Echoes of Angels

[Elwen]

The piteous whimpering was what first caught Elwen’s attention. Being a kitsune , and the greatest thief the demon and material worlds had ever known, her already naturally unhealthy curiosity-even more so then typical for that extremely curious breed- increased exponentially in less then a minute. On silent, graceful feet, she moved towards the source of the whimpering…somewhere nearby in a thick, dense clump of healthy, bright green shrubbery. The leaves rustled as she got nearer to whatever was making the racket, and she bent down as a sparkle of silver caught her practiced thief’s eye. The leaves parted for her, as she bent her will and hummed. The magic she wielded was mainly in her voice, and it was potent indeed.

To her surprise, it was an abandoned kit, barely three years old or so it seemed, curled in a miserable ball in the thicket, right where her mother had dumped her. Even more surprising to her was the sudden rush of maternal-maternal!- instinct that flooded over the slender, silver-haired kitsune thief at the sight of the little lost child.

I am Elwen, greatest thief of the spirit world. The silver kitsune told herself sternly. Not a mother, not a caregiver. I do not need a child. I do not need anyone!

But she wavered, staring at the kitsune kit, that tiny whimpering bundle of silver fur, a little girl-kit so alone in this world, father long since gone, mother gone as well, no one to take care of her. A silver kitsune, like herself: the rarest and most beautiful of all the breeds of the fox-folk. As the saying among demons and others went, silver kitsune were “a sliver of the moon Herself”, a sliver of moonlight come to earth, favored children of Inari , the fox goddess. Kitsune were rarely seen: known to be a fickle and finicky lot, the mischievous tricksters tended to stay out of sight, appearing-and disappearing-as if by magic. However, silver kitsune were the rarest of all, and that was because their ethereal beauty was such as to not meant to be seen by any eyes. They, whether male or female, were coveted by many. And they, if captured, were often caged in an attempt to keep the beautiful fox spirit with their captor “forever.” Unfortunately, the free spirit of a kitsune could not long bear to be imprisoned, trapped against their will: a caged kitsune would die unless freed.

I am Elwen-demon, thief, killer, sorceress. Elwen reminded herself, trying her best to harden her normally frosty, empty heart against the tears and distress of this deeply unhappy kitsune kit. Bane of many a demon’s existence and last vision of even more…she could feel her heart constrict, as if a giant hand had wrapped itself around the organ and was squeezing. She could feel all her fear and apprehension wrap itself around her heart and squeeze her dry. I am afraid. Why am I afraid?

Elwen reached a pale, slender hand out to touch the kit’s face, gently wiping away the tears, the residual trails that the moisture had left behind . Because her tears have somehow undone me. It is strange…I was never affected by all this, any of this, before.

The little demon girl stirred and opened great golden eyes to regard Elwen. Those eyes, so much like her own, rocked the older kitsune: this little girl who looked so much like her, enough to be her daughter. Or a younger version of herself, as she had been those years ago.

An image of Elwen herself as she had been at the age of three. The memories of her own lonely childhood flooded through the young kitsune maiden-

A silver kitsune woman carelessly dropping a little kit about three onto the hard, unforgiving stone, green robes swirling as she deliberately turned her back on her own child and walked away, as the little girl wailed, her heart breaking.

“Mama! Mama! Please don’t leave me! Mama!” There was no reply. There would never be a reply. Mama would never return.

Another memory, of that same child, now five or six, running swiftly through the dark night, easily eluding the many and considerably older/more experienced demonic pursuers at her heels, finely worked, expensive golden necklace clutched in her tiny fists, already a skilled thief at that young age. Names echoed in her mind, of people she had once known.

Names that echoed in her head, and faces that went with them. Of the few she could call friends: Yatsuo, the gruff, young wolf-human shapeshifter with a drinking problem. Ki, the human-fox ‘shifter, a child her age, who loved cookies. Cyndy, the talking kitten who wished to learn to shapeshift.

What had happened to them, the first and only true friends she had ever had? The shadow that she knew well had fallen upon them, had swallowed them up. All three of them had been killed, by powerful demon lords angry at this little impertinent fox-child who dared challenge them. Killed because she cared for them: and after their deaths, Elwen had never cared for anyone again.

Years and years went by, as she grew from that frail little child into the hard cold maiden she was today, whose name was whispered in fear, as powerful demons quaked at the very mention of her name. Elwen, who would slip by night into the most guarded vault imaginable, steal the most precious treasure within, and just as readily would throw said treasure away out of boredom. Elwen, the maiden of the stars, whose great beauty was spoken of as much as her skills of thievery, her extreme magical abilities, and her ruthlessness. Elwen, the free spirit, who no one could ever tame, no one could ever catch. Elwen, who would kill without a second thought or glance if it suited her whims or purposes. Elwen the merciless, the heartless, the cruel, the cold-blooded killer, the manipulative.

Her own life had made her thus, those hard years of trying to survive the harsh spirit world on her own, with no one to teach her but what she could learn on her own. If she had not been strong, she would not have survived.

“That was my life.” Elwen said, as much to the kit as to herself, finally making a decision that surprised even herself. “But it will not be yours. Not as long as I am with you.”

She is what I was…Elwen thought. And I will not let her live the kind of life that I did. I will not let her grow up to be me! I will be a better mother then my mother ever was. You are mine now, child, you are my daughter…not the daughter of that bitch who threw you into these bushes to die. You are not hers, you are mine!

She knelt down next to the kit, who blinked her golden eyes at her.

“Mama?” she asked in a soft, innocent little voice that tore at Elwen’s heart.

“I am here.” Elwen said, gathering the tiny ball of silver fur up into her arms. “I am your mother now.”

“Mama…” the kit sighed sleepily, content that it was not alone; she seemed to not to realize this was not her birth mother.

“You are Miriya.” Elwen told her new adopted daughter, needing something, a name, to call her besides “you” and “kit”, and she didn’t want any trace of the child’s earlier life to remain. It was over; the past was over and done with, and should remain in the past, where it belonged. Leave it and let it lie…do not stir up the wounds of the past, let them heal and let her begin a new life.

She was the child’s mother now, and could name her whatever she wished. Why saddle her with a name her mother had picked, when the damn bitch hadn’t even wanted the child anyway, had just left her to die? Miriya…that is a pretty name, for a pretty child. Miriya it is, then.

The thief sighed, fully realizing the enormity of the task she had gotten herself into. Despite all her skill, all her potential, all her raw power, she was still only a very young woman herself, young by the standards of the immortal demons. Now she was trying to raise a child by herself. “Miriya. That is your name.”

Miriya hummed softly in content affirmation, seeming to understand: Elwen thought privately that she could have told the kit that her new name was “Moron” and she wouldn’t have cared.

What have I gotten myself into now? Elwen thought distractedly, almost regretting her choice for a second-

But one look into Miriya’s golden eyes reaffirmed for the young fox spirit that her choice had been, after all, correct.

***

The next years passed very quickly, tumbling past in a blur. Elwen had to scale down her thieving and adjust for the fact she had a young child with her, to take care of: if she had had a mate, then that problem would have been solved easily. But kitsune mated for life, and not only had Elwen not seen anyone she would even consider as a lifelong mate-or even liked as a friend-she was far too independent to even consider the idea of finding a mate just to help her care for her daughter. No, thank you. If-and that is a very big if-I ever decide to take a mate, I want one I care for. Not just one that can help me care for Miriya.

“Ow!” Miriya whined. “That hurt, Mama!”

“If you would hold still, then it would not hurt.” Elwen said rationally as she brushed-or at least attempted to-the wiggling kit’s hair. “Hold still!”

“Stop pulling my hair, Mama!” Miriya wailed.

“Hold still and I won’t pull it!” Elwen jerked the brush through the writhing kit’s long silver hair, trying to be gentle, but her patience was starting to run out.

“Ow!”

“Hold still!” Elwen managed to undo those snarls, and finished brushing out the silver strands, long, slender fingers nimbly plaiting the child’s hair into a neat braid that hung down her back. “There, now you can wiggle.”

“That hurt, Mama!” Miriya complained yet again. “Why do you have to pull it so hard?”

“I told you that if you wouldn’t wiggle when I was brushing your hair, then it wouldn’t hurt. And the only reason I pulled was because you were moving around and were pulling your head around.” Elwen pointed out, putting away the brush, which was ivory-handled gold, “liberated” from a rich demon lady. Her own waist-length hair was neatly combed already, and all that remained was to braid Miriya’s hair.

“Why do you have to braid my hair?” Miriya asked. “Can’t you leave it loose like yours, Mama?”

“When you don’t tangle your hair, yes.” Elwen said. “But as of now, no.”

Miriya pouted cutely. “Mama, don’t be mean!”

“I’m not being mean.” Elwen said practically, and laughed as Miriya pounced, letting her daughter knock her to the ground and tickle the greatest thief in the spirit world senseless, both laughing merrily. Kitsune loved games and merriment, as much as they loved stealing and trickery.

True to her promise, Elwen was raising her daughter well, showering all the love and affection she was capable of on Miriya-which was significant. Elwen’s own mother had never shown her even an infinitesimal amount of the love that she now lavished on Miriya, and the thief was determined to be the mother that her own mother never had been. The only thing that could melt that icy heart of hers was her daughter’s sunny smile: Elwen could deny Miriya nothing when the girl turned that smile on her. She was truly a loving, wonderful mother: hardly the image that one expected of the tall, proud kitsune thief. “Maternal” was not a quality the average demon or person associated with the kitsune Elwen. Cruel, yes: proud, heartless, capricious, all yes. But certainly not the loving mother she was.

We’re running out of money. Elwen mentally counted up all they had left. It wasn’t much. I have to go raiding tonight. But what about Miriya?

“Miriya-“ Elwen held up a hand, stopping the game dead. “I have to go out tonight.” The kitsune indicated the cave with a wave of that same slender appendage. “Hide in here…don’t come out until I come back. Do you understand me?”

Miriya nodded: this was routine by now, and Elwen had developed this routine when the kit had first been old enough to be left alone for a few hours. She would hide Miriya and go thieving, then return for her child and get away quickly.

“Remember. Don’t come out until I return. If anyone comes in here and it isn’t me, don’t come out.” Elwen knew she had powerful enemies, and they would destroy anyone she loved.

A nod. “I understand, Mama.” Miriya said, turning that smile on her that Elwen so loved.

Elwen gathered her daughter close and embraced her tightly. “I love you, Mama.” Miriya whispered.

Elwen rocked her child back and forth lovingly, holding her close, feeling a shadow creeping ever closer, the shadow she would give her life to protect her daughter from, the same shadow that had taken her friends from her so long ago. “I love you too, Miriya.”

***

It was dawn when Elwen returned to the cave, golden eyes searching the darkness for a glint of silver. The job had been almost ridiculously easy, she was much too smart for those idiot youkai . When would she be challenged? Hell, they hadn’t been a challenge when she was five.

“Miriya?” she called. No reply. “Miriya?” No reply. Elwen reached out with her senses and found no trace of her daughter’s youki.

She must not have listened to me and wandered off…Elwen refused to let herself believe in the last possibility. No…

“Mama?” the ghostly voice of her daughter said. Elwen turned, opening up with her extremely powerful abilities of empathy and telepathy. She had once been assessed as having abilities similar to that of a Spirit-Necromancer , because of the strength of these tandem abilities. “Mama?”

Elwen felt her heart break. “No…” she whispered. The ghostly figure of Miriya stood in front of her, illuminated by her Sight, and it meant only one thing.

Miriya was dead. I only left her alone for a few hours! Elwen mentally blamed herself, mentally damned herself, mentally screamed. It is my fault…I should never have left her alone…

“I’m scared, Mama.” Miriya’s voice echoed. “Where are you?”

“I’m right here. What happened?” Elwen said, trying to hold back her grief and anger.

The kit’s lower lip trembled. “Some bad men came when you were gone and found me, though I was hiding like you said…and I don’t know what they did, but it hurt…”

They tortured her with their power before they killed her. Elwen thought. They were sent by those great lords who hate me…oh Inari-sama , why her and not me? Cowards! Damn them to whatever hells there are!

“Mama?” Miriya whispered. “I’m scared.”

“It’s alright.” Elwen said, though she knew it would never be alright again. Echoes pounded in her ears, the echoes of angels who would never return. “Goodbye, Miriya…and rest well. I love you…”

She took her daughter’s tiny hands, as silver tears ran down her cheeks, and coalesced into gems before they hit the ground. “I promise you. From now on, I will never cry again.”

Miriya nodded once, showing she had received her mother’s vow, before fading away.

Fire flickered in the cave, and Elwen’s slender outline was painted into the flimsy gossamer robes she wore by the dancing firelight. A mad light shone in her golden eyes, as her long silver hair blew in the wind. The most beautiful woman in all the worlds stirred to anger was nothing less then magnificent, though risking the anger of Elwen was a grave thing. The kitsune howled a single word to her goddess above: vengeance. She would have the heads of those who did this deed.

Her daughter would be avenged. And from that day forth, her heart was frozen. Elwen never let herself love or care for anyone again.

Until…

~Owari~

 

 

There IS a poem that goes with this story, called "Echoes of Angels" as well, already up...

[Sorciere]

Beautifully written, I got completely lost in it.

[Gyrfalcon]

Excellently written- I feel saddened for Miriya, abandoned so young and then murdered by the hunters of the demon lords.

 

I do think I'd like to debat the 'kitsune as demons' bit, though.

 

Excellently written... I sort of hope to see these particular get brutally killed. I'll help, too.

[Damon Inferel]

You know, come to think of it, I have seen a great many of your works, both here and elsewhere, each one of them stirring different emotions I didn't even know existed. It's not often that I am saddened to any degree by writing, commonly reveling in the pain of heartbreak that is bestowed upon people... but this one did it... despite a few grammatical errors.

 

I normally find myself smiling at such things, being a sadist and all, but I really appreciate this, and it actually... it was really good ashke. Meow... it was really good.

 

Eep... I think i repeated myself. *shrugs*