renaleigh

Revenge: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Creatures

A young maiden saw two mortals. She stood in the shadows and looked at them. She decided, after listening to their conversation, to step out of the shadows. She smiled showing her fangs clearly. The mortals wanted to stop and stare at her, but they ran instead. “Wait, don’t go...” She stopped and sighed. She got that reaction a lot being what she was.

            Vataliny wore a dark green cloak. She was a half human; half snake.  She looked much like a human, but she was more reptilian. Which meant for her natural instinct was to be like a snake. Vataliny had maroon hair that covered her bright yellow eyes. Her pale lips concealed two razor-sharp fangs. She also carried two sheathed weapons around a belt. In one short, golden sheath a hilt stood up with a beautiful jewel at the top. In the other longer sheath up came a gorgeous bronze hilt covered with dainty markings and designs. 

            Vataliny took out her dagger and tossed it up into the sky, she then caught it with her hands. Silver scales on top of her hand shimmered. Someone was coming, she could tell. She moved behind a tree.  Slowly edging out to see who it was, it was a stranger. She didn’t like strangers.

            Vataliny looked at a cobra. Its scales ran over Vataliny’s shoulder. Its name was Rain. The chocolate brown under scales shimmered as the turquoise scales rippled on top. Rain lifted its head. Its hiss sounded like a waterfall.

            Vataliny questioned the stranger, “What is your name and where are you from, stranger?” She looked at the stranger coldly and fingered her dagger.

 “My name is none of your business and where I am from is these woods, what are you doing here.” The stranger answered noting her cold stare.

             Ah, a traveler, Vataliny said in her head. How ever Vataliny had no intention to answer his question. “Where are you heading? And you have to tell me your name, unless you want this dagger in your neck.” Vataliny threatened. The stranger laughed at this remark. He was also stricken at her beauty.

“Fine, my name is Aluwishis. I am heading for a tavern not far away. Would you like to come with me?”

Vataliny smiled, she liked Aluwishis. “I’ll follow behind you but I travel on foot so you must walk your horse. I will meet you in the very back left hand booth. If you don’t come, then you won’t live for very long after I hunt you down and kill you.” Vataliny said in a cold tone.

             Aluwishis smiled at Vataliny showing his fangs, but barely. Aluwishis was a vampire. He didn’t like to drink blood but it was him. Most girls found him attractive but he usually ended up killing them, Aluwishis hadn’t fed in a while. He needed blood. He wore a black cloak and had dark brown hair. His eyes were red most of the time but when he liked someone a lot they turned orange. Right now Aluwishis eyes were orange with an evil flame in them. He turned around trying not to look at her for to long then he noticed her snake. “By the way what is your name? I can’t just call you girl, now, can I?” Aluwishis said still looking at her snake.

            “My name is Vataliny and this is Rain. She wouldn’t hurt a fly unless I tell her to. I let her go to hunt occasionally.” Vataliny answered Aluwishis with a smirk. She would enjoy hurting him but she couldn’t. ‘I mustn’t, it wouldn’t be fair to him if I attacked him suddenly’, Vataliny thought to herself.  Vataliny followed Aluwishis to the tavern and while he put his horse in a stall, she ordered water. Aluwishis walked in and sat down across from Vataliny.

            He ordered water along with her. He smiled and said, “What are you anyways. I’ve noticed that you have fangs and were wondering if you were from my kin?” Aluwishis said. He was a vampire and didn’t find much of his kin while he was traveling.

            “I am not from your kin. I am a half human half snake. I noticed you have fangs as well and thought maybe you were a vampire. If I am not right, please correct me. I don’t have to know but just for my safety I would like to know.” Vataliny said her eyes narrowing in on the man. She sipped her water in between sentences.

            “Well, isn’t that interesting. I’ve never meet one of you before but many hafling. And yes for your information and my safety I am a vampire.” He answered back with a strange look on his face. He took a long drink of his water and look at Vataliny. He looked around and saw the keeper. He was showing off something he had caught. It was in a cage and was hissing loudly. Not a small cage like most game but a large cage, hand built and extremely tough.

             Aluwishis walked up to the keeper and asked him what was in the cage. The bartender let him look at the woman in the cage. It hissed at him and said, “Voldor fol ho ver het ky hasth?”

            Vataliny heard this and walked up and replied with a smile, “Mald ver goler doyth?” Vataliny said this like she knew the language. She did. It was Alyxandra; she had taught her friend her language. It wasn’t hard to learn if you knew what it meant.

            Aluwishis didn’t know what they were saying until the two ladies started speaking common language which he could understand.

            “My friend!!!! How have you been? Why are you in there? Where were you when he put you in there?” Vataliny said concern in her voice. She had worry in her eyes and happiness in her soul.

            “Not too many questions my dear friend. I am fine. I am in there because I am different; even you know that, Vataliny. I was in the forest, the one just out of town, and I heard a voice that sounded like yours. We were supposed to meet there and I thought it was you. So I came out of my hiding place and saw him. I tried to run but he put a bag over my head. I can’t remember much except men staring at me and looking at me, trying to touch me!” Alyx looked around the tavern. Drunks were still staring at her.

            Aluwishis watched the two girls and wanted to help Vatalinys friend. He watched Vataliny walk over to the keeper and say something. The keeper laughed and said back, “You want me to let my prized possession go!! Woman, you must be joking. That half human is the only one in the world left. They had all been killed or died in the wild. Rumor has it that there is one more left and it’s a lady. No one can catch her. She has long fangs and carries a snake with her. She is said to talk the language of the serpents, a forgotten language that is just now being learned. No one knows too much though. My plan is to catch that half serpent and than keep her for my entertainment. But as they say, she is only a legend.”

            “You seem to know much of this hafling, sir. But what if she wasn’t a legend what if she was right under your nose.” Vataliny confidently said to the keeper. She knew she might have been giving herself up but that was a chance she could take.

            “You really know her madam. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Where she is and what do you mean under my nose?  How do you know she isn’t a legend? Have you seen her?” The keeper was starting to get crooked.

Vataliny smiled. Her fangs were showing clearly. The keeper gasped. “I know this because I am the legend so to say.  Also many people have tried to capture me but have failed to do so. I am skilled not only in concealing myself but in swordsmanship.” Vataliny pushed her cloak back showing her dagger sheath and her sword. Her dagger sheath was empty and the keeper wondered why that was. Until he saw the dagger in Vataliny’s hand. The tip was gleaming and her finger was stroking it gently. “Everything you have heard about me is all true. My friend serpent is an elemental. I hope you know what that means. Anyway, I am half human half snake and if you don’t let my friend and half kin go than I shall sink my fangs into your arm and inject you with my venom. It will cause you to go insane. Also I only now the anti-dote and you are not going to get it out of me, because it involves my venom with my friend’s venom.”

            The keeper gaped and gingerly held out the key to Vataliny. Vataliny snatched the key and opened the cage holding her hand out to Alyx. Alyx was laughing to herself and then the two friends broke out in tears laughing so hard.

            “Yes, madam.” The keeper said bowing, “I’m so sorry to capture your friend. If you would like you and your group may have some rum and stay here as long as you want. If not then I assure you I will never let this kind of thing happen again.” The keeper got an evil look in his eyes. Vataliny looked back at him unwillingly.

             Aluwishis grinned. His fangs clearly sticking out of his mouth. His grin made Alyxandra shiver. Alyx looked over at Vataliny unsurely. Vataliny just looked at her and smiled. She had a plan; Alyx thought that smile always means she has a plan. The thing was no one ever knew what Vataliny’s plans were because of her closed mind. Rain curled up around Vataliny’s arm.

Toler walked through the tavern door. He looked around as if he was looking for someone.  Vataliny ducked as she saw Toler walking through the door. She kneeled down under the table. Aluwishis was too busy to notice Vataliny disappear. Vataliny drew her recently sheathed dagger. Toler sat at the bar and ordered ale.

Two men walked in the back of the tavern.  The keep’s room. They walked in the bar and grabbed the keep from behind.  They took him in the room. Vataliny dashed out from under the table. And ran into the back room. She bared her teeth and yelled, “Let him go.”

            “Why should we, Vataliny?” Toler said from behind her.

            Vataliny gapped and spun around. The sword cutting her arm. She flinched at the sudden pain. “Toler? I thought I killed you a long time ago.” Vataliny looked at him with a confused look.  “I thought that I had finished you off.”

             “That was my brother you killed. We look exactly a like. I have come here to kill the barkeep for revenge on my father. But instead I get to kill the girl who could defeat my brother in one blow. But tell me, how did you do it?” Toler asked her, a smirk playing on his thin lips.

            “The same way I’m going to kill you.” She threatened.

            “And how would that be?” Toler asked, “I don’t suppose you can hurt me with an injured arm. You do have a sword don’t you? That will hardly scar me, but that dagger will only leave a dent.”  The smirk glowed, his hand clenching the sword hilt.

            “Like this…”  Vataliny lunged towards Toler. Her fangs bore. He jumped out of the way in fright.

             “You plan to eat me?” He laughed a cold hard laugh. “That will do the trick!” He said sarcastically.

            When he was laughing Vataliny lunged at him again. Striking his leg head on, she injected it with all of her venom. The two men got scared and ran off. The keep ran back into the room screaming, more like mumbling, and something at all of the drunks. They just kept on talking to each other. Toler fell to the floor and took him a second to realize what had happened.

            “What the…” He said getting up and looking at his leg. Two bright red dots were there. His leg started to swell. He walked towards the door. Woozy from poison he looked back at Vataliny and said, “I’m going to get you for this, Vata. I’m going to kill you!” He walked out the door.

            Vataliny muttered under her breath, “If you live.”  The cut on her arm wasn’t that bad. She kept her hand over it, occasionally wiping her hand on the bottom of her cloak.

“What happened?” asked Aluwishis.

“Nothing.” Vataliny said coolly.

“Something had to have happened.”

“I just met one of my old acquaintances.”

“That’s it?” asked Alyx listening in on the conversation.

“Yes that’s it.” Vataliny looked agitated. The keep ran up to her.

“You saw them. They tried to kill me!” The keep yelled at Vataliny. Pointing at the fainted figure of Toler outside. Vataliny smiled. Alyx looked at the figure and asked

“Isn’t that Toler? Vataliny that’s Toler isn’t it?

            “Yeah, so?” Vataliny said. Her voice wasn’t as worried as Alyxandra’s voice was.

            “So. Vataliny please tell me you didn’t.”

            “Didn’t what?” said Aluwishis.

            “Yes Alyx, I did. And I did inject him with my venom if you were wondering what I did to Toler.”

 “Oh.” Aluwishis said thinking; again, that Vataliny really was what she said.

“Vataliny, you said that would never happen again!”

“I lied okay? And he was going to kill me. What do you think I should have done?”

“Not use your venom. Why not your sword or you dagger which was in your hand, I presume.”

            “Yes it was. But I wasn’t thinking okay? I don’t know why I did that but we should go see if this assassin is dead.”

            “Fine.” Alyxandra said, reluctantly ending their conversation. Aluwishis ordered ale.

            “What are you doing with that… that foul substance?” Vataliny looked at the ale disapprovingly. She sighed and took a big drink of her water. Her fangs reflected some light. A drop of venom fell on to Vataliny’s tongue. She flinched. Ordered more water. Looking out the window once again.

            “Foul, I find it quite good.” Aluwishis smirked at Vataliny. She sneered showing him her fangs. Alyx sighed and looked at Vataliny disapprovingly. Thinking that Toler would have been better to just defeat with a sword. Alyx knew the full power of Vataliny’s venom. She didn’t know what it would do to her though, but she knew what it would do. Vataliny was mixing some new anti-venom. A bit woozy from using all of her venom. She still had a drop or two left.  But that would hardly suffice for what she needed to stay alive. She looked at Rain. It was sleeping on the seat next to her. A drunk came up to them.

            “What are you doing here?” He fell on the floor.

            “I think we should go check on Toler to make sure he is dead.” Vataliny said.     They walked out of the tavern. A half drunken, warm ale, warm water, and five silver coins were all that was left on the table.