Author's Rant: Enjoy!

Lukewarm Darkness

Although I am originally from France, I am now the quintessential New Yorker and even though I am over 100 years old, I have only had work done to my face once. Who am I?

I'm lost with only a lone sentence as my company. Two days ago I was near death, or my mind assumed that was my fate. I didn't think there'd be much left of me when the dark entity took his leave. I suppose I owe him a bit of gratitude. It's because of him I'm able to be better health knowing that Atem was alive somewhere.

That somewhere being locked inside this damn riddle. I helplessly studied over the riddle again and again in search of the smallest hint or sign. I feel so ignorant of this era. He says it's a riddle as old as the city. How on earth should I know this city's quintessential New Yorker? I've lived here for months and had no idea what the name of this city was. I've only soared a fraction of the steely terrain and now to discover that there was more to the island besides Atem's building and home?

There's so much to think over. I sat back and sighed. I dare not venture out on my own. Without a guide to direct me, I'm an infant without nurture. I would only cause more harm than good and waste time.

I tried everything I could think of. Atem's library has hundreds of books. I'm still learning how to pronounce many of these foreign words, but can only manage breaking them apart.

Although I am originally from France, I am now the quintessential New Yorker and even though I am over 100 years old, I have only had work done to my face once. Who am I?

"Damn it!" I slammed my book shut and dropped my face in my hands. What the devil does that mean? Two days and I've learned nothing! I can't keep going on this way. I need a sign, some sort of clue to lead me in the right direction. I can't afford any mistakes. Atem's depending on me.

I'm so confused about what I should do. I'm tore between duty and neglecting my orders. Atem said I wasn't to fly without him. My body craves to be near him, but my mind commited to his authority. If I were to save him, he would have every right to punish me for disobeying an order. If I don't go after his captor, I'm doomed to forsake his life as well as my own.

It doesn't seem like much of a choice. Convincing my mind and heart to follow that decision will be a challenge, but then again, so will losing Atem to whatever fated torture that entity had out for him. I closed my eyes as my claws pricked my hairline.

I needed to focus, needed to think. Think!

Although I am originally from France, I am now the quintessential New Yorker and even though I am over 100 years old, I have only had work done to my face once. Who am I?

Quintessential New Yorker. So it's a person not originally from these lands. I gathered that much. And he or she is an over a hundred years old? I wasn't aware humans lived so long. Work done on their face? What sort of work? What does that even relate to?

For another five hours I read books upon books of information involving the beginning and current state of this New York island. Wars, populations, the good, the bad, everything surrounding it, including a rather large gift from another mighty country overseas. It was this particular subject that held my attention the longest. I continued to research more about this Lady of Green Iron and found some interesting facts.

It came here in the year of 1886, representing the Roman goddess Libertas. Between 1984-1986, the great lady had to be greatly 'restored' to keep up her great beauty. Re-stored? Another new word, but one that held promise. I quickly left the leapt from the stool I sat on and went to find my little laptop. When opened, I quickly typed in the word 'restored' in hopes of finding the meaning behind it.

re•store (rɪˈstɔr, -ˈstoʊr)

v.t. -stored, -stor•ing.

1. To bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish: to restore order.

2. To bring back to a former, more desirable condition: to restore a painting.

3. To bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor.

4. To put back; return, as to a former place, position, or rank: to restore books to a shelf; to restore a monarch to a throne.

5. To give back; make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost).

6. To reproduce or reconstruct (an ancient building, extinct animal, etc.) in the original state.

There! That's it! I excited read over the sixth definition. "To re-pro-duce or recon-struct, (an ancient building, extinct animal, etc.) in the original state! Yes!" I did it, I know what it means now. The Statue of Liberty. The shadow took Atem there. He must be imprisoned. . . . but I'm concerned now.

My excitement dies away as I remember what it is I must do. If I'm to save Atem, I must battle this dark entity. That there lies another enormous problem. I know nothing of his strength, except the fraction of power he showed me in our brief encounter. Ice, he likes the cold. It's all I've got to go on.

I doubt fire is the entire answer. It's too simple, and he speaks with centuries of life, so he very well should know how to counter his own weakness. Again, left with nothing, I sat down heavily in my chair and allowed despair to wash over me.

My clan leader is out there. Each precious moment passing leaves me uncertain. I would know if he were dead. My father told me stories of what happened when a clan leader perished. The members would starve, drive themselves to the brink of madness and eventually die from grief and a broken bond.

That kind of fate won't be my own. I stood and grabbed the notes I wrote down during my research. I'll go to this Lady of Green Steel, but I won't infiltrate the post. The dark entity could very well be awaiting my arrival. I won't give him the satisfaction of catching me off guard.

The flight is a lonelier when the wind currents only have one set of wings to curl into. Clutching my notes tucked inside my magazine, I soared higher as the city's lights brightened. It took some time for me find the statue as I've never ventured across the island's river.

There she stood, as glorious as her pictures on my computer, a gleaming emerald of her country. Riverboats tugged along the water with iron cargo carrying pounds of trash and oils. The smell soiled my nostrils and dried my eyes so much, I flapped my wings to keep the smog at bay.

By doing so, I caused a bit of commotion from the birds hovering near the trash. I steered away and banked right to start my circling descent. I didn't smell any humans near. I didn't expect I would, being how late in the night it was. It's for the best. I've gone without blood for a while and didn't need the temptation.

It's a fairly empty evening. Moisture filmed over my wings as I breached the clouds. The coverage would give me an advantage point. From here, I circle the emerald lady's land. I can't explain why, but my instincts don't seem to feel Atem's presence. However, I can still feel a tingling sensation in the back of my mind, like a lone water droplet slipping down my skin.

I frown. Is he here? I can't tell. My body's screaming, demanding I stop this cowardice approach and simply meet my foe. I'm wise enough to know better, or yet, I suppose I should congratulate my human half for being more sensible to the situation.

But, I wonder. The air here is very warm. The clouds are plentiful too. If my ice foe were here, wouldn't the air be crisp? Chilled? Or does he have the ability to confine his powers within himself? . . . No, there's more to it than that. The air is warm, very humid. An ice cube would melt if left in this atmosphere for too long.

My eyes widened. That's it! I know what to do—

I wasn't watching where I glided and for that I paid for my carelessness. A large plume of smoke erupted into the sky from one of the riverboats and I flew straight into it. The smoke clogged my throat, and burned. I choked, screeched and fell before I could catch the next wind current.

All of my notes, my hard work fluttered from my grasp during my rapid descent. "Come on, come on!" I coached myself as I tried to double barrel to a proper stance. I was falling too fast, the ground no longer a small image, but becoming big as life.

I can't flare my wings out. The fast plummet force me into a spinning drop. I braced myself for impact, closing my wings around my torso. The worst I could suffer were a few broken bones, maybe internal bleeding. My fall aligned next to the emerald lady and I barely had a chance to shield myself from colliding with her arm.

The ground was approaching fast. Too fast. No time to be prepared. What to do? Grab something. Survive. Try to glide. Pain. Pain. There'll be pain. I wasn't sure if I would live from this now as fear gripped me. I closed my eyes as a lifetime of memories soared into a suddenly clear, steely resolve.

I opened my eyes, wide at the stars and streams of clouds above.

And there was something falling after me.

We were too close to the ground to catch any currents, for any other method of survival. I saw the jet black shape plummet after me and saw an open, raw expression with a pale face resolve. Two furred arms grabbed me and twisted and we slammed into the side of the emerald lady with my savior taking the full impact. Blood spattered on my cheek, and a harsh growl of agony may have reached my ears, but I couldn't hear it past my own howling.

The arms were like iron around me, as we dropped in a full, seemingly endless free fall to the grass below. Again, a twist of lithe power, blind and dizzying, and I was staring at the sky as we slammed into the ground.

Crying out with breathless pain, bile rushed in the back of my throat, choking me for an instant, and everything began to fade out. But the arms that had held me in place from behind were slipping limply away from my stomach. Groaning, I rolled to the side, off my savior's body. I dragged myself upright, ignoring the black and white spots circling my vision.

Moving hurt, breathing hurt, but I knew I was alive. I was saved, I remember that and then I thought I saw a familiar face. There were large black wings, a pale face.

He looked like—my eyes widened as I pushed myself around to stare at my savior's face. My senses were jumbled as the scent of blood filled the air.

He wasn't moving. Is he dead?

Crawling up to run a hand beneath the disheveled hair fanned across the dewy grass, I felt my way up the warm nape of this creature's neck, over the curve of his skull as I searched for blood. The boneless slide of his face into the palm my hand as I drew away might have been the most frightening thing I had ever witnessed. I stilled a moment, frozen and staring with wavering vision at the bead of blood that ran from creature's mouth, pooling in my palm as it finished its journey over the pale curve of the creature's jaw.

What was he? Not a vampire. He possessed none of the physical features of my kind. His wings were longer, smoother and the feathers between the wing bones shimmered a translucent white that dulled into grey and blended to black on the edges. There were talons on the ends of his feet, much like mine and on the tips of his fingers. A crest of long fur traveled from a circle around his neck and spread down to his chest. The rest of his body laid hidden beneath a pair of those rough material I often saw humans wearing.

Jeans, I think. A long bushy tail laid lifeless next to him and I ran my hand over it.

His face was familiar, but the rough ridges around his brow and jaw weren't. I tilted my head and flinched, realizing I couldn't do much of anything for a while. A crackle near my ankle confirmed what I feared. I broke something, but dizziness prevented me from pinpointing what.

Dragging in a long breath, I tipped my head to squint up. We're in the open. My vision blurred, swimming in and out. I painfully twisted my hips and dragged myself next to the creature. We can't stay out here. It's too open. I dug my claws into the cold ground, as a much-needed shock jogged me awake, but only for a short time.

My wing brushed his hand. And then, to my surprise, the creature's eyes fluttered open to the night sky. I saw the bone-deep ache drown him in pain when he tried to move.

Perhaps he overestimated his own resilience when saving me. His head lollied to the side where I laid my head down on my arm.

His eyes lit on the sight of me and I froze as recognition became clear. He looked like. . . "Are you OK?" I whispered and blood watered over the words as I spoke.

He blinked sharp red eyes with a darting side-to-side gaze. How very strange. He looked so much like the man in the magazine. The resemblance was uncanny.

I sat up as best I could when I realized all my weight was on his left-wing.

"You're hurt," I said. "Likely from when you slammed into the green lady." Sitting up is pointless. I can barely support myself. I laid back down next to him, watching him watch me. "Can you move?"

The creature rolled his head back up to the sky and frowned like it offended him. The heavy fall of his hair spread around his head like a volcanic ring. I reached out to cradle his jaw in my hand. He looked so lost and confused.

Blood spilled from his parted lips and slipped over my palm. A soft cooing, gurgle followed and then the cooing slowly morphed to a soft purr. I guess that means he trusts me. I looked around, but that proved too much for me to do.

My head dropped down my arm and I sighed. From what little I could make of our surroundings, we're out in the open. The river is a good distance from us, but the drifting barges need only to shine their great lights and we'd be spotted. We can't stay here.

Water shifted and clapped against the shore. The darkened sky was dreary and smelt of rain soon to come. It reflected in my inner turmoil in a way. Here I am supposed to be my leader's savior and I'm suffering a broken bone and crippled wing. It'll take hours for these to heal. And I can't help this creature that saved me.

I shifted my head a bit to look at him. He was staring quietly at the sky as I was, but with a deeper focus. Concentration shadowed his face, and then he said something.

"My back's broken."

I sharply blinked because I hadn't been paying attention to where that deep voice came from. It scared me so much I thought it was the dark entity again and started looking for him. A few moments past where nothing else was said and then I settled back in place, looking at the creature. He sat there looking surprised at my reaction.

"You broke your back—AH!" I tried getting up and failed miserably, collapsing on the ground. Pain overwhelmed my lower half. But goodness, how can he be so calm about such an injury? "I don't know how long that'll take to heal or if it will at all, but we can't stay here to find out." We needed shelter. We needed a hideaway. My mind shrieked and clawed with a vengeance to seek safety.

I rolled on my side, cocked my wings from beneath my back and fell over to my stomach. My legs were no good, my wing a mess, but not broken. A few careful flaps confirmed that much. I pushed up to my elbows, feeling the grit of grass and dirt peel from my cheeks.

I listened. The winds picked up periodically from the river. If I could get a fast current, I could sail as high as the green lady's crown. Atem's up there. Hopefully. There's only one way to find out. I sucked in, closed my eyes and raised my body up—"Ah!"

I suffered more damage than I thought. I closed my fingers over the left side of my stomach. I had five cracked ribs. I bowed my head on the ground. "Damn," it hurt so much just to breathe.

"You're hurt."

What a powerful voice. It pushed through me with hurricane force. If possible, it's even deeper than Atem's.

"Yes," I croaked and coughed. "It's nothing. I'll think about it after we're somewhere safe."

Hi red eyes stayed fixed on me as I forced strength in my arms, my good leg and my tail. The bones protested, grating my innards. Blood settled like rainwater inside my mouth. I spat to the side and flexed my wings high. A soft breeze rode over my back.

I coughed. Another wind was coming. A pretty good one. "Friend," I called to him. He never stopped looking at me. "If you think you can manage the flight, I think I can get us up there." I cocked my head back to indicate where that up there was. "It'll be painful."

He didn't say a word, only closing his eyes again and giving a short nod. I nodded back and stretched my body over his. I had to time this precisely. I tucked my hands under his armpits and snapped the most hollow interior of my wings. The grass quiver against the wind, pushing with a violet force.

It came, I cupped my wings and felt the current lift me a few feet up. The creature buried his face in my chest, fangs gnawing at my flesh. There was no mistaking the hitched thrum reflecting his the pain he was in. I had to ignore that and keep concentrating on getting us up there.

By the stars, he was heavy. It was a struggle, keeping a steady grasp on the wind, and a balanced sway. My leg limply swayed between us, each movement stirring a shock of pain. My eyes squinted, the wind an echoing rush in my ears. It seemed so easy to just fall and allow the agony to take over. I would beat it though.

Gaining height meant reaching the peak. Reaching the peak meant saving my savior and confronting my adversary. Those two tasks provided the necessary motivation to make it at least half way before the wind gave away and my wings were heavy. With no wind, not even a gentle breath, I quickly lost altitude and felt the pull of the earth grab me with its visible grip and drag me back.

I couldn't fall again. Not when I'm so close.

There's no time to think. No time to act. I twist the creature in my arms, and find a tuff of fur on the back of his neck. I snap my jaws around his neck and wring my body forward to embed my talons into the steep green lady. Down we slid, claws digging a long jagged path until I found perch.

I roared around the creature's fur, fangs clamping tighter. He growled, I hastily tried to loosen my bite. My body hated me so much for putting such demand into my limbs. Looking forward, my talons were nearly sawed to the nub.

"You're fine?" The creature weakly asked.

"I am," I said around my mouthful. "We'll be OK. Hang on."

I began our traitorous climb up, slamming my claws into the stone, one hand at a time. Just staring up at the sheer scale upward caused despair to enter my mind.

Get to the top. Get to the top. Get to the top. It's all my mind commanded of me. I kept my mouth firmly fastened on his fur and finally decided to wrap my tail around his torso. I waggled my wings to keep the wind chill away.

The peak's horizon soon came into view. I suddenly had the energy to go faster, to crane my neck and keep him aloft. After what seemed like an eternality, my hand reached the flat, cool floor. I nearly howled in relief and propelled my body upward with the creature between my jaws. With one hard shove, I threw him over first and quickly laid my body on top.

We'd made it. My tail hung over the edge like a dead leaf. Nothing held the pain back as I felt the tears roll down my face. Everything screamed from the tips of my toes, to the roots of my hair. I wanted to sleep now, rest for a long time. Rest would take the pain away, make me feel free. . .

"No time to sleep now, child. You've arrived to your destination. And not a moment too soon."

Sleep eluded me instantly as if spots of sunlight were threatening to consume me inside my skin. I stumbled onto my hands, wings spread and eyes a glow, hissing.

My opponent stood in a suddenly gathering mist, the air chilling to unbearable degrees. He approached, the mist parting like the Red Sea. Piercing crimson eyes without pupils studied me closely and what were his limbs languidly lifted and spread apart.

"It's common courtesy to speak when in the home of another. I invited you," it chuckled. "I just didn't expect your arrival so soon. I would have baked cookies."

"Where is Atem?" I howled. "Where is he?" I swiveled my head from side to side, up and down, in any space that he could be. I sensed him, but didn't see him. It didn't make any sense.

"Ah, he is supposed to be here isn't he? Can't have this engagement without our honored guest, can we? He's here."

My enemy reared back, extending a misty image of his arm. My skin pebbled, as the warmth quickly dissipated from the air like sunlight burnt through it. My wings fluttered as a force rushed in from the outside, spiraling into a single space.

My nose twitched. That familiar scent fabricated where the air compiled. Brilliant flashes of silver and blue snowflakes chased themselves beneath the palm of the shadow's hand. I gasped, barely able to contain the throaty moan in my mouth as Atem's filled the room.

And then I saw him there. Atem was beneath the shadow's hand, hunched forward on his knees and large wings enclosed around himself. A heavy layer of frost encased his upper wing span. I smelt blood, blood coming from his shoulders. If he so much as expanded his wings, the hard ice would tear the skin from the bone.

He was shivering, groans cracking unevenly from the harsh cold. My clan leader reduced to this shameful state. My eyes glowed so red, I felt the heat burning through to my skull.

"How could you do this?" I crawled forward. "He's done nothing, nothing at all to you!"

"Nah, ah, ah, child. Stay where you are." He threatened with the flex of his fingers. Atem's breathing sharply hitched. He doubled nearly in half as he struggled to suck in air.

I stopped moving.

"I'll kill the devil where he kneels," the shadow vowed with a deep chuckle. "No need to jump the gun, child. We had an agreed arrangement. You'll have your chance to avenge this beast, but on my grounds." The slanted red spaces that should be his eyes darted down to the ground. Not at me, not at Atem, but elsewhere.

I gasped and hurried to cover over him. He wasn't moving. Must've gone unconscious since we landed.

"You'll protect this one too?"

"Don't touch him!"

The shadow chuckled again. "Don't touch that creature there and let the beast go? My, my, aren't you the greedy rake?"

I bared my fangs. "Damn you. What kind of man attacks the defenseless?"

"Man? Don't insult me, child. Comparing my morality to humans—"

"Enough of this! No more words, I want to fight. I want my clan leader back!" It was foolish, my blindness towards his power covering my common sense. I charged forward, talons forward, wings hooded like a brick cape. All I wanted was for this whole ordeal to be through. Having to suffer days and nights without Atem's presence? This being had no idea the amount of torture that is.

Atem was the first and only vampire to accept me for as I am. And it dares to take that that away—

My assault came up short when the wall came into view. I brought my wing up to cushion the impact, but it did nothing to cushion the impact. I knew the rest of my wing was finished when the final snap gave way. My shoulder instantly numbed as did my upper arm. I broke my wing.

"So this is how you choose to—," A brief pause. The air lost its crisp chill, dampening to a foggy cold. The shadow growled like demon. And then I sensed the warning rays from morning approaching. "Ah, clever child, clever; choosing to wait this night out. A risky decision since not only will you suffer, but as will your companions. Particularly that one."

The day was already arriving? Had it really been that long?

"One unfortunate trait we both share is our sheer dislike for the sunlight. I'll take my leave of you, child of day and night." The shadow sighed. "Until then, I'm feeling generous enough for you to owe me later."

A loud thud hit the ground. I glanced up. Atem wasn't in its grasp anymore. I shuddered, relieved and dragged myself over to cradle him in my wings. He was so cold to the touch, but he smelled alive. Oh bless it be, he was well and with me again.

"This is far from over. Brace yourself for another encounter."

I glared at it. I wanted him to come back. So long as I knew he existed, we were in danger. If he could so easily subdue Atem, I was barely a worthy opponent. But that didn't mean I wouldn't give that shadowy devil hell. I hugged Atem's head to my chest, nuzzling the ice from his hair.

I managed to shield us both from the whirlwind of ice shattering around us as the shadowy being took to the opening. It was a heavy chaos, bursting the fragile windows to shards and ripping the frames to bits. I felt my weight steadily lifting from the floor and jammed my talons into the ground to keep us anchored.

That worked fine for me and Atem, but the dark creature wasn't as fortunate. He was slipping, lifelessly toward the opening where the shadow waited with open arms.

"No!" I wouldn't let it have him. Who knew what he would have in store for him and that was a mystery I wouldn't allow to be.

I sagged hard against Atem's chest and kept my weight flat as I reached out toward him. He was inching away at a baby's crawl. I couldn't let this happen. He saved me. For now, I owe him my life. I leaned forward, pushing and ignore the shock waves protesting in my aching arm.

Closer . . . closer . . . just a bit more—yes! My talons dug into the tip of his wing and dragged back. We endured for eternal, I being the only will to live for the sake of two others. The shadow relished in my struggle, laughing, mocking me until he leapt from the opening and vanished with the echo of his amusement dying in the breeze.

The calamity faded to nothing and the sounds of the city brewing to life reached my ears. I won't be able to fly us away from here. With my wing broken and the sheer agony from the fall and this nonsense reaching me, I knew now I didn't stand a chance.

The sun was rising. I closed my eyes, whimpering, desperate for a moment longer, but it was no use. Against my will the spread of thick skin began to envelop me whole. I closed my wings to prepare for the slumber.

My last sight was of my dark savior and Atem lying on the floor, unconscious and the sun appearing in the windows. I reached out . . . it's no use. My hands can't reach them. They were so far away. They're going to die. The sun will burn them alive. . .

I failed.

I failed to save them.