Struggle for A Vampire's Soul
Antyrael and Gauoui
We fade in on Gauoui and Antyrael, laying side by side on a grassy hill, both staring up at
the stars.. Suddenly, Antyrael turns his head to Gauoui and whispers, "What are you thinking?"
Gauoui smiles softly, her eyes rapt on the skyline, "Hey, that's my line, Anty..."
She turns to him, a smile tugging at her mouth, "I'm thinking that you should put your
hand over your chest. Right now..."
Antyrael looks at you strangely for a minute, but nods and carefully places his hand
on his chest, directly over his heart.
Gauoui looks at you searchingly, pausing a moment to let the silence wash over
the both of you, "What do you feel...?"
Antyrael closes his eyes and pauses for a moment, then opens them and
whispers, "My heart beating, a bit quicker than usual.. My chest rising and
falling while I breathe...." He takes your hand and puts it to his chest as
well, "What do you feel?"
Gauoui smiles softly at you, "I feel a heart too. A mortal one. One that
beats in time with everything around it... Watch it, dark one. You might
have less of a hopeless soul than you might think..."
Gauoui turns her body, and in a fluid motion she's sitting astride your waist, "I'm
going to tell you the exact same thing the necromancer that gave me this body told me..."
Gauoui leans down, her hair brushing against your chest, "You are no longer
what you once were..."
Antyrael recoils suddenly from your hand and looks at you, his eyes
taking on a slightly harder expression, "I am not some human who can do
a few quick prayers as penance and fix my transgressions.. My existence
was dedicated to the destruction of heaven. I am evil, that's the only
way it can ever be.."
Antyrael looks away and whispers, as if to himself, "Demons do not change..."
Gauoui raises an eyebrow at you and sighs deeply, "But you're no longer a demon.
You were cast out of hell... You're no longer one of them. But you're not human
either..."
Antyrael turns back towards you, "A mortal's body I may have.. But I'm
still Antyrael the Destroyer, bane of angels.. I wouldn't change if I
had the chance."
Gauoui nods slowly, "Yes you slaughtered angels. You tormented
innocents. You've inflicted more pain that I could possibly imagine... but
that's not the whole of Antyrael. If you were Antyrael the Destroyer, then
you would have slain me far before now..."
Gauoui continues, "Maybe before, the only thing you knew was destruction, but
now you're something else... There's more. It's your duty to yourself to find out
what that is..."
Antyrael opens his mouth as if to speak, but slowly shuts it again.
Gauoui sets her jaw at that familiar angle once again...
Antyrael says, "You're right..."
Antyrael cries out, "I should slay you!" and leaps at you, tackling you to the
ground with his fangs bared.
Gauoui begins to struggle, but then stills under your frame. She tosses her hair
away from her throat and turns her head. Softly she whispers, "I promised I'd have
faith in you, love. That wasn't an idle vow..."
Antyrael sneers, "You are a fool," opens his mouth hissing loudly, and lowers his
head towards you until his fangs just touch the skin of your throat.
Gauoui closes her eyes and breaths softly, though her heartbeat is thundering in
her chest wildly. The only comfort she can take is the soft pulsing of your own
heart, that she can feel beating in time with hers...
Antyrael moves to bite down to suck the lifeblood from your veins, but looks down
just as he draws a single drop of blood to see your face.. Slowly, he pulls himself
back, straddled across your stomach, staring in wonderment at your grimacing face and
the thin trickle of blood sliding down the side of your throat.
Gauoui stirs softly, and opens her eyes. Painfully she turns her face towards you
again, saying nothing, looking up at you with a quiet gaze...
Antyrael reaches behind him and pulls a large, ornate dagger from a back pocket..
With new resolution in his eyes, he takes it in one hand with the tip pointing down
and raises it slowly. Antyrael stares deeply down into your eyes with an
unreadable expression, dagger poised.
Gauoui swallows painfully and trembles underneath your form, then raises her
hands. One goes up to your hand entwining her fingers with yours. With the
other, she wraps her fingers around your fist. Her hand is so small in comparison
with yours. A tear forges a trail down her cheek like a finger in the dust. Her
hand pulls on yours, bringing the dagger towards her chest...
Gauoui whispers softly, "What's the use of beauty if it's kept from those
who needed it most...?"
Antyrael doesn't shift his gaze from your eyes, but brings his other hand
to each of your wrists and pushes each back down to the ground, away from the dagger.
Antyrael raises the dagger again, and mouths two words soundlessly, "I'm sorry",
then plunges the dagger and screams loudly as he directs it not downward, but
toward himself and through his left shoulder.
Antyrael collapses forward on top of you, with tears of sorrow and pain flowing,
as well as blood from his shoulder.
Gauoui uses what little force she can to flip you roughly onto your back
in the grass. Somewhere she hears a tortured scream, then vaguely realizes
that it came from her own mouth... With surprising might, she pulls the dagger
from Antyrael's chest, her tears mingling with his blood on her chest...
Gauoui says, "NO!! You're not running away from this, Antyrael! I won't let you...."
Antyrael cries out in pain as the dagger is torn out, then falls silent, his
only sound being a gentle sobbing.
Gauoui pulls a vial from a secret fold in her skirt, pulling out the cork with
her teeth savagely. A rank smell wafts up from the mouth of it, but soon is
poured with a shaking hand onto the wound.
Antyrael swallows hard between sobs, and manages to whisper, "It's not fatal...
I'm sorry I hurt you... I shouldn't have hurt you..."
Antyrael raises his uninjured arm slowly up to you, and carefully puts his
finger over the small bleeding wound in your throat.
Gauoui's hand moves too fast to follow as a sharp open-palmed slap is delivered
to Antyrael's face. It's followed by one to the other side, and then both hands
rip a mass of cloth from her skirt and presses it to the copiously bleeding wound.
Gauoui's voice is harsh as she grinds out the words between clenched teeth, "You're
NOT giving up on me, Vamp. And I'll be damned to the 9th level of hell before I'm
giving up on you..."
Gauoui's eyes are not surprisingly enraged. What is surprising is that it's
only masking a deep pain inside them...
Antyrael's arm drops back to the ground and his head rolls to the side, tears
still flowing as he slips into unconsciousness.
Gauoui's face crumples into despair as her face falls against Antyrael's
chest, "Gods, Antyrael. You didn't hurt me! Damn you, man... the only wound
that I feel is YOURS!"
Antyrael continues breathing, raggedly but steadily.
.....
Gauoui is kneeling by the fire she built, her knees drawn up to her chest.
A white bandage is evident on her throat, and her eyes are somewhat drier.
She casts a glance over to the other figure by the fire, laying still
unconscious, but breathing. His torso is bare, another, larger bandage
covering partially his left shoulder and chest.
Antyrael licks his lips and opens his mouth, managing only to whisper,
"Ga... Ga.... Gauoui....."
Gauoui looks over for the thousandth time at the sleeping figure. Wiping
her eyes, she pauses for a moment, then replies quietly, "...yes...?"
Antyrael opens and closes his mouth several times before managing to whisper,
"I... I... I'm sorry...."
Gauoui sighs, "Be still, you'll open the wound again." She rises to her feet
and walks to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, doubtlessly for far
less practical reasons than this... She comes back to where Antyrael is
laying, water cupped in her hand carefully. "Drink," she commands in a
no-nonsense tone that seems strange coming from her lips. She puts her
hand to your mouth.
Antyrael turns his head away from your hand and slowly
whispers, "Blo... Blood... My pack... N... Not... Water...."
Gauoui winces as she curses herself thrice the fool. She rummages around
in your pack for something that perhaps might HELP you, god forbid...
Antyrael carefully opens his eyes, staring into the fire, several fresh
tears streaming down his face.
Gauoui finally finds one of the casks, and pulls the cork carefully.
She returns to your side. She tries not to think about whose blood this
might be. With clinical movements she bring the mouth of the flask to your lips.
Antyrael drinks carefully, staring up at you with tear-filled eyes.
Gauoui carefully avoids your gaze. With quick fluid motions she checks your
wound then with practiced movements, re-secures the bandages. They look
suspiciously like the skirt she was wearing...
Antyrael opens his mouth as if to speak, but quickly shuts it and turns to stare
back into the fire.
Gauoui pauses for a moment, letting her gaze roam over Antyrael's face for the
first time since he's awakened. The firelight casts across the side of her face,
leaving one side in light, the other in shadow. Quietly, she whispers, "Are you
in pain?"
Antyrael closes his eyes, "Pain is nothing new to me.. I deserve for what
I did to you... And what I almost did to you...."
Gauoui puts a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him for the moment, "And
why did I deserve to see you in so much pain? What did I do to have to feel your
blood on my skin?"
Antyrael whispers, "I caused you pain, I deserved pain in return.." He opens his
eyes to look at you again, "That is the way it must be.."
Gauoui looks down into your eyes, and you can see the ghost of the terror that
dwelled there vividly, a few hours before, "This is not going to be the last
time you hurt me. But it is the last time you'll be punished in this way for
it... Or mark my words, Antyrael, I'll stab myself for it."
Antyrael stares up at you uncomprehendingly.
Gauoui whispers harshly, her voice somehow hoarse for some reason, "I'm not going
to be particularly patient just now, dark one. And right now, I don't bloody
care. I'm going to tell you something very important, and if bloody well can't
understand, then you damn well better remember it. Understood?"
Antyrael swallows hard, and nods silently, not daring to speak.
Gauoui looks deeply into your eyes, her own sharp with emphasis, "Whatever pain
we bring each other, I am willing to take it. Because I love you. And I know,
in your heart, as dark as you might pretend or believe it to be, you're
sorry when you do, and it hurts you. And I will forgive you. Forget
about anything you've done to me... because your pain causes me pain.
And I will not hold it against you. But when you hurt yourself, you
hurt me twice-fold."
Antyrael turns his head, unable to meet your gaze, "Forgive....?"
Gauoui puts her hand to your face, gently turning you to face her again, "I
forgive you. You are no longer guilty of anything against me. There's no
longer any wrong done, no more retribution needed to be paid..."
Gauoui sighs and pulls her face away from yours again, "I'm sorry... I
wish you could understand..."
Antyrael carefully sits up, leaning heavily on his right arm as he does so.
Antyrael says, "Gauoui...?"
Gauoui looks up an cries, "Don't! You'll hurt your-"
Gauoui closes her mouth and then meets your gaze, "...y-yes?"
Antyrael looks down at the ground and whispers, "Wo... Could you come
over here? ....Please?"
Gauoui hesitates for but a moment, then returns to your side.
Antyrael wraps his uninjured arm around you and buries his face in your
shoulder, bursting into tears.
Gauoui wraps her arms around you, her slight body holding to you like
she's never going to let you go. She starts to shake softly, but
uncontrollably, stroking your hair tenderly, whispering soft
unintelligible words.
Antyrael whispers, "M.. My chest.. It.. It's feeling strangely again...."
Gauoui looks up at you again, then closes her eyes and lays her head against you
tiredly, breathing deeply as a flood of relief washes over her, "I hope it gets
to be less than strange someday, Anty... I really do..."
Antyrael holds you closely and whispers, "It's... I... I think I like it..."
Antyrael pulls back a bit and looks searchingly into your eyes, "I... Is this...
Is this what love feels like Gauoui?"
Gauoui turns her face so she doesn't wet your bandages, her tears flowing
freely now, baptizing your skin. She winces only slightly at the painful
protest of gash on the throat.
Gauoui looks up at you softly, trembling softly, "I don't have the answers,
Anty... All I can do is make you aware of the questions..."
Antyrael closes his eyes and whispers, "While I was unconscious, I had
a dream... You and I were in this forest, holding hands... We walked,
and the animals were chattering, and we came to this grove of trees
that was just like the one in heaven... We sat down, and we were holding
each other in silence.. I've never felt more peaceful than in that dream."
Antyrael opens his eyes and looks at you, "When I woke up, I knew you were
here without seeing you.. It feels so warm, you being here with me.. This...
If this is not love, than it must be better than love, because nothing could
ever match this feeling..."
Gauoui nods softly listening to the mortal heart inside your chest, drawing
strength from its steady beat, "You'll know if it's love, hun. Love isn't
just soft and gentle... it's strong. It gives you the strength to do things
that you'd think were impossible..."
Gauoui traces a finger over your chest, "But... I'm glad you found some peace,
Anty. If that's what I give you, then I'm glad for it..."
Antyrael stares deeply into your eyes and wraps his arms around you, pulling
you close, barely noticing a flicker of pain from his left shoulder.
Gauoui whispers a kind admonishment, "You'll pull the stitching loose...
Be careful..."
Antyrael puts his forehead against yours, staring into your eyes, his
gaze open, as if inviting you to look and see everything inside his head.
Gauoui meets your gaze fore only a moment before she looks forcing her own
down again...not quick enough to disguise that shadow of fear that fell
across her eyes...
Antyrael shifts his head so it is again in the middle of your gaze,
"Is there something wrong? Did I do or say something....?"
Gauoui closes her eyes briefly, hiding her gaze from you again. She shakes
her head silently, then moves her gaze to your shoulder, " How's the shoulder?"
Antyrael frowns slightly, worried that he messed up somehow, but looks over
at his shoulder, "It'll be fine.. I heal fast..."
Gauoui nods faintly. Without meeting your gaze she disentangles herself from
you, getting to her feet once again. She begins walking over to the fountain
once more, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be back..."
Antyrael starts to reach for your hand, to ask you to wait, but drops his
arms to his sides and nods silently.
Gauoui takes each step slow and deliberately, trying not to stumble. She
emits a harsh curse as her foot runs into the marble well bench of the fountain.
She finds the ledge in the darkness, pulling the leather band from her forehead
before she dips her hands in the water, splashing the icy stuff onto
her heated face...
Gauoui thinks, "Easy... easy. You're not bloody well going pass out now,
Gauoui. He's wounded and the odds are against him that he'll be able to catch
you in the dark before you fall..."
Antyrael watches you carefully as you walk, until the edges of his vision
start to fade into blackness and he falls back to the ground with a quiet thump.
Gauoui splashes her face again but misses, soaking her shirt with icy water.
She gasps suddenly, releasing her breath in a long hiss between clenched
teeth... "Damnation..."
Gauoui finishes washing, acutely aware of how cold the night air is on a wet
body... With a more confident step she walks back to the fire, ready to drive
off the chill, and face Antyrael once again...
Antyrael lays where he fell, breathing steadily, but fresh blood is starting
to seep through the bandage over his shoulder.
Gauoui, shivering, falls down besides Antyrael again, taking his name in
vain several times as she puts her fingers to his throat and her ear to his
lips, trying to discern his condition...
Antyrael has slow but steady heartbeat, as well as breathing.
Gauoui glares up at Tyrael, "Fat lot o' good you turned out to be, Ty..."
Quickly, she applies pressure to Antyrael's shoulder, trying to control the
bleeding before she checks to see how many stitches were pulled...
Tyrael shrugs and mutters, "I never liked him anyway..."
Gauoui pulls Antyrael's pack within arm's reach with her foot, scrambling
through it with her free hand. She freezes at the sound of Tyrael's voice.
Slowly she turns to him, "You'll like me less if you don't shut up..."
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