For years, our nation made of two cultures and races has been in an era of peace. But today, that peace has been jeopardized. Our two nations, who live in our own realm, must now go to Earth to stand among the humans and face a trial of our fellow Damned and Savers. The accused must wait, hooded so as not to see those who prosecute them, while the evidence and case is presented. It is all done within our races but the humans decide the final vote and then the punishment. We all know that they are guilty but the leaders want to show the rest of the people that they still believe in justice and that they still want the peace to go on.
I watch the procession and wish that I could be away from here and play my music. To feel the steel strings beneath my fingers and hear the hard, fast notes pouring out. But I have to stay. I was a witness to the beating of the victims, who were my best friends. I feared for my life but music made it all disappear for a while and let me be me in a nation that was slowly dividing back into cultures and races.
Now is the time for us to stand together, but not all will. I grew up in the peace but my children will know war. Unless we can stop the fighting before it starts. I hope we can do that through justice, kindness, loyalty, and music.
Welcome to the city called An'mik'ana. This is the city of the damned and those that try to save them, known as savers, and this is our story of how a war may hopefully be stopped or dodged altogether.
Zahler Zane Firestorm
A Damned that cannot be saved.
I guess to understand why what had happened was such a big deal; you would have to understand our history. The Damned were started when a man named Aubrey first became immortal. We aren't exactly sure how he did so and everyone who has asked him has never gotten a straight answer.
Then, Aubrey met a girl and fell in love with her. He courted her and gave her lavish gifts to win her over. He made sure that his hunger was sated before going near her so that he did not make the mistake of hurting her or ending her life. He has a thing about choosing who to make a fledgling and who not to. But when the girl became hurt and the doctors told him and her family that she would probably not make it, he made his decision without a second thought. Elaine was his first fledgling.
Eventually, Aubrey and Elaine found two mortals that they found worthy and turned them. Then those two branched off and so on, creating enough of a population that Aubrey and Elaine finally built An'mik'ana. Then, a few decades later, these others, also with special gifts and immortality, came to save the souls of the Damned. They called themselves Tristies and Wiccans. The former are about like us but their blood is poison to our systems. The latter are more ritual oriented and are wonderful to be around. They see us as the mortal selves we were before going pale and gaining immortality which brings the hunger. Both of them call themselves "Savers".
My friends and I are from the same "line". All three of us are from the strongest line of the Damned, Aubrey's, and we try hard to prove we have earned it.
I walked down the dark sidewalk of An'mik'ana. It is almost midnight and my guitar was heavy on my back. We had just got done practicing and I was still filled with that fawesome feeling that always comes when writing new songs and putting them into motion. Mind drifting, I caught up to Blaze and Minerva, who were walking along with Nathan. He was our keyboard player and had been in An'mik'ana for almost two years. He lived down the block from Vida, who owned the building we lived in. All in all, it had been a great night.
After leaving Nathan at his house, we headed down the dark street towards our own calling beds seeing as to it was almost bedtime for us. Nocturnalism was great, having its own perks and disadvantages, but you get used to it. Staying in the shadows, I let my mind fall back to earlier times.
On the night that we were turned and forever meant to walk the earth, Blaze, who is my older brother and closest friend, was taking Minerva and me to meet the others in our band. I played the lead guitar and Minerva played drums while Blaze was our manager and got us gigs. On the way, a drunk driver hit us on a curve going around a pond. Aubrey and Elaine were feeding nearby and heard the crash. Our car ended up rolling three times down the incline and landing upside-down in the pond. Blaze was knocked unconscious, Minerva's head smashed her window, and I was crushed into the dash and floorboard.
Water flooded through cracks and pressurized the windows, finally making Minerva's spider-webbed window to shatter. Panicked, I tried to wake my brother, who came to with a dazed expression. By now, the water was seat level and my pants were soaked, numbing my legs and other areas. Breathing hard from adrenaline, I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached out to check on Minerva.
She started screaming and crying, the sound bloodcurdling and shrill. I shushed her and tried to calm her down enough to talk as the water reached my belly button.
I quickly brought my mind back to the present. We were at the last alley before our door when they struck. I heard the whisper of a blade through the air and lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding the slender sliver of black steel. It was forged of Triste workings and I yelled at my brother to warn him. Their magic, when used well, can help or destroy, depending on their intentions. I hoped they did not swing the cursed weapon again but it was in vain hope. Blazed turned around in time to block a fatal blow but the blade still pierced him, flaking the skin around the area that got struck.
I lunged, managing to knock the attacker down but another stepped out, behind Minerva, and threw punches at her. She dodged for all she was worth but was already warn out from practice and she tired easily. I, on the other hand, found myself in a tussle on the ground with the one who held the knife. I struggled to get up but only managed to knock the knife out of hand's reach. Then stars exploded before my eyes and I struggled to breathe as the person brought their knee up to my crotch. I rolled to the side, offsetting any oncoming attack.
Minutes later, I struggled to my knees, looking around for my friend and brother, but finding them on the ground, unmoving. Dark shapes moved towards me and I cowered to the ground, struggling to stay in an unimposing, placating posture.
"Listen closely to my words, little one. We have paid a debt and gained ground through payback. Anything else to add?" the first, a woman by the sound of the voice, asked her comrade. The second was big and burly, a man to be sure. I fought to figure out what the words she spoke meant but got nowhere as the man stepped forward, shaking his head. Instead, he leaned down and took out a blade of his own. The tarnished silver spoke of age but I saw not mark of forged magic. The blade's kiss left me bleeding from three spots. The silver burned my skin, causing it to flake off and turn to ash. The wound would not heal as quickly as the bruises and bones from the beat down. I nodded slowly to the woman's words and watched as they ran off into the night. The blood was metallic and coppery to my senses and I moved to my companions'' sides, checking the damage. I called out into the night for help and soon passed into unconsciousness.
TBC
