The House Of Blood and Dust, Book One: Darkness Rising

The Banshee's Kiss Is Nigh Upon Thy Lips

The night is filled with terrors, the sun is soon to rise but I sit upon the bench in the back yard to stare into Zachary’s garden, beautiful plants grow from a large part of garden: dragon tongues and banshee’s kisses are the largest ones. The dragon tongue is a red flower with an odd turquoise stem. The banshee’s kiss is a black flower with a red stem, odd flowers yes but make for powerful potions and are hard to find but in our line of work you can come across lots of merchants who sell odd things. I stand and go to the shed where we store most of our weapons, I open it and stare into the amass of weaponry.

          “We need armour don’t we brother?” I turn and smile at him, “I guess you couldn’t sleep.”

          “Nah, never normally can… tonight was eventful wasn’t it?” He places his hand upon my shoulder and takes me to the bench where we rest our lonely souls upon,

          “Aye, it has been… are you okay? I mean you’ve certainly taken a beating and your mind has been taking one since you were born.” I look at the floor, when he talks to me like this and I look into his eyes I want to cry.

          “I’m fine… my mind is fine, I saw Abigail today… I felt nothing for her.” Zachary breathes heavily and pats his legs,

          “Brother, she is not your problem… I know that your heart still lies with her, but there were two others remember: Andaaria and Miranda?” He doesn’t know me; I loved them not and shall never do.

          “Yeah, of course, I remember them… I remember Andaaria was jealous of the vampire and was scared of me.”

          “You and I have killed a lot, brother… but evil must die.”

          “What if we’re the evil ones? I’ve done things… I’ve killed and taken sick pride and passion in doing so… I’m good at it.” I laugh and look at him; his grin is upon his face.

          “Avenji… you and I have that in common living with that man and his wife… I just can’t believe they were brother and sister… Robb was born of incest… as were…”

          “I was not… I am the bastard, I am proud of being the bastard. But born from that traitors seed, I’m a traitor’s bastard. The things that, that prick and his cunt did to make us see the dangers of the world… it surprises me we’re not totally fucked up.” Zachary laughs at me,

          “Yes, it also surprises me, brother… that man and that woman were filled with hatred and they are dead now, and so is the bastard who did it… they were the monsters.” I place my head in my hands and laugh,

          “What if I’m the monster? I surely feel like one, murder… corruption and what else, I’ve made widows and orphans, I’ve destroyed lives and I’ve enjoyed it… does that make me a monster like them or am I a misguided wolf following the wrong pack?” He laughs, he seems to take a liking to the wolfen sayings, because I am not a full wolf just a beast… Scixion and Arkness, my blood always boils once I think of it… supposedly lycan blood is in my veins, as it only occurs rarely that the two wolfen families make children as the Scixion are the beasts, the feral wolves and the Arkness’ are the pack always looking out for each other but easily manipulated.

          “Who are you Avenji Arkness? The lone wolf or the man with the broken soul?” I stand and walk forward slightly too only turn back to him, anger somewhat overwhelming.

          “I am Avenji Arkness… the lone wolf.”

          “Brother… tell me what you saw that night, when they died when the man and woman who tortured us for several years of our life. Tell me what that craven bastard did to them.” I cannot think, I cannot remember what happened… I shouldn’t remember, I don’t want to.