Soon, we began our journey deeper inside the cave in searching for my father's coffin where I was to see him for the last before death parted us apart. The last time word really upset me that made me hardly able to smile that I couldn't be at ease as my heart was praying for me to be able to see him and probably might be able to hear his voice for the last time. Hans who was searching for the faint presence led the way all throughout the damp cave. The further we went, the colder the atmosphere been as if it was trying to prevent us from getting much further.
Beyond my expectation, Hans took off his coat and wrapped it all around me with that expresionless look on his face. I was staring at him unbelievably and let out a thought of, “He can be generous at times.”
“Don’t think of wierd thing. Since you are a useless vampire, the probavility for you to catch a cold is high. I don’t want to end up taking care of my own food-supply while there’re tons of vampire that I need to annihilate,” He explained.
“Oh, I just can’t tolerate with your vulgar words!” I shouted while sobbing.
“You’ll get used to it. Besides, I think we’re almost there,” His sapphire eyes gleamed beautifully inside the dark cave as his grey hair fell from his head covering his forehead. He gently shifted it away from his forehead. Since that we hadn’t been able to have our proper rest, we had been in a bit fatigue due to the long journey and I could see that from Hans himself. Well, of course he would since he had been fighting with Cyano just a while ago.
“Inside this canal is where you are to find your father, the one on the left,” He gestured towards a dark passage that was divided into two.
I quickly rushed inside the passage and found nothing inside it. I turned backwards and stared towards him with an angry stare that I thought that he might be making fun of me but instead, he held my hand and dragged me towards a hole somewhere nearby where we stood. He pulled out something out of it while saying, “If it comes to a serious matter, I will not dare occupied myself in being irresponsible. Keep that in mind.”
I nodded for a ‘yes’.
There it was, my father’s coffin. I quickly opened the lid of the coffin and found myself a half-wilted vampire who was lying still inside it.
“Dad, dad... can you hear me? Are you still alive?” I asked without any hesitation.
The vampire shifted his eye-lashes and was now staring at me with a frown on his face, “Could it be?” He gently laid his hand on my face. He let out a warm smile and said, “Long time no see, my daughter. Have you meet Cyano just now?”
The sudden question led to a complete silence thoughout the atmosphere. Hans paced back away from my father, maybe feeling a bit guilty of his act. None of us dare to say a word or even to tell the whole thing that happened just now. Even Bat too was too sad to give out any expression. He just stared at him without a word.
To be continued.
The mass of violence was lurking throughout the atmosphere and both Cyano and Hans were fighting in between life and death. At this rate I knew that Cyano wouldn't stand a chance on surviving and of course I didn't want that to happen since I was indebted to him plus, he's the only cousin that cared for me. I kept hold of my emotions, staring towards bat while thinking of a brilliant way to stop those two from continuing their fight.
"Dominion, summon me at your assistance!" Bat shouted.
His words were futile since that Cyano was into that fight, even though he was now severely injured, he ignored them and continued his fight for his survival. The mess I had made was very fatal. If only I didn't run away from that sickening hunter, this wouldn't have happened! I dashed right in the middle of the battle field and attacked him with my claws.
"Move aside Food-supply, he's my prey now!" He exclaimed furiously.
"No, you move aside! He's the one I must protect!" I growled towards him, giving him a hard glare.
"Don't get in my way Natalya, you won't win this!" Cyano tried to convince me.
I knew that I was crying that I couldn't hold my emotions anymore. As my tears fell down my pale cheek, I didn't turn my head facing him instead of saying, "You're the only one who cared for me in the vampire land. If it wasn't for you, I'll never existed for this very day. Please let me at least repay you with this."
He stood up and slapped me hard on the face. I was astounded by his sudden violence towards me that it was his first time doing so, "Why are you just so weak?" He murmured. "At this rate I will never be able to protect you or even myself. Why am I so stupid to fall for you?"
"Enough with the conversation and fight back you dimwit!" Hans shouted from afar.
He gave a smirk, "Yes, let's finish this once and for all."
The fight continued. The fighting scene was so beautiful as if they were dancing for their life with Cyano's blood spurted out like raining rubies, beautifully yet so malicious. If this what he wished then I would not bother myself to interfere with his fight of survival. For us vampires, all our fights were our honors. If we fled from our battlefield, it means that we'll lose our honor. And now, he's fighting to make sure that he wouldn't stain his own.
"Dominion!" Bat kept on shrieking for his master in order to assist him.
"Don't interfere Bat. It's his honor. Don't make him feel bad with it," I gestured a hand and succesfully stopped him from marching ahead. "You're no use in this fight."
He embraced me while bursting to tears that he knew this time, he would lose his master for sure. I hugged him tightly as to express my despair in losing one of my comrades in that very melancholy state. And for the last touch, Hans stabbed him right into his heart with his silver death-scythe. There he was, laying down helplessly as I went nearer to him, grabbing his hand into mine.
"My will..." He said with a hoarse voice.
I took him nearer to me so that I could hear him clearly, "Your will?"
He smiled and gestured his fore-finger towards Bat who was flying nearby, "He's your father's. This is his will as well as mine."
My eyes widened, "What do you mean?"
"Your father decided to wilt away somewhere inside this cave. If you really want to save him, then better make it fast. He's so just like you," He patted my head. "He's can't stand it anymore. Seeing the horror and the fears from his prey, he's too soft-hearted just like you. No wonder Bat was attached to him. Oh and... you have 2 day approximately."
Soon, his hand fell down as his body slowly turned to dust. Hans went to me and patted my head, "That is the fate of both vampire and vampire hunter."
"Do you think, I still have my honor?" I asked while my watery eyes was still locked at the ashes that belongs to Cyano.
His sapphire eyes were giving a sad look towards my pathetic condition, "They are still there. Your honor is to protect what is right for you."
"Then, will you let me save my father from wilting away?" I begged.
"No, it means that you're forcing him to live and make himself suffer again," He explained briefly.
"Well then, will you let me see him for the last time before death calls for him?" My tears dropped again and this time, very hurtful.
"I can't restrain you from doing so," He whispered to my ears.
And so, of we went and of course, with Bat by my side, towards my father's coffin. This will be the last time for me to see him and bid him a proper farewell. I mustn't cry in front of him and must I show my courage upon him that I was fine.
To be continued.
Not knowing how long had I been running away from him, finally I caught a hold of myself and decided to calm down for a while, taking a rest. I observed the place I was now in and I was kind of like it since that It really resembled my former home in Vampire Land. There, it was always cold, dark and gloomy, just like what vampires needed to make the place as their settlement for the rest of their life even though they really need to go out for hunting in the human world.
A bat abruptly collided with me and got his claws scratched my face. I was fine with it since I had a fast-healing ability but I wondered what had happened to the bat. I went nearer towards him and lifted him on my palm and asked, "Are you okay bat?"
Since that the bats really related to the vampire, also not forgetting the Dracula himself, we could communicate with them without any difficulties.
"It's okay, mam. I'm okay. Sorry about the wound on your face. Can it be that you're a vampire mam?" He apologized.
"It's fine, it is completely healed just now and yes I am. How bout you? What's with the rush?" I asked again.
"Well, I was about to warn my dominion who was hiding from the sun ray," He replied with an anxious look on his face.
"Warn him about what?"
"There's a vampire hunter who was resting himself at the mouth cave!" He whispered urgently.
I assumed that he was talking about that nasty bad-mouthed kiddo who I came with all the way until we reached this cave.
"Oh, do come with me mam! If he sees you, he'll kill you!" He pleaded.
"Oh, how kind of you. But, I doubt he would," I replied to him with my merry smile.
"No can do mam! Among those 7 vampire hunters, he's the strongest of all! He's the type that loves to bully people even for his very own comrades!"
"Well, that's him alright..."I monologued.
He flew off and grabbed my hand to follow him deep into the damp cave where there, I could hear water lapping that I reckoned there's a river somewhere inside the cave.
Finally, we arrived. At my very own disbelief, I couldn't believe my eyes of what I saw. It's my cousin from the vampire Land! I dashed to get him and finally embraced him tightly and said, "Cyano! Oh, I'm glad you're here!"
He who was resting was astounded with my sudden embrace and my very own appearance.
"Natalya! I thought I won't see you again!" He hugged me back with that relief tone of his.
"What are you doing here?" I asked with a bit overwhelmed.
"You see, I was hunting for food just now but, when I thought of I won't be able to feed you again... It's kind of sad. So, I decided not to go back yet," He explained briefly.
"Well, you don't have to do that. Why do you always burdening yourself in helping me out to search for food?"
"I don't like seeing my own cousin in starvation and as an apology since that my sisters always bullied you back in vampire land. I was scared to death when I know that you was exiled!" He said with a gloomy expression.
"You're just too kind..." I smiled.
"Dominion! You're in danger! There's a vampire hunter at the mouth cave who was resting there and he's Hans Royard!" He shouted urgently.
I frowned and retorted, "What?! His name is Hansel right?"
"Who's Hansel? Maybe you misheard that. He's name real name is... "
"Yes, my name real name is Hans. So what?" He appeared out of the blue. "So, you are the second presence instead of food-supply. Prepare to die now, Cyano Ashley!"
He took out his death-scythe and attacked him fiercely like a tiger who was in combat to get its prey. And there I was, halting with fear. My head turned blank and I had no idea what to do or how to react. Should I let it be or save my cousin... I was in dilemma for a while and this confusion hunted me. What should I do?
To be continued.
We were walking aimlessly with his luggage and I couldn't believe that I was forced to carry one of them even though it was kind of light. He's a no gentlemen and yet a very bad-mouthed kiddo who loved to get on my nerves, never tried to respect me as a lady plus he called me a useless vampire and food-supply over and over again! I could barely understand what was he thinking. Even so, he did help me back then.
"Hey, we've got two hours before it's dawn," He called out from afar.
"What?! But there's no inn in the nearby area!" I cried. "I don't want to get burned!"
"Shut-up! I'll think of something since you're just too naive to find a place for your safety," He raised his voice in a very furious manner.
We continued our journey at the same time, searching for a place to settle in and the dawn would break up in no time that means that we really running out of time. On our way, we spotted a cave not so far from where we stood. We dashed towards the cave just in time when the sun had finally shown its ray. I should say I was saved!
"I assume that this is my bed-time now," I took out a blanket and made a bed out of it.
"How can you sleep inside this damp cave? You're a weirdo," He uttered.
"Since that you've never stopped even for a second to catch up your own breath, I got tired of all these traveling thing. I'm off to bed," I flung myself on the blanket and went on my slumber until he finally said something that prevented me from pursuing my doings.
"I can't guarantee whether I could restrain myself from sucking your blood or not. You know how cunning I can be," He finally sneered that made me got a Goosebumps again.
I jolted out of my blanket, giving an unsatisfied glare towards him to make sure that he wouldn't suck my blood again since he had already feasted on me yesterday.
"You're a gluttonous eater! You've already took a sip of my blood!" I exclaimed.
"Nah, It didn't satisfy me yet. Well, your blood is kind of nice even for a useless vampire. You made me addicted to your blood," he winked.
My face turned pale. I paced away from him, keeping my distance plus, I know my face was red, "What are you? A Casanova?"
"Hey, don't compare me to that lowly living human."
"Stay away from me!" I shouted.
"Hey, food-supply... You've already in a distance away from me," He said mockingly.
"Well, that's... That's because you're provoking me, Pervert!"
"Pervert ay... Doesn't sound that bad," He came nearer and nearer towards me.
I halted for a while, frowning with my eyes locked at his stature that was approaching nearer every second. His face was now an inch from mine and he was staring deep inside my red ruby eyes. I quivered with fear as he gestured his hand towards my face as if he wanted to give out a kiss. Then, he smiled sadistically, "One point for me!"
"Huh?!" My face blushed.
"Ha-ha... Do you think I'm trying to kiss you? Don't ever think about it. Your uselessness is so not my type," He paced away. "That's for calling me a Pervy," He lay down a few meters away from me.
"I... I..." I gripped my hands and finally shouted, "I hate you!" Then, I fled away deeper inside the cave.
He was looking at me with that sneer on his face and how I hate that sneer of him. If I could just kill him that time, I'll make sure that he will die a dreadful death!
To be continued.
Finally, it was time for me to 'rise and shine' since that the sun had already set. I leaped out of my bed, washed my face and headed towards a nearby mirror. As I saw my image at the mirror, I gave out a horrified scream that made that lazy-bum rushed towards the mirror where I stood and had a very funny look on his face.
"You!" I gestured my fore-finger towards him. "Since when did you did this?!" I showed him the bite sign on my neck and made him hold his mouth and giggled.
"What's so funny?!" My face reddened.
"What's the fuss Food-supply? I thought you had already agreed with that," He paused. "And don't blame me, you're just too slow to detect my presence when I bit your neck."
"Why didn't you bite me when I was awake?!" My face turned red sauce that it was so red like a ruby.
"Well, you really don't want to be in that kind of 'position' don't you? Come one, since that I'm a guy, you won’t stop blushing If I am to sink my fangs on your neck and in the end, I can’t take a sip even a drop of your blood,” He explained briefly.
“No I won’t!” I exclaimed furiously.
“Then prove it,” He let out a sarcastic smirk.
“Since that you’ve already bit me then I need to find myself a prey. If not I’ll die and wilt and you don’t have any more food supply,” I replied.
“That’s not necessary for me to die without you as my food-supply but, just for fun I guess I’ll be helping you out. Your face shows that you know nothing about memory-erasing or even mind-controlling.”
“Well, that’s...” I tried to think of any more diction from my wits since that his prediction was yet so true.
“Well, let’s get moving. It’s already twilight,” He started his pace and was heading towards the doorway.
I gave an unbelievable expression that I felt like smacking him continuously without stopping and to hit him until he knelt upon me and begged for my mercy. Oh, that no good hunter! I walked just right behind him, following like a servant would do to his master but seriously, I wasn’t his servant! Or, just in case you’d call me food-supply.
“Hey, Hans, If you don’t mind me calling you that,” I started the conversation.
“Hmm?” He grunted.
“How did you know that I... You know... don’t know how to use those abilities?” I asked bluntly.
“Well, how can I put this in words… Because you look so stupid,” He answered nonchalantly.
“I’m serious!”
“Okay... Okay... You know, we are very well informed that the vampire who refuses to sink his fangs inside the human necks more than 50 times will not gain that ability. In the other words, your fangs are still immature to awake both the abilities. The vampires have two choices whether to feast their prey until they turn to dust or let them live but must remove their memories. Mind control is used when you are to call your prey and to make sure that he won’t resist you,” He explained briefly. “For now, how many times have you sunk your fangs inside the human neck?”
“Um... what if I say... Once?”
His face turned gloomy and a little bit scarier than usual, “You useless vampire.” He gave himself a face-palm.
Off we went to find me a prey so that I could devour blood and produce enough blood for him to have his feast. We ambushed a human that was walking nearby the inn and dragged him towards a secluded area and of course, with that hunter’s mind-control ability. The man was now unconscious, kneeling before me obediently.
“Here you go. But, don’t drink too much,” He advised.
“Here goes nothing,” I went to him and almost sank my fangs at his neck but, I stopped.
The vampire hunter was observing me having my feast on that human being and It was kind of embarrassing with him glaring at me with that look on his face. He raised one of his eyebrows as a sign of asking, ‘What on earth are you doing?’.
“You know what, I can’t do it with you staring at me like that,” I uttered and I know I was blushing that time.
“Hmph, typical excuses… Don’t mind me. If you can have a feast on him, I promise that I won’t do ‘that’ again,” He vowed.
“Promise?” I said for a confirmation.
“I hate to repeat myself again.”
Without a second thought, I sank my fangs at his neck at feasted him until I’m certain that I was full enough to let him go. I retreated my pace 2 steps backwards as Hans started to erase his memory, preventing him from reveling what had happened to him. He took out a dead snake and placed it nearby his fainted body which is as an evidence to show that he was bitten by a snake. I panted, exhaling and inhaling the air around me and was quite satisfied with it. For a second ago, my eyes turned as red as ruby and was shining too and I was in cloud nine. The feeling of satisfaction after being able to have my feast was intense. He said nothing and off we went, pursuing our journey to the other town.
To be continued.
