Chapter 5 [Part 2]

The Humans hadn't returned to Eriyon in over a month; the attacks on Onyx and Raulihym were small, the army was able to take care of the threat with ease.

Kina refused to leave the palace without her uncle; he had done so much for her and it wouldn't be right if she left without him. She felt strangely guilty for what had happened to him, she felt guilty just for being able to walk outside of those cold iron bars.
She learned that her mother stayed in this palace while she served in Valac's army. If Kina wasn't busy helping the wounded, she spent her time wandering the palace looking for anything her mother might have left behind. The only thing that she had of her mother was a book that her uncle had given her, he told her it was a diary of some sort. Reading the entries helped her feel connected to a woman she had never met.

The Blood Vamirias and the Prince got in less quarrels with each other; Denga made a comment that they might actually be getting along. His remark was often coupled with old Yetsika saying:
"Wait and you will see".
Nobody knew what she meant...

It had been a while since Ginto held a lasting conversation with Kina, other than the times they acknowledged each other when they passed. He felt it was only right if he went to see how she was doing.
Her room door was open, he figured that she was probably reading like she usually did. He peeked in but the Blood Vamirias wasn't sitting at her desk, or in her bed, or even the chair by the window.
He was about to leave when something caught his eye.

It was a maroon coloured book, partially hidden by a crumpled robe. He picked it up and examined it closely; it wasn't one of his books that was for sure, he never kept any damaged items. It had no title, but there was a neat emblem on the cover.
He opened it and discovered that it wasn't a novel at all, it was a journal. The writing was cursive and very neat; he compared it to Kina's writing but it did not match up.
He wondered who the book belonged to...

March 8th

I didn't think that I would even make it out of that terrible prison.
Mr. Taylor doesn't treat me like the other slaves, I wonder why?
He told me a little about himself: He's a doctor for his day job but he's really a scientist. He told me about some of the things he's discovered, it's very interesting.
I was surprised when he spoke to me in Arthian!
Well, he could use a little practice but I have to admit...I was impressed. I didn't think that any Curatos knew the language...how odd...


May 29th

His name is Reeve, isn't that a nice name?
He wants to help me, but I'm a bit upset because he wasn't able to help the others.
The only condition was that I had to allow him to study me, so that he could learn more about my people. I agreed of course...


July 3rd

He bought me a beautiful dress today, it's my favorite colour.
He told me that tomorrow we would have to take drastic measures in order for me to blend in with the Humans (see, I'm learning English now).
I wonder if I'll ever go back to Arthius, I'm not sure what will happen to me if I do. I won't look like a Vamirias anymore, that's what Reeve told me. As long as I don't have to go through that nightmare again, I'll do anything to avoid it.

The last entry made Ginto ponder a bit. He figured that the author was female, since a dress had been mentioned. Whoever this woman was she wanted to stay with a Curatos instead of her own people?
He flipped ahead a few pages.

November 9th

I heard the Empress had her son today. I'm happy for her, but not so much for her husband. I remember when I used to be part of his army, you don't have to like him to serve him...
I'm glad to have used my skill for something productive and to help my people.
If only all Humans were like Reeve...
He says that although Valac hasn't officially declared war on them, there are still small conflicts going on between the two races, but nobody talks about them. I pray that it doesn't escalate into a war...


February 16th

I haven't written in a while because of recent events, but I think we're safe now and this is a good time to remind myself of what happened.
I've been with Reeve for two years now, I would marry him but of course we have no way of doing that, which saddens me. He told me that we could still be with each other, we don't have to be married to spend our lives together. I wanted to show him Arthius, I also wanted our expected baby girl to be born there. Everyone wants their children to be born in Arthius because it's built on sacred land.
Six months to go! I'm so excited, I always wondered what a hybrid baby would look like...
Oh, and this isn't so bad, I don't have fangs anymore and I have special contacts to hide my eyes. I had to learn how to do things differently. Trimming my claws is a daunting task, they grow back so fast! I have to trim them at least twice every week.
We're on our way to Arthius now, but we ran into the military and it was a challenge to get away. I'm glad neither of us got hurt too badly.


There weren't any more entries after that...
Ginto closed the book once he realized who it belonged to; it was the journal of Kina's mother, Trinity Amethes.
He would have to speak with Kina's imprisoned uncle for more information; maybe he could shed some light on things. The Humans must have been up to something if they've been using Vamirias as slaves for that long...

*       *        *         *

Kina stood in the empty room in silence.

There was something about the chamber that had drawn her to it, she didn't know what it was, but it was overwhelming.
There were a couple items left in there, the Vamirias must have forgotten about them, since they were coated in dust and spiderwebs.

Kina sighed and decided that it was time to return to that old room she now called home. She turned around and screamed briefly when Ginto appeared behind her.
"WHERE THE HELL--!? AZRIEL I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR YOU COME IN!" she clutched her chest from the fright.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked.
"I dunno." was all she said.
Ginto looked around the empty room a bit.
"This room has been empty for years, what do you find so interesting about it?"
"Did anyone...stay in here?" she asked.
"Yes, years ago your Mother did..."
"So that's why this room has been giving me the vibes..." Kina sighed, "gosh I wish I could meet her..."
Ginto nodded once then looked at the wall; the Blood Vamirias thought that his eyes looked rather shifty...
"I think he's catching on..." the Prince spoke in English.
Kina knew it was something secretive; the Prince only spoke in English when it was about something that he didn't want his guards to hear.
Her eyebrows raised, "What are you talking about..?"
"My Father...I think he knows that you're a half breed."
"How do you know?"
"He's become very suspicious of you. I don't think he knows that you're Trinity's daughter though..."
"Pfft," Kina snorted, "he doesn't even know my first name c'mon..."
"I wouldn't be so sure..." Ginto said as he exhaled.
"Is that what you're here for? To tell me this...or are you just bugging me? That's very unlike you." Kina grumbled.
"I came to check up on you, but I thought it was best if I informed you as well."
"Gee thanks...I don't know if I should be flattered that you were actually thinking about me. You helping me doesn't change anything, you're still the scion of a demon...and I still don't like you."
Ginto rolled his eyes, "I brought you here, so you're my responsibility."
Kina thought for a moment; was he really trying to help her? No way, he was probably going to end up being the man who kills her, not Valac.
"Your responsibility requests that she get a better room." Kina retorted, changing the subject.
The Feral Vamirias lifted his shoulders, "Well, get your belongings and move yourself here."
"You aren't going to help me?"
Ginto frowned profoundly.
"It's not like I have a lot of heavy stuff to move, Strong Mannn." Kina said in a manly voice, punching his toned biceps in the process.

He didn't usually react to her playfulness, that was what she found amusing about him; the fact that she was annoying him is what made her do these things in the first place.
She brushed past him giggling and ventured down the hallway back to her old room.
"Oh by the way! Last night I thought of the perfect name for you!" she yelled from the hall.
Ginto grimaced, "...And...that would be?"
"Arna Butt." she said proudly then burst out laughing.
"How nice of you..." he groaned.
Her uncontrollable laughter continued to roar through the hall.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Chapter 5 [Part 1]

It was the rainy season in Eriyon, so the Prince wasn't surprised when it started to pour.

Fortunately, Valac's army had reached Eriyon long before the Rogues did. The raindrops pelted their armour as they took their positions, patiently waiting for their enemy to emerge. The archers, Sedna included, were perched at their posts loading their bows, while the Berserkers kept their snarling Arna at bay. Sedna had been promoted because of her bravery during her captivity in Kaine, she was now able to command her own squad, rather than be part of one.

Ginto decided to let Ba'thin sit this one out, the animal needed the rest and he didn't want him to be pushed into battle so soon. Kina had no idea where they were keeping Shalande, so she didn't get the chance to retrieve her. She was still annoyed by their argument earlier, she hadn't spoken since they stepped outside. Ginto didn't seem to mind, he wasn't one to hold grudges so the fight quickly slipped his mind. She had her reasons for disliking him, lots of people didn't like him in fact, he just accepted it and moved on. He hoped that the weather and armor would mask the hint of Human scent on the woman, thankfully nobody had noticed yet. The rain made his long hair stick to his face and body; this wasn't the best weather to be fighting Humans in, but they would have to deal with it.

The second the archers pulled back on their bows, the others stood alert, keeping their eyes open for the approaching enemy.

"Fire at will!" Sedna shouted.
The first sign of Humans appeared in the distance and the archers didn't hesitate to fire their weapons. The Arna were set free, roaring and snarling in anger. There was a brief exchange of gunfire and arrows before the remainder of the Vamirias came out of hiding.

Kina jumped over the bushes and ran forward before Ginto could give any orders. The Prince scowled then made a gesture for the first wave of Berserkers to advance. Their disk-like weapons sailed through the air and cut clean through the flurry of Humans before returning to their hands. The released Arna bit into their victims with their colossal fangs, ripping through their flesh as if it were butter. They managed to get down an impressive number of Humans before they were gunned and killed.

When the Humans got closer, Ginto sent forth his spearmen. He then shifted his attention to Kina; he was impressed by how well she was handling the incoming Humans.
She was able to take on more than three at a time; she swung her spear and cut through the soldier's armor. She dodged the next attack and tripped a second militant, the moment he hit the ground she drove her weapon into his abdomen. A third Human was about to fire his weapon at her back, the Blood Vamirias dove to the side and the bullet whizzed past her. She forced her spear into his chest then, to the Prince's amazement, lifted the heavy man up off his feet and over her head. With a grunt, she hurled him into the crowd of soldiers and they toppled over.

The Vamirias seemed to be doing well in their battle, that was until a sudden hail of bullets showered them. Ginto's heart pounded hard in his chest as he watched his allies fall, many were killed and a few were left wounded. The overwhelming smell of Human blood made Ginto's head spin; when he was with Ruxx that was the only source available to him. He swore under his breath when he realized that he was addicted to it; that was why it was much safer to drink an animal's blood instead.

His hand twitched at the sheath of his sword; he then felt a hand move his own away from his weapon. He lifted his gaze and his Father grinned back at him.
"Your eyes have changed colour," Valac muttered, "is it Curatos blood..?"
Ginto's eyebrows furrowed.
Valac laughed mischievously, "What's holding you back..?"
"I swore I wouldn't let another drop of Curatos blood touch my tongue." Ginto said through his fangs.
"And why not? Because you would want more and more of it? I would say that that would be for the better, now you have a decent reason to kill those bastards."
Ginto looked at his Father in shock. Valac stared at him for a moment then gazed out into the battlefield.
"Well, at least that woman is a fine soldier," he grumbled, "lets not sit back and watch our army be killed shall we?"

Ginto's eyes widened when his Father brushed past him, pulled his swords from their sheathes and started to slay the Curatos soldiers effortlessly. It had been a while since he had seen his Father use his swords, he hadn't lost his touch.
Ginto looked over at Kina; she was watching Valac with the same astonished expression, she had lost count of the amount of Humans he had killed in such a short period of time. The Prince wasn't sure if it was the rain fogging his vision, or if Kina's hands were actually shaking as the elder Zelcis massacred the opposing army.

The Emperor spun around and smirked at his son, droplets of blood staining his silver beard and hair.
"Come now, there's no reason to be shy. Show me that I haven't been wasting my time training you all these years."
Ginto snapped out of his daze and nodded.
"Find their leader, kill him, then bring his severed head to me. And don't let your foolish blood restriction stop you..."
Ginto's heart skipped a beat after his Father's order; that was how he would confirm that he had taken care of another contract for Alexander. The memory made him shiver in disgust; he looked back at his Father, he had his arms crossed and he was tapping his foot.
"Is there a problem?" he said sternly.
"No Father..." Ginto bowed then disappeared into the bushes.

Valac turned away and observed the Blood Vamirias as she knelt down beside a wounded Arna. Kina ran her fingers over the animal's injuries, it whimpered in pain and struggled to get onto its feet.
"It's alright...I'll make you better again..." she said softly.
Its wounds glowed a soft green then closed up shortly after, the bullets clattered to the ground as they were forced from their holes. The Arna purred and rubbed its head underneath her chin in appreciation, Kina smiled faintly.

"You're welcome."
"A Blood Vamirias in Eriyon..? How peculiar..."
Kina stood up and her golden eyes met Valac's red ones; he practically towered over the woman. He smirked then suddenly grabbed her chin, he lifted off her helmet and examined her.
"The sweetest faces seem to be the most deadly...you remind me of a woman who used to be part of my army. She was skilled with a spear...much like yourself..."
Kina jerked her face away and growled.
"And she would be?" she shot.
Valac smiled toothily, "Trinity..."
The Blood Vamirias' eyes widened.
"Good...so you are familiar with her..." he said coldly.
Kina watched his hands attentively as they gripped the hilts of his swords; she expected him to swipe the weapons across her neck and kill her, but all the Emperor did was slide them back into their sheaths. He inhaled deeply then squinted at her. He then smirked smugly and tossed back her helmet, Kina nearly dropped it when she caught it.
"Just as I thought..."

    *          *          *          *

The windshield shattered, the glass shards bounced off Ginto's hardened flesh harmlessly. He grabbed hold of the driver's collar and threw him out of the car, he sliced the passenger's throat before he had a chance to reach for his weapon. Ginto hopped off the hood of the truck and lifted the shaken man to his feet by his neck. The general coughed dryly and clawed at Ginto's hand; he kicked and struggled to get free. The Prince brought the blade-like bone from his arm to the man's throat and sliced off his head in one quick motion.

The general's death forced the remaining Humans to retreat; although Ginto was responsible for his murder, he didn't feel like he had accomplished anything.
He returned the severed head to his Father as promised; he congratulated him and even said that he was proud. It was a bittersweet victory for the Vamirias; they had managed to run the Humans out of Eriyon but they had lots many of their own.
The soldiers had all returned to the palace to rest, Ginto decided to stay behind and take a moment to collect his thoughts.

It had stopped raining but the dark storm clouds still hovered above. Ginto assumed that it was near midnight, it had been late evening when the battle had started.
He looked at his bloodstained hands; they were still wet with the fluid, he didn't know why he hadn't wiped them off. His mind wandered back to what his Father had said, how it would be better if he desired Human blood. He constantly told himself "No" but his body was saying "Yes".

"Are you going to do it?" came a voice.
It took him a while to realize that his hand was in front of his face and his long tongue was already half way out of his mouth, threatening to lick the blood. He lowered his hand and turned around, Kina was standing there passing her spear back and forth between her hands.
He was still in his active form, so he had to speak back to her telepathically.
"As much as I'd like to...No."
Kina nodded slowly then slid her spear back into the strap on her back.
"Good."
"What are you doing out here..?" he asked.
"Taking a walk...like I usually do around this time." she replied.
"I see..."
"And you?"
He hesitated for a moment; his bright crimson pupils were red fireflies against the night sky as they stared back at her.
"I needed some time to think..."

Kina took a deep breath then took a seat underneath a blooming tree.
"I saw you take down that general today," she snickered, "not bad for a man..."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment..." he retorted.
Kina shrugged, "It can be whatever you want it to be."
She raised an eyebrow when he glared back at her with an annoyed expression, that was the first time she had seen him change his face all night.
"I'm beginning to wonder if it was a blessing or a curse bringing you back here..." he sighed.
Kina got to her feet when he moved back towards the palace; the crimson spikes and armour protruding from his limbs disappeared back into his flesh. His fiery red eyes cooled to their usual green shortly after.
Kina crossed her arms and followed him, "My uncle's here isn't he. In prison..?"
"Terrec," he said without looking back at her, "don't bother..."
"And why not?"
"No one is allowed to see him. The guards won't even let you get any father than the door..."
"He can't be that dangerous, he's an old man now..." Kina's voice softened.
She quickened her pace to catch up to him on the palace steps.
"You can talk to my Father about that, since you're so eager to see him." Ginto grumbled.
"He knows something, that's why you're keeping him locked up." Kina barked.
She nearly ran into him when he stopped and turned around suddenly.
"I would stop talking about seeing him if I were you, unless you would like to face the same fate as your parents." he said sternly.
Kina stared at him in shock; once he was sure that the woman had finally gotten the point, he turned away from her and continued down the hall.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Chapter 4 [Part 5]

Rosier found it therapeutic to care for the Arna. Everyday she would go down into their pens and groom them. She was surprised when she found the ivory coloured female locked up in Ba'thin's old pen. She checked the pen tag and there was no name or owner inscribed on it.
The Arna nibbled at the gate curiously; Rose pet the feline gently, it purred happily.
"I've never seen you before...are you new?" The Empress whispered.
She opened the gate and stepped in; the Arna sat down and examined the woman closely, it's head tilted to the side. Rose knelt down and brushed the hay off her long dress. She took the Arna's large paw into her hands and read the ribbon around it's leg.
"Shalande? Is that your name?"
Shalande's tongue lolled from her mouth and an excited grunt rose from her throat.
Rosier smiled warmly, "What a lovely name. You wouldn't happen to belong to Ginto's visitor would you?"
The Empress stood up and exited the pen, Shalande followed her out. She locked the gate behind her and turned her attention to Ba'thin; who was laying flat on his stomach with his ears pressed to his skull. Rosier chuckled when she realized that he was staring at Shalande.
"I think someone is in love..." she teased.
Ba'thin's ears perked up.
"A lady friend followed you home I suppose. Well, why don't you two get acquainted?"
She opened Ba'thin's pen and let Shalande step inside; she locked it up after.
"No fighting you two."
The female sniffed Ba'thin in fascination; she paced around him a bit then nudged him with her paw. Ba'thin wasn't very responsive; the only movement he did was breathe and close his eyes.
Rose sighed, "Same old Ba'thin...lazy as ever. Your first date is where you make a good impression! I don't think she'll want a lazy mate."
She took a seat on the stool located next to the pens and watched the Arna interact for a moment. She heard footsteps at the entrance and turned her curly head to see who was coming down the steps. She smiled when her son emerged from the curtain. He kissed her hand and bowed briefly.
"Don't mind me...I'm just watching the Arna." she muttered.
"You put them in the same pen..?" Ginto asked.
"Yes, yes, Ba'thin's been watching her for a while. I just went ahead and put them in the same cage. Is there a problem..?"
"Uh-no not at all..."
"Have you thanked the nice young lady for curing me?" she asked.
"Of course."
The Empress sighed, "I'm well now...will you tell your old Mother what those vile creatures have done to you..?"
Ginto smiled faintly, "You're not old Mother...you haven't even reached your fifties."
Rosier stood up, she lifted the bottom of her dress up enough to keep it out of the stray hay.
"Please don't tell me they tried to do the same to you what they did to Trinity..." she said.
He hesitated, "Maybe..."
Rosier shook her head in disgust and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Denga told me that you were separated from the others...do you know why they did that?"
His Mother's questions were resurfacing memories that he wished he would never have to remember. Pain didn't faze him too much now; but he was young then and the nightmarish experience was traumatic. Nonetheless, she was his Mother after all, it wouldn't be right if he refused to tell her what had happened.
He started with the reason he ran away from home in the first place and when he found the injured civilians on his way back to the palace. The strange armed men and the Vamirias that were taken away in vehicles. How Ba'thin tried to protect him but had failed.
The Curatos seemed so heartless to him; he thought that they were just there to harm him for their own twisted pleasure. He had never seen so many injuries on his body in his life; not even his Father would inflict such wounds on his son.
He told her about how Alexander Ruxx had treated him differently from the other captives. How he found out that Ginto was Feral and that he had different needs than the other Vamirias.
Alexander and Nathan were the only people he was able to see; he had a strange attachment to them, almost as if they were his family. As abusive as Ruxx was, he was the only person that was really aware of Ginto's presence. It was a nice feeling to know that at least someone knew about you, he wondered if that was why he had oddly grown fond of the man.
It was the same bloody routine that he had to follow for five years straight. He found out the reason why Ruxx had chosen him over the others and his days as the Curatos' bodyguard.
Rose's face was soaked in tears, her dark makeup ran down from her eyes. She was clutching onto her son as if she would lose him again.
He didn't want to tell her about the episode; he was disappointed when his Mother brought up the topic anyway.
She held his face then mumbled, "I can tell what happened after just by looking at your eyes. They aren't the same beautiful green you were born with..."
Ginto grimaced; others could tell if a Feral Vamirias had had a recent episode by the tint of red at the edge of their irises.
"This is exactly why your Father treated you that way when you were younger," she sulked, "war is never a good thing. He was trying to prepare you for the horrors that you would face in the future..."
Ginto took a moment to think over his Mother's words. All the other Vamirias had snapped because of what had happened to them; their minds were unstable and they were forced to take therapy. Denga and Sedna were affected as well, thankfully not to the extreme like the others, but they still hadn't reverted to their old selves. He was the only Vamirias that hadn't changed too much. He was used to his Father's abusive behavior; while Ruxx's treatment was far worse than his Father's, he seemed to know what to expect and how to deal with it.
"Your Father wasn't always that way..." Rosier piped up, as if reading his thoughts.
She took a deep breath then meticulously dabbed the tears and make up from her face with a cloth.
"He had a soft side to him when I met him. He went through the episode shortly after I got pregnant. It was stress related I suppose, it brought back old memories of Havarra and Erithia, like he was going through it all again. Because of that he now lacks compassion for others. He was initially happy that he was having a son but his attitude quickly changed..."
She shifted the wedding ring on her finger.
"I was very upset by his behavior and often cried myself to sleep. One day I was so fed up that I told him that I would return to Meladin to have my baby and never let him see his son if he didn't correct himself. I was thankful to hear that he loved me too much to let me go and he started to get better."
Rosier sighed and smiled at him.
"When you were born, Valac held you in his arms and said that he was going to make sure his son would become a stronger person than his Father. He didn't want you to make the same mistakes he did. It's in his nature, Feral Vamirias are naturally aggressive. You lacked this in your younger years, so he tried to toughen you up..."
"I see..." Ginto mumbled.
Rosier gave him another tender hug then whispered, "I'm just so glad that you're back here with us..."
She turned to check on the Arna; they had fallen asleep, Shalande had her head rested on Ba'thin.
"I think they're finally warming up to each other." she beamed.
"Your Majesty! Come quickly!!"
They both spun around when one of their servants ran towards them, he looked incredibly worried.
"Speak." Rosier's eyes widened.
"Tydian has been attacked!"

*          *          *          *

"Have them withdrawn! There's no way they can take on that many of them!" Valac growled at one of his commanders.
Rosier stormed in with Ginto close behind; she held her dress up as she ran to keep it from dragging on the floor.
"Are my ears deceiving me?!" she exclaimed, panting from her dash.
"Those bloody Rogues have suddenly expanded their territory to Tydian! My soldiers were moving through the area and were attacked." he said through clenched teeth.
Ginto's blood ran cold; he remembered the night when he met Erithia and what she had said to him.
...master said that soon Tydian will be OUR city.
The Prince jerked his Father's sleeve roughly.
"They plan to strike Eriyon next. We'll be sitting ducks if our army doesn't return!" he blurted.
Valac scowled, "What makes you so sure?"
"Erithia told me that Tydian would be overrun by Rogues. Malphas is dead yet they're still expanding their territory. Tydian is just a warning, Eriyon is what they're really after!"
Rosier gasped loudly, "Azriel Valac! Do what your son tells you!!"
Valac hissed in frustration, "The Curatos are still here! If the army returns we will have to deal with both forces..! We'll be overwhelmed!"
"We'll be overwhelmed either way." Rosier muttered.
"Just tell your armies to retreat and return to Eriyon. I'll deal with the rest." Ginto asserted.

*          *          *          *

"You may as well put yourself to good use while you're here. Hopefully you're as skilled with your spear as you are bad-mouthing."
Kina huffed as she slid on her gauntlets. She fiddled with the strap on her back, her fingers flicked at the band. She reached over top of her head, but she still couldn't seem to reach the strap.
"Dammit, stop standing there and help me with this!" she growled.
Ginto sighed and grabbed hold of the strap on her back. He pulled it through the band then looked over her shoulder.
"How's that?" he asked.
"It's too loose."
He pulled again and she yelped.
"Ow! That's way too tight!!"
The Prince's eye twitched and he started to loosen the strap. Once the chest piece was on tight enough, he helped her get on the rest of her armor.
The Blood Vamirias' face flushed and her hand shot towards Ginto's face, he caught her wrist in time before it collided with his cheek.
"What is the matter with you?!" he barked.
"Would you stop groping me?!" she howled.
His eyes widened in shock then he squinted in annoyance, "What?! I was adjusting--"
"Nevermind!" she interrupted him.
Denga watched the two quarrel from afar; their argument soon escalated into hissing and growling at each other. Sedna eventually dragged the Blood Vamirias away into the armory.
The Taota approached his friend and nudged him in the side with his elbow.
"Yeah, she definitely likes you." he teased.
Ginto rubbed his temples in frustration, "What did I bring back with me..."
"Well, you two will have to get along. There's nothing worse than a soldier that won't obey orders."
"Lets just hope she's as good as her mother..."

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Chapter 4 [Part 4]

Ginto entered the grand hall in hopes of finding his Father.
The hall was very different from how he remembered it; a few items had been added, the walls had recently been polished and the floors were so clean he could clearly see his own reflection in them. The weapons of fallen soldiers covered the walls; they rested there untouched for years, the names of their deceased warriors were neatly carved underneath them. There was a plaque on a pillar that he had never seen before; he approached it and examined it closely. He felt a sudden chill as he read off each name.
Aaere, Illinda, Urid...they were all murdered Blood Vamirias. His mind wandered back to his time in Kaine, while he served Alexander Ruxx...
"No buts. I want you to locate every SINGLE one in existence...and eradicate them. Do I make myself clear?"
The words eliminate and eradicate both fell from his ex-master's lips that day. The same day that he demanded an explanation for the symbol he waved in front of the boys face: The Mark of Blood.
Ginto refused to say a word about the Blood Vamirias; he was punished gravely for staying silent. That was the first time that the boy had felt the cold edge of a blade against his bare back; the wounds it left behind were deep and unsightly. He didn't sleep that day, it stung too much to lay on his bloody back...
Had Alexander kept his word about killing the Blood Vamirias?
He shifted his thoughts to the object hoisted above the entrance, a lutetium shield, the meaning behind it was the last thing he expected his Father to do. A strange feeling rose from the pit of his stomach, was it disgust or satisfaction?
"I never thought you would make it back here alive..."
Ginto turned around slowly, his Father was standing in the hall leading to the armory. The burly Emperor approached his son; his aged face and brilliant red garb he was adorned in made him look even more menacing than before. The expression his angular face was one of admiration and awe.
"Maybe you have finally learned your lesson..." Valac frowned.
Ginto placed his hand on his chest then knelt down in apology.
"Forgive me Father..."
Valac stood there for a moment then turned around to look up at the shield on the wall.
"I will not..." he said coldly.
Ginto closed his eyes in disappointment.
"Why would I forgive you when there is nothing for me to forgive you for," he breathed deeply, "you were a child then....and children make foolish decisions when they get upset. What happened to you...was partially my fault..."
Ginto stood tall, "Father..."
"Maybe you aren't ready after all..."
Ginto lowered his head, "There is something that I must ask you."
"And that would be..?"
Ginto hesitated, "Is it true that I have...a blood sibling..?"
His Father's eyebrow twitched but his expression did not change; he turned around to face him.
"Why didn't you tell me that I had a blood sister..?" Ginto frowned.
"You speak of such nonsense..." Valac squinted.
"Stop lying to me!!" Ginto yelled.
His Father was taken back by the Prince's tone.
Ginto ripped the pendant from his neck and held it in front of him.
"Her name was Erithia...I ran into her on my way back to the palace..." Ginto continued.
His Father stood there in silence.
"..."
"Well?" Ginto growled.
"Yes...it is true..."
Valac leisurely paced around his son and tucked his arms behind his back. He gazed at the floor calmly as he walked.
"Erithia..." his Father repeated the name as he fished through his memory for the girl.
"What did you do to her to make her hate you so much..?"
Valac frowned, "This happened years before I met your Mother. I was traveling to Raulihym to meet one of the generals. His daughter Havarra had come with him and was staying there until the army moved to Onyx. We were staying in Raulihym as well, so I decided to keep her company, she wasn't familiar with the people or the land..."
Ginto listened attentively to his Father's story.
"She had no one else so we treated each other with affection. In short, we grew close and I suppose one night we had gone too far. Much to my dismay Erithia was the result from it..."
"If you loved her, why did you abandon her..?" The Prince asked.
Valac snickered in amusement and annoyance, "It turns out that Havarra was working alongside the Rogues and was responsible for the death of over a thousand Vamirias. She used me in order to get valuable information for the Rogues. She was scum, so I killed her shortly after Erithia was born."
Ginto's expression quickly changed.
"Erithia was my blood, but her presence disgusted me. So I had one of my messengers take the infant away to find a suitable home for her..."
"She ended up with the Rogues..." Ginto mumbled.
Valac frowned, "Yes...I soon discovered that my messenger was killed and the baby was stolen."
"I see..."
"For that reason I refrained from forming friendships with individuals outside of royalty or their servitude. I met your Mother a few years after the incident; she was the Princess of Meladin at the time and I believed that she would be my ideal mate. She is still the trustworthy and nurturing woman I remember her being..."
Valac cleared his throat.
"Enough about the past, we have more important matters on our hands now. I noticed that you were looking at the seal..."
"You don't plan on---" Ginto started.
Valac raised his hand to silence him.
"Have been away for so long that you are not aware of current events..? The Curatos began their genocidal attacks against the Blood Vamirias while you were missing. We've done smaller counter-attacks in the past already...they should get the picture by now."
Ginto's rage made it hard for him to collect words, his mouth was open but no words came.
"Our people have had small encounters with the enemy that ended in violence; I believe now is the time for us to make our presence known to the world."
"You're starting a war with the Curatos?! Are you mad!?" Ginto barked, "how long have you been planning this?!"
His Father's brawling laugh caught him off guard.
"They brought this upon themselves, Ginto." he drew his sword and scanned the edge, "we are a race of warriors my son, we were born for combat. The Curatos exploited us and killed our people for their own pleasure. Have you forgotten that continuous bloodshed is an act of war..?"
Ginto couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"The number of Blood Vamirias has been dwindling. The Curatos are responsible for the killings; they're killing our most valuable people and you would much rather stand by and watch them be slaughtered?" Valac scowled, "our kind has been living in the night's shadow for far too long. Now is the time for those inferior Curatos to witness the true power of the Vamirias!"
Ginto thought long and hard about his Father's words; he remember the young Vamirias that had died while they were being held prisoner in Kaine. The memory that stuck with him the most was the look of fear and sadness in their once beautiful eyes.
"I've already arranged my armies, they're just waiting for their first command..." Valac retrieved an engraved emblem from the inside of his garb, it shone brilliantly when the moonlight fell onto the exposed edge. He opened his hand and offered the pin to Ginto, who stared at it blankly. The Prince's eyebrows knit together; he lifted his gaze so that it met his Father's. All he had to do was take the emblem from his Father's hands and he would be permitted to command his Father's massive army.
Ginto strongly opposed war; all it brought was violence, loss and grief. Was war the only way to set things right? Was war the only way he could avenge the fallen Vamirias that were victims to the humans?
...Victims to Ruxx?
Ginto took an deep breath then made his decision. His Father's grin grew wider when Ginto extended his hand to take the emblem then pinned it to his chest.
"...When do you plan to strike..." 

*          *          *          *

"Oh what hospitality! They put me in the trashiest room in the palace."
Kina flicked another wood shard into the wall, it stuck in the middle of a messy dart board that she had drawn out with a bottle of ink she had found in the dresser. She sighed deeply and stared at her slender fingers; green sparks floated from her digits and vanished in thin air.
She was bored out of her mind; they didn't give her anything at all, just barren a room with a bed and a dresser.
The sound of the heavy door unlocking and opening startled her. She rolled over in the aged bed and squinted to see who was in the doorway. She was relieved to see Ginto standing there.
"Look who it is." she sat up.
"So this is where they put you." he said as he examined the room.
"Yeah, they picked a great room didn't they?" she grinned.
"I told the others to keep quiet. It doesn't matter if I'm the only one who heard you say you were a half breed, the others can smell it on you," Ginto's eyebrows lowered, "you'll have to bear with this room for now. This is the only room that our servants won't enter, therefore you'll be kept secret. Understand?"
"Sure."
"You and I both know how my Father deals with matters like these..."
She stared at the tray of food in his hands and her eyes widened.
"I brought you something to eat..." he said.
Kina's stomach growled loudly, she blushed and quickly took the tray from his hands. She ate the food so quickly that she had almost forgotten to thank him for it.
"Mmph--thank you..!"
Ginto watched in horror as the woman scarfed down the food.
"I'm starving!" her hand hovered over her mouth to hide the crumbs on her face.
Ginto stared at her in awe, "You're...welcome..?"
Kina wiped her mouth with the napkin and took a sip from the glass of water sitting at her bedside.
"You have an accent when you speak; I'm guessing that you were forced to learn English during your stay in Kaine?" she lowered the glass, "you don't have to speak English to me, ne tal'allaspa Hathiana jos'fina.."
Ginto was surprised at how fluent she was in Arthian. They continued the conversation in his native tongue.
"Yes I was..."
"I recognize that pin..."
She tapped her crumb-covered fingers over the emblem that was pinned to Ginto's chest, he brushed off the food particles in disgust.
"And you're commanding your Father's army for what reason?" she looked at her nails.
Ginto smiled halfheartedly, "My Father has declared war against the Curatos..."
Kina dropped her drink and screamed, "What?!"
Ginto winced when the glass shattered against the marble flooring.
"I knew that man was insane!" she hollered.
"The first attack is already underway..." Ginto frowned.
The Blood Vamirias looked at the empty plate, she decided to change the subject.
"I heard that Her Majesty is ill..."
Ginto sighed, "I don't know if her medicine will arrive on time..."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it won't get here on time, if it gets here at all. The Humans are probably still in Eriyon, or the surrounding areas at least. They won't be able to get through them without a fray of some sort..." Kina picked at her teeth.
Ginto hissed in anger, "Don't say such things..!"
"Sorry, I just know it won't." she shrugged.
Ginto clenched his fists in frustration.
"I can help." Kina said.
Ginto glared at her, "Help her? How can you possibly help her? Blood Vamirias aren't capable of curing diseases other than their own! Her illness requires medication!"
"Hey, I cured you didn't I?" she shot.
"..."
"Last time I checked the Rogue virus needed medication as well."
The Prince was not pleased by the woman's attitude.
"You have quite a mouth..." he growled.
"Do you want me to help her or not?" she crossed her arms.
"Fine..." he sighed.

*          *          *          *

The Blood Vamirias kept her word and visited the sick Empress later on that day. She seemed hesitant to heal her at first, but once she put her vengeance aside, she was indeed able to cure Rosier's illness. Rose was thoroughly impressed by Kina's abilities; she had never seen a Blood Vamirias cure such a fatal disease. She knew she was different, but when she asked of the woman's origins, she refused to reply. She excused herself from the chamber and returned to her old and worn out room.
The Blood Vamirias' behavior intrigued Ginto; from what he knew she deeply loved and admired her parents, what was she hiding from them?
He went to see her in order to thank her for what she had done for his Mother and hopefully learn more about the mysterious woman.
He entered the room and found Kina laying back on her bed, staring at the ceiling in thought. He tapped the wall with his knuckle and she sat up steadily.
"I came to thank you for curing my Mother." he said.
Kina nodded, "It was nothing..."
"Though, you seemed to be in a hurry to leave when she asked of your origins..."
The woman sighed and got to her feet, "Well, when you're the only recorded Blood Vamirias hybrid in the world, I would figure something wasn't quite right. Wouldn't you?"
"What are you implying?" Ginto asked.
Kina shrugged and crossed her arms.
"I didn't know very much about my Father. He didn't share very much with my uncle. I'm not sure about what he did in the past, who he was affiliated with..." her gaze wandered.
"So you think that he had something to hide..?"
"Maybe."
She turned slightly to face the bed, "Her Majesty gave me a dress as a thank you gift..."
Kina picked it up by the sides and held it in front of her to show him. It was a silky, sleeveless, dark red dress with gold lace trimmings. It was quite long; Ginto assumed that it was one of those elegant dresses that dragged the ends onto the floor.
"I don't know when I'll wear it." the woman sighed.
"My mother arranged a gathering in April, it will take some time for the others to get here. Invited guests are allowed, you're welcome to come..."
Kina neatly placed the dress back onto the bed.
"Me? Go to a royal party?" her eyes widened in disbelief.
Ginto smiled and nodded. Kina thought for a moment, then she piped up.
"I...I don't know..."
"Well you have plenty of time to think about it..." he retrieved the tray from the counter, "just call me if you need anything..."
"Call you?"
Ginto gestured to the earring stud on the dresser, "Put it in your ear; all you need to do is press it and speak. The channel is preset for you."
Kina blinked in surprise, "My, you guys have some neat gadgets here, in a place that looks so old-fashioned."
Ginto smiled faintly, "Yes, the device is used for our soldiers, but I figured that you might need one. Good Day Kina."
He closed the door behind him and left the Blood Vamirias to ponder on her own.

Translations:

• Ne tal'allaspa Hathiana jos'fina: Kina says "I can speak Arthian just fine".

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Chapter 4 [Part 3]

Thankfully the last leg of the journey was uneventful; by the time they reached the palace the sun had almost completely vanished from the sky. The Vamirias were probably out and about already, so he didn't have to worry about someone coming to help them.
Ba'thin growled and clawed at the gate separating them from the palace, he hooked his fangs through the craved designs and tried to yank it open. A pair of guards approached the gate with their tridents pointed at them.
"Identify yourself!" one ordered.
The second guard gazed at Ba'thin, he observed the scratched armour worn on his body and immediately recognized him. He gestured for his partner to lower his weapon then started to fiddle with the lock on the gate.
"Azriel...could it be?" The guard opened the gate hastily, "are my eyes deceiving me, or are you truly the missing Prince?"
Ginto opened his mouth to speak, but no words rolled from his tongue. He hadn't felt like a Prince in ages; standing before the palace again was almost a shock to him. He had been away from home for so long, he didn't feel as though he belonged there, let alone ruled over the people that resided inside.
Ba'thin didn't hesitate to run in towards the palace, he seemed to be excited to be back on familiar territory. The female Arna sniffed around a bit before entering the grounds and examined her surroundings carefully.
"This woman is injured...she needs medical attention..." Ginto said calmly.
The guards nodded frantically then hurried to the palace entrance; they unlocked the doors and lead the Prince inside.

* * * *

The Vamirias stared at the Prince in shock and amazement. They hadn't seen him in so long that they assumed that he was dead; yet there he was standing before them with an injured woman in his arms. Whispers and gasps were passed around the hall; finally someone was brave enough to approach him and ask:
"Azriel, Your Highness is that you..?"
One of the messengers ran down the hall to inform Valac and Rosier while the rest of them scattered to spread the news.
A group of nurses retrieved the woman from Ginto's arms and another pair escorted Ginto towards the infirmary. A flurry of words sputtered from them as they pushed and pulled him into the room.
"Heavens! We all thought that the Curatos had killed you! We mourned and grieved over your loss. We are so happy to see you alive Your Highness!"
The second nurse opened her supply box and started to clean up any wounds that were left untreated before he had a chance to sit.
"What happened to you Your Highness?" she asked as she dabbed at a cut.
"I will tell you all once everything is back in order again...for now I would like to know if the others got back in one piece..." Ginto mumbled.
The nurse bowed, "Oh yes, a group entered the palace just last week. Ms. Navaras and Mr. Avesys were in the group as well...they asked about you."
Ginto was relieved to find out that Denga and Sedna had made it back.
"They told us that there were tracking devices in their bodies, so we extracted them as soon as we could." the nurse continued.
The first nurse was busy feeding Ba'thin a sufficient meal as she checked his body for open wounds.
Giddy screams and chatter were heard in the halls; Ginto recognized one of the voices. Sedna suddenly ran into the room and gave him a nearly suffocating hug.
"Azriel we were so worried!! I'm so glad that you made it back!!" she sobbed, "now your Father won't pin my head on a wall."
The nurse shooed the woman away so she could get back to the wound that she was cleaning up.
"Who was the woman that you brought in..?" Sedna asked.
"I'm not sure who she is, but she's a Blood Vamirias." Ginto responded.
"A Blood Vamirias?"
"At least I believe she is one. She removed the Rogue virus from my body..."
"W-what!? Rogue Virus?!" Sedna gasped.
Ginto held onto his sister's pendant in memory.
"Yes," he sighed, "in summary, I found out that I had a long lost sister named Erithia. She infected me with the virus in an attempt to make me stay with her clan. I killed her leader after they attacked us and we escaped the village. But..."
The archer leaned forward, "But..?"
"Erithia...didn't make it..." Ginto looked down.
"I'm sorry..."
The nurses' eyes grew wide once they heard the Prince's story, they looked at each other and had the same question in their minds.
"Our Majesties had a second child??" they asked in unison.
Ginto shook his head, "No...but we do share the same Father..."
"Oh my..." the first nurse gasped, "an affair?!"
The second nurse tapped her lip, "A previous lover?!"
"I don't know..." Ginto growled.
Sedna could tell that Ginto was getting annoyed.
"Once you're patched up and rested....I think you should see your Mother..."
Sedna sounded concerned; her tone gave Ginto a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * * *

Valac was surprised when he heard the news that his son had returned to the Palace. When Ginto disappeared, the chaos and panic was a challenge to contain. It was extremely stressful for Rosier, mainly because she had lost her only son.
Unfortunately, everything was too much for her to handle and she had fallen ill.
The doctors did their best to treat her but nothing seemed to be working. She was confined to her bed and everything had to be brought to her. The new medicine for her illness was on it's way to the palace, but it would take months before it arrived. The doctors were afraid that their Empress might not make it in time to have the medicine.
Ginto's heart sank when he found his sick Mother laying in bed, she looked so frail and helpless...
He remembered her as a beautiful young woman full of energy, much to his dismay his mother had lost the warm glow that used to be present in her soft face. Instead of being decorated head to toe in expensive ornaments, she simply wore a purple silk dress and left her hair loose. She didn't even bother to apply her favorite rose coloured lipstick or her headpiece.
"Mother..?" Ginto said in disbelief.
He approached her and held onto her hand tenderly. He brushed the loose curls off her tired face.
Rose stirred then whispered, "Valac...is that you love..?"
Ginto smiled sadly, "No...it's me Ginto..."
"Ginto..?" she said weakly.
A spark of hope appeared in her wiry emerald eyes.
"Am I so sick that I'm imagining things..?" she sobbed, "what a cruel hallucination..."
"You're not dreaming Mother..."
"Azriel...oh...where did you disappear to..? I was so worried...I thought I lost my only son..." tears ran down her cheeks.
She reached up and gave him a hug.
"I'm so glad you're alright, I thought I would never see my Chei-chei again," she touched his cheek, "my you've grown..."
"Yes I know..." Ginto nodded.
Rose smiled sweetly, "Handsome like your Father..."
Her eyes shifted to the scars all over his body, she gasped in shock.
"Where did all these scars come from..? Heavens...what have they done to my son..?"
"I won't tell you only because I don't want to upset you. You're already under enough stress right now Mother...please just rest..."
Rosier sighed calmly and closed her eyes. Ginto stroked his mother's cheek sadly.
"I promise I will do everything in my power to make you well again..." he kissed her on the forehead.
Rose smiled sadly then whispered, "...I know you will..."

* * * *

"You brought in a real beauty you know..!"
Denga peeked his head into the room where the nurses were tending to the injured woman.
"Have you seen her face after they cleaned the blood and dirt off of her..?" he picked at a bandage on his cheek.
Ginto shook his head.
The Taota covered his mouth and failed to contain his laughter.
"What's so funny..?" Ginto raised an eyebrow.
"No-no," Denga waved his hand, "you? No way."
"What is it?"
His friend gave him a pat on the shoulder then whispered, "You might get lucky..!"
The blow that he received from the Prince only seemed to make him laugh even harder. One of Ginto's servants scurried into the hallway, his eyes widened in bewilderment.
"She isn't in any of our records, Your Highness..." he said.
Ginto took the papers from his servant's hands impatiently, he scanned through the documents and found nothing on the woman.
"How is that possible..?" he mumbled.
Ginto glanced at him briefly then entered the room where the mysterious woman was resting, he squinted once his eyes set on her. When he brought the woman in her hair was blond, now the majority of it was a milky silver--almost white as snow. Was it possible that her hair had changed colour? Or had the dirt and debris caused the change in hue?
The old preacher Yetsika crept into the room, her cane tightly gripped in her hand, her long frizzy gray hair dragging against the floor as she walked. It was amazing how the blind woman made it around such an immense palace without ever running into anything. Many Vamirias believed that she wasn't even blind in the first place. She knew who everyone was even if they never spoke to her; she never told her secret to anyone, not even her Taotas.
Her pale pupiless eyes fell on Ginto and she cracked a wrinkly smile.
"...So you have returned..." she said lowly.
She approached the injured woman at his side and examined her carefully--as much as a blind woman could.
"...And you have brought back a visitor..."
"Yes, we're trying to find out who she is..." Ginto muttered.
Yetsika laughed quietly then brushed the woman's cheek, "Oh..? But you already know who this woman is..."
Ginto gazed at the elderly woman in confusion, "What..?"
Yetsika merely smiled at him then left the room in silence.
The woman stirred, she groaned and slowly started to open her eyes. Ginto was glad that she was finally coming to. She rubbed her head and blinked several times until her vision came into focus. Her eyes were strikingly gold, her appearance confused him more and more each passing moment.
She looked around the room with a puzzled expression then realized that she was in some sort of infirmary.
"...Where am I..?" she mumbled.
The nurses were shocked when the woman spoke in English; they covered their mouths and left the room in consternation. Ginto and Denga gazed at each other; they were the only Vamirias in the room that understood her.
"You're safe now, I brought you back with me to the Imperial Palace. Are you alright miss..?" He spoke back to her in the foreign language.
She smiled warmly then said, "Ah yes I am now, thank you."
Ginto briefly looked down at the papers in his hands, "We don't seem to have an identity file for you...would you please tell me who you are?"
The woman looked at the remaining Vamirias and she froze up.
"Is something wrong..?" Ginto asked.
"Do...the others have to be here?" she said softly.
Ginto gestured for the others to leave the room, the servants immediately obliged but Denga hesitated before leaving the room. The Prince gazed at the woman; her eyes were full of fear and uncertainty.
"Can you keep a secret?" she asked.
"Have you done something?" Ginto raised an eyebrow.
"N-no! Not me..! My...my mother." she mumbled.
Ginto sat down next to her.
"If I tell you my name, you have to promise not to tell anyone about where I came from...and what I am. Alright..?"
Ginto nodded.
"Because I am a Blood Shade and you know what we're capable of doing. I'm sure you don't want to meet that fate." she huffed and pointed at him.
"You have my word."
She gathered herself then spoke softly.
"My name is Kina Amethes. Daughter of Trinity..."
Ginto's eyes widened; Trinity's daughter had been killed, or that was what he overheard his Father talking about when he was still a child.
He had heard rumors about Trinity and what had happened to her. He remembered the time when his mother was so upset over Trinity's death that she refused to leave her chamber.
Ginto reminded himself that the woman was still sitting there waiting for his reply; he looked up and she was staring back at him darkly with squinted eyes.
"This makes you a half breed..?" he asked lowly.
"That's right."
Ginto was speechless.
"Hmm..." she sighed and stood up.
She looked down at her clothing blankly, the nurses must have changed her into clean garments.
"Well, you know me now, I suppose we're even." she stretched.
"Even?"
Kina turned around, "Who doesn't know who you are? Sure, you look different now, but you're still Prince Ginto," she made small gestures with her fingers, "hard to believe that you're that same little boy..."
Ginto looked down at the floor in thought.
"Makes me wonder how you ended up like this in the first place. Your Father treats you the same way he treats the rest of us," she spoke coldly, "doesn't he..."
He could sense an underlying pain in her voice; he didn't want an argument to arise so he thought it would be best to apologize.
"My apologies for what my Father has done to your family..." he said sincerely.
She crossed her arms and turned away from him, "When I was a little girl, I hated the royal family once I learned of what happened to my Mother and Father. I didn't think it was fair; I was so angry that I vowed to kill them when I was able to. Now I'm here, talking to the very person I hate, who happens to be the one who saved my life. How am I supposed to react to that..?"
Ginto stood up quietly.
"I trained every single day with my uncle to make sure that I would be strong enough. I was certain that nothing could stop me from accomplishing my goal."
Her hands clenched into fists.
"Then I heard about what had happened in Eriyon, when the Humans took those Vamirias away to Kaine...and did the same to them what they did to my Mother," she held back her tears, "I was surprised when I learned that you were one of them. That proves that it doesn't matter what your status is in society, we're all equally vulnerable..."
"I may be of blue blood, but that does not make me invincible."
Kina looked down at her hands, "...That made me change my mind..."
She sighed deeply and crossed her arms again, "...I was just wasting my time giving in to my rage and grief..."
Rage and Grief--the perfect words to describe his past.
His rage was what made him leave the palace that day and his rage was why he killed all those Humans in Kaine. Grief was what he felt after he murder Alexander Ruxx and grief was the last thing he felt before losing it. The thought made him feel disgusted and it was clearly evident on his face.
"Are you okay?" Kina asked.
"....I'm sure you've had a long day. My servants have prepared a room for you to stay in until you recover..." he changed the subject.
The Blood Vamirias snickered, "I feel fine, but if you insist..."

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Chapter 4 [Part 2]

The air was chilly and puffs of white mist escaped from Ginto's mouth as he breathed.
He opened his eyes and was concerned when he didn't see Erithia laying next to him. He sat up and felt a light tap against his chest, he looked down and saw Erithia's pendant around his neck. Confused, he got up quickly and looked around for his sister.
"Erithia?" he called.
He wandered around the forest a bit to find his missing sister.
The thin scarlet rays from the rising sun peeked through the trees; there was a bit of frost on the leaves and the ground was cold under his bare feet. Eriyon had relatively colder weather; Ginto had gotten used to the cold so it didn't bother him too much.
He heard some twigs snap behind him, he knew it was Ba'thin, the Arna wouldn't let him go anywhere on his own. He stopped and turned to face the animal; Ba'thin sat down awaiting his first order for the day. Ginto removed the pendant around his neck and waved it in front of the Arna. The feline sniffed it then trotted steadily towards the river with Ginto close behind. He caught sight of Erithia laying down underneath a white cherry tree. Ba'thin ran up to her and started to whimper. Ginto approached her and shook her arm gently.
"Erithia..?"
Her arm was freezing cold...
He rolled her over and gasped, there was a dagger driven in her heart...
Many questions rose into his mind and he knew he would probably never find answers to them.
A ball of fabric fell from her hand and there appeared to be ashy writing on it. He plucked it from her loose grasp and read the chilling words...

You're probably shocked to find my dead body, aren't you Nek'estos..? Azriel will be very upset with my decision, but he always forgives even the deepest of sins. Please don't be upset over me, I'm finally at peace with myself. Maybe one day you'll be at peace as well.
The poison spread faster than I thought it would, I've lost vision in one of my eyes and my entire left side is paralyzed. I planned this while you were asleep, you would never let me do such a thing if you were awake.
I'm so sorry Nek'estos...but I didn't want either of us to suffer anymore...
If you took me with you I would only slow you down, it would only be a matter of time before the poison stopped my heart and killed me.
I'm glad that I finally found you before I died, it's great to know that I have some blood that actually cares about me...
I'm sorry that I infected you with the virus, I was selfish and I wanted you to stay with us. I didn't think that Malphas and the others would turn on me like this...I thought that they were my family...
The only thing that I ask from you is to take the pendant around your neck to Father; show him that I wasn't killed by the Rogues and that I hadn't forgotten what he had done to me and my Mother. Find out the truth from him...that's all that I ask.
Please have a safe journey to where ever you are heading to...
I wished that we were more than just blood siblings...if only Father hadn't made such a mistake years ago...
Goodbye Nek'estos, I'll be looking after you alongside Azriel...

-Erithia.

"Rest in peace Mel'varia..." he whispered.
He sat and thought about what had happened. Maybe Erithia had made the right decision, the two of them would have been dead if Erithia came along with him. His main concern now was getting to the palace before he went Rogue.
He took her cold hand into his and held it for a moment, he sighed then got to his feet. Ba'thin continued to whimper sadly over the woman's lifeless body, his ears and tail lowered in disappointment.
"Lets go Ba'thin..." Ginto said quietly.

* * * *

Erithia said something about a Blood Vamirias being seen in Eriyon, he had to find them before the Rogues or the Humans did.
They had reached the more urban area of Eriyon; Ginto hoped to find at least a few civilians but they hadn't come across any yet. The streets were so barren; he remembered how full of life they used to be when he was younger. There were always people shopping at the markets or children running around playing games. Everything was cleared out of the homes and stands. Maybe his Father had ordered an evacuation of the city during the raid?
It seemed like the only sound that accompanied them was the wind and the crunching of leaves under their feet.
He started to feel dizzy and he leaned against the side of a ruined building for support. He breathed heavily and held his head. Ba'thin whimpered and nudged his owner in the side with his nose. The Prince sensed something behind him and he quickly turned around, his swords were pointed at nothing but dusty air. Maybe it was the virus that was making him so paranoid? It felt like he was being watched by someone...
Ba'thin pressed his body up against Ginto's to keep him steady. The Prince wondered if the Arna would still be loyal to him after the virus completely infects his blood. It was working slowly; Ginto was thankful for that, but he doubted that they would be able to reach the palace in time to administer an antidote. Although the animal didn't speak, he decided to ask anyway, the Arna was very good at responding to simple conversation.
"How do you feel about a Rogue master, Ba'thin..?"
Ba'thin looked up at him with his tongue hanging from his mouth, his ears pointed upward and twitching.
Ginto grinned half-heartedly then checked his arm to see if the wound had gotten any worse; the discoloration had crept up to his bicep and prominent veins were visible. He shook his head in disgust; his flesh looked sickly.
He fell silent when he heard the sound of trucks driving by. At first he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but when he looked around the corner, his fears were true...
The soldiers that had brought the captured Vamirias back to Kaine were still in Eriyon--but why?
Ba'thin started to growl loudly, Ginto placed his hand on the Arna's head to prevent him from darting off and attacking them. Flaming arrows were hurled in the Humans' direction, many of them were wounded while the others returned fire back at their assailants.
There must have been some civilian Vamirias left in Eriyon, either that or it was his Father's army fighting off the invading Curatos.
Ba'thin's ears raised and his eyes brightened, the animal's sudden change in behavior confused Ginto. He hadn't seen the Arna act this way in a while.
The feline darted off into a ruined building once Ginto lifted his hand off, he called out to him but the Arna refused to return.
"Ba'thin!"
Ginto ran after the Arna, the animal was reluctant to stop no matter how many times the Prince called out to him. He ran deeper and deeper into the building, leaping down some stairs and continuing down a few levels. Ba'thin was suddenly pinned to the ground by another animal, he yelped in surprise. Ginto quickly withdrew his sword and swung at Ba'thin's attacker before it could bite him; the animal hopped away to dodge the blade. It was another Arna, but it was a female. Ba'thin quickly got back on his feet; the female's ivory fur ruffled as she snapped her fangs at Ba'thin, who did the same back. They hissed threats back and forth; the female backed off after Ba'thin smashed his paw across her face. He leapt at her and sunk his colossal fangs into her neck, her claws dug into his muzzle in defense. The female kicked Ba'thin off of her and roared in anger, the sound echoed through the vacant building.
Ginto noticed the band around the female's front paw, indicating that she belonged to someone. Maybe her master was nearby and she was merely protecting them?
The Arna bolted off deeper into the building and Ba'thin instinctively followed her; Ginto sighed then pursued the animals; the virus had taken away a great deal of his energy and it was becoming a challenge to follow them.
The female squeezed into a hole in the wall and Ba'thin jumped in after her; unfortunately he was too large to fit through completely.
Ginto laughed then said, "You're too big to get through Ba'thin."
After a small struggle, the Arna managed to get himself out of the hole and he shook off. An annoyed growl erupted from his throat and he wandered around looking for another way in. Ginto tapped on the surrounding walls; he kicked in a fragile looking one and it crumbled at his feet. Ba'thin rushed past Ginto to get to the other Arna, the female hissed when she caught sight of them. Ginto called back his Arna once he realized that the female no longer wanted to fight.
The female was walking around an injured woman...
There was a tranquilizer dart lying on the floor next to her and a few loose bullets. Blood covered her hands as well as various parts of her clothes and body.
She must have been attacked by the humans...
He approached her and knelt down next to her; he checked to make sure that she was still alive, thankfully she was. There was blood on her but he couldn't see any wounds. Was she a Blood Vamirias? Her scent didn't match one, it didn't even match a Vamirias.
What was she..?
He checked her wrists for an emblem but he didn't find one.
Green sparks floated from her fingers and an icy feeling shot up Ginto's infected arm. To his surprise and relief, his arm was completely healed and the symptoms associated with the virus disappeared.
Maybe she was a Blood Vamirias after all..?
If she was then he would have to get her back to safety; they couldn't afford to lose another Blood Vamirias to the Humans.
He examined her to make sure she hadn't suffered any fatal injuries, specifically around her heart, that was the most common way of killing a Blood Vamirias. She had already healed most of her wounds, but there were still a few open ones; he would have to act quickly. He gently lifted her body off the ground, he adjusted her into a comfortable position so that he wouldn't injure her more during the trip.
Ba'thin sniffed her hand and his ears pointed upward. He looked up at Ginto in excitement. The Prince wondered what the Arna was trying to tell him; did he recognize her scent from somewhere?
The female Arna bit down on the woman's skirt and tugged it the opposite way that Ginto was walking.
"It's alright, we're bringing her back to a safe place." he said.
The animal lowered her tail and let go of the skirt.
The Eriyan palace wasn't too far from where they were; Ginto didn't know what to expect once he finally made it there. He didn't even think that they would recognize him...


Translations:

• Mel'varia: Older/Elder sister
  

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Chapter 4 [Part 1]

Erithia shook Ginto vigorously to awaken him; he wasn't a deep sleeper so the smallest nudge was enough to get him up. He opened his eyes and looked up to meet the Rogue's pale ones.
She smiled warmly then said, "Aya marina Nek'estos!"
Ginto sat up quickly when he realized that they were no longer in the same place they were the night before. There was a roof over his head instead of open sky. He looked around frantically then figured out that he was in a shelter similar to the ones he had rummaged through.
"Hey wow calm down you," Erithia giggled, "we're in my village now and this is my home. It's small but still nice right?"
"How did we get here?" he asked.
"I dragged you half way then I guess your Arna insisted on carrying you the rest of the way."
Ginto's left arm felt extremely sore, he examined it but nothing looked out of the ordinary. There was a fresh wound there, possibly inflicted a few hours ago. He didn't think much of it, it probably came from Erithia's dragging.
His sister handed him a portion of the bread she had brought in, before munching on some herself.
"Eat fast," she swallowed, "the faster we eat, the faster we get to see Malphas!"
Ginto didn't seem to have an appetite at the moment, he rarely ever had a lack of appetite. He could also feel a mild headache begin to develop.
"I'll...eat later..." Ginto stood up.
Ba'thin sniffed the unattended bread then took it into his mouth.
Erithia gazed at her brother in worry.
"Are you sure..?"
"Yes." Ginto stood slowly.
Erithia stepped outside and dusted off her dirtied hands.
"Malphas is this way..." she said.
Ginto followed his sister through the small village; they didn't go without stares and whispers behind their backs. The Prince started to feel uneasy and his hand slowly slid down to his sword. Ba'thin didn't seem to be bothered by the small threats from the Rogues; he happily trotted alongside Erithia with his tail wagging playfully, a gesture Ginto hadn't seen from him in a long time. His eyes shifted to a group of individuals sitting in a circle around a collection of items, they passed the objects around and examined them closely before deciding whether to keep them or throw them away.
Ginto nearly bumped into Erithia when she suddenly stopped; he turned to see the reason for the abrupt halt, Erithia was kneeling before a colossal sized Vamirias.
His skin was much darker than the other Rogues, it was covered in markings similar to the ones on Erithia's body. A necklace made of bones from various creatures dangled from his thick neck and onto his shirtless torso. A grave scar ran from his cheekbone to the bottom of his chin.
Ginto assumed that this man was Malphas.
"Master, after years of searching I finally found him..!"
The chief grinned then stepped down from his post.
"Excellent work Erithia..."
Erithia smiled proudly then motioned for her brother to step forward, he obliged hesitantly.
"You must be Prince Ginto..." Malphas huffed, "Erithia has told me much about you..."
"Has she..." Ginto said coldly.
Malphas' gaze seemed to be focused on Ginto's wounded arm. They then moved over to Erithia and a sly grin crept upon his dry lips.
"You've turned him."
Erithia blinked then said, "Is something wrong master."
Ginto frowned and looked over at his sister, "What??"
The female Rogue smiled bashfully then faced her brother, "You must stay with us until the process is complete Nek'estos. I'll take good care of you don't worry, the doctor here has the best remedy for the pain."
Ginto was shocked when he finally realized what she meant; he ran his fingers over the wound and droplets of blood came off on his fingers. His scarlet changed to a sickly black once the sun's rays beamed down upon it. Everything around him was blocked out except for the black fluid that was present on his fingertips; his breath caught in his throat and his heart felt as if it had stopped. He looked down at the pot of water below him and was horrified to see that his pupils had changed to an ivory colour.
Erithia had infected him with the Rogue Virus...
"Of course...you did the dirty work for me..." Malphas stepped forward.
Erithia coughed, "What are you talking about Master? I just wanted to find my brother."
Malphas' laugh came from the bottom of his belly and it immediately caught the attention of the other Rogues.
"You've lead him right into our trap..!"
Erithia's eyes widened when the massive Vamirias grabbed Ginto by the neck, then hurled him into a nearby boulder. The force of the impact from the stone knocked the wind out of him; the Rogue was extremely strong, it would be a challenge taking him down.
"Nek'estos!!" Erithia screamed, "Master! Why are you doing this!?"
She ran up to her leader and grabbed his arm, but she was knocked back by the brute's fist.
"Silence you wench!!" Malphas bellowed, "you are no longer useful to me!"
Erithia held her injured cheek, "What!?"
A throaty laugh erupted from the chief, "You simply made my search easier..."
Ginto held his back and slowly got to his feet.
"You bastard!" Erithia yelled.
"Kill them!!" Malphas ordered.
The cliffs above them were quickly filled by Rogues with bows in their hands, flame burned brightly at the tips of their arrows. Ginto bolted into the forest behind him before they opened fire; they then focused their attack on Erithia but she escaped as the arrows flew.

* * * *

He knew that he couldn't trust a Rogue even if she was his sister; it was foolish of him to trust her. He was disgusted by her, her kindness was just a façade. Negative thoughts brewed but some part of him told him that something else was going on here. He only confused himself more when the possibility of Erithia being innocent crossed his mind.
"Nek'estos!" Erithia called.
She jumped down from the small ledge and looked around the area for her brother. She sighed deeply when he was nowhere in sight.
"I'm sorry..! I didn't mean for this to happen..."
She felt like she was only talking to the animals in the foliage, but she knew he was there among them.
She hesitated for a moment then said, "I know you can hear me Ginto!"
She jumped a bit when she heard a low growl come from above her; she looked up and Ginto was staring down at her from the tree she was standing under. She smiled but it quickly disappeared when he frowned back at her.
"I know you're angry with me but please believe me! I had nothing to do with this! I just wanted to find you..."
He dropped down from the tree and bared his fangs, "Why should I believe anything you say?!" he hissed.
Erithia looked down at the floor in disappointment, "If I was part of his plan why would he want to kill me too?"
Before Ginto had a chance to speak Malphas emerged from the foliage, along with a band of armed Rogues. Erithia gasped and turned to run, but she was greeted by the edge of a cliff.
"Sad to see it end this way...isn't it?" Malphas grinned.
The Rogues drew back their bows.
"NO!!" Erithia screamed.
The Rogues fired their weapons.
Erithia ran in front of Ginto and the arrows pierced her flesh before they could reach her sibling. Her body was pushed back into his and they lost their footing, falling off the edge of the cliff. The fall wasn't shockingly high; their descent was quick but painful as they crashed into rocks and through trees. The branches cut through their skin like knives and they hit the ground hard when they finally reached the bottom. Ginto laid there for a moment to let some of the pain pass. He managed to get onto his hands and knees, blood ran down his face from a cut on his forehead. He ignored the pain coursing through his body and got to his feet, he was a bit unstable but he forced his legs to keep him steady. He quickly looked over at Erithia; her body lay at the edge of the river bloody and limp. The ends of the arrows stuck out from her flesh like a porcupine. Ginto grimaced when he felt something pierce his calf, he looked down and found an arrow lodge in the muscle. He lifted his head and the Rogues already had him surrounded, he couldn't escape now. Malphas approached him then readied his weapon to strike; he swung the heavy mallet downwards. The blow was stopped when Ginto grabbed hold of the handle.
Malphas' froze and droplets of blood dripped onto the ground. He gazed down and was horrified to find Ginto's blade pierced into his stomach. Blood pooled into his mouth and oozed down his chin; Ginto withdrew his sword violently and the chieftain toppled to the ground in a bloody heap. The Rogues backed away in horror as Ginto stood over Malphas' wounded body and held his sword high above the brute's heart. He stabbed his sword down deep into Malphas' heart and a bloodcurdling scream filled the air. Ginto breathed heavily then pulled out his bloody sword from the dead body. The Rogues lowered their weapons and stared at their fallen leader in grief. They exchanged glances then sank back into the bushes.
Something nagged at him to check and see if Erithia was still alive. Ginto stepped over Malphas' dead body and approached Erithia's lifeless one. He knelt down and was surprised to find her still breathing, barely...
He supported her weight against his own and gently tapped her cheek.
"Erithia..." he said softly.
She weakly opened her eyes and smiled faintly.
"Nek'estos..." she mumbled, "are you okay..?"
"I'm fine, you should be more concerned about your own health..."
She coughed into her hands, coating them in fresh blood. Ginto looked over her wounds in worry, he was careful not to touch her blood too much in order to avoid further infection. She groaned in pain and clenched her teeth.
"Ugh...dammit..." she gasped.
Ginto slowly began to remove the poison tipped arrows from his sibling's body, the process was meticulous and painstaking. She would put her hand on his to stop him, take a breather, then they would start again. She screamed in agony with each tug and was relieved when the ordeal was over. Ginto washed her wounds with the water from the neighboring river and made bandages from the cleaner portions of Malphas' attire.
"I'm so sorry...I really am..." she cringed, "I...I didn't think Malphas would do such a thing. Please believe me Nek'estos..."
He thought long and hard about her words; she wouldn't have gotten herself injured like this if she was playing along with Malphas' plan...
Heavy splashes of water caused Ginto to look up; Ba'thin shook himself clean then approached the Vamirias. Ginto was annoyed yet understanding at the same time. Ba'thin was an animal, it was only natural for him to be distracted by something that he usually ate. He needed his help back there, Erithia probably wouldn't be in the state she is now if he had the extra aid from his Arna.
"Ba'thin, where have you been?!" Ginto growled.
The animal's ears flattened against his head and he sat down whimpering.

* * * *

With the lack of supplies and appropriate food it was a challenge tending to someone so ill. They had to make many stops because of the arrow's poison coursing through the Rogue's veins. What ever Ginto tried to feed his sister she would spew back up in the pit he had dug for her vomit. The poison had progressed through her body and her health had taken a turn for the worse. She looked extremely pale and the bleeding hadn't slowed down enough for it to clot. Since she was unable to keep her meals down, she was famished and weak.
Although she was older than Ginto, it was as though he was taking care of a sick and helpless child.
He held her in a comforting embrace in an effort to try to get her to sleep. She was in constant pain and was delusional so this made it very difficult for her to keep her eyes shut.
"You could have died back there...why did you do such a reckless thing?" Ginto asked.
Erithia's eyes fluttered, "...Siblings are supposed to protect each other..."
Ginto felt something wet slip down his arm, he peeked at his sister's face; tears ran down her dirty cheeks and she quickly wiped them away.
"Can you at least believe me for that..." she sobbed.
He cleaned the wound on her shoulder with a cloth when it started to bleed again.
"Don't throw your life away to save mine." Ginto said.
"What am I going to do," she cried, "Malphas is dead and my clan has rejected me...where do I go now..."
Erithia was far gone with the virus, so an antidote would have no effect on her. He could bring her back to the palace with him, he was willing to take the chance; that is if he made it back. Ginto was more concerned about Erithia than he was himself. He hadn't forgotten that the Rogue virus was now present in his blood, it would only be a matter of time before the symptoms flared up again. The day's events had taken a toll on the both of them; Ginto felt the effects of fatigue and his eyes felt heavy. He forced himself to stay awake until Erithia had finally fallen asleep, he wanted to make sure that she was alright before he rested.

Translations:

• Aya marina: "Good morning" in Arthian
  

Monday, September 7, 2009