Anomalies

II

"Where are we going?" Rhys asked Ricate.

With an angry cry she backhanded him furiously. "I am your master, and you shall call me master, filthy mutant!"

Ouch. Rhys rubbed his throbbing cheek, though it swiftly healed. He felt the smooth scar that marked his Bond to Ricate. She was the scariest woman he'd ever laid eyes on, including his brother's wife.

He nodded meekly and continued to munch on his cabbage. Therein probably lay the reason she despised him.

"Blood-retcher," she snarled.

"It's really not my fault I can't stomach blood. Master," he added hastily. Ricate scowled, almost as if she were disappointed that she couldn't hit him again.

"Do not try to defend your amoral ways, mutant. You are mine and I will find a way to cure you. Even those accursed wings," she snapped, eying his wings maliciously.

"Well, master," he said carefully, "You've already tried to cut them off, not to mention break them, burn them, and stake them. Surely by now only magic might remove them?"

Ricate glared at him. "That's exactly what we are going to do."

Rhys waited. When she wasn't forthcoming on details, he cautiously asked, "Master, where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to the vampire Sires, the oldest three of all vampires. You will show them due respect."

Rhys sighed quietly and plucked a strand of his hair. "Do you think they'll know why my hair's turned white? Master?"

Ricate growled something under her breath. "I'm sure they'll know why you're so damned clumsy, too!" she snapped.

Rhys grimaced as the tripped over another branch. They now traveled through a deep forest unknown to him. Rhys wondered about his cabbage eating tendencies, not to mention his unvampire-like way of tripping over every exposed root or branch.

Ricate suddenly stopped, and Rhys nearly crashed into her. He backed away hastily, falling backwards over a patch of moss in the process. She snarled wordlessly, but seemed to accept his innate clumsiness. Well, it was much better now compared to their first few days of traveling. Rhys was surprised he didn't have more scars. He reflected on the good fortune that gave him a vampire's swift regeneration, despite leaving him nothing else.

dots that won't appear

Ricate paused as she spotted a wandering human.

"Wait here," she ordered Rhys. She still didn't seem to understand that he could refuse her orders if he wanted to. As it was, she continually expected him to obey her every command, which was probably what the Bond was meant to do. Rhys felt fortunate he didn't have to follow her orders to the word, or else she would have him helplessly brainwashed into thinking he was a 'filthy mutant.'

Rhys wondered vaguely what she was doing; she'd already fed less than a day ago.

But when she came back, silent and sudden as always, she brought with her a large, heavy coat, and dark, nondescript cap.

"Wear these," she told him.

"So, I guess we're getting near the vampire place," he noted.

"Smart for a freak, aren't you?" she growled. He decided it was best to maintain silence.

fictionpress won't let them

What was her name? Who was she? How did these thoughts come to her? More to the point, why wasn't she so big anymore? She felt so…thick, and yet so small. True, perhaps slimline was the best way to go (where did that thought come from?), but what had happened? This was not her normal state.

Startled, something happened.

She…oh, this was too hard to describe! It's like she sensed something, but more like something moved across her branches, like a wind, but not a wind. And suddenly, she knew what everything looked like! Usually she only sensed one or two feelings, but this was…different. She knew the shapes and sizes of things, without having to touch them! The shapes made pleasant vibrations.

She gasped. What was that sound?

…Sound? What was a sound? Somehow, her mind had simply come up with that name for the vibrations in the air. It was…sound. And she was…hearing. How strange. As a plant, she'd never known things like that. And the shapes? They were like humans, but she could see beyond some of them. It was as if a leaf hadn't got enough sunlight, and now the light went through it. She knew this because she could see them. This was…like learning something completely new. Like--like--she didn't have a name for it, how could she? But it was amazing.

Her attention shifted, and she somehow moved quickly! Usually it took her days to go this far, but now, after the big flame, she could move fast!

It was so exciting!

But now the pleasant sounds she could hear were making a pattern, or some sort of river-like sound. It was constant, but there were some breaks in between. Suddenly, her brain (what was a brain?) answered for her. Those creatures were speaking to her. It was language. But--but, how did she know all this? How did she understand? These things…they were…human things. Not flowers, and not branches. They were human things.

Am I human? She made a surprised movement when she heard a different sound. The sound…it seemed to come from her! Was she also speaking?

Then, when the creatures spoke again, this time she knew what they were saying.

"This is chime-language." That sound came from a tall, bluish human-like creature. He moved toward her. "How can you understand it?"

She tried to speak. "I don't know that. How can I speak? I am…a plant."

i don't know why

"Rikassa," came her imperious voice. He came forward, and met the midnight black eyes of the vampire Ricate now bowed to. "This is my master, Iltak, so show proper respect." Rhys, startled, bowed low, lower than Ricate.

When Ricate rose, he waited a few seconds, then also rose. Rhys was inwardly amazed. He knew Ricate was beautiful, but this man--vampire--was perfect! He had toned broad shoulders, a lean waist, and a look of inhuman coldness to him. Rhys could only quaver at the thought of that coldness being directed at him.

Fortunately, Iltak seemed to have eyes only for Ricate, for he didn't even look at Rhys.

"Ricate, come," he commanded. Ricate, obedient to her Bond, followed him, leaving Rhys at the edge of the clearing, scores of vampires crowding around him.

"Psst! Hey! Hey, you! Pink-eyes!"

but this will have to suffice

'To all my favorite gods (read: none!):

'Ahem. Let me just say that if I even imply anything insulting here, it was just my emotions getting the better of me. Now! On to the letter!

'WHY!? WHY would you DO THIS TO ME!? I've wracked my brains, and you KNOW how much free time I've had, so WHY? I've done nothing to be mad about, not that I can remember! I've never disrespected ANY god, and I've BEEN A GOOD PERSON!! (Well, a relatively good person.)

'WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE?! Isn't it BAD ENOUGH that you sealed me into a glass ball!? WHAT COULD BE WORSE!?'

Here she paused in her mental composition to put that sentence into perspective.

'Okay, point taken. I guess living inside a glass gem with no one to talk to IS worse. And, you know, living in here for FREAKING ETERNITY isn't too GOOD either! But PLEASE, my question is WHY??'

Before she could get through her string of curses on the gods, the sound of a snapping twig caught her ear.

'Oh, gods, whatever I may have said, however I insulted you, I TAKE IT ALL BACK! THANK YOU!

'HEY!! Over here!! Hey! HERE!'