Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Rymaru ❯ Memories Pt. 1 ( Prologue )

Lightning struck the forest surrounding an open clearing, seemingly in the middle of no where to those who don’t know there way. Rain cascaded down from the skies above. The twilight of the night lost among the clouds of the storm brewing. Water pooled around a hill in the clearing and streamed to lower ground. Something lay atop the hill on the grass and muck. A dark figure of a man emerged from the encircling woodland and darted up the mound to the heap on the ground and fell to his knees alongside it. The man delicately lifted the lifeless silhouette of a woman to him. A darkening flow of liquid grew more pronounced and began to trickle down the side of the hill and stain the cloth of the man’s clothing. Another strike of lightning shone on a bit of silver protruding from the woman’s abdomen. His grip on her tightened as the realization of the loss of his wife finally hit him. He looked up only after hearing a soft mew.
A tiny white kitten sat in front of him, crystalline blue eyes called for his attention with the glint they contained. With her tail swishing back and forth, the kitten nodded for him to follow. Quarter sized paws padded their way the drenched and slippery earth below. She stopped and curled herself around a bundle of cloth not much larger than her. The man’s eyes trailed after her and widened as when comprehension dawned on him. He rose to his feet after carefully placing the corpse on the moist soil. With water flowing from him, he strode over to where the kitten had lain. Hands tainted with crimson splotches, he shifted the fabric to reveal the face of an infant, deep in slumber even through the thunder. The child had remained dry but still terribly cold through the aid of an enchantment set by her late mother.
The kitten climbed her way into the side pocket of the man’s coat as he gathered his step daughter into his arms and held her close in attempt to warm her. With a solemn look back at the remains on the ground, he vanished with the intent of returning to take care of his wife. For now, his foremost concern was to make certain the babe wasn’t harmed in anyway and would be taken care of.
He rematerialized in an elegantly decorated, white, and pale blue room. No sounds or any sign of life could be heard from the corridor outside the door to the room. Just because nothing could be heard did not mean there wasn’t anything there. The door opened silent and effortlessly by the hand of a fair woman. Powder white locks fell down to her waist, framing the smooth skin of her face. Ice blue eyes found the dark contrast to the light room.
“Meda?... I can’t do this without her. The child isn’t mine to begin with.” He had failed to notice her enter the room and his tones were doused with shame and grief.
“Nickolas, you’re daughter or not, you knew about her, as well as her brother, when you married Maria. Her passing doesn’t change the fact that you’re obligated as their stepfather to protect and raise them like your own.” Calm, soothing tones answered him. Mead crossed the room, dress flowing with her as she took the bundle from him. While she did so, a swirl of dark mist formed and vanished, leaving behind another woman. Sharp, vivid green eyes threw a sharp glance at Nickolas.
“Alora…” Meda stated and nothing more as she unwrapped the baby. Alora moved to Meda’s side, avid as she always is to the condition of the infant.
Meda spoke again in her naturally calm voice, “Darrek I can take care of but his sister I won’t be able to. Only if that’s what you are implying, though, Nickolas.”
A nod from him was all she received in response.
Alora shot a glare at him and managed to keep her temper in check. Granted if it were not for the presence of the child, she would not have held back her anger at his incompetence.
“I would take Lily if it was safe for her to be around the same type of people or otherwise I am around. There is a wolf I know with two pups of her own that would be willing. As one of Lily’s guardians I would be compelled to check in on her as often as possible. Unwilling as I am about separating the siblings… it seems like the best option at the given time.” Fangs of pearl white could just barely be seen as the vampiress spoke in clear, forced civility. Expressing some of her disgust for the man claim didn’t deserve the right to call himself a stepfather helped to give Alora a tad more control over her actions. She pulled dark red hair over to one side and took the sleeping Lily from the hands of the royal maiden.
Nickolas let loose a sigh of defeat. “I’ve already told you. I can’t do this without her. I don’t care where they go or who to as long as they aren’t with me.”
Alora clenched her teeth at this comment. Meda was first to react this time.
“Even for you that’s low. What Maria saw in you I’ll never know. I will say this, though. You are to come no where near either of the children if you really do believe that.” Before he had a chance to respond, she waved her hand and he vanished in a white light.
“I’ll take her to Kaylyn. It’s best to get her pups use to having Lily around. If her oldest pup, Daichi, will accept her I’m sure Akido will to but just to be safe I’ll stick around for a few days.”
With a soft sigh, Meda nodded her head, giving Alora her consent to do so.
“For both their sake, I hope they’ll be alright growing up like this.”
Alora faded with the baby in an identical burst of shadow as the one she entered the room in.

Dawn had settled into the area where the vampiress reappeared. A fleeting look of worry took over her features as she contemplated how these decisions might affect the siblings. Finally assuring herself there weren’t very many options, she tracked down a white wolf standing about five feet on all fours. Two white balls of fur were lying at her feet, one half the size of the other.
“Kaylyn, I don’t mean to impose but you said, as Lily’s godmother, you would take her in if something happened.” As Alora spoke, Kaylyn pawed over to her.
“It will be a bit harder with Lily only being half wolf demon and even worse because she cannot yet change forms. Seeing as I did agree to it, I will try and if I can’t do it properly then I will inform you.” The sound coming from the muzzle of the wolf was one of authority and dominance.
The ears of the larger pup pricked up and a little black nose twitched. A low growl escaped as he stared at the ground at Alora’s feet.
“That’s enough, Daichi.” Kaylyn scolded her eldest son for becoming so easily agitated. One of the things this wolf pack took pride in was their power acquired by patience. The source of Daichi’s uptight behavior was the snowy kitten sitting by Alora.
“Kimaya stays with Lily. For whatever reason, this cat is more protective of her than she is of herself.” Alora indicated the kitten as she spoke, unaware of how or when Kimaya got there.
Kaylyn nodded reluctantly and motioned for her to bring the child over. Alora stepped forward, conscious of the hidden eyes watching her every move. She knew why the atmosphere was thick with tension and it had nothing to do with the current situation.
When she had been turned, matters hadn’t gone well and not just for her. Alora hadn’t figured out how to control herself yet when she reclaimed consciousness. Giving into her first, unwavering bloodlust, she wasn’t given the time to process what she was doing. After finally managing to suppress her urges, five bloodstained and fully grown wolves lay on the ground around her. She recognized one of them as the, now former, alpha wolf otherwise seen as Kaylyn’s mate. It was a simple matter of wrong place, wrong time. About as wrong as things could go. Alora had lost two others that day. Her husband and six year old daughter had been murdered just before she was bitten. For reasons unknown, she had been left alive. The vampire responsible had disappeared without even a clear scent for the ex-sorceress to trace him with. Too much had happened then for her to want to remember.
She had gone silent as she recalled the events in her memories. Daichi had rose to his feet and woken his younger brother. Akido has been caught unawares. He tentatively stepped closer to the vampiress and nudged the bundle in her arms with his muzzle.
“Careful, Akido, she’s still fragile right now. You’ll be able to play with her when you’re both older.” Kaylyn’s tone of voice was warmer with hints of concerns about just how fragile Lily might be. Daichi pushed his growingly curious brother away from their god sister.
“Momma? She smells a little bit like us. Why??” Akido spoke in the most innocent voice he could muster up with one ear tilted to the side in confusion.