A New Genesis - A'amiiah "The Night Dove" Ensiov

There was a terrifying wind that swept down through the valley that evening, but it was not terrifying in the way that it was cold or even because it brought the faint smell of dried blood and dead flesh to her nostrils. No, rather it was terrifying due to the fact that it was the first thing she remembered, indeed, even the very first thing she felt. She snapped awake abruptly, her body feeling jittery, but she did not quite know how she was able to determine the feeling from any other.

"Where could I be, I have no memory.." She mused aloud, and then couldn't help but laugh as she reviewed her words in her mind.

She had just spoken a rhyme, and that brought her a small source of amusement, but it was not enough to drive that shiver that had woken her from whatever slumber she had dwelled within. Her chill was not from the wind per-say, she noticed there may of been a time when a wind of that temperature would of made her shiver, but now she only shivered because she had no idea where she was, or more importantly who she was. It was a frightening thought, being all alone, a child wit hno parent to guid her, but wait... No parents, no guides, no rules..? She could make her fun at her leasure and however she pleased, she did not need a master, no she did not need a father or a mother; all she needed was a name, a direction, and a bit of luck. Though there was a faint distant calling in her mind and her throat, a buzz surely annoying as those of the flies, mosquitoes, or various other insects that men knew as pests, though still she did not know how she knew that.

It took her a moment to recognize the condition, it was hard to remember and even more difficult to place a name to; it was like recalling something from someone elses mind, but it was there, a hunger or perhaps a thirst, it burned as if fire. She did not know for what she craved, but she had a feeling that the shallow pool of water nearby would not sate it, nor would the apples upon that tall tree that she lay beneath somewhere on the Italian coast.

The Italian coast, surely I've ne're heard of this post.. Yet she could remember it from somewhere, though she did not know where. It took her a moment to realize she was froming from the center of her puzzlement.

She jumped then, as a loud song rang out in her ears and a man who she had not previously noticed leaped off a stump, lute in hand and managing to flourish a bow while still plucking a insidious melody. She did not remember instruments ever being so loud, but she liked the noise, the pitch, the way the notes carried on the night air; again, she did not know how or what instruments sounded like, but she just somehow knew and that was all that mattered.

"Good evening to you, and a gracious adieu! I'll be leaving shortly, but your attention I'll need-" He paused a moment to furrow his eyebrows and she could feel his eyes weighing her up and down, "Shorty."

Short? She was anything but short, and was about to say something to fight back but instead just settled for standing as tall as her toes would lift her and sticking her tongue out at him. She was tall for a girl, and certainly taller than this man, he did not seem to notice as he shared a wild laugh and completely disarmed her with a facinating and beguilling smile. She thought he must be some sort of magician, or perhaps just a talented entertainer of other sorts. She envied him.

"As charming in undead as in life my dear, A'amiiah Ensiov was once your name... A bit queer." He seemed to rhyme at every line, or at least force the rhyme if it was not heading in the direction he wanted, but somehow it just seemed to fit, as if the world were his musical play and he the star. He mouthed the name a few times after he had spoken, as if tasting it for the first time.

A'amiiah Ensiov? She did not like the name much, it was difficult to pronounce and seemed far too pristine to rhyme well with anything...

As if reading her mind, he grinned broadly and flourished another bow. "Perhaps a more simple title would suffice, to dub you such in your new life." He waited only a moment for a response and seemed momentarily disappointed when he got none from her, but she was far to entertained and suppressed the urge to clap excitedly. She briefly wondered why she did not, and he continued on over her thought process. "The Night Dove will you be called, a epithet worthy of a free spirit and a mysterious creature... None will be appalled."

"But listen now, and do not speak, for it is your ears which I desire to entreat. My words you must heed, else tragedy will succeed!" He strummed his lute meaningfully, his charming chagin immediately fading into a melodramatic and considerably darker tone, she could feel the mood shift around her as surely as if the temperature had changed. She watched and listened with wide eyes.

"It is a blessing and a gift, a tragedy and a myth!
You'll walk the nights free as a dove, for as only in one night you gave me your love!
Thus, to you I bestow, a gift only a mad one will know.
A child of Malkav you will always be, estranged by new curiosity.
Warning must I however give, for not so easy is it to un-live!
Hand in hand go sun and sorrow, for never will you see the morrow,
Look at the brilliant orb of light, and you'll surely be it's newest smite!
Blood and thirst are your companion, animals and humans are your new feeding administration!
Remember this song always, for your path spreads all ways!
Immortality is yours forever, so long as you feed and... remember."

He ended his song with a serious expression, and she knew from that look that every word was tailored not for entertainment, but for enlightenment. Perhaps there were some rules to be followed, or at least regarded mementarily. She did not know why she trusted this traveling minstrel so much, but for some reason she did. She looked down to her feet as she gave the words some thought, wiggling her toes under her slippers as she took care to remember what she had heard, though when she looked up he was gone!

Indeed, the minstrel and his pack were both gone. She looked around hasilty, checking the dirt and grass for foot prints or a trail that marked his esccape, but the only thing she saw was the impressions her own feet had made. Well, she saw that, and of course the wide brimmed hat the fellow had worn, rested upon the log of which he had previously leaped from. It was evidence she was not crazy! Well, maybe a little crazy, but not entirely!

"So I suppose I'll get my wish for freedom after all, no old rhyming man to claim I'm small." She thought aloud, as if her words were chasing off the strange minstrel who had very acutely labeled her as a creature of the night. She didn't quite understand what that meant, she was sure those were fairy tales, this must of just been a dream. The rhymes were coming very easily now, and she briefly considered speaking without one, though quickly dismissed the thought as she surmized that it wouldn't be near as much fun. Life should have a rhythm, a beat, a symphony of beautiful words and movements and music. Just like what she had seem from the aged mistrel.

Without further pause or hesitation, she walked towards the hat and placed it on her head with a giggle, grinning sheepishly as it's wide rim fell over her eyes. "I could get used to this I think, but I'll need somethin- 'some one' to drink!" She had caught the scent that she knew she desired, it was a man or perhaps a woman, she did not really care. The woman who called herself Dove sprinted towards the tantilizing smell, she closed her eyes as she ran and breathed in the scent that burned her throat with anticipating desire. It was going to be excellent, her first drink, she knew it would be nothing less.

As she broke out of the tree line and came into the clearing, she immediately shifted her attention to what was around her, she noticed of course the camp fire and two people huddled there; as well as the pair of horses and the wagon that was covered and likely established for trade. She tried to determine where the scent had came from, and passing over the foul smelling horses and the seemingly empty wagon, her focus drifted to the pair at the fire. One of them was a woman, in her lust for blood she could not really make out her features beyond blonde hair and tear filled green eyes, she met the sobbing womans gaze with grin just as her jaw dropped in what appeared to be disbelief.

"A... A'amiiah? Can it be?" She said through choked sobs. Her blood was pulsing so loudly, her heart must of been working hard through that sorrow, that it was hard for Dove to focus on what she had said. Her accent was Germanic in origin, and indeed, she seemed quite tall even while sitting down and in the arms of her mate. The pair had been mourning, she noticed, and were very surprised to see The Night Dove. She didn't even try to resist her thirst, her hunger, but she did bottle it up, savoring the moment.

"That is a name I may once have borne, Dove may you call me whilest you mourn..." She trailed off slowly in her poetic voice, the rhyme seemed to bring confusion to the pair, enhancing her amusement. The male was the next to speak.

"Mia, are you well? You have a hungry look about you, in your eyes especially.." The man shuddered involuntarily. His accent declared a heritage far to the east, Polotsk or Ukraine she thought dimmly, but she did not press the idea. Something about him, like the woman, seemed quite familiar but she was unable to place it. "A strange man took you away, some time ago, we tried to follow but we could not find the way in the dark. I thought you were lost forever."

He had a look of sorrow in his eyes that suggested that he would never of stopped searching for her, but she did not know why, rather she didn't even dwell on the why instead she was more intruiged by his choice of words.

"Lost, me? No, I am free!" She grinned widely bearing her fangs to them, their heart rates raced and she was aware of it, reveling in it. She waded into their terror and horror, grinning all the while as she tested her balance and performed a neat little tumble, something called a cartwheel, or rather a series of them and quickly closed the gap in the clearing towards the pair. The burning in her throat was vicious now, but her mind still raced in anticipation of the kill, she knew she would be well fed this evening.

"A'amiiah! No, he couldn't, it can't be! Lord God, shelter us and preserve us!" The man cried out, lifting a burning stick from the fire to brandish at the Night Dove.

For some reason, she was hesitant to approach that fire, but her thirst over rode logic in less than an instants time. She tucked around to his weak side neatly and pushed him over with a neat little trip that sent him falling into the fire, he screamed loudly as he tried to put himself out. Though, Dove did not stop there, she had already seized the woman who tried to leap away, and had her tackeled to the ground. It was not hard to figure out what to do, it was just instinct.

The Night Dove pulled the womans blonde hair back, even while she cried for mercy from her God, and sank her fangs into the womans neck. Blood raced out of her, and her whimpering began to fade as blood rushed into Dove's mouth and dribbled down her chin. She did not expect the blood to come out so fast, and it was only seconds before she had entirely drained the woman, her body now pale and limp, a corpse.

She turned just in time to avoid being struck by that flaming branch, the man it seemed had recovered quickly. Tears streamed down his face and he spoke as she continued to dance around him, and the fire, and the corpse, tumbling and laughing merrily as if it were all a game. It was, really.

"A'amiiah, you are no daughter to me! You are a fiend, a demon of the devil! Look at what you have done!" He swung like a wild beast, enraged and tempermental, it was painfully easy to dodge.

"Come and dance with me, I'm so very thirsty..." She announced in her sing song voice, he let out a morneful cry of rage.

The man then brandished the stick one last time, and swung it down to crash over her head, but taking a step forward and tucking to the side had him pounding the dirt. Sparks careened out of it like a fountain, and the branch broke partially, Dove continued her dance and kicked him full in the chest. She felt strong, just then, full and complete with that womans blood fresh in her, he flew no small distance which she closed rapidly.

He grew still after that, her leap onto his throat had quickly quelled his resistance and she took her time feeding. She learned that she could control the blood flow by exerting a certain amount of pressure, just so, and expected that she might be able to keep prey alive for future feedings. It was to late for this one, of course, but in the future she might be able to convince people to dance and sing with her!

She stalked around the camp then, the horses whinnied and shied from her, and she wisely determined it was better to not attempt a dance with them. She rifled through the packs, bags, and wagon and found mostly what she considered junk. Though, she had found a pretty mirror, a few instruments, and also the hat of the minstrel which she had lost somewhere amidst all her tumbling and dancing. She claimed a lighter pack and stuffed a couple pretty dresses that just happened to be her exact size into it, placing the flute case and harp box within as well. Before she departed, she gave a final glance to the dimming embers of that camp fire, and then to the pair of corpses that now sat so annoyingly still.

In the midst of her newfound madness, she did not even recognize the faces of her mother and father before she turned to leave, instead she sang and danced away happily with all the innocence of a dove.

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"The snow will know!" She screamed to the winds, issuing forth a mystical laugh which forced more than a few previously sleeping birds from their roost. She touched the mirror by her side breifly as though to make sure it were still there, and momentarily felt the night rush around her.
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Mia watched the birds flight with curiosity, immediately ceasing her mad chortle no sooner than the wings began their assault against the night air. She was puzzled by what could possibly have disturbed their slumber, as she began impatiently tapping a finger to her lip. I'm being perfectly silent! What could of woke them? She asked herself within the quarters of her own mind. It was a place she loved to hide, a place where she could endlessly retreat to collect her thoughts and organize them into action.

"No, silence is not for you..." She a strange voice speak. She whirled around, but saw nothing. Of course she saw nothing, her heightened awareness and senses were far stronger than thoes of the humans who constantly tested her ability to remain sane and sensible, so she would of surely recognized if anyone was near long before now. "But you are not for silence, either.."

Why did it sound so familiar? Where could you be... She thought to herself, and then envisioned drinking the blood of her invisible tormentor. But I don't even hear her heart beat, where could she be!? She was bordering on uncontrollable anger, and she hated that things seemed to revolve around this thirst which she only recognized from some deep quarter of her mind which she could not bring forward.

"This way... Thirsty one!" The voice seemed as if it were running, and Mia snapped her head in that direction her body following in a dead sprint. She was just as free as the birds which had just left their evening perches when she ran; and she continued running, she was unsure of how fast she was going, but when she passed a beautiful patch of flowers she did not even recognize them, despite the illumination of the moon light. She considered stopping to investigate, but the image of satisfying her thirst was more demanding.

I'll come back for it later.. She mused.

"Come back for what..?" The voice sounded just as puzzled, and she found herself halting with a shiver down her back.

Is she reading my mind? Can that be done? Wait, what -was- I coming back for..? Mia had only paused for a second to think, but her throat burned far hotter than her curiosity.

She could now hear the voice trilling in song, it did not help her anger at all, and she felt it getting progressively worse.

"Hmm hmm laaa.... Daa da.... Daaaahhh. Hm hm hm.." The melodious singing was always just out of reach no matter how fast she ran. Though, as she saw a reflection of the moon within a large body of water she noticed that she was gaining on it. The phantom had stopped running, but still continued its humming, just over the rise that went just to that shore line, maybe even in the water itself. She almost recognized that tune, she thought, but she wasn't thinking clearly when her mind was focused on the hunt.

Sooooo thirsty!!! She stalked toward the singing maiden, and began creeping, sneaking through the darkness towards the source of the sound. As she crept, she heard the voice echoing, almost as if from within the water. She was on all fours now, her dress was tight enough that it did not drag on the ground if she moved sort of like a spider, with limbs stretched out but coiled only slightly. Neaat little steps, silent steps... She continued on. She grew slower and more patient now, suppressing her thirst for a final burst of strength and feral determination as she approached the cornered ghost of a human that taunted her so. Just a little further... Now!

She leaped, her fingernails seeming to be razors and her teeth bared for the kill, but as she snarled and came face to face with her own familiar reflection it yelled at her in delight the very moment she had broken the rise, "HELLO!"

Mia shreiked and drew back, but saw her specter do the same, as though instantly frightened or startled just as much as Mia herself was, except while she must of looked fearful, her reflection seemed curious. Confused she waved a hand, which in return waved back as reflections do, but the reflection smiled just then. Mia realized with another shock, that she was not smiling.

What is this?

"This is us! Is it not glorius!" Her phantom explained, lips moving, disrupting her image only by a few ripples of the passing wind. "And I am you, as you are me... Can't you see?"

It suddenly dawned on her, she was only looking into her own reflection in the water, it was all just an illusion of the mind, a trick. Her reflection was not talking to her, she was just sleepy, hungry, well just exhausted maybe.

Her image suddenly looked saddened and disappointed, "You've forgotten me! I weep soundly over this tragedy!"

This isn't real.. You're not real, I'm just a- a... What am I?

"You are me! And I am you! Look here, it's a shoe!" Her reflection held up a slipper, the same slipper that was on her own left foot. She looked to her left foot and saw it bare, then to her hand which held that thin silken slipper delicately.

I don't understand...

Her reflection gathered a look of impatience, an impatience that seemed so familiar that it scared her. "You're mad, a crazy, a psycho!" She trilled in that singsong voice, her own singsong voice she realized, "I'm here to tell you the facts, so we won't burn like ants!"

I'm.. I'm crazy? I must be, I know I am now.. I- Suddenly she could remember, she could remember being incorpreal and unable to move, only watch as someone who called herself The Night Dove waded around controlling her body. She thought it was all a dream, the minstrel and his song, killing her parents in the forest. My parents..? She knew that was impossible, she was a vampire, she was just a creature of satan designed to destroy mankind. She hated that fact, she didn't want to destroy or hurt anyone, and was reminded of her own thirst and desire to kill Dove. Well, when she thought Dove was a human of some kind, but that just made things worse.

She remembered nothing before her meeting with what must of been a demon, some creator that made The Night Dove and released her on the world; Mia saw herself as a spirit of good to counterbalance the evil; but then she realized after searching her thoughts and memories, that Dove was not really evil either. She just wanted to have fun. She was so confused as she gathered all the thoughts and tried to piece them together.

"I... I suppose I am crazy.. But who was I.. Who were we?" She asked her reflection, the words came hard, and she could feel that silky eastern accent had a smooth melody considerably different than Dove's.

"Go north we must, for that is my undying lust! I think a boat leaves soon too, a cruise for a melodramatic party of two.."

"'The snow will know.' Yes, I remember now..." She mused in a begrudged agreement as she recalled a phrase once said by her counterpart.

"To the mirror you must look, if ever my help it to be took!"

Mia looked to the mirror hanging from her hip, and saw her reflection wink at her; with a joyous grin, she smiled back to herself, and saw quite clearly a boat a certain long distance from where she now stood. She somehow knew it would take her where she wished to go, and from there she would find herself and what she was. I can't be evil.. We can't be evil... Can we?
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