Blood & Power

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BenevolentDCC

Chapter 2: Asteria

Elizabeth 'Asteria' Madison was a senior at her university. She had pledged a notable sorority as a Freshman and by her Junior year she had been elected by unanimous vote of confidence to be the Chapter President. Things were going pretty well. The sorority sisters were revving up for the annual Halloween party, campus was alive with energy, and yet Asteria felt that something was not quite right.

She had only experienced this feeling once before. She shuddered at the memory. She would not let her mind wander down that path. She shook her head trying to clear the memory of blood and snarls from her memory. They retreated from her, but she knew they hid beneath the surface; waiting for the chance to rise again.

Asteria walked to her room. She returned the greetings her sorority sisters gave her, but her mind was preoccupied. Though she refused to think of that horrible night, she could not shake the feeling of foreboding that plagued her as she made her way to the soundtrack of her stiletto heels on the hardwood floor.

"Good morning, Asteria." Spencer spoke softly. Asteria jumped slightly. She hadn't noticed her friend and one time 'little sister' approaching her.

"God!" Asteria exclaimed her hand held over her chest while her other hand grabbed for the banister. "You startled me."

"Sorry." Spencer replied.

Asteria looked at the beauty before her. Spencer was the embodiment of the so called Goddess House. Sigma Epsilon Chi was a sorority known for the names the Sisters took at induction. They were all to choose Goddess names, preferably from Greek mythology but not a deal breaker. Spencer was known as Eris after the Goddess of discord, chaos, and competition. Spencer - like Eris - was not a person to be messed with. Though she looked demure, ladylike, and delicate, she was truly a "storm wrapped in flesh".

Asteria regained her composure. "How are things progressing?"

"The littles are doing a wonderful job of remaining on task. I am quite comfortable with saying that we will be prepared for the party with time to spare." Spencer's voice was soft and melodious. Her sky-gray eyes and exotic Arabian skin often left those around her breathless.

"Fantastic." Asteria replied.

"Is there anything else you would like us to do?" Spencer asked quietly.

Asteria could listen to her talk for hours. "No." She replied. "Take some time for yourself. Maybe grab a quick snuggle with that little minx of yours."

Spencer raised her eyebrows and blushed lightly.

"I could always take a run at her." Asteria teased.

"Don't you dare!" Spencer threatened. "I don't share."

Asteria laughed merrily. "Well, can't blame me for trying. Callie is a wonderful girl. You are truly blessed."

"I know." Spencer replied smiling. It was a contented smile. A gesture that truly captured the joy she felt at being young and in love.

"Well, I'm going to step off campus for a while. I need some time to think and relax."

"Sounds serious." Spencer replied.

"No. Not really. I'm just feeling a little over-anxious about things and I want to burn off some of this excess energy."

"Ok." Spencer replied. "Just..." images flashed through the exotic girl's mind. She remembered the smell of blood, the acrid copper heavy on her tongue as if it flowed before her. Pieces of tattered fabric snapped in the wind and above it all was the sound of crying and fearful screams. Spencer shook her head. "Just be careful."

"You know me." Asteria replied.

"Yes. I do." Spencer said gravely. "Be. Careful."

Asteria looked into her friend's eyes. "I will.

Spencer gripped Asteria's arm comfortingly. She opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it instead. She walked away, her stylish heels snapping smartly against the floor.

Asteria took a deep breath and let is out slowly. She couldn't put her finger on the why, but her nerves were up. Maybe a brisk walk would help. Asteria straightened up, standing to her full height of 5'11" and ran her fingers through her voluminous red hair. Her light blue eyes shimmered between hue and colorlessness as her thoughts, and feet, carried her away from the madness of a house preparing for Halloween.

***

The wind whipped across the thick strands of Garrets silver coat. The light from the sliver moon was a bright streak down his back. Most predators craved to be cloaked in the darkness. Garret was not like most predators. To him it didn't matter if his prey could see him or not. What he hunted would never escape. His tongue licked salaciously at his mouth. He could almost taste the kill. The forest was dark but it made no difference to Garret. His eyes could pierce the darkness and force it to reveal it's secrets. He prowled, hugging his enormous frame close to the ground. He stalked his prey. He sniffed the air, tasting the subtle flavors on his tongue. Dust, fresh tanned leather, slight mildew, a walnut fragrance which brought to mind the image of antlers. Garret shook his body, a tremor of delight traveling through his spine. A grin - if it could be called such - split his maw in a horizontal slash. If he had been in the light, the ivory daggers of his teeth would be seen gleaming.

A loud snort drew his attention. He peaked through the underbrush, the leaves whispering against his body. No further than 50 yards away a large stag stood in a small clearing. Garret drew his body up, tightening the muscles he would need. The stage raised its head, its ears standing high. Garret could see the thick cords of muscle tensing within the beast. It was going to run.

He burst from the underbrush. A flash of silver in the night as he collided with the buck. They rolled to the ground and the beast managed a mangled scream before Garret's teeth silenced him forever.

Garret had enjoyed the hunt. He licked the residual blood from his claws and his fur as he slowly walked through the woods. He was nearing the edge of the city. There he would use his training to remain undetected while he hunted a different prey.

"Don't fuck this up!" Asher had ordered. The sound replayed through Garret's mind like a haunting track. He solidified his focus and with a final lick of his sharpened digits, he returned to the ground. He was ready to be finished with this assignment so he poured his energy into a full-sprint. His powerful body tore through the woods with unbelievable speed.

Suddenly, he stopped. Crouching low he pricked his ears, his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits of yellow in the near dark. He inhaled quietly, testing the air for any scent which might settle the unease he felt. He blew through his nose - like a sneeze - and shook his head. "I am a GOD!" He said to himself. "I do not fear others. THEY fear ME." He growled low in his throat before throwing his head back and howling into the night.

Garret dug his claws into the soil beneath him and launched his powerful frame down a dirt path. Deep gouges of torn Earth were left in his wake as he exploded through the woods, asserting his dominance as the top predator in a world of inferior beings. He tore through the woods paying no mind to the noise he made as he progressed. He tried to ignore the prickles on the back of his neck but something deep within him knew: He was being followed.

Garret slid to a stop, his nails digging deep trenches as his momentum halted. He stood, rising to his transitioned height. When meeting with Asher in the woods Garret had been 6'2", after receiving his "communion" he now stood 8'1" bristling from head to tail in thick fur. Heavy blocks of muscle rippled as his anger flooded him. He bared his teeth, a rumble like a rockslide breaking free from his mouth. Strands of saliva dripped from his teeth. His ears twitched and flicked, listening for the slightest noise.

He heard nothing, could smell, nothing. His anger increased as his skin continued to prickle. He flexed his heavy claws as the realization dawned on him; he was being hunted.

***

Elizabeth 'Asteria' Madison passed through the antique looking 'old town' district of the city. She loved looking at the weathered stone buildings. Their soft-red clay bricks, edges rounded from years of elemental abuse, were comforting to her. She trailed her fingertips along the gritty stones as her stiletto heels clicked against the sidewalk.

When she had been a Freshman at University the high heels had been murder on her feet. Once, she had nearly snapped her ankle when the pointy heel slid between two blocks on the sidewalk. Now, they were a part of her. Her feet barely complained, and it was rare for her to ever lose her balance.

She passed "Shoe Pie" the local Cobbler shop. The locals got a kick out of the pun. Asteria rolled her eyes. Though she would never admit it to anyone, she liked the hokey atmosphere. It reminded her of her home.

Asteria shook her head, clearing the thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to get lost in a revelry of the past. She looked around suddenly. She hadn't noticed how dark it had become. Consulting her watch she discovered that she had been walking for well over two hours. The orange night lamps kicked on in unison. Asteria shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around herself.

It started with a tickle in the back of her mind. Then she could feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. When she was a child she had put her hand on a metal ball that made all of her hair stand on end. That had been a fun, playful experience. This time she did not feel the giddy excitement as she had then. This felt more like another experience altogether. An experience spelled out in physical and psychological wounds. Like blood beneath her fingernails, bruises on her skin, and tingling numb lips which come from screaming your lungs out. This was fear.

Asteria looked around. There was no one around. No people walking the old pathways. No noises hung in the air. No strange animals. Goosebumps spread across her arms and down her legs. A chill set upon her hanging in the air like an ethereal blanket wrapping around her. She shivered and started to walk again; faster. Her imagination chased her with terrifying images. She could feel the boney fingers of the monsters reaching for her, but the instant she looked behind herself there would be nothing. She walked faster still.

Panic blossomed in her mind. A little seed of doubt watered by fear had grown into a living organism. Whispers filled her mind. The taste of bile spilled onto her tongue. Her breathing became shallow and erratic. She shivered again.

***

Garret dodged to the side as a CRACK split the air. He scanned the area around him. He looked up into the trees his eyes piercing the veil of night but revealing nothing. He sniffed the air. He crinkled his nose as the smell of rotting meat, olives, and sour-grass burned his nostrils.

"Fucking, Oni scum." He growled low in his throat.

Another CRACK filled the air and Garret leapt to the side. Electric-fire sizzled through his arm. The tell-tale burn of silver. He gripped his bicep with his free-hand as he roared into the dark. The bristles of his coat stood on end as he unleashed his fury at his unseen enemy.

"COME OUT!" Garret spread his feet, widening his center of balance. "FIGHT ME!" He spread his fingers, the deadly sharp points of his claws held at the ready. "NOOOOOWWWWWW!" Spit flew from his mouth as he challenged his hunter. Garret would never back down from a fight. No matter what.

Garret reeled. A howl tore from his lips. He looked down and found just below his right shoulder a bolt of shimmering metal protruding from his chest. The projectile was easily three inches in diameter. It felt to be buried about four inches in his chest. Garret's arm hung limply at his side as the silver weapon filled his veins with liquid fire. It would take more than a single projectile to kill the werewolf, but the silver would leave him weakened and unable to use his right arm.

Garret's eyes scanned the trees once more. On the third brach of a tall Oak sat the creature. His skin was wrinkled and dotted with patches of mangy fur. His arms and legs were disproportionate to his size. Hard knots of muscle flexed beneath the loose folds. The Oni were very strong, fast, and notoriously hard to kill. They also traveled in packs.

The creature Garret laid his eyes upon was larger - more stocky - than a typical Oni. He was probably chosen specifically for this engagement. Werewolves weren't easy targets even by Oni standards. The Oni met Garret's gaze and smiled a gap toothed grin. These carnivorous creatures were blessed with a taste for meat, but cursed with dull, round, pointless teeth. They preferred their food fresh; screaming even.

The ogre lifted a gangling arm and pointed a large multi-jointed digit at the tree behind Garret. The werewolf struggled to look at the indicated area. He knew what he would find. He shivered even as he searched the close-knit branches. Sure enough, three other Oni sat, waiting eager for the command to descend upon their feast.

Garret drew in his breath and did the only thing he could think of, he howled with all his might.

***

Livia squeezed her fist tight feeling the warm gush of fresh blood. She dipped her forefinger into the pool and painted carefully upon the ground. It would not do to rush the work. Things had to be just so, just as they had appeared to her in her dream. They would come this way. The girl in front, the creature nipping at her heels. All Livia had to do was wait. Simple enough, except for the nervous tremors causing her muscles to jump.

She closed her eyes and brought to mind the intricate design. The small circle bound within overlapping curves. Stars dotted above the meridian of the glyph naming the purpose of the magic. Livia let her fingers glide over the design. The blood sank into the concrete. Vanishing from sight like rain on a thirsty desert. When her training had first begun, Livia feared that the vanished blood meant the spell would no longer work. Now she knew better.

She pulled the hood of her velvet robes further over her head after she finished her work. She retreated into the darkness, waited, and prayed. If her dream proved prophetic she would save a woman's life. If not. . . the girl would die. The key would be lost.

"At least I won't need to find out what a paragon is if that happens." Livia whispered to herself. She pulled her robes tighter around her body trying to keep the late August chill from leeching her focus. "Please." She prayed intently. "Please, let me save her."

Screams pierced the air, overlapped by the deep, mournful howl of a werewolf in danger. Livia's eyes opened wide at the realization that a much larger game was afoot. Her heart hammered in her chest even as the sound of footsteps slamming on concrete told her the time had come. It was now or never.

Now. Or. Never.

(To Be Continued)

*

I read every comment that is posted. I LOVE hearing from readers. You guys give me the inspiration to keep writing. With that being said, please vote and comment. Please, please, please.

I haven't written in a while. Been taking a hiatus to recuperate from the last project I had been working on. I hope that this installment re-awakens interest in this tale. For those of you who have not read Falling For A Girl, some of the characters herein are pulled from that world. These are two SEPARATE stories. You do not need to read one to understand the other. There is no magic in Falling For A Girl, just as the focus of this story is not upon a sorority.

I hope that you enjoy this chapter. There will be many more if interest is piqued.

Ciao,

BenevolentDCC