Magick: A Covenant Fanfic

.:Chapter One:.

A/N: This is actually a story that I wrote when I was sixteen, just found the old version and decided to revamp it. This is a first draft so things may change later on but the plot will stay basically the same. Above is Erika Van'Dors, Aimee will be pictured i the next chapter. Thanks for reading!
.:Chapter 1:.   
    Erika Van'dors was a child born of wonder and curiosity. From the moment her big green eyes opened and she took in the overjoyed expression of her parents she was always questioning the world and asking why to everything. Her parents adored that their only child wanted to know so much and had so many ideas. They were constantly together and that weekend had been no exception. Both parents had decided to take Erika to the traveling circus that was cutting through their small town. She had seen the posters of tigers and was instantly sold, the six year old begging her parents for days before they agreed it would be okay.
    As soon as they were out of their car she had latched on to a hand of each parent as as they swung her all the way to the high top she chatted with them happily. As they were seated near the front Erika had been astonished by the whole show. She smell of saw dust, the large size of the animals, how pretty the women looked. The trapeze act was astounding and she asked her father if people really could fly. He just chucked at her innocence and told her he would explain it to her later. She remained dazzled by the performers appearance and their acts. The loved the beasts from foreign countries jump through rings of fire, men standing on top of one another to amazing heights, the two women taking turns and doing stunts while swinging high above them in the canopy tent doing acrobatics on their tiny wooden swings.
    The show was full of wonders and miracles, her excitement bubbling over and she gave her own standing ovation at the end of the show. The ring leader, a shorter portly man with a finely groomed beard, announced that to the end of their show. He wished them all safe travels home, thanked them for their patronage, and bid them adou. Walking out of the tent swarms of people knocked her away from her parents. Her father had need been a thin man but he wasn't over imposing so she had a hard time seeing around the crowds of people. After a few moments the small six year old was alone on the dirt path leading from the tent to the parking lot. Abandoned caravan carts were lining the path and she strayed, fear and curiosity gripping her tiny heart. She ran a small hand down the fading yellow and red paint of a tiger cage, the empty bed of straw leading her to assume the beasts were still inside.
    Erika heard voices and slowly approached. The three empty tiger cages made a tight circle and she peeked under them to see two sets of feet. Sliding on her stomach she crawled forward and stopped as a voice cut through the silence.
    "You fool." It was a woman, her very words and chilling laugh filling Erika's veins with ice. "I cannot believe you actually did it. You brought me the book. The book." The woman advanced to a pair of shoes that clearly were male but he backed away. His heels rested just a few inches from Erika, her tiny hands clapped over her mouth. She didn't know why, but Erika did not want them to know she was there. Call it instinct but she doubted either would be pleased to see a nosy six year old.
    "Madam, if you would. My payment." He said in an accented voice. "You agreed to a fair exchange."
    "Yes, yes. Take it. Just give me that book." There was a thump and a small cloth bag was tossed towards him. It fell at his feet and golden coins scattered in the dirt. One rolled under and stopped near her elbow, the gold glowing slightly in the full moonlight. There was a rumble of a large cat and Erika looked up startled to find that one cage was, in fact, not empty at all. The tiger had simply hidden very well in the shadows.
    "This isn't nearly enough. You promised me thousands. You have no idea what I went through to get this. No idea at all!" He was angry, his tone growing. "The deal is off."
    "You idiot!" The woman shrieked and she moved. There was a thump and the man before her went still before crumbling to the earth. As he fell Erika saw a knife embedded in his forehead, his lifeless eyes rolling to glance at her. As the woman approached, her boots drawing every near, Erika did something she would have never dreamed. She snatched that thick leather bound book that the woman had clearly valued high enough to kill for, turning and quickly crawling from under the cage and heading back towards the dirt path. She heard the woman screaming and knew she could be seen through the bars of the empty tiger cage she had just crawled out from under. Ignoring the woman's cried and screams she kept running so fast she knew tears were streaming down her face and her lung hurt but she didn't dare stop. Fear made her sneakers eat up the uneven ground and she heard her parents worried calls.
    Stopping only for a moment she slipped the book in her small kitten covered backpack that she insisted on carrying at all times, zipping it away. Slinging it back over her shoulders she rushed towards her parents and bawled her eyes out. They put her in the car with a mild scolding, her tears a tell tale enough that she had been afraid. She never told them what she saw that night, never mentioned that she had seen a man killed in cold blood for an object now in her possession. She clutched her backpack to her chest and fell asleep in the back seat, fear and excitement tiring the poor child out.