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Beasts

Akihito let out a weary yawn as he slumped backwards onto the bed, a face towel was wrapped around his neck, soaking in the wet remains of his damp hair. He had just finished taking the longest bath of his life and it took him three washes and a bucket of scented soap to remove the stench that clung to his clothes and skin, by the end of his washing his fingers tips had shrivelled to a texture of raisins. The young vampire let his limbs sag, they were overworked and unwilling to budge. He closed his eyes and wallowed in the satisfying feel of relaxation after a hard days work. The time was noon and Akihito was grateful it was finally over, they made him abseil down, strapped to a harness and lowered from the rooftops, dangling him at a nervous height just to clean the wall to a pristine shine, but never mind that, it was the feathers that made his job long and arduous. Many times when he would reach out to pluck them from the bushes or the floor, the wind would carry them away, unsympathetic to his growing frustration, it was like they were teasing him and encouraging a game of tag, and he did spent most of his night chasing after them. Furthermore these weren't regular feathers, these were fluffy feathers from shedding chicks and their lightness was far greater, plus the gentlest lick of air would send them tumbling gracefully into the distant. The furs weren't much of a bother, bunched up, they were easy to pick and when separated their fine structures blended well with the grass and dirt, almost indistinguishable in the dark.

Within the castle courtyard, horses were gathered in front of the stable, on the other side Kirishima and a few vampires were inspecting the castle wall, they poked and rubbed the surface, searching for leftover muck from which Akihito may have missed. The boy had managed to clean, say ninety percent, as revealed by daylight. The secretary noted the areas which were unpassable by his standard and will make Akihito clean it well once he had rested for the day, and returned from a visit that could wholly tame the bat colony forever...

The cave dwellers were rushing back into their cave, working as a team they carried or rolled the dismantled parts of the trebuchet along with them. They were disguised as the surrounding forest and had shrubs glued or sewed onto their clothes for a natural camouflage, and until most dwellers on the mission were accounted for they sealed all exits with boulders, just to get a sense of security that no outsiders were able to get in. Afterwards the trebuchet parts were concealed back into everyday objects, from which they were initially obtained from, such as a bench seat or a spare wooden beam that supported the roof of a shaft so that Asami and his soldiers would not find it easily, as compared to the catapult incident. This took some time because they had constructed quite a few to maximise the amount of stinking damage done to Asami's castle.

The next night had fallen, Masato was sitting on the edge of his bed with his back slouched and head down to the floor, up close, his eyes were watering slightly but being the prideful chieftain he was, Masato held back those tears like a concrete dam. The quietness was unkind, it allowed his mind to wander even if he didn't want it too and it fed him with restlessness. With the absence of Akihito there was no peace he could find in solitude, normalcy for him was only in his memories. Masato begun to rise from his bed, despite Eri's insistence for him to rest. He had to ensure phase two of his plan was starting to form as intended. He marched off towards the main cavern with a look of determination, blazing undyingly, a leading figure. As he looked down, his people acknowledged him before carrying their tools towards the mines. However amongst the preparation, Rei came dashing towards the chieftain, an indication of forebode.

"Chief!" Rei wheezed, he paused for a bit to catch his breath.

Masato calmed him. "Rei, breathe. What is it that disturbs you this much?" He looked down concerned.

"Asami and his soldiers are headed this way and Akihito is with them!" Rei could hear Masato sucking the air through his nostrils, and judging by his firm and puffed up stand, Masato was angry than worried. The chieftain turned to Rei and ordered him to keep everybody safe as he went to confront the bastard who stole his son. Eri and Akihito's close friends caught a scent of his trouble and dropped their equipment.

The poor chieftain had endured hardship that carved him into an anxious and protective man. The first tragedy that struck him during childhood was the death of his parents. They were killed by an underground flash flood during an exploration. His sister, Vald's mother, took care of him after that, grooming him to become the next chieftain-in-line, but decades later she was killed by a stray werewolf in the forest. Masato quickly developed a sense of abhorrence towards dogs, prompting the ban of all canines alike in their colony. It took him decades for his trauma to heal and finding love had considerately helped him through that process. However fate, once again, decided to unfairly rob the life force of his beloved wife after childbirth. Masato was downhearted but not entirely broken since he had Akihito and Vald in his care.

Arriving closer to the cave, Akihito was seated on a horse behind Asami, he was tense and was unable to slacken his thought that was picturing his people's armed furore. A rustle from above the hill halted the party. Asami raised his hand, silently gesturing the Silverbloods behind him to stop their movement and to listen.

"Asami you goat shit!" Masato shouted from the bottom of his lungs. He was there, standing, unrestrained, and mad, with one arm holding a stalagmite that was freshly picked from the floor on the way out. After giving Asami a lethal glare, he then turned to Akihito and the rough lines of his scowl softened.

"Father!" Akihito dismounted off the horse, desperate to reunite with a familiar presence as well as bar his old man from choking his son-in-law to death.

"Akihito." Masato felt a wave of relief wash over him when he saw no visible signs of bruises on his son's face, but then he noticed a slight limp in his movement. Masato squeezed the rock harder under his arm.

"Not another step, both of you." Asami's strict command captured the Takaba's attention and both took notice of the Silverblood's behind them, their hands were clutching on the handle of their swords. Akihito took a wary step back as the enemy forbade them from making direct contact. Asami got off his horse, he then proceeded to Akihito and took him back into his arms possessively before giving Masato a dirty look. "You don't belong there anymore. Remember what this means." His hand slid its way to Akihito's collar to expose not only the scarred skin, but also the symbol of his ownership, and after it was yanked to side, Asami let Masato stare at it intently, forcing him to witness the consequence of his actions and drown in a pool of regret. Masato was certainly expecting Asami to dangle his fulfilment of the ritual, but he wasn't expecting nor ready to accept his next move.

The hand that held onto Akihito's collar let go before reaching up to hold his chin and angling it to a level where it would allow the couple's lips to meet with ease. In a swift and unstoppable moment, their lips collided and Masato dropped his rock and his gaze darkened with wrath. Akihito was absolutely mortified by this and pulled his head back. "Asami!" He protested and pushed the older vampire's face away, pried his arm off, and covered his neck with his palm as he shrunk to side. The young vampire was used to showcasing acts of masculinity around his father and his people, hoping that it would attract him compliments for his hard work. Akihito gave a few glances to his father but could not confidently look towards him.

No one spoke, all of their attention was drawn to Masato's reaction, it appears Asami's goading was too harsh on a doting parent and it had awakened a beast that was hidden beneath. Even Akihito was stunned to see his father's former self, the benevolent chieftain, quickly transition into something else, something terrifying, maybe it was another personality that he had buried long ago, but was now resurfacing because he was pushed to the edge. Akihito shoved his shame aside, looking up, he was feeling very worried for his father's mental state at this point. Masato's eyes were wide, the whiteness of his sclera was turning red as his bulging veins pumped blood to his head, and the once angry eyes turned colder, almost psychopathic. His snarl wasn't ordinary, all of his teeth and sharp canines were visible, making him appear animalistic. From the depths of his lungs, a formidable growl was rumbling and growing louder, signalling the beast's coming.

"Don't father, stop! Are you out of your mind?!" Akihito panicked and broke out of Asami's arms before running towards his father who was prepared to charge in with one intention, to murder.

"Masato!"

"Chief!"

Eri and Akihito's friend arrived just in time to intervene and restrain Masato back. Akihito continued up the hill and blocked his father's path with his arms. Even with four people, they struggled to hold him back.

"Masato!" Eri shouted as she tugged his left arm. "Control yourself!"

"Stop it, father. I said stop! You'll make things worse!" Akihito was talking to a mindless being, all of his yelling seemed to have no effect in bringing him back to normal.

"Have you ever seen your old man this mad Akihito?" Kou shouted, at the same time he appeared relieved to see the young vampire alive, they all did.

Akihito shook his head sideways. "This is the first time I've seen him like this, what do we do?!" He looked to Eri desperately for answers.

She had a frown, one that said she knew what caused him to become like this. "Akihito this is not the first time. This is the third time."

"Third?" Akihito never knew, he had never seen nor heard.

Eri nodded. "Its okay, only you can wake him up." She smiled reassuringly. "We believe you can."

Akihito was in doubt, however he could not ponder for long, he was getting pushed down the hill and glancing behind him the Silverbloods had their blades completely drawn! The young vampire thought of a particular moment in the past which he could not forget. Akihito gave one final push and leapt back to give himself enough space to slap the chieftain's face. "Father if you don't stop, then you might as well join mother and leave me!"

Masato froze from a powerful message, it wrenched his heart and tugged him back into reality. Masato shook his head and grunted as he fought with the feelings of frustration and failure. The fight within himself wasn't long when he saw his son and the expression he had on his face. It was one that every parent dreaded to see because it displayed their fear of loss and abandonment. Masato once walked in a path full of death and grief so he wasn't willing to let Akihito follow in his footsteps. His child shouldn't have to suffer like he did, furthermore it was not the right time for him to go yet. Masato slowly regained his cool composure and his aggression eased. The four slowly let go, nervous but a little confident that those words got through to him.

"Akihito...I'm sorry. Forgive this old man. Did I scare you?" Masato looked down and spoke softly and apologetically.

"Don't do anything stupid." Akihito gave his father a long and imposing stare. "I'm okay. Don't risk the colony for me, I won't forgive you for that. Promise you won't cause anymore trouble."

Masato kept his lips firmly shut before he forced a nod, it was to assure Akihito but the younger vampire could still read the resolve his father held. The chieftain swayed his attention to the vampire lord who was waiting with his arms crossed, they stared at each other, aversely, yet again. Masato breathed in deeply, locking his beast in its cage as best as he could so they could reach a diplomatic ground.

"Okay Asami, you shit!" He placed both hands on his hips. "We need to talk, this way!" He invited the enemy into their cave.

"It seems about time." Asami uncrossed his arms. "This better be worth stepping into your mud hole."

"Its a homely cave not a mud hole, you shit!" Masato retorted angrily, throwing his fist at him.

"Masato!" Eri slapped his upper arm.

"Chief!"

"Father!" Akihito shouted. "I told you to keep calm." Him and his friends reminded the chieftain.

"Right. Sorry." Masato groaned and pinched his nasal bridge like he had a migraine. "Keep it together," he mumbled inaudibly.

...||[]||...

The meeting with the cave dwellers took longer than Asami wanted. Handing over the blueprints and equipment for their machinery was easy, threats being thrown here and there made them scurry off to retrieve what he had demanded...but extracting information from the cave dwellers about the fugitive sorcerer was another battle. Despite his use of Akihito as leverage for them to spill out the truth and behave, they still showed signs of their uncooperative and rebellious nature through stalling. The vampire lord left right away after he was satisfied with what he had gathered, any longer underground and he would have sealed them beneath the mines so he wouldn't have to hear another word escape from their chatty, whiny or screaming mouths.

Five bodyguards accompanied the vampire lord and Akihito as they rode through the forest. The rest of his soldiers remained behind to work on the confiscation. Asami had a grave expression, he was very concerned about the sorcerer and his capability, furthermore he had a hunch someone or something was following them, possibly a cave dweller? Asami didn't feel safe being in the woods, even in his own territory. Furthermore their visibility was beginning to fade with every passing minute as the fog thickened, forcing them to slow down and travel with caution, the obstacles in their path were dangerous if ploughed into. The vampire lord took lead because of his superior vision but his guards followed closely, never faltering in speed, they were his eyes in the angles he couldn't see. It could be nothing that lurked in the darkness but the imaginations of a spooked mind, however it was still wise to remain on guard...since the nocturnal insects weren't singing that night.

Akihito sat quietly behind Asami, today had been dramatic and humiliating, he especially hated it when Asami disrespected his father. He was feeling sad since they left his real home and also after finding out who else had been taken during the bloodmoon hunt, most were his dearest friends. The only good highlights that made this meeting worthwhile was getting to see his friends, people and father once again, it was nostalgic. He thought it would be a while before he got the chance to visit them but he was glad it was sooner than never. He also got to inform them of Halvir and Vald's escape and the cave dwellers were joyous to hear the news, they danced, clapped and cheered in front of the Silverbloods, not caring about how the vampire lord felt, which was not happy of course.

Asami looked around frequently. Akihito noticed the change in his behaviour. Asami's restlessness was obvious and it made Akihito anxious about their safety, well mainly his, he was unarmed. His hands latched onto the older vampire's upper arm for the calming of his climbing fright, creasing the sleeve of his black jacket. The environment was a cold, veiling mess and it disorientated those trapped within it, forcing them to rely on other senses than their vision. Asami and his guards listened attentively, trying to discern any suspicious sounds that was other than their horse, sword and riding gear. It was difficult so they resorted to their noses but no smell in particular alarmed them.

"Is there something in the forest? Akihito asked the vampire lord and tilted his head to the side to read his expression, he could see the signs of grimness written all over.

The vampire lord didn't reply straight away, unsure himself. "Keep quiet, we're suspecting."

Akihito swallowed. Then prayed repeatedly in his head, 'please be Vald and Halvir, please be Vald and Halvir!' That would be magnificent. Although his wish turned out to be something far more sinister than what he had prayed for. A yell from the end of the formation alerted the group, they all turned their heads immediately to check, but what they saw wasn't a yell for spotting their stalker, rather it was a yell of being suddenly pinched from his horse and dragged into the undiscernible blur, and all they could hear was his blood-curdling screams of being shredded alive. That was not Halvir and Vald, Akihito realized, his face went paler than what it original was, it was...

"WEREHOUNDS!" Asami shouted and drew out his sword readily, they were greeted by an ambush from all directions and had no choice but to stop their horses in order to fight.

"ASAMI!" Akihito warned as he shook his arm. A silhouette loomed above them.

The vampire lord pushed Akihito off the horse and out of the way. He was unaware of how much strength he had accidently channelled to his hand and this made Akihito go flying in the air before roughly landing onto the forest floor. Akihito grunted in pain and rolled to the side before sitting up. His eyes widened, terror filled, and he was sucked off his breath as he witnessed a werewolf on top of a fallen Asami. He hadn't encountered a werewolf in his entire cave life and he stared, speechless and paralysed in his spot, at its intimidating build that was equivalent to size of a fully grown bear. Its fur was dirty brown and thick for the survival of the brutal winter. Its razor-like claw was raised in the air and was about to take a swipe into Asami's bare face when it was stabbed in the gut by a sword.

The dirty-brown werewolf growled in pain and crawled backwards, clenching its teeth and holding its stomach as it retreated to draw some distance from Asami. The vampire lord rose up quickly, he was enraged, he watched his target but could not clearly focus, he had a lot going on his mind. First, he was concerned about how his guards were coping with the assault, the second was Akihito, he was helpless, and lastly but foremost concern was the non-existent dog odour, and it was a wet smell he should've recognised from afar. There was only one answer, they've got a hold of the smell-concealment potion. But how and when? A traitor in their midst? The sorcerer gave it to them? More likely it seems. Asami would have to wait to see their actual motive.

The enemy laughed wickedly, licking its jowl after it saw the vampire lord bothered by its advantage. "My, my, is my smell lovely, Asami?" It asked, mocking him with a voice that was deep and husky.

"Who are you and how did you conceal your scent? Do you work for Fei Long? Or was it a deal with a human sorcerer?" Asami questioned, he stared into the brown eyes belonging to a human, much determined now to get a hold of information from these creatures.

The dirty-brown werewolf cocked its head to the side, not wanting to answer but rather to torment its foe. "You'll never find out because we will kill you here and now, you, your little toy and pathetic servants."

Asami scrunched the handle of his sword. "We'll see. I'll have you tortured slowly. It won't be quick and I shall enjoy watching you suffer."

"Good luck trying!" It sneered before standing tall on its two hind legs to launch a cry of doom. Asami gasped, he knew what it was going to do and he sprinted forward to gorge its throat. He succeeded in killing it before it could call for backup. But misfortune still found a way to get to him. Its assailant on the other side howled into the silent night and within seconds, the forest had awoken to the unified howling of wolfs from all over the area. Asami dreaded, the rest of pack had been called to the actual location of their target, their spotters had done their jobs well, it was time for the warriors to hunt.

"Lord Asami!" One of his bodyguard shouted as she parried before diving her blade into the back of its neck, finishing off her attacker. "Get back to the rest of your soldiers! We'll hold them for as long as we can. Go now!" She pleaded and then went on to assist her comrade.

Asami nodded, putting trust in his loyal guards before he turned to Akihito. "You heard what she said, now move it!" He ordered to the cave dweller before whistling for his horse.

Akihito scurried to Asami instantly, wanting to leave the area right away. The horse trotted to them and lowered its head to its master. The two hopped on and rode back towards the cave since it was closer and help would be great. Akihito clung onto Asami's back, afraid to let go and fall off and be left behind. Asami swivelled his head, left and right, scanning for enemies on their tail. He swore when he detected movement in the forest on both sides. The enemy steps were heavy and rushed as they teared through the forest plants, not giving a damn about silencing their movement, their mouths salivated with the hunger to slaughter, they were excited. Akihito closed his eyes, he was scared and depended on Asami to protect him. But he couldn't keep them closed forever, a sneaky werewolf leaped in from the rear and sliced the horse's calf with its claw, causing the couple to tumble onto the ground violently when their horse collapsed. Akihito face planted, not expecting them to be thrown off their horse so abruptly. Asami however was mentally prepared and rolled onto his feet. He looked to his horse and after seeing its broken leg he grimaced at the loss of his favourite steed and their fastest form of transport. Asami turned to Akihito, making sure he too hadn't broken anything. Asami was reassured when the younger vampire sat up, wincing, then spat dirt out from his mouth and rubbed his aching face.

Akihito realised how vulnerable they were and his eyes shot open, his hands stopped touching his face and he glanced around, panicking. Then...he stifled every muscle in his body when he saw four werewolves emerging from the fog, they were sauntering on their hind legs and appeared taller when standing up, making him feel small and weak. As they surrounded the vampires, Akihito could see their thirst ravaging from their snarling mouths to their clenching paws. They were bigger than the spotters, silver coated this time and had an otherworldly look to their eyes, monster, was all Akihito could describe about it. Asami removed his jacket to lessen the load on his shoulders. The vampires couldn't run away and they shouldn't, especially in this dense fog.

"Stay low and put Akihito. You'll only be in the way." Asami instructed as he readied himself for a tough fight. He held his sword with one hand, allowing another deadly weapon to be used...his fist. Asami drew an imaginary circle around them, anything that crossed over their boundary would be annihilated. Akihito nodded and knelt on the ground with one knee, making sure that he was able to move out of the way when needed. His heart thumped faster with each step the werewolves took, and when he made eye contact with one of them, he swallowed. They could attack at any moment, this was intense.

Finally it began, the battle between the vampire lord and four beasts. One of them advanced in for the attack, it released an onslaught of swipes and dices, poorly seen by the normal eye. Asami blocked fluently and after one daring swipe to his face, he ducked quickly before sending a mighty punch to the beast's unguarded gut. The werewolf grunted when hit and because the force was so sheer, it was sent soaring past its assailant and straight into a huge tree, smashing the trunk with a loud thud and cracking it. But a single punch wasn't completely effective in neutralizing the beast, rather it was effective in bruising it. Akihito's mouth dropped open in utter shock as he watched the werewolf rise up, barely displaying any pain but the escalation of belligerence. How strong were these beasts? He wondered. Akihito crept closer to Asami, he was wary of the two werewolves making their move behind him and Asami. And it was not long before their three seconds of mercy was thrashed by attacks from all around, relentlessly. Akihito cowered, he kept his head below waist level, allowing Asami to utilise a wider range of combat manoeuvres. The vampire lord responded to the enemies pouncing at him –sometimes at Akihito– with; slashes from his sharp sword to repel and cut them, a roundhouse kick, to knock them back, and powerful punches to their skull and vital organs for internal damage. Asami defended effortlessly, it was like he had done this before, to be overwhelmed by numerous enemies and pitched into a fight with no option for escape and Akihito admired his every move.

The enemy was bleeding from their noses and coughing up blood and they were having difficulty breathing. Asami's blow had dealt some heavy damage to their insides. He had planned it that way, it was stupid to try and break their necks on the spot because it took time and energy, leaving his back exposed for the others. With the enemy now drained of their stamina, their attacks became sloppy and uncoordinated, this was when he was about to strike with dexterous moves to finished them off, but he would be sure to leave one alive for questioning, in case his bodyguards failed to. However as he planted his feet forward, more werewolves appeared from the fog, five to be precise. The two vampires looked aghast, they didn't want to face anymore trouble as it was. The two instantly took notice of the middle werewolf, its build was taller, much burlier in the upper chest and it was coated in dirty-blond fur. It was an alpha, the leader of the pack, and what it held in its calloused and fuzzy-knuckled hand had the vampires sickened. It seems the alpha had a hobby for collecting the decapitated heads of his enemies. And yes, in his left claw hung the heads of Asami's bodyguards with bits of their oesophagus and spinal cord still attached and dangling red. Their mangled faces were disturbing to look at. Those who were sensitive would faint at first glance. Especially when their jaws were parted in a distorted manner that made them appear like they were still screaming from untold horror, yet no sound came out but empty silence. This was a scarring moment for Akihito and he couldn't believe his innocent eyes that he would witness this much gore, he would be haunted by this image indefinitely.

The alpha pointed to the vampire lord, locking eye to eye with him before speaking in a deep, hoarse voice. "Your next to my collection Asami!"

For the alpha to take out his bodyguards in such a short amount of time, this indicated big trouble. Asami frowned. His day just got better didn't it.

"Are you not afraid blood sucker? Your outnumbered." It grinned evilly, revealing all of its sharp teeth before dropping the bundle of heads to free its hand.

"No." The vampire lord replied and stood his ground like he was prepared to fight them all.

"Are you crazy Asami! We can't fight them a—!" Akihito protested. He stood up to grab hold of Asami's shoulder, checking to make sure that the guy wasn't filled with rage. The last thing he wanted was for Asami to charge in thoughtlessly like his father did earlier and leave him unprotected for these werewolves to prey upon him.

"I know!" Asami replied curtly. "I know." His tone faded at the thought of retreat. Then he turned slightly to the younger vampire, speaking lowly so they couldn't hear him. "Akihito, how fast can you run?"

"I'm the fastest in my colony," he replied.

"You better hope so. Under my mark when I create an opening, we are going to run. Understood?"

"Understood." Akihito nodded nervously. Alright he could do this, run as fast as he could...or not. Oh, goodness! Why did he have to stare at the dead horse, it really made him freak out. Was it even possible to outrun a creature that sprinted on all fours rather then two. Maybe, who knows, he had to try at least. Akihito hyperventilated, this was not the best time to panic but he did anyway.

"Good, stick close me if you want to live." Asami ordered. If these wolfs were after Akihito, they wouldn't hurt him but he didn't also want to risk losing him so suddenly if they weren't.

"You think you can run Asami? I don't think so." The alpha cackled at them before staring at Asami dead in the eye! The subordinates beside the alpha scampered swiftly to join in the encirclement and filled in the gaps left by the first four werewolves, this constricted the vampires into a tighter spot and thinned their window for escape. This was bad they thought, very bad...then it got worse. The werewolves, aside from the alpha, began to walk backwards into fog. Their steps were unhurried as they vanished, they liked the attention they were receiving because it nourished fear.

"Asami what do we do now?" Akihito asked, his voice was low and shaky. "I can't smell them!"

"And who's fault is that?" Asami blamed, this offended Akihito and he shot back defensively.

"This isn't Halvir's fault! He wouldn't take things that far or risk giving the enemy a possible way to invade the East!"

Asami didn't turn to apologize, he kept quiet and looked on ahead to the alpha. Now wasn't the right time to argue or prove one's innocence, he was being challenged one on one, the traditional way. "You better hope so, bat."

"You two done talking yet!" The alpha yawned, it was bored of watching them, its hand twitched, it wanted to scratch.

"Dog, I demand a reply. How did you come to possess the potion?" Asami spoke in a commanding tone.

"I guess blood sucker wants some answers before he dies." The alpha laughed, then paused for effect. "Lets just say...from the second basement!" A creepy grin stretched across its face, this was an ugly sight since dogs don't possess a charming smile like humans do.

That answer caused Asami to jolt for a sec, it was an alarming answer he had been combing for, an answer that confirmed that a traitor or traitors were hiding amongst the Silverbloods. But whoever plotted this assassination attempt was certain they would succeed, otherwise the alpha wouldn't be so bold to reveal the exact location of the potion, a location in which very few knew and was indeed secretive. It had to be someone close to him, and yes this was upsetting to think about, but to uncover and get rid of them was for the better of him and the future of the Silverblood empire.

"Oh, don't look so angry Asami! I'm sure your absence will surely be forgotten, smile a little will you." It derided as it moved in closer, gritting its teeth side to side. "Now you'll join your siblings, along with that bat of yours." Its glowing eyes then traced to Akihito, studying him from head to toe. The alpha then inhaled before releasing a euphoric sigh. "I can't wait to start!"

Asami handed the sword to Akihito, bumping the handle onto his chest as he ordered, "Take it!"

Akihito raised his hand midway but then hesitated. "But, you need it!"

"I said take it!" Asami scowled. "Your defenceless, I can manage this. When I turn my back on you, be ready for anything that jumps out of the darkness." Akihito took the sword off Asami unnervingly, grasping it with his hands before he realized, damn he'd just might die today. The young vampire stood there alone and undoubtedly frightened as Asami stepped away from him and into the invisible ring, far from safe's reach. Akihito could feel the eyes watching him and mocking him with every nervous flick or turn he made at the faintest noise.

Asami locked eyes with his opponent again, this time there was no talk or invitation to insult one another. The two were in a vicious stand off and the stillness didn't last for long, a killer instinct that was programmed since their ancestors first warred, activated within them. This propelled them forward and they charged in, jumping in the air to land the first punch or scratch. The alpha had a long arm and its claw hung above the vampire's head. Asami sensed this and wacked its wrist away and then dodged to where the enemy once stood. The two circled, analysing each other's stance and body language, every detail was critical, a simple twitch could indicate the type of move the enemy was about to use next, whether it was a punch, a kick or just a bluff. The alpha grew impatient of Asami's cautiousness and made the next move, it was an assertive one, but it knew even if it lost, its pack would descend onto the vampire lord to finish what he had failed to do. The alpha swung a storm of slashes that came from all angles and it didn't seem to stop, it was overpowering Asami's dodging and blocking, shoving him backwards. It was painful taking its hit but the vampire lord withstood, he was waiting for the right opportunity, first he'd let his enemy have the first laugh, let it be filled with a false sense of winning before he'd strike back. And he did find that moment when the alpha stretched his elbow too far out, giving Asami the perfect opportunity he was searching for to knee it in the gut.

The alpha grunted when it was kneed and shrivelled inward as it coughed up its stomach juices. However Asami didn't stop there, he kneed it again and shoved its shoulder towards the ground and elbowed its nape. The alpha let out a subtle whine but then pushed Asami off and away before giving him a strong kick to the stomach. Asami staggered back but managed to stay upright. As the two separated, they returned instantly to fight with each other. Akihito tried his best to concentrate on what could be crawling on the other side of the fog but the clash between Asami and the alpha was too spectacular to miss, and he would frequently turn his head to watch, marvelling the intensity, speed and strength those two wielded. Every clash and contact created a thud so loud, Akihito could feel the ground vibrate. The young vampire cheered for Asami when the vampire lord threw the alpha by its leg and slammed it into a tree. If Asami won, their pack would begin to lose leadership and they, the vampires would have the upper hand.

The alpha was bleeding from its swollen and bruised eye and its top canine tooth was missing, the creature had been severely pummelled in the face until it was unrecognizable. As it knelt on the ground, almost looking defeated, it tried to stand up, one claw was scraping along the tree trying to assist its body up whilst one claw was held out to ward Asami away. The vampire lord was actually starting to enjoy this, his enemy was appearing inferior, the alpha, or should he say beta, was hunching against the tree, whining like a pathetic pup. Its legs were too wounded to stand up properly so it used one arm to hug the tree for the support it needed. Its show of fear grew as Asami came closer and closer. Asami dismissed the claw that was defending and grabbed its wrist after a lame swipe. The vampire lord then twisted it, snapping the tendons and cartilage within that hairy arm and incapacitating it. The alpha let out a painful howl before letting go off the tree and forcing its massive body onto Asami with every ounce of strength it had remaining. And in a blink of an eye, the vampire lord was dropped onto his back and with the werewolf pinning down on him. Asami felt a stinging sensation digging into his chest and as he looked down, he quickly clamped the enemy's unbroken hand that was plunging a stake into him, preventing it from travelling in further and regrettably to his heart. Asami berated himself for letting carelessness slip into battle, and because of this he didn't foresee that the enemy had concealed a weapon and was faking its retreat to retrieve it. He looked into those sneaky eyes as he fought back.

The alpha laughed hysterically. "Hahaha, what are you going to do now Asami?! You lose!"

"No, you coward. You think a mere stick can kill me." Asami retorted with a death glare. He could feel the wolf's hot breath brushing on his cold skin and the smell of its rotten breath.

"Hm, not if its enchanted by the bloodstone rune." The alpha replied, then it smiled sinisterly. "We know Asami. Your weakness..."

Asami was shocked, he had a look one would display when their greatest secret was uncovered, and all they could feel was fear and ruin from the exposure. The vampire lord gripped harder than ever, straining his hold because this was no ordinary stake. "H—how did you get this information?!" Asami asked, clenching his teeth later. Most of his strength was already withering away, far too soon for him to overthrow his enemy. The stake itself was like a vampire and it was sucking his life source greedily. The magic bound to it was a curse and an end to his kind and once struck by its single fang, the victim would be poisoned and their bodies would go numb, allowing the attacker to finally drive the stake through their weak spot, the heart.

"Why, connections of course. From old enemies I guess." It briefly explained as it slid the stake deeper into his chest. The vampire lord grimaced before throwing his head back to let out an excruciating cry.

Asami's vision was darkening, he was starting to lose consciousness. The alpha was chuckling gleefully, this was an exhilarating moment for it, this moment was the moment it could unleash its lust for blood. The alpha didn't plan for Asami to have a quick death, it planned for a death filled with agony and suffering. The alpha opened its jaw far apart and hovered over Asami's face...it was going to chew him alive...starting with the eyes. Asami laid helplessly underneath, he watched in slow motion and in horror as the mouth of the beast fell downwards. He was afraid to let go from the stake, afraid of that small gap that could spell the difference between life and death for him, even if it meant having a chunk of meat ripped from his face, he would persevere. The tip of its sharp teeth settled against his skin and he felt the pressure gradually build. Asami braced for tremendous pain, he doubt anyone would save his sorry ass.

Twack!

A sound of metal breaking followed.

"Ngh?" The werewolf grunted and stopped its action before lifting a hand away from the stake to feel its nape. Wet it felt and the werewolf snapped its full attention to the sly bat behind it.

"Why didn't silver work in killing it?!" Akihito shouted in disbelief. He gazed at his broken sword, confounded by its inability to maintain its structural integrity after one slash. One slash! He screamed to himself. He was clearly an amateur to all of this or Asami's sword was garbage. The younger vampire was certain that when he was charging in to save Asami, whilst their enemy was distracted, that he would succeed in chopping its head off. Apparently he was wrong and this placed him in a very dangerous position. He had provoked the beast and it turned around before slowly rising to stand above him.

"You bats are primitive than I thought." The alpha rubbed the back of its neck. "You cannot kill an A grade alpha with a mere sword, regardless of it being silver." Akihito stepped back. Their eyes met, one threatening, the other displaying a desire to run for it.

"You guys have grades?" Akihito asked timidly. For the love of Aurieas, Asami! He should've of said something earlier, like give him a hint or a heads-up instead of throwing him in the deep end.

"You'll learn something if you stick your head out of your cave once in a while stupid bat." Rather than attacking it had another idea. It looked to Asami then to Akihito's neck and smiled. "Why do you defend such a creature that has defiled you, snatched you from your home and used you in a way for his own pleasure? Do you pity him?"

"No I do not pity him! It's because a moment ago you said you'll kill me as well! I need his help to get out of here alive!"

The alpha chuckled. "Ha! It seems I've forgotten! Very well. How about this, I'll let you decide. Help him, then you die as well. Or walk away and you live, he dies. Its the best way to end an unhappy marriage, isn't it?"

"Walk away?" Akihito muttered. He gazed at Asami, the vampire lord was lying wounded with the alpha's foot atop the stake so he wouldn't have the chance to remove it. Fresh blood covered his shirt and mouth, it was distressing to watch. Sure he deserved punishment but Akihito began to feel guilty. The vampire lord did try to protect him and this was the best he could do?

"Yes and you'll live, so abandon him. So go on, walk away little bat." It tempted.

Akihito dropped his head down to avoid eye contact with Asami. He had a remorseful expression as he stared at the broken blade. The younger vampire sighed, it was time to decide.

He stood conflicted.

To fight or not to fight.

Akihito eventually chose.

He chose to walk away. The younger vampire let go of his weapon before turning his back to disappear off into the fog.

The alpha sneered. "See blood sucker. You've been abandoned. How lovely."

Asami didn't say anything, he did expect Akihito to walk away, anyone would, given the chance. Why should the cave dweller risk his life for him. To them he was a tyrant. Heartless and selfish.

This was his fight...alone.

Speckles of snow begun to fall and white decorated the dull colours of the forest.

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Love OWLSIES