Vivienne

Clouds of bright green and heavy black dominated the sky and blotted out the soft peaceful light of the full moon.  Much like before, eight streaks of spidery lightning crashed to the ground and pulsed for a few seconds before Denise’s form pulled itself free of the ashen ground she called home. “Years, decades of doing what needed to be done to get you back in my arms, and this is how you repay my love, Marion?”  Denise flashed her sinister smile and shook her head, “I knew that to get you back, your mission had to be complete.”  Denise pointed to Vivienne. “More importantly, I had to show you I was equal to you, worthy of the love you placed on my body all those years ago.”  Waving both of her hands in a simple pattern over her body, Denise made the dress she was wearing scorch and burn away until the flower that was tattooed on her body became visible. “Once I knew the great Raven existed, my heart..”  She patted her chest lightly, “..told me that it was you, my darling Marion.”  Denise looked up and swirled her runed hand, “The marionette was me being reasonable.  I suspected that you might need some convincing.  I’ll happily show you, my darling.”  Denise’s murky yellow orbs brightened, “Let it rain!”  She paused, “Let it rain with the dead..come do my bidding and show my Marion what we are capable of.”

Pretty snowflakes that were supposed to hit the ground twisted in their fall and became as red as the rain that started to pour from the murky verdant clouds.  Within seconds, old coagulated and rusty smelling blood stained and melted the heavenly peace that the snow had begun to provide.  Sounds of hollow and dry wood hit the ground, and tinkled briefly before the tolling was replaced by outlines of skeletons coated in blood.

Clanking like a wooden wind chime, the undead began to march towards Vivienne.  Spotting the extended claws on each of the animated dead, Vivienne pointed the blades to Faye. “I suspect that those will…”

“...go through me like butter.”  Faye smiled and crouched as though she were going to spring. “I liked my version better than what you were going to say.”  She winked at Vivienne, “I am going to try something, I had lots of time to think.”  

Anticipation built up within Vivienne as she waited for what she knew was about to happen. “You can do it, Tigerlilly.”

Remaining crouched as though she were going to strike, Faye pictured herself as a lithe and well proportioned orange and black striped Bengal tiger.  Transforming much easier than she did practicing the osprey, Faye felt the rush of her blood mingling with her new form.  Flexing her heavy muscles, Faye turned to look at her lover and partner, her cat eyes shimmering with anticipation.

“Beautiful, mon amour.”  Vivienne beamed and extended her ravenesque talons from her hands and feet. “I would join you, but my form is a little less bulky.”

While the squad of blood soaked skeletons made their way across the barren cornfield, Denise looked to her left and aimed a streak of green lighting from the clouds above her towards an empty space a couple feet from where she stood.  Sparks flew and twisted into a vortex that consumed the energy and opened a black portal. “Come forth my shadowed pets, let my Marion see your devoted forms.”

Three midnight shaped dogs bounded from the portal and devilishly barked before their mistress.  Lean and ready to run at a command, the greyhound shaped canines flashed their three rows of teeth and snarled at their targets. “I think Shakespeare will capture this moment well, Marion.”  Denise pointed at her four legged minions, “..Raging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice – Cry ‘Havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war…”  Denise waved her hand, “Get the tiger my pets.”  Laughing maniacally as the four ran off towards Faye, Denise added, “Perhaps a tad literal with the dogs, but I couldn’t resist.  You never know when or where art will strike your fancy, Marion.”

-Get the what?-  Faye thought to herself just as she slashed through a pair of skeletons, and ignored the rest of Denise’s speech. Deftly dodging the swipes of her two opponents, Faye focused on the three supernatural dogs sprinting across the field in her direction.  Biting into one of the legs of the corpses, Faye tore the bone free so that it fell and started clawing at the ground in the effort to re-engage. -This is going nowhere.-  Faye crouched and jumped over the various attacks without much effort as the animated minions were much slower than she was.

Deciding to make a run in an effort to put some distance between her and the dogs, Faye froze when she saw pieces of bone shattering all around her. “I have these, mon amour.”  Vivienne smacked her hands free of bone powder and winked. “You have to break them, not slash them.”

Watching as her small army was getting turned to dust, Denise just shook her head.  Raising her non-runed hand to the sky, Denise repeated the spell and more bones dropped from the heavy cloud.  Using her glowing hand, Denise shot a wave of twisted tendrils to her right to open a vile green portal.  Emanating from the wicked new door, the foul stench of a bog mixed with rotting wood and the dead crept across the field. “One, two…Shuffling dead come for you.”  Denise laughed, “Three, four…Awaken and form your corps.”  Tendrils shot through the newly formed portal , coating the visible gravestones in a bath of heinous green.  Thereafter, painful screams of the dead echoed and the first of what looked to be a small army of zombies covered in mud and roots came through the evil door and lined up, waiting for further commands. “Bring me the one in white, kill the tiger.  Feed on the girl in the barn.”  Denise raised one of her wicked black eyebrows. “The dead answer to me, Marion.”  Denise pointed to Vivienne as she watched the ancient vampire turn more mindless drones to bone powder. “I see, this is still part of your test.”  Denise clapped and ran her hands through her black and dead gray hair. “Very well, since you insist.”

Freed from the encroaching skeletons, Faye bolted as fast as her powerful legs could take her towards the farmhouse itself. -See if I can split this pack.-  She told herself as she reached the broken kitchen entrance.  Desperate to give herself time to think, Faye leapt on top of a well stocked wood shed and turned in time to see a row of teeth nipping at her hind leg. Kicking out as hard as she could, Faye thought she connected with the inky greyhound and yet felt nothing.  Confusion turned to pain when the dog was finally able to sink its fangs into her back leg and tear away part of the flesh.  Roaring in pain, Faye backed herself against the wall of the house and used some of her precious blood to repair the damage to her leg.

Two of the three dogs took up guarded positions at the base of the woodshed, while the one that had bitten Faye prepared for another attack.  Assessing that her immediate issue was the one close enough to bite her again, Faye attempted to swipe the dog’s jaw off much like she plucked Drake’s off days before.  

Devoid of fear, the black beast didn’t bother to move as the big orange claw passed through its head.  Aware that its catch couldn’t harm it, the dog tried to snap his fangs closed around Faye’s paw and missed.

Thankful that she was faster than the dog in her face, Faye knew she had moments before the other two became brave enough to join their companion in the attempt to pin her in place.  Flashes of Faye’s father formed in her mind and centered on her childhood fear of the dark.

Huddled in her bed with a heavy white woolen blanket, Faye cried out to her father, “P..please Daddy, It’s so dark.  I can’t sleep, I am scared.”  Confessing the fear just as her father’s fingers had reached the light-switch, he turned and looked at his daughter. “I have just the thing.”  Returning a few minutes later, her father plugged in a small light and flipped the switch, leaving a soft glow in the room so Faye could see. “I used to be scared too, Faye.”  He winked, “My dad told me, like I will tell you.  Light is the answer to the dark.  Light keeps it all away, until we no longer fear…because we know the light will always come.”