"Are you insane?" Linda hissed. She stood behind Lily, bundled up against a freezing gale, almost sharp enough in its frigidness to cut through Linda's deerhide coat.
"How'd you find me?" Lily shouted over the roaring winds.
"Wunt hard! Your room was empty so I knew I'd find you at Copperwood," Linda reached for her sister, but she pulled away.
"It's better this way. I know I begged you to help, but it's better this way!" Lily insisted, trudging forward with unusual resolve. Linda had never seen her sister like this. She did her best to keep pace, breathing heavily as she pushed through hostile elements. Times like this she was thankful for her short, thick legs. They grounded her and kept her steady on her feet.
"I won't let you go alone!"
"Go back, Linda! Least one of us oughta be safe!" Lily yelled over her shoulder, not slowing or stopping. Linda continued to follow her sister regardless, but said nothing more.
The wind must have worn itself out, because it grew quiet. The sisters turned on to a wide street, scanning the rows of house frames. Most houses were skeletons, but some still had some meat on them. Lily turned to Linda and made a shooing motion.
"I'm not leaving you!" Linda shouted, only just then remembering she didn't need to compete with the noisy wind.
"It's dangerous!" Lily insisted.
"I know!"
"You're being stupid!"
"I KNOW!"
The two sisters stared hard at each other. Then Lily broke out in something between a laugh and a sob and Linda closed the distance between them. She placed a mitted hand on her sister's shoulder, this time with success. "If we survive, Pa'll whip us both."
"We're too old for whipping," Linda grumbled as she held her sister tight.
"We'll never be too old to Pa," Lily laughed, even though tears warmed her eyes.
"Enough of this nonsense. Come back," Linda entreated one last time.
"No! Ain't goin' back until I'm cured."
"There ain't a cure!"
"Then I'm not goin' back," Lily avowed, shaking her head. "We're just talking circles."
"Pfah. Let's find that man, then. That's why you came, innit?" Linda said, resigned to her sister's stubborn streak.
"Yeah," Lily said as she resumed walking. "Somewhere 'round here I saw him, I think."
"Will you know him if you see him?" Linda asked as she fell in step with her sister, trying her best to match her stride with her shorter legs.
"I hope so."
Being immortal and resistant to pain does not necessarily mean one craves comfort any less. Nor does it make sleeping on the floor any more tolerable. Although Rena had been roughing it during her journey, the hardwood floor she rested on seemed far less hospitable than the snow-covered ground. It produced a very light sleep. Rena rolled onto her back and felt a hand drop down, brushing against her chest. She stirred long enough to swat it away.
After this occurred several times, Rena picked up her pillow, glared at Cyrus who she suspected was only feigning sleep, and stomped across the room. There was no spare blanket; Cyrus hogged the only one. Not that a blanket made much difference. She didn't generate any body heat when resting. Still, even after two centuries, Rena still found a blanket comforting. Not that she'd admit it to anyone.
Just as Rena had found the least uncomfortable position, she heard her name being called. "What is it, Cyrus?"
"Just making sure you're real." She could hear the mattress whining as he moved about. Rena sighed and turned around, staring at him. His small stature, his lithe physique, his owlishly large eyes, his hooked nose - it was all a sight she'd hoped never to see again. And yet it was oddly reassuring. But one positive association with him was conspicuously absent.
"Cyrus... Where's Layla?"
"Ela, don't worry about it. She's somewhere..." Cyrus responded evasively. Rena fixed him with a stern stare and he avoided eye contact as he stroked his scruffy chin. "What are you giving me that look for? I came here against my will! It's not like I know where she is right this moment. She's somewhere, over there, on the other side of the sea, out of reach!"
"Remind me again, how did you get here?" Rena asked, rolling on to her back and folding her hands upon her flat stomach.
"The short version is someone staked me then shipped me here via air mail," Cyrus explained as he also laid on his back and stared at the dull ceiling. "Do you want the extended version?"
"The sun hasn't risen yet, so might as well tell me. Actually, tell me everything. We lost communications so fast that no one really knows who attacked us and why." She needed information, and she knew Cyrus loved the sound of his own voice.
There was a very long and deep sigh from Cyrus, blowing out his cheeks as he let the air escape. "That's a tall order. I'm afraid I can't tell you anything other than it was complete chaos across the pond as well."
"You don't know anything? Anything at all about nuclear bombs being dropped all over North America?" Rena asked, tones of skepticism and incredulity competing.
"Well, glikia mou, it came out of the blue. And then there was a flood of misinformation before everything burst into motion. But one of the prevalent theories is that the nukes were sent out of fear of the White Plague. Since the Pacific Northwest had the highest concentration, it got nuked." Cyrus ran his hand through his hair and turned on his side to look at Rena. "I... thought you may have been in the blast when I learned that Vancouver and Seattle were both completely levelled."
"No, by then we'd moved to southern Alberta."
"Is that where we are?" Cyrus said, rolling back onto his back and placing his hands behind his head. "Anyway, once one nuke hit the ground, there was no reason for anyone else to hold back. That's why the USA got bombarded again. Although it was not a coordinated attack, several nations had warheads with America's name on it they'd been sitting on. Sadly, Canada was in the splash zone - at least anywhere close to the US border."
Rena winced as she listened, shifting her weight. The fear and confusion came back to her. She could hardly believe it when she saw the first mushroom cloud in the distance. Hearing it again just reminded her of the absurdity. But life before the Flash seemed like another world. Cyrus's lilting voice broke through her recollection.
"The United Nations was running itself ragged putting out fires. I can't even remember what order things happened. After joining the dog pile on the USA, China got busy expanding south, easily intimidating southern Asia with footage of what they did to the USA. As if they were the only ones." Cyrus snorted.
"But the President of China was trying to reconcile with the Americas, I thought."
Cyrus shrugged. "Probably because they wanted our clean water. But like I said, it was all hectic, and I'm not even sure I got all the players straight. Let's see - oh here's one I know for sure! North Korea nuked South Korea and Japan pissed its kawaii anime girl panties."
"I highly doubt-."
"Vre, this is hard enough to keep straight without you interrupting. Let's see... Turkey ate Cyprus then long-bombed France for some reason I still don't understand. Then a bunch of those Slavic countries invaded Turkey. Not because they're buddies with France, but it seemed like the thing to do. Don't ask me which ones."
Rena opened her mouth, then promptly closed it when Cyrus flashed the whites of his eyes while holding up a stern finger of silence.
"India didn't wipe out Pakistan and Kalistan to everyone's astonishment but turned Palestine into a smudge. The Congo split again while the Sudans merged back together and clobbered Chad. And Russia? I have no idea what happened with Russia. It turned on itself, beginning a civil war that poor Belarus got swept up in. I think that situation stabilised only for another civil war to erupt. The folk Dyown Undah turned Swiss and closed its borders and refused to get involved. Most of Oceania did I think. And I have no idea what was happening in South America." Cyrus lifted his hands. "The World War III that everyone feared would happen, happened. The net became tightly controlled in many countries, and media and communication broke down. I was in Greece during most of that."
"Greece? That explains the accent and gibberish-"
"Malaka! Greek is not gibberish!"
"Maybe not. But... isn't that a bit sunny for you?"
"Tsk! I tell you about the end of the world, and you focus on me getting some sun and surf?" Cyrus chuckled. "My dam was Greek. You may be a frigid freak who doesn't mind letting her blood freeze, but I'll take a clement mediterranean spring any day."
Rena sat up, hugging her pillow. It was a lot of information to take in, but she felt it made little impact on her. She took a moment to examine the distance she felt towards the plight of everyone on the other side of the world, but all she could conclude was that it was only natural if hell was let loose on her home soil, it must have been bad everywhere else as well. "And then, how did you end up here?"
"Well, before all that happened I had established a new chapter of the Order of Chamrosh. You're welcome, by the way." Rena snorted. "It was going well, establishing symbiosis with carefully screened and selected mortals. But then an upstart named Zachary Peddleton started twisting our teachings and started a division."
"Another vampire?"
"Yes. Don't interrupt. Zacky gained too many followers and challenged my authority, seeking reformation. He envisioned returning to the old ways of Vampire Lords, with mortals as little more than chattel. He was tired of vampires living in the shadows, and preached superiority. During the chaos of the war his ways were growing in popularity. It came down to a fight with him, and I was getting the upper hand, but then... I was betrayed by one of my own." Cyrus squinted his eyes and quickly turned towards the wall. "I didn't see it coming. The stake. I don't know how long I was in rigour. Then suddenly I was in a snowy field chewing on some random guy in a parka."
Rena was silent a moment or two as she listened to Cyrus's tale of woe. "I'm disappointed that Chamrosh didn't flourish. It fell apart here, too. Though it just dissolved as the world fractured."
"Chamrosh was your baby. You should have come with Layla and I. Your passion for the project would have... what am I saying? You? Passion?"
"Ugh! No. I wanted you out of my life. Yet here you are. But it will be different this time." Rena leaned against the wall, staring at Cyrus who still had his bare back to her, the wound she inflicted with the stake in plain view.
"Oh, I very much doubt things will be any different between us, Irene. I'll keep screwing with you - or try to screw you - and you'll keep biting my head off. It's a beautiful relationship." Cyrus rolled back over, also sitting up and looking at her frowning face. "We're like a pair of spiders."
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Rena snorted and shook her head. "How is it you remained the same all of this time? I've changed, why haven't you?"
"You haven't changed, really." Cyrus reached out to stroke Rena's hair, and she jerked her head away. He shrugged. "You just became more yourself. I did all of my changing in the first century or so of being a vampire. Now I'm content to just be set in my ways - the longer I live, the harder it is to change."
Rena scowled, shifting away from him slightly. "I don't think it'd be so very hard for you to treat me like a person and not an object after all this time."
Cyrus burst out in laughter, placing a hand on his flat stomach. He remained spilling his mirth for a while and Rena scoffed and threw her pillow at him, beaming him in the head. This just caused a new peal of laughter to erupt. "That's the dearest thing I've heard in a while. Despite being so dreary, you always bring sunshine into my life, fos mou!"
"Alright. Enough with the Greek. What did you just say?"
"Nothing bad. My light. It's endearing. Do you feel endeared?"
"Ugh. No." Rena crossed her arms. "You respected Layla. Why not me? I'm her spawn."
The suppressed sneer on Cyrus's face was very telling, even after he chased it away with a smile. He got up and walked over to her, crouching in front of her. "Layla is in a class of her own, where she will stay." Although he tried to speak with lightness, Rena could detect a tone of bitterness.
"Cyrus. Where is Layla?" Rena asked again, firmness steeling her voice as she locked eyes with him. His lips twitched and his chin quivered briefly, his eyes rolling off to the side.
"She... sided with Zachary..." Cyrus admitted in a quiet voice.
"She would never!" Needles stung Rena's heart at this news. She could hear about countries being obliterated, but this news impacted her on a much more personal level. "It must be a misunderstanding!"
Cyrus's gaze, which had remained distant, focused into a glare and returned to meet Rena's golden brown eyes. He did not hide the sneer any longer. "She's the one who staked me! Just as I was about to finish that snaggletoothed shark-monkey off, she drove a stake through my heart!" Cyrus said, beating his bare chest with his fist. "And then you tried to do the same!" Quick as lightning, Cyrus' hand was at Rena's throat, but paused, fingers splayed, just short of clamping down. Rena lifted her chin, swallowing hard as she looked down at the hand which hovered in front of her neck. His gaze dropped and he withdrew his hand, standing up suddenly. Relief washed over Rena as she watched him turn away. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"She didn't remove your head, like I would have."
Cyrus pivoted on his heel and looked down at Rena, eyes wide and mouth agape. After a flicker of rage evidenced by wrinkles upon his nose, it faded into another laugh. "I'm rubbing off on you. Alright. Shock value achieved." He plucked a dust bunny out of his hair. "If anyone was going to kill me, I think I'd like it to be you, Irene." He smiled, but there was still the hint of a snarl.
Rena got to her feet, facing him. "She didn't kill you. I'm guessing she sent you here for a purpose. Give her some credit Cyrus, this is probably a ruse," Rena cautioned. He blinked a few times, slowly crossing his arms as he looked off to some nearby dank corner.
"Maybe. But she usually lets me in on her plans," Cyrus said quietly.
"Not if she was machinating on the fly. It's no accident you ended up here," Rena observed. "Which means my ploy to have the townsfolk kill you might need reconsideration."
"Seriously, Irene? Coward!"
"Well, maybe you did rub off on me."
"Tsk." Cyrus went back to crossing his arms, thrusting out his lower lip petulantly. "So what's the plan now?"
"The plan-" There was the sound of crunching on snow. Rena tilted her head. Then the unmistakable noise of a door opening. "Who else would be here? How did they get in? The front door was bolted."
"That's the side door."
Rena glanced at Cyrus. There's a side door? She scrunched up her face, but then held her breath.
Cyrus walked over to the bedroom door, cocking his head to the side. "Ochi..."
"What?"
"Uh..." Cyrus inched away from the door.
Rena tilted her head and knelt by the door, listening to what seemed to be a female voice. No. Two female voices. "Sounds like they are looking for someone."
Rena opened the bedroom door, but Cyrus shook his head and tried to gesture for her not to. She ignored him and looked into the hall. "Who's there?"
There was a clatter as her voice clearly startled whoever was in the house. But after a moment one of them spoke. "Um... wait, who... where are you? Do you live here? If you live here, we're sorry..."
"No. No, I don't... if you are seeking shelter, I won't fight you for it." Rena called. Two women approached from around a corner at the end of the hall. They stared at Rena for a while, as Rena stared at them. Then she smiled and beckoned them. Seeing this Cyrus shook his head again, making slicing motions with his hands to try and stop her. Again, she ignored his silent pleas.
"Uh... we best keep our distance. But you seen a man around here? Black hair?" one of the girls asked. Rena looked over her shoulder at Cyrus whose hand was covering his face.
"Yes. He's in here. Why?"
"Wait... he is?" one of the women asked. The other began rushing forward before the other grabbed her arm, slowing her down.
Rena beckoned again, holding the door open wide and stepping back inside. Slowly, the two other women filed in. Cyrus had sat down on the bed and placed his face in his hands, elbows on his knees.
"It IS you!" one girl said excitedly and she rushed over to Cyrus. He slowly lowered his hands, looking her up and down, then he glanced to the side. Both Rena and the shorter woman crossed their arms, staring intently at him.
"Uh... well, good to see you're... okay," Cyrus said after a moment or two. The woman sat down beside him.
"Sorry 'bout barging in. I'm Linda, and that's my sister, Lily," the shorter of the two said by way of introduction.
"Sisters? Great," Cyrus muttered.
"Rena." Rena patted herself on the chest. "I think I saw you in the Sheriff's office."
"Oh... yes... I remember you now," Linda said, looking uncomfortable.
"I'm glad I found you. I was sure you could help me! You can, can't you?" Lily chattered, her wide eyes consuming Cyrus eagerly. He looked her over, as if seeing her for the first time. Lily pulled down her hood, shaking out her hair, including the strands of white.
"Oh.... I guess I didn't... get all of the venom. Oops," Cyrus responded lamely.
"Venom?" Rena asked.
"You see, this girl has been bit by one of those... what do you call them anyway?"
"Vamps! What do they call them where you're from?" Lily babbled. Linda squinted at Cyrus, and Rena arched her eyebrows, growing more tense with the revelation that she was in the presence of an infected.
"Wait, you've been bit? How long ago?" Rena asked. Lily frowned, eyes wide and face tense, like a deer in headlights. Not that she had seen an operational car in years. She then eyed the other sister. She must have been protecting her sister when she reported the abomination sighting. Linda looked away upon seeing that scrutinising gaze.
"Oh, oh no. Oh, please don't tell anyone!" Lily pleaded, clasping her hands together. "Please!"
"Okay, okay, someone tell me what is going on. Cyrus?" Rena turned to him, and he raised his eyebrows, eyes wide and askant. He then looked back at Lily.
"Sorry lass, there's nothing more I can do for you. You're screwed," Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. Lily recoiled at his callous words, and Linda's eyes lit up like flames. She strode over to Cyrus, poised to slap him. But with suddenness he was on his feet and had Linda's hand.
"Let her go!" Lily insisted as Linda struggled against his grip, unable to break free. Rena watched this, her stomach lurching as she remembered when she was that helpless, and he was that immovable.
"Cyrus. Let go," Rena said, taking a step forward. He looked at Rena for a moment, then let go of Linda. She retreated until her back was against a wall. Lily rushed to her sister's side.
"How can you be so cruel? You were so kind; you saved me. You... we..." Lily sputtered, her tears getting plenty of fresh air. Cyrus rubbed the back of his neck and Rena gave him another sharp, scathing look.
"Honestly? I killed that... thing because it was creepy." Cyrus sat back down on the bed, staring hard at Lily, showing none of his usual charms. Rena walked over and sat beside him.
"Let me see if I got this right. You were attacked by a vamp. Cyrus here killed it. And then..." Rena tilted her head for the rest of the story. Cyrus and Lily locked eyes, waiting for the other to speak first. There was a pregnant pause between them, and then they both began speaking at once. A jumble of syllables came out and it was back to a pause.
"Enough. Lily, what happened?" Rena asked.
"Dun matter. That man took advantage of my sister! He lied, saying he could cure her!" Linda said, butting in and pointing at Cyrus. Rena placed her hands on her lap, raised her eyebrows, and then looked at the accused for his response.
"Aman! I didn't say I'd cure her, I said I'd try and suck out the infection. How was I to know it wouldn't work?" Cyrus clarified. "As for taking advantage of her... if I try to deny that, this one will tear off my ear," he added, not an ounce of shame in his tone as he tilted his head towards Rena. She crossed her arms and dipped her chin. Oh, she'd do so much more than that.
"Up to your old tricks, I see," Rena grumbled. Lily sniffled, and went from sickeningly pale to bright red in her cheeks. She ran out of the room, covering her face and crying. Linda stepped to go after her, but then turned to look at Rena and Cyrus.
"I've a mind to more'n tear off an ear, for what you did to my sister. She came here, thinkin' you'd save her!" Linda growled. "And you say those things? You piece of -"
"Vre! Don't waste your breath on me and go comfort your sister," Cyrus said, rising to his feet and pointing to the door. Linda drew in a deep breath, her hands balled into fists and arms shaking. But without another word, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her, causing dirt and dust to fall from the rafters. "Pft. Women."
"I can't believe you..." Rena said in a sombre tone.
"Ahem! Who do you think you are talking to? Of course I'd fu-"
"I meant drinking tainted blood!"
"Oh." Cyrus looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Rena grabbed his ear, forcing him to turn and face her.
"This isn't a laughing matter. You could become a vector," Rena said.
"A what now?"
"Vampires who drink from the infected can spread the White Plague." Cyrus's eyes went wide, his hand going to his mouth. Rena scraped her bottom lip with her teeth. "Tell me honestly, have you bitten anyone else since drinking from Lily?"
Cyrus began pacing, hand still covering his mouth as his eyes squinted, thinking hard. He finally shook his head, no. "I was going to snack on my captive, but hadn't got around to it." Rena was met by a surveying gaze. "I've never heard of a plague that vampires could spread. Just what is the White Plague?"
"Nobody really knows," Rena said with a shrug. "I'm not well versed in microbiology or epidemiology. All I heard was that it was not a fungus, virus, or bacteria. Some said it was a kind of prion, but others argued it was something else entirely."
"Prions? Let me think, let me think... that's like Mad Cow Disease, isn't it? So I'm a Mad Cow, now? Lovely..." Cyrus began rubbing his hands together. "Am I going to go mad? Be in a perpetual frenzy like those things?"
Irene shook her head. "No... I've never seen a vampire go mad from drinking tainted blood. But... one of the other reasons Chamrosh fell apart here was the plague. Vampires who obeyed the Law of Consent were spreading it among their charges. Vampires who drank the tainted blood could transmit the White Plague through biting - it seems to be transmitted through saliva."
Cyrus arched an eyebrow, and went back to rubbing his chin, finger stroking the darker, denser collection of whiskers just under his lip. "So... wait... saliva... so anyone I've licked or kissed, or that she kissed, could have it?" Cyrus was then staring at Rena more intently now, the slightest hint of chagrin creasing his face.
Rena crossed her arms, and shook her head. "Not quite. The saliva has to enter the bloodstream, so unless you are biting someone or licking a wound, you won't transmit it by just kissing. In the meantime, no drinking directly from the source for you."
"Eh, I can live with that." Cyrus placed his hands on his hips. "So I'm not at risk of losing my beautiful hair and whistling like a murderous tea kettle?"
"Not that I'm aware of. But this plague has evolved a few times already." Rena shrugged her shoulders.
Cyrus threw up his hands as he resumed pacing. "Well that's just lovely. So there's always a chance I might be as sick as that girl out there." He glanced at Rena, catching her smile. "What's that smile about? Waaaait, have you been pulling my leg?"
"No. I was just thinking how your karma caught up with you at last." Rena admitted in a rare moment of smugness. Cyrus growled and threw up his hands again. She watched him pace like a caged animal, seeing him feel like how she'd often felt. Anxious. Uncertain. Trapped.
Cyrus stopped and spun on his heel to face her. "Well, what about the girl? We can't let her live."
Rena glanced down, and looked off to the side. She had dispatched many of the infected who were far gone, whose transformations had been complete. But she'd never had to kill someone in the early stages. Rena looked at Cyrus. She'd made him pledge not to kill mortals either, but his pledge did not include the infected.
"We ought to kill her swiftly, with as little pain as possible."
Cyrus shook his head and shrugged. "Good thing I'm here to get my hands dirty for you, so you can remain on your lofty pedestal, yes?" he said with a cruel smirk.
Rena arched her eyebrow. "My hands get plenty dirty, just for the right reasons."
"Dirt is dirt." Cyrus's smirk grew as Rena's scowl darkened. "Anyway, we should get rid of her and make our way back to your Fisher brood."
"No. Not Fisham. We will be going to Goldilocks."
"Goldilocks? What the hell is Goldilocks?"
"It's a settlement near here. They're who I've been working for," Rena said as she picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "Let's get this over with."
Trivia: Cypress trees are known as graveyard trees, and have been seen in some cultures as a symbol of mourning or grief. In Greek lore, Cyparissus was overcome with grief after killing a beloved stag of a god. He was transformed into a tree, and his tears became its sap. However, in Persian culture, it is a revered tree, and was believed to have been a gift from Zoroaster. As such, cypress trees were often planted near fire temples. Lastly, in Jewish lore, Noah's Ark and Solomon's temple were both believed to have been built from Cypress.
Who rolled their eyes when Cyrus returned?
