THE GOLIALTHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 15- Time and Time Again

/

Goliathus held his daughter close, as he perched atop the church's roof, surveying down below. Navi would occasionally imitate her father, tilting her head in various directions like a curious bird.

There, child...there. Do you smell it? They look human, but they are not.

Navi shifted, turning her head to the far left and staring at the form phasing in and out amongst the humans like a shadowy mist, never being seen.

They have that smell...metallic like blood...but it is something far more foul, more potent...learn what that is, and despise it. Use your instincts to kill on them, and nothing else.

It didn't really matter whether or not Navius understood yet. Goliathus sent feelings to her mind, swamping her young and still naive being with what he hoped would turn into a hunger focused towards vampires.

Not humans.

Never humans...

She growled, baring her little teeth at the form, which slowly phased out of sight altogether.

/

"I'm sorry, Ami, really I am...but...what point is there for me to stay here?"

Ami sighed, and stared right into those vivid blue eyes that always mesmerized her. "Dinarius, you can't go. I won't allow you to go!" The pout on the girl's face was much like a disappointed prom queen, causing the slender heradus to grin.

He came up to her side, slowly sitting down beside her. "Look, my one sole purpose is to kill vampires. It's what I do...it's my job. You know, a full-time deal."

Ami tried to pretend like she wasn't listening, scribbling in her notebook halfheartedly as she sat before the Atrium.

"I can always come visit...and often...but...just like Goliathus I'll go make my home in a cave somewhere...secret and isolated...I protect humans, not scare them...if I can avoid it. It's just better that way."

"But...you can help Gollie out, much as he'd hate to admit it. You two could be like...working together...an awesome killing team!"

Dinarius huffed. "No, that we can't be. It should be that way, but Gollie is a loner. He's not like your normal heradus, I'm sure you know that. I'd agree with you otherwise, if it were anyone else but him."

"But I..."
"Look Ami I don't know what else to tell-"

"Dinarius, just listen to me. You're a good friend to me, a great friend in fact...and let's not forget you saved my life along with my child's. How can I ever repay you for that? Well, maybe I don't have anything worthy enough, but I can continue to offer that friendship...so much so that I refuse, and I mean refuse to let you go live off in isolation. You can stay here, in this Facility, as a friend and comrade...to all of us. Even that grump Gollie."

"You don't understand though, he won't..."

"Please, Dinarius." She gave him the doe eyes, pleading. "Please. Stay here."

He sighed, scratching some of the fur on the back of his neck. "Where would I stay, really? Where? With Goliathus, in that Atrium? I think not."

"You don't need an Atrium, Dinarius. You can use something called a...room. Anything else you need, I can get for you. Including food."

The very word seemed to arouse a hunger from deep within. "Really?"

She smirked. "Yeah, really. An all-you-can-eat buffet. I guarantee it. It's how we keep Gollie sated, anyhow...he can go out and do his hunting thing, but if he ever truly needs to gorge himself, there's all he can eat right here. It's part of how we tamed him...or rather...got him under control."

He put a hand to his chin. "So let me get this straight, I get a room, anything I want, and all the food I can eat?"

"Yep. I mean, yes. Sure, if it must be that way. Anything to get you to stay,"

Ami's smirk only widened, as he seriously seemed to be contemplating it.

"Can I have one of those weird boxes that music comes from?"

"A stereo? Certainly." She folded her arms, grinning.

"And...the metal tube that produces water?"

"A shower? Yes."

"And a bed for Puvo?"
The bat poked its nose from under his furry mane, giving a little yawn.

"You sure he needs a bed? You seem to suffice him just fine." She laughed.

"Well, believe me, he'd rather have a bed then me lying on him all night."

Ami giggled. "Dinarius, are you going to stay or not?"

He smiled, saying nothing for a long minute.

"Yeah...yeah I will. For now, anyway."

/

A shadowy form phased into solid view as it neared the large castle, once home to the now dead leader Donovan.

Marcus knew that he was now technically the leader, but, he hardly felt happy about it. All he wanted was to be far, far away from that wretched creature and the demon it reeked of. But where to go, where to hide?

There wasn't any hiding from the blasted heradus...and now there were two of them. No...there were three of them. Three of the damned things.

Shit. This had to happen to me? I don't want to be leader of a cursed clan...being hunted like an animal every day of my existence.

Pushing open the front door, or what remained of it from the earlier intrusion by the heradus, Marcus searched his mind for a way to try and fight the creatures. There had to be something...everything had a weakness...but what was it? What could destroy a heradus?

He sat on the cold marble floor and thought hard. He thought of everything the vampires had used in the past to try and battle them.

He thought of Donovan's failures...how he had been SO certain he could deal with Goliathus and yet in the end had been destroyed.

Of course, it was the demon that really killed him.

The demon...it's the only way...but how do I use it against him without risking my own hide?

I've got to think of a way, I've got to...or our whole clan will be wiped out.

/

Ami couldn't believe what was happening. One moment, she was showing Dinarius his new room (a rather large one to give him adequate space), and the next, she was up against the wall with him pressed against her, holding her there.

But there was no malice in his eyes, only an incredible longing.

"If you didn't like the room, you could have just told me." She grinned helplessly.

He slowly let her go, wordlessly, as he turned and flopped down on the bed.

"Look I said you could have a room, food, all the comforts of home, but wild sex isn't part of the package, okay?"

"I'm sorry...I...damn. This is one reason I really shouldn't stay here." He sighed, leaning against a pillow and shutting his eyes.

"It's a tempting thought, however." She winked, sitting at the edge of the bed and patting his shoulder. "I like you a lot Dinarius, really I do. Don't feel bad about the fact that we have mutual feelings for each other."
"Mutual feelings?"
"Yeah, you do like me, I take it."

"Obviously."
She leaned down, lying on his chest in a sort of hug. "I really do want you to stay. But not for the wrong reasons, trust me. Besides, if I ever left Gollie, I think he'd go on a rampage. I'm not that stupid."

Dinarius sighed, refusing to succumb to the temptation to run one of his clawed hands through her long brown hair.

"It's just...a human with your attitude is a rare thing, Ami. I've had a lonely life, and a thousand years lost to an underground slumber...in fact the world is so different now that I'll admit...I'm a little fearful of it. I don't know where I am, like I'm in some foreign dimension."

"Huh..." She lifted her head, nodding slightly. "I know that feeling. Everything feels so foreign to me too...I've been exposed and made known to more things that I think any human ever will...strange things Dinarius, including falling in love with one of your kind and having a hybrid child. I think that's foreign enough. You and me, we're not so different."

"No, we're not." Which is why it's so easy to want you...like this...

Ami slowly removed herself from his chest, getting up and walking towards the door. She turned before she walked out, giving him another smile,

"Enjoy your stay here."

/

End of Chapter 15.

Short, short chapter, I know. But it's better then nothing. Next we'll try something new...I'll continue with the storyline, but I want to hear from the readers what they would like to happen between Ami/Dinarius. I could go in either direction, but I think it would be fun to take on a "fan challenge", so to speak. To be honest, I'm really not sure where I'm going with it yet.

But be forewarned...any liasons between the two just may lead to some seriously unpredictable events...