The Diamond of Strength

Epilouge - The Story of Acotas (Part 2)

Acotas and Hajari were happy for a long time along with their three daughters, the youngest of which was showing great promise in the ways of being a Shawoman. Acotas always knew that her end would come by the hands of someone dark, the gods had told her so and they were right.

It happened one day in her village, she was out gathering herbs and plants as remedies for her village because a lot of villagers were getting sick. She suddenly felt a very evil presence behind her and she turned around to face her opponent.

The young girl in front of her seemed like any other child she had seen in or around her village with one major difference, no one in or around her village had red glowing eyes gleaming with thirst. That was when the Shawoman knew that this child was a blood drinker, a Vampire.

"Hmm," The child said looking her over like she was some new toy for her to play with, "so your the one with the power I was sensing earlier, but you seem so weak. But then most of your species are weak, but you seem exceptionally weak, even by their standards."

"You don't look very strong either," Acotas said looking at the young girl, "but I know that you are a Vampire and have incredible strength so let us not underestimate each other, shall we."

The Vampire smiled at her and nodded and then attacked her without a second of hesitation or thought. Acotas knew that she would not survive an encounter with a Vampire but she hopped that she would survive long enough to wound the girl, at least enough to allow for her village to be spared.

Their battle was cut short when others of the young girls kind grabbed her just before the Shawoman could plunge her stake into her heart.

"Vella, we need to get you away from here." One of the men said looking down at her, he looked young especially young to the Vampire kind, he looked at the young girl like she was precious but also annoying at the same time.

"No, I have to finish her off, it's my only means of fun right now!" She said stomping her foot like the young child she looked like.

"We can find you other fun, but right now we need to get you away from here, this woman here is cleansing our people just with her presence and I can feel it happening to you, now do you really want to become like your uncle and be a human hugging vegetarian?" He said smirking at her because he knew that she would not want that in the slightest.

"Ugh! Fine take me away from here, but you had better find me some fun or else you are the one who is going to suffer Darnell." She said smirking back at him seeing as he went pale sue to the fact that he rembered the last time he did something wrong and the torture lasted for weeks. He then whisked her off leaving Acotas to lay there, bleeding.

During their battle Acotas had been wounded and her surviving villagers found her there, with help from her youngest child who had seen most of what had happened from a hiding place in the forest behind them, and carried her to her hut and laid her down so she could rest and so they could find her some herbs for healing.

She let them go without a fuss because she knew that she would not be alive by the time they got back. The only person she asked to stay with her was her youngest child, a girl known by the name of Kailas.

"Kailas, my dear, I don't have much time left." The Shaman said as she started coughing.

"Mother please, be silent, you need your rest before the villagers return." Kailas said crying.

"Now Kailas, I want you to listen to me very carefully okay?" The Shaman said looking straight into an exact match to her own pair of eyes, when she saw her daughter nod she continued, "I am dying and will most likely die before the villagers return with the herbs, but I do not want you to grieve me for too long. You must live for me because I am going to leave something very precious behind with you."

"What is that Mother?" Kailas asked with even more tears running down her cheeks.

"My Strength, I will turn it into a diamond, and when becomes a part of my reincarnation it will appear before them along with anyone who has had possession of the Diamond before them, including me. I want you to tell this story to your children and your children's children, so that they can pass it on until it reaches my reincarnation. Alright! Promise me you will tell my story!" The Shaman said with shaking hands and breath.

"Yes Mother." Kailas said as she saw her mother smile and she motioned for Kalias to lean down and so she did. Her mother kissed her on the head and then she leaned her head back down and close her eyes for the final time. When she saw her mothers breathing stop she bent over and sobbed against her chest as the villagers poured into the hut. When she raised her head from her mothers chest there was a strange marking embedded in her neck.

"What is that?" Atain, one of her mother close helpers asked ah he wiped away tears that were streaming down his face.

She reached her hand to touch the mark that she could feel was risen from her skin and she felt the shape of it and knew it was in fact a diamond which made her laugh slightly and then she looked at him and smiled.

"It's a gift. From mother, from the after life." She said looking at her mothers peaceful face still smiling.