M.A.I.

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The horse under her swayed too and fro as they made their way from the encampment. The light from the lanterns grew softer and softer as they left. She knew that she would never return to the man that had paid her that night but it did help to lie and tell him that she would take him up on his offer should she return. It would be light soon and she did not have time to go looking for another hire just now. The town was about five miles to the east and if she pushed the horse, they would make it. Digging her heels into it’s soft sides, they took off, leaving a trail of shifted sand behind them.

The town was quiet when she reached it. The only sounds that could be heard were those of the town’s early risers getting ready to start the day. Judging by the activity and by the position of the moon, it was roughly 4am and she would have to find shelter soon. A desert was no place for a vampyre to be when the sun came up over the horizon. A stable suited her purposes just fine, the stable boy, more of a young man around seventeen, was more then accommodating to the loveliness that asked sweetly for board for her ride and herself. He took the horse from her and then said that the last stall on the end was free and would be dark enough for her to sleep in.

She took his offer willingly on the condition that she not be bothered at all. As extra incentive, she kissed him softly on the cheek and whispered promises in his ear for a job well done. He almost turned to a puddle in front of her and then quickly lead her to the stall. Maria knew what a woman could do to a man and gave him a wink. Locking her eyes on his, she repeated that she was not to be disturbed and then he would get his reward when she woke. Her fingers slowly reached up to undo her shirt, giving him a look at the sides of her breasts before shutting the door. She laughed to herself before making sure that there were no windows and then locking herself in the tact box to the far left of the room till nightfall.

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“But what is going to happen to you now? Please, don’t leave me. Stay here and let me protect you. It is my fault that you are this way. Sophia, I love you and you know that. It hurts that you think I changed you just so that you could watch my happiness and not have any of your own.” Maria reached for her sister but received a sharp slap across the face. Tiny nails cut into her cheek as her head snapped to the left. Small trickles of crimson trailed down the white flawlessness of her face, while her large purple eyes stared in disbelief at what had just happened.

Sophia placed her hand on her hip and then licked at the tiny amounts of blood caught under her nails. Her sister tasted sweet, another reason to hate her. She had everything. Sophia had lost her husband, her children, everything and had become the same disgusting thing as her sister was. It made her flesh crawl, her body quake, her mind see hatred and destruction. She wanted to see her sister fall flat on her face. Wanted her to hurt like she did. Perhaps there was a way to get that after all. The only thing she seemed to care for anymore were right under her nose. Iram. Sam. Zangrel. Most of all Iram. Oh yes...... He would hurt the most should he be lost to her.

Maria’s wounds had healed up now, the only sign of any injury was the small trails of blood that still stained her face. Sophia reached for her sister and pulled her close. “I am so sorry for the way I treated you my beloved. Please, accept my apology and let me stay with you. There is so much I have yet to learn, so much yet to give back. I don’t know what came over me but I know now that I need you more then ever before.” Visions of plunging her hand though Maria’s chest and pulling her cold, unmoving heart out to stomp upon it flashed though Sophia’s mind. Her grip grew more intense as she pulled her sister closer. Sophia held her tightly till the sound of snapping twigs could be heard. A cold smile tugged at her lips as she rocked her sister back and forth as Maria screamed.

Just because she was able to heal quickly did not mean that she could not feel pain. Maria felt a few of her ribs crack under the pressure of Sophia’s “hug”. They bit into her lungs that she no longer needed and her spine started to pop as well. She screamed in pain but she could hear the laughter in Sophia’s voice as she tried to “comfort” her. One rib snapped in half totally and poked out of the delicate fabric of her dress. It looked like a large jagged tooth had been shoved clean through her. She was let go then, her body falling to the ground as her vitae spilled out under her, cries of pain fading as darkness overcame her, Sophia’s laughter ringing in her ears.

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Maria almost smacked her head on the top of the tact box when she woke. Air burned in her chest and she had realized that she had been holding it in her sleep. Letting it out with a little bit of discomfort, she pushed the lid of the box open. She looked to the main door and saw the light of a lantern passing by under the crack of it. They were just lighting everything now. She brushed the tiny red stains from her face left from her tears and then heard a slight rapping on her door. Scrambling from the box, she closed it quietly and then flopped down in the hay.

The young man from the night before cracked the door and called out to her in the newly laid darkness of night. Maria pretended to be sleeping still, her hair splayed out under her head. It formed a softly glowing red halo about her body when the lantern hit it. She took shallow even breaths and waited for the boy to enter. She could feel his eyes on her body, her face, her lips and it felt good to be admired by one so innocent. She did not feel lust in his gaze, just simply admiration. Moaning gently, Maria sat up and rubbed her eyes before placing a hand over her mouth to cover a yawn. “Mmmm.....it is night already? I feel as if I had just laid to sleep.” She gave the man a sweet smile and then patted the hay next to her. “Come sit with me. What is your name?”

The boy came and sat beside her, placing the lantern on the box that had served as her bed. He whispered that his name was Baz. He was a soft looking boy, barely a man yet. Maria wanted to be gentle with him. He may not get what he was expecting but she would make him feel good none the less. Leaning over, she placed a hand on the side of his face. The boy turned a bright shade of red and looked into her eyes. “Now Baz, trust me alright? I promise to be gentle with you and not hurt you. You kept your promise to me and I shall keep mine to you.” He nodded as Maria leaned in to place her lips against his neck gently. She ran her other hand along his face to distract him as her teeth broke skin. Baz jumped a bit but then a soft moan escaped his lips. His hand curled in Maria’s hair as he tried to hold her close. She let him fall back softly onto the hay and drank deeply. She could feel him petting her hair and whispering how beautiful she was. Maria licked the wound on his neck and closed it up. She did not want to take too much from him.

Baz fell asleep then, slightly weak from lack of blood. Reaching into her pack, Maria pulled out a small pouch of coins and placed them under his belt. It would make sure that he was taken care of for quite a while. Looking back at him with a gaze of kindness that was not normal for her, Maria blew him a kiss and was on her way. Closing the door so that he would not be bothered, she walked to the closest bucket and splashed a bit of water on her face and chest. She did not need to bathe but it felt good to have fresh water on her skin. Saddling up her horse, she climbed up and tightened the reigns a bit more. Like the night before, she kicked him gently and the horse was on its way.

Into the darkness she rode, off to take care of another job. For another client, in another one of her many lives yet to happen. Maria eventually made a name for herself this way. Taking out those that were wanted but unable to be caught. Those that did wrong unto others, and still more that were taken out for the right price and because it happened to be their time. The name of Hanan Karida spread like wildfire and soon it rang heavy on the hearts of those that came to be contracted under her. “Mercy Untouched” became a legend in her own right, living well beyond that of a normal human and never having her beauty diminished. Maria had accomplished what she wanted, even if she would not admit it to herself. She had become loved by others, worshiped by others, held in reverence before Hanan Karida vanished one hundred years after she first appeared.