Post by ShadaAntoinette on May 25, 2010 2:47:44 GMT -5
She had Traced to the farthest city from Hellfire Castle, on the outskirts of what was now her kingdom, which was a good start, since it would shorten her initial journey from the castle by at least three days, if she ran all the way.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the sign telling her where she was. She didn't want to be at the Castle when Arnoz figured out that she had double-crossed him. But really, had he actually believed that she would become his mate just like that? She hoped he wasn't as big a fool as that, but one never knew. She stopped only once as she left the town, choosing to gather food supplies for the first leg of her trip, rather than try to use instincts she didn't know if she had or not.
It still felt strange walking around in the body she had now, the size difference between her natural body and this one was staggering, even if it was only a few inches. It may have been only that, but she not had a tail, and it was forever getting in her way. How could animals deal with it? She figured out that if she held the tip up from the ground it would make it easier for her to walk, to run and to overall balance as she moved. She smiled. Perhaps this body wasn't so bad after all.
Liir had convinced her to change a small bit of her appearance, her hair color. Shada had been reluctant to do so, since she had never done it before, but Liir argued that she should do something nice for herself, as a freedom gift. It was enough for her, so she went to find someone to do what Liir had described to her. And, four hours later, she was on the trail again, her once raven black hair now a fiery, vivid red. She had done something to force people to take notice of her, more so than her huge appearance had done in the first place. At first she had hated it, but now, some eight miles or so later, she was coming to terms with it.
It was raining, and her hair hung in limp, scarlet clumps around her face, curling. She did nothing but press on, until the lightning and storm winds forced her to stop and take shelter in a nearby cave made of tree roots.
She sat under the cover and looked out into the bleakness, her senses picking up the sounds and scents of other creatures nearby. It made her feel... strangely that she could be one with nature, as she was now. The sound of the rain striking the dusty, dry earth startled her at first, but became an almost lullaby for her, the longer she heard it. She yawned, laid down and curled into a ball, her tail wrapping around her legs instinctively as she fell asleep.
She awoke only when the thunder struck, the sound loud and shocking. She yelped and burrowed farther under the tree, her body heat keeping her warm and promptly fell asleep again, unaware that she was being watched from not far away.
She heard the blade slide free before she felt the coldness of it under her chin.
"Who are you?" The accent was something she had never heard before, which helped to awaken her more.
"Better question, who are you?" She opened both of her eyes and snarled when she saw a girl, not much older looking than she was.
"I asked you first. Now, who are you and what are you doing here? I would answer before I split you open from navel to jugular." The girl's voice was rough with exhaustion, but she had the stony face of a killer.
"My name is not important. But I would suggest you get off of me before I leave you a bleeding pile of organs." Shada growled back. She sat up and looked at the girl. She looked human, but she had the distinct scent of...feline. She had long red hair as well, with peculiar cat-like ears on her head, cerulean blue eyes and pale skin. She was wearing all black, though from the looks of her, she had seen her share of battles. Her clothes were a tattered mess and she still had the remnants of blood on her face. She glared at the large wolf who had taken her bedding spot with little more than a murderous glare.
"I'm losing my patience." The cat girl said, an almost yowling sound coming from her throat. "This is my spot, and I suggest you vacate before we have some issues." Shada did nothing but growl low.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Think of it as that, if you want. Just get the Hell out of here!" Shada didn't want to fight this girl, she would hurt and/or possibly kill her and she didn't want the youngling's blood on her conscience.
"Fine, fine. Just get out of the way so I can get up." She said, after a bit. She didn't want to fight the girl, though the girl looked like she could do some damage, despite being so young. What on earth was she? Shada crawled out from under the tree, standing to her ful height, which made her loom over the girl. The cat girl barely gave her a glance before she disappeared into her burrow, muttering about something Shada knew she didn't want to hear.
The rain had stopped, thankfully, and she made her way through the forest, still wondering who the girl was, and why she had been so adamant about the burrow. Surely there were other places for her to be?
She didn't take it personally, and went on her way, her eyesight picking up the dark shapes as trees around her. She didn't know where she was going to go, just knew she was going to go there and try to forget about the deal she had made, even if her morals told her to go back and face them like a woman.
By dawn, she had made it to town, the first one outside of her kingdom. She smiled wanly, wondering what it was going to be like in town, if she even went through it. After what had happened last night, she really wasn't looking forward to seeing what would happen. Even though the war had ended many centuries ago, the Mortals still treated the Immortals as if they were a scourge on the planet, second class or something of the kind. If she found the wrong place to be, she could end up dead, or worse the trophy pet to some hunter. She shivered at the thought. Still, with that in mind, she was going to leave the town as quickly as she entered it, to ensure that the scenario did not happen.
The rain had begun again, after she had left the town, walking along the horse trails that led from one town to the next, so she was drenched to the bone. The swollen, dark gray stormclouds were nigh seamless in the sky, mercilessly pouring their loads of water down upon the countryside, muddying the trail and forcing her to walk along it, as not to sink into the goo. She sighed to herself and looked around, looking for a place to stop and rest before she continued. She was getting weak from not being able to feed, or eat, which she found she could do without problem in this form. The townspeople had made her uncomfortable, so she had hurried along without stopping, lest she attract the negativity she could sense around her. It just reaffirmed for her that she had in fact become a freak of nature.
In the distance, she saw what looked like to be a quaint, two-story house, but the closer she got, she began to notice the Romanesque columns, the Victorian style of the architecture, the rolling green lawns, everything. The overall air of the place was lovely, even at the distance she stood.
The long, gravel-filled driveway stretched before her and she almost wondered if she had the strength left to walk it, or even if she should do so in the first place.
Lethargy won out, and she reluctantly slogged her way up the path to the Manor house.
When she stood in front of the door, she hesitated again. Should she risk it? She didn't know. How would the occupants react to seeing her, such as she was, standing at their doorstep?
Well, she was going to find out. Hunger was gnawing at her and she couldn't take it anymore. She rang the doorbell, her ear twitching when she heard it chime farther in the house.
The door opened a bit to show a man, dressed as a butler.
"What business have you with the family Syracuse?" He didn't seem to look at her as if she were scum, in fact, he seemed rather indifferent. She instantly calmed down a little.
"I am sorry to be a bother. Might I trouble for a bit of warmth? I have been traveling a long time..."
"Who is at the door?" A woman's voice came from inside the house, off where Shada couldn't readily see her.
"A traveler, M'lady. She wishes to warm herself before she continues on her journey." The manservant replied. She bit the inside of her cheek and waited to see what the lady would say. Her ears drooped over and her fluffy tail lowered to the ground, forlorn.
"Please, if I am intruding, I will be on my way." She said, pivoting to step down from the porch. "I did not mean to be a bother."
"No, no, it is not trouble at all." The woman came to the door. "Please, do come in and sit a while. I will have tea and some food brought to us." She smiled graciously at her, which made Shada take pause. The woman was attractive...no, that wasn't accurate. The woman was beautiful, and that confused Shada, though she didn't show it.
"I thank you, kind Lady." She said, bowing her head to show respect, her vivid red hair falling around her shoulders.
"Not a problem, my dear. Welcome to Syracuse Manor." She moved to allow Shada access into the house, still smiling. Shada entered and immediately reached down to untie her boots and pulled them off, revealing big hind paws, the claws painted silver at the moment. "Right this way." Shada removed her coat and handed it to the butler, who took it and disappeared as she followed the beguiling lady into the next room.
Soft towels had been placed over the couch, which she sat upon, as not to ruin the fabric. Her tail gracefully wrapped around her ankles as she sat. She smiled at the woman.
"I must thank you again for your hospitality. I know it must be strange for a person like me to appear here without notice."
"Not at all. We are happy to have visitors. No one comes to this place. Not since Lord Syracuse, my husband died." Her voice had a sad note in in, and instantly Shada was sorry she had mentioned it. "Oh, forgive me for my rudeness, I am Lady Aerithea Rae Syracuse, and you are?"
"My name is Nightshade Antoinette Angheliiratiaa Kavihaa De Embrell." Shada said, rattling off her given name.
"That is quite the mouthful, isn't it?"
"Aye... but I would be honored if you would call me Shada."
"Shada... that is a pretty name."
"Thank you, as is yours, Lady Aerithea."
"Please, call me Aer." Shada nodded and smiled at her, accepting the steaming cup of tea Aer handed her. There was a moment of silence, as the women studied each other. "Where are you from, Shada?" Should she tell her the truth? Eh...
"I am from the neighboring kingdom, as a matter of fact. The Hellshadowens." Shada watched Aer's face, but nothing except the spark of acknowledgment came to her eyes.
"Ah, I see. How are the King and Queen over there?"
"The king is dead. The Queen killed him." She said flatly.
"Oh. I am sorry to hear that."
"I'm not. He was an abusive asshole."
"You sound as if you know him personally." Aer said, laughing. She stopped when she saw that Shada didn't laugh as well.
"I do. I am the Queen." She said, tightly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Welcome, Ma--"
"No. Here I am no different than you. Incognito, if you will. I am taking a hiatus to gather myself." And to make sure that lunatic is gone by the time I get back, she added, in her mind.
"Fair enough, your secret is safe with me." Aer said, smiling at her again.
"I thank you, Lady Syracuse." She said, honestly. And she meant it. She wanted a normal, commoner's life while she was outside of her kingdom. She just wanted to live out the rest of her days happy, was that so much to ask for? Apparently so, but she wasn't going to dwell on that. She and Aer talked for a long time, about general small talk things, as well as where Shada was going to go after she left there. Aer told her to just wait until the next day to leave, giving her time to dry completely, have a good meal and a full night's rest.
"You'll be stronger for it in the long run."
"Aye, Aer. I will stay here for the night."
"Ah, good. I will show you to your room then." She smiled at the Xurenae woman and lead her up the stairs to the upper floors, taking her down the winding hallway to an empty room. She opened the door and Shada entered, her eyes wide when she saw the decor. Everything was so modern it made her eyes hurt, but it was pretty, black and white. She loved it and she told the woman so.
"Good, good. I'm glad you like it." Shada smiled at her. "So I will let you rest, dinner is at eight, so I will see you then." Shada nodded and the woman left.
Her eyes burned from the lack of sleep but she kept thinking about her hostess and how nice she was. The woman was beautiful, even for human standards, and it gave her pause for a moment. What was she? And why did Shada feel like she wanted to... go to her and do unspeakable things to her? She slapped a hand over her mouth, to cover the laugh she had coming. Oh, she was a riot! She had not felt the pleasure of a woman since Miranda, and really hadn't wanted to. Now, she looked at this woman and that was all it took! It was sad, no more than sad, it was ridiculous. She rubbed her eyes and stripped out of her wet clothes to climb into the enormous four poster bed before falling asleep. Dinner was at eight... Aer had told her so. All right, she had a few hours until then, enough time for a nap.... her dreams were pleasant, instead of the wicked nightmares they had been for the last three thousand years.
Dinner had made her wish she was going to stay longer than a night, but she had to move on. Any time spent too long in place just made it that much easier for her to be found and she didn't like it. But, as she took advantage of the shower that adjoined her room, she knew she had to go. She was getting attached, and she didn't need to do this, not again, not ever.
The heat of the water fogged the mirror, which she wiped clean so she could look at herself. Overall, she was a strange looking creature, her face not quite a wolf and not quite a human. She knew she had to figure out how to break this curse, and decided to base her journey on that. If anything, she burned to have her old body back, and nothing would stop her from that, not even death, lest it come to that.
She sighed and began putting on the nightgown Aer had given her, but it only fell to her mid thigh. It was more like a tunic on her, but on the shorter woman, it would have dragged the ground indefinitely. She smiled and shivered at the thought and deemed her dirty mind a product of Liir's persuasion, which brought the Succubus up from her dormant slumber.
" Oh no, Shada. That is all you. I've had nothing to do with your thoughts thus far. You lust after her on your own."
"Surely you jest."
"I don't. And, if you want to see if she is willing, your chance is now. The Lady Aerithea is down in the sitting room, reading." Sjada didn't want to know how Liir knew that, and didn't know whether to go there or not. It had appeal, but did she really want to look like a fool? Liir gave her a slight mental push.
"Go to her. There is no way for you to know unless you try, Shada. What is the worst that could happen?" Shada didn't want to think about what the worst situation was, but she resigned herself to at least going to spend time with her hostess. She would see where it would lead.
Her paws made no sound as she padded downstairs. She moved silently toward the sitting room, only to be met at the door by Aer.
"Oh! You scared me! I didn't see you there. Did you need something?" Yea... you. Shada wanted to say, instead, she swallowed her words and smiled.
"Nothing. I just wanted to spend some time with you since I leave in the morning."
"Fair enough, we can do that. But let's do that upstairs. That nightgown your wearing might shock the servants." Aer said with a laugh. Shada laughed as well, seeing her point.
"All right, let us go then." She moved to allow Aer to pass her and followed her upstairs. She had thought they were going to the room she was using, but they weren't. At the top of the stairs, Aer turned left instead of right, which meant they were going to her room. Elation trilled through her, but she kept herself emotionless, lest she make herself eager. She didn't want to do something to set the woman off about her.
The room was spectacular, which matched the woman who owned it. The overall theme in the room showed her nobility, which Shada liked, a lot. However, it did not ease the ache she felt inside. Should she? Shouldn't she? Oh, she couldn't make up her mind.
"This room is very pretty. You did well decorating it." She said, smiling.
"Thank you, Shada. I had a bit of fun with it, I admit. You don't think it's overdone?"
"Never. You did what you liked, and that, I must say is better than most." Shada gave a small laugh and sat down next to her unlikely friend, who had perched herself atop the four poster bed.
"I'm glad just the same." Aer said, patting Shada's leg fondly. The Xurenae woman fought the urge to moan out loud. She had to stop, had to. She didn't want want to attack the woman. She would be no better than Azazel if she did that.
Her eyes dipped briefly to Aer's body, her eyes darkening. She just... it was too difficult to explain.. it just was. She didn't know if she wanted her simply out of the affection of the deed, or to counteract the hatred she still had over Azazel, the slime ball that he was. In a lot of ways, it was both, and it drew her in, almost to the point of danger.
"Oh, I can read your palm, Aer, if you like. My mother was a bit of a diviner or sorts. She taught me a lot about it."
"Anything to touch her, huh, Shada? Y'see this is something I never have to worry about. I'm a Succubus. All I have to do is look at the right person and their mine. I don't understand why you're making this so difficult on yourself." Liir chimed inside her mind. Shada bit her own tongue and ignored her. This was not going to be one of those times where she listened to the Succubus, only to have something bad happen in the end. Whatever happened, happened. She hadn't noticed that Aer was staring at her until she looked at her again.
"What is it?" She asked, confused.
"Nothing. You seemed to be at war with yourself for a moment, I was just waiting to see who would be the victor." Aer grinned. Shada laughed and shook her head.
"My head is telling me to do something I don't know if I should do." Shada admitted, refraining from telling her the whole truth. Aer nodded.
"What does your heart tell you? Surely it would be the wiser of the two organs."
"Well... that's just it. My heart is saying to give it a go and my head is telling me to do it, but I, myself don't want anything bad to come about if I listen to them. It's really a hard decision.
"I see. In that case, I would probably listen to them. If they agree then they must know something that you, as a person, do not." It made sense, sorta. But with that came the insecurities. What if this was for naught? She wanted to just go for it, but that really wasn't her way. She really wasn't the type to rush into things like this. So, like a fool, she didn't. A lifetime of regret was meant more to her than this one instance of rejection, apparently.
Shada stood. "I supposed I will go to bed then, unless there was something more you wished of me?"
"O-of course not." Aer seemed shaken for a moment, as if she had been the one who had come to the realization that she was probably making the wrong choice about something. It kinda made Shada wonder what she was thinking, and at the same time, not really.
"All right, I trust I will see you before I leave in the morning, aye?"
"Yes, Good night, Shada."
"Good night, Lady Aerithea."
The sunlight poured into the window of Shada's room, but she wasn't sleeping. She had been awake for the last hour, thinking about what she had done the night before. She wanted to kick herself for not taking advantage of her feelings, but at the same time, she was glad she hadn't. She'd barely known Aer for a night and she had already thought about being with her... sleeping with her. She was becoming Liir and she didn't like it.
"Tch... is being me so bad? I mean, I'm a Succubus which means I can have all the sex I want... or need." Liir cackled. Shada promptly ignored her and put her clothes on, which had been cleaned and dried by the servants. She smiled one last time and headed downstairs, sneaking out before breakfast or the Lady Aerithea saw her. It would just be easier to do so this way, and she didn't even have to say goodbye, which she loathed doing. She hadn't left a note, which was probably not going to go over well, but she had to move on. Had to.
Her feet carried her over the countryside and to the next town, but she didn't stay long. No one noticed her, for which she was glad of, but she was just weary of having people stare at her and such.
She started running as soon as she hit the city limits and didn't stop until she stood at the foot of some mountains. She had never been this far away from home, while still being in Blade, and she was enjoying the sights of the country, though it offered a lot of cultures she had never had the pleasure of experiencing. She felt free for the first time in centuries, truly free. Azazel was dead and the added fear that he would return for her was gone making her giddy. She loved it!
Halfway to the border of this country and the next, she started seeing signs of another kingdom coming up. She hadn't know there was another one out this far. The town she entered was plastered with the colors of the Royal Family, silver and a rich blue. Hmm... she wondered what they were celebrating.
A parade was coming down the cobblestone streets and she stepped to the side to let them pass her. A white carriage that held a couple passed her. Oh... a wedding. She smiled a bit to herself and wandered with the crowd, to see the great occasion.
"..Let it be forever known that Princess Cora of Wyndon and Prince Isaac of our Royal Family of NightHaunter shall be forever wedded under the sign of the Raven, our cherished God, Woden!" The bishop said. Shada nodded slowly, taking in what he'd said. So she had stumbled into the wayward Kingdom of the NightHaunters... interesting. She just hoped she wasn't stepping on anyone's toes by being here.
The festivities lasted through the night, and she made it a point of introducing herself to the King and Queen, Eliza and Merrick, who welcomed her graciously as Queen Nightshade of Hellshadow. She smiled and mingled, finding out much about this Clan, which wasn't hard, since the Nobles were all drunk by this time. She had found somewhere to hang out for a few days, enjoying herself. She just didn't know how long it would be.
After the party, Eliza approached her and asked her to stay in the Castle with them, as their guest. Flattered and honored, Shada agreed and she was ushered into the carriage with the King and Queen. They asked her about her journey, to which replied graciously, leaving out what had happened back at Hellfire Castle. She did not want them to think ill of her, after having asked her to stay with them.
A few days later, Shada was sitting in the library of the large castle, looking over some books on Magick, just as she had before at Hellfire. However, this place had more of a selection than she'd had. She was impressed by the size of the room, and more impressed by the books that lay in front of her on the table. With her small rectangular glasses perched on her nose, she read the books, pouring her energy to cleansing her body of the curse.
"Lady Nightshade, I was looking for you." Eliza said, coming to stand beside her. "What are you reading?"
"Just a book of Magick spells. What can I do for you?" Shada asked, looking up at her.
"I have a quest for you... well, for you and some of the guards here." She gestured about her to the men standing at ready around them.
"I see. Well, I'm all ears, as it were." She grinned and laid the book down. Eliza giggled.
"All right then. For thousands of generations, my family have been looking for a talisman that we lost to ravagers and I think we may have a chance to find it now. I found this map in the lining of my father's old robe and I believe it has the capability to show us where the talisman is." Shada held out her hand to see the map, to which Eliza obliged her. She looked it over for a moment before handing it back.
"And you want me to help you look for it?"
"Yes. I would like for you to aid me in finding it." Shada nodded.
"Aye, I can do that. When do we leave?"
"Now, as a matter of fact." Eliza said.
"All right, give me one moment and I will be along." Satisfied with her answer, Eliza and her men departed the library.
Shada Traced to her room and grabbed her sword, spell books and whatever else she had brought with her, in case she didn't come back to this castle, and she had a feeling she wouldn't. She met Eliza and the rest of the search party, which consisted of twenty men, at the door.
"I'm ready now." She said. Eliza nodded to her and they departed the castle.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the sign telling her where she was. She didn't want to be at the Castle when Arnoz figured out that she had double-crossed him. But really, had he actually believed that she would become his mate just like that? She hoped he wasn't as big a fool as that, but one never knew. She stopped only once as she left the town, choosing to gather food supplies for the first leg of her trip, rather than try to use instincts she didn't know if she had or not.
It still felt strange walking around in the body she had now, the size difference between her natural body and this one was staggering, even if it was only a few inches. It may have been only that, but she not had a tail, and it was forever getting in her way. How could animals deal with it? She figured out that if she held the tip up from the ground it would make it easier for her to walk, to run and to overall balance as she moved. She smiled. Perhaps this body wasn't so bad after all.
Liir had convinced her to change a small bit of her appearance, her hair color. Shada had been reluctant to do so, since she had never done it before, but Liir argued that she should do something nice for herself, as a freedom gift. It was enough for her, so she went to find someone to do what Liir had described to her. And, four hours later, she was on the trail again, her once raven black hair now a fiery, vivid red. She had done something to force people to take notice of her, more so than her huge appearance had done in the first place. At first she had hated it, but now, some eight miles or so later, she was coming to terms with it.
It was raining, and her hair hung in limp, scarlet clumps around her face, curling. She did nothing but press on, until the lightning and storm winds forced her to stop and take shelter in a nearby cave made of tree roots.
She sat under the cover and looked out into the bleakness, her senses picking up the sounds and scents of other creatures nearby. It made her feel... strangely that she could be one with nature, as she was now. The sound of the rain striking the dusty, dry earth startled her at first, but became an almost lullaby for her, the longer she heard it. She yawned, laid down and curled into a ball, her tail wrapping around her legs instinctively as she fell asleep.
She awoke only when the thunder struck, the sound loud and shocking. She yelped and burrowed farther under the tree, her body heat keeping her warm and promptly fell asleep again, unaware that she was being watched from not far away.
She heard the blade slide free before she felt the coldness of it under her chin.
"Who are you?" The accent was something she had never heard before, which helped to awaken her more.
"Better question, who are you?" She opened both of her eyes and snarled when she saw a girl, not much older looking than she was.
"I asked you first. Now, who are you and what are you doing here? I would answer before I split you open from navel to jugular." The girl's voice was rough with exhaustion, but she had the stony face of a killer.
"My name is not important. But I would suggest you get off of me before I leave you a bleeding pile of organs." Shada growled back. She sat up and looked at the girl. She looked human, but she had the distinct scent of...feline. She had long red hair as well, with peculiar cat-like ears on her head, cerulean blue eyes and pale skin. She was wearing all black, though from the looks of her, she had seen her share of battles. Her clothes were a tattered mess and she still had the remnants of blood on her face. She glared at the large wolf who had taken her bedding spot with little more than a murderous glare.
"I'm losing my patience." The cat girl said, an almost yowling sound coming from her throat. "This is my spot, and I suggest you vacate before we have some issues." Shada did nothing but growl low.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Think of it as that, if you want. Just get the Hell out of here!" Shada didn't want to fight this girl, she would hurt and/or possibly kill her and she didn't want the youngling's blood on her conscience.
"Fine, fine. Just get out of the way so I can get up." She said, after a bit. She didn't want to fight the girl, though the girl looked like she could do some damage, despite being so young. What on earth was she? Shada crawled out from under the tree, standing to her ful height, which made her loom over the girl. The cat girl barely gave her a glance before she disappeared into her burrow, muttering about something Shada knew she didn't want to hear.
The rain had stopped, thankfully, and she made her way through the forest, still wondering who the girl was, and why she had been so adamant about the burrow. Surely there were other places for her to be?
She didn't take it personally, and went on her way, her eyesight picking up the dark shapes as trees around her. She didn't know where she was going to go, just knew she was going to go there and try to forget about the deal she had made, even if her morals told her to go back and face them like a woman.
By dawn, she had made it to town, the first one outside of her kingdom. She smiled wanly, wondering what it was going to be like in town, if she even went through it. After what had happened last night, she really wasn't looking forward to seeing what would happen. Even though the war had ended many centuries ago, the Mortals still treated the Immortals as if they were a scourge on the planet, second class or something of the kind. If she found the wrong place to be, she could end up dead, or worse the trophy pet to some hunter. She shivered at the thought. Still, with that in mind, she was going to leave the town as quickly as she entered it, to ensure that the scenario did not happen.
The rain had begun again, after she had left the town, walking along the horse trails that led from one town to the next, so she was drenched to the bone. The swollen, dark gray stormclouds were nigh seamless in the sky, mercilessly pouring their loads of water down upon the countryside, muddying the trail and forcing her to walk along it, as not to sink into the goo. She sighed to herself and looked around, looking for a place to stop and rest before she continued. She was getting weak from not being able to feed, or eat, which she found she could do without problem in this form. The townspeople had made her uncomfortable, so she had hurried along without stopping, lest she attract the negativity she could sense around her. It just reaffirmed for her that she had in fact become a freak of nature.
In the distance, she saw what looked like to be a quaint, two-story house, but the closer she got, she began to notice the Romanesque columns, the Victorian style of the architecture, the rolling green lawns, everything. The overall air of the place was lovely, even at the distance she stood.
The long, gravel-filled driveway stretched before her and she almost wondered if she had the strength left to walk it, or even if she should do so in the first place.
Lethargy won out, and she reluctantly slogged her way up the path to the Manor house.
When she stood in front of the door, she hesitated again. Should she risk it? She didn't know. How would the occupants react to seeing her, such as she was, standing at their doorstep?
Well, she was going to find out. Hunger was gnawing at her and she couldn't take it anymore. She rang the doorbell, her ear twitching when she heard it chime farther in the house.
The door opened a bit to show a man, dressed as a butler.
"What business have you with the family Syracuse?" He didn't seem to look at her as if she were scum, in fact, he seemed rather indifferent. She instantly calmed down a little.
"I am sorry to be a bother. Might I trouble for a bit of warmth? I have been traveling a long time..."
"Who is at the door?" A woman's voice came from inside the house, off where Shada couldn't readily see her.
"A traveler, M'lady. She wishes to warm herself before she continues on her journey." The manservant replied. She bit the inside of her cheek and waited to see what the lady would say. Her ears drooped over and her fluffy tail lowered to the ground, forlorn.
"Please, if I am intruding, I will be on my way." She said, pivoting to step down from the porch. "I did not mean to be a bother."
"No, no, it is not trouble at all." The woman came to the door. "Please, do come in and sit a while. I will have tea and some food brought to us." She smiled graciously at her, which made Shada take pause. The woman was attractive...no, that wasn't accurate. The woman was beautiful, and that confused Shada, though she didn't show it.
"I thank you, kind Lady." She said, bowing her head to show respect, her vivid red hair falling around her shoulders.
"Not a problem, my dear. Welcome to Syracuse Manor." She moved to allow Shada access into the house, still smiling. Shada entered and immediately reached down to untie her boots and pulled them off, revealing big hind paws, the claws painted silver at the moment. "Right this way." Shada removed her coat and handed it to the butler, who took it and disappeared as she followed the beguiling lady into the next room.
Soft towels had been placed over the couch, which she sat upon, as not to ruin the fabric. Her tail gracefully wrapped around her ankles as she sat. She smiled at the woman.
"I must thank you again for your hospitality. I know it must be strange for a person like me to appear here without notice."
"Not at all. We are happy to have visitors. No one comes to this place. Not since Lord Syracuse, my husband died." Her voice had a sad note in in, and instantly Shada was sorry she had mentioned it. "Oh, forgive me for my rudeness, I am Lady Aerithea Rae Syracuse, and you are?"
"My name is Nightshade Antoinette Angheliiratiaa Kavihaa De Embrell." Shada said, rattling off her given name.
"That is quite the mouthful, isn't it?"
"Aye... but I would be honored if you would call me Shada."
"Shada... that is a pretty name."
"Thank you, as is yours, Lady Aerithea."
"Please, call me Aer." Shada nodded and smiled at her, accepting the steaming cup of tea Aer handed her. There was a moment of silence, as the women studied each other. "Where are you from, Shada?" Should she tell her the truth? Eh...
"I am from the neighboring kingdom, as a matter of fact. The Hellshadowens." Shada watched Aer's face, but nothing except the spark of acknowledgment came to her eyes.
"Ah, I see. How are the King and Queen over there?"
"The king is dead. The Queen killed him." She said flatly.
"Oh. I am sorry to hear that."
"I'm not. He was an abusive asshole."
"You sound as if you know him personally." Aer said, laughing. She stopped when she saw that Shada didn't laugh as well.
"I do. I am the Queen." She said, tightly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Welcome, Ma--"
"No. Here I am no different than you. Incognito, if you will. I am taking a hiatus to gather myself." And to make sure that lunatic is gone by the time I get back, she added, in her mind.
"Fair enough, your secret is safe with me." Aer said, smiling at her again.
"I thank you, Lady Syracuse." She said, honestly. And she meant it. She wanted a normal, commoner's life while she was outside of her kingdom. She just wanted to live out the rest of her days happy, was that so much to ask for? Apparently so, but she wasn't going to dwell on that. She and Aer talked for a long time, about general small talk things, as well as where Shada was going to go after she left there. Aer told her to just wait until the next day to leave, giving her time to dry completely, have a good meal and a full night's rest.
"You'll be stronger for it in the long run."
"Aye, Aer. I will stay here for the night."
"Ah, good. I will show you to your room then." She smiled at the Xurenae woman and lead her up the stairs to the upper floors, taking her down the winding hallway to an empty room. She opened the door and Shada entered, her eyes wide when she saw the decor. Everything was so modern it made her eyes hurt, but it was pretty, black and white. She loved it and she told the woman so.
"Good, good. I'm glad you like it." Shada smiled at her. "So I will let you rest, dinner is at eight, so I will see you then." Shada nodded and the woman left.
Her eyes burned from the lack of sleep but she kept thinking about her hostess and how nice she was. The woman was beautiful, even for human standards, and it gave her pause for a moment. What was she? And why did Shada feel like she wanted to... go to her and do unspeakable things to her? She slapped a hand over her mouth, to cover the laugh she had coming. Oh, she was a riot! She had not felt the pleasure of a woman since Miranda, and really hadn't wanted to. Now, she looked at this woman and that was all it took! It was sad, no more than sad, it was ridiculous. She rubbed her eyes and stripped out of her wet clothes to climb into the enormous four poster bed before falling asleep. Dinner was at eight... Aer had told her so. All right, she had a few hours until then, enough time for a nap.... her dreams were pleasant, instead of the wicked nightmares they had been for the last three thousand years.
Dinner had made her wish she was going to stay longer than a night, but she had to move on. Any time spent too long in place just made it that much easier for her to be found and she didn't like it. But, as she took advantage of the shower that adjoined her room, she knew she had to go. She was getting attached, and she didn't need to do this, not again, not ever.
The heat of the water fogged the mirror, which she wiped clean so she could look at herself. Overall, she was a strange looking creature, her face not quite a wolf and not quite a human. She knew she had to figure out how to break this curse, and decided to base her journey on that. If anything, she burned to have her old body back, and nothing would stop her from that, not even death, lest it come to that.
She sighed and began putting on the nightgown Aer had given her, but it only fell to her mid thigh. It was more like a tunic on her, but on the shorter woman, it would have dragged the ground indefinitely. She smiled and shivered at the thought and deemed her dirty mind a product of Liir's persuasion, which brought the Succubus up from her dormant slumber.
" Oh no, Shada. That is all you. I've had nothing to do with your thoughts thus far. You lust after her on your own."
"Surely you jest."
"I don't. And, if you want to see if she is willing, your chance is now. The Lady Aerithea is down in the sitting room, reading." Sjada didn't want to know how Liir knew that, and didn't know whether to go there or not. It had appeal, but did she really want to look like a fool? Liir gave her a slight mental push.
"Go to her. There is no way for you to know unless you try, Shada. What is the worst that could happen?" Shada didn't want to think about what the worst situation was, but she resigned herself to at least going to spend time with her hostess. She would see where it would lead.
Her paws made no sound as she padded downstairs. She moved silently toward the sitting room, only to be met at the door by Aer.
"Oh! You scared me! I didn't see you there. Did you need something?" Yea... you. Shada wanted to say, instead, she swallowed her words and smiled.
"Nothing. I just wanted to spend some time with you since I leave in the morning."
"Fair enough, we can do that. But let's do that upstairs. That nightgown your wearing might shock the servants." Aer said with a laugh. Shada laughed as well, seeing her point.
"All right, let us go then." She moved to allow Aer to pass her and followed her upstairs. She had thought they were going to the room she was using, but they weren't. At the top of the stairs, Aer turned left instead of right, which meant they were going to her room. Elation trilled through her, but she kept herself emotionless, lest she make herself eager. She didn't want to do something to set the woman off about her.
The room was spectacular, which matched the woman who owned it. The overall theme in the room showed her nobility, which Shada liked, a lot. However, it did not ease the ache she felt inside. Should she? Shouldn't she? Oh, she couldn't make up her mind.
"This room is very pretty. You did well decorating it." She said, smiling.
"Thank you, Shada. I had a bit of fun with it, I admit. You don't think it's overdone?"
"Never. You did what you liked, and that, I must say is better than most." Shada gave a small laugh and sat down next to her unlikely friend, who had perched herself atop the four poster bed.
"I'm glad just the same." Aer said, patting Shada's leg fondly. The Xurenae woman fought the urge to moan out loud. She had to stop, had to. She didn't want want to attack the woman. She would be no better than Azazel if she did that.
Her eyes dipped briefly to Aer's body, her eyes darkening. She just... it was too difficult to explain.. it just was. She didn't know if she wanted her simply out of the affection of the deed, or to counteract the hatred she still had over Azazel, the slime ball that he was. In a lot of ways, it was both, and it drew her in, almost to the point of danger.
"Oh, I can read your palm, Aer, if you like. My mother was a bit of a diviner or sorts. She taught me a lot about it."
"Anything to touch her, huh, Shada? Y'see this is something I never have to worry about. I'm a Succubus. All I have to do is look at the right person and their mine. I don't understand why you're making this so difficult on yourself." Liir chimed inside her mind. Shada bit her own tongue and ignored her. This was not going to be one of those times where she listened to the Succubus, only to have something bad happen in the end. Whatever happened, happened. She hadn't noticed that Aer was staring at her until she looked at her again.
"What is it?" She asked, confused.
"Nothing. You seemed to be at war with yourself for a moment, I was just waiting to see who would be the victor." Aer grinned. Shada laughed and shook her head.
"My head is telling me to do something I don't know if I should do." Shada admitted, refraining from telling her the whole truth. Aer nodded.
"What does your heart tell you? Surely it would be the wiser of the two organs."
"Well... that's just it. My heart is saying to give it a go and my head is telling me to do it, but I, myself don't want anything bad to come about if I listen to them. It's really a hard decision.
"I see. In that case, I would probably listen to them. If they agree then they must know something that you, as a person, do not." It made sense, sorta. But with that came the insecurities. What if this was for naught? She wanted to just go for it, but that really wasn't her way. She really wasn't the type to rush into things like this. So, like a fool, she didn't. A lifetime of regret was meant more to her than this one instance of rejection, apparently.
Shada stood. "I supposed I will go to bed then, unless there was something more you wished of me?"
"O-of course not." Aer seemed shaken for a moment, as if she had been the one who had come to the realization that she was probably making the wrong choice about something. It kinda made Shada wonder what she was thinking, and at the same time, not really.
"All right, I trust I will see you before I leave in the morning, aye?"
"Yes, Good night, Shada."
"Good night, Lady Aerithea."
The sunlight poured into the window of Shada's room, but she wasn't sleeping. She had been awake for the last hour, thinking about what she had done the night before. She wanted to kick herself for not taking advantage of her feelings, but at the same time, she was glad she hadn't. She'd barely known Aer for a night and she had already thought about being with her... sleeping with her. She was becoming Liir and she didn't like it.
"Tch... is being me so bad? I mean, I'm a Succubus which means I can have all the sex I want... or need." Liir cackled. Shada promptly ignored her and put her clothes on, which had been cleaned and dried by the servants. She smiled one last time and headed downstairs, sneaking out before breakfast or the Lady Aerithea saw her. It would just be easier to do so this way, and she didn't even have to say goodbye, which she loathed doing. She hadn't left a note, which was probably not going to go over well, but she had to move on. Had to.
Her feet carried her over the countryside and to the next town, but she didn't stay long. No one noticed her, for which she was glad of, but she was just weary of having people stare at her and such.
She started running as soon as she hit the city limits and didn't stop until she stood at the foot of some mountains. She had never been this far away from home, while still being in Blade, and she was enjoying the sights of the country, though it offered a lot of cultures she had never had the pleasure of experiencing. She felt free for the first time in centuries, truly free. Azazel was dead and the added fear that he would return for her was gone making her giddy. She loved it!
Halfway to the border of this country and the next, she started seeing signs of another kingdom coming up. She hadn't know there was another one out this far. The town she entered was plastered with the colors of the Royal Family, silver and a rich blue. Hmm... she wondered what they were celebrating.
A parade was coming down the cobblestone streets and she stepped to the side to let them pass her. A white carriage that held a couple passed her. Oh... a wedding. She smiled a bit to herself and wandered with the crowd, to see the great occasion.
"..Let it be forever known that Princess Cora of Wyndon and Prince Isaac of our Royal Family of NightHaunter shall be forever wedded under the sign of the Raven, our cherished God, Woden!" The bishop said. Shada nodded slowly, taking in what he'd said. So she had stumbled into the wayward Kingdom of the NightHaunters... interesting. She just hoped she wasn't stepping on anyone's toes by being here.
The festivities lasted through the night, and she made it a point of introducing herself to the King and Queen, Eliza and Merrick, who welcomed her graciously as Queen Nightshade of Hellshadow. She smiled and mingled, finding out much about this Clan, which wasn't hard, since the Nobles were all drunk by this time. She had found somewhere to hang out for a few days, enjoying herself. She just didn't know how long it would be.
After the party, Eliza approached her and asked her to stay in the Castle with them, as their guest. Flattered and honored, Shada agreed and she was ushered into the carriage with the King and Queen. They asked her about her journey, to which replied graciously, leaving out what had happened back at Hellfire Castle. She did not want them to think ill of her, after having asked her to stay with them.
A few days later, Shada was sitting in the library of the large castle, looking over some books on Magick, just as she had before at Hellfire. However, this place had more of a selection than she'd had. She was impressed by the size of the room, and more impressed by the books that lay in front of her on the table. With her small rectangular glasses perched on her nose, she read the books, pouring her energy to cleansing her body of the curse.
"Lady Nightshade, I was looking for you." Eliza said, coming to stand beside her. "What are you reading?"
"Just a book of Magick spells. What can I do for you?" Shada asked, looking up at her.
"I have a quest for you... well, for you and some of the guards here." She gestured about her to the men standing at ready around them.
"I see. Well, I'm all ears, as it were." She grinned and laid the book down. Eliza giggled.
"All right then. For thousands of generations, my family have been looking for a talisman that we lost to ravagers and I think we may have a chance to find it now. I found this map in the lining of my father's old robe and I believe it has the capability to show us where the talisman is." Shada held out her hand to see the map, to which Eliza obliged her. She looked it over for a moment before handing it back.
"And you want me to help you look for it?"
"Yes. I would like for you to aid me in finding it." Shada nodded.
"Aye, I can do that. When do we leave?"
"Now, as a matter of fact." Eliza said.
"All right, give me one moment and I will be along." Satisfied with her answer, Eliza and her men departed the library.
Shada Traced to her room and grabbed her sword, spell books and whatever else she had brought with her, in case she didn't come back to this castle, and she had a feeling she wouldn't. She met Eliza and the rest of the search party, which consisted of twenty men, at the door.
"I'm ready now." She said. Eliza nodded to her and they departed the castle.