My mind was still reeling from earlier. "Ahhhh" I exclaimed jumping into my bed face first like a dolphin nose diving with the elegance of a wild boar.
The image of that strange girl, Akasha seemed to imprint into my mind. The way she was so brazen. The way she smiled at me with a look that rivaled the freedom I felt on the streets.
I kicked my legs in the air back and forth and tossed in my bed. Eco walking up to stare at me with a blank look probably judging what the hell was wrong with me.
Good question! What was wrong with me? Mirroring my thoughts, he just silently waited for me to say it out loud.
"Eco, I think, maybe I made a friend- no I didn't scratch that. She was too weird to be a friend. There was something different about her. I can just feel it!!!"
"Since when were you the best judge of people" he said staring at me.
Out of the corner Santiago snorted. "What" I pointed at them. "Eco they're making fun of me."
"Well they're probably right for doing so, given you have befriended them and me. Your taste in company should be questioned." Eco said in his matter of fact tone with a tad of dismay targeted towards Santiago.
"I'll prove you all wrong. Seeeeeeyaaa." I made a dash for the door skipping my way out.
"Where are you going" one called to me.
"Yeah you just got here!" Santiago called. Isabella sighed, "always running off, that girl. She would be a lost cuase without us"
"I'm off to catch a criminal!" I waved back to them. I grabbed my backpack from behind the hidden entrance. As I ran, I put on my sandles with one hand at a time and fixing them to my form. Truly I could even run barefoot around, but the cobble and glass of the poorer areas could hurt me.
I leaped through the trees by my coastline. Giggling happily, I jumped through the nature, avoiding anything that people perceived as dangerous. The nature here was like home. It was beautiful and prominent. I knew my way around, if you leave the creatures here alone, they do the same for you.
I put on a bubbly adventurous tune in my earbuds, attaching it to my old beaten phone. I needed to find an opportunity to get a new one, especially for school. However, I didn't let that effect my mood in the slightest.
I let out a strong whistleㅡcalling to my darling companion. As I jumped up over a bound of a tree, a whoosh sounded behind me, a fairly medium large black and slightly shimmery blue Great-tailed Grackle landed on my arm and hand.
"Lírico!! Good boy! You came! Just like I taught you!" I smiled at my bird I had been working to tame. They were truly amazing elegant birds. They were fairly commonplace around here just like a pigeon.
We headed towards the city now. My mood shifting the closer I got to the buildings I was seeking to. Another murder was the night before. This mafia was always linked to these things. That was my own opinion anyway. Mafia is a luxury way of explaining such gangsters that come from power.
I tried to ignore my insticts as I approached, that told me to leave and just go for a very lengthy swim in the water.
I slipped in towards the side of the building with Lírico. Sensing a tension of different factions waring. Not a full scale brawl was taking place, yet the building was tense with frustration and anxiety surrounding one-another.
Some men came out to have a smoke break and discuss. Then I took my chance and started singing. Humming happily and enchanting them to give me their identification cards and let me in. I popped on their cap from their head as I nonchalantly walked in the building.
I whistled my way down the halls, embueing it in my magick, well, whatever I could control of it walking in there. Just in case.
I came across a luxury looking underground area. The sight not unfamiliar to me. Convincing the bystanders present with my powers that I was one of their own.
They were moving tables and discussing the matters of the fight between the gangs. I was in the right place.
I saw a girl walk in with long hair peeking out from under a face hidden in a fantasy seeming cloak. Something not typical to wear, yet this girl walked in like she owned the aesthetic.
This time I wondered if it really was the shadows stopping me from seeing her face, as I couldn't make out much in this room.
Then again, she didn't seem human. My suspicions were basically confirmed right after when the group started chanting and exclaiming, "Nahuala Pantera!" (Mesoamerican folklore of someone with an alter-ego often puma variety, that sucks blood like a Vampire.)
I watched closer as my eyes almost couldn't believe themselves. In front of me was the glow of crimson red eyes. Even in the shadows she was shrouded in.
Everyone seemed to back up to let her through the crowd. As she got closer I ducked further behind people hoping she wouldn't notice me. Concerned my powers would be no match.
"Transport the goods. I have business to attend to. Especially to handle 'Rogue'. Hand me the files, I expect that this matter is handled promptly and expediently. The smell of other species is becoming hard to bear while I am getting closer to my goal" The voice of the Nahuala said.
I blinked rapidly trying to process what I was hearing, it didn't make much sense. It also sounded like there were perhaps even more non humans here in this group than I thought.
Oh no, she mentioned smell. A hybrid non land dwelling creature like me must smell even more out of place. I turned to inch my way out from the crowd. I needed to get out of there right now. I was no closer to my goal of my own.
I had barely even left the crowd behind me when a whoosh grazed my shoulder and I was pinned again. Not the kind of whoosh as Lírico did. This one was fast, unhuman. Uncanny, otherworldly even.
Staring into my soul was those red eyes. My breath hitched. Wait- why was it hitching? It wasn't out of fear, so what was it?
I knew every bone in my body should be itching to run, cast a spell, sing, do anything. Yet, I felt myself not wanting to move. "Crap" I muttered.
"Well well, if it isn't the strange little elf from earlier" she said.
Elf? Elf??? What Elf, were elves even real? I shook my head. Now was not the time to get distracted by someone's strange words.
In fact, I needed to get out of there. Whatever was happening to me was dangerous. In my entire existence. No such thing occured, not like this, not til I met her. I knew I had a stronger pull to people at times just as I did the ocean, but not this intense.
She just chuckled slightly at my stunned response. "Nothing to say to me today?"
I squirmed trying to be free from her. Her grip was unreal, a strength that of a jaguar.
"Who are you and what are here for? What is your role in this, and who sent you" a barrage of questions of her's hit me.
"I'm none of your freaking business, shut up! I could be asking you the same thing!" I said to her.
She laughed again, "nice try, but you smell like the sea. You smell really, really, good in fact."
"What are you hitting on me?" I retorted trying to squirm free still.
"May I? I mean why not. I might get answers out of you faster with a little taste." Her tone now shifting to something a little more luring and predatory.
Before I could stop her, she lightly bit the back of my palm. At least, not the worst of places to bite me. Her fangs definitely sunk in, yet, it didn't hurt. In fact ㅡ it felt good.
My aching for the water subsided like a waning headache. Instead, replaced by a sense of extreme euphoria. My brain couldn't think straight, nor formulate how to stop her.
My breath hitched even further, now increasingly rapid. She seemed to almost tilt off kilter, before she retracted from me fast and rushed, starting to also breathe intensely like I had.
A crescent shaped mark of teeth imprints started to form on my hand. "Crap, no no no- this isn't what I think it is, right?" I said.
She only gave that silence as a response before saying, "Interesting. Both your brain, and your blood."
"Ack!" I exclaimed pointing at her, "you- you-"
I was blushing bright red I was certain, but I stopped myself and instead took my opportunity. Now sticking my tongue out at her, and sassily but speedily running away.