Anime Exiles

Chapter 3: Undead Tendencies Part 2

"We have to DO WHAT?" Ryoko screamed in anger, edging back from the thousands of vampires coming closer.

"The Tallus is saying that we have to help the dominant species of the planet grow to their full potential and overtake the weaker. In this case, the dominant species falls to the vampires." Guyver looked at the Tallus embedded into his arm and back at the undead threat.

"Dammit." Vash thought to himself. "I didn't think I would have to do this this early in the game. Oh well, had to happen eventually."

"Do we fight through?" Allenbee asked, energy sais appearing in her hands, her fingers twirling them.

"No. Sazuka, is your barrier strong enough to ward off a force equivalent to a nuclear bomb?" Vash's face was as cold as the grave as he looked into Sazuka's eyes.

"I do not believe so. It would crack under the pressure."

"Great. Ok looks like everyone will just have to run for it." Vash took the guns out of his holsters and clenched them hard. "Ryoko! Tenchi! Grab everyone in the group except for me and fly as high into the sky as you can without losing air."

"Why? What are you going to...." Tenchi stopped and watched as the tops of Vash's guns flipped off, electricity surging through them. A small cylinder began spinning with rapid succession as the metal of the guns began to spread into and over Vash's arms.

"GOOOOOOOO!!!" Vash cried out as the guns completed their metamorphisis, turning his arms into grey pillars filled with the faces and feathers of what appeared to be angels.

"OH MY GOD!" Allenbee cried as Ryoko snatched her and Guyver up, Tenchi doing the same with Sazuka.

"You heard the man, off into the sky we go." Ryoko, with passengers in tow, slammed at top speeds into the air, Tenchi following suit. Vash stood on the ground, the vampires only feet away from him. He swung his arms in their direction, cannons now on the end of both of them. He gritted his teeth and smiled.

"Yknow, you really should try and get those teeth filed down. Stuff like that really turns the ladies sour." With that, Vash unleashed the power of his arms, shooting two gigantic blasts into the front of the crowd. The vampires screamed in pain as the energy blew them apart and expanded until it enveloped the whole city.

"OH MAN! WHAT DID HE DO?" Ryoko looked down on the huge white and black hiroshima sized explosion. The condensed blast would have put a nuclear warhead to shame. Allenbee trembled at the sight of it, reminded of her past where explosions were frequent, as well as the loss of innocent lives in the war agains the Dark Gundam. She had been recruited by Domon Kashu, the pilot of the Shining Gundam who was the number one contender in the gundam fights and seemingly, the only man able to take out the Dark Gundam. The Dark Gundam was a scourge upon the land that was created in order to purge the earth of the plague known as humanity. In their battles, Domon and Allenbee found one another and love sprang from the ashes of war. For over a year, Allenbee fought along Domon and the Shuffle Alliance, a ragtag group of Gundam fighters, against the darkness. The Shuffle Alliance, however, was slaughtered in front of the two lovers in the fight against Master Asia, a follower of the Dark Gundam. Domon killed Master Asia in revenge, but not before the master set off his Gundam's self destruct system. The blast killed not only Domon, but the key parts of the Dark Gundam, rendering it useless. Allenbee had truly found herself alone, but that was the past.

"We have to help him!" Allenbee said, clinging to Ryoko's shoulder.

"Right after the huge friggin' explosion calms down, we'll see what we can do for the bristle head." Ryoko looked over to Tenchi, realizing more and more that this was not the same boy she knew. Clad in his Jurain garments, this Tenchi had truly forsaken the teachings of the Earth and had found his place on the planet of his family's beginnings. In many ways, Ryoko wanted to bring him closer, but for just as many reasons, she despised him.

"There. The energy has finally died down." Sazuka pointed out, causing Tenchi and Ryoko to lower everyone.

"By Jurai, all that is left is a crater." Tenchi stooped to the ground, picking up a tattered dress of one of the vampires, it waving in the wind in his grip. "They were all human once weren't they?"

"It is best not to think of these things." Sazuka remarked, walking through the barren wasteland. "One must find the light at the end of the tunnel, or one must be led to insanity."

"Yeah well, its a little hard to find the silver lining when we're currently in a world where everyone is being turned into leeches." Ryoko noticed something in the distance in the crater, a lone figure standing on what remained of a house.

"I'm....I'm sorry for that. I'm afraid it was the only way necessary." Vash limped toward the group. "They're called angel arms. The things I used to destroy this place I mean, they're angel arms."

"What are they?" Guyver inquired.

"My birthright....Or my curse. It doesn't matter. What matters is the destruction that has befallen these peoples. Despite their situations, I weep for who they once were and the fact that I needed to lay their bodies to rest." A tear ran down Vash's face, as he begrudgingly rammed his guns back into the holsters. He limped away, collapsing into the dirt.

"He fainted. God, from the way he always acted, it seemed like he didn't have a care in the world." Guyver picked Vash up and walked back to the group.

"In most instances, a false face is placed upon the personality to make others feel at ease. I believe this poor fool is no different. He has much pain hidden within him." Sazuka placed her hand on Vash's forehead. "I do pity him."

"Hey lady, we all got problems all right? Let's just find somewhere....ANYWHERE in this God forsaken place to sleep and get ready to find a loophole in this mission so we don't have to put up with this."

"Ryoko's right. We need to find anyplace on this rock where there are humans. There has to be...." Guyver stopped in mid sentence as his sensors began flashing in front of his eyes. "No time to rest now people, we have an incoming."

"Oh wonderful." Allenbee stood in a fighting position, an energy sword appearing in each hand. Over the hill, from where the now shattered city now stood, came a figure in a tattered cloak. He shambled toward them, seeming as if he were about to fall over.

"You...You destroyed the city?" Asked the figure, shaking as he walked toward the group.

"Look at the rocket scientist over here. Must've gotten a college degree." Ryoko jested.

"Not now Ryoko." Guyver scolded her, her response being the middle finger. "Yes we were the ones who destroyed this city. The inhabitants inside were not...."

"Human, yes I know." The figure spoke, still shambling toward them, appearing weaker with each step. "They were vampires to be sure."

"Yeah. Well, seeing as how you're taking the daylight in stride..." Guyver took back his words, noticing the figures limping. "Ummm not bursting into flames, I take it you're human?"

"Not exactly." The figure removed the top of his cloak, revealing a wrinkled old human face with fangs spread from cheek to cheek in his mouth.

"He's one of them!" Allenbee strove toward the fanged old man.

"NO! WAIT! I'M NOT A VAMPIRE!" The old man flung his arms over his face and quivered. "I mean you no harm."

"It's a trick!" Allenbee did not cease her charge, until Guyver seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of her, with his arms wide spread in front of her.

"Stop! Hear him out. If he is one of them, he knows what'll happen considering we just disintegrated a whole city." He looked toward the old man, the old man still shivering from the would be attacker.

"Much thanks, strange one. You must understand that I am not a vampire. The lot of you seem to be not from this world as it were as I was able to overhear much of your conversations from afar. I watched your arrival as I was hunting for food around the vampire city, Nosferat, the city you all destroyed. You must understand that this earth is filled with things that are not easily explained and excel far beyond the mortal coil, like myself. I am a lycanthrop."

"A lycanthrop?" Tenchi questioned.

"You are confused?" The old man scratched his chin, looking into the blazing sun. "I am sorry. That is what we refer to our kind as. Humans refer to us as.....now what was it they called us? Ah yes, werewolves."

"Werewolves? Would explain how he heard us from so far away. God things just keep getting better and better don't they?" Ryoko joked sarcastically.

"You do realize that he can hear you?" Sazuka added, pointing to his ears.

"No need for apologies. I realize that this is quite...foreign to you. However, I am here to offer you assistance."

"Assistance?" Tenchi walked up to the old man, his superiority complex shining through as he tried to make the old man look small. "What would make you think we would need such or even be able to trust you."

"I'm sorry but from your words you had seemed to be in need of some rest for the night, and trust me, you would not want to be out here at night. As for why you can trust me, my people have been oppressed by the vampires for many generations. Made to be their slaves, the lycanthrops were able to break free and we began gathering together in order to form a resistance. So, in human tongue, an enemy of our enemy is our friend."

"Do we trust him?" Sazuka asked.

"Not much choice, we can't stay out here at night. Lord only knows what else could come at us." Guyver pushed Tenchi to the side, shocking the Jurain prince more than anything. "All right, show us where we can stay. Remember no funny stuff, you saw what we did to the city."

"No betrayals to be sure. However, due to my age and the lack of moonlight to give me strength, I am afraid it will take time to reach my pack's resting place."

"Screw that." Ryoko jumped in front of the old man and slung him over her shoulder. "Just point the way, we'll fly there. You guys coming?"

The team looked to Ryoko as she swifted into the wind, carrying the man high into the air.

"Hey! WE CAN'T ALL FLY INTO THE AIR Y'KNOW!" Allenbee cried up as Ryoko continued flying away. "Jeez, what a bitch."

"Hahaha. Indeed she is." Tenchi laughed. "Do not worry, I will use my light hawk wings to follow her."

"I doubt you will be able to carry all of us." Sazuka added.

"I'll take Allenbee, the prince here can take the heavy load, seeing as how he is royalty and all." Guyver lifted Allenbee up off the ground, causing her to blush and the man machine began jumping large distances after Ryoko. Tenchi scowled at Guyver as he picked up the downed Vash and flung him over his shoulder, the prince's light hawk wings cascading out of his back.

"You will have to go over my shoulder I'm afraid." Tenchi said to Sazuka, holding out his hand.

"That won't be necessary." Sazuka chanted something underneath her breath and energy began cascading out of her body. Once the energy stopped, all that was left was a bright red bird that began flying after Ryoko.

"The sorceress has many tricks. Her magic would do well in the Jurain empire." Tenchi flew up into the air, following everyone's lead.

"So exactly how many...um....wolves are in your pack?" Ryoko continued carrying the old man, his finger pointing in the way of the location of the rest of his pack.

"We are legion."

"Alllll right. So is that an even 60?"

"We are here." The old man pointed to a large cave, after having traveled many miles from the destroyed city.

"I'M UP! I'M UP! What'd I miss??" Vash sprung up from unconciousness on Tenchi's shoulder. "Hey, do you work out? Princey over here has buns of steel!"

"Would you do me the honor of being quiet? We're going in." Tenchi dropped to the ground as the rest of the team followed suit.

"Please follow me." The old man wandered into the cave slowly.

"Everyone stay alert. Watch each other's backs. We want to come out of this intact, no werewolf attacks." Guyver strode behind the old man, the rest of the group moving behind him with shifting eyes.

"So we're screwing the barriers of the mission?" Allenbee questioned.

"No." The red bird that was Sazuka morphed back into her original shape and walked in front of Allenbee. "We are merely looking for a less.....horrid way of accomplishing our missions. Allow me time and I shall find a solution."

"Ever the optimist eh?" Vash fingered his revolvers, walking into the shadows of the cave.

"Now that the sun is no longer present," The old man slumped to the ground, his clothes exploding off his body. His ears curved up toward the ceiling as fur began appearing all over his form. Fangs sprung out from his lips and the shape of his mouth burst out, his nose morphing to a new shape. The transformation took merely a minute as he stood transformed into the werewolf which he truly was. "I am back to normal. Do not be alarmed, this is merely my true form. The true form of the lycanthrop."

"Things don't get much weirder than this."

"Yeah well, let's just get on with it." The group made their way further into the cave. A light shined brightly after several minutes of walking, markings of various sorts were carved into the walls of the cave.

"These markings represent the trials of our forefathers, the various wars that man had had with the vampires. It was a shame that the Vampire race was so diligent in making their alliances with the demon world, for they were to be unstoppable. They achieved their goal of enslaving and overtaking the human race for their own personal use, and once this had been accomplished, began wiping out all demons that were there original allies. We as a race were able to survive by taking the roles of humans or running into exile."

"I feel pity for both your race and for the members of humanity." Sazuka rubbed her hand across the markings on the walls.

"For that, I am grateful. Long has it been since my kind has been mourned." The old wolf bowed his head in respect as Sazuka did the same.

"Unbelievable. These creatures, these vampires, really have overtaken this world haven't they?" Tenchi noted in a manner of despair.

"Must be a lot different from then what you're doing to the people on your planet, huh Prince?" Guyver snarled sarcastically.

"Of all the....If you were on Jurai, I would see you dead." Tenchi grabbed for his sword as Ryoko was suprised at his quickness to anger and no little restraint when it came to atacking.

"Save it for later pallies, we're in somebody's home now, a little respect would be nice." Vash looked at the light ahead and as they stepped closer they finally found a large civilization made up of wood and stone. Small dwellings were crudely fashioned as an abundance of werewolves walked the surroundings.

"It took this pack many years to find a place to call home. Many more in fact to get past our animalistic natures of nomadic seclusion. We are the only members of our race who have not been killed or become puppets to the vampires' wills. It is a sad state of affairs indeed. Come, you must see the council."

"ABSOLUTELY OUT OF THE QUESTION!" The group found themselves many minutes later in front of a council of werewolves, sitting around a stone ledger. The council snarled with indiscretion after shouting out their last remark, seemingly ready to pounce on the reality outcasts.

"Council, Please!"

"This is unexcusable, to bring humans here to this sacred place. They could be humans or demons working for the vampires, or worse, vampires themselves. They must be slain before they destroy us all."

"No wait! You must understand."

"There is nothing to understand, save that we are alone on this world and the rebellion will be brought upon by our kind alone."

"Now wait just a damn second." Ryoko burst out, jumping in front of the council of wolves. "You can trust us on the damn fact that we haven't killed you ourselves!"

"Stand down girl!" The leading member of the council shouted.

"NO! We took out a whole city of vampires, do you really think we'd be still standing here right now in front of you if we wanted you gone?"

"Ha. My Ryoko always was the great conversationalist." Tenchi smiled, watching Ryoko going postal on the Werewolf council.

"Your words....have truth. Your story is strange, however there are stranger things in this world. We will give you a chance, but be warned, betrayal will result in your deaths."

"Lovely." Ryoko smiled and walked away from the council, a skip in her step as if she were a little girl.

"We have had a plan formulated since we had first come upon our society. Recently we had found something to help us in our endeavors."

"What did they find?" Allenbee questioned the old wolfman standing next to her.

"The instrument to help us bring down the vampire society. He is not pleasant and tends to chatter on and on, but he was close to the leader of the vampires. He knows their secrets and their various inner workings that will allow us to enter into the main vampire stronghold. Before you all, we had not had enough power to storm the castle but now we just may."

"We will need an attack on two fronts. The main front will be needed to fight the armies of Dhampeal, the leading city of the vampires. The other smaller force will storm the castle through the secret passages that our...acquisition has filled us in on."

"I don't get it. What is this thing?" Allenbee looked at the council as they brought out a small glass canister, a sheet covering it entirely. They removed the sheet causing the group to gasp.

"Is it time for me to finally get out from under this damn sheet." The creature inside the canister was seemingly a human hand, severed at the rest, wrigling around on its own.

"Oh God. I think I'm gonna spew." Vash said, holding back his breakfast.

"That's pretty much the standard reation I get from the human population. Heh." A face appeared on the palm of the writhing hand, its teeth malformed and its eyes devoid of any pupils. "At least its better then the abuse I used to get from my old master."

"With this, we will be able to destroy the Vampire King, the one known as D." The old man explained.

"D?" Guyver questioned.

"Yes, he happens to be a halfling himself, which makes his status ever more astounding. Born of a vampire and a human. His father was the former king of the vampires himself. His mother was merely a small human, taken to soothe Dracula's ever growing loneliness. In time, D felt nothing but hatred for his mother and the humans that she had come from. He became a hunter, a hunter of man, taking bounties from the dwindling vampire population on entire human cities. With each human city that fell, more vampires were spawned. It was only a matter of time until vampires took over and found themselves in a place of power, D leading them."

"Yeah. Sad tale believe me." The hand in the canister said as it moved around its enclosement. "I was placed on D by Dracula himself, a sort of guide to him as it were. Heh, little wretch wouldn't listen to my warnings and babblings. I tried to get him to change his path, go down the one of virtue y'know? That's when I got sliced off."

"Good God! You were his hand?" Tenchi cringed.

"I prefer to think of it as he was my body. Aheh."

"With his help we will find a secret way into the castle, but we will need our main force to cause a distraction for us to do so." The old man mentioned.

"The attack shall be tomorrow, at the fall of the sun." The wolf council spoke. "We will give you members of our elite as part of the main tactical unit. We are putting all our faith into you, do NOT dissappoint us, or it will be your heads." The council snarled, their claws grasping against the ledger.

"They are..... quite volatile are they not?" Sazuka walked next to Guyver, beneath her tough exterior, scared of the strange new world in front of them.

"It doesn't matter. Come tomorrow, we go to war." Guyver's blades sprang forth from his arms in anticipation. The coming night would be devoid of many things, but death would be ever present.

To be Continued......