Chapter 9
BUDAPEST, POORER DISTRICT, MODERN DAY
"Let me tell you something, Marcus Corvinus," the Frenchman replied, "They should have locked you for 800 years. Between you, Viktor and Amelia, there are just too many deaths to be accounted for." Marcus tilted his head, "Do you always talk this much, poodle?"
The Frenchman leapt at Marcus, he tried to evade the attack, but was too late. "I see you faster than the average Lycan, poodle, I'll give you credit for that, but there is still a long way before you have a chance of beating me." He swept passed the Frenchman, taloned wingtips firing like missiles at the enemy. In one smooth movement the Frenchman spun, cleanly evaded the attack and hit Marcus with his tail. Caught by surprise, Marcus bumped into some backstage lights. "That the cost of underestimating your opponent, Mon Ami." The Frenchman said and smiled.
"Ah, don't get smug poodle. A lucky shot, that's all. I promise you, it will not happen again." The Frenchman growled, he had the ability to control the degree of change, "You the one talking too much, Blood. You came in here and threw around demands. Now the time has come to show your mettle." The other beasts howled in unison. Marcus looked at them with contempt. "I was never afraid of Lycans," he screamed at them, his voice echoing off the large glass roof. "I will show you the greatness that is Marcus Corvinus!" He dove towards the Frenchman, keeping his wings close to his body, accelerating with enormous speed. He purposely crashed into the Frenchman that sent them both sprawling. Transforming to human form, Marcus turned, and kicked towards the Frenchman, but once again, the Beast escaped his attempt quite easily.
"Want to try again, Mon Ami?" the Frenchman sniggered. Marcus grabbed him by the throat; instinctively the Frenchman tried slashing at his arms, which left him with no defence when the taloned wingtips ripped through the hulking Beast. "I told you, that to talk too much. You have not fought a Corvinus before!" The Frenchman screamed, and slashed at Marcus. He withdrew the tips and stood back. The Frenchman collapsed in the middle of the dancefloor. "This is not the end, Corvinus!"
As if by some unknown signal, which Marcus completely missed, the rest of these Beasts drew towards him. With menacing snarls, they encircled him. "You want to meet the same fate as him?" he screamed at them. "That is unlikely, Blood," the barman responded. "We tried doing this the nice way, but we will finish this now." Before Marcus could move, they bounded towards him, all trying to get to him at once. They clawed and ripped, he was already drained from the fight with the Frenchman, so before long, they started to get the upper hand. Marcus was starting to tire, his Hybrid form, as well as all the exertion was taking a toll on his precious resources. 'I need to get out of here,' he thought to himself. He was breathing heavily and was losing blood, not a good position, for a vampire to be in. He looked up through the glass-panelled roof. The sky above was nearly as crimson as the blood he was losing.
With dawn breaking, the Beasts realised that they were getting the upper hand, and so, they attacked with renewed vigour. Marcus struggled, and then he speared the nearest two. Broke the neck of another. More and more it became a struggle for survival; a struggle he was starting to lose. Even the great Vampire Elder was afraid of something. With a measly effort, he spread his wings, attempting to make it out of here as soon as possible. He rose into the air, but as soon as he did so, they came crashing down on him.
"How does it feel, Mon Ami? To be at the receiving end of centuries of frustration?" The Beasts stopped. The Frenchman came to the fore again. He seemed to have healed well and quick. "I am not beaten yet, Frenchman!" Marcus hissed. "I can see that Corvinus, but not for long. There is nowhere to go. You will fight and you will die. Soon we will drag your mutilated body into the light.
"Not if I can help it!" The Frenchman turned towards the newcomer, sniffed the air, and returned to human form. The newcomer had the smell of the arrogant Marcus on him, but clearly, from his smell and looks he was a Lycan. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Nobody important, we are just passing through. We will take our leave, peacefully, if that is what you require." The Frenchman smiled, "You two took the wrong place to pass through; the option to leave expired about an hour ago. This Vampire Elder will die tonight, here, at our hands. You are not a Vampire, so why are you protecting him? Who are you?"
"I am unfortunately related to that Vampire Elder, and whosoever wants to kill him, will have to kill me first, and if anyone is going to kill him, it will be me. Don't you think an hour or two is insignificant in the life of an Immortal?" If the Frenchman was shocked, he did not show it. This must sure be another Corvinus to speak so freely about Immortality. "You have made a mistake in attacking Marcus. There is no other solution than for you all to die."
"I can see the family resemblance in the arrogant attitude you both have. However, as I said to that Corvinus over there, you are clearly outnumbered; add to that we have home turf advantage." The Horde moved towards him. William started laughing. "Did you hear that, brother? He said he has home turf advantage." His laugh became louder and louder. "Let me tell you something, Frenchman, we have hunted, lived and ruled here long before the thought of your existence was even more than a vague idea."
He called him 'brother'. The Frenchman took a step back. "Who are you? Has the third Corvinus Brother entered the Lycan fold?" William could not help but to laugh some more. "That is hilarious, ridiculous, but hilarious. No Frenchman, he would never have embraced the Lycan or Werewolf fold. I am William Corvinus, and now you all will die!"
The Horde back away. The Frenchman looked at William in horror. He was the stuff of legend. The original Werewolf. Father of all Lycans. To them he was a god. A saviour. His return would herald the eventual destruction of the Vampires and the whole of their filthy race. The horde fell to their knees. This is not how he was supposed to return.
"I am sorry, my Lord, we did not know." The Frenchman eventually stuttered. Please accept our apologies. Wolven, please welcome our esteemed guest, William Corvinus. Attend to his brother Marcus as if he is one of our own." The Frenchman returned his attention back to William, "Pardon me Sire, but one small question? How do we know that you are really William Corvinus?"
William growled at him, "You dare doubt ME-E=E?!? Very well then, here is your proof." With that, the most horrific howl filled the dome. The Beast took shape, strong muscular arms and legs. Razor-sharp fangs filled a mammoth snout. A dark mane flowed from the top of his head over his massive body. His eyes, darker than the darkest night. William grabbed the nearest Lycan-like beast and ripped him apart; and drank greedily from his blood.
"Oh my gawd!" Frenchman exclaimed. "We are truly sorry to have doubted you, Sire!" Bloodlust overtook William; he did not stop. He massacred the ones nearest to him. Marcus joined him in his blood fest. "We will rule as it has always been our destiny!" Marcus screamed. Just then, canisters of tear gas and flares came crashing through the large windows. Chunks of glass exploded over the fighting Beasts. Marcus and William stopped and transformed to their human selves. "I think its time we get out of here," Marcus said. They slipped down to a narrow corridor leading towards an alley and away from the domed hall.
Lord Armando D'Ambrosio walked into the hall way too smugly, still smoking his cigar, "I expected more of a fight!" He surveyed the bloody massacre before him; then realisation dawn upon him. "What the hell happened here?"