Sweat dripped down Seraph's face, stinging his eyes. Breathing heavily, he lifted his sword. It quivered as he tried to bring it up to its proper position. His adversary advanced quickly towards him, knocking his sword to the side and swiping his feet from under him. Seraph landed had on his back, the force driving the air from his lungs. The tip of his opponent's blade held steadily at his neck.
"Better, but still a long way to go."
Seraph slumped on the floor, defeated. He wanted to scream, to cry, out of frustration.
"Don't look so down, child," his adversay told him, "You've only had a few short years of learning. I, on the other hand, have had many."
The man smiled kindly at Seraph as he sheathed his sword, his red eyes filled with nothing but love. He laid down next to Seraph, and staed at the ceiling with him, waiting for Seraph to control his breathing. Seraph glanced at him, feeling depressed in more way than one. He had recently turned twelve, and was maturing. He looked at his father, lying beside him, and thought to himself. His father known as Alistair, was the leader of the D'Luria clan. He was brave, strong, and kind. He had an air about him that attracted many, not to mention how handsome he was, with hair so white it seemed to glow. Seraph took after his mother. He had her eyes, her silvery hair, her smile; but he also matched her in personality. It was difficult to see the good in others, to trust them, even those he'd been with his whole life. He felt the same sadness as she. This was hard for him to accept, as he wasn't awfully close with his mother. His memories of a motherly figure had been his nursemaid, Rosett.
He wanted to be like his father, so badly, but he couldn't. They were just too different.
"If you've rested enough," his father said, "you should hurry to your mother. I'm sure she won't be too happy that I've cut into the time of her lessons for you."
His father smiled wryly, chuckling to himself. Though they tried to hide it, Seraph could tell, they didn't like eachother much. He's known from a young age that they've pretended to love one another, likely for his sake. Although Seraph didn't know the reasoning behind it, he kept that information to himself, not wanting to cause trouble.
"Right!"
His father rolled his body into a backwards sommersault, planting his feet on the ground and standing upright. He grabbed Seraph's hand, and pulled him up beside him.
"Don't worry about cleaning up here, I can manage it," he smiled, pushing Seraph out of the training room, "You go off to your mother now, before she skins me alive for keeping you."
After Seraph left, Alistair looked to the window. The clouds drifted across the sky, revealing the moons. They shone high in the night sky, the larger as pale as the dead, the smaller as red as freshly spilt blood. Breathing a sigh f relief, Alistair placed the swords on the racks. How he wished things would stay as they were for all his and his children's lives. But for tonight, at least, things would stay as they should.
Walking through the large corridors of the grand castle, Seraph could hear voices calling out. He passed by several maids, who curtsied to him before moving on and resuming to call out. Serpah let out an annoyed sigh. They were calling out for his younger sister, who must have run away from Rosett once again. Before going to his lessons with his mother, he decided to help them out, and traveled to the library. Where else would be the perfect hiding spot but the place they would be least likely to find her?
He heard soft giggling as he moved closer to one of the large plants which hung from the ceiling. Brushing aside the plant's cascading vines, he revealed a pale little face hidden under a large cloth that screeched at his sudden appearance. She tried to run, but Seraph caught her.
"Celestia, what are you doing inside the plant? You know you're not supposed to be anywhere near them without your gloves! What would Mother say if you were to touch one of them?"
The child squirmed to get away from her brother, though she failed miserably. She was small, almost too small for her age, and seemed even smaller next to Seraph who was six years her senior.
"I just wanted to play hide and seek with Rosett!" she exclaimed, "No one ever plays with me anymore!"
Seraph knew she was right. Ever since her she had developed her ability on her fifth birthday, the servants had started avoiding her as much as they could. But who could blame them? Her power was dangerous, and already a few had unfortunately reaped the consequences of having such a power. She did, however, seem to be given more love from their mother, which angered Seraph, ven if they weren't close. Though it was of no fault of Celestia's, his actions and even words sometimes showed his disdain; he was jealous of her.
"Come on," he sighed, as he pulled her along out of the library.
They walked along the corridors, passing many closed doors, before standing in front of the ballroom entrance. The music of piano keys could be heard from inside. Seraph hestitated befre opening the large decorative doors. He knew the scolding he'd get once he entered. Before he moved, Celestia broke free of his grasp, pushing open the door with all her might.
"Mama!"
The woman gently pressing the piano keys stopped, looking up at them. A warm smile spread over her beautiful face, as she opened her arms wide for her daughter. Celestia jumped into her mother's embrace. As the woman stroked the child's hair with a gloved hand, she looked to Seraph.
"You're late," she told him, her smile fading slightly.
Seraph's jaw clenched, though not enough for his mother to see. Every time she spoke to him, he felt shame, even when he did no wrong. He hated it, hated the way she made him feel.
"Father's sword lessons ran long. We lost track of the time."
His mother huffed bitterly, mumbling something under her breath. She stood, grabbing Celestia's hand, and walked towards the door where Seraph stood still. She spoke, not stopping to speak to him properly.
"I'll not stay, seeing as how little you value your piano lessons. Practice the elegy I taught you last week."
Seraph looked towards the floor when she spoke. A mixture of emotions welling up inside his chest. He wished she would at least look at him when she spoke to him, but she never did. He felt almost invisible to her. Slowly, he moved to the grand piano, and prepared to play, trying to think of anything to distract him from his pain.
Fleur Yula, one of the last surviving members of the Yula clan, felt a pang of guilt for the cold way she treated her son. Ever since his birth, Yula was reminded of the horrors she saw in her dreams. She was a clairvoyant, a seer of the absolute future, though she could not control her gift. She tried to forget it, for the sake of her children, but it always came rushing back to her mind every time she saw Seraph. So she pushed him away.
"Mama," Celestia whined to her mother, "play with me."
Fleur smiled at her daughter. Celestia had been one thing she had never been able to foresee, and for that she was glad. Her life would remain a mystery to Fleur; she could only hope for a bright future for her daughter, instead of dreading it.
"Why don't we go to the garden?" she spoke cheerfully, "It's about that time of the year the moonflowers bloom."
Celestia jumped in excited agreement, laughing and giggling. How the little girl loved the flowers in the courtyard. Her favorite were the red roses, which Rosett would make tea from for her.
They walked out into the fresh night air. It was a comfortable night with a slight breeze bringing the smell of the ocean up the mountain. Yula felt happy, listening to her child dance around in the grass and looking up at the moons, clouds hiding and then revealing them. Soon, her happiness turned to dread, as the larger moon slowly changed color. It was though someone had stabbed it with a dagger, for dark red spilled over it, darker than even the smaller's red color. Her body began to shake as she stood, paralyzed, watching in terror, not knowing it would come so soon. The same moon she saw twelve years ago in her dreams. The same moon she saw only hours after the birth of her son. The same moon which would bring about their despair.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she found she was holding her breath. She turned toward the castle, knowing she could do nothing to stop it. But then she heard the soft voice of a child. Celestia. The little girl was never part of her vision, so she knew she would at least have a chance. Fleur rushed to the child, holding her in her arms, and ran inside.
Already Fleur could hear commotion inside the castle. Soon she heard the screams of terror and anger.
How did they get in so quickly? She thought to herself.
She rushed to Alistair's study, placing Celestia inside a small cupboard only she fit into, her favorite hiding spot. Celestia wore a terrified expression on her face, on the verge of tears hearing all the sounds in the distance. Fleur placed her gloved hand over Celestia's forehead, kissing the back of her own hand. As she closed the cupboard door, she spoke softly to the frightened child.
"Whatever may happen, whatever you might hear, do not leave this spot. Do not make any sound."
Fleur fled from the room. She knew staying with Celestia would only put the girl in danger. And she would be diving head long into it. She had to find Seraph.
Seraph could hear Celestia laughing and giggling as she and their mother left him alone in the ballroom. Half-heartedly, he played the piano keys. The song he was to practice was created by his mother. He could only assume it was in honor of his sister, though the song itself sounded sad, almost empty. He wished with all his heart he could have remained in the training room with his father.
In the corner of his eye, he could see a small form, that of a small child. Keeping his focus on the piano keys, he ignored her. Seraph saw her often, always had since he was little. At first, she scared him, but as he grew, he learned to put her out of his mind. She never did anything to him, never spoke, interacted, or even looked at him. He could only assume she was the ghost of a child whom died long ago, and never moved on to the spirit realm. Eventually, she would just disappear for a few days, before showing up again.
Seraph stopped playing suddenly, straining his ears. He heard nothing but his own breathing, though he thought to have heard someone cry out. After a moment, he decided it must have been nothing, and continued. Until he heard it again.
He stood slowly, listening. He moved to the ballroom entrance, peeking out into the hall. To his right, further down the corridor near the stairwell, he could hear a strange sound. It sounded of heavy breathing and slurping. Looking down the dimly lit hall, he saw shapes on the floor. One lay in a heap, motionless, another atop it, its head moving and jerking around as it pulled at something from the motionless figure. A shrill scream echoed from nearby, causing the form to raise its head suddenly, looking round, cocking its head to listen. Seraph's instincts screamed at him to run, to hide from this thing as glowing eyes looked to his direction.
Seraph backed quickly into the ballroom, panicking. Looking around the room, trying to find somewhere he could hide, he spotted only one. He dashed to the large windows, throwing himself behind the huge drapes. His breathing quickened as he slumped down to the floor, trying to make himself smaller. Then he heard a noise; it hasd entered the room.
Seraph could hear clicks and scrapes, as though nails were hitting and being dragged on the floor. The sound came nearer and nearer with each moment that passed. Then there was more. A second, perhaps third, followed the first into the ballroom. Seraph could hear snuffling, as thought hey were sniffing the air about them. He felt one close to him, could hear its heavy breathing, could smell its foul stench.
He heard the sound recede, followed by terrified screams throughout the castle, and the room become silent. Only after the silence came, did he notice he held his breath. Letting out a shaky breath, he tried to calm himself.
He breathed deep breaths, thinking of what he should do. Were these things everywhere in the castle? Did his family know? All the servants?
Seraph knew he must warn the others of this threat, but he was afraid. He clutched his pantleg, mustering the courage to go out, to put himself in danger for the sake of the others.
But that's what is expected of me, he told himself, as the heir of D'Luria castle, it's my duty to protect the clan.
If he could at least find his father, make sure he knows of the threat, everything will be taken care of. Everything will be safe. His father was strong, powerful. With his ability, there wasn't anything alive that could defeat him.
Finally, Seraph found his courage to move. He'd find his father first, warning any he'd see on the way to seek safety. Seraph threw back the black drapes, ready to take off sprinting, only for his body to freeze. He sat paralyzed in fear. For only a few feet from him was one of the creatures. It looked human, or rather it looked as though it used to be human, and moved on all fours. Its pale grey skin seemed see-through, and clung close to its skeletal frame. Saliva dripped from its mouth, looking as though it hadn't eaten in gods know how long. Long greasy black hair, with patches missing here and there, swayed back and forth as it inched closer to Seraph. Horror gripped Seraph heart, as its black eyes stared directly into his own.
Seraph willed himself to move, to get away. He sprung up, only taking half a step before the creature reacted. The moment Seraph's foot hit the floor, the creature swiped its clawed hand at his other leg, tripping him to the floor. Serpah felt pain in his leg, then more pain as the creature jumped on him, digging its claws into his sides.
Seraph's screamed out in pain, the thing tearing flesh and muscle as it pulled away one hand. It thrust its long claws deep into his chest, puncturing his lung, forcing his breath from his body. The creature's head dove for his neck, sharp teeth digging into his flesh, cracking bones, then began to feed. Serpah, unable to move, unable to cry out, could only wait for his consciousness to fade. He began to feel cold, as his lifeblood was drained from his body.
He faintly heard the screams of a woman in the room. The creature released Seraph, directing its attention towards its new victim, hissing at her menacingly.
Seraph couldn't see the one who tried saving him, though he knew whoever it was should have known better. She should have left him, should have escaped or helped anyone else instead. But now, shed have to deal with the consequences of her decision.
Staring at the ceiling, Seraph drifted into darkness. The world disappearing around him.
Celestia's hands tightened as she pushed them harder onto her ears, trying to silence the screams, quick footsteps, and strange noises she heard. She was scared and confused.
Mama said to stay. Mama said to be quite. She repeated this thought over and over, as she rocked her tiny body to keep from crying.
It was dark inside the cupboard, not a single slit of light managed to make its way inside. It was stuffy, too. Celestia felt sweat drip down her back and dampness on her forehead. She took deep, silent breaths. It felt as though it had been an eternity since her mother had left her there.
Something suddenly entered the room, panting heavily. Celestia heard it approach the cupboard, then the tiny click of the knob turning. Her heart leaped into her chest, and she screamed out in fright as the door was thrown open. Tears pricked in her eyes as she gazed upon a familiar face.
Seraph heaved a great sigh of relief, slumping to the floor. Emotions welled within his chest, but he held back the tears that wanted to come. His little sister was alive and safe.
Mother must of have hidden her here he told himself. She knows it to be her favorite spot to hide. She must have known someone would search for her here.
He reached his hand out to Celestia, determined to get her out of there, only to stop short when she recoiled, a terrified look on her face. Seraph looked down at himself, clenching his teeth.
No wonder she's frightened by looking at me.
He looked awful. His clothes were torn, and he was covered in blood. Using his tunic, he cleaned off what he could on his neck and arms, though it did little to help.
"It's alright, Celestia. I'm fine. See?"
He showed her his hands and pat his torso and sides. She gave in to her tears and cried out, throwing herself into her brother's arms. She sobbed as she dirtied her skin and dress from the blood on Seraph, but she didn't seem to notice. Seraph squeezed her tightly in a hug, barely keeping it together himself. Celestia cried out some words, but Seraph couldn't understand any of it.
"We have to find Mother and Father," he said, "Once we find them, everything will be okay. Everything will go back to the way it should be."
He said those words mostly to comfort his sister, though he needed them just as much as she. He needed to stay calm, for her sake as well as his.
Seraph stood up straight, taking Celestia's hand in his, and led her out of their father's study. Celestia had quieted to a whimper, thank the gods he thought to himself. For it would mean trouble if one of those things found them. He pulled her along the halls, carefully poking his head into each room they past and around each corner they came across. When they reached a curving stairwell, Seraph froze, fear rising within him.
What if one of the creatures was there? Lurking in the shadows, ready to attack us as we descend?
Seraph's body began to shake as he remembered the pain, the agony he had felt in the ballroom. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to find a different route, though the only way down to the ground level was the two spiraling staircases on either side of the castle. A tightness gripped his hand, and he looked down to see
Celestia's scared face staring up at him. He knew they had to go down those stairs. If he had to, he'd remain on the stairs with whatever may be there while his sister ran on ahead. Gathering his courage, they cautiously moved down the steps, fearing gripping them until they reached the bottom unarmed.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Seraph wondered where they're father might be. He decided to go to the training room. Even if his father weren't there, weapons were. It'd be better finding their parents with a sword in hand than unarmed. Seraph didn't hear anything nearby, so he took the chance to run from the cover of the stairwell. As they ran across the large room, Seraph's instincts screamed at him to stop. Firmly planting a foot down in front of him, he came to a sudden halt, causing his sister to bounce off of his back and fall to the ground. He paid her no mind in the moment, however, as a sword sliced the air in front of him, narrowly missing the tip of his nose.
"What wonderful reflexes such a child has," mused a strange man.
Seraph breathed uneasily as he looked upon the intruder. He had the same grey skin as the creatures, his hair just as black and greasy though not in patches. His eyes, just as dark, just as hungry. Unlike the creatures, though, he appeared more human, almost elf-like.
"I've struck gold this time!" the man cried out, "Not only one child but two! Oh, glorious day this is!"
He laughed maniacally as, to Seraph's horror, he brought his sword down again. Seraph used his body to shield his sister. Better he than her, he thought. He shut his eyes tightly, preparing to feel the bite of the blade. But it never came. Instead, he heard the familiar ringing of metal on metal. He opened his eyes, choking back tears at the sight before him.
"Keep your filthy hands off my son," his father growled.