In addition to his martial arts training, Yuri began lessons at the local
school. He quickly became friends with Sasha and his cousin Clara, who had
recently moved from Germany. The three rapidly became notorious for their
ability to cause trouble but not be found at the scene of the crime.
The three, currently hiding from the fallout from their last prank, were perched precariously in a tree, eating their spoils, a freshly cooked apple pie.
"Hey Clara," Yuri began. "Yeah Yuri?" she replied.
"When we grow up, do you want to marry me?" he asked in the seriousness that only a ten year old could muster. She looked at him and giggled.
"'Kay! Just we have to wait until we're older, like.." Clara paused as she thought of a suitably old age. "14. That's plenty old." Sasha looked at his cousin.
"What about me?" Clara considered the question.
"I know! You can marry Hilda!" Sasha shuddered, then glared at her.
"She's got cooties! I'm not marrying her!" Clara sniffed and looked down her snub nose at Sasha.
"That's mean! I don't like you Sasha!" And with that Clara slid down the tree. She stared up into the branches at the two boys. "I'm going home now. See ya!" Clara disappeared from sight. The boys looked at each other, then Yuri pulled a snake from his pocket.
"Check it out. Isn't it cool? Auntie Katerina says that it won't bite or nothing." Sasha examined the snake.
"Cool!" he commented in appropriately awestruck tones. A sly grin crossed his face, but Yuri didn't notice. He did, however, notice the mud that slid down his shirt. Yuri spun around.and fell out of the tree.
"Yuri! Are you all right?" Sasha called as he slid down the tree. Yuri opened his eyes, which had closed from the impact.
"Yeah! Where did you get the mud from anyway? We were up a tree!" Yuri demanded. Sasha looked at his feet, and then glanced up to Yuri's scowling face.
"I, um, put some in a container when Mrs Rostivok stopped chasing us with the frying pan. Thought it could be useful." Sasha looked down at his feet again, then shot his head up when something wet and squishy hit his face. His hand reached up to his face and touched the substance, which had a remarkable resemblance to mud. He wiped it off and attempted to glare at Yuri, only to find that he was gone.
"You'd better watch out!" Sasha screamed, then ran after him, tackling him to the ground in an unexpected mud puddle. A bout of mud wrestling followed halted only by Sasha's gasp.
"What?!" Yuri demanded, looking somewhat worse for wear. Sasha looked at him, his appearance just as bad as Yuri's.
"It's Mum's birthday and I forgot! She's gonna kill me!" Sasha dragged himself from the mud and tried to wipe as much mud off as possible. All he succeeded in doing was to smear mud all over himself and splatter Yuri with the excess mud. Before Yuri could retaliate however, Sasha disappeared into the forest, heading back to his house.
Yuri shrugged, which dislodged a fair amount of mud, and commented, "Guess I should head back too." He did not smear the mud around, having learnt from Sasha's example, instead washing the mud off in the creek on the way home.
The next two was spent in the same manner. Clara would think of the devious plan, while Yuri and Sasha would actually execute it. While to an outsider it may sound unfair, to the Troublesome Trio, as they became to be known as, it seemed perfect. Yuri and Sasha were incapable of strategising, while Clara would freeze in action.
This all changed a week after Yuri's thirteenth birthday. Clara had been acting strangely of late, having recurring nightmares and refusing to speak. Her understandably concerned parents asked to speak to Yuri and Sasha.
"Hello Alexander and Yuri," Clara's father said gravely. "Clara's mother and I were wondering if you knew anything about Clara's behaviour." The two boys shook their heads. "Are you sure? Have you seen anything? Anyone strange?" They shook their heads again. "Okay. I'm sorry to worry you two. You seem like nice boys. Run along now."
Once outside, Sasha turned to Yuri. "What was that all about?" Yuri shrugged.
"Dunno." He meant to continue, but Katerina called him over to tell him off about neglecting his chores. Sasha, not wishing to be found by his mother because he too had not milked the cow, disappeared into the forest.
That night Yuri was plagued with a strange dream. Clara stood in a graveyard the graveyard. She screamed and souls escaped from her mouth, spilling in all directions. She turned and looked directly at Yuri. "Harmonixer! Accept your destiny! Drink these souls!" She screamed at him, and gestured with her hand. The souls congregated into a large entity and sped toward him. Yuri began to run, but his feet seemed glued to the ground. If he could only reach the gate, he could wake up, escape from the demon that Clara had become. He moved slowly, as though running through sand and his fingers brushed the gate. However, a touch of frost landed on his shoulder. The souls had caught him. He screamed as they entered him. He closed his eyes and waited for his destruction.
His eyes flew open. Breath ragged, Yuri looked around the room. Lit by candlelight, the familiar objects inside his room reminded him that his dream was just that, a dream. Yet it seemed real, but what was Clara doing in the Graveyard of the Harmonixers? Yuri peeled the sweat-soaked sheets from his trembling body, and then began searching for the book about Harmonixing. Katerina thought she still had it, but he had taken it back last summer as a dare. 'A oddly prophetic action,' he thought dryly. He flicked through the book, but found nothing immediately useful.
"She's a Soul Well" Death Emperor commented at the back of his mind.
"A what?" Yuri asked aloud. "And what are you doing? I thought you'd gone!" Death Emperor chuckled.
"How can I go anywhere? I'm part of your soul, remember?" Yuri remembered all too well. "However, before you lose your sanity again, let me tell you this. Your friend is a Soul Well, one who is empathic toward the dead. It's a rare gift." Yuri nodded, then asked, "How come she was in the Graveyard? I thought only Harmonixers go there."
"A Soul Well normally doesn't. She's being driven mad by the souls screaming for the darkness to leave. In case your insignificant mind is unable to grasp what that means, you're killing her. Like your mother, the girl will die thanks to your soul's taint."
Yuri stood up. "I'll leave now! Maybe if I leave, she'll get better." He was about to leave when a gut wrenching scream rung out into the night.
"Too late. Oh, and by the way, I'd recommend that you start running." Death Emperor retreated again. "What? Why?" Yuri asked, then received his answer. A duet of screams rang out, Clara's mother and father. Their song of terror was cut short abruptly. Their house then exploded and a luminescent entity moved into the street, searching for those still alive.
Yuri stood at the window, frozen by what he saw. "Run damn you! Run!" Yuri ignored the voice. "Maybe," he whispered, "It might be better if I died here with Sasha, Clara and.." his voice stuttered to a halt. "Auntie Katerina"
"Don't wallow in your self-pity boy! Move!"
"No." Defiance emanating from every pore, Yuri was determined to die with his family, like he should have when his mother died.
"Fine. You may want to die, but I DON'T! You've just forfeited your body to me, boy!" Death Emperor reached into the glowing wellspring that was Yuri's talent, and brought himself forth. This action, once again, was too much for Yuri's sanity. His mind splintered, he retreated screaming wordlessly into the dark recesses of his mind.
Authors Note: Hey again! I'm sick with the 'flu, bored out of my mind and desperately wanting reviews! (Yes, I'm addicted to reviews - gimme!) Thanks to all, and yes Aenea I know very well who you are. Can I read your stories yet? If you haven't already worked it out, this is probably going to be a very long story, seeing as though I haven't got up to when and why Yuri accepts that he is a harmonixer, or meets Fox Face, or even begins hunting monsters (although that is coming very soon).
Nights Mistress
The three, currently hiding from the fallout from their last prank, were perched precariously in a tree, eating their spoils, a freshly cooked apple pie.
"Hey Clara," Yuri began. "Yeah Yuri?" she replied.
"When we grow up, do you want to marry me?" he asked in the seriousness that only a ten year old could muster. She looked at him and giggled.
"'Kay! Just we have to wait until we're older, like.." Clara paused as she thought of a suitably old age. "14. That's plenty old." Sasha looked at his cousin.
"What about me?" Clara considered the question.
"I know! You can marry Hilda!" Sasha shuddered, then glared at her.
"She's got cooties! I'm not marrying her!" Clara sniffed and looked down her snub nose at Sasha.
"That's mean! I don't like you Sasha!" And with that Clara slid down the tree. She stared up into the branches at the two boys. "I'm going home now. See ya!" Clara disappeared from sight. The boys looked at each other, then Yuri pulled a snake from his pocket.
"Check it out. Isn't it cool? Auntie Katerina says that it won't bite or nothing." Sasha examined the snake.
"Cool!" he commented in appropriately awestruck tones. A sly grin crossed his face, but Yuri didn't notice. He did, however, notice the mud that slid down his shirt. Yuri spun around.and fell out of the tree.
"Yuri! Are you all right?" Sasha called as he slid down the tree. Yuri opened his eyes, which had closed from the impact.
"Yeah! Where did you get the mud from anyway? We were up a tree!" Yuri demanded. Sasha looked at his feet, and then glanced up to Yuri's scowling face.
"I, um, put some in a container when Mrs Rostivok stopped chasing us with the frying pan. Thought it could be useful." Sasha looked down at his feet again, then shot his head up when something wet and squishy hit his face. His hand reached up to his face and touched the substance, which had a remarkable resemblance to mud. He wiped it off and attempted to glare at Yuri, only to find that he was gone.
"You'd better watch out!" Sasha screamed, then ran after him, tackling him to the ground in an unexpected mud puddle. A bout of mud wrestling followed halted only by Sasha's gasp.
"What?!" Yuri demanded, looking somewhat worse for wear. Sasha looked at him, his appearance just as bad as Yuri's.
"It's Mum's birthday and I forgot! She's gonna kill me!" Sasha dragged himself from the mud and tried to wipe as much mud off as possible. All he succeeded in doing was to smear mud all over himself and splatter Yuri with the excess mud. Before Yuri could retaliate however, Sasha disappeared into the forest, heading back to his house.
Yuri shrugged, which dislodged a fair amount of mud, and commented, "Guess I should head back too." He did not smear the mud around, having learnt from Sasha's example, instead washing the mud off in the creek on the way home.
The next two was spent in the same manner. Clara would think of the devious plan, while Yuri and Sasha would actually execute it. While to an outsider it may sound unfair, to the Troublesome Trio, as they became to be known as, it seemed perfect. Yuri and Sasha were incapable of strategising, while Clara would freeze in action.
This all changed a week after Yuri's thirteenth birthday. Clara had been acting strangely of late, having recurring nightmares and refusing to speak. Her understandably concerned parents asked to speak to Yuri and Sasha.
"Hello Alexander and Yuri," Clara's father said gravely. "Clara's mother and I were wondering if you knew anything about Clara's behaviour." The two boys shook their heads. "Are you sure? Have you seen anything? Anyone strange?" They shook their heads again. "Okay. I'm sorry to worry you two. You seem like nice boys. Run along now."
Once outside, Sasha turned to Yuri. "What was that all about?" Yuri shrugged.
"Dunno." He meant to continue, but Katerina called him over to tell him off about neglecting his chores. Sasha, not wishing to be found by his mother because he too had not milked the cow, disappeared into the forest.
That night Yuri was plagued with a strange dream. Clara stood in a graveyard the graveyard. She screamed and souls escaped from her mouth, spilling in all directions. She turned and looked directly at Yuri. "Harmonixer! Accept your destiny! Drink these souls!" She screamed at him, and gestured with her hand. The souls congregated into a large entity and sped toward him. Yuri began to run, but his feet seemed glued to the ground. If he could only reach the gate, he could wake up, escape from the demon that Clara had become. He moved slowly, as though running through sand and his fingers brushed the gate. However, a touch of frost landed on his shoulder. The souls had caught him. He screamed as they entered him. He closed his eyes and waited for his destruction.
His eyes flew open. Breath ragged, Yuri looked around the room. Lit by candlelight, the familiar objects inside his room reminded him that his dream was just that, a dream. Yet it seemed real, but what was Clara doing in the Graveyard of the Harmonixers? Yuri peeled the sweat-soaked sheets from his trembling body, and then began searching for the book about Harmonixing. Katerina thought she still had it, but he had taken it back last summer as a dare. 'A oddly prophetic action,' he thought dryly. He flicked through the book, but found nothing immediately useful.
"She's a Soul Well" Death Emperor commented at the back of his mind.
"A what?" Yuri asked aloud. "And what are you doing? I thought you'd gone!" Death Emperor chuckled.
"How can I go anywhere? I'm part of your soul, remember?" Yuri remembered all too well. "However, before you lose your sanity again, let me tell you this. Your friend is a Soul Well, one who is empathic toward the dead. It's a rare gift." Yuri nodded, then asked, "How come she was in the Graveyard? I thought only Harmonixers go there."
"A Soul Well normally doesn't. She's being driven mad by the souls screaming for the darkness to leave. In case your insignificant mind is unable to grasp what that means, you're killing her. Like your mother, the girl will die thanks to your soul's taint."
Yuri stood up. "I'll leave now! Maybe if I leave, she'll get better." He was about to leave when a gut wrenching scream rung out into the night.
"Too late. Oh, and by the way, I'd recommend that you start running." Death Emperor retreated again. "What? Why?" Yuri asked, then received his answer. A duet of screams rang out, Clara's mother and father. Their song of terror was cut short abruptly. Their house then exploded and a luminescent entity moved into the street, searching for those still alive.
Yuri stood at the window, frozen by what he saw. "Run damn you! Run!" Yuri ignored the voice. "Maybe," he whispered, "It might be better if I died here with Sasha, Clara and.." his voice stuttered to a halt. "Auntie Katerina"
"Don't wallow in your self-pity boy! Move!"
"No." Defiance emanating from every pore, Yuri was determined to die with his family, like he should have when his mother died.
"Fine. You may want to die, but I DON'T! You've just forfeited your body to me, boy!" Death Emperor reached into the glowing wellspring that was Yuri's talent, and brought himself forth. This action, once again, was too much for Yuri's sanity. His mind splintered, he retreated screaming wordlessly into the dark recesses of his mind.
Authors Note: Hey again! I'm sick with the 'flu, bored out of my mind and desperately wanting reviews! (Yes, I'm addicted to reviews - gimme!) Thanks to all, and yes Aenea I know very well who you are. Can I read your stories yet? If you haven't already worked it out, this is probably going to be a very long story, seeing as though I haven't got up to when and why Yuri accepts that he is a harmonixer, or meets Fox Face, or even begins hunting monsters (although that is coming very soon).
Nights Mistress