Dating : A Curse of Age

Morning dew clung to the leaves, grasses, and bristles but murky darkness ruled the heavens. Light of the moon long vanished from its’ journey beyond the horizon and even the chorus of hoppers mellowed to a near rest.

Laurentius illuminated a dry stone with a torch and carried the unconscious Aelia with his other arm. He lowered the woman, who even charmed in her sleep, onto the rough slab of granite. She remained still in her deep sleep.

Laurentius took a scroll from the pouch at his side and unrolled it with the flick of the wrist. At last, he held the script from a far northern land, written in a language unlike his own and by a people who seldom scribed at all, especially words of magic.

He traced the red lettering with his clawed fingernail. The letters were familiar, but the words foreign. Reaching into his bag, Laurentius retrieved five black candles and placed them around Aelia. Laurentius used his torch to light the candles and the flames danced with grace in the gentle breeze upon the wicks.

Aelia seemed to glow under the candlelight. She still possessed her youthful radiance and Laurentius wanted to help her retain the youthful grace forever without sharing his curse. He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear while he observed the exposed flesh of her throat, then licked his lips and the tips of his fanged teeth before breaking his gaze on her.

His own pale skin glowed in the light, but not with radiance such as hers. Bleached white from only moonlight. Taking the scroll back up, Laurentius cleared his throat before speaking out to the darkness of the woods.

“Intinga ghearan forbgan. Geogub for blood.”

The hoppers and the birds of night fell silent along with the whispers of the wind, but before he read any further, another sound leaked out from the woods. Not animal nor man as his hypersensitive hearing pinpointed every furry vermin within a thousand paces, no, an unearthly slithering. Accompanied with creaks and cracks like a serpent bending while breaking bones. A chill ran Laurentius’ spine which he immediately oppressed. How could he who had bathed in blood fear anything?

It took him a moment to notice that the other sounds of the forest completely vanished, they too feared the entity in the shadows. It too came to silence. Laurentius knew he must read further.

The scroll crackled as he brought it up, “Bodig.”

Approaching footsteps from behind stopped his reading. He hadn’t heard someone approaching. “Immortality is a curse for your kind. Black magic is punishable by the Heavens.”

Laurentius turned to see a blonde-haired man wearing gold armor with a tunic underneath. The man-made no attempt to draw the long sword at his waist.

“Who are you?” Laurentius asked.

“The sword of God,” the man said as he’s his own eyes fell on the woman. “Many call me by Michael.”

“An angel?” Laurentius asked and lowered the scroll to his side. “You’re no angel, leave us be.”

“Laurentius Manius,” Michaels said. He took a step towards Laurentius and his tunic ruffled as two stark white wings like the wings of a dove spread out from his back. “You’ve committed treasons against the one God. The use of magic under the domain is punishable by a sentence to Hell. However, I believe a man with vampirism might fair well in Lucifer’s domain, so I think it best I bring you along my way to Heaven.”

Laurentius took a step back. His razor nails and fangs made for effective weapons but weren’t a match for hardened steel.

Michael lurched forward, his fist grabbing a handful of Laurentius’ clothing with one hand and a forearm with his other. The two struggled a moment as Laurentius attempted to break free, but the mighty wings on Michael’s back flapped down and the two lifted from the ground. Each powerful stroke took them several paces higher and Laurentius tried to pull away with all his strength only to be gripped tighter.

Laurentius opened his mouth and sank his fangs into Michael’s arm. No taste of blood met Laurentius’ lips and Michael expressed no pain. As Laurentius released his jaw, he noticed they flew into the clouds. The next flap took them above the clouds.

Laurentius felt searing pain and he wailed. The rising sun tucked around the horizon, an enemy in wait to ambush, could be seen at their height. His very skin caught fire as easily as a paper under heat and his thrashing became more violent.

Skin, blood, muscle, and bone evaporated like morning dew. Michael continued ascension to the spheres of Heaven alone.