Five years ago.


Wanting not of these fangs.


?It?s Baroness Rewanna once more is it? My how you have been such a frequent guest at our esteemed University as of late. Are you looking for your friend the Professor? He is here up on the grand staircase third level; Anthony is helping him with the projector?. The head Librarian bowed his head to her and turned around to file some books handing a log sheet to the other librarian.

?Hmmm the Professor? Oh right, Cin? I mean Mr. Shirastan yes, thank you?. She bowed and walked over to the steps, she wondered if he slept the night here, he must have found something she thought.

Tiad University?s grand library, it was called the Inneium Arcanum. It was separate from the university however across a man-made lake it rested in the center, some called it the island of learning, Cinder himself preferred that name. The skylight flashed down a multitude of colors as it passed through a stained glass figure in the center it was of a bull or some other horned beast one could not be sure in abstract the perceived eye was fooled but for the artist. In this light the stairs seemed almost like a color coded rainbow. Rewa climbed up the first flight of stairs ?yellows and greens? and paused for a moment at the literature floor, its tables cluttered with books and eager students who fastened their eyes onto their studies. She smiled; she was given a proper education elsewhere nothing as grand as this.
She was a smart woman even if she never went onto a university; she had successfully completed her minor schooling which was a requirement of her noble family and was trained to be a proper lady; however a lady and proper she never became. She was eventually forced to train with the women?s military for some time at eighteen where she gained her love for firing guns. She was eventually then also forced out of that service for having relations with another officer.

She canted her head as some students passed her on the stairs, their arms wrapped around books discussing something about great poets of the Gegallo Period. She shook her head thinking she would never comprehend such things. She continued onward with the steps following the carpeted runner which faded from the rainbow ?reds and blues? once she passed under the archway, she turned and followed it up the opposite side now leaving the second floor, Universal Sciences be. She came to the Third floor, Mysteries and Magics where all the books relating to unexplained phenomenon and of Magic were contained. The lights were out and only the gleam for the dome above sent light down, fragments of dust floated ghostly in the air, she wondered what were the other two floors above their lights were on yet the last one blocked by a gate.
It was on this floor Cinder was. Her blood red vampire eyes pierced the darkness, the smell of old books lingered in her nose as she passed a cloaked student huddling by watching those red eyes with some caution. Looking back the light was pouring it?s effulgence down below, then the person disappearing into the light as if he or she were a mirage a fearful one at that.
She followed the trail of book shelves and sparse tables around the curve of the floor and paused to look at someone in the distance a man but not Cinder or his human form which she had secretly loved. She found Cinder at the northeast corner sitting at one of the tables a projector propped up on a chair was flickering the end of its reel, Anthony one of Cinder?s students was translating something written in French to him in German, Cinder was peculiar that way. She caught a glimpse of what appeared to be burnt bodies with numbers over them before the ending notes came up. ?D?centralisations et Elimantions de vampire?.
Rewa seemed a little shocked to find such a documented film and wondered if this was the only way out of her predicament. Cinder stood and the man working the projector turned as he noticed Cinder act quite strange just then, almost saddened.
?Ah, Miss Nalliste, it?s good to see you again?. Anthony bowed politely and looked to Cinder who nodded, his face still wearing grief.
?Hello Anthony, it?s nice to see you, I hope Cinder isn?t working you too hard?. She said casually and helped Anthony wrap up the extension cord and set the projector back to its storing position. Cinder was occupied with some loose documents that were stored in wooden tubes for safe keeping lined with silk; they were very old and were written by an abbot from the twelfth century.

Anthony walked himself over to the nearest light switch and turned them on. The floor buzzed for a moment as the fluorescence bulbs illuminated the floor once again. ?Oh no, I wouldn?t say so at all Miss Nalliste, the professor is most interesting and a great man of knowledge, it?s a shame we don?t have him around to teach all semester?.
Cinder?s empty smile looked up to watch Rewa for a moment then lifted some books off the table and handed them to Anthony who seemed with Cinder he had his work cut out for him. ?Of course I?m not working him too hard; I?m the one studying; besides I told him I would give him credit for helping me?. Anthony sighed taking the books from the elf and placed them onto the cart and bowed once more to Rewa as he left. Anthony did hope it was enough to make up for his report on Early Magic of the indigenous peoples of Ascadies which Cinder decided to fail him on.
?Cinder? did you stay here all night, did you find something??
?Yes I stayed here all night?I feel like I need some sleep or at least some coffee and something to eat would be nice too would you dine with me??
Rewa sat beside him as Cinder picked up some old pieces of parchment, they were written in High German and the print was very small, even Cinder could not make out most of it. He sighed setting it down he felt as if there was nothing else he could do as far as researching dusty tomes and pictures concerned. Rewa rested her hand on his shoulder as he smoothed his hands over his head.

?Did you find something Cin??
?No?. His voice was apologetic and fatigued.

Rewa looked down for a moment but felt as if Cinder needed more cheering up than she, she massaged his tense shoulders for a minute then patted his head lightly. ?Come on; let me take you out on a coffee date?. She smiled and he nodded in reply holding her hand in his for a moment.

Seven years ago.

Silent are the autumn tears

Kristae was dead, she had been for six months and it took Rewa this long to finally visit her grave. Rewa had been home on Midgar at that time and during which had traveled to Falcons Crest staying at her cousins. It was many months later that she would hear news of this by her mother sending her a letter and a clipping from the newspaper.

It was late autumn and the leaves were matted like a quilt on the ground. There was dampness to the air and the grounds were moist. Most of the trees were bare now and the air stung with a sharp coldness that she was certain it was winter here in Mirue, her breath quite visible. She walked down the stone path from the house nestled up on the hill beside a great willow. She found herself fixated on a polished stone resting under a great oak.
Rewa placed a rose on the grave beside many sunflowers, she knew who left those. She then lifted her veil for a brief moment to kiss her hands then she placed them warmly on the stone grave.
Standing up slowly from her kneeling position she pushed the veil back down over her eyes. She knew better than to wear mascara, as she wiped a few tears that ran her cheek and quietly looked at her stone. She stood silently for several moments taking it all in. Folding her hands together at her waist Rewa read the inscription.


Kristae Halbert-Shirastan
Beloved wife and mother, daughter and sister.
Your light here shall be missed dearly may you shine as a star for eternity.

She couldn't agree more. "Eternal star".

"I read about your funeral in the paper, everyone from the old guild showed up to honor you. The Healing Swords even sung your favorite hymn...

I'm sorry I never made it to your service as I would have wanted to. I wanted to share my story about you with others who loved you.
Your parents spared no expense neither did Cinder for what he could help with. Your mother and Cinder held each other for quite some time; Delliah says they both sobbed silently together during the whole service. I'm glad she is there for her father; I think without Delliah he wouldn't be able to handle things all alone in that house.
I wish I could have said goodbye, but then again I know he has said the same thing, countless times to me.
I had just visited him before coming here; he says he will stop by to see you again later. I think it must be all he does; he brings you a sunflower for everyday Delliah tells me. I think he is getting ill, both of us tried to get him to eat yesterday and he refused but I know he had been drinking. I hope he doesn?t turn into my father and drink his problems away".

She wiped away a few more tears and looked past the willow tree in the distance at the house, it's chimney was smoking peacefully keeping the elf and the cat warm. She had left with Cinder sleeping on the couch Delliah resting on him.

"Kristae you are my best friend and I promise you I'll look after him for you, Delliah too".

She bowed silently and walked around the path leading back to the house and paused looking to the grave once more, a soft thunder rolled in the sky. She ran back to the house as the autumn rains began silently streaking her face.