ScaryPlace Original Fiction - Icy Winds of the Forbidden 3

A Story in Installments:

Icy Winds of the Forbidden

Chapter 3
Kindred's Redemption
"Rio Erna"

by Jessica Christopherson
Copyright 2001 All rights reserved
lonewolf14@hotmail.com

The night wasn't very much of a silent one. Oh no, not in Altos. Never really had been or at least from all I could remember and I'm about 47 years old! Course I'm still a fledgling, but I didn't live here all my lifeÉ oh no, no. I came from another place, not from Altos. But it didn't really matter to me either way. My mind was on other things...

I paid little attention to the stars above me, the rooftop of the business company was more of a warehouse but no one was inside but the rats. It was after hours, so no doubt, all the workers had gone home for the night.

I stood by the ledge of one side of the rooftop, looking down towards the ground. My mind was wandering away from me because I'd lost the rings...

I had to stay alert, stay alert for Victor. So then he wouldn't catch on to my thoughts by the time he got here. But he'd probably get them before I would have enough time to shut them out from his reach. I could have easily jump down and back up because of my vampiric abilities allowed me such and probably try getting away from him yet it would be futile. I am a strong for a vampire. Stronger then most. But he is stronger then I am. By ten folds is he stronger then me.

He'd probably be enraged I lost the Kindred's Redemptions, the rings. The Kindred's Redemption allowed us to walk among the living during the day, in a way, make us Day Walkers among the living. Sleep during the night and walk during the day, yet it wasn't easy. It takes a lot of strength even with a ring, to with stand it all. We'd become a bit weaker then we are, not always making a difference but others it will.

I'd be able to see it in his thoughts unless he shut them out from me completely. He isn't my maker; so as a result of that, we can read each other's thoughts.

I was pacing back and forth atop the rooftop, a human gesture and as if it'd help me any. How did I loose the rings anyways? Could I have dropped them while feeding off that one man or simply lost it from a hole in my pocket? I knew when Victor gave me his ring as I took off mine that something bad would happen. This was even worse then I thought! I had to find them or-

The wind seemed to howl off in the distance, I could hear it. Something suddenly on the breeze caught my attention. There was a scent. A mortal scent. A scent I had smelled earlier this evening, when I had fed. But something within me, seemed to be whispering, Could that mortal have the rings...

As I turned in the direction of the scent, my immortal heart stopped as I made eye contact with a handsome hazel brown-eyed stranger. I felt a gasp escape my lips from my surprise, from me being caught off guard. Such a human gesture! I haven't fed enough or some other reason for theses human gestures I've been making all too much already tonightÉ

Long black bangs hung in front of his face; a blue bandana was tied around his head. His short black hair was in cut in the style of the time being, short with long bangs. But that didn't matter much, that's how he preferred it. But his hair would grow back to its original length again by tomorrow evening. His hazel brown eyes seemed hypnotizing with their vampiric luster. His eyes were cold yet alive with their own blaze. A smooth face like that of a statue, perfect in everyway, no flaws once so ever, and seeming almost as pale as one. He hadn't fed enough but he must have sensed something from me, no doubt.

His red short sleeve shirt seemed hidden beneath his black jean jacket. His black jeans were a bit loose but not much, a linked chain of silver hung around his waist. His arms hung limp at his sides.

I didn't know what to do. Victor Schism had come without my slightest notice, as I feared he would.

Victor was looking me straight in the eyes, I blocked off my thoughts from he as quickly as I could.

Slowly, Victor's arms came back to life, it seemed, crossing in front of his chest slowly, his expression never changing. But when he spoke, I knew he had caught something of what I had been thinking, "RioÉ May I have my ring now?"

I couldn't hear anything of whether he knew or not, a single tone that never wavered.

His eyes slowly narrowed at me, "You heard me. Where is it, RioÉ" He spoke his demand clearly yet almost softly it seemed.

He'd kill me if I dared to lie to him, I know that cause he has killed another before just because of that reason. The fool couldn't manage to keep it up in front of Victor.

I hung my head; I was at a lost. I wouldn't be able to hide it from him but a part of me wanted to try. It'd be futile and perhaps even fetal if I did try to cover it upÉ

ÉHow was I going to cover this up? There was another problem I hadn't thought ofÉ I was truly digging myself a bigger hole if I tried to hide it any longerÉ perhaps I was anyways if I told him.

I looked back up to Victor slowly; his hazel eyes seemed to soften a bit. "Come now, Rio. It can't possibly be that hard to simply give me my ring backÉ nowÉ can it?" He tilted his head a bit slowly, still watching me. Not seeming to be surprised that the blood sweat had started to take place on my forehead.

I just watched him a solid few moments without saying anything at all. A few droplets of sweat tinged in blood slowly trickled down my forehead and my face as I watched him. I was afraid of how he'd react to what has happened with the ringsÉ The rings might take a good amount of his strength away while in use, that didn't matter to him. What did was that the point of even having the blasted things was so that once in awhile, or when ever he wanted to, he could walk among mortal as if he were a mere mortal again. He enjoyed that most of all, being able to act as a mortal of theses times would.

Well, wouldn't you if you were about 300 years old? Victor sure does and yes, he is that old. Victor maybe 300 years old but he acts as though he were still a young vampire to the world or a fledgling of this time. He truly is a troublemaker type of vampire, one of the forever rebellious or restless, as they will call them.

He isn't another face among our kind either, he's known of. Not many in theses realms survive immortality, sadly it's true. He's considered one of the old ones around still. All the others, the more older Ones, have disappeared and are considered either nothing but legends or myths.

Agh! Off track again aren't I? I can't seem to keep upon the presents can I? I'll speak of those things laterÉ if there is a later for me.

As I was saying, there was Victor, just watching me and I stood there, with blood sweat coming down my face in a few droplets. Finally, I swallowed heavily, wiped the blood with my sleeve slowly, looked down at the ground and said, trying to keep my voice from falling into a high pitch from my inner panic of this whole ordeal, "IÉ I can't give you y-your ring b-back, V-V-VictorÉ"

Victor just watched me, straightening his posture a bit, his tone never wavering in strength yet still able to seem soft, "Where's my ring, RioÉ?"

I kept my gaze down to the ground, preparing myself for whatever he'd throw at me for what he was about to hear, I was loosing my nerves as if it were sand seeping through my fingertips, "IÉ I-IÉ"

"You don't know do you, Rio?" He just watched me, nothing changing about him, still standing there before me.

Slowly, I nodded my head, waiting for the worse. Strands of my blonde hair falling over my face slowly, I kept my head bowed.

Merely moments later, a metallic sound that seemed to shrill and become louder came from before me. I slowly looked up. It was Victor and he was laughing. I watched him feeling puzzled yet still staying prepared to be thrashed at any given moment.

The expression on my face only seemed to increase his amusement, saying to me, the laughter slipping in between his words at times, "Come now, Rio! You act as though I was about to beat you silly! And for what? Simply for loosing a couple of rings? Ha! Come now, I wouldn't waste my strength in such petty anger!" A Jester's grin playing at his lips, seeming to make him all the more devilish then ever, "You should know by now that I wouldn't do such a thing." He shrugged a bit, "It's too petty and they were just a couple of rings. As long as they're found, no harm shall come and things shall stay as they are... then again, like it'd change much if we didn't. But finding a couple of rings shouldn't be too hard."

A wave of relief overcame me then. I relaxed then, letting out a deep breath and moving my shoulder blades a bit. I looked around a bit, thankful for this mercy instead of the chances of being beaten by an immortal that could easily squish me like a pitiful insect. I looked back to Victor slowly, my tone going back to normal just as slowly, "But the rings could be anywhere, Vic. How do you expect finding the rings not to be hard?"

The grin slowly lost form and his face went almost expressionless for a few moments, as if pondering it himself or choosing the correct words. It could have been either, then, he said softly, "It should be rather easy to find our rings since human's would find them utterly beautiful, rare, unique, the whole deal. One or more shall be hysterical to find such things laying about or where ever they are."

I watched him and I was becoming uneasy again, "What if mortals don't find our rings, Victor? What then?" It seemed to me though perhaps he hadn't thought it through. It looked to me as if he hadn't heard me at all as well. He just stared at me without saying a word.

A flash of light suddenly appeared in his hazel eyes as if a lighting had just struck in front of him. It disappeared just as quickly as it happened. A sly smirk curled up upon his lips slowly. "RioÉ my dear RioÉ I believe, our rings have been found already."

I watched him a moment in almost disbelief. Had I been that careless with the rings that a mortal already found them? I felt a wave of shame for being so careless with the rings.

"Get over it..." Murmured Victor as he walked over to the ledge of the flat rooftop. He turned to look back at me slowly; he didn't say anything right away.

I just returned the glance. I didn't have much else if anything to say to him either.

That street smart smirk came back to his face slowly as he watched me, "You coming or not?" He shrugged a bit, looking down to the roads below, "I could use a spare Kindred's Redemption if your not. Can never get enough of those in my opinion."

I could hear the humor in his voice and yet I knew better. If I don't go, his small joke will become a truth. When he joked with things like this, if you didn't do it then, he'd do as he said he would. I've seen him do it several times before, so I know better. He knows as well as I do, best thing now would be to go get the rings or else Victor would have two instead of one and I none. He was determined to get his ring back in this night; that I was certain of.

I just watched him a moment without really answering, then softly I asked, already pretty much knowing the answer, "I really don't have a choice do I?" If I don't go, I won't get my ring back no matter what. If I do go, I get my ring back.

Victor just smiled. His eyes told me what his voice would have if he really wanted to voice it; What do you think?

I snickered a bit and sighed afterward. I started towards him, muttering, "Lead the way, Vic."

Victor turned swiftly, his back to me. Gracefully and with ease, he leapt the street below and landed upon the flat roof of another building opposite of where I stood.

I had to react and get going now or else he'd be gone in a matter of seconds. As I leapt the building myself, Victor was already jumping the next one. I couldn't find the mortal who'd found the ring yet so I followed behind Victor blindly. He could usually find things faster then me because, well duh, he's had more experience, had more time to discover his abilities then I have. I'm still a fledgling but a vampire that was as old, if not older then Victor made me. So I could keep up with him in some things. In others, he beat me altogether with ease, and brutally.

We were traveling at a fast rate, if a human mortal was to look up as we jumped from rooftop to rooftop, they'd merely see a couple of shadows flash by and that was it. But I doubt any human mortals looked towards us as we ran and leapt from the rooftops.

There were too many minds about to sort through them all to find what Victor had; it was rather overwhelming to me. I couldn't tell which had any clue to what I wanted and those that were useless to me at the moment. Desires. Greed. Joy. Anger. Many emotions with each mind at the moment being and my concentration was in two places so I just gave up looking to the minds of other mortals and followed Victor.

After a few more rooftops jumped, Victor came to a stop and turned around, waiting for me.

I was with him in a matter of seconds. I stopped when I stood next to Victor, I looked up at him rather puzzled that he stopped in the middle of a apartment building roof.

Victor just smiled softly to me and said softly, "They're in front of the ally way just opposite of that side's alley." He pointed to the left side of the building, which would be the right side if you standing in front of it.

I felt rather relieved and a few rooftops back I had finally found the mind he found. The mortal scent I'd caught before was the one I had caught before after my first feeding of the night. Three other scents with it from what I could tell.

But something was wrong with theses scents. These scents weren't human, that I could tell right away. This troubled and surprised me greatly.

I looked to Victor a bit bewildered and from the look on his face, he had just realized that when I did. We exchanged a look. He said softly, "Best we get our rings and get out of here. Now let's go."