Hello, everyone! Sorry I haven't updated for a while, but I've been really busy with school. Seriously, things have been pretty rough. I actually might get my short story I wrote for my creative writing class, published. That would be great. :D Anyways, this chapter should be somewhat long. I'm a bit rusty, so please forgive me. I hope you enjoy! :D

Dust in the Wind

"Did Sebastian say where he was going, Faustus?" asked Marcus as he peeked through the curtains. Faustus gave a shrug.

"He didn't say anything to me," he replied. "Perhaps he's with his "friend."" Marcus chuckled and sat next to his friend on the couch. Propping his feet up on the table, he leaned back into the couch and sighed.

"What a bastard. He's fucking in the next room and we're out here waiting." Marcus turned his head to look at Faustus and grinned. "Sebastian always was a pervert."

"Is that so?" Both vampires turned right, towards the hallway where the voice had come from. Sebastian stood in the doorway with his arms folded. "I didn't realize I was being observed," he countered.

"Well, you do have lots of guests here. And by guests, I don't mean friends." Sebastian moved from the doorway so that Amaryllis could get through. "Isn't that right…Sebastian?" Marcus and Faustus immediately stood as the wolf approached; their eyes were glued to her form. Sebastian sighed.

"Apparently so. These two seem to have their facts down." He gestured an open arm to the vampires, who were staring at Amaryllis with interest.

The wolf noticed their lingering eyes on her body and cleared her throat. The pairs of eyes shot up to meet her own. Marcus shoved his hands into his pockets and cocked his head casually.

"So this is Amaryllis? I imagined her to be much…younger." Sebastian raised a brow.

"She was. That is, until she emerged from her sleep."

"Why would such a change be wasted on physical growth? Shouldn't she be obtaining dark gifts?" asked Faustus.

"You are quite the looker, child," began Marcus. "But I am not impressed." Amaryllis' eyes glowed a dark blue.

"Please, do not speak to me like I'm some helpless wretch," she warned. "I will destroy you if it suits me. Perhaps then, my impression will comfort you in the afterlife."

"Calm down, Amaryllis," Sebastian ordered. "You know very well what happens when you can't control your rage." Amaryllis looked back and forth between Marcus and Sebastian. "Do you really want to throw out your opportunity to make friends?"

"I have you and you're the only friend I need."

"No." Sebastian shook his head. "They are here to help you as well. Think about it…can you really take on Kain alone?" Amaryllis looked away from Sebastian and sighed.

"I don't know," she replied bitterly.

"Of course you don't," added Faustus. "He was powerful when he defeated the three of us, so he must be beyond measure now." Marcus turned to face Faustus.

"Beyond measure?" Marcus chuckled. "I believe that is stretching the truth. But there is no doubt in my mind that he is far stronger than when we faced him last." He looked at Sebastian. "So…should we proceed to attack?"

"It seems you were not paying much attention to our conversation earlier." Sebastian dropped his folded arms and took a seat by the fireplace. "As usual, you only listen to what you find suitable."

"What? How dare you, Sebastian? You certainly have a nerve for pointing fingers!" Sebastian rubbed his chin.

"He isn't alone, imbecile," he replied calmly. "There are others with him, remember?"

"Ah, yes," Faustus interjected. "I recall you saying children and only one daughter. But how do you know they aren't some pushovers, Sebastian? Surely we can handle them fairly easily." Sebastian ran a hand through his hair and shot a glance at Amaryllis.

"Perhaps. We shouldn't underestimate them. They may not be able to defeat us individually, but I'm sure they can inflict some damage as a group. Amaryllis?"

"Yes?"

"How many brothers do you have? What kind of powers do they possess?" The wolf scratched the back of her head.

"Let's see…I have six brothers. It's been quite some time since I last seem them, so I'm not sure how strong they've gotten." Marcus smirked.

"Obviously, this child has no insight to offer whatsoever. For all we know, they could buy Kain some time to escape."

"Escape?" Sebastian snorted. "You know damn well Kain is no coward.

"Still, we have to be prepared for something like that, Sebastian. If he does not escape for his own safety, he may escape to bring reinforcements." Sebastian laughed and shook his head.

"No, that is something he would certainly not do. His ego would not allow that. Honestly, after all those years serving Kain, did you not once pay attention to him?" Marcus took a seat on the couch and scowled.

"Forgive my ignorance, but I wasn't the one who slept in the same tent as him, Sebastian." Sebastian's brows furrowed.

"No one slept in his tent but him!"

"You know what I mean…"

"No, I don't. Maybe you should explain, Marcus."

"Don't play stupid, Sebastian. You know you did special favors for our general just so he could appoint you to captain. You had your eye on that spot for sometime, did you not?" Sebastian growled and lunged towards Marcus, gripping his neck tightly with his hand.

"That position belonged to Magnus and you know it! I was never appointed to captain because Kain felt that I needed more experience as a leader. He thought I couldn't handle being in charge, when it was only fledglings we were training. I was missing an important essential and he went for Magnus instead." Marcus narrowed his eyes.

"How…how dare you mention Magnus?" he began, struggling to breathe. "He never could leave Kain's side could he?" Sebastian loosened his grip. "That fool waited until it was the right time to go after the Sarafan Lord. What a waste. He was such a fine officer, too." Sebastian released his grip entirely and fixed his collar.

"This is precisely why I waited until he was taken care of. I knew that if Magnus was around, he would spoil my plans to ambush Kain's army. We very well couldn't have that, could we?"

"So…you…you ambushed my father…?" Sebastian was taken aback at the question, forgetting that Amaryllis had been standing there the whole time. The vampire turned slightly, just enough to show the left side of his face.

"I did…we did," Sebastian said with no remorse.

"Why?!" demanded the wolf.

"Your father is a greedy man, Amaryllis. I knew that his quench for power would not end, and as such, I gave myself the opportunity to stop him, hinder his movements. The Sarafan Lord wanted Kain dead, and I saw it fit to intervene."

"I thought you were friends? Was all that a lie?" Sebastian chuckled.

"No. We were friends at one point. But the more he talked about ruling Nosgoth, the more envious I became. I started drifting away from him; our bonds loosened. And I knew that if I could kill Kain, everything else would be in my grasp." Amaryllis shook her head and backed away from Sebastian.

"You…you've been the enemy the entire time?"

"Now, now, let's not get hasty, child," interjected Marcus. "From my point of view, you wish to overthrow Kain as well, yes? You plan to defeat him?" Amaryllis bit her lip. "You see? Sebastian isn't the only one to blame."

"So what if I'm angry with my father right now? It is my business to resolve the conflict between us." The trio of vampires glanced at one another then exploded with laughter. The wolf clenched her fists together and released a low growl. "How can you three be so childish?" she asked with her teeth bared. The laughter had slowly died down. Regaining his posture, Sebastian smoothed his hair back into place, and gave Amaryllis a smile.

"Laughter is good for the soul." The look the wolf received only fueled her anger. Sebastian's blue-grey eyes reminded her of the night he nearly took advantage of her. How she hated him then…even now, she only wished to destroy him. With a slight tilt of her head, Amaryllis lifted Sebastian above the ground. The vampire tried to grab on to Marcus, but failed.

"Amaryllis," Sebastian warned. "Stop this, now. You know what happens!" Marcus and Faustus looked back and forth between Sebastian and Amaryllis.

"Girl, put Sebastian down, now!" demanded Faustus. "You're going to kill him!" Amaryllis laughed.

"Calm yourself, vampire," she began. "Killing Sebastian is not in my best interest. But…" The wolf lifted up Marcus and Faustus to join Sebastian in the air. "…if you wish to try my patience, then I will kill you all," she said plainly.

"Don't be a fool!" fumed Sebastian. "How can you threaten us when we only wish to help you? We have done nothing wrong, and I have been good to you all these years, Amaryllis." The wolf's expression softened.

"To help me…?"

"Yes. I told you that you needn't fear me, Amaryllis. I told you that I would help you achieve your goal. Why must you have such little faith in me?" The wolf's gaze hardened, again feeling anger in her heart. She considered Sebastian's kindness, and ultimately released the vampires from her psychic hold. The three fell to the floor and Amaryllis towered over them. Her eyes were glowing blue.

"Listen carefully," she instructed. "If you three say you are going to help-

"I never agreed-oof." Marcus was elbowed in the ribs by Faustus before he could finish. Amaryllis sighed.

"If you're going to help, then we must get started. There's no doubt my father is training my brothers; they will become very strong." The wolf clenched her fists together, and upon hearing her knuckles crack, Faustus flinched. "But I will be stronger," she said proudly. "Much stronger…"

"So what if you can't finish what you intend to start? What will you do if you fail?" Amaryllis narrowed her eyes at Marcus.

"I won't."

OoOoOoOo

"Checkmate," Zephon said proudly. "That's three games to nothing, Turel. Honestly, can you not see the problem here?" Turel frowned at gazed at the pieces on the board. He thought he had Zephon beat this time.

"I don't know, I…you truly amaze me."

"It's toasty in here," he replied, tugging his sweater off and tossing it aside. "Forgive me, what were you saying?" Turel licked his lips.

"I think your strategy, your entire knowledge of the game-

"Alright, alright, don't get soft on me. I understand." Turel sat up and folded his arms. "I'm not sure if you will ever defeat me, Turel. Like I have told you countless times before, you lack common sense. You are too hasty with your judgments. Between you and Dumah, I'm not sure who is brighter." Turel lunged forward and grabbed Zephon's shirt, knocking over some of the chess pieces.

"And what have I told you countless times, brother?" Zephon closed his eyes, thinking of something to say.

"Uh…that you would grant me death?" Turel yanked Zephon closer, only inches away from him.

"No. A very painful death," he growled.

"Alright. A very painful death," Zephon mocked. "Now release me," he ordered. Turel smirked and shoved Zephon back into his chair.

"We're playing again," ordered Turel. Zephon sighed as he tried smoothing out his shirt. He looked up at Turel and scowled.

"It's just a shirt," Turel argued. "You have a closet full of them."

"You wrinkled it," Zephon countered. The other shrugged and seated himself at the table to begin the match. The red-head gave in and focused on the game, again, letting Turel move first.

OoOoOo

"What are they like?" Raziel asked out of the blue. Kain paused, but did not turn around to see Raziel's face.

"What?"

"Your…" Raziel held up his hand and wiggled his fingers. Kain turned around when Raziel didn't finish his sentence, and raised a brow at seeing his son's fingers.

"Ah. My claws…they feel different, more powerful than before. They can obviously carve into flesh fairly easy. They make killing much easier," Kain said dryly. A white rabbit ran across the snow and Kain followed it with his eyes until it reached its burrow. "Have you had your fill?" Raziel folded his arms and kept his gaze on the burrow.

"I'm alright. You know I don't eat much."

"That's not what I asked you," Kain replied, irritated. "Do not play your little game, now." Raziel looked down at his snow covered boots.

"Very well…yes, I've had my fill." Kain gave an exasperated sigh and continued walking. Raziel followed his father, and listened to his own footsteps crushing the snow beneath his feet. It was too bad he didn't have the courage to touch it…

OoOoOo

"You're still not getting it, girl. Focus your mind so that you become what you wish to charm." Marcus instructed. "Don't close your eyes; they must be open to see the subject!" The vampire sighed and turned to Sebastian, who was perched on a boulder, watching from a distance.

"Things take time, Marcus." Sebastian shrugged. "As a teacher, you must be patient. Good will come to those who wait." Marcus rolled his eyes and directed his attention back to Amaryllis.

"I think I've got it," she exclaimed. "You see that snake emerging out of the ground?" The vampire followed the wolf's gaze and, indeed, seen a brown snake slithering in the dirt. Oddly enough, it was coming towards the pair.

"Are you really controlling it with your mind?" Amaryllis narrowed her eyes.

"Well…I'm controlling it with my powers, but I cannot charm them like you say. That is a dark gift, isn't it? You have to obtain that power through metamorphosis, right?" The wolf released the snake from her control and sighed as she watched it slither under a nearby rock.

"Not necessarily. There is another way to gain the dark gift of another vampire." Amaryllis rose from the ground and dusted herself off. Marcus followed.

"But I am no vampire," she said simply. "How would I be able to acquire a gift from a different species?" Sebastian could see Marcus stiffen up as he slowly backed away from Amaryllis.

"You're…you're not a vampire?" Marcus asked, confused. Amaryllis smiled to reveal her second set of canines; the pair that vampires did not have.

"No. I'm a wolf." Sebastian appeared beside Marcus.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

"She's…a wolf?" Sebastian glanced at Amaryllis.

"Yes. She's alright, though. Nothing will happen unless she becomes angry. That's when things start to escalate." Marcus put his hands on his hips.

"Ah." Marcus nodded in understanding. "That is why you keep telling her to calm down; her anger triggers something inside that is uncontrollable." Sebastian nodded.

"Precisely. And that is why I wanted help. If we can work with Amaryllis to better control her anger and hate, she should be able to suppress her transformations." Marcus rubbed his chin.

"I see. What do you have in mind?" Sebastian looked up at the sky in thought, squinting from the sun's light.

"I'm not really sure, but perhaps if we can create some sort of simulation that will cause her to react negatively, then there is a possibility where we can talk to her before she changes. You know, hinder the process." Marcus folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose it is worth a try." He cocked his head to the side and turned to Amaryllis. "You won't eat me, right?" Amaryllis frowned.

"I don't know. That depends on how good of a teacher you are." Marcus scowled.

"Pathetic beast," he mumbled and walked towards the boulder, where Sebastian was previously. "The show is all yours, Sebastian. We will stand by and help if need be."

"Do you think Sebastian might have an advantage?" Marcus watched as Sebastian took a fighting stance in front of Amaryllis. Once the wolf caught on to the vampire, she began growling. Marcus smirked.

"I don't know," he replied dryly. "I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to fight that pathetic creature."

"Sebastian always did have a thing for pathetic creatures," Faustus replied with a smile.

"So it would seem…"

SO, that's the end of this chapter folks! Not really much, but I just thought I'd test the waters before I write more. You don't know HOW much I missed updating. School is crazy. In fact, I have finals next week. :/ bummer!!!! Well, let me know what you think. I know it's not the best chapter, but it is something…and I'm still alive! :D Please review-Lil V. p.s. more plot-related chapters coming soon :D