Joan

Tears ran from Joan's face to see long fangs gaping from Cosmina's mouth. Her eyes, blood red, staring down upon Joan as if she were prey.

In a guttural voice, Cosmina spoke. "My beast wants you!"

Joan was too frightened to move. All she could do was stare into those red empty eyes, fearing that the beast that now ruled her love, would instead end her life.

Cosmina remained motionless before a shiver ran through her body. Joan could see Cosmina fighting within herself for control.

Cosmina suddenly raised her arm to her mouth, using her fang to tear a gash in her own flesh. Before Joan had the time to gasp, the bleeding gash was forced into her mouth.

"Drink. I will mark you as mine for eternity. Call to me, and I will be there."

Joan's mouth was flooded with the blood oozing from Cosmina's wound. Her mouth filled with blood and with no other option, swallowed.

Joan's body flushed hotly as the blood entered her body. See found herself looking down at her own frightened face, seeing what Cosmina saw.

After several mouthfuls, Cosmina removed her arm and stood instantly.

"Leave here. Do not return." And then she was gone.

Joan lay where she was, sobbing as she felt her heart break. The love of her life was gone.

Joan remained where she was for a time. As the sun began to rise, she found her way to Cosmina's sleeping lair. Cosmina was not there.

With a broken heart, Joan left the ruins and made her way back to the Royal court. After saying she had defeated the monster she was sent to kill, Joan was allowed to participate in the battles to free France.

Joan gained victory after victory. She felt no fear as she moved along the frontlines of the battle, carrying her banner high, encouraging the soldiers surrounding her to fight on against greater odds.

Joan felt a jolt to her body as she was sitting upon her horse. Looking down, she saw an enemy arrow protruding from below her collarbone. Joan could see the battle teetered on the edge, either side could be the possible victor... Spurring her horse forwards, she encouraged her men onwards. Her soldiers, seeing how she remained though obviously injured, gathered their courage for a great rush. The rapidly approaching armies quickly broke the defenses of the English, causing them to break and flee. As her men helped Joan from her horse and placed her in her tent. A medical person with knowledge of herbs and potions, cut the arrow and removed it from Joan, as it had traveled through her body. The medic placed a poultice upon Joan's wounds, and left her lying in her cot.

Joan's thoughts returned to the love she had lost, her Mina. She felt a sudden burning to her wounds, that quickly dissipated. Curious, Joan removed the poultice to see what had occurred. When she looked, she saw that her wound was completely closed, no sign of the injury she had received.

Joan rose and left her tent. The medic, seeing her outside the tent, rushed to her side.

"My Lady, please, you must rest for your wound to heal."

Joan pulled her blouse to the side, showing the medic she was completely healed. The medic and some soldiers standing by dropped to their knees believing Joan truly was directed by God and that she had been miraculously healed.

Word spread quickly through the camp of Joan's healing. Those who had doubted her before, dropped to their knees, quickly pledging their lives to her leadership.

Joan was sent to Compiègne to help lift a siege being carried out by English and Burgundian armies. While enroute, her army was attacked. Greatly outnumbered, Joan remained with the rear forces to assist in helping the escape of her men. Her group was surrounded and Joan found herself captive.

Joan was handed over to the English, who hated her for the battles she had won against them.

English Bishop Cauchon accused Joan of heresy and witchcraft. They believed no woman could have led an army to defeat the English.

An inquisitional court was formed, filled with members of English and Burgundy clerics.

Joan was refused her own council or witnesses and was quickly found guilty and sentenced to burn.

As the sun set, Joan was lead from her cell. Bishop Cauchon and a dozen other clerics were present in an enclosed court. Joan was lashed to a pole before wood was piled around her.

"You will burn for your sins witch. Your death will be at night, so that you may not see God's glory one last time in daylight."

At a nod of his head, several soldiers moved forwards with torches and began setting the dry wood aflame.

Joan remained silent as the flames and heat licked at her body. She would not give her enemy the satisfaction of pleading or screaming.

As her body was burning, pain wracked her body. Her only thought being that she would never see her Mina again.

With her last breath, Joan yelled out for her lover, "Mina!"

At last her head dropped to her chest and her breath left her body.

The clerics watched as Joan burned. Suddenly with a great crash, the doors to the courtyard burst opened.

The group standing in the courtyard were stunned to see a dark form standing before them. A woman in a dark cowl, her eyes a blazing red stood in the doorway. Her hair floated about her head as if blown by a breeze, yet no wind was felt.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" A voice that shook the building asked.

The clerics and soldiers dropped too their knees, Their crosses held before them in the hope their god would save them from this demon in their midst.

With a motion of her hand, the flames extinguished themselves on and around Joan's body.

Bishop Cauchon moved towards the figure, holding his cross before him. "Be gone demon" he yelled.

The woman looked upon the bishop, then seemed to appear directly in front of him. The bishop had but several seconds to see into the dark depths of the demons eyes before he was picked up. His throat was ripped open and his body flung across the room.

The woman raised her arms and the clerics and the soldiers fell to the ground, gasping as they tried to breath, but no air surrounded them.

When the bodies stopped moving, the woman walked to the pyre and Joan's burned, still, body. With the greatest of delicacy, she removed the body from the burned embers as bloody tears fell from her face.

A great moan was heard by soldiers outside the courtyard, but none had the courage to enter.

The woman ripped a wound into her arm, and forced the bleeding gash into Joan's still mouth. After several minutes, the woman and Joan's body were gone.

Patricia knew she should not have worked late, but knew she had to get some company proposals emailed off before the next day.

Patricia said good-bye to the night guard manning the reception desk in the lobby of her building. New York was cold in December and the streets all but empty in this part of town.

Patricia thought of the man who had been stalking her. She had reported him to the police when his notes against her became more violent. They had told her there was nothing they could do but that she should be careful. Now she was out late and alone.

As Patricia walked past a dark alleyway, she was grabbed from behind and drug into the alley before she could scream. Patricia was knocked to the ground and then trapped as the man fell upon her.

"You should have come to me when I first told you to bitch!" As he held a knife to her throat.

Patricia was sobbing as she felt the man attempting to open her pants with his other hand. Patricia knew that this was her stalker. His last letter had stated that she would be his for ever. She knew he would kill her after he raped her.

Patricia's eyes were closed as she felt powerless to stop her attacker. She suddenly felt the weight of the man lifted from her.

Patricia was afraid to open her eyes, but all she heard was a gasp of pain near her.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a figure in a dark cowl holding her attacker closely. The cowled figures head appeared pushed against the man's neck. She could her what sounded like sucking noise coming from the couple.

The mans body dropped to the ground, no movement visible.

Patricia was lifted from the ground effortlessly by the cowled figure. The hood was pushed back and Patricia found herself face to face to a lovely woman with brown hair and blue eyes, who looked to be no older then nineteen.

"Are you injured?" The woman asked.

I don't believe so. Thank you, thank you so much for saving me. But how did you do this?"

"That is of no concern. Patricia, look at me."

"You have French ancestry, don't you?"

"Why yes, but how did you know that?"

"I believe I happened upon one of your relatives, but it was a long time ago."

Patricia looked into the woman's eyes, seeing they were now red.

"You will recall nothing of what happened here Patricia. You will remember only slipping and falling, thus dirtying your close. You no longer have a stalker and this brings you peace of mind. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Then go Patricia."

Patricia walked away from the alley. As she began walking down the sidewalk, she chuckled recalling her foolish slip on a patch of ice.

The woman looked down upon the body of Patricia's attacker. Effortlessly picking up the body, she carried the carcass to a garbage scowl that was headed to the ocean to dump it's load. She pushed the remains into the large pile before disappearing.

Joan walked through the sliding doors of the penthouse balcony. Before her was a naked woman sitting with facing the fire.

"You could use the elevator you know?"

"Yes, but this is so much more fun Mina." She said with a smile.

Mina turned to her with a matching smile. "So, have you done your good deed for the night Joan?"

Joan moved to the now standing Mina hugging her closely to her. "Yes, I believe one person will live a more peaceful life now. And one vermin has been removed."

Joan kissed Mina deeply, their tongues rubbing together as their passions grew.

"I never grow tired of your kisses Mina."

"No my sweetness? It has been over six hundred years. You're sure your not ready for a younger woman? Mina said with a smirk.

"No my love, you are, and always will be my only true love." Mina opened Joan's cloak, revealing her naked unblemished body beneath. Rubbing her hand down Joan's body, she looked into Joan's eyes with a questioning look.

I could have sworn there was hair down there the last time I looked" Mina said with a raised eyebrow.

Joan chuckled, "Well, I have seen some interesting things on the Internet while you've been out some evenings."

"Ooh? Do I need to be watching what you are viewing while I'm gone?" Mina laughed.

"Well, I do like to see if there have been any new ideas we could perhaps try."

"Really. Then why don't we adjourn to the bedroom, and you can show me these new ideas."

Joan wrapped her hand in Mina's, allowing herself to be pulled to the bedroom as she laughed.

The end.