I felt him now as he stepped around me and pulled off the blindfold. He tried to look stern but failed. He was terrible at stern.
“My beautiful daughter, you need to pay attention, you’ll be out among humans in a few days, learning their ways and doing…” he trailed off, and he’d sounded more doting than corrective.
I sighed as he kissed my forehead, he really did spoil me at times. I knew my mother would make the rest of this training session even more grueling as my father replaced the blindfold. But I also knew it was only to keep me safe when we left the peace of our forest.
My father said, “Enjoy yourselves, I’m going to catch some fish,” and then he whistled cheerily as he walked out of our cabin, drawing a laugh out of me and my mother.
My heart cried in that bittersweet moment from the past, it was the last time I’d seen him alive…
I had tears in my eyes as I stood up and drew my sword in one smooth motion, and turned to face the vampires that had tracked Terry down. There were three of them. Two males and a female. They were looking at me with confused expressions. I took the time to push down the past, and all my feelings, I needed to be centered right now and in connection with my element, the spirit all around me.
Vampires were in a word, unnatural. I could see the twists and brands in their spirit, a spirit spell, or curse, designed to lock them in this life and draw the elemental power of air to continually heal their body and prevent aging.
It wasn’t permanent, one day when these vampires had their bodies killed, their spirits would once again be free to take their place in the wheel of life and death. Still, it was disconcerting, and unnatural, even if they were alive and extremely healthy, it was a deep violation of nature.
Sadly, it was a spirit sorcerer with the help of a dark witch who made the first vampire. Not all of my kind followed the tenets of Inari, who was one of the most powerful elementals, an elemental lady of spirit. Without morals, one of my kind could feed on the souls of others for power, even bind or destroy souls. Those were where the stories of succubae, and incubi came from. Or in the case of Kitsune legends, the Nogitsune.
They aren’t all necessarily evil however, some don’t destroy souls, they just interfere where they shouldn’t. For all I knew, the one that created the first vampire was just trying to give someone the gift of eternal life. Unnatural, wrong, but evil?
The male in the middle smiled at me and chuckled, “So… where’s the Cosplay convention, you look adorable. Almost exactly like… what was that movie?”
I blushed, not sure what they were talking about. But I did wish I could have changed out of my gi, I suppose I did look a little odd outside of a dojo.
The woman rolled her eyes and asked, “Seriously?”
The other man laughed, “She does, but she’s cuter. Kinda hot actually. Umm, crap, what was it…” he snapped his fingers and grinned as it came to him, “Blood, the last vampire.”
The first man snorted and looked me in the eyes, “Yup, that’s it. Great movie. Now why don’t you run along sweet thing and play somewhere else, we’re here to pick up our friend Terry there. We’ll take good care of him.”
I shook my head, “He’s under my protection, I’m taking him home. Go find someone else to eat vampire.”
He looked shocked for a moment, since his mesmerizing compulsion failed to affect me. Of course, I was shielded by my spirit magic. It wouldn’t protect me from anything physical, but magic and spirit couldn’t harm me, unless of course, it was stronger. He also might have been surprised I knew what he was. Outside of the sunglasses, they just looked like three people out on a hike.
The second male shook his head as his eyes roved up and down my body, “I think I’d like it if you came a long too. You can protect our friend here and come with us.”
I felt a little sick at that idea, and then the guy charged. Vampires were fast, but only because of air magic, which was fed through his spirit.
I controlled spirit.
Though it took some effort, and only if I was stronger than the being attacking me. These three vampires were very young, under fifty. I’d been around longer than that, and was inherently stronger.
I reached out to cut him off, and he slowed to human speed with his arms set to capture me, his teeth dropped ready to rip into my throat right there. I rolled to the side, and easily evaded his swipe, and stabbed behind me into his kidney as he passed. He screamed and fell to the ground.
The other male said something very unflattering and charged me, less than a second later the female followed. It was harder to reach out and control their souls, squeezing off their power felt like bending a hose in half to make them weaker while at the same time keeping track of all of my surroundings.
I swallowed a lump in my throat, my mother had trained me well.
I reached down, drew, and threw the short dagger from my boot, hitting the woman in the stomach.
She screamed in pain as she pulled it out.
By then I pulled back to dodge the last man’s swipe, and then lunged forward before he could recover, and cut his inner thigh badly. He too fell to the floor, and tried to hold the blood in while the vein started to heal slowly.
The woman glared at me and stepped forward through her pain, wielding my own knife against me.
I frowned, “That’s the only mercy I will show today. Put down the knife, pick up your friends, and get the hell out of here. This man is under my protection, don’t make me kill you all.”
She growled a curse and dropped the knife, though her eyes promised me death as she managed to get her friends to their feet, and they staggered off into the woods.
I just hoped I wasn’t making a mistake, allowing them to live. I felt hopelessly naïve. In a way I was wise and intelligent, but I knew I lacked… The humans called it street smarts. I was meant to be clear headed, with my mother at my side to council me as I entered the next phase of my life.
Instead of the emotion mess that I was, unsure about so many things.
“What happened? Who are you?”
I sighed, I guess the fight woke Terry up, shame on me for not noticing.
Chapter 4
I cleaned my weapons and put them away as I gathered my thoughts. I took a seat about five feet away from Terry. Close enough to talk comfortably, but not so close that I’d spook him anymore than he already was.
“I heard your call for help and I found you knocked unconscious with a broken ankle. Luckily, you stayed under while I set it. I don’t think you should try walking, even with that walking stick, until tomorrow. I assume you saw me drive off those three? It’s just over ten miles to the nearest forest ranger station, it will probably take us two days to get there.”
Terry nodded slowly trying to make sense of it, all that happened. I knew he would fail of course, I’d left out too much, but then I wasn’t about to tell this human what I was. Most likely he didn’t even know those idiots were vampires, and just believed it was some weird group that had kidnapped him and his wife. No doubt mesmerizing had worked on them just fine and his memories of the last two weeks were Swiss cheese.
I wasn’t positive of that though, since his spirit had the true account when I read it. I didn’t have a clue what was actually inside his mind.
He moved his leg and hissed, after a moment he said, “Thank you for what you did, even if I don’t quite understand how you drove off those three so easily. Something isn’t quite… right. Will you go on ahead and get help please? Just leave me, my wife is still being held and she’s been getting weaker every day.”
I reached out and felt his soul. He already knew his wife was dead, he could feel it. But humans tended to ignore that kind of thing, they didn’t believe it, or didn’t want to believe it. Some refused to even notice what their spirits tried to communicate. I don’t know why I cared, I shouldn’t, but I sent comfort to his soul which mourned, while his physical mind sat in confusion.
I sighed and stood, and decided on the band
aid approach, “I’m sorry Terry, but Sharon is gone. They killed her,” my voice wasn’t unkind.
I stalked away to the stream to clean up and get the blood off of me while Terry cried. I also didn’t want to be there to answer questions, like how could I possibly know that? It was going to be a long day. I wasn’t heartless, but I didn’t want to deal with my own grief, much less his.
I’m not particularly proud of it, but I ignored him the best I could for the rest of the day, outside of making sure he had enough food, water, and to help move him for his other physical needs, I stayed close by in the forest. It was so much easier to lose myself in the flow and ebb of the life and spirit of the forest around me, and avoid the pain and loss that dwelled in both of us.
“Are you sure I broke my ankle? It feels like a bad sprain maybe,” Terry muttered the next morning as we started walking. His arm was around my shoulders and it was a little awkward because of my short height, but it worked. I had my arm around his back and supported him the best I could. I was strong enough, but it was difficult.
I really didn’t like to lie, and felt uncomfortable with the idea. Spirit sorcerers generally didn’t get involved in the world to the extent of others. We were close to our families and mate, and protected them fiercely, otherwise we took the long view of lifetimes. Ying and yang. Evil existed, but it was part of the road of life, we didn’t get involved unless as Terry did, someone asked for help.
We were observers, and helped a spirit along if it got caught, or again, we helped or hindered those foolish enough to cede their free will. I may have been over a hundred years old, but in a lot of ways I was just a teenager with no experience dealing with others, much less lying to mortals to keep magic a secret. I felt awkward and out of my depth, not really sure how to respond to his question.
So my reply was quite wooden, “I suppose it’s possible.”
He chuckled, “I hope so, there are no ERs anywhere around here.”
I laughed, and the sound shocked me, maybe I had been alone too long.
“Nope. But help isn’t that far.”
It was slow going. At first, there were a lot of missteps as he lost balance, and he seemed reluctant to lean on me very hard which just made it more difficult. But eventually, we started to move together. I was a little surprised he had no questions about why I’d been out here, or about my state of dress, maybe he was just on the edge of shock, or a breakdown.
I asked, “Any children?”
Terry answered with worry in his voice, “Yes, I hope he’s okay. I have an eleven-year-old son John. He should be fine, he was at his aunt’s house, a sleepover with his cousin on the night we were taken.”
“What is he like?”
I couldn’t see it, but I felt Terry’s grin.
“Stubborn, he’s a little hellion.”
I smiled at that. I kept the questions up, trying to keep him moving, and keep him talking. It was incredibly slow going but we managed to make half the distance before we stopped for the evening. I was still worried about the vampires catching us, I was sure that now that there was a threat out here for them, they wouldn’t just send three out next time.
I set up camp again, this time much faster since I didn’t need to find wood to carve out anything. There wasn’t much to do besides gather fire wood, and hunt. I’d taken down a couple of animals for dinner, and then shifted back to human form. When I walked back to camp I realized my mistake when his eyes widened a bit.
I’d not given it any thought, but when I shifted to and from my fox form, the dirt and sweat didn’t follow me. Not only that, but I was sure my lustrous long black hair looked freshly brushed without one knot or tangle. Even my clothes were dust, sweat, and wrinkle free after a change. I could have mussed myself up a bit, but it was too late for that.
I sighed, “Relax Terry, I’m…” I kind of trailed off without a clue of what to say. I really wasn’t any good at prevarication. It was also kind of ironic, that me being clean would be what made him panic, and not any of the other obvious issues with reality as humans understood it, which had occurred over the last day.
He shook his head in denial, “What… what are you?” the panic in his face and voice was clear.
I reached out and tried to sooth his soul, and fed him more energy to keep up the increased healing. I suppose I panicked a bit myself, because I overdid it and he passed out.
I sighed, what a mess. Maybe he’d think it was a dream?
I got the fire started and cleaned our dinner before putting it over the flames. It was probably stupid, and desperate, but I mussed my hair the best I could, and made sure I got plenty of smoke and dust on me. I snorted, I must look a total mess. I waited though, and didn’t wake him until the food was ready.
He looked a little suspicious when I gently shook his shoulder and handed him food, but he didn’t freak out again, so I relaxed a bit while we ate.
I could only guess he was in deep denial. I couldn’t really blame him either, he’d been kidnapped, used as a blood bag and punching bag for two weeks, broken his ankle, lost his wife, and met a strange young girl dressed in a gi with a katana miles from civilization. I supposed it was a miracle he wasn’t gibbering in fear. If denial kept him going, I wasn’t going to argue.
It could also have something to do with all the extra power I’d been nourishing his soul with. Probably both. Neither of us said a word as the sun reached the horizon, and we finished our meal. Freaked or not, he fell asleep quickly. I knew he’d need all the sleep he could get for the last leg of our walk tomorrow, so I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander. I was connected with the forest and would feel if the vampires found us.
I really hoped they didn’t, if only because I wouldn’t be able to afford to simply wound them next time. They would come in a greater number.
I wasn’t sure what I’d do once I got Terry to safety, but I knew going back to a life of living like a wild fox wouldn’t work. I needed to work through the rest of my memories, make peace with them, only then could I decide how to move forward. That’s why when the memories of that day came again, I didn’t push them back…
Chapter 5
Two Years Ago…
I could still hear my father whistling as my body dropped down and backward. As I flexed my body I came out of the backwards roll and landed on my feet, the dagger my mother had thrown made a sharp sound as the blade dug into the wall.
I didn’t have time to pat myself on the back for feeling her hand throw the dagger, because she threw another one right away, which made me jump up. Based on the angle of her arm and wrist flick it would have gone in my right leg. I was rewarded with another sharp sound as I landed lightly on my toes, this one lower on the wall.
I couldn’t help the grin that came on my face as I drew my sword and deflected my mother’s, she wasn’t showing me any quarter at all. Then the staccato sound of metal striking many times and quickly filled my ears as we fought. My body was limber and responded automatically to what my spirit discerned. The intense bout lasted for what seemed like hours as neither of us got past the other’s guard, but it was probably more like fifteen minutes.
My mother’s pride in me leaked through her shields as we backed off from each other.
“That was excellent Miku, we’ll go into Seattle to continue your training in two days.”
I asked curiously, “Is it that different? What will I learn?”
My mother replied thoughtfully, “You will see. The city is full of life and spirit, just as the forest is. But it is much more complicated. Humans, shifters, vampires, other kinds of sorcerers, lost spirits, all with free will. All vying to improve their own lives, sometimes with partners and friends, but it is not nearly as harmonious as the forest. You must learn to weather the storm of their spirits without getting swept up in their wake.”
“I don’t understand.”
She smiled, “You will. I…”
She trailed off, and pain flared across her face. She ran f
or the door and disappeared outside of it. I had no idea what had happened, but my reach in spirit was puny next to my mother’s.
I sheathed my sword and followed at a dead run, I’d never seen my mother so devastated before, and it felt like my heart was in a vise as I did my best to keep up. I felt him as we approached the river, my father’s solid presence. But my mind was too confused and in a panic to figure it out until we came in sight of my father’s favorite fishing spot.
I saw him standing there, but only his spirit. He looked down on his own dead body, his upper body was submerged in the stream.
I screamed…
Tears ran down my cheeks as I stared into the dying fire. I fed it a few pieces of wood and laid down to get some sleep myself. My father had been a hundred and fifty years old, and looked not a day over twenty-five. He’d been the mate of a spirit sorceress. That hadn’t done him any good when he’d slipped in the mud while casting. Not very dangerous, it was something that should’ve merely been embarrassing, except he fell into the shallow water, and was knocked out by a rock just under the surface. Just like that, he was gone.
Nothing but a stupid accident. The tears followed me into sleep.
We woke up early, right before dawn. We had a quick breakfast and got started out.
Terry asked, “Today?”
I replied a little sourly as I felt the cool and moist morning air, “Yes, by midafternoon I’d guess. If we can keep up yesterday’s pace.”
Terry grunted, “You don’t sound happy about that.”
I shook my head, “Not that, rain is coming.”
Terry looked up in the sky, the sun was still coming up and it was pink on the horizon through the trees.
It hadn’t been magic that made me discern the coming rain, just experience, and paying attention to things.
“Coming from the other direction,” I noted in a slightly amused voice.
He nodded, and we trudged along. It was about a half hour later when the rain started coming down. It was cold, and miserable, and I started to daydream about my fur and wondered how I got into this mess in the first place. I was soaked to the bone in minutes, and the next few hours were hard. I was in great shape, and a sorceress, it made me wonder what kept Terry going despite all that happened, and the death of his wife.
Spirit Sorceress: Spirit Sorceress: Book 1 Page 2
