Hello, it's been a long time since I've been here, I'd planned on making a full story of this way back when, but not long after I'd posted the first chapter Stephanie (Better a Freak than a Fake) stopped responding to messages, and I eventually found an obituary matching her name and location as best I knew it. At the time we'd been talking on here for at least eight years and I considered her a friend, and after that I lost interest in this website and writing in general for a long time.
Alec jerks, instantly awake, as the burning sensation on his right shoulder fades. Rubbing it reveals raised flesh in the shape of a hand, and a moment later reveals a grey world swimming in mist . Alec looks over as he stands to see if he woke his sister, seeing her still asleep but a strange dark glow laced with dark red emanating from her. "You see her soul, tainted by sin." Alec immediately swings back around at the soft voice, shielding his eyes from the bright light and trying to see the shadowy figure that wasn't there a moment before. As the light fades the figure chuckles, "Interesting. Most can't see my aura, though that mark tells me that you're not just another lost soul." A couple of blinks clears the spots and shows an older man with a kind face and a black robe. Alec shivers, something telling him that despite the kindness on the man's face that he was far from harmless. "Who are you? How did you get in here? And what sin?" The man takes a moment to reply, watching the shadows coil around the boy and the bed in front of him. "Hmm, so you're Shadowborn. No need to be protective, I felt you cross over and came to welcome you." The man sits as the mist rises and forms a chair. "I am Charon, and I simply came through the door. Your sister killed an innocent unintentionally I would like to know how you are here though, as I can tell it's not your time." Alec glances at the door, seeing to bolt holding it locked. "I woke up with my shoulder burning, I can see that the door is locked, Ashe would never kill anybody, and why did you call me Shadowborn?" Charon scratches his face. "So you simply woke up in the In-Between, bringing both your body and magic across; which generally only me and mine can do. You have been marked by one of the Host, despite being Shadowborn which, to answer your question means you have shadow magic strong enough that you don't need to actively try to use it, or an affinity to shadow magic. Your sister, judging by her soul, has an affinity for blood magic; which means that her magic protected her earlier. However, blood magic is more volatile than even yours. In order for her to have protected herself, that blood had to come from somewhere." The world shifts around them, and Alec recognizes the orphanage. "Your sister's magic responded to her panic and drew blood from everyone within range." Charon stands and grabs Alec's wrist, pulling him forward and through a door where a young girl bathed in white light sits, staring at a body that looks just like her. Charon puts a hand on her shoulder, then she's gone. "This room is across the hall from where young Ashelyn was. Nobody knows she had a heart condition, and when Ashelyn panicked and her magic flared, the blood loss caused her blood pressure to drop and her heart to stop. Unintentional, but still a sin in the eyes of Heaven." Alec opens his mouth to speak, but turns back to the door as a wailing starts and grows louder until chains of shadow drag a man's dark form through the door and closer to Alec, him clawing and screaming for mercy until both chain and spirit are swallowed by his shadow. "And apparently you are capable of affecting souls, you are intriguing." Charon moves forward and grabs Alec as he suddenly sways. "It would appear our time to chat has come to an end. I have a feeling we will meet again."
Alec wakes slowly, headache and dizziness making itself known before noticing Ashe shaking him. "Ugh, what's wrong Ashe?" She bounces on the bed next to him, wet hair and old-fashioned clothes showing she's been awake for some time. "A man knocked and said to clean and get dressed before going down to breakfast. We're in an actual castle with a butler and everything Alec!" She throws her arms around him as soon as he sits up. "I was sure I was dreaming last night, but you're really here and we're not in the orphanage. There's a washroom through there. I wonder what we're going to have for breakfast. Did you get his name? I think I fell asleep before he introduced himself. Do you think..." Her words cut off with a shriek as Alec grabs a pillow and smacks her in the head with it, then he flips her onto the bed and stands. "He said his name is Vlad and called this Castle Dracul." He starts toward the door to the washroom and pushes it open, noting the nice clothes set by a claw foot bath with steam coming from it. Ashe watches as he pushes the door shut, mouth hanging open. "Wait, you mean Dracula's Castle!? Does that mean he's a vampire? That's so cool!" "Calm down Ashe, I can barely hear you through the door so give me a minute!" She moves to start beating on the door to hurry him up when something tells her that someone's nearby. She slowly opens the washroom door, turning so she can see the other, and whispers. "Alec, I think there's someone outside." She jumps when the door is pulled the rest of the way open, Alec walking out in the clothes set aside and a metal rack in his hand. "Yeah, the whispers told me." Ashe side-eyes him and goes to comment when the door is pushed open and a pale man steps through. "As nice as it is to hear about you thinking vampires are cool, and the voices in your head, the lord of the castle has asked me to escort you to the dining hall so you may break your fast with him." The man speaks impassively as he takes them in. "I can see the young madam informed you of the wash room and clothing. You are free to leave the towel rack here so I can have it put back on the wall, or bring it with you if you have grown attached to it. I trust your outfits to be the right fit, yes?" He pauses, watching as Alec sets the metal rod down and the siblings glance at each other, then look at him and nod. "Excellent, I will have one of the staff fix the washroom. This way please." The man turns and proceeds out the door without waiting for another response, requiring them to hurry out to keep up. They let a space grow between them as Ashe leans toward her brother and whispers, "I can't tell if he's being serious or sarcastic, but..." "The answer is yes, and before you continue speaking and say anything that may be rude, be well aware that I am still able to hear you." Alec laughs as she blushes and looks at him guiltily, proceeding in silence for several minutes until the man stops at a door and knocks before opening it. "Your guests, Sir."
The siblings hesitate a moment before a raised eyebrow and a frown let them know that they were to go first, and as they walk through he bows. "the meal shall be served shortly, I will return after I inform Housing that the towel rack needs replaced." Alec turns red and Ashe gets to laugh as that blank face turns toward their host and the small table he's seated at. "They both seem to have some kind of gift as both were aware of my presence through the walls of their room. I also believe they will need instruction in both weapons and self defense as I was welcomed with a metal rod being held as a piercing weapon rather than bludgeoning while being too far to do more than throw it." With a bow, he disappears back through the door, leaving Ashe giggling while Alec stares at his shoes with his face bright red. Vlad gestures to the seats beside each other with a smile. "Come, sit. Don't mind Stefan, he's an excellent assistant but lacks... social skills." Ashe takes a step forward, then pauses to grab her mortified brother's hand and drag him forward. As they take the offered seats Ashe looks at him. "Are you really a vampire?" Vlad just pauses from his goblet and looks at her. "And if I was?" Ashe just grins while Alec kicks her under the table and gives her an evil eye. "That's cool, what's it like? do you really drink blood? What about crosses and holy water? I'm pretty sure that's blood in your cup." That last one causes him to raise an eyebrow and study her. "And what makes you think that?" "I'm not sure, something's just telling me that's blood. I's the same kind of feeling as when I was sure someone was at our door... or that there's a bunch of people in the next room, but it feels like different groups." She point's at a wall, to which both Alec and Vlad glance before looking back at her. "That's the dining hall..." Vlad now looks between both of them. "So you can both tell that there's something through the wall." He points at Ashe, "You can tell that there's people in there, and that feeling not only tells you different groups, but also that there is blood in my cup. And you," he finger moves to point at the older boy, "can tell not only that there's people, indeterminately, but also that it is a dining hall?" They both nod, Alec mumbling, "Whispers." Vlad rubs his chin, looking thoughtful. "You're both correct, that is the dining hall, in which most of my staff are eating breakfast or dinner as the case may be, but even the witches on my staff can't sense things from this distance." Looking thoughtful, Vlad reaches over and hits a bell in the middle of the table, a young man opens the door a moment later. "Sorry for the wait, my Lord, the kitchen's behind due to Dolores still being sick. It should..." He tapers off as Vlad raises his hand, looking at Ashe." What can you tell me about him?" She frowns looking at the man as she responds. "He's different from anyone I've met... He's similar to the nun at the orphanage, but... hotter? You and Alec both feel colder than both him and her..." She frowns, looking back at the head of the table and the man sitting there, who watches her a moment before looking at the man who'd come in. "Thank you Marcus, but that was not what this is about. Can you please fetch Numair and Elenore for me?" With another bow and a "Yes, sir." He's gone.
The food arrives first, both children hesitating until Vlad nods to dig in. As they eat, an ancient looking man in blue robes and a pointed hat comes in, followed by a shorter grandmotherly woman in a bathrobe and sweatpants, both wrinkling their noses and glancing at Vlad's goblet before schooling their features and standing across from him. Vlad gestures at the seats across from him. "Sit with us, these are the children I told you about, I found them being chased from their village last night." He glanced at the siblings, looking between the new arrivals and their host. "This is Numair, and Elenore, the heads of my mages and witches respectively." The man nods, then the woman smiles and waves and Vlad looks back at them. "They both knew Stefan was at their door before he made himself known, Ashe was able to tell that there are multiple groups of people through that wall, as well as there being blood in my goblet, and Alec was able to tell me that it was a dining room. Can you offer any insight?" Elenore speaks first, voice loud and clear. "I can smell blood and grave dirt, though I can't tell which is which." She points at Alec. "He also has a strange silence about him, leaving me thinking he's the grave dirt, and even though it's well lit I see the occasion flicker, almost like darkness trying to hold him close." She looks over at Numair, who sounds speaks softly but sounds angry. "I agree. I originally thought the stink of blood was your cup, but now..." He walks around the table to stand behind each of them in turn. "The boy brings to mind a crypt, silent and protective, only the dead and darkness for company. I believe he has an affinity for shadow magic, between what you told us last night and what I am sensing now, but I believe he may also be able to perform necromancy easier than most, although it wouldn't be second nature as umbramancy appears to be. The girl isn't quite as powerful, but being near her reminds me of you and yours... copper and metal to both smell and taste makes me think of your Dhampir, but her aura is more... human. I believe her be be a hemomancer, but this is pure speculation as I've seen nothing to prove or disprove." He glances back to the witch. "I believe your skills would be better than mine for validity as I don't think a fireball or a bolt of lightning would solve anything." Both siblings stiffen slightly, and the mage glances downward with a frown. "Yes, shadow magic is a fact considering that the shadows around the table have disappeared except for a circle around them. If I may?" He glances at Vlad, who shakes his head. "No, you will not attempt to har..." The rest of the sentence is drowned out as Numair gestures and a decorative kiteshield flies from the wall, stopping with a clang two feet from Ashe's head, who freezes with wide eyes as both Alec and Vlad surge to their feet. Before either can do more than stand, a blue bubble wraps around Numair as shadows start sprouting from the walls and floor to wrap Ashe in a translucent barrier and lash at the mage's own shield, driving him back with each swing and quickly forming cracks as Alec turns.
"ENOUGH!" Vlad roars as he slams a fist on the table, causing everyone, and everything on the table, to jump and the shadows to melt away as everyone shifts their focus. The spiderwebbed bubble falls to reveal Numair down on a knee, coughing and breathing heavily with blood flowing from his mouth, nose and ears, running from a circle around his neck where bruises were already forming. Vlad looks to the witch, brushing lint from her bathrobe. "Please fetch a healing potion, and I appreciate you not enflaming the situation." She bows and turns, revealing JUICY across the back of her yoga pants as she hurries off. "That woman and her pants..." He mutters before turning back to the three. "What did I say when you suggested attacking them?" His voice is soft, but an underlying current of rage causes hair to stand up on the mage and the children as the shadows wrap around the youngsters protectively. Numair stares at the ground and mumbles. "What was that, Numair? "You... said no." "And what did you do?" "I attacked them anyway." Vlad closes his eyes and breathes deeply before continuing. "You ignored me, and attacked my guests... Guests that I brought here after finding them being hunted by their fellow humans. I offered them sanctuary... which you just violated right in front of me. What was your assessment of Alec's magic again?" Numair looks up as Stefan slips in and silently offers Vlad a glass vial. "I...I said it reminded me of a crypt." "Yes, you said a crypt, silent as the grave and protective of those inside... and what did you do?" "Attacked them." Vlad takes the vial with a nod of thanks and holds it up to look at it. "No, you didn't attack them." He holds up a hand as Numair opens his mouth to speak. "That shield you telekinetically threw wasn't aimed at 'them'... it wasn't aimed at Alec" He glances over at the two, who hunker farther down at the red eyes aimed at them. "You noted that his shadows were defensive... protective, and you intentionally aimed to harm Ashelyn. Knowing full well they have no knowledge of their abilities... no control, and that she has already killed in self defense. No child, it's not your fault." His voice loses some of the anger as he sees Ashe look down and Alec shift to put more of himself in front of her. "I am not angry at either of you, from what you have told me, your magic has just awoken and is largely driven by emotion and instinct." His eyes shift back to the mage, who flinches. "I am angry at the one who has been in my employ for the last fifty years, who attacked children after he himself was driven out by his own family for being different, the one who struggled for years to control his own magic after burning down his childhood home from a nightmare..." "My apologies." Vlad holds the vial out to him. "You are no longer the head mage, send me your second when you see him, then find Dolores tomorrow, after I have a chance to speak to her and find you some work while you reflect on your actions." Numair stands and takes the vial with a mumbled "yes, sir" before making his way out.
Vlad sits with a sigh, rubbing his temples. "I apologize for Numair's actions, I never expected him to attack guests, let alone against instruction and in such a similar position to his own. Please sit and finish your meal." Elenore and two others, laden with bags, walk through the door in time to see the children stand. "Grab him!" Elenore calls out as Alec stumbles and the shadows wink out. Ashelyn gets an arm around him and holds him steady until one of the witches with Elenore sits her bag down and helps get him to his chair before her and the other helper leave. "Ashe... I don't feel so good." Alec looks toward his sister with unfocused eyes as Vlad leans forward, looking concerned. "I would assume not, young man. Headache, dizziness, and fatigue?" Elenore chimes in before anyone can speak, waiting until he nods drunkenly in her direction before digging another vial out of her bag and opening it for him and passing it along. "That will help with the headache and dizziness, while eating will help with the fatigue." She glances over at Vlad. "I grabbed everything I could think of for detection spells as I figured you'd want this done as soon as possible." At Vlad's nod she passes small knives and bowls to the boy and girl, taking an extra moment to watch Alec drink the potion with a gag. "The taste is how you now it works, now I need you to bleed in the bowls, just a couple drops will suffice. Both of you take notes." She pulls the bowls toward her and starts pulling out crystals, holding them over each bowl before setting them to the side and repeating with more. "That is called magical burnout, or backlash. Some people, such as Numair, have an internal supply of magic, or their well, that can hold so much and refill over time. Others, such as myself," She pauses as one of the crystals turns a smoky grey color and sets it beside the bowl. "Draw magic from around them and direct it. In either case, we can only do so much before the well empties." Another crystal, cold light grey. "Or our bodies start getting overwhelmed by the energy, but it's far more dangerous for those with wells." A warm soothing white, then another. "hmm, a shared one, doesn't happen often. But back to the lesson. If I were to pull too much energy, I would suffer backlash and whatever I was working would be weakened if it didn't fail entirely. On the other hand, Numair could empty his well either in a single burst or over time, and keep casting through it." A deep rich red. "Those like Numair have to be careful because once their well runs dry, they start burning their life force. Which is why mages rarely do rituals, you never know the cost until the spell is cast, and many mages have died trying." She wipes her hands and and points to Ashe. "Strong blood, above average light." The finger shifts to Alec. "Strong shadow and death, weak light." She starts cleaning and gathering her supplies. "You'll need training sooner rather than later, I'll ask around and see what i can find for trainers; necromancy is easy enough to find a practitioner, same with light, shadow's a bit trickier since it's fairly rare. The blood magic is the problem." She looks to Vlad. "In all honesty, sir, you would probably be the best bet to train her. Natural hemomancy is extremely rare, and I doubt she was over there bargaining with a demon to both choke and drown Numair, and your talents are probably closest to what she can do. In the meantime, I should have some books on each to get set up." With that she grabs the bags and disappears through the door.