Work has swamped my time so much that it's throwing off my writing schedule completely! Anyway, I finally have the chance to get through this chapter and hopefully get back to making this story done quicker, because I have another one that I want to start in another sector of my anime collection and I can't wait to start it out. So, here's the thirteenth chapter of Synchro Beast, Crimson Rose!
Chapter 13-The Siege on The Northern Lands
Sounds of footsteps were echoing through the northern castle, the home of the grand vampire and the sanctuary to those who have survived the countless wars that has ravaged the continent centuries ago. With the grand vampire no longer present inside the castle, order has dissolved into silent chaos and disobedience was very common amongst those who cowered in fear of the serious, if not cold-hearted vampire that inherited the command from his grandfather. However, after smelling the tasty blood of the girl that entered the castle with the mortally fatal wound that was healed by the medical team, the residents of the castle grew restless as to whoever could claim the young woman, but with the bodyguards she has walking through the home of her interest, they held their bite until the time was right.
As Amy looked passed each door, she saw how drastically things changed since Yami's presence was no longer sensed within the vampire clan, or what's left of them to be exact. Each one held their bite as they sensed the remedy she placed on herself every year to prevent any incidents, and the fact that Yusei and Jack was leading her to their castle's sacred library to see the folklore that was written by the ancients centuries was making her curious about the perspective from a vampire's view seen by their own eyes. It was completely astonishing that over the course of her life since being born, the woman has not been allowed to enter the world of vampires and was cut off from any contact by the vicious creatures. However, since becoming close to the grand vampire, Amy's opinions of vampires grew wider and saw that not every immortal being was craving for blood, but rather expressing the same emotions that the mortals displayed in the open.
There was also the matter of finding out what was behind the sealing of the grand vampire himself, and the question of why the western queen would go through any lengths to prevent her from becoming something else with Yami. Amy wanted to know why Tèa would send an assassin after her when she only wanted to become close to the protective, charismatic man that was the only clue to whom her mother truly was years before her death. Slightly running her right hand through her pink hair in deep thought, the studious woman needed to read the history of what started the war that has left so many causalities on both sides and the lost of numerous loved ones that could never be brought back, unless by a very powerful spell that would break the laws of time and space.
With the girl so much into deep thought, she bumped into Yusei, whom has stopped in front of a very large door and the raging blonde who was Jack arguing with the guards about the security. Turning around to see Amy truly lost in thought, Yusei wondered about the uncertainty glowing within the shades of her green eyes.
"You must be in such a questioning state that has you troubled about something, is it not true?" Yusei asked.
"In truth, I am quite curious about the history told by the vampire's perspective. All I know from my tutors is about the side of history foretold by the mortals about the many wars that have been initiated by the vampires for their hunt of blood and desires. But, the time I spent with being around your kind has broadened my opinions that there should be peace between the two worlds." Amy said.
"There will always be people wanting to erase us from existence. The history that we have with the mortals will always be unchanging no matter what circumstances we encounter throughout our eternal lives." Yusei explained. "Even if there are mortals who want peace, there will always be battles for dominance within this very world."
"You must not think that way if you want happiness within your own clan, even if they don't share the same ideals that you do with those that you cherish." Amy said. "I was raised by the tutors that the Legion entrusted to educate me about all of what has been learned for generations, but their damn facts are not true unless explained by the other side of those who have been into the same experience as we have for centuries."
"No wonder my cousin is so interested in you. For someone who is very young, you carry such a tremendous amount of wisdom beyond your years." Yusei muttered.
"I already know that you have no interest in me; I heard the stories about your feud with Divine and what happened to Sherry." Amy stated. "Don't tell Aki about this, but rumors are spreading around the northern village that Divine is thinking of taking her to become his bride when the season of weddings begins."
"That fucking bastard...does he think he can steal my feisty hunter from me?" Yusei growled in frustration.
"Lousy idiots...security clearance my ass..." Jack muttered in anger, heading back to the two that was finishing their conversation. He noticed that Yusei was very angry about something, but decided to ask him later about it. Jack knew how angry the cobalt-haired vampire can get, and when his fury is unleashed...let it be said that you wanna stay clear of his rampage.
"So, anything on the entrance into the library?" Amy asked.
"Stupid bastards are complaining to me that they won't allow anyone into the library without the fucking approval from the northern commander himself." Jack growled. "I told them that we already have the approval, but they're demanding proof. I say kiss my ass and let us through!"
"Allow me to speak to them. Perhaps I can convince them to allow access into the library so that I can read into the history from the other perspective." Amy inquired.
"Like they're going to fucking listen to you!" Jack barked.
"Jack..." Yusei started.
But the conversation was cut off by Amy's hands, signaling that she did not want to hear anymore arguing between the two of them. Stepping forward to face the guards, the girl stood with fierce determination to enter into the history of the vampires, maybe even to learn the origins of the vampires that became legendary in the folklores of the villagers far and wide. There was also the chance of finding out on the spell that was cast on the grand vampire and breaking him out of his imprisonment from his former lover. The smart girl may have been shielded from the reality of the world, but she wasn't going to let that shake her down into someone that would need somebody to protect her from everything. Amy had to step up on all the errands outside the house, since Placido was demoted from his hunter duties and the horny men she had to put up with made her become harsher with her words.
The guards stood firmly on the ground, with metal axes crossing to prevent any entrance into the library.
"Excuse me, but we have clearance from the northern military commander to have access to the sacred library. Please lower your axes and grant us entrance into the room." Amy explained.
"No one is allowed into the library due to unprecedented circumstances. Please leave this hallway immediately."
"I understand that there are important documents resting inside that very room, but I came here to study the history of the war that has ravaged these lands for centuries." Amy clarified. "Your duties are as important as any other, but before I return to my village, I want some of the questions in my head answered. Afterwards, I will leave peacefully and without any trouble."
"...Your words speak of truth, and you have full understanding of the situation at hand. Very well, enter the sacred library at your own risk."
Jack couldn't believe it; he talked to these guards with so much complaining, and yet when Amy spoke to them with a calming manner, they pulled away their axes by the power of her words. The blonde was always used to getting what he wants, from the day that he was declared the eastern military commander, to claiming his now departed wife Carly, and yet after the years that has passed since those days, his presence was starting to lose the touch it had since the day he was born. Could this be why Yami was so interested in the woman in front of him, from the way her words touch everybody around her?
Stepping inside the room for the very first time, Amy was in awe of the many books stacked in shelves across the room. Dimly lighted candles set the mood of the library, with nearly every section devoted to specific events and people that influenced the vampire society as it is today. Walking from sector to sector, analyzing each title from oldest to new, the pink beauty was growing more curious with each passing second, wanting to thank the grand vampire when she sees him again about giving her the opportunity to read through the eyes of every vampire recorded about their history and origins of those cemented into legends. As she was about to reach a book that was completely encoded in Latin, Yusei swiftly grabbed her wrist to avoid any touching, prompting Amy to look at the sternly-faced vampire with bewilderment.
"You can't read those books." Yusei said.
"Why? Are they off-limits to everyone within this castle?" Amy asked.
"Yes, with the exception of the grand vampire and his brother. These books are forbidden because certain spells are written on the pages that will destroy both civilizations with a mere uttering of the spell itself." Yusei explained.
"I see...But, I feel that there's some deeper meaning into these books. I can sense it within my very soul." Amy said.
WHAM!
"Here's all the books that you need to study up on our history. Now, hurry up and start reading so we can get the hell out of here!" Jack shouted.
"You know, they say patience is a virtue. Your lack of this very thing is why you don't command respect to those around you." Amy shot back with spite lacing her words.
"You think you know me, you bitch?" Jack shouted.
SLAP!
A furious slap to his face from a strong hand made quite the reddish mark stand out as Yusei looked at the two completely stunned. No one would dare lay a hand on the prideful blonde because of his reactions based on all the anger Jack displayed on everyone that got on his nerves. With his hand clasping of where Amy hit his face, Jack was quite shocked that she could actually strike him without a single look of fear. However, his temper started to flare before her eyes met his, with a look that even rivaled that of Yami himself. Amy wasn't going to have it with the blonde with his ego floating over her shoulders like she was some prisoner to them. The independent woman had countless men leering over her back, whispering amongst themselves about how they wanted to take her into their own homes and see the body that was given to her. She felt violated and rarely has she lost her temper to show in the form of physical contact, but when that does happen...let it be said that the men would stay in bed for nearly a month.
"Normally, I don't lose my temper, but...the way that you're speaking to me is fucking disrespectful and completely out of line! You think that everything is fucking going to go in your favor, well it's not! I want you to respect me like you respected the grand vampire when his presence was around his castle. Do I make myself clear?" Amy barked.
"...Yes, my lady." Jack muttered.
'I gotta tell Crow about this; man is he in for a shocker. I don't remember the last time someone actually told Jack about his ego and literally lived from his temper.' Yusei thought.
"I know what you're thinking, you son of a bitch. Don't you dare fucking tell anyone about what transpired here!" Jack barked.
"I don't think that I can live up to that promise, Jack." Yusei smirked. "I mean, there hasn't been one person here that could stand up to your furious temper and actually commanded respect from you."
"Why you mother-fucking bastard!" Jack roared.
"Enough! Can I please get into what I came here for in peace? I don't want any sort of arguing between the two of you while I'm present inside this room. Do I make myself clear?" Amy asked, irritatingly.
"...Of course, my lady." Yusei and Jack said, though within their minds their arguing continued from where they left off.
With the agreement settled, Amy sat down at the wooden table and glancing at the first few pages of the book at her farthest left, slowly reading and sinking in word for word of the vampiric history written by the elders of their time. She couldn't believe the stories told by the rulers of the darkness were so personal and just as dark as the history of her own race. So much rising from the origins of the original vampires, to the generation that she sees before her own eyes, evolving from the heartless creatures from ancient lore to the emotionally sensitive; every page the young woman turns was a step of turning back the clock and entering that piece of history. The spells that was written within the binding pages were decrypted, but thanks to her studies, Amy was able to decipher the attacks that many of them were unknown to the hunters, but the most intriguing story that caught her attention was pertaining to the time that vampires and mortals put aside their differences to seal a powerful enemy that threatened the very balance of peace.
As Amy divulged into the story, it was considered the only time that such violence between the two sides were set aside and the enemy they faced was one of the vampire's own blood.
Centuries ago, during the cusp of the early wars that ravaged lands and taken so many lives in the hopes of gaining territory, the older brother of the legendary vampire Dracula overthrew his brother and reign over his clan with an iron fist. Seeking the destruction of every breathing mortal, Solirais send out many of the clan's military forces to murder every single hunter in their sights, along with claiming all of the women and children; almost all of the women were bounded as pleasure slaves only to produce more vampires, while the children were enslaved into caverns and never seeing the day of light. As the bloodshed continued with so many executions coming within the castle's walls for treason against the vampire dictator, along with all of the vampires' powers sealed away for ensuring his seat in power, Dracula had enough of seeing the kingdom that he envisioned become corrupted from his brother's control and sought out the vampire sages at the time, whom of which they enlisted the help of a very, highly respected vamporant to create the strongest spell to seal away Solirais for good.
Within weeks, at the height of the Sanctuary moon cycle, of which occurred to the vampires as their new year, they confronted the vampire dictator and with the vamporant casting the spell, and sealed him away within the tomes of the sages. Quickly to retake the throne and establish control within the clan, Dracula drew command that the tomes of the sages were to be entered as forbidden and no one was to use any of the books' content or face execution for betrayal of this code. After that, the children sent to the caverns were brought back to their villages, but not without absolute anger building within their hearts for what the creatures of the night did to their families. And from that day on, the war between mortals and vampires still continued to this very day.
Tracing her fingers towards the names of the sages and that of the vamporant that sealed away the dictator, Amy's finger stopped at the name of the vamporant that was enlisted to sealing away such an enemy. Softly speaking the name Sethos to herself, waves of broken memories scattered quickly into her mind, making the woman grasped her head with her hands to suppress whatever was entering her brain. The sharp pain went away after a few more seconds, but the effect was still visible on her conscience. That very name sounded so familiar to her, but with those visions being so blurry to even recount any details, Amy decided to continue divulging into the history of the vampires in the hopes of understanding the race that was just as similar as her very own race.
~Outside the castle's walls, a mile away from the northern castle...~
"Keith, what's the status report on the castle's defenses?" Dartz demanded.
"The back sector of where the location of the sacred books of Cresahan is at is completely guarded within every corner. Both sides have aerial observations and the front is always with several guards in place." B. Keith reported.
"So, it looks to me that Seto's not taking any fucking chances of any assaults on the castle." Yako huffed. "If we're going to have the queen enter from the back with her soldiers ready to take the last piece of our grand plan, then we shall do the frontal approach in the hopes of drawing as much attention from the back to where we're attacking the castle."
"Don't be so hasty, Yako." Siegfreid said. "We need to deal with the defense tactics of the eastern military commander as well. How else would you expect from someone with that much aggression to reinforce the northern lands' defenses?"
"Remember, the queen does not tolerate failure on this mission!" Misty shouted to the soldiers behind. "Your lives will be given to serve the queen's ambitions and all who perish on this mission will be honored by the queen herself! Now, commence the operation!"
"For the queen!" the soldiers echoed.
At the outskirts of the castle from the other side, looking at the entrance to where the final pieces of her grand plan was sitting at, Tèa was leaning against the tree while waiting for confirmation from her military commanders to commence the grand assault on the northern castle. Returning to her was one of her vampire scouts who was with Dartz when they split into several groups to cover every inch of the escape routes should some flee from her.
"So, they started to begin the assault?" Tèa asked.
"Yes, my queen. Once the first attack is struck, we'll begin moving in on the sacred library."
"Alright then; return to the cavalry and ready the troops on my command." Tèa ordered.
"Of course, my queen."
With the scout leaving to regroup, Tèa focused on the items she had in her hands into fists, encircling dark auras surrounding both hands and ready to unleash hell on those that defied her grandfather's words on the visions that he saw for the future of his clan. And there was also the matter of showing Yami that breaking her heart wasn't a smart choice on his part.
"Cum furrure a vulpis daemon,et disquamatae a hippocampus, ego ea cogenda iuxta terminum vitae et mortis. Nunc, recludam sigillum damnatum et devolvat infernum intra vivos world! (1)" Tea shouted.
Thousands of ectoplasmic souls from the dead rose above the ground, now heading against those who killed them and sending their anger against the living world. The scorned brunette queen was now going to have her revenge on the clan that deserted their reasoning on the world.
~Back inside the castle, one hour before the assault...~
As her reading came to being nearly finished with several pages through the last book in the pile, the answers towards many of her questions were answered, but it just brought more questions into her mind. As to the true identity of the vamporant like her who sealed away such an enemy, his name was so familiar to her, but all of her family's history was destroyed in the fiery siege that took her mother away from her. Amy also needed many things answered as well, as to finding out what spell the grand vampire was bounded by, but the vampires were reluctant to even allow her into their magic chambers. Determined to get her answers from the sacrosanct library of the northern village, the woman was about to depart when a major shift in the ground nearly made her lose her footing. Yusei rushed to where Amy was, as another major blast made its' contact with the castle walls, shaking the entire castle into high alert.
Jack grew a nasty snarl; the western clan didn't hesitate to start on their plans to take what is needed for their grand plan. Knowing the outside defenses were starting to become outnumbered, the prideful blonde rushed outside, with Yusei and Amy following him, but another blast made Amy tripped on her footing and the doors leading out to the corridor was shut tightly, leaving her trapped inside the sacred library. Yusei stopped at midway, only to see that his cousin's interest was nowhere to be seen, and the doors leading to the library were locked from the outside. Gritting his teeth in anger, the serious-natured vampire gave his cousin his word that nothing was to happen to the calm, intellectual woman and she was now locked in front of the only entrance leading into the sacred library. Swiftly, Seto appeared quite enraged that the western clan would try to attack the castle, but knew they weren't stupid to have only one leading point of assault.
"Dammit, that betraying clan just loves to divert all the attention so that they can bombard their focus of interest!" Seto snarled. "Is everyone accounted for?"
"That woman's locked beyond these doors, and I can't get them to open!" Yusei said.
"You mean...she's trapped inside the sacred library where they're going to burn the entire library to the ground? Fuck, stand out of my way, you guards! I'm blasting this door down!" Seto commanded.
With the large guards dispersing, Seto conjured up two spells in both of his palms, and threw both at the door, but upon contact bounced back at the two standing, of which they dodged quickly and the blasts erupted in the end of the corridor.
"Fuck, a reflection barrier spell?" Seto growled. "Looks like that bitch Tèa will keep anyone outside to get what she wants!"
"Then we have to go at both ends of the library to get the retrieval party and break down this barrier!" Yusei suggested.
"Head towards the back, Yusei. Let me handle the barrier." Seto ordered. "If that woman is harmed in any way, shape or form, we're not going to hear the good side of our lord."
"Alright; hopefully, I can get there quickly enough to save his interest." Yusei said.
-On the other side of the library's door...-
'Oh no! I'm trapped and I can't do anything to open this door!' Amy thought, panicky as she jiggled the locked handles. 'Considering the blasts that I'm hearing outside, there must be an assault on this castle. And I'm caught in the middle of it! What should I do at this point? My only escape is blocked, and these books are in danger of being destroyed if this battle continues. If only...'
Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of the wall being blasted and letting whomever was outside to storm inside the library that she was in, prompting the curious woman to hide behind one of the bookcases. Peering slowly into the dust clouds, she noticed a lot of shadowy figures coming towards the bookshelves to retrieve whatever they came for. Hoping to avert any attention, Amy slowly backed away from the scene, but slightly bumping into one of the soldiers, prompting her to grab the nearest vile of potions from her pouch and tossed it at the vampire fighter, but it only lasted shortly as she ran against the wall, now surrounded by eight more soldiers just waiting to devour her. However, the barking commands of a brunette woman clad in armor, that was worn outside her black dress made them stepped aside as she started advancing towards Amy.
The pink, busty woman couldn't believe it; it was going to be the very first time that these two women were physically in the same room, and yet she heard about the western queen Tèa from her visits with the grand vampire Yami. But, glancing into the queen's blue, yet burning angry eyes; Amy knew that she wasn't very fond of her since becoming close with Yami after their first encounter. She couldn't show any fear in front of this woman; not only did Tèa turned the only family she has left into a vampire, but her experience around the grand vampire and his subordinates made her belief of non-violent vampires even stronger. The woman had to be strong if she wanted to help find the missing pieces that surrounded her own past.
"Well, well, well..." Tèa sneered. "If it isn't the bitch that's taking a liking to my former love interest."
"And you have to be the snide, selfish woman that had to misinterpret the facts seen through one's eyes and locked away someone that only wanted peace." Amy commented.
"Don't you dare fucking talk to me like you know me at all, bitch! I've seen the way that Yami became so interested in you for quite some time now, and it really pisses me off to know that after so many years of getting rid of that mortal whore, he's still attracted to them." Tèa barked.
"A vampire decides who their mate is, whether it is that of their own kind or that of another race. He must have seen it through your eyes that you weren't the one for him, maybe because of the dark secrets you must be hiding from him." Amy said, coolly.
A sharp claw coming at her face made her move to the side, but the tip of the nails scratched her cheek, with blood escaping from the now fresh wound. Her very scent got the soldiers kneeling on the side drooling in a ravenous trance. Amy knew that she must have touched a very sensitive topic buried deep within the western queen's mind. Though, seeing the bloodlust within Tèa's eyes made her starting to slowly grab whatever potion she had in her pouch, only to now notice that the last one was used to get away and she doesn't even have anything to repulse any attacks on her. Amy swore under her breath, now realizing that she was pushed into a tight corner.
"You fucking bitch! Your race took his sanity away and the attention that was supposed to be mine was brushed away like it meant nothing!" Tèa barked. "I can't bite you because of a spell on your body, but that doesn't restrict me from actually killing you with my own two hands!"
Amy widens her eyes and tried to move, but Tèa's hand grabbed her neck and slammed her body against the wall, slowly crushing her vocal cords while the rational woman struggled to break free. She couldn't die right here; there was so much she didn't know about herself and at the point of nearing death, Amy mentally screamed, bringing the necklace around her neck to glow so brightly that it sent a major wave to repel Tèa and the soldiers around the western queen away from the pink beauty, making her slump down and tightly clutching her necklace. Did that really just happen, she thought? The very jewel that Amy's mother gave to her before her death started to lose its' glow and went back to its regular shine.
Tèa quickly rebounded from her forced severance to murder the woman that took her former lover's interest, but refused to go near her again. What was that she just felt? There was a little amount of spells active around the girl, and that necklace worn around her neck just protected her like it was meant to prevent her from being killed. Tèa quickly assumed that Yami gave her it to keep her hands from ever touching Amy, and grew a dark scowl while baring her fangs. She started to advance, when one of her soldiers appeared in front of her to cease her deadly approach towards the busty woman.
"My queen, we have gathered the last of Cresahan's tomes, and we are quickly departing from the area. We are also sensing Yusei Fudo of the east quickly approaching our location. We must depart if we want our plan to succeed."
Tèa growled; dealing with the grand vampire's cousin was not in the plans of the assault. That meant she had to forgo burning the library to the ground and murdering Amy in the process, but it didn't matter. The brunette already got what she came for, and told the soldier to disperse and return to the western lands. However, she swiftly grabbed Amy by her hair and brought her face as closely to hers.
"I'm only going to say this once, bitch." Tèa hissed, dangerously as her grip on Amy got tighter. "Stay the fuck away from Yami or I won't be hesitant to kill you in cold blood."
Letting her go and quickly leaving the scene with the rest of her small army, Amy was visibly shaken from the whole experience. She was extremely lucky that she survived the wrath of the queen, but her body was trembling with fear. The sounds of the door being blasted apart rang through her ears, as her eyes averted to see Seto rushing in here, with Yusei now coming through the crumbling hole in the wall. Yusei was surprised that the books weren't burned to the ground, but Seto's constant swearing at the fact that the books that she saw earlier were now gone. Is that what Tèa came here for? Amy remembered that Yusei told her that they were under the forbidden section, so that must have meant that the malicious queen was after those very items. Slowly standing to her feet, the level-headed woman walked over to where both men were; still clutching onto her necklace, as she was trying to figure out why it reacted the way it did.
"Damn it, they got what they wanted!" Seto shouted. "Now, what the fuck are we going to do about this damn war coming back to life?!"
"Is everything okay?" Amy asked.
"Just peachy." Seto sneered.
"Never mind that, are you injured in any way?" Yusei asked.
"Other than a few scratches, I'm fine." Amy said, shaking. "I almost faced the full fury of the western queen herself..."
"Wait a minute; Gardener was in here in the flesh?" Seto asked, looking directly at her. "What did she say to you? Anything related to her goal?"
"All I know is that she told me to stay away from Yami or suffer a very painful death by her hands. I heard from some soldiers earlier before Tèa came in here that they were going to have the grand vampire as some sort of sacrifice, but I couldn't hear anymore before they spotted me." Amy explained.
"Sacrifice? To what or whom do they...?" Yusei questioned, but then the sudden realization hit him like bricks and suddenly started to swear like crazy. "Damn, damn, damn it all to fucking hell!"
"What is it, Yusei?" Seto asked.
"I think he knows that they're planning to bring Yami as an offering to this Solirais person." Amy said. "That's what I heard when the stone wall got destroyed following that second blast that trapped me in here."
Seto widen his eyes; so that's why Tèa bounded their lord to the Eternal Tree of Life. It was to prevent him from ever escaping! Plus, his blood was an exact match to the vampiric dictator himself, so that meant that Solirais could regain his powers by draining all the blood out of Yami. Just as the tall brunette was about to question her again, Joey, Jack, and Mai burst into the library, with Joey clutching two cloaks similar to what he wore when he saw Serenity months ago.
"Seto, we have a major problem." Jack scowled.
"What is it now?" Seto asked.
"It seems that our battle has drawn the attention of the vampire hunters and they are en route to assess the situation. They heard quite a lot to know that something must have happened and coming here this instant." Jack explained. "We have enough damage dealt to us by the western rogues, and now we have to deal with these fucking mortals!"
Amy deadpanned. If the vampire hunters are coming here, that also meant that her very presence could put her visits with the grand vampire to a sudden halt until they learned why she disobeyed them. Unless she can get out of here without being spotted, maybe she could see Yami before heading back home to talk to Placido as to why she didn't return home after sunset.
"Shit, she..." Seto said, pointing at Amy. "Can't be here when those hunters arrive; they'll question us what do we want with her and why is she even here in the first place."
"I know, that's why Joey and me here are going to take her back to the village before they even find out that she's missing." Mai explained. "If those hunters are coming here by the numbers, then there's less of a chance of being discovered."
"Here," Joey said, handing Amy one of the cloaks. "This is an invisibility cloak that only works during the night, and will hide your scent from any of the demons out right now. I'm wearing one because I don't want any of those idiots finding out about me yet. I'm going to carry you out and Mai's following me to make sure there are no additional assaults."
"Okay." Amy said.
Placing on the cloak and wrapping his arms around her body, Joey with Amy in tow went out the gaping brick hole, with Mai following pursuit. After they departed, Yusei started to leave the sacred library, with Seto using whatever power he had left to repair the walls and after that, he and Jack followed behind him. They had to be sure to keep everything involving the pink-haired woman from the hunters, if she was going to continue seeing the grand vampire. Yusei knew that time was of the essence to get every piece of the puzzle together, and if that meant bringing back her from the eternal slumber placed on her, so be it.
"Yusei, where do you think you're going?" Jack asked, grinding his teeth in anger.
"Right now, I need to get something from my room and meet somebody. This person's way overdue to awakening from their slumber, and if we're going to have as much firepower as possible when dealing with Solirais, so be it." Yusei explained.
"Do you even know who this damn person is?" Seto inquired.
"Yeah, but right now, our top priority is to count all the causalities and repair as much of the damage to the castle before those hunters arrive." Yusei said, not glancing at the brunette.
"...Fine. Jack, find Crow and Rafael to get the report on the injured and dead. I'll send Valon a message to relay to Yugi about what has transpired on these grounds tonight." Seto ordered. "Also, I'm going to assemble a special meeting with the elders and military personnel, so that we can discuss on what to do once that bastard Solirais breaks out of his prison."
"Fair enough; we're going to need to assess new tactics to deal with the now over-powered western clan." Jack growled.
Seto and Yusei couldn't agree more. The path heading into the darkest war they would face was now building the pieces to a very dark future. One they did not want to experience again for centuries to come.
Bellowing winds clashed against their movements as they jumped from branch to branch, with one clutching another, and the woman following behind them was making sure that no one attacked them en route to the northern village. They were moving quickly in the darkness of the forest; taking every alternate route whenever they spotted any hunters or demons so that there was no attention drawn onto them. The woman in the arms of the blonde man knew she needed to meet with the grand vampire just to hold him in her arms. This night was just as terrifying as the day that her adopted brother became a vampire, or was it the day that she lost her mother as a baby that made her into the person she is now? Right now, she was hoping that by the time that they did reach the village, there were no hunters outside her door.
Amy, Joey and Mai were heading back to the northern village with nearly every hunter heading straight towards the northern castle. If they wanted to make it before sunrise, they had to speed up their movement so that none of the villagers (or in Amy's case, Placido) know about her disappearance. But, the composed woman needed to meet with Yami in order to try and explain to him the events that happened this very night.
"How far are we from the northern village?" Joey asked.
"Given the speed that we're using and distance from the castle, we'll be there by the hour and hopefully return to the castle to tend to the wounded before dawn." Mai stated.
"Umm, Joey?" Amy asked. "Is there any chance of taking a small detour to see Yami?"
Joey and Mai stopped at their tracks and stared at her with wide eyes. She wanted to see the grand vampire after what just happened tonight?
"I don't know, Ames. We need to get you back to the village before anyone notices that you're gone." Joey answered with uncertainty.
"But I want to see him now; he must have heard the same blasts from where he's at and could be wandering about the events that unfolded at the northern castle." Amy said, gripping her necklace. "Besides, Yami is concerned about my safety at the time of the assault, and will be asking so many questions. I really want to hold him in my arms, just for reassurance."
"...Joey, Yami doesn't need to know the true intentions of the western clan right now, but we'll tell him the important details once we gather enough information." Mai said.
"...Alright, we'll take another route and meet with Lord Yami. But, it can't last any longer than fifteen minutes or else we risk meeting any vampire hunters coming out of the village." Joey explained after making his mind up.
Amy nodded and they took off towards the Eternal Tree of Life, avoiding any sights of demons and hunters to meet with the grand vampire so that they could explain to him about the assault and other topics in the future.
As the night went on, Yami was still looking in the direction of which his very castle and home was in, seeing the black smoke that still enveloped the dark blue skies. Hours before, he explained to the hunters that were surveying the area about why he used his power so that there were no suspicions drawn upon his interest. However, after the stone-hearted vampire was staring to doze off, the sharpest, loudest sound rang through his ears and made him wide awake and rushing to the other side of his prison, seeing the black smoke coming from the northern castle. His mind was panicking; not only his most trusted were being attacked, the very thought that Amy was inside the chaos of the castle made him shaking with fear. It was for the first time since Yami's imprisonment that emotion shone into his eyes; he didn't show this emotion after his mother's death for centuries.
Shuffling of the leaves made him put up his guard, only to see Mai, Joey and his interest exiting out of the forest and heading to where he was standing. Yami was filled with relief and concern; knowing that Amy was out of the danger zone was comforting to him, but he didn't expect to have the usually collected woman grasp him in her arms, and her body trembling with fear. Yami held her face to meet her eyes, but his own amethyst eyes wander onto the scratch marks on her left cheek. Now the questions were ringing in his head: who dares to even touch his princess and injure her in any way? Amy saw the anger deep within his eyes, knowing that she needed to tell him about what happened between her and the malicious western queen Tèa.
"What happened, my dear? Who dared to even attack your precious face in this manner?" Yami questioned.
"Yami, I got caught in the middle with that assault at the castle and I was trapped inside the sacred library with no way out. It was after that did I had a confrontation with the western queen herself." Amy said, using her left index finger to indicate what the raging brunette did when pushed. "I will not lie, but she threatened to kill me if I didn't leave you alone. And this slight injury proved her point; but there was a small gap in time when she was really going to kill me without any hesitation and I thought that I wasn't going to live at that point."
So that was it, Yami thought. Tèa literally threatened Amy to stay away from him or face death by her own hands. After all, the jealous woman never even trusted any other women being that close to him, and Amy was no exception. And he would be damned if she even tried to kill his interest without any repercussions of her actions. Taking his hands to touch the injured cheek, Amy averted her eyes to try matching his glance, knowing that he was protective of her since their bonding. His amethyst eyes turned darker as his thirst for her blood made his body shiver with anticipation. It had been months since savoring her elixir, but since her spell was still active on her body, he had to take whatever he can out of the small wound on her cheek while healing it so no one notices anything wrong. Yami will make sure that Tèa will never have a chance of taking Amy away from him so long as he still breathes.
"My lord, we can't stay for long." Joey said, making eye contact with the multi-colored haired vampire. "Dawn is approaching quickly and the hunters will be coming back from the castle. We don't want to put Lady Amy in any sort of trouble that will prevent her from having any contact with you."
"This won't take long, Joey." Yami said, looking now at Amy. "I'm going to reopen the wound so that I can heal it. I will not allow you to return to your village with such a mark that tarnishes such beauty, and continue your visits with me. Your belongings were still here when you left for the castle, so I had the liberty of clearing them of any bloodstains."
"Thank you." Amy said.
Forcing her wound to open by spreading the skin apart, the serious-natured vampire saw the blood flowing and began to lick the crimson liquid off his interest, with Amy staying still but shivering from the touch of his wet tongue and blushing red from the erotic action. She could feel the burning sensation from the saliva, but trusted him with her life. Once he was done, Yami gave her the basket left behind after her accident, and had Joey take her through the path of which she used to meet the grand vampire on her secret outings. Mai, however, stayed behind since she knew that Yami wanted to speak to her about everything that happened this night.
"If you want any information regarding what happened at the castle, we're still gathering on the number of causalities and damages done to our morale." Mai stated.
"This is a different matter, Mai. I want Rafael and Seto order a security detail on my princess. Her safety is my top priority and it seems that Tèa doesn't want her to stay by my side. That bitch will learn that my heart doesn't belong to her and her alone." Yami snarled.
"As you wish, Yami. Now, I'm going to catch up with my husband so that we can return to the castle before damn approaches." Mai said, departing from the scene to catch up with Joey and Amy as Yami leaned against the large tree, entering in deep thought about what transpired this very night. As soon as his princess was ready to visit him again, Yami will do everything in his power to ensure that the jealous femme fatale never laid another hand against the woman that he swore to protect with his own hands.
~Several days later...~
"Her fever hasn't gone down since our last visit, doctor."
"Yes; the fact that her body has been reacting so violently these past couple of months is making my job more difficult to diagnose the condition of her illness."
"So," Hideo asked. "Any progress on Setsuko's health?"
"I'm afraid not, senator Hideo. Your wife's been up and down on her health these past several months, and without proper diagnosis of the disease that's making her sick, I can't prescribe any medicine to help her. It's best that she's gets plenty of rest and proper nutrition until my next visit here."
"Of course, doctor." Hideo said.
As the doctor and his assistant left the manor, Hideo went back to sitting beside his wife's bed since Setsuko became ill after the fall season began. He placed his hand on her forehead; another was used to rub his temple for his growing headache. After the report of what happened at the northern castle, a lot of security was placed upon the village and curfews were set for nearly everybody except for those who have approval to leave the village on missions or errands. Hideo couldn't believe that the tension within the vampire world was so strong that it could disrupt the functions of an entire village. Not that he was one to talk, but before his entire village was destroyed, he found Setsuko unconscious in the woods outside the eastern village's boundaries and it was love at first sight. But now...the red-haired woman was sweating like crazy and clutching onto her heart like it was hurting like hell.
What a time for his daughter to be away on a mission, he thought. Aki had been away since Amy assigned a mission for her alone, but where she was going has him very worried. Returning to where everything was taken from her all those years ago wasn't in his agenda, but Hideo decided that maybe this trip to the ravaged eastern lands could provide some type of closure about her troubled nightmares since departing to live in the northern village. In the midst of his thoughts, the windows forcefully opened and a gust of wind entered into the room, papers flying about and the figure that busted in standing against the door. It seems that this vampire was searching for the right time to make his entrance without being seen. Hideo looked at the raven-haired vampire as if he's seen a ghost from his very past.
"Yusei! What are you...?" Hideo started.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it, senator Hideo?" Yusei inquired. "By the looks on your face, you must be surprised about my presence at this very moment."
"Whatever business you have here, it ends right now. So, you've better by on your way to do whatever your clan ordered you to do!" Hideo snarled.
Yusei took a step forward. "I think not; tell me, Hideo. How many years has it been since your last development in the physical department? And I'm surprise no one has asked you about that seal mark on the nape of your neck." he smirked.
The brown-haired elder clasped his hand onto where his mark was made. How Yusei did even knew about his seal? Nobody even questioned about the seal since he came into the northern village with Aki and his wife! But, why was he even here to begin with? He heard Yusei's low, if-not satisfied chuckle coming from his mouth; as if he was taunting him.
"How do you even...?" Hideo asked.
"You know, all of this started when I met your daughter in the Forest of Filaroya months ago, when she was escorting the most important person in this village. Everyone from the eastern castle knew that no hunter has ever been born with the power of Synchro, and it just made me go deeper into her background. However, once I heard the last name Izayoi, I went into our directory and found out that there was only one family with that very name." Yusei explained. "So tell me, Hideo. What kind of powerful spell did Setsuko use to subdue Aki's vampiric blood?"
"You...you do know about Aki's true identity..." Hideo muttered in shock. To think of hiding his wife's real identity was bad enough, but his very own daughter's...If Aki ever learned the full truth behind her birth, she will never forgive him. The young woman was devoted to kill the creatures of the night; having to learn she was part of the sworn enemy would devastate her mentally and emotionally.
"There was also one other thing that made me come here...Setsuko is starting to convulse from the reactions to her vampiric blood that was sealed by her grandfather shortly after taking you as her devoted husband. But, to ensure that neither of you were questioned about your loyalties; Setsuko used a very powerful seal to keep your newly-formed body from awakening, and kept your meeting secret after Aki's birth. It was then that your wife had her grandfather sealed her Pureblood powers along with her blood becoming a human." Yusei continued. "Even after his death, your family has been living under the shadows of the mortals without any suspicions from the hunters or anyone else. But, I'm willing to bet that the Legion knows all about you and your wife's identity and secrets. Can you imagine the horror and ridicule of every villager in this town should anyone find out that not only there are vampires within their ranks, but also that one of them is a hunter herself?"
"..." Hideo couldn't even answer to the serious-natured vampire's remarks. He knew that everything Yusei said was true; after turning his back away from his own race, the man wanted to live normally without anything happening to either his wife or child. After the events that led to the eastern lands' destruction, the middle-aged man did all what he could within his power to ensure that neither Setsuko's nor Aki's secrets come out into the public eye. However, Yusei also hit the mark on the extensive knowledge that the Legion had on everything in the world, and if he didn't obey their laws, they were going to inform the entire village about his family's dark secret.
Taking out a crystal-clear bottle filled with blood from his royal blue coat, Yusei approached the red-haired woman, who was still breathing unevenly and becoming more restless by the minute. She opened her eyes to see him towering over her, the emotion of familiarity running into her mind. Setsuko didn't realize that her time of being a mortal was nearing its' end; her grandfather told her that there will be a time when the spell he placed on her becomes weaker, that her true nature will stirring to be unleashed from its' chains.
"Yusei...it has been so long since I've seen your face." Setsuko breathed heavily.
"Of course, it has been many years since your sealing, my Pureblood princess." Yusei remarked. "You're overdue for awakening from your eternal slumber, and I have your grandfather's blood to help you shatter the chains that bind you to your mortal soul."
"Why has this pain come to take me away from the peace that...I've dreamed about for so many years?" Setsuko asked, drearily as her vision started to blur again.
"To put it bluntly..." Yusei sighed. "Solirais's release in nearing its' final stages and we need all the power to face him."
"I see..." Setsuko whispered. "And you realize that once I become a Pureblood again, the seal on Aki's body will start to deteriorate slowly and her own vampiric nature will initiate the takeover on her human soul?"
"I know. The question that you should be asking yourself is this: are you willing to risk your daughter's humanity for the sake of returning to your true nature?" Yusei redirected.
Setsuko thought about that question; her own daughter was in the dark about her family background, and having Aki learn it on her own terms would devastate her beyond the mental limits in her mind. But, telling the fiery young woman herself was more risky, since she'll be tempting to take away both parents' lives. She shook that particular thought out of her head, knowing that Aki cherished her parents more than anything since the major assault in the eastern district. Setsuko knew that when her daughter returns home after her mission, she and only she will speak directly to Aki, sparing her husband of being involved directly in this.
"Aki will come to both Hideo and me to discuss about the sudden changes to her body; she's already experiencing the first signs of the seal's weakening state and soon the severe, throbbing pains of her soul tearing apart. I will talk to her myself, so that everything will be revealed to her about our history with the vampires." Setsuko decided firmly.
"Then, it's settled; according to my sources, she'll be returning to the northern village in three weeks time." Yusei said. "My princess, I'll have to bite you first before I give you the bottle of your grandfather's blood. Then, in an instant, you'll become the Pureblood that went missing within our ranks twenty-seven years ago."
"So be it." Setsuko said. "I know that we are about to enter into a situation that will replay history for everyone on this living planet."
Yes, many of you are questioning why this chapter took so damn long to complete. Well, let's just say that it started expanding more and more...until writer's block took a major bite of my writing schedule (along with other things...). I hope to get the next chapter without any delays; I promise! (Well, maybe three months at best...)
So, we now know Aki's true background, amongst other plot points that will make things interesting to say the least. How will our favorite psychic-user take the news when she hears it from her mother's mouth?
1- With the fur from a fox demon, and the scales of a seahorse, I combine them alongside the border of life and death. Now, unlock the seal of the condemned and unleash hell within the living world! (Translated from Latin)
Next chapter: Aki reaches the eastern village and tries to dig up any answers revolving around her mixed memories. Meanwhile, Ryou's brother Bakura makes an unexpected visit to the church while Amy takes Serenity into her home as they braced themselves for the annual season of weddings.
Many apologies, and R&R, people!