Changling, my Changling

Chapter 1

The moon hung low and bright in the midst of the inky blackness that was winter's first night. A tiny silver sickle was the only source of light within the dense forest. Only two creatures lurking in the forest needed the reassurance from the moon. The rest of the creatures took solace in the cold arms of darkness. 

Jack Frost, in all his chilling glory, was already making his slow trek across the carpet of moss and grass. A pair of Black Knights stood tall and valiant in the flow of the moon and the frost in the air. Their breath, the only things moving, swirled from their nostrils in lazy patterns. Their chests rose and fell with a synchronized, practiced rhythm born of years of hard fighting. The silence of the forest stretched. 

Neither man felt the need to speak. 

They were on the hunt. Silence and stealth were their forerunners. Their prey was trying to hide, but the creature was going to make a mistake. 

They always did. 

The Knights stood side by side in a relaxed pose. Almost as if this was a bromace night out in the country. 

They slide their sword free of its scabbard without so much as a whisper of sound. A twig snapped. 

The knights sprang in silent action. Nathan broke off to the left, Martin took the right. Nothing needed to be spoken. Their training was showing. Each knight took care of their footfalls as they ghosted from one bare patch of cover to the other. Another twig snapped followed by a soft curse. Martin's ear twitched at the sound. He was closet to the sound and he stepped out of the shadows to engage their prey. 

"Its easier if you surrender." He barely spoke above a whisper. His voice ladened with an ironclad command. His eyes zeroed in on the possible hiding place of their target. He was not going to repeat himself.

Nathan didn't break cover. He was the backup in this chase. Just in case their prey tried to run again. He would need to cut them off at the pass. 

With trembling steps a girl moved out from the shadows. She was a tiny thing, reeking of teenage drama and woes, barely old enough to wonder about the poor job her training bra was doing. The girl was shivering in a stained and ripped sweater dress that was clearly too big for her. Her pale skin glowed translucent under the moonlight. It was currently dotted with flecks of mud and blood from her mad dash through the forest. "I haven't done anything wrong." Her voice trembled. Nathan was sure it was born of fear more than the cold. 

Martin advanced on her. "I am not here for your pleas for mercy demon." The moon glinted off the chaste surface of his sword. 

The girl’s eyes widen to dinner plates when she saw the sword. She took a step back from Martin's advances. She has lost her shoes in the pursuit. "Please," she begged chewing on her bottom lip nervously. Her hands came up in silent surrender.  

Martin took no notice of her placations. "By the covenant of the Black Knights with the Almighty I sentence you to death for your crimes against the created." That was all the girl needed to hear. She let loose a whimper and turned to take off into the forest once again. 

She had been quick as a dart, but by God Martin was faster. His arm shot out grabbing a fist full of the girl's hair. 

Nathan jumped out of the shadows of his perch to intercept the girl. He was not keen on another chase. There was only so much his body could do at his advance age. 

With a vicious yank Martin drug the girl backwards. She fell with a thud and a tiny crack. "Praise God for this victory." He stepped on the girl's arm to hold her down. The girl looked up at him, her eyes round and pleading, silent tears streaming down her face. Martin looked down at her. Pure malice pouring out of his eyes. "May God show you mercy." She opened her mouth to scream. 

Martin swung his sword. She never got the scream past her lips before her life's blood stained the steel of Martin's sword. 

Nathan stood over the girl as Martin pulled his heavy boot off her arm. The logo of his boot branded across the flesh of her arm. Her fingers gave a final twitch before settling into a death grip. 

A heavy silence fell in the forest. The darkness grew heavy with sadness. 

Nathan was the first to break the silence, “What have you done?” he demanded as he turned away from his brother in arms. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession. The night air was suddenly thick with the rich smell of fresh blood. As Nathan spoke, the coppery tinge coated his tongue. 

Martin moved away from the body like discarded trash. He pulled a black handkerchief from his left back pocket to begin to cleaning his sword. “I have only done what you have been failing and unwilling to do Nathan.” Martin started at the hilt of his long broadsword working his way down to the tip. 

His sword was a gloriously wicked affair. Majestic, as that was its name was a 12 foot double edged sword wrapped in blackened steel. It was fabled that the Knights' swords were worked with meteorite rock. Its beauty was currently marred with the blood of the dead teenager. Moonlight caught the jewels worked into the crosspiece sending silver bursts of moonlight across Nathan’s face. 

Nathan backed away from the light show. He jabbed his sword toward the mangled body steaming a few feet away. “This is not what we do.” He growled. He punctuated each word with a jab of his sword. 

“It should be.” Martin snapped. He bite back the rest of the angry retort. It took him a minute to pull himself together. Martin shook his head and continued. “Have you grown weary of the fight?" He looked down to finish cleaning his sword. "This is not the first changling we have put down. Is that the source of your disgust?” Martin looked to study Nathan's face. Nathan's stomach rolled with the accusation. This was not the first time they had this argument. Since Martin had taken his vows, nearly 25 years ago to the day, they had upheld their pledge to guard mortals against the onslaught of the supernatural.

They stood as sentries in the night protecting people from the things of nightmares and fairy tales. The pair had been brother in arms as well as friends since that day. However Nathan feared Martin had lost his way. He was waging a one man war against the very mortals they were sworn to protect. A changling was no more responsible for what they were than the man on the moon. Martin believed in the divine justice he wielded with his sword.  

Nathan snorted as he sheaved his sword once again. It was clean of any blood or gore. “I am disgusted that you are killing innocents!" The cold fury in his voice snapped like a whip. A startled bird took flight from a nearby tree. "The child could have been saved." Nathan's shoulders slumped as he sighed. His tirade finally spent. 

He couldn’t help the movement of his head as he turned to gaze at the the body. Nor could he help the tears that rolled down his face. 

Martin calmly sheaved his sword as he spat. Nathan's tantrum's were nothing new. They had been brothers since Martin's vows. Tonight he feared Nathan's tantrums would only get worse. 

“She was a changling Nathan. There is no saving that. It was going to come out sooner or later. I don’t like to gamble on the later.” He bent down to retrieve his hastily discarded duster and cross. “It wasn’t human Nathan. Don’t waste tears on evil.” He shrugged himself into the black duster and draped his heavy cross around his neck. "Hold your tears for the souls we just saved.” He away turned from Nathan to walk back to their rented SUV.

Nathan stood in the grove of trees alone. His head bent in a silent prayer “Lord forgive us for we know not what we have done.” Nathan’s eyes lingered on the child’s body. Her eyes frozen open in terror. Her last scream had been chocked off by Martin’s brutally efficient slash across her throat. 

The child's beauty eternally marred by Martin's savagery. 

Nathan closed his eyes and walked away.