Dean tossed and turned in his bed, still half asleep. For the past thirty minutes or so he'd been listening to Saliene be up and about. She had gotten out of bed at around seven and showered, she was getting dressed in his bathroom at the moment. She finally came out and Dean pried his eyes open to look at her.
She was wearing a white shirt under a long sleeve, red and black striped pull-over hoodie with light blue skinny jeans. She was only in socks, though.
"Good morning dear." She said, sitting on the bed next to his laying form.
"Good morning to you too.." Dean mumbled, stretching. Saliene smiled at him, leaning down to kiss him.
"Did I die last night?" Dean asked. Saliene looked worried.
"Not to my knowledge, why?" She asked. He smirked.
"Because you look like an angel." She laughed hard at his joke, and the sound rang through Dean. He kinda liked making her laugh.
"Don't you think you've been lazy for long enough? Get up and start the day. Who knows, maybe we'll find this guy before tomorrow.. We've got to be ready for it." Saliene told him. He smiled.
"Yeah, 'cuz that's what every man wants to hear in the morning. Wake up and get ready for the end of the world!"
"When do the little troops get here?" Zarick asked mockingly. The foursome were all grouped out on Saliene's patio. She was of course in-between Sam and Dean, Zarick was on Sam's left. She was smoking a cigarette, Sam hadn't known she smoked until then.
"Soon." She said, growing tired of his questions.
"You still smoke huh?" He said. Dean looked at her.
"They had cigarettes a hundred years ago?" Dean asked. She shook her head, smiling.
"No. But they did have other smoke-able plants." She replied, a wild grin spread across her face. Dean only nodded, getting the implied statement.
"How wonderful. Guess you don't get addicted to anything either right?" He asked. She turned to look at him, fangs visible in her smile.
"Except for blood, no not a thing." She smirked. He nodded again, turning his head back to the East.
"You mind telling me what I did the other night? I know I was black out drunk and did some kind of dumb ass thing. So hit me with it." He said, bracing to hear his stupid actions. She smiled, eyeing him.
"If you insist. You were completely shit faced and wouldn't stop asking me random questions about being a Vampire. Sam and I were listening and I responded the best I could. Then you asked me.. If we could have sex on top of Mount Everest." She finished, laughing hard. Sam heard across the way and joined in, Zarick just smiled big to himself. Dean felt ridiculous.
"Oh.. Nice to know. Thanks." He replied in monotone.
"So what was that you were talking about yesterday Zarick, about you knowing why all these Nelcians are here?" Sam asked him. He turned to him to reply.
"Oh yes, I suppose I can tell you now. It's because of the I.M. He's controlling them to be the first of his army of darkness.. But the beasts he'll bring on this planet will be far worse than any Nelcian could be." He said, tone un-readable.
"That's alright. They won't even make it here before we take out his ugly ass." Saliene spoke. Zarick laughed slightly.
"Don't be so sure Ally."
They passed the time chatting, Zarick mostly staying out of the conversation except to slip in a few more randomly placed questions here and there. Saliene continued to give him odd looks, like she thought he was an idiot or something. But soon enough a beam of orange light appeared in front of them, and when it cleared they saw Miko, Scarlet, Aster, Sona, and three other girls they'd never met before.
"More girls.." Dean whispered, standing as the others did. Saliene ignored him and walked towards the group, noticing in one of the new girl's hands there was a long, blue sparkling sword and book.
"This is your idea of an army? There's no way they just the eleven of you can stop the I.M." Zarick said, standing behind Saliene in-between Sam and Dean.
"For your information, boy, there are plenty more Nelcians where we came from. They're all around this area looking for more of that douche's foot soldiers." Miko told him. He just smiled and nodded his head.
"As you can see we have some new faces here, so why don't you three tell Saliene who you are." Aster said. The first girl on Aster's left spoke up.
"Hey, name's Tia, pleasure." She said. She looked like she was maybe eighteen or nineteen. She had long, curly, bright red hair with some black streaks through it that went to her waist, and weird, hot pink eyes. She wore a bright green strapless dress that went just above her knees, it had odd writing all over in, though it was very pretty. Her shoes were brown sandles that had ties that went up to her knees. She held the sword and book.
"I'm the Reader of page Zero. After we've got intros out of the way I'd be happy to read it for you." She said, Saliene nodded.
"Great to see you again, T." She commented. Tia smiled wide at her words. Dean and Sam exchanged a glance, they knew each other? Then the girl to Tia's right spoke.
"I'm Okine' (Oak-ee-nay), I'm from Onkai (On-kie) Kingdom." She said. She was small, and looked no older than Sona did. She had short wavy grey hair and green eyes flecked with orange. She had on a bright green vest with no sleeves, and orange skirt and grey leggings that went down to her shoes, which were simple white slip-ons. on her left shoulder she had an orange tattoo that spiked out in a few places but otherwise was circular.
"An Imperial Dragon?" Saliene breathed. The girl nodded, grin on her face.
"Yup that's me. My father is Eke'." She said.
"You're the princess! how wonderful to meet you." Saliene said, Okine' continued to smile. Lastly the girl to the far right introduced herself.
"Hello, I am Yuna. I'm princess of Northern Ice Kingdom, pleasure to meet your acquaintance." She said. She was the most normal looking of the group. She had long blond hair that fell to her knees, light blue eyes and a pale complexion. She was dressed in a simple outfit of a black t-shirt, long blue jeans and a light blue jacket. The shoes she wore were generic sneakers. She appeared to be no older than sixteen.
"Nice to meet you Yuna, this is Sam and Dean, and the loud mouth is Zarick. He comes from Safire Kingdom." She told them. Aster's eyes widened.
"THE Zarick Sharp? I thought.." She trailed.
"What?" Saliene asked. Aster shook her head and smiled.
"I just didn't think I'd ever meet him, is all." She replied. Saliene looked at her oddly, but ignored it.
"Why don't we move inside." She said.
They were all seated in her living room now, Tia had the book cracked open and had already given the sword to Saliene, which she kept away from Dean, just in case. The other girls said they had to help their troops and begin searching for the I.M., so they had left. Only Yuna had stayed behind while they listened to the reading, even though she said she already heard it at the celebration the other day.
"Alright, if everyone's ready." Tia asked, they nodded their heads. She turned the book to what seemed to be the middle, but it was blank. Slowly though, odd letters began to appear, carved into the sapphire page.
"On the darkest day of history, Chastenhezorum will come from the pits of the God planet. He will be shrouded by the past and will be invisible to those who don't speak his true name to his face. If he is not slayed before the midst of night on the watched planet, then he will consume the only power in the universe that can give him control of it. However, if the chosen wielder of the blue blade slays him, he shall never return from his death, and the universe will have been saved." She said. The group was silent at first, still taking in the words.
"Well, that told us a lot." Dean scoffed. Saliene turned to him.
"As rude as that was, you're right. What is this power the book speaks of? How are we supposed to protect it if we don't know where or what it is?" She asked. Tia shook her head.
"I'm sorry, that's all it says. Another page might have that information.. But I can only read this one." She told them. Sam sighed.
"Thank you for reading it to us anyways Tia." He said. Zarick remained silent, smiling oddly. Saliene suddenly stood, walking over to where Tia was seated in the lone chair.
"Let me see this thing." She said, taking the book. Tia put her hand to her face, smiling and shaking her head.
"Of course! You're a Reader too! I completely forgot. Maybe your page has that information." She said, understanding Saliene's actions. Saliene opened the book to the first page, waiting a few seconds before moving on. Fifteen minutes later and she exclaimed,
"Oh! This is it!" And the group turned their attention back towards her. She looked at the page smiling, but soon her smile faded away to an expression of confusion.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked her. She shook her head.
"I, I don't understand it. It just says.." She trailed.
"What?" Dean insisted. She look up at him.
"Don't be fooled." She said. Dean's eyebrow raised.
"That's it?" He asked. She nodded.
"Yeah, it doesn't make sense.. What could be fooling us?" She said. Sam shook his head.
"Maybe it means we aren't prepared enough." He said.
"But we have the sword, all we have to do is find him and take him down." She replied. The group was stumped.
"Maybe someone among us is the illusion it speaks of." Yuna said softly. Dean and Sam exchanged a glance, Saliene stared at the girl.
"One of us? That wouldn't make any sense, something would have happened by now." Sam said. She smiled thinly.
"It was only a suggestion."
It had been quite a few hours now, and their force of Nelcian warriors still hadn't spotted any sign of the big bad wolf. The group at the house had split off into doing their own thing to pass the time. Sam was sitting in the living room talking to Tia, who Dean believed he had a little crush on, while he and Saliene were up on her balcony. Zarick said he'd be in the study, and Yuna was admiring Saliene's backyard.
"So what else did I ask you about when I was drunk?" Dean asked her, she was yet again smoking a cigarette.
"Well, you asked me... What death was like." She said. Dean was startled.
"I did?" He said. She nodded.
"I, don't remember.." He trailed. She smiled at him.
"Dean, if you want to me to tell you again, I can. It doesn't bother me. I haven't died in a few centuries." She told him. He stared back at her, waiting for the response.
"It's like, a video game glitching out. What ever scene that was in front of you at the time of your death freezes, and it gets smeared over time, pixilated. Eventually it fades to a color that isn't black, it isn't even a color.. It's BEING dead, being nothing at all. Just a soul wandering around aimless until a body calls it in. You'd think being a simple soul would be like being a spirit, or a ghost. But it isn't. Not for Vampires at least. Reincarnation happens eventually though, and I'm born again as a baby somewhere else, and I have no memory of my past life. However, when I reach age twenty-five I look as I do now. And every time, I get all my memories back. Then I stop ageing. Also, all the while I'm a child I am still a Vampire.. I've never been human. But as a kid I don't know that yet. But, that's how it happens for me." She said. Dean was amazed. But it sounded so unpleasant to go through..
"That's, enlightening. So if I die while being a Vampire, I would go through the same thing?" He asked. She nodded her head yes. He sighed.
"Intense. But it's worth it.. For you." He told her, she felt like blushing again.
"You're sweet." She said.
"What's a boring Purgatory gunna do to me that could possibly scare me away from being with you?" He smiled.
"We'll see if you still think that after you die." She laughed. His eyes grew wide.
"What makes you say that?" He asked.
"Dean, you're going to die at some point. But you'll come back. I told you how many times I've died, it just happens." She said. He nodded, not liking the fact but ignoring it for now.
"The things I do for love." He muttered. Saliene just smiled.
"It's eleven O'clock how have they not found anything yet?!" Saliene shouted. The six of them had all gathered in Saliene's back area to wait for a misty call from Aster every hour, but every check in they had no new information.
"Calm down Sal, give it a little more time we still have an hour and a day before anything even starts." Dean told her. She was pacing madly around while Sam and Zarick were seated at the bar, Tia and Yuna wear on a couch against the Northern wall. Dean stood towards the South-East wall, not wanting to sit in case he had to restrain Saliene.
"This isn't right they should have a lead by now." She muttered, walking in a circle. Dean finally waltzed over to her and grabbed her by the shoulder, she flinched and looked up at him.
"Calm, down." He told her. She nodded, pulling away.
"I'll go take a walk, notify me if they call again." She said, starting for her second back door on the Eastern wall.
"I'll go with her." Tia said, starting after her friend through the door. Dean walked over to the cue stick rack on the Western wall an pulled one down.
"Any one for a game of pool?" He offered. Sam smiled thinly and he and Zarick walked over and grabbed their own cues.
"I'm fine watching, thank you." Yuna said. They played for quite some time, eventually Dean and Zarick were tied. Sam gave up a few minutes before and sat down on the couch. Zarick expertly shot the two ball into the left corner bag. It was Dean's turn. He lined up his cue to take the eight ball, which was what he thought was the easiest winning shot he'd ever got when suddenly they all heard a scream come from out back. It sounded like Tia's voice.
Throwing the cue sticks aside and shooting out of their seats the group raced for the door, Dean reaching it first and throwing it open. He sped down towards the South shore where the scream had come from. Upon reaching it they all saw Tia kneeling on the ground with an unconscious Saliene in her arms. Tia had a large scratch arcoss her upper left arm, the wound was leaking Nelcian blood all over her. Dean bent down to take her in his arms.
"What happened?" He asked Tia, who stood shakily. Sam rushed over to help her stand.
"W-we were just sitting here talking, then all the sudden this little boy with pale, green hair and white eyes walked out of the lake. When I tried to attack he paralyzed me, and his hand morphed into a claw and raked my arm.. He also paralyzed Saliene when she tried to stand. Then he," She swallowed, fighting back tears.
"He reached his hand through her neck, like a ghost... And pulled out this, bright, shinning, green light and took off towards the West..." She finished, looking solemn.
"What was it?" Dean persisted.
"Onyoeno.." She breathed. Sam looked at her wide-eyed.
"One of the five elemental Nelcian races?" He asked. She looked shocked that he knew that but nodded her head yes. Dean and Zarick gave him a questioning look.
"I've been studying the books Saliene has in her tower on Nelco. There's even ones about the extinct races." He explained. Dean nodded, moving towards the door. They came back inside and Dean layed Saliene down on the couch Yuna and Tia were sitting in before. He stroked her hair wordlessly.
"Where's this thing going to be?" Dean asked, clenching his jaw. Sam was the one who answered him.
"I read they like to live in dense forest areas.. So it could be pretty much anywhere in the state." He told him. Dean turned to his little brother with rage in his eyes.
"Well then go do some fucking research and find out where the bastard is hiding!" He yelled at him. Sam was startled by his brother's tone, furrowing his brow in concern he nodded, taking off for the stairs with out a word. Dean hadn't meant to yell, but they didn't have any time to sit around.
"I'll go help him." Zarick said, turning to follow Sam. Dean stole a quick glance at Tia, who was looking after Zarick,
"I guess I'll go as well.." She trailed, walking to the stairs with her right hand over her bleeding shoulder. It looked like it was healing already, though. There was silence between Dean and Yuna for a while before Yuna spoke up.
"She isn't going to die, you know. Not yet at least." She told him. His eye brow rose at her statement.
"What makes you say that?" He asked her. She looked distant for a moment before responding.
"I can see death approach." She told him. He was interested.
"You mean you can see Reapers?" He asked. She shook her head, confused.
"I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound like what I can see. When a person is close to death a see a little creature flutter around, no bigger than the palm of my hand. It has two little antenna and colorful wings.. It's almost opaque, but just barley see-through." She explained to him.
"So you see, Reaper Butterflys?" He confirmed. She nodded her head unsure of his comparison.
"If that's the creature I see, then I suppose I do." She agreed. He nodded silently. Then they heard Saliene's form stir on the couch, and turned their heads back to her. Suddenly, she shot up, sitting with her legs spread in front of her. Her eyes were still closed, though.
"S, Sal?" Dean said softly. Her eyes the flew open. They looked just like Saliene's eyes had when she showed him that vision the other day... They were a bright, neon green and her pupils shrunk into a curving line that formed an oval, the middle still filled with green. She slowly craned her head up to look at Dean, she grinned wide, her fangs more elongated than usual. The smile looked devilish.
"Hello, Dean." She said to him, her voice sounded odd though, he took a step backwards. He could only compare it to the sound a snake would make if it were trying to seduce you.
"What are you, a demon?" He asked, grinding his teeth. She shook her head slowly.
"No. Do you know what an Onyoeno eats?" She asked him, he shook his head, lips pursed in a straight line.
"Why, it eats souls. In fact, it took this body's when Saliene's chummy pal Tia couldn't protect her." She responded, still smiling. Dean nodded in a grim fashion.
"And how would you know any of this, who are you?" He asked again. She continued to smile and stare him in the eyes and she said,
"I am her instinct, naturally."
*Author's Note: Hey everyone! I can't believe I've written so much! I'm really happy with the way this story is coming along.. So it sucks that I'm almost finished Dx Yeah I know its sad but it'll end good, I promise! Thanks for reading I appreciate EVERY view!
~Super