Silver claws

Arja could not believe what she was hearing. The man in white was the brother of the man who had destroyed her kingdom. Everything was confusing. Why did he have his secret meetings with her father? Why was he there, sleeping in a coffin under the throne room? Why had he pushed his father to build that circular room? So many questions battled in her mind but none of them could be properly formulated. She had held him responsible for all the misery of her lineage. She turned to Altraya and exploded with anger.

"Why didn't you leave me dead!? I had a right to stay dead!"

Arja could feel the rage running through her veins. She felt herself burning from within. The man in front of her had manipulated her father into making bad decisions in his most difficult moments and ruining his reputation. This man was responsible for the death of Altraya's father, how could she be on his side? Arja felt lost, she had been hearing a roar in her head since she woke up. The noise was driving her crazy. She put her hands over her ears hoping to make it stop. She saw him in front of her without any regret, he was standing without any shame. He answered her coldly.

"I saved the world by stopping my brother with the help of your father."

This one sentence overturned everything she had ever believed. Arja didn't know what to think or believe anymore. He continued.

"Jäwell had been in the world called Ombrae for nine hundred years, the realm of shadows that our creator gave him as an inheritance. I was secretly watching my brother but I saw Jäwell getting bored ruling a country without problems. He is a warrior, not a politician. He always needed action.

I saw him leaving secretly to participate in wars here and there in anonymity. I let him because he fought like a human and he always returned to his post until I learned that he had returned to our old Kingdom.

Long ago, the castle north of Faranza was ours. It was our... my home...

I knew Jäwell had come back and rebuilt it. I suspected him of wanting to conquer this world. His strength making him unbeatable for mortals, I decided to join this world and stop him."

Miroïr took a deep breath, he seemed to have issues explaining what happened. Arja was listening carefully. Did he say world? Did she understand that there is more than one world? She felt even more confused and dizzy.

"When I came back, I saw him on the ancient throne. He planned to reverse the power and conquer our ancient homeland. Jäwell always had affection for the descendants of his people, he couldn't stand to hear them suffering. He acts like a child, he doesn't think about consequences. He was about to break the balance of this world.

I couldn't let him do this. I had planned to stop him but for this, I needed an ally and this was your father.

I planned to build this tomb. I needed time to prepare it and your father gave me this time. Thanks to him I was ready when the army entered the capital. I caught Jäwell in a trap and I linked him to me. Then I came here to empty my body of my blood and place myself in a deep sleep.

On his side, Jäwell also lost his blood and was forced to hibernate. We are now bound and as long as I don't wake up, it will be the same for my brother. His cadavers placed him in our ancient home."

Miroïr said in a cold, emotionless voice.

"Your father helped me to save this world."

Arja was shocked by what she heard. She lowered her head. She had so many questions that none of them could come clearly into her spirit. Altraya giggled and took Arja in her arms.

"Our fathers are heroes! Isn't it great?!"

Arja looked Miroïr in the eyes.

"Why did you transform Altraya? What are we now? Are we dead?"

Miroïr seemed sad to hear this question. Before he could find the courage to answer, Altraya spoke loudly and with a lot of excitement.

"I surprised him. On the day of the attack, I followed him and I saw him trapping Jäwell, I followed him to the tomb. He was taken aback to have been followed so he killed me but he couldn't stand to let me die and he transformed me into his creation."

She had a mean smile, a terrifying one.

"Miroïr cursed me to stay bound to Faranza and never leave this place. With time, my legs disappeared in the mist."

Arja discretely pinched her arm. She still couldn't believe what she heard just now. That was a lot to understand and accept. Miroïr took a deep breath.

"Yes, you are dead. We are Night creatures. We are created by the blood of Zarkhaim, the first. We are those who do not die. We have no limits. We are the only ones, the pure ones, the undefeated. When the other Night creatures, those called vampires, were created in Zarkhaim's image with his shadows as simple companions, we are his heirs and share his eternal burden as well as his infinite power. We are those who wear the silver claws."

Arja instinctively looked down at her hands to ascertain the truth of what he was saying, and she could only bring herself to believe him. She could see them, those incredibly terrifying claws. The undeniable proof that everything was real.

"You should never have been created together. I could hide Altraya in the mist but I will not be able to hide you two. Jäwell will know very soon that you were created. He will want to kill you and Altraya. "

Miroïr looked at her carefully and with the utmost seriousness, he continued.

"My brother's worshippers have formed a cult, a sort of religious group of humans who are trying to wake Jäwell with blood rituals. Jäwell will press them to find a way to free him and wake him up now that you are here. Kill them as soon as possible."

She listened carefully to every word. The anger in her was still raging. Arja was not a woman of discussion. If Altraya was in danger then it was a sufficient reason for her. She just found her back, it was out of the question for her to lose her again. Even if she was... Different.

"How will I sense his worshipers? Can you assure me that Altraya is safe after that?"

Miroïr turned his head and answered with a low voice.

"You will find them easily, you will feel the shadows around them."

Arja followed up with another question immediately. She wanted to prepare herself a little.

"Should I expect others dead like us?"

He seemed to blush, not that it was possible, but his attitude showed a certain surprising embarrassment.

"Transforming someone in our kind is something very special… We... we normally only do it to very precious people... and only once."

Altraya suddenly started to scream in tears.

"No no no no! Arja will not leave! I transformed her! She will stay with me there forever!"

Altraya threw herself onto the piece of cloth on the floor on which she had placed her blood. Arja felt transported. Both of them retrieved their bodies in the tomb near the sleeping body of Miroïr.

Altraya was furious, she tried to break things but her hands were passing through every element. The more she was angry and the more she was turning into mist in front of Arja. She was crying louder and louder, Her tears were rolling down her face, and her skin was disappearing with them.

"Arja, what is happening to me? Please, stay with me. I am so alone, for so long! Please Arja, please!"

Arja was powerless, her friend was slowly disappearing in front of her. She could do nothing about it. She wished to take her hands, take her in her arms, there was nothing to take anymore. She was only a face in the mist. Altraya cried, even more, she wished to whip her tears, she had no hands, no arms... She was not even a full face anymore. Arja stayed with her for a few hours.

"I must go, Altraya, but you know what. When I finish this I will come back to you, okay? And then we will stay together. I will keep you company. Believe in me. I promise I will return..."

Altraya calmed herself slowly and the tears stopped.

"I will wait for you. I already waited twelve years... Please, come back to me. I don't want to be alone anymore. I need you, sister..."

Arja nodded, she stood up and took the direction of the wooden little house where she left Hagalaz. She felt the mist everywhere around her, she felt Altraya's face following her all the long in silence.

Once she entered, Hagalaz was still asleep. She saw the mist leaving his body and he awakened immediately after. The wolf growled at her at first. He didn't seem to recognize her, it was only when she spoke to him that he pulled himself together.

He calmed and followed her. As she was leaving the capital, she threw an eye behind her when she passed the main door, she felt a shiver run through her body as she walked away. Somehow, she was sure she would not return soon.

It was a weird feeling she could not explain. She knew Altraya felt the same thing and a loud heartbreaking cry could be heard from outside the city.

The mist was dense and the pained howl of Altraya, who had remained in the old capital, accompanied her as she walked North.