Dawn rose over the town and its dusty roads. The stage rolled in just
as the saloon was settling down in the new day. Some never slept in the
town, some were busy.
"You should stop looking at those boring books and take some interest in more important things," a voluminous woman at the bar said to Erik as he poured through a stack of books in front of him. He looked up and spied Maya smirking at him across the room.
Go ahead, make her day. Maya said in his head. Show her what is more important than her.
Erik looked over at the woman just as the door swung open to admit another nameless and formless shadow. He smiled sweetly and put down the book he was reading.
"Be gone."
The woman's coy look froze on her face as her skin began changing into the color of ash. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as suddenly her body collapsed into itself and blew away in the wind.
Maya began laughing and slowly the entire room began nervously chuckle as well, each thankful it wasn't them. Even the owner was silent in the aftermath.
"That was amusing." Maya said as Erik went back to reading. "What else can my dragon sorcerer do?"
"Read right now." He replied. "I have to prepare for the spell and have no time for anything else."
Maya pouted, "You're no fun."
She looked out the grungy windows and spotted the perfect entertainment: the preacher and his wife. With an evil chuckle, Maya walked out of the saloon.
From the shadows, Adren smiled and sat down at the table. Erik slammed down his book and shouted before looking up.
"Damnation woman!"
When he saw Adren smirking over at him, Erik was silent and his jaw hung agape. In the silence that came Adren picked up one of the books and began flipping through it.
"The Magus? Sounds very boring." Adren said quietly. He picked up another book, "Sixth Book of Moses? Erikthya, I'm ashamed to call you a sorcerer!"
"Adren." Erik replied finally regaining his tongue. He smiled as he reached out and caressed Adren's cheek. "Do you recall our days in Egypt, my love?"
The werewolf slapped his hand away and replied, "I remember you slitting my throat and stabbing me, then if I recall correctly swearing you'd hunt me down and murder me...again"
Everyone around the two was silent and listened to the response that was sure to come. Erik glanced at the people around them, stood and took Adren's arm.
"Let's go somewhere quiet so we can speak with some privacy." He said jerking his soulmate effortlessly to his feet. As he began dragging Adren's resisting body upstairs, Erik noticed the lobo growling at him as she followed them.
He shoved Adren into the first empty room and slammed the door in Luna's face behind him. Then he turned to him and smiled. Adren slowly edged away from him and tripped over his own feet. Erik chuckled as his soulamate scooted away from his advancing form.
"Don't tell me you came all this way to spar with me just to back down." Erik teased. Adren growled at him.
"Oh I'm so scared."
That was the last straw. With a loud roar, Adren dove at Erik sending him and himself crashing through the door, over the railing, landing finally on top of a table that collapsed underneath them.
Adren quickly rolled off his soulmate and punched him across the face before he could get up. Erik caught the fist across the jaw and flew into another table that broke into pieces.
"Now Adren that wasn't very nice of you." Erik said as he slowly rose to his feet. Adren smirked at him.
"Neither is selling me to a bunch of dog fighters." He countered.
"Touché, Adren."
The werewolf chuckled humorlessly and took a seat at an undamaged table soon to be followed by Erik. They stared at each other silently across the table, each waiting for the other to make the first move. In the end, it was Erik who made the first move. He laughed.
"You've changed so much but yet so little. Your eyes still stare at me with innocence yet with such malice. Your hair is as dark as the space between stars just as I remember. But your body, you used to have such a nice body. So curvaceous, plump in the right places and slim in others. Now."
"Now?" Adren inquired hiding his genuine curiosity behind a wall of indifference.
"Now you look so underfed, rangy and gruff." Erik replied. "I can tell you no longer care about your appearance. You haven't shaven today and your hair comes past your shoulders like the hair of a shaggy dog."
Adren smirked, "Considering I used to be treated like one I'm not surprised I look like one."
Erik chuckled, "Still amusing as ever, my love."
"Still as mocking as ever."
He quirked an eyebrow, "Mocking? How am I mocking?"
Adren sighed and straightened in the chair, "You mock me by calling me your love. First you deny and deny the love we once had and now you acknowledge what we had."
Erik gazed at his soulmate fondly, "Had? I'm willing to give it another try."
"Then are you also willing to not attempt waking the dragons? Are you willing to go back on your solemn word to hunt me down and watch me die in every incarnation I come in?"
Erik reached over and took Adren's hand, "I'm willing to go back on my word but I must do this thing for Maya."
Adren took his hand back and rose to his feet, "Then we have nothing else to say." He began to walk out of the door.
"Don't walk away from me, Adren Far-Star!"
He turned back toward him, "Goodbye Erikthya." He once more began walking out of the door. Right as he reached it, a book slammed into the wall near his head. Adren turned again and saw Erik reach for another and throw it at him. With a jerk of his head, Adren avoided it.
"You will not simply walk away from me!" Erik cried.
"Watch me." And then Adren walked out the door onto the dusty streets. A moment later Erik followed.
"Come back here Far-Star!"
Adren stopped and turned around, "The name is Foster, not Far-Star."
Erik sneered as he caught up to his soulmate, "New name for new body? Ha! You're still the scared little woman you always were. Scared of the big bad dragon sorcerer?"
"I'm not frightened of you." Adren replied, "I just see that talking to you is pointless, so I'm leaving."
He began walking away and continued to walk away until he reached the horse barn where the horses began to whinny and buck at his approach. Adren backed away from them into Erik, who spun him around and kissed him.
Bittersweet love flooded them both. Regret for the past, hopelessness for the future. The kiss was everything that could have been. What would have been if the centuries that passed didn't exist. If the present was in another time and place, if they were once again Erikthya the dragon sorcerer and Adren Far-Star the lost witch of the witch queen's line.
"I still love you, Adren Foster." Erik whispered against Adren's lips. "I always will."
"That's too bad!" Cried a new voice, harshly interrupting their dream.
Erik drew back just in time to see three bloody prongs erupt from Adren's chest, narrowly avoiding the same fate himself.
"No!!!!" the dragon sorcerer cried as his soulmate vomited blood and slowly fell to his knees revealing Maya behind him, still holding the offending silver pitchfork in her hands.
"Erik?" Adren whispered and screamed in pain when Maya ripped the pitchfork from his back. She cackled madly at the pain she caused before her.
"What have you done?" Erik whispered turning to Maya in shock.
"I've finally taken care of our little wolf problem." She replied matter of fact like. "Now you may continue unhindered by this filthy pup with our grand plan."
His shock turned to anger as he slid his gaze away from his dying love and to the evil woman who broke his heart. With a growl, Erik threw himself at her and wrestled against her on the hay-covered floor.
It took only a moment and a moment it took for Maya to throw Erik away from her and drive the pitchfork straight through him, pinning him against the opposite wall.
"You're a fool, Erikthya." She spat jerking the pitchfork free and stabbing him again. "We had plans you and I. Plans that didn't involve fairytales full of soulmates and love. They're not real! You hear me?! Not real, crap, garbage, filth!"
Erik laughed despite the pain he felt where the pitchfork pierced his flesh again and again, "I see it now, Maya. I see what you hide beneath that pretty facade of yours."
"She's jealous." Thierry said stepping into the barn. "She never found her soulmate and was jealous when everyone seems to find theirs."
Maya spun towards him as Adren found the strength to inch toward Erik, "Soulmates are just a lie."
"Look at them Maya." Thierry ordered. She turned and watched Adren crawl up to his feet, using Erik's body as a crutch and pulled the pitchfork free. Together they slumped into each other's arms.
"It appears you get to watch me die now, my love." Erik whispered.
Adren chuckled, "No, we're going to walk out of here and find a doc to patch us up."
Erik reached out and caressed Adren's blood smeared face, "It ends now. I will die."
Tears filled the werewolf's eyes, "Don't say that. I-I can heal you and me. I will!"
A glow settled in Adren's hands and floated out toward his soulmate. Erik held his hand out to stop it.
"No. I don't deserve it." He told him. "I want you to watch. Watch as the fire inside me dies once and for all just like I have done so many times before."
"Erik." Adren whimpered and hugged his love tight.
"Soulmates are real Maya." Thierry told her. "Real as the love those two share. Despite the pain, the blood, and death between them. They're meant to be together. Even in death."
Maya watched as Erik breathed his last breath and Adren howl in pain once the knowledge came that his soulmate was gone. And then, she left.
Once she was gone, Thierry rushed to Adren's side. Tears of pain ran down the werewolf's face as he hugged his soulmate's body closer and then finally laid him down beside him.
"I can get you back to ranch in time to treat those wounds you have." The vampire told him.
Adren shook his head, "No. I want you to finish it. Find a nice sharp knife or a gun loaded with silver and end this."
"You can live without---" Thierry began.
Adren shook his head again, "The only way I know I'll see Erik again is if I die. If I stay I'll forever wonder if he's out there. I'd be searching every newborn baby's face for something that might not ever be there in this lifetime." He looked up at the vampire, "I need this, Thierry. Please give it to me."
Thierry rose to his feet and searched the barn for a tool that would do the job. He found the blacksmith left his shotgun in one of the stalls. After glancing in the chamber and seeing the silver shot that was needed, he brought the gun over to Adren.
"When we next meet, Thierry. We'll search for your soulmate first." Adren said with a smile.
The gun went off and then it was over.
"You should stop looking at those boring books and take some interest in more important things," a voluminous woman at the bar said to Erik as he poured through a stack of books in front of him. He looked up and spied Maya smirking at him across the room.
Go ahead, make her day. Maya said in his head. Show her what is more important than her.
Erik looked over at the woman just as the door swung open to admit another nameless and formless shadow. He smiled sweetly and put down the book he was reading.
"Be gone."
The woman's coy look froze on her face as her skin began changing into the color of ash. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as suddenly her body collapsed into itself and blew away in the wind.
Maya began laughing and slowly the entire room began nervously chuckle as well, each thankful it wasn't them. Even the owner was silent in the aftermath.
"That was amusing." Maya said as Erik went back to reading. "What else can my dragon sorcerer do?"
"Read right now." He replied. "I have to prepare for the spell and have no time for anything else."
Maya pouted, "You're no fun."
She looked out the grungy windows and spotted the perfect entertainment: the preacher and his wife. With an evil chuckle, Maya walked out of the saloon.
From the shadows, Adren smiled and sat down at the table. Erik slammed down his book and shouted before looking up.
"Damnation woman!"
When he saw Adren smirking over at him, Erik was silent and his jaw hung agape. In the silence that came Adren picked up one of the books and began flipping through it.
"The Magus? Sounds very boring." Adren said quietly. He picked up another book, "Sixth Book of Moses? Erikthya, I'm ashamed to call you a sorcerer!"
"Adren." Erik replied finally regaining his tongue. He smiled as he reached out and caressed Adren's cheek. "Do you recall our days in Egypt, my love?"
The werewolf slapped his hand away and replied, "I remember you slitting my throat and stabbing me, then if I recall correctly swearing you'd hunt me down and murder me...again"
Everyone around the two was silent and listened to the response that was sure to come. Erik glanced at the people around them, stood and took Adren's arm.
"Let's go somewhere quiet so we can speak with some privacy." He said jerking his soulmate effortlessly to his feet. As he began dragging Adren's resisting body upstairs, Erik noticed the lobo growling at him as she followed them.
He shoved Adren into the first empty room and slammed the door in Luna's face behind him. Then he turned to him and smiled. Adren slowly edged away from him and tripped over his own feet. Erik chuckled as his soulamate scooted away from his advancing form.
"Don't tell me you came all this way to spar with me just to back down." Erik teased. Adren growled at him.
"Oh I'm so scared."
That was the last straw. With a loud roar, Adren dove at Erik sending him and himself crashing through the door, over the railing, landing finally on top of a table that collapsed underneath them.
Adren quickly rolled off his soulmate and punched him across the face before he could get up. Erik caught the fist across the jaw and flew into another table that broke into pieces.
"Now Adren that wasn't very nice of you." Erik said as he slowly rose to his feet. Adren smirked at him.
"Neither is selling me to a bunch of dog fighters." He countered.
"Touché, Adren."
The werewolf chuckled humorlessly and took a seat at an undamaged table soon to be followed by Erik. They stared at each other silently across the table, each waiting for the other to make the first move. In the end, it was Erik who made the first move. He laughed.
"You've changed so much but yet so little. Your eyes still stare at me with innocence yet with such malice. Your hair is as dark as the space between stars just as I remember. But your body, you used to have such a nice body. So curvaceous, plump in the right places and slim in others. Now."
"Now?" Adren inquired hiding his genuine curiosity behind a wall of indifference.
"Now you look so underfed, rangy and gruff." Erik replied. "I can tell you no longer care about your appearance. You haven't shaven today and your hair comes past your shoulders like the hair of a shaggy dog."
Adren smirked, "Considering I used to be treated like one I'm not surprised I look like one."
Erik chuckled, "Still amusing as ever, my love."
"Still as mocking as ever."
He quirked an eyebrow, "Mocking? How am I mocking?"
Adren sighed and straightened in the chair, "You mock me by calling me your love. First you deny and deny the love we once had and now you acknowledge what we had."
Erik gazed at his soulmate fondly, "Had? I'm willing to give it another try."
"Then are you also willing to not attempt waking the dragons? Are you willing to go back on your solemn word to hunt me down and watch me die in every incarnation I come in?"
Erik reached over and took Adren's hand, "I'm willing to go back on my word but I must do this thing for Maya."
Adren took his hand back and rose to his feet, "Then we have nothing else to say." He began to walk out of the door.
"Don't walk away from me, Adren Far-Star!"
He turned back toward him, "Goodbye Erikthya." He once more began walking out of the door. Right as he reached it, a book slammed into the wall near his head. Adren turned again and saw Erik reach for another and throw it at him. With a jerk of his head, Adren avoided it.
"You will not simply walk away from me!" Erik cried.
"Watch me." And then Adren walked out the door onto the dusty streets. A moment later Erik followed.
"Come back here Far-Star!"
Adren stopped and turned around, "The name is Foster, not Far-Star."
Erik sneered as he caught up to his soulmate, "New name for new body? Ha! You're still the scared little woman you always were. Scared of the big bad dragon sorcerer?"
"I'm not frightened of you." Adren replied, "I just see that talking to you is pointless, so I'm leaving."
He began walking away and continued to walk away until he reached the horse barn where the horses began to whinny and buck at his approach. Adren backed away from them into Erik, who spun him around and kissed him.
Bittersweet love flooded them both. Regret for the past, hopelessness for the future. The kiss was everything that could have been. What would have been if the centuries that passed didn't exist. If the present was in another time and place, if they were once again Erikthya the dragon sorcerer and Adren Far-Star the lost witch of the witch queen's line.
"I still love you, Adren Foster." Erik whispered against Adren's lips. "I always will."
"That's too bad!" Cried a new voice, harshly interrupting their dream.
Erik drew back just in time to see three bloody prongs erupt from Adren's chest, narrowly avoiding the same fate himself.
"No!!!!" the dragon sorcerer cried as his soulmate vomited blood and slowly fell to his knees revealing Maya behind him, still holding the offending silver pitchfork in her hands.
"Erik?" Adren whispered and screamed in pain when Maya ripped the pitchfork from his back. She cackled madly at the pain she caused before her.
"What have you done?" Erik whispered turning to Maya in shock.
"I've finally taken care of our little wolf problem." She replied matter of fact like. "Now you may continue unhindered by this filthy pup with our grand plan."
His shock turned to anger as he slid his gaze away from his dying love and to the evil woman who broke his heart. With a growl, Erik threw himself at her and wrestled against her on the hay-covered floor.
It took only a moment and a moment it took for Maya to throw Erik away from her and drive the pitchfork straight through him, pinning him against the opposite wall.
"You're a fool, Erikthya." She spat jerking the pitchfork free and stabbing him again. "We had plans you and I. Plans that didn't involve fairytales full of soulmates and love. They're not real! You hear me?! Not real, crap, garbage, filth!"
Erik laughed despite the pain he felt where the pitchfork pierced his flesh again and again, "I see it now, Maya. I see what you hide beneath that pretty facade of yours."
"She's jealous." Thierry said stepping into the barn. "She never found her soulmate and was jealous when everyone seems to find theirs."
Maya spun towards him as Adren found the strength to inch toward Erik, "Soulmates are just a lie."
"Look at them Maya." Thierry ordered. She turned and watched Adren crawl up to his feet, using Erik's body as a crutch and pulled the pitchfork free. Together they slumped into each other's arms.
"It appears you get to watch me die now, my love." Erik whispered.
Adren chuckled, "No, we're going to walk out of here and find a doc to patch us up."
Erik reached out and caressed Adren's blood smeared face, "It ends now. I will die."
Tears filled the werewolf's eyes, "Don't say that. I-I can heal you and me. I will!"
A glow settled in Adren's hands and floated out toward his soulmate. Erik held his hand out to stop it.
"No. I don't deserve it." He told him. "I want you to watch. Watch as the fire inside me dies once and for all just like I have done so many times before."
"Erik." Adren whimpered and hugged his love tight.
"Soulmates are real Maya." Thierry told her. "Real as the love those two share. Despite the pain, the blood, and death between them. They're meant to be together. Even in death."
Maya watched as Erik breathed his last breath and Adren howl in pain once the knowledge came that his soulmate was gone. And then, she left.
Once she was gone, Thierry rushed to Adren's side. Tears of pain ran down the werewolf's face as he hugged his soulmate's body closer and then finally laid him down beside him.
"I can get you back to ranch in time to treat those wounds you have." The vampire told him.
Adren shook his head, "No. I want you to finish it. Find a nice sharp knife or a gun loaded with silver and end this."
"You can live without---" Thierry began.
Adren shook his head again, "The only way I know I'll see Erik again is if I die. If I stay I'll forever wonder if he's out there. I'd be searching every newborn baby's face for something that might not ever be there in this lifetime." He looked up at the vampire, "I need this, Thierry. Please give it to me."
Thierry rose to his feet and searched the barn for a tool that would do the job. He found the blacksmith left his shotgun in one of the stalls. After glancing in the chamber and seeing the silver shot that was needed, he brought the gun over to Adren.
"When we next meet, Thierry. We'll search for your soulmate first." Adren said with a smile.
The gun went off and then it was over.