Status: This is the 1st time I have ever tried to put pen to paper for the stories in my head. Please provide feed back and comments it will help me to know if I am moving in the right direction and if I should continue. Thanks K
Embraces the Night
Chapter 22
Davon was sitting on the veranda overlooking the pool area. He was uncomfortable and the slacks he was wearing were irritating his skin. He felt as if he didn’t fit into this modern world. He particularly didn’t care to socialize with humans. If it weren’t for Boethius he wouldn’t be here. He owed Boethius a debt and he intended to pay.
Boethius was the last of a long line of healers. Their blood had the ability to cure even a fatal wound. That’s how Davon had ended up owing a life debt to Boethius in the first place.
It all happened 31 years ago in the home of Davon's good friend Jarvis and Methesda Billings. They were the parents of Roxy, Revere and Tabitha. It was the twin’s 1st birthday party. Just as the party had ended Jarvis’s eldest daughter Tabitha had burst through the front door. She was covered in blood from head to toe.
She screamed and dropped to the floor. Tabitha had been missing for almost a year. She’d been pronounced legally dead just two months prior to the party. Evidence had been found that suggested she’d been killed by a Vulnus. That night however, before anyone could even reach her, more than 30 Vulnus had stormed the house. They must have followed her from where ever she had escaped from.
They chopped and hacked and generally tore through the remaining guests. The majority of the guests that night were human friends Methesda had made at her teaching job along with their husbands and children. They were like lambs to the slaughter.
Brody and Davon had been the only Astanian guests that night. Davon found himself instinctively gagging just remember the human body parts that were strewn all over the house, while the Vulnus chewed on hunks of torn and mutilated flesh.
While not in their nature, Davon and Boethius had fought back with every bit of effort they had. Davon had thrown fire balls and used his telekinesis to drop large objects on the Vulnus. He’d pushed every once of effort he had into saving the humans and stopping the Vulnus. He had however, still been first to fall leaving Brody to defend those left alive on his own. He’d been hit from behind, the blade had been true and nearly severed his head off. He knew he was going down and with his last bit of strength purposely drop his body on top of the already injured Tabitha. He remember thinking if she’s still alive, just maybe the Vulnus would pass her over thinking she was already dead.
Davon didn't die as quickly as he thought he would. No he layed there long after Davon should have bleed out listening to the blood curling screams from the victims being massacred. He cringed inwardly remember the horrific sounds and his inability to even help. He wanted to so badly for it to end. He wanted the peace that he believed death would bring him. Just as he felt himself slip away, he realized he could feel Tabitha’s faint breath on his cheek and had closed his eyes with the pleasant thought that at least he would die protecting the child of his best friend.
Davon had been told it took more than ten days for the healing process to restore him to health. Boethius had managed to kill enough of the Vulnus to escape with the twins and return to the house with hunters to finish off the remaining Vulnus. He’d found Davon and Tabitha in a near death state and forced his blood down both of their thoughts.
Davon had made a full recovery; Tabitha too made a full physical recovery however she still suffered the pain of that year. She’s not uttered one single word since that day. She barely even raises her head off the bed. When last Davon had checked on her in the compound he’d been told they’d been forced to use a feeding tube on her since she refused to get up even to eat. Davon understood that, there were times when he knew he grew weary of this life. To much pain and horror, just too many years to suffer alone.
Taking a deep breath Davon pushed himself back into the present and scanned the crowd. He spotted Boethius and his mate Emily cutting a path through the yard headed towards the garden. It’s worth it he thought if anyone deserves to be happy with his mate, it’s Boethius. Even if I have to share more time with humans. Still this reminds me so much of the last time. So many humans so few Astanian.
*************************************************************
Deep in the glades, where even the gators tend to stay out Rex turned to his followers. Today was the day. He would begin to recapture the things he’d lost. The tide was turning and Rex was going to come out on top. He’d made a terrible mistake when he’d attacked the Billings estate all those years ago. It had taken far longer than he’d expected to regroup and pull together his army of Vulnus.
He was their rightful King. Their master and soon he would be the master of all. He’d cultivated this society they belonged to him. Looking out into the mass of writhing bodies he was proud of how many he’d managed to gather. The breeding program had been a success. He had amassed an army of more than a thousand Vulnus.
War was coming and Rex intended to be the victor.
“Are you fucking maggots ready” shouted Rex. He looked into the crowd and could smell the palatable excitement coming from the troops. Heads were nodding, arms were pumping up and down in agreement.
“Does everyone understand their part?” More fist pumping, head nodding and some even began to chant.
“Master, master, master” Rex smiled in pleasure
“Good then get the fuck out there and bring me back Boethius’s bitch. I am going to make her pay for his sins then I am going to end his fucking pitiful life, then we start our climb out of this hell hole and into the light” Shouts erupted from the crowd. Bodies slammed into each other in frenzied excitement. The chants grew deafening loud.
"MASTER! MASTER! MASTER! MASTER! MASTER!"
Boethius was the last of a long line of healers. Their blood had the ability to cure even a fatal wound. That’s how Davon had ended up owing a life debt to Boethius in the first place.
It all happened 31 years ago in the home of Davon's good friend Jarvis and Methesda Billings. They were the parents of Roxy, Revere and Tabitha. It was the twin’s 1st birthday party. Just as the party had ended Jarvis’s eldest daughter Tabitha had burst through the front door. She was covered in blood from head to toe.
She screamed and dropped to the floor. Tabitha had been missing for almost a year. She’d been pronounced legally dead just two months prior to the party. Evidence had been found that suggested she’d been killed by a Vulnus. That night however, before anyone could even reach her, more than 30 Vulnus had stormed the house. They must have followed her from where ever she had escaped from.
They chopped and hacked and generally tore through the remaining guests. The majority of the guests that night were human friends Methesda had made at her teaching job along with their husbands and children. They were like lambs to the slaughter.
Brody and Davon had been the only Astanian guests that night. Davon found himself instinctively gagging just remember the human body parts that were strewn all over the house, while the Vulnus chewed on hunks of torn and mutilated flesh.
While not in their nature, Davon and Boethius had fought back with every bit of effort they had. Davon had thrown fire balls and used his telekinesis to drop large objects on the Vulnus. He’d pushed every once of effort he had into saving the humans and stopping the Vulnus. He had however, still been first to fall leaving Brody to defend those left alive on his own. He’d been hit from behind, the blade had been true and nearly severed his head off. He knew he was going down and with his last bit of strength purposely drop his body on top of the already injured Tabitha. He remember thinking if she’s still alive, just maybe the Vulnus would pass her over thinking she was already dead.
Davon didn't die as quickly as he thought he would. No he layed there long after Davon should have bleed out listening to the blood curling screams from the victims being massacred. He cringed inwardly remember the horrific sounds and his inability to even help. He wanted to so badly for it to end. He wanted the peace that he believed death would bring him. Just as he felt himself slip away, he realized he could feel Tabitha’s faint breath on his cheek and had closed his eyes with the pleasant thought that at least he would die protecting the child of his best friend.
Davon had been told it took more than ten days for the healing process to restore him to health. Boethius had managed to kill enough of the Vulnus to escape with the twins and return to the house with hunters to finish off the remaining Vulnus. He’d found Davon and Tabitha in a near death state and forced his blood down both of their thoughts.
Davon had made a full recovery; Tabitha too made a full physical recovery however she still suffered the pain of that year. She’s not uttered one single word since that day. She barely even raises her head off the bed. When last Davon had checked on her in the compound he’d been told they’d been forced to use a feeding tube on her since she refused to get up even to eat. Davon understood that, there were times when he knew he grew weary of this life. To much pain and horror, just too many years to suffer alone.
Taking a deep breath Davon pushed himself back into the present and scanned the crowd. He spotted Boethius and his mate Emily cutting a path through the yard headed towards the garden. It’s worth it he thought if anyone deserves to be happy with his mate, it’s Boethius. Even if I have to share more time with humans. Still this reminds me so much of the last time. So many humans so few Astanian.
*************************************************************
Deep in the glades, where even the gators tend to stay out Rex turned to his followers. Today was the day. He would begin to recapture the things he’d lost. The tide was turning and Rex was going to come out on top. He’d made a terrible mistake when he’d attacked the Billings estate all those years ago. It had taken far longer than he’d expected to regroup and pull together his army of Vulnus.
He was their rightful King. Their master and soon he would be the master of all. He’d cultivated this society they belonged to him. Looking out into the mass of writhing bodies he was proud of how many he’d managed to gather. The breeding program had been a success. He had amassed an army of more than a thousand Vulnus.
War was coming and Rex intended to be the victor.
“Are you fucking maggots ready” shouted Rex. He looked into the crowd and could smell the palatable excitement coming from the troops. Heads were nodding, arms were pumping up and down in agreement.
“Does everyone understand their part?” More fist pumping, head nodding and some even began to chant.
“Master, master, master” Rex smiled in pleasure
“Good then get the fuck out there and bring me back Boethius’s bitch. I am going to make her pay for his sins then I am going to end his fucking pitiful life, then we start our climb out of this hell hole and into the light” Shouts erupted from the crowd. Bodies slammed into each other in frenzied excitement. The chants grew deafening loud.
"MASTER! MASTER! MASTER! MASTER! MASTER!"