Nicolas Notes:

At the deepest depths of nightmare's farewell,

Trees lie fallen, grass painted in vermilion ink.

The hand of Zeus striking a silver bell,

Truth surfaces as the chains of fate begun to link.

{Warning: a lot of blood is ahead, leave if you must}

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{Yukkuri} {Normal} {Hard} {Lunatic} {Phantasm} {Nightmare Phantasm}

MEMORY CHAPTER 3: Gone to the Dogs

Year 1505

Date: November 4

2:00 Anti-meridian

England, Hut by the Vermilion Lake, the Outside

"Very well, so allow me to make this clear," says the young man, as he pokes the smoldering hot stones beneath the steaming kettle, an irritated look upon his features, "You are Clark's second child?"

"Yes!" replies the little girl with glee, her black wings fluttering causing her red dress to ripple from the wind.

Wonderful, another pest that I have to deal with….. This is an invasion, thought the boy sarcastically as he tried to think of something.

Corvice was now back in his hut at the edge of the lake, tending to his kettle's fire while he listened to the girl who introduced herself as Clark's daughter's story on what she was doing at the site. Corvice had hard time listening due to irritation, sleep deprivation, hunger, and the fact that he needed to act nice before his employer's daughter. Clark's daughter was nice girl, though Corvice hated having guests over his house, not that he could call it a house anyway.

The dark brown interior somehow provided an air of comfort and coziness despite its gloomy appearance. The wooden walls were sealed tight so that no draft would find its way in during the night. The place felt warm because of the heat that came from the fireplace.

Still, it was a very small house with only one room. The bed was tucked into a corner next to a messy desk and a cluttered wardrobe field with unused clothes. A single candle stood at the top of said desk while being buried in a pile of papers. This could prove hazardous if the candle was ever lit.

At the opposite corner sat an old comfortable chair with the circular window directly behind it. At the middle of the room's floor lay a dust beaten carpet in which a small circular table wrought from wood, stood surrounded by three wooden chairs, one being sat on by the little vampire girl. The entire hut was not exactly too 'stuffy' for two four sided windows were open at either side of the front door. From outside said windows, the silver moonlight flooded in, adding to the illumination the fireplace was giving.

Taking the boiling kettle from the flames, Corvice proceeded to fill in two cups with hot water while having teabags sitting within them, before he placed them on a tray and offer the first one to the girl. Her smiling face turning into a frown, the little vampire girl reluctantly accepted the warm tea within her cup, eyeing it curiously before gulping it down in one drink.

"Yuck!" says the girl in disgust, "This does not taste like strawberry juice. Mama makes nice ones every time before Flandre goes to bed."

"Well, I apologize for it's the only tea I have available. And I certainly wasn't expecting guests….In the middle of the night, where I'm supposed to be asleep," adds Corvice with a hint of sarcasm, "And I've never heard of a vampire drink the juice of strawberries, doesn't your kind usually drink bloo—?"

The boy was cut off as he saw the genuinely clueless expression the little vampire before him had. Wait… Don't tell me she…

"Um, Mister, what's blou? Is it French? Flandre can speak French!" says the little vampire with pride, puffing her cheeks as a gesture for applause.

"N-never mind…" says Corvice uncomfortably in an attempt to change the topic, "So, what were you doing at the site? Why didn't you go with your father and sister when they were going home?"

It was obvious that the little vampire was taken back at this as she replies, "Um, ah, well… Flandre wanted to give them a surprise but fell asleep!"

That has to be the worst lie I have ever heard of…. Thought the boy before presuming, "So you were following them"

"F-Flandre was not!" says the vampire in her defense; however Corvice went on ignoring her words.

"It wasn't a question. Let me take another guess, your father has no idea that you were following him and your sister, correct?" The girl replied with a nod, "Then he also has no clue on where to find you first, your mother must be worried sick. What did you intend to do by following them?

The little vampire stared at her feet while playing with her dress, unable to decide whether to tell the truth or lie again. Corvice knew that she would tell the truth for this girl did not seem to be a complete liar. In fact, she was an honest child based on their conversation on the way to his house.

"I….I wanted to be with my sister…" says the girl in a hushed tone, "Flandre hasn't played with her for a very long time and Flandre wanted to show her sister many games she learned. Sister… I love my sister and I want her to be happy. Flandre will make her happy with her games, Flandre likes games. These days, sister seems sad, so Flandre wanted to turn her frown upside down!"

Before Corvice knew it the girl was on a roll, "Flandre may not know what her sister feels, but Flandre will make everything better! We'll play dolls, dress up, cooking, cleaning, flying, tag and many other things!"

'Flandre' or as the girl who called herself, raised her arms up and spread them in a wide arc to emphasize what she meant. Flandre then giggled to herself, before gazing at Corvice with the same cherry red eyes as her sister's, "What about you Mister do you like games?"

Scratching the back of his head, Corvice gave her his uncertain reply, "I… I don't play games, but I do know how to cook and clean"

"Uwah!" gasps Flandre in amazement, "Can you teach Flandre? Does your food taste good?"

"Um, maybe, however that's beside the point. You are not supposed to be here," says Corvice narrowing his eyes, this move however was a bad one for it caused the little vampire's eyes to water up a little. The young man was sent into panic at the sight and tried his best to calm the girl down. "Wait, hold on, I didn't mean to—"

"I- *hic* wanna go home. I-*hic* don't like it in this, dirty, smelly place *hic* ta-take me back home, now!" cries Flandre, tears sliding across her cheeks, "Mister is a big mean bully! Waaahhh!"

The entire hut suddenly began to shake as if in the middle of a large earthquake. Thinking fast, Corvice pinpoints the source of the tremor and realizes that Flandre was the cause. Nearby, an entire barrel of water exploded for no apparent reason, sending the young man once more into panic which caused him to declare without thinking, "Fine, fine, will you please keep it down! I'm going to take you home even if it's the last thing I'm going to do! You'll wake the entire countryside with all of this noise!"

And just like that the cries ceased and were replaced by an amused giggling. Corvice slowly takes his hands off his ears and gently opens his eyes just to see the childlike blonde vampire suppressing her laughter to herself but was doing a very poor job at it. The look upon Corvice's face must have been priceless for Flandre suddenly burst out laughing; eventually falling from the chair she was sitting on in her glee.

"Ahahaha, Flandre is such a good actress! Ahahaha!" laughs Flandre while rubbing her sides, her wings fluttering causing a small gust to blow.

The vampire then ceases her laughter and then gazes at the young man with a suspicious glint in her eyes as a mischievous smile spreads across her face, a smile similar to that of her father's. She made me say what she wanted to hear… Clever girl, I think we'll get along just fine… thought Corvice through gritted teeth, apparently irritated at the situation he had gotten himself this time.

Oblivious to the murderous thoughts blooming upon the boy's mind, Flandre continues to smile sweetly as she says, "Well Mister? When are we leaving? Mama's going to be soooooo angry if Flandre doesn't come home. You don't want mama to be standing on your doorstep, hm?"

Apparently not as innocent as her sister, thought Corvice as he tried to process everything that has just happened. It will not do good to say no after what he had just told her, she had his hands tied. Maybe if he did bring her home, he would be able to gain some extra coins, after that he will be able to build his house with better materials. This will be the last time someone will call his house 'smelly'. It smells perfectly fine, ah, vampires heightened senses.

"So, where does her young mistress reside? We would not be able to make the journey without a destination," asks Corvice in mock politeness, however it seemed like Flandre was delighted with this.

"Behind that mountain!" she answers pointing at east at a large snowcapped mountain filled with forests at its feet.

Oh for the love of…. Fine, but why does it have to be there?! Why? Why? Why? WHY?! Ugh, this so frustrating, growls Corvice internally but aloud he replies, "I-I-It will be done….Milady"

Wearing a long brown cloak and strapping a small pouch around his waist, Corvice detaches a strange implement on the wall and when was shown to the firelight was revealed to be a small crossbow, wrought from the hardest trunks of oak trees. A silver tipped quarrel already loaded within it, Corvice places it in its leather case which was strapped to his left leg as he makes sure he has enough ammo to last the trip.

"Umm, Mister, what are those for?" asks Flandre gazing at the weapon at the boy's thigh with bright interest.

"Oh, this? Well, it's a precaution," replies Corvice, grabbing his trusty spade, its wide shallow blade encased within a strange leather cover. Opening the door outside, the boy offers a gloved hand towards the vampire as the moon shone bright behind him along with the million of stars twinkling in the sky. "It's the full moon after all…."

"Uuu~ I'm tired! Flandre can't walk anymore!"

"Just be a good girl and keep walking, I don't have all night, you know?"

Thirty minutes after they have left the house, Flandre and Corvice have finally reached the foot of the mountain. The journey itself was uneventful and the moon was still high in the sky, which were good sign and was a bad sign. The good sign was that it was still long hours away from dawn and it would be troublesome to carry a vampire through sunlight. The bad sign was that it was still long hours away from dawn, which meant there are a lot of things creeping about at night, dangerous things.

Ugh, and here I thought that vampires were physically superior to that of humans. Was everything I knew a lie? Wow, now that's shocker. Her constant complaints are driving me crazy! Anymore and I'll snap for good. She's still a child so maybe if she matures, her endurance will increase too. Or maybe vampire children are the same as human children when it came to their stamina. How old is this child, anyway? All of these thoughts ran around in Corvice's mind like a guard chasing a thief in the marketplace. It was chaotic and he did not know what to think of first, going from one to thought to another, he endured.

The vampire behind him did not help either. Always complaining that her feet were tired and that her wings were stiff. How can she fly with those tiny wings? How can it hold her weight? It felt like as if logic was being butchered before him. The boy then thought if those wings were only for show. Taking a glance behind him, he saw that somehow…. Those wings looked adorable on the vampire.

Flandre was taken by surprise when the human suddenly slammed his head into a tree, making the birds that were sleeping contently in their nests to take into the sky. A hand on his forehead, Corvice then grumbles something about losing his mind before turning to Flandre to say, "If you want to rest, then rest now. Though only for a minute, after that we move on. Are we clear?"

Flandre frowns and stares at him with disgust as she says, "Ugh, can't Mister find another place for Flandre to rest? This place smells bad. Very bad! Flandre can smell something stinky nearby. Flandre has been smelling it the entire trip,"

Corvice crosses his arms as he replies, "Please, this is no time to be a spoiled imp. Besides I can't smell anything. Your nose must be ready to fall off,"

"Flandre's nose is fine! Something smelly is nearby; I can sniff it in the air!" says Flandre, stubbornly stomping her foot on the grass.

"Then your nose must be too good for you. You must have caught a whiff of a skunk or something," says Corvice in a casual manner, determined to end the conversation now to get a move on. When suddenly, a bad image showed up in his mind, "Wait, do you mind describing what you're…. smelling?"

Flandre hands were covering her nose when she answered, muffling her voice she replies, "It smells like…like…. Like a rat only much worst. This thingy hasn't washed for weeks. It smells so bad it's making Flandre's eyes water…."

The cherry red eyes meet the gray ones as Flandre finishes, "Dog bad…"

A rustle in the bushes nearby was enough for Corvice's senses to enter alert mode and his mind to work itself to its maximum potential. Time to go, NOW!

Turning away from the bushes, he grabs Flandre by her arm, ignoring her protests, and proceeds to carry her on his back before breaking into a wild sprint. The bushes rustle once more before the sound of heavy paws was heard.

"Uwah! What are you doing?! And did the smell become stinkier?!" shouts Flandre over the sound of the young man's footsteps across the woodlands.

"Keep it down or they will hear us all! Don't you realize how much trouble you've just caused me?!" roars Corvice as he athletically leapt over a fallen log in one leap. Gritting his teeth, he makes a hard right into god knows where before shouting, "Checkmate!"

His heavy footsteps becoming light taps on the soil's surface, the young man's pace dramatically increases as the second goes by. Picking up enough speed, Corvice then warns his undead passenger behind him, "Hold on tight!" before stomping hard on the ground and launching himself into the air.

"We're flying!" squeals Flandre in delight as she clung on the boy's neck

"We're falling!" choked Corvice as he sticks the landing, crushing a lone shrub that was unlucky enough to be in the way. Not even stopping to rest, the boy dashes along.

Behind the duo, something big was chasing them. Its ragged breathing audible over the wind that was rushing past the boy's ears, the mere sound of its paws hitting the ground was a solid evidence of what was chasing them. And he prayed hard that it was not what he expected it to be. Looking up the sky, Corvice tried to make out where they were headed.

They were headed east earlier before he suddenly made a hard right during the chase. They were now travelling far up north that was good for he did not have any plans of backtracking the miles he and his passenger had covered.

Changing directions by heading to his left, Corvice splashes his way across a small creek, ignoring the pained yelps from the vampire behind him.

"Please be more careful, it hurts!" pleads Flandre, her grip around the boy's neck tightening. Corvice on the other hand was not able to reply for the vampire's arms were blocking his windpipe causing him to turn slightly blue and feel light headed.

He had to get away from whatever was following them. His was at a disadvantage if he were to be forced to fight it in the woods, a clearing or someplace wide and open. It's gone; the sounds of the beast's steps were gone. Maybe it turned back, left them alone. It would save him unneeded effort if it did. Before he even realized it, the boy was on all fours, breathing hard from the lack of air. Flandre was… Flandre was at his side, crying. She was… saying sorry? Asking for forgiveness? Ah, yes… She was the one who cut of his air supply and caused him to collapse.

But something else was there, was it not?

"What happened now?" growls Corvice as he leans on one knee on his way up. For some reason, Flandre jumps at him in fear of something, hiding behind him for protection. When the young man looked up, he then knew why. Directly in front of him was a large black furred wolf the size of two brown bears put together.

Its feral teeth and dagger sharp enough to intimidate and force a pack of wild lions to menacing features it had was accompanied by two disturbingly intelligent crimson eyes. Its black fur all over its body standing on end, making itself appear much bigger than usual, not that it was not large enough in the first place.

The worst part of it all was the smell. The acrid stench of rotting flesh between the creature's teeth truly did make the human's eyes water. It did not help that the wind chose the right time to blow a gentle breeze over head, causing Corvice to cough from the disgusting odor the beast before them was emitting.

The human knew he had to think quickly or else he and Flandre were goners. But how could he in the middle of this unpleasant smell and impending doom before them?

"Would you kindly leave us alone, we were just passing by and we meant no harm for your territory. We're just travelers going our way, please leave or—"

"Or what?" growls the wolf.

"Or I will have to report this little incident to your pack leader. We had an agreement, didn't we?" continues the boy defiantly, hiding what little fear he felt from his face.

"H-how can it talk?" asks Flandre in a weak voice. The wolf snarls and proceeds to speak in a low raspy tone. If wolves were meant to speak, this is how they would sound, "Silence, pathetic undead corpse! You have no place within this discussion!"

"Ignore her," says Corvice, waving a hand casually to which the wolf snarls at him in turn.

"So… The Alpha would not take it kindly to find you allying yourself with those of the bloodsucking mongrels of the east," continues the wolf, circling the two as the human hides Flandre from its view, "You reek of their stench"

"Just leave us be. I have no intention of allying myself with anyone. Remember that I treat every race with equality, may be it vampire, lycan, or human," says Corvice, his tone cold and firm, "I'm only trying to help. Remember it was I who fought for your pack when you were outnumbered by the hunters. Remember that I was the one who saved your pack leader's life when he was wounded. You or your leader has no rights to my allegiance. Be thankful for my kindness, you disgraceful mutt"

"Yes, it was you. And yes, we have no rights, however I can simply report to the Alpha that by aiding a vampire in our lands can be considered an act of treason! It should be you who must be thankful for it is because of my Alpha's orders I have not attacked yet! His generosity is the one prolonging your pathetically weak life!" growls the wolf menacingly.

To the wolf's surprise, the human cracked a smile, "So…. Is that how it is?"

"Grr, these demons have addled your mind!" roars the wolf, bearing its sharp teeth for the two to see, "They have poisoned you, told you pretty lies like the weak worms they are! Molding you into a tool against us! See what they have done, they will bring about the end to my tribe, our tribe! You mustn't trust these monsters—"

"THEY'RE NOT MONSTERS!" yells Corvice, his gloved hand crackling with platinum colored electricity. The sight and volume of the human's voice was more than enough for the wolf to step back a bit, "Do you know what you are saying? Look at yourself! You're a beast! Mankind fears you, HOW DIFFERENT ARE YOU AND YOUR KIND FROM US?! WHAT MAKES YOU AND YOUR KIND SO SPECIAL THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN RISE ABOVE US?! You know what I think? I think these vampires, the three of them that I've met in these lands so far are much more human than any other that I've encountered,"

Corvice takes a step forward, right hand clenched into a fist.

"And you know what I think of you? I think that you are a barbaric slob with a twisted way of viewing things, yet why do I even bother? You're a stray wolf. Oh yes, would you mind showing me that brand beneath your neck. Heh, yes, I know of it. You were banished; no wolf with a hint of pride left in his blood would dare cross my path, because just as you said. There are orders from you Alpha not to get in my way, but would you being doing now, eh?"

"Do not attempt to use your silver tongue against me—"

"Because that's the truth! You don't even have a tribe to protect from this 'end' that you speak of! You are merely using this as an excuse! But what do you care? You're a brainless mutt to begin with so why bother explaining things that your tiny little brain wouldn't even recognize?"

Staring the wolf in the eye, Corvice finishes the pointless argument, "You're the one who's pathetic"

Turning his back towards the wolf, Corvice was about to take Flandre out of the clearing when suddenly.

"Mister, behind you!"

Stopping in his tracks, the human performs a quick spin, unleashing a curving electricity into the air striking the lycan straight in the eyes. The attack was then followed by an arc of streaming white electricity from Corvice's right palm before he released a shockwave strong enough to knock the hundred pound beast back towards into a tree.

It was then the time the boy chose to beat it, and grab the vampire once more and sprint back into the forest. Frustrated from his defeat, the lycan utters a bone chilling howl that was heard all across the mountain side.

"Remind me to thank you once we get to your home," says Corvice as he carried Flandre across the tree riddle terrain. The cool evening air reinvigorated him and somehow gave him the much needed energy he lost from running earlier. The time he had consumed during the confrontation with the lycan gave him was enough for him to regain his breath.

This was going to be a long night….

"Ugh, what kind of speech was that? It sounded awful…" grumbles Corvice.

"Mister, stop worrying about that now! They're still chasing us! Big bad doggies are chasing us!"

"I know, I know, stop screaming into my ear!"

Corvice had to side step a tree the last second in an attempt to lose the increasing number of wolves that were chasing them. All around them howls echoed into a never ending repetition, enveloping the faint heart's mind with cold fear.

The night wore on as Corvice ran. How long he was supposed to go, he did not know, all that he had in mind was he will not die on this troublesome night. His body enhanced by his skill earlier meant that he will be able to travel faster and withstand hours of running, yet why did he feel tired already? He had only gone a few years without the rush of battle and he has already rusted this badly. He was losing his touch.

The cold evening air stung his lungs as he breathed them in. The soothing aroma of the tree leaves from above were one of the few things that kept him in his wits and prevented his mind from bursting into complete panic. Years of practice and discipline taught him how to keep his cool in situations similar to this. All he needed was to know what his obstacles between him and his goal were, from there he would calculate the best ways to overcome the conflict and adapt to his predicament better while carrying out his supposed task.

"Umm, Mister…" whispers Flandre from the human's back.

"What? I'm kind of busy at the moment!" replies Corvice through gritted teeth.

"Flandre has to go…"

"What?!"

"Uuu~ can we stop for awhile. The shaking is making Flandre…"

"Wait, hold on! Can't you hold it in! We're almost there!"

"It's going to come out!"

"Why didn't you go before we left in the first place?!"

"Flandre would never think that this would happen!"

"Alright, alright! Just give me a second!"

Entering another empty clearing with a narrow creek snaking across it, Corvice decided to set Flandre down for awhile before he makes a quick stand in the place. He can still hear the calm late night breeze over his ragged breathing and rushing blood over his ears. Every sense he had opened up as his mind was on full alert.

The terrain before him was flat and the trees surrounded him similar to that of the arena kind. If caught in a battle, which he will be, there was nothing he can use to his advantage not to mention that wolves tend to hunt in pack or groups giving him the disadvantage of the fight.

Corvice then turns to Flandre and says, "If you want to go, now's the chance I'll hold off anything that comes this way. Am I clear?"

The little vampire nods and soon zips away as fast as she can, careful not to go too far from her only protector.

A low growl form behind indicated the arrival of the human's friends. Three more black furred werewolves found their way through the clearing. Stomping through the bushes at the other side on all fours as they glared at the boy with their blood red eyes.

"Alright, I'll play with you," says Corvice as a he adopts an expressionless face before pulling the spade from his back and charge towards the wolves.

The human stops half-way through the clearing and with a quick sweep on the creek before him with his spade, he catches the wolves by surprise as he splashes them with cold water. The wolf at the middle had finally lost its temper and chose the bad move by pouncing at Corvice.

"Need a little JOLT!" yells Corvice as he dashes backwards while unleashing a quick bolt of pure white electricity from his palms.

The bolt hits the wolf where Corvice exactly wanted it to be, on the chest. The human had no time to watch the first wolf roar and whimper as the unbearably painful sensation of having multiple needles pierce course through its body, when the second soaked wolf barreled through the left and deliver a bone crushing swipe with its muscular arm if it ever hit him. Corvice had enough time to react before the attack happened, so it confused the wolf greatly when it realized that it had just attacked a cool transparent mist in the air.

Corvice waited until the wolf's paw was firmly planted on the ground before solidifying himself and driving his spade right where the beasts paw is, piercing it on the grassy terrain. Crimson liquid streaked across the boy's expressionless face as they burst out from the punctured paw while the wolf howls in pain. This howl however was quickly silence when Corvice yanked the spade from its hand and mercilessly strike the wolf with it before raising it up again and slam the flat of the spade directly above the wolf's skull.

Corvice did not have time for a second strike when he completely forgot about the third wolf, which had his right arm in its iron grip before tossing him to the other side of the clearing. Clearing the blur out of his vision, Corvice saw that the first wolf was recovering from its electrical therapy and the third wolf was directly in front him while the second wolf was still out.

The third wolf decides to finish the boy off by crushing him with its muscular arms however Corvice had other plans. Releasing the leather cover of his spade, the human charges the roaring behemoth and for a split second transforms his entire body into fine mist once more before solidifying directly inside the wolf's guard. A quick spin while delivering a horizontal slash with the blade of the spade, Corvice leaves the third wolf wounded as it had its rib cage exposed as a result from the attack.

With his increased speed, Corvice makes his way to the first wolf, leaping high with his spade raised before thrusting the digging tool into the beast's open maw. Corvice plants his feet upon the dying creature's stomach and pushes himself away from it.

The werewolf fell dead, unmoving.

The boy rolls back into a kneeling position, breathing hard as he lands. It was not long before a crushing weight suddenly crashed on his right sending him flying towards tree trunk. Gasping for air, the human had enough time to see the bloodied third wolf wrap its powerful claws around his neck. With one quick twist, the beast could easily snap the boy's neck. Drawing out his crossbow from his side, the sound of an arrow zipping through the air was heard before the wolf miraculously released him as three crossbow bolts planted themselves firmly upon the creature's foot.

Spinning drunkenly to the right once, the human unleashed a stream of white lightning from his palms as they showered the beast in sparks. Intent on finishing the miserable creature's life, Corvice quickly reaches into the pouch he had around his waist for an arrow only to feel something grab him by his ankle and start pulling him against the ground. The human grunts in pain as he fell, dropping his crossbow when he did. He realized that he was travelling too fast and that his crossbow was too far from his reach.

Twisting around to get a view of his captor, Corvice finds the second wolf back on its feet while having its mouth red from the blood that was pouring through the human's leg. With its muscular neck and powerful jaws, the wolf succeeded into tossing Corvice into the air, making him land flat on his back on the other side of the creek.

He could hear it… His own heartbeat was pounding against his ears, blocking out all sources of sound. The 'Checkmate' was still active so the pain upon his left leg was still null, allowing him to think clearly. Yet why did he feel so exhausted? Maybe he used too much of his power already, but if he cut off the Checkmate right now then it would mean his immediate doom due to its after effects.

The werewolf was now approaching him slowly; expecting an easy meal after all the human has been through. All Corvice had to do was to bait it to come closer and it will be smooth cruising from then on. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps, six steps…

Now! He yelled internally before releasing an endless arc of lightning from his hand into the creek. The raw energy travelling across the waters and connecting with the wolf's paws, the beast had never expected itself to fall for a trap. Taking the creature's split second of pain, Corvice got up on his good leg and proceeded to limp his way towards the stunned wolf, striking it with a fist imbued with crackling power on its right cheek.

Receiving the hit, the enraged werewolf chose to retaliate by biting the human's head off, but with a quick duck the attack missed and was returned with an electric uppercut to its muscular neck. Giving the wolf no time to recover, Corvice placed his right palm upon the beast's neck and focused a large amount of electricity into it before the moment passed. The grass that stood upon the ground shook as the lightning bolt burst through the wolf's neck.

Corvice fell on the floor, still conscious yet his right palm bloodied and stunk of gore.

The boy's leg, clothes, hair were spattered with blood. His head hanging low, Corvice absentmindedly hovered his left palm over his injured leg as he mutters, "Heal..."

The human was about to relax when a familiar thumping noise reached his ears. "They just don't know when to give up, do they?" growls Corvice as he watches the third wolf dash with great haste towards him with its ravenous maw wide open. Corvice clenched his teeth as he pointed two fingers towards his incoming opponent, ready to unleash a deadly bolt in a few sec—

Kyuu!

The human's eyes grew wide as the wolf suddenly disappeared into nothingness, leaving none of its former form except for a few crimson fragments that rained down from the sky.

Flandre Scarlet stood at the very edge of the clearing, her arm outstretched while her fist was clenched tight.

After the exhausting struggle that occurred earlier, the two were now back on track as they make their way to their destination. They had only lost a few minutes so worrying about the sun rising would have to wait until much later. They may not have to worry about the sun at all for it seemed like they were already arriving at their goal.

Standing at the very foot of the mountain was a pure white mansion, surrounded by a wall of weathered gray stones. At the very entrance stood a large black gate made of iron remained motionless against the strong winds that blew across the plains that it overlooked. The mansion seemed to have been built at the edge of a forest where a plain lay wide open before it. The light from the shining silver moon from above seemed to be reflected by the smooth swaying grass below. At a first glance, the mansion seemed uninhabited, though it seems like that will have to change a few minutes later.

"Mister, you're too heavy. Flandre isn't strong, her arms hurt and she needs to rest," complained the little vampire to the human that hung below her.

"Just a little bit more! Those mutts are still chasing us, don't worry you're almost home," came Corvice's reply, his feet dangling from the ground by thirty feet in the air. His arms started to go numb from the lack of blood flowing in them. If his means of transportation happened to be a weaker creature then he would have fallen a long time ago. He was thankful of the tiny vampire's effort to lift him up, though he was sure that she did not have a choice but to repay him for his kindness of being with her on her way back.

Now to move on to something else to give thought of in order to ignore the enraged werewolves that were out for their blood ever since they had set out. For some reason, Flandre was still capable of flight despite the small size of her wings, which probably out of habit were still flapping themselves uselessly even when they logically were not supposed to be able to carry the weight of two people. And the way that she had vanquished that werewolf earlier, it was unbelievable when she easily willed the creature to cease itself from existing.

For a child to hold that much power, it is dangerous. Corvice began to wonder what sort of other secrets Clark has. Maybe that is the reason why the vampire is so content with his current life. He already has a weapon at his palm that he no longer needs to seek one out. If this girl were ever to be captured by the church, god knows what they will do with her.

This family of theirs…. What could they be hiding?

Magic may be the direct answer to this though there is also the possibility that the Scarlet bloodline may be embodied with a great deal of power, allowing them to do whatever they wish as long as it was within their domain, the domain of the night. Vampires of high caliber were capable of certain abilities; however this benefits only the pure bloods that are considered the strongest of their kind. If the Scarlets were indeed pure bloods to their name, then who knows how much power they were able to possess. The power to 'See the Truth' and 'Complete Obliteration', two abilities from that family, what could be the next?

"We're here!" exclaims Flandre in delight, landing before the front gate of the mansion. Letting go of the vampire's hand, Corvice approaches the gates and begins to shake them roughly while shouting, "Clark! I know you're in there, let us in! We're being chased so if you don't want your daughter to die then I suggest that you come out and save us RIGHT NOW!"

The mansion remained silent and still, giving the two outsiders no response.

"Maybe they're asleep," suggests Flandre, as she stares at her seemingly uninhabited home.

A howl at the distance indicated the arrival of uninvited guests.

"Oh wonderful, they're here…" says Corvice as sarcastically as he can, turning to face the wide plains.

Not a moment too soon, four more werewolves rose from the shadows as if residing in the shade itself. Once again, Corvice was outnumbered four to one and the odds were against him for he cannot go all out against them all when he was protecting someone. The moment he faces off with the beasts, Flandre might get hit by one of his attacks and disregarding her presence could prove fatal for wolves were smarter than they looked and would probably go as far as using the girl as a shield. That is if their minds were not addled by the moon.

The beasts' maws drooling in anticipation of avenging their fallen brothers and the prospect of a meal. Corvice can see the bloodlust in their eyes; they took pleasure out of taking the life of others, toying using their strength to cause fear. No wonder they were banished from their tribes, these wolves were beyond help for they have fallen too far.

"Papa!" cries Flandre in delight at the sound of the ash wood front door opening. Corvice kept his eyes focused upon the threats before him paying no mind at the sound of the gate unlocking and that of the sounds of footsteps approaching him.

A moment passed and the boy releases a sigh as a hand patted him on his shoulder, "You're late…"

Glancing over his shoulder, he finds Clark in a long sleeved white shirt and black pants, a golden hilted rapier within his grip while his silver hair was tied into a ponytail by a black ribbon. Giving Corvice his trademark smirk, the vampire replies, "A vampire that comes to the aid of a friend is neither late nor early. He arrives precisely when he means to!"

"Papa!" squeals Flandre, hugging her father's waist as tears fall from her eyes, "Flandre has been a bad girl! Flandre is sorry; Flandre will never do it again! Flandre will follow papa from now on! Flandre will be a good girl!"

"There, there. Nothing to worry about my dear, however your mother has been worried sick," says Clark, kneeling down to wipe his daughter's tears.

A wolf attempts to step forward but was forced to go back when an electrical spark missed its paw. "You are not ruining this happy family moment!" yells Corvice, apparently frustrated at the situation he was in. Too much, too much has happened in one night and his bottled up anger was reaching its peak.

"Thank you. Thank you for protecting my daughter," says Clark with a smile upon his face as he hugged his daughter, "You've done enough for the night, allow me to finish this."

"No, I'm going to finish this myself," replies Corvice openly rejecting the vampire's aid, "They're not worthy…. Hehehe, that sword of yours isn't worthy to be stained in the blood of animals. It would only dirty the Scarlet name by stepping down into their level."

Clark closes his eyes for a moment, acknowledging the human's wishes before addressing his daughter once more, "Flan, time to go. Big brother here will play with the puppies."

"But papa, will he be alright?" asks Flandre looking up to her father.

A nod from Corvice told Clark that everything was going to be alright and so he says, "Big brother is stronger than he seems. Now come, Mama's waiting inside and she wants to see you."

With that the iron gates closed shut as the two vampires entered the mansion, leaving the lone human behind to fend for himself.

"Now that the distractions are gone, may I ask you mutts a question?" Says Corvice, retrieving his spade from his back, "Which one of you sons of bitches want to die first?"

With the moon shining brightly upon the peaceful November sky, the human's question was responded with a soul-chilling howl from the wolves as all four of them charged towards his direction, ready to tear him apart limb by limb. Spinning his spade above him, ash colored clouds began to gather above the mansion as Corvice summoned them out of thin air.

The wolves were a few feet away when the air around them began to emit a strange metallic scent, causing their pupils to dilate and for a hint of fear to appear within their rage driven minds. From above the clouds uttered a deafening roar as a pillar of pure white lightning came down from the heavens and explode into the earth, the force of the blast scattering the first three wolves all over the place.

One wolf stood its ground and continued its assault once Corvice's opening attack had ended. Its ears deaf from the coming in contact with the sound of the lightning bolt with its sensitive ears, the werewolf raises its buff arms and opens its gaping jaw in an attempt to crush Corvice into the ground. The attack however was blocked by the human using his spade to parry the attack, forcing the wolf to bite down on the metal.

"Get away from me!" yells Corvice as he sends three electrified kicks into the beast's stomach but to no avail.

Shaking its head wildly, the werewolf releases its grip from the boy's spade and tries once more to sink its teeth unto Corvice's head. This time the wolf proves to be more successful as it had the human's shoulder between its teeth, causing an involuntary cry of pain from the human. The boy's blood flowing through its fangs, the werewolf could see its victory over the slayer of his brothers. He would feast upon this being's flesh and prove to all that—

"I got your eye…." Whispers Corvice, his gray eyes filled with indifferent hate.

Raising his right hand that was crackling with ivory electricity, Corvice ruthlessly drove his entire arm into the wolf's right eye, his lightning burning every obstacle in the way so that his hand can navigate easily through the beast's skull, gouging out the wolf's eyeball in the process. Red spattered upon the plants at the combatants' feet, the wolf did not have enough strength to withstand the pain of having its eye extracted so forcefully, and was forced to release the boy in order to release its pained howl.

No one will save you now, your comrades are still down, though Corvice as he let go of the bloody eyeball of the wolf and examine his scarlet stained arm.

Placing a hand over his injured shoulder, he fires a lightning bolt upon the ground, using the recoil as a boost to lift him up into the air. Once he was leveled with the howling wolf, he proceeded to grab it by its lower jaw with his right hand, which was imbued with electricity, and tore the wolf's jaw off its joints with deliberate force. The voltage within his hands were enough to burn away the flesh from the wolf's jaw and all it took for him to rip it off its place was the sufficient strength.

Rolling into a kneeling position as he lands, Corvice aims his outstretched arm towards the wolf's heart before releasing a deadly bolt which pierced through it.

The human wastes no time dashing towards to the rising werewolf to his right and deliver a blow which caused the wolf to stagger on its feet. Corvice was then caught by surprise for he did not expect the second wolf to recover so quickly and counter his preceding blow with a swipe across his chest, causing the human to fall flat on his back. If he had not worn that leather armor from the start of the day, then he'd be dead by now for those claws were as sharp as daggers.

Feeling shallow cuts appear on his skin as a result of the wolf's counterattack, Corvice watched as the werewolf raised its muscular arms and bring them down with all its strength. Stunned at seeing no battered body between its arms, the wolf had no time to react when Corvice solidified before itself and grab the beast by its snout. The creature was about to crush the human between its hands but too late, Corvice had already tore its snout off with his electricity, transferring a large amount of lightning all throughout the beast's body.

"Hea—"

The human was forced to halt his spell casting and plant his feet firmly on the ground as he launched out his right arm to meet with the third wolf's massive arm. Even with the effect of the Checkmate, Corvice's arm could not with not withstand the amount of sheer power that was delivered to it, causing the human to feel every bone he had to shatter into pieces. The wolf lunged its massive head forward but was put to a stop from biting Corvice's already wounded shoulder with his left arm.

Corvice could feel the flesh on his left shoulder tearing off as the wolf tossed him to the side like a rag doll, making him fall flat on the grass.

The human willed his entire right arm to recover using the simple spell he has managed to learn from his past travels. Regaining feeling of his right arm, Corvice just had enough to time to unleash an arc of continuous lightning from his palm, forcing the wolf to back track so that the boy had enough time to get back on his unsteady feet.

"Die you bastard!" shouts the human before raising his healed arm into the heavens and bringing it down as a bolt of lightning mimicked its movements.

The werewolf could only utter a whimper as the stream of raw power enveloped its form. The lightning's life did not merely last a split second but for ten deafening seconds it barraged the werewolf with its might and power. The beast's features burnt to a crisp with the bolt leaving behind a small smoldering crater around it.

This time hoping no more interruptions occur, the boy places his right hand on his injured shoulder, "Heal"

I think… this….is the last of 'em….wait, weren't there four? Wonders Corvice, before a solid black wall slammed against him, tossing him back into the mansion's gate. Where did he come from!?

The wolf managed to pin Corvice to the gate by gripping both sides of his shoulder, though luckily for the boy is that he managed to force his hands between the beast's mouth to prevent it from snapping at his face. However the effort of doing so is wounding him as the werewolf's sharp fangs pierced through his palms and the crushing weight of the wolf's own hands were causing him some strain. Even with his limited movements, Corvice forced his head to tilt as far as it can to the right as he lost his hold upon the beast's jaw, almost biting and growling at the area where the human's head used to be.

I have to get away; I have to get away…. Dammit what do I do? Ah, maybe that will work… thought the boy as the warm sensation of the werewolf's saliva crawl on his exposed wounds.

Breathing in once and exhaling the moment after, Corvice focused all of the energy that he had to course faster than usual all over his body. His breathing and heartbeat going faster than it should, he felt like if he contained the amount of energy within him longer than he can, he'll explode. Well at least the plan was similar to that.

Focusing every bit of energy he had coursing through his body, Corvice channeled his electricity through his arms and electrocuting the werewolf into letting him go in the process. Finally getting what he wanted, Corvice managed to travel few steps before spinning again to block the werewolf's second assault. It seemed like the previous electric attack had completely paralyzed both of the beast's arms and was now relying solely upon its jaw to defeat the human.

Grown sick and tired of the predicaments that he has been set upon, the human proceeded to send another electric shock from his body and channel it into the wolf before slamming the beast's head into the ground as it was still in a daze.

The werewolf gasped in as much air as it can while struggling to get up from its prone position, however the effort was in vain for all it can at that time was to utter a low growl as it watched the human raise his spade above his head before he brought it down with all his might. Not content of striking the werewolf once with the flat of the spade's blade, Corvice went into frenzy as he bashed the helpless beast multiple times, not caring whether red liquid stained his discolored shirt or taint his newly brought cloak.

The human continued to beat the wolf senseless even long after it was dead and unmoving. It was until after twenty consecutive bashes did Corvice only cease, finishing the job by driving the edge of the spade upon the wolf's neck, beheading it. Pulling his spade out of the blood covered soil, the human casually picked up his fallen trophy and sigh in relief now that the battle was over.

{MADNESS CORE INCREASED}

A cold breeze blew by as the seconds passed, before a soft slow clapping broke the midnight silence.

Turning to the source of the sound, Corvice finds Clark at the other side of the gate, carrying what looked like a new fresh set of clothes. They're inviting him in?

"It is not common that I see a man single handedly take down four werewolves with only a few cuts and bruises," says the elder vampire, apparently and genuinely impressed of the boy's work, "Though it is even rarer, that I find a man that keeps a silver bladed spade with him all the time. Remind me to offer you a drink some time, you must tell me all your secrets."

"Well now…" begins Corvice as starts to approach the gate, the werewolf's head swinging carelessly in his right hand, "A builder always needs his tools ready in case he ever needs them. May be it tools for creating or….. Tools for war. Tell me Clark, where's that weak pathetic creature inside me now? Or have I been so truthful tonight on who I really am that you see nothing within me, but on the outside…. Can you see something?"

The vampire lowered his gaze, apparently choosing the right words. Corvice takes this as a chance to continue.

"Who would've thought, that the peace loving, mead drinking young man at the pub was actually more of a monster than these sons of bitches that lay here?" for the first time Clark has seen him, Corvice was actually smiling warmly despite being covered in blood, "Remember this my dear friend, I am not what you think I am and I am capable of most things that you can never possibly imagine"

"I see, then I will be more than happy to know more about you," replies Clark in his usual airy manner.

It is official, this man is an idiot, thought the human the tension in the air around him disappearing as a vein swelled upon his forehead, though he did his best not to break his smile. I bet he can't recognize a death threat when he sees one….

"Now, if you would only step inside now so that you can dip yourself in our baths and relax after this long tiring night. You can't present yourself to someone of royalty looking like that, no?" says Clark as he opens the gate for the human to enter.

"Wait what? You want me to go inside?" asks Corvice, taken aback by the sudden invitation.

"You are covered in Lycan's blood and if I were correct, the rest of their pack will be on to you like a carrion flies to a corpse. It is simply foolish to go out into the forest looking like that, absolutely disgusting!" replies the vampire, ushering the human in, "Oh and my wife wants to see you…"

"That's much worse than having a pack of wolves after you!"

"Nah, it seems like she's in a good mood. Oh and Mr. Mason"

"What?!"

"Welcome to the Scarlet household"

Nicolas Notes: This was due last week! Darn it all! I apologize greatly for keeping you guys waiting, but as you see my editor just lost her steam and is refueling as i speak. I don't think she'll be back for a long time.

Anyhow, this was a bloody chapter. Orinally, this was how Laevateinn started, with the origin of the Scarlets and my own interpretation. But as I thought about it some more the more it seemed to grow until it became its own universe.

So I really, really should thank you all for reading. I have to thank Achariyth1 for filling the place as editor. You really helped a lot, heh.

So I think this is it for now... Way to start the month, huh? Well I pray to Kanako that I update more often... See ya!