Crimson Tears

Chapter 1

    Crimson sighed exasperatedly as she cut the herbs that she’s going to put in the tonic she’s working on. She’s on the duty today of making a tonic for her friend Olivia, who’s pregnant again for the third time. They just found out yesterday about it and yes she’s happy for her friend. But it just annoyed her because she has to wake up early and prepare a tonic for her.

    She put the herbs in the pot once she’s done cutting them. Crimson grabbed the ladle to stir the tonic and waited for it to boil completely. She really hope Olivia would finish the tonic otherwise she won’t freaking wake up early to make a tonic for her ever again.

    The past pregnancies of her friend was quiet traumatic to her as she did what she’s doing right now, making a tonic. But even if she don’t want to make a tonic, she has to for she’ll be very worried of her friend’s sensitive pregnancy. She can still vividly remember Olivia’s horrified and tormented look when she woke up and found she had a miscarriage. That’s the last thing she want to happen.

    Crimson immediately pour a tonic in a large bowl as soon as she notice it was already completely boiling. After grabbing her hood, she then closed her eyes and pictured out the place she wants to go in her mind. Feeling the wind that was gently brushing her face-it’s an after effect whenever she teleports-was already gone her eyes immediately opened while there’s a grin on her lips.

            Crimson really loves the perks of being able to teleport and it always saves her every time she’s too lazy to go somewhere. However, her smile was immediately replaced with a scowl once she saw Olivia and her husband lapping each other’s mouth. It seems like they didn’t even notice her arrival since they’re too focus of what they’re currently doing. She looked away and cleared her throat but it wasn’t enough because they didn’t even heard her.

            “If you want to exchange your faces, please have mercy on me and do that when I’m already gone.  Your exchange of saliva’s making me want to puke.”

            She heard a startled noise, an indication that they already stopped their disgusting activity. “Oh! You’re here! Why didn’t you announce yourself?”

            Crimson let out a sigh of relief but her face is still crumpled as she glared at her friend.

“I did but kissing has made you deaf,” she went to the table near Olivia and Nick to place the still steaming bowl of tonic, “Please do make sure your wife finishes this, Nick. And I’ll now take my leave to compensate my sleep. Though I know what I’ve witnessed a while ago will haunt me in my dreams,” she told them with a yawn.

    It’s still too early and the sun just rise but here they are, busy with their gross activity. All she want right now is a good sleep.

    “Sorry you have to witness that, C.” She don’t believe Olivia’s sincerely sorry because there’s an annoying smile on her face.

    “Please remove that smile from your face if you’re truly sorry.”

    Olivia laughed at her annoyed face then walk up to her. “I’m merely jesting so calm down will you?”

    Crimson hissed and closed her eyes, picturing in her mind her tiny cabin.

    “And oh! I almost forgot. Mrs. Beagle said that the council will held a meeting next day. She said you have to be there.”

    She opened her eyes and noticed that she’s standing in the middle of her bedroom in her cabin. Remembering what Olivia said just now crumpled her face. She plopped herself on the bed.

    “I am starting to regret that I agreed to join the council.”

    “Meow.”

    Smile crept on Crimson’s lips when a white cat leapt and landed beside her. It sat obediently and its red eyes stared at her curiously.

    “Red, we will be leaving to attend the council meeting. Do you want that?” she said while stroking its fur.

    “Meow.” It purred as if it understand her.

    “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

…

    Crimson was forcing herself not to fall asleep while listening to Mrs. Beagle’s babbling. Even her cat that’s silently sitting on her lap seem to be annoyed already.

    ‘I feel you, Red,’ She said at the back of her mind as she stoke the cat’s white fur.

    Mrs. Beagle was scolding her for not attending the past meetings and it already felt like forever. Her hands are already itching to cover her ears but she won’t do that because Mrs. Beagle will punish her just like the last time. Crimson would have to eat every food that’s made by her that’s just slightly different from a poison.

    “Now let’s get to the purpose of this meeting,” she let out a sigh of relief that didn’t last long, “I’m still not done with you.” It made her groan in frustration.

    The six members of the council, including her, settled down and turn their attention to the chancellor, who also happen to be Mrs. Beagle. Mrs. Beagle is a dryad and a very powerful one. One of the reasons why she’s afraid of her aside from her cooking skills that would kill a clueless person.

    “Rogues has been appearing in many parts of Herold and has been attacking anything that it sees. Five hundred are reported wounded and two hundred twenty has passed away.”

    Crimson’s ears immediately perked up when the word ‘rogue’ was mentioned. Her hands stopped stroking the cat’s fur and her full attention was on Mrs. Beagle. Her drowsiness suddenly flew away and went somewhere.

    The atmosphere has gotten serious and everyone’s eerily silent. Rogues can be defeated easily since it doesn’t have that high intelligence to plot for an attack but the number of deaths and those who are hurt is very strange.

    “Rogues?” it was one of the members of the council who’s also a Dwarf, who broke the silence.

    “Yes, wolves and vampires. It was unusual since rogues have never done such thing in the past. They also go individually and don’t form large groups. However, from the reports that I’ve receive, they attacked by group. The reason why we have such number of casualties.”

    “Such thing is impossible. There must be more behind those attacks.”

    Crimson frowned but agreed silently. It’s impossible that rogues will suddenly form groups and attack people. There are number of cases reporting about rogue attacks but there have never been huge casualties such as this.

    “That’s what we also think. But we are not sure yet. We need to investigate more about this matter.”

All of them turned to Chalist who suddenly spoke. His glowing red eyes is a sign that he’s very serious. Well, it is given since this matter is connected to him and his people because he’s a vampire himself.

            Everyone nod in approval.

            “But when did this started? How I didn’t heard about this?” Everyone looked at her way.

            Mrs. Beagle scoffed. “How would you know when you choose to live in a very secluded place and on top of a mountain? I even had to ask Olivia to pass a message to you since you have been avoiding me,” Crimson frowned at that and planned to retort but Mrs. Beagle clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, “Now, let’s make all of you useful by guarding parts of Herold. We will start with you, Crimson. You have been a good child by not attending the past council meetings. As a reward, you will be assigned to parts of Moonchester and you’ll be staying in the Moonlight pack. And oh, please send my regards to the king.”

            Crimson was lost for words. If she knew this will be the result of her three consecutive absents she would rather attend every boring meeting. Now, it’s very likely she’ll met an annoying person again.

...

(Please bear with the errors. Thank you.)