Folk Lore

by Joanne Ellis

  “I trust you. I need you, Sammy.” Tears stung her eyes.

  He took a step forward. “What are you doing out here by yourself?”

  “I went for a walk and got lost. Keelor’s been banished.”

  “I know.”

  She bridged the gap and threw her arms around his neck before resting her head on his shoulder and allowing the tears to flow.

  Sam heard Sera before he saw her. Sera’s voice although strong, wavered when she’d ordered the vampires back. He watched as she incapacitated them and smiled to himself, he was proud of his best friend. Deciding to intervene he closed the distance quickly and appeared.

  When she hugged him the first time her scent overwhelmed him and thirst consumed him. Since leaving the lands, he’d mastered how to control the hunger. Although Angel and the others feed from the low lives of society, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The human protector part of him was strong, as he’d told Sera and he managed to survive on the blood of animals. He’d thus far avoided tasting a human’s blood and intended to keep it that way.

  Now being close to her again was proving far more difficult than he ever imagined. Her scent engulfed him, smothering him which far outweighed his need and want to be close to her. He’d missed her immensely yet it took all his control not to taste.

  When she placed her head on his shoulder, exposing her neck, his fangs bit into his lower lip and the poison filled his mouth. His throat burned with thirst and the thought of tasting her sweet aromatic blood pushed all reason aside.

  His hands which he’d held fast to his sides now retained a mind of their own as he stroked her hair, exposing her neck further. Taste her, his mind screamed.

  “Oh, Sammy, I can’t believe how much I’ve missed not seeing you every day. I still really can’t believe you’re a vampire, it all seems so surreal.” She spoke softly between sobs.

  He heard her words but he wasn’t, couldn’t listen, the burn and hunger were far too strong. He’d been living amongst the humans since the day he’d been sent away and resisting them had been easy until this moment. As he bent his head towards her appetizingly exposed neck, he felt the sharp sting of a dagger at his back. One swift move from the beholder would certainly be the end of him as it was aimed at his heart.

  “Step away from her vampire,” the voice told him.

  Sera lifted her head to look over his shoulder at the threatener and laughed.

  “Jeremiah, Sam won’t hurt me.”

  “Then why was he about to bite you?”

  She stepped back to look at him and shame filled Sam’s body. He swallowed the poison but the burn remained. Sera’s aghast expression stabbed his heart as he realised his eyes would be dark, filled with his hunger.

  “Sam?”

  Stepping away from her, he turned away and closing his eyes, attempted to push away the darkness lurking inside him.

  “I did tell you not to get too close,” he told her, his voice raspy and jagged.

  Her hands came to his shoulders as she eased him around to face her. He lifted his eyes and Sera recoiled, almost in disgust and for the first time since his change, he wanted to take the knife from the boy’s hand and plunge it into his heart.

  “Sam?”

  “I’m sorry, Sera but I don’t seem to be able to control my thirst around you.”

  “Were you going to ...?”

  “I think so, the thirst, your scent; it all got a hold of me.”

  “You said you were different to the others.”

  “I am usually and haven’t fed on a human since the change but you ... now I know why the others followed you, your aroma, like your powers, is strong.”

  “So I can’t ever hug you again?” The hurt in her voice ripped his heart to shreds.

  “Not until I learn to control the urge.”

  “This is just great! When I need you the most, you want to eat me. Jeremiah, let’s go.”

  Sam watched her storm off, Jeremiah shot a warning look towards Sam before following her. Angel stepped out from the shadows and laid a comforting hand on his arm.

  “I know how difficult it is to say goodbye to your human life, family and friends. I don’t know whether it means anything to you or not but I am really proud of your conviction, there is no way I am strong enough to resist.”

  “She’s my best friend, Angel! I nearly killed her! If he hadn’t come, she would be dead right now. Her powers don’t even work on me now so she couldn’t stop me if she tried.”

  “Then you are simply going to have to stay away from her or at least not get too close to her.”

  “You saw how upset she was, she needs me.”

  “You can’t be what you want to her anymore. I’m sorry but you are going to have to accept it.”

  “Why did you do this to me? You should have let me die, instead I am this, this ... thing, a monster who wants to kill the girl I have loved my whole life.”

  “Love?”

  “Don’t get jealous now, Angel, you know exactly what I mean.”

  “If you think you are a monster what does that make me?”

  Sam turned to look at her. He did love Angelique, very much. Being a vampire with her hadn’t been an issue until now. Even though he didn’t replicate the hunger for human blood as she did, sharing his newfound senses with her and in turn their love had definitely been a positive. Up until the previous day, when they’d been summoned to help, he’d accepted he may not see Sera again or at least for some time but now, after today, he didn’t believe they could continue to be friends at all. The sudden disgust at himself transcended into contempt for all their kind and he knew what he needed to do.

  “Angel, I love you and have never thought you to be a monster. The way you were able to control yourself when I was human was commendable ...”

  “But?”

  “I need some time.”

  She stared at him for a moment before bringing his face to hers to kiss him. He groaned as his heightened vampire senses soaked up her passion until she abruptly stopped.

  “Life is different now, Sammy, and I’m afraid you are going to have to walk away from her unless you can find a way to control the thirst. Her scent is strong, though it doesn’t entice me, it does you. Until you learn how to control it ... well then you’d better keep your distance. It’s that or ...”

  “Or what, Angel? Drink her blood? Kill her?”

  “I was going to say change her. If you want to be selfish and have her in your life it is the only way. I saw how easily the hunger overtook you then, how quickly and there is no controlling it.”

  “You could do it with me.”

  “Centuries of practice. I am also in love with you.”

  “Maybe in time it will get easier.”

  “It might but you will be around for eternity, she won’t”

  32

  Evil Cometh

  Her tears were hot against her cheeks as she walked back to Keelor’s hut. Jeremiah’s incessant chatter regarding his disdain for vampires was only adding to her pain. Sam could never be her friend again. After receiving his letter, Sera thought it would be a while before she saw him again but deep down she hoped he would return sooner or when she left the lands, with Keelor, they would meet up again. Now everything had changed, if Jeremiah hadn’t turned up when he did, would Sam have bitten her, killed her, drained her blood? Fresh tears joined the endless stream at the thought and she sobbed.

  “Sera,” Jeremiah said, halting her with his hand on her arm. “Are you alright?”

  “No! My best friend wants to kill me and the man I love is banished from the lands, so no, I’m not.”

  “I meant, did he hurt you?”

  “Not anywhere you can see. Please, I know the way now, leave me alone.”

  His face dropped slightly and her guilt rose, it wasn’t his fault. He’d protected her and she was alive because of him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll be OK. I just want to be alone for a while.”

/>   “OK but please don’t go off on your own again.”

  “I won’t.”

  She smiled, hoping to appease him. Jeremiah sent her a doubtful look before wandering away.

  As she entered the hut, Keelor rushed over to her. “Where have you been? I have been looking for you. This is very hard to do when I am supposed to be banished.”

  “I went for a walk.”

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, brushing her tears away.

  “Sam’s here.”

  “I wondered why there were so many vampires here.”

  “They have been called to help.”

  “Why are you crying?”

  “Sam ... he ... tried ...”

  Unable to say the words, she wrapped her arms around him, lent against his chest and sobbed. He couldn’t decipher her words through the tears.

  “Sera, what did Sam do?”

  “He wanted to eat me.” Keelor was thankful Sera couldn’t see his face or his grin at her choice of words.

  “Did he try to bite you?”

  “Yes and if Jeremiah hadn’t been there, he would have. He might even have killed me.”

  “Why didn’t you use your power?” He bristled a little at Jeremiah being the one to save her, knowing it should have been him.

  “It doesn’t work on him anymore, something about being different and he said my scent was stronger now or something.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “In the forest.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yes I wanted to think and then I got lost ... then there were these other vampires all wanting to ... well you know and then Sam turned up.”

  “Please do not go anywhere by yourself.”

  “I wouldn’t be if you weren’t banished and I didn’t have so much to think about or if my best friend wasn’t a vampire.”

  “What do you have to think about, Sera?”

  “Us.” She looked up at him, her eyes full of sadness.

  “What is there to think about?”

  “Nermo ...”

  “That interfering pixie. Please, Sera, he doesn’t know anything about us.”

  “What about his vision?”

  “You are not telling me you believe it?”

  “No, yes, I don’t know. I didn’t believe in a lot of things before coming here.”

  “Sera I ...” A loud thundering roar resonating from outside the village and Keelor stopped. “Wait here.”

  With one swift leap Keelor disappeared through the window into a nearby tree as the rumble turned to screams. The horrifying sounds appeared to be closer now, as though in the village and fear grew within her to chill her skin. What was going on? She rushed to the window and couldn’t spot Keelor anywhere. She looked down to see elfin rushing to their huts as vampires and hazers attacked them and brought them down. The sight was worse than the sound. She noticed Sam, Angel and the other vampires she encountered that morning racing into the village to take on the intruders. A war between Mecaldorf’s and the mystic land’s army was taking place right before her eyes. Innocent victims being slaughtered and their blood being drained by thirst ravaged vampires. She raced to the door to find Jeremiah on the other side.

  “Where are you going?” he asked her.

  “To help.”

  “No, you need to stay here with me.”

  “I can’t stand by and watch this happen, my powers can help.” Seeing her determined expression he conceded.

  “OK but we go together.”

  He took her to the end of the path and stopped. “You can do it from here.”

  She let the anger and anxiety inside consume her and projected it outwards. Vampires fell clasping their throats as she directed the heat from her hands at the enemy hazers. One by one they began to fall as the mystic army and protectors joined forces. The other princesses arrived to stand in a line next to Sera, each using their unique powers to destroy their foe.

  Mecaldorf’s army started to dissipate and it seemed victory was at hand. As the crowd thinned, a figure emerged and Sera recognised Mecaldorf immediately. A bright light surrounded him, which looked like some type a shield and in his hand was a swirling bubble like ball.

  “Stand down,” he told his army and they lined up beside him. His warlocks emerged beside him and were chanting something she didn’t understand. “There, she’s the one,” Mecaldorf told them before he chanted the same words.

  The ball rose and grew as they repeated the incantation over and over.

  The last thing she heard before her face hit the dirt, “No!”

  33

  Victory or Defeat

  Sera rolled over, to discover Keelor within a bubble, his eyes closed. In an instant, she stood up and immediately knew how she came to be on the ground. Keelor protected her from Mecaldorf’s spell by pushing her aside and taking the brunt of the magic. She was the reason he was incarcerated. With her heart in her throat, she raced to the bubble floating slightly above the ground, and touched it. Her effort was rewarded with a scorched hand. Her skin healed quickly while her heart became heavy with dismay.

  “I want the book and control of the lands,” Mecaldorf demanded.

  “You don’t actually think we are going to hand it to you?” Kalar stepped forward.

  “You will if you want your precious elfin released and you value the safety of the human princess.”

  “It’s time,” Kalar told the princesses.

  Although Sera stood helplessly next to Keelor she began to chant with the girls. Their large bubble swirled and swiftly grew to full size. The girls directed it towards their target. A large guffaw rang out as the bubble bounced off Mecaldorf’s shield.

  “You do not think you were going to defeat me with your inadequate spells? I am more powerful than I have ever been before, thanks to your little river. I have been lowering the shield and entering your land as I please these past weeks. I have rejuvenated my youth and increased my power. Along with my warlocks here, there will be nothing you can do to stop us. Now, the book.”

  Grief, rage and angst swirled and built up inside Sera. For Keelor, who may have given his life for hers, for the loss of Sam, the ridiculous laws which dictated her life and lastly for the evil wizard standing before them. The heat filled every part of her body so she closed her eyes and let it take control. She could hear the elders discussing what they should do as her anger rose. They talked and debated too much, action was needed. She began to recite the words for the incarceration chant as she projected every emotion through her body into her hands. She opened her eyes and directed the force directly at Mecaldorf.

  At first glance Sera thought the shield would counteract her attack until a blinding, blue explosion filled the sky which left Mecaldorf standing unprotected. Everyone stood for endless moments mesmerised by her accomplishment, her power in this instant outdid anything they’d all witnessed from her before. Kalar was the first to break the silence.

  “Princesses, the incantation.”

  They all stepped forward and linked arms. Together they recited the words which would imprison the wizard for eternity. The bubble rose, this time encircled their target and as Mecaldorf tried in vain to fight off the magic it enclosed him. Mecaldorf plummeted into an instant trance sleep.

  A cheer broke through their concentration as the army and protectors seized the remainder of the wizard’s army, now no more than twenty. They were forcefully escorted first from the village and then the lands.

  “When the remainder have been removed from the lands we must lift the shield. It appears we will be required to ensure it is far stronger now,” Kalar said. “We should convene in the gardens in an hour to amend this but first we need to attend to the injured. The army must protect the perimeter until the shield is restored.”

  “What about Keelor?” Sera demanded.

  “We will discuss what is to be done when we convene.”

  As the others dispersed, Sera dropped to her knees beside the sleeping Keelor. Tears st
reamed down her face as the tension of the fight left her body and the despair for losing her loved ones intensified. Sam was lost to her and Keelor ...

  “Seraphina?” Nermo broke through her heartache. “Are you hurt?”

  “Stupid question, Nermo, my boys are lost to me ... and I can heal myself. Not from this.”

  “I am sorry for my foolishness however I find myself somewhat tongue tied in your presence.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to snap. It has been a difficult ... few weeks.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “There isn’t anything to say.”

  “If you need a friend, I would be more than happy to listen.”

  “Is this what your vision saw?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you know it would be me to defeat Mecaldorf and Keelor would end up like this?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” She stood up, angry now. The heat began to radiate in her hands.

  “Seraphina, please calm down so I can explain.”

  She allowed the glow and anger to fade. “Let’s hear it.”

  “First off, I did tell you how powerful you are.”

  “Yes I remember you saying something about that. What about Keelor?”

  “This is why I said we would be together. I knew Keelor would protect you, I saw it happen.”

  “Why didn’t you warn anyone?”

  “I told the elders however they did not believe me. They said it was a trick which Mecaldorf placed in my mind to give us a false sense of hope for victory. The elders believed it would not happen this way. How wrong they were? If they had listened to me then all these innocent lives would have been saved.”

  “My mother knew about this?”

  “They all did. They all consulted their visions, which completely contradicted mine and they trusted their intuition.”

  “How could their visions all be wrong?”

  “Their visions change as the present changes. When they first consulted their psyche Nermina was still missing. After Nermina was retrieved, perhaps Mecaldorf changed his plans and thus changing any future visions. They obviously have not consulted their visions again.”