This story is based off of D&D-inspired characters and races.
This tale contains mild language, horrors such as vampires and the like, scenes with mild blood, scenes with fighting, and implied relations between the characters that present themselves (this includes heterosexual and homosexual relations. if either bothers you, please do not complain as you have been fairly informed).
I'd like to firstly apologize for the format. I only have Wordpad to work with, and this site alters the original document format. I have not had the time, yet, to fix it.
Rating may be subject to change as the story progresses.
Enjoy, and tell me what you think when you reach the end of chapters.
The large, noisy, patron-filled room was dimmly lit by a wizard's fire spell. I was sitting at a table in the center of the room, surrounded by grizzled patrons whom were all very likely drunk. I lifted my tankard to take a drink just in time for some one to slap a hand on my shoulder, causing my to spill my drink and sputter as I balanced myself to keep from falling backwards. I looked over my shoulder, ears folding back as I began to growl, but stopped dead in my tracks as I noticed the fare man whom was traveling with me.
"Telling the tale of the night in the red light district?" A sly smirk danced across his thin lips and his red eyes, just barely visible in the shadows cast by the hood of his cloak, seemed almost sinister tonight.
"You know, my story always changes place whenever you tell it," I argued with a catty grin: quite appropriate considering I was a proud Catfolk. Well, I was something else, too, but luck was with me and I wasn't born with red eyes to show my heritage...
"I guess my memory is growing dull." The tall man moved his hand from my shoulder and gripped my arm, tugging me out of my seat before sitting in my place. I went to complain, but only wailed as he tugged me back down to sit half-hazardly in his lap. "Tell me the tale, then. I'm sure everyone would enjoy hearing your words of splendor."
I glared at him before turning back to my audience, paying no mind to the odd looks some of the still-sober listeners held. I was used to sitting on this mans lap; it didn't bother me one bit that I, myself, was a man. "Well," I started, clearing my throat, "I just finished that tale, so how about another? Let's see..." I tapped a finely-manicured, clawed finger on my chin as if I were in deep thought. Then my friend spoke up again.
"If not one about you, then tell us of your father." I looked over my shoulder at him, curious. He held neither grin nor smirk, smile nor frown: just blank emotion. I nodded before turning back to the audience.
"Well? How 'bout it?"
"Let's hear it!" "Why not?" "Just so long as I can get another drink in." The usual responses. I grinned and cleared my throat once again as I leaned over the table top.
"O'er these mountain peaks and far beyond, there's a land rumored where man or beast could never find peace or rest. Scholars and astrologers from all around gathered in the town nestled in the valley, but none could figure out why sleep escaped this village. Eventually, a lord came to pass through. He was halted at the gates by many of the townsfolk, and they all pleaded for his aid. The lord shook his head and then sighed.
He told them all, 'seek your aid from those who have seen more than I.' And so they did. They sent out messengers to gather adventurers from all corners of the world. Finally, a small group was found that was able to solve this mystery."
"What was it?" I grinned. Occassionally I had an eager listener.
"Well," I started, but was interrupted by the loud sound of the tavern door being slammed open. Everyone's head turned to see whom had just arrived, and all the noise had silenced as a result. "Hunters," I whispered with a gulp, and then I felt my friend's hand on my shoulder.
"It seems it's time for us to go," he whispered into my ear as he leaned close. I nodded.
"That's a tale for another time," I said with an apologetic grin as I was pushed out of my friend's lap. I waited for a moment to give him some time to flee. The armor-clad hunters patrolling the tavern took notice of him and began to pursue. My friend took notice and began to run. This caused the hood of his cloak to fall back and reveal his platinum-colored ponytail, pale skin, and pointed ears. A woman screamed "Vampire!" and several people began an uproar as they tried to stop him. I took this chaos as my opportune moment to slip out the front door.
Word travels fast in Sleepy Hallow, especially the supernatural sort. Several of the villagers were scrambling around as more hunters patrolled the town in search of my fleeing friend. I ran past an alley -well, I would have, but was pulled into it instead. Instantly, a pale, boney hand clasped over my mouth to silence me in my paniced state. A soft whisper from a familiar voice calmed me down.
"I know this town has its legends, but we were here for an entire four months. Hunters never search Sleepy Hallow for monsters like us: what brought them here?" The hand was removed and I turned to my taller friend.
"Think they came to see the story teller?" I grinned, and he scowled.
"This is no time to joke, Ryder. We need to gather some of our things and hide out in the forest until these hunters clear out. I don't know about you, but I'm rather fond of this place."
"I can't blame ya, Rydell." I looked back to the streets to watch is disdain as innocent bistanders were caught up in the chaos we caused. "Sleepy Hallow grows on ya. I feel at home here. This place makes me long to stay, despite my nomadic nature." We shared a moment of silence before he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me down the alleyway.
We followed the maze of alleyworks until we came to a rag-decored culdasack-type-of-place. It was still an alley, just a bit bigger. Hell if I can remember the term. For some reason, hunters never took to the alleys to hunt.
Rydell and I were greeted by others of our kind, all very much fond of this town like the two of us. A well-built male stepped infront of us, stopping us in our tracks.
"You two broke this peace we had." His red eyes narrowed at us. "Give me one good reason we shouldn't banish you from this town."
"I'll lead the hunters away-" I gulped, effectively cutting Rydell off. "They'll follow me into the woods where the centaurs and dryads dwell: they'll do the dirty work for me and the Horror Guild will blame it on the mythical beasts. They won't suspect a thing." We were quite for a moment: Rydell, the alpha, and I. Then the alpha's gaze stuck to me.
"And you'll take the kid with you?" I gulped again.
"Ryder?" Rydell looked down at me and I looked back up at him.
"I'll go with ya, Rydell. You and I are partners 'til the end, right?" Silence, followed by a nod.
"Yeah, that we are." He snapped his gaze back to the alpha. "We'll gather our things and be on our way. If we don't return, then just assume the hunters survived the forest natives."
---------
Maybe it was the cloaking magic, or maybe it was an entirely different class of magic all together...but from the outside, our little home looked, well...little. On the inside, it was much bigger than "little." Then again, we weren't the only two vampires in this abode...
A gentle voice came from the twisting stairwell as Rydell trodded around the ground floor in a frenzy. I know I was supposed to be helping him secure the place incase of attack while we were out, but it was just too hilarious to watch such a beautiful thing like him walk in any manner besides a strut. The voice sounded again, gaining both of our attentions this time.
"Alpha has you on guard duty again?" It was Lithian. She was, in many senses, the image of beauty and grace amoung our kind. She was tall, slender, and pale; her eyes were a beautiful shade of lavendar, her hair was golden, and her lips and nails were painted with just the right shade of red; and her long, narrow ears were decorated with several pieces of jade and silver, all crafted into loops. She acted primarily as a spokesman between us and the living, but was also a fierce warrior.
"Something like that," Rydell grumbled before returning to his trodding.
"Bunch of hunters are invading Sleepy Hallow," I spoke up as I crossed my arms behind my head. Saying that effectively got Lithian's attention. "Alpha blames us for it, just like he does with everything else." I watched Lithian, gauging her reaction. She was quiet, holding a curled hand over her chin and hiding her mouth as her gaze dropped to the floor.
"Perhaps I should speak with Alpha, then."
"Don't bother with it." We both looked at Rydell now as he returned from trodding around the house. It was barely visible, but I managed to make out the shape of his satchels strapped to his sides, concealed beneath that ominous cloak, and his quiver capped to his right. What none of us could miss was the well-cared for, polished, gold-trimmed, purple coffin strapped to his back.
"I don't plan on returning to this village. It's not fair to keep Ryder from his nomadic lifestyle in order to enjoy comfort and a cozy life." He turned to look at me. "Get your things and we'll leave."
I was pouting. I knew I was pouting before I even started. Sure, being mostly Catfolk I was bound to the life on the road, but even Catfolk eventually settle down...Sleepy Hallow seemed like the perfect place. Still, it was pointless to argue with a dominant vampire unless you were fighting for position, so I went off to gather my things.
My satchel was already at my side, and my twin rapiers were always with me...as well as dirt from my homeland. I stared down at the linen sheets on my bed, letting a tear roll down my cheek. I wasn't going to miss this village: I was going to miss the memories. It was in this very room that I had pried Rydell's emotions from that lockbox of a mind. He wouldn't admit it again, but he loved me, and I knew it. That was enough. I made to leave the room, but I found myself unable to get through the doorway. I stayed there, staring at the wall across from me, until I heard Rydell's raspy voice calling me.
I darted down the hallway, but never stopped once I got into the main room. I rushed right on over to Rydell's side and skidded to a halt in order to grin up at him. Lithian was waiting to bid us fairwell at the front door, and she held a warm -almost human- smile on her lips.
We were fleeing the town by the main road. Hunters were behind, beside, and ahead of us. Townsfolk were fleeing from us in terror, and a barricade of hunters was made at the gate. Rydell looked to me and I looked back as we both grinned. It didn't take much effort for me to leap over the human barricade. I landed gracefully on my feet and went right back to running towards the forest. I looked over my shoulder just in time to watch Rydell scale the now-closed gates as the hunters chased after me. It wasn't long before the two of us vanished into the thick forest surrounding Sleepy Hallow.