Howl, My Darling, Howl
Chapter 1
"The Beginning of My End"
…After all I am to hear the bittersweet songs of your insatiable hunger for my bleeding; torn flesh.
"Iyada! Yame-Yamero! F…Fwahhhh!"
I am your sacrifice; beautiful beast.
~~O~~
The Russian roulette I played with the black and violet flames of the thick and starless woods. I should have left the nature's endless nest of unknown creatures… undisturbed. The beautiful emerald gown of god's far, far away forest was a breathing shadow for the undying beasts—The human mind cannot understand. The gift that came and breathed the crystal blue, blue heaven of our little village—beneath the magical fingertips of the weapon creator—became a forgotten whistle of silver and iron before the taunt white pearl fangs whose frost tips were dyed in drunken blood of a twitching piece of forgotten meat. I was never adventurous before hearing the tale—his tale- that became a lullaby amongst the tongues of the toothless elders in the starry nights of the ancient past.
"Aoba! Aoba! It is starting! Let's hear another story!"
The beautiful hazel eyes raised beneath the swaying, thick lashes that fell upon my snow flaked cheekbones; the rosy; untainted lips were closing and opening around the wooden harmonica between my creamy palms; the soothing; curing angelic melodies that rose from the each breath that flew from my animated; roseate plumpness to my treasure were telling my own unfolding story to the starry night sky.
My childhood friend's blossomed voice amongst my garden; my sanctuary of roses made me lower and lower my musical notes before the wooden instrument rested upon my crossed legs.
"You really love listening those stories, na, Koujaku?"
An angelic smile dawned upon my pink petaled lips when I began to rise to my height—the tales that were passed from one generation to another did not awake an interest in my mind; they were only fairytales, I thought.
"They are awesome! You slowpoke~ Come on, if we don't run now, we won't find a place to sit in the circle."
The irony, I thought, when the silver lined whistle of wind beneath the gaze of the diamond of night sky placed soft kisses upon my whiteness hazed cheeks. This raven of a black and ruby feathered nest was training to become a master swordsman in the hands of faceless knights of glory and honor. One would think that this boy would have the seeds of a statue planted in his youth; yet, he was glowering with an endless desire to live his passing child soul. A beautiful melody of careless laughter escaped from the flushed lips of my own; the dance of the swaying fireflies brought a distant sense of peace of mind and heart before my eyes; I did not want to leave this ancient willow tree, thick and long emerald gown of the earth and the beautiful scent, aroma that the wild flowers in this garden of wilderness bring—away from the festival below my hill.
"O~kay~Be calm, jeez."
Still though I was not a heartless machine of oil and metal pieces; I do want to be my friend when he has the time to leave the chambers of sworn loyalty to our peace. A golden brown; leather pouch I carried beneath my fading and worn blue sleeved shirt for my musical instrument—the whiteness hazed, ghostened fingertips let my harmonica lay amongst its own house when I began to run towards his tall; impatient shadow.
"If I miss the opening ceremony the storyteller gives—again—I am going to tickle you so hard."
"Oh, come on! B…aka! That ceremony only consists of hymns."
"Damn right. I want to hear it from beginning to end, you little—"
"Heh. And the storyteller you talk about is the priest; even I know where he lives—such an old geezer."
"Oi! Buddy, buddy! Don't burst my bubble!"
"f…h…Haha!"
"You…laughing little…"
The echoes of our high pitched laughter became drowned amongst the sea of swaying lanterns that were bounded amidst the rustling emerald leaves with a piece of rope; when our soundless footsteps began to reach the village square. Masses of young children and grown men and women tangled amongst a sea of cushions that were embellished with the dyes of an artisan's golden palette. Comfortable and wide enough for three or four people to share when listening to the stories; my golden hues could not see one that was left without a momentary owner. A comical sigh I heard from beside me when a broad hand held upon my much, much more smaller one.
"—Kouja…"
"There is no place for us to sit. Why don't we try the branches of a tree?"
"H…Hai."
Sometimes…Sometimes…I wonder; how can this black, black feathered raven become a strong leader of a wolf pack without losing his beautiful feathers that did not want to fade to gray?
"Shall I help; my fragile princess?"
"Hah. Help yourself; my foolish knight."
Another breeze of careless; reckless laughter flew from our endless joy when we reached the dark coffee colored branch underneath the shade of dancing leaves. Side by side we sat when I raised a clothed knee to my lean chest to rest my forearm.
"Oh. It is starting!"
"Heh. The old geezer appeared."
"Aoba!"
"…h…haha…gomen~"
Although I was a mocking bird for this elder of church's hands; my hazel eyes began to disappear beneath my swaying lashes when they slumbered against the snow flaked cheekbones; the ebony arrows of ink droplets smiled against my milkened skin. His song for angel's blessings and the creator's forgiveness began to soothe; heal my bittersweet soul and dying heart. One day I would become a skeleton beneath the soft; golden brown soil…I knew; yet, the priest's call for us humans to travel the path of goodness chased the bitter thought away. The ones that knew the prayer murmured along with him; the silent breaths of the villagers flew with the gentle wind; yet, I only listened, listened and…listened…
"Oh, God…Save our souls from the ill-willed shadows that move among us. Don't let the evil snake tempt us, my God. We are your servants until our last breath. Amen."
His last prayers…evil snake…ill-willed shadows…
"Today, my children, a beast I am to tell is not a purebred…Rather, it is a human that became plagued by his own animal instincts. Gather around, my children, and listen to what this elder offers to give."
A whisper I heard beside my ear—
"Do you think it is possible Aoba? A human…becoming a monster?"
"I…don't know…"
My own roseate lips began to move when the golden honey eyes rose from the shadowing lashes of mine to watch his scarlet rubies that harbored a trace of serious demeanor. A human becoming a beast…must be a fairytale.
"—imagine a love conquers your heart; imagine a worthless beloved that give you nothing more than a merciless gaze—"
His tale began…that night the beast lured me; called me…The human that became a beast…I wanted to see such creature myself; a foolish thought I were to realize. He calls me, though, he calls…me…
Chapter 2
"His Tale, My Memories"
-Part 1-
The bittersweet tragedy that befallen upon a cursed human rose and fell and carved ashes inside my little heart; as the elder's song was carried to far, far away lands in the swaying ocean of lanterns.
"—Born as a prisoner to his own enslaved blood; he was left to the hands of a merciless embrace of the winter night; away from his kind, away from a master's pity—"
Whiteness hazed fingertips curled along the faded blue ink of my sleeve when ashes of a distant mist fell amongst the hazel eyes—Slavery. The stolen fragments of my own buried history began to rise from the dark, dark cave of frozen skeletons.
A summer day of burning sand castle's reign. The bazaar built from dark, dark brown wooden planks and columns that almost drown in creeping blackness—was standing alone amongst the rain of sun's wrath. The beautiful hands of the aged women in our village brought countless pieces of worn; stained table cloths, blankets and tulles to create a hand-made shade for our grand bazaar. Although the wrath of the sun's cursed the birth of fresh vegetables and fruits; the village square was scenery of shining diamonds amongst the vast lands of sand and an oasis fantasy.
"...lalala~"
A young boy I was-perhaps at the age of seven-creamy legs were crossed under my small body as I was humming a child's song between big and juicy bites from my red, red apple.
"The caravan of the slave trader is about to enter the village square!"
A booming voice came from an iron speaker of rain and dust dye that dangled above our head. The caravan was coming…
The curious amber gaze fell upon the faceless shadows whose lives were chained to either thread of wool; silk or a leather of ill-willed kings and queens. The whispers of the villagers around me became drowned amongst the wooden wheel that turned and turned with endless machine sound.
"…"
A pair of elegant golden brown jewels raised from the dark, dark shadows of the caravan and our eyes—mine carrying a child~like curiosity; became lost in my own land of dreams; his were carrying a beautiful hazel crown; a shine in a drowning darkness that surrounds him—met.
"Aoba…Aoba!"
The fallen shard of my own red ruby of memories began to fade from the silver webs of my mind; when firm fingers gave a gentle shake to my shoulder to wake me—from far, far away ocean of a forgotten past.
"—Ah. Koujaku."
The hazel eyes blinked the shapeless blur of the mist away.
"You seemed to become a lifeless doll."
His silent whisper was a flower of concern.
"…Oh? Iyada. I just remembered a memory. I will tell you later, na?"
A playful wink I threw at him; the beautiful azure strands fell upon my snow flaked cheeks; graceful as a fallen autumn leaf.
"You will tell me, no matter what~"
"I don't have a chance to escape, na, baka~"
"Nope."
A beautiful melody escaped from my lips when a milkened palm rested upon his hand. I was glad…to have him…at my side.
"Aoba…"a rose's fallen kiss; my knight gave. Magic of calm sea swirled inside my silver webs of mind when his gentle kiss upon my whiteness hazed forehead…brought a flower's beauty and shine amongst my swarm of dead thoughts. Peace of mind; he gave me.
"You are such a child."
A small structured; creamy chin rested upon his broad shoulder when a scarlet flame of a maiden's shyness became a pretty décor upon my cheekbone.
"And you…a grown baby."
"Touche."
How, my darling, howl…Howling of an enraged beast began to echo inside my hearing…The hazel eyes of the slave that shone with a stubborn desire to stay…alive…I could see before my own…The slave's eyes and the beast's restless howl held me a prisoner within the embrace of my sworn brother.
"His Tale, My Memories"
-Part 2-