Author's Rating- PG
I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I must have gone unconcious during some point in time. More than likely it was done by Veran to protect the location of his lair. The one prized possession in his life, his lair, which he shows to no one...until now that is.
The air is heavy and losing oxygen as we climb higher and higher up this unknown peak. We reach the pinnacle and climb onto a flat ledge. Before us is a wooden door, quite the look of a regular house door. Veran enters first and I follow closing the door behind.
The entire place is dimly lit by soft candlelight, I am enjoying this dwelling already. He removes his cape and places it on the back of a chair and sits down. I sit in a chair across from him and stare into the fire burning in the hearth.
For a while neither speaks for we both seem to be lost in our own thoughts. The somber mood set by the glowing wood and the flickering wax of the candles all around.
"What is it that you wanted to so desperately speak to me about?" he says, breaking the opressive mood about us.
I break from the fire's entrancement and look to him as if I have not heard what he has said. I quickly begin trying to find the right words of how to begin my story.
"It has to do with a certain mortal named Matthew. I think he is mortal anyhow, but he might be turned any night now by Lachandra." I say, somewhat dryly, drowning in my own thoughts.
Veran leans forward in his chair and takes my hands from my lap and places them in his own. Looking at me softly he speaks with utmost sincerity. "Ariella, listen to me. Tell me all that you wish to tell and I will listen. I will guide you in the right direction as best I can, but you cannot waste my time with meaningless facts."
I sigh for I know that he speaks the truth. "Alright, I shall try to tell you the best I can what exactly happened between us."
With that I begin the telling of all that I have told you so far. I tell him everything about how I met Lachandra and my little affair with Matthew. After all is said he sits back in his chair and continues staring at me in a contemplative mood.
"You do know that he will not come back to you right?" he asks me, finally.
I stare at him in wonder. "What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly as I say, he will not return to you, ever."
At this I am angered. "What on earth makes you so sure of that!"
"The simple fact that in the end, after your little affair, he returned to Lachandra. If he truly loved you, as he said, then her wrath would have mattered little because he would have the person he loved with him. Do you see what I am saying, Ariella?" he says in a concerned voice.
"Yes! I understand it all perfectly fine! You are just telling me all of this because you are jealous!" With that I stand and walk away to a window. Looking out all I can see is the tops of mountains and the clouds around their peaks.
Veran laughs. "If that is what you think then I will leave you with your silly notions, but I'm just trying to help you see past your blind love into the reality of the situation. As the old saying goes,'You may lead a camel to water, but you can't make him drink.' He laughs once again and walks out of the room leaving me in my mood.
As he leaves I shout to him,"You think you are so much better than everyone else! See if I ever ask you for help again!"
I pace around for most of the evening and sometime I eventually fall asleep. When I awaken I find myself in my car in the desert once again. I curse aloud at him for not helping me one bit in my situation. I start the engine and race away in anger at him as well as myself for getting into this stupid mess.
I return to my flat and continue to contemplate this whole ordeal over and over again in my mind. Just then the balcony doors fly open and in walks Lachandra. I swear I must have gone whiter than normal at the sight because she is the last person I wanted to encounter at that moment. I knew by her coming that she must know something happened and that meant something awful for me. I bust through the door and race down the stairs to the street. I run with all of my might through the streets, dodging people walking here and there. Two powerful hands grab my shoulders from behind forcing me to stop and turn around. I gasp slightly at first sight, but then I calm down and welcome the embrace of the person that has saved me.
"I was told you wouldn't return, but I always knew you would." I say softly as he presses me closer to him.
"I came because I had to. Come, follow me." he says gently.
We walk together with his arms still around me tightly. He takes me to a car and we both get in. The driver takes off the moment we are both in and the people of the streets fly by us.
"Where are we going?" I ask innocently.
"You will know once we are there." he says matter-of-factly which puts an end to any further questioning.
I resign myself to that and sit back, trying to enjoy the ride, but my heart and intuition are both telling me that something is not as right as it seems.
The car is stopped abruptly, my door is opened, and I am pulled from the car. I see the car race away and standing before me is Matthew. Beside him I see a woman, that woman is none other than Lachandra.
She smiles and kisses him on his cheek as she exclaims,"Wonderful! I knew you could do it!"
At this I know that I have been set up and that she sent him to me knowing that I would surrender to him easily, stupidly, and innocently. I internally begin to beat myself up for being so nieve, but my own battle is cut short by her words to me.
"You know your crime and therefore you shall be punished with great severity!" she says commandingly.
"It is now a crime to love is it!" I shout back in disgust.
She throws her head back in a mocking gesture and laughs at my words. "Love! That was not love my dear! That was a passionate affair you had with one who belonged of my own blood!"
"He obviously didn't want to belong to you if he was with me!" I shout back in retaliation.
She smiles at me in a menacing fashion and walks over to Matthew. "Matthew, darling, is this true? Do you not want to be of my blood?" she says softly in his ear.
"No, it is not true. I did what I did with her because I am a mortal man after all and we tend to make a few bad choices in life. That time with her was just one of those choices. If I did not want to be of your blood then I would have stayed with her." he says while looking directly at me.
This incenses me to no end, but I remain calm on the outside.
She walks back over to me and smiles a meaningless smile. This is the last thing that I can stand. I break free from the mortal men who are holding me and I punch her across her face. Her head is thrown to one side and then when he comes back I extend my leg forcefully into her stomach sending her flying on her back and kicking up the dry desert earth. She stands, her pride wounded that she is being bested in something. She tries to retaliate with a few shots of her own, but they are all blocked and eventually I have her down on the ground once again. Matthew comes over and wrenches my arms behind my back. I break free because he is only mortal after all and I spin around throwing my foot up so that it kicks his head and throws him to the ground as well.
I approach him as he lies on the ground still dazed by the blow. I spit in his face with my blood and say through gritted teeth,"Thanks for the lesson! Now here's yours!" With that I slam my whole foot down onto his male organ and crush his testicles underneath as well. I watch as he doubles over in absolute pain, unable to make a sound.
"Never mess with a woman's heart!" I say victoriously.
I begin walking away when I am thrown to the ground. I get up and turn around to see Lachandra on her feet and glaring at me with malicious intent. She extends her arms towards me and a flash comes to my eyes. When my sight returns I find myself chained to the ground in the middle of this desert area. She is standing before me and I see Matthew still doubled over in pain on the ground. She kicks me in my head and stomach. I grunt and groan with each blow and eventually fall to the ground myself. She picks up Matthew and disappears.
The evening wears on and I am growing weaker and weaker with each passing hour. Then, in great horror, I realize that I am facing east and I have no cover from the sun. Lachandra wasn't joking when she said I would suffer a severe punishment! When the sun reaches the horizon my eyes will be burned and I will be blinded then my whole body will disintegrate in the morning sun!
I begin to feel the heat from it's rays warming my body and getting closer and closer to showing it's burning light. I scream out in my patheticness for anyone to help me, but I know that no one will hear my pleas. I settle down on the ground awaiting my imminent departure from this world.
When I feel that all hope is lost I feel a soothing, cool cloth rest over my body and I am released from bondage. As two arms embrace me close I hear his voice speak softly in my ear,"Perhaps you were right," then I lose conciousness.
When I awaken I find myself in an unknown room. I bolt upright in the bed and look quickly around. I also notice that I am not in my clothes that I was wearing before. I get out of bed and I find that I am in a large dwelling. It looks somewhat familiar, but I cannot place the familiarity in my mind. I come to two huge double doors and decide to enter the room. Pushing open one of the doors I walk inside.
Inside I find the same parlour that I was in before. There in a chair before the fire is Veran. He stands upon my entering and a huge smile is upon his face. He walks quickly to my side and puts his hands on my arms.
"You shouldn't be up for you are still weak." he says in his concerned voice.
I brush him aside and walk to a chair to seat myself. "I'm fine, Veran!" I say in somewhat of an irritated tone.
I go to sit down, but he has me in his embrace before I can do so.
"Veran, it was you who saved me? But why after I treated you so harshly?" I ask in complete wonder, still trying to better understand the situation.
"The answer to that is simple enough. You said that very night that I was saying all that I was saying out of jealousy. I tell you now that perhaps you were not far from the truth when you said that."
At this admission I am speechless. I look him directly in his eyes and all I read in them in a true and sincere love. I look away in a blushing and innocent way.
"Veran, I don't know what to say to that. I know that I can tell you everything. I would trust you with my life any day. But..." I say, trying to think of what to say next.
"Ariella, tell me what you feel when you are looking directly into my eyes." he says softly.
I look up from the floor to his eyes. I stare into them deeply and he gazes into mine with intensity. My whole body becomes engulfed in a feeling indescribeable. All I can tell is that it is a good feeling and yets inexplainable. I am becoming intoxicated by his eyes and go to look away, but his hands grasp my shoulders and force me to stay.
I see a smile come across his face. "Yes, Ariella. You do love me." he says softly. With that he gently brushes his lips against mine and the firey feeling that has been engulfing my body now grows into a raging inferno and I wrap my arms tightly around him. He presses me closer to him as I return his kiss.
After the long tender moment we release eachother and both smile. "Come, it is time you got some sleep." he says to me.
"Are you sure we will sleep?" I say looking at him with a mischevious gleam in my eyes.
"Alright, you're right. I assure you afterwards you will sleep though." he smiles at me. At this we both laugh and walk out of the parlour with our arms around one another and softly shut the door behind us.
The fire blazes on in the hearth with it's burning glow being cast upon the two unoccupied chairs where once sat two friends who found love, not in stangers, but in one another.
Copyrighted © 2000 Property of Lady Mercareth