Chapter 4

"Come on! I went through this with you two times already." Touga complained. "I know..." Kaname said. "Then why is it so hard to strike at the right moment?" Touga threw another fist in the air and purposely missed Kaname's head to give him the chance to actually win. But the not so smart prince failed at this easy opportunity and was soon on the ground with the hunter's gun pointed against his head. "You won again. What is it today? The third or fourth time?" Kaname tried to ease the tension but Touga wasn't charmed that easily. "Don't you realise the importance of saving Zero?" Of course he did. His mind wasn't on anything else, than the hunter prince. He lived for him and Kaname hoped that Zero stayed alive until he could come and save him. There was just one small problem, Kaname had never gotten the proper training when it came to martial arts. The noble vampires concentrated their raise of their children to fine etiquettes in contrast to the hunters who learned their children that training martial arts and other fighting techniques was important to survive in the world. The vampires got their power and rely on them and since the hunters don't usually have that kind of natural power they know that they have to train hard to be able to defend themselves. Rido is a vampire and so is Kaname but in the situation that Kaname are facing he can't rely on his constitutional powers, he needed to be able to fight. Touga had experienced Rido's fighting ability and was aware of that Kaname would have a hard time fighting against him.

"Next we will spar with swords." Touga was about to throw the sword but reminded himself that he probably shouldn't do that so he walked over and gave it to him instead. Kaname took the sword and placed himself in the right position. "Attack!" Touga shouted. Kaname took a deep breath before he dashed forward. Touga blocked his sword with his own of course and pushed Kaname back. The Kuran heir was way better with a sword than his fists so Touga had almost to use more than necessary to win over him. Kaname took a step back and Touga saw an open and unprotected spot so he reached as far as he could and stepped forward to end this match. But his leg cramped and his chest gave him a painful reminder that he wasn't fully healed yet. The pain radiated out to his arm, which made him drop the sword. Kaname threw away his and hurried to the hunter's side. Touga supported himself on his good leg's knee to not fall down on the ground. Kaname felt the smell of blood hit the air when Touga clasped his shirt. The wound had reopened again. The young heir ripped the shirt open to see how bad it was this time.

The doctor had successfully saved Touga after that he had come to the castle but the pain had been great and the wounds fatal. The stubborn hunter had insisted to train Kaname so that he could bring Zero back even though his wounds just had closed up. Haruka had strongly objected and said that his health went before anything else. "Zero may not be one of yours but he is one of mine and I want to find him before it's too late. I don't care if I'm hurt I only want him to be safe." Kaname was impressed about Touga's dedication to the young heir. He stared at the reopened wound and sighed. He took of the man's shirt and removed the old bandage. Kaname knew that the hunter probably would do something stupid as strain his body so he had brought a medical kit. The last time Touga had refused to go inside again to get his wounds treated. Training was more important and his father had only mumbled something like "Hunters are so pushy when it comes to physical strength. Why is it always training and more training?" This way both sides were pleased, Touga got patched up and he didn't have to leave training for it. Kaname wrapped the hunter's chest in a new bandage, he also took a look at the leg but it seemed okay. Touga tried to walk away when Kaname wanted him to swallow some painkillers.

"If you don't take them I need to force you and it will require my lips on yours."

"Hell it will." Touga said as he snatched away the pills from Kaname.

They sat down on the grass and took a small break. Kaname looked up into the blue sky and hoped that Zero was okay. He prayed that he was. "How are your skills when it comes to spells?" The hunter next to him asked. The Kuran heir pretended to thought about it for a moment before he answered.

"Not so good."

"Why not? You are a vampire so you should at least know the basic ones."

"I never learned spells. All time in the summers went to spend time with Zero!" Or more like avoid him constantly. Touga sighed. "And the rest of the time went to learn how you should act among other nobilities?" Kaname looked away a little embarrassed. "The noble vampires sure have sunken low these days. At this moment the criminals are better fighters than any of you." "But this is why we are training! To get better and to improve!" He had to say something to not look too stupid in front of this hunter. "Kaname, the thing is that you have to learn most of the things from the foundation. You have a long way to have the opportunity to "get better and improve"." At this moment you should be happy if you could get the hang of the basics." He doesn't have to tell me that day out and day in. "I get what you are trying to say, that vampires are worse fighters than the hunters. But that's not completely true! In my case it is but not in all. My father knows how to fight." Touga laughed. "Your father? Hah! He was so worthless at the beginning of the war that it was embarrassing. But he trained hard to be the vampire he is today and I think that the output of the war was thanks to his hard training and his dedication to his kingdom. He had something to protect and made sure that he protected it with his own hands." Kaname was amazed over how thoughtful his father was. He had trained hard for those he loved and cared for. He felt a new, stronger motivation; he was going to train hard to save his beloved.

"Ancient gods hear my call, circling arms raise a wall." Touga chanted while he moved his hands in front of his body and a light orange wall appeared before him. Kaname studied the protection wall and was concerned if he really could make something like that. "If you want the wall to get bigger you add more power to it, like this." Touga concentrated and the wall got higher and wider. "Try to throw something at it." Kaname looked down on the ground and found a stone that seemed appropriate. He picked it up and threw it against the wall. As the stone hit the wall it dissolved into tiny pieces. "Ancient gods hear my plea, bring down the wall protecting me." Touga recited and the orange coloured wall disappeared. He breathed heavily and wiped his forehead with his arm. Holding up the wall under a longer period of time took much of the user's stamina. "This is one of the easier protecting spells. I think that you should be able to learn it. But only use it at shorter periods of time 'cause it take much energy and only make the size that you need."

Kaname stood steadily on the ground with his hands in front of him. "Think of a shield that you want to have in your hands. Concentrate and try to press the power out to your palms. Then say the spell." Touga instructed. Kaname thought of how he wanted the shield to look like and focused. He could feel how the power started to build up in his hands so he said the spell. "Ancient gods hear my call, circling arms raise a wall." Something yellow appeared in his hands but it was very small so he tried to add more power just like Touga had instructed him. The small energy circle turned red before it gave of a small explosion. A small burn covered his fingertips but it soon faded away as his healing made its job. He took position and repeated it. The circle was a little bigger this time but still very small and just like the first time it exploded when he tried to make it bigger. Kaname refused to give up even though he saw his father's doubtful expression as he watched how it went with his son's training. The heir ignored it and replaced his father's face with his Zero's, his motivation grew and he tried again.

Haruka stared at how his son wasted his own time. Kiryu Zero was dead and would never return. Why couldn't he understand that? All he did was to train and practise spells when he should find someone to marry. Kaname was getting "old" and would soon not be an attractive husband to other royalties. The Kuran king needed to be sure that he had two that could take care of the kingdom. Kaname was going to take over the throne this year, with or without a spouse. Why did he have to have such a stubborn kid? Haruka thought about what he could do to make Kaname to start thinking of someone else. He couldn't force him, he was smarter than that and the old fashion way, to give him the marriage proposals to make him choose one wouldn't work either. No, his son was, based on his sudden love to the Kiryu heir, very drawn to how people looked. They had to have beauty and to radiate a special feeling. To experience that he needed to meet them. That's right! An engagement ball with people that is suitable to lead the kingdom together with his son. "Butler! I want you to invite all the royalties and nobles to a ball that will take place in a few days. Make sure that they take their single sons and daughters with them."

Kaname tried for what was probably the tenth time in a row to make the protecting wall. It grew bigger and bigger in his hands. Was he going to make it this time? Kaname moved his hands outward and expanded the area of the wall. This time it was big and he could maintain it. He had succeeded. Touga smiled, the spoiled vampire had finally done it. Now he only had to learn a technique that allowed him to attack. Kaname said the closing words and sat down on the ground. His persistent attempts to make the shield had drained him more than he had expected. "That one you made perfectly, kid." Touga praised Kaname. "Don't rest to easily, you still have a long way to go before you are ready to meet the enemy. But I think that we have deserved some fun among all this? Call on Ichijou and make him come here to play a little game. Kaname, you can handle the bow at least?" Kaname rolled his eyes."That's the only thing I know that I am pretty good in. Archery is a well known sport among the nobles here." The old hunter smiled. "Then this shouldn't be a problem for you then."

Ichijo and Kaname stood on the grass in the garden. Touga had gone somewhere, probably to get their bows. When the hunter came back he wasn't alone. Behind him walked ten other hunters that had been dressed in a number. They lined up in front of Kaname and Ichijou, his friend was on his guard, ready to defend the heir because of all these hunters gathered in the same spot. Touga sat down two bows and two arrow baskets but he also had two blind folds in his hands. Kaname and Ichijo took each and stood by the two baskets with arrows. One of the other hunters gave him two buckets with powder that had the colour of blue and orange. He poured the powder in one of the baskets so that Kaname's arrows got an orange colour while Ichijou's got blue.

"We are going to play a little game with some help from my team." That's just because he's too scared of staying here all by himself. Kaname thought. "Since they got here as a safety measure to protect the Kuran heir, they haven't done any particular exercise so now they will be executing their skills." As if I could trust all these bloody vampires... Touga thought.

"You are going to shot your coloured arrows at these moving targets. Every hit is worth the number of points that the hunter got on his or hers vest. The higher point, the harder it is to hit the target. You will start with blind folded eyes so that they get a small chance of escaping and when I take it off the game begins. The time limit is 2 and a half minute."

"Wait here just a minute!" Ichijo protested. "Touga, you are saying that we are supposed to get blind folded when there are eleven hunters surrounding us? Don't be stupid!" Kaname sighed and had a feeling that his dear friend was going to object to something like this. "They won't do anything to us, so just calm down. The hunters are here to protect me aren't I'm right , Touga?" The old hunter cleared his throat and agreed with Kaname.

The both contestants put on their blind folds. Touga stood ready to give the first signal that would send the hunters out in the garden. The first signal went and they took off. "Okay, two and a half minute. Do your best." Touga let go of the blind folds and Kaname was quick with fining an arrow and hit a couple of hunters in just the first couple of seconds. Ichijo on the other hand had problem with just stringing the bow and send away the arrow. But he had decided to only hit the highest pointed hunter so that he didn't have to have that much hits. Kaname run around and hit more and more. The hunters tried in vain to not be hit by his arrows. Soon almost every one of them was covered in orange dots but not a single blue. Touga watched at Ichijos embarrassing tries and still held on to his belief that vampires sure had gotten weak these years. "Only fifteen seconds left." He shouted. Kaname's friend tried in vain to hit the most valuable. The heir launched an arrow just when the 100 point hunter dived into a bush and then the time was up.

"Okay, let's count the score." Touga counted and took notes at how many Kaname had gotten, the heir had actually managed to get 298 points. Then he moved on to Ichijo. "Zero and zero and nothing and zero and zero...Well.. that's zero." The hunters laughed at Ichijo's uselessness and where quite impressed by Kaname so they went to praise him. While Kaname was surrounded by all those hunters, Ichijo took his chance and gave the 100 point hunter three dots on her back. "Hey! We still have one left" Touga objected. They went back to their previous positions and Ichijo threw away the arrow. "Last but not least we got the hunter worth 100 points!" Touga turned around and had to rub his eyes to believe what he saw. The hunter had three blue spots on her. "What's the matter?" Ichijou asked. "That's 300 points so just write it already!" He took the pen from Tougas hand. "300 to 298." He said as he wrote it under his name satisfied. Now was he finally able to win against Kaname! "Ichijo, wait a second." Kaname said. He went over to the hunter woman and brushed away her bangs from her forehead. A clear orange dot was decorated it.

"You are a really good archer, Kaname! One of the best. But you will need courage and your spell skill to defeat the enemy!" Touga stared at the somewhat annoying vampire. "I got all of that of course. Don't be sad, you can't be good at everything. At least you are a pro in shooting arrows." The older hunter let a hand fall onto Ichijo's shoulder. "Then if you are that brave, you could easily train "repel the spell" with Kaname?"

"R-r-epell t-t-he spe-ll?" Ichijo stuttered.

"Y-yeah, R-repel the spell." Touga teased.

"What does it require from me?" Kaname said, interested to learn something new.

"Your brave friend here will make a blasting curse, who he will send away to you while you stand with your back against him. You are going to turn around and catch the energy ball. If you succeed to catch it, the next step is to send it away and split this apple into two pieces."

Ichijo was turning paler in his face as he thought of what could happen if he missed Kaname. Then he thought again, his brain was getting a hard workout today and it made his head hurt. Kaname has no talent when it comes to spells so he could...miss the apple and hit him somewhere else, like in his face. "Touga are you really that confident in Kaname to let him catch and then shoot something like a spell at me? Can't you hear how stupid that idea is?" Kaname had thought about it as well. How was he going to be able to aim at his best friend's head with a technique that he can't handle? "I'm not so sure about this either." He said unsure.

Fifth teen minutes later Ichijo had an apple on his head and Kaname stood with his back against him. Touga had dismissed his hunter companions and was currently lying in the grass with a cigarette in his mouth. Ichijo shook from his nervousness and Kaname stood still, waiting for the energy ball. "Confrigo." Ichijo said and the ball formed in his hands. He hesitated at his first attempt to send it flying. He ogled to his side where Touga was resting and his laid back style pissed him off more than anything else. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he sent the energy ball between his hands away against Kaname.

The Kuran heir turned around and caught the ball perfectly before he reversed it back to his friend again. The ball had a perfect height and came closer to its target. When Ichijou felt a sticky mess drip from his hair down on his face he dared to open his eyes. The apple he had had on his head was in small mashed pieces. The noble hunter sank down on his knees and breathed. Touga puffed out some smoke and felt relieved that Kaname actually had been able to repel the spell. If Ichijo had been hit by it, he had been in serious trouble right now.

"Shouldn't I learn that spell myself?" Kaname wondered. Touga put out his cigarette and put his hat over his face. "In your case it's enough if you can repel spells. At this moment you can make a shield, fight with a sword and shoot with the bow. You can't be more ready than you already are." Yes! Kaname jumped up and down inside his mind. Now he could finally defeat the enemy and save Zero. Kaname was finally one step closer. "There is something that you shouldn't forget in this matter." The old hunter's voice suddenly got serious.

"Rido isn't always what he seems. He's an excellent magician and fighter. Kaname, you won't be able to win easily."

"I know that but I have to rescue Zero, even if the risk is high. He's counting on me."

"If he's even alive." Touga said in distrust.

"I know he is." Kaname growled.

"Do you feel like you are ready?" The hunter asked.

"I do." Kaname answered seriously.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Rido stood at the shore and waited for Zero's transformation to take place. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds and the familiar yellow light surrounded the swan's white body before turning it to the silver haired hunter. Rido signed to him that he wanted to talk to him. Zero walked against the vampire slowly. Was he never going to be able to be alone when he could be in his human form? The night was warm and he unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt to cool down. As he was about to set a foot on the shore, Rido extended his hand. The hunter looked at it like it was poison and continued past him. Zero didn't really know where he should go to be able to get away from this persistent vampire. A hand gripping his arm, changed his mind. He turned against Rido and was about to snatch back his arm when Rido let his hand travel down to his own. Rido squeezed it lightly but Zero let his hand stay flat, not intending to give the vampire the pleasure. "I thought that we will have a pick nick this night. Your brother made all the food." Zero was hungry but he was never able eat in that mans presence.

Rido walked first, leading the hunter to a richly flower covered area with a blanked spread out on the ground. The vampire let go of his hand and they sat down. Zero stared down on his trembling hands not knowing where to set his eyes. He knew why Rido had collected him in the first place this night. Marriage proposal. A bento was held out in front of him and Zero took it. Rido began to eat in silence and hoped that the hunter would be easier to talk to today than he had the other nights. Zero looked at the bento and felt how his nausea came crawling. He tried to not be impolite so he poked around in the food instead of eating it. Rido sighed and figured that this wouldn't be easy this night either.

"Not hungry?" He asked. Zero glared at him before putting his bento away. "Can't you just get to the point?" He said with hatred. Rido knelt down on the blanket, taking Zero's hand in his. "Zero, do you want to marry me?" The hunter snatched away his hand like it had touched the fire. "Every night you ask the same question and every night I give you the same answer. I rather die first." Rido stood up and turned his back to the hunter. "You shouldn't really mock me like that." He said calmly. "I thought you were used to it by now?" Rido turned around and was noticeably pissed. "One day that will make me boil over and that won't be any fun for you." "Then so be it! I will never let you have my father's kingdom!" The vampire didn't know what to do with this stubborn hunter. He watched how the hunter nervously fiddled with the hem of his one shirt arm. His gaze travelled up to Zero's inevitable pale and exposed neck. Rido felt how his eyes changed colour and how his fangs grew. In a flash the vampire stood over the fragile hunter. He placed his hand on his shoulder which made Zero turn his head to only see Rido's predator eyes. Before Zero had time to react, the vampire pushed him down on the blanked with his head first. He tried to struggle out of Rido's grip but the pressure against his back only grew and his arms was pulled up on his back. "Incarcerous." Rido hissed. When Zero heard the restriction spell and felt the tightening ropes around his wrists when it activated, he knew that he was in deep trouble.

"Not so brave now are we?" Rido asked as he leaned closer. "Don't worry. It will get more interesting than this. I promise." He whispered, with his mouth close to Zero's ear.

Did I tell you that I love revie- I mean, cute ukes?

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