Chronicles of Darkness: Shadows and Dust (14 page)

         "We shall see,"
the vampire responded, calmly. "Everybody can change. We just have to find
out how Lilith will accomplish that."

         Andrej stopped short at
that and suspiciously asked, "Did I just hear you right?" He pointed
his index finger at Sadden and himself. "Did you say
'we'
?"
Carefully, he backed off, only to press on verbally. "Just... just what do
you have in mind, Sadden?"

         "I made it clear to
her that you are her mentor. She is to follow your orders and shall not
frighten you."

         "First thing is, I'm
not the school-masterly type," Andrej opposed. "And second, she
didn't
frighten
me at all."

         "I am not asking you
to be a pedant. Take her with you when you go on your forays. Show her the
beauty of nature. For example, explain to her the effect of certain plants and
herbs, or show her how to read tracks. Do whatever you see fit, but please,
talk to her."

         The man looked at her in
complete bewilderment. "When I go for a stroll through nature, I do that
to relax! Do you honestly think that Lilith's presence will be very relaxing
for me?"

         Begging, Sadden
continued, "Please, Andrej. I want for us all to live peacefully under one
roof.
For that reason
it is very important
that you two get to know each other better. You both need a second
chance."

         Andrej didn't answer and
so she enhanced her request. "I already talked to Lilith and she did not
raise any objection."

         The tall man didn't know
if he should believe Sadden, but in the end he relented to her wish.
"Alright
, although
I'm not exactly happy
about it. I haven't forgotten the last visit to Ardeal."

         Sadden was audibly
relieved and embraced him. "Gratitude. Now, I can retreat. The time
approaches."

         Cognition
was written all over
her friend's face, his voice full of worry. "For how long will it be this
time? Does Lilith have anything to do with it? Is it her fault? Sadden, don't
do it! One day, this martyrdom is going to kill you!"

         "No, Andrej. She has
got nothing to do with it."

         "Every time I'm
scared that you won't come back."

         She regarded him
sympathetically, but her decision was made. "Please, come inside. It is
not good for you to be standing in the cold. You might catch your death out
here."

         The vampire led the way
and Andrej followed a few paces behind her, musing. He glanced back to the
balcony beneath
them
,
but Lilith was nowhere to be seen. "It's always the same, how she appears
and disappears.
C
reepy. When I think about it,
I really don't want to get to know her better. I only put up with her for your
sake, Sadden," he mumbled to himself.

*****

         Mist floated in thick,
white patches around the Dragon Fortress. Zephriel stood in front of an open
terrace door, feeling the air's cold wetness, which formed a layer of clear
pearls on his skin. That didn't bother him. "In a night like this, hope
can become the sweetest moment of our love. In a night like this, ever
y
thing seems obscure and clear at the same
time."

         His mood darkened and his
initial enthusiasm fled. "
From shadows and dust our ruin shall be born,
"
the leader of the dragon clan mused. "Supposedly like that, it is written
in the Chronicles."

         Ajatarah stepped beside
him, reaching for his hand. "My beloved, do not fraternize with these
disastrous words," she warned. "The downfall is not sealed. Victory
will be ours as long as we keep our strong will."

         Tired, he leaned his head
against hers.

         In a gentle manner,
Ajatarah stroked his clammy hair and vowed, "There is one thought that
shall keep us uphold. The certainty that our daughter Lilith, our only child,
is safe. Far away from the lurking dangers of the new age. We have to fight for
her future also."

*****

         Aimlessly, Lilith roamed
through the long, dark corridors of the castle. Her dress rustled across the
bare, stony floor as she hurried along. She entered a big hall, which contained
nothing but emptiness. "Nothing and nobody can be found in this dreary
loneliness. My dear parents, your voices are fading in my mind, no longer
accompanying me in this hard time."

         Restless, she began to
pace. "Why am I wrecking my head? I'm here." Her sad eyes flitted
throughout the empty hall. "I'm here, all alone."

         Footsteps sounded behind
her and Andrej's voice drifted to her ears. "You are not alone. Sadden,
your mentor, will stand by you... as will I," he added, slightly
disgruntled.

         Displeasure was heavy in
her voice as she answered, "How dare you talk to me first...
human
?"

         "I'm neither one of
your servants, nor a ghoul!" he replied, greatly irritated. "I'm a
free person. And, due to Sadden's wish, I'm your... teacher." A small
smile stole across his handsome face as he took in the vampire's annoyed
expression.

         "Are you laughing at
me?"

         "I would prefer it
if you would call me by my name," Andrej replied with the same cold
arrogance as Lilith did before. His heart rate picked up while the vampire
walked towards him. Even though he was two heads taller, he shuddered.

           
"You do not
deserve to be called by your name. I will always be superior to you. Always!
And you can't change that
.
N
ever...
human
!"

         "We shall see...
vampire
!"
Andrej declared firmly after Lilith had stalked proudly from the hall.

*****

         It was one of the last
sunny days. In the morning, frost had already covered the ground and the
night's cold had only slowly faded.

         A happy laugh escaped
Skylar's throat as she followed her brother, racing out of the castle and into
the warm late summer's day. As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran
recklessly over the last blossoming flowers. The girl had no glance to spare
for the artful and symmetrically built flower beds. Indignantly, she called out
to her brother, "You promised that you would practice shooting the
crossbow with me!"

         Upon reaching the big
wooden gate, which was the exit of the French garden, she stopped a moment to
catch her breath. Straining, she scanned the fields, which lay in front of her
in all their fruitful glory.

         The servants of the
estate were busy with the hay harvest. A happy song drifted from their lips.
The men
swung
the scythes, while the women
raked the sweet-smelling grass together.

         Jean stood on top of a
cart and adjusted the hay with a pitchfork. Then he discovered Helena's
children, happily waved at them and announced a break from work. The other
servants were grateful for a moment of rest.

         Kyrian reached Jean
before his little sister, who surprised him and jumped on his back, firmly
wrapping arms and legs around his frame. "I told you to wait for me,
a
nd not to play catch with me," she said.

         Jean laughed. "I
always thoug
h
t that siblings should be nice to
each other and stick together."

         "We do that,
Jean," Skylar answered, innocently. "Can't you see how tightly I
cling to Kyrian?" She increased the strength of her hold.

         "Hey! Stop that,
before you suffocate me!" her brother complained.

         Jean scratched his head,
smiling slightly. "Well, Skylar, sweetie, I didn't mean it quite like
that. But if your brother likes to carry you around, then that's fine with me.
Anyway, why are you two running as if chased by the devil himself?"

         Skylar slid off her
brother's back. "Shooting the crossbow is lots of fun. But Kyrian doesn't
want to practice with me anymore. Why? I don't know. Even though he did promise
he would." she explained.

         Kyrian took out said
black crossbow, running his fingers softly over the fine silver inlaid work.
"Pure ebony."

         Jean was quite impressed
and acknowledged, "Ebony... I've never seen ebony in my life."    "It
is one of the most beautiful, but also very expensive wood
s
of the world," Kyrian declared,
proudly."My father build the crossbow and gave it to me. Ebony is a very
hard wood, difficult to work with. My father was a master cabinet-maker. As you
can see, when one knows what to do, you get an exceptional smooth surface,
unlike with any other wood. The arrows are also carved from ebony, their tips
enhanced with silver and they have raven feathers at their ends."

         Jean whistled loudly through
his teeth, expressing his appreciation. Then, slightly
embarrassed,
he cleared his throat and innocently asked, "But for what do you need such
a fine and unusual
weapon
?"

         Kyrian's face fell and an
awkward silence ruled.

         Instantly, Jean
apologized for his frankly spoken question. "I beg your forgiveness, young
master. It was inappropriate and nosy to ask you that. Please, forgive
me." The tall man bowed and continued in a more submissive tone, "I'm
needed. We have to finish our work and get the hay harvest done." He went
back to the others and they continued with their work.

         Skylar watched Jean leave
and then turned to her brother. "Why did you let him go like that? So
clueless?"

         Kyrian struggled to
defend himself. "And what should I have told him? Hey Jean, this is a
necessary, special
weapon
for hunting
vampires, because it's the only way to kill them successfully from a safe
distance?"

         Skylar shrugged her
shoulders. "You should have made up something
,
an
excuse. That was an uncomfortable situation and who knows what he is
thinking now."

         Meanwhile, Kyrian stashed
the arrows. "I just didn't know what to answer him. Lying to other people,
about our family and what we do, is hard for me. I know there is no other way,
but I don't like how lying makes me feel."

         Skylar sighed. "I
know what you mean, Kyrian. It is the same for me... Hey, what are you doing?
Why are you putting the arrows away?" she asked and a pout formed on her
lips.

         Her brother smirked.
"Did you really think I would let you use our
valuable
arrows? Do you know how long it took me to find them again, after you scattered
them all over the place the last time?"

         Bashful, Skylar hung her
head, one foot drawing circles in the soft earth. "That was just a
misadventure, but I promise to be more careful," she replied in a small
voice.

         Kyrian remembered that
day clearly and gloated. "One of the arrows flew through the open kitchen
window and nearly hit Monique."

         "Now you are greatly
exaggerating!" Skylar was outraged about her brother's words. "She
was never in any danger. The arrow penetrated a flour sack that sat right
beneath the window. She just got a little fright, that's all."

         Kyrian finally relented
to the arguments of his sister. "Fine. But, I came prepared. Early this
morning, I carved some arrows for you, for exercise purposes. They are made of
willow wood, soft and flexible. So you won't be able to hurt anyone."

         "Well, thanks a lot,
brother dear! You say that as if I'm not sane!" she
grumbled
, angrily. As soon as she held the crossbow
in her hands, her mood brightened considerately.

         Much like an experienced
weapon's master, Kyrian explained to his younger sister every detail that had
to be heeded while handling the crossbow.

         Highly concentrated,
Skylar followed his instructions, but it wasn't enough for him. Impatiently,
and under the girl's protests, he took the
weapon
from her hands. "Here, I will show you quickly what to do. Look, over
there. I will aim at the handle of the pitchfork and hit it."

         With calm precision,
Kyrian positioned the crossbow, closed one eye and took aim. Just as he was
about to shoot,
his eyes
got distracted and
completely lost sight of
the intended
target.

         A fairy-like creature,
with light blonde, long hair, wrapped in an ankle-long, sleeveless, pale red
summer dress, walked slowly down the flowery hill, and caught his attention. In
her hands she carried a woven basket, filled with choicest delicacies.