You're the boss and I'm just a slave (open)

[Anonymous]

Curse you! You are no Aswang. You are as weak as a common vampire.
I'm sorry. I can't do it.

Vivian shuddered and looked up at the diamond golum. The golum looked terrifying but he guessed it didn't mean any harm. He touched his teeth with his tounge and groaned, one of his fangs was chiped as well as several smaller teeth.
'Thankyou'

He breathed deeply, or as deeply as he could pressed against the ground. He was tired and he needed food too. His weakness had been how the ancestors had taken control of him. If it hadn't been for the golum he would have drained a human. He felt ashamed, he should have had more control over his body, he should have been able to fight, he should have fed on an animal before it got to this point.

He cocked his head and rubbed his face on his shirt. He could still smell the blood but now it only made him feel sick. He turned his face towards the ground, 'I'm sorry.'

[Lion]

One distinctive trait that separated Dietrich from most of the other vampires of his coven was his penchant for survival.  Wherever he was, no matter what trouble he was in or the decisions he made, he had always managed to get away with his bearings and continue his umbrageous existence.  Such nose for survival enabled him to improve the choices that he made, for the better or worse of others but at least in benefit to himself.  It was this internal sense of self and hardy determination that allowed him to live for half of a thousand years; always finding a path that would help consolidate his thirst for power and willing to adapt to any possible situation.  He was not a vampire that feared change; he was a vampire that almost willingly embraced it if it meant innovation for the benefit of himself.

But he held no qualms for such egocentricity.  He was alone in his existence and what better way to survive than to show devotion to oneself?

And it was with these base survival instincts that Dietrich decided to avoid battle with the demoness.  He was not a coward, there was nothing in the world that he feared, not even being torn to shreds.  But that was not a reason whatsoever to embrace the desire to die; he had already experienced dying once and it was not a delicacy that tasted sweet to him.  Unless he was the one causing the death of course, but that was another matter to consider later.  There was a certain zeal to be gained in causing others pain, suffering, anguish, and eventually death; and perhaps even in experiencing pain, but again this was a topic that he gained pleasure from in his leisure time.  Now was not the moment for leisure time.

Battling with the female demon would have only wasted his time, and that he knew.  He had priorities to consider first and angering Cronus would not be a smart move.  Cronus, as coven Pendragon, was a very powerful vampire.  He was capable of abilities that most vampires could only dream of obtaining.  And though Dietrich, too, was powerful in his own right, ruthless as any good leader, was not prepared to challenge a Pure like Cronus...yet.  After all, Cronus had survived for three thousand years and utilized his time very wisely.

Right now, getting the youngling was all that was important and it showed in Dietrich's rampaged running.  His mind was thrashing about as if he was drowning.  Thoughts like, "Where could she be?", "What an ignorant girl, running into a city full of magic-hating meatbags.  If the Mordecai don't kill her, I will!", "How the hell am I going to find her?" swarmed in a mental madness, each conflicting another but all bent to the same will.  Suddenly a seemingly more useful thought seeped through the cracks in the cacophony: I'll have to use the connection to find her.  It's the only way.

Momentarily, he stopped into a dusky alley that stunk of an unknown filth that he certainly did not want to name.  Closing his eyes, he attempted to reach out with his mind, promptly ignoring all of the warm sentients his senses came into contact with and sought out a colder link.  It was not long before his mind detected the link nearby and assessed it. "There you are," he said to himself and smirked wryly.  First his mind searched its attributes, coming to the conclusion that it was indeed the youngling and proceeded to breach it.  He called out to her mentally but felt the an extreme sense of hate lurking like a monster within the room.  It source was not the youngling it seemed, as he felt the emotion further, but came from the people within it.  He could feel the deep animosity within them.

Dietrich severed the vampiric link and followed the presence which the youngling gave off, filled with unknown sorrow it seemed.  He tracked her presence to the building directly behind him.  "Speak of the devil," was all he uttered, brow raised amusedly.  He walked up to the entrance of what seemed to be a tavern, "The Three Hounds" as its name read.  Upon waltzing in, it surprised him that not a person in the room rewarded him with attention of any kind.  But that was because they were all fixated on another stood at the back of the main room beside the bar.  The girl.

This distraction could work in his benefit, he decided as he subtly moved into the room, feeling the numbing hatred grow with every step he took.  They were in shock, he could tell by the blank expressions on their ill-humored facades.  Still he persisted in his progress toward the girl, finally thinking of a plan.  "There you are!" he called out in mock surprise, smiling toward the young vampire and ignoring the piercing stares of the occupants as they turned their attention toward him.

It was now that he reached the bar.  Staring squarely at the bartender, "Thank you kindly sir for finding her for me."  Dietrich maintained a feigned smile, and attempted to establish a sense of genuineness to it.  "I can't tell you how grateful I am," he continued his charade and, smiling with his eyes, he turned to the girl.  "I've got to take you home, now.  You know how dangerous it is to be out this late at night.  Now it's time to go home."  He gazed sincerely at the youngling, hoping to compel her lest he be forced to take drastic action.  Come on, he attempted to call her mentally, you've got to come with me!

[Anonymous]

"There you are!"

There was something else present; she suddenly felt it in the corner of her mind. A silver cobweb, brushing past, but nonetheless, it caused her to turn, to seek out the presence that differed from the warm glow of the others in this room. Juliette could slowly feel the warm glows cooling; in her mind the red embers were fading, becoming blue and black and hostile.

It was the male, the other one who seemed so similar to her. Were they kindred? She frowned, as he walked closer, ever so confidently, striding in as if he owned the place. What was he doing here? There was a surprised expression upon his face, as his eyes locked with her own eyes, holding them with his gaze. He had his arms outstretched, much more relaxed and open, different to when she had last seen him. He was smiling, and in reflex, she found herself smiling too.

"Thank you kindly sir for finding her for me."

Before she had even blinked, he was level with her at the bar, and was speaking to the bartender, whose face had suddenly gone slack. The bartender nodded with a blank expression upon his face. Juliette was puzzled, intrigued as to what the mysterious man had done to him.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am. I've got to take you home, now. You know how dangerous it is to be out this late at night. Now it's time to go home."

Juliette had been watching the mysterious being with a guarded expression, but the tone in his voice was extremely welcoming, soothing. It caressed her skin, in a similar way that the tail of the other demonness had done. She perked up suddenly at the word, 'home'. Cocking her head to one side, she murmured in a thickly articulated voice, "You can take me home?"

She raised her large eyes, meeting the eyes that pleaded with her to go. Wisps of the mental message got through, and made sense. She filed the message away in her brain, amongst the other snippets of chatter she had accumulated, and wondered if he would answer her or not.

The people in here were beginning to get restless, and to recover from their stupor, shaking themselves visibly. Juliette felt the rising surges which threatened to engulf her whole, and biting her lip, she walked up to the man and tugged at his sleeve, leading him out of the tavern and didn't stop until they were a street away. Outside, the cool night air was a balm to the turgid swelling of the people inside. Juliette shivered, and hung her head, staring at the ground in a mute sadness, and mute lack of understanding.

"W-why they so..." She struggled, but the word she wanted, wouldn't come out. She wanted to say, 'why were they so unhappy, so sad, so angry' but was unable to express it, which was still frustrating. She went through all the snippets of language she had picked up, and selected one that had been expressed in a similar tone. "Why are they so goddamn pissed off?"

[Anonymous]

The golem nodded in reply to the vampire's thanks; releasing his grip from the other's body. Glad that he could be of help to the boy, Ophicus glanced back at his partner, who was conveniently making her way towards them; throwing out a half hearted question in their direction.

"He's a vamp..." The diamond giant began, but was cut off by a "Yeah whatever." from the demon. There seemed to be quite an infestation of vampires in Connlaoth tonight. How very awkward. "Bring him along..." The girl continued, as she walked past the two men further into the woods. "... There might be a use for him."

Having witnessed the little trade off between his partner and the pair of strangers, Ophicus could only assume what was going through the vixen's mind. A disapproving grunt however, was his only sign of defiance, before turning back to the sickly looking vampire and urging him to follow.

"Come boy, it's better not to keep fifteen waiting." That said, the golem began on the same path that the girl had taken; keeping himself between her and the young man.

Azalie's puppy-slaying smile blessed her features once again; this time looking through the eyes of her summons. So you found her, this might still be fun... If you manage to get out alive that is. The small insect-like beings darted about at different distances, all keeping their attention on the 'unnatural' pair within the walls; they were not about to get away that easily. The corpses were also ready and waiting, eager to strike at what would most likely be their former comrades; causing the distraction needed for the vampires to escape, hopefully unnoticed, into the devil's clutches.

[Anonymous]

Vivian nodded and followed obediently. Hopefully they would not make him walk far, he was still very tired. He needed food, even if it was not human. His stomach growled loudly and he blushed. He hung his head and pulled his tattered cloak tighter around his body.

'Thank you my Lady. What may I call you, Sir and Miss?' he asked.

Hopefully they did not know him or his mother. He would ask them at a later date, for now he would just appreciate that he was safe.

"Come boy, it's better not to keep fifteen waiting."

Fifteen, what was fifteen?

[Lion]

It seemed just for a moment that Dietrich's plan was going to backfire on him, as many did in his past.  However, her question brought about a quiet wave of relief over him as he smiled genuinely; the sound of her voice cooled the engines that would have powered his frustration.  "Yes, of course, silly!" he laughed lightly to mask any wave of anxiety that may have crept through his mental blockade.  But before he could make a single motion towards her, she had taken up the charge and led him out. The cool, evening breeze was a much welcomed relief compared to the increased torrid hostility of the tavern occupants.  He knew, somewhere in the depths of what sanity he had left, that, had they stayed any longer than their prescribed seconds, things would have gotten very violent.  Surely a little bloodshed would provide some satisfaction for him on his part, but he could be so sure about the youngling.  He couldn't afford to let his personal habits affect his duty--at least, for now.

He had followed the youngling's insistent tug on his frock coat sleeve like a mindless drone.  But his once relieved expression was molded into a visage he was not familiar with donning.  He could barely detect a sense of confusion within her, however faint, thanks to the vampiric attribute of detecting their own kind.  The traces were difficult to follow and it was almost buried beneath a cloud of basic instinct; it seemed she was still deep in the early stages of vampirism.

Immediately, Dietrich withdrew and instead focused on the play of emotions across her wan face.  Unbeknownst to him, his own facade had transformed into one of vague concern, brows furrowed as he looked at her curiously.  He watched her struggle to speak, to find words to express what it was that concerned her.  He was certain that her mind was far too cloudy and vulnerable to delve into right now and doing so would only cause her to panic.  It would be best if she sorted things out herself.

Finally she spoke.  He cocked an eyebrow and grinned playfully at her clever articulation.  It was an honest question that in turn, he felt, deserved an honest answer.  "Such poignant emotion is common amongst people of this valley.  It is because we are not like them; because we are not human.  To them, we are nothing more than creatures of mystical origin.  We are...unnatural... to them," he uttered faintly, in a soothing voice just above a whisper.  Judging by her youngling status, he wasn't sure just how much of his words she could wholly comprehend but he was certain she deserved at least a fragment of the truth to come.  She would come to know that there would several uncertainties and half-truths to found in her existence if she succeeded in living as long as he had.  But he was damned hellbent on ensuring she would succeed in surviving this night.

In a hidden sector of his convictions, he wondered about the youngling and if indeed this was what Cronus had sought to retrieve.  To him this youngling wasn't much to look at let along see potential in.  But then again, Dietrich had always been one to shunt that which he thought would do him no good.  Perhaps he had finally retrieved that which would prove his old notions wrong.  She was, after all, a newborn with a thirst for blood, as any good vampire should have.  With time in proper influence, perhaps she could become more than what she currently appeared to be.

Boy, would he hate to be wrong.

Dietrich shook his head and persisted, "We don't really have time to talk about this now, though.  Just understand that we're in a city filled with sentients that would rather see us roasting on a pyre than have us over for a friendly dinner.  It would be wise of us to leave as soon as possible."  His gaze spoke genuinely to her, perhaps hoping to instill a sense of trust between them if such a thing was, at all, obtainable.

Still, the magic-hating meatbags here weren't the only things that concerned his troubled mind.  There was still that overtly vivacious devil creature that lurked amidst the city's entrance.  Initially he had only seen her, but the stink of demon magic was heavy when he was there, possibly indicating an ally was close behind her.  No, taking the entrance was far too risky.

He had traveled across the eastern portion of the continent enough to learn of certain places where a vampire might find a haven.  These havens, scattered sporadically across the earth, were said to have been built by a civilization that existed long before any of the kingdoms came into power and even predating civilizations that existed before Earth's destruction.  The civilization of the ancient vampire.  Or the Ancients, as the were simply known as.

According to what he had learned of vampire lore, these Ancients were the earliest vampires to walk upon the earth, immortal and impervious to nearly all of the earth's hazards.  Even sunlight.  Through their wars and eventual disappearance they had built special vampire enclaves that were to serve as places of council and havens should the need arise and were heavily laden in an obscure, dark magic that was far too complicated and mysterious for even the most talented mage to comprehend.  It seemed that it was this powerful magic that allowed the enclaves to be preserved during the earth's destruction and rebirth; darkness had not consumed that which was already protected by dark magic. Still, this was all vampiric legend.

On one mindless travel to this area of Le'raana, Dietrich had found what appeared to be one of these enclaves somewhat close by.  It seemed not even the Mordecai could nullify such an incomprehensible power, even if the enclave was not within Connlaothian borders.  But because the rest of the area surrounding the temple was nullified, it left the magic no room to dissipate, thus causing it to concentrate in its lone area and increase its potency.  If he could find it again, he was sure he and the girl would be safe and then they would have time for proper questioning.

"Come on," he tried to whisper shortly before grabbing her by her hand and running off in a direction opposite the city-gates.  In his mind, he envisioned a back gate, as most cities in this far north had to keep up trade routes.  If he could find it, then they would be out of the city and on their path to finding the enclave.

[Anonymous]

Juliette calmed down, letting the music of the night wash over her. She hadn't realised just how alive it felt to be out here, with the cool breeze brushing the waves of her hair, with the crickets and the other sounds of the night singing to her. She was sure that she had never ever noticed just how vibrant it was before. It was almost as if she was waking up, this time for real. As if the past hour had been nothing but a walking dream, stumbling through the fog.

She had hated the feeling of being so lost, so helpless, of not being able to have any control of anything. Of what she was doing, of where she went, of anything! Juliette listened to the words the other man said. Some of them made sense, forming impressions and images in her mind, whilst others were still lost, swept away by the mist.

It was easier to focus, yet, just as when she was so close to the shore, the tide pulled her back and she receded again, enveloped back into her subconscious world of twilight desires.

He spoke as if they were the same, that she could gather. Cocking her head to the side, she regarded this mysterious man, but he had ceased to speak of home, and so she lost interest. He said she wasn't human, but she still looked the same as the others, did she not? Turning her hands over, Juliette gazed at her fingers, and then at her arms, and finally at her reflection. It was ghostly pale, her eyes were dark empty hollows. Vaguely something registered in her mind; that she must be still human. All humans had reflections, even if their eyes were vacant.

"Come on."

Before she could linger, the man had grabbed her hand and was leading her somewhere else, down unfamiliar territory. Juliette was surprised at first, and allowed herself to be led, but then, the surprise was replaced by a primal displeasure. She didn't want to go this way. This way was taking her in the opposite direction to the way she had come from. Juliette had the naïve notion that her home was back in the direction towards the forest, which was perfectly false. No, she had been carried a long way away from the little humble cottage she had once lived in, but she wasn't to know that.

She grunted in resistance, digging her heels into the ground.

"No," she said sullenly, in a childish sulking voice.

She tried to extricate herself from the other vampire's grasp, but failed. He didn't understand. She didn't understand either, but one thing was for certain. She wanted time to explore, time to become one with these new senses which were slowly opening out to her. How wonderful, to be able to hear so much music! And everything was now becoming so focused, so sharp, so vivid! There were so many colours she hadn't noticed before, and it was as if a whole new spectrum had been shown to her. Like a child, she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here and try out her new senses, or even go back the way she came.

Once again she tugged on the other vampire's hand, and as they went past a lamppost, she clung to it for dear life.

[Anonymous]

So, they're not off to a good start are they? A tiny snicker escaped the woman's lips  as she watched the pair of vampires from afar. It appeared that being kin had only helped the man in finding the girl, so all the demoness had to do was break them up. How exciting it was... but first there was this 'walking distraction' that her partner had found.

Having claimed her 'throne' atop the giant's shoulder once again, Azalie tilted her head back towards the still unnamed stranger; a contemptuous glint in her eye. He certainly didn't look like he had much going for him. Taking assumptions from his clothing, the demon could only come to the conclusion that this boy was as pathetic as the young girl from moments earlier. But he didn't appear to be as wild as she was, he was just pathetic; unexciting. At least he knew how to address someone higher than him. Turning back without a word, the Arcana allowed her partner to take over.

"Arcana Sixteen: The Tower." The grumbling voice called out, still pushing forward with his thunderous march. "This here is Fifteen..." Ophicus began, before being cut off by the same woman he was introducing.

"The Devil." She called out in an overtly proud manner, one that only a sinister being could muster.

...But surely she could not be evil. There was just something in her devilish smile and the crimson flash of the woman's eyes that spoke of good will. Of course that was only for those that would do her bidding, but there was no reason to reveal that part to anyone. Was there?

"Now you'd do well to introduce yourself, vampire." A stern tone was evident in her voice, subconsciously telling the man that compliance was in his best interest.

[Anonymous]

'I am Vivian, I am an Aswang,' was all he could say. It wouldn't be safe to say where he was from or who his family was. Hopefully the two would not know what an Aswang was, if they did he may have to leave quickly. He did not want his mother finding him. He realised he was thinking to himself and looked up, hoping that nothing too incriminating had shown on his face.

'The Tower is a golum, what are you Miss Devil?'

[Lion]

It seemed their progress would be effortless, that they would reach the other side of the city without any impediments whatsoever.  Or at least that was what Dietrich had convinced himself of.  He was sure this was the way it would proceed the rest of the journey when he felt a sudden resistance on her part.  She uttered childlike grumbling and tugged at his grip to no particular avail.  It did not dawn upon him as to why she acted as such, completely unaware of the new world that was opening up to her.

When she said no and was clasped desperately to a lamppost as they passed, Dietrich's features screwed in misunderstanding.  "What?  What do you mean, 'No'?" he inquired surprised and his eyes wild with bewilderment.  "Don't you understand," he was almost shouted in his loud whisper.  "We are going to die if we don't get out of this damned city now!  Just because you may look human does not mean that you are.  Looks can be some of the most deceiving things in the world.  You must understand what these humans will do to you if they find you.  They won't care if you're young or a woman.  They'll see you only as a monster that must be dealt with immediately.  What's more is "that you're young and aren't as strong as a vampire who has lived his years.  You're-you--"

He stopped short mid-sentence.  Though it was quite evident in his eyes the amount of frustration the young vampire was causing him, he finally comprehended.  She was just that; a youngling.  He released a sigh of something that sounded like defeat but not quite so.

"I can see you're not going to make this easy for me.  Are you?" he said quietly, not expecting her to answer.  "I suppose I shouldn't be to hard on you.  I was once a newborn too.  You have been awakened to the world once again, everything as new as the day you were born.  And now you have been born again into a stronger and better you, but are just as vulnerable as a babe.  Your senses have been shut out for a time and now that you are exposed once again to the outside world you want to explore it and become acquainted with it again as you did before.

"I understand now." he finished with a wry smile and cocked eyebrows.

Suddenly he remembered how she reacted to the word 'home,' instinctive as if the concept perked up something lost in her; something that she longed for.  Deciding to use this as lure, he would do his best to convince her.  He walked closer to her and braced one of his large hands to her cheek, gently forcing her to look at him.  "But you have to understand that you can become accustomed to your new senses at another, less dire time.  Your home is back that way," he articulated and pointed in the direction behind him with the same hand he used to turn her face to him.  "You want to go home, don't you?"

He didn't know whether or not this ploy of the mind would work.  He preferred her to accompany him peacefully and willingly but he was not above taking her by force should he be compelled to do so.  Dietrich's eyes forced their way into the cloudiness of her mind, locking his gaze with hers.  Perhaps more than his words would get her to follow him.

[Anonymous]

Juliette screwed her eyes shut and shook her head adamantly, maintaining her position of having her arms clamped around the lamppost. The iron was cool to the touch, and oddly soothing. But, she could feel the metal bending, softening under her grip. Now in all her memory, iron had never done that before. Her dark waves of hair were obscuring her face, but at the man's words, her eyes flicked open in shock.

They would kill her, even though she was no different to them?

No...not quite. She had never felt so revitalised before. The blood she had fed upon was finally kicking in, coursing through her veins with a fiery intensity. It was as if the blood itself was transforming her very atoms, immortalising them. This was a pleasant feeling, kind of tingling, but one she could focus clearly on. She realised that she wasn't feeling quite so dizzy anymore.

And then she felt his fingers upon her cheek. Touch was comforting, and she turned to face him with no resistance at all.

"You want to go home, don't you?"

His tone had suddenly changed, and Juliette found herself looking at him through sly eyes. His voice was more gentle, a complete contrast to how it had been earlier. Somehow she found herself growing suspicious. She was lucid enough to spot a trick. With a crafty flick of her head, she threw a glance in the direction the man wanted her to go. That certainly wasn't where she had come from.

Nodding, she let go of the lamppost, and got to her feet, brushing the hem of her dress, which covered her knees. Her eyes locked on the cuts and grazes on her legs; well, onto the parts that had blood rather than dirt stains. It was oddly alluring, and another sign to her, that she was somehow different from the others. Juliette straightened up, more preoccupied with her plan, rather than with the saddening notion that she wasn't the same as them anymore. She flashed the man a cheerful smile, revealing two tiny pointed teeth, and proceeded to skip in the direction she had indicated. Something told her that she could move a lot faster than this, something which she put to the test when she bolted back the way she came, barely after moving forwards ten metres.

She didn't see if the man was trying to stop her or not; she must've gotten past, for she met no resistance. The wind whistled through her hair, as she practically flew on her feet, and then she rammed into the lumbering body of a zombie.

Shrieking loud enough to wake the dead, let alone the inhabitants of the street, she scrambled backwards a few feet, for in the collision she had landed upon her rump. Even though she'd never seen this being before, something in her core screamed in disgust.

What the hell was a zombie doing here in a city that hated magic?!

It was so disheartening. As her heart thumped louder and louder in her chest, Juliette couldn't help but notice that th gate she had entered was only about twenty metres away. She could even still smell the two ripe corpses.

[Anonymous]

Poor, poor girl, 'it was karma' some would say. The same two men that she had feasted on only moments earlier now stood before the young vampire, with only one order in mind. "Kill all mortals" their master had said and this youngling seemed mortal enough; at least relatively she did. Wasting little time, the two closed in on her, the one who had been struck by the demoness' tail now appearing more of a bobble-head than an actual 'living' being. It would now be the pair's turn to feast on the little vampire.

"What am I?" Further into the woods, the demon girl was shocked at the question. Was this guy stupid or something. A hint of annoyance crossed the woman's features at the thought of such unnecessary question. Apparently, neither the wings, the horns nor the tail had dawned on the vampire quite yet.

"I'm a goddess." A deadpan expression, meant that Azalie was quite sure of this, whether it was actually true or not. Besides, what would it matter? At this rate, the boy would not be able to figure it out anyways; but she would leave him to believe what 'she' wanted for the time being.

Not caring much for the boy's own name or species, the demon went back to checking on the pair inside the city. It appeared that her undead minions had met up with the others; not exactly the best case scenario, but she could still turn it in her favor. After all, Azalie was sure that prince charming would be on the heels of 'the grand prize'. So with a bit of the devil's magic touch, the Arcana looked forward to killing two birds with a single stone. Or was it three? After all, careful planning would most likely ensure the obnoxious vampire's disappearance, her getting the girl and a nice long war between Connlaoth and Necromantia. Ahhh, chaos was so beautiful.

Without so much as a word, the woman took flight and left in the direction they had come, back to the city's gates; leaving the two men behind. Only a devilish smirk had told the golem that his companion was up to no good. Coming to a complete stop, the male Arcana turned to follow his companion, motioning to the vampire to follow if he so pleased. This could be a problem, especially if the Mordecai that had attacked Vivian were near by.

"So..." The giant Arcana called out, trying to sound casual but failing, as his emotionless grumbling filled the air once again. "What exactly is an Aswang?"

[Anonymous]

'We're like vampires. In fact, it's probably just pride that sets us apart.'

Vivian obeyed and followed the golum. He didn't really want to explain much more right now; he was too tired for a start. His stomach growled loudly. 'Do you know where I can find any animals?'

He blushed. After fighting so hard not to eat humans, how would the golum react when it saw him draning an animal. He felt ashamed, it would be so much easier if he had been able to eat normal food. He slipped on the ground and fell to hands and knees.

Look at you. You are weak. the only respectible thing about you is self control and even that is waning. How long do you think you can last without your mother? Without human blood?
I will try.

He looked up and noticed that the sky was lightening. Instinctively he pulled his cloak around him. 'The Tower, I need to get out of here.'

[Lion]

[Gahh! Sorry for taking so long, but seeing as now that semester finals are over and my reap of freedom has come, I shall be more on schedule.]

Dietrich grinned in response at the fanged smile the girl offered him, but it quickly faded when he read a hint of smugness in her face, as if she knew something he didn't.  But before a word could pass his lips, she bolted off in the opposite direction than the one he had indicated.  The action came as a great to surprise to him but he did his best to remain undeterred.

Instead he let himself be filled with the heat of anger, an emotion that aided him in many a situation.  "Bloody hell!" he cried out as he attempted to bustle off in her direction.  "Damn the gods; I'll kill you for this Cronus!"  Yet he had made barely three sprinting steps when he heard her shrill cry come from the direction of the city gates.  Surprise momentarily stalled the anger from brewing in him when he suddenly felt alert and urgency rang in his ears.  That scream was obviously for a reason; he had to get to her!

He doubled his natural speed, rushing past buildings that all looked the same in the blur.  In doing so, he could feel the adrenaline and power coursing through his muscles as the wind caressed his skin.  The world outside his sphere of movement both slowed and sped up simultaneously and would have caused his head to dizzy had he not trained himself in adamant concentration.  He focused on his destination and only that and he reached the girl in a matter seconds.

There she was lying at his feet, a pile of filthy, rumpled rags and pale flesh.  As he bent to pick her up, he did not notice the two undead guards come before them, weapons drawn until the footsteps of one crunched a pile of hardened leaves, causing Dietrich to look up at them.  Wary, he slowly stood full length, lowering his eyes and letting the anger from moments before fill his veins and embracing the volatile emotion fully.  He knew these creatures, though manipulated drones, they would not let them pass without shedding blood.   He could not agree more and this concept was evident in the malicious, bloodthirsty grin that spread upon his lips.

He allowed himself to be powered by his ever growing fury and driven by cold determination.  As the two zombies lurched forward in swaggering steps, spears avant, Dietrich quickly rolled up his sleeves and prepared himself for what promised to be a very bloody, very violent excursion.  Finally, he would be able to enjoy himself for once this evening.  He rolled up his sleeves quickly and clenched his fists in a deadly grip.  

Just then the stockier of the two zombies lunged toward the two vampires, a leap that was met by Dietrich mid-air.  The velocity of his jump proved greater than the zombie's and their bodies crashed down hard on the soil, tumbling as they landed.  It little to no effort for him to over power the creature and pummel a charged fist directly into its skull, caving it in and exposing much of the disconnected brain.  Just as he was about to pull back his bloodied fist and land another blow he sensed the tip of the other zombie's spear about to tear through him.  Just in the nick of time, he leaped and rolled to the side to see the spear of one zombie pierce the fallen body of its comrade.

However, it seemed not even that deviated the two from their ultimate task as they were both on their feet.  The one with the exposed brain closed in on him while the other rushed towards youngling.  No! his mind wailed as he scrambled to his feet and dashed like a madman at the girl.  His feet skidded harshly against the dirt in stopping his mad sprint, just in time to put himself between him and the bobble-headed abomination.  Uncaring, the creature thrust the spear at him with all the might its undead body could muster.  The attack came so fast, Dietrich could not parry in time to divert the blows intended destination and instead felt the movement of cold steel through him and out his back, tearing through flesh, muscle and clothing.  He caught the spear's handle to keep it from hitting the youngling behind him.  With the opposite hand he broke the handle and used the dislocated shaft like a club, striking the zombie with such a force it shattered the wood and caused its loose head to flop off the neck.

At this point, Dietrich was fueled by rage within, letting it slip through every corner of his being as he pulled the remnant of the weapon out of him.  He then drove the pinnacle of it brutally through his fallen opponent, his face feral and wild with the exhilaration of violence, and pinning it solidly into the ground.  The stockier of the two peered at him curiously before rushing at him.  The two struck at each other; the zombie keeping him at a short distance and slashing at him with swipes of the spear and Dietrich crossing that distance and striking the creature with forceful blows.  The abomination landed several slashes along his arms and one at the base of his torso but he did his best to shunt the pain.  For him, once he passed the defensive line, he landed a multitude of strikes that tore at the flesh of the creature's soft body.  Suddenly, Dietrich spun around, evading another thrust attempt and somersaulted over the zombie, grasping the creatures exposed head between his hands and, with great strength, crushed its shattered skull completely, feeling its brain between his fingers as he did so.  Defeated, its body went limp as it fell to the soil, blood spread like an infection.

Breathing heavily, he cleaned his blood soaked hands on his coat as best he could, a majority of his sleeves effectively torn off.  His exposed arms were covered in slashes, leaking little bits of his own blood, but he ignored them for they were wounds that would heal in time.  Slowly the rage receded back to its origins and he regained back most of his sanity.  He walked over to each body and methodically detached each corpse of their limbs just in case they should they feel the need to rise again.

He ignored the shouts and roars from within the city as he walked back to the youngling.  It seemed her sharp cry did more than attract his attention but also the guards within the city.  "That's them," he remarked looking at the direction of the cacophony.  As he looked back down at her, his thoughts turned grim.  For all his niceties, she refused every one of them.  Well, that was it.  No more mister nice guy.  "You've caused me enough trouble already and I don't intend on having any more," was all he said before he grabbed her up and swung her up into his arms.  Even if she resisted, she would be no match for him, for the anger that gave him greater strength than what he initially had was lurking not far beneath the surface; it was under control now and he could choose to call upon it at will.  Balancing her weight, he carried her with one arm holding her torso and another beneath her knees, uncaring whether or not he hurt her.  With that adjusted, he bolted for the direction of the enclave just as a battalion of soldiers came charging through the gates exclaiming in a flurry of emotion at the body of their fallen comrades and the shadowy figure that disappeared into the forest.

[Anonymous]

"Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Juliette squealed. Her head swivelled, switching from the approach of the zombies to the approach of the being she had just tried to escape from. Which was the lesser of the two evils? She had no time to even process her thoughts, before the vampire collided with one of the zombies. Juliette rolled to the side, away from the ruckus, and turned so that she couldn't see what was happening, and just sat there, trembling.

There was too much excitement in one single night! It was too much for her! Every snarl, every thud, every blow sounded painfully magnified to her sensitive ears. She could even taste the rot that was plaguing the air wherever the zombies walked. Oh, this was too much! And as her mind began to make more sense of everything, as her higher functions were slowly unveiled to her, it became even more unbearable. What the hell was she doing out here in a city she had never even set foot in before?

There was a sickening squelch, and Juliette couldn't help but peek to see what was going on. Oh. The male-being-who-was-like-her had something sticking out of him. Spear, was the word her mind presented before her.

Footsteps came from in front of her, and a shadow fell across the ground. Juliette looked up, blinking blearily, to find one of them peering down at her.

"Are you alright, dear?" It was an older them, a female, who had initially been wearing a kindly expression of pure concern, which suddenly changed to one of pure fear and revulsion. The change was almost instantaneous, and Juliette, sensing the enmity in the woman, hissed and bared her fangs angrily in response. There was a great clamour now, about the scene.

The male had just about finished with despatching the zombies. Lights were flicking on, and angry voices now filled the night air. Juliette smelled murder.

"You've caused me enough trouble already and I don't intend on having any more."

"No, no, no, no, no!!" Juliette wailed, beating her arms against the man, but it was useless. His grip was that of marble- cold, resilient, and unbending. He tore through the cacophony, Juliette screeching, face contorted into one of animalistic fury. Whatever sense her mind had been accumulating was now lost. She had reverted back to the pure animal instinct, and simply howled. It was a cry that many dogs in the coty began to take up too.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, they seemed to be heading straight in the direction of the female demon, and the giant rocky thing, and the other thing, she had come across earlier.

((Sorry for a short and late post – am still fighting the deadly forces of exams!))

[Lion]

this is for those of you who have noticed I haven't posted IC in a while. I've just lost my will to RP at the moment (for lack of a better explanation) and every time I try to post my mind just goes blank. So for those of you who can, feel free to skip over me or god mod my characters for a while and for those who can't I'm sorry, I'll try to get my act together as soon as possible. ><

[So it seems Kiwi is impeded from roleplay for the moment.  So, Mdu, do you want to go ahead and take your turn, skip over Kiwi, or god mode the characters?]

[Anonymous]

Lion, I'm afraid I can't do anything until Kiwi comes back. So either you and Nightshade play together for a while or we will have to figure out how to get Deitrich and Juliette outside the gates and near Tower, Devil and Vivian.

[Lion]

[Hmm, you are quite correct.  Well, I guess I'll take my turn then.  But not now, seeing as it is late (where I am) and I'm incredibly tired.  I'll think of something however.]

[Anonymous]

((My exams will be over soon so I'll be able to write much longer posts when it gets to my turn! XD ))

[Lion]

Dietrich's head swarmed with one colliding thought after another as the racket of the human shouts and the fledgling vampire in his arms howling in great displeasure and the pain of his wounds that sent uncomfortable waves through his already damaged body.  He ran quickly through the forest, his legs as livid as a thrashing animal, and tried not to jostle her too much.  However, even as he tried, it was difficult to remain doing so when one was running for their survival.  But still he did not release his death grip on her body.  He knew that if he let her go, she would only run again and he reminded himself that failure was not an option; it would be his head on Cronus' plate if he failed.

She could have gone peaceably, but he knew that was out of the question considering the animal instinct that was very alive in her at the moment.  He attempted to stop his hurricane thinking as he dodged one stalwart tree after another.  His path stuck to the cluster of trees that hugged the city walls but was a good distance away from them to avoid being spotted.  He hoped that by following it he would be able to go around and back down the way he had wanted to go in the first place before she tried to escape him.  Yet a few renegade thoughts made it past his mental blockade: "I should have let her die there!"--"She'll be nothing but trouble!"--"Oh damn you Cronus, why must you want something that's always so goddamn hard to get.  I'll never do anything again for that worthless bastard!"  Oh, but if only she would stop her infuriating howling!

His irritation was evident in how his face scowled.  It was combination of pure vexation and the pain of his gut as he almost felt his ears throbbing now.  Her cries didn't little to help either.  "Damn it!" he swore in a harsh whisper.  When he was a good enough length away from the marauding guards that seemed to have followed them through the thick wood, he slowed his desperate run to a slow jog then a walk, before stopping completely and letting go of her legs.  Darkness surrounded them, cloaked the two vampires like a blanket of ebony.  While keeping one arm wrapped around her to chain her small body to him, Dietrich used the other to cup her face.  Recalling how calmly she reacted to touch before he sought to get the same reaction a second time.

All anger had left his face and was now placid and as welcoming as when he first greeted her back in the tavern.  "Shh!  Stop screaming!" his voice was low and in a soothing whisper as it was before, except that this time he was not feigning in any way.  He sincerely did want her to be quiet and perhaps in showing some kindness she would recollect some sense of wit and take on a quieter semblance.  "Oh damn.  Hush, hush.  I'm not going to hurt you, youngling.  Just quiet down, please.  Shhh-shh-sh."  He stroked her cheek gently while still keeping his iron hold on her.  "Calm down.  I promise I won't hurt you.  I just need you to calm yourself.  Hush..."

[Crap, I wish it was longer.  Sorry, my muse was having a major brain fart.  I'll write more next time.]