Vaympyre Chapter Nine by:Lazuli Leda's eyes were wide with fright as she met Marcus's. Somehow, there was something different about him. She seemed to sense an otherworthly energy about him. She suddenly found herself waist deep in water, water that had seemed to appear out of nowhere, water that was slowly rising. "So nice to see you again, beloved. I was wondering when we would meet again. I now know who tried to have me killed those years ago. It is a shame that we parted on such bad terms, is it not?" Leda backed away, the water already starting to evaporate. What had happpened? She closed her eyes and rememeberd waking up those years ago, with Marcus gone. She had assumed that he had left after the storm had abided, and that she would met him at his home as she always did. She thought.. her mind spun in wide circles. It was as if she was seeing two seperate images. Marcus and her sleeping side by side in the barn, awakened by shouts outside of it. Her waking up alone, feeling betrayed by Marcus. And now this. What had gone so terribly wrong? I smiled as I passed by the villagers, bidding them a good day. The looks of shock on their faces was almost worth not getting my revenge. I did not need to waste my time on these people. I had one person in mind. After that, I would concentrate on finding Leda, and preparing for my fight with Pallas. It did not take any time at all to meet up with him. His eyes widened when he saw his daughter standing before him, with the man who had threatened him beside her. They looked like avenging angels of light and dark. Serenity looked so foreign to him now. Her hair was still as long as it ever was, and her eyes as clear, but there was something dark lingering inside them that made him shiver. He could tell that she was angry... but he could barely discern it in her gaze. She no longer looked like his little girl anymore. Instead of the nice dresses that she wore when she was growing up, she was wearing a man's undershirt and trousers. She looked utterly comfortable in them, the outfit seeingly tailored for her alone. A belt looped around her waist, and a knife rested in a sheath. His eyes were drawn to that and he gulped nervously. A crowd formed around them, and he hoped that he would have help from these townspeople, and that his daughter, his flesh and blood would not be so heartless and cruel to kill him. He had misjudged her! She would never hurt her darling father. Looking at the man beside her, he wasn't so sure that he would be safe. This man had proved how dangerous he could be. He revealed his true nature to many people. The group of villagers could surely stop him before he tried anything rash, though, wouldn't they? Serenity smiled at him though, and he caught the flash of fangs in the sun, but no one else seemed to notice them. He was suddenly sweating nervously, all of his certainty of protection gone. Serenity reached out and touched his face gently, and her eyes held a threat that he could not turn away. "We will meet again, we not so many people are around. One day, I will get my revenge. I will always be watching, and may I help guide your soul towards the Dark, so that it may embrace you with open arms to a new path." With those parting words, she seemed to melt away into the sun, but the memory of her hand upon his face lingered. It was like the icy hand of death. I smiled as I leaned up aganist Endymion. That was almost too perfect. Promising... I knew that we had hard times ahead, but once we had the right allies on our side, then we would be able to defeat Pallas. I wondered when we would actually find Leda though. Was she even alive now? We lived in such times where she might not even exsist. The manner of her speaking, the way she was dressed. It spoke of a different era than the one I was used to. Endymion read my thoughts and pulled me closer, kissing the top of my head. Why we chose to get tangled up in Pallas, I do not know. Perhaps it was because of Leda. Perhaps it was because of the simple fact that Pallas existed. Maybe it was simple survival. Once Pallas knew that we were here, we could very easily be taken under her control, and killed by her if we so opposed her. I shivered at that thought, but did not dwell on it long. For to think of evil, and to give it a name, you gave it power of you. Pallas as an enemy would hold no weight in my mind until I was ready to give full attention to her. Pallas smiled as she watched the two old lovers meet once again. It was better than what she had forseen for the meeting. Her pet, her toy, Marcus, did not love his bewildered Leda anymore. In fact, it seemed that he wanted her quite dead. Leda wanted to leave again, even if it meant using that unholy power that was granted to her by drinking of blood. She closed her eyes. It had only brought her grief. Nothing but pain, and now, more torture upon her soul. The one that she loved was no longer in love with her. He looked quite content to be by Pallas's side, his eyes glinting at her with a hunger that she knew. The scent of blood, the look that a predator gets in his eyes when his prey is ready to be stalked. She backed away, knowing inside that she was doomed, that this was what he wanted. For him to see her fear. To smell it, and revel in it. She was finally backed into a corner, and Marcus was upon her, his fangs glinting in the soft lamplight. His fangs brushed her neck, and she flinched, remembering the experience all too well when Pallas had drank of her blood. How she actually enjoyed a part of it. She couldn't help wondering what the experience would feel like coming from Marcus. Opening her eyes, she stared into Marcus's changed ones. Ones that stated to her that he no longer cared. He brushed his lips across her neck, and then, without warning, kissed her fiercely. Endymion searched for the life energy of Leda, and I looked up at him anxiously, hoping that he would pick up some sort of sign that she was alive. Or at least in some status where we could find her. After a half hours time of intense concentration, he finally turned to me, and I read the answer clearly in his eyes. "I am sorry, beloved. She is nowhere to be found. My reach does not extend into the future, I'm afraid. She may be many years into the future before she even graces this earth. We will have many years to wait for her. It will be all right. We are not yet ready to take on Pallas, so do not worry about finding one of her pets." My eyes flared with anger. "Is that how you think of me? One of your pets, something that you made? I am sorry to tell you, Endymion, but I am not a pet! Do not ever refer to me in that way." I was about to talk further, when he grabbed me tight, pinning me to the bed. "Now listen here. You are never one of my pets. You are my one and only creation. You are my beloved, the one who's soul matches mine. Pallas has no such soul, she has closed it off from herself. That is why the ones that she creates are not special to her. They are only important to her because they are hers." I let Endymion kiss me at that point. There was really no more point in arguring. I lost myself in him once more, although no more power was shared. It was a simple bonding of the souls, and one act that we repeated many more times throughout the night. In one portion of the night, I decided that it was time to put the first stage of our plan in action. The one that would make my father pay form what he had done aganist my mother and I. I would never do anything so callous as make him into one of our kind, but I was thirsty tonight, and I was sure that my father could spare a little blood. I looked at Endymion, and he seemed to agree with me that a few of the people in this town could donate a few pints to us. They who had caused me so much trouble in the past, they would pay. I fairly flew into the window of the room where my father slept, my appearnce and nature hiding me in the shadows of the room, undetected. I saw that my father slept with a cross on, and there was one over the bed, along with a jar of wood ash. Did he think that these things would stop someone so bent on revenge as I was? I leaned up to where the jugular of the neck was bared, when my arm started to feel as if someone shoved a red hot poker in it. I whirled around to face my adversary, and I almost fainted in my own surprise when I saw who was standing there. Bwhahaha Feedback?