Clearing of a Clouded Storm: Chapter 11
Rayvn rose to Raylet's hurried commands. "Get up! You have barely a half hour for-"
"Shuddap." She slurred tiredly, burrying her face in the pillow and turning her back to his frenzied cries.
He threw a pair of black jeans and gray t-shirt over her face, jerking her onto the floor all in one movement. Rayvn sat up groggily, blinking away fiercely the tiredness. Waving her hand at him as he hurried her, she slipped off her clothes and quickly the new ones, yawning and pulling her hair back into a bun before heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"Eat." Raylet ordered, tossing her a plastic cup of applesauce and a spoon.
"Great. I can imagine what kind of breakfast your mother fed you." Rayvn murmured, shuting the bathroom door in his furious face and slowly brushing her teeth.
~Hurry! I want to show you a few things you will need to know for the battle!~ Raylet said crisply.
"Battle?" Rayvn spat, throwing the toothbrush in the sink and turning off the water quickly. "You should have said so in the beginning!"
Raylet snorted, giving a careless smile. "I doubt it. Anyway, wear this," He tossed her a silver necklace with a teardropped garnet gem.
Rayvn slipped it on curiously, fingering the cool metal. It flashed before turning the color of oynx. "What is it?"
"It will help your speed. Help you'll need." Suddendly, he grabbed her in an upper-cut, placing his neck to her mouth.
Fiercely, Rayvn pushed at him, furious. "What do you think you are doing? Get off!"
"Watch my breathing." He snapped.
"Forced breathing, Raylet. Now stop this," I sighed, ceasing to fight his hold, "I don't get it."
He released me. "For some it is said to make humans have fangs. Weak humans, but none the less... Anyway, you are undaunted."
"What the hell is this called anyhow? Vampire metal?" She laughed, smoothing her shirt calmly out and laying down the applesauce.
"De operus Liber." Raylet shrugged, and translated hastily, "Liberators of the oppressed. I believe it is also the U.S. Special Forces motto."
I frowned at him, "What exactly will this do? I don't want to become mutanized."
Raylet yawned, shaking his head, "Nothing bad, sister. You have my word."
Rayvn eyes him cautiously, knowing the sort of things Raylet would cataglorize as "nothing bad". He could not help it, for the most part, being vampire. She fingered the chain agian.
"You should stretch, I'll get you a doughnut and coffee on the way there." Raylet suggested firmly, and when she had finished, led me out to his black Farrai, which was carelessly unlocked.
"Someone will still this, you know that? Just because your a vampire, that doesn't mean burglars known the difference." Rayvn scolded, slipping in and slamming the door shut behind her.
He slipped in his side, and started up the engine before answering, "Maybe so, but I have my training line hunt around here. Just to give them some practice."
Rayvn snorted, "Nice way without getting a loud alarm system."
Raylet shrugged, smiling slightly. "I won't deny or affirm that."
The drive had been quiet, but all erupted when they opened Brujaa's doors, exactly one minute early.
"Human!" One from the bustling crowd clothed in blacked yelled.
"Raylet brought food!" Another.
"Silence!" A sharp voice rang, and Rayvn's head snapped torward it, before she relized it was Jaguar, "Calm yourselves. Yes, I know," He paused, waiting for the vampires to settle.
"I know, it has been long since I myself have battled a for one of the Trainers-to-be to become a Trainer. For those of you who do not remember the last incident, there are very precise rules. I may not use my fangs, or other vampire skills such as prying into the mind for the next move. Rayvn, you may not use guns, or anything besides the traditional weapons of Crimson. This means do not take anything for use agianst me in battle the vampires here throw to your supposed aid. Also," He added, "It is until one is completely pinned to the floor for six minutes, or until one is knocked unconscious.
"I am also abridging this rule: to the death," He said it firmly, daring anyone to complain, "There will be no death in Brujaa this battle. We will have a Trainer head the battle, for it would be... unjust for I, a particapant, to call it. I will call a unbiased vampire, William."
William stepped carefully forward and back, nodding his head. Rayvn knew he was part of the invisable Trainers- the Trainers who where hunters for Brujaa.
"This battle is a battle for victory, not exceptance. Let all the crowds be seated," William said sternly, loudly. The groggily did so. "Let the binding begin-"
"What?" It was Raylet.
I turned to him, unaware of what binding was.
Calmly, William elaborated, "This battle is a special one. Because it is not to the death, but a fierce battle between the Leader and a to-be Trainer, the consequence of the looser is not just no victory; it is binding. Thus, either whom does not win the battle of wits and strength, will be bound by blood-mind and body- to the victor.
"Let the binding begin, Salone and Jakal, for the winner will immediately celebrate their victory with the binding of the loser. Be ready-"
"I want this changed, Jaguar." Raylet growled fiercely.
Jaguar lifted a brow, "What you want does not concern me this time of day. Do you understand that?"
His voice was silkly and full of uncontrolled anger, and his eyes slitted in cat-like fashion as he glared at Rayvn. She should have been furious, should have been shaking with rage, but she was not. Infact, she was attracted to this flood of red hot anger torwards her brother.
"I understand perfectly: You are a coward," Raylet whispered, his eyes not moving from Jaguar's as they became cold and dark.
"A coward? You can not even face the facts. What I want, I will earn. What you know should happen, you keep back from. Do you not realize what you can hurt more?" Jaguar snapped, tossing me a whip he picked up from behind him.
Rayvn caught it, and let it taste the air. It made a very sharp crack, surprising her. He- or someone- had taken the time to trim it.
"Raylet, know this: No one will hurt what I want, and no one else will claim it." Jaguar said huskily.
Rayvn sensed their underlying meaning of the conversation, and snorted. "Raylet, quiet. Jaguar, do not think what you what will always want you."
His eyes changed as they settled on hers, softening until they where pools of welcoming black velvet. He said nothing, only nodded shortly, before ordering William to continue. She shivered.
"No more interupttions-" William halted sharply, "What necklace is that?"
Rayvn's hand strayed to touch the soft metal, and it flashed onyx briefly. She flushed, sensing it was not allowed.
"A gift." She said, her voice clipped as her eyes sought Raylet's. He was nowhere to be seen, and instead she met Jaguar's inquiring ones.
~De operus liber?~ He questioned in her mind.
"What is it?" William demanded impaciently, unaware of her conversation with Jaguar.
~A gift.~ Rayvn snapped nervously, not liking their conversation was so well concealed, for though she was admittedly attracted to him at times, Jaguar was not easy to trust.
~So as I thought. Raylet gave it to you? I should have known then.~
~I...~ I spoke confusedly.
"Rayvn!" William yelled.
Jaguar's head snapped up in his direction. "From your times, you should know not to speak to a lady as such!"
William's eyes slid away. "In my times, a lady was considered a lady when she was six generations of pure blood. I sense the blood of Celts and Moorish in her. I dare say that is pure blood, Jaguar."
"Your times have changed, fool." Jaguar hissed, waving his hand, "The Liber does not matter. Begin the battle!"
"Begin." William sighed placidly, stepping back into the crowd.
Rayvn was unsure and wary. How could she battle Jaguar? It was a given she would loose, but she hated thinking do negitivly in this battle.
~You look very tired, Rayvn.~ Jaguar murmured in her mind, and she streached her arms, staying far from him.
"I am tired," She answered aloud, not wanting to be alone with him verbally.
There were too many people around for her to relax and loosen up, and she found she really did not look forward to battiling him. She told herself it was his strength, for she had felt it ripple in waves through the air, barely controlled, so many times now.
~Speak to me.~ He pressed, taking a sword and weaving it expertly through th air.
"Why?" Rayvn countered nervously, watching as he cut swiftly through the air.
His eyes met hers over his task. ~Because I like it,~ He paused, looking back to the sword her eyes strained on, ~You must become one with the blade, most trust it so each movement occurs before you know. And mostly, before your opponate knows.~
"Interesting." She muttered sarcastically, watching how he handeled the leather blade with a deadly grace.
~You are afraid?~ He asked silkily, and Rayvn snorted.
"What would make you think that?"
~First of all, you refuse to speak in your mind to me, and second you are staying as far as possible from me. Why?~ He pressed.
Rayvn growled, shaking her head. "Shutup."
Vampires where beginning to clear out, saying there was no fun without a immediate battle or to the death. Rayvn looked to Jaguar.
"You?" She questioned.
~I like to say it was too crowded in here to concentrate.~ It was an obvious lie, for he was concentrating perfectly on her.
Before she could answer, she moved shockingly closer, cornering her agianst the corner. ~I apologize, I forget myself. That was a lie, as you know it. What do you think?~
He could be speaking of anything- Brujaa, his soft voice, his lie, the people, her life, the color of the cold floor, even herself, and yet she chose to answer quietly, ~I think you are very confusing, and yet... Compelling.~
He lowered his eyes amusedly, backing away to give her room.
Rayvn rose to Raylet's hurried commands. "Get up! You have barely a half hour for-"
"Shuddap." She slurred tiredly, burrying her face in the pillow and turning her back to his frenzied cries.
He threw a pair of black jeans and gray t-shirt over her face, jerking her onto the floor all in one movement. Rayvn sat up groggily, blinking away fiercely the tiredness. Waving her hand at him as he hurried her, she slipped off her clothes and quickly the new ones, yawning and pulling her hair back into a bun before heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"Eat." Raylet ordered, tossing her a plastic cup of applesauce and a spoon.
"Great. I can imagine what kind of breakfast your mother fed you." Rayvn murmured, shuting the bathroom door in his furious face and slowly brushing her teeth.
~Hurry! I want to show you a few things you will need to know for the battle!~ Raylet said crisply.
"Battle?" Rayvn spat, throwing the toothbrush in the sink and turning off the water quickly. "You should have said so in the beginning!"
Raylet snorted, giving a careless smile. "I doubt it. Anyway, wear this," He tossed her a silver necklace with a teardropped garnet gem.
Rayvn slipped it on curiously, fingering the cool metal. It flashed before turning the color of oynx. "What is it?"
"It will help your speed. Help you'll need." Suddendly, he grabbed her in an upper-cut, placing his neck to her mouth.
Fiercely, Rayvn pushed at him, furious. "What do you think you are doing? Get off!"
"Watch my breathing." He snapped.
"Forced breathing, Raylet. Now stop this," I sighed, ceasing to fight his hold, "I don't get it."
He released me. "For some it is said to make humans have fangs. Weak humans, but none the less... Anyway, you are undaunted."
"What the hell is this called anyhow? Vampire metal?" She laughed, smoothing her shirt calmly out and laying down the applesauce.
"De operus Liber." Raylet shrugged, and translated hastily, "Liberators of the oppressed. I believe it is also the U.S. Special Forces motto."
I frowned at him, "What exactly will this do? I don't want to become mutanized."
Raylet yawned, shaking his head, "Nothing bad, sister. You have my word."
Rayvn eyes him cautiously, knowing the sort of things Raylet would cataglorize as "nothing bad". He could not help it, for the most part, being vampire. She fingered the chain agian.
"You should stretch, I'll get you a doughnut and coffee on the way there." Raylet suggested firmly, and when she had finished, led me out to his black Farrai, which was carelessly unlocked.
"Someone will still this, you know that? Just because your a vampire, that doesn't mean burglars known the difference." Rayvn scolded, slipping in and slamming the door shut behind her.
He slipped in his side, and started up the engine before answering, "Maybe so, but I have my training line hunt around here. Just to give them some practice."
Rayvn snorted, "Nice way without getting a loud alarm system."
Raylet shrugged, smiling slightly. "I won't deny or affirm that."
The drive had been quiet, but all erupted when they opened Brujaa's doors, exactly one minute early.
"Human!" One from the bustling crowd clothed in blacked yelled.
"Raylet brought food!" Another.
"Silence!" A sharp voice rang, and Rayvn's head snapped torward it, before she relized it was Jaguar, "Calm yourselves. Yes, I know," He paused, waiting for the vampires to settle.
"I know, it has been long since I myself have battled a for one of the Trainers-to-be to become a Trainer. For those of you who do not remember the last incident, there are very precise rules. I may not use my fangs, or other vampire skills such as prying into the mind for the next move. Rayvn, you may not use guns, or anything besides the traditional weapons of Crimson. This means do not take anything for use agianst me in battle the vampires here throw to your supposed aid. Also," He added, "It is until one is completely pinned to the floor for six minutes, or until one is knocked unconscious.
"I am also abridging this rule: to the death," He said it firmly, daring anyone to complain, "There will be no death in Brujaa this battle. We will have a Trainer head the battle, for it would be... unjust for I, a particapant, to call it. I will call a unbiased vampire, William."
William stepped carefully forward and back, nodding his head. Rayvn knew he was part of the invisable Trainers- the Trainers who where hunters for Brujaa.
"This battle is a battle for victory, not exceptance. Let all the crowds be seated," William said sternly, loudly. The groggily did so. "Let the binding begin-"
"What?" It was Raylet.
I turned to him, unaware of what binding was.
Calmly, William elaborated, "This battle is a special one. Because it is not to the death, but a fierce battle between the Leader and a to-be Trainer, the consequence of the looser is not just no victory; it is binding. Thus, either whom does not win the battle of wits and strength, will be bound by blood-mind and body- to the victor.
"Let the binding begin, Salone and Jakal, for the winner will immediately celebrate their victory with the binding of the loser. Be ready-"
"I want this changed, Jaguar." Raylet growled fiercely.
Jaguar lifted a brow, "What you want does not concern me this time of day. Do you understand that?"
His voice was silkly and full of uncontrolled anger, and his eyes slitted in cat-like fashion as he glared at Rayvn. She should have been furious, should have been shaking with rage, but she was not. Infact, she was attracted to this flood of red hot anger torwards her brother.
"I understand perfectly: You are a coward," Raylet whispered, his eyes not moving from Jaguar's as they became cold and dark.
"A coward? You can not even face the facts. What I want, I will earn. What you know should happen, you keep back from. Do you not realize what you can hurt more?" Jaguar snapped, tossing me a whip he picked up from behind him.
Rayvn caught it, and let it taste the air. It made a very sharp crack, surprising her. He- or someone- had taken the time to trim it.
"Raylet, know this: No one will hurt what I want, and no one else will claim it." Jaguar said huskily.
Rayvn sensed their underlying meaning of the conversation, and snorted. "Raylet, quiet. Jaguar, do not think what you what will always want you."
His eyes changed as they settled on hers, softening until they where pools of welcoming black velvet. He said nothing, only nodded shortly, before ordering William to continue. She shivered.
"No more interupttions-" William halted sharply, "What necklace is that?"
Rayvn's hand strayed to touch the soft metal, and it flashed onyx briefly. She flushed, sensing it was not allowed.
"A gift." She said, her voice clipped as her eyes sought Raylet's. He was nowhere to be seen, and instead she met Jaguar's inquiring ones.
~De operus liber?~ He questioned in her mind.
"What is it?" William demanded impaciently, unaware of her conversation with Jaguar.
~A gift.~ Rayvn snapped nervously, not liking their conversation was so well concealed, for though she was admittedly attracted to him at times, Jaguar was not easy to trust.
~So as I thought. Raylet gave it to you? I should have known then.~
~I...~ I spoke confusedly.
"Rayvn!" William yelled.
Jaguar's head snapped up in his direction. "From your times, you should know not to speak to a lady as such!"
William's eyes slid away. "In my times, a lady was considered a lady when she was six generations of pure blood. I sense the blood of Celts and Moorish in her. I dare say that is pure blood, Jaguar."
"Your times have changed, fool." Jaguar hissed, waving his hand, "The Liber does not matter. Begin the battle!"
"Begin." William sighed placidly, stepping back into the crowd.
Rayvn was unsure and wary. How could she battle Jaguar? It was a given she would loose, but she hated thinking do negitivly in this battle.
~You look very tired, Rayvn.~ Jaguar murmured in her mind, and she streached her arms, staying far from him.
"I am tired," She answered aloud, not wanting to be alone with him verbally.
There were too many people around for her to relax and loosen up, and she found she really did not look forward to battiling him. She told herself it was his strength, for she had felt it ripple in waves through the air, barely controlled, so many times now.
~Speak to me.~ He pressed, taking a sword and weaving it expertly through th air.
"Why?" Rayvn countered nervously, watching as he cut swiftly through the air.
His eyes met hers over his task. ~Because I like it,~ He paused, looking back to the sword her eyes strained on, ~You must become one with the blade, most trust it so each movement occurs before you know. And mostly, before your opponate knows.~
"Interesting." She muttered sarcastically, watching how he handeled the leather blade with a deadly grace.
~You are afraid?~ He asked silkily, and Rayvn snorted.
"What would make you think that?"
~First of all, you refuse to speak in your mind to me, and second you are staying as far as possible from me. Why?~ He pressed.
Rayvn growled, shaking her head. "Shutup."
Vampires where beginning to clear out, saying there was no fun without a immediate battle or to the death. Rayvn looked to Jaguar.
"You?" She questioned.
~I like to say it was too crowded in here to concentrate.~ It was an obvious lie, for he was concentrating perfectly on her.
Before she could answer, she moved shockingly closer, cornering her agianst the corner. ~I apologize, I forget myself. That was a lie, as you know it. What do you think?~
He could be speaking of anything- Brujaa, his soft voice, his lie, the people, her life, the color of the cold floor, even herself, and yet she chose to answer quietly, ~I think you are very confusing, and yet... Compelling.~
He lowered his eyes amusedly, backing away to give her room.