04-01-2014, 06:04 PM
The night after killing the Ijiraq Aria felt lost. She hadn't killed it on her own, she had no idea how to explain it to Father Stone, and had not reported it to him. She prayed he did not find out. But she knew one day it would happen. How does one create enough fire to turn the mist to ash? Or how to freeze it solid enough to sever it's head? Those were the two questions she had and there were no answers in any of the books in Moscow.
There was one book still left listed in the Monster A-Z reference book - The Journal of Elenora Martello. But it was not in Moscow, there could be only one other place she could easily find it, Atharim Headquarters in Vatacin City. Home!
It was hard to believe she thought of that dreadful room as home, but it was something she longed for. It was far better than the bliss of tonight's journey through neighbor hell. Aria drowned herself in the depths of her bathtub wishing for the dark damp cement walls she had called home. But that was a far off dream. She was here in Moscow, and for some reason she didn't really want to go back to the way it was before. Freedom had grown on her.
But she needed that book. It was the last resort if there was any more Ijiraq hiding in Moscow, and with the number of power weilding folks that seemed to permeate this god forsaken city, the Ijiraq had plenty of food. She wasn't about to reveal that fact yet, but finding a way to kill it was top of her list. It was a unique challenge, and one she intended to be victor over.
So the next morning Aria packed a small bag, her guns and swords in another and hopped a train to Vatican City. Aria thought it might be time to learn to drive or to risk being confined on an airplane without anywhere to go. The latter did not merit more than a cursory thought. Flying was not an option.
-----
It was a long trip and Aria hesitated doing into the building she use to call home. But the library awaited. The moment she stepped in the feelings of home set in. The solitude and the closeness to god was felt all around. It was like that in the city too, but not as much with more people so close together. Priest and Nuns wandered the halls, giving Aria only a glance before hurrying on their way. If they recognized her, none showed it, and if they did they hurried to be far from her.
She walked the halls for what seemed like hours, just remembering the years that had gone on in these walls. It was good and sad all at the same time. Aria had passed the library several times before she opened the great door that lead into the stacks of books far beneath the city streets. It smelled just like she remembered, and it felt glorious to be in the comforts of home. She hadn't expected it to feel quite so warm and welcoming.
Others of the Atharim were wandering the aisles, some carrying books, others studying the shelves. Aria went straight to a table and put bags down in a chair. Then went for the card catalog. It was an archaic system, but it was what they had. No one really had the time to do the mundane task of re-cataloging it all, so it remained the same.
The card catalog was no help, the book was not listed. Aria sighed.
A man stood behind her, he was guarding his emotions and Aria turned to find Father Dimitri standing there with a wide grin on his face.
Aria glared at him. "You lie to me and expect me to be happy to see you?"
The smile faded and he shook his head, "You read things you should not."
Aria laughed, "Father Stone said I do not need a handler and handed me your little note and box. Thanks for that by the way." The sarcasm in Aria's voice was nearly a jab in the eye. She despised that box with a passion.
Father Dimitri frowned but was soon back to his regular self, calm, cool and collected, like every Priest should be. "What are you doing here?"
She thanked the Lord he wanted to get this over with as much as she did. "I'm looking for the Journal of Elenora Martello."
He raised an eyebrow but shown no other recognition of the book. "How did you hear about that book?"
"It's in a reference book I found in Moscow, that lists books by creature." It was a fact.
He nodded and smiled. "I suppose it's time you gained your rightful place."
Aria was confused as he continued on, "Follow me, I will take you there."
Father Dimitri turned and waded down the aisles of books to a vault that very few had access too. "This is the family tome's. Most of our hunters are chosen from their family's, hunters who have been hunters for generations. Your mother was one such hunter, and so are you. But until now, you were too fragile to be given access to these. I still doubt your resilience in things, but you have earned your right to the tomes."
He walked into the vault indicating she should stay out. He disappeared into the depths but returned with a stack of books. "Some have been lost over the generations to hunters who have never returned. Your mother's journal is in here, as is the book you seek. Good hunting my little song."
Aria grimaced but took the things from him. Everything about this man grated at her now. He lied to her. She was not his little song. "Can I use my old room?"
Father Dimitri nodded, "No one has taken up it's space you are free to use it while you stay."
Aria nodded, "I'll only be using it for a short time." Aria had no intention of staying more than she had to.
-----
Aria opened the door to the place that she had once called home, nothing had changed. The light was dim and flickered every so often. It smelled damp and danker than usual but only for lack of use. It brought back memories, and not all so good.
Aria set the journals on the table in her old room and picked up the journal. She flipped the cover and a piece of paper fell out. She picked it up and started to read the hand written note.
"Dear Aria,"
That made her pause and look to the bottom of the letter.
"With Love, Always with you. Autunna Luna, your mother."
She was shocked by the revelation. She read the letter from the beginning.
"Dear Aria,
This is a journal that has been in our family since it has been written. It is the journal from the end of the Age of Escape, the sixth age, the age that came before in the great wheel that shapes the pattern of time. It is our legacy and our future to keep these volumes for future generations. The Atharim, has come from great roots and we just keep this knowledge in the hopes that our grandchildren's grandchildren will be safe from those that would call themselves Gods.
This journal and the other journals in this collection are our families legacy. You, my child who follows in my footsteps must keep with the tradition, catalog your adventures, pass them all down to your child who follows. I fear that I will not be able to raise you, the Atharim hunts me. I fear that Dimitri will soon find us and I will not be able to impart these words to you.
You are born of legacy. I wish I could be there for you my child. It is with sad regret that I write this. I was coerced by the man I was to hunt and kill. Instead I fell in love with the foul creature. But not by choice, it was his power I know now that made me love him. But it is with deep regret that you are a child of a Sentient. I do hope that the genes are not passed down to you, so that you may continue with the legacy. I fear for you my child. Take care and be safe. Learn well and take up the helm for our family, or I will be the last in a very long line of hunters.
With Love, Always with you. Autunna Luna, your mother."
Aria sat down on the edge of her bed in though. Sentient... The word rang so many bells in her head. So many things gone wrong with her life. Fury rose in her mind. Father Dimitri had to have known, at least suspected what the possibilities were. She wasn't sure if she should run and hide or confront him with this revelation. But the fury didn't allow for the former, Aria got up and took the letter with her and stormed out of her room to Father Dimitri's office.
There was one book still left listed in the Monster A-Z reference book - The Journal of Elenora Martello. But it was not in Moscow, there could be only one other place she could easily find it, Atharim Headquarters in Vatacin City. Home!
It was hard to believe she thought of that dreadful room as home, but it was something she longed for. It was far better than the bliss of tonight's journey through neighbor hell. Aria drowned herself in the depths of her bathtub wishing for the dark damp cement walls she had called home. But that was a far off dream. She was here in Moscow, and for some reason she didn't really want to go back to the way it was before. Freedom had grown on her.
But she needed that book. It was the last resort if there was any more Ijiraq hiding in Moscow, and with the number of power weilding folks that seemed to permeate this god forsaken city, the Ijiraq had plenty of food. She wasn't about to reveal that fact yet, but finding a way to kill it was top of her list. It was a unique challenge, and one she intended to be victor over.
So the next morning Aria packed a small bag, her guns and swords in another and hopped a train to Vatican City. Aria thought it might be time to learn to drive or to risk being confined on an airplane without anywhere to go. The latter did not merit more than a cursory thought. Flying was not an option.
-----
It was a long trip and Aria hesitated doing into the building she use to call home. But the library awaited. The moment she stepped in the feelings of home set in. The solitude and the closeness to god was felt all around. It was like that in the city too, but not as much with more people so close together. Priest and Nuns wandered the halls, giving Aria only a glance before hurrying on their way. If they recognized her, none showed it, and if they did they hurried to be far from her.
She walked the halls for what seemed like hours, just remembering the years that had gone on in these walls. It was good and sad all at the same time. Aria had passed the library several times before she opened the great door that lead into the stacks of books far beneath the city streets. It smelled just like she remembered, and it felt glorious to be in the comforts of home. She hadn't expected it to feel quite so warm and welcoming.
Others of the Atharim were wandering the aisles, some carrying books, others studying the shelves. Aria went straight to a table and put bags down in a chair. Then went for the card catalog. It was an archaic system, but it was what they had. No one really had the time to do the mundane task of re-cataloging it all, so it remained the same.
The card catalog was no help, the book was not listed. Aria sighed.
A man stood behind her, he was guarding his emotions and Aria turned to find Father Dimitri standing there with a wide grin on his face.
Aria glared at him. "You lie to me and expect me to be happy to see you?"
The smile faded and he shook his head, "You read things you should not."
Aria laughed, "Father Stone said I do not need a handler and handed me your little note and box. Thanks for that by the way." The sarcasm in Aria's voice was nearly a jab in the eye. She despised that box with a passion.
Father Dimitri frowned but was soon back to his regular self, calm, cool and collected, like every Priest should be. "What are you doing here?"
She thanked the Lord he wanted to get this over with as much as she did. "I'm looking for the Journal of Elenora Martello."
He raised an eyebrow but shown no other recognition of the book. "How did you hear about that book?"
"It's in a reference book I found in Moscow, that lists books by creature." It was a fact.
He nodded and smiled. "I suppose it's time you gained your rightful place."
Aria was confused as he continued on, "Follow me, I will take you there."
Father Dimitri turned and waded down the aisles of books to a vault that very few had access too. "This is the family tome's. Most of our hunters are chosen from their family's, hunters who have been hunters for generations. Your mother was one such hunter, and so are you. But until now, you were too fragile to be given access to these. I still doubt your resilience in things, but you have earned your right to the tomes."
He walked into the vault indicating she should stay out. He disappeared into the depths but returned with a stack of books. "Some have been lost over the generations to hunters who have never returned. Your mother's journal is in here, as is the book you seek. Good hunting my little song."
Aria grimaced but took the things from him. Everything about this man grated at her now. He lied to her. She was not his little song. "Can I use my old room?"
Father Dimitri nodded, "No one has taken up it's space you are free to use it while you stay."
Aria nodded, "I'll only be using it for a short time." Aria had no intention of staying more than she had to.
-----
Aria opened the door to the place that she had once called home, nothing had changed. The light was dim and flickered every so often. It smelled damp and danker than usual but only for lack of use. It brought back memories, and not all so good.
Aria set the journals on the table in her old room and picked up the journal. She flipped the cover and a piece of paper fell out. She picked it up and started to read the hand written note.
"Dear Aria,"
That made her pause and look to the bottom of the letter.
"With Love, Always with you. Autunna Luna, your mother."
She was shocked by the revelation. She read the letter from the beginning.
"Dear Aria,
This is a journal that has been in our family since it has been written. It is the journal from the end of the Age of Escape, the sixth age, the age that came before in the great wheel that shapes the pattern of time. It is our legacy and our future to keep these volumes for future generations. The Atharim, has come from great roots and we just keep this knowledge in the hopes that our grandchildren's grandchildren will be safe from those that would call themselves Gods.
This journal and the other journals in this collection are our families legacy. You, my child who follows in my footsteps must keep with the tradition, catalog your adventures, pass them all down to your child who follows. I fear that I will not be able to raise you, the Atharim hunts me. I fear that Dimitri will soon find us and I will not be able to impart these words to you.
You are born of legacy. I wish I could be there for you my child. It is with sad regret that I write this. I was coerced by the man I was to hunt and kill. Instead I fell in love with the foul creature. But not by choice, it was his power I know now that made me love him. But it is with deep regret that you are a child of a Sentient. I do hope that the genes are not passed down to you, so that you may continue with the legacy. I fear for you my child. Take care and be safe. Learn well and take up the helm for our family, or I will be the last in a very long line of hunters.
With Love, Always with you. Autunna Luna, your mother."
Aria sat down on the edge of her bed in though. Sentient... The word rang so many bells in her head. So many things gone wrong with her life. Fury rose in her mind. Father Dimitri had to have known, at least suspected what the possibilities were. She wasn't sure if she should run and hide or confront him with this revelation. But the fury didn't allow for the former, Aria got up and took the letter with her and stormed out of her room to Father Dimitri's office.