Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Chaykeely - Book Two ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chaykeely - Book Two

Chapter Two

© 2006 Ohne Sie

 

 

Nevan had always enjoyed playing with the other vampire children in his coven, so he was confused when they stopped playing with him on his tenth birthday. He was also suddenly forced to move to a tent outside the boundaries of the village. He went to his father, the only person he could think of, to ask why everyone seemed to ignore him suddenly.

 

His father also ignored him. However, after a few minutes of awkwardly watching his son sob uncontrollably, he broke down and whispered, “Meet me outside your tent at midnight. I'll explain it to you then.”

 

Nevan went sadly back to his tent, where he curled into a ball and sobbed silently for the three hours until he had to meet his father. He kept wondering what he had done wrong. He thought back to the previous day, before anyone had treated him as if he were invisible. He could think of nothing he had done differently than any other day.

 

Finally he heard his father outside the tent. Nevan walked out to see him. “Father?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, I have to be quick about this. I'm not permitted to speak to you for very long.”

 

“What did I do?”

 

“What did you…you think you did something? No, you didn't do anything wrong. I did.” He sighed. “There are rules. You know those rules, right?”

 

“Yes, of course, but…”

 

“You know the rule about half-breeds, right?”

 

Nevan frowned. “Yes…they're to be kept isolated from the rest of the coven after their tenth birthday.” His eyes widened. “But…”

 

“Yeah. Like I said, it's my fault.”

 

Nevan's voice rose a little. “But you said my mother was dead! You never said she wasn't a vampire!”

 

“Well…I didn't want you to know. I should have told you, to prepare for this. Everyone assumed I did, but I never did. Anyway…” He paused, looking around him. “I don't want you to have to live like this. So take this.” He handed Nevan a map, which he took uneasily. “It will lead you to your mother. She's alive, as far as I know. She'll accept you, I'm sure.”

 

“But she's a human. They sleep during the day.”

 

“That's the least of your worries.” Nevan's father sighed. “Believe me, living with her will be much better than living out here. You have a much better chance of survival there.”

 

“How? I can hunt very well! I can fend for myself!” Nevan said indignantly. “You know that!”

 

“You'll be very lonely. You won't want that. Eventually you'll either die of loneliness or become such an animal that you'll forget all you knew of civilization.”

 

Nevan frowned. “But won't my…mother…be afraid that I'll feed off her? Or her friends?”

 

“Would you?” his father asked quietly. “I have never heard of you drinking a human's blood. You're the only one in the coven who hasn't.”

 

“No,” Nevan admitted. “But she doesn't know that.”

 

“She should trust you. You're half human. That's probably why you feel such sympathy for them that you can't drink their blood.”

 

“I don't want to go, though,” Nevan said softly.

 

“I'm ordering you to go. I don't want to see you live in this tent for the rest of your life, Nevan. Follow the map and find your mother now.”

 

“But—"

 

“Now, Nevan.” He grabbed Nevan by the arm and pushed him away. “I mean it.”

 

“Okay. But if I kill someone, it's your fault.”

 

“I'm sure you won't.” His father smiled. “Goodbye.”

 

Nevan nodded. “Bye…” He ran away. His father watched until he faded into the darkness of the night, then headed back to his village.

 

Nevan found his mother's village after only a few hours, utilizing his supernatural running abilities. He smiled, thankful that he seemed to have more vampiric traits than human ones. He glanced at the map, then looked around him, searching for his mother's house. Amazingly, it was the only house in the village whose light was on. He walked toward it, suddenly very nervous. What if she's not even alive anymore? He wondered. He stood in front of the door for about ten minutes, debating whether or not to knock. He was suddenly very tired. He glanced at the sky and realized why: it was almost dawn. He sighed; he had to knock now or he'd fall asleep on the porch, which could possibly have a more unpleasant result than knocking would. He took a deep breath and knocked. He waited.

 

The door opened and a woman stood before him. He opened his mouth to speak, but she spoke first.

 

“Nevan.” He stared at her, his mouth still open.

 

“You know who I am?”

 

“Of course. I named you.” She pulled him inside and shut the door. “The sun will be up in a few minutes. You must be exhausted.”

 

“Y-yes…” He tried to stifle a yawn. His mother laughed.

 

“Do you require a coffin or will a bed suffice? I mean, I don't have any coffins available at the moment, but…”

 

Nevan smiled. “I don't need one. We mostly sleep in them for…well, pride…” He laughed tiredly. “I don't know how to explain.”

 

“I understand,” his mother replied. “Go ahead and sleep in my bed. We can work everything else out tonight.”

 

He followed her to the bedroom sleepily, collapsing on the bed. “You're not afraid of me?” he asked drowsily.

 

“No. Go ahead and sleep,” she said, sitting next to him. He was already asleep.

 

 

☼

 

 

Brighid and her friend Davina were swinging from some vines they and their brothers had hung on a couple of trees, talking happily. “Hey, Aiden was telling me earlier that some strangers were in town,” Brighid said. “Have you heard about that?”

 

“Yeah.” Davina nodded. “My brother also told me that. He said that they're meeting with the elders for some reason. Apparently they're not really strangers…well, the leader isn't, anyway. She used to live here or something.”

 

“I wonder what they're talking about. I don't suppose Fynn told you.”

 

“Nope. He didn't mention anything about it. It's not like he'd know anyway.”

“Well, he's delivering all the meals to the people in the meeting, isn't he? I just thought he'd picked up something more interesting than the fact that the leader once lived here,” Brighid said sadly.

 

“Yeah…hopefully they help us create a spell to make the crops grow better.” Davina sighed. “We could use it.”

 

“I know. This has been a terrible year…droughts and heat waves…I wish we had someone who could make the heat go away and make it rain!”

 

Davina laughed. “Yeah. Maybe one of those strangers can do it. You never know.”

 

“Yeah…if one of them came from one of the water tribes…”

 

“Let's not get our hopes up,” a voice said from behind Brighid. She tilted her head back to see who it was, almost falling off her swing.

 

“Ah, Fynn…thanks.” Brighid laughed nervously as Davina's brother caught her and placed her back on the vine.

 

“Don't mention it.” He smirked. “You girls wanted a bit of gossip, right?”

 

“You have something?” Davina asked, sliding off of her swing.

 

Brighid turned around in her wing to face Fynn. “What have you heard?”

 

“Well, one of them does come from a water tribe,” he said. He held up a hand signaling to the girls to stop their cheering. “But he won't help us unless we agree to join them.”

 

Brighid and Davina frowned. “Join them?” Davina asked.

 

“Yeah. Apparently they're waging war against this vampire coven somewhere.”

 

“Why?” Davina asked.

 

“No idea. But they really want us to help, apparently. I guess the vampires must have hurt them somehow. Killed one of them, maybe?”

 

“Well, even so, we couldn't help. We have a code,” Brighid insisted.

 

“But if they can make our crops grow…” Davina frowned, thinking. “Starvation is really not worth keeping to the code. I'd say killing a few vampires is hardly a difficult price to pay to get food.”

 

Brighid stared at her friend in amazement. “You aren't serious.”

 

“Well, think about it. Would you prefer that your family and friends starve to death, or would you rather kill some vampires who have nothing to do with you?”

 

“It doesn't matter what I'd prefer. The crops will grow eventually. No one will starve.”

 

Fynn smiled. “That's right. The elders would have to be morons to agree to join these strangers. We can't kill living creatures, and vampires are living.”

 

“No, they're not. They're undead,” Davina protested. “They're already partly dead, so we can kill them the rest of the way.”

 

“No, we can't,” Brighid said. “The code prohibits—“

 

“Oh, who cares about the code, Brighid? You're so naïve! If we have a chance to make rain, we should take it! Killing a coven of vampires is a small price to pay!”

 

Brighid looked at her friend in confusion. “What are you talking about? You don't really want—“

 

“I do. And I will. The elders will realize that they can't pass up this opportunity, and I will be the first to sign up for the war!” Davina stomped off.

 

Fynn smiled apologetically at Brighid. “She's just hungry, you know that, right? She can't even go off to war, anyway. Her power isn't strong enough.” Noting the distraught look on Brighid's face, he corrected himself. “Not that we are going to war. I mean…the elders are not foolish enough—“

 

He was cut off by the sight of Brighid's brother, Aiden, running toward them. “They did it! They agreed!” he shouted at them.

 

“They…agreed?” Brighid asked, alarmed. “You mean…”

 

“They actually agreed to something so stupid?” Fynn asked. “I don't believe it…”

 

“You'd better believe it, Fynn, because you and I are on the top of the list to go to war.”

 

Everything was silent for a moment. “I…?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Fynn's mouth was open, but he said nothing. He closed it, then opened it again, saying, “I…won't. I won't do it.”

 

Aiden turned his head slightly. “What?”

 

“It's wrong, Aiden. I can't break the code…”

 

Aiden frowned. “We have to. The elders ordered it. Tomorrow we're supposed to go. We strike during the day so that the vampires are defenseless—“

 

“We're striking a defenseless enemy?” Brighid asked, alarmed. Fynn reacted similarly.

 

“Well, yeah, I mean…it's either that or risk losing some of our own.”

 

“What kind of cowardly method of attack is that?” Fynn demanded. “That's even worse.” He glared in the direction of the elders' hut. “I refuse to do it.”

 

“You…you'd be committing treason. You could be killed for that.” Aiden grabbed Fynn by the arm and looked him in the eyes until their noses were only an inch apart. “You don't want to do that.”

 

“I do. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.”

 

“Well, no. You're not. But…the elders are serious. Those who defy them but are not scheduled to go to war are going to be excommunicated. But if you refuse…you'll be killed. I'm serious. Just go with us, okay? It's not worth dying…”

 

“But it's worth them dying, is that it?” Fynn said quietly. Brighid walked over to stand next to him.

 

“Brighid, come on. I won't let my sister be associated with treason. Let's go home. There's no point in you being excommunicated. You don't even have to kill anyone.”

 

Brighid glared at her brother. “No. I won't support this. They can kill me too if they want.”

 

“Go on, Brighid,” Fynn told her. “Your mother will be inconsolable if you get yourself killed over this.”

 

“And yours won't?”

 

“No. She won't.”

 

“Well, I don't care anyway. If it's worth you dying for, it's worth it to me, as well.”

 

Aiden sighed. “Well, what are you going to do? Stay here and wait for them to kill you or kick you out? Or are you going to leave now and let me tell them I couldn't find you, to buy you some time?”

 

“You'd do that for us?” Brighid asked, awed. “But you'd be risking your own life…”

 

“I'd do it for you, my sister. I don't care so much about him,” he said, jabbing his thumb in Fynn's direction. “I suppose that if he's opposed to this, though, he won't kill you. You're probably safe with him…unless, of course, you get attacked by a wolf out there.” He laughed darkly. “Yeah, he'd probably try to befriend it.” He stopped laughing and said seriously, “Go. I'll try to buy you time, but I don't know how well I can do. So run as far away and as quickly as you possibly can. And Fynn…” He looked his former best friend directly in the eye. “You will take care of her.”

 

Fynn nodded.

 

“Good. Go.”

 

Fynn grabbed Brighid's hand and they ran away from the village. Aiden sighed and turned around to head back to the elders.

 

After an hour, both Brighid and Fynn were out of breath and could run no longer. “Let's just…walk, then. Quickly,” Fynn suggested. Brighid nodded. It was getting dark, but neither of them dared to stop and rest until they reached a village or somewhere safe.

 

“Brighid,” Fynn said after another hour of walking.

 

“Yes?”

 

“You don't have to do this.”

 

“You said that already.” Brighid sighed.

 

“But still…” Fynn looked at her. “Your mother and Aiden…”

 

“Would be with us if they had any respect for the code. They don't matter anymore.” She yawned, then laughed softly. “Sorry.”

 

“You're tired,” Fynn observed. “Should we find someplace to rest for the night?”

 

“No! I'm fine, really! They might be searching for us. If they are, we'll need to be far from here by morning.”

 

“Yeah, you're right.” He still looked uncertain, but Brighid couldn't tell in the dark. “Alright. Are you up for some more running, then?”

 

“Yeah. It might wake me up.” She laughed and they both began to run again. After a few moments, however, she stopped and looked at Fynn. “You won't leave me alone out here, will you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Under any circumstances?”

 

“Never.”

 

 

☼

 

 

“Nevan…”

 

Nevan looked at his mother, who had just walked in the front door after going out to get some groceries. She was very pale, almost as pale as his father. Her hands were shaking and she was about to drop the basket which held the vegetables she had bought at the market. He rushed to grab the basket and set it down at the table.

 

“What's wrong, Mother?” he asked.

 

It had been six years since Nevan had come to live with his mother and had finally gotten the knack of rising with the sun. He wasn't even tired at all, although he felt a sense of dread washing over him now.

 

“Your father…the vampires…”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Dead. Witches.” She collapsed in a chair, burying her face in her hands. Nevan also fell into a chair, staring at her, horror-stricken.

 

“Witches?” he asked. “How…?”

 

“They…attacked during the day. Yesterday. Apparently…there was a small band of witches who had been planning the attack for some time…and got a nearby coven of witches to help. The larger coven was apparently weakened by the draughts they were having…strange that we didn't…maybe that was part of the witches' plan as well…they couldn't easily have gotten such a large group of witches to abandon their code not to hurt people.” She shook her head. “It was a massacre. They're all dead. The village…is…” She narrowed her eyes and crinkled her nose as if the next word left a bad taste in her mouth. “Celebrating,” she spat out. “As if any of them have ever been attacked by someone in your father's coven…”

 

“They may have, Mother. I was the only one who never drank human blood. But it was always done at the birthing ceremonies…and everyone shared the same blood…” He looked down quickly, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. Sure, the vampires had kicked him out, but it was still his original home, where he had been accepted until his tenth birthday.

 

“Why would the witches to that?”

 

“Power?” Nevan offered. “Maybe…they want to eliminate their threats…and so…attacking them when their defenses were down…” He trailed off. “I don't…know…”

 

“Nevan?” his mother asked. “What are you planning?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You're thinking about something, and I can tell you're going to do something rash.”

 

“What if they know I'm here, Mother? What if they have that kind of power and they can detect me somehow? I'll leave this village in danger. They have to be able to detect me…there was no way they could have known there were vampires in that village…everything was concealed so well.”

 

His mother shook her head. “No. You have my blood as well as your…father's…they can't find you here.” But she seemed uncertain.

 

“You don't know that.”

 

“I don't want you to leave, Nevan. I'll be alone again…”

 

“Mother, you have friends here. You don't need me. In fact, you'd probably be better off…”

 

She glared at him. “What are you, your father? He refused to make me a vampire and he told me almost the exact same thing!”

 

“Well, he wasn't allowed to do that anyway…”

 

“He could have left you with me, at least,” she said quietly.

 

“No, he couldn't. What would happen when I suddenly got the urge to bite the neck of some child I was playing with and ended up killing him?”

 

She sighed. “Do you really think the village will be safer if you leave?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then…go. I won't keep you here selfishly. I don't expect I'll ever see you again?” she asked hopefully.

 

He shook his head sadly. “No.”

 

“Then…goodbye.” She looked away, feeling it too painful to watch him go.

 

“Goodbye, Mother.”