-1Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
I kept running. Every time I felt them brush my fur I laughed and shimmered into mist, leaving them laughing and shivering from the cold. This continued until I felt a hand brush my tail, I let myself start to change, "Oof!" I was suddenly sprawled on the ground, in a half-Human form, held by my tail.
"I got her?" A happy voice asked as I turned to see the shy little girl holding me by a bushy wolf's tail.
You got me? But how? Her eyes went large as I growled the words in wolf. I held up a hand and, seeing the claws and fur of a wolf, realized what and how it happened. Somehow she had tried to force me into the wolf form and I was fighting back, wanting to take my true one. Please. It came out as a growl, she wasn't letting me speak in Human. I titled my ears forward a bit and dropped my head, hoping to appear unagressive if not pittiful, and just stared wide eyed at her, trying to get her to understand. Please. I forced it out in a wimper, pride be damned, I was starting to feel the pain of fighting the shift.
She gave me a frown and, as if just realizing she held me, released her grip. I let out a happy yip as the fur shimmered back to flesh. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry," she dropped her head.
I couldn't help but smile at the Human, "Nothing to be sorry about, little cub. You caught me, just as I challenged. But tell me, how did you force me into a different form?"
"Your... eyes haven't changed."
"You're stalling. I know, these are my eyes."
"I... wanted to catch you. Everytime we got close you... vanished. I... willed it so that I could catch you. But I was wanting to catch the wolf, I didn't know it would effect you that way."
"Interesting gift you have. Tell me, little cub, can all Humans do that here?" She looked startled and shook her head, some of the children giggled.
"No, I'm... like the Guardians," she gave s smirk and looked up at me. "Kage wants a rematch. Jake wanted to warn you but he's busy at the moment," I blinked at her, "Sorry, I can't relay the message, I'm hust a teke. He thought you'd appressiate him staying out of your head."
"Believe me, I do. Did he... say anything about a time or place?"
She gave a smirk, "Anytime, Blades." She blinked and the shy girl came back. "My name's Alyshia, but people call me Ally. We should head inside, it's almost dinner time."
"Dinner... Hm, well, I never did get to go hunting. What's on the menu?" All, save Crystal, seemed confused and I just smiled and headed into the house. "Consider it one of my querks, along with a lew other things."
"One last question," I blinked at Crystal and, smiling, nodded. "What, exactly, are you?"
"I am..," I lifted a hand and let it drop. "Unwanted among the Race. Feared by all," I smirked, "That have any sense. And, the first born of the Master of the Race. Fair enough?"
"Uh, by the Race, you mean vampires right?" I smirked at her meek question and, though she was to only ask one, nodded.
"Don't worry. There aren't any on this world, except for me of course," she raised her eyebrows at me and just blinked. "Sorry, Q and A time's up. Maybe I'll anwer more tomorrow," I started down the stairs before they could react. "Hey, little bird, there you are," he turned and smiled. He was sitting on an abandoned bed, chatting with a boy about his own age. The boy looked up ar me and blinked laughing brown eyes.
I hope you do not mind my talking to your, little bird. It was the ghostly voice of someone much older than the boy appeared. Have you figured me out yet?
"You would make a hell of a shape-shifter, too bad your body can't take the strain."
Was I that easy to... see through?
"Interesting, young Ghost. I take it you have... been able to deel with my memories."
That lst one was... particularly painfull. How long did it take for you to heal? I stopped it before I could find out.
"Too long. My... brothers were... inventive that night. So much so that, if I could, it would've killed me," 'they had taken my ability to speak, to see, even hear... All so I could never breath the word Father again. It had taken nearly a Mooncycle, a month, to be able to see Handler trying to tend my wounds. It took near a herd year, Human year, to hear and speak to her to calm her wimpers.'
She was your only true friend, wasn't she?
"She... was the clossest thing to a mother I ever had. That alone tells me how much of my memories you have. It seems the Human mind can only stand the first fifty years or os of memories, interesting to know. If you came across a memory of a blond haired young man, you had best forget it or else you will find out where I got my name from." 'Not to mention why I escape.'
He blinked and his form shimmered until he stood at his normal hieght. Escape? I do not remember an escape, besides my own.
"I... freed him form a mental hospital," Crystal walkied past us and, somehow, patted Damian's shoulder. "He was wrongly commited or course. Come on kiddies, time for dinner."
"Wrongly commited?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Of course someone with a... vampire's memories would be sane."
Believe it or not, your memories are some of the sanest I've seen. Gruesome, but sane. He floated after us as we went down the second flight of stairs, into the massive eating area.
"You have stayed oftly quiet. Penny for your thoughts?" Crow blinked up at me as he took a seat next to me.
"I guess I've just been a space case today. Rach said my blood was unique to begin with, at least that she could figure out. I told her I was a halfling, but she didn't believe it until she looked at the sample. She said it has stopped. I'm like you, I'm unique. Maybe the symptoms, her words, will fade as I get older. Once your blood thins out."
"The sun will be down in a few hours. Let's get something to eat and then I'll show you something." 'Crystal?'
Yes, Knives?
'Tell Rach, if she wants a control to study meet us out front before nightfall.'
I will relay the message. She smiled and set two plates of food down in front of us. "Bon appatette," she headed upstairs with two more plated in hand.
The time passed quickly as I forced myself to finish off three plates of the food. I knew I would need what energy I could get from the Human food for what was to come. I headed up the stairs, contimplating every possible outcome for what was to happen next. When I reached the front door, I put my arm out to stop Crow, "Wait in here."
"But Knives?"
"If you feel burning, get downstairs quickly."
"Knives, what are you going to do?" I forced enough energy into the space between the doorway so that he couldn't follow me. He bumped the barrier and leaned against it, "Knives? You wouldn't leave me, would you?"
"Never," I smiled and walked away from the house, noticing the sun was still a ways from setting. "Unless it was to save you," I mumbled and turned to see Rach, Michael, Jake, and Crystal all eyeing me.
"So, where is this Subject?" I looked up to see Kage sitting on the edge of the roof, gun in hand, staring at me.
"Right here," I crouched down to touch the pettles of a lat blooming flower. Needless to say, Kage nearly laughed herself off the roof. The others were a bit more civillized and covered smiles and giggles of disbelief. "You wouldn't want to drop your gun, would you? You may need it." the laughter suddenly died as she turned killer's eyes on me, all signs of relaxation gone. "Now that I have your full attention," I dug at my hand with my fangs, willing blood to flow, before I let it drop onto the pettles of the little flower. A few drops was all that would come, more than I needed but I forced my will and power into them as it absorbed into the pale pettles. "This is how one creates a pet. Rise and obey," the ground seemed to shutter as the flower darkened and shifted, rising in hieght as large vines reached to touch its master. "It's alright my pet," the flower opened to reviel large spines lining the pettles. I felt barbs dig into my arms as it circled and held me as if I were a loved one it had long missed. "Shhh, stay calm, my pet," the flower closed, only to rub against my face like a large cat. "These ones wish to see you, my pet. Show them how beautiful you are," it turned as if to look at the gawking Humans. "Do not touch them," it turned to me and, as if wounded by my words, the flower lowered. "They may touch you, but do not hurt them."
It reached out and, as I thought it would be, it was still tetherd to the ground. It gave a 'look' as the flower turned toward its stem. "Is it safe to approach?" It turned and raised its 'head' at Rach's voice.
"Yes. Just mind your manners. It's emotional," that was the only thing I never thought of. "That goes for you too, my pet," there was on odd clicking, it was shifting its pettles, as if it was happy I spoke to it. 'Time is short. Let this be done with quickly.'
"This is a pet?" Rach cautiously came within its reach, it raised vines but did not touch her.
"It's not a Human pet but yes, it is my pet," it turned and twisted to 'look' at us as we spoke. "You may touch it if you wich, it cannot disobey an order." All eyes were on it as Rach reached out to brush the pettles. It gave a few clicks when she took her hand away, as if to protest. "This is the stage Crow should be in," I could feel the bond to the creature strengthen as my blood grew stronger in it. "Step back," Rach was suddenly gone as Jake had her up at the house with him. The pettles went from black to red as it changed again, this time growing insanly large. "Calm, my pet," it wasn't a pet anylonger, and it wasn't a remnent. Only my lineige kept me in control of it. "This is what happens. My blood takes control of anything it touches," I stayed on guard. Wether or not it was a pet, it was still mine. I knew the only way to kill it, will. "This a good enough study for you? Are you done taking notes?"
"Y..yes."
"Good," I let the sun start eating at me and forced myself to stay in my form. My cloak whipped and snapped in pain as it tried to hide me from the killing raise. I forced myslf to stay put until I knew the plant couldn't hide from the sun, it was burning and flailing, it was dying.
"Knives!" I was suddenly within the darkened house, curled in Crow's arms, "You're safe now, you're safe. No more sun, no more burning, you're safe," he was holding me, trying to sooth me as I let the thing burn in the sunlight.
"Is she alright?" When I finaly felt the connection with the thing die, I looked up into Jake's worried face.
"Nothing a drink wouldn't cure." I forced myself to sit up, away from Crow, "That's the last time I go tanning." Unable to help myself, I flashed him a fanged smile and fell back onto the floor, "I want my coffin." Unfortunatly, the death/sleep took me before I could summon it.
Author's note
I have apparently come up with a MAGOR case of being unable too spell lately so soorrry about all the errors...
Oh... b4 I 4get... I gave an author friend TristanCartier permission to barrow a few of my characters (She better give them back in one piece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you say revenge Tristan??????) So I don't know when they will show up but I figured I'd put it in writing in case she gets to the intro of one of them and someone freaks out and reports her... This is Knives'Ghostwriter and I give her official (If I can spell the damn thing) permission to barrow my characters...
Good, with that taken care of... SOMEONE PLEASE REVIEW ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!