The Twisted Arranged Marriage

Knight. Princess. Vampire. Vampire Hunter.

Long ago, in a land called Chestibor, there lived a dominant family by the name of Dalibor. This family had laid claim to Chestibor for centuries, each generation expanding their domain as they grew in power. Soon, the family was known throughout the region for their bravery and their skill: the skill of hunting vampires. The Dalibor family passed down their skills from generation to generation to the men of the family, marrying the women only to other vampire hunters to strengthen the clan and increase their skill set. If a man did not meet the desired traits, it was unlikely that a woman of the Dalibor clan would willingly choose him as her husband. Though the skill and prowess primarily resided within the men of the Dalibor family, once in a blue moon there was a daughter born with the destiny to become the leader of the clan.

One such daughter was named Aalis, who was born twin to a young man named Aldus. After years of training, Aalis flew through the ranks, specializing in archery and close range combat. In time her natural ability was highly rewarded, and when the twins came of age they were tasked with watching the ancient vampire Vierryn Clavett. Stationed on the outskirts of his vast castle that defied logical architecture, it was their duty to carry out his death sentence. As Aldus guarded the base of the mountain, his twin Aalis stood watch the center of the mountain where the castle entrance was in plain sight. Communicating through the use of a single carrier pigeon, the two watched and waited for the vampire prince to leave his castle upon the mountain peaks, hoping for the perfect moment to strike.

That is, until Vierryn got tired of their game and felt a twisted desire to begin the game anew, but without the young Aldus joining in. This time, it would only involve the ever persistent Aalis, and perhaps a few royals across the sea. His advantage would be separating the twins, who were stronger together than apart, and taking young Aalis far away from the protection of her clan. Vierryn knew that Aalis couldn't resist following him wherever he went, especially once she had seen what he had in store for her twin Aldus. It wouldn't be long before he had her right where he wanted her, far across the sea. A perk of this plan was the grand feast he anticipated within the new Kingdom, for little did they know what they were getting themselves into by unwittingly joining his little game.

The unfortunate Kingdom across the sea was known as Enguerrand: a large stone castle that rested upon a large mountain covered by a flourishing forest. In this castle, lived the royal family Krasimir: a brilliant King by the name of Nikola, a flaxen-haired Queen by the name of Johanne, and a strong-willed Princess by the name of Elena. At the bottom of this hill was a large and busy sea port, Braum, where a small but strong village housed a young man who would soon become a well respected leader in the Royal Guard of the Krasimir family: Aeltron Tahlae. At the age of 15, Aeltron had become the personal escort of the Princess Elena, who was a mere 8 years of age. Soon Aeltron became Elena's closest companion as she maneuvered her way through court, and that closeness quickly developed into something greater as they aged into young adults. Though Aeltron was now 24, and Elena only 17, the feelings developed were quickly beginning to show in their looks and the tone of their voices. Due to his duty, Aeltron was torn between the woman he desired and the family he was sworn to protect.

Suspecting something more, King Nikola began speaking with envoys from various royal families across the continent to arrange a marriage for his daughter Elena, trying to intervene as swiftly as possible to stop the budding romance from blooming any further. Without delay, his request was accepted by a foreign prince across the sea who was unknown to all but the envoy. In haste to have his daughter wed, the King announced the betrothal and invited the prince to Enguerrand to meet his betrothed and begin wedding preparations. Never realizing that they had just accepted a marriage offer from an ancient vampire, so began this twisted game of Vierryn's: a deadly arranged marriage.

"An invitation? On such fancy parchment?" His pale eyes flickered up from behind the letter that he held within his gloved fingers. "Seems as if I have an admirer," a coy grin danced across his lips as his fangs became ever apparent. "Should be a fun game to play." His tongue glided over his full pair of pale lips in a teasing mannerism. "Why yes, this will be a delightful game indeed."

Before the letter could see the eyes of another, it became engulfed in flames. It was time to hide the deal that would bring him great joy. No longer would he be forced to play by their rules. No, now was the time to show them that he was a prince, a rightful noble in dire need of a... princess.

Raising from his black plush throne with studded rubies and gold edges, the man of nineteen stepped without a sound down his golden path over to the large oak doors that kept him from his ghost town castle. Few resided within his castle for few were privy of keeping their blood. Odd? Yes, perhaps. But not so odd once the secret is revealed. This prince has a terrible secret, one that few live long enough to now about. He, Vierryn Clavett, is none other than a vampire.

Teeth glistening as he made haste down his hollowed corridors that were littered with webs of spiders and roosting bats, the man stopped just once to instruct his staff of their new tasks. "There is a slight chance we will have a guest. Not promises. Let's just err on the side of caution and tidy this place up. If I get stuck there, then it will all be for naught. But if I can get her to come here... well, then we can't let her see this mess." Lips curling up into a rather dashing grin, he clapped his gloved hands twice before the servants dispersed. "Should my dearly beloved have the chance of making it here, let's don this place with some flora to veil the darkness that lies within these blood red rugs."

Now at the steps that lead up to his castle, he tossed back his loose silver-blond hair. "Well, shall we?" Brow cocked, he gazed forward though his force was on that which was hiding deep within the woods. He didn't dwell long on the steps though. Back inside, he packed his bags (sparingly) and said his farewells. "Keep this place gloomy while I'm away. Wouldn't want someone to think it a lively place to be. And we don't want a thief to think I'm away so he might steal it. Just... do as we usually do." Waving his hand, he began the first step of many toward the port. "Note to self, move the port closer. I really hate walking...."

Aalis shifted in her position within the treetops, though she never lost sight of the entrance to the vampire's castle. She was beginning to lose patience as the sun rose higher into the sky. Aalis had received word from her brother Aldus that the envoy had returned by ship and was traveling from the port to the castle. Watching for the envoy to make his way up the mountain towards the castle, Aalis tried to view what Aldus could not: what important item the envoy was so nervously trying to conceal.

She didn't have very long of a wait, as it was only a few hours walk from the port, but the envoy passed through with his satchel was closed tight as he hastily made his way for the castle entrance. As he didn't open his satchel again within her view, Aalis stood from her position and quickly climbed down to the ground. Keeping herself hidden, she moved closer to the castle before climbing a taller tree, this time climbing nearly to the top so that she could survey the grounds of the castle.

Keeping watch for the envoy, Aalis watched as he made his way across the grounds and into the main castle. After some time, the limited staff that hadn't already been drained of their blood began quickly moving throughout the castle sections. It seemed as if they were packing and... cleaning? "Cleaning? By the heavens above, what could they possibly be cleaning for?" thought Aalis as she continued her surveillance. As she scribbled a note warning her brother of potential movement, the vampire made his move.

Sending off the pigeon, Aalis scowled at the audacity of the vampire. Who did he think he was, to blatantly walk out of his palace unguarded? Standing upright upon the limb of the tree, her new vantage point being merely several hundred yards away from the castle, Aalis loaded her bow and aimed it at the vampire. Swoosh. The arrow flew through the air, falling just short and striking the rubble at the base of the palace steps as the vampire prince retreated inside. Shouldering her bow, Aalis climbed down from the tree and awaited the prince to emerge again. It wasn't long before she could see him coming down the path, and as she stood cloaked by the trees she awaited the perfect moment to strike.

There was no need to waste time on a guard or escort. He was a vampire; his senses were heightened and he was more than capable of taking out whoever lurked in the woods. Besides, it would be a fun little game! Could it make it to the port unscathed? Or would he get a quick bite in before the long trek across the blue tides? And should luck turn against him, the idea of having someone send a letter to his should-be princess would truly make those murderers feel guilt-ridden.

As he stepped quickly down the stairs, Vierryn readjusted his bags before taking quick strides toward the port. Only, with each passing second, he seemed to grow more and more bored of this "running" thing. Slowing down to his usual pace, he sauntered his way toward the ship that would ultimately take him from this land. Why, this idea of leaving the home island was brilliant. Few knew of vampires so that meant he could drink blood with ease. No one would ever suspect a vampire, for they are often just "rumors" or "legends." And long before anyone could point a finger at him, he would be off to his next wife. As a vampire, Vierryn could truly place this game for a long time. If his mortal partner latest 100 years, he could easily squeeze in about five wives, or more, if lucky.

Nose catching drift of a scent unfamiliar to him, those glistening fangs started to protrude. If one dared attack, he would be ready. He clicked a few times, letting his echo bounce off trees and seek out those who did not belong. Much like the bats that often went hand-in-hand with vampires, he too could use sonar to pin-point things that did not belong. Only, unlike some of his clan, Vierryn wasn't able to morph into the blind creature and fly way. Instead, Vierryn's powers were a little more... bloody? Should an enemy attack, he would simply melt into a pool of blood and slink away. As a puddle of blood, it made locating his heart troublesome so often he could materialize as man and bite the head off his enemy long before they saw it coming.

About halfway to the docks, he paused and let his ears listen. "There's no point in striking. I can taste your breath on the wind and I can hear your blood pump through your veins."

Aalis grinned as she tossed her bag into the open road, emerging from her wooded cover soon after with a loaded bow. “Of course you can, vampire,” Aalis grimaced, letting the word vampire roll off her tongue with a depth of disdain. Sidestepping as she spoke, Aalis circled the vampire as she took in his presence for the first time, “If you mean to scare me with those words, I’m afraid I shall disappoint thee. You are not the first I have encountered, vampire, and you shan’t be the last.” It may have been the first time Aalis had set eyes so closely upon the vampire Vierryn, but it didn’t worry her. In truth it sent a buzzing down her spine, raising her adrenaline as she surveyed him, getting herself acquainted with his build and the reach of his arms.

“Don’t you think this was a little careless? Stepping outside from the safety of your palace on the cliff right into the hands of a Dalibor?” Aalis grinned as she finished her circle and now stood before him, standing between him and the port as she waited for her twin to make his way up the mountain to her. “I’m afraid you know what this means, and you know I cannot allow you to continue down this path any further.” Without warning, Aalis shot the arrow loaded into her bow straight at the vampire’s eye, giving her twin a little more time to catch up to them. ‘Where is Aldus…’ Aalis thought to herself as she shouldered her bow and took the dagger from her belt, readying for a retaliating blow.

It was then that Aldus burst through the opening, breathing heavily as he took his place beside his sister on the opposite side of the vampire. "Finally joining us Aldus?" Aalis teasingly mocked as she eyed her twin briefly, "You're late."

"Sorry, Aalis," Aldus managed as he took out his daggers and readied himself for the battle, "I was getting information from the port when I got your message. I got here as fast as I could."

Sure enough, woman stepped from her place amongst the shadows and cast her taunting words upon him. 'Really?' he thought while rolling his eyes. Were all hunters this cocky? Evidently, they were for she was already boasting her prowess when it came to hunting his kind. Why, the miss was even kind enough to name-drop her lineage.

"Ah, a Dalibor," he mused while blankly staring at his fingernails, of which were trimmed to a point for the purpose of ripping flesh. "And mayhaps," he side-stepped as the arrow came, seeing no need to turn into a bloody mess just yet. "Or maybe I wanted this meeting and you fell right into my trap?" Finally pulling his eyes up from his cuticles, he flashed the woman a quick, white grin. "You know how us vampires are -- so arrogant yet tormenting. It simply wouldn't be fun without a bit of risk and game."

Each word that dripped from his lips were full of sarcasm and a rather rich undertone that screamed boredom. "But alas, things might get interesting."

When her brother came bounding (nay, crashing and stumbling) from the bushes behind him, Vierryn could only roll his eyes and snort. "Clearly not a Dalibor with such reckless haste. A true Dalibor would have kept in the thicket, knowing full well that a vampire's senses tend to fixate on one, rather than many. Since your sister was oh-so-kindly engaged with me, I would have paid you little to no attention, leaving my back completely exposed. Women can be so distracting and, let's face it, her scent is far stronger than yours so I would naturally prefer her taste, even touch, over yours." As he uttered out the last few words a yawn gripped him. Lazily shaking it off, he gave the twins a slow blink before returning his attention to what really mattered -- breaking their bond and pitting twin against twin.

"Seems a little odd that you would be late, though." His arms folded over himself. They were such an off-white color that they could almost blind whoever gazed upon them. "I'm just struggling with one point. You were at the port. Is this not the port?" His hands unfolded and sprawled out before them as if he were Vanna White. "Just seems strange to me." With a crooked shoulder roll, Vierryn's eyes shifted to the sister. "Honestly, I don't see why you bring him along. He just foils with your plans. Why, he can't even hold his daggers right. All he'll end up doing is stabbing himself and awakening the blood-sucker within. Then, you'll both be dead and you'll be cussing to yourself for bringing the moronic brother along. And even if he doesn't kill himself, you do know he'll get all the credit. Men always seem to get the glory while the women get... well, you know what comes with your gender. Let's just say those good looks won't last forever, doll."

For a moment, his pale eyes flickered red as his lips curled up in a sly grin. "But seeing as I have no need to hurt a pretty face -- that and I'm full -- I think I'll be on my way." Curtly, he side-stepped and watched as the twins kept their eyes trained on him.

"Whoa, dogs, no need to get testy. I've a princess to woo. And I'm afraid, should I not show up, that war would come to you. You might be valiant hunters, but I highly doubt your specific skills would be ideal for a full-on battle with the Krasimir family of Enguerrand." At this point, Vierryn had no idea if his words were working, or if the twins were just plotting out something with their nonverbal communication. Either way, should they decide to break stance or lunge, he would sink back into a puddle of blood and make haste toward the ship that would take him away from these hunters.

Or would he? There was another idea that lingered in his mind; one that would surely pit sister against brother. Well, brother against sister for it was considered a sin to share lips with a vampire.

The vampire wasn’t wrong about Aldus, but he wasn’t right either. Aldus did know how to fight, and he was a true Dalibor, but where Aalis was graceful and a bright tactician, Aldus was nothing but brute strength with a short temper. They were two halves to a whole, as they had been for their entire lives. They worked perfectly together, most of the time. There were rare occasions, however….

“Don’t listen to him Aldus, he’s just trying to get you angry. Keep calm - you’ll only give him fuel.” Sliding the dagger back into her belt, Aalis quickly realized that Aldus was on the verge of becoming truly reckless. She had seen this look before, and it had nearly got the both of them killed. ‘Time to end this quickly, before something happens…’ Aalis thought to herself as she eyed her brother carefully.

“Technically, we’re on a mountainside. And technically, I was on a ship interrogating a captain who seems to think he’s taking you away across the sea, but I told him to not get his hopes up for your patronage. Besides, what do you know of our clan? For your information, our entire clan knows the sort of fighter Aalis is, they have never given me full credit for a kill and they never would,” Aldus snapped as he quickly grew angry, known for easily losing his temper, especially with vampires.

“It doesn’t matter anyways. We have what we came for right in front of us, and I have no intent of letting it board that ship. And in truth, the Krasimir’s will be grateful when we tell them a tale of the Prince, or rather farm boy, who fooled them all. Or Aldus could take your place… After all, have they actually met you, vampire?” Aalis mused with a wicked grin, “We have more than one story we can spin if it comes down to it. But somehow I don’t believe that you are capable of setting a trap, vampire. You think with your fangs, not your head. Otherwise, why would you tell us your plans when you know a Dalibor never gives up on the hunt? You won’t make it down this mountain side alive.”

“Besides, cretin, how do you know this isn’t an act of mine? A clever ruse to catch you off guard? After all, what does a kill mean if you do it so sneakily from behind? Where is the honor?” Aldus added as he scowled at the vampire before him, trying not to let his words anger him further. “A Dalibor never reveals his secrets, and a Dalibor never lets his victim outwit him. You have no idea who you’re dealing with, cretin, but you will soon find out.” Lunging for the vampire, Aldus swung his daggers at the vampire, hardly leaving a scratch as he tumbled forward past the vampire.

Pulling an arrow from her sheath as her brother lunged at the vampire, Aalis quickly loaded it into her bow, preparing to shoot should the vampire get too close to Aldus before he could react.

“Aldus!” Aalis groaned, “What are you doing? Stick to the plan!”

"Oi," Vierryn groaned when the lad rambled on for several minutes about how he was clearly the one with the upper-hand. At one point he wanted to plead to Aalis to just kill him and put him out of his misery, but the pale skinned man had other plans. With each passing second, a glimmer came to his eyes. Soon, they were wide with delight and a plan to truly make the twins have a field day.

Sadly, whilst caught in his own plotting, he missed the cue that Aldus had finished his long-winded speech. Unable to really react (or was he just lazy?), Vierryn found his cheek grazed, lightly. It was just enough to turn his white skin a slightly pink color. Really, it didn't look bad on him.

On second thought, it looked god awful. It made it look like he was blushing and that just couldn't do!

As the sister whittled out a quip about sticking to a plan, Vierryn shifted his movements. He was almost fluid in the way he moved. From his lunge forward to his writhing wrists that snaked around Aalis' aura, Vierryn moved as if he were one with the water or air.

Being as close as he was, he could sense her skin boil. She was raged that her brother's antics sent the vampire at her -- or so he assumed. Still, not wanting to linger this close to her, Vierryn skidded back and found himself bent over with his palms on the ground. Head jerking up, he slid-flipped out of harm's way as several arrows moved in on his location.

Had he had a remark, he likely would have rattled one off but Vierryn was just too in love with the moment. As far as he was concerned, he and Aalis were dancing. They were a pair that all eyes were fixed upon. Sadly, another man seemed to challenge his lead and this caused the pale-skin to grimace.

"Although I'm not picky, I do prefer your sister," he chided while rolling over the brother's back. Now on his legs again, Vierryn spun around to find a dagger pinned against his throat. Oh did it burn, for clearly the smart miss had laced it with holy water, but he didn't care. The idea of having her arm wrapped around him was just too delightful (something about vampires being sexual creatures just seemed too perfect for the mood, despite death being the main event).

As blade slowly sliced its way into his flesh, Vierryn let out a little groan, merely for the pleasure of it all. And, being the man that he was, he quickly overcame Aalis' female form. A quick upper jab at her wrist sent the blade flying forward into the dirt, buying him just enough time to seize her hands and twirl her into his body.

"Now, now, we mustn't forget the dip," he said while releasing her just enough to tip her as if they were doing some fancy ballroom dancing. Oh yes, he was enjoying himself. The idea of playing with his food was just too perfect! Honestly, he couldn't have asked for a better sending off gift!

Wanting to yank her back into his form, Vierryn decided perhaps it was time to let the lady lead. "Miss Dalibor, I have yet to catch your name. May I be ever so lucky to catch it from your lips before you bring about my demise?" And it was at that moment that he actually, just maybe, might have looked dashing in the sunlight. Almost man enough to be worthy of an ounce of compassion before a brutally, horrific death.

The twirling, the force, the roughness… Aalis’s head was spinning from the vampire’s movements. Never had she had a vampire treat her so, and she didn’t like it one bit. Firstly, it made him seem almost human. Secondly, the toying was not something she was accustomed to and it wasn’t, Aalis was learning, something she wanted to repeat in the future. Making a mental note to herself, Aalis decided in future she would have to make swifter kills in case others tried to disorient her in such a manner. Little did she realize, there was a very small chance this situation would ever occur again as long as she lived.

“Aalis!” Aldus shouted as he darted towards the vampire, snapping Aalis from her thoughts. While it was making Aalis' head spin, it was angering Aldus to the point of no return and it was visible in his eyes. He was on the verge of reaching his breaking point, and watching the vampire so casually handle his sister as if she were a toy doll there for his pleasure made him even more eager to kill the cretin before him. It was not in Aldus' nature to let men so casually embrace his sister, and it made it worse that a vampire was taking that liberty so freely.

“I don’t think so, vampire. Your luck has just run out and I’m afraid I’m all out of pleasantries,” Aalis whispered as her lips twisted into a sneer. Fighting his grip on her wrists, Aalis spat into the vampire’s eye, which caused him to loosen his grip on her wrists long enough for her to wriggle free. As soon as she slipped free, she felt an arm slink around her waist and pull her back. Swirling around in haste, Aalis nearly lost her footing as she fell into her twin, who had been the one behind her. As she fell, she fell into his dagger as it slid across her collar bone in a perfect cut. “Aldus! Don’t do that!” Aalis screeched as she shoved him back.

Fortunately for Vierryn, the exchange was long enough for him to regain his composure over the spitting. It certainly wasn’t something that was ladylike and it was uncertain from his reaction if that made him more excited, or if it disappointed him. Either way, it didn’t matter to Aalis as she wasn’t out to impress a cold blooded vampire.

“I think I just rescued you, Aalis. You could show a little more gratitude,” Aldus barked as he stepped between her and the vampire.

“I’m not helpless..” Aalis mumbled as she ignored the blood running down her breast under her ripped tunic. Instead, she eyed the vampire carefully as she moved slowly towards where her dagger fell. Though the vampire was also eyeing her and the dagger as well, she decided to dive for her dagger anyway. Just barely reaching it as the vampire grabbed at Aalis’ sleeve, taking advantage of her wound to continue his game, Aalis let her sleeve rip as she twisted out of his grip and backed away at a safe distance. Unfortunately, his grip was strong and in the struggle his sharply pointed nails dug into Aalis' skin, creating longer and deeper cuts into her arm.

Trying to ignore it as she backed away, Aalis ripped the bota filled with holy water off of her belt and doused the dagger and her arm before throwing the bota to her twin. After doing the same to his dagger, Aldus tossed the bota into the grass out of his way instead of keeping it on hand like he should have.

“Aalis, get back,” Aldus shouted as they positioned themselves on each side of the vampire and braced themselves for the retaliation.

Aalis rolled her eyes and stood her ground. ‘Here he goes again..’ Something told her the vampire’s mind game was beginning to cloud Aldus’ thoughts about the capabilities of his sister, and it was beginning to anger her even more. Having her twin's faith shaken burned more than the cuts down her arm. 'You will pay for this, vampire,' thought Aalis as she glared at the vampire before her, her anger raging.

“Aldus, I’m perfectly capable. He merely caught me off guard with his tactic. I have never seen a vampire so casually with a hunter before, and I wasn't expecting it. Don’t do something reckless out of anger,” Aalis called out as she surveyed the scene, looking for where her bow and quiver had fallen.

The heavens had mercy on him for the brother cried out her name. It was honestly too perfect and he couldn't have asked for a better incident to have it revealed. Knowing this, Vierryn knew that today was not going to be the day that he died for luck was still blessing him with her glory.

"No need, love, your brother let your sweet name slip from his lips." Flitting his lashes in a teasing manner, he cooed her name just once before she spat into his eyes. "Well that's just rude," he said while a scowl as she whirled from his grasp. "It's not like I was going to h-h-hur-rrrrr-" the scent of blood wafted into his nostrils. Oh god, he thought. Eyes pulsing red, his fangs started to appear. So tasty, his inner demon cried.

No! He blinked hard and shook his head once in a violent manner. Not now. Fighting back the urge to gobble her whole, Vierryn turned his back on the twins and covered his nose.

Her blood, her sweet, sweet blood was oozing from beneath her bosom and it called to him. Oh how he wanted to give in and lap it up with a grin. But he couldn't. No, he mustn't! He refused to succumb to that level of creature -- at least not right now.

Holding his nose, as if to help mask her savory scent, Vierryn's attention moved back to the twins. "Have to agree with dear Aalis, she's hardly helpless. Though," he winced as he caught drift of her again. This time, she was moving toward him and her smell overpowered him. It was a foolish move to lunge at him for his hands reached out to her out of instinct. His grip was tight and one that could easily pull her in and yet, he didn't -- at least not as much as he could.

Mouth ajar, he just started hopelessly at her. His eyes crusted over in a red color but soon the calm yet teasing paleness came back. He was trying not to lose his control but her being this close, nearly bleeding on him, was beginning to take its toil on his conscience. "Please don't," he whispered more to himself than her.

When Aalis broke free, her arm soon bore the marks of his clawed nails. Again, Vierryn winced. "Please mind your movements," he pleaded, as if asking if she could stop bleeding. "As I stated, I have no interest in hurting -- or even killing -- you."

Thankfully, Lady Luck was back. Seizing the moment he was given while the twins used holy water, he dipped his fangs into his own flesh. Aalis' scent was no longer the dominating scent for his own freshly split blood seemed to nullify hers. It was a very unorthodox move from a vampire (namely because he now had an open wound that they could pour holy water into), but he really didn't want to unleash the animal within. Honestly, he always hated how his kind could turn on a dime and become a mindless blood-sucking predator.

Taking a step back from the twins as they finished dousing their items (and selves), his brows caved in and a sad look crept onto his face. "Please just leave me be, I don't want anything to happen to you." As he spoke, his eyes locked with those of Aalis' to signal that he was speaking and referring to solely her.

“Ahh, vampire,” Aalis grinned a wickedly teasing grin as she let the words roll off her tongue, “I think you’re letting your weakness show itself. Could it be that perhaps you are better at mind games than fighting a true honorable battle?”

“I rather like you begging, cretin, but I think you’ll need to beg a little more loudly to be heard,” Aldus laughed before he saw how the vampire looked at his sister, almost as if he were begging for help. This… kind of angered Aldus though. Why was the vampire beseeching Aalis for help? Sure she had been closer to him from her scouting point, but had something else happened while she was up on that mountain side that she wasn’t saying?

Throwing one of his daggers laced with holy water at the vampire, who’s back was currently turned from him, Aldus called out, “And perhaps you should watch your back, cretin. I don’t know what happened on that mountainside, but my sister and I have no plans on leaving you be, nor are we letting you get on that ship.” Aldus didn’t pay attention to whether the dagger hit its mark or not, right now he was glaring at his sister.

“A-Aldus?” Aalis stammered as she briefly looked over at her twin before returning her gaze to the vampire before her, not wanting to let him catch her off guard, “What exactly do you think happened, Adlus?”

“I don’t know Aalis, you tell me. He’s pretty chummy with you, almost as if he knows you won’t actually kill him – as if this is some kind of charade.”

“Oh Aldus, be serious. He’s a vampire. I’m quite certain all I’ve done is try and kill this creature of the night. Unsuccessfully, I might add, because you keep losing your head and keep acting without thinking.”

“Aalis, you’re a female. It’s been known to happen – to get distracted. Just not with a vampire,” Aldus spat as he inched closer to his sister, only briefly looking at the vampire with disgust.

“Aldus you can’t honestly mean that….” Aalis whispered as she turned her gaze immediately from the vampire before her and looked her brother in the eyes. Raising her voice, Aalis tried to reason with Aldus, “You are mistaken, brother, and if you don’t stop while you are ahead I shan’t ever forgive you. You can’t take things back once said, even if they are not meant. Once spoken, you can’t retract it. Think, Aldus, think about who you’re talking to.”

“I know exactly who I’m talking to, Aalis. And I know what I’m seeing, and I don’t like it one bit,” Aldus bellowed as he neared the pair.

This wasn’t Aldus. This wasn’t how he normally acted, or how he spoke to Aalis. She expected these remarks from the older hunters in their clan whom she surpassed in training years ago, but never from her twin. Her twin had been by her side since creation, they were two halves to a whole. They were inseparable, and they gave what the other lacked. Aldus had never been this susceptible to mind games before, and she wondered what was different about this time. Granted, this was the first time they had been separated on a mission, but they kept in constant communication.

‘Something is terribly wrong,” thought Aalis as she turned her attention back to the vampire before her.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, vampire, but you had best keep your attention on me instead of my brother. I will not let you get away with this,” Aalis spat at the vampire, her anger becoming rage as her brother’s words stung her.

Flummoxed, Vierryn's brows furrowed. Just what was the human boy insinuating? That she and he? That they? Ha, Vierryn could only wish but knew that the Dalibor female would never cave to his sexual desires. She seemed too proud to be fooled into such tomfoolery with a vampire, let alone him. Still, the idea of catching her in such a position made him sway into her. Oh how he wanted to touch her, hold her -- kiss her.

Was he foolish? Extremely. But he didn't care. The pale-skin saw something in Miss Dalibor that made him cling to her like Romeo to Juliet. Even if death was the end-game, he didn't care. Perhaps the challenge drove him to think such devious thoughts and visualize such promiscuous things? No, he still believed there was more at foot here than just lust. There was something more, there had to be....

Again, caught off guard, the dagger hit him. This time instead of grazing his cheek, it sliced away at his ribs. Letting out a light growl, his glare shifted from the arguing siblings to his wound. He had time to do this for they were too busy throwing daggers at one another with their eyes.

Of course, upon spying the wound's exact location, he chuckled. What were the odds that he and she would bare the same marks of pain? Below her chest bleed, as did his. Her arms were also scratched whereas his was bitten. Even though purely accidental, Vierryn couldn't help but wonder if this was the sinking feeling he was overwhelmed with. Was more at play here than he realized? Was there more than luck? Was fate or something more powerful watching over them? There just had to be.

Slow-blinking, his focus went back on Aldus who seemed to be berating his sister for things she never did. Aalis, try as hard as she might, seemed to be digging herself into a bigger hole. With a gulp, he shifted his eyes from the boat to the twins. Should he take this chance to run?

His body inched toward the ship but something within kept calling him back. Why? What could possibly result in him staying, save for his own death? There would be nothing more. These were the famed Dalibor hunters! He would surely be dead by nightfall. He had to make retreat to the boat. He had to. He just....

No.

Shaking his head in frustration, he grunted. His only chance to make a break for the boat was gone for the female was now turning her anger on him.

He had no words for her. Instead, her raged glare met those sad, sympathetic eyes again. Something within the pit of his stomach said there was no point in fighting. That he should just surrender. Death was upon them. He could sense it.

And yet, that vampire part of him wanted to fight. The taste for blood was ever-growing. Eyes gleaming over with red, the fangs returned. "Just run," he pleaded one last time before his body seemed to ripple as if suddenly becoming water. He wasn't fully transformed into blood, but should either come at him, he would spill into a mess of blood and retreat. Live to fight another day became his only thought now!

“Never!” Aalis screeched with fury as she lunged at him with her holy water laced dagger. Unfortunately, it only made contact with air as the vampire shifted into blood and began to slither across the ground in retreat.

Looking at each other with wide eyes, the twins said in unison, “Blood shifter.”

This was the first blood shifter that they had encountered on their own. The last one they had encountered was when they were children, accompanying their father on a mission close to home. Since then, they had not yet been tasked with a blood shifter, and Aalis was unclear if this was an intentional mission or if her clan was unaware of this vampire’s ability. ‘So this is why….’

Pushing the thought from her mind, Aalis belted her dagger quickly before grabbing her bow and quiver and shooting an arrow at the pool of blood heading down the path. Arching her back, Aalis shot an arrow that landed directly in the pool of blood. It most likely didn’t hit anything but a shoulder as the blood slipped through the arrow, but it should still wound him and make his journey to the boat harder. That should give them enough time to catch up.

“You let him get away!” Aldus bellowed as he shoved his sister’s shoulder, near her wounded collar bone and on the same side as her wounded rib.

“Ahh!” Aalis hissed as she grabbed her wound that had opened back up when she shot her arrow. “Aldus, what is the matter with you?”

“You are the matter with me. You had him engaged and you let him go! How could you let him go?”

“Aldus, how was I supposed to know he was a shifter? Did you know he was a blood shifter?”

“How could I, Aalis? You’re the one who got the message detailing our next mission! I never saw the paper before it was burned!”

“Aldus, we have always burned our missions. It’s for our protection! Do you truly think I would keep something from you?”

“I don’t know, Aalis, would you?”

“Never..” Aalis whispered as she took a step back from her twin.

“I think you would! I think you’ve mated with that thing, and now you don’t want to give him up now that he’s emerged and we have to go forward with our mission,” Aldus insisted as he shoved her again.

Shoving him back, Aalis grimaced, “Your mind is truly twisted, Aldus. I’m not mother’s Great Aunt Lilith. She wasn’t even a hunter! She was just a lonely old woman who got taken in by a vampire! I am not her!”

“Oh I think you are. I think there’s most certainly something between you and he,” Aldus grunted as he shoved her again, this time causing her to fall onto her back and right onto a large rock in the road.

Rubbing her back where she fell, Aalis screeched as she glared at her twin, who was obviously more set upon his ideas than she had initially believed. Before she could move off of the rock, Aldus was on top of her, pinning her down by the wrists as he looked into her eyes. “This is why women aren’t allowed on the hunt!”

“Get off, Aldus. You’re hurting!” Aalis hissed through gritted teeth as she struggled beneath him.

“Just admit it. Admit what happened! I’m your twin, I know something happened! I could see it while you were fighting! He’s certainly tasted you before, he didn’t even flinch from your wounds!” Aldus hissed back as he nodded towards her multiple wounds across her torso and arms. “Why wouldn’t he try to feast if he hasn’t had your blood before?”

“I don’t know!” Aalis insisted as she continued to struggle, “How can anyone know how a blood sucker thinks? They’re insane! Like you are being right now!”

The pain of the first holy water dagger still hurt him and now, to have a holy arrow in him, just made it all burn even more. If he didn't get it together, he would likely die from third-degree burns, of which did not sound pleasant!

Keep it together, Vierryn. She's just one woman. One... pretty... very attractive... tempting... delicious... flawless... mortal... woman.

Ugh, it was hopeless. Somehow, in the mist of all his toying and teasing, he had begun to fall for her pretty face. Those soft yet stern mossy green orbs swallowed him whole while her fawn-color locks roped him in. Her skin, a creamy peachy color, was soft as butter and warm to his cold touch. Her smile, though often hidden, would definitely be the kind to brighten a room and require a man to smile back with such a dashing grin. And her tears? Oh, should she ever cry, they would likely turn a man weak in the knees, forcing him to beg for forgiveness even if he did her no harm. Nothing about her screamed fragile but being woman and mortal, well it just made her precious like porcelain. And because of that, Vierryn craved her more than he should. She was something he could never have and yet, all he wanted to do was touch her, hold her, adore her.

Stopping in his tracks, Vierryn's solid form returned. There was no need to shift as blood for it was "technically" slower and messier. And frankly, he had no need to run. The Dalibor twins were truly pit against one another at this point. Although it was his plan all along, Vierryn was beginning to feel guilty for what he had done. Never in a million years has he expected the sister to be the one to face harm.

Torn between fleeing to the ship and saving the woman who clearly could use a hand, he moaned. Why was he always doing something stupid around a pretty face. It was how he got separated from his family. It was how his father died (he probably shouldn't have been flirting with a human but they truly are beautiful creatures!). It was... it was probably his greatest weakness -- a pretty face.

With grit teeth, the vampire rushed forward and used the momentum to knock Aldus from his sister. "Am I not your enemy?" he spoke while standing between the two. "Lay another hand on her and I promise, you'll be dead long before I will be."

A growl came to his throat and his eyes flickered red. Even though his back was to Aalis, her injuries and state of shock would likely keep her attacks off him. After all, he did just "save her" from her ill-tempered brother. He hoped, no at this point he didn't really care, that she would at least see him as someone other than a blood-sucker and spare him death for a moment or two.

Fangs growing and curling over his lower lip, he kept those demonic red orbs on the brother. "A man, no matter his position or power, should never -- and I mean never -- inflict pain upon a woman, deserving or not." His voice grew darker, far more surly than it sounded before. It was almost as if he were another man, the vampire to be exact. Wrinkles appearing across his forehead, his lip coiled as his blink-less eyes honed in on the lad. "And so I ask you again, leave, or I will have no choice but to fight you."

“Aldus!” Aalis yelled as she watched her brother fly backwards. Looking at the vampire before her, Aalis crawled backwards away from the creature so that one, she was off the rock, but two, so she wasn’t in such direct contact with the creature before her.

Wiping the blood from his busted lip, Aldus spit onto the ground, trying to clear his mouth of the blood that had made its way inside. In moments, Aalis had scrambled to her feet and made her way to her brother. “Are you okay?” Aalis asked, for a moment forgetting what was just transpiring. He was, after all, her twin. He may have been under some sort of mind control, but he was still her blood and that meant more.

Looking at her with disgust, Aldus shoved her away from him, “Get away from me.”

“But Aldus I-“

“You don’t get to ask if I’m okay. Just as I had anticipated, that creature came crawling back here, despite his burning wounds, to save you.”

“That’s not t-“

“Did you not hear him? He’s defending you. Protecting you. Or at least he would have had you stayed behind him like an obedient little blood letter,” Aldus spat as he reached out for Aalis’ neck.

“A-Aldus,” Aalis managed as she clawed at his hand, her eyes going wide as he brought her to her tiptoes. “S-stop this.”

“You betrayed us. You betrayed me. You are my twin, Aalis, and I will not let you be sucked into his world while I live. I am going to save you from this fate,” Aldus said with a wickedly twisted smile as he looked at the vampire behind her. “Your vampire lover is going to watch you die before I cut off his head.”

Squeezing tighter, Aldus felt her wind pipe beneath his fingertips. It wouldn’t be long before he snapped her neck. Part of Aldus was trying to hold back, but another part of Aldus was forcing his grip tighter around Aalis’ neck.

Despite the many scratches that were now beginning to bleed of Aldus’ hand, Aalis realized that there was something in his eyes at that moment that wasn’t going to let her go. Reaching for her dagger, Aalis mustered the strength she had left and stabbed it into the chest of her twin. She wasn’t aiming for his heart, but has his mouth gaped open, his eyes grew wide, and his grip lessened, she realized she had hit him where there was no turning back.

Letting go as Aldus fell backwards into the path, Aalis too falling backwards as Aldus let her go, Aalis scrambled over to her brother and looked wide-eyed and petrified.

“What have I done..” Aalis kept whispering to herself, still choking from his grip, as she caressed her twin’s face and ripped his shirt open, trying to leave the dagger in place to keep the blood from flowing even further as she tried to figure out a way to help him.

“I can fix this.. I can fix this..” Aalis whispered helplessly as her brother groaned and looked up at her.

“Aalis, stop. It’s done. I’m dying.” Aldus sputtered as he choked on blood in his throat.

“No no no. No. I can fix this. I can-“

“No, you can’t,” Aldus managed as he put his fingertip to her lips. “I’m…. sorry…”

With that, Aldus was gone. No more than a wide-eyed bloody shell, mouth gaping open as he laid there, lifeless like the stones around him.

“No… No, you can’t leave me. You can’t leave me like this. I didn’t mean to. I take it back! I take it back!” Aalis screeched as she shook her brother’s shoulders. “I take it back!”

But it was too late. Aalis had killed her twin: her partner, her other half, her world. He was gone in an instant. One wrong jab and it was over. He was over. She had never meant to kill him. Hitting his chest in anger, his body lifelessly moving with her, Aalis screamed at him and screamed at herself. For a moment she had forgotten who was still behind her, but at that moment she didn’t care. Her twin was dead. She wanted to be dead.

Everything froze. His eyes were wide and his jaw had fallen open. If vampires could cry, tears would have swelled in the corners of those pale, silver eyes. The scene that played out before him was gripping, causing him to place a hand over his chest and paw at the shirt that hide his toned torso.

Numbness. That's what he felt at first. This... this was never his intention. His only goal was to get off the cursed island and be free of hunters. But no, such was not his luck. In the process, he not only split a family apart, but he also caused them to violently seek to end the other's life. Sure, Aalis' was accidental but she knew (likely deep down) that such a blow would suck the life from her brother.

What had he done? What drove him to toy with emotions like this? What made him unleash the demonic monster within?

Everything was a blur and it caused his head to spin. There was just so much blood. Her blood, his blood. It didn't matter. There was too much and it was quickly sickening him. His vision blurred and his body danced with bumps of delight.

His tongue crawled from its house within his mouth and tried to drink away at the taste in the air. He was panting, dying to consume the blood of the fallen. The scent was all around him, begging him to dip in and suck all he could muster.

A staggering step forward caused his nostrils to flair. It... it was so sweet yet bitter. Oh, it was so precious and it was just seeping wastefully into the ground. He-he-he needed it. It was blood, the blood he craved. When was the last time he feasted in such a manner? And hardly did any work? A moan pursued his lips again and his lashes flitted from sheer bliss. This blood, all of it, it was perfect.

No, he pulled back and hissed at himself. Hand over mouth and nose, he turned from the grotesque scene. No, he couldn't look. This was his fault. Twins versus twin was his doing and he could not, should not, reap the benefits of his wicked, twisted game.

Before he even realized it, he was stepping up to the fallen boy with fangs out. "I can change him. He can come back." Taunting, dilated red eyes jumped from the bloody boy to those weeping emeralds of the girl.

There was no malice, there was no lust, there was no evil in those eyes of his. Despite their bloody red color, they were peaceful, welcoming, and strangely warm. Vierryn knew that this was all his fault and, despite being hunted by the woman, he dropped all his guards and offered her a chance of redemption.

Only, within the pit of his stomach, he knew she would never agree. How could she? It was a vampire that took him away from her. Why, why in heaven's name, would she ever agree to turn him into the thing they hunted. And it was at that point, that his fangs retracted and his crimson orbs fell silver.

Adverting his gaze, his lower lip quivered with the words he spoke next. "I'm so sorry, Miss Dalibor." Ashamed, his hand seized her own. In one fluid motion, he pulled the sheathed dagger from her pouch and placed it neatly in her hands. Gracefully, he glided her hand toward his chest, blade out and ready to penetrate his heart-less chest. "Do what you must," he said with a crestfallen breath of air, "Aalis."

“Wh-what?” Aalis whispered as she felt herself being lifted to her feet in one fluid motion. Looking first at the dagger now in her hand, then at the vampire before her, then down at her brother’s limp body on the ground with a dagger still in his chest… Aalis began screaming, throwing the dagger immediately. Her eyes were wide, she was shaking, and her screams were guttural, almost… barbaric.

She was hyperventilating, and if it weren’t for the vampire holding her up she probably would have sank to the ground faster than the vampire when he blood shifted. As the dagger fell from her hand, Aalis kicked it away from her almost as if it were a poisonous snake that she was trying to keep at a distance. Still shaking, Aalis looked up at the vampire, sobbing.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t happening.

“You,” Aalis sobbed bitterly, her eyes lowering it a deafening glare, her balled fists beating on the vampire’s chest with every syllable, “You did this. You caused him to turn on me. You caused him to fight me. You did this to us. You killed him!”

Aalis slunk back to the ground, her fists hardly brushing his knees as she lost her strength to hit. Sitting on the ground next to the body of her brother, Aalis pulled her knees close and buried her face into them. “This isn’t happening. This isn’t real. It’s not true. It’s not true. I didn’t kill him. He didn’t try to kill me. This is all an illusion. This is a dream. This is a nightmare. I want to wake up. I just want to wake up..”

Rocking back and forth, Aalis continued to sob. It was hard to tell where her blood stopped and where his blood started. She was covered in blood. She knew there was no denying what happened. When she snapped out of it Aldus would still be dead, and she would still be a murderer. She had killed her brother. She had killed her twin in cold blood. It was her fault he was dead. It was her hand that dealt the blow. It was her, and only her. And Aldus was dead.

Try as hard as he might to easy her misery, Aalis was just too wrapped up in shock and torment to take the cue. Instead of forcing her to commit another murder, he listened as she blamed him for all her mistakes. It was true, he coaxed them into their reckless mindsets but he did not pull the trigger (or rather stab the heart). Still, the idea that he had played a role in Aldus' death lingered in his mind. Perhaps he should have escaped all those times he had a moment to flee. But no, he couldn't. He had to stay. It was as if he knew sticking around would result in blood and agony. Was this his end goal? Was it what he wanted all along? Two broken bodies?

Shaking off the idea, his attention fell back on the woman who now wept into herself. Never before had he been in such a dilemma. What should he do? Should he reach out a hand and squeeze her shoulder? Or should he just leave and let the sting die down on its own?

All his life, Vierryn dreamed of being a normal human. He never asked to be a vampire. He loathed what he was and now? Now was presented with a chance to prove that he could be more than just a blood-sucking monster.

Gingerly, he shifted all the other potentially lethal objects from arm's reach. Then, he dropped to a single knee while slowly sliding his hand beneath her chin. Ever so faintly, he tilted it up and looked her in those sad, mossy eyes.

"Death is never something we like to face but it's something we all must except. I know the pain runs deep and the anger is strong, but don't let it defeat you." Pulling his fingers back, he gently stroked her cheek. "You're a Dalibor. You're a family of fighters and strong-willed individuals. Killing has never been something of torment so don't let it faulter you now. Learn from it and prevent it from touching you as it has today."

Shifting his weight back on the balls of his heels, he now squatted before her. "The nightmare is real but you don't have to let it dictate your life. You're stronger than you think you are and you can overcome it and change your fate however you see fit."

With those last words, he bowed his head before rolled up and onto his feet. Towering over her, he extended down a hand. "There's nothing left for you here. If you want to start anew, you're welcome to travel with me to the land across the sea. Perhaps you'll discover a new calling while the ocean sings us its lullaby."

As she looked at him, her shock turned into anger and disgust. Had a vampire truly just caressed her cheek? Gotten close enough to touch her? That action alone snapped Aalis back to reality, and brought her anger back in full swing.

“How dare you?” Slapping his hand away, Aalis scrambled away from him and to her feet. “How dare you touch me, speak to me, say those things to me. What right have you to do so? What makes you think I want anything to do with you? You are a vampire; a monstrous creature that lusts for the kill.”

“This? Is this what you want?” Aalis screeched as she dug at her wounds. “Is this what you’re craving? Blood? Is this your way of trying to take it from me? Take it then! I don’t care! Fight me for it, don’t twist your sadistic game to try and show me mercy before you strike.”

It was then that Aalis took her bloodied hand and slapped Vierryn as hard as she could, making sure she wiped every last drop of blood onto his pale face.

“Fight me if you want it! Finish what you started, vampire,” Aalis screamed as she shoved him backwards.

“Finish it!” Aalis continued as she stood between her brother’s corpse and the vampire, loading her bow with an arrow in one swift movement.

“What did you think I would do? Fall into your arms? Let you take me away on a ship where you can feed from me and do as you wish? I’m sorry, cretin, but I’m Aalis Dalibor and you are sorely mistaken if you think I’m going to fall for your tricks that easily.”

Wiping the tears from her cheek with her bare shoulder, streaking her face with blood, Aalis’s eyes narrowed at the vampire, “You will never have me if I have any say in it. I will avenge my brother, and I will kill you for what you have done. You cannot deceive me with false words. I know your kind, and I know how you think. I will not allow you to take him from me unscathed. I will get you for this!”

With her spunk and determination rising with each passing second, Vierryn found himself grinning. Even as she sharply pulled away, he smirked at her. Of course, that smirk was fleeting when she decided to dig her nails into her own skin. As the scent of blood washed over him, his usual dull face replaced that once dashing grin.

"Miss Dalibor, if I wanted your blood, I would have killed you already. And since you're still capable of speaking to me, this is clearly not the case for I haven't land a hand on your brother -- nor have I tried to sink my fangs in you." A pang of pain twitched his brows but he regained his mindset. "And I have no need to fight you for your blood. I have mentioned, at least once, that I am already full. To kill you would just be a waste."

That was actually a lie. A complete bluff. With his sustained injuries, blood was exactly what he needed but he wasn't about to give into such temptation.

Adverting his eyes, he scoffed. "Really," he began before coldly narrowing his eyes at her, "already stooping to his level? Whatever happened to formalities and politeness, Miss Dalibor?"

The fun was starting to drain from him. His honest, genuine attempts to pick her back up had worked. And, as expected, had also backfired. She was back to boasting and being cocky as hell -- frankly a behavior ill-suited for her.

Then, she uttered words that made him growl. In seconds, he was pinning her to a tree and turning those peeved red orbs on her.

"Watch your words, Dalibor. Your brother is dead and by your hands. You cannot blame me for your inability to get through to him." As she struggled, Vierryn pressed on her injuries to keep her from squirming. "Listen here, Dalibor. I am not and have not done anything wrong. Did I ever attack you? No, I have not intentionally. You pulled from my grip and you tore up your own arm. I was merely dancing with you when you so rudely spit in my eye and jerked away. And your brother? Your brother was attacking you, nearly killing [/i]you, and I shoved him out of the way."

Her squirming seemed to be worsening and his patience was wearing thin.

"Have my fangs reached for your flesh?" He shook her. "Have they? Have they! No! I have not once lusted for your blood despite you spilling so much of it."

Kicking off the tree, he ran a hand through his hair and straightened out his attire. He needed to be careful right now. He was full of such pent-up rage and anger that if he kept by her any longer, he likely would have tried to kill her.

"So before you call me the monster, why don't you take a look at your reflection. I didn't just murder someone today and I'm not hellbent on killing someone who has yet to prove himself to be the monster you claim him to be. By fate, I'm a vampire. But by destiny? Ha, I'll be damned if I succumb to such petty ways."

With that, he turned curtly on his heels and stomped off toward the boat. Falling just short of the dock, his softer side broke through again. "And here I thought you were to be the Dalibor of legend that my kind speaks of. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe your brother was the true hero and you're nothing but a sloppy copycat."

Aalis ran her hand through her hair before leaning back against the tree, falling to the ground as she started sobbing again. He was right, of course. He wasn’t to blame. He was acting as a vampire should, as anyone should, whose life was in danger. The twins had initiated the attack, the twins had been assigned the mission of killing him, and the twins were the ones who turned on each other in those last moments.

When you are mind controlled, the anger and the thoughts need to grow from somewhere. The seed of actual doubt can be planted, but the thoughts have to have crossed the mind of the controlled in order for it to take and grow. Aldus had lost confidence in her. Aldus didn’t trust her. Aalis had lost the one thing she held dear, and it was gone in the blink of an eye.

It was she who killed her twin, not the vampire. And it was she who had become a murderer. She had never laid hands on a human before, and to have her first kill be the other half of her? Her identical twin? Aalis was not handling the reality well. She projected onto the vampire, of course, but she was very surprised at how well he took it and how much he tried to get her back to reality. His words had been harsh just then, but after how she acted, could she blame him?

There was something different about this vampire, and she was intent to find out just what made him different and what made him act the way he did before she killed him. She would not give up her mission. She wanted to honor her brother by finishing what they had started.

“I have to do this for him…” Aalis whispered, “I can never return home, but I can do this one thing for him.”

Looking over at her brother’s corpse, Aalis’ heart sank to a deeper pit in her stomach. Moving over to him, Aalis reached out and with a shaky hand closed his eyes. She then curled up into her twin’s side, as she had done many nights before, and laid her head upon his chest. Taking the dagger out of his chest, Aalis tossed it into the dirt several feet away. His body was cold, his blood no longer running. He was gone from her completely.

She kept replaying the events over and over in her mind. What could she have done different? When should she have noticed the signs? Why didn’t she notice the changes happening in her twins mind? How could she have lost sight of her twin? Was she that obsessed with her mission that she solely focused on it without taking the time to worry about her twin?

He had always fended for himself. He was a brilliant fighter, when not manipulated or raging. He could always hold his own. Never had mind control worked so deeply on him before. However, they had also never been in combat with a blood shifter. Something about this ability had a stronger effect on the mind, especially when one was already angry. She and Aldus weren’t prepared for it. And as a result, Aldus tried to murder her.

Yes, her twin tried to murder her. The vampire was right about that. Had the vampire not stepped in initially, Aalis’ skull probably would have been shattered to pieces on the rocks. Had she not stabbed him, her neck would have been snapped like a twig. It may have been self-defense, but it was still murder; a murder that would haunt her for the rest of her days.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, after laying there with the body of her dead brother for what seemed like a couple of hours, Aalis shifted to her feet and wiped her eyes. Her wounds had crusted over again, so she wasn’t bleeding heavily from anywhere, but it still pained her to move, especially after the vampire shoved her against that tree. Still, she knew what she had to do. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was determined.

Because of her state, Aalis took longer than really necessary to gather large branches and brush for a fire. As was custom in her clan, a death by fire was the honorable way to pass on to the next world. So, she built a pyre for her twin. She struggled; oh did she struggle.. But she somehow managed to pull her brothers body onto the pyre and lay him out as if he were peacefully sleeping, despite all of the blood.

It was then that she placed a single coin on each eye and kissed his forehead. Running her hand through his ginger hair, Aalis sighed, “I’m truly sorry, Aldus. I know deep down I knew what I was doing, and I know I was doing it out of instinct. But I truly was not trying to aim for your heart. I merely wanted to inflict you with pain to try and snap you out of whatever was happening. I couldn’t get through to you. Your twin couldn’t get through to you. I failed you: as a partner, as a twin, and a friend. I failed you in so many ways, and for that I am sorry.”

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Aalis stepped back from the pyre and went around lighting the base, trying to get a hot burning fire as to burn the pyre quickly. She didn’t have long to wait, for after a few moments the pyre was blazing. Looking down at herself, Aalis grimaced. Not caring who might be around, Aalis stripped down to her bare skin and tossed her clothing into the fire, not wanting any more reminders of today’s events.

Walking over to her bag, Aalis went about gathering her things, and Aldus’ as well, and made her way to a small river she knew ran through this part of the mountain to the sea. It was time she tended to her wounds and washed the blood from her skin.

With the woman now preoccupied with herself, Vierryn could advance forward and inquire about leaving. Granted, by the time he made it to the ship, he was greeted by the captain. Cocking a brow, he just had to inquire why the man was leaving.

"Uh," he began but was quickly cut off.

"Ain't sailin now. It's gettin too dark. Between here and there are some nasty rocks we'll needa avoid. Have to leave before noon or we might not make it out into the open watas. Sorry, lad, come back ter'marrow."

With that, he gave Vierryn a good, firm arm punch and wandered down the docks to pull up some fishing polls he had sitting out. "Yeehaw, papa's gettin fish ta'night!"

A semi-disgusted look washed on his face but he quickly shook it off. This was literally the only captain and boat that would come to dock on his island. Rumors about ravenous creatures and bloody monsters tended to scare most away. But this guy? Well, it helped that he was missing an eye and deaf in one ear. His crew wasn't much better either -- honestly, a bunch of bandits and thugs -- but at least they could successfully sail from here to a better, cleaner port where he could change ships.

Unsure what to do now, he took a seat on the dock's edge and just stared at his reflection. He looked like shit. He was covered in blood, dried, crusted blood. The bite on his arm was starting to look better but it still didn't help his appearance. No wonder the twins wanted him dead. If he crossed a man just like he, he would want the guy dead too!

With a laugh, he jumped into the water and found the chilling liquid to be the perfect solution for her worries. Just splashing around, he spent the rest of the day wading in the water. From time to time, he would try to catch a fish with his fangs or a crab with his toes -- neither of which worked out well for him.

As the sun began to set, Vierryn's eyes flipped to their true-red colors. Sun down? No problem, he could still see and much like a cat. It was around this time that he caught the faint remains of a fire? Nose to the air, he immediately knew that scent -- Aldus' blood.

Grimace in tow, he sloshed out from the water. If his body was burning over there, where was she? And where was she going? Nose still to the air, he decided he might as well make peace with the woman who was still keen on killing him.

Even though he was previously water-logged, he eventually caught her scent in the wind. She was by the river, likely cleaning off. With silent speed, he moved on her location. Now, having no intention of scaring her witness, Vierryn had to really think of how he would approach her. Was it good to just saunter up? Should he come from above? Below? The river? So many options and, frankly, most sounded like something out of a horror movie.

Finally, he opted for the ground-level approach with his hands over his head in a surrendering manner. "You're welcome to stay at my castle," he began but stopped when he finally saw her still looking as frail as before. "I apologize for my intrusion," he corrected, "but I wasn't sure of your situation. As we both know you're down a partner, I wasn't sure if you required shelter or even food for that matter."

His hair was still matted and wet from swimming, as were his clothes which clung to his body. Very rippling muscle was visible with those semi-transparent clothes.

Lowering his hands, he watched her eyes and body. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a semi-annoyed tone. "Like I keep telling you, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

Arms now over his chest, he cocked his head to the side and quirked a brow at her. He was going to wait for her response but then he realized he didn't need to. She knew where he lived. With a smirk, he turned on his heels. "Should you like to take me up on my offer, you know where to find me." And, with that, he moved toward his castle.

Aalis blushed a deep crimson as she covered her breasts while he spoke. Of all the times to show up, it had to be just as she was coming out of the river? Did this creature have no sense of decency? Or even timing for that matter? Besides, where had he been and what had he been doing? Showing up soaking wet like that… It was very… unnerving. Especially when her eyes scanned his form and realized most of his clothing was rather… transparent. ‘He's not human. He's not human..’ Aalis mentally reminded herself.

When he left, Aalis let out a sigh of relief. Rubbing her forehead, Aalis finished making her way out of the river and over to her bag. Beginning to dress her wounds, Aalis started to think about the vampire and his actions. He wasn’t a normal vampire, and something about that intrigued her more than it probably should have.

What was his end game? What was his goal? He kept coming back for her, no matter what she did to dissuade him. She had acted horribly, especially by her own standards, and though it was uncharacteristic of her nature, the vampire seemed to keep disregarding it as well. In some twisted way, the creature was trying to be kind to her, but what she didn’t understand was why. She was out for his life, why would he be kind to her? Why would he keep checking in on her? Why was he trying his damnedest to get her over the fact that she murdered her brother? Why was he trying to get her through it?

Something was off, but she couldn’t place it. From all of her surveillance during the past few months, Aalis had never seen this side of the creature, and it was making her want to engage with him to learn more. After all, the tactician side of her was starting to kick in now that the shock of what had transpired was wearing off. She needed to learn what made him tick. She needed to know what other secrets he had hidden in his closet, and she needed to learn them quickly if she was going to have a chance at coming out of the next battle alive now that Aldus was gone. He always had her back, and now she had no one. It was a different feeling, a lonely feeling, and Aalis hated every second of it.

“Perhaps I will take that invitation…” Aalis mused as she finished dressing in a sapphire colored outfit. It was the same style as the mossy green one she had been wearing earlier that day, but sapphire in color. It wasn’t her favorite choice in color, as she preferred ambers and reds along with the other fall colors, but it was her brother’s favorite. With this color she would not forget what she had done, and she would be forced to face the reality every day. It was a silent punishment that spoke loudly, and it was just what she needed to keep her head straight.

After pulling on her boots, Aalis gathered both bags, her bow, and her quiver and made her way towards the castle. Her strategist mindset was working like clockwork as she made her way to the castle, planning how she would casually extract information. The vampire, for whatever reason, seemed to trust her and open up to her. She hoped she could use this to her advantage and catch him off guard.

Walking right up to the castle steps, Aalis called out to the vampire, “Alright, vampire. I’ll bite. I accept your offer.”

"Fancy that," a voice called from behind. Stepping up the stairs quickly, Vierryn now stood beside her. Clearly he was either a slow walker or very, very lazy. "Though I must ask you not to bite. Strict rules, no biting within my castle." Flashing her a grin, merely to show he was teasing, he opened the door for her. "I do apologize for whatever lays within. I did ask them to clean but-" his eyes grew wide. "Well I'll be damned, they cleaned."

He was so enthused by the gesture of cleaning that he forgot he was holding the door and before he knew it, the large, wooden door was closing on Aalis.

"Oops," he said in a tone that a naughty kid would likely make if he were caught being bad. "Uh," a hand ran through his hair and he gingerly opened the door to see Aalis was still standing where he left her -- literally on his doorstep. "About that, I a... well, uh... ummm...." His lips drew tight and then air hissed out from them. "Yeah, I got nothing."

Not wanting to close the door on her again, Vierryn scooted across from her and wedged his rump into the crevice between door and frame. Hand hovering out to guide her in, he bowed lightly. "Welcome to the main hall."

Once she was securely inside and away from the dreaded door, Vierryn closed it but saw no need to lock it. No point in making his guest feel like she was a prisoner.

"You're welcome to explore as you see fit. Upstairs are a plethora of guest beds, as well as my staff's rooms. In front of you is the main ballroom with the kitchen off to the right. On your immediate right is a dining hall which, as you can guess, connects to the kitchen. These three openings on your left lead to the library, the sun-room, and the den. Out past the ballroom is the living room and then the pool room." He almost seemed excited to give the tour, as if he had never had guests before.

"Oh and I have a dungeon. I don't recommend going down there. A lot of bodies. All those poor humans I ate." His tone was cheeky as hell and the gleam in his eyes matched it all too well. "I kid," he finally said when he wasn't sure if Aalis believed him or not. "It's just a dungeon. Pretty sure it's standard issue in all castles."

Tapping his finger on his chin, he finally remembered what he forgot. "I have a grand courtyard and garden. Across from it is the only spiral tower. I always joked that I was stow a princess away in there someday but the 1000 stairs? It's just too much effort. I'm a vampire, not an athlete."

As he spoke, some eyes and bodies started to gather around the main hall -- each and everyone of them 100-percent human. Some waved at the miss clad in blue. Others giggled with delight. And a few of the women (hideous women might I add) scowled and claimed she was just Vierryn's snack.

Vierryn probably would have rattled on for the next hour or so had his chef not piped up and asked Aalis for dinner plans. "Beautiful miss, may I ever be so lucky as to prepare your meal? The kind master recently delivered venison, should you be in the mood for game. If not, he's an excellent fisherman so we've salmon to spare."

"Oh! I can put on some tea," the one woman with cracked glasses spat. "I'll also prepare some of master's favorite -- red velvet cupcakes!"

"Heh," Vierryn sheepishly shrugged at the comment. "I can't help it. I like red," he mused while stepped away. "Anyway, look around as you see fit. I'm afraid I won't be joining you for dinner though so please do as you must."

Stepping away into the shadows, one of the servant men sighed. "It's probably best you don't follow him," he warned as a word of caution. Should she decide to follow, she would begin to learn that Vierryn liked dark, damp places, especially one behind a locked door. Beyond it, the scent of rot -- likely the room were he bleed his victims dry....

“Th-thank you. I prefer game to fish, so venison is perfectly alright,” Aalis managed as she looked around, quite dumbfounded by how at ease these people were with their master. She had never seen anything like it before in her entire sixteen years.

“And tea would be lovely,” Aalis offered the old woman as a servant man took her bags and weapons, ushering them upstairs somewhere into one of the many guest bedrooms, she guessed.

It was a whirlwind of attention that Aalis wasn’t used to. ‘So this must be what it’s like to have servants…’ Aalis thought as she watched everyone bustle about, as if they were grateful to have a change of company.

“What a strange place…” Aalis remarked to herself as the servants dispersed, off to tend to their tasks and begin preparations for tea and dinner.

It was quite a miraculous sight: humans were eager to have their master home, and they were eager to see new faces visit. But… how can that be? Surely they know anyone who enters will not exit alive. Surely they know what he is and what he does. They must, mustn’t they?

“Oh! Thank you for your advisement,” Aalis said politely with a nod to the young servant man who greeted her with a warning, “I think I’ll tour the library.”

As she started in that direction, the servant man nodded in approval before taking his leave. Making sure the coast was clear, Aalis surveyed her person: a bota with hardly any holy water left and a dagger. ‘Well, it may not make a perfect offense, but it will do in a pinch,’ Aalis decided as she moved in the direction of the vampire.

Due to her training as a hunter, it wasn’t hard for her to track the vampire’s path. It was…. damp? Moldy? Certainly not well kept. It seemed as if the servants avoided this path completely. This made Aalis wonder about the man’s previous warning. Perhaps the vampire wasn’t speaking in jest about the bodies. Aalis shuddered at the thought. It brought back to mind her brother’s corpse, and she was doing all she could to put it out of her mind for the time being. She needed her mind clear, and she couldn’t have it clouded with guilt. It would cause her to lose her focus, and perhaps her life if she wasn’t careful. She still didn’t trust the vampire in question, and she wasn’t about to let her guard down just because his servants didn't seem afraid.