwellers knew it as 'the land of white waters', as some legends about the place survived among the other races.
And Nian could hardly blame them for thinking that Hsi Tien was some sort of mythological paradise; indeed, it looked very much like one. The city was nestled atop the Atlantean ocean, held up by magick alone. The streets and buildings were made partly of water and ice, and only the labour of many powerful wizards weaving many spells had made this city what it was. The water itself was a wonder, for when frozen it became white and sparkled many different colours in the light, which also came from magic.
Small balls of energy and occasionally flames were strategically placed along the walls and in the "sky", emitting a strange, bright blue light that went out every evening when the sun would normally set. Because it was an unnatural light, the vampires could be awake during the daytime hours without fear of sun sickness.
The delicate, blue-haired vampire shook himself out of his musings, and quickly stepped into the lighted area that appeared as soon as he'd finished carving the runes, and he re-appeared nearly instantaneously in one of the cities' underground access tunnels. Several armed guards rushed up to identify him, and he showed them his ID card; the main guard stepped up and hastened to apologize.
"Sir Nian! We didn't recognize you, my pr-- by Medusa's serpents, you're hurt!" He turned to the side and snapped out, "Gaez! Get over here and support his left side, and help me take him to the infirmary. Quickly!"
"Yes, sir!" replied Gaez, taking position and helping the first unnamed guard assist Nian to the Healing station. Nian shifted uncomfortably as Gaez stared at him, knowing the other vampire found him attractive. He was often the recipient of unwanted attention, as his exotic looks drew him many admirers. His eyes were his most unusual feature; he had silver pupils, and his irises were a bright white hue with a small amount of ice blue at the edges.
Nian knew his injuries must surely look a fright. Old Philia was the one on duty today, and of that Nian was glad. She was his favourite healer, and she was always kinder with him than any of the others. As soon as she caught site of the battered Kaian, she gasped and rushed over.
"Nian, my goodness! What happened, child?" she paused when she saw the blue-haired Kaian's pained look, "Oh, never mind that. Let's just get you all healed up first, shall we?" She said, immediately setting to work.
The guards rushed out then, without so much as a word, and Nian knew they had gone to find his father; and most likely his brothers as well. They had surely been worried about him, and ordered the guards to report his return immediately. As Philia used a combination of healing magic, and the occasional healing tonic, Nian glanced over the infirmary.
Nothing had changed in all the years he'd been through here, and he was glad to see none of the other beds were occupied. The ceiling was a light blue in colour, because as Philia said that supposedly that helped patients remain calm. The walls were a plain white, and it was decorated - if you could call it that - by a multitude of healing equipment. The floor was made of water, as it was everywhere in the city; and looking down, Nian could see a large turtle passing by.
The blue haired vampire looked up then, as his father and brothers frantically entered and rushed to the side of the bed he was occupying. Philia made a noise of disapproval but said nothing over the intrusion into her ward.
"Nian, what happened, my son? Asked Aelan, who appeared as calm as ever despite seeing his son laid out on a hospital bed. The blue haired Kaian noticed his brother, Laefel, direct a glare at their father over his apparent lack of concern. Nian knew, of course, that his father cared; Aelan had simply been through too much in his long life to show emotions as others could.
"Was it the humans?" Spat Laefel with contempt, flipping his pale green hair behind him as he hissed angrily. His golden eyes glinted maliciously at the thought of killing whomever had hurt his brother.
"No, brother," the white-blue eyed vampire replied, "It was the Nymarans this time. I was making arrangements with an indiscriminate Mandalaien grocer when some hunters spotted us. They killed him, and took me prisoner for 'retribution'..." The trailed off, his eyes going glassy at the memory, as he repressed a shudder.
Aelan scowled and shook his white-haired head, while Nian's younger brother, Izuli stepped foreward and hugged him. Nian smiled softly at his brother and returned the embrace; little Izuli was always worried for him, and he rubbed his youngest brother's back when he heard a sniffle. The small Kaian looked up at Nian, his bright green eyes full of unshed tears. Nian heard a growling noise and turned towards Laefel, who was leaning against the wall with a disgusted expression on his face.
"You can't expect any less from those... dreck." Spoke the green-haired vampire, his voice acidic, "They never change; those surfacer bastards are nothing but despicable scum! They deserve to be drained and killed--"
"LAEFEL!" roared Aelan, "That is enough! I will not have such talk in a place of healing." Aelan spoke with a fierce expression, and his tone demanded obedience. Laefel glared and hissed, but said no more.
Nian decided that despite his own doubt, he would defend the one Nymaran who had come to his aid. "Laefel... I am no longer so sure that is true," He said, his voice cautious, "One of them--" Nian hesitated at this next word, "-- saved me."
Laefel said nothing as he scowled and left, banging the door shut behind him. Aelan, however, asked, "What do you mean by that, Nian?"
"Just what I said, father. They were going to kill me, and rather unpleasantly, but a Nymaran came and rescued me. He flew me to his 'tree-home' - I think was the word he used in their strange language - and tried to heal my wounds as well as he could, despite that I bit him in fear. He seemed... kind. I hope that he is safe; If his people find out, they may kill him."
Aelan looked first surprised, and then stern as he asked, "Are you saying you left him there, possibly to die?"
Nian's eyes narrowed, "Do you disapprove? He was still one of them, father. Why shouldn't I have?"
Aelan's lips thinned as he replied, "I thought I had taught you better than that," before he walked towards the door.
The blue haired vampire called out, "And what would you have me do? Their kind have have murdered our people by the thousands, and they dare to call us the killers! Not to mention, how could I have even been sure I could trust that Incubus -" Nian spat out that name like a dirty word, which to a Nymaran it was, before his father cut him off.
"You have disappointed me greatly, my son." The white haired vampire said, before he left the room, the clanging of the door echoing through the silent room.
Nian stared sightlessly at it as memories assaulted him. His father had always said broad discrimination was wrong. He could recall the words his father had spoken to both him and Laefel repeatedly throughout their lives,
'You should judge the person, not their race. To do so makes you no better than those you've hated.'
And that Nymaran did help him back there... he'd almost grown fond of that boy, despite not having known him for very long. He felt a pang of guilt, and tried but failed to push it away. That red-haired nymph hadn't treated Nian like a monster; the black eyed boy treated him like the victim that he was. His memory focused itself on when he'd healed and drank from the bite he'd inflicted on the boy. The nymph had blushed so prettily, and the sounds he'd made... Nian was fairly sure the Nymaran hadn't realized it, but he'd been emitting low, nearly subvocal moans and soft sighs as the blue haired vampire licked at the Nymaran's wound. The white eyed vampire blushed in memory, and wondered why he was thinking about this.
The only viable explanation he could think of, was that Vaere could be his Mishoni - his "blood partner," or "blood mate." Due to the varying races and amount of people in the world, not to mention the hate against his kind, it was very rare for a vampire to find a Mishoni these days. Though a vampire could drink from anyone, a Mishoni's blood was perfectly suited to the vampires needs. Regular blood was like drinking a soda, but a Mishoni's blood was like drinking pure, spring water -- it was the only kind of blood that truly satisfied. It was common for vampire to develop affection for a Mishoni, though not all Mishoni and vampires developed relationships. Indeed, most Mishoni's would hate knowing they were special to a Kaian.
The feelings of guilt came back, and intensified. Nian really hoped that boy was okay; he wasn't sure he'd be able to live with himself if that kind little nymph was tortured and killed in his place. He felt even more guilty for letting his father down. Aelan still hoped - believed - that somehow, Kaians and the other races could come to understand one another. Thinking again about Vaere, he had to wonder if maybe there really were some surfacers in the world, worth associating with.
TBC...
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After Notes: Agartha is a legendary city that is said to reside in the Earth's core. It's related to the "Hollow Earth Theory". It's capital is said to be Shamballa, which has been called the Land of White Waters, Land of Radiant Spirits, and the Land of Living Fire among other names. The chinese know it as Hsi Tien, as far as I know.
Mandalaien are a race of fish-like people that I made up. They're telepathic, and to anyone outside their race they will only speak telepathically.
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Chapter 4
Laefel stared up at the illusion of bright, white-blue stars covering the rock hewn ceiling of their underground home. The cities were a place of legend that had, at first been a mere gathering place for his people, where families scattered across continents could easily gather in a safe place. After the vampire persecutions had grown in pitch, due to the werewolves' massacring of entire villages which was blamed on the Kaians, the city had become their last hope for sanctuary. Even the oldest among them didn't know what the city had been created for, and even the legends surrounding the place were vague.
He hadn't lived in the cities for his entire life, as some of the other Kaians had. He still had memories of his life before the relocation, of their home in a small town which was part of a large community of island villages bordering the Sirenicus lands. Though Nian had also grown up in the village, he had been too young to remember anything about it. Thinking of his blue haired brother made Laefel hiss in displeasure
He didn't understand why his brother was suddenly defending Surfacers; Nian had always been the only one of their family who supported his stance on the other races. The white eyed vampire was the only one who had ever understood Laefel, and had always stood by him, even when their father grew furious over his unwavering hate of the Surfacers. How could Nian betray him like that, and for a surfacer, no less?
'It's that damn Nymph's fault...'
Laefel looked up when he felt another presence watching him. Izuli stood there regarding him with an unusual expression in his green, pupiless eyes. Laefel's own eyes softened as they landed on his brother
"Did you need something, 'Zuli?
Izuli still said nothing, nor made any indication that he had even heard Laefel. Laefel felt the familiar pang of sadness in himself as he stared at his silent brother. He walked closer and pulled Izuli to him, cradling his brother gently. He kissed the top of the younger's head and passed his hand over his brother's hair.
He bared his fangs and growled. That blasted whore had probably seduced Nian to their side somehow and convinced his brother to side with them against his own people. It deserved to be killed; they all did, and someday, he swore he would get even. Laefel grinned then, delighted at the idea of causing the little nymph pain. His father didn't understand, and Izuli was too young and innocent to understand, but it had to be done. Their kind and Surfacers would never mix; vampires and mortals were never destined to understand one another.
Disclaimer: None of the characters or situations depicted herein are intended to resemble any person, place, or real life event.
New Beginnings : (Chapter Two)
Aishi left the table rather quickly after she finished her dinner, eager to get to the gardens in back of their home. She loved plantlife as did nearly all of her people, and their family's gardens were among the best in the village. She'd had a pleasant conversation with her mother about mostly trivial matters, like the latest fashionable clothing that the tailor a few houses down had on display. She and her mother were very different, but they got along well by keeping their conversations small.
"Mother, would you like to visit the gardens with me?" Aishi asked, smiling. She loved her mother, and despite their many differences, the two often enjoyed sitting amongst the trees together in a comfortable silence.
"Oh, not right now, dear," her mother replied, "I have to clean up the plates, and I think I should like some time to myself to have a nice bath for awhile before your father gets home. It's been awhile since I last relaxed. Perhaps later?" Her mother replied in that kind, faraway voice of hers.
"Ah, of course. See you later then; love you," Aishi said as she gave her mother a quick hug before she headed out into the gardens.
"Love you too, dear." Her mother said, as she began clearing the dinner things off the table.
Aishi made her way through the garden to her favourite spot, which was next to a small water fountain, amidst the rosebushes and amaryllis plants. There were many different types of plants there; among them were rose of sharon bushes, Iris flowers, and dwarf white poplars which were no taller than herself, and native only to this land. They all bordered the fountain in a half-circle, with a few tasteful statues of faeries peppered between them. Overall, this corner of the garden had the most pleasant, and peaceful feel to it.
It was also the corner closest to the village streets, so that one could hear noises from the outside filter in, but no one on the other side could see in. It gave her a safe, secure feeling while also making Aishi feel not too far away from others. She sat there for quite some time, just breathing in the fresh, fragrant warm air and relaxing. She sat down on the bench next to the fountain and leaned back, closing her eyes. She entered into a state of meditation, her thoughts near- nonexistant. The sun started to go down over the trees before she stirred, getting up from her place and stretching.
As Aishi got up from the bench and prepared to go into her home she caught the sounds of some sort of commotion, and curiousity got the better of her. She walked out of the gardens to the front of the house, and noticed a group of Nymaran's standing nearby conversing rather uproariously. Aishi decided to see what was going on, and approached the Nymaran closest to her.
"Hello, miss-- oh, Talei, I didn't notice it was you." Ashi said, recognizing the Nymaran as an acquaintance, "What's all the commotion about?"
At her question, Talei looked very excited and said, "Oh, Aishi, haven't you heard? We did it! We caught one! One of the village hunters spotted one of those... things while he was patrolling the border of our lands, and captured it. Right now it is in holdings, and it's bound up right good. No way is that creature getting loose in our village. By the look of things, this one must know where the rest of its kind are, as it's carrying the mark of their village. This could be the big break we've been looking for, the chance to rid ourselves of all their ilk in this area!"
"A-ah... Oh..." Stuttered Aishi, clearly taken by surprise. She quickly recovered, and put on a fake smile while she tried to appear happy at the news though it made her stomach turn, and she replied, "I'm sorry; I was quite surprised, Talei. This is wonderful news indeed! I must go tell my friends... so we can celebrate."
"Oh, of course..." Said Talei, "Perhaps you can go fetch them, and join in the festivities. The village is hosting a great celebration in honor of its capture. Afterwards, the guards will bring the thing out - in a cage, of course - so the people may take turns in exacting retribution, and they may help also in learning the location of the rest of its people in our area."
"Yes, of course. I am sure they will be joyful to hear of this, and we shall see you there. It has been well met, Talei." Said Aishi, the words ash in her mouth. She was horrified by her friend's excitement about torturing someone, vampire or not.
"Well met yourself, Aishi. Good travels." Said Talei, as Aishi turned to go.
Aishi nodded her head, and smiled stiffly at Talei's comment before she set off towards Vaere's home. The brunette wasn't sure what exactly she was planning on doing... she was never as adamant or sure as Vaere about the Kaian's, but she knew that this wasn't right and she had to let him know what was going on. She didn't want to give him the chance to do anything foolish, but just thinking about what they were planning to do made her feel sick. She had to talk to Vaere; She was desperate for his counsel.
The nymph girl sped up as she ran towards his home on the other side of the village. A few Nymarans standing outside noticed her running past and raised an eyebrow or two at her as she sped by. After what seemed like an eternity to Aishi, but in reality was only a few minutes, she reached Vaere's house. Not bothering to knock on the door, the brown-eyed girl bolted through the entrance. Vaere's parents looked at her strangely as she ran in, but Ashi didn't spare the time to say hello before running up the stairs towards the red haired nymph's room. His door was open, so she hurried in and shut the door behind her.
Vaere looked up at her, surprised by her sudden entrance and asked as soon as he saw her, "Aishi? What's wrong?" Because by the look on her face it was obvious something wasn't right.
"Vaere, It's terrible... as I was nearing my home, some people were standing around talking, and I found out one of the hunters captured a Kaian," At this point, Aishi heard a sharp intake of breath from Vaere, "They said there will be a celebration tonight over it, and that the people would 'exact retribution', and yet I have heard nothing of him committing any crimes whatsoever... I am sure, it is only because of what he is. Vaere, I know I don't share your views exactly, but... this cannot be right. I'm not sure what to think, or do... or if I should do anything," said Aishi, in a rush.
Vaere's expression turned instantly serious as he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. His voice was muffled a little but Aishi could still make it out as he said, "I had feared that something may have happened. I knew something was amiss when I noticed several neighbors were not here, and I heard talk of a gathering... but still, I could not have guessed that this would be what had happened. Aishi, you know I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"What are you going to do?" she asked, fearful of the answer.
Vaere turned away from her. "Go home, Aishi. We didn't talk, okay? Just go home."
Vaere quickly escorted her out the door and shut it, somewhat forcefully, behind her. Aishi could barely process what Vaere had just said to her. With out any better ideas of what to do at the moment, Aishi moped as she made her way back to her house.
~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~
Several hours later, Aishi awoke with a start to the sound of the village alarm horns blaring. After she went home, her head had been swimming with the events of the day, and she'd been worn out, so she decided to nap. Now though, it was full dark out and Aishi realized she must have been asleep for some time. Fearing the worst, the nymaran quickly ran out of her room and to the front door, which was thrown open. The brunette ran through the door to see her parents already outside, staring at the villagers running past. The young nymph ran up to one of the men who was running past, whom she noticed was a hunter, and asked him what the commotion was about.
"The prisoner has escaped! The cage he was being held in was broken open, and the building he was caged in is falling apart! It's as though a massive fire was lit inside, and the cage was blown open; the villagers are doing what they can to put out the fire while the hunters have been summoned to track down the creature!" The man yelled, as he sprinted off presumably to track down the Kaian.
'Goddesses, no,' thought Aishi, 'This can mean only one thing. Vaere is the only one in this village blessed by Salamander's fire, and he lacks control over it; who knows how much damage he did!'
Aishi started towards Vaere's house at a brisk pace, avoiding the villagers running past as she trekked there. About halfway there, though, she heard a strange noise coming from the forest bordering the village. Since she had never been a person to stop and think about common sense, she headed straight into the forest. As she got closer, she realized the sound was similar to a person crying out in pain. The brunette ran in the direction of the noise, and entered an area with a small copse of trees which were surrounded by undergrowth.
"Oh, Vaere; what have you done?" said Aishi, in despair, at the sight that met her eyes. There among the trees, was Vaere who was leaning over a wounded Kaian. He was attempting to help the vampire to his feet, but the Kaian seemed unable to stand. Aishi felt a pang of sympathy, but quickly squashed it. She had to remain objective, because it was very likely Vaere would end up ostracized from her village for this.
As Aishi looked over the Kaian, she noted that his leg was most definately broken, and he had many cuts and bruises. It was unlikely that he would live for long if left alone in the forest, what with the creatures that lived here. The Gorgoneion would turn his blood to stone, and the Kirin would rip him to shreds; he would suffer an unpleasant death. The nymph girl looked over at Vaere and saw he was looking at her expectantly, and Ashi realized that while she'd been busy thinking he'd obviously said something.
"Sorry; I'm just so stressed out, and I was thinking, I didn't hear what you said..." Aishi started to apologize, before Vaere cut her off.
"Don't worry. It is a stressful time for us all. I wish you hadn't seen this, Ashi. I had hoped to keep you out of this mess." The black eyed nymph said.
Aishi smiled wryly, and replied, "And I'm sure the fact that you knew I would disagree had nothing to do with it."
Vaere replied in a falsely horrified manner, "Of course not! Why ever would I do a thing like that," and then the red haired male grinned impishly.
The brown eyed girl smiled again, grimly this time, and bit her lip. She hestitantly asked,
"Vaere, what happened? Did you burn down the building he was in?"
Vaere stopped grinning and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Aishi," he said, "I did not plan for things to go this way... believe me..."
Aishi sighed and ran her hand over her face, before asking, "Vaere, what would you have me do? I cannot believe you would do something so foolish... as immature as you have been, you have never been a fool."
"And I'm not a fool now," he snapped back. "Listen, I know what this looks like, but I know what I'm doing. The fire might have gotten a little out of control--" "A little ? This is insane. I mean, I know I sound like Mailan right now, but... do you realize what they're going to do to you?" she said, her voice shaky.
Vaere shook his head a little, and replied, "Forget it for now, okay? Look, they really hurt him; you can see that, right? He's terrified, I can't just leave him."
Aishi had to admit the Kaian looked frightened, and very confused. The poor thing looked so small and delicate, pressed fearfully against the ground as he was. There was no way he'd be moving under his own power any time soon. She crouched down by the slim Kaian's side.
"Hello. Can you understand what I'm saying?" she asked.
The vampire's expression implied that he didn't. Aishi sighed again, and said, "He can't even speak our language. What are you going to do with him? You can't take him back into the forest and you CERTAINLY can't keep him here."
"How quickly you forget, my dear. I always have a plan." Vaere replied cheekily.
"What sort of plan could you--" Aishi started to huff out, before he cut her off.
"I have a plan," Vaere snapped in a tone the brunette had rarely heard before. "Leave it at that. I want you to leave right now, and I want you to pretend this never happened, that you never saw me, or this boy here tonight. Understand?"
"But the fire, Vaere. They have to know--" Aishi tried again.
"Leave. Now." Vaere's eyes changed colour briefly, to a bright glowing red, before they went back in mere seconds to the normal black shade they always were. Aishi had only seen his eyes change in this way once before. Something was really upsetting him, and she couldn't help but think there was more going on here than she realized. She wondered how well she really knew Vaere; despite all the years they had spent as friends, he'd always been a bit distant and somewhat mysterious to her.
"Take care of yourself, okay? And... take care of him." Said Aishi, in parting. She sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do, and Vaere watched in silence as she walked away.
After he was satisfied she was far enough away, Vaere turned his attention back to the injured Kaian. The boy looked as though he couldn't have been much younger than Vaere. He was obviously, and with good reason, feeling a lot of pain and fear. Vaere had to admit to himself that the escape itself had probably been very frightening to the boy, and the fire had probably spooked the poor vampire more than anything else.
"So, you think I'm out to get you just like everybody else; and you can't understand me, so I can't tell you that I'm not." Vaere sighed inwardly. "Well, let's see if we can get you to stand. Maybe you can balance on me to take some weight off that leg."
But when he bent down to try to lift the Kaian, the youth beared his teeth and hissed. Vaere immediately took a step back, whipping his tail away from the mouth it was drifting dangerously close to. The Kaian snapped his teeth, and placed his hands on the ground, trying to support himself as he attempted to rise.
"No, wait!" Vaere started, but he didn't dare to get any closer in the boy's current state, so he could only watch helplessly as the Kaian's leg gave out and returned him violently to the ground.
Vaere winced in sympathy and said, "I'm really not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want to take you someplace safe, okay? Can you stop with the biting?"
To his surprise, when Vaere attempted to approach again, the Kaian gave none of the resistance he had expressed earlier. "Guess you gave it everything you got, huh?" Vaere mused. But no, the boy was clearly still able to move just as well as before.
"Wait, can you understand me? Did you hear what I just said?" But the vampire again gave no indication that the words were registering.
Shrugging, and with nothing better to do, Vaere decided to keep on talking. "Okay, walking is obviously out of the question, so I'm going to pick you up by the waist here," the nymaran hesitantly reached his arms out, and when he met no resistance, continued, "and try to fly you to my safe place. Okay?"
He waited a few moments for a response, and when none was forthcoming, he said, "Right, then. Let's try this,"
Vaere wrapped his arms around the Kaian, spread his wings wide, and started to rise into the air. It took considerable effort, as he was not very used to taking people along with him on his flights, but he managed to get a few feet off the ground. Staying low to avoid the gaze of any starwatchers that might happen to be out tonight, Vaere plunged into the forest.
His safe haven was a few dozen feet into the woods. It had been years since he'd been to his little treehouse. He had built it all those years ago after his parents died as sort of a safe haven, a place to be alone when he didn't feel like seeing anyone. Aishi had known about it, but it had been so long since either of them had visited it that he doubted she would even remember it existed. No one else had any idea it was even there.
"The perfect hiding spot, wouldn't you say?" Vaere asked, but the Kaian remained silent as ever. "Sure, it needs a lot of work by now, but it's not going to fall on your head if that's what you're worried about. You'll be just fine in there." The nymaran finished, to which the vampire still said nothing.
Vaere shrugged and flew them both through the entrance. There were no ladders leading up to the door, which was another benefit of this particular hiding place. Hardly anyone else in the area had wings, so even if they found his hideout, they very likely couldn't get in to see what was inside. Vaere gently placed the wounded Kaian on the floor of the wooden construction.
"Sorry about the lack of proper bedding, I was a little short on time tonight. I can get you some supplies in the morning. I did manage to grab this for you, though." Vaere pulled out a small vial, some herbal paste and a length of bandage.
"This," he held up the vial, "is for the pain, and these," he held up the bandages, "are for healing. They won't work instantly, but I might be able to get you walking again within a few days; and this," he held up the salve, "Is also for healing, to go on under the bandages." He held the vial under the boy's mouth. "So... drink up?" Vaere asked.
The Kaian made no physical response, but when Vaere tipped the vial, the vampire allowed the liquid to flow into his mouth, and as far as Vaere could tell, down his throat.
"Okay, now the herb paste," Vaere said.
The nymaran had to remove the boy's shirt to get at his injuries, so he was very careful not to make any sudden or threatening moves as he attempted to divest the Kaian of his shirt. Despite the vampire's apparent cooperativeness so far, Vaere was still a bit surprised that he didn't give a fight nor even appear uncomfortable. The poor thing just looked tired.
Vaere shrugged it off, and began applying the paste. The boy hissed and snarled at him, but he at least didn't attempt to bite him. When he got to a particularly nasty cut, though, the unfortunate Nymaran was the recipient of a rather nasty bite to his shoulder. Vaere reared back, and thrust his wings out, knocking them into the Kaian and propelling the youth backwards in the process. Vaere yelled out, "What was that for; I was just trying to help! I know it stings, but for goodness' sake its medicine."
As he screamed this, the Kaian looked ashamed of himself, and ducked his head while pulling himself into a ball. Vaere couldn't help but feel bad for yelling at the blue haired boy, even if the Kaian had bitten him. He figured the boy must be very scared and stressed out right now, and yelling had certainly not helped the situation any.
Vaere slowly approached the Kaian, and crouched down next to where he was huddled. "I'm sorry," He said, "I didn't mean to hurt or scare you. But you DID bite me, when I was only trying to help. I'm really sorry... will you please let me help you?" he asked.
The vampire looked up just then, and stared at him for a minute or so before complacently sittting down in front of him.
Vaere decided he may as well try and finish what he started, and this time he wasn't surprised when the boy didn't fight him as he finished applying the paste. He was fairly suspicious now, that this Kaian might understand a little more than he let on.
The nymaran, having finished with the paste,announced, "And now for the bandages.Hopefully, I won't get my head bitten off instead this time. " and Vaere glanced over sharply at the boy when he was sure he heard a snicker. He shook his head and told himself he must be imagining things.
As he began to work on the bandages, Vaere had to lift the injured leg slightly in order to wrap the magical bandage fully around the wound, which earned him several more snarls and growls from his vampire patient. But still, no more attempts were made to bite him, so he carefully proceeded until it was fully wrapped.
As soon as it was done, he told the Kaian,
"I've done all I can do for you tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow with food, and hopefully a mat to lie on. How's that sound?" The vampire once again made no reply, and Vaere sighed as he cast a look about the "room".
While there was no mat to lie on, there were two somewhat thick blankets rolled up in the corner that he must have left here at some point in time. They looked rather ratty, but he figured they would have to do for now. He put one down on the left side of the treehouse and doubled it up; he then gestured for the boy to lay down there as he said, "Here... this is the best I can do for now, but it should suffice as a place to sleep for tonight."
The boy carefully crawled over onto the blanket, keeping his broken leg straight, and laid down. He hissed slightly as he laid down, and Vaere figured it probably hurt a lot to move.
"There you are," said Vaere kindly as he put the other blanket over the Kaian, "Sleep well, then. I will be back tomorrow and I'm sure it won't be long at all before you're well again."
Just as Vaere was starting to move away, The vampire pulled the nymph somewhat forcefully to him, pulling the red haired male half on top of him. The nymaran cried out in surprise, and then squeaked even more loudly as he felt the boy attach his mouth to the bite from earlier. The black eyed boy tried to pull away, but Kaian was holding him tightly so that he couldn't move.Vaere could do nothing but sit there and blush hotly as he wondered why the boy was doing this.
The nymph was mortified when he felt a tongue lap at his skin, and warmth flooded his body. He bit back a moan as the vampire began sucking gently at the wound, taking a bit of his blood. Vaere gasped as the feelings began to intensify when the vampire drew the blood more forcefully from him. Suddenly, the Kaian stopped, and gave a few final licks before he released the nymaran. Vaere looked down at his shoulder, and saw that the wound was completely healed. His brow furrowed in confusion; he hadn't heard of a nymaran having the capability to close wounds.
He looked at the boy, who he immediately noticed was blushing. The Kaian appeared to be feigning disinterest, but Vaere mused that the blush gave him away. The nymph wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, but he assumed the vampire had been hungry.
"Well," said Vaere awkwardly, "Thank you for healing my shoulder. I really should be going now; I need to get back so that I don't raise more suspicion than I already have. As I said, I will be back tomorrow. So... goodnight, then."
Vaere gave the Kaian a wave goodbye, and flew back towards the village, again staying as low as possible. As he got back to the settlement, Vaere allowed himself to rise a bit higher in the air, as the sight of him flying about the village was a familiar one to those living around. On route to his house, he flew over Mailan's household as he usually did, and he noticed the door was open.
"That's odd," Vaere mused to himself. He shrugged it off and flew over to his house, entering his room through the window he'd left open earlier. He climbed into bed, his heart beating wildly, and waited for his racing thoughts to calm down. No noise came from anywhere else in the house, so he could only assume and hope, that he hadn't been missed. It was early morning before sleep finally came to his worried mind.
TBC...
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After Notes:
Gorgoneion are taken from the Gorgon myth; in this fic they have the intelligence of a normal snake, and view all others except their own race as food. In appearance their hair is comprised of snakes, and their bodies are fully scaled; they have slitted eyes and lack ears.
Kirin are Unicorns in Japanese mythology. In this story, they're black in color, have 2-3 curved horns, a mouth full of sharp fangs, and red eyes. They are viciously violent, and untameable.
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Disclaimer: None of the characters or situations depicted herein are intended to resemble any person, place, or real life event.
The Cities of Avalon : (Chapter Three)
Nian sighed in relief as he caught sight of the familiar landmark over the entrance to his home. It had been a very difficult trip from that nymph's 'tree-home' to here, but Nian didn't want to waste any time, even to heal. He gasped slightly in pain as he carved the runes needed into the tree which served as the entry point to open the pathway into the cities. In order to survive, the Kaians had many access points spread out over the continents that all transported a person to the same location when the proper runes were carved in. It was the home of the Kaians, a vast "world" underneath the Shadowlands' surface, known as the Cities of Avalon.
Originally, they had been the ancient home of a vast civilization that had died out many thousands of years ago; but during the great war of Gaia one of the vampires' leaders had stumbled upon one of the acesss points. Up until that point, the Cities were believed to have been lost to time, and so it became the perfect place to hide themselves away and be done with the rest of the world. The cities were somewhat of a mystery; even after all the time that his people have lived here, they hadn't been able to reach every part of the cities.
Strong magicks blocked off many of the areas, and other areas would even disappear, only to reappear somewhere else. One area in particular, the western city of Valeria, would disappear for years at a time. Nian and his family lived in the northern lands of Hsi Tien, which was the capital city of Agartha. Some of the surface dwellers knew it as 'the land of white waters', as some legends about the place survived among the other races.
And Nian could hardly blame them for thinking that Hsi Tien was some sort of mythological paradise; indeed, it looked very much like one. The city was nestled atop the Atlantean ocean, held up by magick alone. The streets and buildings were made partly of water and ice, and only the labour of many powerful wizards weaving many spells had made this city what it was. The water itself was a wonder, for when frozen it became white and sparkled many different colours in the light, which also came from magic.
Small balls of energy and occasionally flames were strategically placed along the walls and in the "sky", emitting a strange, bright blue light that went out every evening when the sun would normally set. Because it was an unnatural light, the vampires could be awake during the daytime hours without fear of sun sickness.
The delicate, blue-haired vampire shook himself out of his musings, and quickly stepped into the lighted area that appeared as soon as he'd finished carving the runes, and he re-appeared nearly instantaneously in one of the cities' underground access tunnels. Several armed guards rushed up to identify him, and he showed them his ID card; the main guard stepped up and hastened to apologize.
"Sir Nian! We didn't recognize you, my pr-- by Medusa's serpents, you're hurt!" He turned to the side and snapped out, "Gaez! Get over here and support his left side, and help me take him to the infirmary. Quickly!"
"Yes, sir!" replied Gaez, taking position and helping the first unnamed guard assist Nian to the Healing station. Nian shifted uncomfortably as Gaez stared at him, knowing the other vampire found him attractive. He was often the recipient of unwanted attention, as his exotic looks drew him many admirers. His eyes were his most unusual feature; he had silver pupils, and his irises were a bright white hue with a small amount of ice blue at the edges.
Nian knew his injuries must surely look a fright. Old Philia was the one on duty today, and of that Nian was glad. She was his favourite healer, and she was always kinder with him than any of the others. As soon as she caught site of the battered Kaian, she gasped and rushed over.
"Nian, my goodness! What happened, child?" she paused when she saw the blue-haired Kaian's pained look, "Oh, never mind that. Let's just get you all healed up first, shall we?" She said, immediately setting to work.
The guards rushed out then, without so much as a word, and Nian knew they had gone to find his father; and most likely his brothers as well. They had surely been worried about him, and ordered the guards to report his return immediately. As Philia used a combination of healing magic, and the occasional healing tonic, Nian glanced over the infirmary.
Nothing had changed in all the years he'd been through here, and he was glad to see none of the other beds were occupied. The ceiling was a light blue in colour, because as Philia said that supposedly that helped patients remain calm. The walls were a plain white, and it was decorated - if you could call it that - by a multitude of healing equipment. The floor was made of water, as it was everywhere in the city; and looking down, Nian could see a large turtle passing by.
The blue haired vampire looked up then, as his father and brothers frantically entered and rushed to the side of the bed he was occupying. Philia made a noise of disapproval but said nothing over the intrusion into her ward.
"Nian, what happened, my son? Asked Aelan, who appeared as calm as ever despite seeing his son laid out on a hospital bed. The blue haired Kaian noticed his brother, Laefel, direct a glare at their father over his apparent lack of concern. Nian knew, of course, that his father cared; Aelan had simply been through too much in his long life to show emotions as others could.
"Was it the humans?" Spat Laefel with contempt, flipping his pale green hair behind him as he hissed angrily. His golden eyes glinted maliciously at the thought of killing whomever had hurt his brother.
"No, brother," the white-blue eyed vampire replied, "It was the Nymarans this time. I was making arrangements with an indiscriminate Mandalaien grocer when some hunters spotted us. They killed him, and took me prisoner for 'retribution'..." The trailed off, his eyes going glassy at the memory, as he repressed a shudder.
Aelan scowled and shook his white-haired head, while Nian's younger brother, Izuli stepped foreward and hugged him. Nian smiled softly at his brother and returned the embrace; little Izuli was always worried for him, and he rubbed his youngest brother's back when he heard a sniffle. The small Kaian looked up at Nian, his bright green eyes full of unshed tears. Nian heard a growling noise and turned towards Laefel, who was leaning against the wall with a disgusted expression on his face.
"You can't expect any less from those... dreck." Spoke the green-haired vampire, his voice acidic, "They never change; those surfacer bastards are nothing but despicable scum! They deserve to be drained and killed--"
"LAEFEL!" roared Aelan, "That is enough! I will not have such talk in a place of healing." Aelan spoke with a fierce expression, and his tone demanded obedience. Laefel glared and hissed, but said no more.
Nian decided that despite his own doubt, he would defend the one Nymaran who had come to his aid. "Laefel... I am no longer so sure that is true," He said, his voice cautious, "One of them--" Nian hesitated at this next word, "-- saved me."
Laefel said nothing as he scowled and left, banging the door shut behind him. Aelan, however, asked, "What do you mean by that, Nian?"
"Just what I said, father. They were going to kill me, and rather unpleasantly, but a Nymaran came and rescued me. He flew me to his 'tree-home' - I think was the word he used in their strange language - and tried to heal my wounds as well as he could, despite that I bit him in fear. He seemed... kind. I hope that he is safe; If his people find out, they may kill him."
Aelan looked first surprised, and then stern as he asked, "Are you saying you left him there, possibly to die?"
Nian's eyes narrowed, "Do you disapprove? He was still one of them, father. Why shouldn't I have?"
Aelan's lips thinned as he replied, "I thought I had taught you better than that," before he walked towards the door.
The blue haired vampire called out, "And what would you have me do? Their kind have have murdered our people by the thousands, and they dare to call us the killers! Not to mention, how could I have even been sure I could trust that Incubus -" Nian spat out that name like a dirty word, which to a Nymaran it was, before his father cut him off.
"You have disappointed me greatly, my son." The white haired vampire said, before he left the room, the clanging of the door echoing through the silent room.
Nian stared sightlessly at it as memories assaulted him. His father had always said broad discrimination was wrong. He could recall the words his father had spoken to both him and Laefel repeatedly throughout their lives,
'You should judge the person, not their race. To do so makes you no better than those you've hated.'
And that Nymaran did help him back there... he'd almost grown fond of that boy, despite not having known him for very long. He felt a pang of guilt, and tried but failed to push it away. That red-haired nymph hadn't treated Nian like a monster; the black eyed boy treated him like the victim that he was. His memory focused itself on when he'd healed and drank from the bite he'd inflicted on the boy. The nymph had blushed so prettily, and the sounds he'd made... Nian was fairly sure the Nymaran hadn't realized it, but he'd been emitting low, nearly subvocal moans and soft sighs as the blue haired vampire licked at the Nymaran's wound. The white eyed vampire blushed in memory, and wondered why he was thinking about this.
The only viable explanation he could think of, was that Vaere could be his Mishoni - his "blood partner," or "blood mate." Due to the varying races and amount of people in the world, not to mention the hate against his kind, it was very rare for a vampire to find a Mishoni these days. Though a vampire could drink from anyone, a Mishoni's blood was perfectly suited to the vampires needs. Regular blood was like drinking a soda, but a Mishoni's blood was like drinking pure, spring water -- it was the only kind of blood that truly satisfied. It was common for vampire to develop affection for a Mishoni, though not all Mishoni and vampires developed relationships. Indeed, most Mishoni's would hate knowing they were special to a Kaian.
The feelings of guilt came back, and intensified. Nian really hoped that boy was okay; he wasn't sure he'd be able to live with himself if that kind little nymph was tortured and killed in his place. He felt even more guilty for letting his father down. Aelan still hoped - believed - that somehow, Kaians and the other races could come to understand one another. Thinking again about Vaere, he had to wonder if maybe there really were some surfacers in the world, worth associating with.
TBC...
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After Notes: Agartha is a legendary city that is said to reside in the Earth's core. It's related to the "Hollow Earth Theory". It's capital is said to be Shamballa, which has been called the Land of White Waters, Land of Radiant Spirits, and the Land of Living Fire among other names. The chinese know it as Hsi Tien, as far as I know.
Mandalaien are a race of fish-like people that I made up. They're telepathic, and to anyone outside their race they will only speak telepathically.
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Chapter 4
Laefel stared up at the illusion of bright, white-blue stars covering the rock hewn ceiling of their underground home. The cities were a place of legend that had, at first been a mere gathering place for his people, where families scattered across continents could easily gather in a safe place. After the vampire persecutions had grown in pitch, due to the werewolves' massacring of entire villages which was blamed on the Kaians, the city had become their last hope for sanctuary. Even the oldest among them didn't know what the city had been created for, and even the legends surrounding the place were vague.
He hadn't lived in the cities for his entire life, as some of the other Kaians had. He still had memories of his life before the relocation, of their home in a small town which was part of a large community of island villages bordering the Sirenicus lands. Though Nian had also grown up in the village, he had been too young to remember anything about it. Thinking of his blue haired brother made Laefel hiss in displeasure
He didn't understand why his brother was suddenly defending Surfacers; Nian had always been the only one of their family who supported his stance on the other races. The white eyed vampire was the only one who had ever understood Laefel, and had always stood by him, even when their father grew furious over his unwavering hate of the Surfacers. How could Nian betray him like that, and for a surfacer, no less?
'It's that damn Nymph's fault...'
Laefel looked up when he felt another presence watching him. Izuli stood there regarding him with an unusual expression in his green, pupiless eyes. Laefel's own eyes softened as they landed on his brother
"Did you need something, 'Zuli?
Izuli still said nothing, nor made any indication that he had even heard Laefel. Laefel felt the familiar pang of sadness in himself as he stared at his silent brother. He walked closer and pulled Izuli to him, cradling his brother gently. He kissed the top of the younger's head and passed his hand over his brother's hair.
He bared his fangs and growled. That blasted whore had probably seduced Nian to their side somehow and convinced his brother to side with them against his own people. It deserved to be killed; they all did, and someday, he swore he would get even. Laefel grinned then, delighted at the idea of causing the little nymph pain. His father didn't understand, and Izuli was too young and innocent to understand, but it had to be done. Their kind and Surfacers would never mix; vampires and mortals were never destined to understand one another.