As Above, So Below (wlw)

2. Catalyst

2. Catalyst

"You have something that does not belong to you," my voice sounded shrill and distant, like ancient beings echoed through my body. I was not in control anymore. I looked like a nightmare come to life; splotches of feathers tainted my body, my fingers were turning into talons, I was covered in blood that was not my own.

"Please," the boy whimpered. He was on the floor, covered in dirt and bleeding. Some belonged to him, some belonged to horse's corpse that laid a couple of feet away.

I moved swiftly. A single slash of my poisonous talons across his pale blue neck. His hair was blonde, his eyes were blue with specs of sliver. He was rather pretty, but all sirens were pretty. Could be no older than sixteen years old; he was frightened in his last few moments. This is what I was created into. My people come before any siren. I do not regret these moments; not when they contribute to the slaughter and hunt of my people. I dropped to my knees in front of him. I made sure I was the last face he saw. A Fae, covered in his blood, smiling as he bled to death under the midnight sky.

A breeze passed through me as I began to search through his pockets. A note, a scroll, anything containing the information of the Northern clan. I found a compass, it burned my hand as I touched it. Iron. I ignored the pain as I opened the compass.

Follow me north.

This was it. I tore a piece from the boy's shirt and covered the compass. I had nowhere to store it; I was naked and I was almost in full form. I cursed. I looked around. Trees for miles on end, rocks and mud, flowers and a pretty pond. As I looked closer into the pond, the water began to ripple. I looked at my reflection. I looked at my fangs, my almost black eyes, my neck covered in feathers. The longer I stayed like this, the harder it would be to shift back. I needed to go, but for the life of me, I could not stop staring into the water. I stopped looking at my reflection. The water was starting to swirl. Almost like there was an angry creature in the pond circling at the bottom. It started to pick up, the wind became harsher, rocks trembled. I took a step back.

"What the fuck?"

A figure started to walk out from the pond. They were hid behind a blue mask, a white cloak covered their body. I almost turned to hide, but it was no use, they had already seen me. They came into full view, the wind died down, the water became still. A moment of silence passed between us. I could feel their eyes shift from me to the boy behind me. I still held the compass in my hand. I knew this siren. I knew her story, her myth. I knew of the mystery that is the Avonlea daughter. I had never met her, but I heard the stories. The most skilled fae hunter. The one with the hands covered in my people's blood.

The royal family is invested in different parts of the continent of my ancestor. The oldest son, Delmar, manages the treasury; the second oldest, Havelock, is in charge of the external trades; Iedon handles most of the meetings his father would normally take care of; Maren makes sure some of the fae that survive serve the crown; Caspian is a small mystery, he is usually gone most of the time and no one is sure what he contributes to the crown; and finally, Cordelia Avonlea, fae hunter, born under the full moon and blessed by Trident- the siren god, seen only seen at night wearing her mask and cloak.

"Cordelia Avonlea," I hear myself speak before I could process everything in front of me.

"You have something of mine," Her voice sounded like silk.

"Oh, this?" I look at the compass. "No this, this is mine."

"It is made of iron and silver. It is made to hurt you," she begins walking around me. "So it is not yours."

I stand still as she circles me. With the moon hung in the sky, she is at her must powerful- especially with that source of water so close by. If she starts her siren song, I am doomed. I have to leave. My bones will begin to break soon and I will shift completely.

She moved in, her body moving like a river's stream: swift and clean. I dodged barely avoiding her fist. I felt the compass slip from my talons as I landed on my back near the pond she had emerged from. I hissed as I flew above her. I told the earth to wrap itself around her feet; a vine with thorns sprung from the ground and attached itself to her ankle. As she leaped forward, her foot held her back and I dived for the compass. As I went to grab it, the water from the pond began to cover the compass and drag it towards itself. I tried to grab it with the water, but it became impossible as the water moved faster than I could. I turned to look at Cordelia and she was moving toward me, I turned to her. My talons made contact with her mask; it sliced off part of it. The skin underneath revealed itself to me and the trees. A deep blue color was visible with hints of white freckles near her nose.

She growled, for a moment I forgot what we were fighting for. I wanted to rip the mask off her to see what lay underneath. Was she as horrid as they describe her or was she another pretty siren? I ran my tongue across my sharp teeth. She grabbed the compass and started to run towards the pond, but her portal was slow to start. I flew right to her and threw her a few feet away from the pond. I groaned in pain as a bone in me broke. I fell to the floor and water was latching itself onto me. This time Cordelia has made the portal start swirling. If she got me and the compass, I would be killed or worse be tortured and forced to give up my people. Their siren songs could make even the strongest soldier weak; make them give up what they were fighting for.

As Cordelia walked towards me, I looked at my talons and my arms covered in feathers. I begged the earth to help me. I stretched out my arms, one slice and the poison would enter her bloodstream. It may not kill her, but it sure as hell would slow her down. The ground beneath us trembled; the tree branches, swift as arrows, raced towards Cordelia. It engulfed her fast. I took my the opportunity to unleash myself from the water's tight grip. I looked at Cordelia as she fought against the trees. She looked at me. Golden eyes shone bright with anger, the part of her I could see formed into a snare.

I flapped my wings once, outstretched them in all their horror and bared my own teeth. The transformation was almost complete. I turned around as sunlight began to peak its head through the mountains. I turned and flew as fast as my highs could take me. I raced through the trees, I would not make it in time. The cave walls would close and I would be stuck. As I became lost in thought I crashed into a fence.

I smashed right through an animal pence, but found no animals running away. I looked around the den, but found rotting wood and rusted metal buckets. I focused on the cabin behind me. I walked up to the door that was slightly ajar. I found an empty cabin inside. It stunk of humidity and rotting food. This place had been empty for quite a while from the looks of it. I quickly closed the door and barricaded it with an old dresser. I remember closing the curtains, opening a closet door and curling up in the dark corner.