𝙲𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜
❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀
⚛︎𝓛𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥 ⚛︎
It's been a few hours since my last sighting of the Burned One and it's getting late. I plan on trying to pick up its trail again in the morning. Pulling my jeep up and around the back of an old cemetery (to give myself the semblance of shelter and privacy) I hunker down into the back of my vehicle and get as comfortable as possible on my makeshift bed.
I'm just about to dose off, when I hear a 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘 that disturbs the otherwise peaceful sounds of the forest. My eyes snap open and I listen intently, slowing my breathing and remaining as immobile as stone. Then I hear it. The unnatural rustling of bushes and shrubs.
Footsteps.
Moving carefully and quietly, I move to the back of my jeep and open the door, exiting the vehicle as soundlessly as possible. Following the sound of clumsy footfalls, I wrap myself in shadow, in order to blend in with the night. I spot a figure through the trees just ahead of me, approaching what used to be the front of the cemetery. Pressing myself tightly to the side of the tumbledown building- not wanting to take the chance of being spotted, however, unlikely thanks to my shadows- I watch as a familiar looking girl approaches the wooden door, my wolf allowing me to see better in the dark than most.
𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒂 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒓?
My internal question is answered when she places a hand upon the old, dilapidated door and I observe her monstrosity of a ring glow yellow, the shine soon bleeding across the surface of the door. I recognise this for what it is. A gateway, connecting the Otherworld to that of the First World.
Moving swiftly, I course the red head- Bloom, I believe her name was- through the door, still encased in the safety of my umbrage. Slithering and scraping accompanied by low growling make me pause a moment, until I realise Bloom has already moved through the dingy space we find ourselves in and passed through a red door. I quickly tail her, the blare of distant sirens capturing my attention for a moment.
This is not my first adventure into the First World. I spent some time here many moons ago, thinking I could start a new life, safe from the memories of my horrific and tormented past. Alas, I was wrong. They never fail to find me, no matter where I run to or where I hide. I know all too well that the only thing thriving in a heart's darkness are the bitter personal demons that love too watch us bleed.
Staying a few paces behind her, I continue to follow the fire fairy, admittedly, curiosity has gotten the better of me. I wish to know her motivations for leaving the barrier and coming to the First World. Our reasonably short walk takes us to a house very similar to every other on the street, with a healthy green tree planted at the end of the garden, tucked into the corner by the fence. I spy Bloom take her phone from her pocket and unashamedly listen in to the conversation, my heightened hearing not missing one syllable.
"Whoa! Twice in one day. Hold on, I'm calling the news." A mans voice rings through the phone, causing Bloom to chuckle.
"Real Chatty Cathy here. All it took was moving across the world." Comes a women's voice next.
"I know, right." Bloom replies, "easy solutions."
"Hey, you wanna video chat?" The man asks.
Bloom is quick to decline that offer. "I just wanted to check in 'cause we got cut off before, and..." She explains before trailing off.
"You must be jet-lagged." A deep voice reasons. Bloom hesitantly agrees. "Is everything okay, Bloom?" I note a hint of concern in his tone, even through the phone.
Both voices go on to reassure Bloom, but when she speaks again she stutters with tears in her voice. "Um..." her voice breaks, "what if I- what if I...like, made a mistake?"
"You're too special for here. It's not who you are."
"What if you don't know who I am?"
"Hey, we are your parents, Bloom. If we don't know, nobody does." The man tries to reassure, though from what I can espy of the red heads visage, his efforts appear to have fallen short.
Due to Bloom's ensuing silence, they enquire as to whether there is something else she needed to tell them. The fire fairy, however, is quick to agree that they are 'right'. "Alfea's where I belong now." The phone call continues for a few more minutes, ending with encouraging words and exchanged 'I love you's. Then Bloom sets back off in the direction of the warehouse with me not far behind.
𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒌, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅'𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏.
During my musings, we have made it to our destination. Although, instead of going straight back to the Other World, Bloom enters another smaller room, that looks lived in, I'm assuming by the red head herself.
From my position just outside the door, I've been observing an upset Bloom for a short while, hoping to get her back to Alfea, when I am distracted by the sound of familiar whispers. My eyes glaze over as my mind travels to another time.
"They are out there, in the trees, I can hear them." Whispers a soldier from the most recent camp I was assigned to as resident 'freak'. Improved soldier achieved through experimentation- that's all they see me as now- a weapon to be used. It's all I see now, I don't believe much of the old me is left.
"So what? Let the abomination handle it. It's what she's here for. No use us dying when we've got her for that." Another soldier replies just as quietly, earning titters from some of those in camp. I can feel their stares burning into my back. I'm tempted to turn and glare. Until, I hear it. The whispers. The echo of people that were once simply experiments like me, now only merciless, mindless monsters. Hunting only to maul, mutilate and massacre. I rise to my feet gracefully like the predator I am and look to the trees that surround the clearing where we set up camp, motionless and alert. "What's wrong, Bloodhound? Caught a scent?" The soldier earns more chuckles from his comrades in arms. Then the trees rustle and creak engendering an eerie silence to blanket the camp. More soldiers- fairies and specialists alike- join me in standing.
The first beast breaches the treeline and rips its claws through the first warm body it comes to. Panic condenses the air, making every breath hard and strenuous. The clearing a cacophony of shouted orders, soldiers heavy footfalls, the ring of steel sliding free of its leather cage, and of course the ferocious growls and groaning of what we've come to call...Burned Ones.
Shedding my clothes, I begin to change. Bones snapping and shifting, joints popping and dislocating. A few moments of familiar, agonising pain later and I'm on all fours. Fur as black as night, eyes a gleaming gold, claws as sharp as razors. I've become my own beautiful beast, the magnificent monster they made me and that I'll never thank them for. Snarling, I leap into the fray, and lose myself to the vicious fight, pain filled screams ringing in my ears.
Bloom's abrupt and fear charged gasp brings me back from my anamnesis. The soft, low growls drawing my attention to the creatures that have the red head crouched on the floor, pressed against the wall, breathing laboured. One of the creatures- of which there are three- smashes through the window above Bloom's head, sending shards of glass everywhere. I don't hesitate to drop the shadows from around me and propel them towards the Burned One, giving me enough time to race to the fire fairy's side, startling her almost as much as the beast. "Run!" I immediately instruct her and watch as she quickly opens a grate in the floor, and as she drops to the space below, I dart off in the opposite direction, hoping to lead the Burned Ones away.
I come to the open space of the warehouse. Turning to face the on coming monsters I realise I only succeeded in drawing the attention of two of the Burned Ones, leaving the third to pursue Bloom. Left with no choice but to hope the fire fairy can fend for herself, I engage my long time enemy. Utilising nothing but my magic, having left my long dagger that usually resides in a sheath at the base of my back in my jeep, (along with my sword that I only carry when I don't plan on shifting as its too awkward and big to clip to my modified bag), where I should be sleeping.
Sliding to the left to dodge the first swipe of claws, I simultaneously use tendrils of shadows to clasp the creatures arm and twist the beast forcefully so that it collides with the second charging monster, sending them both to the floor. Unfortunately, they don't stay grounded for long and are soon coming at me again, this time in tandem.
Swerving a swipe of claws, I kick the beast on the left backwards, whilst throwing a ball of fire at the other. Snarling, the first creature lunges at me, forcing me to form a wall of shadows, and- leaning back- I use its own momentum to hurl it over my head. I haven't got long to find my balance before the second Burned One swipes its claws towards me, narrowly missing my face as I duck and roll, hurriedly sprining back to my feet once out of its reach.
Coiling a cirrus of shadow around the lower half of its leg, I drag it towards me, scraping its back along the floor as it snarls in rage. I pin its limbs with more murk, at the same time as I send a blast of concentrated fire right through its chest. My flame ignites the Cinder-exploding it from within- killing it, just before I feel a burning pain slash and sear across my shoulder; forcing a howl to pass my lips that's quickly cut off by a blunt, hard and unforgiving impact, first with the remaining Burned One and then with the floor. I have no time to be winded or I'll die. With the help of my wolf's strength, I leverage my feet against the Burned One, kicking with all my might and with the help of my shadows, I fling the creature off me with a guttural bellow. The force of my attack sending it half-way across the room.
The moments reprieve allows me to spot Bloom running into the room, almost colliding with another women I hadn't noticed entered until now. "Don't stop now." The older women tells her, indicating the gateway with an outstretched arm.
In lieu of coming back at me, the Burned One I'd been fighting, chases Bloom. Ignoring the fiery pain in my shoulder, I sprint after the Burned One. The red head makes it out the door, the creature hot on her heals. I reach the door just seconds after my enemy and leap onto its back, claws extended and with no other options and a distinct lack of time, I plunge my right hand straight into its back, grasp the Cinder and yank it free, just as we make contact with the ground of the cemetery. I use my flames to incinerate the Cinder, the monster dying instantly beneath me.
I turn and look over my shoulder just in time to see the older women force the third Burned One away from her before flinging the door closed. Climing to my feet, very aware of the intense pain in my shoulder, I look to my audience. I find Bloom, Aisha and two other girls standing there, looking at me with pale faces. "What the hell were those things?" Bloom asks breathlessly.
"I'm pretty sure it's called a Burned One." One of the girls I don't know replies, frightened.
"You'd be correct." I pipe up, noticing that the black haired girl I don't know, is grimacing in my direction as her eyes glow purple.
"Wait. Where...where's Stella?" Bloom suddenly asks, still shaking uncontrollably, which is to be expected after your first encounter with a Burned One.
"She's at school. Why?" Aisha enquires.
Bloom gulps, "that thing just took her ring."
"Well that's not good." I respond, whilst the others share anxious looks. I slowly bring my injured arm up to view my hand. "Hey. Blood. Mine." This exclamation gains the undivided attention of the group. "It's crimson. I need to eat more calcium."
I wobble just as I finish and probably would have fallen if not for Aisha and the blonde girl hastily stepping forward to steady me. "Whoa!" The blonde mutters as she places a careful, firm hand on my side being mindful of my injured arm. "Did the Burned One do this?" She asks, a note of panic in her voice.
"No need to worry, I'm not infected. I killed the creature responsible." I quickly supply. Not wanting anyone to fuss over me, I regain my balance and pull away from the girls, standing straight. "Thank you." I offer, they give me small strained smiles in return.
"You're still in pain." The black haired girl I don't know says with another grimace, squinting her glowing eyes.
I peer at her, "mind fairy, I take it." It's not a question but she nods anyway. "Don't fret. I've had worse."
"Maybe we should help you back to Alfea." Aisha offers.
Just as the mind fairy asks, "who are you?"
"Miss Casement. She's a teacher at Alfea." Bloom informs, having calmed a bit, though I still hear that her pulse is faster than the norm.
The blonde girl frowns but before anymore can be said, I abruptly interject. "Not to worry. I shouldn't leave her alone." I hook my thumb over my good shoulder, indicating the older women, who I actually have no intention of waiting for. "You lot, however, need to get back to Alfea, within the confines of the barrier, where it's safe." I command with a stern tone.
"Are you sure you-"
"Go. Now." I interrupt Aisha. "Make haste. I also suggest informing this Stella person about the loss of that ring as soon as possible." They nod in agreement but still linger a moment, prompting me to 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑜 them with my good arm, "some time tonight." They scamper off.
𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂. 𝑺𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. 𝑨 𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍 𝒋𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑳𝒖𝒏𝒂'𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.
I walk back around to my car and use the wing mirror to inspect my injury after some colourful words passed my lips when I was removing my long sleeved top. Looking at the injury, I regret having not donned my leather jacket before following Bloom. I heal faster thanks to the experiments, almost instantly. Although, wounds caused by Burned Ones and Ferals have always taken longer, perhaps because they are products of the same experimentation and torture that I endured. Nevertheless, it still hurts like a mother fucker. Grabbing the bourbon from my glove compartment, I take a couple of swigs before pouring some over my exposed shoulder, triggering a hiss to leave my lips.
"Son of a bitch!"
•.:°❀×═════════×❀°:.•
⚔𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕕 ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕆𝕍⚔
"I chained it up in a barn outside the barrier." Farah Dowling informs, whilst gazing out the window but not really paying mind to the view.
"You should've killed it." Responded the stern, masculine voice of Saul Silva. He's a firm believer of eliminating the threat when presented with one. Especially, when it risks the safety of innocents.
"And left it in the Human World?" Farah asks immediately with a slightly indignant tone. Her mind spinning with memories she had hoped were caged along with her old mentor.
Saul steps towards Farah, arms folded. "You should've brought it back here and then killed it." He reiterates, knowing the ramifications of leaving such a creature in the First World would be horrific. Farah turns to face Saul, seeing her face, he speaks to her softer this time, concerned for his good friend. "Did it break your skin?"
"No," Farah shakes her head, "I'm not infected." Saul sighs in relief as Farah continues speaking. "I've got Ben to make up some oil from the Zanbaq flowers in the greenhouse. I've dosed it. It won't be conscious for hours."
Saul shakes his head, "Farah.."
"I need to get in it's head. We need to know if this is an isolated incident or something more." She reasons, sure of her decision.
"Something more?" Saul repeats, obviously hoping this was just a one off, though he is not that naive. "Like what?"
Farah pauses for a moment, knowing her next sentence to hold information no one would expect. "I found a changeling in the First World."
Saul throws his head back and sighs, "a changeling." He echos. "I've not heard of one of those in centuries." The specialist utters, still slightly disbelieving. 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏, 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆.
"Yet there she was..." Farah responds, knowing that the information may be hard to accept, since such barbaric things are no longer done. "Left sixteen years ago..." the headmistress continues, "right around the time the last Burned One was spotted."
Putting the information he's just learned together, realisation dawns on him, understanding striking across his features. "You think it's all connected."
Farah takes a deep, unsteady breath, "I'm struggling, Saul." She confides, knowing she can trust her long time friend and show vulnerabilities. "Rosalind kept so much from us. I'm worried about the students. The Alfea they know is very different from the one we attended. They have so much life to experience. Even if this world were safe, what they're going through can feel impossible. But this world isn't safe, and I don't know how long we'll be able to protect them from it. I know you feel it." She looks at Saul with an open expression. "The...shift." The experienced soldier inclines his head, unable to deny it. "They've had order for so long, they don't know what chaos feels like." Farah finishes sharply, glancing over her shoulder back out the window, her worry almost getting the best of her.
Saul nods slightly before reluctantly admitting, "they might soon."
After a moment of silence, allowing Saul to process what information she has already given him, the headmistress looks from the window to her friend again. "There's something else..."
"Something else? What more could there be?" Saul asks, noting the hesitancy, but he knows it is not a lack of trust that holds the words back, but more that Farah herself is unsure what to make of it.
"Tonight, with the Burned One. There was more than one present." Farah knows that this detail will be unsettling, but after everything they've been through together, he deserves the respect of transparency. They're a team after all.
Saul is shocked and more concerned than ever by this news. "How- how many?"
"Three."
Arms still folded, Saul rocks back onto his heals before righting himself again, completely taken aback. "Three." He copies. "Why didn't you say earlier? Where are the other two?" Before Farah can answer the questions he's fired, he already begins making plans. "I'll prepare two teams in the morning, hunt them down before they have the chance to hurt anyone or cause a panic..." Saul was about to go on but Farah's shaking head has him quieting, bemused.
"That won't be necessary." Farah informs in an even tone, only serving to confuse the specialist more.
"Not necessary? Farah, they threaten the safety of the Otherworld, they must-"
"They've been dealt with." Farah cuts him off.
"Dealt with?" Saul frowns.
"Killed." Farah responds bluntly. Anticipating his next question, "not by me." She adds.
"Then who?" Saul is beginning to feel impatient as the more she talks, the more puzzled he becomes.
"I don't know. I didn't recognise them. A fairy for sure, and a powerful one." Farah takes a breath, her minds eye revisiting the scene in the warehouse. If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, she would not have believed it, if someone had been the one to tell her. Which was why she found herself relieved to see Saul listening intently, trusting her every word. "I observed them use more than one affinity whilst battling two Burned Ones."
"More than one affinity isn't unheard of," the headmaster says what they both know to be true. "But two Burned Ones, without backup?" Saul, even though concerned with this new unknown, finds himself impressed, fully aware himself how difficult a confrontation with one Burned One is, let alone two. Yet, inspecting Farah further, he finds her countenance more disturbed, prompting him to conclude, "You're holding back. There's more. Tell me." He says in a subdued tone.
"I've never seen anything like it..." Farah begins with a deep, jaggard breath. "The magiks they used on the Burned Ones...one was not so strange, but the other..." the headmistress bows her head. "Fire and..." She shakes her head, still uncertain what conclusions to draw from what she saw.
"And..." Saul prods, urging Farah to lift her head, wanting the specialist to see the verity of her words in her gaze.
"Shadows."
━━━━━━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━━━━━━
𝙰/𝙽
(3752 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜)
𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙸 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝙸 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚑𝚊.
𝙰𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚑𝚘, 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔, 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚎.
𝚄𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 *𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎*☕︎︎