Harkos woke in his prison, his eyes focusing on the lone window on the other side of the room. He spread his wings as much as he could in his confinement, the metallic skin barely missing the painful bars of light. His deep red eyes focused for the first time on the area around him, noticing the dungeon had once had former inhabitants. From the looks of the corpses, most of them had been immortal as he was. What had made them die? He watched one of the skeletons in the corner for a few moments, as if expecting it to jump up and talk, before sitting back on the sandy floor beneath him. He looked down at his hands as he remembered the human girl he had helped.
Why had he chosen to go help her, and why did he still feel her lingering warmth? So many questions ran through his mind that for the first time since he could remember, he bared his fangs and growled in frustration.
He was stupid to think that she could ever want to be with him- even though his soul yearned for another being to talk to. She did not know what he was, the ugliness that was his flesh and blood.
He looked down at the ridges of bone that lay along his forearms and chest. What human would ever gaze upon him with anything except fear? He was foolish to think otherwise.
His wings furled tightly against his back in confusion as a strange pain ran through him. He held his head in surprise as emotions swamped his mind, far more than he was used to.
Carla smiled to the customer in front of her, waving goodbye to him as he walked out of the department store. She slumped against the counter behind her, looking up at the empty queue in her isle. She looked down at the bruises on her arms from her struggle with the man in the alley the night before, and wondered once again if it had all been her mind that Harkos had saved her by someone incinerating the man attacking her.
He had said he would come back, but she doubted he actually would. After all, how could an imaginary cloud of mist come back to talk to her? It was just the trauma of the moment messing with her mind.
"Excuse me, Carlita?" she heard her boss's voice from behind her, and Carla spun around nervously.
"Where did you get those bruises?" He continued. He grabbed one of her arms, hissing in pity at the sight of the large hand shaped bruises along her upper arm.
"I… uh… kind of got into some trouble last night on the way home from work." She said nervously, knowing there was no reason to lie. Her boss had always been kind and considerate of all his employees.
"You were attacked? Why did you come to work today, you must be terrified." He looked at her in concern.
"A little, but it's not a big deal. I just… need the money." She admitted, looking down. Better get money than pay attention to her health. After all, money meant better health.
Money makes the world go 'round.
"Carlita, I'm ordering you to go home and get some rest. I'll fill in your shift for the rest of the day. For god's sake, think of your health." He pushed her out of her cashier post, switching spots with her.
"But-" she tried to protest, but he held up a hand to stop her.
"No buts. Go home, and be careful on the way there. I'll see you in three days." He looked at her with a stern expression, telling her silently that there was no arguing with him.
Carla sighed and made her way to the employee lounge, taking off her work vest on the way there. She put the vest in her locker and started to make her way home.
She had been looking forward to work, to have something to distract her from the strange restlessness that had come over her since the night before. She walked up the stairs to her apartment, and once inside with the door closed, slumped onto her bed again.
For a while she just stared at the ceiling, her mind blank of thoughts. Why was she feeling so strangely unsettled? She thought of the strange mist- no, Harkos- that had saved her the night before, and silently wondered why he had kept changing colors. Had it meant something when he changed from blue to purple? And if he was immortal, what did his body look like? He hadn't even told her what he was.
Wait- in order to promise that he could see her again, wouldn't he have to die again?
Carla sat up in shock at the thought, holding her throat nervously. Why would he want to die to see her again? Was he killing himself, or was someone else killing him?
The thought of him dying send a shiver up her spine as she remembered how warm and kind he had been…
Who would go through that much trouble just to see her?
"I'm having a guest over tonight, and I want to prepare something special for them." The witch smiled, looking down at Harkos with wide eyes. "Something… exotic."
"You're a sick bitch." Harkos spate, surprising even himself that he would speak back to her.
"My, aren't we feeling daring today?" The witch smiled, her eyes flashing in anger. "Just for that I'll make it unpleasant. How hold still my little fillet, while I get my meal." She brought a large carving knife down to his chest, plunging it slowly into his ribcage. Harkos restrained his cry of pain as long as he could as the world tilted in on itself, blackness consuming him once again.
Carla sipped the warm lemon tea in her hands, watching the nightly news in the single chair in the main room of her apartment. She leaned back into the cushions of the chair to try and relax as she saw other people's sorrows, and couldn't help but think that her life wasn't as bad as theirs. She sat up quickly when the news mentioned the unknown ashes that had been found in an alley nearby, and the police investigation that was being made to try and find what had happened. The only thing they knew at this point was that the remains were human.
Carla held her throat with one of her hands nervously, her eyes widening. What if they thought she had somehow done it? Her DNA was probably all over the place in that alley, since Harkos obviously couldn't have left any of himself there. Carla held her legs in her arms as she watched the rest of the news broadcast, unable to shake the dreading feeling that was running through her.
I have come back, little one Harkos' deep voice ran through her mind soothingly, making her relax ever so slightly.
What is wrong? You seem anxious.The small blue cloud of mist floated from beneath the door and rested against her shoulder soothingly, his warmth running down her spine to comfort her. The cloud turned a vibrant purple as Carla smiled and stretched as her muscles unraveled.
"They found the ash in the alley, and they're investigating it." Carla bit her lip nervously. "I'm afraid they may think I killed that man."
Do not worry, I will protect you. Harkos said, but Carla noticed the faintly weary tone to his voice.
"Why do you sound so tired?" Carla looked at the mist in concern, reaching a hand out o it, but took it away when she realized there was no way for her to comfort him in his nonmaterial state.
I will not trouble you with my worries. Harkos said with what sounded like a sigh. Carla looked at the cloud with an annoyed in expression and reached a hand out, passing her palm through it. Harkos let out a sharp gasp as the color of the cloud turned so purple it almost appeared pink.
It would be wise not to do that. Harkos said, sounding uneasy. He floated out of range, his colors temporarily swirling from red to orange to purple then blue again.
"I was wondering Harkos, do you know what your colors mean?"
What colors? Harkos floated up toward her again, settling on the arm of the chair she was sitting in.
"You turn colors when something happens. Are they your emotions? What does purple mean?"
I do not know. I never knew I had colors to my soul until you mentioned it to me. His voice sounded thoughtful. I do know red means anger though, and blue means sorrow. I do not know what the other colors mean.
"Maybe purple means happiness? Carla smiled down to him. She saw him flash yellow, then return to purple as he stayed silent.
I doubt that. He said, his voice low.
"Are you not happy? You didn't come to see me again just because I wanted you to, did you?" Carla looked away from him uneasily. He turned a bright yellow and floated in front of her face so he could see her.
No! I came because you seem to be the only one that can at least somewhat understand me. He cut off, lowering to the floor as he remained a bright yellow I should not have said that.
Carla smiled, looking over the chair down at him. "You're fine. I'm glad you like being with me. One question though- are you really that small?"
A chuckle ran through her mind, raspy and deep. It made a shiver go up her spine somehow, and she tried her best to look normal. I am much bigger than this. Much taller than even you.
"Is it possible to show your real form? I really want to see what you look like." Carla said, a small smile coming over her face.
I do not think you would be so happy to see me once you saw my true appearance. I however can give you a shadow in this form.He formed himself into his normal height, the mist gathering and stretching so that it looked like a man made of hundreds of thousands of moving particles. Carla stood and looked him over, her eyes wide.
"You look… very tall." She looked up at his face, which looked strange with no eyes. He was at least a foot taller than her. He made a strange looking smile with no teeth and stepped forward. Carla looked down and noticed with interest that his feet were much different in structure. It looked almost like an animal's leg, with him standing on the tips of his toes.
"What are you, out of curiosity?" Carla said, pointing to Harkos' feet. He looked down and swore silently to himself in an ancient tongue that he had forgotten to disguise that like he had his tail and wings.
I still do not know if you are prepared to know. He looked down at her, and Carla was relieved to see a faint uneasy expression on his mist-made face.
"I seriously think I am. I'm very curious what you are. What sort of thing has those feet? You obviously aren't human."
Harkos watched her for a moment, the mist he was formed of turning to a deep violet before he nodded. He let his tail and wings materialize behind him, and the ends of his hands to form into his long claws. He looked down at Carla nervously to see her reaction, and was shocked when she only tilted her head in confusion.
"Okay what, you're a vampire, then?" she said, looking around him to see his large bat-like wings twitch as she said that.
No. I am a gargoyle. He said, his tone annoyed.
Carla blinked for a few minutes before grinning. "What, like Goliath and Broadway? Serious?"
Now it was Harkos' turn to be confused. I have not heard those names before.
Carla chuckled and walked over to the case next to her television, taking out a DVD and showing him the cover of Gargoyles the TV series.
"It was made by Disney a long time ago. One of my favorite shows. Are you really a gargoyle?" She looked up at him with wide eyes.
Harkos leaned down to look at the DVD, his jaw slowly dropping in shock at the accuracy of the basic gargoyle anatomy shown in the characters. You say this is a show? What is a show? And what is a Disney?
Carla stepped back in shock and scoffed in disbelief. "I've got a lot to teach you, Harkos. Tell you what, you tell me about yourself, and I'll teach you about myself." She smiled up to him
I am still in shock that you are not frightened of me. Harkos looked at her with a wary expression. Are you not shocked at my form?
"Surprised, maybe, but not shocked. It's better than a little cloud following me."Carla grinned, and went over to the TV. "How about you tell me what's true and fake about the series? You may find it interesting." She said, putting the DVD into the player.
Very well. Harkos took another look at her before sitting next to her chair on the floor, wrapping his wings around his shoulders like a cloak.