The Beginning

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      The sky sparkled with a soft light as moonbeams shone through a small window. A little girl, about the age of five, with pale blond hair and big light blue eyes filled with wonder laid in a wooden framed bed, a soft blue blanket hugging her petite body. Next to her bed was a young girl whose eyes were closed. They stayed in the chamber, listening to the flickering fire that kept their faces illuminated.

 

      “Tell me the story again, mommy,” the little girl's voice chimed like a small bell.

      The other girl opened her eyes, reveling a golden color, and smiled.

     “Cousin,” she corrected and watched the small child nod, “Now which story would you like to hear, my love?”

      The small child sat up, her face animated with an excitement she could not contain, “The story about the Shadow Walkers! I want to hear the story of their beginning and their gifts of wonder.”

      The girl with golden and silver eyes laughed at her cousin's enthusiasm, “You know that story all too well. Wouldn't you wish to hear another?”

      A wind passed through a crack in the window and danced briefly with the candle's fire.

     “Oh no,” the small one replied, “This story is my favorite. Please tell it to me, Saphire, please?”

      Saphire laughed, “Alright, my love. This story travels to a time long ago...”

 

      “Somewhere along the sea, a young girl stood on a hill over-looking the vast waters. She had long chestnut hair and her eyes were a warm hazel. She wore a white dress that danced with the breeze around her. Her name was Laurielle, and she was a beautiful soul. Many men coveted her and yet she wished not to marry. Her heart was with the sea. She wished so often that she could be one with its majestic rhythm- to be the sea itself. She was madly in love with the sea god, Oceanus, and everyday prayed to him. 'Oh mighty god of the sea,' she'd say, 'How I wish to be of your creation- so beautiful and free. Please bestow upon me the gift to share my life with your waves, so I may forever be of your sea'. Everyday she watched the waters, waiting for a reply that never came. Soon all her suitors gave up hope and left but all Laurielle could focus on was the sound of the sea dancing.

 

      “As years of wishful waiting passed, she began to feel less hopeful. Laurielle stayed on the hill silently praying still, and one day her prayers were answered. A loud voice called out to her. 'Laurielle, if you seek bonding to my waters, you must make a deal with the Deal Maker. You can find him in a cave by the shore. Tell him what you wish and he will surely grant it, but beware for he is one of trickery'. Laurielle excitedly agreed and ran for the shore. After some searching, she came across the cave and entered. The damp, cold atmosphere sent shivers down her spine. As she advanced, the cave grew darker. 'Hello?' she absently called. 'Come, child,' a voice called back. Laurielle turned a corner and came face to face with a man. His eyes were like coals and his smile seemed cynical. 'What is your wish, dear child?' She told the man of her dream to be one with the sea.

 

      “ 'I will grant that wish, but you must agree to my terms.' Laurielle nodded her head and the man continued, 'You will live forever, under my choice, but you will endure three deaths. The first will be your natural death, from human to a creature of the night- a Life Drinker- you will be mine, of my will. The second death, your soul will become that of an immortal creature- your Life Drinker needs will be defused- and your third death you will finally be one with the sea. You will become a Shadow Walker- one of the firsts- you will have powers of the creatures you admire in your dreams. You will live forever and all your offspring will be bound to this deal, a curse- under my rule. You will forfeit their faiths to me'. Laurielle weighed her options as he spoke, 'And if I wish not to?' He laughed in a sinister way, 'then leave and dream forever of what could have been'. With slight hesitation she agreed to his terms. As she lived through her lives, she met a man named Devlin. He too had bound himself to a dream- he bound himself to the sky. Together they mated and as their offspring lived on, people harbored fear. Laurielle, however, did not know of the loop hole.

 

      “One tragic day, Laurielle came across a weird object in her sea. On closer inspection, it was revealed to be a head. As she reached to retrieve it, the eyes opened and she screamed in pain. She could feel a deep power grow within her, and her blood felt as if it were boiling. Vlad walked up behind her with a smirk, 'so if it isn't the new Pandemonia' he spat. 'What is going on?' she cried in agony. Vlad laughed at her, 'I'm going to have to kill you now. What a shame.' Laurielle was confused, 'You cannot do that! I'm immortal...' she cried out with pain. Vlad was amused by her pain, 'You are immortal by my choice, and I've chosen to kill you.' and with that he removed her head from her body. Devlin raced over, after hearing her cries and paused at Vlad. 'Warn your children that if they ever get in my way, their fates will be quite similar to their dear mother's.' and then he disappeared. Devlin passed the news to his children and they receded into hiding for many centuries, until one day it was decided the world was safe once more. But the humans fear of Shadow Walkers only grew. They were hated by humans and were forced to hide their identities. To this day, they walk among the living in secrecy.”

 

      The small girl plopped her head down on her pillow as her cousin stopped, “So, there are still Shadow Walkers?”

      Saphire tucked her cousin back into her blanket, “Oh, Lexia. There are, but they are no longer called that. They're the Damned- those deemed as untouchable. They are know as the demons of the real world.”

      Alexiana blew a piece of her pale hair from her face, “They don't seem like demons to me.”

      Her cousin bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead, “They are not. One day you'll understand, my love, one day. Goodnight.”

      Alexiana snuggled into her bed as Saphire closed the window and extinguished the light.

      “Goodnight, mommy,” Alexiana murmured.

      Saphire stood at the door, “Sweet dreams, dear cousin.”