Snowflake's Teardrop -- Chapter One
#4 of Eben Black Series -- Snowflake's Teardrop
_© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
Alright then chaps and girlies. Here's the first installment to the fourth arc in the Eben Black series. This one took me a while, what with university starting again for another term, so the chapters won't be as quick and small as before. In some ways its a bit of a disappointment because I love writing these stories, but on the other hand I'll piece each chapter together, and do once a week uploads of one or two chapters that I've finalised. Anyhow, here's the fourth arc set four months following the end of Memento Mori.
Enjoy the awesomeness! I sure did xD_
Domination. The name alone suggested it was the name of some back alley S&M clubhouse, but it turned out it was just the name of the establishment in question. Domination turned out to be a nightclub dedicated to music, as well as dancing and drinking. It was a popular hangout based on the wereanimal strip in southern Paris. Rain pattered outside, while the club's bassline tunes thumped through the blackened walls and sent shudders throughout the streets of Paris. Crowds of wereanimals jumped and danced, the music keeping the animals grinding and dancing against one another. Charming barmen, also in wereanimal form, served with a smile and a promise in their eyes as favourite customers grinned back, half drunk and loved up with the whole scenario. The DJ switched the speed and tempo of the music with a few switches on the decks that he was working at. The crowd raised their hands as the vocals kicked in and a female sang out, certain patrons who knew the words joined in as the group bounced and danced in unison.
It looked harmless enough. The manager was a generous, youthful wereanimal who'd offered the beasts of Paris somewhere to dance, drink and let their hair down for a night at least. From what I understood Domination was only open twice a week, at weekends. It was closed the rest of the week. It was part of the manager's decision to bring his patrons somewhere to relax and forget what they were. It had been something he'd organised with the French ambassador so that twice a week wereanimals could travel to his premises. Four months ago the Prevention Law had been abolished. Wereanimals across Europe were put under house arrest and threatened with death if they ever considered walking the streets day or night. The Prevention Law had allowed the wereanimals to be among normal humans, as well as acknowledging them as members of the societies that they dwelled. This had been stopped in response to the events that took place over the course of nine months that wittled down the governments worldwide. LA was the first place to abolish the Law and it spread like a disease.
All except for Saturday and Friday nights at Domination. The manager had been somewhat persuasive and had been granted what he desired.
He sat in a VIP booth, surrounded by female wereanimals and the members of his Pride. He stood at around six foot four, was broad-shouldered, slender-waisted. His fur was the deepest of blacks, his eyes a golden yellow, all that thick mane of jet black fur had been pulled back and cascaded over one shoulder in a thick braid. He wore a black dress shirt done in silk, unbuttoned to show the thick black fur of his chest, a tailored Armani suit also done in this lion's trademark black, polished black dress shoes with silver buckles and a thick black leather belt with silver buckle. His thick black tail draped over the edge of the seat beside him, a silver ring wrapped around the end above the flourish of thick hair at the tip of that tail. He grinned as he sipped champagne and whispered something into the female's ear beside him. She threw her head back and giggled as he leaned forward and placed the glass down on the smooth glacial table in the middle of the booth among all the other bottles and glasses.
His name was Sullivan and he was more than a manager of some wereanimal bar. He was a member of the beast council, the weakest and youngest, but still a member of the council never the less. He reclined as the female had pushed him back, she leaned in close and touched her lips to his. The kiss deepened and his hand travelled down her back, loosening her gown. It all seemed so public and out in the open, and almost went out of control until he opened his eyes wide and pushed the female back. His arrogant grin replaced with a bemused expression as he leaned forward, arms resting their elbows on his knees as he gazed across the booth and out across the crowd.
I could see him through the crowd. I exhaled and my breath clouded in front of me, my fur bled to white and the glasses and bottles on the table surface within the booth frosted over. Two taller, and more broad-shouldered lions who were standing guard over the VIP booth, seemed to freeze on the spot. Sullivan stood and walked round the table and clicked his fingers in the one bouncer's face. He never budged an inch. He nudged the other. Nothing. A subtle dusting of frost rested on their forms as they looked around wildly, their eyes swivelled in their sockets while they struggled in their compact prisons.
Sullivan took a deep breath and sighed. He walked passed his bouncers and crossed the dance floor, the crowd parting and then pushing back together as he stalked over to the bar. He said something to the barman and walked a short distance to the staircase leading up to the main office that overlooked the bustling club. He opened the door and stalked down the corridor before reaching the office door. He turned and smirked as I closed the door to and faced him alone. I raised a hand and pushed back the black hood that shrouded most of me in shadow. The corridor wasn't well lit, although right now my eyes were a pale blue-white colour that seemed illuminated like the deep sea bathed in moonlight. I tensed through the shoulders as my tail swayed behind me. The chain dangling from my waist curved my hip and connected to the back of my leather belt. It clinked as I walked. I frowned and walked a small distance before stopping dead. I heard a commotion behind me, through that door. Back up? I exhaled and a quick frost spread up the hinges of the door and blossomed in the purest, strongest ice like devious flowers.
"Eben Black? I never expected to see you here. Jasper said you'd be in hiding until you decided to serve the beast council," Sullivan grinned.
"You think that's what I'm here for?" I replied with a raised eyebrow, sarcasm thick on my tongue. I grinned and added, "I'm here for information. Information you can give me."
"Information?" Sullivan repeated. He considered the proposition and then reached back, taking the door handle in his hand and opening the door. He added, "Shall we talk?"
I smirked and walked down toward him as he held the door open. I heard banging on the other side of the door as I crossed the threshhold.
He turned and followed me in. "I never expected you would come al-" he stopped dead as he stared further into the room. Three more werelions lay in a heap on the carpeted floors, while a new face sat behind his desk.
Standing at six foot two, his toned slender form more bulked than usual, bathed in a fall of sleak black fur that rivalled the night's skies. Deep chocolate eyes and a slender, pale scar over his one eye. He reclined in the swivel chair done in leather behind the varnished, wooden desk. He was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, the collar turned up around all that fur, his forearms and palms wrapped in black bandages, silver chains coiled around the bandages. He had donned a pair of black trousers, tucked into leather black boots with silver buckles. He grinned as Sullivan gazed around his room and then settled upon him. Their eyes met, and Kane's flashed an almost threatening crimson. I glanced at him and his power receeded like the tide of an ocean.
"And you brought along...I'm sorry, what was your name? Jasper never mentioned a mongrel hanging around the Lupine?" Sullivan sneered.
"Kane." His name fell like a command, a right of domination the likes of which I'd grown accustomed to in the last few months.
Sullivan considered the wolf for a moment and then admitted, "Jasper said you were alot easier to bate into making the first move."
Kane smirked back and replied, "I grew up. I know now that I should wait for the bad guy to make the first move, that way I'm only defending myself. Playground 101, Sullivan."
"True enough. So what kind of information did you want then, Eben Black?" Sullivan asked with a raised eyebrow. He walked to the desk and rested his butt against the edge.
"I want the Dreamweaver."
"The Dreamweaver? Do you realise what your asking, Mr. Black?" the lion grinned with a malicious look in those golden eyes.
I nodded and added, "He has someone dear to me, and I want them back. Its been four months. Now where is he?"
Sullivan inhaled and sighed deeply as he looked across the room at me. "Do you have any idea what Jasper would do to me if he found out I handed information out like that to you of all animals?"
"Nothing compared to what we'll do to you," Kane murmured from behind the lion.
"Is that a threat? An actual threat?" Sullivan demanded in disbelief, standing up and glaring back at the wolf. "Do you not realise what situation your in? You've walked through a council member's front door!"
"Answer me, Sullivan. Your the weakest of them, and you have no chance against us," I explained.
"Jasper said you were confident, but he also said you were more level-headed than this. Sensible even, considering what happened to you four months ago."
"And that's where your making a big mistake, Sullivan. You haven't heard from us, or seen us for four months. Haven't you wondered what we did during that time?" I grinned as I spoke. "Think he needs convincing?" I asked.
"Sounds about right to me. But your gonna need some more room if your planning on doing what I think your gonna do?" Kane replied as he stood up and walked around the desk.
"Your challenging me?" Sullivan grinned as he asked the question.
"You sound surprised?" I replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Your clock is ticking, Eben Black, whether you refuse to accept it or not. The council is not something to be simply challenged on a whim."
"Last chance, Sullivan, an answer or I show you what I'm capable of," I snapped back.
"Do you even know what I'm capable of? You know that all council members are Level Three and above right?" he inquired. I nodded. "Then lets do this. I had the barmen clear out the dance space earlier. Should be deserted by now. Shall we?" and with that Sullivan opened the office door and held it open like a true gentleman. Kane followed me as I walked through and we padded down the corridor. I opened the door on the other end. The lights were all on, and the music had been shut off. The dance floor, no the entire club was now a wide open space. Werelions, all jet black and golden eyed stood at posts here and there. I counted ten in number. Were they Sullivan's guard perhaps? It was an official challenge. Beast council or no, he was required to uphold his end of the bargain and fight me one-on-one. Such was wereanimal law.
Sullivan walked passed us and loosened his tie as he descended the steps and walked out onto the wide open expanse that was the abandoned dance floor. He let his tie drape loose around his neck as he unbuttoned his sleeves. He smiled almost arrogantly up at us as we followed suit and walked down the steps. I was still pure white and the air around me was chilled. Sullivan was right about one thing, he was a Level Three which meant he possessed an ability of some kind, all Level Threes did. Level Three was a term used by the beast council to categorise wereanimals of different strengths. Level One was your bog standard wereanimal. Level Two was the term given to leaders, the alphas of their respected groups. And Level Three was given to the wereanimals that had heightened speed, strength and an ability that was unique to them and them alone.
I padded out across the dance floor and joined Sullivan in the middle. I unzipped the hoodie and tossed it aside, Kane snatched it from the air as he padded to the bar and leaned back against it. He watched with a pleasant glint in those chocolate brown eyes of his. He had Japanese blood coursing through him, and possessed an almost gleeful humour whenever on the battlefield or witnessing a battle. It was his dark side leaking out, I suppose.
"I do have one question before we begin," Sullivan declared as he slipped the suit jacket off and kicked it across the dance floor to one of his pride members who scooped it up obediantly.
"And that would be?" I replied.
"You say you've trained, and that your stronger than four months ago. But still, I never assumed you'd come here with just the two of you. I had heard there were six."
"Jasper's boastings again, no doubt?"
Sullivan shrugged and said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but your group consisted of two wolves, a blue tiger, a black tiger, a lion and a cheetah, no?"
I nodded.
"Then where are they now?" he asked with a curious shrug, he added, "You'd have thought they'd be here to offer backup in case things go...wrong." He smirked as he said the last word.
"You really wanna know?" I replied with a broad smirk. He nodded back, almost eagerly. "It was decided that this night would be the night we made the beast council understand who they've pissed off. So we split up."
"So where are the others?"
"Around Europe. Two other beast council members who are more cocky, than sensible, are currently being interrogated as we speak," I explained.
Sullivan considered that for a moment and then a deep, rolling laughter escaped him.
Kane frowned and I merely smirked back in response. "Something funny?" I asked.
"You truly have changed in the last four months, Eben Black. Your so cocky nowadays. Jasper made you out to be some kind of weaker, follower wolf that just happened to possess unique abilities," Sullivan grinned.
"I was a follower, a companion and loyal to the wolf that lead us until he was stolen away from us," I replied, I frowned and slowly raised one hand, "Enough talk. Time to make Jasper understand what he's done to all of us."
A gentle breeze coursed throughout the club, and slowly that breeze turned to a gentle dusting of snow and frost as it smothered every surface. The wind became a slight gale that rushed throughout the darkened space and then converged around me like some protective storm. I flexed my hand and then swung it outward. I could feel the power flourish around me and slowly that power focused on one spot. It manifested and something furry touched my hand where it hung in the air. I knew what was there. I'd practised this so many times in the last four months. The power solidified, warmed up and growled deep in its chest. Sullivan's eyes widened as he stared across the floor at what stood before him. He tried to speak, but words were lost as he took a step backward. His body trembled as he stared unblinkingly across at the beast that manifested at my side. Her form was sleak and elegant, while also her dominant power enveloped her, surrounded the pair of us as I ran a hand through her thick white fur. Sometimes I had dreams, and those dreams connected me to the beast that inhabited my soul. In recent months she took on a female form, all sleak and slender like a female werewolf, except beautiful and radiant and of the purest white. However, whenever she manifested on this plain, that almost anthromorphic form changed and she became the wolf she had always been. She was the size of a horse, but was still sleak and white and beautiful to see.
Adelheid's pure white eyes stared across at the weak werelion that stood before her and let out a deep growl low in her chest. I ran a hand through her fur again and smirked over at the stunned werelion. He tried to speak again, a feat that he seemed unable to accomplish considering his circumstances.
"Do you feel that, Sullivan? She's more than some living ice sculpture, or summoned beast. She is my beast!" I declared.
"B-But how? H-How did you d-do this?" he stammered in disbelief.
"Jasper annihilated us four months ago, and with his involvement the Prevention Law was abolished and we were house bound for a while. We decided we'd stand against you for what you all did, and we'd get Snow back. So the next four months, we spent training, honing what abilities we possessed, and now each of us is of this calibre. No one but me can manifest an inner beast to fight at their side, but we have all developed our own abilities, strengths and the like. To get where I am today, I spent a week in this form, I was unconscious for a whole three days following, but the training paid off. Soon after Adelheid manifested and we worked together to get stronger. And now on this night we will get what we want. A message of warning to Jasper and the rest of the beast council, and whatever information on the Dreamweaver's whereabouts we can gain!" I snarled the last part.
"This is fucking i-insane! Kill him! Kill them both!" Sullivan turned to his lions for help but none of them moved.
"Remember what happened when you were in the VIP booth earlier, Sullivan?" I demanded. The lion turned slowly and looked at me. That defiant arrogance replaced with sheer fear now. "A gentle dusting of frost has coursed its way through all of them and is now restraining them. Its another aspect of my abilities that I discovered. It doesn't last forever, the internal system of a wereanimal is too warm for the frost to persist," I explained. I grinned and said, "You have about four minutes."
"You don't realise who your fucking with!" Sullivan snarled back. He dropped into a stance and then vanished. He was a blur as he rushed wide around me and came at me from behind. He launched a clawed hand at me, his grin back in place as he hoped to tear me in two. Sadly, Sullivan wasn't quick enough.
I dropped to one knee as his clawed hand thrust overhead. I touched one hand to Adelheid and the other to the ground. We both exhaled and a second later spines forged of ice sprang up around us. Sullivan was skewered in that instant and spluttered blood as he hung suspended in the air, his eyes wide and filled with fear again. It was so easy to wipe that confidence from his face.
He tried to speak, but I could feel the spines of solidified ice piercing a lung, his liver, nicking his heart too and skewering several heart valves. He spluttered more blood as he touched a hand to the ice holding him up.
"Your nickname among the beast council is the Domination. You dominate your opponent through sheer speed. That speed allows you to generate a lethal dose of electricity that passes through you at high speeds and when the connection is made, that electrical charge is sent crashing into the opponent, rendering them stunned, or seared internally in the worse case scenario." I spoke like I'd read it in a text book. I continued, "Method for confronting? To avoid contact and use mid to long ranged attacks. Both me and Kane use those, so we were an ideal choice to take you on."
"Your...your both f-f-fucking d-dead!" he spluttered as he glared down at me.
"Do you understand now, Sullivan? The beast council doesn't comprehend what it does to those it harms...but I'll educate them. I'll show them what happens when they fuck with us! Now tell me where Dreamweaver is!"
"F-Fucking die, you w-whore!" he stammered.
I smirked and said, "No, Sullivan. You die!" I clasped my hands together and a slender spine sprang up from the floor and pierced Sullivan through the throat. It was wide enough to cleave his head off completely. Blood spattered the floor as his body slumped against the ice. "Kane? Take care of the lions. No witnesses," I stated as I ran a hand over Adelheid's fur. Kane hopped down from the bar and nodded. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. There was a sound like several blades sinking into flesh. The frozen bodies of Sullivan's lions went rigid and then dropped dead all at once. Kane had pierced them all in the heart and head. No chance any of them would survive that. He walked wide around the bar then and glared down at something behind that shelter.
"Who is it?" I asked as Adelheid disappeared in a cloud of frost. I walked toward the bar and my fur bled back to a charcoal grey. The blue of my eyes darkened a little too.
"Each beast council member has a second-in-command right?" Kane asked. I nodded. He smirked and reached down. When he stood, he was holding onto the collar of the barman. A young black lion who we both recognised as Hank. For a second-in-command he was a little weak looking. Then again, Sullivan had made him second-in-command because he was family, a distant cousin who Sullivan had promised power and instead had made his barman. I almost felt sorry for him, but right now we needed information.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Hank cut across me and stammered, "P-Please don't k-kill me! I h-hated him! S-S-Sullivan deserved that d-death! I'll tell y-you everything I k-know!"
"Depends," Kane murmured.
Hank looked a question at the taller black wolf.
Kane grinned and said, "How do you know? Something tells me Sullivan kept you at a distant, even considering your role on the council."
Hank nodded and admitted, "He never took me to council, or introduced me to the other members except Jasper," he glanced at Kane and realised how useless he was sounding, "B-But he has organised to m-meet someone, an envoy from the c-council. A second-in-command like m-me! His n-name's Leon, he's supposed to meet S-Sullivan in two days time!"
"Leon?" I repeated, looking up at Kane.
"It couldn't be that bastard that left Jasper with the others that night, could it?"
"What does Leon look like?" I demanded.
"I d-don't know, I've n-never seen him before. He's n-new, but he's the messenger between the beast council," Hank explained in that pathetic stammer.
"So Leon abandons the others, and in return gets a job as the head honcho's postman?" Kane questioned with a smirk. He added, "So we're meeting with him right? Payback time?" Kane asked.
"He did want to spar with me and see what my capabilities are. Lets give him what he wants. Two days from now we'll meet him and find out where Dreamweaver is. If he's the envoy then he'll know." I smirked at the thought as I said, "Lets get out of here. We need to call the others and see if anythings turned up on their end." Kane nodded and dropped Hank without glancing back. I looked down at him and said, "You've been a good boy, Hank. Do not fuck it up by calling us out to Jasper. Because if you do, I'll send Kane back and your death won't be as quick as the others, alright?" Hank nodded feverishly and watched us walk out.