IN HER DYING EYES-the black embrace

Anastasia leaned back on Armand slightly,

His touch soothed her despite being a vampire

he made her feel warmth and comfort

"It is beautiful" She agreed with him and they soared through the air

The temperature was also perfect...

If it werent for her being infected with the virus, she could stay like this forever

yes even with Armand..

especially with Armand

she didnt know how but somehow she had grown very found of him in a short span of time

more fond of him then she ever thought possible considering how mad she was with him earlier

hesitantly she put her hands where his rested on her hips

a small blush escaping across her cheeks
 
"You look beautiful when you are happy." Armand whispered in her ear. he could feel the mystical part of the virus, pullign his magic throguh his hands into her skin, and deep into her belly where it started a pleasant burning sensation. of course. all he felt was the energy leakign gently. he didn't even think it was enough to matter, but the embers it was igniting sent a gentle ripple across her senses.

The Nightmare swirled slowly down to the main courtyard were the single large fountain echoed splashing water sounds all over the cobblestones and outside corridors covered in moss met her with a pleasant earthy odor. He circled the fountain gracefully.
 
Anastasia blushed at his comment about her being beautiful...

hearing it from here sounded better than hearing it from anyone else

but why?

She tried to shake it, but these small feelings for Armand were growing at a high rate.

"T-thank you...." She finally said, still blushing. His hands were soothing, his voice was soothing -was this magic or

did she actually feel this way?


She looked down as Nightmare seemed to be landing soon at the fountain by which they were slightly above

"Is this some kind of special fountain?" She asked leaning down just slightly to get a better look at it.
 
"ONly becasue it's one of a kind." armand said. its many faceted figures were mythical creatures in epic poses, but somehow, even the octopus etched into its bottom, with a mermaid leaned gently on each tentacle, spoutign water from their lips liek they were blowigna kiss... none of it was bizzare or frightening. indeed there was at least one of every animal on the planet in the eight tiered fountain.

"Gaia Towers isn't jsut a name, Anastasia. its a title. THis place is the hub of all natures power on earth."


The nightmare landed smoothly and tossed his head, leanign down. "Last stop, everyone off." he snorted informantly. Armand flugn himself off the nightmare onto the stones beneath that made up the courtyards swirl patterned floor.

"Madam?" armand said, bowing and takgin her hand to help her down. upon touchign the ground , she would feel a renewed energy, as if her weariness were being pulled out of her feet and intot he ground.
 
She looked up at Armand as she felt herself

feeling more and more rejuvinated.

"What is this land...?" She asked him as she began walking along with him

not as slow as she was before... whatever it was

it made her feel better than the reality of the last world


and she could stay here as long as she had the virus inside her...

"It almost feels as if Im not carrying this.." She said rubbing her stomach stoftly
 
"Well, your clothes would say otherwise." he said simply. " shall we get you somethign more... fitting?" he chuckled lightly, still walking towards a large stone archway overgrown with creeping vines that were adorned here and there with gorgeous purple blooms barely big enough for the hummingbirds there to dip their beaks in for the nectar within. wich must have been very sweet considering the smell comign from there. It made armand a littel hungry, and no doubt woudl do the same to Anastasia. it was a pleasant feeling here.

"We'll go through the gardens to the residential wing." He added, takgin her hand. " Lets go." he said with a smile.
 
It was true, her clothes were getting tighter...

She sighed trying to pull them down a little further, but of course it wouldnt budge

she then looked up at Armand, his hand held out and a smile on his face. She took his hand

gratefully and began to walk with him slowly to the residential wing


"Do a lot of mythical creatures... stay here?" she asked looking around still amazed at everything...

But no matter how good something is... there is always evil

"So... is there some type of evil castle not far from here?" She was being slightly sarcastic but

she was sure the answer wouldnt be
 
"THis is the cradle of gaia. the virus is a physical manifestation of gaia's powers of life. constant unrelentiingregeneration of the stuff as long as there is fuel, all it needs is itself to reproduce.. like the earth." he said, spreading hishands out as a wroguth iron gate opened, revealign the magnificent gardens of gaia towers. "Of course.. that means you will be... growign faster. but thats what the labrats are workign on fixing as we speak." he said, nodding in affirmation of his rather pleasant demeanor. this place brought out the best in him. hospitality, and.. well, he glowed like a proud father as he showed off this place.

"You see.. thsi is like noahs ark of theplant world. everything lives here in this gaden. ferns, extinct fly-traps... even carrier pigeons and breeds of insects the world trampled underfoot without even knowing." he smiled as a butterfly landed on his fingertip... but on second glance.. it was a pixie!


'Welcome home, Armand!' it said in a boomign pipsqueek voice before flyign off with a flying horde of friends.

"Even the Hornets int ehgarden, and the tigers int eh forest outside are friendly. you wotn find a sentient beign here that has forgotten how to speak to man in the ancient tongue." he said, noting that the pixie had spoken through means other than verbal when it addressed him and anastasia heard aswell.


"And for Five hundred years, THIS... has been my fortress fo solitude." he finished, pullign anastasia through the bows of a spindly willow. the tendrils of leaves caressed her skin softly, and she would hear a giggle from all around her. a pleasant one. There was a door faceing them now, eighty feet away downa large cobbled path of statues as miraculously huge plants. several trees off to the sides cast shadows of sparklign twilight over the place.
 
"This place... is beautiful" She confirmed, looking in awe at her surroundings..

was this heaven?

No... she had to be dreaming...

but she wasnt of course...

"This is where you live Armand?... I will never understand why you come to our world

when you have such a beautiful one here."

She asked and stated at the same time.

it was true.... if she could she would stay here forever

it seemed ones worries subsided significantly here.

or at least eased up a bit, and that went for Anastasias little problem too -well big problem

though it still bothered her, her stomach felt some what at ease in this place...

good.
 
Armand approached the door with anastasia in tow. "Well, We are still on earth.. same place, same time... just a different part fo the world. THe cradle of gaia cannot be approached without magic. this place is part of an island...hidden since ancient times from mankind science and technology. they once called ti atlantis... later, Avalon.. now nobody quiet knows." he said vaguely, opening the door. it lead to a gently lite hallway with ancient paintings.


"now. onward to more pressign matters. Anastasia, this thing that has happened. well.im not goign to apologize anymore, theres no point in repeating myself, i just sound like a fool, so let it be said and done with. secondly, you are the only guest here currently, so you will be living in the lords tower wing instead fo down here with the servants and caretakers.. some of them might.. well, be a little TOO interesting for you." he walked onward, as a treebranch closed the doro behind them. it felt different here. a little less pleasant, as if the euphoric feelgin was mroe prominent in teh garden, and diminished byt he stonewalls around them.


"Thirdly... we will begin healing you come nightfall tommorow, so until then, you may do as you wish. the moon is always full here, so the paths are light, day or night." he turned around at this to see what she thought. "I'm sorry it can't be sooner, but the virus must be at a ... certain stage, to be workable with our methods." he did look truly pained to tell her her remedy was so close, but so far away. he was standign infront of a large door to the left of him now as sinlight faded in throught he pane glass oposite the door.
 
Anastsia listened to Armands speech about Gaia and everything else along with it

but something he said truly caught her interest...

when he spoke about how many times he had apologized

it was true, when she thought about it, it was true that Armand had infected her with this

annoying virus and tricked her, however he couldnt have left her there, impossibly alone and without

a clue of what was going on with her body

Instead he cared for her, apologized and seemed very sincere.. even practically protected her from the FBI

who had come to her house.. when she thought about it.. she owed him an apology of her own


"Listen... I know my personality and everything... its hard to really to... put up with me..

So I guess I owe you an apology for being the way I have these couple of days..."

She didnt quite know what he meant by the last stage or how bad it could be -nor did she care right now


"Well since you said I could do whatever I want... I would enjoy doing whatever it is I find to do here.. with you...

that is if your not to busy or whatever..." Her voice trailed off as she took her gaze from him to the ground and cleared her throat a little


why was that so difficult to say?
 
"Well then.. I need to freshen up myself after so logn away from home...how about i leave you here with a maid to find yourself some new clothes, and meet you in the dining hall in an hour?" he smiled, after ponderign her words for a moment. he knocked on the door and a maid, dressed in A non-slutty version of a french maid outfit answered.

"Miss anya is here lookign forward toa wardrobe change. something more appealing to her tastes. Help he every chance you get." he said, politely ( though there was no question in his tone he was commanding this of the maid.) Armand then bowed and made his way out. several steps before the door he stopped and turned around.

"Just walk back throught eh gardens here, and the dinning room is through the big open doors to the left of where we entered the garden. jsut follow your nose." he smiled, he wanted to say something else. but something told him... it was too soon. his guilt was gettignt he better of him again as he exited, biting his lip.
 
In another light, Anastasia might have thought it as a insult to

'follow her nose' but she was indeed able to smell a great deal more than before

she was infected and so she took it how he probably meant it and after nodding she followed the maid to

her next destination...


To her suprise, there were a lot of different varieties when it came to clothes

which was good because she was very picky, not that, if there wasnt a variety she would have much of a choice


she picked a strapless sundress that was comfortable and cute all in one, it gave her more of a paternal look then a fat one

when she tried it on, the color baby blue suit her well

contrasting lovely with her dark hair and eyes

she felt almost... normal... and so she couldnt help but smile, The maid smiled too, in approval

but even as she look at herself in the mirror she felt something was missing rather then added on, probably Armand

they handnt been out of each others sights since the day of infection

but she had to get herself together... she would see him soon anyways...

so she continued to admire herself in the mirror.

Despite her stomach, the virus had given her hips, and an hour glass figure

which she liked... but she would give it all up to have her pettiness back

patience of course...

patience is key.

She sighed and played with her hair a little before turning to the maid she followed her once more to the dining room

not that she needed the maid

Armand was dead right.. -she could have easily followed her nose.
 
The smell of the food made her senses go into overdrive. the succulent and rich aroma was slowly carving its way through the euphoria of the magic there and the hunger pains she had once felt before were straining her will to become something almost dangerously ravenous.

The smells of fruit pies, roasted meats and succulent vegetabel dishes as well as yams, and salads of all sorts were lined up on a rather long table like a feast fora thousand. THe maid lead her past this table, with men still adding food tot eh feast,a nd into a back room. a good bti smaller and filled with tapastries of nature sscenes from every season and continent.

Armand was standing there by a table roughly the size of the one they had dined at in her mothers home. However, the feast upon it was MUCH larger. a miniature version of the feast outside.

"I didn't know what you liked, so i had one of everythign broguht in." armand said bowing. he was wearign a beetle green Ruffled shirt with a black overcoat and matching black slacks fit into a pair of ver ornate pirate-era boots of leather. his hair was pulled back gently by a black ribbon, and his mustache and goatee were trimmed neatly. He had REALLY spiffied himself up.
 
He looked wonderful of course,

He had looked handsome before - but he really did clean up nice

Anastasia smiled and looked him over one last time before her eyes settled on his face


"You Look amazing.." She said, her voice trailing off as there was some sort of awkward silence between them for a few seconds



why did this feel so much like an unofficial date?


Yes thats exactly what it felt like.. a luxurious date, in a luxurious castle, with luxurious food.


She could smell it... and her mouth watered on the inside, of course she would never show this in front of Armand

because as always she had to be a lady, but she was eager to get to the food.

Damn this virus.


"So..shall we..?" She asked, as she wrapped her arm around his.
 
"And you look gorgeous." he said, taking her arm in his and leading her to her seat. He sat her down at the table directly across from him widthwise so they could speak, and the food was on either side fo them in arms length.

"Being an immortal with tastebuds has won me both ridicule from my peers by night, and awe from elves during the day." He said chuckling a little.


"Apparantly, until i told the elven court otherwise, they thought that vampries fangs were hollow and sucked the blood straight into their veins, their actual organs shriveled up inside." he poured wine from a jug to her. it smelled sweet and fruity. There was every kind of oldschool offerign here, but the spices and preperation seemed fit for a futuristic kitchen.

"DO like what you have seen of this place so far, anastasia?" he asked politely, a genuine smile on his face. he seemed so much mroe relaxed here.
 
Anastasia blushed at his compliment of her

being gorgeous ..even with what was happening to her body

his words made her feel beautiful

"thank you ....." she said meekly

listening to him speak "your lucky to have taste buds then ..." she giggled

she could never see herself living without them

"so what do you like better? .. blood or human food? also I love everything so far thank"

she said before taking a sip of the wine which was delicious
 
"depends on the human..." He said simply. Armand chuckled a little and set down his wineglass.

"Truth be told, If all the world were wine and cheese, I would die a happy Man." he added. It woudln't be long now until everything that had been estranged from his doings was over and fixed.
 
"Depends on the human huh?...well how do you think I would taste?"

Anastasia regreted the words as soon as she said them

she knew they probably sounded sick and twisted making even her choke on her next sip of wine

she quickly cleared her throat and ran one hand through her hair looking anywhere but in Armands direction

blushing fiercely


"And by that I mean blood wise -strictly."
 
"Honestly, you would be exotic and aloof.. peoples blood tastes like their souls.. and the soul IS what the person holding it is." He smiled, raising his glass to her.

A young elven man entered the room a few paces, and signaled Armand behind anastasia's back. Armand stood up slowly and sighed.

"Business calls. I will return shortly, Anastasia." he said, bowing to her and smiling.

-----

"Sorry, boss." Enreon said, pulling him out of the room and closing the large double doors. "Its about the labrats. the scientists have shown some concern about the project and.. well, frankly they are kinda chickenin out." he said, sighing as he leaned again the wall.

"Hmm.. are they eatign in the banquet hall here?" he said, looking around at the people merrily eating at the humongous and lengthy table.

"Aye, they at the end." he said, leading the way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back