Foreign Skies

"I don't know." I said as his eyes came to me going wide. "Maybe having snakes when I was mortal has the calling to the creature." I said as he watched me.

"What is your true name?" He asked as I chuckle once more.

"That doesn't matter anymore. That person has been dead for a while now." I said gently as his lips press some.

"Who are you running away from?" He asked as I look down to the snake as it shifted in the coil and turned in this direction.

"That is another question that doesn't concern you. I'm safer here than I was there." I said gently as my fingers traced a pattern in the air. The snake mimicked the pattern with his body before curling up once more. I could feel the eyes of those in the room watching me and the snake. I drew out another pattern as the snake did that same pattern with his flesh. I chuckled some and turned as Roch touched my arm. I heard the snake let out a hiss as Roch's head turned towards the creature. The creature curled up into a tighter coil as if it was going to strike. Roch released my arm as the snake hissed and drew its coil looser now swaying with the flute.

"The snake is protecting you. They are the closest to that of Set himself." Roch said as I smirk some and finished off my blood. I stood up as the snakes come side-by-side with one another drawing out a pattern with both of their bodies. Red Star was the pattern of their bodies as my lips press some. Their bodies drew apart as I turned and walked out of the building. I could hear Roch following me. His hand slid around my wrist turning me to face him. "Why are you not affected by the power of Set?" He asked as there was anger in his words.

"Have you been trying to use them upon me?" I asked as his eyes went wide.

"Since I met you I have been trying to use them." He said as I laughed. I pulled from his grasp and wondered down the sidewalk. "Who are you? Why are you running? Where did you come from? Who sired you?" He asked too many questions out behind me as my body continued to walk. His body appeared in front of me stopping my body as his hands grasp at both my wrists. My eyes lift to his. My majesty kicked in as my eyes glowed in his. His eyes widened as he released my wrists.

"Stop following me." I growled low as his body stepped back. "I am no one to you or anyone else. I do not want to be bothered by the likes of your kind again. Begone." I hissed. I could see him try to fight my powers but instead his body turned and he walked back into the building leaving me alone. I sighed and turned away as I turned majesty off. I wondered down the road alone as my eyes lift towards the sky. The stars twinkled and sparkled. A soft flute melody passed through the streets as my eyes came down and looked down an alleyway. An old man was sitting there with a flute to his lips. A small garden snake sat before him dancing and swayed in the darkness of the alley. I wondered down the alley and watched the little spectacle. My hand went out to the snake as it slithered up my hand wrapping around my wrist like a bracelet. The old man stopped playing the flute and looked up to me. "He's a pretty snake, mister. Why do you not stay in a place?" I asked gently.

"You are such a pretty lady, miss. I do not have a place to live or money to get a place." He said as I nod. I understood this. I had been homeless when I was human a long time ago.

"Stand." I said gently as my awe surrounded him. His body with bones popping and creaking stood up before me. My fingers slipped over his white fuzzy beard as my head dips past his lips and to his throat. My fangs slipped gently into his neck as a soft gasp came from his throat. I took a little more blood from his veins before my fangs released his throat. A soft groan came from his throat. I licked the wound closed and drew back as I saw his eyes were closed. His snake slid over onto his master's collar before the man sat back down and I walked away from the old one. I walked out of the alleyway as the music of the flute began once more. I wondered back to my hotel room and slipped within. I locked the door and walked into the bathroom towards the bathtub. I made my bed in the tub and closed my eyes when sunrise came.

When night came I woke tossing the pillows out of the tub to take a shower. My head lifts into the warm water as I puffed breath out to splatter the water some against the wall. My fingers slipped through my scalp as the soap suds drifted down every curve of my flesh. I turned some as my fingers slipped down over my stomach. The thoughts of Vladimir and Mythos came to my mind. My lips press some. My eyes went down to my wrist that his touch had shocked. I wanted to know why that had happened but I didn't want to go back to the states to find out.

I turned off the water in the shower and picked up a towel. I stepped out of the tub and dried my flesh before walking into the bedroom part of the room. I flicked on the Cairo late night news. Even in this part of the world they had all kinds of news. I opened the backpack and drew out a different shirt before slipping into my jeans. I drew out one of my journals. I opened a page within the book and wrote about this experience in this new world. I wrote about Roch Skylar and about the snakes. The fact that I could speak Egyptian and not really know how I could do this if I never learned it before in my life. I closed the journal when I was done and slipped it back into my backpack.

I slipped my sneakers on my feet as I brushed out my hair. I drew it back braiding it down my back. I lift my bag over my shoulder and walked from the room. I walked down the steps to the counter laying the key on the counter before walking out of the hotel. My head lifts as I sense vampires wondering closer to the hotel. My body moved the opposite way before slipping around the corner. My celerity kicked in as I moved blocks away from the hotel. I'm sure Roch was with the group that was going towards the hotel. They were looking for me. A soft sigh came from my throat. My fingers brushed a bit of red hair from my face as my sneakers crunched the dirt and gravel under my shoes as I walk.

Why couldn't people just leave me alone? My eyes lift towards the sky. The moon was fuller now as it was rising further from the horizon. My eyes could see something red and faint in the distance. Was it the red star? I look away from the sky and continue to walk. My body stopped near a museum as my eyes lift to the banner out front of the museum. Egyptian heritage day the sign said both in English and Egyptian. I stepped up the steps towards the door. My hand stopped and knew the door would not open to me. My eyes widened some as the door opened and a man was there. His body stopped as his eyes went wide. His heart pounds in his chest as if I had scared him.

"Sorry. I was just admiring the banner on the front of the building. Forgive me, sir." I said gently as I turned to walk away from him.

"You missed the exhibit today miss. Would you like a tour?" He asked as my body stopped and I turned to look at him. "I was going to leave but I could show you before I leave." He said as I smiled some.

"I don't want to trouble you, sir." I said as he chuckles.

"It's no trouble." He said as I walked back towards the door. He let me within closing the door behind us. "You could come back during the day time to take a tour." He said as my eyes went to him.

"I'm leaving out of Cairo tonight. I have a little time before my flight takes off." I said as sadness showed in his eyes.

"You look like someone that would appreciate artwork." He said as I chuckle some.

"I do enjoy art, sir. I had missed the tours because of other business that I had to take care of." I said as we walked through the museum. The dim lights over the exhibits showed the culture of Egypt. We came into the main exhibit room as my eyes came to the mummy I had slept with on my way here to Egypt.

"This is Lord Ramses the second." He said as my eyes look to the mummy.

"He was a great pharaoh that fought against the Hittites. It is said that he ruled for 66 years before he was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Nefertiti was his wife." I said as I saw his eyes go wide. "I know some history behind Egypt. It was a passion a while ago that I couldn't help but look into while in high school." I said gently as the man watched me.

"That is nice to see that an American would be interested in our history." He said as I chuckled some.

"Thank you. These pieces are beautiful." I said as I walked around the old urns, jewels, and necklaces under glass.

"They came in yesterday with Lord Ramses from the Americas. Lord Ramses had come from the natural history museum in Detroit." He said as I nod.

"Then he had come in when I got here. I was on the same plane as him. No wonder I felt safe on the plane." I said as he chuckles some.

"Ramses is the protector of his people, miss. He was a good pharaoh. Those that came after him could never keep up with him." He said as I chuckled softly looking over the canopic jars that they had put the vital organs into. I walked around the exhibit and stared at the paintings that were written in Egyptian. My body stopped before the blue full moon and the red star in a painting on the wall. I could see at the bottom of the painting seeing people bowing as an image in glowing white floated between the earth and the two objects in the sky.

"What does this mean?" I asked gently as the man came to my side.

"This depicts the rise of Set to his people once more. Though some think it could be a god coming back to the earth from the passing of the red star and the full blue moon. Not much is known about this prophecy. There are many superstitions that are whispered through the winds during the darkness. Some say this is the ending of life. Others say that this god will come to spite the sinners for turning their hearts away from the gods that made them. Others say that this is an angel come to give redemption to those damned by the god's hand in the beginning of time." He said as I stared at the painting for a little longer before turning away.

"Thank you for this, sir. But I must be going before my plane takes off." I said as he nods and walks with me back towards the front of the museum. "Where did that painting come from?" I asked gently.

"That came from Europe from one of the museums." He said as I nod. He opened the door of the museum as I stepped out into the dry air. He stepped out closing and locking the door behind him. We walked down the steps towards the streets.

"Thank you for the tour, sir." I said as he smiles in the street light.

"You are welcome, miss. That painting came from an older gentleman by the name of Vladimir LaCross." He said as my chest tightened some. "He and his company are flying in this evening. They were going to have an evening showing of the museum in a few nights. You should reschedule your flight to see it." He said as my lips press to a line.

"Thank you but I must be going." I said gently as he nods. I turn and walk off away from the museum. I definitely had to get out of this damned city. Just knowing that Vladimir was coming here annoyed the hell out of me. It was time to take leave of this place. My eyes could still see the painting up on the wall. I hailed a cabbie as it pulled up and stopped. I slipped into the seat and sat down. My majesty kicked in. "Fill up the gas tank and drive me out towards Mersa Matruh." I breathed as the human nods and drives away from the museum and the man. I looked back slightly to see the man watching my cab.

My lips press some drawing out my journal. My pencil moves quickly across an open sheet of paper as I drew out the painting. I remember each of the details and made sure I even drew out the faces of the people bowed below the figure in the light. My lips press some for there were fangs in the lips of some of the people. There were vampires there. I closed the journal slipping it away as the cabbie driver stopped at a small gas station and did as he was told. He paid the attendant and climbed back into the cab. He took off away from the gas station and drove out of the city. I leaned back against the seat as my eyes looked to the stars once more.

I would have flown out of this place if that man had not told me that Vladimir and the other elders were coming to this place. My eyes rolled some. This was one annoyance after another. The cab drove out onto the dirt road as my eyes went to the desert. The sand was calm and the moon shined upon the sands turning it silver in color. The moon was only half way over the skies. I was hoping that the cabbie would make it to the city before day break. I rubbed at the back of my head and looked up to the moon once more. The red star was getting closer. I could see it. It was coming closer. It wasn't going to rise with the blue moon. It was going to come closer to the moon. It was coming from out of the sky to sit beside the moon. I didn't want to be there when it happened. I didn't want to be near the elders or anyone else if that star was to bring forth the god to this plane of existence. My eyes went to the front of the car. There was a lineup of many cars as my lips press to a line.

"Stop the car." I breathed to the driver as he pulled to a stop 30 plus feet from the lineup of cars. Roch was in the head of the lineup. A couple of vampires on horseback galloped around so the driver could not turn around. My body stepped out of the car. "Get out of here." I said as the driver turned the car around. The horses parted to let the car go by. My eyes looked around some before going to Roch as he stepped away from the lineup. His body stopped about ten feet from me. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?" I growled low.

"It only works if you hold it to do so." He said as my lips press to a line.

"I'm leaving this place, Roch. Stop getting in my way." I growled out as I felt the chests of the vampires grow tight.

"Lord Vladimir Dracula says different, Teresa." He said as anger flared in my chest.

"My name is Tessa. Get out of my way." I snarled as I felt the anger of a frenzy boiling up through every fiber in my being. Roch stepped back as his eyes widened. My celerity kicked in as my body bolted backwards. The vampire gasped as I knocked him from the saddle. My body climbed into the saddle spinning the horse about some. I kicked the sides of the horse bolting towards the lineup of cars. The horse neighed out as I lunged the horse up and over the ducking vampires. I stayed low on the saddle as the horse ran. The wind blew through my hair. My bag bounced on my back as my eyes remained ahead of me. I could hear the starting of engines and could hear the other horsemen following behind me. It was like the race of the Arabian nights. My eyes watched the sands ahead of the horse. My eyes lift towards the sky.

At this rate with being slowed down I may not make it to Mersa Matruh in time. I may have to stop for the daylight. I didn't want Roch to get me though. My eyes went to the sky. The moon was towards the west now. In a couple hours it would set and the sun would be on the rise. I needed to get to another city. El Dabaa would have to do. I would sleep and then take off once more into the night. I had to stay a step in front of Roch.

My head turned to see the horses and the cars still chasing after me. My eyes came to a black shadow crossing out of the sands towards the cars and the horses. My eyes widened as the blackness engulfed the horses and the cars. I heard wild neighs and the snarls of the vampires. I saw a car flipping coming out of the darkness as my head turned back. My hands pulled the reigns as darkness appeared before me about thirty feet away. Several creatures came out of the blackness as my lips press some. One that still had features of a man held out its claw like hand towards me. My eyes went to the blackness as it slowly seeped and wrapped around me and my horse.

The beast under my flesh lunged up and tried to knock me off its back but I held on trying to regain control of the frightened beast. I released and fell from the saddle as a yelp came from my throat hitting the ground. The horse bolted for the blackness. As soon as it went within the blackness the beast was engulfed and screamed before being silenced. My eyes went to the male that still held out its claw towards me. I got to my feet as the male stepped towards me. I stepped back as I watched the male. I could hear hissing and snarls in the darkness around me and this male.

"Come with me." The male hissed as my eyes watched him.

"What do you want?" I asked as the male stopped and looked around to the darkness. Creatures appeared as the darkness made up their shadows under their feet. My head turned to see that a couple of horses and one of the cars survived the darkness and were going in the other direction away from me. I saw the eyes of Roch looking out the back of the one car. He had survived. My head turned back as a gasp came from my throat. The male creature's arm went around my waist as his hard strange flesh pressed against mine. My hands went to his chest and nearly went through his flesh but his body solidified against my touch. "What are you?" I asked in whisper looking up to his dark eyes.

"I am your survival in these harsh lands." He hissed. "Sleep." He said as I tried to fight the power but he was too strong. My world slipped away in his arms. It must have been the next night that I woke. My body sits up in a bed. The room was dark and nearly pitch black in color. My legs swung over the side of the bed. My eyes went down to a pair of shackles on my ankles.

"Seriously?" I asked gently. My hands went down and pulled the shackles apart before getting to my feet. I walked towards the door and opened it. A darkness like the one in the room loomed out into this hallway and down the length of the cabin I was in. I walked through the cabin and came to the front door. My hand went to the knob. Another hand covered over mine as my head turned to the male from the night before. He removed my hand from the doorknob and pushed me back against the door itself. His body solidified as it brushed against mine.

"You cannot leave this place. You are safe here from those that chased you." He hissed out as my lips press some.

"I need to get away from Egypt. You cannot hold me captive." I said as my head looked away from his face getting very close to mine. I felt his lips brush against my throat. My hand went to his chest and tried to push him away but my hand went right through his chest. I drew back my hand as his lips brushed at my throat once more.

"You cannot hurt me, woman. Nothing can hurt me and my clan." He breathed as my hands balled to fists.

"You are like nothing I have ever seen before." I whispered as he chuckles some.

"You are in the wrong country, woman. Your people should never step foot on our sands." He breathed as my lips press to a line.

"I was trying to escape those others that your sands attacked. I just wanted to make it to Mersa Matruh. I was trying to get to Benghazi to sail across the waters to Misrata and then hit Tripoli. I was leaving the country." I said gently.

"You are a sinner and a wanted woman to those others?" He asked as my head turned and looked into his dark eyes.

"I may be a sinner but I refuse to be a sacrifice to their god." I breathed as his eyes widened some.

"Sacrifice? What god do they believe in?" He asked as his claw came up and slid over my cheek.

"Set." I breathed as a hiss came from his throat. My head lifts as his claw slid down over my throat before slipping over my breasts.

"Your body is beautiful enough to be some kind of sacrifice but it shouldn't be to Set." He hissed as my eyes went to his.