DEMONS AND DREAMWALKERS...
TC
a note: i'm re-writing the author's note because i'm bored ^_^ this story may be a little disjointed and stuff because I've been writing it on and off for about 3 or 4 years now ^^;; I hope things make more sense, the prologue should help. I've also begun to add a feature where the first time a character's name appears, it will be a hyperlink leading to a short profile-type thing. Hopefully then you'll be able to see what the character looks like...but it may take a while to implement ^^;;; lol, you've been warned.
Tesha slapped the bleach-blond boy hard in the face. His head whipped to the side with the force of the hit and he stared at her in shock. She curled her lip at him and spat at his feet. "Be glad all I did was slap you this time Rrandon! I could easily have kicked your ass."
"Yeah right!" The boy she was facing topped her by nearly a foot and probably weighed twice as much as she did. Muscles stood out on his bare arms and his fists were those of a fighter. However this didn't seem to bother Tesha one bit. Her curled lip turned to a snarl and her ears flattened backwards against her head, nearly disappearing into her fiery auburn hair. She held her arms out to her sides, leaving her torso wide open for attack.
"Just you try." Her fierce gray eyes dared him. He looked down at her disdainfully.
"I don't fight girls." He sniffed. His haughty look turned to one of surprise when she stalked up to him, tail lashing, and slapped him again. Her sharp little fangs were bared and her eyes seemed somehow closer, as if she had grown in the last few seconds. He blinked at her.
"Howbout now?" she snapped as she slapped him again, each word accompanied by another slap. "Hmm?" -Slap- "Hmm?" -Slap- "Howbout it huh?" -Slap- "Sure you don't wanna fight?" Rrandon snarled and tried to grab her wrist before she could hit him again, but she evaded his grasp and before he knew what she had done, the unguarded side of his face was stinging and she was out of reach, standing in a fighting stance. "Finally decided to stand up and be a man?" Tesha provoked him. However she got no further because her collar was grabbed and she was dragged backwards to face a man who was taller even than Rrandon. He looked down at her still snarling face and waved a hand in front of it. Tesha, realizing whom it was that was facing her, relaxed and her snarl turned to a sulky look. The tall male facing her had a tanned complexion and the sandy, rounded ears of a plains-dweller.
"What am I to do with you? I thought I told you no more fighting." His face was serious and his rounded ears twitched as he scolded her.
"Yes daddy." Tesha grumbled. The man, Kaeyl, wasn't actually her father, but sometimes he sure acted like it. "Not that I see that bleeding cut above your eye that might have been obtained from the fight I saw you in a few moments ago." At this the girl stuck out her tongue at the older man. He looked slightly embarrassed, and the stern face he was trying to hold fell away.
"Oh you saw that? Huh. You know that doesn't mean it's okay. I'm trying to keep you from turning out like me." He blinked at her. She grinned up at him.
"Aww come on Kaeyl, you're a great role model. You only fight the guys who bully the juniors, it's justice." She proclaimed with certainty.
"Hmmph. Well one thing I've learned on my quests is that violence doesn't solve much. If your wit is sharp and your vocabulary is large, you can solve your problems in other ways. I just forget that sometimes." He made a face. "Alright, enough, I'm not very good at this moral guidance stuff. Come fellow champion of justice, lets go home so Keela can scold both of us."
* * *
Kaeyl typed in the keycode for his and Keela's living quarters and cursed when the door stuck halfway. He kicked it violently several times before Tesha shouldered him out of the way and gave it a hearty kick. The rebellious door slid the rest of the way smoothly, almost mockingly. "Have to have lived here a while to get the hang of it." Tesha commented coolly, preceding him into the apartment and throwing her jacket onto the sofa.
"Keela the Gods-cursed door is sticking again!" Kaeyl shouted by way of greeting. "Didn't you get it fixed last time?"
"Hello to you too Kaeyl, you should know by now that the door sticks whether or not the techs say it's fixed. Haven't you been living here for over six months? Don't tell me you haven't got the hang of kicking it yet." Kaeyl glared sullenly at the tan-skinned woman who appeared in the hall doorway, toweling her damp hair. She leaned on the jamb and frowned. "Have you been fighting again, where's that cut on your eyebrow from?"
"Actually, I just found Tesha fighting again." Kaeyl said, ignoring his girlfriend's questions.
"I was not fighting!" Tesha protested. Keela turned to look at her.
"You know it won't solve your problems Kitling." She said concernedly.
"But I wasn't fighting!" Tesha maintained.
"Only slapping some poor male silly. Oh come on, you were about to get into a fight." Kaeyl corrected. Tesha scowled at him, unable to object.
"Tesha." Keela regarded the young female who wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Alright senpai, I'm sorry! I know fighting won't solve my problems and I'll try not to do it again." Tesha couldn't stand the disappointed look on the other woman's face.
"Huh, somehow I doubt that will happen." The woman said ruefully. "Alright, I'm done scolding you for now, you can run along, but I am disappointed." Tesha hung her head guiltily and disappeared off to the room she had commandeered in their quarters. "Now, for you young man. I'll ask again, where did you get that cut?" Keela stood hands on hips, looking sternly at Kaeyl. The object of her scrutiny took two steps forward, quickly closing the distance between them with his long strides.
"Keela, you look so beautiful when your hair is wet, it makes me just want to kiss you and hug you and hold you..." Kaeyl leaned in for a kiss but Keela evaded him deftly, one finger firmly planted on his nose, pushing his face away from hers.
"Oh no you don't! I won't be distracted that easily! You know you're as bad as she is! How is Tesha supposed to learn anything with you fighting all the time?" Keela scolded him. "You're a role model now act like one!"
"Yes ma'am!" Kaeyl replied smartly, saluting her. Keela swatted at his hand.
"Oh be serious, you do know what I'm talking about don't you?"
"Yeah, but sometimes those seniors, they just don't treat their juniors right." A shadow crossed Kaeyl's face and he glared at his sandy-furred hands. Keela uncurled the fists he had made and placed her soft palms over his callused ones, intertwining their fingers.
"Shhh, I know, but you can't be everyone's savior and you're going to give Tesha a justice complex. For now just try and set a good example okay?" The chocolate-eyed female looked at him sincerely and he melted.
"Oh alright! I won't fight anymore...well not where she can see. And if I do I'll clean myself up before I come home. And I'll talk to our little champion about her sense of justice alright?" Kaeyl looked slightly exasperated. Keela leaped forward and slung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and kissing him briefly on the cheek.
"Oh you just have such brilliant ideas Kaeyl, how ever do you come up with them?" She grinned as she positively squeaked the compliment, her eyes twinkling mischievously. Kaeyl rolled his eyes and sighed, but he couldn't keep from contracting that infectious grin of hers. He smiled ruefully and kissed her on the nose.
"I had a little help."
Tesha stood up; she didn't need to hear any more her senpai's personal interactions. Those two were so sappy it made her want to wretch sometimes. Other times it made her slightly jealous of the love they shared. Neither of them really said anything about commitments, but they interacted like a long-married couple. Tesha was hard pressed to imagine either of the two straying from the other. Kaeyl and Keela just fit together; there was something about them. In fact Tesha was pretty sure that neither even really considered dating anyone else. If she asked them they'd probably look blankly at her for a second before sayings something along the lines of 'why would I want to do that?' However it wasn't very often that Tesha was either revolted by or jealous of Kaeyl and Keela's relationship. Although Keela was a senior student who had been assigned merely to show Tesha the ropes, once she had met the junior she had taken it much further than that, and was now more like a caretaker to Tesha. Most juniors lived alone or with a lover or two, but Tesha usually stayed in Keela and Kaeyl's small apartment. Kaeyl and Keela were almost like parents to her, they looked out for her, fed her, housed her and provided guidance. Not that she'd had any experience, but that was what Tesha supposed that parents did. She however didn't remember hers if she had ever really had any, and Keela and Kaeyl had sort of filled that empty spot in her life. Tesha frowned. They would be leaving right before the partnering ceremony though, which was coming up in a couple of months. Tesha had no idea what she would do without them. It was a longer assignment than they had ever been on before, and there was no telling when they'd be back. Without them she would be here at the training facility...all by herself... Tesha realized suddenly that she needed a shower, and opening the door quietly, with her hands clamped over her ears she ran down the hall to the shower. When the water had started running, Tesha removed her hands. It wasn't really necessary to plug her ears, but she really didn't want to hear Kaeyl and Keela baby talk to each other, or worse. Once the water was good and hot, Tesha removed her tunic, loose jeans and undergarments, and stepped into the shower. At that point Tesha's mind returned to the fact that without Kaeyl and Keela around, she'd have no one. After all, it wasn't as if she had gone out of her way to make any friends around the campus, and thus she didn't have any. At least not among the juniors, and almost all the seniors had finished their training and were being moved out before the partnering ceremonies next month. The partnering ceremonies, now that was something else to worry about. After all, what if she got a partner like Rrandon? Those who didn't choose partners got theirs picked for them. Since Tesha didn't know anyone in the juniors enough to agree to partnership, and since no one had approached her, one would be chosen for her. Sure she could appeal, but whom else would she ask for? All the acceptable ones would probably be taken, and her senpai wouldn't be there to help her deal. She couldn't even call them because they'd be on a mission. Tesha scrubbed absently at her hair, closing her eyes so the shampoo wouldn't run into them. Well the partnering ceremonies were nearly a month from now and there was nothing she could do anyway, so there was no point in worrying about it. And about Keela and Kaeyl's looming departure, well there wasn't anything she could do about that either. She had been fine on her own before, she would be fine again. Sure she would miss them, but she didn't need them. But she would miss them. A lot. Tesha leaned her forehead against the cool tiles of the shower. She would have to thank them or something before they left. They had done so much for her. Tesha idly considered the possibility that they might never return for her. That they would find a little niche somewhere close to their current mission, marry, and forget about her. Tesha clamped a lid on that thought though. She knew that they cared about her, and although the three of them wouldn't be living together forever, they'd definitely keep in touch. Tesha still hoped they'd come back and visit once in a while. It would be lonely at the facility without them, after all. Then Tesha firmly declared that such matters were closed, that no more mental discussion would take place and turned her thoughts completely to washing up.
* * *
"I'm worried about her Kaeyl." Keela's ears twitched backwards, showing her distress. It was later in the evening and Tesha had already gone to bed. "As seniors, we leave this year and Tesha hasn't made a single friend other than us."
"I'm sure she'll be alright, the others just need to grow up and see who she is, not what she was. Besides isn't partnering day coming up for them?" Kaeyl stroked her ears soothingly, running his fingers through her dark curls. Keela sighed as she took his other hand in her own.
"I'm afraid that might only make it worse. It doesn't seem like any of her peers have a grain of sense between them, and you know she's made enemies of a lot of them with all her fighting. What is the chance she'll get even get a decent partner?" Keela gently kissed his fingertips, still looking worriedly up at him.
"I think you worry too much koibito, I have the feeling our Kitling has the gods on her side." That caught Keela's attention.
"Have they spoken to you?" she stared intently at him.
"No, it's more of a chance gut feeling."
"Chance gut feeling my foot," Keela snorted. "How can you call them that when they're never wrong?"
"Never be too certain of anything my dear koibito, only the gods know what's going to happen." Kaeyl smiled at her, touching her cheek before leaning down to kiss her on the nose. "Now get some sleep and stop worrying about Tesha. If I was ever certain of anything, it would be that she's going to be just fine."
"Charmer. It's a good thing I trust those instincts of yours or I'd think you were mothering me." Keela heaved a sigh as she got off the couch. "You're right, it is late. We should both be going to get some rest."
"Go on and get ready, I'll join you later."
"Beware I won't wait long." Keela leaned down to kiss him on the cheek before disappearing into the bedroom. It wasn't long before Kaeyl heard the water running and Keela thumping around in the washroom.
"Alright you can come out now." Kaeyl said to the seemingly empty room. A tan pelted male stepped out of the shadows.
"It isn't going to be easy for her, you know that." He spoke with a mountainer's burr.
"I never told anyone otherwise, I only told Keela that she is going to end up all right. I never said she would have it easy along the way." Kaeyl spoke calmly to the stranger.
"Ahh, but you mortals have a different definition of all right. Who is to say she won't find peace only through death?" The male turned to look out the window. "That's what her 'turning out all right' could mean."
"I don't think that will be it. You yourself told me I have a gods-given gift with my gut feelings, and despite what you tell me, I think she'll find peace before she dies. Now is that all you came to tell me?" The male turned to look critically at him, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. When he finally spoke, Kaeyl wasn't sure whether he was answering the question, or speaking of Tesha's fate.
"Never be too certain of anything Dreamwalker," he shook his head at Kaeyl. "Never be too certain." The god's words faded to an echo as he disappeared back into the shadows. Kaeyl rubbed a hand over his tired eyes, and got up to go to bed. Halfway off the couch he realized what the god had said echoed his earlier words. He shook his head as he left the room, muttering ruefully under his breath.
"Huh, 'never be too certain.' Indeed. Vartra, now you've got me saying that."
* * *
Tesha stood in the hallway, looking blankly at Keela and Kaeyl, who stood in the front entrance, each with nothing larger than a duffel bag in their possession. "What did you say?"
"I said," Keela repeated, smiling at Tesha's disbelief. "That we're leaving all the furniture and stuff to you, all we need is right here." She patted the bulging bag slung over her shoulder. "We'll be back, so you stay here and take care of the other stuff for us okay?" Tesha nodded dumbly, she hadn't expected this. "Oh and don't worry, when I mean take care of, I don't mean like house sit, use the furniture please, 'cuz it's really yours as well. So behave like it's yours, okay? Don't worry about stains or damage or whatever, and feel free to move into our room. Oh and it's okay if someone comes to live with you, they can use our room too." Keela winked suggestively and Tesha blushed. "Now is that all Kaeyl?" Kaeyl shrugged.
"I dunno." He said expansively.
"Every time I think I'm finished I think of something else." Keela threw her hands up in the air. "Oh well I guess- Oh yeah! Oh there I go again." Keela grinned and rummaged in a side pocket of the duffel. "Here." She handed Tesha a small white box. "From us." Tesha's eyes widened.
"But...I didn't get you anything senpai..." She protested.
"Oh nonsense, this is just a little something to make sure you don't forget about your old friends." Tesha opened her mouth to object.
"I would never for-"
"Oh shush I know that, just take it." Keela pushed the box at her. Tesha took it from her and opened it carefully. Inside lay a beautifully engraved ring. It was crafted from a hard silvery metal, and had the word Kitling, the two senior trainees' nickname for Tesha, engraved around the outside. Tesha picked it up, and it shone beautifully in the light. Around the inside of the band, more words were apparent, but the script was so tiny, Tesha had to squint to read it. Love K&K, your two senpai. We'll never forget you, our beautiful child, so don't you dare forget us! Tesha put the ring on her right ring finger, before brushing the tears from her eyes. Keela shifted, suddenly nervous. "Err...I hope you don't mind me being so presumptuous, but you were like a child to us, not that I'm saying you needed parenting, I mean it was more about me, err, us than you- erk!" Keela was cut off as Tesha threw herself at the only mother she had ever known.
"Don't be silly, I love it! And I love you too, both of you!" Tesha cried as she hugged Keela fiercely then yanked Kaeyl down to join the embrace. "I'd be proud to say I was raised by you!" Then the clock was sounding the time for Keela and Kaeyl to leave, and the Kodak moment was brought to an end. Keela hugged Tesha once more and Kaeyl ruffled her hair before they departed.
"Knock yourself out kid, the place is all yours." He said as he left, with a conspiratory wink. Tesha grinned. Once they had left, she ran to the window, it faced the lot, and Keela and Kaeyl waved as they got into their 'car and drove away.
"Have fun Kitling! And be good!" Was the last thing Tesha caught Keela yelling. Then they were out of sight, and Tesha was alone in the huge apartments. She sighed, but wasn't overwhelmed by loss as she thought she'd be. Her fears of being forgotten were obviously unfounded, and she had two people in the world that she knew loved her very much. Tesha fingered the necklace she always wore. It was the only thing she had from her childhood, everything else was long forgotten. Maybe it was from her real parents. If it was, then she had an item from each set of parents. The ring and the necklace, she would never remove either of them.
* * *
Tesha scowled at the fridge. There was no milk. How on earth was she supposed to get by without milk? Oh well, not to be worried about...She would get milk. Tesha sighed and walked over to the door of the empty apartment. She opened the door to leave and sighed as the door stuck on its track when it was halfway opened. Tears sprung to her eyes, it had only been a week since they left, but it had felt like a thousand years. She missed them badly, and hadn't slept very well lately, since she wasn't used to the silence. Hopefully after she was partnered up she would at least have someone else to talk to. The past week might have gone better if she hadn't spent most of her time alone, brooding in the apartment. And now she was without milk. Tesha kicked the door, and it opened obediently. She closed it behind her, and keyed in the alarm. The hallway was quiet at this time of night, Tesha was glad that there was an all-night grocery store not too far away. Zipping up her vest against the cold, she stepped out of her apartment and into the night, not noticing the shadow that detached itself from the wall and followed her quietly.
* * *
Tesha wordlessly thumped the milk container down on the counter in front of the cashier. He got the hint and rang up the purchase without bothering her with pleasantries. Tesha got her change and left the all-night grocery without speaking a word. As she was walking the shadowy campus pathways back to the apartments where she stayed, Tesha noticed that it seemed darker now than it had on her way to the store. She frowned at the lights illuminating the walkway she was on, surely they weren't that badly taken care of. However as she was glaring at one in particular, it gave a feeble flicker and died. Tesha blinked. Looking up and down the rows of lamps that lit the path, she saw five more go out. How very odd, lamps didn't burn out one after another like that and electrical problems caused groups to malfunction, this was seemingly random. The one in front of her would go out, then one five away from her, then one way down the line at the next cross path. As Tesha watched, she began to notice that the lamp about to go out would flicker and turn red before going out. Soon all the lights near Tesha had gone out, and the wildness of the night began to infringe on the previously-out-of-bounds cobblestone pathway. Tesha's curiosity began to dissipate as she became more and more nervous. She started to walk again, more quickly than before she had stopped to watch the odd phenomenon of the lamps. It was hard to tell, but Tesha was almost positive that the lights were going out at a faster rate. Before there would be a few seconds respite before the next one went out, and only one went out at a time, now two or three would flicker and go out, as another group would begin to flicker. The pattern still seemed randomized, and this frightened Tesha even more. She began to run, cursing park maintenance, which she was hoping was responsible for the dying lamps. Tesha lost her race with the lights though, as the last one, far down the path from where she was, flickered twice and fizzled. Tesha kept running however, even though she was now in the dark, hoping that she wouldn't trip and give herself a concussion. Suddenly a large shape stumbled out of the bushes about two or three meters ahead of her. Tesha immediately scrambled to a stop and backed away from the shadow. It was hunched over and trembling. In the absence of the lamps, Tesha was unable to identify the shape until it righted itself and stood straight. Somewhat relieved, but still nervous, Tesha realized it was another person. However she didn't call out to them, after all they could be a rapist or a murderer. Those kinds of people showed up everywhere, even on the campus of the training facility of the forces. Slowly backing away, Tesha was about to turn around and find another path, when she tripped over a rock. The other figure whirled to face her and in an instant she realized how wrong she had been.
* * *
He ran through the foliage of...wherever he was it wasn't home. He was both relieved and slightly disturbed by the revelation of that fact. Dodging and running, the lanky figure tried to avoid the projectiles being hurled at him from his pursuer. "Dammnit just give up and go away already!" He muttered to himself, somewhat annoyed by his enemy's persistence. His stamina was wearing down fast and he stumbled more often, allowing the blows of his enemy to come closer and closer. "How annoying..." He commented as something whizzed past his ear and left it ringing. However the impairment was a little more than annoying, since the white noise in his ear threw of the tall creature's balance and he stumbled fatally. Pain blossomed in his side, as one of his opponent's close misses became a hit. He stumbled out of the bushes and clutched at his painful flank. He stood in the clearing, trying to catch his breath before the enemy caught up to him. Suddenly he heard a sound, and although he was sure he was finished anyway, he whirled around to defend himself.
* * *
Tesha stared in disbelief as huge leathery bat-wings unfurled and flared as the form spun around, looking for the source of the noise. Tesha stifled a squeak and stood stock still, hoping it wouldn't see her. However at that moment, something else happened to distract it. Another form came crashing out of the bushes at her right, this one twice, maybe thrice as large as the one that stood in front of her. It stopped, then began to advance towards her. Tesha's heart had almost stopped it was beating so fast, and all she could do was stare in terror as the hulking shape advanced on her. Suddenly a rock came in contact with the side of its head and it howled, a terrible sound. Tesha's feet were still rooted rock solid to the ground. "Run! Get out of here!" She turned to see yet another figure shouting at her. She looked at it, then looked back at the first winged form just in time to see him stagger. Even though he was showing weakness, she was still too afraid to move. He snarled and she saw a bright flash of magenta light. Suddenly she was hurtling backwards through the air, struck by an unknown force. She felt the wind of the other creature's claws whistle past her face in a close miss as she was knocked aside. Someone dragged her by the collar into the bushes and hauled her to her feet. She struggled and turned to face her assailant, but he had his hands out and had backed away to show he wasn't going to harm her. She only glimpsed that he was the one who had shouted and thrown the rock, and that he was a normal guy before the thing came crashing after them. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run, but the beast was gaining quickly and in their panic they soon became separated. The sounds of pursuit died away but Tesha was still terrified and she ran until she was inside her own apartment again. She locked the door behind her and slumped, quaking, her back to the smooth metal surface. Something had happened that she definitely didn't understand. Maybe it was better she didn't. That thing that had been chasing her... She hadn't been able to see what it looked like, but she had been able to hear it, and smell it as it chased her. The reek of rotting flesh and the mustiness of a corpse had hung about the thing, and it had snarled and slobbered like some gigantic rabid dog. Tesha shuddered. She sat for quite a while with her back against the door, afraid of every click and scratch in the apartment block, until finally merciful sleep took her in its arms.
* * *
In the confusion of the chase he had been able to drag himself away and into the bushes. Now he lay there, curled around his injured side and hoping that the Beast would be too occupied with chasing down witnesses to come and kill him. There wouldn't be much he could do, he couldn't even stand up let alone fight. Even if it didn't find him tonight, it would be back as soon as the night grew dark enough tomorrow. Perhaps he should just get it over with tonight, then he wouldn't have to suffer until tomorrow. He winced as a piece of shattered rib dug into his side. All of a sudden a peculiar lassitude washed over him and he felt very sleepy, as if in a dream. Slowly the outside world faded away in a haze of blue, and he fell unconscious
* * *
"Damn this is taking a lot of energy." A shadowy figure complained, lounging near a crystalline mirror that glowed with a blue light. "He better be worth it, I hate doing useless work. Huh...and even if he is that important, unless someone gets to him soon it'll be useless anyway. I can't shield him forever." The figure sighed and tapped its fingers on the glass beside it. "I might have to call in outside help..."
* * *
