Die another day... [puisqu'il y a des anglophones^^]

C'est une nouvelle écrite pour le cours d'anglais, à rendre pour dans une quinzaine de jours (si ma mémoire est bonne). Bref. La prof nous avait demandés soit un exposé sur l'UE, sa construction, ses institutions etc, soit un exposé sur l'un des pays du Commonwealth, soit, pour les moins à l'aise à l'oral (), d'écrire une short story.
Celle-ci fait une quinzaine de pages mais il reste beaucoup de choses à revoir et à remanier (et surtout beaucoup de fautes!), si vous en voyez, n'hésitez pas à me les signaler!

Hop, le first chapter !

Die another day -- (c) Liven / Hermine

Prologue

Eridarel is a land divided into four inhabited countries. Eraniel belongs to vampires, Lannien-Emeariss to angels (basically, humans with wings) whereas centaurs and dwarves live in Kermen and Ered-Luin. There also exists a fifth country, called Astrakara, but nobody lives there. Nobody? No…Spies have reported that an antique power is growing there…An ancient magician, imprisoned many centuries ago, is now free and determined to take his revenge. He is trying to find allies before attacking the rest of the world. He has secret agents everywhere and other countries start to fear for themselves and their people. Use of magic is lost, making impossible to fight the warlock on this point. Both Elnariel and Lannien-Emeariss decide to send one spy, without informing the other, to see what exactly is going on, what can be done and if it is possible to kill the magician…


Chapter One

It was raining. Again and again. Ryal sighed and entered the old inn in front of him. He was lucky; it was maybe the last tavern of this kind on his road as the country was going to be more and more abandoned with no people miles around. Great when you were looking for solitude but a bit annoying when you are a vampire who appreciate his comfort and sleeping in a hot and dry place. He was almost the only guest and the sofa near the fire was free. He sat with a great sigh of delight. Staying there, dreaming for hours whereas, outside, the rain was drumming against the roof…It looked like happiness. Ryal was enjoying himself, playing to determine who were the others guests and inventing many wonderful stories about them, when the door opened again. Another traveller entered, his cloak streaming with water. The two humps under it were sufficient to identify him –or her, with the large, black cloak, it was impossible to determine if the new guest was male or female- as an angel. Politely, Ryal stood up to let them his seat next to the fire. The stranger thanked him with a nod and sat with a visible satisfaction.
Ryal was about to go to his bedroom but a howl make him stiffen, a hand above his sword.
-Prince Ryal…Your Highness! What are you doing there?
It was a vampire soldier and his eyes were fixed upon Ryal, wide open with surprise. Hearing the first word, Ryal tried to interrupt him. However, it was too late. Everyone in the inn was staring at him, their face full with disbelief. The angel let escape a gasp that made Ryal face…her. The hood of her cloak had been pulled away. Astonished, Ryal looked at delicately curled blond hair, the determined face, the blue eyes, the great white wings…Elwyn. Ten years he had not seen her. And it was in a tavern lost in the middle of nowhere that they met again. But, he had a more important case to settle before speaking to her. He grabbed the soldier who seemed to be still stupefied to see one of his princes there. Both of them went out, under the rain but Ryal did not care.
-You fool! Did nobody teach you what the word “incognito” means?
-But…but…
The soldier was unable to speak properly. Ryal thought that the discipline in the army was no more what it had been in the past.
-And to return you your question…what are you doing in this inn? I was supposed to work alone and vampires have nothing to do in this country.
-A vampire of Elraniel, sure, answered the soldier. But what if my allegiance was different?
-Let me check. You are a spy of the magician? He sent you to kill me and protect him?
-Right guess. You have always been very clever, Highness. But it is a bit too late this time.
The magician would like you to know that he feels very honoured to have had you as an enemy. And it is also a great honour for me to be the one who is going to kill you.
The soldier took hold of his own sword and lunged, directly toward Ryal’s heart.
He just had the time to step back and the blade missed him by an inch. He pulled his arm and the two vampires crossed sword. The soldier was good but his style was lacking rigour and he lost most of his energy with great and useless movements. On the contrary, Ryal was chilly, and concentrated. Each of his moves was calculated. Two minutes after the fight had started, the issue became obvious.
The blade hit the air one last time; the vampire gasped with surprise and then, slowly fell on his back. It was over. Ryal wiped his sword, checking that his enemy was really dead. He carried him far from the inn and speedily buried him so his body would never be discovered. Then, he came back to the tavern as if nothing had happened.
Now, only one person was in his thoughts. Elwyn… They were best friends formerly. And the years passing by had never erased this sentiment and even reinforced it. Ryal would have never admitted it but his friendship for Elwyn was too intense to be only that.
When he entered the hostel, everyone looked at him. He did not pay them any attention, looking for the blond angel. She was there, her face turned to the fire, perfectly ignoring him. Why was she so cold? She must have been happy to see him. Or…Ryal chased this thought. He would have known if there had been someone else… He paced and sat in front of her. She did not raise her eyes.
-Elwyn…It’s me, Ryal.
-I know who you are, Ryal of Elraniel. You are the last son of Elraniel’s king. Prince of those damned bloodsuckers!
She brutally stood up and left the piece, leaving the young vampire completely stunned. He saw her going upstairs and heard the sound of a slammed door. What happened to her? Why had she insulted him? « Bloodsucker ». The insult was there and it hurt. It was as if he was her enemy or worse. But he could not understand the reasons of such a sudden aversion. Instead of questioning his mind to try to find answers, he preferred thinking about the reasons that had conducted Elwyn in this poor inn. He knew she was Lannien’s king’s best strategist and she only went out of her country at emergency. Consequently, she had to be there for the same reason as him. It seemed that they were to travel together. A childish smile twitched his mouth. Elwyn did not appreciate him anymore. He had two weeks to make her change her mind. Finally, this trip would not be so annoying even if there were not comfortable inns on the road.
He went upstairs to sleep without seeing the maid curtsied when he passed in front of her.

La suite...

[Alex, tu peux foncer sur les fautes que tu vois, ça m'arrangera ]

Chapter II

-Ryal!
-Yes?
- Which part of the phrase “don’t follow me” don’t you understand? I told you fifteen times that we did not go to the same place!
-So explain me how two of the best swordsmen -and women in your case- are travelling in that country, so abandoned that, in one week, we barely saw one person? The coincidence would be too great, especially as we follow the same rout.
It had been a week that Ryal and Elwyn had left the inn. Ryal was starting to regret it as Elwyn seemed to hate him more than he could imagine. Like he was terrifying her more than any monster he could think of. She refused to sleep when he was nearby and did not want him to be less than three meters away from her. He accepted the situation with false entrain but was still searching the reasons of her disgust. Ryal decided to frankly and honestly ask the question this evening as he could not bear one more week with those conditions. His love for Elwyn had increased and he was suffering a lot of her attitude. She had almost killed him, he remembered with bitterness.
It was on their second day and he went to hunt. Not to lose his energy, he had changed into a wolf, a vampire specificity. Thus, he was faster and more efficient and he could feed quite easily. Moreover, the sense of smell of the wolf and its exceptional hearing would prevent them from any attack. The attempt of murder in the inn had made him more cautious and he was watching over Elwyn without she noticed. This day, he had wanted to joke – a stupid thing – but he had not resisted to the temptation. He had silently approached the young angel and jumped on her back with a howl of joy. He had willed to surprise her, nothing more. But, with a horror roar, she had stood up and unsheathed her sword. Had it not been for his speed, Ryal would have been stabbed. He had changed as soon as he could to apologize. The only answer had been: “Never do it again. Or I will not refrain myself. You are nothing to me. Nothing. Agreed?”
Agreed but…Ryal sighed. These terrible words made him understand that Elwyn had to have a problem. She was not like that in their childhood…He remembered with nostalgia the happy hours of their shared young days, the time spent in the palace park to run and play with all imagination power children can have, the secrets exchanged in their secret place, the promise to stay friends for ever… Being careful that Elwyn did not see him, with his sleeve, Ryal wiped the unique tear that was running upon his pale cheek.
The evening found them sat around a big fire, one on each side. Ryal spoke the first:
-Elwyn…we were friends formerly.
-That’s the word. Formerly. Not nowadays.
-But…why do you reject me in such a way? I did nothing to you.
-You, maybe not. And still…you are a vampire.
-Such a perspicacity. Something else about me that I would not be informed of?
-Stop laughing. You can’t understand.
-Try to explain, then. I will judge if I am clever enough to follow.
-It’s silly. Do you promise that you will not make fun of me?
-You have my word. If you have not forgotten, you know you can rest upon it.
-Yes. So…It was three months ago. I was sent by my king, Elfried, in a dangerous part of our country, near the border of Elraniel, you know, the big forest. There, I was attacked by three of your kind. It was horrible.
She was trembling and went nearer to the fire.
-They followed me during hours. I only heard their laughs as they knew I could not escape from them. I fought them but it did nothing. It lasted a night. I never wished more to die, just to end it. I barely could see them as they were dressed in black. Then, suddenly, they disappeared, leaving me alone and worse than dead. Since, any vampire disgusts me…even you. I can’t avoid it. And I can’t say I’m sorry as the fault is yours.
Indeed, Ryal had no desire to make fun of Elwyn. He perfectly knew what vampires were able to do. The most surprising thing was that Elwyn was still alive. Against three vampires, she must have not survived. But, he did not tell her what he thought of. She was already disturbed, no need to add to her suffering.
-I am sincerely sorry. I would like to repair what has been done to you... Maybe if you could concentrate on our resemblances and not our differences, I am sure you could…heal.
-How can you say that? I am an angel. You, a vampire. We are different.
-Not so much…Elwyn…
-You are as cold as ice. You can change into a wolf. You don’t even eat like us. I can’t understand how you can drink…eat…as you do. And you attack other people without any reason.
With a dull pain in his heart, Ryal noticed that the young angel was crying. He wanted to approach and comfort her. He stood up but a glance of her made him stop.
-No. Ryal, please…Leave me alone. Just do me this favour.
Ryal looked at her so intensively that she averted her eyes.
Few seconds later, a dark wolf quitted the campfire.
Later in the night, quaking, Elwyn heard a wolf baying at the moon and its cry seemed to contain the entire world’s sadness.