• Chapter 24 --- The Realm of the Darkness

    “Whoa, I never knew this was here.” She stood aghast, eyeing it skeptically.
    He shrugged, passing his hand over the stone side.
    “Only the people who can step through – which is not many – can see it.” He mounted onto his horse – which appeared out of nowhere, it seemed – and jerked his thumb behind him, telling her to mount onto the back of his horse. She got on without a word.
    “Why did you come to this World in the first place?” She asked, not wrapping her arms around his waist, since she knew she’d feel awkward.
    “My parents are forcing me to marry some Dark Vampire I hate, and I came here to miss the date, plus I came here to find a Light Denizen. If I’d drunk some blood from one, they’d leave me alone.”
    “So that’s why you don’t mind my coming into your World.” She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
    “Are you going to hold on or do you want to fall into the Darkness to be devoured by flesh-eating BloodFangs?” He asked sarcastically.
    She shivered.
    “No thank you.” Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around his waist, looking to the right as her head was on his back.
    “Hold on tight, then. We might see a few on our way there.” He sighed, and then kicked his horse into a gallop.
    BloodFangs were dangerous, ugly creatures. They had the face of a human, but they had long, shadowy ears sitting on top of their heads. They had a mask on their face, so they would not be recognized. Their eyes were red, and they had the body that was a mixture of a shadow and a Cyclops-type thing. They preyed on any passerby’s, and they ate them alive, skinning them while they breathed. They did not beat them, but rather only started tearing at the flesh as soon as they touched them. These were only one of the creatures that were born from the blood of the man whom Nereza and Kilunar had – well, murdered is such a harsh word, so let’s just say they ‘killed’ him.
    She closed her eyes tightly when the horse whinnied.
    “Don’t look. They’re not far.” She heard him say. She nodded, afraid to breathe.
    But she did, and the smell of decaying flesh filled her nose. The BloodFangs always smelled that way, with a mixture of five other smells that just won’t be named.
    The horse sped up, when the sounds of claws and dragging feet at a speed faster than normal followed behind them. BloodFangs were fast creatures, as fast as a battle horse.
    “I’m scared.” She whispered. She hoped he didn’t hear, because it slipped out on its own.
    A warm hand pressed against her hand. So, in her mind, she concluded that he had heard.
    “Do you have anything that can stall them?” He asked, barely glancing over his shoulder as they rode on through the vast, empty darkness. Every Darkness Denizen seemed to know the path by heart, as opposed to a Light Denizen who would be baffled at the thought of navigating through the darkness was insane.
    “Yes.” She hesitantly unwrapped her arms from his waist, turning herself around on the horse – if she would have been asked how she did it, she wouldn’t have been able to answer.
    She nocked an arrow onto her bow – her arrows were dark purple and white, the sapphires a dark purple and the shaft and arrowhead white. She aimed for only a second before shooting it.
    A BloodFang fell, clutching to his head as the arrow had ruptured his mask. It was wise never to look at it as it died, since their faces were revealed and it was a very bad idea if you somehow recognized the face. BloodFangs were born from Earthbound souls that never found peace. After about a year of being bound to Earth, the spirits started changing into a BloodFang.
    She shot a few more arrows in the same manner.
    “Are we almost there?” She called over her shoulder. “They’re being careful now; they’re being crafty.”
    “It’s right there. Hold on.” He said, and the horse picked up speed, even though it would be impossible to go much faster. She lurched backwards, almost dropping her bow. She held onto it somehow, wrapped her legs around the horses body, and she tried to keep her hair out of her face.
    In one moment, they were surrounded by a flash of dark light, and the smell of BloodFangs fell with the wind. She turned herself around on the horse in time for the light to fade, and for them to enter a world unlike she had ever seen before.
    At first, all she could see was the dark red and black sky, with the moon shining through the darkness. There were black clouds obscuring the horizon – not that you could se much beyond the houses. They were two story buildings, made of dark rocks and bricks. The roofs were black, and all the windows were shuttered black. It looked gloomy, but somehow, Kaida got the feeling that there was a happy atmosphere around the village.
    Further down the frequently used path was a large stone wall, which was surrounding this tall black building with many towers, guards, and sentries.
    “That’s Castle Oblivion.” Pierrot said, with a grim smile. “My home.”
    Whispers started around as they rode the mare on a trot deeper into the village, and, sadly enough, Kaida could hear them.
    “The prince has returned!” A woman said, eyeing him dreamily. If Kaida could have, she would have stared at her like if she had three heads. Her child at her leg was pulling on her blood-soaked dress, blowing bubbles out of his mouth.
    “Pretty!” He said, pointing at Kaida. She kept her eyes towards the castle, trying to block out the voices.
    “A Light Dweller… in our lands…”
    “…agree she smells divine, Paul?”
    “Sweet, delicious blood…”
    “…had forbidden entry into the Light Realms?”
    “How can a Light Dweller come into our domain?”
    She sighed, and dropped her head. Her forehead hit his back.
    “Ow…” She muttered, wincing. Her face felt on fire; she could feel the gaze of the Darkness Denizens on her. Some were wolfish, lustful, hungry, or hateful. Some were neutral, wondering.
    “You should have told me it was illegal for me to come here!” She hissed at him once they left the thicket of the village. They were approaching the gates to hell – her personal nickname for the gates of that castle.
    “It’s not illegal – you’re just the first one to ever get through alive.” He sighed, bringing the mare towards the gates.
    “How come?” She asked, stunned.
    “There’s a magical barrier that blocks the place, turning the Light Dwellers that try to ashes.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me that?!” She hissed, hitting his head.
    “Because I knew you’d make it through.” He said.
    And with that, they trotted through the gates, and into the territory of the King and Queen of the Darkness Denizens.

    “My son, where have you been?!” The Queen asked. She wore a dark kimono printed with red flowers. It covered her arms completely, and trailed to the floor elegantly. She also had a posh fan – like those kinds you see Chinese princesses and Queens holding – and her hair was tied into a tight bun. Her eyes were dark and deep.
    Kaida thought that the Queen would slap him, angered, but then the Queen noticed her.
    “Who’s this…?” She stopped herself. “A Light Dweller…?! My son… you didn’t! How…?!”
    “Good day, miss.” Kaida bowed her head, hiding her grey eyes from the woman’s searching gaze. “My name is Kaida, I mean you no disrespect.”
    “Where have I heard that name before?” She muttered. “No matter. My son, your fiancée, she awaits-”
    “I’m sorry, mother.” He said with exaggerated patience. “I’m not going to marry that Vampire.” As he spoke to the Queen, Kaida hid further behind his back. She was petrified of the woman – she radiated power.
    “Why not?” She asked patiently.
    “A blood contract.” He said, staring at her evenly. “With this girl.”
    “But… how did she manage to cross the barrier?!” She squinted. “I do not believe you, my son. I know you enough to know that you couldn’t have completed the ritual. She probably didn’t let you.”
    He sighed, and shook his head.
    “She’s a special one, all right.” He muttered under his breath. She winced, but stayed put behind him, keeping him between her and the powerful woman.
    “I will only believe you once you complete the ritual. Right now.” She crossed her arms. His back stiffened.
    “Right now?” He asked. “But she-”
    “I will force you to marry your fiancée if you don’t, and I will release this Light Dweller into the realm of Oblivion if you don’t. I need proof.” She said, her voice steely. Kaida shivered.
    “Fine.” He cut his wrist with his nail.
    Kaida backed up, her animal eyes red and wide. There was no white, no black, no grey, but only one shade of red in her eyes – crimson, the color of blood. Long, sharp fangs protruded from her lower lip, indenting it a little. Her hands shook.
    “No…” She whispered. “Don’t… no… last time…” Her voice shook, and her eyes looked pained, even if they were soaked in blood.
    The Queen looked at her, wondering.
    “I… can’t…” She covered her nose and her mouth with her hands, which had grown long, sharp nails. She crouched on the floor, not looking up. “Don’t… please…” She ended her words in a whisper.
    He hid his wrist, and crouched in front of her.
    “What’s wrong?” He asked, a hand on her shoulder. Her entire being shook.
    “I’ll… end up… killing you!” She cried out. He took her into a hug, and for a moment, her eyes flashed grey.
    “I don’t think so.” He said, smiling. The Queen stood in stunned silence. “The Kaida I met is nicer than that.”
    “And I had… managed to… control it.” Tears stained with her bright red and gold blood ran down her cheeks. Her body moved of its own accord, and she bit down hard on his neck. He winced, but he didn’t seem to mind.
    But what she was feeding on wasn’t his blood. Her lips were staining with a dark liquid, which leaked through the puncture wounds she had made. It was black and white.
    He felt a tug on his chest, as if something was being pulled out.
    He managed to get her to let go of his neck, and she collapsed.
    “She feeds on a soul.” He said, astonished. He put her on his back, getting to his feet. “Like Death.”
    The Queen stared, horrified.
    “We can’t let that dangerous girl wander in here!” She said, horrified. “I won’t allow it!”
    “This is my choice, for once, mother.” He said, his eyes cold and steely. “You won’t stop me.”
    “Who exactly is she?!” The Queen cried out.
    “A Princess. Not like that phony you want me to marry.” With a grim smile he walked along the stone hallway lit with torches.

    Kaida blinked, a weird mixture of moonlight and sunlight hitting her in the eyes. She sat up slowly.
    “Ow ow ow ow.” She muttered, rubbing her head with her hands. She heard a door open, but for the moment, she ignored it.
    “And she wakes.” She heard a sarcastic voice say. She looked up.
    “Where am I?” She asked. Pierrot handed her a glass of water, of which she drank gratefully.
    “In Castle Oblivion. You passed out after I got you to let go.” He said. She stared out the window, which the black shutters were wide open.
    “When I was ten… I got lost in the Woods of the Witches.” She said, her eyes dead, beaten like a dog. “I was calling for help, my entire body was soaked in blood, from when I had fallen into a murder scene and ran away. The Darkness Denizen was chasing after me; I could hear him running after me.
    “He promised me sweets, and a surprise if I’d let him catch up to me. It was tempting, I remember stopping for a second. But I kept running, and only got more and more lost.
    “I had crawled into the abandoned hole of a rabbit, hoping to sleep and recover. The smell of the blood was overpowering me, so I was out of control.
    “He found me only a few minutes later, his shirt soaked in blood. He was wounded on his shoulder, bleeding black blood. He reached for me…” She sat in a ball, her arms around her legs as she stared out the window. He stayed silent. “But I jumped on him, biting into his shoulder.
    “Every time he cut me with his knife, trying to get me off, somehow he only managed to cut himself, as if I wasn’t there. The liquid I was drinking was pure black, and it tasted evil. But for some reason, to me, it tasted better than candy. I had drunk all of it within his body in less than one minute.
    “I only realized later that I had drunk his soul.” Her eyes took on a ghostly shine, as if she was afraid, seeing them all over again. Bright red and gold tears formed at the edges of her vision. “I frightened myself. I ran off, and stumbled out of the woods, into the arms of my mother. Her brother – my father – went into the woods, and came back out with his soulless body. He didn’t say it, but I knew.
    “That was the first time I saw what I could do… how dangerous I could be. If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have… I would’ve…” She buried her head in her knees, her tears running down her bare legs. “I would’ve… killed you!” She cried out. “I can’t control my Vampire self!”
    He put a hand on her shoulder, and she stopped crying suddenly as he spoke.
    “Kaida…” He pursed his lips, searching for the words. “I don’t think you could have killed me, even if you couldn’t control it.”
    “You don’t know that!” She cried out. She shook her white-haired head, bright red tears evaporating as they flew in the air.
    “I know the real you.” He said firmly. She looked up at him, her eyes red at the edges, because of her tears. Her tears stopped halfway down her face. “And I know that you wouldn’t do that.”
    “How… can you be so sure?” She whispered, lowering her head again. “I deserved to die on that day.”
    He growled, which surprised her. Her tail drooped as she looked up, startled.
    “You didn’t.” He said evenly. “You’re still alive for a reason.
    “Anyways, come on. My parents want to meet you properly.” He took her wrist and pulled her off the bed. She came after him as he pulled her along.
    “The King and the Queen?” She asked. He nodded.

    “Take a seat.” The King said, gesturing to two chairs along a table. He had short black hair, black endless eyes, and wore a simple black suit. He was fairly normal, except for the aura of power that fell off of him in waves.
    Hesitantly, Kaida sat down, and Pierrot followed suit.
    Beside the Queen sat another girl, about twenty one, with dark blond hair, blue eyes, and wearing a red and white cocktail dress. She eyed Kaida skeptically.
    “This here is Shaiya.” The Queen said, gesturing to the girl beside her. Shaiya glared at Kaida. “Pierrot’s supposed fiancée, but he brought you home.” She smiled kindly at Kaida. “Welcome to Castle Oblivion, my dear. I am sorry for the… um… earlier dilemma.”
    Kaida smiled in return, her gentle aura making everyone relax a little – well, everyone except Shaiya.
    “Don’t worry about it, Mistress. No harm done.” She smiled, and then sat back in the ornate black and grey chair she sat on.
    “What do you want to see us about?” Pierrot asked. The King looked at him.
    “I want to know who this girl is… whoever she is.” He looked Kaida up and down. “No offense.”
    “None taken.” She smiled. “My name is Kaida Keiko, my Lord. I am half-Wolf, half-Vampire and I come from the realm of the Light. I hope I have not ashamed my Lord, my Mistress, or your beautiful World with my intrusion.” She bowed her head. “Please, accept my profoundest apologies.”
    “Are you the daughter of Nereza and Kilunar Keiko?” The Queen asked, eyeing Kaida. She nodded.
    “Yes, Mistress. They are my birth mother and birth father.”
    “You are the next ruler of the realm of the Light… then why do you come into our land?” Shaiya asked, a frown on her face. Kaida looked at her.
    “I do not want to rule the land of the Light. I escaped from it because everyone there is trying to control my fate.”
    “Down to business…” The King said. He looked kind, if you looked past the powerful aura. The Queen as well. “Son, why don’t you want to marry Shaiya?”
    Pierrot shifted uncomfortably.
    “Do I have to answer that, father? I mean…” He looked at the King, pleading with his eyes.
    “Please, son. We wish to know.” The Queen said gently. She looked like she knew, but she wanted to hear it from her son.
    He sighed, passing a hand through his blond hair, and closing his blue eyes a moment.
    “Because I… I love Kaida.” He said, his cheeks slightly pink. “And I do not love Shaiya.”
    Kaida looked at him, her eyes wide and her face red from her hairline to her neck. She quickly looked away, flustered.
    “I see…” The Queen had the ghost of a smile at her lips. “But we will only let you do as you please, if those feelings are returned to you.” She looked at Kaida. “Well, my dear?”
    She looked to her hands, which her fingers were hanging on tightly to her hands, her knuckles white. No one could see her eyes, but only her reddened face.
    Her thoughts flew around her head.
    Well? Her mind asked. Do you return those feelings to him? You know that this is a life-changing situation, right, genius?
    She sighed, playing with the ends of her overskirt.
    “My-my Lord, my Mistress…” She said, her hands shaking. She willed them to stop shaking, and looked boldly into their eyes.
    “Yes?” They both said at the same time. Pierrot kept his gaze away from her. She was grateful for that.
    “I apologize…” They looked at her, confused. They knew she was not done yet. “But I… a lowly Dweller of the Light… have fallen in love with you son. Please…” She looked down, her face on fire. “Forgive me.”
    The King and Queen looked at one another, and burst out laughing.
    Kaida looked up, surprised. Shaiya grumbled, stalking off, and Pierrot looked out of the window, his face unreadable.
    “My dear… it is nothing to apologize for.” The Queen said, smiling. “It is nothing to be ashamed of – you are not a lowly Light Dweller. You are a Cross, a third, rare, and precious being. You can hold both Light and Darkness in your heart. Falling for our son is no crime. We Darkness Denizens are not as heartless as your tales depict us, you know.”
    “Oh, my Mistress… I have never thought of your people-”
    “Our people, child. You are a Darkness Denizen, deep inside yourself.”
    “I have never thought of… um… our people as heartless beings.” She said.
    The King smiled.
    “I think we can leave these two teenagers off of their heat, don’t you agree, Azuralia?” The King asked the Queen.
    “Yes, Armaya.” Azuralia, the Queen of the Darkness Denizens, wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she smiled.
    “Son, seal the deal and be on your way.” The King of the Darkness Denizens, Armaya, said.
    Pierrot’s face flushed.
    “But, father…”
    King Armaya looked at him, an eyebrow raised. He sighed.
    “Sorry, Kaida. Orders are orders.”
    He took her chin with a finger, and pressed his lips softly on hers.
    Her eyes flew wide, her face flushing even more. But her eyes closed softly, and she smiled.
    “Let’s go.” Queen Azuralia whispered. Kaida heard the King and Queen sneak out of the room quietly.
    They looked at each other, their eyes shining as they sat back.
    “Did that mean…” She asked, looking at him curiously. Her face was red, but she looked at ease.
    “Yeah.” He looked out the window, then back at her. “You found yours.”