Ebony Mist -Original

Part X: Floating Stars

A sharp piercing scream filled Alaura's ears, pulling her through the darkness that threatened to succumb her. It was followed by another scream, this of lower pitch from a more masculine throat. More screams followed from different throats, full of pain, anger, and anguish. There were sickening crunches, and the smell of blood and burnt flesh in the air.

Alaura's head was tilted to the side when she opened her eyes. The first she saw was the blur of the flame in the center of the room. Yet two great pillars blocked most of her view, she spotted movement passed them. Her vision sharpened and she saw the writhing bodies of the vampires. Cut open but still moving, trying to crawl towards her. Alaura tried to scream, but didn't have the energy to even open her mouth. All she could do was watch as the two black pillars in front of her stepped forward, revealing themselves to be the boots of a cloaked figure.

The broad shadow held out a hand, black flames swirling around it and his arm, before bursting out and encompassing the mangled bodies, the stench of burning flesh filling the air. Alaura lifted a hand up, trying to reach out, as shaky and ashen as she was, but her hand simply fell to the ground.

The figure turned to face her, the fire in his palm dissipating into the air. In a flourish of cloth, he came to kneel beside her, a great gentle hand going to her neck. She felt the thump of her pulse against his finger tips as he checked to make sure her heart still beat within her. Alaura managed to turn her head and find herself looking up at the face of the druid. His lips were a thin line, curved down at the edges, and heavy eyebrow furrowed. His eyes were black, but shifting to a dark blue as she watched.

She felt his hands come under her neck and knees, and suddenly the ground dropped away as she was lifted up. Her head fell to the druid's broad chest, leaning against the muscle that resided under the deep robes. Alaura shivered as he began walking out of the room with her, and down the halls. The shiver didn't leave her, as the world was spinning in her head. It didn't take long before she succumbed to the darkness while in the druid's arms.

Awareness slowly returned to Alaura, shifting under heavy silken covers. Blinking open her eyes, she found herself looking up at a night sky, stars and nebula lazily floating around a full moon, following a path through the dark expanse. And past the starts was a vaulted ceiling with motifs of warriors in battle against dangerous creatures. Alaura's eyes followed the ceiling to the wall across the room, and found herself staring down across the bed she lay on, as expansive as it was. At the foot of the bed, a familiar figure with broad shoulders stood, watching her.

Memory came back to her, and she felt herself trembling. A hand flung to her neck, feeling the scabs from the wound of the vampire's bite. She looked at her arms in haste, seeing several like bite marks on her arms, and she guessed her legs were the same. The princess looked back up at the druid, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"What are you going to do to me?" she whispered, her voice hanging in the air, which felt stiflingly close.

"I'm going to let you rest and regain your strength," the druid replied, and came around beside the betting, sitting down on the silken covers.

"Where am I?" Alaura asked him.

"In the closest bed I could get you to, to get you warm. In my room. You've been out for two days. If you had lost any more blood, you would have never woken up," the druid said, his voice strangely kind and concerned.

"Am I going to turn into... one of them?" she asked, but the druid shook his head.

"Despite the myth, you do not turn into a vampire by being bitten. They must inject some of their blood into you, which did not happen. But that was a foolish thing you did, more foolish than trying to leave," he told her, a dangerous flash going through his eyes. A raspy gasp escaped Alaura's lips.

"Am I... going back to the dungeon? Are you going to hurt me? Do to me like you did to them? Did you... make them?" Alaura asked, her head swimming with more questions than she had the strength to ask. Everything still felt so fuzzy.

"That depends on you, but you won't get the same treatment as them. They are my current project. I did not make them, but I am attempting to unmake them. I seek to reverse the effects of vampirism, which can be bloody and horrible work, which is why I had wished for you not to see," the druid said, then pulled from a pocket a crude, folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and examined it's contents. "It's interesting what you were able to do with just charcoal and paper. It is like looking in a mirror with how it matches my face and my expression."

It took Alaura a moment to realize he was holding her drawn portrait of him, and shifted uncomfortably, looking away and allowing her hair to curtain her face from him. She was attempting to hide her reddened face, from the embarrassment of it having been found.

"Tell me," Xavier said softly. "How was it that you escaped the cell? I was aware of your attempts to use your drawing to escape, but knew they wouldn't work because of a spell I had on the door."

"I sang. I sang a song that told the door to unlock and open, and it did. Tha's how I opened the shackles of the vampires," Alaura answered him, her voice still soft. Through her curtain of hair, Alaura was aware of him arching a heavy eyebrow.

"You sang a song? Interesting. I had known that yours was the power of muse, but did not expect it to go beyond the art of drawing and painting," Xavier said, his voice hinting with the surprise he felt from her words.

"So, what are you going to do with me now?" Alaura asked, tucking the curtain of hair behind her hear and looking up at him squarely. She clenched her jaw, and her fists, trying to muster up her courage like she had as a child. Whatever he would do, she would face it. To her surprise, a smirk came to his lips. He leaned forward and she felt softness of his lips brush against her forehead, before he sat back.

"You're still cold, for now simply rest here. You shall be safe and warm here. I have hunting to do. Not all the vampires chose to go after you, but attempt to escape, and I must catch them before they find away to escape my island," the druid told her, standing. Alaura found herself looking up to see him, blinking in surprise at his sudden gesture and words. Then her eyes went up to the floating night sky above her, and suddenly felt a strange calm come to her.

"The captured starlight and moonlight above you will help heal and comfort you, as well as protect you. I will return when my chase is done. Xi shall bring you something to eat," with that Xavier removed himself from the room in a whisper of cloth. Alaura was barely aware now, her eyes watching the gently rotation constellations above her, which gently lulled her back to sleep, which she greeted gladly.

(}--{)(}--{)(}--{)

So this is a romance... and ten parts in, and finally it's more apparently taking effect, isn't it? I was never a fan of love-at-first-sight. I always saw love was something to develop gradually. Love at first sight? That's just lust over looks for the most part, in my opinion.

Anyway! If you liked this part, please vote! And comment, let me know what you think! Both votes and comments are welcome!

Cheers!

~Elfy