Chapter 26: Love and War

Erik walked around the stables, looking for Julius.

"Julius…" he mumbled, "where are you?"

Christine took his hand, "maybe they didn't find him…maybe he's still at the mansion…"

He turned and looked at her with pained eyes and whimpered, "but what if he's not?"

She reached out and stroked his face, "if he's not…then he must be here…"

He turned from her and kept looking, "Julius!" he called.

"Hush Erik! Not so loud!"

He scoffed, "those bastards are probably passed out drunk…"

"Probably, but Viktor does have servants…"

Erik sighed, "alright…I'll be quiet…"

"I'll wait here…" she murmured, "go on…"

Erik kissed her cheek quickly and continued looking for Julius.

Christine leaned against a stall and sighed softly.

Soon she heard footsteps and the sound of hooves on the cobble floor.

"Erik?" she turned, "oh you found…Julius…I…what did they do?"

Erik spoke through gritted teeth, "apparently torturing me, and stealing you away wasn't enough. They had to whip my horse as well!"

She gently touched his arm, "will he be alright?"

Erik nodded, "but until such time…we can't ride him…they especially wounded his back…"

Julius whinnied softly and nuzzled his nose against Erik's neck. Erik looked at the large black stallion, stroked the white blaze on his face and murmured, "I will kill them for this…I could deal with the torture, I was simply going to kill Viktor for taking Christine…and that all made it battle…but now…now its war."

He snarled softly then tossed the reins to Christine, "I'll be back…"

"No! Erik…you're not well enough…please don't…"

"I've been worse, they will be punished for this!"

"Erik…" she whispered.

"No Christine! Do not try to persuade me otherwise!" and with that he pushed past her and strode to the large estate.

Christine leaned gently on Julius's side, "how do you deal with him?" she murmured to him.

The horse whinnied and tossed his head, as if to say, I have no idea…

…

Erik hadn't been kidding when he said it was war now, he slipped back into the basement and grabbed two lengths of rope. He quickly fashioned two Punjab lassoes. With a smirk he stalked up the cold stone stairs. Soon he was in a long hallway; he strode to the double doors which seemed to lead into a study. Here he found Sampson passed out cold on the floor.

Erik strode to him, kicked him hard in the stomach and tossed the lasso around his neck.

Sampson sat up quickly and in shock, Erik tightened the lasso and snarled, "Get up! Now, get up!"

Sampson, in shock, stood and stared at Erik with wide eyes, "how…how did you get out?" he whispered.

Erik laughed quite maniacally, "Do you think your ropes can hold me?"

Sampson stared at him in horror, "what are you…?"

Erik smirked, jerked Sampson closer and pulled out the knife he had snatched on his way to this room.

Sampson's breathing quickened and became uneven, Erik stroked the tip of the knife right under Sampson's left eye.

"Do you know what it feels like…to be shot and then have the bullet pried out?" Erik hissed.

Sampson was going cross eyed trying to keep track of the knife, "I…I'm sorry about that! I was just doing my job!"

Erik sighed, "and I hoped we could avoid lies…"

"I'm not lying! Honestly! I can go kill Viktor right now if you want!"

Erik was disgusted, "you make me sick! Not really the big man now that you're staring death straight in the face are you!"

Sampson simply whimpered as Erik snarled at him.

"Either way…you don't know what it feels like do you?" Erik growled.

"I am sorry about that!" he yelled again.

Erik pushed the tip of the knife closer to Sampson's eye and he fell silent.

"Good…now stay quiet…" Erik hissed.

Sampson whimpered again, "I'll give you anything you want! I'll give you all my money! I…I own a brothel! I can give you all the women you want!"

Erik scoffed, "keep your dirty money and your whores."

"Then what do you want!" he cried.

Erik smirked, "revenge."

Sampson's eyes widened, and he realized he would not be able to talk his way out of this.

"Don't even think about it…" Erik hissed, pressing the knife harder against Sampson's face.

"I wasn't planning on doing anything!"

"How stupid do you think I am?" Erik snarled.

Sampson looked him up and down then smirked, "pretty stupid, you're a gypsy. Gypsy's have no education."

Erik stiffened, then plunged the knife into Sampson's eye, he pulled until the eye popped out of its socket. Sampson collapsed onto the ground in pain, Erik swung the knife in an arch, slicing Sampson's cheek open and cutting half his ear off.

Sampson howled, "s-stop! I'm sorry!"

"I don't care…" he hissed, slicing Sampson's other cheek.

Sampson had his hand clutched over his now empty socket.

Erik stared at him for a moment then growled, "you asked what I was…"

"I know what you are! You are a demon from Hell!"

Erik laughed maniacally, "I am the demon…of death," he then plunged the knife into Sampson's remaining eye, twisting the blade and burying it up to its hilt. Sampson fell to the ground, dead.

Trembling, Erik walked to the desk, picked up the bottle of liquor and took a long gulp.

He then looked at Sampson's dead body, "je vous remercie de la liqueur," he smirked.

With a sigh he turned and left the study, then left the manor and walked back to the stables.

…

"Erik!" Christine cried, running to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

He smiled and kissed her forehead, "êtes-vous bien, mon amour?" he murmured.

"I am fine, I was just…worried about you is all…"

He chuckled, "well I am fine."

She sighed and stroked his arm, "did…did you kill them?"

"Just that…Sampson, I don't believe Viktor is here…" and indeed he had been searching for Viktor before going to kill Sampson.

"Oh…" she murmured, "well…I think I found a horse for us to take…"

Erik raised one eyebrow, "are you talking about horse thievery?"

She smiled and shook her head, "she is my horse, she was a present from Viktor."

"Well…is she strong enough?"

Christine smirked, "yes."

Erik crossed his arms, "well…then let me see her…"

Christine took his hand and led him to a far away stall, "here she is…"

Erik raised his eyebrow and gazed at the large white mare, she stared back evenly.

Julius whinnied softly and nuzzled Erik's ear, Erik sighed and rubbed the white blaze on his horse's face.

"Well…I know you love Julius…but…we need to get out of here as soon as possible…"

Erik sighed and nodded, "but I'm not leaving him…"

Christine smiled, "I know that, of course we're not!"

"Well what's her name?" he nodded to the white mare.

Christine smiled, "Ophelia."

Erik leaned slightly on Julius and trembled, "well…let's get going shall we?"

Christine looked at him with worry, "are you sure you're alright?"

Erik nodded, "if we…can get to Paris…Madame Giry…had a house there…if we…can get to her…then I'll be good as new soon…"

Christine nodded, and began saddling Ophelia.

Erik kept leaning slightly on Julius, then lay his head on the horse's warm side.

Julius whinnied and nuzzled Erik.

Erik smiled slightly, "why are you worried about me, old boy? We've been through thick and thin together, you know me. I'm going to be fine, as are you. And then we'll come back and kill these bastards."

Christine turned to face both man and horse, "alright! Time to go!"

Erik sighed, and gazed at Ophelia, "alright…"

The white mare whinnied, and looked at both Erik and Julius apprehensively before tossing her mane and nuzzling Christine's ear.

"Huh…" Erik chuckled, "so she has a thing for nuzzling too…"

Christine smiled at him, "come on…" she rolled her eyes and tugged him towards Ophelia.

With a sigh he swung up into the saddle then helped Christine up, she sat in front of him, he had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other holding the reins.

Christine reached out and took hold of Julius's reins, "alright, I have Julius."

Erik nodded, then they turned and left the stables.

Erik lightly squeezed Ophelia's sides with his knees, she broke into a trot, then a canter, and then began galloping, Julius right beside her the whole way.

"Erik!" Christine cried, "to Paris?"

"Yes!" he answered, "Paris…"

"And you'll be alright until then?"

"Of course!" he answered, but right after he did his vision blackened and red dots swam before his eyes. He shook his head and tried to remain focused on just getting to Paris.

A/N: Erik really has a thing for over exerting himself doesn't he?