A Jar Of Love

The Kinnari is Falling...

FYRE leaped backward and followed the vampire with her ghost friend quietly. At times, he would be ahead of her but within sight. He wondered where she was going alone.

His eyes focused on her serious face, and he bet his wings that she was deeply engrossed in thought, oblivious to his presence. He walked backward to observe her as she moved forward. The trees occasionally hid her, but she would reappear after passing them, creating a slow-motion effect.

His heart fluttered when he caught her smile. He couldn't hear clearly from this distance what she talked about with the Yuki-onna. It was somehow comforting after seeing her lost in thought a little while ago.

Darkness blanketed the entire forest, and he saw her enter a hidden cave. The ghost effortlessly passed through due to her non-corporeal body. He looked around and found a high branch facing the entryway of the hidden cave. Perching there, he waited for her to come out.

***

ASHLEY called all her men who were present in her maker's home. She planned on dividing her forces to hunt down Tavar, the only one who knew where Versimus was currently hiding. Tracking him down in smaller numbers would help avoid attention.

She also made a mental note to contact a rogue vampire without a clan, a skilled tracker she had met. This vampire, a great warrior and a millennium older than her, always supported whoever was on the throne, much like her maker before. The rogue was known to be adept at tracking vampires like herself.

"Serred, you'll stay here and be ready at all times. You'll lead the last group to come out whenever I say so. Is that clear?"

"Duly noted, Ash," he said with a sloppy salute.

No one knew that Hawnt's home was a trap. Tavar fell into the trap with his men, not realizing it was a setup until it was too late. The Vampire King was safe somewhere else.

With everything laid out, she allowed her men to rest and feed. Homeless people were their favorite prey, as they wouldn't be missed and were easily lured.

She retired to her chamber, where Yoko was waiting for her. The ghost sat on her bed, watching TV. Although they were underground, Hawnt's home provided technology. The hallways were still lit by torches, but the rooms were illuminated by electricity from the nearest town. The electrical wires were buried underground.

After a warm shower, Ashley lay down to sleep, while her ghostly friend left quietly to avoid disturbing her.

***

"YOU have nowhere to go, Kinnari?"

Fyre was startled by that eerie voice, floating as high as the branch of the silver fir tree where he was perched. He was already napping when she appeared suddenly.

"I could ask you the same question, Yuki-onna," he retorted.

The ghost smiled eerily but batted her eyes seductively. He sighed and averted his eyes.

"You can't scare me or anything, you know that," he stated coldly.

The ghost playfully bumped her two index fingers together. "I was going to ask if you have a golden jar."

He chuckled and then looked at her with burning eyes, reminding him of his best friend Garem.

"Do I look like I own a golden jar?" he snapped angrily, his nose flaring and his heart beating hard.

The ghost stepped back with one hand in front of her as if to push him away in fear. She whimpered. "I was just curious, that's all!" In an instant, she was on the ground, standing in the snow, her feet nowhere in sight. He wondered if it was because of her long white kimono or if she merely floated.

He glared at her when she waved at him smilingly. She vanished into a white mist, and he rested his head back. Because of that Yuki-onna, he was dragged into his past a couple of decades ago.