Balu

“The laws of the human and the beast.
First the Human Laws.
No human may commit murder unless in Balendos due to its neutral grounds.
No human may kill a beast unless for food.
No human may have sexual relations with a beast unless they are a vampire or shape shifter capable of taking on human form for long periods of time.
And secondly the Beast laws.
No beast may kill a human unless for food/related to their work.
No beast may have sexual relations with a human unless they are a vampire or shape shifter capable of taking on human form for long periods of time.”


“WANTED FOR MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF THE LAWS OF THE BEAST.
FOR SEVERAL BRUTAL MURDERS OF ENTIRE FAMILIES.
FOR THEFT AND FOR MASS HOMICIDE.
BALTHAZAAR THE DEMON.
DEAD OR ALIVE, PREFERABLY DEAD.
APPROACH WITH EXTREME CAUTION, WITH ALMOST UNLIMITED POWER TO BEND TO HIS WILL, THE DEMON KILLS WITH NO REMORSE.”


Balu snorted.
Preferably dead!

In a silver tomb surrounded by white marble, a heartbeat twitched, and started again.
This was soon followed by the young sharp gasp of a young girl, Shakra gently pushed against the door of her resting place, her eternal chamber for her forever sleep.
Looking at that blue sky, and breathing the air again, she took in a breath and began her roar, exercising those chords that had been for so long unconscious. She ached.

A face, it was blurred.
Shakra focused and realized it was that woman who was serving her.
“Lady? Seriously are you drunk? What do you want?” The barmaid snapped.
“I.. I need to use your phone. I am Sha… rrr…” Her yes slowly closed and she let her head loll back. The maid was left staring at her.

“You know she won’t be like this for long, I’m going to do a few scans, just a few little tests and shit she wouldn’t let me do if she was awake,” Electra pushed her glasses farther onto her nose, “She’s so stubborn about people knowing her.”
Redraan looked worryingly at Shakra, she looked like shit, and her hair had been growing for so long without a cut. Her eyes had blue rings to them; it made her look even thinner. Is this eternal life? He thought. He longed for her to wake up; even if she was going to create a fuss he missed his dear friend so.
“Redraan, I promise, she will wake up. C’mon, you’ve seen her deal with worst. It’s definitely not a coma, her body is just recharging after the deep sleep.”
“By sleeping some more?”
Electra sighed, “Apparently. She’s been through a lot more than just the sleep, Haven.” She came and put her arms on his shoulders, “She told me it was beautiful, but that she doesn’t get to rest even there, she’s like this world’s caretaker baby, in this life and the next. No wonder she has so much power, without her the light and the dark would have nothing but each other, and where would that leave us?”
Redraan reached up and put his hand over hers, “Then why is she back?”
She let go of him and walked over to shakras head, she put a damp cloth over her forehead. “I don’t honestly know, maybe the light needs her back here.”

“Shakra, you know you can’t stay here forever.” The light smiled at her, Shakra’s smile faded. “Why do I need to go back? There is no need for me.”
“I need you, I’m not going to spell it out for you shakra, you’ll figure it out in time, and besides. I thought you’d want to at least explain to Balu where you’ve been all this time.”
“That’s if he’s still out there.”
“Well you know Lu; if a soul of value to you had landed in his neck of the woods he would have used it to blackmail you ages ago.”
“Hmm...”
“You can’t avoid him either.”
“Lu beats me. Lu makes me do such wicked things, I hate him so. I loathe him!”
“It is the natural order my dear, and you are our counterweight, ticking between us, you must always do his bidding. Or at least, make him happy. But know that I will never let him take you from me, I promise.”

Her eyes opened.
“Shakra!” Electra leapt to her side, shakra smiled weakly at the dizzy redhead’s bright blue eyes peering into hers with a small light. “Hey...”
Redraan rushed over, “I missed you dude!”
“Redraan get back, give her some room.”
“Hey you’re the one with that crappy light in her face, you get back!”

Later on that night…

Shakra put her hand under her chin, resting her head for a second, and then she leaned back in her chair. She loved the Blue beetle, she wasn’t surprised that it hadn’t changed in the slightest, not even in staff, as she sat there, her friends surrounding her, she thought about how this might not be so bad after all.
“Come on shakra, were desperate to know what the news is!!” Limrii, a tiny despair goblin, sat right next to her, shovelling black oranges into his tiny mouth and crunching them.
“Alright, lets see, I can remember a few things from before the sleep, then the sleep, and then Haven, and now I’m here. The light wouldn’t tell me much either.”
Electra blinked once, twice, and then couldn’t resist anymore. “What’s Haven like?”
Shakra smiled at the memory of the place, “It’s simply beautiful, I can’t describe it to you any other way, but don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll all join me there one day.” She raised her glass and sipped the blue lagoon she had been treated to by Redraan.
Paul had been pretty quiet the whole time, but now, sat between Limrii and Electra, he opened his mouth to speak, but with Shakra he didn’t need to.
I remember how thoughtful you always were Paul, bless your soul.

I really missed you Shakra, you always explained things for me, the stuff I couldn’t ask other people about, I don’t even know what Limrii is, and I’m sitting right net to him.
Paul, you should know, Limrii is a despair Goblin, they release an agent into the air through glands, it’s a hallucinogen, along with their strong euphoric telepathy, they can read minds, and create a horrific scene for their prey. They create a hunting atmosphere, added with the general fear and confusion of the prey, they feed off their fear. Also, he can probably hear you.

Limrii looked up at Paul and smiled, it wasn’t a toothy smile, just a friendly one.

Ok so I know what Limrii is, I still don’t full understand you at times hun. Paul grinned at her. It’s amazing having you back.

The carriage sent from the castle was pulled in by a great dragon; Dujunn had only the best in chauffeurs. Electra was politely helped in by Redraan, and then he shoved Paul playfully in as well, and helped shakra who was carrying Limrii into the carriage.
From across the road Balu was sat smoking a cigarette on a bench, his mouth wide open, in complete shock from the sight of the girl he had been searching for ever since her last saw her, casually climbing into a carriage. He noted that the dragon was royal, so he could guess that it was from Dujunn.
Shakra, your back??
I can almost remember that last night that I saw you..
He lunged at the carriage, roared and shifting quickly, Redraan turned surprised and was thrown out of the way, the carriage knocked over as the dragon roared and tried to take off with it. Balu couldn’t help himself, he was so furious, he sunk his teeth into the dragon’s throat and shrieked as the blood sprung free, covering his monstrous jaws and running down his front, his multiple legs gave way beneath him, after a sudden dizziness, the colossal beast collapsed onto the carriage.
Redraan leapt to his feet, “Kill it!” he roared, “Shakra kill it now!”
Shakra climbed from the carriage out of a side window and stood on it, ignoring Electra’s screams, “I can’t, and I know him.” She said with great sadness in her voice.

“Shakra, you are so fucking lucky were letting you do this, we should have left him, he sounds like a criminal, I think that Balendos guards were after him, if they find him here and make it back to report, we might be going to war.” Electra helped her move Balu's bed into an examining room.
“Keep the cuffs on him, and for light’s sake, don’t tell him I’m here.” Shakra said solemnly. She walked out and into the observation room where she sat next to Redraan. She took a long look into his yellow eyes, “You don’t recognise him do you?” she said quietly as Electra sat down in the chair opposite his, Balu had been dumped into a chair, his human form slumping over the desk.
“Who is he shakra?” redraan asked.
She sighed, “Balthazaar, your general, my love.”

Balu slowly opened his eyes; a low growl rumbled in his stomach, he was groggy.
He sniffed, “female. Hmm. You’re not mine.”
Electra shifted in her chair. “Why did you attack us?”
“Pftt, I wasn’t after you, I just got a bit carried away. It happens.”
“You killed a race dragon. They’re expensive, plus she was a good one.”
“I’m deeply sorry, I just lose it sometimes.”
“What are you Balthazaar?”
Balu looked directly at the screen separating him and the observation room holding Redraan and Shakra in it. “I could show you my darling, but I don’t want to frighten you.”
“Enlighten me.”
Balu frowned, and then shrugged, he shook off his form, his body growing and expanding, he was like smoke, with a bright white disc humming inside it, then he became more opaque, still that deep black, like space. The disc moved more to the front, and Electra marvelled at the face that stared back at her, towering over the desk, the beasts head touching the ceiling. She gasped; the handcuffs would prove to do fuck all now.
And in a heartbeat, Balu flashed a grin and disappeared.
Redraan jumped up, “Where the fuck did he go?”
“Let him go, its me he wants to talk to, he won’t bother any of you I don’t think.” Shakra said.

The fire festival was supposed to be a time of merriment, but not for shakra, she sat in the glow of the tiny heart shaped lights in the archway of her hiding place, overlooking the party slightly downhill of her recluse.
“He he he, miss me?” That voice, it made shakra shiver, she was a woman who knew no fear, but this presence, it terrified her. “Lu.”
“Hmm.” Lucifer wore what she always saw him in, his big white suit, although pure in dress, this being was the purest strain of evil. And she knew to respect him; he was her only authority apart from the light. He looked at her for a second, “You’re all grown up. Remember the last time I saw you?”
“Everyone’s been saying that to me today sir.”
He ignored her and sat down next to her slowly and gracefully. “You were only five, oh such spirit and brains you had,” He enjoyed the thought for a second before continuing. “Had I not plucked you from life then, where would you be now?”
“Light stopped you, and her angel, Thias.”
“Stopped? Oh my dear, you were fast asleep when I came to take you from this world. We only came to compromise because I decided I wanted to see what you were capable of, and she,” His teeth turned rapidly a dark black colour in his mouth and he thought about this despised enemy and eternal rival. “She only wanted to put hope in you. But, anyways, less of that,” He put his arm around her, she stayed completely still. “What about my son then? This Balu, quite a specimen I see.”
“He is not your son.”
“Oh yes, demons, wicked things aren’t they? One of my favourite creations, I have been so busy recently. He’s Kami you know.”
“I don’t-“
“Know what that is, their like deities. Very secret things. Each has their own theme that they don’t usually determine until sexual maturity. I know his. Do you want to know it?”
“No.”
“Tough.” He whispered in her ear as Electra approached.
“Don’t hurt her sir.” Shakra said, it was a command, but she’d tried her best to make it sound like a request. Lu smiled and looked over at the approaching redhead. She stopped in her tracks, overtaken by the shivers. She turned around and ran off.
“What did you do to her?”
“Oh I didn’t do anything; she just looked, and was scared by what she saw.”

The blue beetle was a restaurant/club in Dragoon, the only neutral village/settlement apart from Dujunn in the whole of their world. Shakra’s favourite. They sold ridiculously strange food and she loved it, she didn’t dare ask what was in half of the stuff she used to eat there before the long sleep.
Also, she loved the local tradition, it was an insult to the guest if another person eats at their table, therefore, everybody eats alone, and nobody is hassled for small talk. Perfect.
Shakra leant back on her chair in her booth, pushing her back against the wall, stretching. She felt half asleep, a side effect of the deep sleep probably. She thought back of her conversation with the dark. Lucifer had barked at her arrangements of their next meeting, and the light was ignoring her, any complaints of these meetings were always ignored.
She closed her eyes.
Why can’t I just stay here? She thought.
Her thoughts turned to sweet Balu; she reined about warmer times, back when her body was younger, when they first met. Then she remembered the wanted poster, and the obvious fact that it was about him. What kind of trouble had he gotten himself into?
Shakra's blood ran cold as Limrii sat opposite her. “Limrii, you know the local tradition-“
“Your mind is driving me crazy.” Limrii spoke without moving his lips, inside of her mind. “I come baring questions.”
Those tiny black eyes of his were very inquisitive. Shakra sighed. “You’re already in there, aren’t you Limrii?”
“It’s my weak nature, to feed.. Feel...” Limrii looked ashamed.
“I have killed people for less than that, plus, you know not what you see, you could cause great harm to yourself-“
“I know, and I am! I must understand certain images, please!” Limrii grabbed her arm with his tiny pale hand. “Please show me what I am seeing in you Shakra, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
Shakra laughed, “If you told anyone. I don’t care sweetie, I have nothing to hide. I just don’t want to frighten you.”

Limrii sat back in his chair, looking straight at shakra, both their arms up on the table out flat, almost touching each others fingertips. Shakra closed her eyes, “Begin.”
Limrii climbed up onto the table. Carefully stepping between pots and plates, he stretched out a hand onto shakra’s; she felt his cold little hand touch the surface of hers. She could smell the scent of Limrii natural hunting technique, but she trusted the little guy, she knew he was there to observe, not eat. Best not to tempt him though.
With one last deep sigh, she fell asleep.

Limrii walked the corners of shakra’s mind, coming to a stop quickly in front of a small pool of water, although not very wide it looked incredibly deep and dark. There was a crease on its surface, which swirled and dance about the pool and began to unravel. Limrii pulled the memory closer to him and released more hunting agents. You’re resisting me shakra.
There was a sudden rush of wind and the memory unravelled. Limrii peered deep into the pool, his beady black eyes widening.

Limrii was merely an observer, but he knew what was going on, he stood out of the way and watched the memory calmly. He was in what looked like Xent, with all the vampires it had to be, even though he had never been there himself. He hated vampires. Their glittering eyes, their stupid personalities, not good food at all. Limrii cringed. He noticed that a few of them were getting a photo taken, stood around.. Redraan. Why was he there? Limrii had thought about this when the image had invaded his dreams the previous night.
But he noticed something else, a character that wasn’t in his dream, it was like a part of shakra’s mind she had protected for so long and now was finally giving up to him. He felt the weight lifted off of her. The thought was another man, stood right next to redraan on the left side of him, on the right was shakra, looking young and inexperienced, but still very chirpy. The man on Redraan's left was...
And that was that, Limrii was thrown out of the illusion. He lifted his head and feel back on shakra’s table.

Balu slipped into the blue beetle and sat right in the next booth to shakra, he’d come in the door farthest away, and noticed her before she had him. He pressed his back against the booths wall and stretched, and then whispered what he wanted to order into the confused waitress’s ear.

“Who was that?” Limrii sat back down opposite shakra, who handed him her glass of water. “You’ll need some recharge fluids. Hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“No not at all. But I’m still confused.”
“The man on Redraan’s left was Balu. Redraan doesn’t remember much since the amnesia; it was Xent’s latest Boss who gave it to him. Redraan reigned over Xent for thousands of years. He was one of the most ruthless tyrants since the great wars.”
“I had no idea, and Balu?”
“He was his general, well, one of five.” Shakra said. Balu gritted his sharp teeth, he was the HEAD general. Redraan’s right hand man. His go-to guy and they were best friends too.
“Who is he shakra?”
“Balu? A kami.”
Balu nearly choked on his water, how the fuck did she find that out?
“I thought that Kami were..”
“Dead? So did I.  Apparently not. Figures I’d get with a Kami, I’ve never seen anything in humans, I’ve always had to have someone who was strong enough to deal with me on a regular basis, and I think he would have ya’know?”
“What happened between you two?”
She sighed, “Nothing really. I remember I got seriously injured protecting Redraan once on a mission, we were pulling back and I got ambushed, I was young-“She pulled one arm out of her sleeve and showed Limrii a long scar that ringed her upper arm and stretched so far as up the side of her neck, “The centaurs nearly trampled me to death, I broke so many bones.” Shakra grimaced and the memories of her healing.
“I was close to death, but I can never leave unless the light wants me to obviously. And after the effort Lu went to trying to end my life, and then the bargain, well, he wasn’t letting me off so easily after all that.”
“Lu?”
“Let’s talk about that another time, anyways. I remember that Redraan threw me a party the day I was well again and out of medical. It was a good one, and I and Balu ended up drunk and alone together, and we hit it off.”
Limrii smiled warmly, “I sense that isn’t all there is to it.”
“Well,” Shakra looked uncomfortable. Balu crossed his fingers and practically prayed that Shakra wouldn’t tell this creature anymore.
“It was a little embarrassing, we had this disagreement right before we were going to well, you know. And he left. Just like that.”
Limrii's smile faded, “I’m sorry.” He said.
“Its okay, it’s not your fault hehe. I guess we just grew apart, shortly after that I was caught by the dark and taken into training. Then a little quick break after a few centuries of that, and then Haven, now I’m back. I guess he probably is still working at that place, seems the only place that would hire a wanted man happily. It’s perfect for him.”
Limrii frowned, “Then why would he just up and attack us like that in town the other day?”
Shakra shook her head, “I don’t honestly know. He’s always been a sensitive one.” Limrii snorted, “From what I saw he doesn’t seem so. I smelt hunger all over him. And blood.”
Shakra realized that she could smell that now. She didn’t let on to Limrii, “I wish something could have happened, I didn’t want to leave it like that, but Lu didn’t give me any choice about the matter.” Balu considered standing up. Letting shakra know he was there, but he wasn’t ready. He watched longingly as she left the blue beetle with her goblin friend. He rose from his chair and dropped a few coins on the table for the waitress, following the tiny creature that had separated from Shakra as they left.

Limrii walked past the blue beetle and down into an alleyway, if he was to die, he would face the beast on his own turf. Balu knew his presence was known. He already towered over the small pale skinned creature, and he hadn’t even changed. As he relaxed and grew, he shrugged and released his body to its true Kami form.
“I can see why she likes you so much Balu.” Limrii said as the creature lowered its shiny white flat disc of a face down to his level. Limrii reached out a hand and touched the skin; it felt ornate, like marble. The beast let out a low hiss.
“Balu, don’t be frightened, nobody wants to hurt you.”
“Haha. You don’t know me boy.”
“I respect the situation I am in sir. That’s why I choose my words carefully. Please give her another chance sir.”
“You dare to speak of mine?”
“Shakra, she is my friend, she only wants the bes-“
“You know nothing of her either.” Balu’s bright eyes looked deep into the goblins, despite releasing his hunting agents, Limrii wasn’t getting anything out of those eyes, he was indeed powerful.
“I don’t know what happened sir; she kept that even from me. But I’m sure we can work it out. Why don’t you come for a visit to Dujunn to see her? We could set something really comfortable up for you.”
Balu snorted, which threw Limrii over onto his back. He knew his next words had to save his life. “We really could, I could arrange everything for you! We could do it tonight when it’s dark, come however you like, and wear whatever you like-“
The bright circular face hovered inches from Limriis’, “You could help me?”
He raised his mighty head up, “You’d want to help me?”
Limrii raised a hand out to him, which he took as he began shifting back to his human appearance, Limrii noticed how dirty he was, he wore nothing but a dodgy pair of old dungarees, he looked like he was living on the streets. “Maybe get you a bath and a bowl of food too.” Limrii said as he walked him out into the streets.

TO BE CONTINUED!