WitchBite

The Quiet Before A Storm

 It took a few minutes of embarrassed yelps before I adjusted properly. Every crunch of a twig, clacked like the snap of bones betwixt slobbering jaws of an imagined maw. The flit of a shadow, darting between the mirage of verdant greens, pulled at my shoulder blades as if awakening a primeval fear of predators in the sky, and as the pale whiteness of the clouds out lined the seams of tree tops, it caused my eyes to regret looking upwards as they strained against its brightness.

Lyra was behind me. Patiently watching like a parent. I'd been glad that it was her that had accompanied me on this walk, the embarrassment I felt at my own cowardice from merely going outside seemed a lot easier to ignore when I somehow convinced myself that never seeing her again was a possibility.

"Avery, you're doing great and everything bud, but you're going too fast." Lyra panted, as I turned to her, I was suddenly aware of how far from the Vampire house we were. It couldn't have been more than ten-fifteen minutes since we had left, and yet any other time this walk would've taken an hour or two. I was sure of it, especially because I knew exactly where we were. I always knew how to find my way home in this forest, it's why, after a while, me and Victoria rarely had parental guidance when we went exploring. I'd always find my way home.

Lyra seemed somewhat out of breath, although no where near exhausted, I could tell her heart fluttered in disciplined rhythms beneath the steady swell of her chest. She'd always seemed the type that took immaculate care of herself, but it seemed only now that I noticed how much self control over her own body that she subtly lorded over any that might watch. Like she didn't breathe unless she made the decision to, her heart didn't beat unless she wanted it to, and therefore; she wouldn't die unless she willed it so. It was a powerful feeling, this understanding that poured from her musculature and confident smirk.

"You lot are faster, and over a longer distance, than us lot. If only by a small margin." She laughed, it didn't register quite the uncomfortable cloak she hung over my shoulders at referring to me as "you lot". Meaning Vampires. I was, am, a Vampire.

There was a few things she had taught me in our short time together. It was always a comparison between Werewolves and Vampires, which I found intriguing. Like there was an unspoken competition between the species, which held an air of impossible weight to it. Each comparison thick with a long dead camaraderie, like earth that had long since swallowed the bones of the dead for safe keeping so that they might one day be brought back with a light of fondness and curiosity. Equally, it festered with bloody feuds, that soaked that same earth and those same bones, staining them with its crimson, and blotting out its whiteness forever more. To me it seemed equals parts sad as it was mythical. I wished to learn more, and cursed myself for the lack of knowledge I've had so far.

Vampires were faster, and more diverse in their capabilities than Werewolves. Their variety and diversity is what makes them dangerous and unpredictable. Although there are trends and similarities within clans. Sunlight doesn't reduce them to ashes, at least not immediately anyway. It's more like an aggressive, allergic reaction. Solar Urticaria but ten times worse. Although I am told there is a clan of Vampires in the Bahamas who can walk in the light as much as they please, and it is quite the bid to mingle their blood within your own bloodline apparently.

Werewolves are stronger, naturally manoeuvrer among the rest of the world easier, and have a stronger familial bond. While Vampires cooperate with one another, they are individuals under one roof. Werewolves have an instinctual understanding among pack members, that allows cohesion and teamwork to happen with little energy wasted on expressive communication. It not only cements family strength, but makes them a deadly force when together. This is still a choice I am told. A wolf has to choose to be a member of the pack.