Periwinkle

“Rowan Crimsonclaw. Vandalism.” The wraith’s voice snaked around him like fog. Rowan tried to cover his fear. “Yeah, whatever. Get on with it. I-“ But what he saw made the words die in his throat. She was surrounded by the crowd, but he’d recognise his sister anywhere. There she was, sniffling and staring right at him. She stepped forward and whispered only one word. “Why?” Rowan tried to move but the wraith’s hands dug deeper into his shoulders. He was being pulled back... he felt the heat of the flames on his back... His feet were skidding... He met Rosey’s eyes and gave her a sad little smile. “I’m sorry.”

And then he fell.

Rowan didn’t know how long the fall lasted. Bright lights were blurring in front of his eyes as he tried to sit up. “Where am I? There’s no fire... Are those buildings? They’re so big...” Hazy thoughts raced through his head. He stood up, stumbled and faced the flashing lights of the city. He’d heard of cities, but he’s never seen one until now. Suddenly he felt a strange feeling. The hairs rose on the back of his neck. He whirled around to face the group of strange grinning creatures that were slowly moving closer. “H-hey, fellas. Any of you uh, got a map?” He laughed nervously. The creatures moved closer. He realised they were covered in grinning mouths and eyes. Somehow they filled him with more fear than he’d ever felt before. A claw slashed at his face and adrenaline kicked in. He turned on his heels and ran.

Byron fiddled with his sleeve and leaned out of the window. He sensed the light and energy pulsing from the city around him. He noticed a new energy was present. Overcome by curiosity, he raised his blindfold for a moment and caught a glimpse of something blue. Another glimpse and he could make out a small blue flower on his windowsill. “Why does a little flower have this much energy?” he wondered aloud. But then an all-too-familiar energy passed under his window. He shrunk back and slammed the window shut. “Smilers. And they’re on the hunt.”

Rowan sped through the narrow streets, slipping and stumbling on the concrete. Muffled footsteps pounded behind him. He turned a corner, and then another. He hit his elbow on a wall and a bruise started to form. But he kept running. And so did the monsters. He didn’t dare to look back, but he could hear their hissing breath behind him. Another corner. Another stumble. Don’t fall. Keep running. Don’t look back. A furry hand reached out and grabbed his foot. Now their breath was on his neck. He tripped.

Byron felt rather than heard the scream. It echoed through his mind, pulsing with a painful energy. He jumped back and tightened his blindfold. Somebody was out there. He knew it was dangerous, but part of him was curious. What if there was somebody like him out there? Maybe he wasn’t alone after all. Maybe he could have... a friend. The thoughts filled him with hope, but the Smilers still kept him back. Then he felt another scream. He knew he had no choice now. Byron took a deep breath and opened the apartment door. The bright city stared back at him, and the lights hurt his eyes even with the blindfold on. He listened as hard as he could, and soon he could sense which direction he needed to go. Walking, then running, he slipped through the streets towards the light. The more he ran, the stronger it became.

All Rowan could see was a blur of light and colour. The walls seemed to close in around him and the cold gravel dug into his back. The world faded in and out, but the horrible pain in his eye never faded. It hurt too much to open and he had a terrifying feeling that he might never open it again. In the haze he saw a grey shape walk towards him silently. He felt a spike of strange energy and his vision faded to black.

Byron pulled off his blindfold and gazed at the creature before him. The brown cat was hurt badly on his left eye, and two red horns jutted out at the top of his head. Byron wondered if this was one of the legendary demons he’d heard of before. It would explain the energy, but why would a demon be here? Summoning the strength he rarely used, he picked up the cat and started on the long walk back.

By the time he’d finished wrapping the bandage over the cat’s eye, Byron had determined he was definitely a demon. Hope welled up in him as he wondered what mysteries he would uncover. But first, the demon would have to wake up. Just as Byron thought this, the cat stirred and squinted up at him. “You’re awake.” He breathed. The cat blinked a few times. “Who... are you? Why can’t I open my eye...?” Rowan’s mind was racing as he struggled to sit up. His eye didn’t hurt as much anymore, but he couldn’t open it. In his blurring vision he saw the grey shape he’d seen before. Now that he was awake he could see it was a scrawny bat with cloth over his eyes. He didn’t look very threatening, and Rowan immediately felt better. He sat up higher and tried to offer his hand. “Hey uhh, I’m Rowan. Did you bring me here?” He looked around the small room. It was cozy but quite cold and Rowan missed the warm lava of his home. Byron nodded  and gave him a weak smile. “Yeah. Sorry, I- you were hurt.” His gaze shifted to the bandaged eye and Rowan winced. “My eye... when will it be better? I can’t see with this on.”  The bat fiddled with his shirt and shifted uncomfortably. Eventually he muttered, “I don’t think it’s gonna heal. I’m sorry.”

Rowan’s breath stopped in his throat as he tried to grasp what the bat had just said. “Never? It’s NEVER gonna heal?” The bat put a comforting hand on his arm but Rowan jumped to his feet. “What the hell am I gonna do? With only.. with only one...” He could barely say it. “I’ll help you.” The bat muttered. “I live here. I know how to avoid the smilers.” Rowan’s throat went dry at the last word. “Smilers? With the mouths and the eyes and the-“

“Yeah. They feed on magical creatures. They only eat parts at a time but they’re still really dangerous.”Rowan turned around. He couldn’t take all the questions any longer. “But why? Why are you helping me? I don’t even know you!” he cried. Byron focused on a speck of dust on the floorboards. “I thought maybe... I, uh... maybe you’re like me? With... weird powers?” He knew how stupid he sounded the second the words left his mouth. But the cat wasn’t laughing at all. In fact, he was looking at Byron very seriously. “Yeah. I’m a demon. But you don’t look like one. And I don’t feel anythi...” He trailed off when Byron raised his blindfold. The glowing eyes seemed to glare right into Rowan’s heart and sent a chill down his spine. “Woah, buddy... that’s some nice eyes you got there.” He started to back away but the bat smiled shyly. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. Not on purpose anyway. But I need your help. Do you know how to control your powers? Cause I sure don’t.” The bat laughed nervously. “I’m Byron, by the way.” He held out his hand and Rowan shook it tentatively. Both creatures felt a slight shock before he let go. “It’d be pretty rude if I didn’t help you after all that.” Rowan grinned. “What can I say? I love a challenge.”

Since her brother’s exile there had only been one thing on Rosey’s mind. Escape. She’d never been anywhere but the underworld, but she knew it was her only hope of finding Rowan. She glared over her shoulder at the red cat that was waving to her. Her friend Vex just wouldn’t leave her alone and her patience was growing thin. “Hey Rosey!” He appeared at her side. “How are you? You look awesome! Is that a new shirt? I really like what you...” he trailed off when he noticed her expression. “Sorry, I’ll uh... sorry. I’ll just...” He blushed and Rosey walked away. She had to admit there was some guilt at the back of her mind, but she had more important things to do. The next exile day was in less than a week, and she had a plan to hatch.

Vex stroked the flower gently. The soft blue petals looked fragile and out of place against the fiery sky. He curled a protective paw around the flower and hid it back in his pocket. “Rosey loves flowers.” He whispered and recalled the quiet days they’d spent together. But the memory sparked the sadness he always felt being rejected by her. He’d gotten used to the flames and destruction around him but the beautiful cat made his heart split in two. Valentine’s has falling on the same day as the next exile, and Vex had decided it was high time he told her the truth. He hoped that the precious flower might change her mind about him. Vex couldn’t wait until Valentine’s day.

Rowan leaned on the apartment wall and shielded his eyes against the morning sun. “Byron... I’m sure this was important and all, but 5 AM? Seriously, man? We’re not all nocturnal like you.” Byron grimaced but didn’t stop drawing. The bat was sketching a strange, intricate symbol in chalk in front of his apartment. Finally he stepped back and they gazed at his work. “That should be all. This will make it harder for the Smilers to feel your energy. You didn’t like the blindfold so... this is the alternative. And uh, sorry about the time.” He winced.  “It’d be pretty weird if someone saw me drawing something invisible on the ground.” Rowan had to agree. “Where’d you learn how to do this?” he asked. Byron looked a little proud. “I found an ancient book... it disappeared from the library the next day but I remembered a few things. I never needed to use this, but last night I was reminded of it.” The sunrise washed red and orange light over Rowan’s fur. “Just like the fire of home.” He whispered with a smile.

The hot coal crunched under Vex’s feet. With a paw resting lightly on his pocket, he made his way to the place he knew Rosey would be. But as he reached the charred oak tree, his heart sank. It was empty, and Vex was still alone. Cries pierced the air and he remembered that he was supposed to be at the exile. He jumped to his feet and ran through the burning paths until he could see the crowd before him. He slipped through the thick crowd, slithering his way between the demons until he spotted a familiar face. Rosey was gazing at the front, her face hard and determined. He hesitated and then tapped her on the shoulder, immediately feeling guilty when she jumped. “Vex! What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Rosey…” he began shyly. “I, uh… I’m sorry for interrupting you but I noticed it’s kinda Valentine’s day and I thought maybe I…” he plucked the flower from his pocket and held it out to her. “I brought you something… cause you like flowers, right?” He expected her gaze to light up but she continued to glare at him. The wraith at the front of the crows announced the last criminal to be exiled, distracting Rosey. Without another glace at Vex, she ran.

Rosey streaked through the roaring crowd, pushing past the demons, not caring who she angered. Finally she reached the front. The wraiths were so close she could feel their foul breath on her face. The criminalturned around to face his flaming fate. As the wraith took hold of his shoulder and pushed, Rosey called for one last burst of energy and leaped after him. The heat of the fire rushed into her and the world went dark.

After what seemed like seconds, her vision started to clear. All she could see was a pale blue sky. It wasn’t a sight she was used to, but somehow it felt comforting. Maybe even familiar. She struggled to sit up and her head spun as she took in the colours around her. When the world stopped blurring, Rosey realised she was in a meadow. White flowers danced in front of her eyes and she marvelled at the warm sunlight on her back. She hoped that Rowan had come to this wonderful place. Suddenly a small voice cut into her thoughts. “Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.” She whirled around to find a strange rabbit-like creature gazing at her. She smiled and somehow Rosey felt calm. “Hello… where am I?” she said. “Isn’t it obvious?” the creature laughed. “You’re in a meadow.”

“Right… do you think… did you see another person here? A brown cat like me, but he’s tall and a bit darker and kinda mean.” The rabbit’s face flickered and Rosey realised it was a screen. “I didn’t see anybody like that.” she said after a pause. “We don’t let get many visitors here. Just my brother, and he’s not here anymore.” Rosey wondered who “we” was, and decided it was probably better not to ask. The creature held out a paw. “I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Konukii. I live here usually.” Rosey managed a smile. “Hi, my name’s Rosey. I’m from… um, somewhere else.” The smile on Konukii’s face grew knowing and Rosey had a feeling that Konukii knew exactly where she came from. It was unsettling but she tried to hide her fear. “I should go looking for Rowan. Thanks for welcoming me here.” Too late she realised that she’d already revealed too much. Rowan had always called her a big mouth, she remembered. The rabbit didn’t seem to mind. “Well then, goodbye for now. Until we meet again, Rosey.” She picked a flower and pressed it into Rosey’s palm. “Bye, Konukii… thank you.” She started to walk towards the forest she could see in the distance. Eventually Rosey remembered that the flower was still clutched in her paw. She assumed it would be white, but when she opened her paw she was startled. The flower was a pale blue.

Byron felt the familiar spike of fear as he touched his blindfold. Ignoring the impulse to leave it on, he slid it over his head. He looked around the cluttered room, taking in all the details that his sensing couldn’t pick up. Finally his gaze rested on Rowan. He was staring at Byron’s eyes with a mixture of fear and curiosity. “Do they always glow like that?” He finally asked. “Yeah.” said Byron. “They changed when I was ten years old and they’ve been like this ever since.” He took an uncertain step back. “I can’t control my powers like this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ll be fine.” Rowan said. “But Byron, what are your powers? Mine are just strength. And I don’t die as often.” Byron decided it was probably better not to ask about the “as often”. Instead, he summoned a surge of willpower and the air around his fingers began to flicker and shake. Black flames emerged from his hand until it looked like a birthday cake from hell. Rowan felt a chill go through his body despite the heat. “I hate to break this to you, kid... but you’re not a demon. That’s wraith magic.”

Byron’s mind raced as he struggled to understand. “What does that mean? Didn’t you say that wraiths were bad? That they exiled you?” He snuffed out the fire with trembling hands. “Yeah, I know. That’s what I don’t understand.” Rowan continued. “You don’t look like one. You just look like a normal bat, not some big shadowy thing with sharp claws and a voice like-“ He shut his eyes, blocking out the unwelcome memory. “My point is you don’t look like one and you certainly don’t act like one. Wraiths are like those things you have here... the police. But of the underworld. They catch demons like me who mess up and get caught. And their eyes, it’s like... they sense things. They look at you and it’s like they’re sensing your energy.” He laughed quietly. “I bet they could sense us from the other side of the city.” Suddenly Byron stiffened. He felt a spike of panic and his pulse quickened. “I did that. I sensed you and you weren’t even close. ” he muttered. “I’m just like them. How do you think I can function with this blindfold on all the time? How do you think I found you? I can sense everything. And I felt your energy and I found you there and I-“ Byron found himself taking a step back, and then another, and then another. His paw found the cold shiny doorknob behind him. He heard Rowan’s voice break through his cloudy mind but he only stopped for a moment. The door swung open and a draft of cool air hit his back. “Byron, what the hell are you doing?” He raised his head at Rowan’s voice but his feet were already staggering into the city.

Rosey wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking for. It seemed like hours had gone by and her feet ached. The sunshine wasn’t so pleasant anymore, and even she was starting to hate the heat. The endless meadow swam before her eyes as she trudged on. “I should have stayed with Konukii,” she muttered. But still the hope of finding Rowan kept her walking on. The world wobbled in front of her eyes. Suddenly her ankle caught on a root and sent her stumbling to the ground. Rosey stayed lying there, staring up at the sky until it turned dark. “Rowan, will I ever find you?” she whispered. She sat up and took out the crumpled blue flower. Gazing at the petals immediately made her feel calmer and she felt her thoughts clear. Finally she tore her gaze from the hypnotizing petals and looked up. Her breath caught in her throat. In front of her was a shining city.

A pulse of strange energy stopped Byron’s run. He skidded to a halt and swivelled his head around, searching for the source of the energy. It felt magical like Rowan, but something was different. It felt almost… sweet. Byron found himself feeling a little happy despite his raging emotions. But the familiar hiss of Smilers brought him back to reality and he quickly ducked back towards home. He grabbed the silver doorknob and pulled the door wide open in his panic. But as he was about to call for Rowan, Byron heard a friendly voice behind him. “Hello. What is this place?” He turned around to see a pretty young cat smiling at him. But a closer look at her sent a shiver down his spine. Her eyes were a bright crimson, and two small horns jutted out from the top of her head.

Rosey hadn’t meant to follow the bat. Really. She’d just… happened to see him, and wondered if he might know something helpful. At least, that’s what she told him anyway. Smiling sweetly, she stepped into the small apartment after him. “I’m so sorry to disturb you! I don’t have to be here for long…” she said as she sat down. “It’s fine.” The bat muttered. “What can I help you with?”

“Well, I’m a little lost…” she began. “I’ve been walking for a while and I finally got here. I’m trying to find my brother, he’s a brown cat like me but a little darker and kinda dumb and he… his name is Rowan.” The bat’s face darkened at the name. “Do you know him?” she asked hopefully. Suddenly the bat raised his head and glared at her. “You’re a demon, aren’t you? What do you want with Rowan?” Rosey jumped at the angry words. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. “Please, can I talk to him? He’s my brother. I promise.” She tried to smile again. But the bat strode towards the door and unlatched it. “You need to leave. I know what you are. I’m not gonna let you hurt us.” He said. “I won’t hurt him…” she put a paw on Byron’s arm and her eyes flashed threateningly. “But about you I can’t promise.” Byron jumped back as the cat unsheathed her shining claws. Rosey was desperate. She hadn’t walked the whole meadow to give up now. “LET ME SEE MY BROTHER OR I WILL-“

“Rosey?”

The room fell silent and she turned around. In the doorway was a familiar figure, staring right at her. Rowan.

Finally she broke the stunned silence. “How’s your eye?” She tried a smile but Rowan winced. “It’s not great, okay?” He looked her up and down. “You don’t look so great either. But you’re alive and you’re here, so I’ll take it.” He pulled out a chair and she sank into it. “Yes I am. It really took a while, but I found you!” She turned her head to see Byron hovering near the door, fiddling with his sleeves uncomfortably. “Sorry.” He said quietly and winced. “I didn’t know you were his sister. Rowan, I’m sorry...”

“It’s okay, kid.” Rowan grinned. “We’re all together now. This is awesome. We’re free... as long as the Smilers  don’t catch us.” He added as a quiet hiss came from outside. Rosey shivered and sank down lower. “That’s great, but right now I’m really tired. Can I stay here? Pleeeease?” Byron shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, I’m gonna go. I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?” Rowan opened his mouth to protest but the bat was already out the door.

Vex sighed as the flame flickered and then went out. “I’ll never get this right.” He flexed his paw again but only summed a couple of sparks. He took a deep breath. “I am a demon.” He whispered. “I am strong and powerful. Fire runs in my veins. Fire. Lots of hot, scary fire.” He reached out and concentrated. He still felt as cold and weak as ever. But a strange sensation began at the back of his mind and spread. Desperately he followed it, seeking it out and focusing harder than ever before. The world rippled. He blinked and the image of Rosey swam into his mind. The edges of his vision started fading, until the world faded to darkness and his eyes snapped shut.

Vex opened his eyes and felt a spike of pain as he looked around. He was dazed but soon realised he was standing under the charred tree that Rosey loved. He rested a paw on the flaking wood. It felt solid. It was solid. Somehow he had arrived here. He looked down at his paws and felt a chill. They were burnt black as coal.

The ray from Byron’s flashlight shone on his apartment door as the key jingled in his paw. He winced at the thought of Smilers hearing the noise. Quickly he wrenched open the door and slipped inside. Rowan was sound asleep on the sofa, probably snoring loudly enough to wake the dead, he thought. Byron tiptoed into his room and jumped when Rosey turned to look at him. She was gazing out the window at the brightly lit city outside. “Why aren’t you asleep? It’s like, 1 AM.” He whispered. Rosey ignored him and turned back to the window. “Hey Byron?”

“Yeah?” he sat down on the cluttered floor and looked up at her. “Is it true that there’s a whole wide world out there?” her eyes lit up with wonder as she whispered into the darkness. “I’ve always been trapped in the underworld, in all the fire and the death. All I had was Rowan.”

“I know what that feels like. I never had a lot of friends. Or any.” He laughed quietly and she turned to look at him. Finally Rosey tore her gaze from the window and sat down next to him. He could feel her energy like a fire burning in her heart. So warm. So close. Even with his blindfold, he could see her shining shape like a glowing beacon in the night. “Hey, I... I’m sorry. For trying to stop you. We almost got into a fight...” he stammered. He couldn’t tell if the burning in his face was from  her energy or from embarrassment. “It’s alright, Byron. I started it, really. I just really wanted to see him. And you know what you said, about not having friends?” She placed a furry paw on his arm. “That can change now.”

A ray of light shone into Rowan’s eye’s. He blinked and sat up. He shook his head, stood up and stepped through the small rooms until he reached Byron’s. When he peered inside, he found Rosey sleeping soundly on the floor. She started and opened her eyes. “You’re here. I thought you might have been a dream.” She muttered and smiled at him. “Yeah, I’m here. But where’s Byron? He’s not in any of the rooms.”

“I don’t know…” she sat up and blinked sleepily. “He said he had to go and do… something. He said he might be back.” Suddenly Rowan felt a hill. “Might? He MIGHT be back?” Something didn’t feel right. “Yeah.” Rosey stood up and the truth dawned on her too. “Oh no… Rowan, we have to find him!” He wrenched open the door. “That’s right, Rosey. And we better do it fast.”

Fur. Spiky brown fur. Golden eyes, glowing, glaring. A flash of teeth. The creature raised its head and sniffed the air. Energy. It opened its toothy mouth and hissed. More hisses echoed it from every corner of the city. It tasted the air and liked what it tasted. The energy was strong, dark. It tasted of shadows. Of fear. The night lit up with a thousand glowing eyes and hisses filled the air. The hunt was on.

Byron felt the hisses before he heard them. The familiar tingle of fear came over him, but he shook it off and faced the grinning monsters. “Listen up! I know you can understand me.” His voice was small but it rang out over the silence. “You know I’m not the only one here. I have friends. You’ve tasted one, haven’t you?” He thought he saw a glint in one smiler’s eye. “I’m here to tell you that you’ll never do that again. To any of my friends. I’m protecting them, and I’m stronger than I look.” He smiled, somehow feeling calmer despite the hungry looks. “But you know that, don’t you? You know what I can do. I’d be delicious, wouldn’t I? But you can’t have me yet…” He stepped back and took a deep breath. “You’ll have to catch me first!” He turned and ran into the city.

A thousand heartbeats pounded as he ran, and his was the loudest. As he turned another turn and another, Byron knew this just might be the biggest mistake of his life. And possibly the last one. He darted into another street, but his heart stopped when he realised where he was. The grey wall loomed before him. He was in a dead end. Byron turned around to face the crowd of smilers. Something told him their smiles weren’t fake anymore. “I warned you not to mess with me.” He grinned and grabbed his blindfold. With a loud rip he tore it away from his head. The small scrap of dark fabric fluttered to the ground. A ripple of fear went over the smilers as he fixed his burning eyes on them. Byron could feel a strange sensation running through his veins. Like fire, but cold. Dark. The air around him began to flicker and shake and he lifted his paw. The smilers hissed and bared their teeth, but this time he wasn’t afraid. All he could feel was adrenaline pounding in his ears. A spark, and then a flame. The fire illuminated the walls around him and he stepped forward. The smilers took one look and him and ran. “What a pity.” He smiled. “That could have been so fun.” On his way out he stopped to pick up the tattered blindfold. Before tonight, this had been the only shield he had to protect himself. He had felt so weak and afraid without it. “Crutches are nice.” He whispered as he pressed his burning paw to the blindfold. “But sometimes you have to burn them to the ground.”

Rosey slumped against a building. “He’s not anywhere. What if we never find him?” Rowan glanced at her. A strange feeling had been nagging at the back of his head throughout the search. “Hey Rosey?”

“...Yeah?”

“Why are you so worried? I thought you didn’t like him. Now you want to find him so badly...” She stiffened and he thought her face seemed a little redder. “N-nothing. No reason. I just know you like him. Like, he’s your friend. Isn’t he? So I want to find him for you.” She tried to smile up at him but he wasn’t convinced. Suddenly they heard a loud hiss and a blur of brown fur streaked past them. He stepped in front of her instinctively but the creatures weren’t interested in them. A large group of smilers was running away from something in the distance. For the first time since the night he’s arrived, Rowan thought he saw some fear in the grinning faces. “Hey Rowan?” he jumped and turned around to see Rosey looking up in fear. “If all the monsters are scared... what are they scared of?”