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Galain's death at the hands of a Gangrel Vampire
brings An'Thaya to a small backwater planet called Earth
Finding him embraced into the Clan she can do nothing but hope.
Joined by an old friend, something unexpected occurs.
His first hunt. The thought was exciting and he nodded, eyes hooded. He needed his first kill -- a clean kill -- a total kill. He arose, dressing without thought or care, oblivious to those who had watched himself and his Mistress as he had helplessly debased himself, caught in the full throes of a gangrel vampire's transformation. Something burned on his arm. In irritation he looked at his right arm, but it wasn't the tattoo whose coloring was dull, lifeless. Odd, considering he knew the face he'd seen outside the room was associated with the marking. Rather, it was the armband on his left arm. It burned. It had gone from its normal silver sheen to a dullness that bespoke its rebellion against what he'd become -- no longer Prince, but slave, no longer of the Light, but of the Dark. He risked the displeasure of Tessa, but he had to remove his birthright. Something deep within told him not to simply cast it away. Instead he turned like an automaton and headed straight toward 'Thaya, face expressionless as he took in her brutal stabbing of Darian. "Too bad she missed." He remarked in a low voice before he unclasped the armband and abruptly handed it over to the bloodied hands of 'Thaya. It glowed softly again the instant it touched her skin, burning away the vampire's blood. "Keep it. It's of no use to me." He turned away just as quickly, returning to Tessa. "I am ready, Mistress," he bowed his head slightly before raising his eyes to meet hers.
The Amazon looked blankly at the silver band in her hand, this was Galain's inheritance, the family crest. Without this he would never take the throne. Cold as stone she snapped the band around her own bicep. Galain would wear it again, she knew a secret about his blood that few new. That vampiric... woman... for lack of a better word, could be smug as long as she liked, Galain would come back to his Amazon eventually. She watched as Galain returned to his mistress, oh he would remember someday. But for now he was Gangrel, a hungry dog. With snarl An'Thaya pulled the light around her, and the tattoo on Galains' arm flared to life, causing him to shriek in pain. His sensitve vampire nerves on fire he turned to look her in the eye. She said nothing, merely turned her back and let the light fade, bending to grab Darian by the hair. "I hate the Gangrel," she hissed in his ear, "You are all arrogant and cruel, it shall be your downfall." She let go of him, left him healing on the floor as she strode out the door. Galain's sword and dagger lay out here somewhere, she could sense it. Someday he would need them again, although they were his bane now. Gathering them she slung the sword into her back scabbard and reentered the Club. Darian was regaining his feet, the metal of Thaya's dagger was elven steel, slowing the vamp down quite a bit. Pausing she watched him, making sure he kept his distance. The hatred between them was tangible, yet a smile quirked at the edge of An'Thaya's mouth. Apparently her reaction to Galain's plight hadn't quite been satisfying for the Dark Prince, and that was fine with her.
Elyen stopped before the doorway to the Club, drawn there by a strange sensation that he should be hee. Something was wrong with the High Elf, and the secondary link he had through an enchantress nagged like a bad itch. He straightened the leather jacket he wore and pushed the doors open, shrugging past the bouncer. Vampires. His eyes narrowed as he took in the presence of the fanged ones. The music swirled around them like a lover, and Elyen searched for the blonde head that oft created such despair. Then someone barrelled into him. Red hair... "'Thaya?" The elf caught the Amazon in surprise to see her here. "What..."
Her feet carried her where her eyes didn't see, and hands touching her sent her own to her daggers. "'Thaya?," a familiar voice stilled her anger. Elyen, relief flooded through the Amazon as she fell against his chest. A tear fell against the soft blue fabric of his shirt, finally, a place to hide. His arms enfolded her shakeing shoulders, this elf had known grief in its worst forms, he would understand. "Elyen," she whispered, reassureing herself that he was real. "Where is Galain?," she heard him murmur, then she felt his body tense, he had seen him.
Elyen folded his arms around the grieving Amazon and looked up. What in the world could make her cry? 'Thaya was as strong as they came... "'Thaya, where's Galain? He should be here." Protecting you, for crying outloud! The elf searched the crowds for the blonde elf. "He..." No. The elf tensed in disbelief as he spotted Galain. No, it wasn't possible. Galain didn't walk like that, didn't stalk like a cat, didn't move so... dangerously. Then the elf looked over and noticed them. And smiled. Elyen couldn't believe his eyes. No. Not him. Never him... Vampire. "'Thaya. You need some air?" He noted the Elen arm band about her arm and clenched his jaw. For some strange reason, he had an overwhelming urge to punch Galain's lights out. How dare he get himself vamped? How dare he, that little... He steered the Amazon out the door and sat down with her on the curb just outside the club, giving her a shoulder to cry on, smoothing her hair back. Then the realisation hit him. Galain was a vampire now. Gods, he'd lost a friend. He bit down on a curse. He'd lost a friend, and he couldn't do a thing about it...
The Amazon allowed Elyen to lead her out side, sitting on the curb next to him she leaned her head on his shoulder. For nearly two thousand years she had been bonded to Galain, always that warm link to his mind, never alone, never empty. Now there was just an hollow spot where he had been, just a echoing memory of what they had shared. It was tradition in her tribe to take more than one bondmate, but An'Thaya never had. At this moment she regretted that, as the loneliness threatened to plunge her into darkness. Elyen's quiet presence soothed her, it seemed he had always been there with quick smile and wit when she needed him. The rage still burned in her heart, the Gangrel would pay, all of them if need be. For now she needed time to collect herself, to lean on a friend. "Thank you," she whispered, barely audible, "You're a good friend Elyen." Why had she fallen apart so quickly when she saw him? That never happened, only Galain had really ever seen her cry...
The elf bowed his head over the Amazon and sighed. They looked like two little lost orphans on the curb. Silence reigned for a moment between the two of them before he spoke up. "Galain. He's going to be alright. He has the legacy, does he not?" The Amazon nodded slowly into his shoulder in answer. "There, he'll be fine." Elyen sat up a little, and lifted 'Thaya's chin with a finger so that he could meet her eyes. "With a woman like you to return to, the High Elf would be a fool not to turn back." He had meant to say it lightly. So why was there that hint of bitter sadness? Acting on an impulse, he bent his head down, and brushed his lips against hers lightly. A chaste kiss. Except that it didn't remain chaste for long. Seconds stretched past before either straightened up. Her arms were about his neck, and his hands cupped her face. He had kissed the Amazon many times before, but this had seemed different, for some strange reason. Confusion made the elf frown as he read her eyes. "'Thaya..."
Why is it that it takes a tragedy for ones true feelings to surface? Suprise? No, there was nothing of suprise when Elyen's lips met hers, the feeling between them had been building for two thousand years or so. Don't they say that friends make the best lovers? What happened was the result of two people who had hidden their emotions to long. The kiss took her breath away, yes their lips had met before... but not like this. When he pulled away he spoke her name, a bit of confusion in his eyes. For the moment she forgot about her anger, her pain. This was something seperate, something close to her heart. "What took you so long?," she whispered, pulling him down to kiss her once more...
He was lost in the kiss, drinking deep of her as hands explored and the boundaries of friendship were forgotten. Had this desire always been there? He did not know. All he knew was that he must have been the greatest fool in the world to have only realised it now. Tragedy tinted the discovery bittersweet. He rested his forehead against An'Thaya's and caressed her cheek with a thumb. Slowly, Elyen opened his eyes, as if not daring to see what he might find in her eyes. "Is this real?" He breathed, finding that they were standing and yet not knowing why. "Real..." She smiled, and that was all the answer he needed.
Real... where they ended up really didn't matter, they were together. Elyen... he had always been there to make her laugh, fight by her side, be a steadfast friend. She had fallen for him long ago if she thought about it, but neither of them had been ready for this. The elf hid deep pain under his smiling facade, and his intensity was perhaps what had kept her from facing him. Or maybe it had been a steadfast loyalty to Galain she would never admit to displaying. She was Amazon, she was not supposed to harbour jealously over a man. Yet now... as Elyen's fingers made little trails of fire over her skin, she felt less Amazon and perhaps alittle more like the half human Princess she was. The tendrils of a bond started to form, winding round them like an ethereal embrace. Thoughts intertwining as much as their physical forms as they discovered one another. Shared pain, joy and ectasy... all mingling into one. He suprised her with his passion and fire, making her want him all the more, responding with a fire of her own. As she lay in his arms afterwards, listening to the soothing beat of his heart, her fingers flickered feather light over his right bicep, a glow of magic warming his skin as the final part of the bonding ritual was completed... a softly glowing tattoo of a sword and rose...
He woke first, cradling the Amazon in the crook of one arm, one hand caressing her hair slowly. For a long time, he had been convinced that he would spend his life alone. The last woman he loved had been a mortal human. Adianna... is this betrayal? Over two thousand years ago a young elf fell in love with a human girl, and foolishly married her. She died in childbirth, the babe, a stillborn. For centuries after, the elf could not forgive himself for the pain that he had caused. Afraid, he did not dare reach out further for love. So love came knocking on his door. An'Thaya stirred and blinked her eyes awake, looking up and smiling sleepily as she recognized the elf. He reached out a hand and stroked her cheek gently. What strange wonder, that he should only recognize it now. Without a word, she reached up a hand and pulled his head down for a lingering kiss. All thoughts of his past were banished as the passion returned like the embers of a banked fire being stirred to life. Hands explored regions seeming new, and they were lost in their own world once more.
When 'Thaya woke again Elyen was fast asleep, her head was on his chest, the gentle rise and fall of his breathing soothing. She looked up at him, his expression peacefull in the state of sleep where there are no dreams. The tattoo on his arm glowed softly in the dim light. Sitting up she drew a sheet around herself, turning to watch him quietly. She smiled to herself, remembering the first time she had kissed him, such a long time ago. She had practically dragged him to his knees, he was over a foot taller than her, so she had merely floored him. It had been her first kiss ever, and he had quickly gone about teaching her the proper way to do it. Always one to help he was, she had felt something then, but had not acted on it. Somehow she had ended up in Galain's arms instead. The memory of him brought a stab of pain, she had pushed it back for her time with Elyen. Her Sy'rish was Gangrel, and while it would not last forever, it was hell watching him turn into the very thing he despised. She suddenly wondered how it was possible to love two men at once... yet she did. Her Amazon sisters had many bondmates, but she had always just had one. The bitter fact that it was still one came to her, the link with Galain was severed for now. Elyen stirred in his sleep, his two toned hair falling into his face. She gently brushed it back, "Adianna?," he was dreaming, her touch reminding him of someone long gone. An'Thaya smiled weakly, they both had their ghosts so to speak. "No," she murmured, "Not Adianna...but I do love you." Leaning down she kissed him gently, surprised as he reached up and pulled her too him. Had he not been sleeping? She forgot to wonder as he kissed her....
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