A doorway was covered in growth and mud was built up at the edge. She had to tear away the vines and get on her knees to dig away the mud at the base. It felt strange feeling cool mud on three digit hands. Her new hands easily cut through the mud whereas her old ones would have only dug grooves at a time. Out of breath, she tried the door's ring knob. It squealed opened and nearly fell off the hinges.

She wedged the door closed, after making sure her wings were safely inside with her and wouldn't be smashed in the door. They were bothersome; the doctors will have to amputate them for sure.

She wanted to sit down and relax. Her chest was heaving from exhaustion. How could she have so easily tired from just digging? Was something wrong with her? Well, of course there was something wrong with her! Look at her, she looked like a freak. She looked at her muddy talons and they almost gleamed through the dull mess of the mud. She dropped them to her sides and hefted her bag to her shoulder. She leaned heavily against the wall and used the stick for support; she made her way down the hall.

Strands of light cut through the dark pit of the hall, allowing her see, though strangely she was sure she could see with out the light. A pool of light on the stone floor greeted her in a large room. It may have been a grand hall or a just a very large chamber for all she knew. She collapsed within the sunlight with her wings beneath her.

To her disgust they had been dragged through the mud and the feather were stuck together. She tried to wipe the mud away and only managed to painfully remove some feathers. She gave up, what was the point? They were going to be removed soon anyhow.

She dug through her bag and got her cell-phone. She checked the battery and it was still there, the people had not tried to remove it. She clumsily dialed 911 with a huge digit. She wondered what she should say. 'Hello, 911 Emergency? I just escape from this secret lab with the help of this monster demon and now I'm stuck in the middle of no where with black wings and blue skin. Could you send someone to help me?'

The phone emitted a scratchy static that almost her hurt her sensitive hearing. No signal? Okay, no problem, just need to get outside. She hated to go all the way down the hall. She was exhausted enough from that. She looked up at opening between the wall and ceiling that the light was coming through. She held the phone out toward it and pressed redial.                    

Static.

She walked closer and tried again.

Static.

She got to the base of the wall.

Static.

Vines had grown through the walls and down through the hole. She put the phone between her teeth and climbed up the vines. Her wings hung down, pulling at her back painfully.

She held onto the wall, her newly sharp teeth were leaving imprints in the plastic of the cell-phone. She managed to haul herself to the edge of the shaft. She took the phone from her mouth, noting the teeth marks on it "Oh, Jesus, please let this work. Please. I don't want to be stuck out here like this. Please."  She pressed redial.

She could hear the static before she could bring it to her ear. "Shit!" A vine snapped beneath her weight and she fell 15 ft. Her heart nearly stopped for the seconds of unfeeling terror and then she hit the stone floor.

Her wings prevented her from breaking her arm or smashing her head on the stone. They crumbled beneath her and the floor, somewhat cushioning her body. She lay there dazed, her wings bent at painful odd angles. She sat up shaking touching her head. The phone lay nearby broken. The plastic case had popped apart and the insides spilt out.

"Dammit dammit dammit." She pulled herself frantically to it and gently picked it to prevent more damage. Okay, she has it, but now where does what go where?

She arranged the mechanics where they look like they should; the keys went through the keyholes, okay that she knew. After she put where everything looked like it was suppose to go, she tried to pop the plastic back together. She squeezed harder and harder, her talons started shaking, then plick. The phone broke in half in her grasp, ruined.

She stared at it, the deep dread and self anger that had been stewing within was now bubbling up. With a shout of rage she threw the destroyed phone at the far wall. It hit with a slap and fell beyond ruin where it would remain for several years until an adventuring young man would find it and think it a relic of some past race.

She began to hit her thigh anger with herself for being too lazy to simply go down the hall outside. She stopped with short breaths and huddle in anger at her new body, the smashed phone, and at herself.

"Okay, okay, okay. So the goddamn phone isn't working. That's OKAY! Just got to sit tight and wait for someone to…Shit, no one is going to come here."

She breathed to herself. She pulled her knees to her chest, almost sitting on her lifeless wings and buried her face into her knees. She wouldn't allow herself to cry, though she felt that a good one was needed now. "Someone may come. Just wait here for a while. If no one comes then. go. get. SHIT!!!"

            Hopelessness overwhelmed her. Back in the city if she was lost she stopped and asked for directions or read a map. If that didn't work call somebody for directions or to come get you. Out here she had no one for direction and no phone thanks to her laziness. A wave of panic was about to overcome her. She held back hot tears and realized she was trembling.

"My, aren't you a strange sight." A thick rich voice spoke.

She snapped her head up to see a dark figure in the shadows. Hope bloomed within her; already someone had came. All that fear for nothing. Her dismay fled leaving her almost fatigue with relief.

"Thank God, you came. I thought was going to have to spend the night here." Amber said, getting unsteadily to her feet. "I may look bad, but I'm not dangerous. I'm not going to hurt anybody, but please, you need to call the police for me."

The man laughed. She looked at him, feeling creeps of panic resurface. Did he think she was in costume and was performing for him?

"Child, I believe that I'm far more dangerous than you. If there is anybody in this room that is going to hurt someone, I believe that would be me." Amber backed away carefully. The man took a step forward. She could see that he was tall and muscular, his arms were cross and she could feel his eyes on her. She didn't know what to say. Was this man dangerous or was he just trying to scare her? Or did he really think that she was playacting and he was playing along?

"I don't think you understand." She started. "I'm not playing. I'm serious. This isn't a suit or a costume."

"I know it isn't." He replied curtly. "And you're right that I do not understand. I don't understand what you are doing here."

"I'm sorry if I'm trespassing. I don't know how I got here and I didn't see any signs, so I just came in here to."

"Ah, I see I frighten you." The man said, and he sounded very pleased by this fact. "Fear not, I did not come to run you off. What name do you go by?" His words did little to ease her fears.

"Amber..Amber Lees."

"Amber Lees." The man rolled her name in his mouth. "That is not a Valeran name.  Do you know what you are?"

"Yes, human." She said.

"Human?"

"Was, actually. I mean I am, but different. They did this to me. They changed me into this. It's going to go away soon though. I mean, I may have to take something or some surgery or something."

The man's stare burned into her. God, she was babbling. Why didn't this man just stop fooling around and get her to a phone?

"You smell different."

"What?"

"Your smell is unknown to me, yet it is familiar."

"You can smell me?" Great, this guy was a freaking weirdo. She gritted her teeth and said, "Look, you can smell me later, but for right now can you please take me to a phone so I can call the police?"
            "I don't know what this "phone" is, but you won't find one in Nosgoth, child."           

            "Quit it! Quit playing with me! It's not funny and it's not helping me. I'm serious! I'm being dead serious about this!"
            "So am I."

"You are not being serious."

"I wasn't talking about being serious; I was talking about being dead."

"Jesus Christ! You're a fucking weirdo, you know that."

"Very well, child, I've toyed with you enough for now. Though I think it wiser for you to come with me now, I'll leave you on your own, for tonight. But I leave you with this warning. The Serephan are afoot in this swamp. If they find you, they'll kill you. You're safe here for tonight, but I strongly suggest you find a safer haven further north before dawn."

"Thank you, I'll set my alarm clock." Amber replied coolly.  He wasn't really going to leave her here was he?

Before she could say 'don't go' he stepped back and was gone.  A chill crawled down her spine; he was just gone, like the shadows swallowed him.  There were no retreated footsteps or any sound telling her he was still there and leaving.  No man can leave like that, can they?

She hadn't really saw him that well, so how can she be sure that he was a man at all to begin with?  Goosebumps pricked along to light blue skin making her want to rub her arms. 

The weirdo had left the building.

            Amber awoke to find the hole in the ceiling edged with ice and snow was drifting in through. She sat up among her wings and the clothes she had used as blankets. She rubbed her face forcing her eyes to focus. She had half expected to wake up in the small room she had been kept in, but relief and dread filled her when she realized that yesterday was no dream.
            She crouched against the wall bundled in the extra pants she slipped into and the unbuttoned shirt she was forced to wear backwards because of her wings prevented anything going over her head.

Her wings, though hated, had provided immense amount of warmth if folded against her body. She felt sore and stiffness in her muscles from sleeping in an awkward position. She shifted only slightly to get comfortable. She knew she shouldn't go to sleep, but yet she was so warm within her wings and it was so cold out.

She snuggled into her wings, but before she could unwillingly doze off, her sharp ears picked up a sound from outside. A crunching sound then clicking down the hall. She turned her head to that direction and saw a faint glowing light.

"Use caution, brethren. You know how these demons love dark holes."  A man's voice whispered.

She froze and listened. The sound of footsteps was getting closer. She forced her stiff muscles to move and grab her bag. She remembered the man's warning. This couldn't be real. This had to be make believe or a dream.

It was getting darker, yet she could still make her way down the hall. She didn't know it, but her new golden eyes were preventing her from wandering lost in the dark.                   

"Why don't we just set the damn thing on fire?" A deep impatient voice said. "I don't see any need to come into this cold hole."

"Because stone doesn't burn, brother." Another voice said.

It had a higher tone to it as if it was coming from a smaller man than the deeper voice. "Besides this is more fun."

"It'll be less fun if you two don't shut your holes before you warn the vampires of our position." A voice with authority threatened.

"Too late."  Amber thought as she moved down the hall away from them.

 She tried to control her breathing. The cold was making her want to take deep, panting breaths, but she was afraid that she'd make too much sound. She leaned against the wall frightened and cold. The thin cotton shirt she was wearing was not meant to be worn in the cold.

Oh god, she was scared. What if she had landed up in some sort of institution with a bunch of crazies that believe in vampires and the orderlies let them loose in some sort of preserve so they can 'hunt' vampires.

There was no telling what they would do if they saw her.  They would very much consider her a 'vampire'.  She could still hear them getting closer. She was afraid that they were moving faster than she could.

She pushed herself off the wall and continued, keeping a hand on the wall for support.

"If they find you, they'll kill you."

She could hear her heart pounding so loud that she was afraid that the men down the hall could hear it. What were they called? Sarafin? Serephan? Isn't that a name of angels?

Her foot kicked a stone. It skittered across the floor with a soft scratching sound, but to her ears it was like a siren going off. She held her breath and prayed that it wasn't loud enough for them hear. The silence that followed was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Okay, I guess they didn't hear…"

"There's something up ahead!"

"Shit!" She hissed as she clambered onward. Their footsteps were getting louder now. They were moving faster now that they were certain they had game ahead of them.

She put her full weight against a wall out of breath. Maybe this was a movie set and the actors were really getting way into their part?

Then she fell through the wall with a scream. She scraped her knees on the fallen stone and barely missed hitting her head on another stone.  Snow slapped against her bare back as she fell among the stones.  Her wings sprawled from her body and she would have made a comical sight if the situation wasn't life and death.   

Were the stones in one wall so loose that her weight alone set them free? Anyway she had to get out of there. The collapsing wall made too much noise not to be ignored by the group of crazies. She pushed herself to her feet, grabbed her bag, and stumbled across the snow, nearly tripping over the fallen stones and into a nearby ditch.

She winced as her bare feet crunched through the snow.  Her numb feet broke through the ice and into the freezing water beneath. She squelched a scream of shock and pain and forced herself to huddle in the water.  She shivered as the freezing water soaked through her pants legs and stabbed at her skin.

She looked over the edge of the snow slope at the hole in the ruins she made. She could hear shuffling from within and a figure appeared at her exit. Her eyes widen in shock and fear.

The man was clad in armor as a medieval knight. He carried a long staff with a knife like ax at the end in one hand and the other grabbed at the stone surrounding the hole as he looked out over the snow.  A large helmet with horns that should belong to some mythical beast crowned the top.   

This isn't real. This couldn't be real. This had to be a movie or a play or something other than real. She held her breath and watched.

"There! Something came through here. I see the tracks!" The man said with authority. Her breath caught in her throat as he pointed in her direction.

Dammit!!!  How could she have forgotten that her stumbling would make such a mess in the snow!?

She turned, slinging the bag to her arm, and dug her claws into the turf and pulled herself put of the ditch and away from the knight. She heard a yell and snow crunching under many feet. Her feet kicked up white clouds as she scrambled through the snow. She could hear them behind her and gaining.

Something whizzed past her sharp ear and then a thunk.  An arrow exploded into a tree barely a half a foot from her head.  Splinters of bark pecked at her cheek.  She screamed and fell forward, arms coming up to protect her head. 

"We got it!  We got the beast!"

"Get away from me!"

A tall man wearing green armor was crossing the ditch gripping his staff firmly in his gloved hands.  It was clear what his intentions were. 

Amber clawed at the snow to get a foothold and run, but fatigue, exhaustion from the stress and hysteria of what had been happening to her for almost months caught with her and she relaxed.

The Saraphan was getting his boots wet in the broken ice that Amber had broken in her struggle to live which was disappeared moments ago.

Maybe it was better this way?  Right?

The Saraphan was climbing up the slope keeping his blood lust eyes on her stilled form,

There's no guarantee that there is a cure for her.  Right?

He was keeping his eyes on her seeing if she planning to try anything.

Better to die than live like a freak, right?

He was certain that she was offering no resistance to her demise.  He raised his staff, the blade seeming to be hungry for her blood.

Right?

The blade descending and a dying cry echoed throughout the wooded area followed by a scream.

Amber screamed as the headless body fell on top of her and the now useless staff landed with a soft crunch nearby.  A splash sounded behind her and luckily she didn't realize that it was the head of the Saraphan landing in the ditch.

"Damn!  Another one!"

"A trap!"

"Send for reinforcements!"

Amber shoved the body off and scooted away from it.  Her skin seemed to scream where it touched her.  Something wet and warm was sliding down her back and she knew it wasn't melted snow.

Legs claded in red velvet pants and calf high light blue boots came into her vision out of no where.  Her eyes followed the legs up to a being that could not be possibly human. 

The 'man' had dark green skin; it could almost be mistaken for a dark brown.  His face held wolfish and bat-like features.  Twin bat ears were perched on his bald head and appeared that they could swerve and lay like a cat's. 

He wore a red tunic complete with frills and lace around the collar and opened ended sleeves.  Amber had thought that when men wore lace they didn't look as masculine, but the lace did nothing to hamper this creature's masculinity.  A large jeweled clasped was at his throat and it gleamed at her like a blood red eye.  A sword was gripped in a three digit hand (much like her own to her horror).  The sword's blade was wavy like a wind sign, but it looked lethal and deadly.

As the Saraphan were approaching carefully fully armed with swords and axe like staves, the creature bared his teeth into a hungry grin.  Sharp fangs grazed his bottom lip and gleamed like cold steel.  Amber had a feeling of who would win this battle.  Amber scrambled to get behind him; she sure as hell didn't want to get be in front of him when the inevitable fight started.  She huddled four feet behind him and leaned against a tree.  She didn't feel safe huddled there, but she knew it was safer than being any closer to the creature.

The first man charged forward staff poised for the creature's heart.  The creature parried the staff automatically almost at the last minute, but from the feral grin on his face, it told her that he parried it at exactly the time he wanted to.

The warrior spun to deliver a chop to the creatures head.  The creature danced back, his heel barely missing Amber's right wing, then he came forward so fast, he was almost a blur.  A sickening rip screech into Amber's ears and the man was screaming, his bulging eyes gawking at a bloody stump that had been his hand holding the staff.  The creature ended the man's scream by jamming his sword through the man's throat.  The man died with a gurgle and fell, his blood further staining the snow.  

Amber stared, her breaths coming faster and deeper till she was hyperventilating.  She didn't know it, but her blue lips were trembling as was her whole body.  She saw it all in the blur that was the creature's attack.  A scream and red rushing from fatal wounds each time, but it wasn't until the very end that what she saw made her black out.

The creature stood about the dead bodies and then he held his arms out as if he was going to be crucified at the cross.  Amber felt something pull toward him, no, he was pulling it to him.

She felt something cold and warm at her foot.  She looked down to see blood soaking the snow at spread to her right foot.  She yelped and scrambled from it, and then she froze when she saw it.

The blood stain was moving away from her, toward the creature.  The blood everywhere was moving toward him then emerged from the snow and lifted in jet streams of red ribbon to him.  He opened his mouth impossibly wide, wider than a human could ever do.  The ribbons of blood then streamed into his mouth and into his gullet.  Ribbons were even flying from the bodies, from the wounds.

Amber saw the world turn black and the last thing she felt was the blood snow, now clean and pure cupping her face as she collapsed into a still heap of blue flesh and wings.

Vorador licked his lips clean.  Good slaughter and fresh blood was a good way to start a morning. 

He flicked a fleck of snow from his sleeve and sheathed his sword.  He cocked his head toward fainted woman.  She held the scent of an Ancient such as his master, yet he can detect the trends of human within her body.  Could she have human in her ancestry? 

He stood over her and regarded her with sharp yellow eyes.  She wore strange clothing, it was thin and durable.  Why was she out in this freezing weather wearing such poor protection against the cold?

He could tell from yesterday that she wouldn't last very long alone, but he wasn't ready to take her to his master until he was sure she was safe.  He studied her body and then began to doubt his decision.  She was safe alright; he doubt she could be strong to kill a squirrel. 

He cupped the back of her head and slid his other hand under her knees and lifted her.  He grabbed her bag as he went, making a mental note to go through it later.  He walked carefully so as not to trip on her dragging wings.  They were so abnormally large; he had no choice but to let them drag in the snow.

He glanced at her face again and pondered.  If she is an Ancient, then why does she act like a fledging with no master?  She is so young, not even near half a century old.  Where did she come from? 

The Aerie towered over a frozen lake.  Many who saw it would call it the devil's peak, but those gaze at it, could call a fantasy castle of such.  The frozen lake that surrounded its base gleamed with peace as if the frozen corpses of vampires impaled on stakes weren't littering its surface.

The last remaining Ancient from Nosgoth's unrecorded history stood at the balcony gazing over the lake.  He didn't see the corpses planted near his home like a threat or to taunt him, nor did his see the frozen water.  He was remembering another time at this place.  A time when loneliness was unheard of and sadness and depression in his soul had no place in his heart. 

He thought of them as the better times, times that only he visit in memories, but then reawaken back to the present and see the horror before him and feel the pain in his soul.   

A door open, snapping him back to the present to feel and see the pain.

            "Vorador."  He greeted.

            "Sire, I have something that I believe that you would find interesting."

            Janos turned to give Vorador a nod.  "Very well, child.  Show me."

            "It's in the lower chambers, sire.  I believe that you would understand why I would need it when you see the interesting item."

            The lower chambers were rooms where the Ancient guardians had dwelt with their families.  The Aerie was not always known as it is in the present.  Back then it was called the Santuary of the Gaurdians.  Janos liked to keep the rooms untouched, but cleaned, as if they were waiting for their occupants to return.

            "It is well.  Show me what you have."

            Janos followed Vorador into the room.  He noted the lights were dimmed with only a candle burning on a bedstead.  Then he froze as a whiff of Ancient blood touched his nostrils. 

            "This can't be."

            His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he saw her. 

            The girl was curled into a fetal position under the sheet.  Her large, large ebony wings stretched over the edge of the bed and onto the floor.  Her skin was the blue color of Ancients, but was very light color almost turquoise. 

            "Where did you find her?"

            "In ruins within the swamp, the Saraphan almost added her to the bodies of our kind that litter Nosogth."  Vorador answered.  "I take it that you do not know her."

            "No, I don't."  Janos replied.  He hesitated before stepping closer and took her talon into his.  She felt warm and real enough.  This was no memory from the past.

            "She claims that her name is Amber Lees."  Vorador replied.  "Does that mean anything to you?"

            "No, it's not a name that I recognize.  She's not very old, almost as young as a babe."  Janos mused. 

            "Then how could she come to be here?" 

            "She could possibly come from Ancient time, unless…."

            Vorador shook his head.  "I already checked the Time Traveling device.  The cave is still sealed and untouched."

            "She's feverish."

            "She was almost naked in the snow when I found her."

            "Why did you not bring her to me sooner?"  Janos gave a disapproving look.

            "I did not want to bring any danger to you, sire."  Vorador gave Janos a strong look.  "Danger is already heading toward you right now."

            "Please, Vorador, let's not discuss this right now.  Not in here.  Later."

            "There's may not be time for 'later', master."
            "Vorador."  Janos said firmly, ending the discussion.

            Vorador relented, but the look on his face told all that he was going to finish the discussion later. 

            Janos sighed.  Better to get it over with now.  "Very well.  If you insist we discuss this, then we will, but not in here, nor in front of her."

            "What do you plan to do with her?"

            "First, I'll give her something for the fever."  Janos slid her arm back under the blanket and pulled the covers up to her chin.  "Then what I'll do next is up to her."

            Amber's yellow eyes slowly opened, she blinked away sleep.  Was she home now or back in the small room?  Neither, she was in completely new place.  Her body was curled on a soft round shaped bed that was lined with white fur.  It tickled her skin as she moved.  The bed was almost canopy with a wide round ring of curtains.    

            She groaned and sat up and realized that she was naked.  She grabbed a thick blanket and wrapped it around herself and she stood.  She pushed aside the curtains to see a gorgeous bedroom.

            The carpet was a deep red hue and it was so soft to her cloven feet.  The furniture had to be worth thousands.  Deep chestnut with beautiful designs carved into their surfaces.  A full size mirror graced her sight.

            She stared at herself.  This was the first time she had been able to really see herself in a mirror since her change.  Her blue skin and large wings seem to mock her.  She padded to the mirror and touched her face, running a three finger hand down her cheek.  The face was hers, but the skin, the eyes, and the hair weren't.  It was strange looking into a mirror and seeing someone completely different, yet so familiar at the same time. 

            She rubbed her eyes and turned away from the mirror.  She saw a large wooden door and decided to explore and maybe find out where she was this time around.