"Mao!" Mayu cried in half confusion, half surprise. The white blur indeed was her brother. In the sudden rush she had ignored the other blur that had arrived, a black blur.

A nudge came against her body, the cold press of a nose "Are you okay?"

Mayu looked up to see her savior at least the other half. "Alucard." She said. A loud growl turned her away from her friend. What May wasn't like anything she had ever seen. Cain and Mao wrestled each other, their bodies turning on the ground. They each pinned each other down, rolling about. When Mao got the upper hand, he went right for the chest. Cain let out pained cry as Mao's teeth broke the skin. With a brief rush of adrenaline, Cain kicked Mao off with his hind legs.

Cain glanced over his wound for a brief moment. In that short interval, he looked none too pleased. "What do you think you're doing! How dare you attack your superior!" That bit rang true, in rank Cain held a higher standing compared to Mao. It almost scared her that Mao did something like this. True her brother disagreed with the Clan's methods, but he always obeyed his orders, just like a good little soldier. Between the two of them, she had done more fighting, mostly out of defense of her brother. Now he seemed as if he were a completely different dog.

Mao's fur stood on end as he let out a vicious sounding snarl. "I don't care! You keep your filthy paws off my sister!" Mao leapt towards Cain this time going for the neck. However, Cain foresaw this and in a swift turn, he countered Mao pinning him upon the ground.

"Mao!" Mayu cried. Alucard held a paw over her leg. She could have run but he would stop her. This wasn't her fight. But if she didn't do anything, Mao would certainly be killed. She was vastly surprised. Cain bit down hard on Mao's neck. A gasp struggled out of his throat. Mao visibly struggled under the elder dogs bite. Cain pressed down harden, clearly an intent to kill. Mao could see that. Murder only reserved for betrayals within the clan, that or for those who broke a sever number of rules. So far he had transgressed on both.

But those were for good reasons, and this next act he held no second thoughts.

"What?" Cain's mind raced in thought. Somehow Mao found the strength to push. Cain could feel himself elevating upward, followed by a swift throw to the ground. This only served to further shock Mayu. She had never seen this amount of adrenaline from her brother. Even Alucard looked surprised. Cain reared himself to attack, when a sudden pain filled the side of his head. A small splash of blood painted the cave floor. Cain's eyes looked down in disbelief as his right ear lay within his own blood. Looking at Mao, he gave a look of absolute hatred. All three of them could feel such hatred peering into them. Cain said nothing more and ran out of the cave as fast as he could.

Mao managed a small smile as he collapsed.

Mayu didn't bother calling her brothers name, seeing as she had already called it twice. A question formed though.

"What were you thinking!"

She didn't receive an answer.

"We need to get him outside." Said Alucard.

Mayu didn't argue, she helped her friend bring her brother to his paws. Mao staggered a bit, his mind drifting in and out. The two guided him out of the cave mouth, a gust of fresh air hit their fur. It was a chill wind, cooling heir skin. Mao found it comforting against the still burning wounds. Rain putting out a fire served as an example. As they exited, they found the entrance clear. No guards, and no Cain waiting to counterattack.

Just then, a small but hoarse cough escaped Mao. Mayu breathed her own in relief, for a second she thought she had lost him. Mao staggered a bit before he fell to the side of a tree. "I got im." Mao said coughing again. His throat still felt sore. That wasn't his only sore point. "Ow!" Mao's lethargic mindset snapped back to it's full thinking capacity, right at the moment his sisters paw touched the sore spot upon his head.

"Just what the hell were you thinking!" Mayu demanded.

Mao looked down at his paws before he felt another touch of annoyance. "Quit it!" Mao whined.

"Answer me Mao!" Mayu demanded. "Did you see the look in his eyes! He would have killed you!"

Mao didn't answer. At the moment his sister didn't seem to be in an understanding mood. He looked away from her which provoked a snarl from his sibling. Alucard almost stepped into the argument. He could understand Mao's reasoning's, even if Mayu couldn't. How she didn't understand flew beyond him. They couldn't stay for long however. What Mao had done stood as treason, at least from his point of view. He didn't condone what his friend did, Cain deserved it, Alucard could see the lustful eye the mutt held.

Mayu prepared to smack her brother again. That is until she felt an overwhelming presence. Overwhelming rush more like it, several dogs sprang out of nowhere.

Alucard turned in surprise. "This fast!" He said confusedly. How had a force come this quickly? Did Cain foresee his intentions being disturbed. He and Mayu prepared themselves to fight, but no fight came, at least not to them. The dogs came after them, several surrounding each of them, yet they were not the target.

"Leave him alone!" Mayu cried.

The Clan dogs swarmed over Mao, pinning him down. Mayu tried to break through but she found herself sharing her brother's predicament. Everything went by fast. Dogs sprang from every which way, or it seemed that way due to the sheer size of the group. Every member seemed to meld together, a large oppressive force. There stood out one recognizable form.

"Crush and detain!" Came the order, and they obeyed.

As Mayu squirmed, she could see his pupils bearing down on her. Two raw emotions mixed into a frappe, hatred and lust, the former for her brother and the latter for her. A third ingredient added to the emoting appetizer, defeat. Cain, even as the chef, held no credit for the third. Alucard held that honor, or dishonor as he saw it. He had failed in protecting them. Mayu screamed her brother's name as the dogs dragged Mao back into the depths of the torture chamber.

XXX

She hadn't been surprised this had happened. Her eyes had noticed and her ears had heard of Cain's doings. She always planted suitable spies of her own, just to know what went in her territory. Most of he dogs she sent were following her orders, not Cain's. Needless to say, the sacrifice choice was put on a short hiatus. Cain had returned along with the restrained Mayu and Alucard. For Alucard she ordered a swift punishment, yet none for Mayu. She granted no such thing to the life sucker. Cain had found that strange, he questioned her but they moved it to the confines of her chamber.

"Why Grandmaster!" Cain questioned. "Alucard clearly aided that traitor!"

Treason? Halfway, it was against for a lesser member to lash out against one of higher ranking. Fights and lost limbs were not such an uncommon find, if anything those were brushed aside. Fights amongst the younger members, the puppy sitters and fellow puppies, that and the guards were nothing to frown upon. If anything they believed fighting encouraged strength. However Cain worked directly under her. True he wasn't an official high guard, but he was hers. Memories of him growing up flooded back to her mind, she let them drown her. Cain was a pure born, meaning he was born within the Clan. A single pup born to a lone mother, no male would claim him as his son, probably just a moment of weakness involving a guard. The moment she saw him, something inside her longed, a greedy feeling of envy. Her barren womb would never be filled with growing life, that and she had grown old at this point so it generally stood moot. She wouldn't have allowed a mother to bear the burden of being a single parent. So once Cain could be weaned, she ordered the female a proper send off.

Cain grew like any other child within the Clan, save for her direct guidance. He may have not been her child but she made certain he was treated as such in some ways. Such a bright, inquisitive pup, admittedly she found herself happy, a first in a long time. Eventually Cain became an adult and officially her errand boy, her personal servant. An adult he had become, still she couldn't deny something he asked. Like all males of his age, he had certain urges that needed quenching.

She knew her reason for detaining Mao, the only obstacle guarding Mayu. A fine female she had grown into. She recalled the day when she and her brother were first presented to her and initiated. Her old age didn't put a damper on her memories.

"Are you certain you want her?" She asked.

Cain didn't hesitate. "Yes I-I." He stammered at the end but he got his point across.

"There is the matter of her brother. What do you plan to do with him?"

Cain didn't have an answer to that one. The Grandmaster decided to help her adoptive son along.

"You know the sacrifice ceremony was disrupted because of your lust."

The mutt held his head down for a moment but quickly understood the hidden saying underneath his master's words. A few days or so but everything would be ready. Soon it would work both ways, for the Clan and himself.

XXX

It had been two full days since the incident. The entire clan had been abuzz with worried news: while they had been waiting to hear who or what had been selected for the sacrifice, one of the Grandmaster's guards had abruptly emerged and hackled the announcer from his place. In the following confusion, he had delivered a message: Sacrifice selection would be delayed a few days.

Sacrifice selection? Being moved forward a few days? Some of the clan had whispered in outraged and worried tones. In fact, a few of them almost went to complain to Cain. But the instant they ran into him, his face being covered with dried blood and an ear missing, their complaints turned into stuttering compliments and turning tail runs. Something had taken place, down in the dark hole that was the torture chamber. After all, high ranking officers didn't appear without ears for no reason. But no one was sure of what it was. Even Setsu was being kept out of the loop, judging by her frequent and shrieked complaints. The clan had been beginning to feel on edge. And then there had come Shulma.

Everyone had clustered around the large female bloodhound (though not too close, seeing she drooled) but reeled away from her in shock and surprise when she'd imparted her news. Since new clan members kept arriving and asking what had happened, Shulma had to repeat herself constantly. But those who listened ran and spread the news to others.

A white Saluki had been taken prisoner.

As the dogs screamed the news among each other like Jays, they scrambled to find the Saluki's identity. There was no questioning in Shulma's answer- after all, she was the mate of the sacrifice messenger and currently carrying his puppies. Everyone also acknowledged that Hyra wasn't the sharpest fang in the jaws, and neither was Shulma. The two really didn't have the capacity to lie in the first place even if they'd wanted to. All this taken into account, the clan set out to find the Saluki's identity. They did so within the hour.

One of the Saluki siblings- composed of Mayu and Mao- was missing. And it certainly wasn't Mayu.

The news spread like wildfire.

"Mao's being tortured! He's the one in the chamber!"

"I heard he's the one who torn Cain's ear off!"

"Really? I didn't know he had it in him."

"He was making a conspiracy towards the Grandmaster!"

"Naw, he's too stupid for that."

"Even if he did, he's caught now."

"Did a Toru, did he?"

"Not yet, but he soon will."

And in all the chaos, a guard emerged with an official message from the Grandmaster. The message was very simple:

"The dog in custody has committed a crime. He will be held in the torture chamber until he gives us sufficient answers. Anyone to follow his pawsteps will have their eyes bitten out and will be left for dead outside the clan borders. Understood?"

"Understood!" The entire clan chimed back. No one wanted to have their eyes torn out for pointless reasons- and knowing Mao had committed a crime was enough for all of them. In fact, as the Grandmaster had subtlety hinted, forgetting about Mao completely would be in their best interests. And so they forgot. Mao's spot in the den was looked past like it was invisible, and so was his guard post. The name "Mao" was shoved out of everyone's thoughts.

Interestingly enough, this all happened during the first day and the second day's morning after the incident. There was no better example of how fully the Grandmaster controlled the clan.

XXX

Mayu paced back and forth inside her shared den, wearing the stone floor down even more. From a brief distance, Alucard lay on his belly, watching her actions. Like a ticking clock, his red eyes moved back and forth, almost in harmony with the clicking sound of Mayu's claws. There was no talking. There hadn't been for quite a while. A small drop of water dripped from the cave ceiling.

Ever since Mao had been taken three days ago, both Mayu and Alucard had been moved to one compacted den in den arrest together so the guards could keep an eye on them. Mayu, for once in her life, had not tried protesting about the move. She'd spent all her fury on screaming for Mao and cursing his guards, and had attempted to escape from her guards multiple times. All of them had ended in crushing failure. Once they'd made the move, however, Mayu had become far more silent then usual. It seemed she was afraid that one insult too much would crush her imprisoned brother's only lifeline.

That or she's plotting something, Alucard observed.

He bit back an exhausted yawn. While Mayu had gone into a turbulent half-sleep for the last two days, worn out by her driven pacing, Alucard had spent the two nights also plotting. Hundreds of ideas of freeing Mao had swam through his head, only to be shot down as their flaws were exploited one by one. A toll had been taken on both of the adult dogs, both physically and mentally.

Mayu had never felt so much like a helpless puppy before. She'd been unable to save her brother. Long gone were the days when the most prevalent threat was a clumsy Mako that Mayu could bite away and then scold her brother for his tears.

You should be tougher, she'd tell him. You're a male, aren't you? Shut up and suck it up.

Mayu paced back and forth once more. She was now grown up, a powerful and swift adult. For all the times she'd saved her brother in his puppy hood, it was dissolved away by the fact that she had been defeated by her own twisted Mako and lost her brother as well- AFTER he'd saved her.

What absolute humiliation, Mayu snarled in her head. I lost my own fight and Mao in one stroke. What kind of a sister am I?

Mayu finally stopped pacing. Alucard lifted his head, but didn't say anything. In this kind of atmosphere, words of encouragement would have the same effect as lighting a match and throwing it on a damp towel. All the same, Mayu had the feeling that she'd be even more desperate if Alucard was taken from her as well. Losing both her brothers in one stroke would have crippled her to such a horrible extent that she didn't know what she would do.

Alucard abruptly sat up. "I hear voices outside."

Mayu whipped around, raising her ears. Sure enough, the sound of voices was approaching swiftly. It sounded as though the two were in an argument. Alucard got to his feet. Mayu felt herself tensing-

-as two guard dogs stopped outside the cave. Mayu looked into their brown eyes and found only hatred for them. One of them, feeling her gaze, shifted uneasily.

"Your den arrest has been lifted for the moment. You both are to accompany the guards to the torture chamber immediately."

Mayu's fur bristled.

"The torture chamber?"

Alucard's ear's cocked.

"Why?" he asked sharply.

The dog's response was emotionless and flat.

"Due to the mercifulness of High Officer Cain, you are being allowed to visit a prisoner."

CAIN!

Pure loathing welled up in Mayu's chest. She was ready to spit back a venomous reply, but then her thoughts turned to Mao, trapped and alone in the stone cavern. Her and Alucard's brief hesitation was all the guard needed.

"Any attempted escapes or rule breaking will result in the execution of the prisoner." he coolly added, directing it mostly toward Mayu, whom seemed on the verge of biting someone in the face or swearing. Possibly both. Alucard himself was ready to attack the guards- he only did a better job of hiding his aggression. But not by much.

Mayu breathed out heavily. The two guards stared. Alucard's fur bristled by one more fraction. Finally, the silence was broken.

"I'll go when you two do," Mayu grudgingly forced out of her mouth.

Alucard cast her a glance. Holding down her hatred for Cain and hot temper wouldn't be an easy task. Then again, he'd have to keep his own temper in check. And one certain dog that had been taken from both of them would help them do that.

"I'm ready to leave." Alucard replied.

The guards let lose a small breath of relief. They'd been fixing themselves for a fight, and were glad it hadn't happened. Turning tail, they glanced back at Mayu and Alucard, who were anxious to leave the cave.

"Right then. Let's go."

The two exited the cave and began the guarded walk to the torture chamber.

XXX

A few minutes later, Mayu and Alucard felt their hearts leap up as they stood on the lip of the cave. Four guards had their eyes fixed on them- two outside the chamber itself, and the two that had accompanied them. But what Alucard and Mayu were more focused on was the smell of blood seeping out of the cave. Mao was nowhere in sight.

For a moment, Alucard felt a stab of fear. Had he lost a second Seras?

But both the dog's fears were somewhat quenched when a knot of white fur moved from the inside of the cave. Mayu sucked in an extra deep breath. Alucard was speechless.

"Hello, guys… Sis… Alucard…" Mao said in a cracked voice. "I can't believe you're here."

What was remained of the white Saluki was gone. Only a few emaciated patches of white fur survived on his body. The rest was dyed red and brown.

Mao was much gaunter than Mayu had ever seen him before. Strips of torn fur hung from his shoulders, swollen slashes scattered across the corner of his lips and cheeks. A pulsing bruise that was a bluish black color had bloated up underneath his left eye, making it impossible for him to see totally out of it. Fur had ripped from his haunches and legs, where cruel bite marks had been sunken deeply into the exposed flesh. A portion of Mao's right ear was gone, his belly scratched and tender looking. From the sound of his voice, he hadn't been given water for the entire three days.

"Mao…!" Mayu choked out. "You… what happened to you?"

Mao turned his head to the left, facing his unbloated eye toward Mayu and Alucard. "You… you're both here. Don't tell me they got you too!" Alucard stepped forward.

"No, Mao, they didn't. We've come to visit you."

For a few moments, Mao was speechless. "…Cain let you visit? You, Mayu, of all dogs? It could've been a trap! Why did you risk it-"

"WHY DID YOU TRY TO SAVE ME?" Mayu broke in, screaming at Mao. The guards gave a leap of surprise; Alucard barely managed to repress his. Mao stared at his sister with his good eye.

"Sis-"

"You saw Cain! He was ready to rip you to pieces, you dumbass! You're much weaker than me- if I was having trouble holding him off, what gave you the idea that you would be able to take him on? Mao… Mao… you… you stupid idiot!"

"Si-"

"You were nearly torn into shreds by him! Why didn't you ask for Alucard's help, or run? Just… why?"

"Ma-"

"The gu-"

"MAYU!"

Mao roared at the top of his lungs, breaking off his sister's tirade. The entire group fell silent, a few guards skittering to the side. Mao stood there, breathing heavily as his sister stared in shock. Mao usually didn't speak up for himself, just listening till his hot-blooded sister was done with her ranting before chipping his piece in. Alucard didn't dare to break the silence. Mao moved, his breathing still harsh and as he fixed his gaze on his sister.

"Mayu… you've always protected me, no matter what. But I'm not little anymore, and I'm your brother- I have to protect you too!" His last words turned into a snarl of determination, and Mayu and Alucard were left in a small wake of shock. Just as Alucard was about to break the silence, Mayu moved. Taking a few steps forward, she moved until she was sitting in front of her brother, her nose mere inches away from his face. Mao braced himself slightly, not knowing what his sister would do next, but preparing to stick to his words. But Mayu spoke once more.

"Mao…. You idiot. You overprotective idiot."

Her voice was no longer scolding, but silent and shaky with emotion welled up in it. Alucard swallowed his words as Mao lowered his face a fraction and let his body go limp. There was nothing that could be said in this situation. And, looking at the bowed backs of the silent siblings, nothing that he wanted to say.

Without warning, the sound of multiple dogs howling spit open the air. Everyone sat bolt up right, Mao struggling to get up.

"What's going on?"

All of them could hear vicious howls of victory, and a riot of savage- Mayu and Mao realized with horror- happiness. Suddenly, they spotted a dog running toward them as fast as his legs could carry him, ears flapping in the created wind and dead leaves crunching under his feet. He was howling something indistinguishable at the distance he was at, however; two of the guards split off from guarding the small group at the torture chamber to light after him. As he came closer, everyone tensing, Mayu realized what he was saying.

"THE SACRIFICE HAS BEEN CHOSEN! At moonrise tomorrow… Mao will be fed to the spirits!"

XXX

The sacrifice chamber was alive with movement, packed to the brim with members of the Clan. If there was a guess, then practically everyone stood present. Their hungry eyes looked on towards the center stage, a small cliff overlooking all. A slab of rock akin to a table stood in its center. Dried blood stained the stone, remnants of sacrifices past. To Mayu, it all became a blur again. Everything had happened so fast. After the announcement, the guards came. They tried to protest, but more and more followed, dragging Mao out of sight. Her mind became a frenzied mess, Alucard had attempted to calm her.

"It'll be alright" He soothed. It had worked for a while, somewhere deep inside she convinced herself things would be alright, they would pick someone else and Mao would go free. She tried to chew on a twig, several infact, just like she always did. It didn't help.

Now here she was. Alucard stood next to her. A blank look of indifference lay on his face. However Mayu knew he was hiding his true feelings, her own emotions were working themselves halfway up.

"This isn't happening." Mayu repeated. She kept saying that, putting herself further into denial. Maybe if she convinced herself that this was a bad dream, she would wake up, awake back in Sawada's home, playing in the yard as she held her brother tightly by the tail.

The cheers grew louder as the Grandmaster stepped into view. The old female stood proud as her slaves gave their adoring attention towards the future bloodbath.

"And so the time has come again to offer a soul to the conclave." The Grandmaster began her speech, something to rile up the masses. They were like puppets and her speech the strings. "With each sacrifice, our resolve strengthens, and the new blood will quench our thirst."

Quench for thirst, more like quenching their bloodlust.

The Grandmaster looked behind her, Cain was the first to emerge, in his mouth he held a strange tool, it looked like a claw yet the glint that caught in everyone's eyes revealed it was metal. Suddenly the howls grew again as a battered shape limped out of the passage.

"Mao!" Mayu shouted, but her voice was drowned out by the cheers of the other members.

The sacrifice had arrived. She couldn't get to him, this sea of dogs blocked her way. This wasn't happening, this could be happening, she tried to tell herself that again, hoping it wouldn't come true. Her eyes fell upon Cain as he led her brother upon the table. Mao wasn't even fighting, he was just letting them.

"Mao!" She screamed again. Somehow he had heard her, as he looked over with his still functioning eye.

The male saluki could see his sister's panicked face. For some reason, despite the circumstances, he smiled. Mimicking this, Mayu smiled as well. Everything froze between them, the twins could only feel the devotion they felt towards each other. Mao had no regrets over what he did, Mayu would have done the same, they both knew that.

"I'm sorry sis."

He didn't have to speak for Mayu to hear the apology.

"Spirits of the Conclave," The grandmaster announced, proudly holing out her chest, "We offer this soul to you!"

Looking over to Cain with a silent command, a slight form of a grin crossed the males face as he leapt upon the table and drove it into Mao's chest.

"MAO!" Mayu's cry was drowned out by the growing howls and cheers of the Clan. Mao gasped and gurgled as blood spurted up from his chest. The knife claw worked its way, carving through the ribcage and working its way to the heart. After a bit of work, something gave. Removing the knife, Cain gave his Grandmaster the honors. The old female dove her head into Mao's open cavity, and after a bit of pull, Mao's still heart came out.

Mayu could only watch in horror as her brothers lifeless head rolled to stare at the bloodthirsty crowd. The Clan's prayers had been answered, and Cain could feel what he desired in his grasp. Alucard turned his head away, unable to view the sight. Mayu didn't turn away, her eyes fixated on the sight, her expression frozen ever the same.

XXX

Mayu secluded herself whilst the Clan still remained below, an after party of sorts while they added their body to the bone yard. The bone yard, a piece of the caves that hadn't been seen, it only showed how deep the caverns run. Whenever there was a sacrifice, the body of the deceased would be placed there, to rot amongst the many soulless carcasses. She couldn't watch, not after what happened. What kind of sister was she? Not wanting to pay respects to her brother, her dead brother. By all means she should see him, but the image of him lying there lifeless.

She didn't want to think about it.

The air grew chill as her emotions, and just as dead. How she longed for the past now, those bygone days of happiness, that is she would have, but the past had moved on into the present, the grim realty of the present. Tears fought hard to breach the surface of her eyes, but she defended against them.

"You shouldn't hold your pain in."

Mayu froze at the voice. That frozen feelings thawed by her own shudders, shudders of hatred.

"Cain." She rasped.

Behind her, she could easily tell the male was smirking. "You should feel happy, it is an honor for someone of the Clan to be chosen as a sacrifice." Cain's smirk shrank. "Your brother has sated the Conclave."

A low growl sprang up from her chest. "DAMN THE CONCLAVE!" Mayu snapped as she lunged at Cain. Her anger blinded her actions and senses. Cain foresaw that and easily he pinned her with a simple twist of her neck. Removing his jaw from her jowls, he placed a paw upon her chest. It wasn't hard enough to pin her, Mayu knew she could easily get up, but she didn't. The events of the day had emotionally drained her. Cain knew that and he took full advantage of it.

"Don't try to move," Cain warned. "You have no place to run."

That wasn't true, with most of the clan underground, there were plenty of places to run. But she knew what he really meant; she had no place to go to. The Clan had been her home for years. The only drive she had of escaping was with another.

"Mao." She whispered. Almost as if he hoped her brother would appear and save her.

Mao wasn't coming though. God she hated this feeling, now she truly felt like the cliché females were often associated with, weak and whiny. Becoming a male wasn't easy, she had carefully tried to distance herself from the other bitches, but now here she was, about to become Cain's. Cain could smell her cycle still turning.

"Without Mao, you have no one," Cain hissed, "accept me and I'll be your pillar of strength."

Cain neared in on the emotionally paralyzed female. His male urges would be satisfied. Then suddenly his mind went blank, as something swift rammed against him, and in a turn, his head collided with the ground, knocking him senseless, the last shape he could make out was a blurry black.

XXX

"Alucard?" Mao asked as her friend descended.

Alucard swiftly turned to her. "Come on!" He urged. Mayu stumbled uncertainly to her feet. "What are you?" She started but at Alucard's urging, she moved along.

"Come on hurry!"

The duo made it mouth point of the path when Mayu stopped. "Alucard what are you doing?" She asked again.

Alucard wanted to rush her but he knew she wouldn't budge without an explanation. Breathing, he explained himself. "Look Mayu now's, your chance. Their all down there, they won't notice you."

"Notice me?" Mayu asked confusedly.

Alucard didn't hold any impatience, in her broken state; he knew she had no idea what he was inferring to. "Keep going straight down the path, there we'll be a series of trees, keep going and don't stop till you can't smell them. The Clan's area held a distinct scent. It stretched far showing how much their influence had spread. Mayu had never gone past the scented area. What Alucard was offering was well freedom.

"Come on hurry! I don't know how long he'll stay out." Alucrad referred to the still unconscious form of Cain.

Mayu uncertainly looked beyond. A straight shot, and she would make it. She had all the chances, but she couldn't seem to take the first step.

"Come with me." She beckoned.

Alucard was taken aback by the request. For a brief moment, he looked ready to leave. Then his face shifted, hardly noticeable with his dark furred features. "No." He declared.

Mayu found the confusion returning, "What? Alucard why you don't belong here." Mayu felt that certainly enough. Why wouldn't he want to leave? Alucard held as much disdain for the Clan as much as she did. But then why?

"Do you remember what I told you and Mao when you were just puppies?"

Mayu silently shook her head. By now, those times were pushed far back in her mind.

"You haven't been touched by the grandmaster influence. You still look the same."

Now Mayu remembered. Most of the Clan members held the same dark, unnatural features. Yet she and Mao looked the same. She always wondered why, yet never questioned it.

"Alucard I don't see why you can't-"

"Look at me!"

At his sudden snap, Mayu took all of Alucards features in. His crimson colored eyes, the color of blood, it went perfectly along with his plasma sucking habits. At first it disturbed her, especially when they first met, but now friendship had pushed those prejudices away.

"Alucard you don't have to-"

"Just go Mayu." Alucard instructed, cutting her off. "You'll never get this chance again."

Mayu knew that was true. Looking behind her, she saw the open path. Hesitation clashed with her. Then in that split moment she made her choice. Blowing away the hesitation, she ran and she kept going.

Alucard smiled as his still living friend ran off into the wilderness. Not taking his own chances, Alucard quickly ran off. Cain awoke uncertain of what had happened. Immediately however, he sensed that Mayu no longer was among them. A search was held for the escaped female. Cain himself led the search, yet they yielded no results. Reasonably, Cain was upset. His male call would go unsated. A talk had transpired between him and the Grandmaster. For some reason he seemed rather perturbed about the information he received, more specifically whenever Setsu walked within his sights.

Luckily he didn't remember who had attacked him. He held his suspicions but he couldn't pin it. Alucard knew he had a better chance of slipping through his suspicions. During the search he cooperated. He had to make it look good and so far, it had worked.

Yet it felt bittersweet.

The Clan had gotten their sacrifice, yet he had saved Mayu from having her virginity taken by Cain.

"Seres." He whispered.

Images of his dear Seres appeared in his head. Her smiling face and his wagging tail, those were times he wished he could take back. More images followed, Mao and Mayu. Since loosing Seres, those two had replaced the pain he once bore in his heart. Now he pain returned, and once more, he had no one to share it with.

Bittersweet.

XXX

Mayu kept running, she kept going until the Clan's scent couldn't reach her nose. Fire screamed in her lungs, so she took a moment to rest. Breathing against a tree, she felt the flames die down. Cool air rushed inside her and soon she felt better. An unknown set of trees surrounded her. She had definitely travelled far past the Clan boundary. For good measure she probably should venture further. For now she rested, or she would have if he didn't feel numb, emotionally that is.

"Damn it." She whispered, pawing at the ground.

"Damn it." She aid again, this time with more force.

"Damn it!" Rising to her feet she growled clawing at the tree.

Mayu continued to claw until the bark started to peel away. Then with a resounding cry, she screamed "DAMN IT!" Her voice echoed through out the forest.

She had let it all out. All the anger she held, yet the pain remained. Then it came, her breathes started to choke. A sound started to form, one that she made very certain to hide during her transition to an adult. Her vision started to blur, as a wet feeling flowed down.

The pain found its way to the surface.

"Mao. She sobbed quietly, then with an increasing pitch, "MAO!" Her tears flowed like a river.

No one stood by to comfort her.