.:Light of a New Day:. - Short-Story

There was no silence tonight. None at all! If there were, then something would be wrong. Instead of darkness there was the flicker of fire, decorative lights; and everything in between. Smells of well-cooked meat and fresh rich spices filled the air. It was a celebration, the music and dancing confirmed it.

A large gathering of individuals danced to the heavy beats of drums; swayed to the rhythm of the trumpets, and shook with every break in the music. Laughter and voices of song filled the night sky, on the outskirts of a large city. Where the poorer, less "technological advanced" stayed. One would describe them of being 'old south'. No matter what the world thought of their backwards ways, and weird traditions. They didn't care, they were better off anyway.

Many wore mask, or heavy illuminated make up. Outlining not only their frames but exaggerated them. Made them unearthly. Some wore old taters of costumes, and ceremonial robes, others wore long dresses with intricate designs that only nimble hands could craft. Anyone was invited to the midnight party, anyone at all! Mortal, or not. No one would judge, no one would know.

And so, it was not uncommon for the untrained eye to catch a flicker here, an extra shadow there. The disappearance of something, or the extra voice in the crowd. This celebration was a reach out to the spirits, loa, deities and anything else that wanted to join along. So yes, you could very well see a spirit, a well-mannered demon, a lesser god; doesn't matter. They respected boundaries, and only joined to honor their meaning and each other. To remind the mortals of the delicate balance they so carefully manage. And so to, how the spirits are reminded of their existence, and importance to the world below.

More people were coming and going by the hour, more so joining then leaving. And among those many, a group of five was to make its way to the once a year party. To the "Limyè nan yon nouvo jou" as it is called in old language. The name never changed, it was honored, and remembered.

A father and his daughter were the first to enter the clearing. The area was a huge moor land surrounded by tall birch and oak trees. The decorative lights were strung across the branches, and some vending carts even hung freshly roasted and baked goods from them. The hilly land was used as an advantaged, the fires in the pits, and the bands on the hills. Dancers on slopes and flatland, it was a beautifully coordinated mess.

The daughter, near the age of twelve shook with anticipation as she held her father's hand. It was the first time she had attended the celebration, she was finally old enough to partake in most of the activities. Her beautiful sapphire eyes reflected every glimmer and speck of light that danced across the darkness, and she smiled in wonder as dancers passed by, throwing out beaded necklaces and flowers. The laughed, and welcomed her and the father.

The father gave a short nod, his expression hidden behind his costume and mask. He wore many silks layered over one another. Black silks with bits of red and purple on the edge. It was not a party costume, it was a ceremonial robe, something in his position he always should have. A, priest of sorts. The mask that shielded his face so well was nothing extravagant. It looked like a theatrical mask, smiling. Only a few extra markings set it aside from the ones plastered on cinema signs.

He bent down, and gently adjusted his daughter's own, new robe. It was a little big on her, but it would do. He smiled, even though no one could tell.

"Stay where I or Rosary can see you." He said, gently straightening the collar of the robe. "Don't drink anything offered to you, always ask what something is before you accept…" He droned on with the rules she had been hearing all week. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She reached up, adjusting an earring. The father pushed her hand away, and started to do it for her.

"And hey, if you get in trouble, just yell for one of us. Preferably me." He stated and stood up again. A brisk nod, and nothing more she said as she took off running, laughing to join other kids her age. She became another silhouette in the crowd.

"She will be fine, Aeternum." A voice one could only describe as hallowed, called out to the father and his inner fears.

"She is your daughter, after all."

Aeternum adjusted his mask, the smile now gone. "I'm not worried about her, I'm worried what will follow her home when we leave. When I was her age, I was talking to every spirit I came across. Invited some nasty ones into my home by accident."

To many, it looked as if he was talking to himself. But he wasn't, he could clearly see the larger being next to him. Brown ragged fur, flickering tails and rippling muscles. Horns, claws, and crimson jewelry. All in just a side glance.

"What about you, Rosary?" Aeternum looked up and into the eyes of his companion. Rosary wore a similar mask, but unlike Aeternum his facial features behind it where impossible to see. His eyes were blacked out, the cut out for the mouth was also in a shroud of darkness. The mask did not contort to fit his muzzle, as it should. Instead, it was nearly flat.

"If by 'what about you' mean, 'am I going to go enjoy myself'?" A pause, from the tainted spirit. He looked around to the people around him. No one made any indication that they could see him. He wasn't surprised.

"Yes. I think I will." He replied finally. He sunk off, flickering in and out of Aeternum's sight. Rosary moved, in between people, careful not to bump into them. But with his size it was nearly impossible to do so, and the dancing didn't help. Yet, many did not believe in 'his kind' of sprit, so he was merely a passing of cold wind. Some though, very few turned their head, caught a glimmer and parted out of the way for him. He made his way right over to the shacks, where venders sold little trinkets with 'divine power' and tacky jewelry. He always liked observing culture.

As he walked; his two long tails dragging against the dirt, a vender paused in a deal with a customer. They looked at Rosary, wide eyed. Quickly they shooed away the potential customer and grabbed a tray. A silver platter lined with detailed beads, gems and sterling silver. Out from around the counter, they kneeled down on one leg, and held it out. Rosary stepped back, surprised.

Quickly, he recalled to himself that over half of the mortals here were only here to celebrate spirits and loa, not to get drunk and eat freely. The vender was simply paying respect to a spirit it was not familiar with. But with Rosary's size and appearance, it would be wise not to get on his bad side.

Gingerly, he accepted the gesture and took a beaded red bracelet. It would not fit his wrist, but to reject the mortals offer could possibly worry him, possibly scare him into thinking Rosary wasn't 'satisfied' with the offering.

The other venders, (who were more or less there to make a quick fortune) stared at the other like he was mad. Rosary took a chance, to notice the features of this Mobian. Short cropped ears, pierced with golden jewelry. Grey long fur, tattoos of sayings in many languages were all over him, and he wore fine cottons and many necklaces himself.

Rosary nodded to the Mobian, unable to identify his species.

"Thank you." Rosary replied, and continued on his walk. The vender stood up, startled that Rosary had even spoken to him. But never the less, he was overcome with a sense of pride. He had appeased a spirit tonight.

Somewhere on the other side of the celebration, two flickers of shadow danced to the beating drums. Fire outlined their black forms, carefully detailing the wisp of shadows from one, and the sharp edges of the other.

A laugh, and the shadow spirit danced across the floor. Passing by many, freely floating in between them. He was ecstatic. It was hardly ever did he remember things. He always forgot them. Memory was his enemy. But the music, the lights, the smells and the sounds! It reminded him of everything. Everything on who he was. Was.

He laughed, grabbing his friend's wrist and spinning him around. His friend, a black and red demonic spirit seemed annoyed more than anything. He floated off to the side, careful not to bump into any mortals, and gather their stench on him. He scowled just a bit, but had no time to grimace over his situation. The completely black, no detail spirit grabbed his wrist once more and pulled him close.

"Let us dance, dear~" He laughed, joking in his manner. He was completely, and truly one color. Just, black. Black as one could be. His canine outline was filled with it, no eyes, no fine details, hardly any ability to see the fur. The only thing one could make out was his shredded, bastardly smile of a mouth.

"I'm about to hurt you." The demonic spirit growled in warning.

Other lesser spirits and a few smart mortals watched, laughing and smiling. The demonic spirit had no shape to put to him. He didn't look like any Mobian. But he had the anatomy to be one, mostly. He was a lighter shade of black, covered in scarlet markings from head to tail. He sported good size fangs, and large claws. Despite his average size, he still looked dangerous. That is, if he wasn't being forced to dance.

"Come on Aza'! It's Limyè nan yon nouvo jou! A Light of a new day! Have some fun." The shadowed spirit encouraged with laughter. Aza'Zel scowled again, embarrassed as two Mobian girls walked by, one waved to them, the other laughed.

"No, Shadow M-"

"Justify." The shadow corrected him.

"Whatever. I'm not dancing. That's idiotic and pointless. It's indeed a miracle that you even got me to come to this!" Aza'Zel hissed, turning away. He began to weave through the dancers, careful again not to touch them.

Justify watched, briefly. He wasn't the type to give up. He quickly bounded through the mortals, and came up to a band. Without asking or giving recognition to the players, he grabbed an instrument laying on the side and took off. The musicians wouldn't have tried to stop him anyway. The instrument crumpled in his touch, black shadows stretching over it and consuming it into a black outline as well.

Aza'Zel had just made it out of the inner circle, when his companion made it back to him. Blasting the 'shadow trumpet' in a playful manner, Justify circled Aza'Zel. He smiled as he played, attracting the attention of spirits and mortals alike. None laughed, instead they cheered and formed a new circle, dancing, throwing beads, feathers and glitter into the air.

In the mix, Aeternum walked by. He gave a glance to the demonic spirit, and said sympathetically "This isn't your style. I understand." He laughed slightly.

"You're not the spirit for this. But the kind of fun I know you like, is over on the far end. Less dancing I might add." Aeternum hardly finished before Aza'Zel shot out from the crowd, moving like a slithering black snake among the people. He disappeared into the crowd, and went on his own to find some less idiotic entertainment.

Justify gave a nod to his 4-times great nephew, who continued walking. Aeternum adjusted his mask, not wanting to interrupt the music his ancestor made. He looked around, remembering the reason he came. It was to find loa, greater spirits of their culture. It was unlikely that they would be in the mist of dancers, and were more than likely in the more cultural aspect. Where groups told legends, traded idols and some even preformed outdated rituals. Some as barbaric as sacrificing a chicken. It was more for fun then for serious communication with the loa.

Tally-Lee ran up to her father, covered in glowing face paint, and held two small paper plates filled with food. She out held one to him and smiled.

"I know you're here for business, dad." She stated, as Aeternum took the plate from his daughter. He lifted up the mask to the top of his head, and took a bite of the well spiced meat.

"But try to have some fun at least!" Tally-Lee added as she bit into her own food. Aeternum was silent, thinking it over.

"You're right, honey." He said kindly. "Once a year celebration and I have done nothing but walk about. I doubt any loa still return here. Sprits and demons yes, but everything else has left along with the majority of the…" He paused watching some drunk teenagers stager by. They laughed, and one bellowed over as if they were about to vomit.

"True believers." He took another bite. Tally-Lee smiled and then asked "Are all spirits here?" Aeternum shook his head quickly, knowing the following questions if he had said yes.

"No. Only spirits of powerful beings. Demons of not the worst kind, or tainted Mobian spirits of idiots who make deals with the devil and dark entities."

"Like Shadow Man?"

"Yes, idiots." Aeternum joked. He sat down carefully on a fallen tree, and watched the party continue around them.

"Will we come back here when we are spirits?" Tally-Lee asked as she sat down next to her father. Aeternum shrugged, wiping his mouth. "It's a possibility, if we want to. Or what we do with our lives. Will I personally? Most likely not. I'm more like Aza'Zel. This isn't my style. Yes, I major in Hoodoo, but this…" He paused and looked around.

"I don't want to mess with. The culture is dying, and soon no one but a few will see the spirits anymore. Just pretend they can and make jokes about it." Tally-Lee looked to the area around them. The party had no indication of dying down. The dancing and singing, music continued into the night.

"There are still believers." She said quietly. She didn't look away from the celebration but she could feel her father's gaze fall upon her.

"There is us. And you told me, that once upon a time Mobians didn't believe in spirits, heaven, hell or anything like it. And the slumbering gods were dying without belief, so they sent their followers to make us believe. If that happens again, they will just wake up again. And then, there is people like you and me." A quick pause, her mind thinking. "Grandfather taught you, and you are teaching me. And if I have kids, I'll teach them. And so on."

"Times are changing." Aeternum rebutted. He then added "With the lure of trends and technology, I am greatly surprised you believe and hold the duties of our... 'roll' so seriously."

"I grew up with them." Tally-Lee answered, watching some strange long legged demon move across the crowd. Smaller little imps rode on it's back, singing in their weird tongues and drinking rum. She laughed as one waved to her. The crowd was unmoved by the passing of the band of spirits. "And of course, Rosary and Shadow Man will be around. Maybe Aza'Zel to... if he don't get hitched."

Aeternum chocked on his food, the spicy food getting caught in his throat.

"Where did you learn such language?!" Aeternum asked, trying to hold in a laugh. Tally-Lee couldn't hold in a laughter at the site of her father.

"Shadow Man. He talks a lot when your not around. Sometimes Rosary yells at him to be quiet. But he usually just makes weird noises in response." Tally-Lee replied. Finishing the last of her food. She took a moment to think, something that never crossed her mind before.

"Are they are family?" She asked. Aeternum set aside his food and pulled down his mask. Tally-Lee now could no longer see her father's expressions, and had to guess.

"If you mean the Fallen Angel, the Tainted Spirit, and the False Demon... then yes. For now." Aeternum held out his hand to his daughter. "We're a family right now. But don't tell them that. It will be our little secret." Tally-Lee thought she could detect a smile. Perhaps..

"Okay. I won't." She smiled back, and took his hand. The two left the log and walked back into the crowd of the party, getting lost among the many masked faces, and beautiful robes of the dancers and singers.