The Eternal Clock

Part 3

Ready, the odd group set out with their half a day's journey to the monastery; during their journey everyone kept up their guards, yet the majority the trip Raph insulted Donnie, as Leo tried to keep either one from actually killing each other.

With much luck they made to their destination without any unexpected delays, or distractions of any kind, this also included Donnie not fulfilling his desire to thrust his cross into Raph chest just to shut him up.

A breeze of death hit Donnie's nose as he could smell the rotten corpses of the dead still lingering in the air from the night before, as they approached the graveyard.

"We best dismount here, I don't want to have the horses spooked more than they are now," Donnie informed the group.

Stopping at a tree Donnie tying his horse to the trunk of it, the other two followed Donnie's lead and dismounted.

Horses secured and no evidence of anything that could hurt the horses in their absences, Donnie took in the sight before moving forward as he looked up the hill where the monastery was to be.

The bright sun blazed upon him, in the distance dark shapes flock about above the hill, ravens no doubt looking for a prey to feast on.

Taking in his surroundings Donnie ready himself with his whip as he slowly ventured forward, unsure what may be waiting, Donnie took the lead avoiding taking any unnecessary risks.

Encased around the graveyard was an old metal fence that has been beaten and destroyed, scraps of clothing and dead flesh hung on it, as it's trophies from the ones that dare to cross its jagged tops.

Something seemed off about this place than just some broken down fence, stopping Donnie looked forward evaluating the yard, in the far distance was a tomb, its dark aura gave the impression that this must be the tomb of the silent witch.

Eerie as it just sat there in the middle of the dead grave yard there was something else that disturbed the hunter, Donnie felt strangely uneasy of the situation, even a grave yard in the day is still holds dangers; then there was the silence, even with the ravens above, the place was too still.

Although it being day and no zombies will walk, didn't mean something else couldn't be lurking around with all the turnover graves and holes.

This made Donnie very wary, considering maybe another course of action should be considered at this moment, Donnie thought on it.

(Are these holes made by the undead… or is there something else around.. Damn, it's too quiet, even with all these ravens this is not good.)

"What is your deal? Lets get this moving, there is nothing here," Raph huffed bumping Donnie and Leo to the side as he charged by them without concern of the obvious unnatural signs pointing to, 'for one being hasty could mean sudden death'.

(Damn fool!)

Annoyed by his foolish companion, Donnie went after him, yet he couldn't stop the ignorant wolf.

Suddenly something odd caught Donnie's ear to his right, stopping in his tracks he closed his eyes focusing on it, it sounded like scurrying, yet at the same time digging, to Donnie's surprise Raph too stopped, looking around wildly.

(… He can hear it, of course he can, he is a werewolf after all, then he could…)

"Raph what do you smell?" Donnie desperately asked him, as Leo finally noticed that other two were becoming weary, yet Leo had no clue what was going on.

"Smell? I can hear something, yet I can't pin it down, its like its all around." Raph looked confused, not sure what would be making such sounds.

"I don't care about that, smell the air damn it and tell me what you smell in details. NOW," Donnie yelled at him coming up beside the beast, eyeing him down.

Glaring at him then with a sigh, Raph stuck his beak up into the air closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, inhaling the air, then another, his head twitched like he didn't enjoy what he could smell.

"A lot of rotten corpses… What, what's this I smell sulfur… something earthy like a compost, worms a lot of them… maybe."

"Worms… oh no, we have to get to the tomb right away!," Donnie warned the group, just as some of the holes not too far from their location, started to spit up dirt into the air.

"What the hell is that!" Raph gulped when a huge worm with bulging purple flesh on it body accompanied by a deformed human male head swarmed out of a hole as it eyed the group.

"Larva! Run… Damn it Run...," Donnie yelled as the Larva leaped out of its hole, the group quickly went towards the tomb, as more Larva started to show up.

(Damn it and I without holy water! I have nothing that would work on these blasted damnations! This is isn't good; they will rip our flesh off if they catch up to us.)

With an unexpected halt, the group stopped not too far from the tomb, in front of them blocking the path were four Larva.

What made matters worse, others of its kind started to surround Donnie and his group, the foul creatures were closing in for the kill.

(What is going on, why are they acting strangely, Larva don't hunt in packs, nor do they target like this…)

"This isn't good Hunter what should we do?" Leo asked looking for answers.

(What do we do, I have never dealt with such a swarm. This is very uncharacteristic of them… How am I to know how to deal with them if I don't understand the nature of their demeanour? What would Trevor do?)

"Damn this," Raph roared in frustration, ripping his collar off throwing it at Donnie, Raph changed his form, "Wimps run for the tomb, let me handle these over grown grubs!"

"What you…." Donnie was about to protest only to fall on death's ear as Raph charged the Larva that was blocking the path.

In a full run, Raph rained down the Larva slashing their flesh with his claws.

His massive jaw came crunching down on their bodies as he shook his head violently ripping it to shreds, black blood oozed down from the beast's muzzle.

A hunger in Raph's eyes grew, as he attacked another, then another, howling in glee with every kill.

Placing his hand on Donnie shoulder Leo shook his head, "Let the wolf blow some steam, we must go or his efforts will be in vain."

Donnie watched the beast at work, part of him knew this wasn't right, the other was sick of the sight.

Donnie looked at Raph's collar feeling it in his fingers debating, trying to put aside his feelings.

The collar must help Raph control his change, why would he entrust Donnie with it?

Donnie shook his head, he felt bad for what he was going to do, with a hesitant sigh, he placed Raph's collar into his pouch.

(I have no choice.)

With a nod Donnie joined Leo, leaving Raph be, he rushed for the doors of the tombs with luck they will be easy to open.

Avoiding the attacks from the Larva, Donnie managed to whip some to the side as they got closer to the tomb.

Only inches away, they made it only to find out their luck might have run out, as the doors wouldn't budge for Donnie, "Help me Leo, we need to get this open fast."

Combining their strength, the turtles with much effort slowly opened the doors, as the doors screeched, dragging across the stone floors of the tomb.

"We need to be quick Hunter and get these doors shut behind us so no Larva will follow us," Leo went inside taking one of the doors starting to shut it.

"What of the beast?" Donnie looked back to Raph; he was neck deep with Larva as he slashed at them howling in victory.

(I swear he enjoys doing that a little too much…)

"Like you said, he is a beast, Hunter. We and him aren't the same, he is an unholy damnation. This is a suitable fate for him to repent for what he is," Leo eyes were hard, yet not surprising Hunters and Monks have no tolerance for such things like Raph…

(But so, does it make it right to just leave him like this… I know he is one of the damned, but what he is doing, is for us not for him. An unselfish act, is he so damned after all?)

Sighing with a heavy heart of regret, Donnie went inside taking the door, shutting it, leaving Raph alone to defend himself or die in the process.

Even though Raph is a werewolf no one can take on that many Larva alone.

Doors fully shut Donnie leaned his head against its cold stone surface; he already felt he had failed, as regret claimed his soul.

Regardless what Raph was and how much he pissed off Donnie, he could see what Lucca saw in him, even though it was confusing.

Raph didn't act like most Lycanthrope he wasn't wild and savaged he still held his humanity, a little too over eager when he was fighting, but in the end he fights the darkness not the light.

(Was I in the wrong… I was always taught this is how things must be… what if in the past, my ancestors weren't always right? Maybe there are things in this world that is found in the gray of the black and white…)

"Hunter, don't worry about the creature, we have more pressing matters," Leo smiled looking inwards.

"You're right," Donnie turned around; he had a promise to keep, to Lucca that he can't break.

Behind them, Donnie noticed there was stairs that led below, covered with cobwebs and insect of the normal variety.

Looking around for some torch, for the only visible light came from the cracks of the doorway, Donnie found one beside him.

Lighting it up, it illuminated the area.

"Interesting, I haven't seen such magic, nor did I ever thought a Vampire Hunter capable with such powers," Leo looked intrigued by the device that Donnie was holding.

"It's not magic, it's a simple device I have."

"Interesting indeed you're a wonder Hunter," Leo looked at him intrigued, his eyes made Donnie uneasy.

A foul wind rushed from inside the tomb towards them, "We are best to be going Leo," stopping Leo from asking anymore questions, Donnie didn't like to give out his tech secrets.

Slowly down the stairs, they venture, being a tomb that housed a powerful artifact there very well would be traps or other thing that bump in the night.

Reaching the bottom the smell still lingered, zombies… or something worse.

"We're best to keep our guard up Leo, watch your step we don't need to trigger any traps," Donnie warned over his shoulder watching his own footing, there were too many loose floor boards; any one of them could be a trigger.

Deeper they walked, within the darkness, no sound rang.

The corridor they were following was long and narrow to no end, luckily no traps have been found; they casually pressed forward.

Finally, when Donnie thought this would never end they came to an archway leading into a round room.

Cautiously they stood there looking within, not yet entering.

Donnie wanted to make sure he was not walking into a trap of some sort, for the room was just too normal, no windows, only thing was the center that held a pedestal that was empty.

Where he was Donnie could see it once housed something, for the dust made out a shape.

(Could it hosted the artifact?)

"I think it's for the best we both don't enter, don't you agree Hunter?" Leo stated.

"Agree I will go in first," with a breath Donnie headed towards the center, just before he got to the pedestal a rumbling occurred.

The room shake under Donnie's feet as the dust started to rise and fall covering the room in a thick cloud of smoke.

It was so dense it made it hard for Donnie to breathe as he coughed.

The rumble became more violent as its vibration threw Donnie off balance, resulting him to hit hard onto the ground.

Coughing and gagging because of his lungs were filled with dirt and dust, Donnie wiped his eyes so he could see again, to his dismay the door that he came through was now shut.

(Ahh.. Crap…)

Despair fell onto Donnie as he came aware he was now trapped in the room.

Looking down, to see what he might have triggered the door, his search became empty for the floor was solid, he did not set his situation, then who did?

Placing his focus back to the pedestal he wanted to see first hand if it did house an object, running his fingers across the marble surface revealed a heavy dust in the center was a shape of a square.

(A box was here, so did it truly held the watch… I really need to find a way out this room, not like it reveals any more clues for me.)

Not even a step back, a rumble commenced behind him again.

(Great what did I do now?)

To his relief the door actually opened, yet to his horror who was standing there wasn't Leo, for he was on the ground unconscious.

Unaware if Leo still lived Donnie had more pressing matters to worry about, as he came face to face with a very striking woman.

She stood there with porcelain white skin smooth not even touched of age, her red flowing hair wisp and curled reaching down towards her butt, it was radiant, memorizing as it moved with the sway of her body.

She wore a purple velvet dress that flowed wrapping around her thin figure.

Licking her ruby red lips, she slowly walked towards him, with an amusing smile; while her bright green eyes trailed down Donnie as she admire every detail of his body that showed.

(This is not good.)

Readying his whip Donnie glared at her, "Back vampire, you will not take another step if you know what is good for you!"

Stopping in her trail, she tilted her head to one side as she beamed, "Oh... Well then maybe I should stay as I am? I am no threat to you Hunter."

Donnie backed a step trying to keep some distance from her, "Not a threat you're a vampire!"

"Yes and you keep in the company to a werewolf, as I heard him taking out those nasty Larva, such pests.

"Your pets, no doubt."

(She could be the reason for the Larva's odd behaviour and the zombies as well, but how did she get in here? Its day, she couldn't have come in after us, unless there was a secret passage I missed on the way to this room.)

"Of course not, they are no pets of mine, they are more my guards making sure I can't leave this cursive place," she walk towards Donnie as he back away more.

"Why do you walk away from me Hunter, I said I mean no harm, can't you see I am just a prisoner in this place, why do you think its called silent witch?"

Donnie looked at her ruby red lips as they moved, trying his hardest to not let them get to him.

He could feel a hot urge building inside, a vampires greatest weapon, he gulped trying to think straight.

(Why am I not striking her down…)

A smile curled to those such lips, as she suddenly shifted out of faze.

A vampire's ability, then as quick as she faze out, then fazed in, right in front of Donnie, running her finger down his plastron, as she fixed her eyes onto his.

(Shit, why can't I move!)

"Don't threat Hunter, I promise I won't bite, I just… being here alone for so long, I forgot the feel of a warm tender man's arms, embracing me," she pressed her body against his, sweat trickled down Donnie's brow.

He could feel her cold skin touching his, that alone should turn him off, but the scent of her was alluring, memorizing, as he allowed her to tiptoe up to him, having her lips inches away from his.

(What am I doing, I have to resist her… mmmmmmm)

His body trembled as she pressed her lips against his, a wave of serenity washed over him.

It was nothing he ever felt before, he was told a vampire kiss was like a drug, but never imagined it to feel this good.

Dropping his whip to the ground, the vampire ended her kiss, she purred in amusement, "Tell me Hunter what is your name?" she ran her finger over his arm muscles admiring the shape and strength they held.

Heart pounding, caught in her web, what was left of him that still remain fought the question, fearing if he told her she would have him for sure, not like he could do anything to her now.

(No… I… can't tell… her… I have to resist her….)

She pouted, then went to his ear, pressing her cheek against his, "You tell me yours and I will tell you mine," she licked his cheek seductively, pleasure shot down his body, as he gasped for air.

(Mmmm… no… mmmm)

"D… Don… Donatello Belmont," Donnie couldn't help himself.

"Mmmm, " she kissed the crook of his neck, enjoying the reaction from him with delightful purrs.

(I… have… tt... to… fight…. mmmmm)

"You promise," Donnie finally got out, using all his will to push her away from his neck.

"Well, I did, didn't I, to tell you who I am and not to bite you," she gently lowered his arms wrapping them around her body, as he surrendered to her, embracing her pulling her closer to him, making her breasts press against his chest.

She slowly reached for his lips again, pressing her's against his, as soft chirps escape him, she smiled, kissing him passionately, releasing his lips, she slowly licked them.

"My name you ask… is April O'Neil," she pressed her lips hard against his, making the turtle moaned in pleasure.