Rain

She hadn't slept well at all that night. The incessant pulsing of her heart stuck between her ears. And now she was standing in the pouring rain, on the corner of an unfamilliar block, looking for someone she feared more than a mouse fears a cat. She stood there a long while, contemplating whether or not she should go through with it.

         "I shouldn't be here," she thought aloud, "I should be back home in bed. I don't want to. I shouldn't have to."

She walked down the street carefully. She kept her shoulders up around her ears, and she kept glancing around nervously. This was a heavily vampiric neighborhood, and she was a timid, untrained witch. Her blood was like rich chocolate to the beasts living in this place. Thunder clapped in the distance.

The rain started to hit harder, and she became anxious. Which house was his? Which house belonged to the man who nearly killed her? She stopped in front of the fourth house she passed and turned to it. There was a sign that read "Remington" in fancy caligraphy over the door.

Remington

Azlynn Remington. This was the house. The dwelling was tall, sitting atop a flight of thirteen stairs and a porch. A heavy, oak door with an oval window was marked with elaborate designs painted on it in white. The doorknob shone like starlight, glistening with heavy raindrops and catching the gleam of lightning.

The lightning was almost immediately followed by thunder. The storm was right on top of her.

She raised her foot gingerly, and let the rain collect itself under her foot. She smoothed her tresses away from her face, and climbed the concrete steps to the uninviting house. She raised her finger to the doorbell, but withdrew her hand. She popped her knuckles, balled her fist, and knocked as loud as she was able. Her hand slipped from the door, slow as molasses until her arm swung limply at her side. She heard motion inside the house, and she could smell him over the noise of the storm. Loud creaking filled her ears. The door was opened.

She was being pierced through by neon blue eyes,that sunk into an ivory-skinned face that was cradled by short, dark brown hair. Pale lips housed four of the sharpest fangs she had ever known. He was about her height, and dressed in a pair of kahki pants with no shirt or anything on his feet. He was seductive. He had to be, he was of the Eirka clan. Eirka were always pleasing to the eye, and deadly to anything (even other clans of vampire) that dared cross their path threateningly.

Azlynn was looking at a sopping wet teenager. She was wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt with "Fortunately, I can't remember." written on it in white. She had either flip flops on or no shoes at all. Her stringy, jet-black braids dripped from the rain.
         "Lila, so good to see you again," as he spoke, he flashed his fangs, "Please, won't you come in?" He motioned her to step onto the beige carpet and into the immaculate house. Lila had heard stories of untrained witches (such as she) taking a vampires word too closely.
         "How am I to be sure you won't suck me dry?" Lila spat through chattering teeth.
         "You have the word of Eirka." This was dangerous for a vampire to do. If a vampire gave the word of his clan, and broke it, he would be sent to Lamneeta to be slowly tortured and killed. Just the mention of a break in the word reported to King Heratu of All Clans could destroy all the respect (if any) that a clan had had in the past.
         "The word of Eirka?" Lila shoved out of her mouth. Azlynn nodded.
         "Now come inside before you catch your death."

Lila stepped timidly onto the light carpet. She smelled ciggarette smoke and curled her lip up. She was holding her elbows in her palms and was shivering. The snow from earlier had slacked and turned into freezing rain. That's what happens when a city full of annoyed people gets snow, thought Lila. Azlynn saw her curled lip.
         "Something wrong, Sweets?"
         "I don't like the smoke, and don't call me 'Sweets'." Azlynn shrugged and yelled to the next room to put out their ciggarettes.
         "You have guests over?"
         "No, just some relatives that invited themselves over. Now, to the real business, why have you come? It can't be a social visit, the last time you did that, well, you know."
Damn straight I know! You almost killed me,though Lila with distaste. She looked up at the overhead light and sneezed.
         "Bleh-shoo!" ventured a voice from another room. Lila rubbed her nose and locked her pale blue eyes on Azlynn. The living room was really nothing special. A girl in a denim skirt and shirt saying "Huked on foniks werked fer me!" written on it, came into the room and started searching in the couch coushions for something. When she found it, she kept it enclosed in her fist and yelled "I found it!" over her shoulder. Before she dissappeared through the door, she hissed at Lila.
         "That's Candy, she's a little weird," Azlynn explained, "Please, take a seat."

Lila, relieved not to have to be on her feet any longer, sat as politely as she could in sopping wet jeans. She watched as Azlynn dissappeared for a while, and heard shouts from the room he entered. She thought about how she could start the topic. Then she thought why she was coming to Azlynn in the first place.
Because he's the strongest person, thing, that we know. said Lila #1
But what if he trys to hurt us again? You never know with vampires, especially concerning that he is of Eirka, the most vicious of them all, said Lila #2
A new voice shoved itself into her head, she named this one #3.
Azlynn won't hurt us. He's in a good mood today, unlike the time you came after he'd lost a battle. Remember that? Do you? then he hurt us, but he's happy now... said #3.
Lila decided she didn't like #3 too much and kicked her out of her head. Azlynn then returned with a cup of tea for her in one hand, and a stick of already burning incense in the other.
         "Here, drink this." said Azlynn, his voice was sweet, but dangerous, like poisoned honey.
         "What's in it? Poison? Drugs? Liquor?"
         "It's just licorice tea. I'm in too good a mood to kill you."
I TOLD you! Didn't I tell you? yelled #3, jumping up and down. Lila #1 and #2 had to hold down #3 and keep her from hurting the body they all shared.

Lila sipped the tea, and found that it was in fact plain, old, licorice tea, her favorite. She tipped back her head and let the liquid slide down her throat. She set the empty mug on the floor next to her feet and cleared her throat.
         "The reason I'm here," she began, "Is because I have found, retrieved, and have in my possesion," she cleared her throat again, "The Yelena."

----

         "The Yelena..."

         "Y-yes, that's right...I found it on--"

         "WHERE DID YOU FIND IT?!" Shouted Azlynn, looming up to ten feet tall with a menacing, intimidating voice that was so loud, if a normal person were to have heard it, it would have broken thier eardums.

Lila shrank back into the couch, bringing her knees to her chin and covering her head with her hands.

         "Niya Ukuay Visvarr," she whispered, "Niya Ukuay Visvarr! Goddess, Protect Me! Goddess, Protect Me! Niya Ukuay Visvarr!"

Azlynn returned to normal size. His red eyes turned to their original neon blue. He took a timid step toward the witch.

         "Lila," he said, reaching a hand toward her, "The Yelena is a dangerous sword. It can hurt you in ways none of the Eirka could ever possibly imagine. Please, just let me help you."

Lila relaxed her body and looked up at Azlynn, tears in her eyes.

         "Oh, Lila," he said, sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulders, "Just tell me where you found her. I am the only one who can weild her."

         "I know," said a stuffed-up Lila, "That's why I couldn't come to anyone else. I found her when I was looking for the Ituay herb for my mentor. I asked One and Two if I should--"

         "One and Two?"

         "Yes," she nodded, "My friends...Schizophrenia. Anyway, I asked One and Two if I should take it back to Kalika, my mentor, and they both told me to. Well, needless to say, Kalika was furious. She told me to take it back to you immediatley. I even told her about when you tried to--" she trailed off and looked Azlynn straight in the eye, "She said to me 'It doesn't matter. You need to take that sword back to him. If you catch him during a rainstorm, I promise he won't kill you.'" She felt Azlynn touch her leg. "So here I am,"

         "Why did Kalika need the Ituay herb?"

         "She thought it would cure my Schizophrenia."

         "Did it?"

         "No."

Azlynn shifted. He took Lila's face delicately in his fingertips.
         "Where is Yelena?"

         "In the car."

         "Go get her. Then leave. Leave as fast as you possibly can. Witches are not safe here. Especially if they are untrained and vulnerable."

In five minutes, Lila was gone.