It was difficult, however, not to ask questions, but he held himself back, not wanting to push her.
They walked into the shrine, almost like ghosts in their own silence and Belldandy drifted past her sisters, obviously thinking hard.
"Hmm," Urd said, obviously surprised. "I thought you two would be out longer."
"Skuld, I want you to stay home for a while," Belldandy said.
"Huh?!" Skuld gasped in protest, as Belldandy walked through towards her own room. "Why?" Belldandy didn't answer her and the young goddess turned her attention toward Keiichi. "What's going on?"
"There was a murder in the park," Keiichi said. "Somebody made it look like they were killing a vampire from an American movie."
"Ah, son of a bitch," Urd snapped angrily. "I thought that nonsense stopped ages ago."
"But...why does that mean I have to stay home?" Skuld demanded. "A mortal couldn't kill me..."
"No, but they could force you to reincarnate again," Urd reminded her. "You almost back to full maturity, Skuld, want to go through it again?"
"Umm, no," Skuld said.
"What's going on," Keiichi asked, desperately.
"Humanity, as you know it, isn't the only form of mortal on Earth, Keiichi," Belldandy said softly, returning to the room. She sat down and took a breath. "There was a time when many variations of the human form walked the Earth. In time they mingled with homo sapiens and were, for most intents and purposes, bred out of existence. The markers of their capabilities, however, remain in the human bloodline, and every so often an individual is born that is touched by those ancient heritages."
"Touched?" Keiichi repeated. Urd nodded in confirmation.
"You'd probably call her a throwback," Urd said.
"You mean, that girl was really..." Keiichi started, uncertain whether he wanted to finish or not.
"A vampire," Belldandy finished.
"I thought vampires were creatures come back from dead," Keiichi said.
"Shows what you know," Skuld said, crossing her arms. "She's not talking about one of...that place's twisted imitations."
"So there are people that go around drinking blood..." Keiichi started to say.
"A protein drink with dissolved iron supplements would be more likely in this day and age," Urd interrupted.
"Yeah," Keiichi said slowly. "How about turning into a wolf on the full moon." Belldandy shook her head.
"Most werewolves have only one body," Belldandy said. "Though they can take to shapechanging spells with slightly ease than most other humans."
"So why was she killed then?" Keiichi asked. "If she's harmless."
"Hmmph," Skuld said. "She's different, what other reason do some mortals need?"
"Skuld's right," Urd said, shrugging irritably. "Vampires, werewolves and other such touched individuals have been at odds with other humans for eons."
"Her heart was stolen," Belldandy said. Urd looked at her in alert silence as Skuld and Keiichi looked on, confused. Belldandy raised her eyes to meet Urd's meaningfully.
"What does that mean?" Keiichi asked.
"There's a ritual where a person can acquire the powers of the touched," Urd said. "It requires, among other things, the symbolic center of the creature's power that the caster desires. Like the heart of a vampire."
"This guy will go away now, though," Keiichi said. "Right?"
"Let's hope," Urd said. "But there is at least one more touched individual around here."
"Who is that?" Keiichi asked hesitantly.
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(Posted Mon, 19 May 2003 23:30)
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