Darkness Falling

[tygati]

Um, mild warning for violence and gore? ^^;

Sequel to Darkness, if that wasn't obvious. ;)

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The night wind stirred his feathers like a lover's caress, tempting him to spread his wings and let it take him away into the night. As much as he would like to call the castle home, that distinction was still and always had been reserved for the endless sky.

Once he'd been a god, worshipped and revered. He'd not needed to set foot upon the earth unless he wished, instead spending his eternal life embraced by the wind and the clouds, riding the currents of air beneath sun and stars. His name had been immortalized in songs and stories... or so he'd thought.

Now all he had left was his immortality, and even that he suspected he owed to the power of his dark Master. It was what had originally drawn him here, years ago. That beautiful, enveloping touch of Ciaran's magic. It was everywhere, in every stone, every leaf, every thread of the castle and much of the surrounding sky. It gave him a strength he'd almost forgotten he had ever possessed, so long had it been since he'd fallen from grace.

One of the birds above his head called to him and he responded in kind, lifting up an arm for her to alight upon. She was beautiful, feathers sleek and glossy, shining with a silvery hue in the moonlight. Large, as ravens went. She'd arrived not long ago with the taint of magic upon her that let him know someone had tried to use her in a spell. Given that she was here and not there, he knew the spell had failed.

She caught him up on all the things going on beyond the castle walls, one of his endless network of feathered spies. His Master preferred not to know what went on in the human world, but Karai could not quite let it go. Once it has been his, in a time before history began. Before the changing tide of time remade the world... without him.

The slightest shift of fabric, inaudible to mortal ears, drew his attention away from his feathered friend and back to the parapet upon which he stood. He knew that sound, the near-silent approach of one of those who walked in darkness. Only one would dare approach him here, in the part of the castle he'd claimed for his own.

"Good evening, Oliae," Karai greeted quietly, thanking the raven softly for her news before launching her back into the starry sky.

Though he was facing away, he knew the vampire smirked. He always did. "Good evening," Oliae returned. "Communing with the featherheads over the best spots to dig up worms?"

Some things never changed.

"Discussing the ways of the world, my friend," Karai replied, turning to face the oldest and most jaded of the vampires living in Ciaran's castle. "Not something you would have any interest in, of course."

Oliae was the classic image of what a vampire should be. Tall, though nowhere near Karai's height, with strong shoulders and a regal bearing. Breathtakingly handsome in the aristocratic way with wavy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Vampires were designed to entrance their prey rather than hunt it, and Oliae was the epitome of vampiric perfection. At least until he opened his mouth.

"Quit trying to hold on to the past, Karai," Oliae told him coldly. "It's gone; it's never coming back. Why won't you just accept that?"

Karai remained silent a long moment, dark eyes sad. "Perhaps because I still have some measure of hope," he said at last.

"Hope?" Oliae's crystal blue eyes tightened, lips thinning. "For what? That those fools out there will remember you some day? That you'll get to be pampered and adored again? Open your eyes, Karai. Your world is here now. This is all we have."

Closing his eyes, Karai turned away. The night wind caressed him, comforting, but it could not ease the pain of Oliae's words. He shouldn't let the vampire get to him, but Oliae always knew exactly what to say to tear down his defenses. Of all those residing in the castle, Oliae knew him better than any save for their Master.

At first, all it had done was hurt. He'd wanted nothing more than to curl up in the darkness with his brethren and wait until he finally faded away, lost and forgotten. But then the vampire had made his challenge, and Karai had determined to rise to it. Quit looking at the past. It's gone. Look at the future instead. It's all we have left.

"It's all we have," Karai echoed, smiling faintly. "Of course it is, Oliae. And as it is all we have, should we not endeavour to protect it as best we can? Mortals have ways of doing the most unexpected things. Is it wrong of me to want to have warning before an angry mob arrives upon our doorstep?"

Oliae scowled, but didn't refute the point. Through his feathered friends, Karai was well aware that Oliae's weekly hunting trips were for information as well and not just for the blood he required. Neither of them had any interest in seeing their sanctuary fall.

"You're hopeless," the vampire said instead, crossing his arms. Karai had often thought it made him look like a sulking child, but had never voiced the thought aloud. While he doubted Oliae could kill him, he could and would make Karai's life miserable for a very long time.

"Most likely," Karai agreed, letting his thick cloak fall from his shoulders and spreading his wings wide. "Now if you will excuse me, I think I'll be going out for a while."

Oliae's expression softened, though no one but those who knew him best would ever have noticed. "Be careful," the vampire said quietly, "And I hope you don't find anything."

Karai smiled sadly. "As do I, my friend," he said simply before a sharp downstroke of his great dark wings sent him leaping into the sky.

For several minutes he simply reveled in the feeling of being airborne, aloft in the glittering night skies with only the stars and the few birds that could keep up with him for company. He was and always had been a creature of the skies, and it was to the skies he would forever belong. Still, eventually, he knew he had a purpose and playing in the crisp night air was not it.

Wingbeats turning purposeful, Karai turned and streaked across the countryside, leaving all his feathered friends far behind. His powers may have been lost forever, but he could still out-fly anything in the skies.

All seemed peaceful enough. He flew over several sleeping villages and one larger town finding nothing remiss and was about to head back home when a peculiar howl caught his attention. Karai winged back toward the sound, noting that the faint lightening of the distant sky meant that dawn was only an hour or two away. Not the usual time for wolf cries.

Wolf, or werewolf. With a frown, Karai noted the faint glimmer of torches beneath the thick forest leaves and dropped down to get a closer look. There were six people, one of them the werewolf that he'd heard. None of the mortals appeared to be Hunters, but he would still be cautious. Oliae wasn't around to rescue him this time.

The werewolf looked very young, and very scared. An arrow shaft stuck out of one shoulder and another out of its leg, in addition to numerous scrapes and cuts across its body, several of which were bleeding profusely. It spoke, but in the mangled, lupine gibberish that only other werewolves could understand. Still, from the way it held its paws out in a ward-off gesture, Karai figured the intent was pretty clear.

The men laughed, one of them slashing forward with a short sword, raucous laughter erupting when the werewolf attempted to jump back and tripped instead. Karai frowned. That was more than enough of that.

Soundlessly he dropped from the trees, landing between the men and their prey, wings spread dramatically. "Leave this place," he announced, for a moment every inch the god he'd once been. "Leave off your cruel games and go home to your families where you belong. The creatures of the night are under My protection."

These were no Hunters, skilled in combat and knowledgeable about all those who walked the night. They were only simple townsfolk who had found strength in numbers against a lone, inexperienced werewolf. A creature such as Karai they had likely never so much as imagined, let alone seen.

They fled, as he'd hoped they would, leaving Karai alone with the trembling werewolf.

"I won't hurt you," he told it, knowing that in its current state it could only barely understand the words, if even that. So very young, this one. He scooped it into his arms, once more taking off into the slowly brightening sky.

"I know you don't really understand me," Karai said soothingly, "But I'm taking you somewhere safe. Just bear with me for now, and soon I'll have you amongst those who speak your language and can explain better than I."

The werewolf trembled, but did not fight him. Instead it clung to him as he sped through the sky to the dark castle he called home. Oliae was gone from the parapet, long fled from the growing light of the sun into those parts of the castle where sunlight never reached. That was not where Karai headed now, but rather he glided slowly down into part of the ruined gardens where a section of the castle wall had collapsed. As he landed, three wolves appeared from wherever they'd been lying and approached curiously.

"I have someone for you," he told the largest of the wolves, a silver and white female. "I don't think he's too badly hurt, but he is scared."

The wolf shimmered like moonlight on water, then a woman stood in its place. Her hair was long and silver, as was her tattered dress, and there was still a faint touch of lupine about her. She'd ceased to be able to pass for fully human long ago.

"Thank you, Karai," she said carefully, her words oddly accented as the unusual shape of her face made human speech difficult. "We will care for him."

Karai nodded, passing the wide-eyed werewolf into the woman's arms. Belladonna would make certain the young one understood what had happened to him. She'd led the castle pack for many years and had long past earned his respect.

He watched for a few moments as more werewolves appeared, talking to the new one in their eerie, guttural language. He knew all the languages of the skies, be they those of his feathered friends, strange half-creatures such as the gryphons and hippogryphs, or even that of the great dragons. There was some quality shared amongst those who called the skies their home.

But the ground-dwellers... those he had never been able to understand. He'd never understood how Ciaran did it so easily. Over a century he'd lived in this castle, and still so much of its lord remained a mystery.

With a slight shake of his head to clear his thoughts, Karai launched himself back into the air. He made one last circuit of the castle to ascertain that all was well, then dropped down onto the wide balcony of his personal quarters. He missed the days when sleep was a mystery to him and tired was something only mortals got. He still slept less than any other in the castle, but on bad days it vexed him.

Today was not such a bad day, though the finding of the werewolf had not been a particularly bright spot. Always he went out in search of such as he'd found tonight, and always he wished he wouldn't find anything. What was it about mortals, that they felt the need to inflict violence upon others? Animals, at least, killed only for their food. Never for sport. Never for amusement.

He sprawled out across the soft bed Ciaran had made for him when it became obvious he required one, face buried in a pillow. Stupid humans. His humans had never acted thus. They'd had too much fear of him to behave in such a foolish manner. At times like this he could certainly empathize with Oliae's intense dislike of humans.

Oliae.

Karai didn't know all of Oliae's past, for the vampire was rather reticent to speak of himself, but he knew enough to guess at the rest. He'd been a minor noble when he'd been brought over to darkness and had spent many years with his sire and at least one other before witnessing both murdered by humans. Karai didn't know much of what Oliae had done after that, only that he'd appeared like some dark angel out of the night exactly when Karai had needed a saviour.

He hated remembering that night, though it had led to the presence in his life of one of the only beings he could call friend. He'd been out flying, merely stretching his wings, when there had been a terrible, burning pain in one of them and he'd fallen from the sky. Everything after that had become a haze of pain and fear, a horrible feeling of helplessness that he hoped to never feel again. Three Hunters, he knew, had chanced to see him in the sky and bring him down, toying with him before they decided to kill him.

Even now, decades later, he could still feel the phantom pain from when one of them had decided to start yanking out his feathers one at a time. If he'd ever known their faces, he couldn't remember them now. What he did remember, as vividly as the night it had happened, was Oliae's face in the darkness, blood streaming from his mouth and soaking his clothing, those icy blue eyes the angriest he'd ever seen them.

He supposed he'd passed out then, for the next thing he remembered was waking in a dark crypt, mostly healed though still a little sore, with Oliae watching him suspiciously.

"What are you?" he'd demanded, gesturing at the obvious absence of wounds on Karai's body.

"I am Karai..." Karai had responded. "What I was once is not what I am now, so I do not know the answer to your question. I am sorry."

To this day he'd never been entirely certain why Oliae had decided to return with him to the castle. It wasn't important. What was important was that he had, and despite the vampire's temper and mercurial moods, he felt it had been good for all of them in the end.

However much Oliae might argue otherwise.

It was well into midday before he fell asleep, and the sun had only just begun to set when two of the castle ghosts and one white raven appeared in his room, the raven screeching to get his attention. It took several minutes to calm the bird down enough to get information from it, for he couldn't at all make out what the ghosts were whispering over the bird's frantic squawking. When at last he did, Karai hastily threw on a set of clothing- black, it was always black- and hurried downstairs.

Intruder in the castle. From the sound of things a Hunter of some sort, and not a particularly unskilled one either. The lesser creatures had been unable to drive the Hunter away, and at least one of the witches had been badly injured.

Meaning they needed Ciaran. Karai stopped outside his Master's door, knocking politely and waiting patiently for the response before entering. Ciaran had teased him not long ago about it, pointing out that Karai had never bothered with knocking before, but Karai still vividly remembered what he'd seen the last time he'd walked into Ciaran's chambers without first announcing his presence.

Lucien and Ciaran may have found it immensely funny, but he had absolutely no desire to see his lord and master like that.

The call came and he stepped inside, relieved to note that neither Ciaran or his pet Hunter looked particularly mussed and both were completely dressed. He'd not interrupted anything this time.

"Master," Karai greeted, bowing, "We have a problem downstairs."

Ciaran frowned, setting down his porcelain teacup and rising, Lucien following suit. "A Hunter?"

Karai nodded. "Persistent and too skilled for the lesser creatures to deal with. Apparently there's already been one severe injury amongst the witches."

Ciaran tensed, grey eyes shuttering. Karai had never quite figured out how a dark lord, even one that was half-human as Ciaran was, could feel so strongly. "Thank you, Karai," he said quietly, making a brief gesture and disappearing from view.

Lucien started. "What...?"

Karai smiled faintly. "I take it he has not done that before in your presence," the raven-man observed.

Lucien shook his head. "No. I didn't know he could."

"Come," Karai said graciously, "I will show you where he has gone." He led the way back out, down one flight of stairs and up two before turning down a narrow, dimly-lit corridor and stopping to draw back a heavy black velvet drapery. Behind was a small balcony where Ciaran and Oliae were talking quietly. Both looked up as Karai and Lucien entered, Ciaran smiling faintly and Oliae arching an elegant brow.

"Nice of you to show up, featherhead."

Karai smirked. "Still miffed that the ghosts came to get me first?"

Oliae scowled, but was restrained from further retorts by Ciaran's hand on his arm. "Are you ready?" the Master asked softly. Oliae nodded.

No matter how many times he saw it, or how many times it was done to him, the spell never failed to impress him. Oliae vaulted off the balcony down into the only room in the castle that could conceivably be called a 'throne room', his feet touching the blood red carpet just as the magic took effect. In moments he was nearly double his original size, with a presence that made even Karai want to take a step back.

More than one would-be hunter had turned and fled simply at the sight of Karai or Oliae under Ciaran's protection spell.

Unfortunately it looked as though this one wasn't going to be one of them, though he did pause upon entering the room and catching sight of Oliae. A moment later he drew his sword and the battle began, bespelled vampire versus Vampire Hunter, the dance as old as time it seemed.

The Hunter was skilled, Karai had to grant him that, though nothing like Lucien. Oliae took his time gauging the man, merely dodging attack after attack until he was fairly certain of the Hunter's capabilities and limitations, then struck. Without the spell it would have been far too dangerous to get in close, but with Ciaran's protections the man was disarmed in moments. He seemed particularly surprised as his loss, enough that he didn't think to struggle until after Oliae had changed into bat form and hauled him out through a window.

"What an idiot," Lucien announced once they were gone, one brow arched in disbelief. "There were at least twelve different opportunities for him to make a disabling blow, and at least three killing strikes. On behalf of my former profession, I am deeply shamed."

Karai chuckled darkly. "As I understand it, Hunter, you are something of a rarity amongst your kind," he observed.

Lucien sighed. "Even so..."

Ciaran smiled and touched his arm. "The actions of your peers do not reflect upon you, Lucien," he reassured, then glanced to Karai. "Karai, you will make certain that the man does actually leave?"

Karai bowed. "Of course, Master," he replied, spreading his wings and gliding from the balcony to the window.

Outside, his sharp hearing could pick up the sound of Oliae's voice ordering the Hunter to leave and never return before the vampire turned and stalked back toward the castle. There was an odd flicker of movement, an instant in which Karai's mind screamed he wasn't completely disarmed! before Oliae cried out in pain and crumpled, what was unmistakably a sharp wooden stake protruding from his back.

Karai screamed in fury, the piercing call startling the Hunter into looking up just in time to see him drop from the skies and hoist the man up off the ground by his neck.

"That, Hunter, was a very fatal mistake," he hissed, squeezing tight enough to cut off all breath. As the man struggled against his crushing grip, Karai brought up his free hand and plunged it through the Hunter's armor and into his chest, calmly ripping out the man's heart. He regarded it for a single moment, blood coating his hand and running down his arm, before calmly crushing it in his grasp.

The Hunter's body dropped to the ground, forgotten, as Karai spun and walked over to Oliae, lifting the vampire effortlessly into his arms before spreading his wings and hurling through the sky toward the same window he'd emerged from only moments ago. Ciaran would still be there. He had to be.

He was, and looked up at the strong sweep of Karai's wings, eyes widening as he noticed the still figure in the raven god's arms. Ciaran vaulted off the balcony, stumbling briefly at the force of his landing, and ran over as Karai's feet touched the floor.

"Oliae!" Ciaran exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Hunter wasn't completely unarmed," Karai growled darkly, still cradling Oliae. "He missed Oliae's heart, but..."

Between one moment and the next he could feel Ciaran loose his power, a rush of magic so strong it was almost overwhelming. It was like flying without ever leaving the ground, dizzying and terrifying to be so caught in someone else's spell. He'd known Ciaran kept his power banked; he hadn't realized just how much.

As his stomach slowly settled, Karai became aware of a slight squirming in his arms and Oliae's brilliant blue eyes glaring up at him.

"You can put me down any time now," Oliae grumbled, obviously discomfited.

Karai smiled, pulled him closer, and kissed him. Oliae's lips at first were stiff with shock, as was his body, then slowly they softened and parted as the vampire's arms came up around him. Into that kiss Karai put everything, years of frustration, confusion, loneliness, and the overwhelming pain he'd felt when he'd seen Oliae fall.

When at last they parted, slightly breathless, Oliae opened his mouth. "Karai..."

Karai cut him off. "Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again. I've already lost so much. I can't lose you. Not you."

Oliae blinked and opened his mouth again, closed it, opened, then finally settled for grabbing the front of Karai's shirt and yanking him down for a hard, bruising kiss. Karai could feel the points of Oliae's teeth as their tongues fought, tasted the sweet tang of blood that would undoubtedly follow the vampire everywhere. It was perfect.

When they parted a second time, it was because Karai could hear the unmistakable sound of Ciaran's laughter and he looked up to see Lucien half supporting him before he fell over in his mirth.

Karai scowled. "What?" he demanded.

"Nothing, nothing," Ciaran replied breathlessly. "It's just that I've been telling him he needed to do that for years, but you beat him to it!" His own words set him off again in a fit of helpless giggles, and even Lucien was smiling.

Karai had the feeling he wasn't going to live this down for a very, very long time.

"Hmm?" Oliae frowned, managing to squirm out of Karai's lap to look at his hand oddly. "Karai, I smell blood..."

Karai tensed, bringing up his still-bloody hand slowly. "I..." He looked up at Ciaran briefly, then lowered his head. "I apologize, Master," he said quietly. "I broke your rule."

Oliae tensed as well, staring at him for a moment before jerking his head around to where Ciaran had ceased laughing and was watching them with sadness in his eyes. "Master Ciaran," he started, getting cut off as Ciaran held up a hand.

"It's alright, Karai," he said softly, glancing briefly at Lucien before walking over and tipping the raven god's head up to look at him. "This time, I can understand."

Karai stared at him in disbelief for a moment before his gaze, too, flicked to Lucien. Abruptly he understood, smiling faintly as he met Ciaran's warm grey eyes. "Thank you, Master," he said quietly.

Ciaran smiled. "If you want to thank me," he said, eyes dancing, "Then drag him off to that tower of yours and do something about that unrelenting tension the two of you have been dancing around for so long."

Karai flushed, deeply grateful for the darkness of his skin that hid the sudden rush of blood to his face from view. Oliae, with his alabaster vampire's complexion was not nearly so fortunate.

"With all due respect, Master Ciaran," the vampire muttered, "Go away."

Ciaran's tittering laughter filled the room, even as he snagged Lucien's hand and began to walk away. Only once the sound of his voice was long gone did Oliae look back up into Karai's eyes.

"Um..."

Karai smirked, dark eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, I don't know," he said cheerfully, "I think it was a pretty good idea myself."

Scowling, Oliae grabbed his hair and yanked him down for another long, hard kiss.