Ever get those days when nothing ever goes your way? When you just wanna curl up and hide from existence? That's me all over. Especially since Kitta wont even speak to me. It was the most akward silence after my shower because she was sleeping but kept whimpering so I got no sleep what so ever. On top of that, Colt Cobrakit, a Cobra Mastered kid who went to human school for years with me because him family and my Units thought that we would one day carry on the Serpent Master. Wrong! The guy is totally self-centered, arrogant, pride-bound, rude, ignorant, and as stuck up and snooty as the Humans. I almost died when I saw him walk up to the dorms the next morning, his head held high so as to let the moonlight glitter glorifyingly, his clothes as elegant as a prince, and his smile "Perfect", his parents had said. It took me a while to remember who he was, but when he screeched I remembered and was afraid it was too late to turn around and HOPE it was a nightmare.
"Tally!" he screamed. Instinct kicked in and I punched him. He sat up, a pout plastered on his lips, and looked at me as though he was hurt. His golden eyes never did hold that certain appeal that the Wolf Boy's did. "What was that for, Tally-la? I missed you!"
"People need to learn the effects of coffee in the morning and consider who they approach before they actually do it. Kid, if you're gonna touch me, make sure I've had my coffee first. No one likes a cranky bitch." Yes, sad but true. I was making a remark to the wolf form I love using.
The moon hovered just on the horizon, floating aimlessly over the cliffside which this blasted place was built upon. My second day, so far so good, but only time will tell and what the toxicity of the coffee here was. So far, all I wanted was something edible. Today, the air was thick and cold, like an icy pressure pressing on my lungs and it wasn't going to get better by the looks of it.
It was fairly early, the sun had just barely set when woke up and got ready for my day so it didn't surprise me that as the black ascended into the sky, lights were just starting to turn on. Breakfast was at seven, sharp.
Today, I let my hair hang loose, still in bare feet and extra long jeans, and a gray belly T-shirt with a giant paw on the back of it. The rain from yesterday had pretty much dried up leaving the dark blue light shine on everything it could that didn't reflect. My phone hadn't rung yet, and breakfast was in an hour. I remembered the waterfall that Damien had told me about before I came, and how beautiful it had been in his eyes. I wanted to see that same beauty out of the rain and in the light of the perfect crescent moon. Tomorrow night, there would be no moon, only a New Moon.
I sensed someone following me, but paid no attention because my phone began ringing about halfway to the Falls. The caller ID said it was Damien and my heart leapt with joy. I flipped the little black Human Razor phone open and almost squealed.
"Damien! What took you?" I asked, elated.
"Sorry, sis, I got a little tied up here at school. I hear you arrived at my old school yesterday. So?" he stated. His voice seemed almost tentative, like he was hiding something from me. I shrugged the notion ff and went back to answering. He's my brother, he wouldn't lie to me, would he?
"Did you ever have a problem with the locals?" I asked, automatically thinking he must have had some issues. I actually hoped so that I wouldn't just seem like I was up to no good.
"What did you do?" he asked playfuly.
I started walking again. "I didn't let some sexist pig pass, he attacked, I defended and now he's after me and Kitta like I declared war or something! He beat her almost senseless yesterday and I lost it. I sent him and his lackeys flying and running for their dorm rooms. You know I don't like fighting, but Kitta needs someone to help her out and teach these cocky ass's their place. She warned me not to mess with them and now she wont even talk to me. I swear, it's like I can't win no matter how much blood I lose." I held the phone closer to my ear and hugged my stmach against the cold. Befre Breakfast, I'd be going to get my little wool sweater that tied up and was long enough to slide against the back of my knees.
"Tally," he groaned. "I know you have a temper, and you've got a hellishly acurate Maternal instinct and all, but sometimes you have to let that pride go. Kit probably just feels like you don't wanna listen and will probably just get yourself killed before your first report card. She's a lot like me, an older sibling looking out for a rebellious younger sibling who has a tendancy to irritate people just because you exhert that aura," he explained.
I soghed and groaned to the moon. "I miss you, bro. Do you know what the Units did?"
"Sent you to school in a limmozine and a police escourt? Yeah, I know. I gave them hell for that. Uh...Don't be expecting to have an easy first year, by the way. I called to let you know that I have someone from the service looking for you. I assigned him to be your bodyguard, and I think you'll find him rather attractive. His name is Aaron and he is signed up as a freshmen. The only thing I think you'll find irritating about him is his attitude." He laughed and I remained in an aggitated silence. There was a suspicious pause after he finished, like he wanted to tell me something but didn't know how to start.
Suddenly scared, I kept my voice steady and calm; playful like I had no clue what he was planning and thought it was funny. "What aren't you telling me?" I asked. I'd stopped walking and wrapped my arm tighter around my stomach. It wasn't the wind that made me cold. It was the icy feeling in my heart that always said there was something I was missing and it would have a major impact on what was happening around me.
"Umm...Nothing. I'll call you later. Bye!" He hung up on me, the little bastard!
"Damien!" I put the phone away. "Yeah. Jesus, does he has to send me on some sort of coded mission wherever I go?" I sighed and headed back the way I came. No sense in enjoying peaceful scenery when your mood has been spoiled by your brother not being clear again. A few yards away, in the old oak tree that never hybernates, a crow with red eyes observed my movements without flinching. I let out a deep wolf growl at it and it cawed like it was laughing at my feeble attempts to scare it off.
I was the first one in to breakfast, and the first one out. I just grabbed some cereal, a few vitamin packed doughnuts, and a milk before heading outside to the waterfall to eat. It tastes like shit, as school food normally did, but I ate it anyways. I was focused on what Damien could have been hiding from me. He never kept secrets from me unless it was to keep me safe. But what could he be protecting me from if he goes to an overnight college? "Damien," I whispered to myself. "What did you get yourself into this time?" I remember when he was going here in his third year, he had all sorts of codes and signs he'd taught me so we could have our own little conversations. I thought it was fun, but he continuously kept secrets. Telling me that it was to protect me was all he could say. Ofcourse I believed him, but only because he's my brother and there's supposed to be trust. I was so wound into my thoughts that I hadn't even sensed Kitta behind me.
"Tally?" she asked quietly. I jumped, spilling my milk over. She handed me hers, which I declined as usual and she sat down next to me. Too ashamed to look at her, I watched the milk seep into the thirsty ground. "I wanted to appologize."
"For what?" I asked her, confused. I looked foreward but not at her.
"I'm not as perfect as you think I am. I need protecting from time to time, but you enjoy doing that. I let my cowardice take over everytime a bad situation I get into, and last night all I could think was that if only you'd listened to me he wouldn't have come after me."
"You're right. I just declared war with a hot headed idiot who may or may not literally try to kill you. So is the way of living with humans for so long. You get used to how humans work. They back down if enough intimidation is present, but here no one backs down. If I had listened to you, you wouldn't be suffering." I looked away again.
"No, I'm wrong. What you said, how no one should act like they own everyone and everything, that was true. I let my fear cloud what should have been done. You did, and even though he's coming after me for it, I know that you'll still be right there keeping me and his victims safe. You don't back down, not because of pride, but because it's the right thing to do."
"So, you're not mad at me?" I asked looking at her. She has the same healing abilities as I do, healing in the moon light. Broken bones fix, cuts heal, even bullet wounds heal, pulling the bullets out as it does. The bruises which had adorned Kitta's face the night before were faded completely leaving only a grey circle around the used to be bruises. A few more hours in the moonlight would get rid of those as well.
She smiled her bright, cheery smile. "No, silly. Someone had to teach that kid a lesson he wouldn't forget." We laughed together a while longer. Then sat in silence, admiring the serene senery.
"Do you remember, when Max and Damien were Juniors here, all those codes they used to play with? The old story articles, and books they used to bring home and we weren't allowed to tell our Units at all?" She looked to me then at some invisible fly around her head, trying to remember what I meant.
"No, I don't recall. Sorry," she said obliviously. "Why?"
"No reason." If she didn't remember then the reason I was having this bad feeling was either paranoia or just a premonition that didn't want to be wrong.
We walked to the school commons together, chatting and laughing like there was nothing to be suspicious about. The whole way there, out of the corner of my eye, a black figure danced in and out of my vision and sent me into an icy alertness. There was hardly anyone up, but they still kept dancing in and out of my periferal. Eyes bore into my back from the shadows, and I knew something was immediately wrong.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Talon come to join the party!" He was kind of short, only about six inches taller than me, was kind of thick, and looked like your korny movie bully. He had dark brown spiked hair, spike collar and matching bracelets, a chain hung down from his waist, and he looked like he was pissed at me for some reason I didn't know about. There was an eerie, chilled wind making its way between the two of us and him. I could still feel the eyes burning into my back, though. Were they with him?
"You are?" I asked. He seemed to know me, but I don't recall knowing him.
"Playing dumb, are we?" he sneered, his mug shaping a twisted smile. I shook my head. He had some serious issues.
"No, I just think you have me confused with someone else." He glowered at me, the smile no longer playing across his face. He looked seriously pissed off, yet his intimidation level did nothing to me.
"My name is Alex Fang, and I believe you beat my brother to a bloody pulp yesterday."
"Okay, I beat three guys to a pulp. One of them twice. You're going to have to be specific. AND I only used self defense because they were going after my sister here. I stood up to him, he got pissed, targeted her like a coward, and then tried to teach me something. The only thing I learned is he either holds back a lot or needs to work on his defense. His offense is minor but he has a good hook, and yeah. If you want to join them on my list of regret, go ahead." I kept my face indifferent to hide the pain in my back that the silent observers were causing.
"List of what?" his pissed look turned into one of confusion and irritation, like he hadn't got the whole story.
"She doesn't like fighting unless there's a purpose to it. Self defense is okay, but if she has to use force to get someone to stop doing something or even intimidate them she feels bad. It's this whole 'Free Will' thing she's had going for a while," Kitta stepped in for me. "You have to understand that people who think they can get away with anything they want to irritate her." That tone, I realized, was one of familiarity. Not one of protection. She was his friend, and he was just putting on an act. Great!
"Well, I guess my little brother needs to go back to school then," he laughed. Then he turned to me and smiled. "I say this because Damien, a really good friend of mine and commanding officer of Aarons squad, assigned him the task of protecting you, not trying to kill you."
"Sketchy say what?" I asked obliviously. Then, from the school commons behind us, Aaron, the leader of the gang that attacked Kitta the other night appeared. His icy blue eyes glowing with both pride and annoyance.
"I though you said yu were going to teach her some manners, Alex, not befriend them!" He was angry. It was reasonable because he did get his ass kicked when he faced off against me.
"Did you know, Aaron, that Kit here is a good friend of mine?" he asked his little brother. Aaron's face went from defiant to embarrassed and hateful. "And this girl here is the same one Damien asked you to guard? You really need to listen to orders before you go around making the world your enemy." Aaron looked at me, first in shock but only for a split second. Then his face resumed it's normal cocky, arrogant attitude.
My back stiffened, my lungs became tight, and my muscles were wracked with pain. Whatever was watching me literally cranked it up a notch. Making it look like a response to his attitude, I snarled at him, whispered to Kitta where I was going and flew off towards the dorms. I'd have to wake up during the sunlight hours to figure out what was following me.
In hawk form, not my most elegant, I saw that there was more than one shadow following me. The moonlight felt icy cold against the heat from my pursuers stares. What kind of creature does that?
As I flew past the Old Oak tree, I met up with the giant crow from earlier. It was literally about as big as an Eagle Owl. Hawks are seriously outsized when it came to those birds, and here I was being chased down by a crow the same size with three eyes. Not that I'm panicing or anything!
It knocked me out of the sky upon seconds of it's pursuit. I changed back to human just in time to take the impact. Nothing broke, however I was winded. I sat up and draped my left arm over my knee.
"This is not my day," I said, watching the crow carefully from the ground. It circled me from the sky like it was hunting me, though I can't say it wasn't. Then I realized something, and I didn't like it. My phone rang at that exact moment.
"Not the best time," I said, panting.
"Alex just called me and told me what was happening with you and Aaron. Wait! Why osn't this the best time?" Damien asked on the other line.
"How the hell does a giant three headed crow fly without wind?" I asked. Then it took a doive towards me, it's beak open and flaming. "Oh, SHIT!" I shut the phone and manuvered my self out of the way.
It struck the ground so hard where I had just been sitting that the earth shook, but not enough for anyone to notice. In the smoke, I could see it transforming from a giant crow to a giant wolf. I couldn't get that big because I'm only the size of a cub in my wolf form. Interpretation: Help! I'm screwed! Oh, shit! Fuck! Which ever you prefer.
It's fur was white as snow, it's eyes a terrifying red. The third eye had moved from his forehead to his chest, forcing him to hold his head up high in an arrogant "I'm better than you" manner. His presence was hellishly intimidating, and I had to fight to keep from letting my fear get the best of me. The beat of my heart, the drum of adrenaline, and his vicious snarls were all I could hear.
I stood crouched in a defensive position, waiting for his attack. He stood ready to go, his muscles twitching with anticipation. He wasn't getting ready to attack, he was getting ready to chase me. I let my animal instincts take over and ran. I transformed into my wolf cub form and ran.
He followed ofcourse. He wanted something, and nothing was going to deterr him, even if he wanted to have a game of Man Hunt in the mean time. I could feel the thump of his steps as he punded after me, on paw after another. I lost my step a couple times because of it, but I stayed on rhythym with my heart beat.
The thrill of the chase was ripping out of its locks and bombarding my body with a speed I didn't know I had. I ran faster and faster and faster. I ran so fast that the much larger wolf was struggling to to keep up with me.
Wolf boy appeared out of my periferal vision, running just as fast, but struggling just a little, to keep up with me. He was focused on the raging animal behind me, trying to put himself between my attacker and myself. We were by the river now and a wrong step would put you right in the rushing torrent from yesterdays rain. The river is connected with the river in the human world and the waterfall which is why I was headed this way. I memorized Damiens maps of the terrain around there.
Just as I feared, the giant wolf knocked Wolf Boy into the rushing river. The plan for his help was Fail, but I still had mine. I needed to pull him into the human world, trap him in the tunneling of the caves. I didn't get a good feeling about this plan either, but it was all I had at the moment.
The cliff was coming, I sped faster and faster. A game, I told myself, It's just a game of Man Hunt and no one can beat me at that. My heart and legs sped up, making me feel as though I was flying. I launched myself foreward, faster and faster until there was no where else to go except if I jumped.
I felt the rocks stab at my bleeding pads as I thrust myself from them, down into the human world. I ran down the ninty degree angle slope, luring the attacking wolf down. He was bigger than me so he'd go down faster.
Just as I'd planned, we exited the barrier and I changed into a humming bird to make a fast escape. The giant wolf that followed me had lost its balance and was plummeting to the pool at the borrom of the fall. He was no longer a giant wolf, but rather one abou the size of a teenage wolf. One thing I liked about this world was that it put you on an equal playing field. The eye on his chest was reduced to a stone like scar, and his eyes were maroon instead of bright fire colored. His spalsh was still pretty big in comparison to a normal one.
I looked at the black wolf lying there in the shallows, making his way towards the shore. I changed back into human and ran over to him. He looked at me, the shocking worry no longer in his blissful blue eyes, only replaced by the horror and hatred of an enemy. I realized then who it was.
I sank to my knees and hunched over, clutching the loose fabric of my jeans and squeezing. I'd run to fast and my body was having a hard time calming down. "You...Were doing...Your Job...All along...Weren't you... Aaron?" I managed to say through gasps.
"You knew he was going to follow you, didn't you?" he panted at me, his toungue hanging out of the side of his mouth. His eyes still showed he hated me.
"Yes, I did," I admitted. "But he didn't know about the laws tha apply here. You can shift but you shift to the size on the animal the humans know. No Elemental Magic to allow us to use our powers. Only Elementals have the advantage on this plain. That third eye he was using? It's effects have no power here because he aquired it in our world. I don't know why, but he seems kind of familiar somehow..." I trailed off. Why did I hae the feeling that something impossibly terrifying was about to happen?
He stood up then, with blue jeans soaked all the way through. I almost shreiked at what I saw. In the center of his chest, just above the brest bone and coming together at a point dead between his collar bones, was a firey red stone. It didn't bulge out like half of it was imbedded in his skeleton, but, though hardly visible from a side view, was there all the same. There seemed to be a black smoke that spiraled inward moving inside it. Aaron looked and was just as shocked.
"Talon, get up and run," he said calmly, changing into a hot human again. He was the equivalent of the crystalized human. Almost like twins... Holy shit!
"He's your brother," I whispered in disbelief. He looked at me, no longer hating my guts, then took off his button up shirt. He had a crystal, too. Only his was welcoming, bright. There was nothing demonic about it. It was that milky blue you get when you shade an opalescent stone. When he turned towards his twin, it turned the same orange. The same hottness, only minus the white hair and demonic aspiration to kill me.
"Go!" he shouted at me. I immidiately tried to stand, but my legs felt like goo. I couldn't move, and Aaron knew this. The moon had the same effects on me here, they just took longer to work. In about a half an hour I would be able to walk again, but the feeling I got said we didn't have that time. That feeling was proved when Evil Twin came up behind Aaron, sucker punched him and sent him to the ground into unconsciousness. I was the next to follow.