Crickets chirped in the semi gloom, eagerly welcoming the oncoming darkness. As the sun went down, Sarah and Marco's time together grew short. However, neither of them was willing to admit it. They stood on the outskirts of the village, making small talk, trying to ignore the inevitable goodbyes.
Since Marco's promise, things had subtly shifted between them. He was a little more considerate, which meant, given his normal way of behavior, he didn't try to put spiders in Sarah's hair anymore… Well, not quite as often, in any case.
For her part, Sarah didn't criticize him nearly as much as she had before and actually resisted gloating when she beat him at whatever games they played.
"Marco!" a woman's voice called, putting an end to any hopes the boy had about staying out longer. "Marco, I know you can hear me," she yelled in that patient yet insistent way that mothers have. "Come in and get washed up for dinner." As far as she was concerned, the conversation was over and she went back inside.
"Well, that was my mom," Marco said with a sigh, as if Sarah had never met the woman before. He turned to leave, but stopped short, having been struck by a brilliant idea. "You know, I could walk you home," he suggested. "It's pretty dark and I could always say that I didn't hear her."
Sarah rolled her eyes and grabbed Marco by the shoulders. "What am I, six? I can walk home myself. It's not that far." Before he could protest, she'd spun him around and shoved him in the general direction of his house. "Go home," she sternly instructed. "If you get in trouble with your mom, you won't be able to play tomorrow, right?"
Reluctantly seeing the logic in Sarah's words, Marco sighed and threw her a halfhearted wave before moving towards the front door. He reached the threshold and was bathed in the comforting light of the fireplace; the tantalizing scent of beef stew assailed his nostrils, coaxing him into the house.
At the last possible second, he tore himself away from the promise of food and glanced over his shoulder, looking for Sarah in the dark. When he finally saw her, she was little more than a silhouette in the moonlight and he shuddered involuntarily. She looked like a ghost. Something about her appearance had given him a terrible start and he wanted to prolong their parting as long as possible. Things didn't feel right. "Well… what time were we supposed to meet tomorrow?"
"Stupid head!" Sarah called out in a teasing way, "About noon, remember? By the oak!" She was of course referring to the massive oak tree that marked the halfway point between their two villages and had been their meeting place for two years now.
"Right!" Marco called back, a little louder than necessary. A cloud passed over the moon, temporarily throwing Sarah into the shadows. This frightened him even more. He held onto the doorframe, his knuckles white with strain. If he let go, he knew he'd run back out into the dark and tell her how scared he was. She'd probably call him a dork or something if he did that. "W-Well," he stammered, trying to find a comfortable compromise between running out to her and leaving her alone in the dark, "um, what time were we meeting again?" He felt like a moron asking her again, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Anything to keep her from leaving.
"Good night, Marco!" Sarah said, sounding somewhat irritated at the boy's behavior. She turned on her heel and walked off into the forest.
And that was the last that Marco ever saw of his best friend.
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"Damn it, Amelia," Lina whispered to herself as she sat on the edge of the bed. She held her friend's pillow, twisting it over and over in her worry. Her incessant fretting had worn a hole in the fabric and a thin layer of down was quickly coating her lap. She didn't even notice. She felt so useless; knowing that it was pointless to go charging off in a random direction in search of the girl. They'd have to wait for Jillas to return and hope that he would be able to track her. There had to be a logical reason for Amelia to get out of bed when she wasn't feeling well, climb out the window, and sneak off into the forest. But then again, this was Amelia she was thinking about. Sporting a grin she didn't really feel, she shrugged and muttered, "She probably jumped out of bed because she saw a puppy limping outside the window," only half joking.
Zelgadis grunted noncommittally in response, preferring to keep his concerns to himself for the moment. "She wouldn't have left without a good reason," he muttered thoughtfully. "Do you think that maybe Xellos…?"
"…called her out into the forest with some mystical mental powers?" Lina finished. A terse shake of the head was followed by a sigh of exasperation. "That's a load of garbage, Zel. Vampires don't share any sort of mental bond with their victims. You should know that. You are a vampire, right?"
"Something like that," Zelgadis muttered, indicating that she'd get nothing else out of him on the subject. "I've never fed on a human before. I don't know what the repercussions are." It was obvious that admitting that he didn't know something was incredibly irritating for him. He scowled and stared at his semitransparent reflection in a small mirror resting atop the bureau, one of Amelia's personal effects. She'd told him that she'd saved for a month and a half to afford it.
It was a modest thing, a small bit of glass framed in simple wooden frame covered in gold paint that was beginning to fade away from wear. The image of an armored knight adorned the left side of the frame, a confident look on his face. The other side bore a relief of a beautiful princess, presumably the beloved of the noble knight on the left. How very like Amelia to choose something so simple and wonderful. She'd told Zelgadis all about it during their flight from Sairaag; that and anything else she could think of to keep his mind off what they'd lost back in the city: their futures.
Heresy. The idea that one had done something so terrible that Ceiphied would never again shine his holy light upon you; to be cast out by friends and family, denied shelter, rest, and comfort for the rest of your life and then death followed by an eternity of torment. A special place in Hell awaited those vile enough to be cast out by the High Priest.
It had affected them all. Lina had taken it hardest, spending many nights away from the comforting warmth of their campfire, almost seeming to punish herself with the night chill. Gourry didn't really comprehend what had happened, but he knew that it made Lina miserable and that, in turn, made him miserable. Even Jillas, a creature who didn't even believe in the ideals of the church, was upset by what had happened; some of the first really nice people he'd ever met, laid low because of his actions.
Amelia had been the only one immune to the depression that had affected the rest of them. Even as they were in a state akin to mourning, she continued to smile, tirelessly struggling to give hope where there was none and bring cheer where it wasn't welcome.
Zelgadis was startled out of his thoughts by a drop of water striking the surface of the mirror, distorting his reflection. He frowned when he noted that his misshapen thumbnail had drawn a long scratch down the face of the princess in the frame, marring her beauty for all time. Wonderful.
Another drop of water struck the reflecting glass and Zelgadis glanced upwards, thinking that there was a leak in the roof, intending to move Amelia's things if that turned out to be the case. The storm was ominously close after all; thunder rumbled in the distance. The ceiling looked sturdy enough, with nary a bit of light shining through. It had been built exceptionally well. So, where…?
A reassuring hand on his arm drew Zelgadis's attention to Lina. She stood at his side, a warm smile upon her face. It wasn't something that she usually did and he was momentarily taken aback. "It's okay," she said quietly. "We'll find her."
"What?" Zelgadis whispered, not understanding what Lina had meant. Of course they were going to find her! He hadn't even considered the possibility that they wouldn't. Another drop fell on the mirror and he looked down at it, struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. The man reflected in the glass was crying, which could only mean…
Mortified that anyone had seen him this way, especially Lina, Zelgadis quickly, but carefully, set the mirror back down on the dresser and swiped at the offending tears with his thumb. He'd thought that he was lonely before, having only servants to keep him company, but that was nothing compared to how he felt now. Even now, with Amelia only gone for the last hour or so, he felt lonely. What if she got lost? What if Xellos found her first? What if…?
Slamming his fist down on the bureau hard enough to make Amelia's things rattle, Zelgadis decided that he wouldn't wait a moment longer. Even if it were pointless, it'd be better to be out there looking for her than waiting around hoping that Jillas would show up. He turned to Lina, meaning to tell her to wait for Jillas before following, but was struck silent by a strong, yet pleasant scent. He looked down to see Amelia's perfume, a cheap little bottle that smelled strongly of jasmine, turned on its side, its contents dripping out onto the wooden surface.
Staring at it a moment longer, brow furrowed in thought, Zelgadis suddenly glanced up at Lina and snapped, "I'm going to find Amelia and-"
"Yeah, yeah," Lina muttered sarcastically. "Let's see if I've got this right." She began to list on her fingers the points that Zel had been about to make. "I'd only slow you down. Wait here for Jillas. Don't run off alone. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Did I miss anything? No?" She made a big show of waving him off and wandering over to collapse on the bed. "Okay then, have a good time out there, Zel." Her hands were shaking again and she quickly, not to mention obviously, faked a yawn and a stretch before lacing her fingers together behind her head.
Zelgadis received a mental impulse from the redhead, not so much a thought as a feeling. It was fear. No. Fear didn't do the feeling justice. This was abject terror. He stared at her for a moment, wondering at the self-control she was exhibiting to maintain such a calm demeanor. Sure, she was fidgeting uncontrollably, constantly shifting positions on the bed, her breathing too quick to be normal, but still, she sat. He would have been curled up on the floor if he'd felt like that. "I'll be back soon," he muttered in way of goodbye, wanting to say something more reassuring, but not knowing what she needed to hear. Besides, he reluctantly admitted as he stepped out of the room, she was tougher than he was anyway. She'd be fine.
"Zel?!" Lina impulsively called out. When he poked his head back into the room, she grinned stupidly, knowing that she wasn't being rational, and said, "Be careful out there."
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In the sky, a great race was underway. The sun seemed to move with abnormal speed towards the horizon, almost as if trying to outpace the oncoming clouds. It was a lost cause, however. The first tendrils of blackness greedily reached out to envelop it just before it sank behind the hills. Light was coming to an end, overwhelmed by both nightfall and blackness.
The bizarre shift in the weather overhead went largely unnoticed in the forest below. Most things had far more important concerns on their minds than whether it rained or not, usually something as simple as survival. It wasn't unusual to see animals scrounging about for any bit of food available. In one particular case a pair of wild dogs, their fur stretched across prominently displayed ribs, were scrounging around a particularly interesting spot in recently turned earth. The scent of fresh death permeated the air driving the animals into a near frenzy of pawing and scratching. Whatever it was had been buried quite shallowly and it would be only a few moments more before they unearthed it.
A human hand, gaunt and caked with dried blood was the first thing to be exposed. Pale fingers almost glowed despite the lack of any light whatsoever. The storm was on the verge of erupting overhead and dark clouds blocked out both sun and newly risen moon.
The mangier of the two mutts lunged forward, meaning to snatch up the exposed hand before its companion had a chance to. It bit down hard and violently shook its head, flinging great strands of saliva from its mouth as it did so.
Before the mongrel even had a chance to apply much pressure, the hand sprang to life, instinctively closing into a fist. This had unpleasant effect of snapping the dog's lower jaw like a toothpick. Hungry growls turned immediately to muffled whines of pain as the ground shifted beneath both animals, something dark stirring in the cool earth.
The dirty mongrel tried to pull away, meaning to run off into the forest but it was quite impossible. The dead thing's grip was incredibly strong, its fingers actually piercing tongue, bone and fur, and the poor animal was helpless to resist as it was drawn towards the shallow grave.
The other animal, realizing that what had been prey was suddenly the hunter, turned to bolt off into the woods. Before it made a single step, another hand erupted from the earth, snagging the beast's leg. It squeezed, easily shattering bone; the dog would never run again even if it were to survive the next thirty seconds of its life.
The vampire had a firm grip on the first animal; driving one's fingers through something's face had that effect, but it wasn't quite as satisfied with the grip on the second. Only a hunk of meat attached the leg to the dog's body and that might tear away at any moment. So, it released its viselike grip and quickly moved up to grab the dog's haunch, driving fingers into flesh up to the second knuckle. It held on for a moment longer before repeating the action, this time hooking its fingers about the ribcage. It moved up the dog's body this way until it caught hold of the throat. A moment later, it had dashed the dogs' skulls together, turning bone, brain, and flesh into so much mush. The yowls immediately ceased and the beast began to feed.
Moments later, it stood, rising from its grave like a phoenix from the ashes, shrugging off death's grip like the daze after a restful nap. Clumps of dirt rolled off its cloak, which may have been white at one time. Now, it was stained black by the earth it had slept in and the blood of its victims. The vampire leaned back, opening its arms wide in a gesture of welcome to the first fat drops of rain that began to fall, revealing the garments it wore beneath the cloak: the shabby clothes of a well-traveled priest with an ornate scabbard depicting the Flare Dragon hanging from the belt. The sword within glinted silver for just a moment before the last of the light faded.
It stood still as a statue arms out and face upturned as the drizzle became a torrent. The dark stains on its outfit were washed away as if by magic. After a few minutes, the dark creature was shrouded in pristine white again, all traces of earth and blood gone.
Only the bodies of the dogs, broken and abused like toys that had outlived their use, indicated that this thing was anything but an angel of mercy. And even those bodies were being concealed by the rapidly rising water, having been tossed thoughtlessly into the shallow grave.
It was only then, that the vampire donned its hood and dropped its arms to its sides. It was time for the hunt and… With frightening abruptness, its head jerked to the side, nostrils flaring as it picked up a scent; the sweet smell of jasmine barely hinted at in the breeze. Crouching predatorily, it suddenly darted off in a seemingly random direction.
The hunt was on.
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Lina lay back on the bed, too tired to stand even if she'd wanted to. Hunger had a way of exhausting a person, it seemed. Her snack that morning had been a blessing, filling her stomach like nothing else had the past few days. Nuts and berries, she thought as she absentmindedly rubbed her hand over her poor mistreated belly in a vaguely circular motion. It felt nice, taking her mind off her hunger a bit. That was good. If she wasn't thinking about food, she could concentrate on other things.
Things like that vampire. Xellos, Amelia had called him. Lina didn't know about that, but there was something familiar about the song that she'd mentioned. It was a song of the church, describing Rezo the First's descent into darkness to save the light that he loved so dearly. It was popular in most churches and she'd sung it a lot as a child, both in the church choir and at home. She'd had a pretty voice, at least, that was what people had told her, but for some reason, she'd stopped singing a few years ago. She'd just lost interest in it, it seemed. Then again, maybe it was just because she really didn't have anything to sing about anymore. Either way, the fact that a vampire, something denounced by the church as wicked and unclean, would sing such a song had been immensely upsetting.
Feeling more than a little melancholy, Lina sighed hurtfully and rolled onto her side, so that her face wouldn't immediately be visible from the door. If she ended up crying, which she invariably would if she kept her train of thought about the vampire going, she didn't want anyone else to see it. Under her breath, she began to whisper the words that were haunting her. The hero and the darkness. Steadily, and without her even realizing, her voice grew stronger and eventually she was singing, not loudly, but loudly enough for her to take some small comfort from it.
"You have a lovely voice, young lady."
Reluctantly ending her song, Lina somewhat tersely replied, "Thanks." She hadn't been surprised by Aqua's entrance. The tapping of her cane on the floor had tipped her off. But, despite the fact that she was in someone else's home, she felt as if she had been intruded upon. Her singing had been intended for her benefit alone.
"A song of the church, correct?" Aqua asked; her head cocked inquisitively. "Please don't think me rude, child, but you don't strike me as the pious type." She carefully lowered herself into the chair sitting next to the bed, nonverbally communicating to Lina that she meant to stay awhile.
Grimacing inwardly, Lina rolled over to face the old woman and explained, "Yeah, I get that a lot. But, it kind of runs in my family… well, what family I had anyway. My older sister was really devout and dragged me to church all the time. After that, I lived with a priest for a while, so that kind of rubbed off a bit too." She shrugged, not caring that such flippancy about service to Ceiphied was frowned upon. After all, they'd already cast her out. What else could they do? "You said that like you weren't really sure, the thing about the song, I mean."
"Oh, well I wasn't. I thought that I'd heard it before and it did sound pretty, but we don't have a real church out here. We've never really had need for one."
Lina leaned forward, suddenly interested in what Aqua had to say. "Church law states that every community has to have a priest to lead the people. Without one, what's to keep you from going astray?"
"Astray?" Aqua chuckled quietly. "My dear, I trust you can keep a secret. Not everyone in the holy empire believes in the divinity of Ceiphied." The ominous rumble of thunder punctuated her words, as if the heavens themselves were outraged at this affront. The rain began to fall on the roof a moment later, hissing monotonously against the shingles.
Shivering slightly, Lina unconsciously clutched the pillow to herself. "That's… That's not really something you should say, Auntie." Even though she was the most open minded of people she still cringed at the thought of someone denying Ceiphied. After all, her own faith had helped her defeat the Hellmaster. That had been proof enough for her that someone was calling the shots.
"Don't be offended," Aqua said, reaching out to pat Lina's hand reassuringly. "I'm sorry if I've upset you."
Lina quickly shook her head. "I'm not. It's just that… well, I'd never really considered the possibility that there were people in the empire that didn't give praise to Ceiphied." She felt stupid after admitting it; narrow minded really, but it was the truth.
"Oh, there used to be many beliefs in the old days. History has a way of wiping away some things, but there are a few of us that still remember the old ways. The time before the rise of Ceiphied."
Nodding eagerly, Lina scrabbled up to a sitting position, her hands folded in her lap as she listened attentively. She bore a striking resemblance to a child hearing a much beloved fairy tale. "And? What was it like?" History before the time of the church was rarely spoken about and with good reason; it was taboo. Historians were exceedingly rare and those who did study it were invariably in the service of the church, interpreting history through rose tinted lenses.
Smiling kindly at Lina, Aqua leaned back in the chair, trying to make herself comfortable. It was nice to see young people interested in history. "Well, as you most likely know, the empire hasn't always existed. Rezo the First formed it after he defeated the demon Hellmaster a thousand years ago. Or at least," she said, winking at Lina knowingly, "that's how the story goes. I don't really put much stock in stories of demons and saints myself."
Lina chuckled herself, wondering whether or not to correct the older woman. In the end, she decided that she'd rather hear the rest of the story than get into a discussion of her own exploits. Still, the whole situation was humbling, really. She was one of two people to ever defeat Hellmaster. A feat so enormous that most dismissed it as legend. Who could say what had happened even farther back in human history? Auntie could apparently and she was missing the old woman's story! Shaking her head irately, she shoved thoughts of herself aside in favor of gleaning new information.
Aqua didn't seem to notice that Lina had drifted off for a moment. "…of course, these are all just stories you know. And stories have a tendency to take on a life of their own with enough retellings. My own grandmother told me that the nation of Elmekia was the site of the final battle of the unification war." She winked at Lina and stage whispered, "She told me later that she'd added that bit of embellishment because she'd been born in the region herself. It just goes to show that nothing should be taken at face value."
Nodding thoughtfully, Lina ventured, "You mentioned people that didn't serve Ceiphied. I suppose those people are the 'heathens' and 'barbarians' that Rezo had to put down to secure the safety of the empire. They weren't really barbarians, were they, Auntie?"
"Well, if they were, they were the most passive barbarians I've ever heard of." Aqua shook her head ruefully. "Take the people of this region for instance. Staunch pacifists, but still very devout."
Although she tried to hide it, Lina detected a bit of bitterness in Aqua's tone. It was beginning to make sense. "And I guess that those people didn't want to give up their faith, am I right?"
"Would you willingly surrender something that you believed in with all your heart?"
"So, what you're saying is…" Lina let her thought trail off, the memory of the crypts under Sairaag haunting her memory. There had been so many dead, hundreds of them. Thousands perhaps. How many times had that happened in the name of the Flare Dragon?
Aqua shook her head. "I'm not suggesting anything as I wasn't there to see it myself." She winked good naturedly and said, "I'm not THAT old, child. All I'm saying is that not everyone was pleased with the changes that the High Priest brought about. Some still aren't."
"Meaning what, Auntie? You and the other villagers?" Lina quietly asked.
"Nothing quite so recent, dear. I'm speaking of those that came before. It just feels as if… they weren't satisfied. It must have been horrible. Having your faith snatched away on a whim, well… it's wrong and sometimes I feel resentment, an unhappiness with the way things have turned out. Out there," Aqua said, nodding towards the window, "I get a sense of restlessness at times. Late at night." Noting the way Lina was looking at her, Aqua smiled sheepishly. "Don't mind me. It's just a foolish story. Restless spirits in the forest and all that nonsense."
Restless spirits. Lina sighed thoughtfully. It didn't seem like nonsense to her. Everything about this place was just off. Heck, even the time was wrong. Apparently, these people had lost five years somewhere on the road. It was bizarre. On top of that, there was the talk about the church. The more she learned, the less wholesome the entire Holy Church of Ceiphied seemed. It'd all seemed so simple when she was a child. Ceiphied was infallible and the High Priest was the human embodiment of the Flare Dragon. It was so… right. Had the religion of light come into being on the corpses of nonbelievers?
"I've upset you."
"No, it's not that. It's just that-"
Thankfully, Lina was spared the discomfort of having to explain her feelings by Gourry's entrance. He leaned against the doorframe, panting heavily. Just behind him stood Jillas. Both of them were caked with mud, drenched, and looked positively miserable.
"Gourry!" Lina called out excitedly. She jumped to her feet and ran over to her protector, stopping just short of flinging her arms around him. He was dirty, after all and she didn't want to ruin her dress.
Gourry smiled wearily. "Hey, Lina." It had been incredibly tough getting out of that hole and trudging back to town in the torrential rain, but it was all worth it to see the beautiful redhead smiling at him.
"Are you ready to go back out?" she eagerly asked.
The grin on Gourry's face faltered ever so slightly. No, that couldn't have been right. Lina had said, "Are you ready to take a nap?" and he'd misheard her. That had to be it. Better make sure though. "What'd you say, Lina?"
Lina's expression darkened. "I said, are you ready to go back out?" she repeated, just the slightest hint of menace in her voice.
Gourry whimpered quietly, silently pleading with the redhead for a moment of rest. Sadly, she seemed to be quite immune to plaintive looks and he sighed and turned to head back out into the storm.
************************************************************************
Amelia and Marco sat together under a large tree, huddled together for warmth. They'd sought refuge when it became obvious that the storm was going to get far worse before it got any better. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, briefly illuminating their frightened expressions.
It would be happening right about now, Amelia thought. All those poor villagers were dying now if things went as they had yesterday. Feeling a bit sad, she pulled Marco closer, hugging him tightly and trying to seek some small measure of comfort from the boy. Miss Lina, Mister Zelgadis, Gourry… She really hoped that they hadn't been in the village when everything happened. She didn't want them to die and she most certainly didn't want to have to wander without them. What if they didn't come back because she hadn't been with them? What if she'd upset whatever pattern they were in? It was so confusing and in all honesty, she felt like crying. She was cold, wet, and miserable, but she refused to give in to despair. After all, she had to stay brave for the frightened little boy sitting beside her.
For his part, the 'frightened little boy' was both enjoying and trying to ignore Amelia's… cushiness. When she'd hugged him, she'd all but smothered him with her breasts, not that he was complaining or anything. Apparently, the young woman was quite scared to be holding him this close and as a young man, it was only right, no his duty even, to comfort her in any way possible. He wrapped his arms around her waist and sighed contentedly as he leaned more fully against the acrobat.
The poor boy, Amelia thought as she felt Marco slip his arms around her. Maybe she should try talking to him to take his mind off whatever horrors he was contemplating. "Sarah's pretty important to you, huh?" she asked.
"Huh?! Sarah?" Marco muttered, glancing up into Amelia's eyes guiltily. He flushed bright red and quickly detached himself from her side. Coughing, he mumbled, "She's my friend." Not wanting to get further into the subject, he quickly asked, "What are you wearing? It smells nice."
This time it was Amelia's turn to blush. She'd put on a bit too much perfume that morning because she hadn't had a chance to bathe recently due to her attack. "It's jasmine," she explained. "It was a birthday present from my uncle." Chuckling embarrassedly, she quickly batted another question back at Marco, lest he comment on the volume of perfume she was wearing. "You seem to be going through a lot of trouble to help a friend. Do you have a special reason?"
"Oh, well, I kinda told Sarah I'd help her…" Waving dismissively, Marco muttered, "It was pretty stupid."
"What was?" Amelia asked, quite curious now. There was something to the story that Marco didn't really want to share.
"I… I made a promise," Marco reluctantly admitted, acting as if Amelia were torturing the information out of him with hot pokers. "I promised that I'd save her if she ever got into trouble." Unable to meet her gaze, he instead found an interesting rock on the ground to stare at. He could almost feel the steam coming off his cheeks as red as his face was. "Like I said, it was just a stupid little thing, but… I don't want to let her down. I can't."
"I don't think it sounds stupid," Amelia said, smiling at the boy. "I think it sounds very chivalrous and brave for you to do that." With a dreamy look on her face, she sighed wistfully and said, "The damsel in distress, waiting for her hero to ride in and save her. How sweet."
Marco could have died of humiliation. Sweet and chivalrous? Damsels in distress? Jeez, he just made a stupid promise was all! It wasn't that big a deal, was it? "Well…" he muttered, looking up at Amelia. Despite the fact that she was drenched and her hair was a mess, she was still a vision of loveliness. She still wore that dreamy expression on her face, like she was thinking of someone. "Pardon me for asking, Miss, but do you have a boyfriend?"
"A boyfriend?!" Amelia jumped as if Marco had goosed her.
"Yeah. You looked like you were thinking of someone just then."
"Well, I was. And I guess you could call him my boyfriend… or maybe not. I don't really know how he feels and…" Amelia shrugged helplessly. "Maybe, I don't know. I can't be sure if he likes me or if he just wants to eat me." The incredulity of her statement hit her when she saw the utterly perplexed look on Marco's face. "I don't mean 'eat' me, of course!" she hastily explained, chuckling nervously. "I meant 'eat' me. You know, as in 'maul' me, which of course means 'shower me with kisses'. Because, we make out all the time." She had the vague notion that as she spoke, she was digging the hole she was in that much deeper. She knew that she couldn't have just told this child that she was constantly making out with Mister Zelgadis, but the expression on his face eloquently pointed out that she had… Why hadn't the lightning struck her dead yet?! She was so embarrassed she could die! There it was, flashing menacingly overhead and serving no discernable purpose.
"You're… pretty strange, Miss," Marco cautiously ventured as he watched Amelia draw her dagger and wave it around frantically in a vain attempt to call electric death down from above. "Is he nice?" he inquired, trying to draw her back into the conversation.
Deciding that the heavens weren't going to have mercy on her, Amelia sighed and lowered her dagger. "He can be. Mister Zelgadis is a…" She bit her tongue, realizing that she had almost called Mister Zelgadis a 'strange man'. But that wasn't really fair. It wasn't his fault that he had the problems he did. "He hurts a lot," she settled on after a moment's contemplation. "He wants to be good and true, but he has so many problems that it's not always possible."
Marco nodded, not really knowing what Amelia was talking about. It sounded right though. "Hey, look at that!" he exclaimed, pointing up at the sky excitedly. All thoughts of boyfriends and promises had been driven from his mind.
The storm was dying far more quickly than one would have expected. A few moments after the final peal of thunder the first evening stars were peeking through the clouds. Not more than ten minutes later, the moon's light burned through the canopy of clouds turning unnatural darkness into a more innocent nighttime.
Amelia and Marco watched this phenomenon silently, childish looks of awe written upon both their faces. It felt like something dark had taken interest in them but decided at the last moment to turn its attention elsewhere.
"Is it safe now?" Marco wondered aloud. He'd never seen a storm quite so violent as the one that had ravaged the valley today. He didn't know what was more unusual, the ferocity of the storm or how quickly it'd dissipated.
Giving the boy one last reassuring hug, Amelia nodded. "I think it is. Are you ready to go?" She stood; brushing wet leaves off her knees before extending a hand to Marco. Before he could answer, a terrified look crossed her face. "Hide!" she stage whispered, snatching him up by his wrist and bodily shoving him back down at the base of a nearby bush. Without a moment's hesitation, she flattened herself against the trunk of a nearby tree, praying that it would be sufficient to conceal her. She didn't want to hide too close to Marco, lest he be discovered as well.
Marco scrabbled into the darkness under the bush and held perfectly still, not knowing why, but fearful of the insistence in Amelia's words and actions. He held his breath, using eyes and ears to discern whatever threat had startled her. He couldn't see anything and that made things that much more terrifying. There was a reason for her anxiety he just knew it. There had to be-
A sudden shift in the breeze brought the sound of ugly singing to his ears and Marco's blood turned to ice in his veins. Here was the ghost that mother had warned him about: the one that spirited children away, never to be seen again.
Marco glanced over at Amelia, little more than a dark silhouette against the tree, and was comforted slightly. He'd come to the conclusion that she was some sort of forest spirit as well. How else did she know so much about him? He knew that despite her fear, she was here to help him and would let no harm befall him.
A twig snapped and a figure in white suddenly loomed a scant foot and a half from Marco's location. He jumped slightly; the damp leaves thankfully remaining silent and preserving the integrity of his hiding place. How had it crossed that much distance in such a short time? It was so far away when the boy had first heard the voice…
The vampire sniffed quietly, extending its tongue to taste the air. "Jasmine," it whispered in a rough voice. "You're close by, aren't you, child?"
"Jasmine?" Marco mouthed silently, his eyes widening in terror. Amelia's perfume, it'd rubbed off on him. The monster was about to find him.
Confirming the boy's fears, the vampire knelt down, running a pale finger through the dirt. "Not here," it mused aloud, tapping the ground thoughtfully. Something had been dragged by here recently; dead leaves had been crushed and dragged towards... It looked over at Marco's hiding place and for just an instant; the moonlight glinted off ivory fangs. It was grinning.
Dusting its cloak off, the vampire stood and began to slowly circle the bush, chuckling wickedly. "Child, I apologize for making light of your impending death, but this situation brings back memories of my youth," it whispered thoughtfully, addressing the leafy branches. "When I was little, a lifetime ago it sometimes seems; I lived on a farm with my family. We grew tomatoes and, all false modesty aside; I can tell you they were the finest tomatoes in the province. But, we had a problem. Do you know what it was?"
Marco bit his tongue just before asking the creature what the problem was. It had such a mesmerizing voice that it almost felt wrong not to answer.
As if sensing Marco's discomfort, the vampire chuckled again and rustled the branches of the bush, eliciting a gasp of fear from the boy. "No need to be shy. I don't bite. Not figuratively in any case. Now, where was I?" The evil hiss of a sword being drawn rent the silence of the night. "Ah yes, the problem with growing tomatoes. Well, my young friend, we had a problem with rabbits. There must have been hundreds of the little beasts running rampant through our crop during the growing season. Now, I don't know if you've ever seen tomato plants, but in my homeland they tend to get pretty big. As big as, say… this bush for instance."
There was a loud swooshing sound and the top part of the bush was gone, taken by the edge of a silver sword. The letters spelling out the name of a certain redheaded Slayer were visible in the moonlight for just a moment before the blade slid back home in its sheath with an audible click.
Amelia had a hand clapped over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her terrified gasps. The voice on the other side of the tree was the same that almost killed her a few nights ago. There was something wrong with it, but it was unmistakably the same. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she willed herself to crouch, desperately reaching down in search of an acorn, a pinecone, anything that might distract the vampire. She was more frightened than she'd ever been in her entire life, but she was not about to let it get Marco.
"In a way, you're just like those rabbits from back home, Amelia. You're a pest, digging at the roots of the holy empire in an attempt to kill the plant to sate your own hunger; naught more than a disgusting little vermin." The vampire's voice betrayed a bit of anger at this last part.
Amelia's cerulean eyes widened at the vampire's words. It thought she was the one hiding in the bush? Just for an instant, she considered the possibility that she could get away. If it thought that it had her, it wouldn't give chase until it was done with Marco, right? She quashed that thought immediately, feeling horrible for even having considered it. She was not leaving that poor child there to die. She sighed in relief as her questing fingers found a small stone, perfect for what she needed. Quickly standing again, she drew her arm back.
A quiet giggle of amusement was the only indication that the vampire had heard Amelia's sigh. It quickly turned its attention back to whoever was hiding in the bush. Sad to say, he'd have to die after being told a bit of its history. "Do you know how we got rid of those rabbits, 'Amelia'?" It spoke the acrobat's name sarcastically, letting the girl behind the tree know that the ruse was up. "We'd go out into the field, shake the bushes until the rabbits bolted, and then…" Quick as lightning, it drew the sword again and plunged it into the ground. "Rabbit stew for dinner that evening."
Knowing that it was pointless, but having nothing better to do, Amelia flung the stone as far as she could. It fell into a mass of dead leaves making quite a racket. If only it hadn't been for naught.
The vampire threw its head back and laughed long and loud, a mocking sound. "Oh my! I suppose I'll just forget about the rabbit I have cornered here and run off to investigate that strange noise." Crouching, it sheathed its sword and whispered, "Here I go…" A moment later, it was gone.
Amelia's hopes fell at the vampire's words. She sighed resignedly and turned towards Marco's hiding place. At the very least she could help him get away even if she was doomed. She squeaked in surprise as she found herself face to face with the vampire.
"Hello, Amelia," it whispered, reaching out to embrace her. Before it even touched her, Amelia was flung backwards. She soared a dozen feet before landing in a pile of leaves, leaving her with little more than her pride bruised.
Glancing up in confusion, Amelia's heart soared at the sight of Zelgadis. She vaguely remembered him saving her from Xellos before and now it was about to happen again.
Why then, was the vampire smiling?
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Next Chapter: Lina receives help from the most unlikely of sources and Zelgadis struggles with demons, both without and within.
Notes: Well, here I am with another chapter. It's been a rough couple of weeks and this went through no less than 5 rewrites. As in, totally from scratch. Coupled with other problems that include but aren't limited to the fact that I lost my beta, I ended up taking a hiatus from the story. I never expected that it'd be an entire month though. Where does the time go? Anyway, on to the reviews.
Oh, before I forget, the story will be updated on Saturday nights. I won't say every Saturday or even every other Saturday. The chapters will not be posted until I'm happy with them. It's far too stressful otherwise.
Almost forgot something else! Yeesh. Please give a warm welcome to my new beta reader, Ichiban Victory. She's in charge of trying to keep this mess in order now. Thanks also go out to Kaitrin, my random idea girl.
Reviewer Response:
Ichiban, I almost forgot what 6 was the answer too, it's been so long. Still disgusting though! *laughs*
Thanks for the kind word, Raven!
Pogo, you know by now that I didn't QUITE make that week's deadline. What was it? A month ago? Anyway, best wishes to you and I hope you come back soon.
Hmm, Lina acting sick? Maybe it's just malnutrition, Otaku girl, but you never know . . . In any case, don't forget to write when you get some more of your story down!
Question is my middle name, Kaitrin! Filing Question Sloth! So of course, I'm obligated to toss out a bunch of them, right?
Stara, mistake noted and corrected. See? This is what happens when I proofread my stuff on 2 hours of sleep a night! Hope you enjoyed the new (albeit late) chapter!
What's with the pecans?! That's pretty funny, Dragonet! Sorry, nothing explained yet, but there will be answers soon, I promise!
Thank you very much, Ishychan! It's always a pleasure to hear from new readers!
I'm waiting for that longer review, Ari-chan! *grins*
Hmm, if I left you confused, then I'm doing a good job, right Miss Gabriev? I hope it's a good confused and not a "What the hell is he writing?!" confused though.
And lastly, Wes. It seems pretty bleak, but I think that Lina and the others can figure out some way of working through the trouble . . .
Until next time, all!