A young man, the age of 17, walked through a dusty, old village.
The boy was wearing a black, tattered sweatshirt with baggy blue jeans.
He had bushy, messy, black hair, his bangs just about covering his eyes.
His hands were in his pockets, and made contact with no one.
He wasn't a local, just passing through.
The day was cloudy, the usual weather in this region.
The clouds were looming in the sky, but it wouldn't rain.
The boy's skin was pale, with many cuts on his face.
The villagers knew to stay away.
He stepped into an old tavern, with only two other residents inside.
He quietly made his way to the bartender.
"Sir, I'd like to know if you have seen any other visitors passing through this village." the boy asked.
"Heh, as a matter o' fact, I have. Maybe for some money my mouth might slip." said the bartender.
"I don't think you understand." said the boy.
In a blur he was behind the bartender, with a small dagger against the man's neck.
"Ok, ok! I'll tell! There were a few shady figures passing through last night!" confessed the man.
"Thank you." replied the boy, and with one quick twist, he broke the man's neck.
The bartender fell quick, and lay still.
The boy walked out of the tavern, and made his way out of the village, as if he hadn't just killed a man.
The boy walked through the gate and out of the village.
He looked back and saw a sign that said "Borvak", the name of the village.
The sign was hard to read, due to years of dirt and bad weather, but because of the boy's sharpness of vision, it was clear to him.
He continued onward, and came to a forest.
He continued to follow the dirt path and into the forest.
It was hard to call it a forest, considering that most of the trees were leafless and dead.
The sun was beginning to set, and dusk was near.
The boy stopped. He sniffed the air. He looked over his shoulders, and continued on.
He exhaled, and saw his breath.
When night came, so did the cold.
Suddenly, there was a whistling sound in the air.
It wasn't the wind.
A crossbow bolt had made its mark in a tree next to the boy.
When it made contact, splinters and bark from the tree flew everywhere.
The boy had dived forward, and executed a roll. He turned around, crouching and looked at his attacker.
His eyes narrowed.
"I've got you Anima." said the attacker.
Anima (the boy) studied the attacker. He wore a large, dark brown coat.
It covered his torso and his legs. He wore a tan cowboy hat that had a white feather in it.
The hair that was visible was brown and curly in the back.
He had a five o' clock shadow and a grin on his face.
"It's been a while since I've caught up to you. Chasing around and killing your kind is hard work."
"Be quiet, Carosso." muttered Anima.
"Hm, I'll just have to kill you then." Carosso said, and lined up his crossbow with Anima. And fired.
The bow made a twang sound, and a bolt was heading right towards Anima's head.
With his quick reflexes, Anima leaped to the left, attempting to dodge the bolt.
It missed his head but made a deep gash in his right shoulder.
Anima winced in pain. Blood was gushing form the wound.
"Damn, I missed!" yelled Corosso.
Anima was bending over in pain.
"You're finished now!" said Corosso.
This time he wouldn't miss.
He shot two bolts to finish Anima.
In a blur Anima was in the woods running form his enemy.
"You faker!" shouted Corosso, following Anima, but he knew he would never match his speed.
Anima was grinning. He loved outsmarting the vampire hunters.
My name is Anima Lunaire. I am a vampire.
Ever since I was blooded at the age of 12 I have had to live in hiding, in fear of the hunters.
In the past 5 years I have spent my time either running from the vampire hunters, or learning about my powers and how to use them.
Vampire hunters are humans who have learned of our existence and use weapons to kill us.
Right now, vampires are on the near of extinction. Hunters have been killing us by the day.
So we must live in the shadows, not in fear, but for protection.
Some hunters travel in groups, killing us one at a time.
A hunter and a vampire are about exactly equal in strength.
One particular hunter, Corosso, has been trying to kill me, a young vampire.
Being a vampire has its advantages.
We have strengths that humans cannot attain, such as superhuman strength, and enhanced vision.
All of my senses have boosted.
Holy water and most of the other rumors are fake.
But we cannot walk around in the sun for over a few hours, or we get very tan and eventually die.
We prefer to use hand weapons, such as knives and swords.
I prefer to use my daggers, or small knives.
We need human blood to live, and when we don't have any for a long time, we feel weak, and after a while, we die.
A stake through the heart will kill us, but so will bullets and other weapons. We are just harder to kill.
But now, I need to find a place to hide. And feed. To finish Corosso once and for all.
I was out of Corosso's sight.
There was a lot of blood coming from the wound.
I spit into my hands and rubbed the wound.
Vampire spit could heal wounds, but not killer ones.
That reminded me. Blood.
I need to feed. It's been almost a week since I have.
I traveled for about another half hour, and arrived at a village. I snuck inside.
I hid in the dark, looking for someone to feed from.
I found one.
He was a plump man, with a pitchfork in his hand.
I climbed up onto a roof, and sat there, silent, and waited for the man to walk under me.
After five minutes, he moved. He was walking into the shop I was standing on.
I jumped down, and I landed on him.
He fell flat, and let go of his pitchfork.
I knocked him unconscious.
I used my nails to make a small cut into one of his larger veins.
Only stupid vampires use their teeth...
I took my fill (We don't kill our hosts) and used my spit to seal the wound.
After I took a stroll around the village, I noticed that it was almost sunrise.
I needed somewhere to rest for the day.
I found an old abandoned barn and slipped inside.
There was a big pile of hay in the back.
I walked over, got settled, and drifted off to sleep.
I woke up around 5 o'clock, and it was another gloomy day.
I got up and stretched, and looked out the door of the barn, which was open a small crack.
There were two men looking through the crack.
One was the man I fed from, and the other was another man I have seen around town.
They were looking at me.
Quietly, I got up from the haystack and tried to be unnoticed, but they already saw me.
The two burst in.
"That's it! You're a bloody vampire!
"Hm..." I wasn't amused.
Behind them rushed in just about all of the men in the village.
I noticed something.
There were no children in this village...
And they have a big butcher shop that I saw earlier...
They only ate meat...
Kid meat.
Damn cannibals.
Now they want me..
The two men in the front charged me, both with pitchforks in their hands.
I flipped over them, so I was facing their backs and elbowed them in the square of their backs.
As they fell, I grabbed the pitchforks and stabbed them in their necks, killing them.
As I was doing this, three others, unarmed, attempting to tackle me down.
I ducked and swept them with my leg, sending them sprawling to the ground.
Using this spare time, I jumped up to the haystack, and climbed up to the rafters.
With a foolish attempt, the three I took down got back up and tried to get on the haystack.
I jumped down, and landed on them, killing them, because I landed on their throats.
A large man, with an axe almost as large as him, walked up to me.
He pulled his large axe back, and threw it down on me.
He was surprised when I grabbed the axe, and pushed it back and into his chest, killing him.
I looked up at the villagers, and they ran.
Fast.
I dusted myself off, and continued onward.
Just another normal day for a vampire.
I made my way out of the village peacefully after that incident.
It was as gloomy as ever in this region.
This was one of the low-class regions.
You see, the world is divided into a few "regions" as they are called.
This was the lowest region.
They lived in small villages, and the villagers didn't have vehicles and weren't friendly.
Then there were the middle class.
They had cars, planes, and electricity.
Finally, there is the higher class.
They were the rich families with overloads of money.
They were mostly fools.
I lived in the middle class.
When I was child, I was an orphan before I was blooded by a dying vampire named Zentaru.
I spent 2 years in the middle class, but not in an orphanage.
I lived on my own, developing my skills.
But that's when I began to be hunted.
I remember walking in the alleyways, late at night, on my way home.
I was being followed.
I could tell he knew I was different.
He wanted me dead.
I later learned that the hunter was Corosso.
Corosso hunts me because I'm young, and he believes I'm weak.
Since that night, I have been traveling from village to village, hiding in the lower class.
Most of the villagers know I'm different.
But now, it's time to strike back.
With vengeance.
3 nights after the incident Corosso had caught up with me.
It was dark out, and I was traveling in the woods.
I had paused to feed from a rabbit, when I heard a twig snap.
Wiping my mouth, I turned around and saw him.
Corosso.
He looked no different from our encounter a few days ago.
"You can't run from me forever." said Corosso, as he walked out from the tree he was hiding behind.
"Who said I was running." I replied, and stood up, facing him.
"Whatever. There's no where to run now, anyways. I've cornered you." said Corosso, and raised his crossbow.
In a blink of an eye, I had two daggers in my hands.
"No more running. It's time to finish this." I muttered.
"I agree, let's end this game. I'll have you dead." Corosso, readying his bolts.
The battle has begun.
A chilling wind blew as me and Corosso stood in the woods, under the moonlight, about to battle.
He made the first move.
Corosso threw three small bombs in the shape of a ball into the air.
He threw them in a lob, so they landed near me.
They weren't good.
They shot out a gray, almost transparent gas.
Holding my breath, I jumped back, and into a tree.
Just when I thought I was safe, two bolts came shooting towards me.
The attack surprised me, but I jumped forward in time to dodge the attack.
Corosso laughed.
I appeared in front of him and slash at his face with the dagger in my left hand.
He raised an am and blocked it.
It only made a small cut.
Corosso didn't even move.
Using his arm, I boosted over him, and thrusted my arm back, and made a small slice the back of his neck.
When I landed, I pivoted on my foot, so I was facing his back.
I was about to possibly finish him when his arm swung around and made contact with my face.
He sent me into a small tree, but the blow still hurt.
Corosso started laughing again, as I got up.
Now to take it up a notch.
"You bastard!" I yelled, as I charged him.
He didn't notice that I had jumped up.
Corosso expected a frontal attack.
When I came into his sight, I delivered a strong kick, right in the square of his jaw.
He got picked up of his feet, still in shock.
He connected with a large tree, and made the bark crash in.
Corosso stood there eyes wide, not moving.
He probably couldn't move.
Slowly, I walked over to him.
Standing there, right in front of him.
I was grinning a little.
"You've damaged your spine. You can't move from the neck down." I explained.
"Y-you..d-damn kid..." he muttered.
He was in a lot of pain, and he deserved it.
I took out four of my knives, and stuck each of them into his arms and legs.
Corosso hung there, like he was pinned to a cross.
Paralyzed.
In the middle of the woods, never to be found.
To die.
I dusted myself off, and made my way out of the woods, hands in my pockets.
Just another day for me.
A shady figure was running swiftly.
Arrows were being shot at him by a villager.
He was running on the road that led out of Borvak, where he had been spotted.
An arrow had been shot by the villager, who was riding on a horse.
The arrow had made a tear in the man's cape.
The villager pulled an arrow back on his bow, and was about to fire, when he saw the man jump up very high.
While he was in the air, the man pulled out a staff that was folded up under his cape.
It unfolded and revealed to be about 8 feet long.
As the man came back down, he pulled his staff back.
The staff was sharp at the ends.
The villager was coming toward him on his horse.
The man swung the staff upward when he was level with the villager.
It sliced his chest, and made a large gash in his neck, blood spurting out.
The blow had also sent him off the horse, sprawling to the ground, dead.
The man got to his feet, put his staff away.
He continued down the dirt path for his search for the vampire Anima Lunaire.
Laying low in a run down, moist, abandoned chapel was my best choice.
I examined my wounds, then spit in my hands and rubbed it over them.
Yawning, I put my plain white shirt and my black sweatshirt back on and curled up in a wooden, uncomfortable pew, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep, finally able to rest after my final fight with the vampire hunter, Corosso.
Or so I thought.
It was 7 o'clock P.M.
I awoke groggily from my 15-hour slumber, refreshed, and ready to being my day- or night.
After I stretched and fully woken up, I decided to make myself a breakfast of herbs and fruit.
How delicious.
Of course, to you people who are completely oblivious, I was being sarcastic.
10 minutes later, I was finished with my meal and began to pack up my things and head out.
Even though Corosso was dead, other hunters and obsessed villagers would be lurking around the area, looking for vampires.
After I finished packing, I tossed my bag over my shoulder, and proceeded down the hall, to the two great doors that lead me out of the church.
[iSnap[/i
With my enhanced hearing, I heard a twig break from outdoors, near the door.
I stopped dead in my tracks and peered over to a window near the door.
I caught a glimpse of something, I believe it was something's shadow, but it disappeared into the night, silently.
Cautiously, I made my way to the door.
When I was 5 feet from the door, it opened a crack, just enough for someone to see the inside.
I swallowed.
Tiptoeing, I backed away from the door.
Suddenly, the two great doors burst open and a man was standing at the entrance.
He was tall; he looked like he was ten to fifteen years older than me.
He was dressed in a black suit, a black top hat, and black pants, with gray vertical stripes.
He also had a white cape, with a small tear at the end.
His face was pale and h had short, dark red hair, and only a little was showing under his hat.
In a flash I brought two of my larger knives to my hands, readying for any sign of battle.
Before I could react, the man moved so fast, he was behind me, with one of my own knives to my throat!
"My name is Sylen Orcane. I mean you no harm Anima Lunaire."
Sylen explained who he was.
He was a vampire, like me.
He was sent by his leader to retrieve me and bring me to him.
"But why me?" I asked.
"That I don't know. Sorry." Sylen admitted, shrugging.
"But, we must hurry. The meeting is soon."
Meeting? So many questions, so few answers.
"We have a ways to go. It's best we start for Bloodbath pass tonight." he explained.
"Bloodbath pass?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, it's the road to our secret meeting place. It's called Bloodbath Pass because the vampire hunters, and our other enemies know of this place. There is a lot of bloodshed on the road to the meeting point."
"I think I should let you know. We'll be crossing icy lakes and snow-covered mountains. We'll have to fight for our lives. Are you ready, Anima Lunaire."
I thought about it. Harsh conditions, battle...
I like it.
I nodded.
"Yes, to Bloodbath Pass we go." I said, as we began our deadly journey.
It had been 13 hours since we left the chapel, it was 9 o'clock, but there was no sunlight, gloomy as it ever was here.
We wore black hooded sweatshirts, with the hoods over our eyes and hands in our pockets, not getting in anyone's way.
Sylen stopped.
Confused, I looked up at him.
"We travel in the woods now; it will lead us north, into the correct direction."
We stomped over twigs and fallen branches, following the hidden path.
I've gotten some cuts from the bushes and other sharp twigs in the path.
After traveling for an hour and half, the forest began to clear.
There revealed to be an enormous, icy lake.
"Well, here it is, the first leg of Bloodbath Pass. Blizzard Lake. Be Careful."
"Blizzard lake, huh."
I stepped onto the ice, (which looked like glass) and realized how slippery it was.
Carefully, I took another step and slipped, landing on my stomach.
Sylen couldn't hold back a grin.
He saw the angry look on my face and he stopped.
Grumbling, I got back up, as we slowly crossed the frozen Lake Blizzard.
We spent half an hour crossing the lake, and the scenery didn't change, the lake was so massive.
We stopped to have lunch.
As I snacked on a ham and cheese sandwich, I looked at the surface.
The water was a pale, green color.
I couldn't see my reflection; the water wasn't the right color.
Looking down, I noticed the water was darker...
It was an enormous shadow...
Something was down there.
I swallowed my sandwich and my eyes widened.
I was its lunch.
I stared in horror at the creature below.
I could tell it was a fish, because it wasn't skinny, like a serpent.
Sylen saw me.
He walked over, and asked what was wrong.
All I did was point.
At first he was puzzled, and then he realized what it was.
"Let's get going, and be quiet." he said, and packed up his things rather quickly, and we headed on.
Every minute I looked back and saw it there, following us.
Unfortunately, I looked back and took a wrong step, resulting me to fall backwards.
Thinking nothing happened, I got back up and continued on.
That's when there was an immense crack on the ice, right behind us.
We turned around and saw ice and water splashing all around.
[iThe fish.[/i
We began to ran, it was easier now that we were used to the ice.
The fish was charging after us, almost level, sending ice in its path flying into the air.
I didn't dare look back to the monster behind us.
There were three villagers, possibly hunters, sitting over a fire.
They were in the fish's path.
They collided with it, and the fish opened its mouth.
In a split second they were in the fish's mouth, fire and all, down its throat.
It was done with us.
We had finally gotten a good look at the fish.
It had brown, dark scales, with many spikes all over.
It had an enormous mouth, with a dark pink tongue just as big.
Quietly, it swam back into the dark abyss.
I stood in awe.
Sylen laughed.
"Old Grandi has been living in these waters since I was a boy. She means no harm, when she isn't hungry, that is."
We took a few more stepped and I stopped.
The ice was squishy!
Tom my surprise, I looked down and saw it was snow.
"Congratulations Anima Lunaire, you have made it past Blizzard Lake."
Sylen and I continued to walk in the snow, as he explained the next part of the Pass.
"The next challenge is twice as difficult as the one before. We have to climb Crete Mountain.
I gazed up, and saw an enormous mountain, which looked like it was touching the sky.
"W-we, have to climb [ithat[/i?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah, it's tough. Plus, there's alotta vampire hunters hanging around. Be careful!" explained Sylen.
We approached the mountain, and prepared for out climb.
Taking off my shoes and socks, I rubbed my hands together and stuffed my shoes in my backpack.
Vampires have tough soles, and it would be better if I had more of a grip.
I grabbed the first hold, and boosted my self up, grabbing another rock ledge.
Determination was on my face as I climbed the mountain's side.
We must've been going for 20 minutes when things were getting complicated.
I grabbed a slippery ledge, and attempted to boost myself up. But since the rock was covered in ice, my face slammed into the rock.
My face surged with pain, and blood was leaking from my nose, which felt like it had been crushed.
My feet had slipped, and one hand was covering my nose, resulting me to only hang on by one hand.
Second by second, my fingers slipped away.
This was it...
Death was a long fall away,
No.
I would spit in death's face!
Using the last of my strength to boost myself up, grabbing two higher ledges, and pulled myself up.
Looking up, there was Sylen, sitting in a cave by the fire.
He could see the face, and knew that I wasn't happy.
I explained to him my near-death experience, and he apologized.
"This is the first pit-stop. We can rest here until tomorrow. Well, I'm going to bed in one of the coffins. Good night."
Sylen walked over into one of the coffins, closed the lid, and fell asleep.
I need a rest also.
Today was very eventful and tiring.
I found a coffin, popped inside, and shut my eyes, falling to a long-awaited sleep.
I'd awoken to see Sylen sitting by the fire, frowning.
I got out of my coffin, and asked him what was wrong.
He didn't even look at me, and pointed.
Outside of the cave was a large lump of snow.
I walking over and examined it more closely.
There were red blotches in the snow.
After digging through the snow, I found a body.
Of a vampire.
His face wasn't pale; it was a blue-ish color, like he had been frozen.
He had many holes though his stomach and chest, which looks like they were made by knives or arrows.
Looking away, I buried him back into the snow.
"It was a vampire hunter. He must've been awake when the vampire hunter came. If we weren't in our coffins at the time, we would've been dead also." Explained Sylen, looking into the fire.
Snow was falling.
"We better hurry. It's snowing." I said, and began to pack up my things.
"The rocks will be even more slippery than yesterday with the snow." said Sylen, as we walked out of the cave, and prepared for the climb.
I'm more used to the rocks, after yesterday's experience.
I glanced over at Sylen.
He went to grab a ledge, which was covered in snow.
It broke off, and he was going to fall.
Perhaps to his death.
He grabbed my outstretched hand, and I could barely hold him.
"With..your..free..hand..get..your.. staff." I said, very weakly.
Sylen grabbed it, and then thrusted one side forward, sticking into a thick patch of snow.
I pushed him upward; he grabbed his staff, and got up.
Panting, I made my way up.
When I got the top, Sylen thanked me and said he owed me his life.
His grinned disappeared.
He was to his right, and I looked in the direction.
There were three vampire hunters, all looking at the two of us.
One of them had a crossbow, which its bolts looked exactly the same as the wounds in the vampire's body..
I put the pieces together, and knew they killed the defenseless vampire.
"Heh, lucky us! Two more!"
They laughed, obnoxiously.
"You better lay your dirty, fucking hands off me, you bastards!" I yelled, as I brought two large knives to my hand.
They stopped laughing.
The hunters expected a frontal attack, so I jumped on the side of the mountain, flipped over them, and pivoted my foot.
Their backs were towards me.
Exactly what I wanted.
Sylen whipped his staff out.
He was about to attack, when I took the chance.
I charged the three. One of them knew it was coming, so he spun around.
Unfourntley for him, I slid, and swept his leg.
He fell to the side, down the mountain...
Except, this time, no one was saving him.
His screams echoed down the mountain.
I whipped my knives around, and sliced another twice across the face.
He didn't even react, my moves were so fast.
Blood was streaming form the cuts, as he fell, dead for sure.
The last one was expecting me.
His crossbow was to my forehead.
He had an ugly smile on his face. He was about to pull the trigger, when the point of a staff was protruding from his forehead.
Sylen.
The crossbow dropped from his wrist, onto the snow-covered ground.
By the time he hit the ground, blood was coming out of his mouth.
We both were angry at them, and threw there bodies over the ledge, disappearing from our sight.
Sighing, I put my knives away, as Sylen folded up his staff.
We continued onward, and I finally understood why this place was called Bloodbath Pass.
It was only an hour after our encounter with the vampire hunters.
It was snowing heavy, but we were managing.
But hell, it was cold.
Even with my sweatshirt, I was freezing.
Sylen wasn't showing any sign of irritation.
I reached for the next ledge, and dragged my body up.
The ledge felt..different.
It was rockier, with less snow.
Sylen knew it was different also.
It was the top.
Now that I think of it, the mountain wasn't all that big...
We sat on the top for a few minutes, preparing for the way down.
"Ok, you must be extra careful on the way down. One slip and. . . you know." Sylen explained, preparing two ropes to use when we make our decent.
He tied them tight, and I took hold of one, making sure to not look down.
We slowly hopped down, landing on rocks, but I wouldn't slip.
After an hour, I looked up, and didn't see the top.
It was a lot faster than going up, for sure!
This was when trouble began.
I jumped down, and noticed that my rope wasn't tight, to hold me up as I landed.
Someone cut my rope from the top.
I fell backwards try to reach for a rock, but failed.
By the time Sylen saw me, I was too far away to grab him.
He jumped down, rope and all, to try and rescue me.
He pulled his staff out, and tried to signal me to grab it.
I got a hold of it, as he landed flat, perfectly fine, thanks to his rope.
As I dangled from the staff, I did one thing that was a big mistake.
Looked down.
I could see the bottom.
We were about 90 feet above it.
If I slipped, I couldn't land correctly. . .
Sylen's staff was slippery, and I couldn't hang on.
He flipped it upwards, with me on it.
I landed flat on my face.
Even though my face was in pain, I was alive.
"Now you don't owe me." I said, smiling.
Something I don't do much.
Sylen was a great guy, but there was something mysterious about him. . .
Oh well.
We finished out decent perfectly fine.
As my feet hit solid ground, I sighed in relief.
"Well, Anima, you're doing pretty well so far." said Sylen, and patted my back.
I guess I was.
I knew I was different ever since that night about 1 year ago.
A group of vampire hunters were chasing me through a large city.
I leaped from building to building, dodging bolts and other projectiles.
When I leaped down a building, I thought they didn't expect it and continued down an alley.
It was a dead end, and the vampire hunters knew where I went.
They had their weapons pointed towards me, I was dead meat,
That's when it happened.
A black aura was forming around me.
My teeth were all pointed, and my fingernails were longer, and a lot sharper than usual, like claws.
I felt so...[bpowerful[/b.
They were surprised, so I charged them.
My speed was 10 times faster than my average top speed.
My fingernails dug into the vampire hunter on the far right, piercing his skin.
Without knowing my strength, I ripped his stomach open, his organs spilling out.
The power was so strong...
I was feeding on it, and I liked it.
I loved it.
After I killed the man I kicked off the wall, into the air, and pulled my knives out.
With my powers, they were all black, and were half a meter long, maybe longer, and sharp as hell.
Effortlessly, I decapitated two more hunters.
One of them tried to attack me with his spear.
He hit me when my back was turned, and puncture my back, near my spine.
The wound was big, but with these powers. . .
It stitched itself up, and the bleeding stopped.
I looked into the eyes of my attacker, who was now backing away, full of fear.
Licking my lips, I pounced.
I grabbed his head, and pounded my other hand, in a fist, down on it.
His skull shattered to pieces, and he fell still.
Exhausted, I returned to my normal state.
I needed to feed.
Looks like I had a lot of bodies to choose from.
It hasn't happened again, and I still don't understand what happened.
It's been about 5 days since we had gotten down the mountain. The cold weather isn't much of a hassle, and we've been able to travel at a stable pace.
Sylen stopped.
I've taken a liking to him, after being with him for almost two weeks.
He pointed ahead, and there was a long, narrow pass, that was coated in a diamond-like rock.
"This is the last step, the actual Bloodbath Pass. It's only mile down, but it will feel like 100. Hunters and evil vampires lurk in the shadows, killing the unexpected. Stay on guard."
We cautiously walked into the pass.
We must have been about 50 feet in, when trouble aroused.
I noticed a shadow, it took a few minutes to realize it wasn't either of ours, and I turned around.
There was a man, who looked in his thirties.
His clothes were a pink-and-red color.
When he knew that I noticed him, he grinned.
It was a devilish grin.
"Sylen!" I yelled, getting his attention, and got my two large knives out.
The man laughed. "I mean you no harm. My name is Turek Stevens. I am a vampire on the way to the meeting also, I just didn't want to frighten the lad by sneaking up on you guys."
"Turek Stevens? I've never heard of yo-" started Sylen. "Ah, that is probably because this is my first time attending the meeting. Do you mind if I join you?"
Sylen let him.
Sylen and Turek must have talked for about an hour and a half.
A mark said that we were three-quarters of the way through.
I guess we were lucky, that no one had attacked us, and that we were safe.
Of course, Sylen proved my theory wrong.
"This last quarter is most dangerous." stated Sylen.
Turek grinned.
"Heh...hehehe!" He laughed.
Sylen and I were confused.
In a flash.Turek whipped out a gun.
"Fools, I'm a hunter! My real name is Corande Evon, leader of my vampire-hunting clan, Skullshot!"
Three men, dressed like him, stood behind them, guns also raised.
They all had the same gun, a silver .45, with a pearl handle, and a skull engraved on the side of the chamber.
"Say your prayers." Said Turek, and aimed at my forehead.
My eyes were locked on that gun.
But I didn't sweat.
Sylen had warned me about this.
Turek laughed, and pulled the trigger.
It all happened in slow-motion.
Stupid Turek didn't realize that I had my right hand over my right pocket, which contained one of my smaller knives.
I whipped it forward, timing the bullet perfectly, and they made contact, sending a small shower of sparks spraying to the ground, illuminating the pass with light.
The knife fell to the ground while the bullet ricocheted into the wall.
Turek swore.
Sylen and I had our weapons drawn, and we caught the four off their guard.
Sylen thrusted his staff in an upward motion, and made a clean vertical slice up one of their throats, with blood pouring out as he fell to the ground.
I jumped up and pull my knives back, and when I was at the correct height, sliced them forward into one of the unnamed men's eyes. He fell, screaming in the agonizing pain.
Turek backed away, trying to get a good shot.
He found one.
Sylen was fending off the last unnamed man, and killed him, with his back to Turek.
Turek's bullet found itself in Sylen's upper back.
When the bullet first hit him, Sylen jerked forward, then slowly bent over.
He coughed up blood.
I looked up at Turek.
He was running.
I had to make a choice.
Get Turek or save Sylen?
I couldn't go after Turek. We'd have to settle the score another day.
I dragged Sylen the last of the way.
We got to the end.
There was a large, wooden door awaiting us.
I bent over to check on the unconscious Sylen.
Something was wrong. His face was pale. His body cold.
His pulse...gone...
I checked the wound.
The bullet didn't just hit his back.
It hit his spine.
Sylen Orcane was dead.
Tears were running down my eyes.
Anger on my face.
I pushed open the wooden door, hoping it was a way out of this nightmare.
But little did I know it was just the beginning.
An excerpt from the diary of Anima Lunaire
October 17th, 2014.
Diary,
It's been exactly seven years since I've arrived at Bloodbath Pass with Sylen Orcane. That day, Sylen died from being shot in the back, damaging his spine. Ever since then, I've lost most of my happiness, and have replaced it with anger, and hate. Here I have been training with many vampire masters, learning the ways of my two legendary twin daggers, Lyia and Shyne. They were presents from my mentor, Dante Vanez. I have also, in memory of my friend, Sylen, learned the way of the staves. I have also learned to control the power I possess. It's been 7 long years, training here in Bloodbath Pass. There is only the mentors and I. But there is one other, Lara Styne. She is one year younger than me, with long, brown hair, and not too skinny. She is always seems to be happy. I think I'm in love with her, because I always seem to be with her. But can I hold another close to me? Or will I just lose her? So many questions without answers. Dante says that he wants to tell me something tomorrow, I can only wonder what. . .
Good night,
Anima
I rose out of my bed and glanced at the clock. It read 5 AM.
Stretching, I got dressed in my usual clothes, jeans, a black sweatshirt and black shirt.
Slowly, I walked out of my room and into the great hall, where we eat and socialize.
Today for breakfast there was bacon, eggs and blood being served.
Quietly, I took my meal and sat on one of the three long benches and began to eat.
After 10 minutes I finished and started over to the rubbish pile.
I threw my things in the pile and head to my room to get my gear to train.
Not looking where I was going, I bumped into Lara.
"Sorry." I muttered, and I looked at her.
She was laughing.
"Don't worry about it. Just watch where your going next time." She said, and continued on.
A small smile crept along my face as I walked back.
With my staff strapped to my back, knives in my pockets, I met Dante.
"Sit down, Anima."
"Ok."
"There's something I need to tell you. . ."
"Yes? What is it?"
"You see, you have…"
"What?"
"You have . . . A brother."
The expression on my face was shock.
"Your father. . . and your grandfather were vampires. They wanted you to be one also, but that didn't happen. Your mother is a human, along with your grandmother. Your brother became a vampire. Your brother is 31 now, and when you were 6, he killed your mother. Your father set out after him and sent you to an orphanage."
"You're saying that my father is still alive?"
"Yes. He's after your brother, and one of our sources in the middle-class region spotted them. What I want to know is, are you willing to go find them-"
"Yes." I interrupted.
"Okay then. Lara and I will accompany you. We leave tonight."
"Ok."
I walked out of the room, and began to prepare for our journey.
It was 7 o'clock, and I had my bags packed.
This would be the first time in seven years that I have left Bloodbath Pass.
I walked to the door that I first went came through and saw that Lara was already there.
I looked at her, and I smiled. Not a strong one, but enough to be friendly.
She smiled back.
"You know, you don-"I started, but was interrupted.
Lara put her left index finger over my lips.
"Shh. I want to come. I need some action and get out of this place. Especially…with you…" She said.
I looked into her hazel eyes. She looked into mine.
"Anima…there's something I want to know…"
"Is it that…." I started.
"You…."she continued.
"Love…"
"Me…"
"Yes…"
I pulled her close.
And she kissed me.
It was 10 seconds.
The happiest 10 seconds of my life.
Our lips pulled apart.
She smiled. It was a smile that lit up the hallway.
Dante walked in.
"You ready?"
"Sure." We said in unison.
We headed out of the pass, and began our journey to the city were they said they spotted my father and brother.
Boston, Massachusetts.
It's been two uneventful weeks since we left Bloodbath Pass, which I learned was located in Greenland.
We walked to Toronto, Canada, and took a train to Boston.
My relationship with Lara has grown.
She was wearing a black leather coat, black pants, a black T-shirt, and red lipstick.
Dante wore a dark red shirt, with baggy black pants. He wore a black hat that was similar to Sylen's.
I gazed out the window of the train.
"We are now entering Boston." announced the woman over the intercom.
There were buildings, many buildings.
I saw a river running through the city. I believe it's the Charles River.
A hand rested on my shoulder.
It was Lara's.
I looked over and greeted her.
"Our stop's next." She stated.
"Ah, ok." I got up, and stretched.
The screeching of the train coming to a stop was painful to my ears.
I walked out of the train, followed by my two friends and the civilians.
The nippy weather of November weather breezed across my face.
Boston.
Somewhere here was my father and brother.
We walked through the streets, looking for anything suspicious.
"It's not going to be easy, finding them in a city like this." said Dante.
The weather was the usual as everywhere, cloudy and cold.
We turned and walked down a dark alley.
I accidentally bumped into a man.
He was about 6'1", wearing a green coat and a blue hat with a red B on it.
"Hey! Watch were ya goin, kid!"
"Oh, um, sorry."
"Yeah, you betta be."
He continued walking on.
"The people around here aren't exactly friendly," Stated Dante.
"I can see that." I said, as we continued our search.
We decided to stay at a local hotel during our search.
It was located at the foot of Beacon Hill; its name was Liberty Hotel.
The hotel was luxurious; our room had three beds, two twins and a full.
"You know, we only need two. You two will end up in the full together in the end anyways," cracked Dante, as he started laughing.
Our faces melted with embarrassment.
Dante took the full and Lara and I took the twin beds.
At seven o'clock, it was pitch-black outside.
Now was the time to search.
Dressed in the same clothes, we headed out into the night.
We walked down a dirty alley.
Smash!
A window was broken.
We turned around, and there was a group of about 12 men.
They were dressed in large black coats and pants.
"He he he, looks like we got us so fresh meat!" said the leader.
They took out weapons.
The weapons were comprised of bottles, bats, and handguns.
"Piss off." I replied.
"What did you say to me kid?"
"I said, piss off." I was unphased.
"You're gonna regret that!"
He charged me.
With no fear on my face, I slipped my hand out of my pocket.
He lost all his momentum and stopped.
His head was in my hand.
I squeezed. Hard.
He screamed in pain.
Easily, I pulled his head down, so he was looking down at the ground, bent over.
And I slammed my left knee into his face.
There was a cracking sound, and blood dripped. . .then poured from the man's face.
His body fell to the ground.
The eleven remaining men charged us, in rage.
After my seven years of training, I finally get to out it to use.
Lara jumped up, and brought her weapon out.
Needles.
Not just any needles, she had many different poisons for them.
She tossed three at one of the unfortunate men's right shoulder.
He didn't react at first; it took a few minutes for it to take effect.
Then, he fell to the ground, shaking, then lay still.
He was dead.
Dante then revealed his weapon.
A large cleaving sword.
He swiped it 360 degrees around, and sliced the bodies of 4 men.
Two charged me, and I brought out Lyia and Shyne.
I moved quickly, and in a blink of an eye I was behind them.
I sliced their necks, and finished them.
There were three left.
One had a handgun, another had an aluminum bat, and the last one had a knife, different from my two dirks.
The one with the handgun aimed for Lara.
But Lara was prepared.
He fired.
Lara was on top of a small building, and had area to maneuver around.
She dodged the bullet, and threw three needles with a black substance coated on the tip.
The needles found their place in the man's neck.
He screamed in pain, like his leader before.
The skin on his face was deteriorating.
It turned a fading gray color, then slowly curled up and burned.
The man with the bat went after Dante.
He swung the bat downward, on Dante's sword.
It was no match for the sword.
"Gyah!" yelled Dante, and his sword was immense with power.
It sliced through the aluminum bat.
The pieces fell to the ground.
There was fear in the man's eyes right before his head was sliced open with the sword.
The last man, with the knife, picked up his friend's handgun, who was now completely burnt up.
He aimed for my forehead and shot.
Quickly, I dove to the left and dodged it.
He then threw his knife at my stomach.
Luckily I've been training for 7 years, and I've battle much worse.
I caught the knife between my fingers, and just to scare him, I bent it in half.
With him off guard, I ran up to him with extreme speed, and brought out my staff.
I then thrusted it through his stomach and his Achilles tendons, and he fell to the ground.
He was bleeding, and could barely move.
He would die by loss of blood before he could get help.
"We better get going." I said, and we left in a hurry back to the hotel.
Detective Riley stepped over the yellow "Do Not Cross" tape gracing the crime scene.
"It's hardly a crime scene, more like bloodbath…" He thought, and got a closer look at the bodies.
Some were decapitated, others stabbed, and some punctured with needles.
Weapons were lying around, and Riley concluded that the owners of them were the corpses.
He shuddered, and searched for some prints.
Detective Riley had had been living in Boston all his life, yet never adapted the accent.
He's been on the force for about seven years, but he had never seen anything like this.
Bingo.
There were some prints on the needles.
He slipped on his gloves and picked them up, then placed them in a bag labeled "EVIDENCE".
"Got anything, David?" asked his partner, Devin Sullivan.
"Prints."
"Nice."
"Send these to the lab, and get them identified."
"Roger."
David stood up, dusted him self off, and took one last glance at the crime scene before he drove away in his black Acura RL to get his 9 o'clock coffee.
A repeated nudging in my shoulder woke me up.
I opened my eyes and Lara's urgent face was there to greet me.
"Hm?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes as I got out of bed.
Lara pointed to the T.V. screen.
There was a live feed of a bird's eye view of the alley we were in last night.
The video cut to a woman dressed in red.
"This is Donna Reid reporting for Fox 25 news. Last night, there was a massacre. 12 individuals' bodies were found this morning at 9 AM. There was blood all over, some with their heads decapitated, others stabbed. The scene is gruesome. It is concluded that this was probably out of self-defense, but all the same, these men shouldn't have been killed. The list off the men' names are as follows…."
The news report continued.
My hands were shaking.
"It's over all the channels." said Dante glumly.
"We need to get out of here." I said.
We didn't unpack when we arrived.
"Yeah, let's go," concluded Lara, and we picked up our things and headed out the door.
We were walking at a fast pace, and a policeman patted my shoulder.
"Do you mind if I talk to you for a second…" his voice faded away as I headed out the door.
We had packed light, out weapons hidden and the only luggage we had was our three backpacks.
Three hours after we left the hotel, we were in the subway.
I had woken up at eleven A.M., and it was now 1:20.
We got on the train that took us farthest form the hotel.
I looked out the window as the doors to the subway closed.
I spotted the policeman that tried to speak with me. And he saw me.
There was a look of anger and success on his face.
Luckily, the train was already moving, and he couldn't catch us.
"Lara! Dante!" I got there attention and told them what happened.
"Oh, crap." said Dante when I finished.
"He's probably on the next train to Cambridge, were we are going.
The train sped on.
David Riley got a phone call at 3 o'clock that afternoon.
"Riley. What? You sure? Ok, I'm coming." He hung up.
He got his gear, a cell phone, his bullet-proof vest (just in case), his 9mm Beretta and his keys.
He drove away in his car, heading to Cambridge.
We had been making as much distance as possible once we got off the train.
Currently we were hiding out in a coffee shop.
There we more cops searching for us.
"Damn, they know it was us." muttered Dante.
"I know, but if we keep moving we'll be ok." I said, trying to reassure him.
Things were not working out.
Detective Riley got to Cambridge in an hour, thanks to traffic.
A police car was parked on the side of the road.
He pulled up next to it and asked the officer what was up.
"Chief Corey says he found the culprits. Two males, one in his twenties, one in his late-thirties or forties, and one female, in her twenties."
"I see. I'll keep my eyes peeled." He replied, and continued.
An officer walked into the coffee shop.
Fortunately, he was more worried about getting a donut than looking for us.
We ducked down under the table, crouched over, and made our way out the back door.
Riley peered out his window.
Three figures were walking out of the back door of a coffee shop, Dingo's.
They matched the description.
Riley pulled out of his parking spot, and was in pursuit of the suspects.
As we made our way out of the coffee shop, I looked back.
Shit.
A black car pulled out of its spot and chased after us.
"We're being chased!" I yelled.
"Damn, just keep running!" shouted Dante, and we took a turn right.
"Up here!" Lara pointed, and there was a ladder.
Quickly, we climbed up, in an attempt to escape.
"This is Riley; I found 'em, near Dingo's. Come quick, Devin."
We got to the top and spotted the car.
A man was driving the car, but he wasn't in a police uniform, but I was sure he worked for the law.
He beeped his horn and yelled, "Get down here, police!"
We continued running.
We jumped from building to building, making a lot of distance.
I looked down and saw many police cars in pursuit.
That's when I heard it.
It was at first a faint humming sound, then it got louder.
To my horror, in the air was a helicopter, with a loaded turret.
"Stop! You are under arrest for murder!" yelled the man inside.
We ignored him, and got speed for the next jump.
The building was large, and high up.
No high from where we were.
I pushed my legs up, and grabbed the ledge.
Luckily, so did my partners.
We pulled ourselves up, and ran for a door leading us into the building.
I heard the turret wind up.
Dante opened the door, and ran in.
I pushed Lara in, and the bullets shot.
I was diving, and fortunately I dodged the bullets aimed for my head.
I scrambled in, and shut the door behind me, which soon after was pummeled down with bullets.
We went down a floor, and stopped, panting.
"Luckily, this building is abandoned." Dante said, as he tried to regain his breath.
Lara ran over to me.
And kissed me repeatedly.
"You pushed me out of harm's way. You saved my life."
She pulled me close.
"What more could a girl like me ask for?"
I smiled.
"We'll finish this when we're out of this mess." I said.
"Freeze."
I turned around, and a policeman, with a golden badge reading 'Chief' on it stood there, aiming a gun at my forehead.
The three of us turned around, and put our hands above our heads.
"You should be killed, right here right now. And I intend on doing that." The chief said, coldly.
He was about to pull the trigger, when he heard something from above.
He looked up and screamed.
A dark figure fell upon him.
The figure pulled the chief up, and grabbed a hold on his head.
The figure pulled the chief's gun out of his hand and aimed it at the chief's head, and fired.
The chief fell to the ground, dead.
We could now see that the figure was a man, but it was too dark to see his features.
He looked at me and smiled.
"Why, hello brother."
David riley was pressed against a wall that was to the left of the former door.
He heard everything.
"B-brother?" said what sounded like a young man.
"Why, of course. You don't remember me, do you Anima? You don't even know my name. It's Raphael ,for that matter "
"Raphael and Anima, huh? Must not be from these parts." Thought Riley, and gripped his gun.
"And don't worry, Pop is on his way. Until he comes. . . let's see how little brother is doing with his fighting skills."
I can't believe that I had to find my brother, of all places, here.
I took out Lyia and Shyne, and he pulled out a rapier.
"Let's see if your dirks are a match for my rapier." He said, and charged.
Lara and Dante got out of the way, in order to be safe.
They knew that this had to be settled.
I raised Lyia, which was in my right hand, and blocked Raphael's downward slice.
I shoved Shyne forward, aiming for his stomach.
He sidestepped, exposing me to an attack.
He swiped horizontally and made a shallow cut across my hip.
I didn't dare wince in pain, aware of the costs if I did.
Instead, I pivoted my right foot, which was bent in front me, and swung my left leg around, and sent it smashing into his ankle.
There was a cracking sound, and anger flourished his face.
I pulled my fist back, and sent it flying into his face, hitting him square in the nose.
"That's for Mom!" I shouted.
Raphael was smiling.
I punched forward again, but this time, he grabbed my fist.
He brought his rapier up and sliced my forearm multiple times, and blood began to drip
With my free hand, I raised it up to prevent another cut.
I looked over to Lara and saw a tear drip down her face.
That's when it happened.
A black aura formed over me.
My nails grew longer, along with my teeth.
The green color in my eyes turned a dark red.
Lyia and Shyne became longer.
A burst of energy sent Raphael flying off me.
There was absolute fear in Raphael's eyes.
The cuts healed themselves, and I smiled, a devilish smile.
I brought back my knives, and slowly walked up to Raphael.
He got up, and tried to dash for it.
Fool.
He was no match for my speed.
Before he knew it, I was there, in front of him.
Riley was peeking past the wall and saw the whole battle.
He heard footsteps from behind him.
It was Devin, his partner.
He was running in.
He ran past him, into the open of the fight.
"Hey, what's going o-"Devin never finished that sentence.
Riley looked over to his horror and saw a large knife in his partner's forehead.
Devin fell to the ground, dead as hell.
Riley took off, afraid of being next.
A young man, who I did not know, ran into the middle of the battle, with a gun in his hand.
I effortlessly threw Lyia at his forehead, and killed him.
I stared at Raphael, grabbed his neck, and lifted him off the ground.
Then, I brought Shyne to his throat.
"You ruined my life. I will never forgive you for that." I stated, and was readying to slice.
That was when Raphael came over his fear, lifted his rapier up, and vertically sliced my left eye.
A surge of pain struck my brain.
I dropped him, and threw my hands over my wound.
My power was fading away.
Small drops of blood dripped into my cupped hands.
Tears were streaming down my eyes.
Raphael put his rapier away.
I stayed hunched over, crying.
"Brother, you will always be weaker than me, and you know it. Farewell."
Said Raphael, and proudly walked out of the building with a look of victory on his face, and into the night.
I fell on all fours, now feeling anger.
That was when a feeling of warmth came over me.
A man's hand brushed my check.
"It's going to be ok, son." He said, and tugged me close.
I knew who the man was and I rested my head on his shoulder, letting my tears dry.
Riley didn't believe what he had just seen.
"Ok, let's clear this up. A young man, named Anima, just fought his brother, Raphael.
Anima went into some trance and beat the crap outta Raphael and killed my partner, Devin. That's when I ran." He thought, as he walked down the fire escape of the building.
He got down, still shaking.
He walked over to the group of policemen.
10 of them were attempting to barge down the door.
A lieutenant he knew was standing nearby.
He hastily walked over and told him what he had seen.
The lieutenant was listening intently through the whole thing.
Riley finished.
The lieutenant laughed
"Yeah, sure. And my wife is Jessica Simpson."
He stopped laughing.
"This is a serious case, and if you're just gonna play around, get off it."
"But, lieutenant-"
"Get out. Or next time I'll-"
"I'm not kidding! I'm not an idiot either! This is real!"
"That's it. You're fired. Get the hell outta here." said the lieutenant.
Riley took off his badge and threw it onto the ground and angrily walked off.
The man was my father.
I looked up at him.
He looked like me.
He had blue eyes, pale skin, and faded black hair.
There was a banging noise from the bottom floor, and a crash.
The police.
"Let's go to my apartment. We'll talk there." he said.
I let go, and fell to the ground, and fell into a world of darkness.
It rained.
Hard.
The rain made a harsh tapping noise, and combined with the millions of other droplets made the noise deafening.
Detective Riley didn't bother covering his head.
He slowly walked to his Acura and got in, as if he was oblivious to the rain, and drove through the water lethargically.
He didn't even bother with the windshield wipers.
After an hour of driving through the sea of traffic, he arrived at his home.
After trudging up the stairs, which were slippery from the previous people walking on them, he arrived to his door.
Room 874.
He shoved the key into the slot, undid the lock, and pushed the door open.
"Aw, crap." He said, and sighed.
He left a window open.
Water puddled under his files, ruining them.
Except for one stack.
Suspicious, he walked over to it and picked it up.
The envelope was a new manila color, containing many papers.
Riley picked it up and brought it over to his kitchen table after he shut the window.
He took of his jacket and put it on the coat rack.
His gun, bullet proof vest, and other items he set on a counter in the kitchen.
He glanced around his apartment.
The home of a fired detective.
There was his living room, which there was a couch and a recliner chair, and a 24-inch TV.
Then there was his bedroom, which contained a full bed, a night stand that had pictures and other miscellaneous objects.
Finally, there was the kitchen, which was connected to the bathroom.
He sat down, and opened the large envelope.
Vampire sighted under Charles River!
Man wakes up with bite marks on neck!
Three men killed on full moon!
Those were only some of the headlines.
The file contained articles, newspapers, magazines, all about vampires.
"What the hell?" Riley said, and continued reading.
His face was suddenly struck with a look of realization.
I opened my eyes.
At first, everything was out of focus.
After rubbing my eyes, everything was cleared up.
The room was fairly small.
There was a television, an old rocking chair, a green couch, and a kitchen in the corner.
The biggest thing about the room was that there were many news clippings, news headlines, and other stories pinned all over the wall.
I got up, interested, and got a closer look.
The articles had one thing in ocmmon