The Greater Evil

[ωΘĿƒ]

It was a beautiful night. Le Cyll always favored nights. They were cool, and pleasant, and they reminded him of home on the moors with the bog steaming and throwing up thick curtains of mist to entrap travelers.

He liked travelers. There was something to be said about one who leaves his home and takes a journey into the unknown. He liked to lure them into the swamps at home and watch them, damp and scared, wander through the night and into the sickly waters. There, the monsters of the deep would make quick work of them. He liked to watch the alligators roll and tear up the flesh. They looked like they enjoyed it, and he was happy to see them having fun.

He had managed to scale the beautiful wrought iron gates of the Necropolis, and was simply interested now in seeing the intense quiet of the graveyard. He didn't like corpses or anything strange in that way. He just valued the silence that the dead commanded. And he was more than happy to give them their dues of silence.

Once he was in, he thought he'd sit and watch the crescent moon sail lazily across the sky, the billowing clouds its frothing waves as the stars were its sea life. He would have liked that, but it seemed he was not alone in this place.

There were several odd looking people staring at him, sitting on the gravestones.

"Who the hell are you?" One of them was rude enough to ask. "And what, may I ask, are you doing in our territory?"

Vampire. Undead scourge that that until recently been a part of normal life. It was funny, that humans did not think them real now, but back then they barred their doors with silver and hung garlic over their necks to ward the disgusting little creatures off.

Le Cyll shrugged. He did not think it prudent to answer. The vampire looked like it wanted to talk a little more.

"Damn Crane and his freak kids! They don't even know they're here by the good graces of our master. And now they barge into our sacred meeting grounds and pester us with their filthy animal stink. What are you, a dog? You must be. You smell like a mutt."

Le Cyll snorted. He didn't smell. Not as bad as the rotting corpses, anyways. He was in a good mood now though, so he would let them off easily.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave, if you wish it."

"No." The loud-mouthed one rose from his perch. "No, don't leave. Not after I insulted you. You're supposed to get mad now, see? That way I have a reason to send you back to crane with half your mutt blood missing. Maybe a few digits too, right boys?"

The rest of them nodded, liking the leader's idea. Le Cyll did not find it as agreeable as the group did. He liked his blood. It kept him warm, and it boiled when he listened to the moon's call, and responded with his call of loyalty to it. They were advancing on him now, and briefly, he wondered what it felt like to be bitten by a vampire.

Maybe he'd try it some other time? Tonight he only sought the moon as his company.

"I can't kill what is already dead, correct?" He wanted to make sure. He did not want to start an inter species war. He didn't have the time for one right now...

"Nope."

"Alright then."

A flash, his human form melting away. There was one long, wailing cry. Just one, then silence. Le Cyll did not sound so high pitched and weak. It was the leader vampire that had ****ed him off.

The group scattered after the leader had been felled, and Le Cyll stifled the urge to continue his hunt after the leader shakily rose and wandered off, whimpering. Instead he took their seats on the tombstones, and focused his monochromatic gray eyes on the flat sickle of light in the sky.

The moon. He loved the moon. He would call to the moon, but not yet. He wanted to gaze at it first.

[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth skipped past the many tombstones of the graveyard, looking around excitedly at everything. Having spent all day exploring every inch of this creepy town, she was determined to see the last area. So, she easily bounded over the fence and was taking her time examining the necropolis. It was... Pretty scary, especially since it's night. The moonlight reflected off the tombstones, making eerie shapes on the ground. It was a perfect contrast to the bright, cheery girl who ran amongst them.

A long cry rose to Ailyth's sensitive ears, but she figured it was nothing. All the people in this town were weird anyway. Maybe they were doing some sort of freaky, ancient ritual? She continued her trek through the graveyard, deciding to play a game requiring her to jump over as many tombstones in a row as possible.

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll was almost ready to return the moon's call. He could hear it now, thrumming softly, the light making every little detail sharp and clear with silver-white radiance. It was then that he heard the sound of feet, quick and abrupt.

He pulled his head down, looking around, eyes narrowing slightly in annoyance. Who was it? not those wretched vampires... He'd done enough so that they wouldn't bother him again.

Who was it then? Who disturbed him where he only wanted silence?
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[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth was so involved in her game that it startled her when she looked up. She realized that she wasn't alone in this graveyard. There was someone else, however, they appeared as little more than a mass atop the headstones. Ailyth didn't have the best eyesight, so she had to squint in an attempt to make out the shape.

That single lapse in concentration caused her foot to strike stone, toppling her over the headstone. Ailyth landed on her side with a thud. She quickly pushed herself up, rubbing her elbow as a soft breeze started up. It was then she found that her shoe had been jarred off in the landing. She began searching for it on her hands and knees; arms outstretched, feeling the grass for any sign that a shoe had been there.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called, still absorbed in her search.

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll watched as the creature came into view. A Wolpertinger, female, too energetic and not focused enough to notice him until she almost ran him down. Before she could complete this clumsy ritual though, she caught sight of him and stumbled over one of the graves. Her shoe rolled over, next to the stone he perched on. He looked down at it, uninterested.

The girl did not seem to see well in the dark. He blinked his lifeless gray eyes, then watched her muddle her way through the dark, closer to the lost shoe, then farther away. She was not exactly coordinated, was she?

He sighed. Just his luck. He picked the most secluded part of the Academy's borders to sit in peace, and a stupid little creature finds him. At least she was funny. Hilarious, actually. Who tripped in the dark?

Le Cyll stifled the urge to smile, instead inching his foot down and kicking the shoe towards the girl. It tapped her on the wrist as she searched for it.

He did not speak. Why would he? Then she'd want a conversation, and he did not feel like talking.
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[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth felt something bump against her wrist. A quick touch told her that it was her shoe. She looked toward the direction where she assumed it came from. The mass was there, towering over her, perched atop the gravestones. The pale moonlight reflected off of some of this things features, but not nearly enough for her to see it clearly.

"Hello?" Ailyth called again, putting her shoe back on.

Then it hit her. What if it was one of those statue things... A gargoyle? Had she been talking to stone all this time? She suddenly wished that she had brought a flashlight or something with her. Then, she had a thought: She might not have a flashlight, but... Ailyth pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open, blinking in the soft blue light it emitted. Looking back up, she was startled to be gazing into a pair of gray eyes.

"I knew there was someone here!" Ailyth exclaimed, excited, "Well, hi there!"

[ωΘĿƒ]

The girl wanted to find him. It was interesting then, that she couldn't actually see him.

That is, until she reached for something. He wondered if she'd brought a flashlight. It did seem a little odd to go roaming into the dark if you could not see and did not have light to help you.

The thing she brought out was not a flashlight. A flashlight would have completely blinded him. Instead, the cell phone only dazed him, spots of white crawling across his vision. He snapped his head away, frowning.

"Ouch."

He blinked, trying to get the light out of his eyes. That was... painful. Everything was blue now. The girl said something along the lines of a greeting, and not wanting to seem rude, he was forced to answer.

"Hello."

It was enough, and he'd keep to the minimum.
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[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth smiled broadly at the man. He seemed strange, to be sure, but not as creepy as the people who lived in this town. Perhaps he went to the Academy as well? She stepped back and sat upon another headstone, facing the guy. Momentarily, she wondered why he would be out in a graveyard all by himself. Well, maybe he was curious, like she was. Ailyth kept her phone out so that she was still able to see well enough as she looked over the man.

"I'm glad I wasn't talking to myself!" She said cheerily, "My name's Ailyth, by the way!"

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll blinked for the last time, the spots of white leaving him. His eyes had to refocus though, the pupils contracting to pinpoints - getting used to the new light.

"Le Cyll" He said, quietly.

It was meant not to be a bashful response, but one not worth the effort of saying it more loudly. He did not want to choose a role to play now. Quiet would do. Quiet would smother the bright, cheery light of this girl. It did most others, and as much as he'd like to know a bit about her and just why she was here, he simply was not interested at present. He glanced up at the moon, watching it lay lazily on its back, sickle points to the air. He wanted to listen to the moon. Not the girl.
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[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth tilted her head in curiosity. He was awfully quiet, but Ailyth had no problem talking to quiet people. Usually she'd be able to get them to break out of their shell and start talking almost as much as she did. However, she could tell it wasn't the same with Le Cyll. There was something not quite right about him. Even the animals seemed to shy away from him. However, that wasn't going to stop Ailyth from trying to elicit a response. She followed his gaze upward, toward the crescent moon.

"It's pretty," Ailyth said softly, unsure if she should say more.

[ωΘĿƒ]

"That it is."

Le Cyll agreed, the moon was wonderful. Even his tribe thought that much. He looked up at the moon, and imagined them doing the same far off to the north. He suppressed a grimace, thinking of sharing the same beautiful object of light with those of his blood so far away. They didn't deserve the moon's pure white magnificence. They were dogs compared to him.

Le Cyll did not want to contemplate his family now. How they had banished him here to rot alone with creatures like this girl. He needed none of them. He would have left first, had not his father finally sickened of Le Cyll and dumped him out into the world.

His father... He'd kill the old mongrel sooner or later. A lifetime of annoyance and steady, lasting torture was all he ever received from his father.

But, that was so grim a topic. Le Cyll had come here to celebrate. To sit in the quiet with only the moon watching and bask in his glorious freedom. He was free. Free to do whatever he wished, now that he was in a new place, with new people.

That thought cheered him up, and he let just the beginnings of a grin leech into his features.
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[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth watched Le Cyll, hoping to see some sort of emotion. She thought he did look peaceful now, but she wondered if that was just her imagination. The Wolper waited for him to say more, but he remained silent. She didn't want to seem intrusive, but she also didn't want to just sit back and wait. Leaving was also out of the question. She decided that the best course of action would be to watch the moon with him and wait for him to speak first. That was the best course, but it was highly improbable. Ailyth didn't do well with the quiet.

"I love it when there's a full moon," She said, unable to remain silent.

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll's grin blossomed then.

"Oh yes, the full moon is amazing."

The full moon. Just once, every lunar cycle, he did not have to hide himself. He could be what he truly was, who he truly was. The moon uncovered all secrets. There was nothing hidden from the moon. It brought up truth, in its purest and most divine form, and it let him be free. Of course, afterwards it only came back to hiding again. That is, if by then everyone did not know who he could be.

Maybe he'd find a spot for that then. He could find a place to go when the moon called up his true form, and he could enjoy it in peace.

He thought he'd do that now. While the idea was still fresh and ripe in his head. He'd find a place for just him and the moon.

Bleakly, he looked over at the girl. Would she want to follow him then? Most likely. She had decided to attach herself to him. That didn't matter much though. By the time the full moon was ready to rise, he would not see her. He would lose her in the crowd of students, and never find her again.

"Would you like to walk with me?"

He could not avoid her coming with him. That was painfully obvious. So instead, why not be polite? It would cause less suspicion than storming off without a word, and he knew her to be the kind to ask as many questions as possible if he did something beyond her range of normalcy.
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[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth stifled a laugh as Le Cyll smiled. Finally, some emotion! It made her happy to see other people smile, even if there was something off about his grin. Then, surprisingly, he spoke again.

"I'd love to go with you!" She nearly shouted her response.

Sure, she didn't know much about this guy or where they were going, but that wasn't going to stop Ailyth from trying to make a new friend. Besides, he interested her. She'd never met someone quite like him in her life. She jumped up and suppressed the urge to jump up and down like a little girl as she waited for him to lead the way.