Chapter 38: The Vampire Family

Minerva and Ronan went out the door of the restaurant and noticed that Drake was sleeping. The woman ignored the dragon asked the man, "So which way will we go?"

Ronan looked down both ways before suggesting, "Let's go this way." He gripped her hand and started to walk left from the restaurant. The city in its redesigned form had a different feel in the night compared to its old self. For one, it wasn't fantastic like the many electric lights and the light posts were a little less bright. But it didn't bother the woman anyway. As long as she was with Ronan, she'll be alright. The assassin commented, "The nights never grow quiet in the city... it's better near your house. Silence is blissful."

"Really now?" asked Minerva about silence. "I guess it can be a good thing like that. It makes you relaxed with your mind at peace."

The man smirked and said, "It also gives you a lot to think about. Past, present, future... all of it. I think we'll be pretty successful with our school. This night with you is quite amazing. The longer I'm around you, the more at peace I feel. I don't feel lonely or lost."

From the way he spoke, it sounded like he had fallen in love with her. Minerva giggled adoringly in response. Then she said in a bit of a playful manner, "Aww, you must really really like me! Tell me Ronan, do you love me?"

Ronan smirked and then stopped when they were in a small park in the city. He answered, "If I were to say yes... could you look me in the eye and tell me you loved me, too?" He looked her in the eyes; he seemed to be completely serious. He took hold of both of her hands.

Minerva thought how to answer this. Sure it's been today and yesterday since they first met. It seemed too early for him to fall in love quickly, but maybe that was because he's never been around women too much. So he's inexperienced when it comes to love. But on the good side, he's genuinely a good guy. He saved her twice and saved the ADR, too. So perhaps it's safe to return her feelings for him. "Of course, I love you too, Ronan," said the smiling woman. She herself was inexperienced at romance, but together, the two of them would make it perfect.

The man smiled in return and replied, "I've never had feelings for a woman... and I don't want this to be a mistake; I'm sure you understand that. We've spent such a short time getting to know each other and yet it's like we're comfortable with each other. If this is what is right, I will do anything to keep it from going wrong."

Minerva nodded, "And so will I, Ronan. I have a feeling that you and I will be one of the best couples in the world. But we must work to make it happen. Today was our first steps, tomorrow and the days after will see how this goes. Let's do our best, Ronan; the both of us."

His smile grew quite wide and he said, "Let's go home."

"Okay," replied the woman. They walked back to the restaurant, where Drake was just waking from his nap. He stayed laying down as he looked at the restaurant, seemingly waiting for the pair to get out. Going up to him, Minerva said, "Hello again, Drake. Did you enjoy your after-dinner nap?"

The dragon looked a bit surprised to see them coming, not from the restaurant, but from down the street. He nodded and replied, "I did. You two seem like you enjoyed yourself."

"We did," said Minerva, smiling in response.

Ronan patted his friend's shoulder and said, "Time to go home, big guy." Drake let them get on him before the man cut the rope and the two humans hopped onto his back. They took off back to Minerva's house and landed at the front yard. The woman went to unlock the door and held it open for her date. "After you!" she said, repaying him for all the helpful things he did.

As Drake went around the house to the backyard, Ronan slipped a kiss on her cheek as he walked past her and inside. "I might turn in early, it's been a long day. Goodnight, Minerva," he smiled before he went upstairs to his room.

The woman watched him go said after him, "Goodnight to you, too." Then she went upstairs to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a shower. After that, she went to her room and put on her nightgown. The woman turned off the light and got under the covers of her bed to sleep. Tomorrow, she would be expecting a call from David to hear if he got the blueprint done.

Now that it was two hours before midnight, the "humans" had decided to take a rest for now until tomorrow. Atlas turned back into a dragon, so that she won't fall victim to nocturnal animals or other dragons who might mistake her for a human. She didn't imagine sleeping in her armor to be a comfortable thing, but at least it'll add to her protection should she get attacked by people like Spinx overnight. The dragoness looked at Axle, who was sitting back against a tree, and see how he was doing. They haven't talked much since his rage over Valinora's death. It seems he was too intent on getting revenge on Dracul. Come to think of it, it was almost like when she planned to avenge Flarina by killing all the hybrids. Out of sympathy, she thought, 'Don't worry Axle, I'll help you to avenge Valinora and make that bastard pay.' Then she looked away off into space and thought about her nieces back in the village. She use telepathy to check on them now, 'Danielle, Kylie, it's your Aunt Atlas. How are you two doing?'

The voices came back to her with the sisters simultaneously speaking, 'We're fine, Aunt Atlas!'

Then Danielle spoke happily, 'We made some new friends!'

The magi smiled, glad that her nieces were having their first social interaction with dragons their age. She asked, 'Really now? Who are they?'

Kylie, whose telepathy was only connected to her aunt and not her sister, asked in confusion, 'Who's they?'

The whiptail answered the names, 'Mevelle, Pendra, Pinky, and Smasp.'

Atlas commented, 'Wow, that's a lot of friends. Did you all play any games?' Then she said to the balloon hatchling, 'Your friends, Kylie.'

'Oh,' replied Kylie.

'Yes we did,' answered Danielle. 'We playfighted and played Kylie Ball.'

The magi was glad to hear about their day and said, 'That sounds fun! So are you two enjoying your stay over at the village?'

'Yep!' beamed the sisters.

'Well that's wonderful!' said Atlas. 'You two take care now and contact me if you need anything, alright?'

The sisters replied, 'Yes Aunt Atlas!' Then their telepathy was over and the dragoness was about to lay her head down to sleep.

But she was interrupted by Axle asking, "Atlas, tell me something. You ever wonder if you did something, it was for the best?" She turned her attention towards him to see him looking off into the sky as if he was thinking about this.

The dragoness searched through her memories to look for one such case. It took her to the past where she fought and killed many dragons in the annual tournaments to prevent her slave master from killing the mint dragon, Snively. "You mean like a choice you would regret?" she asked. "Yeah, I've been there before..." She looked off to the side for a bit and murmured quietly, "Lots of times."

Then she heard the man say in a puzzled tone, "I question my own actions after I have had time to think. I promise to protect the helpless and life itself, yet I just swear to kill Dracul."

Atlas turned her head back to him. She knew her friend was feeling hesitant to kill the tyrannical ruler who brought misery to all. But she also knew that if Dracul was no more, then all the suffering will stop and peace will come back. The magi advised, "Well Axle, I know you're troubled by this. But-" Suddenly, she was interrupted by an arrow made out of blue wood that hit the tree Axle sat against. The magi dropped her mouth in surprise and cast her fire aura. She looked around for the shooter who tried to assassinate the man. She used the light from her aura to see through the darkness, even turning around to look behind her. But the shooter was nowhere in sight; the shooter must have quickly escaped to avoid being seen.

The magi was about to go after them, when Axle told her, "Atlas stay here." He sounds like he wanted her to follow him, but keep to the shadows. The magi obeyed and watched him disappear into the darkness, the way the arrow came from. But Atlas had a bad feeling about this and for good reason, too. She had seen Axle fight and get knocked out a few times before to know where this was going. The white dragon lord may be combative, but he was fragile like all the other whites. No way was she going to leave him alone; he needed to be protected, even if he says otherwise. The magi dispelled her fire aura to remove the light that would expose herself to the enemy. Only the moonlight would show her way, while letting her blend with the darkness. Atlas followed Axle, using her sense of smell to keep track of him and keeping her footsteps as quiet as she can.

After following Axle for about 10 minutes, Atlas smelled a really strange scent up ahead. It was bitter and kind of sickeningly sweet. She stopped a few feet behind the trees bordering the foggy small clearing, while the man stepped into the space. It seemed like it was a trap in that small clearing. There in the middle of the clearing was two young girls that was sitting on a rock; they were the source of the scent the magi smelled. Both had skin tight black leather on to cloth their body, blood red eyes and pale skin; but both carried different weapons. One had a bow that was so white, even in the dark it was clearly seen, but there was no arrow quiver. The other had two swords that look like it was made out of cherry color gold, but the sheaths had only three straps to hold the swords on her back in their X pattern.

The girl on the right with the sword almost giggled and said, "Oh look sister, the banished white lord came like we asked. I guess your aim was well on the spot."

The girl with the bow giggled back to her sister, "I guess when someone you know is endanger you more likely will coming to hear the message that might be passed."

Atlas tilted her head slightly to the side and curiously wondered, 'Message? What message?'

A third voice came from the trees behind Axle, "Dears, didn't I teach you not to play with your food? It's not good manners." Another woman came from the tree line fully armored in another very white armor that can be clearly seen, almost blending in with her pale skin if her blood red eyes were not a give-away.

Both girls lowered their head down and replied at the same time, "Sorry mother."

Axle snapped at them, which seem to get all their attentions, "So are you just going to waste my time with petty talk or are you going to relay the message?" The mother came up to the man, who still did not turn around, and poked her head right up to his left ear.

Atlas couldn't hear what she was whispering to him. 'What the hell are you saying?' she wondered, wanting to know.

Then the woman pulled her head back from Axle's ear and grinned, "Now since the message have been delivered, we are free to do what we please."

The man asked them, "And what is it you three plan on doing?" The girls got down from the rock and spread out creating a triangle around him.

The girl with the bow grinned a now huge toothy smile and said, "Is it not obsessive? We have not eaten recently and we are quite hungry; and you smell quite good, age by years and scent of others."

The magi's urge to attack started to rise as Atlas bared her teeth and thought, 'Oh no you don't! Not on my watch!' If any of them pulled one wrong, then they were all in for a world of hurt.

But then Axle told her without looking her way, 'Atlas, stay out of this one, Whatever you are about to see or hear, do not engage with these three. They are my problem and my alone.'

The magi was surprised to hear that the man knew she had followed him. She looked at the humans and then back at her friend. Well they were just a couple of kids and one adult, something much easier than a gang of mercenaries and an enemy dragon, but… 'You sure about this, Axle?' she asked skeptically.

"So I take it you want to try and eat me. Well bad news-" Axle started to say as the mother slid a collar that was purple metal around his neck; it suddenly glowed red. Atlas growled silently, thinking that was a slave collar they just put on him. Axle reacted almost on instance and elbowed the woman right in the chest, causing her to stagger back a bit. "I'm not on the menu for a meal for vampires," he snarled at the three.

Hearing what the man called them, Atlas guessed that explained why these humans bore unusual scents. She thought, 'Vampires, huh? Didn't think a vampire dragon's venom would affect humans, too.'

The man rubbed his figures on the collar and said, "Well now. You have come prepared with an anti-magic collar with the ability to block communications from other dragons, cleaver really, but sadly not even worth it."

The girls pulled their weapons out as fog dipped from the bow and the swords seem to have energy flow from it. The mother also pulled out two daggers that suddenly caught on fire. "Remember girls, he is still well trained in fighting; and try not to spill to much blood," the mother said. Both the girls nodded their heads as they now bared closer to their food in the middle.

The magi sensed magic from them. 'Crap, magic weapons. I don't think he'll be able to handle these humans,' she thought, not liking this situation.

"Normally I would try to avoid taking life from the living, but you three," Axle said as the girl with the swords took a swing at him. He ducked under the blade and grabbed her arm, twisted it and came really close to her, but not quite within biting range. "You're already dead, so there will be no regret with my actions here," he said to them as his reaction caught the girl with the swords off guard. Atlas just stood there and watched, waiting for the right time where she could get into the fight. She wanted to trust Axle to handle these fiends himself, but she predicted that his outcome will go just like every fight he's been in.

The girl that Axle was up against try to get out of his grip, but his hand seemed locked around her elbow. "So tell me, human or halfling?" Axle asked them as none of them made a move for a few seconds.

The mother said, "Does it matter? All of it still ended the same." With lighting quick speed, she went to slash at Axle with her flaming dagger. But the man twisted the girl's body so she was a shield and the woman slashed across her back instead. The girl screamed in pain as she drop both of the swords. As the blades stabbed into the ground, the mother's eyes kind of widened up. Axle kicked the girl into the mother causing them both to fall to the ground. The girl with the bow shot an arrow, which came from out of nowhere, with its blue wooden shaft. But it missed its true mark, just barely brushing across the man's cheek leaving a small slash across his face. He grabbed the swords and they seemed to react different to his presence, almost like they were pleased to be held by him.

"Telmasta va lumaga," Axle said out loud, sounding almost like a chant. A slash across his chest appeared out of nowhere as blood seemed to flow from it. He panted a bit, but the sword energy changed at an instance as now a visible bright blue energy appeared.

"You are really insane to think that will save you, meal," the mother said as she got to her feet with her daughter now up on her feet. All three of them started their full scale attack on Axle, going their full speed, sometimes becoming a blur. The man, it seems, was barely keeping up with them as the blade clashed with the flame daggers and arrows. The arrows seemed to shatter like ice when he hit them. The girl, who lost the swords to Axle, tackled him to the ground and pinned his arms down with her knees. However this did not last long as he managed to throw her off with his legs. He quickly bounced to his feet like a spring. The vampires keep up their onslaught on Axle, but not quite landing a hit. This went for about a good thirty minutes before the mother manage to kick him hard in the chest and send him crashing into a tree.

"Mother, he's a pest, just does not want-" the girl with the bow said before Axle seemed to come out of nowhere and hit her with the back of the blades. He grabbed the bow and placed it across his back. It too seemed to reacted like it was pleased to be held by the man.

"Falcon speed," Axle said out loud as another cut have appeared on his back. This caused him to cough up blood a bit from the price he had to pay. The mother took the chance to attack Axle from his now new wound, but he noticed her and swung the blade around, just coming shy of her throat as she jump back from his wide slash. The girls took the opportunity to come from the man's side and grab his arms and try to pin them behind his back. The mother took on full speed again with her dagger poised to kill. Axle poised his feet at an angle and spun quickly, which it seemed the girls did not have great stance to stop him from doing so. He took the right sword and slashed it up the armor of the mother.

The loud sound of metal meeting metal sound ring as the mother jumped back. "Damn it girls, can you not do anything right?" the woman snapped at her children as they both started to get up.

"We're sorry, mother," they said in sync, with a bit of fear in their voice.

Axle threw the swords into the air and pulled the bow off his back, "Es valatmos Luna." With those words, two slashes appeared on his arms as more blood drip from them. "Raven Feathers," the man said as he pulled the bow string back. An arrow appeared and he released it. It split into hundreds of arrows as soon as it left the bow, flying to meet their marks. The mother dashed quickly and avoided the arrows, but the girls were not so lucky as one got pinned to a tree, while the other got struck with multiple arrows and fell to the ground. Axle fell to his knee as he coughed up more blood. He still dodged the mother's dagger as she slid a bit across the ground. Across his right eye, a new cut haves appeared. Although Atlas was pleased with his prowess in battle, she did not like the costs he paid for each new power and wanted to burst into the fight before he would get badly harmed again.

The mother was pissed and said, "Damn it, dragon. Why don't you just let us have a meal from you?! It would have not hurt that long." Axle however was starting to pant hard now as his body was covered in his own blood. She took a run at him again with her daggers poised to kill. The man closed his eyes as if he was expecting death to come and take him.

Now seeing that her charge was in danger, Atlas broke passed the border of the trees and shouted, "Axle!" She was aiming to rescue him, but someone else did it first.

It was a halfling man, who floated above ground with a pike touching the ground blocking the mother. "Axle, you are worthless," he said in a voice that sounded familiar.

It wasn't just his voice that got the magi riled up; there was something about his scent, too. "Arch!" she cried, not happy to see him.

The halfling then spoke to the vampires, "And did we ever give you permission to attempt to kill Axle? I do not think so." Axle opened his eyes and saw his enemy protecting him. Arch spun the pike around and sent the woman right over to the girls, knocking the helmet off her head as it hit the ground. "Let me show you how a dragon lord fights you three disobedient dogs," Arch snapped at the three vampires before he went at flight speed across the mist. The mother was barely on her feet when the pike hit her in the side. Lighting flowed from the pike and hit its mark, leaving a trail of smoke from the woman. She cried in pain loudly as she crashed in a tree.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Atlas went over to her friend and asked, "You alright, Axle?"

Arch snarled at the family with an evil grin, "You think you can die here, vampires? I have yet to start a warm up, so get up. Let me have some fun." He picked up the girl who was on the ground, tossed her up and hit her hard with the shaft of his pike, causing the girl to scream even in more pain. The girl that was pinned to the tree managed to free herself and went to attack Arch, who in return, hit her with the wooden end of the shaft. She went flying in one of the direction and rolled across the ground as the halfling walked up to her and picked her up by her neck. She struggled to try and free herself from his grip. He stabbed his pike in the ground and pulled out a small knife which had golden trim on it. He moved it close to her chest and ran it across the leather. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with knifes? You never know you might just cut yourself," he said as she slowly slid the knife across her chest. She screamed in pain as the gash became bigger. The girl made a fist with her hand and punch Arch in the chest hard, but made no effect what-so-ever on him. "You really are a dense bitch," said the halfling as his grin got bigger, almost like he was enjoying himself. He threw the girl over with the mother and the other girl. All them seemed terrified with Arch now."No, no, no. That will never do. I have to take you back personally and show a much 'grander time'. I would never let my fun die that fast; but for now, a bit of shock and jabs here and there will do for now."Arch seemed to be very much enjoying this. He grabbed his pike, raised it and brought it down, however it never touched the three vampires.

Axle got up with both the swords in his hands and said, "Falcon speed." Another slashed appeared on his back, causing him once again to cough up blood. Then he rushed fast to block the pike and save the vampires' lives.

The surprised Atlas yelled, "Axle, what the hell?!" To her, this was insane. These vampires tried to eat him, plus he said they were already dead, so why bother to save these creatures? If she had been Axle, she would have been more than happy to let the vampires suffer.

The "human" snarled at the halfling, "Arch, I will not stand idly by and watch even the undead to be tortured by you and your messed up ways."

Arch simple frowned at him and said, "You're lucky we need you alive or I would just end your life here and now." He quickly kicked Axle hard in the side, grabbing the swords, dagger, armor, and the bow and teleported away. The girl with the slash in her chest was the first to get up and searched her mother for something before finding the key to the man's collar. She rushed over to Axle, bent down and unlocked the collar from around his neck. She picked up his head sat down and placed it in her lap as she watched Axle's wounds start to heal.

"Why did you stand up for us even when we did try to kill you?" she asked Axle, who seemed to still be awake.

"Because it who I am," he replied back to her with a slight smile.

Atlas went over to his side and said to him, "Damn right; a fool who even risks his life for even the bad guys." She couldn't care less if the vampires were tortured or not, but she was still wary in that they'll end up attacking him again. She demanded to know from the girl, "Alright you mangy dragon-eater, what's this about those iron-clawed bastards needing Axle alive?"

The vampire girl looked up and said, "Two things: one, it was never my interest to sink my fangs into him. It was mother and Ice's idea. If it was up to me, I would have just passed the message on and left to hunt for a deer or something small like a rabbit." She turned and looked at where the mother and the other girl laid at. "I never want to be a vampire, just want a normal life," she said as she looked down at Axle, whose eyes were closed. "As for the reason why Dracul want him alive, all I know is that if he does not make it to the mountain in the next twenty two hours, they were going to put his adopted daughter, Akil, in Dracul's new games. That is also where I was turn into this." She sounded like she meant it.

"What?" Atlas asked. First, Dracul sends Marc and Spinx to kill his nephew, now he wants him to go to the mountain? Something was not right here and the magi had a bad feeling about this. Her thoughts were interrupted by the mother vampire who was angry with her daughter

"Why you un-grateful girl," a snarl came from the mother that sent a panic look into the girl with Axle. She struggled to her feet. "You went and un-collared our meal and let another dragon into the area. You can't ever do anything right. You are worthless to the point I should have let you die that day. I will rectify that action."

The woman took off at full speed to slash as the girl, but what she slashed was a white hide side of Axle's head. He had turned into his dragon form and was curled up around the girl, who took it as a surprise. The look in his eyes told a different story. Atlas glared and growled at the mother for hurting the banished lord. Axle snarled at the woman and Ice, "You best leave before I let her have her way with you two." Ice was on her feet like a bullet and high tailed it out.

The mother hissed at him before she too took off into the woods. She stopped at the edge of the woods. "Don't think this is over; I will be back for my revenge against you and Arch. I will also punish that child as I see fit when I do," she snarled back before taking off.

"Atlas," the white dragon said as he turned his head to her. "What she said is true. Dracul sent them for the message to be sent. And judging on how Arch reacted to that, Dracul really never trusted the vampires to being with. I'm still puzzled though," he said as he got up and now turned his attention to the girl vampire. "That collar there. Who gave it to you three?" Axle asked her.

The vampire girl turned and picked up the collar. "A man by the name of Zero. He also was the one who gave us the weapons," she said as she looked down at it.

Axle asked, "Well that about it on my questions. Atlas anything?"

The magi said to them while eyeing the girl, "Yeah I got one. Who the hell are you?"

"My original name was Firoa Telmon; my current name is Violet Ruby," the girl said as she stood up, she still held the collar. "Your lordship, what is it you want me to do with this?" she asked Axle as she held out the collar.

The dragon asked, "Does that woman have any mental connection with you at all?"

Violet sighed, "Yes she does, because she is the one who changed me."

"Then put it on. Look, I know wearing a collar is not great and all, but that collar itself blocks mental connection and suppresses magic. However I rather not have her tailing you around without you knowing," Axle said as he looked over at the woods.

Atlas found that to be a very secure idea that would benefit both the dragons. 'Good thinking, Axle. Keep her weak, so that she doesn't turn on us,' she thought.

The dragon continued, "Also that woman did not go very far away from here either. She maybe about hundred meters or so from here and is staying there, waiting." It was obvious from the how mildly thick the scent was.

The magi snorted, "Hmph! If she ever tries to jump us, she's getting toasted." A fire beam would literal toast the vampires, while a light beam would totally finish them off.

Violet slid the collar around her neck, after a few seconds of hesitation. It clicked and glowed red for a second before dimming out again. "Atlas. You are going to be pissed at me all you want, but I think it might be a better idea to keep her with us for the time being. Though the problem is daylight with her," Axle said and Violet seemed to jump on that idea.

"Um, I can walk among daylight. I was the only one who could among vampires, minus a dragon by the name," the girl started to say before the dragon glared at her, which made her stop.

Atlas wondered who she was talking about until she quickly realized that it was Drago. 'Oh him,' she thought.

"Noted. Atlas, she is staying with us till I say otherwise," Axle said as he turned and started to walk away, back towards where he left his ruby red knife at. Violet came up beside him.

The magi replied, "Fine, just as long as she doesn't try to stab us in the back." She still didn't trust Violet and she hoped that the white was right about her.

After about 10 minutes of walking back to their original location, Axle changed to his human form and picked up his knife. "We might as well get some rest here Atlas. Who knows what Dracul is planning, but whatever it is, it nothing good that for sure," he said as he climbed up into the large oak tree the arrow got stuck into about an hour ago.

"Yeah, I know," said the magi who started to lay down on the ground.

"Violet, take watch," the man called down to her as she scattered into another tree not far. He sat down on the branch big enough for him to sleep on and leaned against the trunk of the tree. He simply look up at the stars, looking almost as if he was on edge still about something.

Atlas was skeptical of letting the girl, who attacked them earlier, guard them through the night. But even if she tried to warn Axle, that man, will probably say something like 'who else will watch over them' and reason that they need energy for the morning. Plus, he appeared to trust the girl so much. The magi narrowed her eyes at the tree Violet was in and thought, 'You better not pull any rotten tricks while we sleep.' She cast a tracking spell on Axle, so that she can wake up in time should anything bad happen. Then the dragoness went to sleep.

Author's Note: It's refreshing to get back to Atlas's story after having no action scenes in chapter 37. Anyway, can't wait to see what Dracul and Arch's evil plan is once we get to Trident Mountain. Next chapter, we're going to see what Aeolus and maybe Kathia are up to during the night before we go to the next day. Oh and Enkaharal's birthday story is up on my DeviantArt account. No need to log on to see it.

Mevelle, Pinky, Pendra and Smasp (c) me
Violet, Ice, Akil and Zero (c) Lorddracon8967