Chapter 16: Prince of Blood
Slowly two dull crimson eyes opened, blue-gray bangs brushed his face as he sat up. Rubbing his forehead slightly Malik looked up, and around his room. Standing he went to pick up his black and silver blade. Walking out his small room Malik turned left down the halls, after some steps he stopped and turned round, staring down the corridor for some minutes he then began walking again. When he reached the metal door he exited through it. Looking left and right he thought about which way to go, the Russian teen decided on right. As he walked the halls of the abbey he felt as thought he had been here before, it all looked so familiar. Walking down the winding tunnels he soon reached a brown oak door 'Why does it all feel so familiar, almost like déjà vu, argh what am I thinking. Pull yourself together Malik' pushing away those thoughts he reached forward and grasped the handle…
A small boy walked down the dark halls, some meters in front of him walked a tall man, the tight black jacket he wore showed his muscular arms and broad flat chest. Reaching a brown oak door the two walked through, the small boy gasp when he saw the large tanks holding children his age, and older, needles and wires coming from all parts of their bodies. On the other side of the room were more cylinder shaped tanks but larger in size, also they didn't contain humans, but strange looking beast, some were dragons, tigers, wolves and lizards, but the creature that caught his eye was the tank holding a large black phoenix. It looked so much alike to his faithful bird that he would have thought it was Dranzer.
Malik's grip on the cold metal handle tightened as he pushed away whatever it was he was thinking about…
Walking round the white room, the boys eyes grew wider at the things he saw, he wanted to run over to the ebony phoenix but was stopped when a strong hand gripped his small arm, "No Kai, not yet" said the man, even though it was bright in the room, the mans face was covered in shadow, yet he recognized the voice.
'Why! Why am I thinking about that place, I've never seen that room, nor do I know the boy, but that name, what was it…Kai, why does it sound familiar, grr what does it matter anyways, I'm only delaying what I'll see through this door. So enough fooling around' Malik growled at himself for not being able to get rid of these images in his mind.
"Malik! What do you think you are doing!" yelled a voice down the hall, Malik looked up to see Boris approaching him. Removing his hand from the handle he stood straight, and showed he was not afraid of his man,
"You are not supposed to be out here, your orders were to go and train when you awoke in the morning" the Russian man spoke,
"I take orders from no one" Malik spoke in a cold and strong tone, the teen glared at Boris before turning a walking back the way he came.
"Stupid boy" Boris mumbled to himself, before he too set off in the direction Malik had gone.
I stood and waited, everything around me was black. I had been told just to stand and wait for the doors to open, which I would then walk through. I had stopped my training, I was to fight in a beybattle today. My opponent was a teenager named Malik, he was only a year younger than me, and hadn't been here for very long, but already he was considered to hold a great deal of authority. Just because his grandfather is Voltaire doesn't mean he should be treated any differently. I mean I have better things to do than battle some novice, who thinks he's hot shot. A blinding flash of light interrupted my thoughts as the doors opened, as I stepped out I noticed the large gray beyblade dish some meters in front of me. Standing on the other side of the dish was a teenager, he had dark blue hair with gray blue bangs. He also had pale skin like me. His crimson eyes looked with my ebony black ones, I pushed aside a few stands of raven black hair as I stepped forward. "Malik this is Raven" I heard Boris say to the other teen. Pulling out my beyblade, I looked down at it. My blade was pitch black with white edging, and in the center was a cobra like bit beast. Attaching my blade to my launcher I prepared myself for the battle.
Two teenage boys one-year difference in age stood across from each other, a large stone beyblade dish separated the two, a tall man with purple hair stood off to the side,
"Don't expect me to go easy on you" said the raven-haired boy in a mock tone, Malik just replied with a smirk.
"Ready, and 3…2…1…Let It Rip!" called Boris as the two blades were launched into the dish,
"I'll make your defeat quick and painless" said Raven, keeping an eye on his blade as it sped round the dish, followed closely by Malik's black and silver blade.
"Don't be so sure" said Malik in a low voice, Raven just began to growl at the younger teens cockiness,
"And I'll prove it, Slifer!" as Malik called out the name of his bit beast his blade began glowing that eerie black it always turned when the mighty dragon was about to show. The dark light grew and spread out around the arena, soon the silence of the room was shattered as Slifer let out a mighty roar.
"Hmhp, two can play that game," said Raven as if he wasn't even slightly amused,
"Now, Anthrax!" he called upon the ancient power within his blade, his black and white blade emitted purple light, as the light intensified it began to take the shape of a large violet cobra. The snake reared up and hissed but was still only half the size of Slifer, as it opened it's hood the unusual black and red making were clear, swirls and wavy lines were stretched across the flared out skin near the neck. And a row of backwards curved spikes ran down it's back.
"Anthrax attack!" the large purple cobra lunged forward, mouth open he bared his large razor sharp teeth. As he lunged Slifer stepped back, and turned round swinging his tail back and forth, he struck the cobra, which sent the reptile flying. Raven just growled in anger as he watched his bit beast be brushed aside as if it were nothing. Slifer roared again as he went in for another attack, raising an arm he went to slash Anthrax with his knife life claws. A low growl emitted from the back of his throat when he realized he had missed,
"Anthrax, enough fooling around, now attack with Earths Core!" again the cobra reared up and hissed, opening his mouth a brownish gray light shot from between his jaws, the light spread over Slifer, the dragon let out a painful cry as he was hit with the force of the energy. Malik narrowed his eyes as he watched his dragon bit beast send out cries of pain. Anthrax slowly edged forward, intensifying the blast. Slifer was unable to escape the shower of gray-brown light, and in his attempt to free himself he thrashed his tail around wildly. Raven was watching the battle too closely to notice the large black tail head in his direction. With a scream on surprise and pain he was knocked over, when Anthrax heard his master yell he immediately stopped his attack to look in the direction he had been, only to find his master slowly pull his weight back onto his feet.
'Grr, stupid dragon' the black haired blader thought to himself.
At the sound of an ear-piercing cry Raven looked up to see his snake bit beast be flung across the room,
"Come on Slifer, finish him off!" Malik called out. With a victory roar Slifer stepped forward opening his mouth flames began to gather,
"What, no! Slifer what do you think you're doing!" Malik yelled. Instead of Slifer facing Anthrax he was aiming his attack at Raven, who stared shocked back at the dragon.
"You're supposed to be attack that stupid lizard" Slifer ignored his masters call and with a wave of energy the ball of fire shot towards Raven. As the fireball came hurdling towards Raven he jumped off to the side, only to be struck with three powerful claws. Slifer had known he was going to run off to one side in order to escape the flames. Raven dropped to the floor, he clenched his arm with his hand, trying to stop the crimson blood from running down, but his attempts were futile. Slifer threw his head back a let out a loud roar, as he powered up an aura of red light flashed around his body, he continued to growl softly as he turned his head to where Anthrax lay. The cobra slowly opened a scarlet coloured eye, when it caught sight of the dragon, he opened the other. Anthrax struggled to rise up, but was soon back and ready to fight for his master. Slifer began beating his large black wings, he rose some feet into the air before flying towards Anthrax. Before Slifer could reach him Anthrax opened his mouth and let out another blast of light, the dragon began glowing red again as he pushed through the attack. Anthrax was thrown backwards against a wall. Down in the dish the black and silver blade sped towards to black and white one, with a forceful push the black-white blade flew from the dish and landed near its master, who was still on the ground holding his sore arm. Raven had a look of shock on his face when he watched his blade fly from the dish. A smirk crossed Malik's face when the crash of metal on stone was heard. Raven stretched forward, reaching for his blade, when a large black lizard like foot got between himself and the black beyblade. Raven looked up to see Slifer standing in front of him growling. The Russian teen went wide eyed when he watched Slifer raise an arm then bring it back down on his body. Raven scream out in pain as he felt the skin on his back tear apart. Within seconds the black haired boy could feel the thick warm blood run down his back. Raven looked over at Malik when he heard the other teen's laughter. Raven growled at the fact that Malik didn't even care that his bit beast would probably kill someone, in fact Malik looked as though he was enjoying himself.
"Malik!" Boris yelled. The two toned blue haired teen looked over in the mans direction still with a smirk on his face,
"That's enough already, you've had your fun" Boris told the teen, Malik just narrowed his eyes at the Russian man, and continued to let Slifer attack Raven.
"Malik! I said Stop!" Boris was extremely angry that Malik wasn't listening. Malik continued to ignore the purple haired man, Slifer slashed at Raven again, who only just managed to dodge,
"Malik, you do not refuse a direct order!" yelled Boris
"I take orders from no one, not even you, got that. SLIFER!" Malik yelled at Boris. Slifer stopped his attack on Raven and turned to face Boris, with a low growl he began closing the gap between himself and the Russian man,
"What" Boris gasped when he saw that Malik had just ordered Slifer to attack him,
"Malik!" came a cold voice from behind the Russian boy,
"Huh?" Malik turned to see that some meters from him stood a tall well built man, he had long gray hair with dark crimson eyes, and he wore a black suit coved by a long black jacket with gold lining.
"Voltaire" whispered the Russian boy, Slifer had also stopped when its masters name had been called,
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Voltaire stepping forward,
"I…I…um, I was just showing my strength, and that I am superior to those around me" answered Malik standing proud,
"Well, you are not superior to all that cross your path, let me make that clear" Voltaire said narrowing his eyes a little,
"Yes sir" said Malik dropping his head,
"Now get back to your room!" Voltaire shot. Malik turned back towards the dish, Slifer returned to his blade, the black and silver blade flew towards its master, who caught it and walked from the room growling at the fact that he had been ordered around.
'Stupid boy' Voltaire thought as he watched Malik walk past him,
"Get him out of here" Voltaire told some abbey workers who had come with him, the five men walked over to where Raven lay on the floor unconscious. Two men picked up Raven while another grabbed his blade, they all left the room in silence.
"Get someone down here to clean up this mess!" yelled Boris as he watched the abbey workers leave. Voltaire looked over to where Raven had been lying, he growled in anger at all the blood flowing over the stone floor before he turned and also walked from the training room, leaving Boris to stand alone.
"How dare he not obey my commands, he will pay for it" Boris quietly said to himself as he slowly walked from the training room, as he stepped out he closed the door behind him leaving the room in total darkness.
The pool of blood continued to spread out over the floor, as the crimson liquid reached the beyblade dish it flowed over the edge and tricked down the sloping walls. The door opened causing bright light the shine over the scarlet blood, three abbey workers stepped in holding buckets of water and mopes. They set to work at cleaning up the mess of blood Raven had left.
"Like I always say, Russians are great cooks," said Tyson patting his stomach, as he Max, Ray, Tala and Kenny walked out of a restaurant,
"Yeah we know Tyson, you always tell us how great the food was when we leave a restaurant" said Kenny
"Wow" said Max looking up,
"Huh, what's up Max?" asked Tyson looking at the sky as well
"The stars are shining brightly tonight," replied the blond
"Oh, yeah" said Tyson, as the other three teens also looked up at the night sky,
"Well come on, let's get back to the hotel" Ray said as he began to walk, the others nodded and followed after him.