Young Writers Society

Silver Cutthroat

His bright green tunic drew in the attention of the sirens, making them stare at him and beckon him to come along and join them. He smiled, but he didn't show his fangs to scare away the ladies. He came to a boulder and sat there, keeping safe range from the beckoning arms of the sirens. He knew from centuries of experience that sirens were very good at flirting with men, so he keeps a safe distance from them to protect himself. He said politely, "Hello, ladies."
The sirens giggled at him and waved.
"I don't suppose you ladies want to come by here and keep me company. I am a bit lonely as it seems."
One of the sirens struck the nerve to approach Silver. She was young-looking, presumably seventeen at best. The lilies in her hair almost driven Silver crazy, since his old wife used to put lilies in his hair as a private joke between them. The siren sat next to Silver, her face a little nervous.
"Don't be afraid, little lady. I don't bite." He edged a little to her, his face calm and kind. "I won't hurt you or your sisters. I never hurt women, especially those like you and your sisters." His voice was calm, but seductive underneath. Centuries of flirting with sirens made him careful and very hard to resist. His voice was his lure, his fangs his weapon.

Jerreus Fling

I rolled over onto my back and groaned. I'd just woken from my second nap that day and was bored nearly beyond words. The sky was a pleasant blue littered with thick clouds.

"Arwen," I whined. I could smell her nearby and if I was bored anyone around me was going to be annoyed.

"Leave me alone, Jerr," she barked. I growled at her and sat up, my hair falling over my shoulders and into my face. I brushed it back absently and turned my attention to Arwen, sly smile in place. She rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm bored," I groaned.

"I can tell."

"Let's go spy on the sirens, okay? It's always fun to hear them scream when you jump out at them." She opened her mouth to protest but I jumped up before she could start her end of the argument.

"Come on, Arwen. Don't tell me you want to sit here all day. The pack isn't even around, not even the oldies."

Arwen sighed and flicked her short hair to the side. I smiled wider. She was giving in, I could tell.

"Last time I let you drag me somewhere-"

"Forget about that, okay. Let's go."

I walked over and gave her a slight push forward before shifting and taking off into the forest. A few moments later I could hear another set of paws behind me. I howled lowly and ran faster. Time to go scare some sirens.

SED

I woke up as the sun pressed down, realizing that I'd fallen asleep by the sea again. My dragon Legend was tugging impatiently at her chain, which was wrapped around a pretty beat-up birch tree. It was a good thing she's small - well, if you can call a 15-foot anything small. Count the tail and she was 23.

Getting onto Legend's back, I unclipped the chain from her collar and let her drift just over the ocean. My eyes scanned the beach for people. As we dipped around the second corner of land, I landed Legend on a ledge above and kept looking. Finally I spotted them about 30 feet below me - sirens, probably about ten of them, and a man standing on the shore in front of them. A blonde speck of a girl glided from the water towards him, and they seemed to be saying something. Suddenly Legend's talons dug harder into the ground, and she shook her silvery wings with impatience. "Relax, L," I murmured under my breath. "It's nothing but a--"

Suddenly I stopped. Legend clamored down the rocks, charging us forward towards the beach as two large wolves bounded from the tall sea-grass. The sirens screamed, leaping into the water and disappearing with the splash of silver tails. Only one failed to escape, the sister who had remained on land and was now pressed beneath the muzzle of one of the large werewolves. The man looked as though he was somehow planning on fighting the monster, but the second wolf assured that was an impossibility. Legend outstretched her wings, whizzing towards the chaos as her talons stretched out to grab each of the wolves.

I think my mouth formed a huge o. "SWEET!!!"

Legend came to a screeching stop, both the werewolves wriggling beneath her. "Sucks for you, dog breaths!"

The two creatures shifted and managed to crawl from Legend's grasp, the guy looking more than peeved. "What's wrong with you?!" he yelled over the crash of the waves. The girl shot him a look that told him to calm down.

"Me? Not trying to talk for the guy and gal here, but it seems like you're the one with the issues."

Werewolf-boy growled, running his hand irritably through his hair. "It was just a stupid game."

"Sorry to break up the fun," I said in fake defensiveness. "Guess I'll be going? As long as you're not planning on eating anybody."

"I won't make any promises," he glowered.

Silver Cutthroat

My little fun with the sirens was cut short by werewolves. It made my blood run cold that my fun was spoiled when I was just about to get to know the brave siren who came to me. I felt like killing those dogs so I could teach them a lesson in manners, but I thought about letting the dragon-breeder take care of that. While he and the dogs were distracted, I snuck away from the scene and went for some other thing to do. Sirens never come back from their watery home unless they were sure the coast was clear, so there was no way I was going to wait for them to come. I made for my cottage in the woods and went straight to bed. I needed my sleep very badly since I haven't slept in the past few centuries. I went to sleep and relaxed in my bed.
Everyone in the village were surrounding me, my wife, and my daughter as the three of us were tied to cross-like stakes. I had to watch my little family burn to stake and I knew I was next. I begged the gods to spare my life, but the villagers wouldn't let me free. My maker Sarah cut the ropes and told me, "Whatever you do, don't ever let your past mistakes consume you from your future choices." After that, she threw herself into the fire while I went out on the run. My life was never the same again.
I woke up and saw the stars out through my window. I wiped the sweat off my brow. I murmured, "Now you know why you hardly sleep anymore, Silver." I combed my hair and sat down on the floor, meditating.

Internet is going haywire! o.O

Arwen¬

I gave in, and shifted. I loved being a Wolf, I could feel every pine and leaf beneath my feet, hear the rustling of disturbed animals as we charged past. I could smell the animals, and the trees, and up ahead, the faint chlorine and flowery smell that Sirens had. We stopped, and began to crawl, our bellies slowly whispering on the ground. We could see a cluster of Sirens clustered around, brushing their hair, singing and all manner of other things, including flirting with a Vampire. Did they have no sense? I mentally rolled my eyes. I growled and nudged Jerr's nose, ready to jump. We did, and the Sirens squeled, and I gave a bark of laughter. Jerr had one pinned under his muzzle, not doing any real harm, just scaring her, really. I barked again, as if I was laughing. I growled for real then, as the incoming beat of a dragon's wings approached.
I got as close to the ground as possible, hoping they would'nt see me.
Claws scraped my back and I snarled. I wiggled free of the claws and shifted, and a second later so did Jerr.
"What's wrong with you?" Jerr snarled. I gave him a "Calm Down" look.
"Me? Not trying to talk for the guy and gal here, but it seems like you're the one with the issues."
"It was just a stupid game,"
"Sorry to break up the fun," He said. "Guess I'll be going? As long as you're not planning on eating anybody."
"I won't make any promises," Jerr glowered. The dragon took off, landing next to the pool. He slid off and watched us. I shifted once more, and made my way to the edge of the lake, hopped onto a rock, and stood in front of the dragon trainer that had started this buisiness. I held myself up to my full height, and looked him straight in the eye. I growled, and the man laughed.
"For a dog, you have guts," I snarled at him, outraged. I bared my teeth and jumped down from the rock. I howled, and soon Jerr joined in. On the edge of the woods, I lolloped into the darkness.
We made it back to the clearing we woke up in, and shifted back to our human form again.
"God, Arwen, I didn't know you had a bitchy side,"
I laughed, "Well, it just proves you don't know me very well," He grinned a lopsided grin, and shifted. His powerful front legs knocked me over, and I landed back-first on the ground, him standing over me. I laughed and shifted underneath him. He lost balance and I snapped at his mouth. He jerked away, and we continued to play fight for a while.

~Lily Everwaters~

I watched, terrified, as the werewolf pinned down Chantelle. You said a blond... Stupid werewolves! Our nice, peaceful day was ruined. I sent a look at the man I was sitting next to, but he was gone. I watched him flee with a frown. I had realized he wasn't a human the minute I sat next to him; no human was foolish enough to hold his head that high. One could wonder about him, he was flirty as one of us but strange. His eyes kept floating to my hair and all the lilies strewn about it. I have half a mind to go after him, but I soon hear the flapping of wings. Dragon! I glance up, and sure enough a dragon floated above us complete with trainer that was yelling at the dragons. One of the werewolfs got up off of Chantelle, and she straighted herself up. She mouthed a few rude words at the werewolves back, but he was preoccupied with the dragon trainer. So she got up and swam, dolphin style, over to me. Chantelle linked her arm through mine, combing her hair with one hand.

"Stupid werewolves," she murmered.

The dragon trainer rocketed off suddenly. The girl's waved after him, but he didn't give us a backward glance. Smart boy. The werewolves ran off, arguing amoung themselves. Soon we were alone, almost as quickly as we were crowded.

"Nice way to start a day." I said with a small smile.

~Gale Vermay~

You are to attend a meeting of Narissa Pentalgo and join her army aganist the Undesirables, lest you wish to be treated as the enemy and killed amoung with the rest of them. There are to be few exeptions. Join the effort and live a peaceful life. We need people of all kinds, but be honored that you have been chosen and bothered with a second notice. Join the effort.
~Narissa Pentalgo~

Gale blinked at the notice he held in his hand. Join the effort aganist the undesirables? Why? To create even more pointless violence, to tear Alethia apart. He'd rather not. Gale stroked the dark, patterned paper with a small smirk on his face. Anyway, he wasn't a sorcerer, contrary to the belief of the townspeople. He let them believe what they wanted: he was safer in the belief that he was a sorcerer. True, he had the strongest blood line of any Enchanter. He would be a Sorcerer, if it wasn't for the small stream of human blood from his father's mother. He sighed, brushing his braid behind his shoulder. He pushed the door open of his small cottage and set the notice on the table. If it came down to life or death, he would join the effort. He had no love for his father's kind, but he hated all war and destruction. Gale grabbed the book he was reading on the history of Alethia and settled down into his comforting chair. His cottage was small, a one room place with herbs and plants scattered about. It gave off the comforting smell of liliacs, but it could smell like whatever Gale wanted it to. He was happy here, as happy as he knew how to be. The war effort would have to do without him. He looked over the passage that he had opened to: The Rise of Narrisa Pentalgo. He rolled his eyes. It was his own fault for getting a newer copy. That woman was growing a very big ego. He settled into the passage anyway. A knock came at the door. Gale frowned. It was a rare occasion for him to have any visitors, but he knew he would have to answer neverless.

CAN BE ANYONE!

Silver Cutthroat

I knocked on Gale's door, my mind completely fogged up for some odd reason. When Gale answered the door, I entered unbidden. I said, "Gale, my bookish friend. It's been ages since I last been here."
Gale said, "Father Silver, I never thought you would drop in at this time. How are you?"
I felt the hairs on my body rise. Only Gale knew I was once a priest, but I took no chances on telling him about Sarah. No, I was too smart to trust someone with that secret. I said calmly, "Flirting with sirens like the gentleman that I am. I would've been singing with the ladies by now if the fun wasn't spoiled by werewolves." I fingered a book. "Those dogs should've known better than to kill the pleasure of a siren. I speak from personal experience when I say that sirens are afraid of creatures like werewolves and myself."
Gale stated, "Yet you flirt with them like you're one of them."
"I have my ways, Gale. A vampire my age has to be cautious when around pretty ladies like sirens. I rather not tell you how I should know that. I've spent centuries here flirting with sirens. That takes a toll on one as old as me."
Gale looked at me suspiciously.
I smiled, revealing my fangs shamelessly. "I've had my fun here. Good day, Gale." I walked through the door, holding what looked like an old tome close to my chest while hiding it under my red tunic. Once I was at my cottage, I threw the book in the fireplace. I knew what the tome was about. It was an old archive of my old life. If someone else ever got hold of it, then my real age would be revealed and I would be burned to stake like my wife and daughter were centuries ago. I made it all too clear that I didn't want my true age to be made known, so I had to destroy every last bit of evidence that could reveal my true age and become the death of me.

Jerreus Fling~

I finally pinned Arwen down for good after an eternity of play fighting, she tried to reach for my neck with barred teeth but found she couldn't move. I could admit that the fighting got my mind of that dumb dragon trainer, running in to "save the day" with that cursed animal, even if only for a while. I smiled widely when she finally gave up with an aggravated growl. I howled and shifted after getting off of her. I got bragging rights, hell yeah!

"How does it feel to lose," I asked her with a condescending smile. She just glared at me, or at least tried to glare at me, but it failed and she laughed instead.

"How does it feel to know I'm gonna kick your butt next time," she asked, shaking dirt out of her hair.

"I don't know," I replied, doing the same, "I've never been beaten before. But give me a few days to find that stupid dragon trainer and he will tell you all about it."

My tone grew dark and foreboding towards the end and my fist clenched on their own accord. I drug myself out of own mind and looked up towards Arwen. She wasn't even listening to me, instead trying to peer over her shoulder to look at something on her back.

"Hey, what's up?" She turned to me and shrugged.

"When that dragon pinned us down I got cut on my back. It wasn't as bad but the rolling in the dirt and fighting kind of..."

"Oh crap, I didn't know you were hurt. I wouldn't have started that." I started feeling bad, an uncomfortable sensation. So, trying to rid myself of the feeling, I tried to turn it on her. "Well you should have said something!"

She frowned at me and gave me the "are you serious" face. The expression made me smile a little, only a slight raise of the side of my mouth.

"It doesn't matter, Jerr. It's probably not badly infected."

She was being sarcastic, I could tell my the way she talked and that look she was giving me. I rolled my eyes and sighed, she was going to use this against me for a while.

"Fine," I groaned. "Let me wrap that for you and I think there are some good Coneflower in the woods somewhere that you can eat to sped up your recovery and some Aloe Vera too."

I walked up to her and grabbed her wrist before dragging her away.

Arwen ¬

"Do you know where any Coneflowers are?"
Jerr grimaced. "I knew it," I scowled.
"But the Aloe Vera-"
"The only cluster is next to the Vampire's cottage, and seems as we pissed him off, we can't go near there." I sighed. "If all else fails, we'll have to use clay,"
I shifted, sniffing out the flowers.
After about an hour, my strength waning, I found two. I snuffed them up, feeling immediate relief. Jerr nudged my side, staring at my back. I growled, trying to scratch it with my teeth. Jerr snarled a warning, but I continued to try and reach it. He pushed me over, and growled. I growled back, hackles raised, before I tore through the undergrowth.
I growled and the Sirens, and clawed at the bank. I unearthed the soft clay and rubbed my back in it. Jerr came through the scrub in human form, and scooped the clay in his hands. I followed him, and shifted. He rubbed more clay onto my back. I tried to stop myself shivering, and I suddenly felt really nervous. His hands rubbed the clay in carefully, and I said,
"Urm ... cheers,"
"You're ... welcome," We were cut short as a howl pierced through the air.
I shifted, and charged towards the sound. I burst out of the undergrowth, senting the air. The Werewolf in front of us was in bad shape, one ear was torn of, and he was bleeding badly.
He smelt of death.
I flattned my ears to my head and nuzzled his nose. The WereWolf shifted.
Our "Alpha", Perviz, was gasping, gulping for air. Cuts littered his body.
"What happened?"
"No time. The whole pack was murdered by ... by ... N-Narissa."
I gasped. "Arwen, you and Jerr are the only ones left, from our pack, you must ... beware ... Narissa... Arwen, the Wolf you met in the woods when you changed was ... was ... was ...." And Perviz gave his last breath ... and died.
I shifted, and howled, and Jerr soon joined in until moonlight streamed through the trees, and we both stayed Wolves until the sun broke the horizon.

Silver Cutthroat

After the sun rose, I dressed myself in dark green and went to a bush next to my cottage. Gathering whatever I could in a small basket, I sniffed at a leaf and smiled. Aloe Vera, a certain plant perfect for healing. I took the basket to my cottage and stored the bushel away for any future use. I sighed as I sensed another vampire entered my dwelling unbidden. I said lazily, "You know better than to enter a vampire's nest without direct permission, Jack."
Jack's voice croned, "Now now now, Silver. You and I are related, you know."
I rolled my eyes. "Through Sarah, yes. But still for a vampire as old as you, it's proper manners to have direct permission before entering a vampire's nest."
Jack put his hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "That rule only applies to the undesireables, Silver. You missed the meeting yesterday. Why didn't you come? You could've shown Lady Narissa what you were capable of."
"Grand-maker Jack, you know I'm not interested in the batty woman. She treats everybody else like trash and frankly, I don't really like her."
"Oh, Silver. You just don't appreciate what Lady Narissa can give you. She'll treat you like a prince if you give her your service. Come along and join us, Silver." He kissed my neck and removed his hands from my shoulders. "You decide, Silver. Are you one of us...or one of the filth? I will be coming to retrieve you in the next two full moons. You have until then to decide whose side you're on." He left unbidden.
I just stood there in the middle of the room, my mind empty and out of ideas. I hated Jack for trying to make me side with Narissa. I knew the first question she would ask me if I chose her over the sirens: how old was I really? I murmured to myself, "I rather be flirting with the sirens for all eternity than side with that batty Narissa." I sat down cross-legged and closed my eyes, meditating on the day's work.

Don't let it fizzle out so early on ... should all the undesirables meet each other now? I dunno...

Chantelle Dela Cruz

"Nice way to start a day," Lily said. I rolled my eyes at her comment. I quickly emerge from the water with Lily, still linking arms. I let go and sit on a rock.

"We're going to have to wait for the others to finally realize the coast is clear again," I said, with a tired tone. Lily laughed and sat on the rock next to me. I dusted my dress.

"Just put that scene aside," I suggested to Lily. I shake my hair to dry it off, causing some water to land on Lily. She began rubbing it off quickly. I smiled with guilt.

"Sooorrry," I sang. Lily smiled and shook her head.

(Sorry I didn't post, been a bit distracted. Hope this is okay!)

*Sorry, I've been insanely busy.*

Narissa approached the cottage, knocking on the door and receiving no reply. "Exaudio," she whispered, pressing her hand to the door as a golden light glowed from her palm. Suddenly her hearing was exceedingly better. The floor creaked with the tap of a foot, so she proceeded to open the door in time to see Silver Cutthroat sit in a wooden chair beside the window, staring out at the darkening sky. "To what do I owe the displeasure, o exalted Narissa?" he said with a flat sarcasm. Narissa had little patience for such spiteful people, but she said nothing to this. "I only come with a request," she said evenly. Her eyes scanned the small house inquiringly, as if sucking in the essence of its inhabitant. "I have heard much of you. Many things unappealing, such as your attitude towards women, but others qualities I admire."

He shook his head, getting up and pacing the floor without so much as a sideways glance towards her. "Sorry, but I don't care about whatever it is you're aiming at."

"Just listen, Cutthroat," she hissed irritably. "I'm calling upon many of the strong noble creatures of our world, for I have a plan that will require teachers of our younger kind. If we wish to make things right, we need a force behind us. Meaning we need young vampires, sorcerers - others that have been accepted. Many are receiving letters as we speak, letting them know that they are needed. And this is not optional." She sighed. "Well, not for them. You, on the other hand, I trust with judgment. I trust you to teach them to fight and win, to kill undesirables in the pursuit to purify Alethia. Of course I trust that you will do this, because the alternatives are...extremely unpleasant."

He turned to glare at her, and a devilish smile glimpsed Narissa's face. "There are options, Silver. Teach the next generation to fight and kill, or be killed yourself."

*If you are not an undesirable, or if you are at least believed to be something other than an undesirable, and you are 15-20, you have received a letter demanding that you arrive at the Great Hall to be trained. You will be forced to practice in combat and murder, as well as being taught the New Law, in the effort to "weed out" the lesser creatures. If you do not come, you will be brought by force unless you succeed in fleeing. Of course, if you are an undesirable in hiding and they find out, you're in trouble...*

Silver Cutthroat

Narissa made it clear that I had to choose whether to teach or die, but it was obvious she was unaware that Jack dropped in before she did. She had not even the slightest inkling that my Grand-maker was one of her followers, but I decided to put that aside.
I said, "All this requires a lot of thinking. I need some time to consider all this. Give me...two full moons to think it over."
Narissa left, perhaps unsure of why I asked for that much time.
After I was sure she was gone, I knew I was doomed. I wanted to be with the sirens more than with Narissa. What she thinks I should be is just not me anymore. I once was a teacher of the old magic, but all that changed when I met Sarah and was changed myself. Without a second thought, I packed what I could- including the Aloe Vera- and went out of my cottage to run off. I didn't want Narissa to kill the sirens, not ever. If Narissa were to kill me, it'd be with the sirens.

Jerreus Fling- (I think we should start getting the undesirables together too.)

I nudged Arwen in the side with my muzzle, trying to wake her up when she should have already been alerted by the rising sun. I understand that the grief on her shoulders was a lot to bear at the moment, but that did not mean she could just lie there like some log! She growled absently in sleep and this time I bit her gently, making sure to avoid the wound on her back. At this she was up immediately and on top of my with a threatening growl. I smiled as much of my wolf form could manage and wriggled out from beneath her before changing. She was still snarling at me.

"Come on, we have a lot of work to do," I said gruffly. "Narissa had our clan killed, the last of us, and we are expected to fight for revenge. She thinks she can just wipe us out like we're nothing, because her and those damned vampires think they're better than everyone. We can't let her actions go unpunished and it's time we stop this before it gets any worse." It was the most serious I'd ever been in my life and, to tell the truth, I was a bit frighted. "She's probably planning to do this to all the lower class creatures."

Arwen finally changed back, her eyes still red with tears but hot with determination. That's what I liked about Arwen, always willing to fight no matter what and brave. Good qualities that girl had. She nodded stiffly at my statement.

"I bet," she replied. "There's no doubt. We were probably just the first. No wonder everyone was gone yesterday morning... and where were we?" Her voice cut off and she shook her head against the sadness rising in her. I walked over to her and pulled her into an awkward one-armed hug.

"Even if we were here we would have died anyway, what good would that be? All we can do now is fight." I let her go with a small smile and pulled my hair back into a low ponytail with a rubber band I kept on my wrist.

"Come on." I started off into the forest at a paced run, heading towards the shore. Arwen was right behind me. "We have to warn the sirens, they probably won't even know what's going on until there's blood on the ground."

"They might run as soon as they see us."

"That's why were gonna walk through the brush in our human form. Hopefully they'll listen." I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply before pushing myself forward faster. I could practically feel time ticking away.