Post by shade on Mar 1, 2013 19:52:05 GMT -5
Anyways I'd love feed back on this good or bad on how I'm doing with it. I promise I won't bite ^^
So anyways on with the story
Prologue
The small child watched in horror from her hiding spot. The black cat, who was as large as a dog, sat between her and the cupboard door. Her small clawed hands clutched his fur in shaking fists as the grey eyed man with dark hair stabbed her mother. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, his sharp vampire teeth mere inches from her neck.
He let her go and stepped out the door into the sun light. His black leather wings spread from his back and sun light reflected silver from his eyes. Then he was gone. The girl ran out of the cupboard as her mother collapsed.
“Momma! Momma,” The girl’s high pitched screech echoed back to her ears. The silver eyed black cat walked up to her shrinking into a small kitten sized cat at the same time.
“Sh…Shade,” her mother panted pushing herself up.
“Wha…what…maw…momma,” Shade asked as her sobs shook her tinny frame. Her mother wrapped Shade in her arms and stood up bringing both the child and cat up with her. There was only one place
to go that would be safe. In a flash of blinding light they were gone.
The vampire queen, Karlina, smiled fondly as she watched children play with two of her closest friends, the queen of the Unicorn Centaurs and the queen of the Mundane Centaurs. Her long curly red hair bounced as she laughed exposing her elongated canines. The Unicorn Centaur queen, Mequne, shook her head when she laughed, causing her horn to sparkle along with her blonde hair that was tied in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her hind half was a deep honey color that matched her eyes. The mundane centaur, Tisqune, had black hair tided at the nape of her neck that matched her horse hide and contrasted with her sea foam green eyes nicely.
Their husbands sat not far away deep in conversation about the rumors concerning the demons breaking the treaty and attacking the allied nations. Zanokerue, the vampire king, missed nothing with his blue-gray eyes even when his graying black hair hung in his eyes. Rish, the unicorn centaur king, rubbed his golden bearded that matched his hair and contrasted with his midnight blue eyes and gray pelt. Gelureid, the Mundane Centaur king, had dark brown hair that matched his chocolate eyes and blood bay pelt nicely.
Suddenly there was a flash of light. By the time the light faded the kings and guards had drawn their weapons and the queens had gathered the children. Standing where the light had been was a demon. She had long sliver hair with cat ears and a tail to match. Her chocolate brown fallen angel wings drooped as if she couldn't quite hold them up and her pupil-less black eyes were clouded with pain. In her arms was a black cat with silver eyes and a small sobbing child. The child had black fallen angel wings that blended with her long black hair, cat ears, and pupil-less black vapirac eyes. The child stared at the beings surrounding them wide eyed.
“Kerio,” Karlina whispered as she rushed towards her childhood friend. Kerio turned her head slightly before the child and cat slipped from her arms and she collapsed. Karlina’s scream was drowned out by the little girl’s scream.
“Momma,” The child’s scream was between a cat’s yowl and bat’s screech as she clutched Kerio’s arm, “Please, momma, please get up! We has to get out of here! Momma!”
Karlina was nearly to Kerio when the child saw her. The child let out an animalistic growl and blocked the queen’s way. She spread her arms wide and her wings like a vampire. While that stunned Karlina her words did so even more. They sent wave after wave of shock through the queen.
“Don’t hurt momma! Please! I do whatever you want with me but don’t hurt my momma again,” even though she shook with fear she kept talking as fast as she could, “Take me to the mean man or clip my wings or torture me or call me names or…”
“Child,” Coska the elderly cook interrupted crouching down to eye level with the child, “We aren’t going to hurt your momma. We want to help her. Will you let us?”
“Help momma,” The child asked and when Coska nodded she stepped aside and folded her wings behind her. Then picked the cat up and held him to her tightly. Nurses came and lifted Kerio on a stretcher and rushed her to the hospital wing. When the child tried to follow Coska laid her hand on the child’s shoulder gently.
“Why don’t you come with me and the other children,” the child started to protest, “If you go with you might get in the way.”
“Oh…okay I guess,” the child seemed uncertain as she continued staring at the corner the others had disappeared behind.
“You can bring your pet,” Coska said leading her away while gathering the other children with her eyes.
“Kayo’s not my pet, Lady,” The child glared up at her, “he’s my bestest friend.”
“Oh, my mistake then. My name is Coska, not Lady, what’s yours?”
“Shade. My name is Shade.”
“Well, Shade and Kayo it’s nice to meet you,” Coska said as they entered the kitchen, “Everyone sit down and introduce your selves while I make a snack.”
The Children all sat at the table staring at each other. After Shade had looked at each child briefly she looked down at Kayo in her lap and began to play with his ears.
“Are they soft?”
“What,” Shade asked looking up trying to figure out who had asked.
“Are your wings soft,” One of the unicorn centaurs asked. She had golden hair brushing her shoulders, sapphire blue eyes, a beautiful white pelt, and shimmering horn.
“Um…my wings,” Shade asked looking at her left wing confused.
“Yes are they soft? They’re covered in feathers. I bet they are soft. A lot softer than Fang, Vin and Sadie’s are.”
“No way,” a vampire with long dirty blonde hair and green eyes screeched, “Her wings can’t be softer than mine! If you say they are again I won’t play with you anymore!”
“Oh well, we don’t need you,” another vampire shrugged. He had short black hair and hazel eyes.
“Yeah we got someone new who can play,” a mundane centaur said. His blood bay pelt, black hair, and emerald eyes looked stunning.
“Fang,” the girl vampire whined turning to the vampire with icy blue eyes and ivory hair, “They’re being mean!”
“So?”
“Um…I can’t,” Shade interrupted.
“Can’t what,” the blue eyed vampire asked.
“I can’t play with you. I don’t know any of you and momma said never play with strangers.”
“Oh is that all? I’ll just introduce us then we won’t be strangers and we can play. I’m Fang, the vampire prince. That’s…”
The blue eyed vampire continued to introduce the other children. The girl vampire was Sadie, the daughter of some noble. The unicorn centaur was Night and also the princess of unicorn centaurs. Moon was the mundane centaur prince. Vin was the black haired vampire and Coska’s grandson. Then there was Shadow another unicorn centaur Shade had forgotten about. He was part of Night’s tribe. He was an appaloosa with spiked black hair and blue eyes.
“Now let’s go play,” Fang said smiling toothily.
“I should stay here in case momma needs me…”
“Don’t worry Shade,” Night smiled, “Your momma will be okay my momma’s good at healing. Vin will tell his grandma where we are so you can be found.”
Shade watched as the vampire went to do as he was told. She knew she should stay but she really wanted to play too. When the blue eyed prince offered her his hand Shade took it. She would make it up later by being an extra good girl.
It was heart wrenching watching the dark haired child sob over her mother’s body. She promised to never misbehave again, she promised to be as good as her mother would want her to be, she promised to eat her vegetables, if only her mother would wake up.
Karlina sobbed as well into her husband’s shoulder. Kerio had been her best friend growing up. And she had been murdered. Kerio had become conscious enough to tell them it was Shade’s father but that was it. Looking at the child they knew whoever he was he was a vampire or at least part vampire. After many hours of coaxing and persuading they managed to pry the child away so the body could be taken care of properly. Then many more hours of debate to decide what to do next. They had to find a place for the child to live and Karlina wanted Kerio’s murderer’s heart on a plate with a stake through it.
In the end it was decided the child would stay in the vampire nation and live with Coska while Bayo, the king’s military advisor and another child hood friend, would oversee bringing the criminal to justice.
A young prince stared at the army that intended to invade his land. He had bone white hair that clung to his face in the rain and icy blue eyes. He clenched his teeth tightly as he watched the demons' muscles tense as one raised its arm slightly. Fang knew that as soon as that arm went down that his own forces would rush to meet the oncoming demons. He glanced to his left at his best friend. Vin's hair was plastered flat over his hazel eyes. The leader of the demons' hand went down and the demons surged forth as did the vampires.
Fang plunged his sword into one demon after another. Fang stood back to back with Vin. They had been in many fights together and trusted each other immensely. They side stepped and swung their swords at demons with synchronized movements. They were warriors that had spent years tuning their skills together. But then they got separated. Fang called Vin’s name and spun around in time to see him fall to the ground and yelling in pain. Fang tried to reach his friend but a demon lunged at him. He blocked the twin daggers and glared viciously at the demon leader.
All around them yells of pain echoed, metal clashed, but none of it was of any importance to either of the two leaders. Fang’s mind drifted to other fights he’d had. In his mind he saw a beautiful girl fighting against him. Her black hair shimmering in the sun as her eyes glistened with joy as their blades clashed. Fang’s breath rushed from his lungs as he found himself on the ground. The demon leader straddled his waist. He had a dagger lying against Fang’s throat. His sword lay barely out of his reach and he felt fear for the first time when he realized that the fighting all around them had stopped. Fang stared up into the shadowed eyes. The bandanna around the demon’s face made it nearly impossible to tell what color they were. Fang felt his heart beat double as the demon leaned over to whisper into his ear.
“Surrender,” the demon’s voice was oddly familiar, “Or die.” The demon pulled the bandanna off to reveal flowing black hair, black as night eyes, and a crooked grin full of mischief.
“Shade,” Fang asked in surprised astonishment. She grinned even more as she sheathed her daggers.
“Miss me, Bat Boy,” She asked teasingly. Fang surged up and wrapped his arms around her. She laughed as she hugged him back.
“I don’t understand,” Fang pushed Shade to arms distance as he looked around. Demons were crumbling into piles of dirt and vampires were sitting up coughing slightly and mumbling under their
breath. Vin walked over glaring at Shade. A black cat with silver eyes followed him looking smug.
“Was that really necessary,” Vin glared down into Shade’s smiling face, “You could have let us know it was you.”
“Aw,” Shade jumped up and hugged Vin, “You’re just mad that Kayo had to make you die so I could show Fang that I can still kick his butt even after 3 years.”
“Yeah great,” Fang said jumping in and breaking them up when Shade kissed Vin’s cheek, “Would one of you explain what’s going on?”
“Shade was sent to the demon realm to gather info,” Vin said as they began to walk towards the vampire camp.
“But…so you didn’t run away,” Fang asked looking from Shade to Vin. Shade had disappeared one night and no one had known where she had gone.
“Naw,” Shade folded her hands behind her head, “But we had to make it seem that way. Bayo wanted it to be top secret kind of thing.”
“But Vin knew,” Fang glared at Vin who looked sheepish, “And my parents?”
“They all knew,” Shade confirmed, “They agreed that it would be best if you thought I’d just disappeared like everyone else.”
“Why?”
“Because you can’t act, we couldn't risk having the plan found out at all.”
“Speaking of the plan,” Vin jumped in, “What are you doing back and what happened to the demon army that was supposed to invade?”
“I found some interesting info while I
was snooping,” Shade answered scratching the black cats head, “And Kayo
happened.”
“What kind of interesting info?”
“The dangerous kind.”
“…In short we have a crazy ass sorcerer on the loose who wants to take over at least the centaur kingdom, but I feel fairly certain he wants to take over all of the kingdoms,” Shade finished standing in front of King Zankuro, Queen Karlina, General Bayo, Prince Fang, and Commander Vin. As her report sank in Shade reflected on how life could change so much in three years. Before she left Fang had spent most of his time in meeting like this staring off into space and Vin would be so tense he nearly trembled. Now Fang paid as much attention as the rest and Vin stood calmly.
“I have the distinct feeling there is more,” Karlina stated staring into Shade’s black eyes.
“It’s on a more personal matter your majesty,” Shade replied folding her black cat ears down slightly, “I think I should depart from the castle as soon as this meeting is over, to a location I will not share, and stay gone for a while…”
“Why,” Fang interrupted frightened that he would have gained his friend back only to lose her so soon again.
“My father,” Shade said turning her head to Fang, “I encountered demons that knew who I was. They said my father sent them. He somehow knows I am connected with this castle and was able to get into our files to know that I was doing some spying. I feel that my staying here would be a danger.”
“Your request is denied,” Zankuro’s deep voice rang out clear and strong, “We need to bring in representatives of the other large races and inform them of this new development with the sorcerer. With that many people of importance here we will need as many guards as possible.”
Shade bowed as she and Vin were dismissed.
Fang walked across the castle grounds slowly. He enjoyed the warm air on his face. He smiled as he felt the sand shift beneath his feet bringing back memories of a misspent youth surrounded by his friends. They had raced across this very beach yelling and screaming with joy as they tripped each other trying to be the first to the cabin where Coska lived with her charges, Vin and Shade. They were always on a mission. The cook would conveniently run out of spices when the children were in the kitchen that so happened to be very important to her recipe and she had extra at home. Fang chuckled under his breath. The spices may have been important but they had never been used that he could remember.
Fang knocked on the door of the cabin before gently pushing it open. He glanced around and didn’t see any of the inhabitants as he closed the door and stepped further into the house. Fang called out for Shade and Vin as he approached the living room. Vin came down the stairs and gave his friend a crooked smile.
“You know most people wait for the door to be answered,” Vin joked.
“Hey where’s Shade,” Fang asked smiling at his friend as crookedly.
“Upstairs,” Vin replied jerking his head in that direction, “I’m going in to fill out some paper work and see if I can find the information leak to her father. You two behave.”
Fang stuck his tongue out at Vin, childish yes but Fang never felt the need to act in a proper manner with Vin as he did with some of the other people his age. His close friends thought of him as Fang first and Vampire Prince second. Fang heard a light chuckle as the front door closed and he ascended the stairs to the second story of the cabin. Fang peeked into Shade’s room and frowned when he didn’t see her. The only rooms on the second story where her and Vin’s. She wouldn’t be in Vin’s room would she? Then he heard a light mew and turned to see Kayo had curled up on the bed. His silver eyes met Fang’s blue eyes before he glanced at the bath room door then back. Fang nodded his thanks as he stepped into the room and looked about. Daggers littered the floor making Fang chuckle low in his throat as he sat in a chair to wait for Shade. She’d only been back a few hours and already her room was turning into a mess. A dangerous mess too when one considered some of the daggers weren’t in their sheaths.<o:p>
Fang had been sitting for well over an hour when the silence that had been thick in the room was shattered. From Shade’s bathroom Fang heard a blood curdling scream. Without thinking Fang lunged into the bathroom with Kayo not far behind him. Fang slid across the floor and caught himself on the opposite wall. Fang spun around ready to face any enemy but the bathroom was empty. Kayo had stopped at the door and water slicked the floor. Fang looked to where the water had come from and realized it had splashed out of the tub which Shade was in. She was curled up in a corner shaking violently with her legs curled up to her chest and her head resting upon her knees. Her breathing was ragged and harsh as Fang knelt down next to the tub. Fang reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder while whispering her name. At his touch though she screamed again and jerked away hitting her head on the wall and spilling more water. Her eyes were wide and frighten as they met Fangs.
“Shade,” Fang reached for her pulling her out of the tub, cursing as he spilt more cold water onto the floor, and into his arms, “Shade, calm down. It’s okay, you’re okay. I got you.”
Shade fought him at first but as he continued repeating himself she stopped struggling and simply clung to him instead. She curled her body up to him as she shivered her breathing ragged. Fang barely managed to suppress his groan as her damp and naked body pressed to his. He could feel his fangs lengthen as he felt her heart thunder in her chest. Slowly Fang began to repeat what he had said before as he stood up holding her in his arms as he walked into her bedroom to her bed. He placed her down on it but when he tried to step back he was stopped by Shade’s claws digging into his shoulders tightly as she whimpered and pulled herself closer to him. Fang sighed as he grabbed a corner of her blanket and pulled it around Shade. He then sat on the bed pulling her into his lap and wrapping one arm around her waist while the other gently rubbed her back. The blanket served the purpose of providing a barrier between them and Fang felt his fangs return to normal. Fang allowed a sigh to escape his lips as he worked on calming Shade down further. Throughout the years he had imagined various scenarios in which Shade had clung to him without cloths, her breathing ragged and heart beating furiously, but this hadn’t been any of them.
“Sorry,” Shade mumbled as she sat up pushing away from Fang holding the blanket to herself. They had been sitting for nearly a half hour with Fang trying to calm her down.
“What happened,” Fang questioned gripping her shoulders lightly so she didn’t slid away.
“Nothing,” Shade said turning her head away sharply
“Shade,” Fang pulled her face to face him, “That wasn’t nothing. Something scared you. Now you can tell me or I can find out for myself.”
"You wouldn’t,” Shade’s eyes widened at the threat. She, like all vampires, knew that when you bit another being and drew blood you could read the victims mind. It was highly frowned upon but many still knew how.
“Try me,” Fang said thinking about the other side effects of biting a person. The lust, the joy, the feeling of being connected, and if the person you bit also happened to be a vampire the way they longed to bite you back and create a mate bond. The unbreakable bond between those who wanted to spend their lives together.
“…I was taking a bath,” Shade said after a minute of debating, “ And I guess I fell asleep. I had a nightmare.”
“About what,” Fang asked when Shade didn’t volunteer the information.
“When my mom got hurt. I saw him do it. I saw him stab her. I saw her fall. His eyes…so…evil,” Shade whispered the last word as she shivered.
“You saw his eyes? Did you really see them that day,” Fang asked and felt excitement when she nodded, “Then you know what he looks like! You’ve seen his face!”
“No,” Shade said shaking her head as she stared at the blanket between them, “I may have that day but I don’t remember anything but his eyes in my dreams. Everything else about him is blurry. His eyes though stand out. They are grey.”
“Like my dad’s” Fang asked hesitantly.
“No not blue-grey, grey-grey.”
“…Like Bayo’s eyes,” Fang asked gently. Shade and Bayo didn’t like eachother. While she did as he told her, like all soldiers, she did it her way and he didn’t always agree with it. Shade nodded. Grey eyes weren’t uncommon in the vampire kingdom and wasn’t really much to go on but Fang had to ask, “Have you had these dreams before?”
“Yes, many times.”
“Have you told anyone,” he knew if she woke up screaming like she had every time then Coska and Vin would have asked but would she have told?
"Yes, I told Vin and I assume," Fang stood up and stormed out of the room. Shade listened to his boots stomping down the stairs and the door being slammed shut. She watched out the window as the angry prince walked away when she finished her sentence, "that he told Bayo."
“Isn’t this just amazing?” Sadie’s voice chimed as she smiled around the table, “It’s just like the good old times!”
“Shade’s missing,” Shadow mumbled brushing his dark hair out of his eyes. He had arrived late that afternoon with Night and her sister,Isolde, “Therefore it’s not like old times.”
“There were old times before she showed up,” Sadie said bitterly.
“Yeah but they weren’t the good ones,” Night venomously shot back before turning her attention to Vin, “Why isn’t she here anyways? I was looking forward to seeing her again. Last time just didn’t seem like very long.”
“She said her stomach is upset,” Vin said poking at his food.
“She’s been sick a lot lately,” Fang said as Vin refused to make eye contact with him. After the incident in her bed room Fang had been angry but that night Shade had come to his room. He hadn’t wanted to talk but she would not take no for an answer. After she had smacked him and told him he was stupid to get so worked up over nothing they had spent the rest of the night just like they had before she left. Things had gone back to how it was before she left easily, it was like slipping on an old but comfortable shoe. They had bickered throughout the day, occasionally pulling Vin in, then spent their nights locked in a room together. It was not anything serious for either of them, never had been. And, though Fang hated the fact, it could never go beyond their nightly games. All those who lived in the castle or its grounds knew about them, no one acknowledged it though. It was assumed they would have their fun but once Fang settled down with a vampire bride Shade would bow out like any other mistress would.
The centaurs’ representatives, Night and Moon, had arrived first after the message had been sent out of a threat to the allegiances. It had been like when they were children, running around the castle grounds, spending times on the beach. But after the other representatives had arrived it was all business. Night, Moon, and the other representatives had left to consult with their rulers and another meeting would be held in a month’s time. Then about two weeks ago Shade had begun to get sick.
“Who cares,” Sadie growled, “She’s not important. Just a warrior. We send them into battle because they are expendable.”
“Gee, what does that make you then,” Shade’s voice was a low growl as the table’s occupants spun to look at her, “After all you are nothing more than a third daughter to a noble. You aren’t much use for anything except a bargaining chip in political games.”
“Shade,” Isolde said as she and her sister reached her. They all hugged each other. Sadie could do nothing but fume as the rest of the table turned their backs on her to question Shade on how she was feeling. Sadie stood and pushed her way past the other three women as she stormed out of the dining hall. She was not missed.
“You aren’t going to chuck your stomach onto me again are you,” Vin asked as Shade sat down next to him.
“I may if you don’t watch your manners,” Shade warned as they all began to chuckle.
Fang rarely paid much attention to rumors as a rule but as he watched Vin and Shade sneaking out of the cottage he could not stop the voices he had heard echoing in his head. Rumors about Shade sneaking out with another vampire, how she was the one who would cut their relationship to an end with another not him. Even if he had believed them he never would have thought the other vampire would be Vin. Even if that was the most common name in those rumors. Vin and Shade had a strong relationship, Fang had thought of them as more than good friends when Shade had returned but he had since dismissed the idea as foolish. Fang barely heard Nights gasp of shock as he began following the two. He, Night, Moon, Shadow, and Isolde had been decided to check on Shade themselves after three days of her missing meals. Vin had assured them she would be fine soon, it was just some flue or something,
but they had decided they needed to see for themselves. Then they had spotted them sneaking out.
As the small group entered the forest behind Vin and Shade, Moon put his hand on Fang’s shoulder. He raised his eyebrow asking without words if Fang was sure he wanted to do this. Fang nodded stiffly then continued after the two. Fang could see Shade and Vin standing in a clearing. Fang approached the edge of the trees and watched as a third figure left the tree line to join the other two. She was one of the guards with the wereanimals group. She was the only werewolf besides the prince who had come. Her creamy white hair was cut in a pixie cut and her yellow eyes sparkled when she smiled. Fang took an unconscious step forward and a twig snapped. The three in the clearing spun around growling.
“Fang,” Vin questioned as he looked at his prince.
“Uh…,” Fang said blinking at them.
“Oh wow what a relief,” Isolde said as she and the other centaurs stepped out into the clearing as well, “We thought the two of you were sneaking off to be alone. But what are you doing?”
“Shade,” Vin turned to plead with her but she shook her head and threw up her hands.
“Oh, no you don’t. I agreed to sneak out and have a hot heated affair with you in the rumor mill so you could meet up with Lilly but I’m not about to cover for you when we’ve been caught red handed.”
“Wait what,” Moon asked, “I’m so lost.”
“Right there with you buddy,” Fang said massaging his forehead.
“What’s to get lost with,” the werewolf spoke in hotly tones, “Vin and I wanted to spend time together, can’t really do it the way we want with the no were/vamp relationships laws, and Shade agreed to let the people think she was sneaking off with Vin so I could meet up with him. Now we are busted.”
“Why didn’t one of you tell us,” Night huffed while glaring at her two friends.
“When?” Shade asked grumpily, “You’ve all been in meetings, I’ve been sick, and Vin has been covering my guardshifts.”