Save you, Save me

Save you, Save me

Save You, Save Me

Those eyes, those bright purple eyes. So soft and compassionate. She can melt any hate or anger away from whichever soul she finds. Yet behind those eyes are her wings, those strong beautiful wings of flame that somehow reminds me that of an angel. Such strong wings commands respect and project magnificent power. Yet nothing can compare to her elegant body, sculpted by a master into perfection. Her soft white fur covers her entire elegant body, with only a few mere stripes around her ankles and wrists, as well as on the tips of her smooth flexible antenna. I watch her in a state of bliss, seeing her sit in her flowerbed as she watches the fireflies float around her, looking blissfully at the glassy lake with the brightness of the full moon reflecting off it, only her elegant body.

For a Kii to have so little darkness apparent on her body is a remarkable blessing as most with such extraordinary power have not been tempted by the corruption that often comes with it. Few Kii can hold back that corruption and have a pure appearance, as their darkness to light ratio in their soul is reflected by the very color of their fur. For her to be so white means that she has harmed no soul, if anything she has blessed most those she has encountered. Sadly, I myself cannot say the same. Nor can I say that I have many friends like she does. Alas I look at her from afar, dreaming of how she may one day look at me and smile that beautiful smile of hers. Elyse my angel, how I long to know you.

“Darcy, you sentimental fool” a dark rugged voice cracks from behind me “She is too good for you, and if your not careful she is going to see you!”

No sooner do I dare to dream, my eternal companion Sol, my Eshu, interrupts me. He is always is all too eager to speak its mind and remind me what a freak I am as I sit in a tall, lush green tree not far from Elyse. “Quiet!” I shout at him while I brush my hand against it as if to swat a fly away. Unfortunately, my Eshu is bound to me, which is represented by my outfit which is a trench coat, my father’s favorite choice of clothing. Although it feels and reacts like real cloth, Sol is in fact made up of from energies of my unconscious mind, brought alive from the special talents that come with being a vampire, well, half vampire. To those that are not genuinely familiar about vampires and still believe those myths they read from childhood, it would look as if I’m talking to myself, as typically only a vampire can hear an Eshu.

“Well you shouldn’t be wasting your time to spy on her!” Sol then snaps back at me, causing the fabric to whip in response to my swatting it. “I still only have one soul within me, we need to collect more souls so that we can grow better and stronger. Then maybe she would see you in a more appealing light.”

“I will not take another soul! Why would I do such a terrible crime to impress someone as beautiful as her?” I snap back at it as I balance on my branch, not wanting to fall and discover just how hard or soft the green grass is below me. “I regret that one soul, he only died because I could not control my rage. I will not kill again, not for you or anyone, not unless I have no other choice. You will only get blood, and nothing more” I growl at him, looking away from Elyse as the shame from the memory of my murder surfaces to the front of my mind. I do not wish to kill anyone again, at least no one can die from a quick, yet necessary drink of their blood.

“Fine, but even your moral code will need another soul someday, a vampire without souls is no vampire at all”

“I’m half vampire dammit, you know that. I have elf blood in me too, and that will be enough” Many don’t see the elf in me, my body dominantly resembles a hyena like my father. The only clear sign of my being an elf is in my ears. I suppose it’s why I have a better moral compass than others my age who are pure vampire. “I only need blood, and everything else that I need I can find by other means on my own”

“Your own? Your nothing without me Darcy, I wield all the energies you need to use those budding talents of yours. You’re still a teenager, you still can’t even hope to control me yet.”

“So what? You can’t control me at all! Just don’t get in my way, Sol. Were in this together but it doesn’t mean you should try and rule my life. You exist only to assist and advise, nothing more, and I don’t want to hear another word.” Troubled with my argument I jump down from my vantage point skillfully, landing onto the cool grass before walking off into the night. Looking down I drag my feet in defeat, knowing that I could never bring myself to see her, ask her out. I wouldn’t be surprised if she already has someone. No reason why she would want a hybrid freak like me.

I quietly make my strides though the open field, few trees dot the landscape, including the one I was in. I find myself near a well and look down into it. Down in its bottomless nature I see nothing but myself, my insides. To my right is a tin pale. With the full moon out I can see my reflection. I see my long brown hair with a lighter shade of fur covering my face with light black spots. Black eyes are revealed in my own stare, fangs just barely visible in my closed mouth. Of course my ears are prominent, the only Elvin feature that is visible on me, except that they are too covered in a light shade of fur. Sol or my trench coat as others would see it as, covers the rest of my body.

As I sit there and look back down into the well I sigh sorrowfully, before then noticing the reflection of my father on the tin pale in the corner of my eye. “You won’t find your answers down a well, son” A commanding, yet comforting voice cuts through the silence. I turn to face my father whose approaching me gently “I know that look, and I can tell that something is troubling you. Can you tell me what’s on your mind?” Weakly I look at him and in a way see myself in him that is me in about a hundred years from now, give or take a few years and minus the ears. I only wish to look as good as him at his age. He even has the same style of trench coat for his own Eshu. His calm mature presence and demeanor can set the tone to anyone he’s with despite the fact that he’s a vampire hyena like me.

“I’d rather not dad” I groan, my voice slightly cracking being depressed and nervous before looking back down into the well. I hate my voice, mostly when I’m nervous. Father or not he still intimidates me, it’s like he can read my mind and I’d rather not discuss girl problems with him. He may be something of a Casanova with my mother but he cannot possibly understand what is wrong.
“It’s that girl Elyse, isn’t it?” He comments, hitting the nail on the head. Okay, he’s got an idea but it’s still too complicated for him to truly grasp “You like her but you worry that she would never accept you because of who you are, right?”

Damm him, I hate it when he does that “I uh, well, er” I stammer, barely able to respond as he seems to read my mind. How can parents know what I’m thinking?

“I’ve seen what is going on with you when you’re near her, and no I can’t read your mind, son. I’m just an observant father.”

Alright, now he’s just creeping me out “Is it really that obvious?”

“It’s as obvious as the sunrise son. I can see how you look at her, and yet I also watch you just sit there on the sidelines, doing nothing. If you truly care about her and want to meet her, you won’t get there by looking at the ground and away from her. You need to go out and take her by the hand, kiss it like the gentleman you are, and introduce yourself to her.” He explains in that intelligent fatherly tone that always makes sense, until I try to apply my own logic to it and have my nervousness botch it.

“But dad! Look at who I am. I am a monster, I look hideous. Why would such a beautiful creature such as herself want anything to do with me?”

“Her mother raised Elyse better than that, and you should be ashamed to think she would judge you by your looks. Besides, you cannot be certain how she will react until you meet her. It is a risk, yes and she could reject you still, but if you do not try now, you will regret it for life. All because you were too afraid to face her”

Afraid? “I am not afraid!” Oh am I ever afraid, I just do not want him to see it nor do I want to be rejected by yet another. However I cannot deny his logic, and I likely will regret it if I do not try now.

“Love is always a risk, but the rewards are too great to ignore. Your mother is an elf, and she accepted banishment by her people just so she could marry me. That was a considerable risk, but the rewards have been bountiful. We regret nothing, and we love you. You made our trials worth it son, and that is something we will never regret, no matter what.” He then hugs me softly, trying to reassure me like any good father would.

“Yeah, your right dad” I softly reply, hugging back. I always hate it when he’s right though. “But why must it be so hard?”

“It’s hard so the reward will taste sweet, and encourages you to savor the moment and enjoy the flavor of it” He smiles, again with another moment of fatherly brilliance.

I merely nod in agreement. His logic is sound as usual, its no wonder mother fell for him. I do need to take a stand and take a chance. “I’ll go see her tomorrow!” I exclaim in a surge of excitement.

“Why not tonight? The moon is full and would make for a wonderful first date, a walk though that garden she likes to visit.”

“Uh, tonight?” so much for that surge of excitement “You think so?” I barely manage to stammer out. It’s amazing on how fast those tremors of nervousness return when a deadline appears closer than before.

“Yes, now son. So go before she turns in for the night” He steps back, patting me on the head in assurance.

“Sure thing dad, I’ll try. I won’t be afraid!” I respond, trying to work my nerve up again. “Wish me luck!”

“Good luck son” He smiles as I runoff back to where I last saw Elyse. Just as I think I have my confidence back up, my Eshu just had to chime in.

“Boy you are pathetic. You’re a vampire! Act like a lion and not a sheep! If I had more control I wouldn’t have looked so weak and pathetic in his eyes! I would make you a man!”

“If you had control you would do nothing but murder anyone in sight” I snort back at him, annoyed at his constant interference.

“So I’m hungry for souls, that’s what I am. At least I know what I want” Sol snaps back t me. I can’t say he’s wrong, he’s had more focus on life than I ever had. It doesn’t necessarily make him right however.

“I know what I want now, I want Elyse and I will try my best to get her to see me for who I am. Dad is right, she will see that within me and won’t be scared away like the others. Tonight is the night she will know who Darcy is!”

“Yeah, a sobbing blithering idiot who goes crying to daddy when things get rough.”

“Stuff it Sol” I grumble in response. Of all the creatures I had to be paired with, I got stuck with an Eshu with an attitude. At least I still have control of my own destiny. I smile softly in the comfort of that knowledge. The smile soon fades once I return to where Elyse last stood.

“The bitch ditched you, she must have known you were coming!” Sol laughs at my expense.

“Wait, she should still be here!” I quickly point out. “She normally watches the fireflies until its midnight” I say to myself as I go down to the very spot she was last standing to see if I could discover anything unusual.

“Yeah well maybe you scared her off then, like I said she probably saw you this time and ran” Sol once more laughs.

As evil as he may be, I doubt he would have laughed had he waited for me to examine the area. Looking though the grass and dirt I find a single dart from a rifle. The dart is unique, and serves only one purpose, to tranquilize large game within moments. That large game around here is potential slaves, or unique fantastic beings that are sold and stuffed to be displayed like a trophy. “Headhunters were here” I snarl as the realization sets in.

“Oh that’s wonderful news! Does this mean your going to finally let me loose and kill the bastards that took her? You know damm well you need me for this! You have to go out and rescue her now!”

As rare as I say this, Sol is right. I probably should tell my father, but the glory should be mine. I want to impress her, I know I can handle some pathetic hunters. “Perhaps, but the mission is still mine. No killing unless it’s by my choice and hand.”

“Just give me their souls, its all I ask. As many as you can find, for the more you gather the stronger you will be, and then nothing will stop us” Sol eagerly explains as I follow the evidence.

By looking carefully at the evidence below me, I easily see the heavy boots that dug into the dirt, making for clear tracks. I easily see from where they came from. Not too much of a surprise for me seeing as almost all headhunters lead to one area, Lacross City. Those sadistic hunters, they still act as if Lacross is still the same evil city it once was. They capture anything that isn’t human before then selling them into slavery, or worse, mutilating them for their body parts. Despite being liberated, corruption still runs rampant and the cops are easily bought out. I travel with haste to the metropolis, which soon rises over the horizon as its impressive size stands out from its quiet surroundings. Its size is so massive, if she is taken into the cities interior I would not have a hope of finding her again, at least in time. A beautiful creature, so innocent and pure, I cannot hesitate to think of what they would do to her.

Thankfully, the tracks lead to an old farmhouse just outside of town. This is not uncommon, fewer officers to bribe this far outside the city. It also means I can still track her if she is still in the area. If she is in there still, I must also hope she is unharmed. I am coming for you Elyse! I will save you, and no one will stand in my way!

Yet as I think this I can feel Sol almost smile in agreement within his spirit. Something tells me that he’s leading me into a mistake, but I must do this. I must save Elyse. I want her to know who I am and that I care about her. I want to be her hero.

As I near the complex I begin to use my father’s lessons in stealth to hide myself from the enemy. I creep closer so that I can peer into the farmhouse when Sol interrupts my train of thought. “Now if you only had another soul or two for me to consume, I could apply them to ability, such as a cloaking field so that you can be invisible and freely take Elyse without a hostile and bloody confrontation”

“Since when did you care about keeping a fight clean?” I snap back at him, trying to look inside”

“Well if you had listened to me before things would be much easier on you now.”

“Just shut up Sol, you’re going to make me attract attention to myself”

“Hey, you’re the one going though puberty, I’m not the one that sounds like their being stepped on!” He laughs at me. Why he torments me even when things are so serious is beyond me.

“Just shut the hell up!” I shout angrily. I quickly realize my mistake, but it is already too late as I feel a sharp impact to my side. I look and I see another dart, this time stuck into me. I struggle to fight its poison, but no one can resist such a strong drug.

“Oh now you’ve gone and done it dumbass” Sol remarks. I can’t help but wonder if he is even on my side. I try to reply to him, but I barely utter a groan before I collapse, unsure of what fate is about to befall me.

In what seems to be a blink of an eye, I find myself waking up to a cold new reality as my surroundings are that of cold steel bars, creating a small cell for me, just yet another poor creature, as to either side of me are rows of cells much like my own. I try to sit up but the plate above me soon meets my head, restricting me to an uncomfortable sitting position. Within each cell is a sleeping victim of a headhunter, some probably unaware that their freedom had been denied to them. I can’t see much in this darkness with the drugs still vaguely in my system, but above me is likely another stack of cells as to maximize the number of victims in a small space.

“Nice job hero, now you got us captured.” Sol quickly blames me. “You’ll be lucky to be sold as a slave, your fangs alone are worth more than your services. You know the black market, you father has talked of it frequently. Those damm greedy humans will carve you up and sell your body parts like spices at market.”

“Don’t remind me” I groan in discomfort while I try to make the room stop spinning. Slowly I begin to look around carefully for a way to escape. Yet as I examine my cage, I soon find out that the bars are too strong for me to bend or break. “Great, now what?” I mumble.

“Oh, so now mister high and mighty is asking for my help?”

“Just shut up, you’re in this with me you know” I remind him.

“Well I can help, but you’re not going to like it”

“Well tell me, you exist to help me so help me!”

“Look around you, tell me what you see.” I comply and see nothing different. I still see myself in a cage with many others around me filled with sleeping prisoners. Looking more carefully I realize I’m the only one awake “Is it that everyone else is asleep?”

“Exactly, the tranquilizers they used on them don’t work as well on you thanks to me. While you were asleep I filtered it out of your body, its still nightfall, about a few hours after your initial capture.”

Puzzled, I didn’t see how that this would help me since being awake won’t change my predicament. “Well I’m still in a cage, how does being awake help me?”

“Its easy dear Darcy, I can slide in between the bars and pull them close enough for you to kill them and consume their soul. There is one on either side of you, two souls would allow me to pump their energy into your strength, allowing you to bend the bars or at least break the lock!”

“But these are innocent people! I cannot kill them! Everyone will know I did it!” I shout at him angrily.

“Who would know?” Sol quickly responds. “People die in these prisons all the time, no one would know it was you but us! You said you would do anything to save Elyse, well you’re out of options! Without those souls I can do nothing. We will sit here until out execution and be sold as a trophy. Do you want that? Do you want to die knowing you failed Elyse?”

Hearing this I fall silent. As much as it pains me, he is right. These operations do come and go quickly and death is common. Chances at a rescue are near zero and by sunset tomorrow I will be dead. Now my only salvation is to murder two innocent people, likely unaware of their predicament. They could be parents, or they could be criminals, either way I do not know, and nor does it change my citation. To escape and finish my mission, they must die. To tell Elyse how much I am attracted to her, tell her how much I care about her, more blood must be spilled onto my hands.

I look at those beside me, both men, middle aged. One appears to be a farmer, another possibly a bum. These are people who are of no consequence to events in history, common prey for headhunters. However who am I to say they have no role in my future, they could still become great men, or bear a child whom could change the face of the world for the better. In my hands is stained blood, and the power to determine their fate. I could kill them now, save them from slavery and save myself, or I could resign myself to an early end to my life. I came here to be a hero, to save my darling Elyse. I should not hold myself back in completing my objective.

Yet who am I to play god. Perhaps it is their destiny to be captured, as they could still be freed later on. Though I cannot be certain they would live to see that day. The choice is so simple! It’s either A or B, left or right, in or out! I only have one chance, do I save myself, or do I save my honor. A teenager should not be forced to make this choice!

“The time is now Darcy! Morning is drawing near! You must act now before it is too late!” Sol barks out at me, ordering me into action. “Elyse is waiting for you, will you let her down now in her most urgent time of need?”

“Elyse” I whisper. I sit and think of her, of who she is. She is an angel. She would never wish for death, not for any reason, especially in her name. She would give her life rather than to take another. I came here to honor her and rescue her. If I were to kill in her name, she would never look at me again, and perhaps look at me with distain if she were to do so. No, I cannot kill.

“Do it! Kill them! Kill them now! The power is yours for the taking!” Sol screams at me.

“I will not kill” I boldly respond, breaking though the timid voice and speaking in a tone like that of my father.

“Yes you can!” Sol quickly demands “Just do it! Do it for her dammit!”

“I will not kill!” I scream at him this time. “You do not own me! I will not kill another innocent soul again! Not now, not ever! I will not allow you to rule me!”

“You are nothing without me!”

“Perhaps, but regardless of that fact, you exist to serve me! You will guide me and you will be my backbone, but you will not control me for I am your master and you will serve me from now until the end of time!” I shout at him angrily with an enforcing tone, instilling fear into Sol for the first time that I have known him. This is easy to tell as I can sense him crawling back into himself and submitting to my will.

After a long pause, Sol finally answers me in a much more tempered tone “So, now what?”

“We wait” I state simply” I sigh and look out towards the small window in this dark room as I watch light starting to flow though it. It must be morning now, the end is near. I may have failed in my mission, but at least she will know that I died honorably, and that I did not sacrifice who I am to gain her as a prize. To late now do I realize that it was a mistake for me to run off alone, I should have known better. I am but a child to these hunters, I never had a chance. I should have told my parents, but no I wanted the glory for myself. Now I will pay the price. My life is what will be served, but not my honor. Dear Elyse, I am sorry I could not save you, but at least I saved myself.

Yet as sunlight fills the room, I then hear a commotion as a soft wave of warmth passes though me. If I was to describe it best, it almost felt like the warmth of a hug by a loved one. Yet when I look around me, all the prisoners began to awake. Someone in the room has cast a spell, but this spell must be strong to affect so many. Who could have done this?

Before I could answer my own question, the cages unlock without warning and open on mass. The stunned prisoners slowly gain their senses and quickly escape, some waking up on cue before running out the only exit with haste. I can see those to my sides and above me crawl and climb out of their cell. Yet as I pause I hear no retaliation by the guards outside, which I thought would be immediate and violent. Somehow they must have been incapacitated by the same person that freed us. What creature could wield such power so freely and precisely?

As I get out and cautiously begin to examine the room, the answer to my own question is heard from behind me “Hello Darcy.” That sweet angelic noise could be from only one person. I turn around to see the angle that is Elyse, sitting in the cage above me. All this time she was above me, like an angel, and I never knew because of the solid steel plate separating us.

“Elyse” I whisper, my eyes fixed on her beauty before asking the dumbest question in my life. “Did you do all this?” I say stupid because for a Kii, such spells are second nature to them. The only way to contain one is to keep them asleep, something the hunters obviously failed to do, likely for the same reasons as myself, our ability to counter sleeping agents quickly.

“Of course silly!” She responds with a giggle. Despite her situation, she can manage to laugh. It’s almost as if were back at home. However behind that smile is confidence, something that anyone would have if they had such power, such beauty.

Way a fool I must look like. All this time she was there safe and sound. She likely only waited for sunlight so that when the prisoners woke they could see where they are going and would not be in danger that comes with being near Lacross at night. “I suppose I look like a fool, coming to your rescue. You clearly did not need any from me”

“I heard everything Darcy, I felt the battle within your mind.” She smiles as she moves towards me and puts her soft hand on my face. I freeze as if time itself has stopped. She is smiling at me, touching me. Just a few hours ago it seemed only to be a dream. “You were right, I would never want anyone to die in my name, I would rather perish myself than to know that blood was spilled for my sake.”

“You heard us?” I stammer. “Everything?” I feel ashamed, it must have sounded like a crazy with split personalities arguing with himself.

“Yes, you and Sol.”

“How? Only I can hear Sol’s voice” again, I make another stupid question.

She only giggles and smiles at me. I already know the answer, her talent runs deep and for her the ability to hear an Eshu should be natural to her. “It’s not that hard for me Darcy. What matters is that you did the right thing, and I am proud of you. I know the war within your heart and mind was epoch, but you still have a long way to go. Next time follow your lessons your parents gave to you, ask for help when it is time to undertake a task of great importance, there is no shame in that.”

I quietly nod, however in her presence I would have agreed that the sky is green. “I will remember that next time, I promise.”

“Good! At least now you won’t have Sol to get in your way. I think now he will respect and obey you like any good Eshu should.”

Again, she is right, and again I doubt I would argue anything she would say at this point. “Yeah, I think I taught him a lesson alright” I laugh nervously, failing in my attempt to look like I was big and strong all along.

“Now that we’ve met formally, perhaps we could go a midnight stroll tomorrow?” She smiles sweetly at me. If my jaw would allow it, it would hit the floor.

“You would walk me, I mean you would walk on me, er I mean that you can let me walk on, no!” Looking at her is like looking into medusa, only my throat turns to stone as I loose my ability to speak. Not like I am a great orator to begin with.

“Yes I would gladly take a walk with you Darcy. In the meantime you should go home now, your parents are probably worried, as is my own I’m sure.”

My neck would be sore from nodding in agreement with her if this conversation would go on much longer “Yes, of course, I’ll go now.”

“Good, I’ll see you then.” She then quietly walks away, but pauses at the door to look at me. “Perhaps now you’ll be able to come out of your tree and talk to me this time” She winks and giggles again, going out of sight.

I stare at the door, stunned that she knew I was there all along. I would have stood there longer had Sol not iced the cake. “I told you she saw us.”