Chapter 11

Fight

When I reached the room I had left Sora sleeping in, he was already awake; pacing the floor like a caged tiger. His porcelain face was crinkled in worry- and his blue eyes seemed dull and distant- as if his mind were far away…. I hid a smile, and none to silently slipped into the room from my crouch on the window sill. I had a small guess it was me he was so worried about…

The moment my feet touched the wood- his face whipped around to mine. His blue eyes brightened- but his scowl remained. He stomped over to me and took a fistful of my shirt in his hand- bringing his face only inches from mine.

I winced as the smell of his blood enveloped me; teasing me, tempting me- begging me to have a taste. It smelled so sweet and warm- like wine, sending its delicious aroma to swirl around me in a cloud of desire. Why did his blood smell so good to me?! Never had I encountered a human who had blood that moved me so deeply as his!

I shook my head, and turned my face away from his- in hopes of not getting the full brunt of his scent. "Where have you been?!" he yelled, moving so he once again faced me. It hit me again. I bit my tongue- my fangs piercing right through the flesh, and ordered myself to concentrate. "I went out to……….feed," I murmured, glancing down at him.

He paled, and let his hand fall limply from my chest. His eyes held mine for a moment before looking away- but I saw the fear in them. Guilt washed icily down my spine, and I stepped back from him. Right then, I wished I could have been anything…..but the vampire I was. I knew people feared me, hated me and my kind- like they did the very devil himself. But never- had the fear of a human- hurt me- like Sora's did. I did not want him to be afraid. I just wanted him to smile for me….

Tension was thick in the air, as Sora spoke again. "Oh." Slipped from his lips. He looked lost for a moment. But it quickly passed, and his face grew frustrated; his eyes blazing up once again in blue fire. "Whatever. We need to start on that mission before the sun is up. We have about ten hours." He turned back to me, and I was eternally grateful that it was only anger in his face- and not-

"So, I've already located their base. I was just waiting for you to return- which it took you ages to do- so we could do this together. Get your jacket and follow me," he continued briskly- and I noticed he was already prepared. I sighed, and quickly shrugged on my woolen coat, and turned back to the window. "Sora," I said softly, and he paused to look at to me warily. "Stick close to me," was I all I could say. There were no words to portray how strongly I needed to protect him- to kill all who threatened him. Too keep him safe in my arms..

He nodded, and moved to stand behind me. With one more sigh, I jumped back out the window I had come back in- only minutes ago. My face was numb as I fell- the wind not even daring to touch me. My throat was on fire- and my stomach felt so horribly empty. It took all I had to keep myself in check.

When my boots hit the cobble stone street- Sora took only a second before he was right there by my side. I threw him a look over my shoulder. "Ready?" I whispered, his face so scared in the dark. He shook himself, and brushed by me without answering. I grin tugged at my lips as followed.

Our pace was swift and silent- journeying on the rooftops, the houses packed so tightly together they almost formed a ground of rock and stone, above the ground. Sora was fast- to my great delight- and hardly ever stumbled. He never looked back at me- and barked out orders as if talking to nothing but the wind itself. We reached the bank of the river almost as quickly as I had myself. From the soggy soil of the channel of water- we veered to the right. After a couple seconds of running, we reached a huge warehouse.

It was so giant it made all the other buildings look like doll houses in its wake, and under the moonlight it looked as if it were made of obsidian; windows dotting the walls- marking three floors. Sora came to a stop, and turned to me for the first time since we set out from the inn. "This is it- this is their base," he said, eyes flashing, and motioned for me to come closer. I approached him cautiously- stopping my breathing so I would not catch his scent. "On the second floor is where they keep their bounty. There should be five guards around it," he whispered to me, and pointed at the river bank and then at the corners of the warehouse. "There should be scouts posted here, here, and here. If we stick to the shadows and make no noise we should be able to avoid them." I rolled my eyes. Too late, I had already so idiotically bumbled into one only minutes ago. I returned my attention to Sora. "It seems we caught them at a bad time. Well, good for us I mean. The numbers of scouts posted around their base is few- so lets get in before more join them," he said, smirking slightly. I nodded, and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me curiously before, shrugging it off. "Let me lead," I said, and took off before he could protest. I heard him grumble as he followed, and I fought down a snicker. I made my way to the side wall, and looked up- the widow above us standing more than fifty feet off the ground. That was our way in...The time for talk was over. Now- we only acted, moved with the darkness as if one with it- and tried to stay alive. For me- it was easy, almost second nature. I only hoped Sora could follow my lead and not screw it up with his human clumsiness.

When he stopped besides me, I quickly hauled him into my arms. He gasped- but knew enough not to make a sound. His body was shaking next to my chest- with fear or anger I could not tell. Flaring my strength in my legs and feet- I shot from the ground. Then, we flew- gliding through the cool air at an almost leisurely pace. After a couple seconds, I reached out to the wall- pressing Sora to me with my other arm-, dug my claws in to the damp wood, and pulled us out of the air in mid- flight. My feet thumped softly against the window sill as we were flung into the wall, and Sora clung to me- his hands fisted so tightly in my jacket his knuckles were white. I dug my claws under the window, and thrust it up. The wood of the wall cracked, but no more. I slid inside, and set Sora gently on his feet. At first, he was not willing to relinquish his hold on me- but with some prodding from myself- eventually got down. I nodded to him, and looked to the room we had entered. It was a huge floor- with a ceiling so high I had to squint to see it. In the center- was a hoard of jewels, money, and assorted pricey items- that glittered in the meager light that was able to filter in though the windows.

But no guards. That wasn't right. Could Sora have been wrong?..

I set off at a silent run- Sora right behind me, and stopped when my feet were mere inches away from the heap. My eyes scanned the pile of treasures, and saw the medallion at its top. I reached for it- but stopped when a flare of fire on my hips stopped me.

I hissed in pain, and looked down. Nothing. I frowned, and felt my hip- my fingers skimming only over my father's necklace in my pocket. Still- the pain did not return. I shrugged- and reached for it again. My fingers were inches from its metallic surface- when my hip, again, flared with pain- tendrils of fire creeping along my groin and thighs. I gasped- barely holding in a scream-, and fell to my knees. Then, it was gone as quickly as it had come. Sora crouched down besides me and put a hand on my shoulder. "What is it?" he whispered. With a grimace, I dug out my amulet. I had a feeling it was to blame- though I had no idea why…As soon as it was out- fiery orange light spilled from the ruby in it's center- making the hoard in front of us glow scarlett. Almost instantly after that- the medallion I had reached for burst into blue light- sapphires on it gold surface glittering like stars. The whole room was eclipsed in it show- blue and red twining together in endless patterns..

My eyes narrowed. That was bad. This was growing stranger by the second. Sora growled, and put a hand over mine on the amulet- trying in vain to stop the out pour of light. My skin burned where he touched it, and my mouth watered in want. "Stop it Riku! Are you trying to give us away?!" he hissed into my ear, before leaning away from me. I took a steadying breath- and slipped necklace over my head; at loss for nothing better to do. The moment it settled on my chest- the glowing stopped, and the room returned to it's choking darkness.

"What just happened?!" Sora whispered, grabbing my amulet and bringing it closer to his face. Without thinking I pushed him away. It was habit- I didn't like people looking to closely at my father's treasure. "I don't know," I answered truthfully. It was trying to tell me something. I was certain of that. Of what? I couldn't imagine…

I was shaken from my thoughts- when I heard loud footsteps below us. Many loud footsteps. "Damn," I cursed. I reached up, grabbed the medallion- desperately glad there was no pain that time- and shoved it into my coat. Then, I grabbed Sora's collar and dragged him to me. He struggled under my fingers- but stilled when I pushed him behind me. "We have company…" I said, no longer bothering to hush my voice. Sora shivered, and put his hands on my waist- as of to brace himself.

Crew members of all sizes filed into the room until almost half of it was full- all eyes focused on us. They all wore heavy jackets, scarves, and hats- cover up to hide their appearances. As if it would matter. A small one separated himself from the crowd, and stopped only when his face was visible in the moonlight. His eyes grew wide when they found me.

"You!!" he shouted, and I smelled sweat start to leak down from under his bangs- his fear permeating the air. I looked closer at him, and recognized him as the scout I had spared. I smiled in pleasure. "Yes- me," I laughed, and lunged at him before he even saw me move. My hand closed around his neck, and I threw him to the wall. The wood cracked under him when he hit- a cloud of splinters and dust blocking him from view. I didn't even care it killed him. "Sora- stay back!" I yelled behind me, pushing him away- and sprinted into the crowd of humans. They weren't going to just let us go. Our cover ahd been blown- and they would let us leave without a fight. So be it. I would give them what they wanted. They were no match for me. I closed my eyes- and let the soldier part of me, I had buried long ago, rise and take over.

I was surrounded in seconds. Good. I flung out punches to the heads closest to me- my strength knocking them out on contact. I did not use my claws- and I refused to use my beast. Human blood must not be spilled-less I lost what little restraint I still had. It wasn't worth it. The moment one was down- five more humans swarmed to take his place. That would be a problem. I flung out both my arms- my fists hitting two humans square in the stomach. The force of the impact- sent them flying, their bodies taking out rows of humans behind them as the flew- before they finally hit the walls; wood splintering under their backs. I snickered. Now I had some space. I quickly reached out to the humans who had managed to get close to me, and broke their necks like twigs. Their bodies fell limply at my feet. I looked around, my eyes blazing through the dark. Already I had taken out about twenty. The humans were still. No longer did they charge at me. They were afraid. I drunk in their fear like a perfume- smiling in delight. They knew now, there was no chance of victory. I would give them none..

Metal flashed, and suddenly, they all had daggers in their hands. Without hesitation, they threw them- and quickly brought out another to replace them. I threw back my head, and laughed. They still fought on, even though it was pointless!! I crouched, and snatched each and every dagger out of the air before they could find their mark- their blades ripping into my flesh. The pain did nothing but push me forwards. Bloodied weapons clattered to the ground at my feet as I stood. The men gasped, and threw more- unseeing to the fact I was quick enough to stop them before they ever reached my body. The result was the same. In minutes my hands were soaked in my blood, the dark liquid dripping from my claws noisily. Men screamed, and ran- pushing past their partners in hopes of saving themselves. I only smiled. Grabbing a dagger in each hand, I charged once more. To every man I faced, I delivered a sharp blow to their temples with the hilts of the daggers. They fell to the floor unconscious- to join their comrades. In moments- only about five men stood standing- the floor covered with bodies.

I rose from my kneel, and dropped the blades. They had served their purpose. These men- I could take care of with my bare hands. They huddled in their corner- shaking in fear, to scared to move- their eyes rolling like frightened animals. I smiled, and walked slowly towards them- until a voice stopped me dead.

"Riku!"

My heart skipped a beat. I whipped around, to find Sora standing by the window- two men that he had probely taken out by his feet- his heels inches away from its sill. His face was stark white- a dagger pressed against his throat.

My eyes blazed in furry, and a snarl tore from my lips. Behind Sora, was a burly man, grinning at me with yellow teeth. He knew he had my weakness. Had the one thing that would stop me in my tracks.

"Move-," he rasped, his eyes holding mine ",-and I shove this dagger down his throat." I took a step towards him, and a trickle of blood rolled down Sora's neck. Instantly, I stilled. My mind raced- and I fought for time. "What do you want?" I yelled, my legs tensing for what was to come. He grunted. "You know what I wan-" He didn't finish his sentence. I shot into the air- lunging at the man. His eyes grew wide, and the next moments happened in slow motion- as if through water.

The man took his dagger from Sora's throat, and moved it to block me- and pushed him away. Sora gasped, stumbled away from the man- his legs shaking- and tripped out of the window.

A scream tore from my throat- and I hit the man.

Things sped up.

I landed with the man on the floor- inches away from the gaping window. I didn't hesitate. I dug my claws into the man's throat, and ripped it open. Hot blood spurted from the wound- and covered my face and chest, but I didn't have time to feel hungry. Without another thought, I jumped out the window, tucking my arms closely to my body and straightening out my legs. I shot threw the air like an arrow- Sora falling swiftly beneath me. He flailed his arms and legs, and that- was probley the thing that saved him. It made him fall slower. Moments before we hit the ground-

-I fell even with Sora, and wrapped my body around his.

We hit the ground- my body taking most ofthe impact. My spine cracked, muscles ripping- bone splintering. It would have killed Sora. But not me. Not a vampire. All the breath in my lungs raced from my mouth- and I simply lay there, curled around Sora. Pain hit me in waves. Almost half of my ribs were broken- and blood trickled from my nose. My whole body ached- but I could deal with it. I looked down at Sora. He was shaking- but he was alive. That was all that mattered...Darkness dominated my mind- and I sunk into oblivion…..

Then, my breath came back. I sucked it in raspily- and rose slowly from my position on the ground.

"Oh my God! Riku! Your alive!" I heard, and looked at the figure huddled next to me.

Sora.

I smiled, and unwound my legs and arms from him. He must not have moved a muscle since the impact. Instantly he was up, kneeling over me to run hands over my face. Tears began to rush from his eyes- and pour down his cheeks. "Oh Riku! I though you were dead!" he choked out, and wrapped me in a tender hug. My chest burned with agony at the whisper of pressure- but I beat it down.

Sora was crying.

For me.

Because he was worried about me. Nothing could have made me happier. Soon, his whole body was shaking with sobs- his tears falling all over my face. I rasped a chuckle- and wrapped my bruised arms around him. Usually- my body would have healed in seconds- but now- for some reason-, it was slowed to that of a human's.

I cupped his face with my hand. "Now, why would you think that Sora? Have you forgotten I'm immortal?" I whispered to him, stroking his wet cheek tenderly. He sniffed and shook his head. "You fell from the top of a warehouse, stupid-," he laughed, but the tears did not stop ",-with a stupid kid hanging on you! I didn't think even an immortal could live through that." I smirked. He obviously didn't know immortals could live through just about anything. I tried to sit up and bit back a groan- my lungs and chest on fire with agony. "Whoa there!" Sora said, moving his hands from my face to wrap them around my waist; helping me into a sitting position. "Try and take it easy." I sighed, and rested my chin on his shoulder- reveling in the warmth Sora's body gave me. I already felt better.

Sora laid his hands on my back- not quite knowing what to do with them. It hurt- but I didn't want him to move. "Thank you," he whispered, almost so softly I almost didn't catch it. "Thank you for saving me." I smiled, as I felt him blush. "You're welcome," I returned, and closed my eyes. I could have fallen asleep right then….

Suddenly, Sora was moving- standing up and trying to take me with him. I clenched my teeth, at got to my feet. I was a foot taller than him- so leaning on Sora was a bit difficult. "We gotta' get back to the inn," he explained, grabbing my hand and draping my arm across his shoulders. "The sun will be up soon." I nodded, and we began our agonizingly slow pace back to our room…Never- had a building seemed so far away.. and never- had I been so grateful for the help of a mortal..

You know- this was a pretty kool chappie to write! Hope everyone enjoyed it!! And, don't bash the amulet part. It'll all come together in the end!!... -Kirin