*Soleil*
It is agony pulling myself to school the rest of the week. Luckily we are so close to exams, that everyone is focused on that. I keep to myself or Davina, so I don't see Luca much. Every time I spot him, I turn and walk the other way. Davina tries to lighten up my spirits to her best ability and I do my best to look okay. I wish I really felt okay or that I just felt something, but the truth is that Luca has left an empty space behind. It had become a habit that he was there and that I at least could dream about me and him together. Now I know it will never happen and it keeps pulling me deeper into a dark hole.
Only at night in my dreams I am free. I am happy there. The dreams are always the same; I am in my safe stone circle and dancing in the dusk with the creatures from the wood, I sing with the shadows in the rocks and I play with the light orbs hovering above me. When dusk goes to darkness the
*Soleil*Finally the last exam is over and I actually managed to graduate, saved by English and math, without Luca I would have failed miserably. In more than one way, because I had studied my ass off for the last week trying not to think about him. I hurry out, finally free, no more school and the summer in front of me. I don't have to see.."Sol, hey Soleil wait". I hear someone call behind me.Oh shit, it's Luca ! I panic, trying to pretend that I didn't hear him."Hey wait a minute". Luca and his damn long legs catch up easily. "Hey, come on Sol, wait a moment"."What ?" I stop, looking defiantly at him."Uhm I just wanted to wish you a good holiday and such". He suddenly looks hesitant, like he regrets stopping me. Gone is the confident Luca.
*The vampire* For fucks sake, can't the sun hurry up a bit and get it's ass below the horizon ? I hate summer ! Even having lived for an eternity and time not really mattering to me, I am pacing impatiently, Waiting for time to hurry up. According to the app on my phone there are a couple of minutes left before the rays of the sun will no longer bother me. I empty my whisky with an annoyed sound and head for the door. Life has been a drag for too long. Always the same. The hunt over too soon and as soon as the prey is empty it's back to the same boring nothing. It's not like in the old times, where I still had passion and I felt excited about seducing and freely hunting my next prey. Times have changed and the annoying cattle have gotten a brain. I should have killed the idiot who invented forensic medicine. After that it had gotten much more difficult to hide the ac
*Soleil* It's the fourth time Davina calls me. Honestly I contemplate ignoring this call too. But then I feel bad for ignoring her and pick up. "Hi, Sorry for standing you up". I mumble hoarsely. "Oh shit, you are okay. I thought you had died or something". Davina grunts. "But you are okay right ?" I bite my teeth hard together not to break down crying again. Hearing her voice I really miss Davina. My voice is more of a croak. "Yeah I'm fine". "That tone in your voice.. Sounds like guy trouble". Davina says. "Hmm". Is the only thing I can manage to get out. "I'm on my way sweetie". Is the only thing Davina says as she ends the call, and shortly after she stands in my room. She takes one look at me and I spill out
*Soleil*Well I guess Davina is going to be right. The longer time that passes, the easier it gets to get through the days. When I think about Luca I used to get this pain in my chest, it made it hard to breathe, but now it has been replaced by a dull aching. Now when I have given up on ever hearing from him again, I prefer the numbness that has taken over my body again.There is a sound from my phone on the nightstand, it is probably Divina and her daily temperature taking off my mental health, I bring my legs down from the windowsill and walk to the table. 'Hi Sweetie, I just wanted to remind you about my invitation. We would be so happy if you would come by, just write back to me when you can and tell me, so I know how many we will be. Hugs Mark'.Damn I forgot everything about Mark. I had even forgotten my own birthday, it's on Friday, Friday is the day after to
*Soleil* "So tomorrow is the big day". Davina laughs and claps her hands. "The next time we go to the grotto you get the drinks". "Oh shit, yeah I almost can't breathe from the excitement". I answer sarcastically. "Come on you are grown up tomorrow, it's a big thing". "Mjeh, I kind of look more forward to see what is going to happen with Mark and his coven". "Oh yeah that's right, get your shoes off and come with me to my room, I got a birthday present for you". Davina is already standing by her overfilled closet, taking out a dress bag, when I get into her room "Congratulations with the eighteen years sweetie". She says handing me the dress bag. "I thought you should have it today, because.. Wel
*The vampire*I had actually decided not to go out this evening. Since that evening when I followed the beautiful girl home, I have been past her window every night with no results. That means that I have gotten a lot behind keeping up with the business that I run for the clan.When the sun sets I feel restless. Maybe she will show up this time, and I will lose my change, just sitting here with all the stupid bills. If I just run by quickly, I can be back in less than two hours and then I can sit here for the rest of the night getting bored about doing bills and stuff.I have been a really good boy and only been drinking donated blood all week. I want to be clean, completely free from the taste of old cows and hunger for fresh blood. I want it to be as intense as possibl
*Soleil*You have called for us child !With a choked gasp I open my eyes, as someone is knocking at my door and my mum walks in, carrying a tray."Happy birthday to you, Happy ..". She sings and puts the tray on the bed.Newly baked buns with butter, hot cocoa and a birthday flag in the middle, exactly like last year and the years before that, for as long as I can remember. I have to give in and admit that I probably like my mum's stubbornness when it comes to traditions, especially this one."Happy birthday my sweet girl. Now you're officially a grown up". My mum sits down on the edge of the bed and sends me a loving smile.The strange woman's words from my dream are still in my mind and I'm not sure it really was a dream or if it was reality.
*Soleil* "Hi and welcome, I am Tanya". The woman's smile is friendly and she holds out her hand to me. "Mark told me it's your birthday today, congratulations". "Thank you". I say, smiling shyly as I shake her hand. Tanya exudes friendliness and warmth, and I immediately like her. My eyes slide down her dress, It really is almost identical to the one that Davina has made for me, but where mine has a flower bort, hers has silver Celtic knots along its edge. "Come on we are going quite far into the forest, it is this way". Tanya waves me along onto a path. "Mark told me that he has explained which special astronomical phenomena we are having these days. A super full moon happening at the same time as the summer solstice. Wow, it's crazy. I can't even imagine which fantastic powers are going to dance with us tonight, when both the
*Soleil* "Oh! I never thought we would get away from Scotland”. I kick off my shoes and throw the backpack on the floor. "It was getting cramped up there”. "We're getting ok at it actually”. Luca closes the door to the small apartment and slams the lock. "We handed out some serious ass kicking” I huff. "Yes, we could win every time if you did not try to decide it all”. "You can just accept that I'm always right”. He grins. "I do when you realize that it's not about being right, but about what works !" I star defiantly up at him, but surrender as he pulls me into him. "I'm just happy you came back”. He bends down and kisses me. "So am I". The butterflies flutter joyfully inside me, and I pull him down in a deeper kiss. I twist my fingers into his tousled mocha brown hair and indulge in the feel of his lips and exploratory tongue. “Well, what do you say ? English or history ?” He withdraws and deftly avoids my aggrieved gaze. "Seriously ? You want us to read our hom
*Narrator* “Magnificent !” The lord of the wind's eyes shone with obvious joy. “I could not have done thatbetter myself”. "You were entrusted to bestow on this man your strength, and now this !" The lady of the earth thrust her arm out against a settlement, engulfed in flames. "We were just letting out a little smoke". The lord of the fire grumbled. "We just happened to realise that If humans do not gather as a people, then they will never overcome the brood and not at all the queen”. “It might very well be right. But this is not the solution”. She sighed heavily. “They were meant to live happily, not to be subjected to more tyranny”. A small lake began to trickle up from the ground beneath them and manifested itself in a figure like the other three. "It's over”. The lady of the water said. “There is no hope anymore. Tonight they will gather, and your kinship will be wiped out”. "Oh, I can not get air". The lord of the wind sobbed with laughter. "Very funny !" Snarled the fir
*Tjalfe* The villagers have never seen Hrazgouls so close before. Only a few, fleeting glimpses have been had. They always come after the Bakorshas have finished emptying their prey of blood, to eat the remains. In the morning, when the residents venture out into the daylight, there are only pieces of clothing, shattered bones and stinking piles of entrails left in rust-red stains on the ground. When one of them has tried to escape over the mountains, the remaining ones do not even get to see the Bakorshaer’s servants before the death cry of the fugitive resounds across the valley. Now they come in between the houses. One being more abominable than the next. Giant beasts with luminous, yellow eyes, whose long gaps flashes with large serrated rows of teeth. Their upright bodies were covered with dense coarse fur, while the broad shoulders and long, bulging arms end up in a paw-like hand so large that it could effortlessly crush the skull of a man. In between them comes smaller cre
*Tjalfe* Although darkness reigns behind the houses, it is easy to find the victim. The child’s screams drive Saren forward, and the fire blazes furiously in his hand. He finds the child just as life leaves the body. Like a breastfeeding infant it lays the arms of a Bakorsha, whose teeth sit deeply buried in the child’s thighs. With an insane scream, Saren sends a long beam of fire towards the monster. The heat is so high that it instantly sets both the Bakorsha and the child corpse on fire. When the last rays leave Sarens hand, both fall on the ground, charred and annihilated. The embers reveal the next victim and her assailants. It is the child's mother who lays helplessly on the firewood block while one of the dark ones brutally mates her and rips her flesh to blood with its dirty nails. Three others are biting into her arms and neck, where they greedily empties her of blood. Saren raises his hands to obliterate the creeps and free the woman from her afflictions, but nothing h
*Tjalfe* Malicious laughter and agitated voices intrudes in the dark, first from the west, but gradually the sounds spread until they surround the whole village. Bringing promises of carnage and death. The people flee back out of their houses, and all search for the relative safety of the fire. Quickly they get their torches lit and turn front towards the enemy, who is still hiding in the shelter of the darkness. Only now do they become aware thatthat their medicine man stands among them without a torch. The fear of Bakorsha had for a moment made them forget the new danger that had manifested itself in their midst, but then the burning house begin to give in to the ravaging of the flames, and it seems to dawn on them what they had witnessed as they scouted out the windows. Those closest to the medicine man hurried awayfrom him. This is a mistake and part of me wants to warn them, but it is too late anyway, and a shadow flies past and grabs one of the men. His howl is drowned
*Tjalfe* I am watching from my spot inside the storm, watching as things unfold below me. The people look up at the storm, which suddenly hangs over their heads. Panic and confusion arises in the village. Everyone let go of what they have in their hands and run into the middle of the square to seek shelter around the bonfire. Humans are no longer one, they have been divided by fear, and everyone care only to keep himself and his offspring alive. Everyone pushes and hustles to get closest to the fireplace andfarthest from the edge of the circle, for now that the sun's rays are hidden behind the heavy slate-gray clouds the Bakorshas will arrive prematurely. In the middle of the village a large bonfire is burning, and torches have been laid nearby, so they can be quickly ignited. The people has learned that the Bakorshas are not enthusiastic about fire, and that it sometimes happen that the sharp-toothed monsters will abandon the attack and instead throw themselves at another vict
*Tjalfe* The valley is a beautiful, small oasis between the high mountains, which in its time had attracted the inhabitants. They had lived in peace and perfect harmony. The mountains had shielded them from the worst winds, so the crops were diverse and the people of the city had never experienced distress. The only entrance to the village is an opening to the west where the surrounding mountains remain broken by a narrow passage. The view over the pass makes it possible to detect travelers coming from distant parts of the continent in good time, and show them hospitality. No one knew of anything but tolerance and no one dreamed that travelers could come up with anything but peace. It ended when the dark ones came. From then on, the valley became a prison for the people. During the day they were trapped, and at night they were harvested like grapes on stalks. There was no way out off there, all passable roads were blocked by Hrazgouls, the servants. Many had tried to flee, but eac
*Lefu* A tear rolls down my cheek. "Goodbye, Katje". I whisper softly. "I swear your death will be avenged”. "Now you see what they are capable of”. Strano puts his hands in the pockets of his night-black Armani jacket. "It is only the beginning”. I hiss angrily at him. "How can you choose them over your own ?" "You still do not understand, do you ?" Strano rolls his eyes. “They would not be here if it were not for you. Remember that”. “You knew it all from the start, right ? That there were several dogs and that I knew about them. That's why you did not kill me right away when you came up here and picked me up. That’s the truth right ?" I can’t help but seek assurance that I am right. He gives a small sigh. “I saw an opportunity and I took it. When the girls sacrificed Elisabeth, I could not prove that they were involved. I bet you would throw in the dogs as bait if you got the chance, and that Lyndsey would bite”. "What about her ?" I nodded down toward the figure with the
*Luca* My gaze is fixed as I step forward towards Harry. The dark blonde ulfhedin might be the pack leader, but this is my prey, and I do not shy away from the warning snarl of the alpha. Harry must have come to the same conclusion, for he goes silent and withdraws. I stop in front of the charred statue. My nails slide down the rough surface. Although the texture feels like charred wood, the shell is massive. I withdraw my arm and fire. The charred crust cracks, and I have to strike through once more to penetrate into the goal. When the shell breaks, a rain of coagulated blood sprays over me. I stick my paw into the evil bitch, find what I am looking for, and pull hard. The heart is still pumping weakly as I hold it up in front of the statue. I growl triumphantly and squeezeit in my powerful fist. The heart stops beating, and the red flesh-filled tissue gives way and explodes in a cloud of dust. It is over. "What do we do now ?" Soleil's cousin stands in front of the grotesqu