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| Chapter Five: The Eyes of a Child | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another day had come and passed over the great wilderness expanse that lied north of Eco. As the sun finally set - taking with it the protection it offered - the creatures of the night awoke. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a small pond Calloway emerged from under the water's cool surface. He looked behind him at the beaver lodge that had offered him sanctuary. A few seconds later - the girl surfaced and gasped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was fun!" she said with a giggle. Calloway groaned and shook his head. This was all just a big game and a fun adventure for her. As the two made their way towards the shore - the indignant beaver that they had stolen the place from returned and dipped under the water. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Fun - is not the word I would use," he replied quietly. He looked around for any sign of the woman he had encountered before. He sighed with relief when he sensed that they were in fact alone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can we make a fire and roast marshmallows?" she playfully asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "One - a fire would draw attention to us - two we don't have," he began as she pulled out a bag of marshmallows. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Please? I'm getting cold," she pouted. Calloway groaned and shook his head. The child was going to be the death of him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just great," he muttered as he gathered what fallen wood he could find. The child looked up at the sky and hummed to herself. "I could just put up a billboard," he added to himself as he slowly made a fire. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Once it was a steady small blaze - the child sat close to the flames and began to dangle marshmallows that were impales on a tree branch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway sighed as he did what he could to ignore the hunger in him. He frowned as he saw Luther sitting beside the girl. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Who is the strange man?" the girl asked - looking at the ghost. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can see him?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yeah - he looks kind of smoky or something," she replied as she popped the melted marshmallow into her mouth. "Is he like a ghost or something?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Opt for the or something," the Setite replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You aren't no ordinary girl," Luther remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My mommy told me I was special," she replied proudly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If she stays with you - you know she will die. Good as you are - even a killer like you is no match for this," Luther remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They don't want her dead," Calloway rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You aren't paying attention lad. They see you as tainted. The longer she stays with you - will make her seem tainted to them," Luther explained. Calloway looked into the flames and closed his eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why do you care?" Calloway asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe she deserves better even though you deserve worse? Snake sent you out here to die - the real question here is - will you be taking her down with you. Something to think about as you muck along like a Gangrel," Luther said as he faded away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He sounded kind of preachy," the girl remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have been hearing that kind of spiel for fifty years," Calloway remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How do you know they don't want me dead?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If they did - those ladies back there would have made a bigger issue of it," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not true. They believe in the challenge system - only the strongest and the best and stuff like that. Those two - they weren't important enough to risk the wrath of someone like Gailwind. He's the one that called for me," she said playfully. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is your part in all of this?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Me? I'm just a kid," she said innocently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And I'm a god fearing Christian - try another one," he rebutted seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe - I'm more than I seem - maybe I am just what you are making me out to be? The fact of the matter is - you need me as much as I need you," she replied as she stared into the fire. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How so?" he asked - his hand moving for his knife. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want to kill me? Go ahead. I won't stop you," she replied - not even looking at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What kind of game are you playing here?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I like games. Especially ones I win," she mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How is it - that you need me? And why do you think - I need you?" he asked. Her eyes opened - they looked anything but human. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think you are so bad Mr. Killer Snake Assassin? The only thing that is keeping you alive right now - is the fact that you are with me. I mean - should anything happen to me - you would be alone - out here - unprotected," she said - her voice - no longer that of a child sounded almost ancient. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - believe - you are protecting me?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hmm. Arrogance - pride - I love those qualities. Ever wonder why it is - that you were chosen? I could have picked anyone. A wraith - a lupine - a human - but - this time - I wanted something - interesting. I wanted something that would - make them almost seethe," she said as she moved her hand harmlessly through the flames. "So I figured - who better than a vampire - a creature tainted by the Wyrm," she added - looking at her hand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't need to know that - in fact - most of the puppies we will encounter - they haven't the slightest notion as to what I am. Gailwind - is forbidden to say," she said softly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They know you are coming though," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Of course. They - the young ones - don't - understand the nature - of what Gailwind will do. All they know is that a ritual is underway and that - my being there is key to that," she said with a smile. She blinked and instantly her eyes looked human again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You wanted - me?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - no disrespect - but - I don't know you. Up until I met up with Snake a while back - I never knew you existed. But when I did - I knew that you were the one that I needed. Someone who was a living weapon - someone with no fear - someone who wasn't squeamish at the thought of a little danger," she said with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want me to fight them," he stated calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - let's just say - if you were to lock horns with the lupines - I wouldn't lose sleep over it. They - take pride in fighting your kind. You wanted to take down those uppity bitches back there. I could see it in your eyes," she mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have fought werewolves before - it is not something - I take lightly. Especially in light of doing so at the start of a long mission," he replied seriously. The child giggled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Killing is what you are. It is in your unnatural blood. I can see that you are fighting it," she mused. "Why? You have the tools. You could kill them easily," she stated. He reached in his pocket and took out the gun. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You had a hand in this? Was that Gangrel one of your people?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - if he was he would have joined in," she answered. Calloway closed his eyes and shook his head. That meant that the deranged Gangrel was most likely on the ball about that no killing thing. Maybe for more than just the werewolf reason. Calloway quickly put the fire out. "Hey - I wasn't done," she pouted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Trust me - you are done - and we are going - now," he replied seriously as he made sure the fire was out. The girl giggled as she held his hand. He jerked his hand free of her grip. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hold my hand or I will play hide and seek. Note - if I do that - they will think you did something to me - you being the Tainted one that you are. What do you suppose they would do to you then?" she asked curiously. He groaned and shook his head as he reached down and held her hand. "Your ghost friend was quite right you know - Snake did send you here to die," she added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That is my concern - not yours," he reassured as they headed up the sloping mountain path. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||