Sorry for the delay and sloppy work. I kind off rushed this. For some reason I've seen a grammar transition of commas to dashes nowadays, hence I thought I would give it a try.

{~0~}

Passing Days

"Look out!" The Silverblood guards shouted as they dispersed from the path of a flying stone chair. This staggered their advancing formation, allowing Eri and Val to whip out a thigh belt from under their skirts. Attached to this were grey balls individually spaced out. It was time to release the bees. Pinching out a bee bomber, they aimed at their faces, but their throws were lousy and inaccurate from being partially drugged – hence it met the hard floor instead. Clouds of grey exploded into view to surprise all those present in the hall. While smoke perfused, the two cave dwellers pulled out a hidden scarf from under their high collars to cover their breathing orifices. They used the fog to hide their agile movements and the bombardment of more bees onto the dancefloor to rescue Akihito from Asami's prisoning arms.

Panic and hysteria was successfully induced. A tumult of shouts and choking coughs broke out as the gas inhaled irritated the lungs of those unprotected. "Ar, Ar, Ar! We've got to get out of here!" An unknown male vociferated to his partner. "We're under attack!" Soon the entire hall became polluted by a disorder of noise, smoke and a disarray of overturned tables and spilled wine. As the crowd scattered, a few accidently crashed into the vampire lord – distracting him off focus and affecting his coordination, giving Akihito time to duck down and slip from his loose grasp. However Asami was not willing to let Akihito go without something in return. Reaching out when Akihito begun to run, his hand managed to pick off his blond wig. The boy gasped shyly and covered his head with both his hands and continued on with his escape into the grey without stopping to glance back. He should of… Standing alone amongst the chaos, Asami observed the fake hair in his fist. He raised it up to smell in the underlying scent while glowering to Akihito's direction.

Bumping into random guests, Akihito was shoved and taken along by a stampede to the closest exit. Out of nowhere an arm coiled around his elbow. "Arghh!" Akihito shrieked. Was it Lord Asami?!

"Found you! It's me Val. What happened to your wig? Never mind, lets go!" The brown haired assured. Eri was also by his side. "Aki-kun! The bees are released!"

Akihito's mini heart attack diminished. "Guys! Why did—?"

"No time to explain. Come on! Blend in with the crowd!" The two older vampires tugged his sleeves to join in the frightened guests scrambling for fresh air. Akihito needed it too, his lungs were itching – he began to cough violently as well.

Asami's men shielded the entrance with their outstretched arms to quarantine the guests from leaving the premises in efforts to identify each person. They were able to hold the first few, however within a short amount of time, a horde of impetuous charging breached their arming barrier. Even Asami's tallest guard; Suoh Kazumi was unable to hold back the united force. Freed at last, everyone scattered. The sight was disorientating for the guards to discern the culprits from the innocent. Once outside, Eri pointed to a transport across the building. "Look over there! We use plan three?!" Akihito nodded with a thumbs up. He could not talk since his chest hurts.

"That will do!" Val said as he lowered his scarf to breathe properly.

Rushing to the other side of the street where a few public horse-carriages were parked horizontally (similar to parking taxi's waiting to serve), Eri hopped on the driver seat and brought the reins and commanding whip to her grip.

"Oi! What are you doing?! That's my…" The owner of the carriage scolded. Val and Akihito were quick to react and attacked the man with high kicks to the head to knock him out blank before boarding next to their elder companion.

"Uh, what?" A Silverblood caught a glimpse of the assault in the corner of his eye. Realizing that they were the targets, he alerted his fellow comrades. "Hey! They're over there!" Like dogs to cats, they sprinted after the cave dwellers while hurling out orders for them to stop what they're doing.

"Whip it Eri!" Akihito cried. "They're coming!"

"Got it!" She flicked the reins and the two horses neighed. Off the carriage went in full speed on the road and away from the pursing guards.

"Why did you guys do that for back there?!" Akihito could finally find the time to question why they thwarted the mission.

"Asami knew it was us all along. Our drinks were spiked! But not yours, odd isn't it?" Val explained his reasons.

"Spiked?! You two look fine!"

"We do now." Val pulled out a dehydrated plant containing drug counteracting properties from a hidden lace pocket in his skirt. "If it weren't for these emugai herbs, me and Eri would be licking the floor by now!"

"How did he know it was us?! Surely we'd be arrested since the start if he did. Are you sure you weren't drunk?!"

"Maybe he sent a spy, maybe he wanted to surprise us, maybe he just wanted to kiss you!"

"…What?! Hey, he thought I was Lady Sai!" Was Val trying to foment trouble talk with him?!

"Oi stop this carriage now!" An embodiment voice from behind spooked the three. Val and Akihito turned their bodies to find four guards in hot pursuit on their stallions. They caught up so fast, probably because the cave dwellers were joined to a heavy box with four wheels compared to a freed horse.

"We've got company!" Val hollered.

"Faster Eri-sensei!"

"Got it childreen!" She whip-lashed the horses harder. Their gallops quickened and the blowing winds disheveled their brushed white manes.

The enemy did the same to their horses until they surrounded the carriage both sides. Akihito had to share his limited stash of bee bombers with his cousin over Eri's head. Balancing on the wooden board was critical, otherwise they would fall and that would be catastrophic. Aiming with one eye squinting, the boys threw the balls. Val's shot missed terribly and it smacked against the busting chest of a female bystander by accident – she squealed in pain. He winced in guilt – sorry. Akihito also faulted his, it zipped past his target's head by a few inches. Unstoppable at this point, the guards were close to flanking, Eri swiftly made a sharp left turn to impede them. Akihito and Val clung onto the rails for deaf life, howling in fear of being launched off into the air from the acute swerve. Once straightened, they were able to settle themselves back down. Although more troubles laid ahead…they have reached the markets.

"Eri-sensei look out for people!" Akihito indicated.

"I know!"

"Ahhh!" Multiple pedestrians dove off to the side, dropping whatever goods they carried and plunging either onto the ground or wooden stalls belonging to various traders. One man wearing a fur coat was merrily walking and grappling his small barrel of the rarest wine under his armpit when he saw an oncoming carriage with three woman on it. Like the rest, he leaped from its flash course. Sadly he lost his grip and his barrel went flying – along with his alacrity of boozing – and thumping against a thin pole to wobble it until a lantern fell from its hook to set fire to a clothing stall beneath it. Screams of terror filled the market ambience as spreading flames consumed its way through the wooden stands adjacent to each other and wreaking havoc. Unable to outrun their chasers, the three looked to one last option that may place their own lives at risk – they utilized plan four. Eri maneuvered to a main road and towards a busy roundabout where a huge circular fountain was built.

"Oh great, now our image is ruined and we're really late!" A high pitched woman whined as she cooled her red face with a lace hand fan. She had blond hair which curled down to her wide hips and side bangs to conceal her natural square face. The woman was seated at the back of a roofless farmer's cart with two other woman beautifully dressed for a party.

"Ruined?! It was your fault you wanted to come out! You know how much we hate people!" This particular woman had brunette hair tied to a French bun. Her demeanor appeared unfriendly and disdainful which suited her gothic makeup and scrawny physique quite well.

"Geez yeah, if it wasn't for Sai and her stupid request we wouldn't even be in this embarrassing scenario." Another blond woman complained with her arms crossed as she rolled her fluttering eyes.

"Are you blaming me?!" The real Lady Sai snarled.

"Yes!" Lady Tora and Lady Mura replied in unison.

"If it weren't for you I could be at home sewing my frock for my birthday!" Tora vexed.

"And I could be preserving my animals for my art show if you didn't want a dance! I wouldn't be surprised if he rejected your request after seeing how ugly you are!" Mura denigrated her half-sister's appearance.

Hurt by her poisonous insult, Sai furiously slapped Mura across the cheek. "You bitch!"

"Ah," Mura placed a hand over the stinging site. "You fat slut!" She retaliated with a hair grab, thus commences a cat fight.

"Ladies! Please!" Their butler and personal bodyguards at the front tried to neutralize the brawl that was shaking the cart. Midway during their travel on a roundabout, a carriage larger than theirs emerged out of nowhere and speeded beside them. Its big wheels collided with their cart as it drifted around the fountain. Similar to a bully nudging a weaker opponent aside, the transport was overturned and the passengers toppled off to greet the road.

"SAI, THAT'S BAD LUCK TWICE TODAY!" Mura wailed and bawled her eyes out like a brat throwing a tantrum.

Approaching a dividing wall between werewolves and vampires, the cave dwellers sustained their momentum as they drove through the mighty steel gates. Generally these were closed, but a messenger sent from the werewolf district had been granted entry during this time, allowing the three to easily breeze through. All heads loitering by the gate clocked to the unpermitted carriage in bewilderment. The guards chasing stopped their horses immediately – they were afraid of trespassing into their nemesis's domain.

Entering dangerous territory now, they had to maintain the carriage's speed before jumping off and abandoning their ride when turning through an empty street. This active bait should lure any more pursuers away from them.

"So this is it?" Akihito's eyes downcast sadly as he stared at the open sewage hole Eri parted ajar. "We're basically giving up if we escape through the sewers? I mean…after all we've done." He swallowed a hard lump. "We can't give up now…" His voice sounded low and crackly. "W—what about the colony?"

Val gave a deep sigh. "Its not the end of the world. We still have thick walls. This potion was only to give us an advantage in hiding and escaping…they might not even break through…"

"Val's right Aki-kun. The previous hunt fell because our walls weren't thick enough. Besides no one dies in this hunt, people just get injured from sword play." She placed a palm on his shoulder and smiled warmly. "The hunt is dying every fifty years…I'm sure we'll make it through that night. If anyone gets taken, they'll still be alive."

Akihito shifted his anxious eyes to meet hers. "Are the people from the previous hunt still alive?"

"Yes they are. They're scattered throughout the whole Eastern land, safely living with their spouses from what we've seen so far."

"So compared to what everyone else told me…"

"Don't listen to them Aki-kun. They exaggerate their stories a little. Most are still healing that's why…"

"You two," Val whispered sharply. "We've got to go now before the werewolf guards sniff us out."

Eri returned her gaze to quickly finish off her sentence. "Takaba Akihito. You are the next chieftain in line. I'm proud of your firm stance for our people. Right now they need you back at home. There's no point going back to Sildörf, Asami already knows that it would be us if his ingredients go missing."

"Guys," Val gesticulated in frustration, "come on will you, they're getting close."

"Eri-sensei…thank you." The two exchanged a weak smile of hope before descending down one by one into the sewers. In spite of defeat, they prevailed onwards.

A tall handsome man with long and luxuriant black hair stepped outside a building designed in Chinese dynasty architecture. He irately strolled to his carriage from a meeting. His eyebrows furrowed inward – infuriated at the image of Asami monopolizing Vldörf. He had worked so hard, even possessing all of the powers a prince could embrace, he still had trouble setting a firm grip on Vldörf with all the competition from both Mikhail and Asami – Fei Long was not happy. Raising one leg onto the edge of the carriage, he paused when he heard a rumble of gallops. Suddenly, like a battering rammer, the two carriages collided side on.

"Ahh!" A little boy jumped and hid behind the prince's back.

"What the?!" Fei Long positioned himself in a defensive stance while his entourage rushed to protect him.

Tracing to the causative agent, he became completely mystified of seeing a public carriage belonging to the vampiric district, with no drivers, out of control in his district. Was Asami playing a prank on him? He better not be. Even though it did not tip over – though it was close to, the impact had cratered his sumptuous carriage that was crafted from pure jade and bejeweled by gold and diamond pearls. Fei Long was going to make the vampire lord pay for this…

Many hours later.

The last dying embers had been stamped out and the injured carried away by stretchers to a hospital. An angry mob formed outside the entrance of Sildörf – they demanded answers and the hanging of the criminals responsible for their profit or physical suffering. Lord Asami immediately sprung to bury their worries with a very convincing speech. Once that was done, he spun his heel to walk back to his office with Suoh and Kirishima whom was writing in his workbook.

"What news do you bring me of the cave dwellers Suoh?"

"Well Lord Asami…" His voice lowered.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes and no sire…The spy we sent in the human district have confirmed they escaped safely and are now leaving the city."

"How did they escape from my men?"

"Well…that's the thing. They slipped through the gates to the werewolf district when Fei Long's messenger was passing through."

Asami stopped in the middle of the hallway with a serious look. "Did anything happen to them?"

"I don't think so. They escaped unharmed. I don't know how they did it, but they've managed to evade arrest again."

That was a great relief for the vampire lord. "Hm, is that so? Interesting, they've must of thought through their escape plans really well."

"Should we arrest them now?"

"No. Not yet…" He turned to his secretary. "Kirishima show me a list of all the charges and sentences for their crimes so far."

"Yes sire. Just a second, I'm just finishing the report…there you go." Kirishima handed the booklet to his leader. "Bare in mind sire, this is only a draft – the figures are likely to be greater or lesser than they appear.

Once in his palm, Asami carefully read the list of crimes they had committed since the sheep incident:

- Trespassing into a superior lord's castle

- Public disturbance by releasing animals capable of harming or injuring a person

- Stealing confidential information from Lord Asami

- Assaulting a high ranking aristocrat

- Stealing a valuable possession belonging to a high ranking aristocrat and denying the truth

- Practice of sorcery and cover-up

- Bribery to reveal confidential information

- Identity theft of high ranking investors

- Trespassing into official property

- Chemical use of weapons to harm a person and resist arrest

- Property damage to Sildörf hallmark

- Stealing a public transport

- Speeding above speed limit

- Attempted attack on district guards

- Off road speeding and life endangerment to the public

- Minor and major injuries to civilians in the market

- Damage to goods and property by fire

- Evasion of law enforcement

Total fine: 10,365 gold coins

Predicted sentence: Life imprisonment or execution by hanging, crucifixion, drowning or guillotine.

Estimate overall damages: 72,037 gold coins

Noticing an exorbitant amount that was worth half the value of his castle, he pointed to the numbers with a frown of disapproval. "Kirishima is there an error with your calculation here?"

"Ah that's the thing…I was meant to tell you sooner but you had to deliver your talk."

"Tell me what?" Asami's voice fell stern. Kirishima could feel the anger seeping from him.

"That the cave dwellers set the carriage loose on the streets of Fei Long's district. It damaged some of their property and apparently also his carriage that was crafted with gold and diamond decor. So he's charging you forty thousand gold coins, the other thirty thousand are property belonging to us and the merchants…" Kirishima gathered his courage, he braced himself for the worst. "And that's also one of the reasons why he wants to have a meeting with you in the main market district…"

"What?! He wants to talk?! TAKABA!" Asami tore the book in half within a split second. Just you wait you sly bat, you owe me a great deal!

Who was going to pay the debt if not Asami himself. As if Akihito could fork out approximately eighty-two thousand gold coins from his shallow pockets – the boy merely owns fifty gold coins.

…||[]||…

Day 6

The poorly lit caves pertained a dismal colony and their unkindled spirits. There was no song, no party, no smiles, but the air of misery and woe. During their return meeting, the companions explained the details of their mission to Masato and their friends. However Akihito did not appreciate the fact that Val revealed the kiss between him and Asami – it humiliated him. The two cousins had quarreled since Vldörf. Akihito was in denial with the vampire lord's real intentions, and instead blamed it on his brilliant disguise that was able to seduce him. Val was not convinced, he had this negative swell hassling the back of his mind. From what he saw – the selective spiking, Akihito chosen as his dance partner and where Asami should have detected his scent since their first hug and the kiss – it left him questioning why Akihito was targeted in the first place. Was he interested in the boy or just playing? Whatever it was Val could no longer stifle his opinion.

"What happens if Lord Asami decides to hunt?"

Akihito roughly nudged his cousin's elbow with an angry scowl. "Stop spouting out nonsense again Val! We've been over this, its just a kiss. He thought I was Lady Sai! End of story!"

"He should of picked up your scent though son," Masato remained skeptical on the possibility.

"Then if he did, he probably did it just to tease me!"

Val cocked his head. "Isn't a kiss a little too intimate for a tease? What actually happened outside the dungeons where Takato and Kou were held? Did something happen back then to prompt him to kiss you?"

"NO! NOTHING HAPPENED!" Akihito denied – stomping to emphasize his serious answer.

"Liar!" Val continued to pressure him into telling the truth.

"ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!" The chieftain silenced the two by banging his scrunched fist on the table. Eri and the others faded in with the background – they were speechless. "I understand what your point is Val but Lord Asami has never participated in the hunt. Ever. But we still need to remain vigilant. A vampire lord with an honor that high would never select a cave dweller as his spouse. Like Akihito said, he probably did it just to tease him…" Those last few words were hard for him to say without grinding his teeth.

"That's right. And if he wanted me, why doesn't he just lock me up so he doesn't have to hunt me?!" Akihito shoved Val's shoulder lightly.

"Then it wouldn't be called a hunt without a reason, would it?"

"That's bullshit…"

"Akihito. Hunting you would only be a game to him, and you know this."

Stolen of his words, Akihito flung his nose up high arrogantly. "I'm still not convinced Val."

"Belief all you want, but do heed this. If he comes, there won't be twenty five participants. He'll bring an army and his weapon."

Akihito's eyes widened to the fullest and his pupils dilated – unblinking as the world crumbled beneath his feet.

He didn't want to believe this. But what happens if it's true?

…||[]||…

Day 8

Clank, Clank, Clank!

A pickaxe crafted from iron was repeatedly driven into a boulder. It's wielder, Takaba Akihito clutched onto the wooden haft – his fingers coiled to a squeeze as he directed his ire into his swinging motion. For days he was incensed and ripped by failure and mortification. Seeking something to vent his emotions on to, Akihito volunteered to labor himself at the underground mines.

After a rock had been separated from its original mass, Akihito collected the isolate to pile it in his metal wheelbarrow. As he was about to transport his full supply, he paused to wipe his dusty fingers on his dirty singlet or long pants. He then resumed back to work once cleaned and steered sullenly.

Arriving up at the lower main cavern, Masato placed a caring palm on Akihito's shoulder with a concerned look. "Son, you look pale and tired…"

"I'm fine." The blond curtly shrugged off his father's hand and continued on pushing. But his disregard failed to deter Masato's paternal duties.

"Akihito. You must rest. You haven't eaten properly in almost two days. Stop this. Everyone is worried about you. I hope you still aren't mad at Val for making a valid point." Akihito paid no attention to his father, he engrossed himself with the unloading. "Son, are you listening to me? I know your angry, but your health is important. Being emotional makes you do stupid things, it makes you unaware of how much you are punishing your body. Akihito!"

"I said I'm fine!" Akihito snapped sharply.

Masato sighed as he crossed his arms, the brawny man softened his demeanor a little to wiggle his way pass Akihito's irascibleness.

"Son. We don't need anymore rocks, the entrance is sealed off. There is no way they can blast through all those layers. So just—."

"We need more rocks…" Akihito quickly rose back up from his crouched position. However something was wrong…his head was suddenly flooded by a surging wave of dizziness. All he could hear was the constant ringing, palpitating heartbeat and shortness of breath drowning his inner ear. His legs jellied, eventually stability gave way and he fell backwards, luckily he was caught by his father. "Akihito!" That was the final word he could recognize before his vision skewed and he lost consciousness.

Several hours had passed and the boy remained asleep on his bed, sheeted up to his chest by a textile blanket woven from sheep wool. A lonely candle – the only source of light in the dark cave room – burned feebly on a nightstand. The flame swayed gently, flickering to toy with the muted shadows surrounding its yield. Like a weak flame suffering to blaze to fiery life, Akihito followed its footsteps. Amidst his sleep, the boy awoke to a strong desire to feed. His fangs begun to itch for fleshy penetration, an insatiable hunger calls for the sweet taste of blood… But he didn't have the strength to pull himself out of bed. He laid there in a torpid state with an unhealthy pallor and throbbing headache. Akihito could barely lift his heavy eyelids, they keep drooping into slits.

At this point he was now feeling confused, anxious and scared at the same time by the debilitating symptoms that left him incapacitated. Akihito wanted his father or Eri by his bedside. Hoping that the pair were nearby, he moaned out sickly, "…father, father…" However his voice came out low and inaudible for anyone in the other room to hear him, the walls were solid rocks, not planks of timber. Akihito grew desperate, ice shards formed within his throat, the boy was on the verge of tearing up. This was his first time experiencing such illness since vampires rarely get sick. He tried once more, "…father…please." Still, no answer came. The blond curbed up those damming tears. He was a man now, and no sickness was going to damage his pride. Mustering all of his energy, Akihito was able to move his right arm, though it was slow and shaky, he managed to land it on the nightstand, aiming to knock over the candle for attention.

"I've brought dinner," Eri announced as she entered the main living room. The woman held a clay pitcher of blood, freshly bleed just a few minutes ago from the penned animals on the lower floor. "Val, you eat too okay." She invited the brown haired over for a meal, Masato joined in as well. The three sat around the Takaba's dinner table, three tin cups lay waiting to be filled. As Eri served Masato first, then to Val, a faint clattering paused their conversation.

"I think Aki's awake," Val said flatly with his arms folded.

"Oh, Masato-sama. Invite Aki-kun to come drink. Poor boy overworked till he dropped, poor thing."

"…Yep, this won't take a minute." The chieftain got up to go check on his son's condition. Outside the boy's room, he raised the curtain aside, the room was pitch black. Masato assumed the candle fell off its handle. He whispered quietly, "Akihito?" A light moan inarticulate to Masato's ear responded. With no light present, the chieftain went to grab a small candelabra before reentering the room. He spotted the fallen candle on the floor, curious to how it ended up there still attached to its base, Masato extended the glow over to his son, and that was when he gasped in shock.

"Akihito! Goodness!" He instantly placed the candelabra on the nightstand. "What's the matter Akihito? Are you alright? My, your paler than before." Masato leaned closer to feel his son's forehead and neck, using his cold backhand as a natural thermometer to detect the slightest change in body temperature. No fever was found, however Akihito's fine cheeks were emaciated, dark circles were prominent and his right arm laid limp. What terrible sickness had befallen on his only child?

"Blood…blood…" Akihito wheezed pitifully. The edge of death tainted his soft pleading voice.

"Eri! Come in quick! Bring the pitcher!" Masato called aloud.

"Everything okay?!" The two barged in, perturbed by their chieftain's summon.

"Aki-kun?!" Eri, the protector and nurse gaped. "You look terrible. Here's the blood." She handed the pitcher to Masato.

"Here, drink this son." The chieftain slid his thick arm underneath Akihito's shoulder to elevate his upper body. Guiding the rim to his mouth, he arched the pitcher, tipping the liquid slowly down his son's sucking lips. Once Akihito's tongue tasted the blood, his survival instincts begun to hijack his conscience. Trembling arms rose to latch onto the pitcher greedily as the three vampires watched in astonishment over his guzzling struggles. Akihito swallowed large gulps incessantly despite Masato's attempt to yank the pitcher back to let him catch a full breath. "Slow down son," he whispered.

Up the angle went as Akihito drank, slurping to vacuum in the final streams of blood and leaving no drops behind. "My gosh, how many mouths are you feeding Aki? Are you starving that badly?! That could feed three grown vampires!" Val was confounded by the voluminous intake.

Quenched at last, Akihito's arms sagged to his lap and he closed his eyelids to rest. Masato laid his son back on the mattress and pillow, propping his head to the middle of the cushioning valley. Eri took hold of the pitcher from the chieftain's hand when Val shuffled to her side. Together they gazed down into the empty pitcher, flummoxed looks were pinned to their crooking brows.

"I don't think Aki's well."

"Of course he's not well! He's losing blood or he's lost blood.…This isn't a sign of starvation…Well it is found in starvation, but half-blood vampires can go without blood for weeks, even after physical work. Full bloods can go without a meal for centuries since their skins just shrivel!" Eri informed based on her medical knowledge.

"Blood loss?! I have to see if this is true. Eri help me check him."

"Yes Masato-sama. Val, go get me my white medical bag. The one with the herbs," Eri instructed the younger vampire.

"Understood," the brown haired rushed off to obtain the bag requested.

Masato and Eri scanned Akihito's entire body, searching for any signs of external or internal bleeding under his slack sleepwear consisting of boxers and a white singlet. Of course they conducted this physical examination without his permission, however it was necessary to save his life. After exploring every nook and cranny, they exhaled in relief, no signs of severe blood loss were found – only a layer of mystery.

"Well, what do you think he has Eri?" The chieftain asked, unsettled by the lack of physical evidence.

"I seriously don't know. In my many years of taking care of my patients, I've only seen these type of symptoms in extreme starvation with half-bloods, blood loss, or pregnancy when a woman bears vampire children and she hasn't eaten in days. But he's a boy, so I would have to pin this down to a secret dieting habit."

"Diet?! For a guy? Are you telling me he thinks he's fat?!"

Eri shrugged her shoulders tentatively. "I don't know. It's the only explanation so far. Plus I remember clearly that he told Lord Asami that he was on a diet. During our disguise though, but it may be true."

Masato gave a long stressful sigh. "So what do we do now?"

"We keep him well fed, keep an eye on him, fix his diet and make sure he eats on time. I'll put some soybean powder in there for him, whether he likes it or not. He hasn't kept his human side well fed either since childhood. Thanks to you." The woman shot an accusative glare.

"Hey, don't blame me. He likes the blood more as he grew up."

"He needs to maintain both diets. He's a fifth generation hybrid. His human side had probably accumulated over those generations, and his body will recover faster with the extra vitamins in his system."

Nature had forbidden propagation amongst full-blooded vampires, their dysfunctional gonads had precluded them from an opportunity to procreate, therefore a human – living and conceivable – was essential for the creation of a half-blood, also known as a hybrid. Since the discovery of this 1000 years ago, numerous opposing factions arose, mainly from humans, to eradicate this taboo practice. Identifying a hybrid requires a series of tests, one involving; detection of a working heart, presence of soul – only seen through the arts of magic, a stronger tolerance for the sun and the ability to consume most human foods in liquid form.

The first generation of hybrids went on to mate with full-bloods to create a second generation. This new generation of hybrid-almost full blood then procreated with humans again to create a third generation, thus the cycle repeats. However procreation was capped at the third generation by the Alvichors in fear of emerging mutations. Only the first and second generation were allowed to have children, the third and beyond cannot. Any existing generation higher than the third would face the consequences of death by burning for both the child and parent. Due to this strict law, many abiding vampire parents chose to adopt human babies before converting them into their own kind at a certain age. Distinguishing a generation can only be spotted by Alvichor psychics, whom journey across the vast lands. Seemingly, their travels to the Eastern border had been reduced since Asami took power. Again, the reason was unknown, this remains a private matter between him and the Alvichor council.

Nonetheless, many brave-hearted vampires continued to procreate in secrecy, for instance the East cave dwellers. They multiplied to the sixth generation, breeding like infested rats in a gutter and hidden from the world and stalking eyes of the Alvichor. The first outsider to ever discover their homely cave was Lord Asami and his followers two hundred years ago. The vampire lord was expanding his territory when he encountered an elusive neighbor. Compared to the other cave dwellers he had came across throughout his lifetime, these dwellers were; worshippers of Aurieas (a well-known religion believing in that all three major races and nature should coexist peacefully), smart, civilized and gifted with remarkable beauty. Henceforth they were constantly victimized during the Bloodmoon period.

"Okay, okay," Masato surrendered to the woman. "You can keep track on what he eats."

"Good. I'll be right back then. I'll also add some of the revitalizing tonic supplement into his drink."

Revitalizing tonic, Masato shivered to his core. Poor son, was all he could say.

…||[]||…

Day 9

The ninth day had approached and all preparations were complete, now they just had to wait. In the meantime Akihito provided low-spirited onlookers with a bit of light entertainment.

"Shit…Oh my god, where do I go?!" Akihito's head spun directionally, swiveling with celerity and the horror of being caught. He made a coward retreat past Val and his father to escape a nurse's tenacity. The two older male vampires were leaned against a wall on the second level – their attention never leaving him unattended. The stress burdening them had been notched down a few levels after observing Akihito's fast recovery. They grew confident of his health, especially since his complexion had returned to its original light shade and for a bonus, he had gained enough energy to run away from Eri.

Yesterday Akihito had endured an unknown malady, but whatever it was – as quickly as it came crashing – he was completely cured within one night. All thanks to the bloody soybean milk blended with a special tonic passed down through centuries. Its taste so disgusting and overpowering that legend says it could even bring a man back from the brink of death. For only a small added amount of half a teaspoon, Akihito's tongue would be swamped by torturous flavors unknown to the topmost chef. If he were to describe the taste he would compare it to rotten cheese mixed with copper, solidified fat and ginger. Such tonic should be damned, for it left him tremoring at the invasive thoughts of another episode similar to this in the future.

Akihito had protested until his jaws could dislocate from his skull. He was fed up with the inane questions interrogating him of his secret diet. No matter how much he retorted to demonstrate his innocence, they turned a deaf ear and continued to punish him. In the end, he was outnumbered. Thus he was made to drink four bowls since he woke up. This was going to be his fifth – so he fled.

"Aki-kun! Aki-kun! Where are you?!" Eri's motherly voice echoed through the main cave. She searched for the boy with a silver bowl in one hand, the other a white bib.

"Oh no…" Akihito dove into a nearby storage cave-room. Baskets of dried grains and shelves stacked with jars of pickled vegetables, cheese and bottled wine lined the room. The boy skipped over the sacks of sugar with nimble movements before lifting up the lid of an empty barrel to hide in. Crammed into a cylindrical hollow, Akihito's shoulders trembled as his teeth chattered nervously.

Tired of wandering in circles, Eri inhaled in deeply through her nose. "Where has that boy run off to?" The woman turned to find a majority of the colony watching her. Deducing their amusement and eye shift, she traced their hints to a cave-room not far from where Masato and Val stood. "Liars. They must have fallen for Aki-kun's puppy begs," Eri huffed under her breath. "Anyhow, storage room here I come."

Curling into a ball, Akihito regulated his irregular breathing. The clacking of heels in the same room alerted him of her close proximity. Suspense was building up, waiting to crack, and that was when it happened…

Eri suddenly plucked the lid of the barrel open. "Found ya!"

"Eek!" Akihito yelped and blenched visibly before shrinking his body inward as if he were an armadillo. The woman loomed over the boy and uttering, "tsk, tsk, tsk," as she shook her head sideways in disappointment.

"Please Eri-sensei, I've recovered!"

"I knew I should of recommended bed rest to your father."

"Please don't make me drin—eeee!"

Too late. She fished him out of the barrel. Hiding was fruitless.

Meanwhile at Asami's grand castle.

Two personal maids, uniformly dressed in black and white – designed with a Victorian fit – formally bowed in respect to the vampire lord. The woman were punctilious in every task they performed in order to provide a service worthy of royalty. "Lord Asami, all of your last minute requests have been fulfilled."

"Good. You may leave my quarters now," Asami dismissed his workers.

"Yes my lord. Let us know when you need anything." They bowed once more before departing.

Asami returned his gaze to the towering full moon. Tomorrow this faint-blue orb would wane and wax to a new moon resembling of blood. He sat there lounging on his antique armchair while a fireplace emanated an amber warmth behind his back. Tendrils of smoke floated through the air in front of his enigmatic face from a pencil-thin cigarette pipe between his fingers.

Life had never been so exciting.

He was ready for the Bloodmoon Hunt…

AN:/ For those who are confused with the generations, let me simplify it.

1st generation = half blood (must mate with full bloods to create second generation)

2nd generation = classified as full blood despite being ¾ (must mate with humans to create third generation)

3rd generation = half blood (repeat cycle)

4th generation = full blood

5th generation = half blood

If your still confused, p.s it's a fanfiction and its best not to put too much logic into it.

For those who guessed that Akihito was a half blood, congrats. It was pretty obvious with the clues I gave you haha.

One more note. Kirishima and Suoh usually addresses Asami as Asami-sama, but being in an AU with such a high position compared to a underworld figure, he is called sire or Lord Asami.