Sunlight was just kissing the tops of the trees when the limp form on the ground at the edge of the graveyard started to stir. This small movement was accompanied by low groans of pain and softly spoken curses.
Riki drug himself up slowly to lean back against what he assumed was the headstone that he had hit. "Uh, my head," Riki said aloud into the empty morning mist. Reaching up to probe the back of his head gently, cursing when he hit a tender spot he pulled his hand back, it had a bit of dried blood on it but nothing fresh.
Good it healed already. I don't know what those bastards did but it works.
Riki shuddered at the memory. It had been a long time since then it was before vampire hunting, before Katze even, well not exactly it was how he met Katze actually. He had saved him. He had helped him escape from Guardian and their sick experiments that they had done to him and his gang.
My gang.. Another painful memory.
"That knock to the head must have been worse than I thought," Riki said chuckling humorlessly to himself, "I haven't thought about that stuff in years."
Hoisting himself up he suddenly remembered the event of the previous evening. "Katze! Where are you? Katze!" he yelled looking frantically around. The redhead was nowhere to be seen and Riki's eyes came to rest on the now rotting corpse on the ground over by the lone tree in the graveyard.
"Shit!" Riki cursed remembering the body from the night before. Probably some poor bastard from the town. He thought jogging over to examine the remains, stopping abruptly when it came into full view.
A vampire. It's severed head was laying a few paces away from the body, with fangs still fully extended. It looked as if it had been ripped off, and the main body was a mess of deep gashes that looked like they were many with claws. Vampire claws, Riki realized, that vampire last night killed it.
The first question that came to Riki's mind was, Why? Why would one vampire kill another?
Of course it was not unheard of but vampires were so few these days that it was rare, very rare. Unless it was a turf war, one vampire encroaching on another's feeding grounds, but if that was the case why was he still alive. Surely the vampire would have killed and fed off him, but he didn't and he was nowhere to be found.
Riki signed trying to remember some more details from last night, trying for a clue that would tell him where Katze was.
It came back in flashes. First the wicked strong vampire, shooting the vampire, vampire not dying, flying through the air, pain, then…. What?
"Talking!" Riki exclaimed. He remembered through the haze of pain exploding through his skull that Katze had been talking to someone no not someone the vampire. He could recall hearing someone whimper and something about delicious blood.
"That bastard!" Riki yelled suddenly, scaring away some scavenging birds. That bastard drank from Katze! He took him for food! Riki started jogging for the car. Judging by all of the other vampire he had encountered he would have till sundown to find Katze, before that vampire was awake again.
Thank you sunlight! He thought as he reached the car. It was useless to try and track a vampire they were the ultimate predator, made for stealth. Katze kept meticulous records of vampire encounters and sightings. Maybe there was information about super powerful vampires and where to find them or better yet…
How to kill them.
Raoul slowed to a brisk walk as he approached the entrance to the cave. The sun shone through the overhead canopy of trees in small patches, but Raoul didn't notice or care. Upon entering he cast his glowing emerald eyes around till they finally resting on a small arcane symbol carved into the stone.
Shifting Katze gently and bracing him against his chest with one arm leaving a hand free. Extending his fangs he bit down on his thumb just piercing the skin, blood welled in the wound. Raoul pressed his now bloody thumb print onto the symbol in the wall. It glowed slightly as the blood was absorbed by the swirling symbol, a blood lock.
Raoul laved his wound to clean the extra blood way before picking Katze up again with both arms. He continued walking forward deeper into the cave, coming to a stop at another arcane symbol this time carved into the floor.
Suddenly the cave started to quake with the rumble of stone against stone, and the wall in front of Raoul began to move, glowing like the blood lock. Raoul swiftly entered the large passage that was revealed.
He walked deeper and deeper until the end of the passage started to brighten with the light of phosphorescent lichen growing on the stone. Standing at the end of the passage at the top of an underground cliff, Raoul looked out over a vast and thriving city.
"Welcome to Tanagura, Katze," he murmured leaning down to kiss the beautiful creature in his arms.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed!
Max - Here is some more! :D
Guest - Yeah. I had Halloween on my mind.
Sally - Don't worry Iason and Riki are main characters too! Their relationship is just going to build slower.