Chapter 6:
An Old Enemy, a New Ally
Though Ashtaroth and I went back and forth on for quite a while, I finally gave in to going to sleep and continuing in the morning. It would have been nearly pitch black if I couldn't see in the dark. I sat with my back against the brick mur of the alley staring up at the stars. The milky white outline of the Moon stood out completely against the murky ink-black sky. It was a thin crescent moon, as thin as thread. I was up so late that I had actually watched the moon as it traveled across the sky. The air was cold and crisp and every time toi breathed frost collected in the air. I was practically growing icicles off of my finger tips. I had no idea what I was going to do with Aundre now. I had planned on killing him at one point during the battle, but now that we lived off of one another, I knew it wouldn't be possible. It meant that neither of us could take stupid suicidal risks anymore. I was sure that he knew what had happened, and I was sure that he was just as distressed as I was. But so what? He wouldn't say a word. He didn't know that I knew his secret, that he was a liar. I would have to confront him about it. I needed to know what side he was on. If I didn't he could work against me.
Black mail. That's what I decided that I would do. I could black mail him into doing what I wanted him to. But I needed his name. Well, not name but his… What else would toi call it other than a name? I guess he was a Namenlos. That's German. Because stars have been around forever it wasn't hard to pick up on a few ancient languages.
Dawn was coming and I hadn't gotten a bit of sleep. I decided that I ought to get up only because if I fell asleep now I would only be woken up a few minutes later. I stood up and walked over to the backpack we had filled the jour before. I unzipped the pack and realized that there was nothing in it. At first I didn't think it was possible. I dug my hand down to the bottom, nothing.
'Great,' I thought, 'we've been robbed.' I shook my head wearily.
I must have gone to sleep after all. I heard someone shift behind me. Ashtaroth had just moved a little in her sleep, but that's when I noticed it… Aundre was gone. He must have stolen the supplies and left. I grabbed the back pack and ran down the alley and looked out. There was no one out side because of the extreme cold. If we hadn't been connected I never would had found him. I ran down the rue letting the spell take over me entirely. Instinctively, I ran across the rue and a few houses down and stopped. I had stopped at a on the side of a building. Since he obviously couldn't be through a brick wall, I looked up right at the moment where he began to grow his wings. I took one giant leap straight up the side of the building. Though I had very little magic, ou strong magic for that matter, the little magic I possess would allow me to do simple things such as this. Well, maybe not simple to you. When I reached him, I grabbed his arm and he turned around quickly.
"What are toi doing here?" He asked darkly. His eyes were scorching.
"I saw toi left…" I a dit in an almost caring voice.
He rolled his eyes and turned away for a second. He looked back, glaring with such a hatred that could not be achieved par a human. Something about that hateful face looked extremely familiar. He shook my arm off and began to walk away.
"Wait!" I cried.
He turned only slightly, I turned his head toward me and he glared harder.
"Are you…" I trailed off only to let out a laugh. "You're 19 Cep aren't you?"
He remained silent in his look of malice. I waved my hand before his face and his features began to change. His complexion grew utterly pale, his eyes blazed bright red. Next, his hair darkened to black, and grew to the length of his chin in choppy, uneven layers. Then his face thinned and grew longer, his entire self looked so starved it was like he was a walking skeleton.
"You figured it all out haven't you?" He asked. Even his voice was different, it sounded darker. "It's good to see toi your highness." he ended bitterly making sure that he clearly pointed out that he loathed me with every bit of his gnarled, dead heart. "How'd toi figure?" He asked.
"The look toi gave me is the same as the one when toi stormed out the first time. I can honestly say that I'm impressed with all the magic toi used," I a dit approvingly, "I wouldn't have recognized toi otherwise."
"You mean when I came to rejoindre your side and toi laughed and turned me away because I was a Namenlos?" He asked grimly.
It wasn't a question really he just wanted me to feel bad about what I had done.
"Yes I remember completely." I a dit smiling my terrible, brilliant smile "Only as I recall toi didn't just leave, toi put up quite a fight."
His eyes just kept trying to burn their way inside me, but I wouldn't just melt like my sister would have. He spread a pair of remarkable silver wings and walked off to leave again.
"What if I make toi a deal?" I asked. He kept walking. "Suppose I take toi into our side." He froze.
A small smile spread my lips; I knew I had gotten to him. And no matter what he seemed to look like, I knew that it was all he wanted it the world. He turned his head only very slightly to his side to montrer his interest.
"And what might the catch be?" Asked his dull voice.
"I'm starting a war, and my pesky, responsible older sister is getting in the way." I continued. "I implore toi to announce to her that toi are on my side, and then of course comes the task of making her furious enough to play a part in our friendly little battle."
"And what then?" He asked miserably.
"Even I don't have that kind of information," I stated, "just in case someone like toi comes asking questions, we can't have any double agents now can we?"
He turned around looking at me fiercely. "I'm in." He vowed. "And par joining what do I have to earn?"
"A name." A bargained. "Do everything I tell toi do and toi get a name."
This caught his attention completely, he smiled eagerly. "Where do we start?"
*
I woke up and turned around only to find I was alone. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but nearly a moment after I stood up they walked in to the alley again.
"Oh there toi are!" I exclaimed, "Where were--" Suddenly I noticed that there was a stranger with my sister and not Aundre. "Who's this?" I asked suspiciously. "Where's Aundre?"
"Ashtaroth," She explained slowly, "This is Aundre."
I stared at him in disbelief. "That's…" I paused, "Not possible."
My sister sighed, sat me down and explained everything. That Aundre was a star, he was on her side, what he really looked like, how she found out… Etc. Aundre just leaned against the opposite mur and looked down the whole time. His stringy, long black hair swung par his cheeks as he nodded at what Vindemiatrix had said.
When she finished he a dit eagerly, "Let's get going."
We all agreed. Aundre repacked the supplies as we made hasty preparations to leave after all of that Lost time. When the time came, we all spread our wings. And when Aundre spread his, I was in awe at the silvery color. We flew away that early morning and none of us a dit a word until nightfall. We had all been very much been absorbed in our own thoughts until Vindemiatrix passed out.
Vindemiatrix's wins just stopped in midair and she began to fall. Aundre without the least bit of panic ou worry quickly grabbed and flew with her in his arms. The amazing thing was that even over time it did not affect his speed.
"What's wrong with her?" I had asked worriedly.
"She's exhausted." He replied simply. "She was up almost all last night, it was almost impossible for me to sneak out."
I nodded. "Are toi really on her side?" I asked hoping he would say no.
"Yes." He replied to my disappointment.
He didn't look at me, not once. He looked straight ahead, and nowhere else.
"Do toi like her ou something?" I asked curiously trying to find out why on Earth he would want to live in darkness.
"Quite frankly, I absolutely loathe her." he a dit casually.
Flying blind again, I could hardly see he expression on his face. But I could have sworn that he had glanced down at her just to see if she was listening.
"So why are toi working for her then?" I wondered aloud.
"I just am." He a dit vaguely without adding any emotion to his voice whatsoever.
I looked up at him. There was a long pause.
"Was everything toi told me a lie?" I asked quietly.
He did look at me this time. He sighed, "Every word of it." He answered shamefully.
"And what will your family think when they find out who you're working for?" I questioned.
"I don't have any family anymore." he a dit despairingly. "My parents died from a Rokay attacking them and Vindemiatrix killed my brother and sister."
"Vindemiatrix?" I a dit astonished.
"That would be one of the reasons that I hate her." He remarked. He smiled and laughed a little.
"What?" I asked him.
"It's just," he smiled and glanced down at me again, "When toi think about it, the very girl who killed my family, is the closest thing to family I've got."
He grinned down at me. I saw what he meant, but it was still an odd way to think of things.
Copyright © 2010-2011, Waverly L. Harris. FictionPress user Id 748202. All chapters, prologues, prefaces, epilogues, sneak peeks, and plus belong to me.
An Old Enemy, a New Ally
Though Ashtaroth and I went back and forth on for quite a while, I finally gave in to going to sleep and continuing in the morning. It would have been nearly pitch black if I couldn't see in the dark. I sat with my back against the brick mur of the alley staring up at the stars. The milky white outline of the Moon stood out completely against the murky ink-black sky. It was a thin crescent moon, as thin as thread. I was up so late that I had actually watched the moon as it traveled across the sky. The air was cold and crisp and every time toi breathed frost collected in the air. I was practically growing icicles off of my finger tips. I had no idea what I was going to do with Aundre now. I had planned on killing him at one point during the battle, but now that we lived off of one another, I knew it wouldn't be possible. It meant that neither of us could take stupid suicidal risks anymore. I was sure that he knew what had happened, and I was sure that he was just as distressed as I was. But so what? He wouldn't say a word. He didn't know that I knew his secret, that he was a liar. I would have to confront him about it. I needed to know what side he was on. If I didn't he could work against me.
Black mail. That's what I decided that I would do. I could black mail him into doing what I wanted him to. But I needed his name. Well, not name but his… What else would toi call it other than a name? I guess he was a Namenlos. That's German. Because stars have been around forever it wasn't hard to pick up on a few ancient languages.
Dawn was coming and I hadn't gotten a bit of sleep. I decided that I ought to get up only because if I fell asleep now I would only be woken up a few minutes later. I stood up and walked over to the backpack we had filled the jour before. I unzipped the pack and realized that there was nothing in it. At first I didn't think it was possible. I dug my hand down to the bottom, nothing.
'Great,' I thought, 'we've been robbed.' I shook my head wearily.
I must have gone to sleep after all. I heard someone shift behind me. Ashtaroth had just moved a little in her sleep, but that's when I noticed it… Aundre was gone. He must have stolen the supplies and left. I grabbed the back pack and ran down the alley and looked out. There was no one out side because of the extreme cold. If we hadn't been connected I never would had found him. I ran down the rue letting the spell take over me entirely. Instinctively, I ran across the rue and a few houses down and stopped. I had stopped at a on the side of a building. Since he obviously couldn't be through a brick wall, I looked up right at the moment where he began to grow his wings. I took one giant leap straight up the side of the building. Though I had very little magic, ou strong magic for that matter, the little magic I possess would allow me to do simple things such as this. Well, maybe not simple to you. When I reached him, I grabbed his arm and he turned around quickly.
"What are toi doing here?" He asked darkly. His eyes were scorching.
"I saw toi left…" I a dit in an almost caring voice.
He rolled his eyes and turned away for a second. He looked back, glaring with such a hatred that could not be achieved par a human. Something about that hateful face looked extremely familiar. He shook my arm off and began to walk away.
"Wait!" I cried.
He turned only slightly, I turned his head toward me and he glared harder.
"Are you…" I trailed off only to let out a laugh. "You're 19 Cep aren't you?"
He remained silent in his look of malice. I waved my hand before his face and his features began to change. His complexion grew utterly pale, his eyes blazed bright red. Next, his hair darkened to black, and grew to the length of his chin in choppy, uneven layers. Then his face thinned and grew longer, his entire self looked so starved it was like he was a walking skeleton.
"You figured it all out haven't you?" He asked. Even his voice was different, it sounded darker. "It's good to see toi your highness." he ended bitterly making sure that he clearly pointed out that he loathed me with every bit of his gnarled, dead heart. "How'd toi figure?" He asked.
"The look toi gave me is the same as the one when toi stormed out the first time. I can honestly say that I'm impressed with all the magic toi used," I a dit approvingly, "I wouldn't have recognized toi otherwise."
"You mean when I came to rejoindre your side and toi laughed and turned me away because I was a Namenlos?" He asked grimly.
It wasn't a question really he just wanted me to feel bad about what I had done.
"Yes I remember completely." I a dit smiling my terrible, brilliant smile "Only as I recall toi didn't just leave, toi put up quite a fight."
His eyes just kept trying to burn their way inside me, but I wouldn't just melt like my sister would have. He spread a pair of remarkable silver wings and walked off to leave again.
"What if I make toi a deal?" I asked. He kept walking. "Suppose I take toi into our side." He froze.
A small smile spread my lips; I knew I had gotten to him. And no matter what he seemed to look like, I knew that it was all he wanted it the world. He turned his head only very slightly to his side to montrer his interest.
"And what might the catch be?" Asked his dull voice.
"I'm starting a war, and my pesky, responsible older sister is getting in the way." I continued. "I implore toi to announce to her that toi are on my side, and then of course comes the task of making her furious enough to play a part in our friendly little battle."
"And what then?" He asked miserably.
"Even I don't have that kind of information," I stated, "just in case someone like toi comes asking questions, we can't have any double agents now can we?"
He turned around looking at me fiercely. "I'm in." He vowed. "And par joining what do I have to earn?"
"A name." A bargained. "Do everything I tell toi do and toi get a name."
This caught his attention completely, he smiled eagerly. "Where do we start?"
*
I woke up and turned around only to find I was alone. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but nearly a moment after I stood up they walked in to the alley again.
"Oh there toi are!" I exclaimed, "Where were--" Suddenly I noticed that there was a stranger with my sister and not Aundre. "Who's this?" I asked suspiciously. "Where's Aundre?"
"Ashtaroth," She explained slowly, "This is Aundre."
I stared at him in disbelief. "That's…" I paused, "Not possible."
My sister sighed, sat me down and explained everything. That Aundre was a star, he was on her side, what he really looked like, how she found out… Etc. Aundre just leaned against the opposite mur and looked down the whole time. His stringy, long black hair swung par his cheeks as he nodded at what Vindemiatrix had said.
When she finished he a dit eagerly, "Let's get going."
We all agreed. Aundre repacked the supplies as we made hasty preparations to leave after all of that Lost time. When the time came, we all spread our wings. And when Aundre spread his, I was in awe at the silvery color. We flew away that early morning and none of us a dit a word until nightfall. We had all been very much been absorbed in our own thoughts until Vindemiatrix passed out.
Vindemiatrix's wins just stopped in midair and she began to fall. Aundre without the least bit of panic ou worry quickly grabbed and flew with her in his arms. The amazing thing was that even over time it did not affect his speed.
"What's wrong with her?" I had asked worriedly.
"She's exhausted." He replied simply. "She was up almost all last night, it was almost impossible for me to sneak out."
I nodded. "Are toi really on her side?" I asked hoping he would say no.
"Yes." He replied to my disappointment.
He didn't look at me, not once. He looked straight ahead, and nowhere else.
"Do toi like her ou something?" I asked curiously trying to find out why on Earth he would want to live in darkness.
"Quite frankly, I absolutely loathe her." he a dit casually.
Flying blind again, I could hardly see he expression on his face. But I could have sworn that he had glanced down at her just to see if she was listening.
"So why are toi working for her then?" I wondered aloud.
"I just am." He a dit vaguely without adding any emotion to his voice whatsoever.
I looked up at him. There was a long pause.
"Was everything toi told me a lie?" I asked quietly.
He did look at me this time. He sighed, "Every word of it." He answered shamefully.
"And what will your family think when they find out who you're working for?" I questioned.
"I don't have any family anymore." he a dit despairingly. "My parents died from a Rokay attacking them and Vindemiatrix killed my brother and sister."
"Vindemiatrix?" I a dit astonished.
"That would be one of the reasons that I hate her." He remarked. He smiled and laughed a little.
"What?" I asked him.
"It's just," he smiled and glanced down at me again, "When toi think about it, the very girl who killed my family, is the closest thing to family I've got."
He grinned down at me. I saw what he meant, but it was still an odd way to think of things.
Copyright © 2010-2011, Waverly L. Harris. FictionPress user Id 748202. All chapters, prologues, prefaces, epilogues, sneak peeks, and plus belong to me.
