Promise

Chapter 1: Promises of parting

The moon glimmered, a luminous orb of light in the dark blue sky. Stars winked down upon the flush green hilled land. Forests created shadowed illusions, mixing with the silver moonbeams. In the midst of the quiet, the laughter of two childeren was all that eluded silence.


A young, brown haired child chuckled softly to himself as he hid inside the hallow of an old and bare willow tree. He peaked out from the hallow and smiled a giddy smile, long bangs falling over dark brown, laughing eyes. He'd never be found here, he was sure of it.


"And father said you can't hide from a vampire," he grinned. "They never met me."


The childeren were playing a game of hide and seek out in the woods, the moon their light and the stars their map. The brown haired child had had to escape his daily lessons to come out but it'd been worth it to see his beloved friend again. He'd missed him sorely when his father had caught him sneaking out and locked him in his room for three straight nights.

A twig cracked in the near distance and the young boy giggled and sunk back into the trees hallow holding his breath. After a few moments no sound followed and he poked his head out and smirked climbing out easily from the hallow, stepping forward silently glancing around.


From the darkness a pale, silver haired child crept up behind the dark eyes child, strong arms, brushing around him in a sweet childs embrace. "You can't hide from me, Tsukiyo."


The silver haired boy jumped back, gently pushing Tsukiyo foreward, making him stumble to the muddy ground. Both of them were wet. This clearing was their playground. Tree branched hung overhead, dawning upon them glimspes of moonlight. The ground was dark and muddy and a light fog always seemed to stay in the area. The perfect play spot for a little vampire and his friend.


Once again all that interrupted the silence of the night was the laughter of the two young lads. No creature out seemed to dare disrupt their sacred place of play.


"We're playing tag now, okay Tsukiyo?" the silver haired child grinned, small fangs flashing and he tapped his friends chest with his finger. "You're it!"

The boy ran off laughing in the other direction, disapearing into the mists. Tsukiyo laughed excitedly, quickly scurrying up from the muddy ground, his clothes streaked with the black earth, a streak of it marring his smooth ivory skin. "Not this time Irihi!"


He pushed long strands of damp, wet hair from his face, his brown eyes searching the thick fogs. "I'll get you this time," he laughed. "Just you wait!"

He ran off in the direction the other had ran, not even noticing the lone figure standing behind a sickle tree a short distance away. The man scowled, adjusting the silver edged cross bow strung across his back.

"won't your father be so please of this, young Tsukiyo," he sneered and turned running off.


~2 Hours Later~


Tsukiyo let out an annoyed groan, and growled playfully seeing Irihi wearing a proud smirk. Two hours of chasing and Tsukiyo hadn't managed to catch the ellsuive silver haired boy once.


"You're cheating somehow," he muttered, wiping at the mud on his cheek.

Irihi smiled warmly at his friend. "I wouldn't cheat."


He looked up and frowned seeing the sky begin to change shades as the sun began to fight for ownership of the sky. He hissed a little seeing the fog begin to recede as well. "I must go now. Go home and sleep. Shall we play tonight as well?"


Tsukiyo smiled happily and nodded. They'd been out all night, but hopefully his father would not catch him sneaking in again.


"Yeah," he said. "I'll meet you here just after sundown, okay?"


He turned and started off at a briske speed down the trail stopping to wave quickly before disapearing down the path towards the village, and Irihi disapeared deeper into the forest where his own family resided.


Irihi pulled out a small pendant from his pocket and glanced back slightly. The pendent was silver, shaped into the form of a diamon, with a dark purple stone set in the center. His father had given it to him. For the one he "cherished most, his father had stated. He closed his eye and smiled. "tonight for sure.."


"tonight?" a voice called from behind him.


"father?"


Irihi turned to face the similar looking, taller man. His long silver hair was pulled back from his handsome face. He was Irihi but with more age. The man smiled and nodded holding out his arm, his black hooded cloak providing a quick shadow from the suns new light that was beginning to eat away the darkness.


"come, my child," he bid. "I was afraid you would not make it home. You shoudl not prey so late, and so often. One of these days doom will seek you at it's will."


Irihi nodded, running into his fathers arms. "I apologize. Time just seems to pass so quickly."
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Tsukiyo opened the door to his home. The large old house was completely silent as he slipped off his muddy shoes quietlty and proceeded to walk through the seemingly empty stone hallways. he smied in triumph when he reached the door that led into his bed chamber and reached for the knob, only to freeze when the sound of footsteps echoed loudly behind him.

He turned around gulping slightly, seeing both his father and several members of their clans top hunters behind him. His father was the leader of the clan and as his heir he was next in line. But his father was also the most feared vampire slayer in the region.


He turned standing up straight, staring the older men straight in the eyes. His father hated any show of weakness. For a slayer it was forbidden.

"father...,"he began.


"and just where have you been, my son? You've been missing for man a hour..." the taller black haired man said coldly, his dark eyes narrowing.


"Playing games with the damned," one of the other slayers said, smirking coldly at Tsukiyo as he ran his hands over his cross bow. Horror shot through Tsukiyos heart, he'd been found out. But what did that mean for Irihi?


"father..i can explain....," he stammered. "He's not bad like the others..."


"Silence!" his father growled and broughtb his hand up and down, slapping the young boy across the side of his face, sending him reeling to the floor with a loud thud. He sneered in sheer disgust at the tears welling in the corners of the boy eyes, as he held his boy red cheek. "You're trying to protect one of those creatures? How can you say it's not evil?"


"he's clearly been bewitched by the dark spell of that vampire child," one of the slayers said grimly, casting the boy a sad look.


"That is a lie! Tsukiyo growled, forcing himself to stand up. "We're no different than him! father...he's my friend....I....I love him!" He narrowed his eyes at the older man, "and I won't let you hurt him!"


His fathers eyes widened and then narrowed in rage. he grabbed tsukiyos arm roughly and threw the boys bedroom door open and threw him inside against the floor. "This is blasphamy! I will free you from this creatures dark curse my son...."


He turned slamming the door, the lock click loudly. His voice was heard from the other side, giving the men orders to be ready to hunt at sundown.


Tsukiyo gasped amd ran at the door, tugging sharply on the brass handle, ramming the door and pouding on the wood with his fists. "father! Let me out! Please, Father! Don't hurt him!"


He sank to the floor, tears running down his face. he pulled his knees to his chin, burying his face. "Oh, irihi..."


He looked up and around the room, wiping the tears away, his mind alreadyb quickly working on a way to get out of his prison. "I have to warn him..."


He looked up at the window and frowned climbing up on his bed and up onto the high sill, examining the old and swelled wood. He began working at it, prying it open inch my inch. By the time the opening was wide enough for him to slip through, the sun had already sank beneath the trees, and a harsh steady rain had began to fall.

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Tsukiyo let out a haggard breath. His chest ached and his lungs burned. He'd ran as fast as his legs had been able from the village to his and Irihis meeting place. The rain was coming down harder than it'd been when he'd began and the cold wetness of the rain burned, soaking him to the bone. His bare feet slipped in the mud as he walked foreward.


His hair was plastered to his face and he searched the small area frantically. "irihi!"


"Tsuki?"


Irihi appeared, bending beside the boy, wrapping his cloak around his friend. He pulled him closed, placing his hand on Tsukiyos cold wet face. "You're soaking wet...did you not see it was raining?"


Tsukiyo looked up at his friend, his breathing heavy and shallow. He shook slightly, and his face turned into irihis oddly warm touch. He'd fed already this evening. He ignored that and grabebd the vampires arm tightly, his eyes shifting up to meet the vampires blue ones, his own dark brown weyes wide with fear and desperation.


"You have to listen to me, irihi! You need to take your family and run from here....my father and the clan...their going to come and..."


"Tsuki...calm down," irihi chided gently. "what's going on?"


Tsukiyo met Irihis eyes, his face crestfallen and saddened. "someone saw us together, irihi...one of my fathers hunters. he told my father...the clans convinced you've bewitched me...their going to go after you and your family. Please! I want you to go...get as far away from here as you can."


He looked away, his tears mixing with the rain dripping down his face. "I don't want them to hurt you..."


Irihis eyes flashed red, a growl escaping his curled lips, but he calmed down and held Tsukiyo tightly. "come with me then."


Tsukiyo looked at irihi sadly, his breath catching as he shook his head lightly, his tears trailing down his pale face. "I can't Irihi...If I left they'd never stop looking...I have to stay. Just..."


He looked up, his eyes wary, sad. "Just promise you'll come back....i don't want.....to..."


He looked away. "I want to be able to see you again."


Irihi smiled and nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendent he'd been examining the other night. he kissed it gently, the jewel glittering as he placed it around tsukiyos neck. "I'll come back. We're best friends Tsuki..." He pulled Tsukiyo closed to him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "and we belong together. I'll come back for you....i promise."


Irihi pulled away silently, bringing Tsukiyo up to his feet. Tsukiyo nodded taking his hand from irihis and touched the pendent gently with a light caressing touch. he looked down at it and looked back at his friend with darkened brown eyes. "I know you will...," tsukiyo whispered. "Now...go..."


Irihi nodded and turned vanishing into the deeper parts of the forest. As soon as the silver haired boy was far from the others sight he turned around looking back.

"My promise will stand, my friend. don't forget me..."


Tsukiyo held in his tears, as he felt his heart begin to break. He turned around heading back to the path that led to the village. "I promise....be safe, Irihi...please be safe."

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