Dragons Aflight- a Collection of Shorts and One Shots

Damaged Doves- A Savion Granger One Shot (from Irongate: Then and Now)

"I think it's time we cut this short, ma chérie."

It was the only way Savion could think of slowing things down with the girl. The night had gotten pretty heated in comparison to first discovering her. He had found her on the streets of Irongate, roaming by her lonesome with a heavy heart. That's the state he often found his victims in when Marius didn't bring them. Heavy hearted without a cent or a hope in their pockets. Those damaged doves were the easiest ones to lure in. It was easy to make them flock to the other side. Those damaged doves were the ones that gave him purpose.

This one in particular was a sorceress of sorts, but that wasn't what Savion was paying attention to. She was a young girl, and by her rather risqué outfit and vague whispers coming from within her, Savion put the pieces together and realized she was a whore. She was a broken little thing who made money off selling her body and selling the drugs she fed it. It was exactly what he had been looking for. But, the little encounter with her thoughts wasn't enough to know. Savion was here to collect the expired souls while the one he needed most wasn't reachable. It was the doves like her that kept him sane and gave him reason. He knew from there he had to make some sort of contact to be certain. So, he decided the only way to get her close enough was to spark her interest. Make her want to cross over.

"Are you lost?" Savion had asked, not to the girl's face but to the crisp air that made her way to her ears. It was such an open question- one that Savion knew can be interpreted in more than just one way. That's how he got them. He'd tell them what they wanted to hear. They ate out of his hands after that.

The girl turned around, her eyes like the sea looking him up and down to try and size him up. Savion had been through this much too many times to not know that look already. Behind her eyes, that stained glass window to her soul, was the lingering abandonment, loss, yearn to belong...to be loved. God did it cause a thrill to come over him. This was his victim for the night. He'd chosen even before he knew.

"Yes." She murmured, a tinge of pink coming to her cheeks. She looked younger than most he had seen in the past. This certainly wasn't the first time he had found a whore as a victim, but she must have been new to the whole thing. "Could you help me to get to this address?"

Savion humored her request at first. It was the only way to earn her trust, to get her to believe he was no monster. The thing about the damaged that he reminded himself was that it wasn't just their souls that were battered. It was their trust, self image, outlook and other things of that nature. There were only some that would embrace the fact that he was there to release them, dare he say save them. She didn't seem like that type. He knew to take it slowly after that, and it was much sooner than even he expected before she wanted  him to want her. Lucky for her, he could play that part too.

It was when their lips met in the alleyway and her delicate fingers ran through his dark hair that he finally got something. As she kissed him and fell deeper in his touch, various images came to mind. An orphanage, a desperate search for those who gave her up, an act of desperation...and the date he was looking for. Same day...but three months from now. It wasn't right. God damn it, he had been wrong. It wasn't her time. At that moment, Savion knew he had to cut this off. She had become useless all at once at that point, causing him to whisper his next words.

The girl pulled away from him, looking straight into his eyes. Sadly, they weren't as readable. Savion had no soul to detect, and behind those emeralds for eyes was this void of something that probably was living once.

"Before this got exciting?" she asks, keeping her tone seductive but her facials expressionless as if it made a difference. He already knew that she wanted him to stay more than he wanted her.

"I wouldn't have let it go that far." He informed her softly. "I wouldn't let you convince yourself that this was something."

With those words, the girl pulls away from him, hugging her arms to her chest. "Then what is this?" She asks venomously. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"I pray you not victimize yourself now, after you're the one who willingly came to me when I offered you help. It's not attractive."

"You're a snake." She hissed as she turned her back to him. "That's all men are. You're no different from the rest."

The comment made Savion chuckle. "I didn't mean to disappoint in either sense. But I regret to inform you I am neither snake or man. I am Death." He explained to her, approaching as she stiffened. "How old are you to be kissing death, Dear?"

"I-I have to go..." she began to say, just as Savion took her hand in his cold and lifeless ones. It was not a grab, more of a way to keep her from moving. He smiled at its effectiveness.

"There's no need to be afraid, ma poupée." He calmed. She looked confused by the term of endearment, maybe even dazzled. "You asked for my release, but it's not your time."

"When..." She began to say before he laughed and shook his head.

"Death never tells."

"Then what do you want?" She asks, yanking her hand from his.

"Nothing...nothing anymore, at least. You may go." Savion tells her pretty bluntly. He takes in that look of shock and confusion on her face before continuing on. "I know what you're feeling. It's not only because I can read it either; this is just as awkward for me as it is for you."

"You're...you're not even going to walk me back?" She asked him. Once again, Savion shook his head in that condescending manner he had last.

"I told you that you were growing attached, no?" he reminded her.

"It's just-"

With that, Savion sighs and placed his lifeless hands that were once laced with hers on her shoulders. Looking her straight in the eyes, he spoke soft as he often did with his Doves. Though it probably sounded like it meant like a vow by lovers, Savion's words were empty. He spoke to all of them like this. Each Dove needed to hear what they wanted to before their death. With her death approaching, Savion was willing to show her at least one bit of compassion before her demise. "I'll be back for you when it's your time. Until then...I can only ask for you to find something more to believe in."

"Like what?" She asks, captivated by his words. It could have been the fact he was charming her. It could have also been the fact that she was desperate. Either one was fine.

"That's not for me to instruct." he tells her truthfully. "You'll find it. Just not death. Not yet."

With that, Savion chose to leave the girl in her thoughts. Like a shadow itself, he faded off as if he were never there in the first place. Of course he was there. What he had provided was a bit of an illusion. She saw empty space while he remained invisible to her eyes. Savion would be lying if he said he weren't curious as to what she would do next, which is why he chose to stay. He stood there a moment longer as the girl looked around before reluctantly turning on her heels and going off to where she came. He chose to do the same after that, knowing it wouldn't be long until the two met again.

This isn't usually how the routine went. There was always that intimacy between him and his doves, right before he granted them his sweet release from the mortal realm. It was a job he prided himself on, though it was not respected by others. Many cursed his name for taking their loved ones away. Savion knew the truth that they didn't about how relieving his gift was. He didn't kill them. He saved them. He cured them of their wounds of reality and let them go. That's what his job was.

For eternity, that's what his job would be.