The Raven's Shadow

Ketti: GASP! COULD IT BE?! Yes, I'm actually alive, and updating something. Some poor concerned citizen actually PM'd Jubalii asking if I was okay. I felt bad after that. My surgery went fine, but I had a rather long recovery time, and I'll get new glasses soon to possibly not be legally blind. Yaaaay! What does that mean for story writing? Well, supposedly it means I'll write faster. I have been writing, believe it or not. Just... not finishing much. I'm not quitting FanFiction, I'm not abandoning my stories, I plan to finish them, it just might take... oh... I don't know... another five years? Maybe ten?
My New Years Resolution for 2015... Reach 100 unfinished stories! *cackles*

And don't hate me for the ending. *shifty eyes* That cliff edge is very comfortable to hang from! It's got such a lovely view, you know.

(*_*) ^(*_*)^ (*_*)

Chapter Seven

They travelled for days, stopping only briefly. As they went farther south, Seras began to notice the clouds hung lower in the sky, looking as if she could reach out and touch them. The knight told her, in his coarse, gruff way, that this was because they were nearing the ocean. Seras felt a new thrill of excitement, having heard only little about the sea. She'd listened as a child to whispered tales of Viking invaders who raped and pillaged entire villages at a time, of sailors going to sea only to be eaten by a great beast, or even worse, being steered off course and falling off the edge of the world itself! It sounded so exotic, she wanted to see it all for herself.

Faustus came swooping down one day with a fish in his jaws and Seras admired the pretty color of its scales as she crouched by her fire. The knight didn't eat much, but he did join her for meals with meat in them on occasion, and he looked up from the other side of the fire with a nod to the bird as he handed Seras a long sharp stick to cook the offering properly. Mephisto shoved his head into the bucket of oats and munched away happily as his two riders broke their fast as well.

It was another two days ride, and Seras found that she could walk almost normally again, when they came to the base of a cliff, a very strange looking house perched atop it. Seras shaded her eyes against the bright sunlight as she peered up the steep slope to the precariously perched domicile. It looked to be crooked, the second floor leaning over towards the sea. For a moment, as the breeze shifted, she could swear she saw wires anchoring the top heavy house to the cliff, but when she blinked it was gone. "is it safe?"

"Safe enough," the knight grumbled as he dismounted and tugged her down with him, she landed nimbly in the tall grass and darted to the side as he reached out for her hood, laughing at him teasingly as she ducked below his horse and popped up the other side. Going so far as to stick her tongue out childishly at him she pulled her hood further over her face so that none of her blonde locks showed and she resembled a genderless blob of dark blue color at his side. Mephisto moved, and the knight tweaked her hood down over her eyes as he turned and started the long trek up the steeply winding slope. Mephisto ignored them as he began to graze, refusing to climb the distance when he was just fine where he was.

Seras could taste the salt in the air as she huffed and puffed her way up after him, not accustomed to the different climate, she shivered as an icy draft cut through her nice warm cloak and dress, drawing the ends of it together over her front and thankful for the bandages that kept her feet warm. They were a little stained, but Seras didn't see a problem with that..

Faustus swooped down at her side and beat his wings lazily on the breeze as he glided along with her. She smiled, pulling a bread crumb from her pocket to toss the faithful bird. He gobbled it up with one deft swipe of his beak and cawed lowly, making her giggle. When they reached the crest of the hill, Seras stopped dead in her tracks, and nearly tumbled back down top over teakettle until the knight caught her by the hem of her cloak and wrenched her back up onto solid ground. Her eyes were wide in amazement as she saw the sparkling water stretch as far as the eye could see, the shimmering sunlight threatening to blind her, but she couldn't look away, even as tears came to her eyes. "'tis so pretty!" She gasped, struck dumb by the sheer beauty and size of the ocean below.

The knight glanced over his shoulder before shrugging one shoulder and pulling her along to the porch of the crooked house. She dragged her feet a little before stumbling as he yanked harder and she grabbed his wrist for balance, giving him a sheepish smile as she reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the majesty of the sea to focus on where her feet were treading.

The front door hung crookedly, and Seras thought she saw a spider scurry out of sight as they approached, but before either of them could knock it was thrown open by a cheerful silver haired creature clad in a purple something that Seras couldn't quite decipher. It looked like a long sleeved shirt and pants, but… Seras' cheeks flushed as she realized the strange cloth was see through and she was thankful that the odd woman wore coverings over her indecent areas. Golden bangles chimed at her wrists and ankles and Seras thought that they were attached to the ends of the cloth, but perhaps she was wrong. The woman had very strange eyes; the right was bright red and the left a shimmering blue, like the ocean, she smiled and for a moment the blonde girl thought she saw fangs. Despite the woman's exotic looks – her hair was drawn up in a ponytail on the top of her head, and Seras wondered how uncomfortable that must be, for the rest of it trailed down in silky waves to her hips – she spoke in a perfectly normal voice; "Come to join us for tea at last, m'lord?"

The knight scrutinized their apparent host before nodding, and Seras trailed behind him uncertainly as he entered the bizarre home. The dressed-yet-almost-naked girl laughed behind her hand and kept at the rear, closing the door behind them as the knight stepped into the oddest room Seras had ever seen; white columns lined the walls, yet they did not touch the ceiling to hold it up, colorful vines climbing their lengths, the blooms wafting sweet scents into the still air. Between the columns stood overstuffed arm chairs in the most eye wrenching patterns and colors Seras had ever dreamed of, and in the center of the room stood a fountain of all things, with a statue that Seras recognized as a mermaid from one of her book lessons, spitting water from her mouth. Coins glimmered in the base of the fountain, and Seras thought she saw the darting shadow of a fish, but it was gone before her amazed eyes could focus on it. Opposite them stood the largest set of windows Seras had ever seen, floor to ceiling, with a very posh looking table centered in front of it, tea cups lining the length with matching pots and plates of delicious looking scones and other desserts. Seras' stomach rumbled in desire as the exotic smells reached her, and she was greeted by a masculine laugh as the equally strangest man she'd ever seen appeared beside them. His mousy brown hair hung around his face appealingly, and his spectacles obscured his silver eyes in a strange manner, his waist coat looking entirely out of place to the bewildered blonde, the collar of his shirt wrapping around his neck entirely, and the material of his pants looked utterly baffling.

"Visitors! I do so love company. Come, come, you must join us for tea. Isn't that right, Nekette? Come, come! Sit, sit, there's plenty enough to go around!" The man ushered her forward and Seras couldn't help but squeak and obey his shooing commands, sitting obediently in the nearest chair, a full cup of tea appearing in front of her as well as a choice selection of cookies and tiny little sandwiches.

Her mind was spinning, and she looked helplessly over her shoulder at the knight who stood there a moment longer before approaching the table, his footsteps surprisingly silent on the polished wood floor despite the weight of his armor. He sat at the opposite end of the table from the bespectacled man and the strange woman Nekette sat opposite her, gracing her with a welcoming smile, that still set Seras' teeth on edge for the strange hidden emotion in her mismatched eyes.

"Lovely," the unnamed man clapped his hands in excitement, "all of us together for tea. Isn't that right, Vlad?"

The knight grunted, and Seras was surprised to finally learn his name. Vlad. It clung to her tongue clumsily as she sounded it out in her head, so instead she grabbed her tea and took a large gulp, sighing in bliss at the delicious taste. "Try a biscuit," Nekette cooed as she handed Seras a honey slathered piece of bread, to which the girl had no objection. She ate and drank until finally she could no longer focus on the goodies before her, and she glanced back up at the now silent men, licking her lips nervously in the strangely heated silence.

"Renny," Nekette spoke at last, tone scolding, wagging her finger at him, "how rude! Spoiling the game like that. Why must you always ruin Master's fun? Tsk!"

The man, Renny, looked a little sheepish and ducked his head to hide his expression, focusing on his cup of tea as the knight scoffed and looked to Nekette side long. "I thought you had grown out of calling me that." He rumbled accusingly, and Seras felt rather lost in the conversation, choosing to keep silent and observe.

"But Master," the girl whined prettily, "Kette likes calling Master, Master."

He clucked his tongue and looked away, focusing his ginger gaze instead on the little blonde. His lips twitched at the corner as he gestured to the hosts of the little party. "Little Wolf," he purred, "you must be dying of curiosity. The man is the acquaintance I spoke of, Renfield, and the girl is a relative of sorts."

Seras couldn't help but stare gape mouthed at the girl in awe. Her? Related to the knight? That was amazing! Nekette graced her with another smile, and laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "So generous with your information tonight, Master! This girl must be something special."

Seras glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, watching his unreadable expression turn flat as he gave the older girl a stern look. "That's none of your concern, girl."

Though his words were not directed at her, Seras still flinched minutely and shivered a little, looking away only to lock gazes with the other male at the end of the table. Renfield gave her a rather intense stare as he sized her up, canting his head to the side much like Faustus did when the raven was curious about something. He nodded shortly and held up his hand, and Seras was amazed to see the very same bird land on his outstretched wrist.

Her mouth dropped open, in protest, alarm, or greeting she wasn't sure, but the raven beat her to it as he cawed and nipped at Renfield's sleeve. For a moment as the sun shone through the window, Seras thought she saw two human shadows flickering across the floor before Faustus ruffled his wings and shattered the illusion. Renfield laughed, as if the bird had told him a joke, and set the predator down on the table, offering him a cookie.

"Quite interesting company you keep these days, Vlad. A witch and her familiar, la! Reminds me of… oh, er," he trailed off as the knight glared at him, and he glanced to the side to see Seras' pale face as she ducked her head to hide in the depths of her hood, trembling hands diving into her lap. "I'm sorry, did I say too much?"

"I ent a witch!" She shrieked before the knight could say anything, cowering in the chair like a trapped animal that had no choice but to fight to survive. Renfield tutted, shaking his head with a pitying glance. He stepped down from his chair and walked to her, kneeling by her side as she leaned away from him. The only thing that kept her from bolting was the memory in her mind of the knight's skill at the apothecary's shop. He could save her if this man tried anything.

"My dear," he said, "anyone can see you are a beautiful young lady. But being beautiful doesn't make you supernatural, I'm afraid. So if you had your heart set on it, I'm afraid it's not meant to be." He grasped one of her hands in his and seemed to be warning her with his eyes, but before she could understand the moment had passed.

"What?" She questioned weakly, confused and on edge from his labeling her a witch. Faustus hopped across the table and pecked Renfield's shoulder, batting at him lightly with his wings as he fluttered to Seras' shoulder and began to preen her. The blonde relaxed instantly under the gentle caress of his beak through her hair, tugging at her hand to free it from the strange man's grasp who gave her another searching look before sighing and standing again, nodding as he retreated back to his seat. "So be it."

Silence consumed the table as Seras half dozed under Faustus' grooming, until the sun's setting rays flashed across her face and she blinked rapidly just as the silver haired girl stood. "I think some entertainment is in order, don't you?" Without waiting for a reply from either male, Nekette planted her palms flat on the table and flipped over it, causing Seras to gasp in mixed awe and alarm as the purple clad female landed next to her and graced her with a wicked smile before darting off and vanishing between the columns. Seras stared after her, dumbfounded.

A low drum beat started, a slow and steady pace as Nekette twirled out from betwixt the columns, a strange skirt encircling her waist; it was covered in gold coins that jingled with each movement of her hips, with a longer flowing back that swirled enticingly around her legs as she stopped and stood with her arms above her head. There was a veil held between her hands and a matching one over her lower face, giving her a more mysterious appeal, though her eyes gleamed with a light that frightened Seras a little. Her whole body undulated, and Seras' hands flew to her face in embarrassment as she stared at the girl's naked stomach. Peeking between her fingers she watched with a blush as the girl flaunted her body, yet kept it covered at the same time. Glancing quickly to the knight and their host, she saw strange looks on their faces, especially the knight, but when there was a jingling clack she returned her curious, yet mortified, stare to the shameless female who had strange metal discs between her fingers that made the noise. The drum beat quickened and Nekette began to approach the table, and Seras noted with some alarm that she was zeroing in on her, the blonde leaned back into her chair protectively, having half turned it when she heard the drums.

"Dance with me," Nekette purred and grabbed for Seras' hands. The girl yipped as she was dragged to her feet and she struggled backwards, "No! Tis indecent!"

Nekette chuckled throatily and leaned in to press her veiled cheek to Seras' flushed one. "Master doesn't think it's indecent, don't you want to dance for him?"

Seras gaped at her and then hesitantly looked to the knight, only to find his lips pressed together as he eyed them, and Seras yipped as Nekette's hands dropped to her hips and shook them with her own. The poor blonde resembled a tomato as she smacked the other's hands away, "Stoppit!"

Faustus croaked with laughter as he watched from the table and Seras shot the bird a glare as she tried desperately not to trip over her own feet while being manhandled by an insane girl.

"Oh, poor dear," Nekette crooned, "you look tired. Why don't you-" Seras was backpedaling awkwardly as the girl kept pushing her shoulders, "-take a rest!" Seras squealed when she was shoved and she landed with a gasp in the knight's lap. She tried to sit up, only for her cloak to get caught and she fell back again with a choked groan, staring up at his face with cherry red cheeks. He tipped his head down and gave her a rather wolfish grin as he pulled her upright with his arm and she squeaked, hand flying up to tug the hood of her cloak over her face.

Nekette cackled with laughter, Faustus' caws joining her as she danced circles around the chair, finger cymbals ringing until Renfield cleared his throat and stood. "That's enough, Nekette. It's time for bed."

The girl pouted and the drums stopped as she jutted out her lower lip and stared at the bespectacled mn, "But Renny-" "I said bed." He propped his hands on his hips, pursing his lips as he gave her a stern look. "Now get!"

"But-"

"Don't make me get my broom!" The girl crossed her arms and pouted, but turned obediently and sullenly, walking past the chair and disappearing into the room beyond, but Seras couldn't turn her head fast enough to follow her quick movements. Renfield gave them both a meaningful look as he made his way down the table. "I have a lovely room in mind for your friend." There was a strange overtone to his voice and he held out his hand towards Seras who shifted uncertainly before taking it. He pulled her up and to her feet and was leading her off to the hallway she hadn't seen before she knew what was happening. The Knight was left behind in the room as Seras was dragged through a confusing mess of twists and turns until they climbed the stairs and she found herself in a lovely room with a grand window that looked over the now dark ocean, the stars reflecting in the water so that it looked like the world was drowning in starlight. She gasped, her breath taken away in awe, and it was in this moment of shock that Renfield retreated to the door with a passing, "Good night, Little Witch."

She whirled on her heels to protest, but he was already gone and she was alone in the large starlit space. She caught sight of the bed against the far wall, and gasped; it was huge! Running an admiring hand along the sheets, she felt the hair at the back of her neck prickle and she turned, quick as a flash, fingers hooked like claws as she struck out at the figure behind her, only to have her hand caught by Nekette. Seras gasped in surprise and pulled back, only to find herself caught firmly in the silver haired woman's grasp. "Pretty Little Witch," she crooned, and petted Seras' cheek with her free hand, "Or should I say Little Sister?"

With that confusing question, the potentially insane girl leaned in to peck Seras' cheeks with her cold lips and murmured a quiet 'good eve' into her ear before departing. Seras stared blankly at the door and rubbed absently at her cheek, wondering what in the world the other could mean. Minutes of silence passed before she sighed and crawled into her bed, asleep in seconds.


The rising sun woke her as the light filled her room, and she woke slowly, yawning and rubbing her palms against her closed lids. Shifting and pulling herself out of the warmth of the blankets by sheer force of will, Seras stumbled over to the window, pressing herself against the clear glass as she stared at the shimmering water in awe. Faustus clacked his beak as he flapped his wings and alighted on her shoulder, watching the ocean with her; the wheeling shadows of gulls mixed with the clouds, strange shapes jumping out of the waves and making the water sparkle.

After a prolonged moment of staring, she forced herself away and cracked her door open cautiously, glancing at her feathered companion for guidance. The raven cawed softly and took flight, leading her down the many twists and turns, down the stairs and into the vast column lined room, the tea table empty and no one in sight she scurried over to the front door, intent on finding a way down to the water.

The wind blew harshly as she slid out onto the porch and she shivered, pulling her hood up over her sleep tousled hair as she followed Faustus around the house to find a set of dangerously rickety looking stairs built into the cliff face leading down to the beach. Gulping, she glanced at her companion who bobbed his head, and cautiously rested her weight on the first step – it was surprisingly solid. Smiling, she made her way down, and down, and down, keeping a careful eye out for any signs of rot or cracks so that she wouldn't have an unpleasant surprise. When she reached the bottom she gasped at the silky feeling of the sand on her toes, wriggling them excitedly as she giggled and bent, running the small grains through her fingers. So entranced by the sand she almost didn't see the shape shifting by the rocks, only Faustus' warning caw urging her forward as an angry mound of brown fur hurled itself at her, bellowing. Her hand dove for her belt, finding the small dagger tucked into the small pouch, she tripped and fell backwards on the uneven slippery footing the sand provided and the animal snarled at her, black beady eyes promising a bloody and painful death. Scrambling back up to her feet she picked up the hem of her skirt and ran, with the monster between her and the stairs it was her only option. She ran and ran until she could no longer feel her feet and she collapsed in the sand as it sunk beneath her heels, exhausted. She was so far down the beach from the house she worried no one would find her, cursing herself for a fool to not tell anyone where she was going. Catching her breath slowly, she let the sun warm her and forced herself to relax as she lifted her sandy face up to watch the waves with quiet fascination.

It took a moment for her eyes to focus, but she realized after a moment that shadow she saw was real, a waving hand, another one joining it as the wave passed. Breath catching in alarm, she jerked herself upright and stared harder at the water. Someone was out there, and they needed help! Shrugging her cloak off, she shed her comfortable dress, clad only in her light undershift, she ran to the water's edge and called out, "I'm coming!"

Faustus screamed a warning at the same time the wave suddenly rose over her head, crashing down on top of her and dragging her into the foaming brine, tumbling drunkenly, her thoughts dropping back into the past when a similar incident occurred at the river. She breached the surface with a gasp and saw the arms were just out of reach, she was so close she could almost taste it, and as she reached out, she recoiled in shock when, instead of trying to surface the cold hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, the salt water stung her eyes terribly, and she closed them, but not before catching a glimpse of glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Panicking she shoved her arm out straight, connecting with a fragile jaw, the force of it making the creature release her long enough for her to take in a desperate gulp of air before another wave crashed down on her head and she screamed as darkness surrounded her.