Trouble In Paradise (Halcyon Hero)

She shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the presence of the cool night air without Zorlo nearby. She needed to know he was able to protect her, but he was so busy lately. She decided to take matters into her own hands somewhat, just while he was doing those other things he found so important.

Her future husband spent so much time training and working on growing stronger she couldn’t help but wonder about what he had so often spoken of. Zorlo wanted to return to heaven someday to see how things were going, but for Selene, someday wasn’t soon enough.

“You called?” A cool, calculating voice formed a few feet from her, though on the ground, whereas she rested upon the top of the cabin roof. Shadow swirled about the night’s darkness, forming a figure. Gloves appeared first, arms crossed across his chest. A suit fit his figure well, his dark purple-like hair pulled back in a ponytail, a few of the long bangs sweeping across his shoulders.

Selene had to fight desperately to hold the impulse of calling for Zorlo down. After all, he wouldn’t dare try anything like this. It wouldn’t be like him. “You certainly look dressy for such an occasion.”

“I was busy when I received your letter, but I’m never too busy to drop everything and come for you, mein engel. ” he replied smoothly, running a gloved hand through his clean hair. Selene didn’t doubt that he had been putting his hands elsewhere not too long ago.

“I almost forgot to laugh.” Selene replied, tightening her grip on the wooden ceiling of the cabin. “You know that I have a favor to ask you, then?”

“Of course, beauty. You may ask anything of me, you know that.” Xiaver’s lips parted to reveal a bit of his gleaming white fangs. “What it is you would have of me?”

“As you know, I am from heaven. I recently sense something is awry in my home. I cannot return with my energy alone, and Zorlo isn’t ready to leave yet. I’m asking you to go there and find out what is happening for me. Take a thorough report of anything and everything you see that seems strange and return to tell me. Check up on my mother and father, especially, as well as…” She hung her head for a moment.

“As well as?” Xiaver prodded her on, interested in what she held close. It would make it so much easier to destroy it.

“Will, if you see him. And… just keep a general eye out. Will you do this for me?” she asked, her serenely graceful figure glowing in the moon’s rays.

“I don’t see why I should,” Xiaver replied, turning to give her somewhat of a cold shoulder, “it’s not as if you’ve helped my family out much within the past few times of meeting them.”

“Xiaver… this means more to me than anything. I’m begging you. You’re the only one besides Zorlo I know of that I can channel enough of my energy into to take you to heaven.” As she said this, her head began to hang down slightly. “Please.”

“Why is that, my dear?” Xiaver asked while smiling wryly, knowing the answer full and well.

“Bastard… because you’re the only one besides Zorlo who has had enough of me… you’ve bitten me enough times to get my magic flowing through you. All you need is my help to get back.” Selene spread her crimson wings, lowering herself down easily to land a few feet from him, extending a hand in an almost commanding way. “Besides, if you don’t go, when I am queen of heaven someday, I’ll make sure to kill you first.”

Xiaver’s cocky expression was wiped clean, replaced with a sneer. “I doubt that. But I’ll do it. Not because you told me to… but because… because I like the idea of seeing where you were born.”

Selene wasn’t sure if this was a good statement, so she let it go. “You may wait inside the cabin. I still have something else to do.”

Xiaver glanced towards the door thoughtfully. “Is it clean, or has he sucked you like a vacuum cleaner lately?”

Selene’s mouth parted slightly. “How… dare you.” She forced a palm outwards, a spew of white flame coming from it, heading straight towards the vampire.

Xiaver swirled in a tornado of shadow magic, disappearing and reappearing near the door. “Alright, alright. A simple yes or no would have sufficed, princess. Couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn, anyway…” He turned, just before his peripheral vision caught a glimmer of white flame. It shot past him as he dodged, missing his neck by inches. “Don’t get your feathers in a bunch… women.” He swung open the door, slamming it shut. At least by complying to her wishes, he could wreak some havoc on her world.

The angel turned her attention towards the still high moon above. Selene had not sent one letter, but two. She used the Dome’s library while Zorlo led her through, picking one person at random. She had no idea what he was like, but she could only hope he would be able to control Xiaver.

What he wanted in return, she didn’t know, either, but she couldn’t threaten or bribe him. She could only wait, and hope he would show up. She would give him anything he wanted, no matter the price, if it was in her power. She only needed a babysitter for her previous lover. She wrung her hands as she began to pace, folding her wings behind her.

The tip of his finger glowing a bright white from the immense heat of the miniature flame, Lhaeo brought his hand across the letter, his extended digit burning a line through the paper. The tiny flame surrounding his fingertip vanished, and the cleric blew on the smoldering edge of the letter, the severed edge flying free to drift to the ground. He tipped the envelope over, the contents sliding pass the blackened lips of the outer paper into his waiting hand. His right hand exploded in a brief flash of flames, incinerating the envelope while his left deftly unfolded the letter. Bright blue eyes scanned the slanted, curvy writing quickly, and a smile quickly grew on Lhaeo’s face as he read on.

“Selene, eh?” The High Priest chuckled. “Zorlo’s wife?” He folded the letter again and tapped it against his chin, thinking. He’d dearly love to go on such an adventure, but . . . He peeked back over his shoulder at the half-built stone structure behind him, and the multitude of under-priests running around, their arms full of rolled-up scrolls and massive books. He had business of his own. And troubles on top of them.

A terrible shame, isn’t it? A sarcastic voice spoke up within his mind, startling him.

“Ease-dropping, are we?” Lhaeo asked wryly, watching as a brown and gray missile shot out of the trees overhead to glide down and land in the middle of his wide-brimmed hat.

Although I don’t know what your god would say, Percival continued slyly, ignoring the question. Going to visit the Heaven of another god without his knowledge?

“The Balancing Hand knows all!” Lhaeo quickly snapped, his face flushing with embarrassment of his slip-up.

I wonder about that . . .

No longer amused, he snatched the flying squirrel from atop his hand and tossed it into the thicket of trees, muttering indignantly. The critter merely flipped over in midair, spreading his furry flaps to catch the breeze and drift off through the sea of trunks. But the animal was right, Lhaeo realized. Even if he hadn’t been occupied, how could he possibly visit another Heaven without The Weaver’s permission? Spinning quickly on his heel, the High Priest sprinted back towards the half-constructed temple. He darted through an open gate and into a roofless “room”, turning right and zigzagging through a maze of corridors, some lacking pieces of wall, ceilings, or even the marble stones that would make up the floor. The blonde-haired priest burst through a heavy wooden door, skidding into the middle of the room and whipping his head about.

Although somewhat small, Crow’s temporary living quarters were highly decorated, and purposefully made to trick the eye into thinking that it was much larger than it really was. Colorful weaves and rugs hung on the walls, with glass beads and lacquered feathers strung along their bottoms. Colorful mage-lights, red, blue, green, and yellow, hung about the air, illuminating the room in an odd harmony of contrasting colors. Bright, multi-colored pillows lined with fur or fringe littered the floor, with a wide, squat table sitting in the middle. Crow himself sat on the other side of that table, his legs folded beneath him with his big toes crossed over one another. As he looked down on the man, Lhaeo couldn’t help but think that it was easy to see why they called him “Crow”. The man’s hair was jet-black, and slicked back in a manner very similar to Kestrel’s. His forehead had a very steep slant, and curved out easily into his long, hook-tipped nose, which so clearly resembled a crow’s beak. His eyes were small and beady, and as black as his hair. And for all that he enjoyed and surrounded himself with colors, the mage only wore sable colors, with coincided with his natural complexion nicely. Lhaeo sighed in relief to see that the Gypsy mage had not yet left, and tried to calm his heavy breathing.

“Great, you’re still here. If you wouldn’t mind, I have another favor to ask of you,” Lhaeo said, holding up the letter. “I need you to get this to Kestrel,” the priest explained, giving the folded paper an energetic wave. “That rogue knows mountains of people; surely he can find the right person for this job.”

Crow lifted a small mug of green tea to his lips and took a long, slow sip before answering, “It will be no trouble at all. Kestrel will have read it before the hour is out.”

“Great,” Lhaeo breathed, handing over the letter. “Then, I’ll leave it to you!” The cleric backed out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Crow looked the letter over experimentally, before tossing it onto the table and setting his mug aside. Chanting, Kestrel’s Gypsy “emissary” worked his hands in complex patterns over the letter. Finally, he reached down and tapped it with one finger, the paper disappearing in a small flash of light and a wisp of smoke. His expression hardly changing, Crow picked his mug back up and took another long sip of the bittersweet tea. Within the next few seconds, the letter would reappear within Kestrel’s fiddle case. And the bard, hardly able to go ten minutes without at least fine-tuning his instruments, would soon discover and read it, and then the matter would be in his capable hands.

<====}=0 – 0={====>

Kestrel smiled through his yawn, turning the letter over to be sure that the back was blank. Leaning back with a groan, the Gypsy tossed the letter back into his open fiddle case, his faded red hat pushed up by the fountain wall to cover his face. The Gypsy shifted his legs, moving one foot out from under and on top of the other, a long, contented sigh breathing past his lips.

Hmmmmm, who do I know? Indeed, the traveling bard knew a great many people, but which would suit the situation best? Altra? No, he hardly seemed the “heavenly” type, his heart wholly devoted to science. Vasili was busy “hunting” an uncle. Lhaeo seemed the most suitable choice, yet he had just sent the latter to Kestrel, so he was hardly a choice.

Who needs something done for them? A desire they need fulfilled? He mused, remembering the last few lines of the letter. But that hardly helped either, for a great many of his acquaintances had desires that they strove to fulfill. But which of them could be easily accomplished by those with the right tools? The Gypsy smiled suddenly, a familiar—and often troubled—face popping into his mind. He knew who to contact . . .

<====}=0 – 0={====>

Vanyel’s hands preformed two simultaneous, yet completely contradictory actions, one crushing the letter within his pocket in a tight fist and the other softly stroking the black hair of the girl clinging to his side. Elizabeth cuddled even closer to her surrogate father, her one unhidden eye peering up blankly at the angel perched on the cabin roof. Her hands tightened around the folds of the older vampire’s coat. Vanyel could clearly understand her nervousness, even more clearly she did herself. They had taken a huge risk in coming out before a clearly powerful angel, hands empty and distressingly vulnerable. Just one, powerful, accurate shot and they’d both be ashes. But if Kestrel could be trusted—and oh, how he could be—it was a risk worth taking.

“I asked,” Vanyel repeated, clearing his throat, “If you can make us invulnerable to sunlight.” The vampire swallowed nervously again, and he hugged Elizabeth closer. “It is only under that condition, and the condition that you let me take Elizabeth with me, that I will go along with your request.”

Selene contemplated the request deeply, worried about more than one thing. She liked the way this vampire looked. She could tell he was one without any signs, just because of being around Xiaver for so long. "Yes, I can easily make you both invulnerable to sunlight." She neglected to mention that it would take a lot of her energy to do so, after all, Selene was not queen of the angels, just the princess. Her magical poweress was limited.

She bit the inside of her lip, conflicted as she sensed his nervousness. Though the requirement of her sensing other's feelings had dimmed down to ability since she found Zorlo, she still found it difficult to control what she absorbed. "You don't need to be afraid of me, either of you. I would not harm you." She rested her deep, gracious eyes upon the child the vampire held close. "As for the girl... I'm not sure about that. I don't trust that she may be fully safe in heaven. Nor would you or Xiaver. I can see where she could come up with an excuse for no wings, as she is young enough for them not to have grown in... for you two, it's different."

She thought deeply, trying to come up with a solution to the problem. "I think I can grant you the appearance of feathered wings, both you and Xiaver, the one you will be accompanied by. The girl doesn't have to worry. She'll be perfectly safe using her excuse." Selene spread her wings, slowly hovering down to a few feet, boots hitting the ground with a thud. "Just be careful about using any vampire attributes you have up there. They'll already be suspicious of you, since my magic merely conceals your scent, and doesn't eliminate it. That goes for all three of you."

She paused for a moment. "If you keep watch over her, as you seem to do so well already, I don't see why she can't come with you. Although I'm not sure..." she paused once more, but this time for longer. "To send you to heaven, you must have some sort of connection with me. Obviously, my husband would be able to without a problem. I must ask something of you. Would you drink my blood? Just a bit of it. You don't need to take too much, but you will need something to be able to hold my magic within your body. Without it, transferring you to heaven, at least alive, would be impossible."

She saw the innocent girl's grip upon the vampire's clothing increase in strength. "Don't worry, little one. You are a special case. You have enough purity and innocence to merely hold onto the one being transferred and make it. It matters not that you're a vampire, your heart will be your key." She pulled her long, wavy, blonde hair behind her neck for a moment as she looked at Vanyel.

"You, however; are a different case. Please do this for me. You will also have a little burst of extra power. You'll need it to get through what you may encounter up there, if any danger comes up. Hopefully, it will not be the case, but think of this as an energy drink before you leave." She smiled at him thoughtfully.

How strange that I don't despise this one like most vampires. Perhaps because he's willing to help, even if he is a vampire. Not the one I had originally written the letter to, but he seems to be a good man, and I shouldn't judge him because of his race alone. Perhaps, even though this is a stretch to believe, some vampires are good. I suppose I'll see what happens.

"I trust you will be fully capable. There are two more things, though, before you bite me, that I must speak of. I am giving you something of mine. It is a locket that my husband gave to me. Using this, if you need help while you're up there, you can communicate with me. Don't hesitate to use it. Just hold it and ask what need be asked. Whether you mouth it or not, I will respond, though more than likely it will not come through you, but through Xiaver, as he has the closest bond to me. The request must go through you, but the answer will come from him. Understand?"

She didn't wait for an answer, but voiced her next question, cocking her head slightly. "Can I ask... why are you doing this for me? I've done nothing for you, yet. Why would you be willing to help a total stranger? Because of your receiving something in return?"

Vanyel smiled grimly as he regarded the question. “No, I no longer have any personal wishes.” He leaned back, thinking. “Years ago, though, hundred of years, mind you, I would have given a great deal to be able to walk normally under the sun. However, I have since come to accept and live with my limitations. Whether or not I continue as I have or walk during the day matters little to me now. Now, all of my wishes are for Elizabeth,” He looked down as he spoke, smiling and stroking the vampire girl’s hair. His smile faded slightly, though, as he looked back up at the angel, and his voice conveyed her seriousness. “I do not want her to have any limitations, including and surpassing those of her race. I want her to walk freer than I ever have. And for that, I’ll do what I must.” The light-hearted smile returned, though, as he continued, “Although, I would have helped you anyway, if asked.”

“I see,” Selene said slowly, nodding. “Then, come, and I’ll send you on your way.” She flipped her hair over to one shoulder, and tilted her head, bearing her cream-white neck. Suddenly grim again, Vanyel licked his lips and started forward. He gripped the smaller angel’s shoulders hesitantly, and bent his mouth over the woman’s neck. He could feel Elizabeth’s stare on his back as his fangs elongated, and then turn away from him as he closed the distance. Closing his eyes in shame, Vanyel bit down.

It was pure ecstasy. He had drunk the blood of thousands, and tasted each individual and their unique flavor, and all had brought him pleasure. But none previous could compare to this; to the blood of a divine. Vanyel’s body shivered, and he had to willfully restrain himself from groaning as the blood squirted and seeped into his mouth. But at the same, as pleasurable as he found Selene’s blood, he was engulfed in shame, crushed by self-loathing and despair. No matter how much he momentarily enjoyed the blood of his “victims”, there was always the overwhelming self-hate and shame. And if Selene’s blood was a hundred times more pleasurable to him than any other, than the shame and self-disgust was a thousand times multiplied. He willed himself to extract his fangs from the angel’s silky skin, and his head lolled back. Squeezing his eyes tightly, Vanyel’s fangs bit down now on his own bottom lip as he struggled with the shame of his actions. Even if she had asked it of him, even if it was necessary, he still felt filthy. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Elizabeth.

“Alright,” Selene’s voice was a little shaky, but she seemed to be alright. “Now, hold on tightly to each other, and you’ll be on your way.” Behind the angel, the door of the cabin opened and closed. His head was tilted down now, but Vanyel was still unable to look at either Elizabeth or Selene, his eyes closed tightly. Nevertheless, he felt the presence of another vampire approach his side, and then the three were enveloped in angelic magic. Vanyel had half expected it to be painful, as holy magic usually was, but he felt nothing but a slight tingling, spreading all throughout his limbs. Elizabeth’s arms clamped tightly around his waist, and he instinctively brought his left arm down to secure her. A small, cold, metallic object was pressed into his other hand—the amulet—and then there was a flash that permeated even Vanyel’s closed eyes—Elizabeth let out a meek little cry—and they were gone.

He opened his eyes with ease, taking in his surroundings. Beauty beyong anything he imagined surrounded him. It was simply indescribable. Currently, the small party was situated near a crystal-clear lake, the pure white sands seeming to ripple, beckoning Xiaver to remove his boots and feel the silky smooth grains between his toes. He shook it off, raising an eyebrow at the bright yellow street. "Wizard of Oz?" he asked himself, bending down to scratch it. "No... gold." Wow, she really did have it good up here. Never thought I'd admit that.

He ran a hand back through his shiny black and purple hair, the shimmering black ribbon tying it back into a ponytail. Some noise came from up ahead amidst the houses along the street. It seemed almost like a heavenly community. He ruffled his feathered wings uncomfortably. Wait, what? Wings with feathers? He swung around, anger boiling up instantly in his body. How dare she give him wings? Feathered wings? On second thought... he didn't want to die right away, and this would be useful in lying his way to those she cared most about.

"Are you... alright?" Came the voice of his partner. Xiaver turned to see him and the girl that clutched him tightly, both of them blinking rapidly, but not hurt in the daylight. "Why is it you're not hurt from the light? You are a vampire, aren't you? Did the angel do the same to you as she did to us?"

"I was never hurt by the light. I come from the clan of Starllenbriar. You're not used to the light, are you? Is the young one alright?" Xiaver didn't particularly care for the child, but he always looked out for his own kind.

"Yes, she's fine," he affirmed after a moment.

Xiaver bent down to look at her; she immediately fled from his gaze to behind Vanyel. "She's a shy one, isn't she? You're her father?"

"I've taken her in. She's been through quite a lot." His hand rested on her head behind his back, comforting her.

"What is your name?"

"Vanyel. What is yours?"

"I am Xiaver Cristo Starllenbriar, third in command of the clan. Your girl, I think she would get along well with my youngest sister, Pearl. She's ten years old, and shy as yours seems to be as well. She hardly talks to anyone but family. Now that formalities are out of the way... we were sent here to check up on Selene's friends and family. She has explained to me who she cares most about." Her mistake... "No doubt she'll want us to first find out what happened to her childhood friends. In particular... she asked about..." He closed his eyes to think. "Someone named Kinir. I believe he's in charge of the army of heaven right now. Then of course, her mother and father in particular."

"Hm. So we should go the training fields first?" Vanyel asked more to himself.

"I think that's a good idea," Xiaver confirmed, "I warn you, though, the environment will not be safe for your little girl. You should keep a close eye. There are supposed to be accidents up here." He narrowed his eyes towards the castle. For now, he'd go along with this vampire and his child, but soon he would have his revenge, one way or another.