HOLY CRAP I'M FINALLY UPDATING THIS STORY!!!!!! Sorry about the wait, I've kinda lost my way on this story. Like all of my other stories...Ahem, anyway here's the next chapter!! Decided to make some time pass since I've been gone for so long. Hope you like!
The Little Halloween Girl: To Love or Not to Love
By Ryoken
Time did not stop since that moment in the abbey, and life, or unlife as the case may be, has not stopped for anyone's convenience. The war between the Sarafan and the vampires rages on, even with the wizard Shek'ron's death, the imbecilic Sarafan continue to fight.
The newly-turned Sara has yet to receive another "gift" from her unknown admirer. It has been so long since last she received a rose, that the stalker is now merely a bad memory, one that was seemingly far away and never coming back. But that of course, does not mean that he has stopped watching her every movement, stalking every word, or preparing his next move.
It has yet been a full year since Sara's new arrival, but in that time, she has grown accustomed to speaking more correctly and her slang has diminished to the point where it is hardly noticeable. Of course she had other clothes to wear by this time as well, but secretly hid the dress for safekeeping. By this point in time, Turel could not hold in the secret and she has re-met the other three brethren, Dumah, Zephon, and Melchiah, all of whom were amazed that she was back in their realm, and all grown up.
But peace hasn't settled once more in the lord's lairs. It is quiet on the outside, but all knew of the present predicament.
In an argument fought not too long ago, Sara decided that she would ride out to battle along side Rahab, who of course "disagreed". Secretly, without even Rahab's knowledge, she had been training with Jythryl in case she had need to fight and now she wanted to help, feeling confident that she could do just as well as any trained vampire.
"I can help this time, Rahab, truly, I can!" Sara had tried to argue.
"Sara, we've gone over this time and time again! I'll not have you on the battlefield! I'll only be distracted," he had said softly.
"Rahab-"
"Enough!" Rahab sighed. "Why must we keep going through this?" He had asked.
"Old habits die hard, I suppose," she grinned. He returned it.
Sara had lost the argument, but had been able to persuade him into allowing her to ride along side him, but not into battle. Finally, she would have something to do other than try and teach herself, with no help at all, how to read the Nosgothian script.
Her first taste of battle is where this story begins...
"Now, you remember exactly what I told you, correct?" Rahab said for the umpteenth time.
"Yes, Rahab. I shall stay far from the field of battle and should someone come after me, I shall quickly ride back to safety," she repeated. "I know, Rahab. I shant forget." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Now go kick some Sarafan ass," She laughed. Rahab gave her statement an awkward look, but shrugged it off as he nodded and rode off to the front of his army. Beside her, Jythryl was on yet another horse. Rahab had designated her as Sara's guard while he wasn't around. But Sara and Jythryl decided to take that time to practice.
Sara took a fighting stance while Jythryl prepared to block. With her lightning speed, Sara prepared to punch, but change to a sweeping kick that Jythryl was unfamiliar with and unable to block. As she fell, Sara kneed Jythryl in the back, who cried out a little, and did a roundhouse punch with the back of her fist, sending Jythryl flying.
"OW!! Dark gods, where did you come up with that?!" She said, rubbing her broken backbones as they healed. Sara shrugged when she knew she'd seen something like it on a TV show back home. "Teach me that move, might come in handy." She said. Sara agreed and started to slowly go through the moves during the same time that Rahab was addressing his vampire clan. And the same time that someone was watching the spectacle.
"You got it?" Jythryl nodded, hoping she'd gotten it right. "Okay, try it on me." Jythryl took her position and started to run at Sara, who was smiling. She began the punch when she decided the time was right to switch to the trip. She did it successfully and Sara was falling over backwards. Jythryl kneed her back when Sara cried out in pain from the knee and a second later, Jythryl did as well. Sara got on her side as she landed on the ground with a thud without flying and saw Jythryl with an arrow pierced right through her heart. And to Sara's horror, a deep purple rose, almost black, was attached to the arrow, and a note, in the same handwriting, that said "None will ever hurt you and nor will I leave thee lonely." At that moment, Sara let out the loudest scream she could possibly make, hoping someone other than the vampire stalker could hear her.
"Jy...Jythryl? Hey...Hey, open your eyes..." Sara looked horrified at the arrow and gingerly pulled it out. Almost instantly, Jythryl opened her eyes and looked at Sara, who still wasn't relieved.
"Are you hurt?" She asked immediately. Sara shook her head, but just barely. She was clutching the arrow with the rose to her chest. They could now hear the distant sound of Rahab's voice yelling Sara's name, but Sara couldn't hear it.
"I thought...it was over...but...I guess...I was...wrong," Sara said quietly to no one, even though Jythryl could easily hear what she said.
As Rahab rushed to her side, the sounds of his vampire clan rushing towards the Sarafan could be heard. "Sara? Are you all right?" He turned to Jythryl when he saw the arrow and black rose. "What happened??"
"He shot that arrow right through my heart. Sara pulled it out, but she's been like that the whole time."
"Any idea as to why now?"
"Well, we were practicing-"
"Fighting?"
"Yes, milord. And she was teaching me a move she had created and she told me to try it out on her."
"She WHAT?!"
"She, she taught it to me and told me to see if I could it by doing it on her. I hit her back with my knee when the arrow struck me. I woke up to see her in incredible fright, sire," Jythryl tried to explain. Rahab had to pry the arrow from Sara's hands and he read the note attached.
Suddenly, the whizzing of another arrow reached his ears, and he quickly dodged it. It narrowly missed his own heart and struck his arm instead. He hissed in the direction whence it came, but saw no one. It too, had a note. This one said, but wasn't in neat handwriting, "Keep away from her, Villain!! I only missed your black, cruel, and bloody heart because that's what was intended." Rahab went to reach for Sara when another arrow, without a note, hit the ground between the two. One after the other kept coming, making him keep backing up until there were six arrows in the ground that were spaced an exact foot apart.
He IS a good archer, Rahab thought to himself, noticing how good his aim was. Kain wasn't joking in the slightest when he said he could kill me at anytime. Rahab looked up into the trees, but saw nothing, and his gaze returned longingly at the frightened-stiff Sara. Apparently the archer was kind enough to allow one person near her for her own comfort. Rahab tried to take a step towards her but an arrow immediately appeared in front of his foot with a note that said in large letters " I SAID KEEP AWAY!!!!!!" Then in smaller ones "Go back to you damned army and led them to their fight with the humans. Leave the girl to her own kind: me". There was no doubt left in his mind that it was this stalker who had turned her when she was sleeping. He would pay dearly for that. But for now, Rahab would not leave her sight until they were back within the "safety" of the abbey.
For a long hour, Rahab sat where he been allowed and tried to talk to Sara, but she was frightened out of her mind. She didn't even seem as though she were conscious. Jythryl also tried to talk some sense into her, but nothing seemed to work. Rahab looked into the trees again. If you love her so damn much then why don't even you help her?!!? He thought. He looked back at Sara's frightened form. He decided to risk it and reach an arm towards her. Nothing. As if the stalker had heard what Rahab was thinking, Rahab kept slowly moving towards her, thought a little awkwardly. Finally he made it to where she was within arm's reach of her with no trouble and he held her tightly. Jythryl scooted back a bit and watched solemnly as Sara's muscles seemed to relax. After all the time she'd been staring out into nothing, her eyes finally closed and Rahab was "allowed" to take her back to the abbey, Jythryl following closely behind.
"Sara? Are you awake?" A soft voice was saying.
"Rahab..." Strong arms wrapped around her.
"Thank the gods," said the voice. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out the shape of Rahab as she was set back down. She limply let him take her hands in his, and he kissed them. Sara closed her eyes again. She just wanted to lie and sleep there forever. Maybe, she thought, maybe she could even pull it off. But sleep didn't take over. Rahab's voice kept saying her name over and over, keeping her awake. And he kept asking if she was all right. Of course she was, silly! She just needed a really long nap. "Sara, please, if you can hear me, say something." Oh she'd say something all right. But the words she had picked out didn't all come out the way she wanted them to.
"Want to...sleep..." Was all that came out. She really hoped he didn't take it the wrong way.
"My apologizes, Sara, but I cannot allow you to. Not just yet."
Why?!?! She was perfectly fine!!! Just tired!! Sara let out a small moan of annoyance. The only response she got was a full kiss on the mouth. Well, it wasn't a three hundred year nap, but it would do. She decided to open her eyes. Her vision wasn't blurry now and she could clearly see Rahab smiling lovingly down at her. That fool always knew what to do. Wait, why she calling Rahab a fool? Sara's mind was confused and she raised a hand to her forehead. She also tried to sit up, but Rahab forced her to stay lying down.
"Don't. Just relax," he said.
So she stayed where she was, just looking at her surroundings. Everything was where it had always been. It had to have been at least thirty minutes in total silence before Rahab decided it was all right for Sara to sleep some more. But now she wasn't tired. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do, to be honest. All her emotions were being mixed together in a large bowl and she couldn't decide how she was even feeling. Rahab stood up, but not before kissing her forehead, and left. Sara could now see Jythryl, her husband Treck, and even Rahab's commander Lorent had been sitting closer to the door, watching and waiting. Lorent left with Rahab, but the other two stayed.
"How are you feeling?" Treck asked gently. At that point in time, even with all of the time she'd spent with the vampires, she couldn't remember the last time one of them had spoken to her in such a way.
"I dunno. I feel...really mixed up." Treck nodded and fell silent. The two had been order not to leave Sara out of their sight for any reason. After a while, Sara could hear one of them moan. Apparently one or both of them hadn't fed in a while. "Hungry?" Sara asked. She could tell Jythryl was having a hard time keeping Treck from telling the truth.
"No, not at all," he replied. Another hour passed in silence and Sara had finally fallen asleep. Nothing came in or out. The two guards were getting weaker, and starting to wonder when they'd be getting their break so they could feed. That's when he struck.
"I thought that council meeting would never-" Rahab started to say as he entered his room with Lorent at his side. But then he saw something other than how he'd left the room. Treck and Jythryl were on the floor, either dead or recovering unconscious. Blood was strewn around them. There were no other signs of a struggle. And Sara was gone.
*Gasp* Oh the horror!! Sara's been kidnapped!!...Again...But this time, will Rahab be able to find and rescue her??? Find out next time! (When I get around to it)
