Chie's Mutation

Ran's eyebrow jutted upward at the Fae's wording, realizing intuitively that she was unconcerned with what he wanted but rather with what she'd be able to get from him. She was playing a game.

While walking, he had been deciding how to ask for this favor so as not to make any mistakes.

As one should with Fae, Ran spoke carefully, "I wish to learn from you the magic and recipe to craft a potion that alters the blood of a human temporarily to that of vampiric blue blood, capable of halting any illnesses they may suffer from while under the effects of the potion."

The Fae inclined her head. She smiled as bright as the shining sun and asked, "I can do that for you, but what can you do for me?"

Ran had prepared himself for that question. "I can do you a favor, help in your family feud."

"We do not have a family feud." The Fae said, but Ran kept speaking.

"I know that you are Princess Tana, second in line to the throne behind your sister Pera. I also know that the act itself of claiming the throne awards the occupier unparalleled power and influence. A sort of hypnotic devotion followers have to them--to you, princess, if you'd claim it."

For several moments of silence, the pair looked at each other in the glossy haze that was the Fae's forest. Finally, the Fae, Princess Tana, said, "I would like to claim the throne, with your help, Prince Ran."

"Oh? So you know who I am."

"Naturally. Thus, on the condition that none other than Pera in my bloodline fall under any harm from the members of yours, I agree to aid you in developing a powerful blood magic."

Ran nodded, "I have but one suggestion to make. 'Bloodline' in a vampire's existence can be ambiguous. I think 'family' would be the more accurate word for our case. Thus, on the condition that none in my family fall under any harm from the members of yours, I agree to remove Princess Pera from her position to raise yours, helping in your family feud."

"Agreed. And should our families be harmed by the other's, we may collect blood equal to or greater than the amount spilled by the assailant, as we see fit."

"Agreed. And the moment both promises are fulfilled, or the conditions trespassed, our deal is done."

The Fae princess nodded her head, "Agreed." With a pleased smile on her face, she clapped her hands together, creating a blast of air which blew out around the both of them in a large, energized circle. She said, "We have ourselves a deal," while her purple eyes gleamed brightly at Ran.

"Luck to you, Prince Ran."

A day later, in the cool and early haze of the morning, Ran visited Ryusei at his and Chie's secret house on the edge of the forest. This was where he told Ryusei, "Unfortunately, Brother, I was unable to learn the Fae's magic in time to craft a potion for Chie."

Ryusei, his knees to the floor and his hands cradling Chie's lolling head which she could no longer hold up, looked up at his younger brother with the pain of the world in his eyes. "Truly?" He whispered.

Ran could hear the devastation in his elder brother's voice, see his glossy eyes. It made him sad, seeing his brother this way. But worse was seeing his brother this way over a human woman.

Temporary vampirism is insufficient, an embarrassment. Better to make her one of us.

"You must turn her now, Brother." He said to Ryusei, "Or else... It is clear she will not make it another night."

Ryusei was slowly nodding his head at his brother's words. "Yes," he said, "you are right." He traced the tips of his fingers across Chie's pasty forehead, pulling the stray hairs away.

In the silence, the brothers heard Rui playing alone in the next room. "You are right." Ryusei repeated, knowing this went against Chie's wishes. He hoped she wouldn't die during the mutation but die she would anyway if he just let her be. "For Rui. And for me." He whispered.

Without a second thought, Ryusei bent over Chie's left wrist and stuck his fangs into her flesh, right where one could see her thin veins easiest. He bit her once there and again in the crevice of her neck, hoping this would make the mutation faster.

Chie immediately stopped breathing and dark veins crawled up her pale skin, reaching her eyes. Her chest arched up off the bed, straining as if her heart was trying to punch its way through. She writhed in what Ryusei remembered from his own mutation centuries back was unthinkable pain and a burning within.

She made no noise, and then her chest relaxed, her back returning to the bed. Silence permeated the air as Ryusei and Ran--who secretly couldn't care whether the human lived or died--waited with bated breath to see if Chie woke up.

Ryusei held her hand with both of his own, gripping tight as he repeated, "Please, please, please."

A few long moments later, Chie's eyes snapped open, a sharp, luminous red.

In the days after her turning, Chie thrived. Her body was strong and her magic powerful. She was the image of beauty, her soul youthful and free. Her long brown hair often fanned around her like a parasol as she twirled and sang much of the day.

"Free!" She'd often cry into the open air, her arms held out wide, "My body is free!"

She was drunk on life.

Still, worries concerning Rui occupied parts of Chie's mind. "We should wait." Chie told Ryusei three weeks after her mutation. She held her little boy in her arms as he slept, tired from running in the fields chasing butterflies. "We must let him live. He is but a boy. He may even turn once he's aged a few years."

"Yes... Yes." Ryusei agreed, nodding his head slowly. He felt remiss to admit that he was having a hard time being patient. He wanted all of his family to be like him. Then, he and Chie could be traditionally wed, and they could live as a proper family. 

He ran his hand over Rui's soft brown hair and held it there. "He may turn in a few years." He repeated, as if tasting it on his tongue.

Just days later, before anyone could have predicted it happening, Rui did change; though, not by natural means.

In some unfortunate turn of events, he got ahold of the discarded blood potion Ran had kept secret that day weeks ago. His little body, already with dormant blue blood within him, underwent a drastic transformation. His light blue eyes turned big and overly shrunken, like the sun dangled right before his very eyes. Blinding him into a craze.

His nails grew long and wolf-like, claws that he couldn't retract nor control. They looked much like his teeth, which grew jagged and so long that he was unable to hide them behind his quivering lips.

This was the way the townsfolk described him when Rui came. 

He came swiftly in the night, powered by the shining moon. He burst down doors with his strength and chased fearful victims down with his newfound speed. With those claws, he tore families apart and drank hungrily from their bloodied corpses. 

Rui ran amuck so viciously that soon, the hunters, strengthened by their anger and fear, came for him, slaying him with wooden stakes and burning his remains. It wasn't without sacrifice, but it was a win for them. The humans realized that they had well enough power to slay the vampire kind with some bravery, coordination, and practice.

It was a total and devastating loss for Ryusei because, in the end, he lost both his child and his wife in the chaos.

Hours later, when the moon grew dim and the sun teased the early skies, when she woke to find Rui gone and ran into town in search of him just to hear of his demise, Chie broke down. Thrown into a frenzy fueled by despair, Chie battled her way into the kingdom's royal castle, searching for her husband. Like a banshee, she screamed her pain, thrashing and tearing, hurting and killing all who opposed her.

She was as powerful as she was angry. She sought to kill who she blamed.

Finally, Chie located Ryusei who had yet to hear the news, having always to spend the night inside the castle to avoid rumors which might damage his family's secrecy. From then on, it all happened so fast.

"You! Our son! My child!!" Chie screamed upon seeing Ryusei out in the inner courtyard. He had been sneaking out to spend the morning with her and Rui.

The confused smile on his face slipped upon seeing her tear-stricken features. She gave him no time to question and less time to react. Chie attacked Ryusei with all she had. Blasts of power shook the stone and woke the castle, newly formed crevices ruining the exterior. All the while, she cried, "My son! My son!! You turned him. My son!!"

Ran could hear her cries from inside the castle walls.

He rushed outside in the middle of the commotion and was shocked to see Chie's hand sticking through Ryusei's abdomen. "Brother!" He cried and started to rush forward. 

Ran was stopped by Ryusei. "No, Ran!" He shouted, pain forcing him to grit his teeth. Blood spilled from his midsection onto Chie's arm and coating her fingers behind him. He held onto her at the bicep, tightly, so he could look into her face. "Chie..." He said to her.

Her face, through the angry red eyes and mess of tears, remained untouched and uncommonly beautiful. Her body, too, had no scratches. No signs of trauma.

Ryusei hadn't lifted a finger against her--and wouldn't. His heart hurt for her, as well as for himself, able to guess what had happened. "He turned and... and they killed him, didn't they, my sweet? Our Rui."

Immediately, Chie broke down, loud sobs racking her body as her knees hit the stone beneath them. She cried heavily, with abandon, while Ryusei kissed her hair, embracing her head tight. She wailed Rui's name for a while as several leagues of castle attendants hurried into the courtyard, surrounding her and the heir.

"Prince Ryusei!" They screamed, alarmed at the scene they saw. Chie was close to Ryusei's heart. It was a matter of life and death.

"You turned him!" Chie screamed at him, to which Ryusei shook his head and reassured her with another peck to the head.

"No, my love. He must have turned naturally."

"No! I found the vial in the living room. That potion you told me about, that your brother was unable to obtain. You liar! You wanted to see if Rui could change like me. Like one of you! You must pay for this, Ryusei! Die!"

"Wait, no--!" Ryusei began, as Chie prepared a blast that would surely blow a hole through his heart.

However, a deafening attack shot down from above, flattening Chie to the ground and burning her to a cinder. 

"Chie!!!" Ryusei cried out in despair. 

King Kousei landed before him and grabbed the wailing creature by the shirt collar. "I looked past your transgressions to give you time to hopefully come to your senses and behave like the heir to this kingdom, but now look at you! Look what you have caused here.

"A human woman!" The King spat, "While many true blue-blooded maidens would readily have you." He looked at Ryusei who sat, defeated, on his hunches. The King tossed him away, "You are no son of mine. Leave now. Leave this kingdom and go live among the humans you so treasure."

Ran watched this all unfold from the sidelines, the guilty feeling in his chest a huge, gaping hole.

~.~