Volgastok, Russia: 20th July 2004
Rei, Kenny and Tala sat huddled together, protecting Tyson against the biting wind in the shelter by the worn dirt road.
Tyson was still occasionally twitching, but overall he seemed calmer.
Rei continually shifted his gaze from one direction to the other, unsure of where the carriage would be coming from, or which direction it would take them.
Tala strained his ears against the wind, the incoherent shrieking the breeze carried sounded strangely familiar.
A loud scream pierced through his consciousness and he leapt to his feet just in time to avoid Kenny diving across him.
He hissed and gazed upwards into a pair of blazing red eyes.
Rei had immediately taken it upon himself to drag Tyson back to the stationed train, depositing him on one of the seats before poking his head outside again.
Kenny was grappling desperately with a winged female, which was clawing viciously at his face and neck, shrieking psychotically while her flame red hair whipped around her lean body like it had a life of its own.
Tala appeared to be in the same predicament, only his assailant was pink haired, and was having less luck in penetrating the protective barriers of the blue-eyed youth's arms, which were poised over his head while the female dived at him repeatedly, her claws poised like a hawk's talons.
Rei glanced around warily; he'd heard at least three voices. His eyes finally came to rest on the spire of a little parish, just a few feet from the train station office.
The third creature perched at the top of the makeshift spire, her leathery wings carelessly hanging over her shoulders while she swung her hair around herself, cackling derisively and kicking at the wooden cross in front of her, shrieking with delight as it plummeted into the oil stained ground.
"Kai was right." Rei admitted through gritted teeth. "There is no God here!"
"REI!"
The neko-jin spun around to face Tala again, who had succeeded in breaking one of his attacker's wings, causing her to retreat temporarily.
"The carriage is here! Get Tyson to Moscow immediately!" He growled.
"I can't leave you guys, they'll kill you!" Rei yelped, glaring at the third creature as it laughed at him.
"They will kill you if you stay; you're a bigger threat to Kai than we are, they only went for us first so we won't be able to protect you."
Rei hesitated, then seeing the determination in Tala's eyes he nodded, and shrank back into the train.
Tyson looked up wearily through one eye as Rei approached him cautiously. "So hungry…can't we get something to eat soon?"
"Soon." Rei agreed, satisfied that Tyson hadn't the energy to feed himself yet.
He bent down and gingerly lifted Tyson into his arms, biting back tears as Tyson's lightness brought back memories. He peered outside cautiously when he reached the doorway.
The scene was the same as he left it, except that now the creatures had Kenny and Tala cornered with their backs to each other, and a solid brick wall behind them.
Tala noticed Rei hesitated again, and shouted angrily, not taking his eyes off the three creatures for a second.
Rei sighed despairingly, and bolted for the carriage.
Tyson stirred slightly in his arms, the husky voice in his mind confirming his own thoughts, and despite himself he smiled; part of his human self still remained, and he felt vaguely unnerved knowing that his friends were going to die, but knowing he would soon be with Kai again overruled his guilty conscience.
The third creature craned her neck out of curiosity towards Tyson as she sensed Rei's escape.
That resemblance is too uncanny to be coincidence! She thought to herself, and then with a shrug she turned back to Tala and Kenny, hissing sharply when either of the other two ventured too close to their prey.
"You've caused our Master so much trouble…" She paused grinning wolfishly, delighted when Kenny visibly trembled at the sight of her fangs.
"Your Master attracts trouble like a stagnant corpse attracts vultures!" Tala snorted, then adding with a defiant grin; "But then you harpies would know all about that wouldn't you?"
Moscow, Russia 22nd July 2004
Kai paced across the room anxiously.
Where is he? They should be here by now surely!
The sound of baying horses alerted his attention and he leapt across the room onto the balcony, beaming down eagerly at the horse drawn carriage that had just pulled up below him. In his eagerness, he vaulted over the balcony railings, landing effortlessly on his feet in the crisp white snow with not so much as a sound. He approached the carriage doors cautiously, knowing Tyson wouldn't be alone.
Immediately Rei poked his upper body out, brandishing a gun in front of him. "Stay back beast!" He snarled, clutching Tyson to his chest with one arm.
"Don't overestimate yourself human." Kai replied, staring at the pistol calmly. "I'm not the only one here that can kill you." He gazed meaningfully at Tyson, who had become restless again, and was struggling to escape from Rei's grasp.
Rei ignored him and with the gun still pointed at Kai, began to manoeuvre himself and Tyson towards the castle.
Kai grinned and paced past him, holding open the door. "If that's all you wanted why didn't you say so?"
"I don't want anything from you!" Rei retorted, tightening his grip as Tyson attempted to pull himself free.
"You may not but he does." Kai replied. "Stop treating him like a caged animal!" His were now burning angrily.
"I'm protecting him!" Rei protested.
"From what? Himself?" Kai drawled derisively, raising an eyebrow.
"From you!" Rei shot back.
Kai clutched a hand at his chest in a sarcastic mock gesture of offence. "My little black heart bleeds for you." He sneered.
"We'll see what colour your heart is!" Rei yelled clicking off the safety catch of the gun and firing at Kai's midsection.
Kai took a step back to steady himself as the impact thudded into his rib cage on the right. "You missed." He smirked, grinning at the dark red liquid seeping through his white shirt. "But just in case you were wondering, I don't really know what colour it is!"
Rei could only stare in horror as the youth smeared some of the blood over his palm and examined it curiously.
Finally, Kai brought his attention back to Rei. "Now it's my turn…" He grinned flashing his sharp fangs.
Rei barely had time to think before he was physically lifted off the ground and slammed into the stone wall behind him, his head connecting with the ancient brickwork with a sickening crack. He pushed himself gingerly to his feet wincing as felt his cracked ribs protest painfully, and looked around.
Kai seemed to have disappeared, though Tyson still stood in the corner looking completely calm.
Rei steadied himself then glanced around again; he could hear Kai but he couldn't see him. Cautiously, he crouched down into a squatting position and reached into his shirt, feeling a fleeting sense of relief as his fingers closed around the leather case. He closed his eyes and tensed as he heard a rustle behind him, his hand gripped the object tighter, every agile muscle in his body itched to kick his reflexes into action.
Not yet! Just a little longer!
Tyson's eyes snapped open.
Kai seemed to melt out of the shadows as he lunged towards the crouching youth, his fingers poised like a tigers claws reached out towards his target.
Every one of Rei's senses tingled, his instincts told him to run, his broken heart told him to strike…his mind told him to wait.
"KAI! NO!" Tyson's yell echoed throughout the hall at the same instant that Rei leapt to his feet just as Kai reached him.
A white flash seared their eyes.
Tyson gaped helplessly as Kai landed roughly on his feet, resorting to steadying himself with one hand on a wall. He looked back to Rei, and then to his hand, which had fallen to his side.
Rei stood still as a statue staring at the floor. Then without a word, his fingers uncurled themselves from around the hilt of the dagger, letting it fall to the ground.
Tyson ran over to where Kei leant against the wall, clutching at his throat.
As Tyson reached him, Kai keeled over and let loose a violent cross between a cough and a gurgle.
Tyson stepped back fearfully and a mouthful of blood spattered onto the floor, seeping towards his feet through the gaps between the flagstones.
Kai looked up at him desperately, blood trickled over his lips as he sucked in a breath and tentatively let go of his throat.
Rei turned to Tyson. "There's nothing you can do here now."
Tyson slowly raised his head. "What?" It was barely a whisper.
"I defeated him, there's nothing here for you now." Rei replied, chancing a look at Kai.
"Then you're more naive than I ever was." Tyson voice was stronger, almost threatening.
Rei was about to protest when he suddenly felt a strong pang of homesickness.
Tyson continued to stare at him impassively, his face betraying no emotion save for the barely controlled fire in his eyes.
You want to go home…you NEED to go home…
"I need to go home…" Rei whispered.
"But I'm not ready to go!" Tyson protested, sounding almost like his old self, though his face remained guarded.
"I have to go…whether you come with me or not!" Rei snapped, darting for the door.
Tyson stared after him calmly, turning away the instant the door closed.
Rei opened his eyes wide; the hazy fog in his mind abruptly cleared. He vaguely remembered suddenly feeling homesick, but from then his vision had been strangely clouded. He spun on his heel to face the large double doors, gazing up at them sorrowfully. "You made your choice." He murmured.
Kai steadied himself and stood straight, wincing as another pump of his heart sent more blood gushing from the gaping slash on his throat coursing down his shirt. "Why?" He choked.
"We've both done enough damage." Tyson replied, the tone in his voice leaving Kai in no doubt that the subject was closed.
Kai coughed violently, spewing another gush of blood onto the already stained floor at his feet.
Tyson immediately became concerned and rushed to his lover's side, cradling Kai's face in his hands. "You're going to be O.K right? You said we can't die." He whispered rubbing Kai's cold nose with his own, resting their foreheads together.
Kai coughed again. "I don't know; I never met a vampire who had his throat slashed before." He made an attempt at a smile, but the blood seeping from his lips made it look grotesque.
In that instant, forced to watch his lover die, Tyson's heart broke.
"Take me to the old chapel." Kai pleaded, his voice was barely a whisper.
Tyson hesitantly pulled Kai's left arm over his shoulder, and gingerly began guiding him up the stairs; strange how he'd never been here before, yet he knew exactly where he was going.
The centrepiece of the huge stained glass window shone brightly to greet them as they entered the chapel, which was bathed in soft moonlight; the roof had long ago disintegrated and as Tyson looked up, a spray of white stars blinked down at him from a canvas of blue-black sky. He gently set Kai down on one of the four steps at the base of the alter and waited for him to speak.
"If I'm going to die, I die here." Kai declared, the rattle of imminent death already present in his rasping breath.
"Shhh." Tyson crooned gently. "Just lie quietly with me."
Kai smiled contentedly and complied, his heart warmed as Tyson rested his head on his chest, and draped one arm across onto his shoulder.
They lay like that for what seemed like hours, Kai staring up at the sky, and Tyson snuggled into his chest, listening to his heartbeat, grateful that his tears soaked into Kai's shirt before they could fall.
Tyson listened intently for Kai to draw his last breath, and when the moment came, he closed his eyes and sighed…
Rei was still sat outside the castle when Tala and Kenny arrived; the bride's severed heads dangling from their carriage.
"Where's Tyson?" Kenny gasped.
"In there." Rei pointed a shaking hand in the vague direction of the castle.
"Then there's no reason to stay here any longer, come my friend." Tala held out a hand to take Rei into the carriage.
Along the way Kenny tried several times to engage Rei in pleasant conversation, but all his attempts failed as the broken hearted youth curled into his seat and drifted into a troubled sleep. All the while Tala stared impassively out of the window, gazing in no particular direction at the unblemished carpet of snow that granted the land its breathtaking ethereal beauty. About five miles from the castle, something caught his eye for a split second before it passed out of his line of vision.
Watching serenely as the carriage drifted away into the hills, two white wolves stood as still as if they were exquisitely carved ice status. As the carriage disappeared the sun rose over the horizon casting light onto their faces.
Had anyone been close enough to see they would have been amazed by their eyes; doe brown and blazing crimson…
…I sense your presence in this room,
I feel that you are near,
you hold me close and whisper love is forever…
(love is forever)