Taming an Immortal Ch. 01

NB: Hi everyone! I've been working on this sideline story for a while and thought I'd post it here since I seem to be stuck with my other storylines! The characters are inspired by the anime Inuyasha but I have adapted them in my own way to fit with my own ideas of paranormal romance. If you are a fan of the anime, you'll know more or less whom the characters are based on! Other than that, this story's purely a work of fiction. Hope you enjoy!

***

Chapter 1 - The return of the Vampire Lord

Rose stared up at the moon, wondering if tomorrow would be the day he'd come for her. He promised and yet -

Five years has passed and not a word whispered her way. Perhaps he had forgotten... but she wouldn't blame him.

While the passing time felt like eternity to her, to him, it would be merely a blink.

After all, she was only human.

If you are ever sad or troubled or scared - just call my name and I will fly to you immediately. No matter the time or distance between us, I'll be there. Have this trust in your heart and you have nothing to fear. But for now, give your heart the time to decide what it wishes to do at its own pace. And until then... take care of yourself.

"Rose, are you not asleep yet my child?" came to slurred concern of her slumbering guardian.

Remaining in the moonlight, Rose rested her head against the window sill and murmured his name. "Happy twentieth, Rose."

***

"Keiko, what day is it today?" Lord Etienne Arceneaux suddenly paused in the middle of their trek up the mountain to look patiently at his loyal advisor.

The young Noble had his chin almost on the earth; the climb taking a toll on his rounded belly and chubby legs. Huffing, Keiko looked like a roasted potato, freshly taken from the fire.

"I believe it is the second full moon of the spring my Lord." One hand pressed against a nearby rock, while the other tried to still his beating heart. He nearly jumped when his master knelt down; his white knee-length hair slapping Keiko's face with the passing breeze.

"Did we miss Rose's birthday?" The impassive monotone question was almost lost on Keiko had he not been two inches away from his master. Hopping a few steps back, the Noble lowered his gaze -prolonged eye contact with a Pureblood could be misconstrued as aggression - while he mentally counted down the days.

"Birthdays my lord." Keiko's face went momentarily white at the realisation. He surely had a death wish for forgetting the human's birthday! "Please my Lord, I did not do so on purpose! I beg of you to spare my life!"

They had promised to return on her 16th birthday but by his calculations, they were four years late. What does it matter to an Immortal like themselves anyway?

But when he dared a peek, Lord Etienne stood at his full height; face in the wind. It was as if his Master had not heard him. But Keiko knew not to be fooled. The Lord was said to have eyes on his back! He could hear and see for miles without even needing to open his senses. Imagine that!

"Keiko, retrieve Alduin. I do not wish to scrape your wretched remains off the ground."

Not wanting to push his master's mercy, Keiko rushed off in search for their hydra-like dragon. The beast was currently sprouting two heads instead of its usual five.

If his calculations were right, they had at least a week before reaching the human village where Rose was staying. Keiko would indeed melt onto the floor if they had to walk all the way!

Still, it made him curious as to how little Rose would look like now. A gangly prawn - that's what she looked like when they had left her years ago to resume a normal life. Oh she had kicked and punched and struggled against the Master when he decided that for her. Ingrate.

Did she not know he did it for her wellbeing only? Wandering about the world with two male Vampires was hardly a life for a human, especially that of a girl. Master had left her with the barren Priestess in hopes that Rose would find a human mate. After all, that was all human women were capable of wasn't it? Breeding?

It was something that the Immortals - Vampires and Changelings alike -greatly admired yet resented in the humans. The human numbers were growing exponentially each year and their need for more space encroached into the territory of the other races.

A matter of time before the three states warred against each other, in his opinion.

And then there was Rose. A human girl found amidst the forests of the Greater Wolf clans; she was neither food nor kin.

"My Lord, the imp is following us. Shall I dispose of her?" Keiko eyed the human warily. He did not understand why his Master paid her no heed. "She stinks of the dogs."

Lord Etienne simply continued walking.

They had been enroute to the Ash Valley where it was rumoured to be home to a very skilful sword smith. But the peripheral forests housed some of the most ferocious wild Changelings, not known for offering safe passage. Not the best place for a weak human!

"We will pass a human village. She may choose to stay if she wishes."

"Master, I have brought Alduin," he announced to the turned back of the Pureblood. Lord Etienne nodded in acknowledgement before mounting the two-headed beast. His Master only gave the illusion of choice but Keiko knew better. And this time, were they returning to give their Rose another false choice?

***

Rose hated laundry day. Her hands would be so sore after all that scrubbing and twisting and hanging and folding! She really thought Kirke would have given her the day off to wander in the nearby forest or play by the lake. It was her birthday after all.

"You're too old to be seen alone in the forest Rose," warned her guardian. "What would the villagers think?"

Rose tried not to snap at her guardian. Priestess Kirke had given nothing but kindness since Lord Etienne saddled her with a ward seven years ago. He had promised to be back in three years but time had stretched and still Kirke had allowed Rose to stay in her humble hut. Rose could only attribute her recent concern for her 'safety' to the fact that men had been coming by their place for matters that were not of the spiritual kind.

As a priestess, Kirke was the holy woman of the village; brewing cures for the ill and warding off evils from their homes. It was not unusual for visitors to always be in their home but of late, Rose had seen Kirke chasing people out of their hut with a broom, shouting at them about keeping their hands to themselves.

Rose assumed they had been stealing. But every time she tried to ask Kirke about it, the Priestess would shush her with a fierce hug and send her away to do more menial chores.

Like today.

Rose cringed at the mountain of linen piled in the wicker basket. These were the bedsheets from the mini infirmary that Kirke had set up at the back of their house. Stained with sweat and often times blood from the injured, it felt more like a punishment than a task.

All she wanted was to pick flowers and berries.

Hauling the basket by her waist, she took her usual route down to the river not too far from Kirke's hut. The icy water almost made her yelp as her hands dipped into the gushing stream. It was already spring but the ice caps from the mountains were still responsible for their fresh water, slow to adapt to the changing landscape surrounding them.

Ignoring the gradual numbing in her fingers, Rose did her best to scrub a nasty stain from one of the bedsheets. She was halfway through the pile when heard the crack of broken twigs behind her. Immediately her hands reached behind her bodice where a small dagger lay hidden.

"Hello Rose." A human man peered out from behind the bushes, his blue eyes sparkling in sunlight. "Please don't be alarmed. It is I, Charlie."

Rose must have been frowning; her body curled in defence, for he took a step into the clearing and bowed. She knew him. Charlie... Charlie, the son of the village Elder?

"Hello Charlie. Is your father injured?" Rose knew that the villagers had recently returned from a trade mission into the Changeling territory. Perhaps it had not gone as planned...

"Oh... no, he's fine. I came here looking for you," he admitted, twirling his fingers slightly as his ears grew red.

"Me?" No one ever needed her for anything before. A sudden panic raced through her body causing her to knock the basket of laundry into the water in her rush to get up. "Is it Kirke? Did something happen? Is she -"

Rose ran right into Charlie as his solid frame tried to block her escape.

"No, she's fine!" His eyes followed the swimming linen bobbing up and down in the stream. "Although I supposed she might get a little angry now that you've lost the clothes."

Swirling to her feet, Rose groaned at the sight of her wasted morning.

"Well... looks like you're free after all," said Charlie, a warm smile plastered on his face. "Maybe you could come with us."

Now Rose was on her guard. If only Charlie had not interrupted her, this would not have happened! What did he want?

"To do what exactly?" Her eyes narrowed, aware that the young man was sweating despite the cold morning.

"Kirke said that if you said yes, you could come..." he stammered. "We're going to the market."

"We, who?" she demanded but before he could answer, Rose rolled up her sleeve and started walking back to her house. She loved the marketplace but the thought of going there with someone made her ill. Oh she could just imagine the gossip that would line the town tomorrow!

Oh did you know Rose? Yes, the Vampire Lord's human pet! Oh yes, I heard he got bored of her so he dumped her here. Poor little thing. Next thing you know, she's going to try and poach our sons and husbands! Just you watch. She's a little whore I'm telling you.

Rose covered her face as she ran back to Kirke's hut, willing the tears to retreat. Lord Etienne was not bored of her! He had left her here to...

To what?

At that time, it had been for her own safety, he had assured. A Pureblood had gone rogue in his lands and he had deemed it his responsibility to hunt him down. Rose had obeyed, as she always did and never questioned him when he promised he would be back.

"Rose?" The gentle voice of Charlie wormed its way into her consciousness. "I didn't mean to upset you. Truly, I apologise." A warm hand on her shoulder. "I just thought... maybe you would like to go and do something different today since it's your birthday."

She forced herself to smile. He deserved that at the very least.

"Thank you Charlie... that is kind of you but I should go. Maybe tomorrow. Kirke will be worried."

Rose did not dare to meet his gaze - the look of disappointment on Charlie's face would have to be audience to her back.

***

Kirke hadn't been angry about the laundry. In fact, she was more upset that Rose had rejected Charlie's offer to take her out to the market.

"You should mix with the boys and girls of your age Rose. Charlie meant well."

Rose didn't dare to tell her how they treated her. If not for Lord Etienne's insistence that Kirke home-schooled her, Rose had no doubt that she would have been the subject of abuse in school. The girls her age hated her for some reason and the boys feared her.

But their parents were the worst. They truly believed she had a soul of a Vampire; some even going as far to spread the rumour that she had the transformative curse of a Changeling that was infectious. Rose only wished they had been right. She certainly was not 'human' enough for them.

During the initial months, Rose had continuously begged Kirke to let her find Lord Etienne. Her place was beside him, she insisted - not amongst the humans.

Kirke had slapped her a few times back then; enough that she learnt to keep her emotions to herself. He will come back for her!

Promising to return in time for dinner, Rose went into the empty courtyard behind their house and rifled through the broom cupboard for her prized possession. Her fingers tapped on various poles and sticks before resting on the carefully concealed weapon.

Laying it on the ground, she unrolled the cheap paper and wool covering to reveal a slender sword sheathed in dark mahogany. Rose traced a finger down the blunt edge of the blade, feeling a shudder of anticipation.

Wind Eternal - that was the name of the sword. A final gift from their years of travel.

Holding the sword in her hands, she marvelled at the lightness of the weapon. This was made for her. Forged from a fang of the Pureblood itself, the sword gained strength and weight with each passing year - a testament to her own growing physique and maturity.

Rose wielded the sword in her right hand, then her left; the familiar twist of her wrists bringing back a rush of comfort.

Here, alone with her sword, she would remember him.

Aiming at an imaginary fiend, she slashed through the air, jumping only to deliver a decapitating blow down the assailant's back. Turning, she imagined two more enemies approaching. Thrusting her sword through their stomachs, she brought up the blade a full circle, repeating the stance again with her final offender.

Every step she made was based on memory alone. No one had taught her so she made it a point to spy on the men when they trained in the woods. Quiet as a mouse, she had observed them from up on a tree, taking note of their movements and techniques until she could form her own.

Lord Etienne better be on his guard the next time he saw her -if he saw her -for she would not hold back years of pent up disappointment and anger.

A promise was a promise. It was not meant to be broken.

***

Etienne could sense the youthful spirit of the village growing stronger as they approached the end of the week. In a few hours, he would be at Priestess Kirke's home and he would see to it that his ward was taken care of.

"How old is Rose, Keiko?" he asked, as they cruised mid-air. It only seemed like yesterday when he found her; bruised and discarded amidst the foliage of the Eastern Forests. She could hardly be more than ten.

"Twenty my Lord."

If he was shocked, he made no show of it. Instead, he gave his advisor a lazy nod before returning his gaze forward.

According to the human customs, Rose would be of marriageable age by now; even having had borne a child or two.

Perhaps she had.

Etienne didn't know why that irked him so. It was only natural for a human to wish to marry and have children. It was what kept their legacy alive.

But he was late -by five years at the very least. Rose might have forgotten him by now... and for the better. There was no place in his world for a human girl.

"Alduin, we will stop here," he ordered, patting the beast lightly on its neck. The dragon grunted in obedience and descended to the ground, shrouding them in a cloak of darkness; the moonlight unable to penetrate the thick cover of trees.

"Master?" A sleepy Keiko rubbed his eyes. "Have we arrived, my Lord?"

Etienne stepped off his ride and started walking towards the human village. "Come Keiko. The sun will be up soon."

Rose loved towns. Especially the ones with many shops. She would always look at him with those big brown eyes of hers; her lips quivering as she held back her excitement. He had only given her twenty minutes and five golden coins but she had screamed her jubilance like he had gifted her the world.

Silly girl.

Looking ahead, Etienne made out the tiny thatched roof of the houses near the village centre. The wooden shutters were slowly opening and the smell of fresh bread wafted through the air. As he continued walking, he watched with disinterest as the village bloomed to life. Those who dared look into his eyes turned dark with fear while those who knew better simply stayed away from his path, bowing in respect as he passed.

Something glittery caught the corner of his eye, halting him to a stop. Walking towards a stall that was slowly setting up, he stood completely still until the vendor turned, lifting his head all the way up to meet his gaze.

"Lord... Lord... Etienne!" he stammered. "What... what can I do for you my Lord?"

Etienne pointed to a comb of sorts that was on display. "What is this?"

The man picked up the metal comb and offered it to him, both hands outstretched. "Please... please take it my Lord."

The corners of his lips twitched in annoyance. "I asked you a question."

"Answer the Master you foolish human!" Keiko added, coming up from behind him. "Do you wish an early death?"

Etienne shot the young Noble a warning look. Does that idiot ever shut his mouth?

"No please have mercy my Lord. I have a wife. She is with child!"

Sighing at the show of hysterics, Etienne placed a silver coin on the man's palm and pocketed the comb. The name of this... human enticement was not of interest to him anymore. Instead, he studied the vendor, noting his strong hands and kind eyes. Would this be the sort of human that Rose would like for her mate?

"How old is your wife, young human?" he asked.

The vendor paled. He looked like he was about to pass out from being forced into a conversation with a Vampire.

"She... she is twenty my Lord!" Just like Rose.

A prickle of uneasiness crept down his neck. Surely this man was not her husband? How dare he marry Rose without asking for his permission? Had he not made it clear to Kirke that Rose belonged to him?

"I see," he said before continuing on with the walk; his chin raised high as he cast a low side glance at the humans who parted the path for him. "Keiko, see to it that provisions are bought for Priestess Kirke."

"Yes Master!"

Etienne kept an eye on the young Noble as he bossed his way from stall to stall. Keiko looked almost human that he blended so naturally with the villagers with his dark blonde and blue of his eyes.

Nothing like his own white hair and silver eyes. Humans always found Purebloods enchanting; their ethereal beauty a source of fascination and fear.

But it was the Pureblood markings that frightened the humans the most: Two red gashes on each side of the cheekbones, angling upwards towards the temple. The streaks were skin deep like the stripes of a tiger - nothing he could or would change. It was who he was.

Unlike a Noble whose blood bore traces of the human taint, Purebloods would never dream of a lesser heir to their bloodline. The minimal mating with humans had been allowed to ensure the survival of their race but the dilution of bloodline was not allowed for more than two generations. Beyond that, any inherited traits and powers would have been lost.

As his footsteps brought him closer to Kirke's hut, his nose twitched at the familiar scent of Rose - the light, spirited life force of hers, but then the undertones of spice caught him by surprise. The usual gentle scent of rose was tainted -no - enhanced by a sharpness of a scent he could not describe.

He didn't hate it.

Knocking twice on the wooden door, Etienne took a step back and waited for his host to greet him. He knew the Priestess was aging and so he gave her a few more moments before the door swung open.

He didn't recognise her at first.

Where her hair had been jagged and cropped short as a child, it now flowed straight and silky down her shoulders to the small of her waist. She was so much taller now!

But her brown eyes were just as wide and curious as she inspected him. Etienne had no need for her approval but he kept still, allowing her eyes to trail along his body before resting on his face.

No one dared hold his gaze for that long. But for Rose, it was an exception.