Immortals

Cole

This small town was almost indistinguishable from any other, in the daylight it was hard to believe all the terrors it had endured. But I knew enough about the world I live in to know terror always lurked in the shadows, just out of reach, but it was there, waiting. Biding it's time, waiting for the right moment to pounce. This place had seen it's fair share of the darkness that loomed over my world, I couldn't help but wonder what it was about this quiet town that attracted so much danger to it. It was like so many I'd seen in my travels, there was a certain beauty and charm to it but it was just another town. I walked into the lobby of the small Inn I would be calling home for the next couple of weeks. I don't know how long I'll be here, I honestly hadn't thought this through, all I knew was that I wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere else. I placed my bags on the wooden floor besides me, not taking notice of much other than the woman behind the reception desk who already had a welcoming smile plastered on her face. "Good afternoon, room for one?" I asked leaning against the countertop. "Of course, name?" I opened my mouth to speak when her gaze shifted from me to the door of the Inn, concern washing over her face. I turned to see what had caught her attention. At the door of the Inn stood the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She had lustrous thick dark hair that fell around her perfectly defined burnt umber coloured face, her lips were pursed as her gaze shifted from the woman at the reception desk to me. Her eyes were a mixture of red, orange, yellow and a hint of blue, as though flames had been ignited in them threatening to engulf anyone caught in her gaze. And right now I was caught, enthralled by her beauty. I have never seen anything like her, had it not been for the woman behind the reception desk excusing herself to go talk to her by the staircase I would have easily convinced myself she was not real, a dream I had somehow conjured into reality, even so I could not have imagined her even in my wildest of dreams. My gaze followed her as she stood by the staircase her back turned away from me as her and the woman had a short conversation. I couldn't make out anything they were saying as they were delibrately speaking in hushed tones but every now and then she'd shake her head seemingly reassuring the woman. She placed her hand delicately on the woman's shoulder and after a few more words between the two of them she turned to walk in my direction. A practiced friendly smile played across her face, her fiery eyes set on mine as she went around the reception desk. "Good afternoon, I apologize for that, my aunt will be back in a while but I can help you." Her voice was almost melodic, that partnered with her eyes and her presence in general had me unable to form a sentence. She smiled up at me patiently as she asked for my name, her smiles had a tendency to not reach her eyes, they were practiced enough that I was sure most people didn't even notice. "Cole, my name is Cole." I finally said shaking my head in an attempt to rearrange my thoughts. She began to write my name down then she looked back up at me her expression quizical. "Cole Langdon" I said, she nodded and wrote that down. "Do you work here?" I blurted out, I already knew she didn't, she did not fit here in anyway whatsoever. She had an elegance about her, not only in the way she was dressed but in her posture, the way she walked and the way she presented herself in general. "No I do not, I'm just helping my aunt. Travelling alone?"

"Yes." Her eyebrows furrowed at my answer, for a moment she looked concerned then she smiled again and asked her next question. "How long will you be with us?" I shook my head unable to dissect her last expression, I couldn't bring myself to understand why my answer would concern her. "I'm not sure yet." Her lips pursed again, I was working on the assumption that she did that when she was annoyed. "Okay." She moved to my side of the reception desk and held out a set of keys and I reached out to take them. "I didn't catch your name." I said my hand brushing against hers as I took the keys. Her skin radiated a warmth that seemed to be fueled by the fire in her eyes. "Azmiere, my name is Azmiere."  She said her eyes moving from me to my bags on the floor then back to me, her eyebrows were furrowed again. "Be careful Cole." She said and turned to walk away without uttering another word.

I couldn't help but conciously look for her as the week went by. She'd peeked my curiosity and I tried to convince myself the only reason for that curiosity was her cryptic message to me before she left. I had tried to convince myself she only meant it as a warning knowing that her town had it's dangers when the sun set, with no further understanding of what those dangers really were. But there was a part of me that wondered if she knew more than I gave her credit for. I hadn't met a great deal of hunters in my lifetime, outside of a group of about four or five in towns close to my home, I feared we were a dying breed. To think she was one felt like a stretch, I was overanalyzing, having gone over every detail of our small exchange. If I was being completely honest with myself, my interest was vested in more than that cryptic message, frankly I couldn't bring myself to stop thinking about her. The moment I woke the image of her was burned into my retinas, I wondered if every person she came across was as instantly enthralled by her or if I was particularly sensitive to her allure. It was insane to think I was the only one subject to her magnetism. I assumed that would explain her patience with me, she had probably had to grow accustomed to people staring at her. I shook my head, as I reached for my father's coat which I'd thrown haphazardly on the floor after another uneventful night, trying to clear my head of her to no avail. My fathers coat had a jagged tear on the inside when I examined it by the light of the afternoon sun, I wondered when that had happened and realized one of the weapons had probably snagged on it without my noticing. My father would have disapproved of my lack of focus over the past two nights, I couldn't afford to be distracted especially now that I was on my own. I'd start by getting my fathers coat to a tailor. I took a quick bath and headed to the dining hall my fathers coat flung over my arm. There were only two other guests here, a young couple who had arrived just a day after I had. The man was seated at a table alone, he nodded in my direction as I  walked into the dining hall. "Didn't see you for breakfast." He called as I pilled up some food on my plate. "I must have slept in." I said dismissively. I hadn't planned on saying much else, and Nathaniel I'd learnt didn't really say much unless he was probed, then I realized I didn't know where the tailor might be. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a tailor would you?" I asked gesturing towards the coat that was draped on the empty chair next to me. "There's a tailor and seamstress across the park." He said as he took a sip of his coffee. I rarely got an opportunity to talk to the couple but I'd gaged he was  less guarded when his wife wasn't around. They rarely spoke about themselves, they did however ask a number of questions on the off chance we spoke which on more than one occassion I'd deflected asking them about their lives, they rarely came up with an answer I believed. "Where's Irene?" I asked casually through a mouthful of food. "She went to see a friend." I looked up at him now curious. "You have friends here?" I asked, he looked at me as if the question had confused him, it was rather amusing watching him try to come up with a feasible response to the question we both knew I'd ask next. "Yes."

" If you have friends here then why stay in an Inn?"

"Newlyweds." He said as he started to get up from his table. "Thin walls, you know how it is." He said quickly and was out the door before I could reply. I shook my head more amused by their odd behaviour than curious. To them I assume my behaviour was rather odd as well. We were all keeping secrets.

I found the tailors rather easily, it was across the park just as Nathaniel had said. I opened the door to the store and paused. In the middle of the room stood Azmiere, a seamstress pulling at lose fabric of a royal blue evening dress she was wearing. She was gazing blindly at her reflection in the mirror, deep in thought. She looked so far away, lost in a whirlwind of her own thoughts. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't seem to notice the seamstress as she spoke to her until a woman stood up from a chair besides them and went over to her brushing some of Azmieres hair away from her lovely face tenderly. That drew her from her trance and she blinked twice before turning to look at the woman who I assumed was her mother. "Can I help you young man?" A man said walking towards me. Azmiere, her mother and her seamstress turned to look at me having not noticed me until now. "My coat." I said quickly pulling my gaze away from Azmiere. The tailor took the coat in his arms examining it. "This won't take long, feel free to wait here." He said gesturing to a couch by the window and walked off. My eyes wondered back to where Azmiere was standing our eyes meeting in the reflection of the mirror. "Hello Cole." She said a weak smile playing across her face. Her mother who bore a slight resemblance to her daughter looked from me to her. "Hello Azmiere." I said a delighted smile spreading unconciously across my face. I should have known at that point I was in trouble. Simply hearing her say my name elated me, I took an instinctive step towards her, her magnetism so strong it was physically pulling me towards her. "You know this young man?" Her mother asked studying me. Azmiere turned to look at me now. "Know wouldn't be the word I'd use. I hardly know him really." She turned to look at her mother now. "I met him at the Inn two days ago."

"Oh, how long will you be with us?" I looked at her now trying my hardest not to openly stare at her daughter. "I'm not sure yet." She looked from me to Azmiere nervously hovering very close to her daughter now. "That's odd." She said looking at Azmiere who shook her head in response to an unspoken question. "Perhaps he's a nomad mother, are you a nomad Cole?" She asked her tone teasing. "No I don't believe I am."

"That is a shame. I believe my mother and I would have loved to have known a nomad, it would give her a new story to tell at one of her parties."  She said teasing her mother. "Oh hush now." Her mother said waving a reprimanding hand towards her daughter. "Well if you're still around a month from now, we're hosting the founder's ball and we would love to have you as a guest." Azmiere was looking curiously at her mother now. "I doubt he'll still be here a month from now mother."

"Oh I don't know darling, I think he has a very good reason to stay now."  She said giving me a knowing smile, before turning back to her daughter. "This looks lovely, perhaps we should see the other one then." She said helping her daughter off the platform. "It was nice to meet you." I bowed my head. "It was a pleasure to meet you." I said in response. "Well then I suppose I'll see you at the founder's ball, a full month to the day from now." She said with another carefully practised smile, I got the feeling a part of her hoped she wouldn't.

I spent the rest of the day dissecting our second interaction, trying to understand why it seemed she didn't want me here. Perhaps she thought me a nuisance but was too nice to say so. She didn't seem the type to not voice her opinion though. She was holding something back, in our last two conversations it seemed as if she was having two different conversations, one with me and one I wasn't yet privy to. I sat at dinner alone mulling over the secret conversation her and her mother had, then the one she'd had with her aunt. These two women both seemed to look at her for a sense of guidance and reassurance as if she had information they could not access except through her. What was it she knew that nobody else did I wondered. There was so much more to Azmiere than met the eye, I was almost sure most people only got to see what she presented. Her beauty and a carefully measured amount of amiability. She was approachable and friendly but beneath all that she was just out of reach, keeping a careful distance. She, much like a number of people I'd come across in this small town, was hiding something. But, unlike the odd couple who were quietly eating their meal just across from me or her aunt who kept a careful eye on me, she had peeked my interest. I wanted to know her, understand her, be privy to those thoughts and conversations I wasn't trusted with yet. She had captivated me, she had a magnetism about her I couldn't explain or fight, I wouldn't want to fight it even if I could. I sat in the dining hall until Irene and Nathaniel left and then I headed for my room. I waited by my door waiting to hear Lady Sand move to the dining hall to oversee clean up, then left my room closing the door quietly behind me. It was easier to leave while Lady Sand was preoccupied. There was a chill to the air tonight I hadn't expected, most nights were warm here. I pulled the collar of my fathers coat up and headed down the street. It was quiet out likeit was most nights, barely a soul in sight. Every now and then someone would walk past me in a rush to get to their destination without uttering a word in my direction. I was heading north towards the edge of the town limits. I paused at the edge of the alleyway that was a shortcut to the docks knowing to take careful note of my surroundings now. I looked up at the buildings around the alley, I could feel eyes in me but was not yet sure where they were watching me from. I slowly moved my hands to my back feeling the hilt of the weapon of the inside of the coat, I kept my hands there as I walked slowly into the alleyway whistling loudly. I was halfway through the alleyway when I distinctly heard feet lightly hit the ground behind me. I stopped and waited to hear movement, for a long moment there was nothing but my breathing then a fleeting movement from my left disturbed a few leaves on the side of one of the buildings of the alleyway. My sword met its advance  narrowly missing its heart. It snarled baring its teeth, and kicked aiming for my chest, I didn't move fast enough to dodge the kick. I fell on my knee but turned quickly my blade already drawn from its holster. It stood straight pulling the first blade from its chest. It smiled now and slid my father's sword towards me, it skidded to a stop by my feet but I didn't dare take my eyes off of it. It crouched on its haunches and lunged at me, its hands caught my leg and pulled me to the ground. I fell on my back the blade falling out of my hand, it hovered over me, kicking the blade away from my reach. I kept my eyes on it trying to workout it's next move. It looked to it's side seconds too late as a silver blade ripped violently through its sternum. It screamed in pain and turned to meet it's assailant, in a quick practiced movement another weapon appeared shimmering in the moonlight moving quickly through the air and slicing across its neck. It fell to it's knees clutching its neck, I heard the blade hiss through the air once more as it sliced clean through its neck. Blood seeped from the wound before its head slid off it's body and landed with a thick thud on the ground near it. I stared at it for a moment my mind still trying to piece together what had just happened when she stepped towards me two long silver blades at her sides dripping with blood. Her lips were pursed as she looked down at me disapprovingly. I squinted up at her, my mind unable to keep up with what I was seeing.

"Azmiere?"