11 ~ Oh, Perfect...A Chapter by Felicity's Eve An interesting tidbit of information is revealed and Star has an unfortunate encounter. Who is her rescuer? And who is the new trainer at Copper Creek? Life is going on as usual. Sort of…
Over the past month, we have been seeing more and more demons. And many are getting a little too close to Copper Creek for comfort. I worry for the safety of the horses and Ethan’s father and staff.
Plus, Calina has been finding out some very interesting things during her research. She told us that she worked for the Elcos Counsel as well. But her role was “quieter” than Amoro’s. She was a researcher, spy and preformed quick assassination tasks. Working in the background, hardly ever seen or recognized.
Apparently, as she has discovered through careful inspection and evidence she picked up on the job over the years, in their de-transformed state, our weapons are vulnerable to being hacked into!
And since our weapons can become light-beams of destruction in their de-transformed state, I never really read that much into one of the most important laws that goes for both Estiuses and Elcoses.
It states that unless preparing for a fight or engaged in battle; Estiuses and Elcoses must never transform their weapons casually unless they are on the Counsel. It’s a major law.
What is with that? Why would the Counsels make their people somewhat vulnerable like that? Or could it be that they are the ones that like to hack into them?
I certainly do not trust Zedvara in the slightest, of course. But even though I am on the Estius’s side, I’ve never liked Arcostal much, either.
We can’t be sure, but Amoro, Ethan, Calina and I have stopped de-transforming our weapons when we are done with them. We can’t risk it.
Sure, it’s a little inconvenient, but as long as they are knives or pistols or something small like that when we carry them around, they are portable enough.
Though for some people, their fists are all they need.
That sure is true for Ethan and Amoro. I have never seen two people fight more than those two boys. Over anything and everything…
Ethan is returning to school soon, his summer vacation is just about over, so perhaps the fighting will be minimized. I hope.
Calina and I don’t even get involved.
She is a sweet girl. She’s kind of possessive of me, though.
I am her “innocent jewel” and if Ethan or Amoro so much as touch me, she is ready to kill them. It’s kind of like having a doting, overly protective older sister.
In truth, it’s kind of nice to have her around. She does look after me well and I like having a housemate of sorts. Plus, I have been teaching her how to play the piano, though she actually knows a little.
Perhaps Elcoses do not have our talent of being able to play any instrument once we touch it, but they still like music.
I have always wondered why Estiuses possess that talent. What purpose does it serve?
Apparently Arcostal gave me a basement full of instruments and sheet music that I might enjoy.
I play some of them everyday, actually. Ethan and I both do when we are just chilling or something.
At least I have finally convinced him of his musical skills. Now he mainly uses it to rub in Amoro’s face that he can do something better than him. So childish…
Amoro isn’t fazed, though. That’s probably because he is the master of the bass guitar. I think the only thing that is scaring him is when I go out by myself at night.
Ethan and I cannot have our recharge nights on the same night, so whenever I’m “on my own”, I’m not really.
Amoro and Calina both accompany me.
Amoro because he’s paranoid, and Calina because she views Amoro as a pervert and she’s also paranoid that something will happen to me.
At least Amoro has stopped bothering me with the marriage proposal thing. Well, for the most part.
I can’t quite interpret what he is planning on doing.
He is loyal to us, yet he almost always responds to the Elcos Counsel’s every whim. Which is to keep up the act, of course. But he still takes his job so freaking seriously. I can’t decide if, to him, it’s just an act, or if he is reluctant to accept our suspicions about the Counsels as we discover more and more about them and me. He did work hard for the job he has now.
As for Calina, she is officially “dead”.
Amoro gave the news to the Counsels a few days after Calina took refuge with us.
The story? I killed her. Assassination mission failed. The end.
Well, it’s probable.
She sometimes helps Ethan and I out in our demon slaying. Not slaying demons, but looking after Copper Creek for us. She has a demon-pet herself so I can understand her reasoning. Though she swears that if it is ever necessary, she will kill one of her own demons if for my sake.
Amoro, besides accompanying me once a week on Ethan’s re-charge night, doesn’t help us out with the demon slaying unless he feels that I am in danger. He is a good distraction for Elcoses that come with their demons, though, so that can be a big help.
I for one like our little team. Even if I am fought over a lot…
I shake out my white mane and walk over to a new patch of grass. Ethan’s dad just let me in the pasture with some of the other horses and it’s a lovely summer day.
I do like being a school horse here. He can get on my nerves at times, but Ethan and I make a pretty sweet team and the children that come here absolutely adore me. I’m quite popular with the older riders as well.
Being a horse is so easy! I think to myself happily.
Suddenly, I hear a rustling sound from the neatly clipped bushes surrounding the outside of the freshly painted white fence. The south side of the pasture faces the woods, where Ethan and I disappear to every night, and that’s where the noise is coming from.
Suddenly, a rabbit bounds out of the bushes and to my side.
But this rabbit is different than your normal, run-of-the-mill bunny rabbit you commonly spot in the woods or purchase at a pet shop. It is cream colored with black spots and light blue eyes and two long fangs protrude from its mouth.
Along its spine are sharp spikes and its floppy black ears are tipped in blue.
This is Calina’s demon-pet, her playing-card spade charm being proudly displayed from this little guy’s pink collar.
“Lucifer? What the heck are you doing?” I whinny to him softly as he bounces around and under me frantically.
“Calm down would ‘ya? Crazy rabbit,” I mutter and lift a fore hoof before Lucifer nearly bounds smack into my leg.
He runs a ways towards a clump of bushes farther down, where Ethan’s dad’s old black mare, Ruby, is grazing peacefully.
He runs back and then repeats the action a few times.
“What on earth…?” I mutter, beginning to trot leisurely over to the bushes the demon-rabbit has indicated.
I stop short when I see what Lucifer is so worked up about poke its head out from the foliage.
It looks like a rat; a little larger than anything you would find on Earth.
But upon closer inspection, I see that it looks somewhat like a snake, scales adorning its body and glimmering in the summer sunlight.
It opens its mouth and two pointed fangs are revealed, coated with venom.
It’s a demon. A venomous type, no doubt.
And it’s preparing to leap right at Ruby!
I give out a shrill squeal of warning and gallop towards her, shoving her out of the way as the vile thing lunges.
It lands on me instead, digging its ragged claws into the skin of my back.
I buck and ram myself against the fence repeatedly, frenziedly spinning around to try and throw it off, but to no avail as the other horses flee to the other side of the pasture.
This thing is strong!
Alicia comes running up and then tears off, calling for Ethan frantically.
She is a mere human, unable to see or sense demons so she doesn’t know what the heck I am freaking about.
As long as I don’t give this disgusting rat an opportunity to sink its fangs in, I should be fine. Scratched up, but fine.
C’mon Ethan! I can’t keep this up for much longer!
Lucifer tries to knock it off of my back, leaping on and off of me. The poor thing isn’t doing much good, though.
Ethan! Where are you?
The demon finally finds a firm hold, digging its claws into my neck and balancing itself as I begin to tire.
I shake my head repeatedly, growing dizzy. I could care less, though.
No, no, no! It just licked my neck!
That is a sure sign that the demon is about to bite and inject its fatal poison into me. I will die almost immediately.
Suddenly, the crack of a pistol resounds through the air and the deadly rat-slash-snake falls to the ground. A bullet lodged deep into its skull. Dead.
Lucifer takes the rat in his jaws by the neck and drags it off. Smart rabbit.
“Well, it took you long enough, Ethan!” I snap, turning towards the forest.
But…this boy isn’t Ethan; or Amoro, for that matter.
He wears a long, black, hooded cloak. Much of his face is obscured and he is half-hiding behind a tree.
And he holds an anti-demon pistol in his hand.
His aura. It is so familiar yet at the same time…I cannot recognize it.
He snaps his fingers once and suddenly I’m in my night form as a human!
What the heck does he think he’s doing?! I can’t be seen like this!
With surprising speed, the strange boy leaps over the fence gracefully and walks towards me.
So he is an Estius. Or an Elcos. I cannot decipher his aura so I can’t be sure.
But if he’s carrying around an anti-demon pistol, he must be an Estius, right?
I back away from him slowly. But I just have to trip over my own feet and land on my backside.
I wince and then look up. He is suddenly standing right in front of me.
I still cannot see his face clearly, but he seems to be my age.
“Promise me that you won’t scream, okay? This is very, very important and I don’t have much time. I thought that a little note would be best,” the boy says in an urgent, yet melodic, voice, bringing out a folded up piece of paper from his pocket.
I nod, dumbfounded.
He quickly walks around me and kneels down, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.
He then proceeds to tuck the slip of paper into the back band of my bra.
“What the heck do you think you’re-” I begin to squeal but he places a hand over my mouth, silencing me.
“You promised to not scream, remember?” he says gently, but firmly, and then straightens up.
“W-wait. Who the heck are you?” I ask, but I receive no answer.
Again, he snaps his fingers once and I turn back into a horse.
He tenderly brushes his fingertips over the claw marks on my back and neck, which are starting to sting excruciatingly. He shakes his head sorrowfully and turns away.
“Later,” he says and raises a hand in a good-bye gesture before jumping the fence again and vanishing into the forest in a matter of seconds.
I stand there, stunned and entirely motionless.
Who are you?
“Star! Star!” I hear Ethan calling me from across the field.
He opens the gate and kicks it closed behind him, running up to me with a Scyrath-dagger in hand.
“Are you alright? I saw what happened and ran back to get Scyrath as fast as I could,” Ethan explains frantically, checking me over for injuries.
“Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I should’ve been here earlier,” he whispers, eying the claw marks from the demon. He places a gentle hand on my neck so that I can speak to him.
Lucifer has the demon. I think he is taking it to Calina and she will exterminate it. Ethan, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’m just glad that Ruby is safe, I say though a mind-message, flicking my tail towards the old mare, which is still a bit skittish from that last incident. All of the horses are. "Did Lucifer kill the demon?" Ethan asks. Uh... yeah, I reply. I can't tell him about that strange guy just yet.
“Let’s have Calina look at that. I’ll just tell everyone that you got spooked. You just go see Calina. She and Amoro already know what happened,” Ethan explains, still eyeing my wounds worriedly.
He opens the gate and I canter off into the forest along the trail, heading toward my home, conscious of the note I bear from my strange rescuer.
Who was that boy? Is he an Estius or Elcos? Why did he seem so familiar yet I could not identify him? And why did he save me?
***
After getting doctored and fussed over by Calina and Amoro, who are now even more paranoid that I am going to die when I am left alone, Ethan is leading me to my stall at the main stable of Copper Creek.
The scratch marks are fading fast and the pain has decreased to a faint ache. I should be perfect once more by nightfall.
Ethan still seems to be a bit worried and he will not stop asking me if I’m all right. It’s getting annoying.
“Ethan. Come here for a moment, would you? Bring Star,” Ethan’s dad, Mr. Cardwell, says as he walks up to us, gesturing towards the front door of the stable.
“Sure,” Ethan replies and I follow him, I’m wearing a halter and lead rope so I really don’t have a choice, and his dad to the stable entrance, the hot summer sunlight streaming in through the open door.
A huge, and fancy, horse trailer is parked in front of the main barn.
My eyes widen as Alicia leads a gorgeous paint stallion out of the trailer.
It is as if someone has splashed pure black paint onto a snow-white canvas.
This horse is incredible. Tall and well muscled. And he walks calmly, but stately, with a graceful gait that is somewhat majestic. As if he knows what he looks like.
“Who’s the owner?” Ethan asks after a moment of stunned silence.
“That’s the thing. He is a fantastic horse trainer and rider. I cannot recall his name but it sounds kind of foreign…” Mr. Cardwell murmurs, his brows furrowing as he looks up, thinking. He then smiles.
“Well, that doesn’t matter at the moment. What’s important is that he will be an excellent addition to the team here and I think that you two would have some fun on the hunter jumping courses together. Get to know each other a little.
“One more thing, Ethan. I also want him to work with Star a bit. This could be good for her since she is pretty darn amazing as well,” Mr. Cardwell says cheerily and pats me on the back. I wince a little. My wounds are not fully healed yet so that kind of hurts.
“Work with Star? Well, I guess so. He has one heck of a horse,” Ethan murmurs, staring at the magnificent new horse again after glancing at me.
I can see the uncertainty in his eyes and detect it in his voice.
“Oh, there he is now,” Mr. Cardwell says and indicates a teenage boy who has just stepped out from behind the trailer to take the lead rope of his horse.
Ethan clenches my own lead rope in his hand and I stiffen when I see for myself who this new guy is.
I think I might just faint.
Oh, please no! Anyone but him… © 2013 Felicity's EveAuthor's Note
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10 Reviews  Last Updated on April 25, 2013 Author
Felicity's EveAboutNote: I know that lately I haven't been posting a lot of writings that I feel comfortable sharing, but I'm trying to let more lighthearted subjects make poems and stories of themselves. It's just a ma.. more..Writing
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