Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Single Rose Garden ❯ Epoch ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

Epoch

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-Eleven Years Later-

 

The rain drummed against his body as he shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his hair out of his eyes, neatly stepping over a broken log and followed the path barely recognizable saved for the trampled shrubbery. Wincing as an unfortunate fellow hung from the branch of a nearby tree, his head hanging limply, body impale by the thick branches, and he pushed on. The smell of blood began to thicken, its scent became fresher, and he picked up his pace. His blood began to hum underneath his skin, its flow becoming an agonizing fire and he broke into a sprint. His nose began to burn as the scent of blood intensified, became stifling.

 

And he smiled.

 

Breaking into a nearby clearing, he stopped suddenly. Almost a perfect circle surrounded him, the edges of the clearing thick with tuberoses. Across the clearing a man stood, a limp body hanging from his arms, and he glanced over his shoulder and carelessly threw her aside. “Why have you come here?”

 

The woman fell to the floor with a dull thump, her eyes wide, lifeless. She was staring directly at him accusingly, and he felt himself shudder with disgust. “You just couldn't help yourself, could you?”

 

The man across from him threw back his head and laughed, turning towards him. His eyes were a deep, fiery crimson. Wide with excitement, they eyed him warily, sizing him up. “There will never be a day I fear a half blood.”

 

“You need not fear me,” He said in response, grinning. The rain intensified, drowning out his words to himself, but he knew the man heard what he said. “Just know you're going to die.”

 

The man's eyebrows lifted, incredulous, and he cracked his knuckles, flexing his long, blood stained claws. Shifting into a defensive position, he crimson eyed man crouched forward.

Body tensing, his opponent shook his hair out of his eyes and shifted his body, leaning forward and bearing his fangs. In a blur of movement, the crimson eyed man charged forward with a vicious snarl. He collided head on with his intruder, his claws grazing against something soft moments before he was sent flying back. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, charging again.

 

Sensing the man's intentions, his opponent bent his knees slightly and pushed forward, feinting to the right and snapping his arm out, and wrapping his fingers around the man's neck. The crimson eyed man's eyes widened in shock as he laughed, flicking his wrist and sending the man slamming back to the ground with a ground trembling thud. Before the man could react, Christian appeared above him, pressing his foot across the man's throat.

 

The man's crimson eyes flashed in defiance, and he snarled. “Do you know who I am?” He threatened. “Kill me, and everyone you have ever loved will be used to sustain my subordinates.”

 

Ice blue eyes flashed in defiance, and his foot pressed down a little harder. “Frederick Jovas, General of The Justulian Army, sworn protector of humans.” He pressed down a little harder, and Frederick's eyes widened in alarm. “You bastard, feeding on the people you're supposed to be protecting!”

 

Frederick gripped the blue eyed man's leg frantically, gasping for breath. “Who sent you?”

 

The ice blue eyed man grinned suddenly and stomped his foot, the clearing filled with Frederick's scream and a sickening snap. Removing his foot, he stared down at the body of Frederick Jovas and scoffed, jamming his hands back into his pockets, turning on his heel and walking away.

 

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“Christian? What's the matter?”

 

Blinking, Christian McLewan glanced down at the lavender eyes darkened with worry staring up back at him, her forehead creased with worry, and he shook his head, looking away.

 

Melody Cartel sighed and crossed her ankles, laying back on the grass with an exclamation and folding her arms underneath her head. He felt her staring at him, and he rolled his eyes. “If you take a picture, it'll last longer.”

 

“You always look as if you're ten miles away,” She said suddenly, sadly. “Like you always have something on your mind.”

 

He looked at her out the corner of his eye; saw her quickly flush and look away. Jamming his hands into his uniform pocket, he sighed and shrugged. “Maybe,” He responded.

 

She sat up, gripping her chest, and she waved away his concern when he glanced at her. Smiling happily, she fingered the long braid resting over her shoulder and glanced up at him. “When Brother gets back, we should all go away for a while. Just the three of us.”

 

Christian snorted.

 

Melody's eyes narrowed. “And why not? I'll be old enough to do whatever I want in a year and a half. Father says after that, I can do what I want.”

 

Christian shrugged, realizing her bluff and the corners of his mouth twitched in a smile as she stuck her tongue out at him, before throwing her head back and laughing. Lavender eyes sparkled and flashed, her olive colored skin seemingly kissed by the sun, her delicate legs and toes teased and caressed by the blades of grass. Christian leaned back on the nearby tree, folding his arms and letting out a long exhale. She noticed it. “What's wrong?”

 

“I shouldn't have you out here.” He finally said, his tenor voice a low murmur. He saw her flinch and duck her head, nervously running her fingers down the length of her braid. He looked up and stared at her. “It's getting chilly. Brendan's going to be angry.”

 

“I don't care,” She whispered defiantly, blinking back tears. “You don't ever come around anymore, and Brother's . . . .”

 

Regret stabbed at him, and he pushed away from the tree to go stand beside her, holding out his hand. She glanced at it and looked away, crossing her arms.

 

“Hey,” He grumbled. “Let's go watch T.V or something. It's getting chilly.”

 

She glanced at him and hesitantly slipped her hand into his. With ease he pulled her onto her feet, holding her waist to make sure she was steady. She giggled when he flushed and hastily stepped away from her, and she jogged happily back in the direction of the castle.

 

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“I hope she doesn't wear herself out, Brendan.” Kelly Cartel murmured to her husband. Her back was to him; staring out of the window facing the pond and watching Melody and Christian slowly make their way back up the hill back towards the castle. A soft smile stole over her face as Melody twirled around, laughing loudly with her arms outstretched, and how Christian said something to her, his face tight and worried. Melody laughed at him, but stopped twirling all the same. “She always over does it when Christian comes around.”

 

She heard Brendan sigh and drop a stack of papers on the desk. “Jake says a little exercise is good for her. Christian always takes care of her,” He added.

 

 

 

Kelly nodded, still watching as Christian glanced up at her, waving politely. Melody noticed and glanced up as well, smiling broadly and waving exuberantly. Laughing softly, Kelly returned the gesture, and watched as they disappeared from her view, safely into the castle. She turned to her husband. “Any word from Jade?”

 

Brendan shook his head and leaned back in his chair, making it groan. “Not a word. Either he's found something and he's following the lead, or . . .”

 

“He's found nothing, and he's searching harder than ever,” Kelly finished for him, walking over to the desk and slipping into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. “He truly is, his father's son.”

 

She felt Brendan chuckle. “So you blame it on me, eh? So what about Arana?”

 

Kelly laughed outright, thinking of her now ten year old daughter famous for sneaking off into town and getting into altercations with the village children. Kelly had been absolutely horrified the first couple of times, her daughter wandering back home late at night with a bloody lip but yet a smug grin on her face. Brendan however, had laughed and smacked fists with the young girl. “She needs to learn that isn't acceptable.”

 

Brendan shrugged. “So she likes to get into scuffles every now and then. What's the harm in that?”

 

“You're horrible.”

 

Brendan carefully shifted Kelly so that he could hold her carefully with one arm and traced his finger down her cheek, outlining her lips, back up to her eyes, softly grazing her impossibly long lashes and her eyes fluttered closed. She ducked her head under his chin and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him tighten his hold on her and pull her closer. Suddenly the phone rang, the sound shattering the peace of the moment, and with a mumbled curse, Brendan snatched it off of the receiver. “Hello?” He snapped gruffly. The annoyed look on his face vanished, and Kelly hurried to his feet as he straightened. Making sure she was steady on her feet, he pushed towards the desk and scrambled for a sheet of paper.

 

Seeing his difficulty, she quickly reached over and snatched one off of a nearby pile, placing it on front of him. Then she caught a pen dangling precariously off of the edge of the desk and dropped it on top of the paper.

 

“Thanks,” He muttered quickly. He hastily jotted down something onto the paper and thanked whoever was on the other end of the phone, hanging it up slowly. Kelly lightly touched his shoulder. “What happened?” She asked, peering over his shoulder at the paper on the desk.

 

He followed her gaze and looked back up at her with a scowl. “There's been a murder,” He mumbled. Her face whitened and he took her hand before she collapsed, standing to his feet and wrapping his arm around her. She returned the gesture, clinging to him and digging her face into his chest. He pulled back from her, dropping a kiss on her forehead and gripping her shoulders tightly. “Listen to me; I have to check this out. Don't let anyone into the castle, or any one out. Keep Melody with you until I get back, okay?”

 

“Brendan? What's the matter?”

 

He looked away from her staring out the window solemnly. “I . . . don't know.”

 

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Jake sat at the table the next morning, watching as Christian entered, the normal morning time scowl on his face as he made his way over to the fridge and peered in. A few seconds passed before he glanced back at Jake with a blank look and closed it again, staring at the grocery list on the front of the door. Naturally, it was brimming with items that needed to be replenished. Shaking his head, Christian sat down at the table across from Jake, who was grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, not much of a housemate, am I?”

 

Christian snorted and shrugged. “I'll just have to pick it up later, that's all.”

 

“No school today?”

He shook his head. “No, we have the next two weeks off.”

 

Jake nodded absently, scratching his chin. “Melody would love that. You stopping by the castle?”

 

Christian didn't respond, standing up slowly and inclining his head to Jake in parting as he stalked out of the dining room, past the living room and out of the small house. Blinking against the stark sunlight that blinded him for a moment, he shoved his hands into his pockets and hurriedly made his way down the street, neatly sidestepping the bustle of people going every which direction. He had long gotten used to the ritualistic bumping and swaying of the people. The hundreds of different auras and scents no longer sent him into a panicked frenzy, and he easily made his way through the throng of people, turning left at the first corner, away from the busiest area of the marketing district.

 

Hurrying along, ignoring the looks that was shot his way by a couple of young girls, he ducked his head and pushed on, feeling a frown darkening on his face. Jake had been called out with the Guard late last night, and hadn't come back home for some time. Christian recognized the look on his face, the one he always got whenever he was presented with a special case, something that even though they had almost been here twelve years, something he never got completely used to. Christian knew better than to ask him about it. He would know in due time.

 

Nodding to one of Jake's previous patients who acknowledged him, he slowed down a bit, hearing the millions of sounds from the thousands of people drifting into a distant hum behind him and sighed, lifting his head again. The sun beat down on his skin relentlessly, the heat shocking against the cool air that had nipped his skin yesterday. Taking his hands out of his pocket, he stared at the claws with a chagrined expression, clenching it into a fist. Something had happened last night, he was sure of it. And whatever happened had been enough to spook Jake.

 

Living with the doctor of Justile, he had seen his foster father in many different situations, and most of his patients healed up nicely, no matter what their wounds. It had been a little rocky when they first opened up the small hospital in their home, but Jake had been a fast learner and everything had worked out. There were times when Jake had come upstairs after closing down the hospital, his face weary and lined with fatigue, and had remembered hearing him staying up nights at a time, bent over his notes that he acquired, trying to help someone. A human man, torn away from his home and family, helping the ones that could easily dispose of him whenever they pleased.

 

Jake had said he hadn't minded, and had smiled. “I didn't have a wife and kid waiting for me at home. Doubt my family even knows I'm still alive, much less care.” Chris hadn't ridiculed him after that, hadn't seen him as a hypocrite, a coward ever again. Jake had gained a huge sense of respect in Chris's eyes, and had effortlessly sustained it.

 

Blinking, Christian recognized the steep hill that the castle sat atop, and just a little ways up the hill the main gates. He sensed the two guards sitting just in front of the gate and began the trot forward.

 

They acknowledged him briefly and allowed him to pass, but he didn't miss the sneer on their faces. Shooting them a harsh look and baring his teeth, he shrugged past, and sensed her seconds before she threw herself against his chest. He sighed and held her away from him with a scowl. “Why couldn't you wait inside?”

 

Melody pouted, dressed in a pair of casual cargo shorts and a snug fitting spaghetti strap. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and as usual she was bare footed. She shot him a smug grin and grabbed his hand, pulled her along with him. “Mother and Father aren't at the castle today! There at Khilamar!”

 

Christian sensed trouble and said through clenched teeth. “What does that have to do with---“

 

She turned and looked at him with a disappointed breath of air, placing her hand on her hips. “I'm sneaking out of here today, and you're going to help me!”

 

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Do Not Dwell In The Past, Do Not Dream On The Future; Concentrate Your Mind On The Present Moment.

-Buddha