• The Weak & the Powerless
    By: Haley Steele



    Chapter 1

    She walked down a long, clay colored road. Her long, silver hair pulled over her left shoulder, stopping mid-calf. A cigarette between her slender fingers, her lavender eyes looked down-ward. Watching the clay colored dirt disappear behind her, tears silently fell from her eyes. As she continued down the road, the cool night wind that had been whisking silently through the woods on either side of the road suddenly shifted. Her hair blew away from her shoulder, flowing behind her like beautiful silvery wings. She stopped walking for a moment trying to feel her surroundings for any danger. Sensing nothing, she lifted the cigarette to her pale pink lips and began walking.

    Further down the road the wind shifted once more, this time alerting Ayla that there was something lurking the shadows. Lifting her eyes from the road she scanned the surrounding woods and watched as a demon emerged from their darkened shadows. He appeared as a bandit the seemed as though he didn’t suffer quit as a bandit would. Hi black unkempt hair was ruffled underneath a ragged brown bandana. He wore a patched up green vest that lay open showing off his toned torso. The pants he wore were a sandy brown shade that shown vaguely underneath the dirt, and seemed slightly baggy on his slender figure. As he walked closer towards her, Ayla noticed he wore no shoes which showed his dirty feet.

    Stepping onto the dirt road a devilish grin spread across his seemingly clean face.
    “Seems you need some help with that hair little girl.” He spoke in a raspy voice.

    Pulling one of his hands from his pants pocket he held up a knife and stepped closer to her.

    “Maybe we should just cut it off.”

    Ayla smiled feeling slightly amused by the demon. Flicking the cigarette from her hand, she reached behind her gathering her hair and pulled it back over her shoulder.
    “Thanks for the offer but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.” She said in her sweet, musical voice as she began to step forward.

    Stepping in front of her, he frowned holding her at knife point.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” He hissed.

    Ayla rolled her eyes and went to step around him.
    “I’m going as far away from here and you as possible. Now leave me be or you’ll get us both caught.”

    Stepping back in front of her he stomped his foot and growled.

    “Listen little girl, you’re not leaving. I’m hungry and being that no one passes through here you’re looking mighty tasty.”

    Ayla looked at the demon from the corner of her eye and smirked.

    “Am I now?” She asked with an amusing tone.

    She shifted her body to where she fully faced him and looked into his deep black eyes.
    “I’ll tell you what. If you can defeat me you can have me. If I defeat you then you have to let me go on my way.”

    The demon growled angrily deep in this throat. He did not want to fight he only wanted to eat, but he knew if her were to deny her offer he would still have to fight or let her go on her way. Giving into her offer he sighed and placed his knife back into his pocket.

    “Fine, I agree with your terms.”

    Ayla smiled sweetly. “Good.”

    Stepping back away from Ayla the demon hung his head, preparing to turn into his true form. Ayla stood before him smirking. She didn’t enjoy fighting but when it came to demons who didn’t know her true form it amused her. In mid transformation the demon lifted his head and stood still. Ayla’s smile began to fade as she watched blood gush from his now slit throat. As he began to fade she noticed a man walking away from them down the road. She hadn’t seen him pass by and if he had why hadn’t he said anything. Looking after him she narrowed her eyes and began running after him.

    “Hey!” she called out to him.

    The man didn’t respond or look back, he kept walking. Picking up her pace she caught up to him.

    “Hey.” She said coming up beside him. “I was talking to you back there. Why didn’t you acknowledge me?” she asked slightly annoyed.

    The man stopped and grabbed her hand, pulling her close to him just as a line of fire balls flew by. Ayla was caught of guard by the strangers actions and was about to say something about it when she then noticed the fire shooting by.

    “What the hell? I should have sensed that.” She thought to herself as she watched it fade into the distance.

    The man muttered something quietly before he let go of Ayla.

    “Stay here.” He said to her before disappearing from beside her.

    Ayla stood there alone in the middle of the road, confused as to what just happened and why she hadn’t felt it. Normally she could scene things coming from miles away but why hadn’t she felt that one? Going over it again and again in her head she sighed and shook it off. Realizing she was still standing there for no real reason she went to turn and walk away when a demon fell in front of her. She jumped back startled and looked over it as its body began to fade away. The man appeared beside her placing his sword into its holder.

    “They shouldn’t bother you anymore, as long as you stop following me.” He said turning away from her and walking down the road.

    Ayla stood there looking after the man dumbfounded by his actions and words. Narrowing her eyes she ran towards him.

    “I wasn’t following you. I just wanted to thank you for helping me back there.”

    The man didn’t speak or look at her; he just kept his eyes ahead of him. Sighing, irritated with his rudeness, she looked to the road ahead of her.

    “Sorry I bothered you; I’ll let you be now. Thanks again.” She said before leaping up onto a near by tree branch.

    Leaping from tree to tree, Ayla made her way through the thick, darkened forest. Normally she would have walked but due to the fact that she and her body were exhausted, it had been her only motive of action and the easiest way to move through such thick woods. Using each tree her feet made contact with as a form of leverage, she pushed herself away from the last tree to the next. Moving swiftly with grace, like a dancer on stage; she made her way through the lush woods.

    Breaking free from the woods and its thick shadows, Ayla leaped out from the thick forest wall; coming out to a large river. Landing on the third lowest branch of the tree that stood tall and strong next to the river bed; she came to a stop. Laid out before her; hidden deep with in the center of the forest, she looked over the sanctuary she felt had been created just for her. A large, king like river that stretched about a mile wide from bank to bank took center stage. It’s water a deep blue color, an illusion from the night sky’s reflection; shimmered like glitter on paper in the moonlight as it silently flowed south. Surrounding either side of the river about fifteen feet back; was a thick, darkened wall of woods. Above her, the night sky was clear allowing its stars to shine brightly; the moon shining brightly as it hung high in the sky.

    Gathering all of her hair, she pulled it over her left shoulder; leaning her back against the strong, thick tree trunk, she slid herself downward to sit on the branch she had been standing on. Pulling her knees to her chest; she laid the left side of her face on top of them, wrapping her long, slender, ivory colored arms around them. Sitting in silence; the gentle whispering of the cool, crisp, wind blowing softly through the healthily lush trees being the only sound, Ayla gazed out upon the beauty that laid out before her. Her lavender eyes; lashed by long, lusciously thick, black eyelashes began to swell with warm tears, before overflowing and running down her face. As the warm drops of liquid rolled down her ivory colored cheeks starting to stain them; her mind began to wonder by it’s self; trailing off into thought.

    Becoming completely engulfed by her thoughts; Ayla had become unaware of her surroundings and the man who now stood under the tree she sat in.

    “Why are you crying?” The man asked.

    Ayla jumped out of her thoughts; startled by the sudden voice. Quickly she wiped the tears from her cheeks; her stomach slightly knotting from embarrassment. It wasn’t from the fact she had been caught crying, but more from the fact she had let her guard down. Glancing down into the shadows below, she could vaguely make out the silhouette of a man leaning against the tree in the dim light of the moon. From her view and the shadows he stood in; Ayla was unsure if the man she now looked down at was the same man from before or not.

    Sighing she moved her gaze from the man, looking back out over the glistening water.
    “Why would you care? You’ll just end up treating me like everyone else has.” She spoke in a dull tone of voice; feeling the tears start to swell up again.

    “Your right, I wouldn’t care.” He spoke coolly.

    “I only asked out of politeness. I happened to be passing by when I seen you. It’s not everyday you find a girl curled up on a tree branch crying.”

    Rolling her eyes, Ayla grunted lightly. Why had she even bothered to respond to him?
    “Either way; if I told you, you’d just be another to quickly shun me.”

    He chuckled lightly to himself.
    “In order to shun someone, you have to know the person; allowing them into your life or you into theirs. Luckily, I don’t get close to anyone nor let anyone get close to me.”

    Ayla listened to the man as he spoke, his words seeping into memory. Maybe that was her problem; she allowed other people to get close to her and herself get close to them. Sighing heavily, she stood up on the branch and jumped down; landing a few feet away from the man. Fixing her hair to where it laid over her left shoulder; she wondered weather or not if she should even respond to his last statement. Before she could even make up her mind, she could hear voices not to far off in the distance; fear and alarm quickly rising within her. How long had she allowed herself to rest? Just how much time had she spent lost within her thoughts? Due to such a careless mistake; what she feared and tried so hard to escape from was now close, moving in on her.

    “I have to move.” She whispered panicky to herself.

    Without saying a word to the man, she took off running toward the thick, black shadowed woods to her left. The man pushed away from the tree, turning just in time to watch her disappear into the forest’s darkness. “I have to move.” Her whispered words rang in his head. Quickly becoming intrigued by and curious of the girl; wondering what she was running from and what was to come next, he walked calmly in the direction she had taken.

    Fueled by fear; Ayla quickly ran through the woods. How could she have been so naïve as to let herself waste such precious time? Pushing herself, she ran as fast as her tired body would allow through the thickly cluttered trees; finally breaking through the forest wall only to find herself back on the clay colored road. Flustered, she spun around looking at her surroundings. Was it possible she could have become turned around; loosing her sense of direction due to the thick abyss which was the woods? Unsure as to what her next move should be; Ayla stood there staring blankly at the road.

    Off to her right, hidden within the dark shadows of the forest she had just come from; he stood there silently watching her. Leaning his shoulder against the tree to his left, he wondered as to what she was doing. Why was she just standing there as though she didn’t know what to do; when only moments ago she had stated she needed to move before running off in a panic? Feeling as though he should help her or at least try to help; he pushed away from the tree taking a step forward, when the sound of voices could be heard coming up the road. Stepping back into his place next to the tree; he watched from the darkness waiting to see what was to come.

    Standing still, Ayla could hear the quickly approaching voices that she had been avoiding coming up the road. Heart sinking and stomach knotting, she slowly turned toward the sound of the voices; spotting in the distance a large group of people heading towards her.

    “There she is!” exclaimed one of the voices.

    With no other options, Ayla hung her head in defeat as she dropped to her knees; her long hair falling over her shoulders, shadowing her face like a curtain of silver tassel as it spilled onto the ground. Within moments, the mob of people had reached her; forming a thick human wall as they surrounded her kneeling body.

    “I told you the creator wouldn’t get far.” Remarked a woman standing somewhere to Ayla’s right.

    “The damn thing has nowhere else to go.”

    “We should kill her.” A man from behind her said voicing his opinion.
    “While we the creator surrounded with no way to escape, we should kill her; ridding her if the world.”

    People cheered in agreement as to what the man had suggested.
    Creator, the word ringing loudly in her head as she sat knelled in the center of their human fortress. Tears burned in her eyes as she stared down blindly at the dirt beneath her. The one word, over everything else they could or had said about her; had pierced her like a speeding silver bullet that had shot through her heart and out her back leaving a gaping hole. What had she done for them to call her such a thing? All she had wanted was to live like them, to be treated as though she were one of them. Her slender, ivory colored hands closely began to ball into fists as she pressed then into her thighs.

    “What do you want from me?” she mumbled.

    The crowd became silent as her soft, musical voice rang in their ears. Slowly Ayla lifted her head, eyes resting on the people standing in front of her but her gaze seeing past them.

    “What have I done to deserve this?” She asked speaking a little louder.

    “You took advantage of our sons; putting them in a trance convincing them to bring you into our village.” A woman exclaimed from the crowd.

    A wave of agreeing whispers moved through the crowd. Head hung and fist clenched at her side, Ayla stood; her actions causing an uproar of gasps and muttered words.

    “I did no such thing.” She spoke with irritation in her voice.

    “You tricked us!” The woman protested.

    “All of us; you tricked into thinking you were human. Our children following you around like shadows, our men captivated by your beauty and us women seeing you as though you were one of our own. Only a creator such as you could do such a thing with your spells; blinding us from what is real.”

    The crowd cheered with praise from what the woman had said as Ayla stood there staring at the ground; the woman’s words seeping into her brain like tainted water in the sea.

    “Kill the creator!” someone yelled. “Kill her before she bewitches us again!”

    The mob cheered widely as they closed in on her; the ones reaching her first pulling her down onto the ground.

    From the darkened forest he watched everything closely. As he did so he wondered as to what the people wanted with the strange girl. Only able to catch certain words he had gathered that she wasn’t human and they wanted her dead. As he watched on; slowly becoming solicitous about what he was witnessing, the mob had closed in on her pulling her down and beating her brutally. Unable to stand by and allow such a thing to happen; he stepped from the shadow, gathered her in his arms and just as quick as he as he had appeared they were gone.

    No longer feeling the brutal attacks from the people; Ayla opened her swollen, teary eyes to find she was being carried. Gazing upward through blurred vision, she could barely make out the shadowed shape of the man’s face. As she looked at him, he tilted his head down to look at her.

    “Why?” she whispered weakly before everything went black.