Authors Note:
I must inform the audience of the characters whom I do not own. Richelle Mead holds full authorization in owning each of these characters; other than the antagonist.
Thank you.
Pumpkin
Those Who Once Danced With Darkness
"Rose, come on! We have to get moving! Let's not be late again!" A very annoying voice muffled through my apartment door, along with loud bangs. I sighed and collected myself together before preparing for yet another day of guarding.
A lot of the rest of the human world is very unaware of the sub-world I live in today. My name is Rosemarie Hathaway – Rose, as the name I go by. I am a Guardian of Queen Lissa – Vasilisa Dragomir, to what is her full name. She is also my best friend.
I opened the door hastily, only to see a very put together Queen. Lissa's arms were crossed, and she looked at me with a disapproving expression. Her hair was now almost to the centre of her back, long almost white blonde. She had formal ware, a short skirt that reached her knees and a lavender blouse that took her to be a sophisticated person. Lissa was a very pale person; she didn't spend a lot of time in the sun. Most of her days were spent inside looking over paperwork. If I was to compare myself to Lissa, we would be very different. I have long thick brown – almost black – brown hair that falls almost to my waist. My olive complexion marked that I have spent some time in the sun, where I do spend on occasions training. I was wearing my everyday Guardian attire, white blouse topped with a black cotton coat and dark pants with flat-bottom shoes. "Oh hello Liss, didn't hear you come by." I said sarcastically, as we started our way around the Royal Court.
Lissa rolled her eyes and said, "Come on, we have to get to the feeders and then quickly make it to the Royal meeting."
In moments, we were in the Royal suit – suited for a Queen of course – that was only a floor above my own. The room was decorated with red and gold plastered upon everything, and I could bet that Lissa's entire bathroom was made in gold, including the toilet itself. We greeted a middle aged human once we entered the room.
With a smile, she said, "Queen Vasilisa, how are you doing?"
Lissa smiled in polite return. "I am doing very well, I suppose your also doing good?" They made small conversation as Liss sat down next to the women as the human showed her neck longingly.
In my world, there aren't just humans. I am not only the Guardian of my best friend, -Queen Lissa – but I am the Guardian of the Queen of all Moroi. Moroi are what humans would call "vampires," and I am what is known as a "half – vampire – half – human," or Dhampir. Moroi are known to have gifts of powers. Moroi can behold be: fire, water, earth, or air. There is also an exception of a rare power of spirit. Lissa possesses this particular power.
Dhampirs are known for guarding Moroi, because we rely on their race for reproduction. Unfortunately, Dhampirs are unable to have children with their own race, and they cannot we produce with humans either. Why would we protect them? You may ask, well that is a very important question. They are in danger.
There are also these very cold – hearted "vampires" known as Strigoi. Strigoi are creatures who are neither living nor dead, but both. The odd thing about Strigoi; they are not born, but made. Most Strigoi are either willingly turned Moroi, or humans. Only a few Strigoi were once Dhampirs before turned. Since Dhampirs protect Strigoi, we are very strong. Dhampir – turned – Strigoi are the strongest of their kind. Indeed, Strigoi creatures are immortal. Although after many generations Dhampirs and Moroi have found a few ways to kill them. To kill a Strigoi, a Guardian can decapitate their head, or burn them entirely to ashes. Or, the most well known strategy is to stake them.
You are probably thinking something like, "Ha, Ha! Staking? This isn't 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer!' Well, the stakes used to kill Strigoi aren't just any normal "wooden stakes."
The stakes used by Guardians used to stake Strigoi are enchanted. Moroi have enchanted our stakes with all elements; fire, water, earth, air. The stakes almost have a metallic color, and they are made with light metal. I would say that the stake is my favorite weapon.
Other than the fact that Strigoi crave blood, - and do so while killing, unlike Moroi – they feast upon humans, Dhampirs – and their favorite – Moroi. Since Dhampirs rely on Mori for reproduction, we desire to protect them from Strigoi. Without Moroi, Dhampirs are nothing but dead.
As Lissa exposed her fangs, biting into the feeder's neck, the human moaned. Feeders are a willing food source for humans. They love the feeling of being fed on… I shuddered at the thought. I had to feed Lissa in order to keep her alive. Moroi very much need blood, but Dhampirs don't. I only eat human food. We were on the run, and the only way for her to feed was through me. I hadn't fed Lissa like a feeder would, but I fed her every few days.
Giving blood to a Moroi is like feeling bathed in warm, soothing electricity, the saliva gives this affect. It kind of feels like as humans would say "high…" I would say that it isw one of the best experiences in the world, I would never admit that to anyone though. Although there seemed to be some part of me – deep down – that longed for that feeling again.
No, I thought. That is unhealthy, and selfish. I am a Guardian, not a feeder. I protect Moroi.
They come first.
That is a statement I have heard my entire life, it has been drilled into my mind for as long as I could remember. It's almost as if the saying itself has become apart of me, As I would suppose, it always will.
"We should go now, Rose." Lissa murmered, making me jump. I was startled out of my deep thoughts. I hadn't even known I was thinking that hard in the process. As we made our way towards the Grand Hall: "Royal Council Room," a voice shouted in our direction.
"Lissa!" I immediately recognized the voice. He was running towards us, and waving his hand in a way as if he was trying to get our attention. Then he came to a sudden stop directly imfront of both of us. "Lissa, I have missed you," he smirked.
"Christian. I missed you too." Lissa squealed and smiled as they hugged. Christian Ozera and Lissa have been together since we were at the Academy, in High School. They were now engaged and Christian would soon be a non-ruling King.
Just after they were satisfied with each other's presence, Christian glanced at me. "Oh hello Rose. I missed you too…" He said sarcastically, smirking.
"What ever fireboy," I rolled my eyes. Christian was a fire user, it's his element. He and I, have a some-what tuff love relationship. In some ways I look up to him as a bother… In others, well, I see him as the most annoying creature on the face of the earth.
Christian grasped his chest dramaticilty, as if I emotionally hurt him. "That hurt right here Rose." He pointed to where his heart is. I laughed at his fake hurt. I honestly did care for him deep down, but it was still very amusing to mess with him.
We all were walking to the meeting hastily, when a sudden shriek pierced the air. "What is this?!" Lissa gasped and stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong Liss?" I said. I suddenly felt very worried of her, all I wanted was for Lissa to feel safe. By safe, I mean away from any undead strigoi. But also in a happy place.
Lissa was pointing at the ground. "There're dark spots on the floor. There almost like in the shape of footprints,"" She said slowly, almost hesitant. " I sense them as darkness, and I feel a little dizzy just to be near them."
I looked at Lissa blankly, and then to Christian. He was grasping her arm with a look that mirrored my own. Just then, thoughts of realization hit me.
Lissa has the gift of Spirit. Which means she can heal the living and the undead. She also takes a fair toll in having that ability. The healing causes her to go mad, and she recognizes this as darkness. The more she heals; the more darkness engulfs her. When Lissa heals she gives just a little bit to whom ever being healed. Most of the time Lissa can resist the tempt to heal the needed, but she fears of what the darkness might do to her. Darkness can be so strong that it makes Spirit users mad enough to commit something they regret later on, when realization hits them. Most of them feel so guilty of what they have done, they would commit suicide over it, darkness is almost inescapable. Almost.
Lissa shifted a litte, and looked wary. "Lissa. What do you mean by footprints?" Christian whispered. I could tell he was a little afraid to ask the question. I would be too. But somehow I couldn't find words to form coherently.
"There's… There's footprints leading towards the council room. They're as black as I have ever seen black itself." Lissa's eyes were searching the ground and observing them.
The footprints were clearly invisible to both Christian and I, but then a reminding thought came to me. "Lissa. We have to get to the meeting, come on." I said, tugging her arm along with me. I suppose I was shaking her out of her haze.
"No!" She practically screamed. I looked around and people weren't anywhere near us. Well, at least we weren't dying from dirty looks. "The darkness leads there!" She pointed in the direction of our destination.
I sighed, and probably sounded a tad bit annoyed. "Maybe its just our lovely friend Adrian pulling some kind of spirit prank on us or something." I said sarcastictly on the "lovely" part. Adrian was also a spirit user, he was the only other we knew of out of a few. Like I said, finding spirit in Moroi is rare.
Lissa's green eyes searched my own for any indication of deny. She finally sighed and said "Fine."
Both Christian and I practically dragged Lissa to the room filled with those stuck up Royals. Lissa was very much Royal, she was the Queen. But she thankfully wasn't as stuck up as they are. Lissa finally plopped down onto her thrown. She flinched, and it was almost as if we could taste her fear wavering in the air.
As the meeting went on, I kind of zoned out. I just stood along the walls with her majesty's other royal guardians. I was watching – without – seeing, a thing that Guardians are known to do. As the Queen's head Royal Guardian my eyes constantly searched the room for any signs of threat.
All the while I felt a pair of eyes on myself. I searched for any possible face staring, but failed to find not even one pair of eyes.
A sudden burst of doors rattled noise throughout the large room. It echoed for what seemed like hours as the room fell silent. All eyes drifted to the Guardian who looked as if he was going to pass out. His gaze looked toward the Queen herself. "A young Royal Moroi girl has been killed!" The Guardian explained histerictly. The sound of low murmors and gasps were heard around the room, my own among them.
The Guardian rushed over to the center of the room. He carefully placed of what appeared to be a locket upon a large table and withit was smeared blood and a faint smell of roses, how ironic. My Dhampir senses could pick this up from the farthest corners of the room. Moroi had even more heightened senses than Dhampirs. Most of them were clutching their noses. The smell of Moroi blood wasn't something they preferred. Feisting upon human feeders is normal, on other Moroi is cannibilsm.
"The girl appeared to be strangled to death just by the locket itself." The Guardian continued, his gaze fell on the table and he put two fingers to his face, studying the object. "What a peculiar thing for a simple accessory to do."
Almost immidiatly, Lissa stood and walked towards the locket hesitantly. All the Guardians including me flinched, and felt uncomfortable of her closeness of a locket that strangled someone to death. In a flash we were at her side.
"No, stop. " She whispered towards us. "I want to touch it, examine its previous use of magic. Surely, it was charmed to do such a crime of violence. If I become hurt, you may put as much distance towards myself and the locket." She merely spoke for barely all of the Royal Council to hear her. It was true, she would do anything for her people. Even, put herself in harms way just to justify the kind of magic used on the locket. I mentally sighed, preparing myself for any fight.
She reached out her hand and it appeared to be shaking. Her thump gently touched the locket, and Lissa's face fell blank. Her thump stroked it just a little bit, and she let out a small whimper. Just a split – second later, she was on the ground. Her body fell limp, unconscious.
I managed to catch her head just before it hit the ground. Screams sounded throughout the room, along with people running as fast as possible to getting either getting away from the locket, or trying to help their fallen Queen. I ran my thumb along Lissa's cheek reassuringly. She felt ice – cold.