A Hope of Gathering

The silent killer swooped down, her silhouette cast a blur across the starry night sky. Wings cut through the wind with only the slightest rustle of feathers as she adjusted for small upticks of current. She was searching the ground for her perch, a familiar friend she had been eager to reconnect with. Her large, black eyes took in the light that only a few others could, this body of hers adept to the darkness. She scanned the edge of the old growth forest for her target, a challenge even for her, until she saw the wave of a pale hand. There he was, she let out a soft whistle indicating her position, then swooped down towards the extended hand.

His face came into view quickly as she descended, his relaxed expression the same as it ever was. She managed one last large flap of her wings to cut her momentum before landing precisely on his shoulder, the thickness of his black long coat giving enough grip to her talons so she didn’t pierce his skin.

“Hello, Sonya.” The dark gravel of his voice cut the silence of the night menacingly, his only accompaniment the soft howling of the wind through the trees. He used his unencumbered hand to brush back his disheveled hair from her landing, the shagginess only lent to his shifty appearance. Sonya cooed back at him, her only answer at the moment. After adjusting his hair, he touched his crooked nose, giving himself a moment before reaching across his chest to caress her velvety white feathers along the side of her face. She started at the touch then pinched his palm with her curved beak.

He pulled his hand away quickly and chuckled, “Your aversion for affection still plagues you, I see.” He glanced at his palm, his earthy brown eyes caught in the moonlight for but a moment before he shifted his indifferent gaze down to the bag hanging from his owl free shoulder.

“I brought what you requested of me in your letter. You have come a long way, perhaps you need a moment to get tidied up?” His lilting British accent sounded strange to her, she hadn’t heard the English language in so long.

The man pulled out a set of clothing, loose pants, a modest set of undergarments, and a soft-looking sweater. She gently nodded her head and indicated a nearby branch with one of her long-spanning wings. He walked over steadily then hung the clothes on the branch and leaned his shoulder over for her to hop onto the sturdy tree limb. Sonya gracefully transferred to the branch then turned her head 180 degrees to look at the man once more.

He nodded in understanding then walked away from her, only the crunch of the fall leaves indicating his growing distance. He leaned back against one of the elder trees that lined the entrance to the forest and looked up to the half-moon, its brightness the only light for miles beside the cluster of stars throughout the sky. He could hear the weight of her feet touching the ground and the rustle of clothing being pulled along skin. He didn’t want to rush her, he assumed she’d been in that form for weeks and knew it was a hard transition for her the longer she was in each form.

He didn’t mind waiting, it was honestly just nice to hear another person breathing, a heart pounding, and the soft humming of her re-learning her own voice. He missed her, they had been apart for decades at a time but the past thirty years had seemed shorter somehow. This reunion seemed different. Her return was sudden and he had yet to learn why, but he was glad either way.

“Silas,” she called his name, “it is nice to see you again.” Her voice was melodic despite the disuse. She walked over from the hanging branch, slow and steady as she was unused to her legs. Silas looked over, a smile adorned his face as he took in her beauty. Her silver white hair that matched the white feathers of her barn owl form had gotten longer and her golden eyes still glistened despite the limited light. She seemed thinner than before, her slim figure accentuated by her height. He looked up at her when she finally reached his side. Despite him being 5’10” she was still a good 4 inches taller than him.

“You are looking well Sonya, I hope your trip was not terribly taxing.” He couldn’t hide his genuine gaiety, she was his oldest and greatest friend.

“It has been nothing but taxing. Ever since you left Europe to come to this new world, the journey is always arduous.” She rolled her shoulders, her form shifting never failed to take a toll on her body. The many forms she had to shift between to get through the Atlatic and then across the continent to the forests of northwest America was many more than she was used to.

“You know me, I had no chance in London. That place is overrun with powerful vampires, too many tigers in one jungle. I came here, at the birth of this young nation, to live inconspicuously among these wild lands. I dreaded skulking around the musty streets of old cities fending for scraps. When I heard that the humans were leaving for America in drawls I knew an opportunity like no other had arrived.” His dark eyes brightened at his description of the budding country. North America just recently made itself its own proper county, and where the humans go, the creatures of the old world were sure to follow.

“That is just the problem, Silas. The humans are starting to fight back. The old worlders are slipping in their lackadaisical stupors. They are falling into the traps of luxury and power. Humans are becoming more intelligent and realizing they are the prey.” Her speech had purpose but her accent sounded odd while her tongue got used to English again.

Silas didn’t seem to comprehend, his understanding of the creatures of the old world were that of complete dominance and control. They were invincible against the humans, just like cattle to a farmer, the power dynamics finite. “What do you mean?” He had never questioned Sonya before, he always trusted her completely, but this seemed much too farfetched to be the truth.

“It is not that simple. We fear it has been happening for a long while now. The old Gathering from Africa have not sent communication in decades, and the East has recently gone silent as well. A mage from Japan found me in Russia and informed me of their Gatherng being ambushed. They were all but wiped out. Only he and a changeling were able to escape.” She grabbed his hand uncharacteristically and met his eyes, they were filled with sorrow. “All the others were killed, including the Japanese master vampires.” Her hand squeezed his.

Silas felt a sharp pain from his barely beating heart, his eyes filled with tears. His dear friends to the east, Hiroki, Daigo, and Hina were gone. Centuries old culture, the founders of the Japanese vampires, just vanished into dust. “This cannot be so. They were some of the oldest and wisest of the vampires.” Silas fell to his knees, his disbelief causing him much distress.

“The humans are evolving, they are to blame, we must regather our forces and spread the warning to the other Gatherings of the world. You must lead this new world country to a brighter future for the old world creatures Silas. You must call the first Gathering of America.” She kneeled down to meet him on the earth, her silvery white hair falling between them, creating a soft barrier for Silas to shed a tear for his fallen brothers and sisters.

It took him a while but he allowed himself a deep breath then lifted his free hand up to move aside Sonya’s draping hair and brush it behind her ear. He caressed the side of her face once more and looked up to meet her metallic eyes. His red rimmed eyes hardened, “I will call a Gathering, I will end this before it has any strength behind it.” He said gruffly.

Sonya nodded slowly, the power in his voice almost cause for fear but she pushed against the unease to lean her forehead against his. Their reconnection, after years apart, a comfort in these unknown times.

“I will be by your side in support. You can count on me, my old friend.” She reached up an elegant hand to touch the side of his hardened jaw. “Let us save the creatures of old together.”