A/n: sorry for the lack of updates the last couple of days, I've been really busy.
Nightfalls: sorry, but I was introduced to the Japanese first and the English just don't sound right to me.
Greater Lights: What confuses you? Sometimes I write in circles so it may actually be me.
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Malik lay quietly that night, waiting for his companion to fall asleep.
When finally he was in the throws of an apparent nightmare, Malik sat up and scanned the desert.
He was sure there would be at least a pack of jackals scavenging for the remains of some unfortunate animal, but saw none.
It was now going on five days since he had fed on a living mortal and he needed blood soon.
Though he had completely drained the vampire the night before, his blood was already dead and therefore no use to Malik.
He glanced back at Tsuzuki and thought long and hard about his situation.
If he took blood from him there was a risk he would be too weak to fight, but if he didn't Malik could starve to death in a matter of a few days.
He remembered the way it had affected Anzu and sighed.
'No, I didn't take much from her and she was in and out of sleep for two days. Human strength is too dependent upon blood and food. Now what am I to do?'
He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the only thing he had brought with him…a picture of Anzu.
He sighed heavily and lay down, clutching the picture tightly to his chest.
'I hope I'm not too late…if you can hear me my precious, I still love you.'
As he drifted off into sleep he began to dream of the past year and the hardships he endured while looking for her.
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Malik stood atop a water tower, frantically looking for a dark place as the sun quickly rose behind him.
He had twenty-five minutes to get to shelter before the sun was dangerous.
Dawn had passed and he still had found neither Anzu, nor a suitable place to stay and now he couldn't even find a dark ally.
He was in big trouble and he knew it.
He bounded from rooftop to rooftop trying to stay unseen in his search for shelter from the sun that was already beginning to burn him.
Without warning his legs gave out and he fell to the scorching roof with a painful scream.
He looked skyward through blurred eyes and begged.
"Ra please send me help. Please don't let me die before I find her."
Just before loosing consciousness he saw a dark figure descending upon him and knew he would be safe.
"Demetrius…"
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Tsuzuki awakened Malik before dawn and they silently continued on.
Around noon Malik was starting to feel dizzy.
The heat was starting to get to him.
He closed his eyes for a moment and felt himself falling, then a burning.
He screamed in pain and pulled the hood back on, shielding his face from the sun.
Before he had time to react, the whole cloak was ripped away from him.
He barely heard Tsuzuki's voice over his own jagged breathing and painful screams.
"I knew it! No food or water, allergic to the sun…did you think you could fool me?"
He threw the cloak back over Malik.
"I should kill you now."
Malik only whimpered under the heavy fabric and clutched tightly to the picture.
Tsuzuki took out one of his water bottles and poured it over Malik's head.
"So you were going to wait until we were deep enough into the desert and kill me, is that it?"
Malik pushed the picture out and spoke softly.
"No. That monster has kidnapped my wife. I swear to you this is the truth. I need you to help me fight."
Tsuzuki picked up the picture.
"This is the woman you seek? And why didn't you bring anything with you if you weren't going to kill me?"
Malik dug his fingers into the sand as his body was racked with the first convulsion of sun poisoning.
"I thought there would be at least a pack of wild jackals this close to the town. I only need so much to survive. I swear to you that I have never taken a human life! Please help me!"
He felt like he was going to be sick and curled into a tight ball.
Tsuzuki stared down at the crumpled form.
"And why should I help a monster like you? It doesn't matter that you don't kill, you still drink human blood!"
Malik suddenly grew angry.
He bolted up and grabbed Tsuzuki by the neck, taking him to the ground.
"Why? Why help me! Because now that you know I can kill you and have a nice lunch! Or I could kill your horses and let you die in the desert!"
Tsuzuki gasped for breath, feebly trying to push Malik off of him.
Malik showed his fangs and leaned closer.
"Which is it? You help me, or I make you my first real victim. I would do anything for my love and that includes killing self centered hunters like you to keep her safe!"
Tsuzuki looked away as Malik took his hand away.
"Alright I'll help you, just get off me!"
Malik pulled one of Tsuzuki's knives out of his belt and held it to his throat as he stood.
He pulled the cloak back on the right way and put the knife in his boot, offering a hand up to Tsuzuki.
He climbed to his feet and staggered over to his horse.
He glanced at a trance like Malik as he took out another water bottle.
"We'll make camp for the day and travel by night."
Malik nodded silently and collapsed onto the desert floor, exhaustion overcoming his will to go on.