Gold Demona
Chapter XXV
Strange Visits: Part I
(Mac)
(Few days later...)(December 31, 2110 A.D.)
"I just don't understand it," Silverbolt stated. "How could she be so cold towards her own people?"
He was lying down on my gurney as I sat on my chair, clipboard at my ready, taking note of every important detail of our conversation.
The last few weeks, I'd noticed that he seemed far more stressed than normal. He rarely smiled, even through Christmas. I feared it may have had something to do with Blackarachnia, and so I confronted him about it. He had admitted to me that he had been feeling a great deal of stress as of late and was willing to speak with me about it, although I was fairly certain he had more on his mind than what he was telling me.
"It is most likely due to her upbringing," I answered, "Whatever that may be. However, I get the feeling that this is not the topic that has your nerves in such a bind."
"It's not all of it," he admitted, "But it is a great deal of it."
"And what's the rest of it, then?" I asked. "If you wouldn't mind disclosing that minor detail."
"I would rather not," he said, "Not right now. At least not until things have calmed down here with everyone else. Perhaps once it gets to the point where Krypto can tolerate her without that bone."
"Very well, then," I said and took a few notes.
"It's strange," he said, "I don't normally go to this much trouble to get to know anyone. With my previous clan, I only closely knew about half of them. The rest were mere acquaintances I knew almost nothing about aside from their names."
I raised a brow to that.
"And with Blackarachnia," I began, "You feel the need to know everything. Is there a particular reason for it?"
"I don't know," he said, "For the past few months, I've been pursuing her to try to learn more about her, when in the past I'd given up on such ventures after the first week or so. I'm not sure why I've found her so interesting. I'm beginning to think there may be something wrong with me."
I smiled and placed my clipboard down on the table. I crossed my arms and legs and looked down to him.
"It would appear to me, Silver," I began, "That it's possible you may have simply been infused with an intense and ineffable sensation of emotional attachment to her."
"I beg your pardon?" he replied in confusion as he lifted himself around to look at me.
"In other words," I said, "I think you might have taken a fancy to the lass."
"Are you saying I may be in love with her?"
"I'm not saying it as certain thing," I said, "You are the only one who can know what you feel. I'm simply giving to you my opinion based on what I see before me."
"I highly doubt that's the case," he said as he sat himself up, "And even if it was, it is not likely to change the situation. She's not likely to change her ways just for the way I feel about her."
"You never know, Silver," I said, "A small confession can go a long way. Just take a look at Jigen. He was perfectly fine with the life he was leading until Gold stepped in and admitted her feelings for him."
"Yes, but this is far different," he said as he stood up from the gurney, "Even if I did feel that way for her, there is no way it would ever work between us."
"Just think about it for a wee bit," I said, "I know you can find the correct path to follow. Just go with what you think is best."
"I will," he nodded and began to walk towards the door, "Thank you, Mac."
"A pleasure, Silver," I replied and returned the nod.
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(Markl)
For the last few nights, from just after sunset to just before sunrise, I've spent my time up on the roof, reading my new spell book. Since my cloak was made by magic and not a cloaker, I could stay as long as I wanted, so long as I got back inside before sunrise.
This book had so much I wanted to try. There were spells for making light, for blocking light, for short distance teleporting, for making things bigger or smaller, for turning things into other things like stone, wood, or metal. I just couldn't decide what I wanted to try first. So I'd decided instead to just look at everything and try out my favorites. So far I'd gotten halfway through the book and I haven't seen a spell I didn't like yet.
In the back of the book, on the first blank pages, I'd already written down my cloak spell and my sensor blocking charm. It wasn't a lot, but it was a start.
"There're so many spells in here," I said as I flipped to the next page, "How will I know what to start with?"
Just when I was starting to read what was on that page, a flash of bright white exploded in front of me.
"What in the--?" I said, "I didn't even do anything yet."
I put my book down, and then I got up and walked over to it to try and see what was going on. It shined really bright, except for a big dark spot right in the middle, and it got bigger until it was shaped like a human.
"Hello?" I said to the dark shape, "Who are you?"
It didn't say anything, but it knelt down and I could see a pair of hands come out from the shining light, carrying a small creature and putting it down on the floor in front of me.
I looked up and I could see the human's face, though not very clearly. He was kind of old, with a moustache and goatee, and his hair was tied back in a ponytail. He looked up at me and smiled.
"Do me a favor and take care of him for a little while," he said with a wink and then disappeared back into the light.
"Hey, wait!" I called just as the light flickered away, leaving me alone with the little creature, who was looking around scared.
It was no bigger than a house cat. It had white fur, golden yellow hooves, a white tail, pinkish red hair, and a small white horn on his head.
"A baby unicorn?" I wondered out loud.
"What's going on?" It asked. "Where am I?"
"You can talk?" I asked.
He just sat there, shaking and looking around. He whined for a little bit and then started crying.
"I'm scared!" he screamed and laid down with his front hooves over his head.
"Hey, come on," I said as I knelt down to him and started petting his head. "You don't have to be scared. What happened?"
"H-he...he's angry with me," he cried.
"Who's angry with you?" I asked.
"Lord Oberon," he said, "He... He's angry because I want to use my powers to help people and make them happy. I don't understand. Why is that so wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong with that," I said and picked him up, "I'm sure there's a reason for all this. What's your name?"
He sniffed and looked up at me.
"My name is Unico," he said, "What's yours?"
"Markl."
He used one of his front legs to wipe the tears off his face. Then he looked back up and smiled at me.
"Does this mean we're friends, Markl?" he asked.
"I guess it does," I said as I picked up my book and started walking back to the apartment.
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(Blackarachnia)
"The boss is startin' ta worry about you, Sugar," Quickstrike said to me. "You haven't been checkin' in lately."
We were in an alley close to a bus stop somewhere in the city, at least an hour's walk away from the apartment.
"It's become more difficult to find a time to myself," I replied, "They keep trying to make me part of their little clan, and one in particular seems to like pestering me about it. And he's really persistent about it, too."
"And what about that female yer supposed to be lookin' at?" he asked, "Ya haven't given any more word on 'er since you were reassigned to 'er."
"Like I said," I replied, "It's gotten harder to get that kind of alone time."
"Sounds like bullshit to me," he said as he narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to me, "Them clothes yer wearin' are new. You ain't got no new information, and you ain't been checkin' in to the boss. If I didn't know no better, I'd reckon you was gettin' attached to these monsters."
"Don't be stupid," I retorted, "I'm wearing these clothes because they were given to me, and wearing them lessens the chances of anyone suspecting me. It's not like I actually LIKE wearing them."
"Right," he said, though I could tell from his tone that he didn't believe me, "Just be careful what yer doin', Sugar. You ain't said nothin' new since Christmas. You was supposed to've been done with this job a long time ago. And my trigger finger's still itchy."
"You don't think I know that?" I replied, "I'm not stupid. Don't worry. I'll get it done. Just give me more time."
"You know what?" he said, "I'm actually startin' ta think it's not the clan yer gettin' attached to, but just one of 'em."
"What?"
"I mean that one ya say's pesterin' you all the time," he said, "I reckon he's more than just a pest."
"Get to the point, Quickstrike. What are you getting at?"
"I suggest you be real careful around that clan, Sugar," he said as he turned and started walking away, "You know how the boss is. He don't tolerate people bringin' him bad news, especially news on traitors."
"I will NOT betray the Prime Ruler," I yelled to him as he kept walking away. "You're thinking too much, Quickstrike! Stick to shooting things! That's what you're good at! Leave the thinking to the ones with brains!"
Frustrated, I stuck my talons in my pockets and started on my way back to the apartment.
"Idiot," I thought as I walked, "I'll show him that I'm no traitor."
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(Gold Demona)
"Twenty minutes until New Year's!" Red announced, looking at the timer on the TV screen.
There were less than twenty minutes left on the clock before the start of the New Year. Boober and Red sat on the couch watching the TV. Jigen watched from where he stood behind the couch. Vaala and I were in the kitchen getting food and drinks for everyone.
We got everything and walked back to the living room. Vaala set the bowls of chips and pretzels down on the coffee table, and I handed everyone their drinks. Everyone had soda except for Jigen and Boober. Jigen had a bottle of beer, and Boober had a glass of water. I walked over to Jigen and handed him his beer as Vaala sat down at the one end of the couch.
"Honestly, Boober," Red huffed and rolled her eyes, "Water?"
"Water's better for you than soda," he said and then turned to Jigen, "And certainly better for you than beer."
"And I can guarantee that this is better for you than the scotch Mac's drinking," Jigen replied and drank his beer.
"That's not the point," Boober retorted.
"Then what is?" Jigen replied, "If yer gonna rag on someone about their drinking habits, nail it all on Mac."
"Well, I would," Boober said in a quieter tone, "Except she scares me somewhat."
"Don't tell me you're still not over that time she yanked on your ear?" Red asked.
"Yeah, I'm over that," he said, "But it gave me a very vivid example of what her temper is like, and I'd just rather not mess with it."
"And to think I'm related to you," Jigen replied.
Our conversation was interrupted when the TV swung open and Silverbolt stepped out from behind it.
"Hey, Silver," Vaala greeted, "How'd your therapy session go?"
"It was interesting," he said as he shut the TV behind him. "And I think I'll leave it at that."
"Well, sit down and join us," I said, "It's almost New Year's."
"I'd love to," he said as he walked past the TV and over to the front door, "But I need to find Blackarachnia."
He opened the door and Markl jumped in through it.
"Hey, everybody!" he yelled as he ran straight to the living room, "Check this out! I found him on the roof!"
We all looked at the thing he was carrying in his arms that looked very much like a baby unicorn.
"Hello, everyone!" The unicorn greeted, "My name is Unico."
"Aw, he's so cute!" Vaala said.
"Where'd you get him?" I asked.
"Did your magic bring him here, Markl?" Silverbolt asked while still holding the front door open.
"No, I didn't do anything," Markl answered, "I was just looking through my book when this light came out of nowhere and this human reached out and left him here. The human told me to take care of him."
"And where did you come from, Sweety?" Vaala asked the little unicorn.
"I came from Avalon," the unicorn answered.
"Avalon?" Vaala replied, "So you're one of the third race?"
"Uh-huh," he replied. "That's right."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Unico," Silverbolt said, "But I really must be going."
"You sure you don't want to stay for the New Year's countdown?" Vaala asked.
He stepped out and shut the door behind him. Markl sat down on the couch, sitting Unico down on his lap.
"I guess not," I replied.
"Hey, where's Mac?" Markl asked.
"Yeah," I agreed, "Why isn't she here?"
"She said she'd rather start the New Year in the lab," Vaala answered, "She was saying something about not breaking an old widow's tradition."
"She's a widow?" Red asked.
"Apparently," Vaala answered.
"I didn't know she was married," I said.
"I didn't know super nerds like her could keep a guy long enough to GET married," Red added.
"And with a temper like hers?" Boober added, "Who could endure that?"
"I knew that she was married," Markl said, "She told me her husband died a long time ago, when she was still pretty young."
"That's sad," I said.
"Died?" Unico repeated, "What that?"
The rest of us stared, eyes widened at Unico.
"You don't know what death is?" Red asked.
"Uh-uh," Unico replied, shaking his round unicorn head, "What is it?"
"Well, it's uh..." Vaala started.
"It's when uh..." I started.
"When something dies, it means they're not alive anymore," Jigen said.
"Not alive?" Unico replied, puzzled, "I don't understand."
"You wouldn't," Jigen replied, "You're immortal. You can't die. Death just isn't something you fey have to deal with. Humans and gargoyles don't get to live forever like you do. Once we die, we're gone forever. That's it."
"Gone?" Unico said, "Forever? But that's terrible! How can such a thing be allowed to happen?"
"That's just how things work in this world," I said, "Things are born, they live, and then they die."
"And if you're a gargoyle in this country," Red added, "It's even easier to die."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Boober replied, "I have to think about that enough every night I go to work, worrying that I might eventually be discovered."
"You knew the risk when you took the job, Boober," Red retorted.
"It doesn't stop me from worrying," Boober replied. "With how hateful these humans are, it's very difficult not to worry about death."
"It would make things a lot easier if we didn't have to hide all the time," Jigen said. "Me, I'm used to hiding from the law, but not the whole population like we do now. It really wears on you after a while."
"No kidding," Red agreed, "Haven't had a good glide in I don't know how long."
"Me neither," I replied. "I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever be done here."
"Me too," Vaala replied. "If we were done, we could just be ourselves and not have to worry so much about dying."
"I wish we didn't have to hide," Markl said, "Then we could just be together and happy, like a clan should be."
"Together and happy," Unico repeated.
"Ten... Nine..." The TV chanted.
"Let's hope this next year ends better than this one did," I said.
"We can always hope," Vaala replied.
"Three..." The TV continued, "Two... One..."
We were about to yell our "Happy New Years" when a blinding white light completely filled the room and knocked me backwards onto the floor.
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(Mac)
"Initializing... Audio recording HNY-2U," the computer announced in text on the screen as I drank from my glass of scotch.
The screen was blank except for a small spot at the center, distorting with the audio from the sound file that was playing.
"Hello, Marcia," greeted the young American male voice in the recording. "How's your evening going?"
"Hello, Allen," I greeted back, even though I knew it was only a recording, and thus unable to respond.
Allen Usher was a young male in the American military. He was the only person, aside from my parents, who ever called me by my given name, Marcia. He was in Scotland on holiday when we first met, ever so long ago. We courted for a time, and then found ourselves married.
It was almost sixty years since his death, but I could still see his face as clearly as if it was only yesterday. He was a thin male of dark blue skin, long horns that tilted backwards from behind his bangs, eyes of a deep ocean blue, and hair of a brown so dark that it was almost black. His hair was long, tied back with a loose braid, and his bangs floated like feathers. Many of his fellow soldiers called him "Raven" for his feathery, almost black hair, and for the dark color of his skin. I could see him in my mind as I played back this old recording that was made just after we were married.
"By some turn of events," the recording continued, "We find ourselves spending New Year's Eve apart and unable to actually communicate with each other. You're probably in your lab back home while I'm probably halfway around the world with my battalion fighting some war for my country."
"Nope, that's not it," I replied.
"Right now, I'm most likely playing the recording I have of you, hearing the beautiful sound of your voice in that wonderful Scottish accent of yours."
"No, you're not, ya liar," I chuckled, knowing full well that he couldn't from where he was.
"Wherever you are, please know that even though I can't be there to kiss you at midnight this year,"
"Or any year," I quickly added.
"I'm with you in spirit, and I will always and forever love you. I hope that wherever you are, you're in the company of good friends."
"For the first time in many years," I replied, "I am."
"When the countdown ends, I'll have my glass of scotch at my ready. The kind you make, of course. I can't drink anything else."
"Of course not," I said.
"You never let me."
"That's right," I nodded.
"When the timer hits zero, close your eyes and drink with me. We'll toast to our marriage, and the many years we'll have together."
"Our marriage that ended too soon," I corrected.
"I miss you, Marcia, and I love you with all my heart. I hope to see you again soon, and that we don't wind up doing this again next year."
"But we will," I said, "And every year afterwards."
"Good night, Marcia," he continued, "I'll think of you as we drink at midnight. Remember that you are always my sweet lovely lady."
And with that, the recording ended. The screen went blank and then displayed a timer, counting down the seconds to midnight. There were only twenty seconds left.
"I still miss you, Allen," I sobbed, looking down at my drink. "It's been so long, but I still miss you so."
Ten, nine, I lifted my glass.
"Here's to old wounds," I said, "And to new beginnings."
As the clock struck zero, chiming in the New Year, I closed my eyes and brought the glass to my lips. When I opened my eyes again, a bright white light began to shine from the door, and grew brighter until it filled the entire lab and shoved me into the counter beside me.
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(Silverbolt)
I found myself wandering the streets looking for her. She wasn't on the roof when I looked, so my only guess was that she was out walking. Of course, I hadn't a clue where to begin my search, and so most of my walking was in no particular direction.
I had been walking for at least half an hour when I suddenly felt the urge to stop walking. I turned my gaze and noticed that I'd stopped in front of the Upendi Night club.
"All this walking and I ended up here?" I asked myself in thought, confused that I had found myself so close to home.
I breathed a sigh and decided to step inside.
"I won't find her wandering the city like an idiot," I thought. "Especially if I keep ending up back at home. While I'm here, I may as well go in and enjoy some of the music."
I went through the door and sat at the bar. The elder African man tended bar while on the stage sang two women. One of them was the blue haired girl I remembered from before, and the other was a taller girl with light brown hair and small dark markings on her face. Both of them sang beautifully.
"What can I get you, Sah?" The man asked me from behind the counter.
"Oh, nothing for me, thank you," I replied. "I only came in for the music. Your name is Rafiki, correct?"
"Dat is correct, Sah," he said with a nod, "And if I remember correctly, you ah one of Freddie's family. Am I correct?"
"Freddie?" I repeated, not quite recognizing the name, although it did sound familiar.
He looked to either side of him and then leaned closer to me.
"Boobah," he whispered to me and then moved back to where he was.
"Oh, Boober. Yes," I said, suddenly remembering that Freddie was what he went by here.
"Den you get a drink on deh house," he said, "You look like you carry deh weight of deh world on your shoulders, and you got big shoulders. It takes a great deal of weight to burden shoulders like dat, and to also bring a man to come to a bar after deh New Year's countdown has already past. A good drink will do you some good, my friend."
"Thank you, kindly," I began, "But I really---"
"Please," he interrupted and held an empty glass up to me, "I insist. What would you like to drink?"
I looked at him for a moment, and he looked back at me with a crooked grin on his face, eyebrow raised high. He had a certain charm to him that was difficult to refuse.
"Bourbon," I said finally.
He only nodded and began to serve the drink for me. That's when I noticed a man sitting to the left of me with a drink in his hand. He was a short man, but very well built, making him seem much larger than he actually was. The one thing that stood out the most was a strange mask that covered his nose and mouth, which led me to wonder how he was drinking the beverage in his hand.
"Pardon me for asking," I said to the man, "But how are you drinking that?"
He broke from his daze and looked over to me, and then down to his drink. He then lifted his glass and tiled his head as he poured the drink through the front of the mask. When he was finished, he placed the nearly empty glass back down on the counter.
"Real careful-like," he answered in a gritted voice as he turned and glared at me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," I said, "I was simply curious."
"Nah, t'ain't you I'm mad at," he said. "My girl done fallen fer some other guy. Damn, we been together for I can't recall how long, and then she goes and pulls this shit on me."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, "I too am having female troubles."
"Your girl turn on you, too?" he asked.
"No, it's nothing of that sort," I said.
"Your drink, Sah," Rafiki said as he handed me my Bourbon.
"Thank you," I said to him and began to drink.
"So what's your story?" the man beside me asked.
"Well," I began, "I'm not quite sure, to be honest with you. This girl moved in with me and my family some time ago, and I think I may be falling for her. But she is so elusive. She seems to avoid me like the plague."
"Ah, one o' those. Listen, buddy, when it comes to them females, ya gotta be aggressive. They think they got the control by tryin' ta reject you. When a girl's runnin' away all the time, it means she done started havin' feelings for you and just don't want it gittin' anywhere serious. So if yer always in 'er face when she's tryin' to run, sooner or later, she'll turn up wantin' you."
"How do you know all this?" I asked.
"Cuz my girl's like that," he said, "I just figgered all women're like that."
"Perhaps many of them are like that," I replied, "But I'm not sure she is."
"Hey, I'm just givin' ya my two cents," he said as he got up and paid his bill. "Take it or not. It's yer call. See ya round."
"Thank you," I said to him as he walked away and out of the bar.
I looked back down at my drink, and stared at it for a moment.
"And I also have to factor that she works for the Prime Ruler," I thought to myself, "I need to find out what she's doing and why she's doing it. It makes no sense to me. Why would she betray her own kind?"
"Does she know you're in love with her?" asked a young male voice to the right of me.
I looked up and saw a young Asian-looking man in his twenties with short black hair and brown eyes. He sat two seats to the right of me.
"I don't believe so," I said, "I've not told her."
"I think you should," he said. "For all you know, she could be the one for you."
"It's not quite that simple."
"Believe me, I know it's not simple," he said and then pointed to the stage, "See the taller girl singing on the stage? That's my wife, Belldandy, and let me tell you that it was definitely not an easy for us starting out. Complications with her family back home kept preventing us from getting together. But with a lot of patience and perseverance, we were finally able to settle down and get married."
"Congratulations," I said to him, "She's beautiful."
"Thanks," he said and then held his hand up to me, "Keichi Morisato."
"Silverbolt," I replied with a nod, "Forgive me if I don't shake your hand. It's just another complication on my end."
"It's alright," he said and put his hand in his jeans pocket, "Everyone has their own set of problems. It's all a matter of knowing how to deal with it. And I'm pretty sure yours would probably start getting easier if you admitted to that girl how you feel about her."
"I'm still debating whether or not I actually DO feel that way about her," I said. "I'm in such a state of confusion, it's almost unbearable."
"Well, when you figure it out," he said as he got up from his seat, "Be sure to let her know about it. It doesn't do anyone any good to keep your feelings bottled up."
"I'll keep that in mind," I nodded, "Thank you."
"No problem," he nodded back and then looked to Rafiki, "See you later, Rafiki."
"Of course, Keichi," he replied as Keichi walked away to one of the empty tables.
I finished my drink and placed it on the counter. I lifted myself from the stool and turned to the door. I was ready to go home.
"Thank you for the drink," I said to Rafiki.
"Come again soon," he nodded back at me as I walked across the bar and out the door.
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(Vaala)
When the light finally faded away, I opened my eyes and saw everyone else lying unconscious where they were. The first thing I noticed after that was that everyone's cloaks were turned on.
"That's weird," I thought to myself, "Why are all the cloakers on?"
I got up and walked back behind the couch where Gold and Jigen were lying on the floor. Then I realized something wasn't right.
"Wait a second," I said, "That's not Gold's cloak."
She didn't look like her daytime human self, as her cloak normally showed. What I saw in front of me was a human version of Gold's gargoyle self, with a slightly longer face than her regular human form and poofy pink and blue hair instead of blonde.
I knelt down next to her and felt around her head. Her ears were human, and her horns were missing.
"Uh-oh," I said as I looked over to Jigen.
I waved my hand in front of his face to feel for his beak. Then I touched his face to make sure. It just wasn't there.
"Oh shit," I said out loud.
I rushed back to my feet and ran into the penthouse.
"Mac!" I called as I ran to the lab, "Mac, we've got a situation!"
As I stepped inside, I saw an unconscious human woman sitting in Mac's chair with her head resting on her arm on the counter and a glass of scotch in her hand.
"Oh man," I rolled my eyes, "Well NOW what am I gonna do?"
I looked down on the floor where Krypto was lying down, also unconscious with his bone still firmly fixed in his jaws. He looked like a normal white dog.
"What the hell is going on?!" I asked to no one in particular.
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(Silverbolt)
I was almost home. My walk was nearly over. I was just outside the apartment building. I stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky, although much of it was blocked by the buildings that lined the street, and the street lights made the stars far less visible. It was a clear night, however, so there were a few to be seen, even from the lighted city street.
"There is only one more hour left on my cloaker," I thought to myself, "And sunrise isn't far in coming. If I look any further for her, I may not make it back in time."
I took a deep breath of the cold winter air and let out a sigh. I looked back down ahead of me, and saw Blackarachnia standing in front of me, arms crossed and eyes fixated on me. When she looked at me, it was like a venomous barb had pierced through my heart. I knew right then, beyond any doubt, that I was in love with her.
She was so dangerous and beautiful in that outfit she was wearing. Although I could only see the cloak, I remembered how she looked naturally, and that outfit perfectly complimented her arachnid-like features.
This threw my mind into a state of confliction. I knew perfectly well what her intentions were for us, for me and for my current clan. I couldn't bear to think what would happen if I let my feelings cloud my better judgment. However, I somehow knew in my heart that somewhere deep inside, she wanted to be one of us.
"Blackarachnia," I said to her and slowly stepped my way over to her.
"What are you doing out here?"
"I've been looking for you," I explained.
"You've been walking around all night looking for me?"
"Yes," I answered, "There's something of great importance I need to speak with you about."
"And what's that?"
"I..." I began, but hesitated, "I'm... not quite sure how to say this."
"Spit it out, Rover," she said, "I don't have all night."
"Neither do I," I said as I stopped only a foot away from her, "But there's so much I want to say. I don't know where to begin."
"If you want to talk to me," she said, "Start talking already."
"Blackarachnia," I began, "You've been with us for over two months now, and in that time I've found myself growing ever more curious about you."
"Yeah, I know that," she said, "You rarely leave me alone. I know you got that habit from being a leader as long as you have, but it gets rather annoying after a while."
"It's no longer a matter of my experience as a leader," I said and took one of her talons in mine. "I wish to know you as a person."
She blinked at me for a moment, brow raised.
"What are you getting at?" she asked finally.
"You've stolen my heart, Blackarachnia," I answered. "You've taken it and drowned it with your dark poison. And now I'm afraid I can't keep myself away from you."
"Drowned your heart with my dark poison?" she laughed, "Where do you get your sappy material?"
"Where else but my own heart?" I answered. "Which grows heavy every second you remain in my mind."
"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?" she asked.
I looked away for a moment and let out a sigh. I lifted my free talon and placed it with the other ontop of hers, and I looked up at her.
"I know that you take orders from the Prime Ruler," I said softly to her.
"The Prime Ruler, huh?" she replied. "And where'd you hear that bit of gossip?"
"I overheard you on the roof as you were speaking to him," I said, "The night of Gold's hatchday. I was just inside the door, and I heard him order you to pay close attention to Gold. Tell me. Why is she so important?"
"She's not," she answered, beginning to sound annoyed, "You're just imagining things that aren't there."
"I am not one to hallucinate. Blackarachnia, why are you doing this? You are a gargoyle, and yet you work for the Prime Ruler. How can you do this to your own kind?"
"You're NOT my kind!" she retorted, her eyes flaring a bright pink color as she threw her talon back away from mine.
"Blackarachnia, please!" I replied, "This isn't necessary! You can join us! Our clan has been trying to welcome you for the past two months. I really think--"
I was interrupted when a sharp pain pierced through my right wrist and forearm. I looked down and saw long thin barbs sticking clear through my arm in both places. I also saw my cloaker beginning to spark and quickly noticed the barb in my wrist had also gone through the cloaker.
Blackarachnia leaned closer to me and held my face with her talon.
"Keep your feelings to yourself," She growled and threw me several feet away from her, and it was at that point I realized that my vision was beginning to blur.
"What is this?" I thought as I began to run.
I ran and ran without the slightest idea of where I was going.
"How could she do this to me?" I asked in thought as my vision slowly faded away. "What has she to gain from this?"
I could feel my strength quickly failing as I stumbled around and then fell to my knees. After that, I couldn't keep myself up anymore, and I fell flat on my face as my conscious thoughts slowly faded out.
"Blackarachnia," I tried to say, but I couldn't tell whether I actually did or not.
And then everything fell to black.
(To Be Continued...)