Trinity Blood: Emperor's Mask
Chapter 9: News in the Tunnels

Abel looked back at the boy. Everyone had gone silent as well. He glanced over everyone he'd been traveling with, his eyes coming to rest on Caterina then Esther. The girl was staring at him with wide eyes.

He returned his gaze to Ion. "You spent some time with my sister back when Esther and I were in the empire. Even in that short time, there must have been a moment where you thought she and I were similar."

For a moment Ion's eyes went wide. His realization lasted only a moment before he snapped, "There's no way in hell you're related to the mother of the Empire!" His fangs were now bared.

Before Abel could speak, Mirka stepped up to her grandson and patted him on the head like she would have done to her cat. "Oh, you're so cute when you're angry, Ion, but it's the truth. Abel was never removed from our history, he was just—"

"It doesn't matter," Abel stopped her from revealing too much about his past. "What I was back then doesn't matter. The past is the past."

"Good, because you're still a traitor in my eyes," Ion snarled before he stocked off a little ways, looking flustered.

"Master Ion, don't get too far ahead of us," Baibars called to the boy, "one can end up lost in these passages."

Ion stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn back to the group.

"We should be off as it is," Abel stated. "I wouldn't put much stock in these tunnels."

"True," William agreed as he eyed the ceiling.

The group started off. Ion fell in beside Esther as he had since the journey had started. Abel was kept near the lead however by Mirka and Baibars. He knew the reason why was because they were scared he might run off. The two of the others with Baibars and Mirka took up positions at the back of the group while what looked to be the youngest member kept edging closer and closer to where Abel walked.

"Why was my sister looking for me?" Abel asked Mirka at length to break the silence which was between the three of them.

Baibars smiled while Mirka laughed lightly. "Is that really a question you need to ask?" Mirka asked.

"The empire and Vatican are at war," Baibars continued. "You're needed back in the empire. She said," he hesitated, his tones were dark.

"That he's behind this?" Abel finished as a half a question.

"Yes," Mirka's normal demeanor had vanished to be replaced by an extremely serious look.

Abel took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if the conformation of his fears had been a physical blow. He had suspected Cain was behind this but to hear it as truth – it made his blood turn cold.

"You should know," Abel started as he opened his eyes, "I've never been able to match him in combat. And as a tactician, let's just say his insanity makes him unpredictable. I doubt even Seth and I combined would be enough to stop him."

"Alone, but you'll have the backing the empire," Baibars pointed out. "I might not be as skilled as Barrack was in combat and Mirka isn't Azul, but this generation is ready to stand behind you as our ancestors did."

"Seth isn't stepping down," Abel shot down the idea instantly. "I left the empire centuries ago and joined the Vatican, the sworn enemy back then. That alone makes me a traitor in away."

Mirka smiled at this. "You left to protect the empire. One in the empire to watch over the children of the night. The other in the Vatican to nudge the terrans towards peace. And it worked. We had an unsteady peace for the past eight centuries."

"Until he returned," Baibars said as his features darkened and lips parted, fangs bared in his rage at the thought of him.

Astharoshe, who had been lingering just in earshot, moved up just then to ask, "Who is this man you keep talking about in such dark tones? Could anyone really be so dangerous?"

"Yes," Abel replied, "you've never meet him." It was hard not to turn around and race back towards the Vatican in order to get at his so called brother.

"Who is he?" Ion asked from where he walked beside Esther.

The girl who had been walking near to Ion and Esther and edging between them and Abel chose just then to speak, "The one sibling of our founders only mentioned once in passing in our histories. The traitor who manipulated both the young empire and the Vatican into the Terran-Methuselah War."

"The eldest Nightlord?" Ion breathed, his eyes growing wide.

"Wasn't Nightlord the surname of the emperor?" Esther asked.

"Yes," Mirka nodded. "His majesty, the father of the empire and the first and only emperor had two siblings. The younger followed his example while the older sought only destruction, killing the emperor's betrothed."

Abel chose to tune them out not wanting to hear more about him than he had to. Because of this, he heard a pair of footsteps falter and a soft cough. Abel stopped in his tracks. Caterina! Without pause he turned around and shot towards where she stood.

"Duchess!" Tres shouted as she collapsed.

Caterina fell right into Abel's arms. He had arrived just in time to save her from hitting the ground.

"Professor!" Abel shouted for the other man as he eased Caterina down. He could smell the raw, foul scent of human blood. "I shouldn't have pushed us so hard so fast," he told her as he knelt before her.

"I'm fine, Abel." Caterina gave him a weak smile. The words were a lie. She had never been fine. Not since that time eight years ago. He had known, he had always known she was ill even if she never once told him.

William was beside Abel in an instant. He pulled out some medication he had on him and Abel passed him one of the canteens.

"You're a terrible liar, Caterina," Abel chided the girl.

"Drink," William instructed her.

Caterina obeyed, taking the pills and the water. Abel watched her. Worry prickled in him. Humans were so frail, so short lived already, and Caterina might not have much time left to her at all.

"I'm fine," she repeated, looking at Abel with an even gaze. She made to stand and Abel helped her up, not wanting to risk her falling again.

He was aware of the Methuselah watching them. Esther seemed to be uncertain as well. There weren't many people who suspected let alone knew that Caterina was ill. The only reason Abel "knew" was the fact the girl had been taking extreme care to not reveal the fact she was ill to him for the past eight years. He didn't know why she had done this. All that he knew was that it had never once stopped him from worrying about her and her health.

"Continue on," Caterina said with a small smile. "I can keep up."

Mirka hesitated before she nodded and continued forward. The woman glanced over her shoulder when she realized Abel hadn't moved to stand near the front again. This time Abel stayed by Caterina's side.

Neither them spoke for several long moments. "You don't need to hover, Abel," Caterina broke the silence, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

Abel gave her a weak smile. "Whoever said I was hovering." The truth was he didn't want to leave her side right then. By the looks of it William and Tres also didn't want to. The machine had moved closer and William walked on her other side.

The group continued on for several hours in silence. Most was caused by what had happened while others were thinking on the matter of him. Abel was caught between worry for Caterina and fear for what would come next. A part of him had always suspected he was behind this mess, ever since Seth had told him that 01 was still alive, it had only been a matter of time before war broke out once more.

What Abel had hoped for this time was that the Vatican and Empire would have peace before a war started, that this time the war would be the unified nations against the Orden rather than him playing both sides for the fool. This hope had now been shattered. In the end, Abel knew he shouldn't have been so shocked or angered by this, it was 01 he was thinking of here. If there was one thing consistent about 01 it was how random he was.

The group stopped when William called for a break, saying that all of them were exhausted and needed sleep. Abel took a up a watch position just outside of the ring of firelight. He kept his eyes locked on the shadows of the passage they had traveled through. No one would have followed them, this much he could be certain of, but that didn't stop him from moving to watch. It gave him time to be alone and outside of the Ion's angry glaring.

"You really should be with the others."

Abel didn't turn to Baibars at the sound of his voice. The larger man leaned his sword against the wall before he joined Abel on the ground.

"It's currently our job to make certain you arrive in the empire safely," the head of the yeniçeri stated.

At this Abel gave a weak smile. "Out of everyone here, I'm the last person who should be guarded." He didn't look at the other man.

A sigh escaped Baibars. "That may be true, Majesty; but the fact remains, even if you deny your past, you are still the empress's brother."

There was no reply to this. At least, not one yet. No matter what Abel said, he knew the man wouldn't back down. He was too much like his ancestor for his own good. Yet, Abel also knew he couldn't argue with Abel. After all Abel had been without guards for the better part of eight centuries. The sudden importance on his life had nothing to do with him being him, rather it had to do with the state the world was in. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if Seth had taken back up her birth name and announced the fact Abel still lived just to bluster moral. He didn't doubt that it would be effective. Given all he knew about how Ion viewed Emperor Nightlord, it would have worked wonderfully in Seth's favor. At least until Abel actually entered the empire.

"How much supply do you have?" Abel asked, changing the subject. He didn't want to think on what could be or what Seth had or hadn't told the people.

"Enough to get us to the camp just beyond the frontlines," Baibars told him. "As far as blood goes, we have enough tablets to last that long as well even with the count and duchess added to our numbers."

"That's good," Abel managed to another weak smile. At least the group wouldn't starve.

"We don't have any blood tablets for a crusnik," Baibars continued. "Despite trying to manufacture them from her majesty, we've been unable to." The way he said this hinted to something Abel would much rather avoid.

"No," Abel shot down the idea before Baibars could even suggest it.

"Majesty, you have to keep up your strength just as surely as we do," Baibars protested. "Blood is a part of a crusnik's diet and you can't deny yourself that."

"I can." This time Abel looked at Baibars. "It's not up for a debate, Baibars. If you or any of the others give me blood, the results could end up being far worse than if you didn't."

This only made Baibars scowl. "Majesty—"

"And stop calling me 'majesty,'" Abel stood and moved a little ways off into the shadows of the tunnel. "Emperor Nightlord died at the end of the war. It's best to leave it at that."

"You can't run from the past forever!"

No, but Abel could certainly try to do just that.

(Author's Note: Random: I can't tell you how many times I tried typing "Barrack" instead of "Baibars" really sad.

I realize this chapter is extremely short. I couldn't think on what to do here. I honestly think I need to write out a plan for this novel because at this point I have ideas for a little later, but nothing else. I don't even know how this story is going to end ^^;

Also, I am sorry about the random updates. I am going to try and get on a schedule now that I have so many fan-fictions going. For now, expect updates on this one every to every other Tuesday.

The next update might not be until week after next.)