The Day the Devil Was Born

[Henric Lee]

The boy watched the waves crash onto the cliffside with an expression of serene calm plastered upon his emotionless face. As if out of habit, a cold, emotionless smile simply hung upon his admittedly handsome features. He squinted into the coming gloom as the evening dawned upon the Hogwarts; jet black hair whipped around his head as a sudden gale hit the air and caused several trees near the cliffs to sway about in the wind current. His tempest gray orbs flickered from side to side, scanning the stormy seas. Watching. Always watching. He wondered why others like to put emphasis on this particular day. Why celebrate your coming into a wretched world? It was a curious affair. Henric Lee glanced at a watch he wore on his wrist; it was poised at 11:51. Nine more minutes before his birthday. The pale boy stared up into the skies, his lips twitching, as if he was smiling at the heavens - or mocking them for bringing him into this world. Leaning on his arm as he watched the angry tidal waves crash upon the cliffs, he whispered, mostly to himself, "Otanjoubi, de gozaru-yo."

The heavens opened up, the clouds dark and stormy, and soon, a light drizzle begun to pour down upon the area. Slicking back his wet hair, Henric smiled to himself enigmatically. Such a wretched, wretched day.

It was oddly amusing to him.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

Lost in thought Shalamar had left the school gazing at the ring now encased on her right index finger. It was a gift from her grandmother whose own grandmother had in turn given her one. It was very old and had been in her family a long long time. There were two rings apparently, the one that her grandmother now wore and this one. The first dragon keeper in their family had brought it for herself from a silversmith, when she herself had a grandchild who had the mark she commissioned another ring not dissimilar to her own. As each dragon keeper passed to the next life, her ring was put away until her replacement was born and until the day came that she could be given it.

It felt heavy on her finger but it also looked strangely beautiful, almost masculine though. The sapphire in it's center was larger than she had ever seen before and she so hoped she did not and would not lose it. Her fingers grazed it gently, delicately outlining the dragon heads and smiling. The wind seemed to whip up about her almost instantly and she shuddered against it. The dark clouds had been looming since early morning and she knew she should have stayed in doors but had not been able to resist the impulse of leaving. Even now she was unsure why she had headed to the cliffs when it had been more than eminent that a storm was on its way. A voice seemed to carry on the wind but she could see no one through the drizzle and sheeting wind.

At least not until she rounded the corner and saw Henric. Her heart near lost all sense and reason in that moment. She had not seen him in a while now, remembering vividly the day her birth mark had inflamed itself on her skin, branded her with her destiny how Artemis had told her after that she had actually told him she loved him. Her face flushed crimson. He had not seen her, surely she could leave. Get away before embarrassment held her. But as much as she wanted her feet to move backwards, willed them to do so they would not obey but moved towards him instead. The rain dripped from her face yet she still managed to look serenely beautiful even with the tempest about her.
"Henric?" her voice carried like a whisper on the wind barely audible though she now stood beside him. She had never seen him look so handsome or so deadly.

 

[Henric Lee]

"Hmmm?" The soft murmur, as if a question, wafted over from the storm-ridden cliffs. Tilting his head slightly as the rain pelted the earth, the darkly handsome boy's lips twitched upwards and he bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment of her presence. "Good evening." The boy called as a huge wave crashed upon the cliffs, sending foamy-white tipped waves of water onto the craggy surface where Henric now sat.

"Nice weather." He said absentmindedly, water dripping from his face as he watched the angry black skies unleash their wrath and skewer the ground with infinite droplets of water. "I suppose you want to ask me a question, or seek my company," He mused, shifting in his spot slightly as if to make space for her. A lightningbolt flashed, throwing his features into sharp relief. He looked more handsome than ever, but his smile was thoroughly fake and he looked as if he was a mere statue instead of a person.

Henric Lee glanced at her for a moment more, and then sighed to himself and said with a chuckle. "Very well. But I get to stare at you luridly while you do so."

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

If either stayed there much longer they would be drowned rats, the water from the ocean spray and the rain from the heavens soaking them both. Shalamar had black trousers on and a purple coat but still felt the chill, part of her contemplated whether it was from the weather or Henric. He spoke to her and she only smiled as he moved aside a little on his perch for her. About to sink down a flash of lightening startled her and it nearly sent her over the edge, or so she would tell herself. For his face in the moment the lightening flashed had been startling, she had always considered him handsome but in that blinding dazzling light it had been emphaphized. She sat down then slowly but carefully when he passed a comment.

Frowning she looked at him.
"What have I done to offend you?" she considered everything before and could think of nothing other than the countless rescue attempts. If he could be cruel to anyone she had never thought he could be to her and yet the boy before her was not the one she had seen so many times before. What had happened between then and now she did not know. They were sitting to close and she felt the bitter chill even more so now. A shiver pierced her and she turned to stand back up.

"You clearly want to be alone. I.. I didn't seek you out to ask you anything. I didn't seek you out purposefully. I just... I just came here"
it was difficult to explain anything to him when he was intend on staring. She could feel the goosebumps on her flesh and still couldn't tell if it was the weather or a reaction to him.

 

[Henric Lee]

"I see. A chance meeting." The boy glanced up at the angry skies as the torrential downpour continued to soak him to the bone. "A funny thing to happen on ... This day." The same ghostly smile hung on his lips as his gray orbs widened to stare at the moon poking out of the angry gray clouds. "I guess it isn't your fault." Henric Lee murmured, more to himself than to her. His pale hand fell to the soggy rocks and he gripped hold one of them with such force a crack split down the middle. "You never offended me. I'm not angry at you," He mused, "I'm angry at Christ, the Jade Emperor, Buddha, Allah, whichever one of them was responsible..."

He took hold of her hand unexpectedly and placed it on his heart. "... For this."

Tilting his head slightly as she could hear his heart beat in his chest, he smiled at her, the hallowed smile he had fixed on his face today. "Can you hear it?" He whispered, his voice nearly lost in the howling winds, "Does it beat? Am I real? Do I exist? And if I do, I hate my existence."

As lightning flashed again and thunder rumbled, as if the heavens were screaming their outrage at his blasphemy, Henric raised his head, rain pouring down the side of his face as he said simply, "Today is the day I was born."

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

She did not know what to expect but it was not what he said and more so it was not what he did. As she made to stand his words halted her. A chance meeting on this day? She stopped moving and stayed at his side kneeling instead, not caring that her clothing was all but soaked now. The smile he cast to the skies was strange yet it held a sadness to it or so it seemed to her. If she spent every day of the rest of her life with him she would never truly know him and yet she seriously believed she knew him better than most. She watched the rock that cracked from the pressure of his hand and shuddered, if he could do that to a rock what was he capable of doing to her. She wanted to run but again his words halted any flight. he was not angry with her but with every deity that those who walked the earth believed in.

She wanted to reassure him but was not sure what to say and then before she knew it her small hand was in his. He took it in his grasp and held it to his heart. She gasped, how often had she dreamed of that very heart beat as if it echoed her own. As he continued to speak she had to strain so hard to hear it all above the storm that raged about them, above the heartbeat she heard as sure as if it were her own and above the tempest that he was ingiting inside her. Shalamar shook her head leaving her hand on his heart, not wanting to move it now than he had willingly placed it there. Today was his birthday, today chance had fated for her to meet him. He hated his existence and she had been shown here by fate for what reason? To prove to him that he had a reason, a purpose. That he was so very real to her.

"I can hear it" her own voice was as low as his, fearing that if she spoke any louder he would hear the raw emotion that underlined it.
"I have always heard it" with her other hand she reached for his other hand, closing her eyes as she did so as it meant reaching across him. The closeness as any other time made her dizzy, made her acutely aware of him and his hold over her. Taking his hand she placed his over her own heart.
"You exist, you are real Henric. How can you hate your own existence when it is so precious to ..." she dared not say it but the storm almost mocked her, dared her as if she were not brave enough, a deep breath as she looked into the pale orbs of the boy who had long ago stolen her heart, no wonder the rythm was the same, "to me".

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

A masked figure flipped over the heads of the sickeningly sweet couple. The outfit was strange in every way possible even though she (it was very clear it was a she by the top she was waring) seemed to pull it off well. Most tell tale signs that it was anyone in particular under the mask was taken away though. The figure landed on the point of a rock while she held her other foot behind her head much like a ballerina. That lasted for only a few seconds though as she let go while flipping on pointed toe from the sharp rock. The figure didn't seem to notice that anyone was there besides her as she made to take something out of her black vest through the flip.

It was clear that she was taking something out of a pocket hidden somewhere because the movement was too slow. The figure's shoulders went up then down as she made the fan dissipated by slight of hand. She knew that her hands where still fast enough to make it seem like she could do wandless magic even though she was too young for it. She made the fan appear then go away again just as fast. It was then that she was starting to move again so she could get her timing just right while in motion.

Speed seemed to be the figure's friend as she went through some standered Jujitsu moves while making the fan blink in and out of her hands. It was then that the masked figure seemed to see the pare exchanging what seemed like a tender moment. The eyes could not be seen through the wholes of the mask. "Sweet." said a robotic female voice though the lips of the mask never moved. The expression was as cold and lifeless as she had meant it to be.

 

[Henric Lee]

"Oh?" The boy murmured, tilting his head slightly as he replied in his monotone voice, "Thank you, then. But you should really cease to feel any form of affection for me. The people who get close to me tend to be..." His eyes flashed with emotion for a split second. "... Engulfed. In sorrow." With a hollow laugh, Henric got up from the rocks, but not without resting the palm of his hand on Shalamar's head for a moment before he left. "Watch yourself. Because the only one who will remain true to you, is you."

With that, the enigmatic Slytherin spun on his heels and begun to leave, but not before he pulled his wand out of his robes and pointed it at the cliffs where the hidden figure was perched. He paused, as if doubting his own suspicion, and then his lips twitched into a semi-smile as he stowed his wand and disappeared into the treeline, drenched from head to toe.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

She should have expected it, should have known that he would reject her. Yet her heart could not feel as if he had just refused it, it felt more that he was trying to protect her once again. Rescue her but this time from him. She felt his hand on her head and closed her eyes. The figure on the cliffs meant nothing to her, she could careless who the strangely dressed person was. Other than she was obviously some deranged fool out in this weather dressed for halloween. Turning she watched him walk into the trees, the rain continued to fall about her and on her. Her gaze fell to her ring, a dragon keeper who had no control of her own destiny was fairly pathetic.

Shalamar stood up then meaning to leave but she couldn't. Her feet instead took her onto the path that he had taken. Her body was shivering now from the cold, her bones soaked through but she didn't care. All she cared about in that moment was getting to him.
"Henric" her hand reached out and touched his arm, she ran about to stand in front of him, "No you don't get to walk away this time."

She was shivering uncontrollably, the cold piercing her deeply but she was almost beyond caring about the harsh weather conditions at least in the forest line the pelting rain was barely registered a few drops plopped here and there as the canopy high over head took the worst of it. He always did this to her, rescued her in some way and walked away from her. Her hand still on his arm though almost too gentle to be noticed she looked up into the eyes that she knew just as well as her own.

"I can't just cease how I feel. I've tried but I can't " she was so ashamed of herself now, embarrassed by the words that would not stop from being spoken. Her gaze fell to her hand and hastily she removed it from him.
"Is it so wrong to care for you? Do you really prefer all those ... other girls?" she could almost see them clearly now in her own mind, the ones constantly on his arm, the girls she had seen him kiss and wrap himself around and every one that she had witnessed had hurt her more and more. What was different about her? Why wasn't she good enough for him?

Suddenly she didn't want to know the answer, didn't know if she could even cope with finding out how little he thought of her. Shalamar took a step backwards, a sob tearing through her throat but she stifled it, causing her to speak again in gasps.
"Don't ever ... come to ... my rescue ever... again. Don't ... don't save me from whatever ... catastrophe is about to befall me. If I'm so better off without you, then let fate and not you decide whether I should be saved."

She wiped her face taking another step back from him. Her eyes didn't once leave his face as if she were attempting to memorize every single feature, every inch of him. Whatever propelled her to do what she did next she would never know, the thought of never seeing him again except furtive glances during classes was probably what goaded her. The thought of having to give him up without ever really having him was possibly another factor. Whatever the reason Shalamar's footsteps faltered and instead of walking backwards she walked too him. Stood on her tiptoe and gently grazed her lips against his. It was as gentle as the rest of her, barely had she touched his lips but she was breaking the contact. Turning this time from him and walking onwards through the mess of trees before her.

Her thoughts were all over the place, not focusing once on where she was going or even registering that for the first time in her life she was in the Forbidden Forest.

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

The figure was seen because she had wanted to be seen. In the rain it would have been too easy for her to hide. She had been here by chance but was glad she had been here. In one quick motion a wand was out and a set of vines set out to follow Ovanisse. "Fan girl, stupid fan girl." The robotic voice said though it seemed like she refused to show who she really was. By know anyone who knew her would guess who she was though she still had the air mystery around her. There was no reason for Hoshi to hold back. If reality what had happened had been a replay of something that happened second year. Ova was going down the same path that she had before the winter brake. Same situation but a different face. Hoshi would not allow someone to take her place here. She followed the Chinese girl into the forbidden forest along with her vines. Her mask would protect who she really was anyway.

 

[Claphore]

The forest was his domain, the tribe had been reassured that students and professors alike would stay out and yet they continued to walk through as if they owned the place. Claphore watched as a young human boy and girl spoke to one another, or it would seem she spoke he listened before she then walked off. So the human female did not want the male to rescue her anymore. All highly amusing, even more so when he saw some other figure appear, masked and mysterious this female's scent was familiar to him. With his large broadsword he swung it effortlessly on the vines that seemed to be worming their way along the forest floor. Human magic was detestable to him.

Sheathing his sword he pulled out his bow and arrow and hit the tree just before the boy, sending another just above his head as if warning him not to even attempt to go any further. Another arrow placed swiftly into his longbow was sent at the foot of the masked girl, halting her steps too.

Coming into view he laughed, rearing up his forelegs as he swung he bow behind him once more. Then with a sardonic grin took off after the smaller girl. If she wanted no one to rescue her, then he was going to have plenty of fun. His sure footed hooves made it to her in great speed, unsheathing his sword and swinging it around to point directly at her neck he sneered at her.
"You are far from home youngling, you have strayed where you should not be" the tip of the sword nicked her throat, a drop of blood trickled to the blade, "no one will find you here, no one."

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Masked Pride did not seem to be shaken by the arrow on her feet. In fact she saw it as an invitaiton. She ran then caught one of the branches above her as her heavy booted feet left the ground. She hopped from branch to branch to hide her progress through the forest. She had also heard Ova scream at Henric no to come to her rescue anymore. It had been just like the day she had taunted Henric into leaving her alone. Pride knew that Ova meant it about as much as Hoshi had meant it. It took her a bit but she finally caught up to the pare.

Centores though heavy creatures could be fast but Pride could be fast as well. She leapt off the branch that she had landed on and made it lightly onto the creature's back so as not to hurt the horse part of the being. The human half on the other hand she aimed a round house kick to the head before taking to the air again. She aimed for the ground now then drew small pin like dagger that had kept the green half of her hair from being seen. She worried it around in her right hand for a moment before dropping to one knee and bowing her head. The point to the dagger was buried in the ground.

"Oh great warrior of the forest you can't take her." Masked Pride said in a tone that did not quite match the robotic quality that the mask scrambled it to.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

She heard the movement in the trees behind her and sighed. Had he come for her after all, she could not help the smile that blessed her features as she turned to face him but for all her efforts the most she received was a blade to her neck. The tip pierced her, she could feel the sharpness of the blade pinch the skin. Gasping she wondered what was to become of her and why she had been so foolish as to tell Henric not to rescue her anymore. But perhaps this was fate telling her she had to stand on her own two feet without him, she did not know. Only a short time ago she had thought fate had sent her to him on his birthday for another reason. Her heart and mind were in agony and now she would be physically so.

She had no time to ask the centaur what he wanted with her, no time to tell him she had not meant to stray before a figure seemed to come from nowhere dealing the centaur some kind of blow. Shalamar hastily stepped back and caught her throat in her hands, looking at the drops of blood on them as she pulled them before her. Anger and shock steeped her eyes, the figure that had come to her rescue this time was not the one she had wanted but probably the one that was needed. The masked figure.

 

[Claphore]

He felt the kick but he wasn't completely devoid of senses, he could hear and smell that girl coming a mile off. His head had turned slightly to the side so she only grazed him really but it wasn't enough for him to lower the blade from the other girls throat though the momentary distraction allowed the girl to step back a small bit. He kept the broad sword trained on her all the same and glared at the masked figure.
"I know who you are, playing with my sword the last time we met. I am no fool. I am older and wiser now and know you humans for the fools you are. She willingly came into my world, she is mine to with as I please and if it be to slice her foolish head off then I will but do not think you will get a chance to kick, slap or do anything else to me. You are out of your depth here" he could not remember the girls name but he could picture her face, she was beautiful yet had even then been haunted looking.With a quick stretch of his arm, the blade tip was tilted to the side of Shalamar's throat. One slice was all that was needed and her head could so easily be severed from her shoulders.
"Why can't I take her? Why do you vouch for her when that other one, the boy would not?"

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Pride looked up at Claphore. She remembered him too. She always had a thing for weaponry and was still of the opinion that his sword was most beautifully made. "I do not wish to fool you Claphore. I was taught the up most respect for those much grater than myself." She said when she rose to her feet. She looked at the way his sword was playing across Ova's throat but the mask prevented her from showing any emotion. "You under estimate my speed. I was trained by one who is like the wind." She said bowing her head at the thought of her student teacher. "She is my rival. As of this moment, when her lips met Henric's she became my biggest threat. If she is to die it will be by my hand and no one else's" She said. At the moment she happy that no one could see her face. Shalamar would forever wonder who was the one who layed clam on her life unless she took off the mask.

 

[Claphore]

Claphore shook his head lowering his sword from the girls throat and winking infamously at her. Spinning it about he sheathed it once more in it's place at his side.
"I care not for your speed or your own personal vendetta. Truly you would kill this girl because she cares for the same fool that you do?" His hooves pawed the ground almost violently. Moving very slowly to bar the distance between both girls.

"A heart cannot help who it cares for, if that boy does not care for either of you then walk away with some dignity as she has done. Do not look back, move on" Claphore was astounded by this masked creatures desire to actually kill a fellow school mate and human so easily.
"Leave these woods now and perhaps you too shall be spared. I will not give her up to you. She is safer with me than with you I fear".

 

[Hoshi Icchihara]

Pride put her fists on her hips. "Did I ask you to give her up to me? No I just asked you not to kill her." She said. Her actions where dipping with attitude though her voice was flat because of the scrambler. "You didn't see what happened next. She yelled at him to not save her anymore but then she turned and kissed him. She can't turn away anymore than I can." She said turning her head to the empty black sockets of the mask where trained on Shamalar. Seeing that Shamalar was somewhat free now put her hand out. "Run fan girl but know that when we meet again we will be enemies!" She yelled then scuttled back up a tree. "I am not a delicate flower that needs to be saved." She said making the mask make her voice echo from where she stood hidden in leaves.

"I will not go without a fight." She said again distorting where she was. Pride liked to think that she was a good illusionist. Pride had to be because she didn't have enough magic to do the things she wanted to do for real. Illusions on the other hand didn't need too much magic to do they only needed an ablity to make people believe in what wasn't there. Pride liked to think she was good at that too. "If you want to kill me you will have to catch me." She said them laughed a horrific metric laugh. She hated to do this to a creature of the forest but it had to be done. If Shamalar was going down she was going to go down while going up against her not alone in a forest.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

She wanted to glare at both of them, speaking about her as if she were not there. This was insane, now that she was free of the blade she knew she could run for it but it was the fact that the other girl had actually told her too that made her stand still. Even more stunned that the centaur had come between them as if he were protecting her. She groaned closing her eyes and hanging her head. Would everyone just get it into their heads once and for all that she did not need rescuing or protecting. She was more than capable.

As the other girl spoke about Henric and how Shalamar had been with him moments ago, she frowned. For one Shalamar had not shouted, she never shouted. She had spoken to him as she always did, usually only loud enough for only him to hear perhaps the other girls over wrought emotions had led her to believe that Shalamar had been shouting but she herself knew better. The kiss had been her farewell to him, the seal of her goodbye and nothing more. She was intent on being free of whatever hold he had on her and yes her lips still tingled now from the barest contact they had with his but she was practical, she was a Ravenclaw after all. Her head would continue to rule her as it had before she ever met Henric Lee and if this girl thought her an enemy let her. She watched her bounding off into the forest and waited to see if the centaur would go after her.
"I thank you for coming between us but I also know you had your blade to my throat a moment ago. I will not run there is no point. I will also not use my magic on you though I could. Leave me go free and you will have my word as Shalamar Jeon Ovanisse, 13th dragon keeper of the my clan that this will be my first and last time to venture into the forest".

 

[Claphore]

Claphore could have cheefully sliced the masked girls head off with his broad sword, she was becoming such an irritant now. How her ears had heard things compared to how he had perplexed him. There had been no screams that he had been aware of, the youngling close to him had certainly never yelled at the boy but she had kissed him. It had barely even registered in his view as a kiss, he had watched himself. The girl had barely touched the boy so could it even be classed as a kiss? It had no sooner happened than it hadn't. Casting a swift glance to the youngling beside him before looking at the masked girl once more, he slowly began to form a name in his mind. There had been a few of them that day but she had stood out because she had reached up to touch his sword, she had actually attempted to flirt with him. Who was the fan girl here? A soft chuckle began in his chest as she told the youngling to run. Now who was yelling he mused to himself.
"Hoshi Koshiba" he mused allowed shaking his head, "I knew I would remember her name."

He laughed again holding his hand out to the youngling when she began to speak. There was pride in her voice and she looked so slight as if a gust of wind would blow her down but he saw a strength in her that had not been evident in the other.
"A dragon keeper eh?" only humans with any talent with magical creatures could hope to attain such a title, dragons were marvelled even to centaurs. He held out his hand to her again.
"I will take you to the edge of the forest, let the masked avenger and her boy have their own fun here in the forest. I am sure many more of my clan are watching them. Come then dragon keeper I will give you save passage out of here".

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

The centaur said a name low enough not to be heard by anyone else but her. Her head hastily watched the retreating form of the girl, so that was who it was. Why Shalamar was not surprised by this certainly didn't phase her at all. She looked instead at the hand outstretched before her and took it. Effortlessly she swung up on to the back of the centaur and looked about not sure just what it was she was to hold on too. Her hands stayed on either side of him holding gently yet firmly as she did so, to prevent her from falling off.

She had not liked the way he had spoken of Hoshi and Henric in the one sentence but she would have to live with it, resign herself to the fact that she was not what he wanted or needed.
"Thank you" she told him kindly as they slowly made their way to the edge of the forest.

 

[Claphore]

With the extra weight on his back now he moved at a slower pace to the forests edge. His broadsword he unsheathed once more in case he might need it and tempted as he was to tell the girl to remove her wand and hold fast to it, he did not. As he cantered a long he gave way to some contemplation and without missing a heart beat made inquiries of the girl.
"Does it hurt?" he of course did not mean the tiny nick on her neck from his blade, that was superficial at best, "that the boy did not come after you, did that hurt?"
It had not taken them long to reach the edge at all and pausing in the line of the trees so he would not be seen from the school or the land beyond he lowered himself down slowly to make it easier for her to descend from him.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

It was not at all uncomfortable riding bare back infact, she found it alot easier than when she rode saddle as she did back home. The centaur moved slowly for her yet in no time at all they were near the edge of the forest. She smiled as he began to speak but was grateful that he could not see her as her smile faltered. How could she lie to such an honest question? She couldn't bring herself to lie even if she had wanted too.

"Yes and no. It hurt that he never thought enough of me to begin with. All the times he came to my rescue, almost as if he were willing my heart to care for him and when it mattered the most, he could careless" she slid from his back once he lowered himself enough for her and standing on firm ground looking out through the few branches at the lawn ahead she sighed.

"The strange thing is, I don't think I ever truly expected him to reciprocate any feelings I may have for him. I think he tried to warn me often enough perhaps I should have listened and heeded those warnings but we can't choose who we fall in love with can we?" she smiled at the large gallant looking centaur. Instinctively she hugged his waistline where man and horse met, then standing apart she thanked him.