Shade of Blood - Prequel

Chapter 5 [Part 2]

2009-11-21T22:27:00.002-07:00

The Humans hadn't returned to Eriyon in over a month; the attacks on Onyx and Raulihym were small, the army was able to take care of the threat with ease.

Kina refused to leave the palace without her uncle; he had done so much for her and it wouldn't be right if she left without him. She felt strangely guilty for what had happened to him, she felt guilty just for being able to walk outside of those cold iron bars.
She learned that her mother stayed in this palace while she served in Valac's army. If Kina wasn't busy helping the wounded, she spent her time wandering the palace looking for anything her mother might have left behind. The only thing that she had of her mother was a book that her uncle had given her, he told her it was a diary of some sort. Reading the entries helped her feel connected to a woman she had never met.

The Blood Vamirias and the Prince got in less quarrels with each other; Denga made a comment that they might actually be getting along. His remark was often coupled with old Yetsika saying:
"Wait and you will see".
Nobody knew what she meant...

It had been a while since Ginto held a lasting conversation with Kina, other than the times they acknowledged each other when they passed. He felt it was only right if he went to see how she was doing.
Her room door was open, he figured that she was probably reading like she usually did. He peeked in but the Blood Vamirias wasn't sitting at her desk, or in her bed, or even the chair by the window.
He was about to leave when something caught his eye.

It was a maroon coloured book, partially hidden by a crumpled robe. He picked it up and examined it closely; it wasn't one of his books that was for sure, he never kept any damaged items. It had no title, but there was a neat emblem on the cover.
He opened it and discovered that it wasn't a novel at all, it was a journal. The writing was cursive and very neat; he compared it to Kina's writing but it did not match up.
He wondered who the book belonged to...

March 8th

I didn't think that I would even make it out of that terrible prison.
Mr. Taylor doesn't treat me like the other slaves, I wonder why?
He told me a little about himself: He's a doctor for his day job but he's really a scientist. He told me about some of the things he's discovered, it's very interesting.
I was surprised when he spoke to me in Arthian!
Well, he could use a little practice but I have to admit...I was impressed. I didn't think that any Curatos knew the language...how odd...

May 29th

His name is Reeve, isn't that a nice name?
He wants to help me, but I'm a bit upset because he wasn't able to help the others.
The only condition was that I had to allow him to study me, so that he could learn more about my people. I agreed of course...

July 3rd

He bought me a beautiful dress today, it's my favorite colour.
He told me that tomorrow we would have to take drastic measures in order for me to blend in with the Humans (see, I'm learning English now).
I wonder if I'll ever go back to Arthius, I'm not sure what will happen to me if I do. I won't look like a Vamirias anymore, that's what Reeve told me. As long as I don't have to go through that nightmare again, I'll do anything to avoid it.

The last entry made Ginto ponder a bit. He figured that the author was female, since a dress had been mentioned. Whoever this woman was she wanted to stay with a Curatos instead of her own people?
He flipped ahead a few pages.

November 9th

I heard the Empress had her son today. I'm happy for her, but not so much for her husband. I remember when I used to be part of his army, you don't have to like him to serve him...
I'm glad to have used my skill for something productive and to help my people.
If only all Humans were like Reeve...
He says that although Valac hasn't officially declared war on them, there are still small conflicts going on between the two races, but nobody talks about them. I pray that it doesn't escalate into a war...

February 16th

I haven't written in a while because of recent events, but I think we're safe now and this is a good time to remind myself of what happened.
I've been with Reeve for two years now, I would marry him but of course we have no way of doing that, which saddens me. He told me that we could still be with each other, we don't have to be married to spend our lives together. I wanted to show him Arthius, I also wanted our expected baby girl to be born there. Everyone wants their children to be born in Arthius because it's built on sacred land.
Six months to go! I'm so excited, I always wondered what a hybrid baby would look like...
Oh, and this isn't so bad, I don't have fangs anymore and I have special contacts to hide my eyes. I had to learn how to do things differently. Trimming my claws is a daunting task, they grow back so fast! I have to trim them at least twice every week.
We're on our way to Arthius now, but we ran into the military and it was a challenge to get away. I'm glad neither of us got hurt too badly.

There weren't any more entries after that...
Ginto closed the book once he realized who it belonged to; it was the journal of Kina's mother, Trinity Amethes.
He would have to speak with Kina's imprisoned uncle for more information; maybe he could shed some light on things. The Humans must have been up to something if they've been using Vamirias as slaves for that long...

* * * *

Kina stood in the empty room in silence.

There was something about the chamber that had drawn her to it, she didn't know what it was, but it was overwhelming.
There were a couple items left in there, the Vamirias must have forgotten about them, since they were coated in dust and spiderwebs.

Kina sighed and decided that it was time to return to that old room she now called home. She turned around and screamed briefly when Ginto appeared behind her.
"WHERE THE HELL--!? AZRIEL I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR YOU COME IN!" she clutched her chest from the fright.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked.
"I dunno." was all she said.
Ginto looked around the empty room a bit.
"This room has been empty for years, what do you find so interesting about it?"
"Did anyone...stay in here?" she asked.
"Yes, years ago your Mother did..."
"So that's why this room has been giving me the vibes..." Kina sighed, "gosh I wish I could meet her..."
Ginto nodded once then looked at the wall; the Blood Vamirias thought that his eyes looked rather shifty...
"I think he's catching on..." the Prince spoke in English.
Kina knew it was something secretive; the Prince only spoke in English when it was about something that he didn't want his guards to hear.
Her eyebrows raised, "What are you talking about..?"
"My Father...I think he knows that you're a half breed."
"How do you know?"
"He's become very suspicious of you. I don't think he knows that you're Trinity's daughter though..."
"Pfft," Kina snorted, "he doesn't even know my first name c'mon..."
"I wouldn't be so sure..." Ginto said as he exhaled.
"Is that what you're here for? To tell me this...or are you just bugging me? That's very unlike you." Kina grumbled.
"I came to check up on you, but I thought it was best if I informed you as well."
"Gee thanks...I don't know if I should be flattered that you were actually thinking about me. You helping me doesn't change anything, you're still the scion of a demon...and I still don't like you."
Ginto rolled his eyes, "I brought you here, so you're my responsibility."
Kina thought for a moment; was he really trying to help her? No way, he was probably going to end up being the man who kills her, not Valac.
"Your responsibility requests that she get a better room." Kina retorted, changing the subject.
The Feral Vamirias lifted his shoulders, "Well, get your belongings and move yourself here."
"You aren't going to help me?"
Ginto frowned profoundly.
"It's not like I have a lot of heavy stuff to move, Strong Mannn." Kina said in a manly voice, punching his toned biceps in the process.

He didn't usually react to her playfulness, that was what she found amusing about him; the fact that she was annoying him is what made her do these things in the first place.
She brushed past him giggling and ventured down the hallway back to her old room.
"Oh by the way! Last night I thought of the perfect name for you!" she yelled from the hall.
Ginto grimaced, "...And...that would be?"
"Arna Butt." she said proudly then burst out laughing.
"How nice of you..." he groaned.
Her uncontrollable laughter continued to roar through the hall.

Chapter 5 [Part 1]

2009-11-14T22:18:00.003-07:00

It was the rainy season in Eriyon, so the Prince wasn't surprised when it started to pour.

Fortunately, Valac's army had reached Eriyon long before the Rogues did. The raindrops pelted their armour as they took their positions, patiently waiting for their enemy to emerge. The archers, Sedna included, were perched at their posts loading their bows, while the Berserkers kept their snarling Arna at bay. Sedna had been promoted because of her bravery during her captivity in Kaine, she was now able to command her own squad, rather than be part of one.

Ginto decided to let Ba'thin sit this one out, the animal needed the rest and he didn't want him to be pushed into battle so soon. Kina had no idea where they were keeping Shalande, so she didn't get the chance to retrieve her. She was still annoyed by their argument earlier, she hadn't spoken since they stepped outside. Ginto didn't seem to mind, he wasn't one to hold grudges so the fight quickly slipped his mind. She had her reasons for disliking him, lots of people didn't like him in fact, he just accepted it and moved on. He hoped that the weather and armor would mask the hint of Human scent on the woman, thankfully nobody had noticed yet. The rain made his long hair stick to his face and body; this wasn't the best weather to be fighting Humans in, but they would have to deal with it.

The second the archers pulled back on their bows, the others stood alert, keeping their eyes open for the approaching enemy.

"Fire at will!" Sedna shouted.
The first sign of Humans appeared in the distance and the archers didn't hesitate to fire their weapons. The Arna were set free, roaring and snarling in anger. There was a brief exchange of gunfire and arrows before the remainder of the Vamirias came out of hiding.

Kina jumped over the bushes and ran forward before Ginto could give any orders. The Prince scowled then made a gesture for the first wave of Berserkers to advance. Their disk-like weapons sailed through the air and cut clean through the flurry of Humans before returning to their hands. The released Arna bit into their victims with their colossal fangs, ripping through their flesh as if it were butter. They managed to get down an impressive number of Humans before they were gunned and killed.

When the Humans got closer, Ginto sent forth his spearmen. He then shifted his attention to Kina; he was impressed by how well she was handling the incoming Humans.
She was able to take on more than three at a time; she swung her spear and cut through the soldier's armor. She dodged the next attack and tripped a second militant, the moment he hit the ground she drove her weapon into his abdomen. A third Human was about to fire his weapon at her back, the Blood Vamirias dove to the side and the bullet whizzed past her. She forced her spear into his chest then, to the Prince's amazement, lifted the heavy man up off his feet and over her head. With a grunt, she hurled him into the crowd of soldiers and they toppled over.

The Vamirias seemed to be doing well in their battle, that was until a sudden hail of bullets showered them. Ginto's heart pounded hard in his chest as he watched his allies fall, many were killed and a few were left wounded. The overwhelming smell of Human blood made Ginto's head spin; when he was with Ruxx that was the only source available to him. He swore under his breath when he realized that he was addicted to it; that was why it was much safer to drink an animal's blood instead.

His hand twitched at the sheath of his sword; he then felt a hand move his own away from his weapon. He lifted his gaze and his Father grinned back at him.
"Your eyes have changed colour," Valac muttered, "is it Curatos blood..?"
Ginto's eyebrows furrowed.
Valac laughed mischievously, "What's holding you back..?"
"I swore I wouldn't let another drop of Curatos blood touch my tongue." Ginto said through his fangs.
"And why not? Because you would want more and more of it? I would say that that would be for the better, now you have a decent reason to kill those bastards."
Ginto looked at his Father in shock. Valac stared at him for a moment then gazed out into the battlefield.
"Well, at least that woman is a fine soldier," he grumbled, "lets not sit back and watch our army be killed shall we?"

Ginto's eyes widened when his Father brushed past him, pulled his swords from their sheathes and started to slay the Curatos soldiers effortlessly. It had been a while since he had seen his Father use his swords, he hadn't lost his touch.
Ginto looked over at Kina; she was watching Valac with the same astonished expression, she had lost count of the amount of Humans he had killed in such a short period of time. The Prince wasn't sure if it was the rain fogging his vision, or if Kina's hands were actually shaking as the elder Zelcis massacred the opposing army.

The Emperor spun around and smirked at his son, droplets of blood staining his silver beard and hair.
"Come now, there's no reason to be shy. Show me that I haven't been wasting my time training you all these years."
Ginto snapped out of his daze and nodded.
"Find their leader, kill him, then bring his severed head to me. And don't let your foolish blood restriction stop you..."
Ginto's heart skipped a beat after his Father's order; that was how he would confirm that he had taken care of another contract for Alexander. The memory made him shiver in disgust; he looked back at his Father, he had his arms crossed and he was tapping his foot.
"Is there a problem?" he said sternly.
"No Father..." Ginto bowed then disappeared into the bushes.

Valac turned away and observed the Blood Vamirias as she knelt down beside a wounded Arna. Kina ran her fingers over the animal's injuries, it whimpered in pain and struggled to get onto its feet.
"It's alright...I'll make you better again..." she said softly.
Its wounds glowed a soft green then closed up shortly after, the bullets clattered to the ground as they were forced from their holes. The Arna purred and rubbed its head underneath her chin in appreciation, Kina smiled faintly.

"You're welcome."
"A Blood Vamirias in Eriyon..? How peculiar..."
Kina stood up and her golden eyes met Valac's red ones; he practically towered over the woman. He smirked then suddenly grabbed her chin, he lifted off her helmet and examined her.
"The sweetest faces seem to be the most deadly...you remind me of a woman who used to be part of my army. She was skilled with a spear...much like yourself..."
Kina jerked her face away and growled.
"And she would be?" she shot.
Valac smiled toothily, "Trinity..."
The Blood Vamirias' eyes widened.
"Good...so you are familiar with her..." he said coldly.
Kina watched his hands attentively as they gripped the hilts of his swords; she expected him to swipe the weapons across her neck and kill her, but all the Emperor did was slide them back into their sheaths. He inhaled deeply then squinted at her. He then smirked smugly and tossed back her helmet, Kina nearly dropped it when she caught it.
"Just as I thought..."

* * * *

The windshield shattered, the glass shards bounced off Ginto's hardened flesh harmlessly. He grabbed hold of the driver's collar and threw him out of the car, he sliced the passenger's throat before he had a chance to reach for his weapon. Ginto hopped off the hood of the truck and lifted the shaken man to his feet by his neck. The general coughed dryly and clawed at Ginto's hand; he kicked and struggled to get free. The Prince brought the blade-like bone from his arm to the man's throat and sliced off his head in one quick motion.

The general's death forced the remaining Humans to retreat; although Ginto was responsible for his murder, he didn't feel like he had accomplished anything.
He returned the severed head to his Father as promised; he congratulated him and even said that he was proud. It was a bittersweet victory for the Vamirias; they had managed to run the Humans out of Eriyon but they had lots many of their own.
The soldiers had all returned to the palace to rest, Ginto decided to stay behind and take a moment to collect his thoughts.

It had stopped raining but the dark storm clouds still hovered above. Ginto assumed that it was near midnight, it had been late evening when the battle had started.
He looked at his bloodstained hands; they were still wet with the fluid, he didn't know why he hadn't wiped them off. His mind wandered back to what his Father had said, how it would be better if he desired Human blood. He constantly told himself "No" but his body was saying "Yes".

"Are you going to do it?" came a voice.
It took him a while to realize that his hand was in front of his face and his long tongue was already half way out of his mouth, threatening to lick the blood. He lowered his hand and turned around, Kina was standing there passing her spear back and forth between her hands.
He was still in his active form, so he had to speak back to her telepathically.
"As much as I'd like to...No."
Kina nodded slowly then slid her spear back into the strap on her back.
"Good."
"What are you doing out here..?" he asked.
"Taking a walk...like I usually do around this time." she replied.
"I see..."
"And you?"
He hesitated for a moment; his bright crimson pupils were red fireflies against the night sky as they stared back at her.
"I needed some time to think..."

Kina took a deep breath then took a seat underneath a blooming tree.
"I saw you take down that general today," she snickered, "not bad for a man..."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment..." he retorted.
Kina shrugged, "It can be whatever you want it to be."
She raised an eyebrow when he glared back at her with an annoyed expression, that was the first time she had seen him change his face all night.
"I'm beginning to wonder if it was a blessing or a curse bringing you back here..." he sighed.
Kina got to her feet when he moved back towards the palace; the crimson spikes and armour protruding from his limbs disappeared back into his flesh. His fiery red eyes cooled to their usual green shortly after.
Kina crossed her arms and followed him, "My uncle's here isn't he. In prison..?"
"Terrec," he said without looking back at her, "don't bother..."
"And why not?"
"No one is allowed to see him. The guards won't even let you get any father than the door..."
"He can't be that dangerous, he's an old man now..." Kina's voice softened.
She quickened her pace to catch up to him on the palace steps.
"You can talk to my Father about that, since you're so eager to see him." Ginto grumbled.
"He knows something, that's why you're keeping him locked up." Kina barked.
She nearly ran into him when he stopped and turned around suddenly.
"I would stop talking about seeing him if I were you, unless you would like to face the same fate as your parents." he said sternly.
Kina stared at him in shock; once he was sure that the woman had finally gotten the point, he turned away from her and continued down the hall.

Chapter 4 [Part 5]

2009-10-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

Rosier found it therapeutic to care for the Arna. Everyday she would go down into their pens and groom them. She was surprised when she found the ivory coloured female locked up in Ba'thin's old pen. She checked the pen tag and there was no name or owner inscribed on it.
The Arna nibbled at the gate curiously; Rose pet the feline gently, it purred happily.
"I've never seen you before...are you new?" The Empress whispered.
She opened the gate and stepped in; the Arna sat down and examined the woman closely, it's head tilted to the side. Rose knelt down and brushed the hay off her long dress. She took the Arna's large paw into her hands and read the ribbon around it's leg.
"Shalande? Is that your name?"
Shalande's tongue lolled from her mouth and an excited grunt rose from her throat.
Rosier smiled warmly, "What a lovely name. You wouldn't happen to belong to Ginto's visitor would you?"
The Empress stood up and exited the pen, Shalande followed her out. She locked the gate behind her and turned her attention to Ba'thin; who was laying flat on his stomach with his ears pressed to his skull. Rosier chuckled when she realized that he was staring at Shalande.
"I think someone is in love..." she teased.
Ba'thin's ears perked up.
"A lady friend followed you home I suppose. Well, why don't you two get acquainted?"
She opened Ba'thin's pen and let Shalande step inside; she locked it up after.
"No fighting you two."
The female sniffed Ba'thin in fascination; she paced around him a bit then nudged him with her paw. Ba'thin wasn't very responsive; the only movement he did was breathe and close his eyes.
Rose sighed, "Same old Ba'thin...lazy as ever. Your first date is where you make a good impression! I don't think she'll want a lazy mate."
She took a seat on the stool located next to the pens and watched the Arna interact for a moment. She heard footsteps at the entrance and turned her curly head to see who was coming down the steps. She smiled when her son emerged from the curtain. He kissed her hand and bowed briefly.
"Don't mind me...I'm just watching the Arna." she muttered.
"You put them in the same pen..?" Ginto asked.
"Yes, yes, Ba'thin's been watching her for a while. I just went ahead and put them in the same cage. Is there a problem..?"
"Uh-no not at all..."
"Have you thanked the nice young lady for curing me?" she asked.
"Of course."
The Empress sighed, "I'm well now...will you tell your old Mother what those vile creatures have done to you..?"
Ginto smiled faintly, "You're not old Mother...you haven't even reached your fifties."
Rosier stood up, she lifted the bottom of her dress up enough to keep it out of the stray hay.
"Please don't tell me they tried to do the same to you what they did to Trinity..." she said.
He hesitated, "Maybe..."
Rosier shook her head in disgust and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Denga told me that you were separated from the others...do you know why they did that?"
His Mother's questions were resurfacing memories that he wished he would never have to remember. Pain didn't faze him too much now; but he was young then and the nightmarish experience was traumatic. Nonetheless, she was his Mother after all, it wouldn't be right if he refused to tell her what had happened.
He started with the reason he ran away from home in the first place and when he found the injured civilians on his way back to the palace. The strange armed men and the Vamirias that were taken away in vehicles. How Ba'thin tried to protect him but had failed.
The Curatos seemed so heartless to him; he thought that they were just there to harm him for their own twisted pleasure. He had never seen so many injuries on his body in his life; not even his Father would inflict such wounds on his son.
He told her about how Alexander Ruxx had treated him differently from the other captives. How he found out that Ginto was Feral and that he had different needs than the other Vamirias.
Alexander and Nathan were the only people he was able to see; he had a strange attachment to them, almost as if they were his family. As abusive as Ruxx was, he was the only person that was really aware of Ginto's presence. It was a nice feeling to know that at least someone knew about you, he wondered if that was why he had oddly grown fond of the man.
It was the same bloody routine that he had to follow for five years straight. He found out the reason why Ruxx had chosen him over the others and his days as the Curatos' bodyguard.
Rose's face was soaked in tears, her dark makeup ran down from her eyes. She was clutching onto her son as if she would lose him again.
He didn't want to tell her about the episode; he was disappointed when his Mother brought up the topic anyway.
She held his face then mumbled, "I can tell what happened after just by looking at your eyes. They aren't the same beautiful green you were born with..."
Ginto grimaced; others could tell if a Feral Vamirias had had a recent episode by the tint of red at the edge of their irises.
"This is exactly why your Father treated you that way when you were younger," she sulked, "war is never a good thing. He was trying to prepare you for the horrors that you would face in the future..."
Ginto took a moment to think over his Mother's words. All the other Vamirias had snapped because of what had happened to them; their minds were unstable and they were forced to take therapy. Denga and Sedna were affected as well, thankfully not to the extreme like the others, but they still hadn't reverted to their old selves. He was the only Vamirias that hadn't changed too much. He was used to his Father's abusive behavior; while Ruxx's treatment was far worse than his Father's, he seemed to know what to expect and how to deal with it.
"Your Father wasn't always that way..." Rosier piped up, as if reading his thoughts.
She took a deep breath then meticulously dabbed the tears and make up from her face with a cloth.
"He had a soft side to him when I met him. He went through the episode shortly after I got pregnant. It was stress related I suppose, it brought back old memories of Havarra and Erithia, like he was going through it all again. Because of that he now lacks compassion for others. He was initially happy that he was having a son but his attitude quickly changed..."
She shifted the wedding ring on her finger.
"I was very upset by his behavior and often cried myself to sleep. One day I was so fed up that I told him that I would return to Meladin to have my baby and never let him see his son if he didn't correct himself. I was thankful to hear that he loved me too much to let me go and he started to get better."
Rosier sighed and smiled at him.
"When you were born, Valac held you in his arms and said that he was going to make sure his son would become a stronger person than his Father. He didn't want you to make the same mistakes he did. It's in his nature, Feral Vamirias are naturally aggressive. You lacked this in your younger years, so he tried to toughen you up..."
"I see..." Ginto mumbled.
Rosier gave him another tender hug then whispered, "I'm just so glad that you're back here with us..."
She turned to check on the Arna; they had fallen asleep, Shalande had her head rested on Ba'thin.
"I think they're finally warming up to each other." she beamed.
"Your Majesty! Come quickly!!"
They both spun around when one of their servants ran towards them, he looked incredibly worried.
"Speak." Rosier's eyes widened.
"Tydian has been attacked!"

"Have them withdrawn! There's no way they can take on that many of them!" Valac growled at one of his commanders.
Rosier stormed in with Ginto close behind; she held her dress up as she ran to keep it from dragging on the floor.
"Are my ears deceiving me?!" she exclaimed, panting from her dash.
"Those bloody Rogues have suddenly expanded their territory to Tydian! My soldiers were moving through the area and were attacked." he said through clenched teeth.
Ginto's blood ran cold; he remembered the night when he met Erithia and what she had said to him.
...master said that soon Tydian will be OUR city.
The Prince jerked his Father's sleeve roughly.
"They plan to strike Eriyon next. We'll be sitting ducks if our army doesn't return!" he blurted.
Valac scowled, "What makes you so sure?"
"Erithia told me that Tydian would be overrun by Rogues. Malphas is dead yet they're still expanding their territory. Tydian is just a warning, Eriyon is what they're really after!"
Rosier gasped loudly, "Azriel Valac! Do what your son tells you!!"
Valac hissed in frustration, "The Curatos are still here! If the army returns we will have to deal with both forces..! We'll be overwhelmed!"
"We'll be overwhelmed either way." Rosier muttered.
"Just tell your armies to retreat and return to Eriyon. I'll deal with the rest." Ginto asserted.

"You may as well put yourself to good use while you're here. Hopefully you're as skilled with your spear as you are bad-mouthing."
Kina huffed as she slid on her gauntlets. She fiddled with the strap on her back, her fingers flicked at the band. She reached over top of her head, but she still couldn't seem to reach the strap.
"Dammit, stop standing there and help me with this!" she growled.
Ginto sighed and grabbed hold of the strap on her back. He pulled it through the band then looked over her shoulder.
"How's that?" he asked.
"It's too loose."
He pulled again and she yelped.
"Ow! That's way too tight!!"
The Prince's eye twitched and he started to loosen the strap. Once the chest piece was on tight enough, he helped her get on the rest of her armor.
The Blood Vamirias' face flushed and her hand shot towards Ginto's face, he caught her wrist in time before it collided with his cheek.
"What is the matter with you?!" he barked.
"Would you stop groping me?!" she howled.
His eyes widened in shock then he squinted in annoyance, "What?! I was adjusting--"
"Nevermind!" she interrupted him.
Denga watched the two quarrel from afar; their argument soon escalated into hissing and growling at each other. Sedna eventually dragged the Blood Vamirias away into the armory.
The Taota approached his friend and nudged him in the side with his elbow.
"Yeah, she definitely likes you." he teased.
Ginto rubbed his temples in frustration, "What did I bring back with me..."
"Well, you two will have to get along. There's nothing worse than a soldier that won't obey orders."
"Lets just hope she's as good as her mother..."

Chapter 4 [Part 4]

2009-10-01T21:05:00.000-06:00

Ginto entered the grand hall in hopes of finding his Father.
The hall was very different from how he remembered it; a few items had been added, the walls had recently been polished and the floors were so clean he could clearly see his own reflection in them. The weapons of fallen soldiers covered the walls; they rested there untouched for years, the names of their deceased warriors were neatly carved underneath them. There was a plaque on a pillar that he had never seen before; he approached it and examined it closely. He felt a sudden chill as he read off each name.
Aaere, Illinda, Urid...they were all murdered Blood Vamirias. His mind wandered back to his time in Kaine, while he served Alexander Ruxx...
"No buts. I want you to locate every SINGLE one in existence...and eradicate them. Do I make myself clear?"
The words eliminate and eradicate both fell from his ex-master's lips that day. The same day that he demanded an explanation for the symbol he waved in front of the boys face: The Mark of Blood.
Ginto refused to say a word about the Blood Vamirias; he was punished gravely for staying silent. That was the first time that the boy had felt the cold edge of a blade against his bare back; the wounds it left behind were deep and unsightly. He didn't sleep that day, it stung too much to lay on his bloody back...
Had Alexander kept his word about killing the Blood Vamirias?
He shifted his thoughts to the object hoisted above the entrance, a lutetium shield, the meaning behind it was the last thing he expected his Father to do. A strange feeling rose from the pit of his stomach, was it disgust or satisfaction?
"I never thought you would make it back here alive..."
Ginto turned around slowly, his Father was standing in the hall leading to the armory. The burly Emperor approached his son; his aged face and brilliant red garb he was adorned in made him look even more menacing than before. The expression his angular face was one of admiration and awe.
"Maybe you have finally learned your lesson..." Valac frowned.
Ginto placed his hand on his chest then knelt down in apology.
"Forgive me Father..."
Valac stood there for a moment then turned around to look up at the shield on the wall.
"I will not..." he said coldly.
Ginto closed his eyes in disappointment.
"Why would I forgive you when there is nothing for me to forgive you for," he breathed deeply, "you were a child then....and children make foolish decisions when they get upset. What happened to you...was partially my fault..."
Ginto stood tall, "Father..."
"Maybe you aren't ready after all..."
Ginto lowered his head, "There is something that I must ask you."
"And that would be..?"
Ginto hesitated, "Is it true that I have...a blood sibling..?"
His Father's eyebrow twitched but his expression did not change; he turned around to face him.
"Why didn't you tell me that I had a blood sister..?" Ginto frowned.
"You speak of such nonsense..." Valac squinted.
"Stop lying to me!!" Ginto yelled.
His Father was taken back by the Prince's tone.
Ginto ripped the pendant from his neck and held it in front of him.
"Her name was Erithia...I ran into her on my way back to the palace..." Ginto continued.
His Father stood there in silence.
"..."
"Well?" Ginto growled.
"Yes...it is true..."
Valac leisurely paced around his son and tucked his arms behind his back. He gazed at the floor calmly as he walked.
"Erithia..." his Father repeated the name as he fished through his memory for the girl.
"What did you do to her to make her hate you so much..?"
Valac frowned, "This happened years before I met your Mother. I was traveling to Raulihym to meet one of the generals. His daughter Havarra had come with him and was staying there until the army moved to Onyx. We were staying in Raulihym as well, so I decided to keep her company, she wasn't familiar with the people or the land..."
Ginto listened attentively to his Father's story.
"She had no one else so we treated each other with affection. In short, we grew close and I suppose one night we had gone too far. Much to my dismay Erithia was the result from it..."
"If you loved her, why did you abandon her..?" The Prince asked.
Valac snickered in amusement and annoyance, "It turns out that Havarra was working alongside the Rogues and was responsible for the death of over a thousand Vamirias. She used me in order to get valuable information for the Rogues. She was scum, so I killed her shortly after Erithia was born."
Ginto's expression quickly changed.
"Erithia was my blood, but her presence disgusted me. So I had one of my messengers take the infant away to find a suitable home for her..."
"She ended up with the Rogues..." Ginto mumbled.
Valac frowned, "Yes...I soon discovered that my messenger was killed and the baby was stolen."
"I see..."
"For that reason I refrained from forming friendships with individuals outside of royalty or their servitude. I met your Mother a few years after the incident; she was the Princess of Meladin at the time and I believed that she would be my ideal mate. She is still the trustworthy and nurturing woman I remember her being..."
Valac cleared his throat.
"Enough about the past, we have more important matters on our hands now. I noticed that you were looking at the seal..."
"You don't plan on---" Ginto started.
Valac raised his hand to silence him.
"Have been away for so long that you are not aware of current events..? The Curatos began their genocidal attacks against the Blood Vamirias while you were missing. We've done smaller counter-attacks in the past already...they should get the picture by now."
Ginto's rage made it hard for him to collect words, his mouth was open but no words came.
"Our people have had small encounters with the enemy that ended in violence; I believe now is the time for us to make our presence known to the world."
"You're starting a war with the Curatos?! Are you mad!?" Ginto barked, "how long have you been planning this?!"
His Father's brawling laugh caught him off guard.
"They brought this upon themselves, Ginto." he drew his sword and scanned the edge, "we are a race of warriors my son, we were born for combat. The Curatos exploited us and killed our people for their own pleasure. Have you forgotten that continuous bloodshed is an act of war..?"
Ginto couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"The number of Blood Vamirias has been dwindling. The Curatos are responsible for the killings; they're killing our most valuable people and you would much rather stand by and watch them be slaughtered?" Valac scowled, "our kind has been living in the night's shadow for far too long. Now is the time for those inferior Curatos to witness the true power of the Vamirias!"
Ginto thought long and hard about his Father's words; he remember the young Vamirias that had died while they were being held prisoner in Kaine. The memory that stuck with him the most was the look of fear and sadness in their once beautiful eyes.
"I've already arranged my armies, they're just waiting for their first command..." Valac retrieved an engraved emblem from the inside of his garb, it shone brilliantly when the moonlight fell onto the exposed edge. He opened his hand and offered the pin to Ginto, who stared at it blankly. The Prince's eyebrows knit together; he lifted his gaze so that it met his Father's. All he had to do was take the emblem from his Father's hands and he would be permitted to command his Father's massive army.
Ginto strongly opposed war; all it brought was violence, loss and grief. Was war the only way to set things right? Was war the only way he could avenge the fallen Vamirias that were victims to the humans?
...Victims to Ruxx?
Ginto took an deep breath then made his decision. His Father's grin grew wider when Ginto extended his hand to take the emblem then pinned it to his chest.
"...When do you plan to strike..."

"Oh what hospitality! They put me in the trashiest room in the palace."
Kina flicked another wood shard into the wall, it stuck in the middle of a messy dart board that she had drawn out with a bottle of ink she had found in the dresser. She sighed deeply and stared at her slender fingers; green sparks floated from her digits and vanished in thin air.
She was bored out of her mind; they didn't give her anything at all, just barren a room with a bed and a dresser.
The sound of the heavy door unlocking and opening startled her. She rolled over in the aged bed and squinted to see who was in the doorway. She was relieved to see Ginto standing there.
"Look who it is." she sat up.
"So this is where they put you." he said as he examined the room.
"Yeah, they picked a great room didn't they?" she grinned.
"I told the others to keep quiet. It doesn't matter if I'm the only one who heard you say you were a half breed, the others can smell it on you," Ginto's eyebrows lowered, "you'll have to bear with this room for now. This is the only room that our servants won't enter, therefore you'll be kept secret. Understand?"
"Sure."
"You and I both know how my Father deals with matters like these..."
She stared at the tray of food in his hands and her eyes widened.
"I brought you something to eat..." he said.
Kina's stomach growled loudly, she blushed and quickly took the tray from his hands. She ate the food so quickly that she had almost forgotten to thank him for it.
"Mmph--thank you..!"
Ginto watched in horror as the woman scarfed down the food.
"I'm starving!" her hand hovered over her mouth to hide the crumbs on her face.
Ginto stared at her in awe, "You're...welcome..?"
Kina wiped her mouth with the napkin and took a sip from the glass of water sitting at her bedside.
"You have an accent when you speak; I'm guessing that you were forced to learn English during your stay in Kaine?" she lowered the glass, "you don't have to speak English to me, ne tal'allaspa Hathiana jos'fina.."
Ginto was surprised at how fluent she was in Arthian. They continued the conversation in his native tongue.
"Yes I was..."
"I recognize that pin..."
She tapped her crumb-covered fingers over the emblem that was pinned to Ginto's chest, he brushed off the food particles in disgust.
"And you're commanding your Father's army for what reason?" she looked at her nails.
Ginto smiled halfheartedly, "My Father has declared war against the Curatos..."
Kina dropped her drink and screamed, "What?!"
Ginto winced when the glass shattered against the marble flooring.
"I knew that man was insane!" she hollered.
"The first attack is already underway..." Ginto frowned.
The Blood Vamirias looked at the empty plate, she decided to change the subject.
"I heard that Her Majesty is ill..."
Ginto sighed, "I don't know if her medicine will arrive on time..."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it won't get here on time, if it gets here at all. The Humans are probably still in Eriyon, or the surrounding areas at least. They won't be able to get through them without a fray of some sort..." Kina picked at her teeth.
Ginto hissed in anger, "Don't say such things..!"
"Sorry, I just know it won't." she shrugged.
Ginto clenched his fists in frustration.
"I can help." Kina said.
Ginto glared at her, "Help her? How can you possibly help her? Blood Vamirias aren't capable of curing diseases other than their own! Her illness requires medication!"
"Hey, I cured you didn't I?" she shot.
"..."
"Last time I checked the Rogue virus needed medication as well."
The Prince was not pleased by the woman's attitude.
"You have quite a mouth..." he growled.
"Do you want me to help her or not?" she crossed her arms.
"Fine..." he sighed.

The Blood Vamirias kept her word and visited the sick Empress later on that day. She seemed hesitant to heal her at first, but once she put her vengeance aside, she was indeed able to cure Rosier's illness. Rose was thoroughly impressed by Kina's abilities; she had never seen a Blood Vamirias cure such a fatal disease. She knew she was different, but when she asked of the woman's origins, she refused to reply. She excused herself from the chamber and returned to her old and worn out room.
The Blood Vamirias' behavior intrigued Ginto; from what he knew she deeply loved and admired her parents, what was she hiding from them?
He went to see her in order to thank her for what she had done for his Mother and hopefully learn more about the mysterious woman.
He entered the room and found Kina laying back on her bed, staring at the ceiling in thought. He tapped the wall with his knuckle and she sat up steadily.
"I came to thank you for curing my Mother." he said.
Kina nodded, "It was nothing..."
"Though, you seemed to be in a hurry to leave when she asked of your origins..."
The woman sighed and got to her feet, "Well, when you're the only recorded Blood Vamirias hybrid in the world, I would figure something wasn't quite right. Wouldn't you?"
"What are you implying?" Ginto asked.
Kina shrugged and crossed her arms.
"I didn't know very much about my Father. He didn't share very much with my uncle. I'm not sure about what he did in the past, who he was affiliated with..." her gaze wandered.
"So you think that he had something to hide..?"
"Maybe."
She turned slightly to face the bed, "Her Majesty gave me a dress as a thank you gift..."
Kina picked it up by the sides and held it in front of her to show him. It was a silky, sleeveless, dark red dress with gold lace trimmings. It was quite long; Ginto assumed that it was one of those elegant dresses that dragged the ends onto the floor.
"I don't know when I'll wear it." the woman sighed.
"My mother arranged a gathering in April, it will take some time for the others to get here. Invited guests are allowed, you're welcome to come..."
Kina neatly placed the dress back onto the bed.
"Me? Go to a royal party?" her eyes widened in disbelief.
Ginto smiled and nodded. Kina thought for a moment, then she piped up.
"I...I don't know..."
"Well you have plenty of time to think about it..." he retrieved the tray from the counter, "just call me if you need anything..."
"Call you?"
Ginto gestured to the earring stud on the dresser, "Put it in your ear; all you need to do is press it and speak. The channel is preset for you."
Kina blinked in surprise, "My, you guys have some neat gadgets here, in a place that looks so old-fashioned."
Ginto smiled faintly, "Yes, the device is used for our soldiers, but I figured that you might need one. Good Day Kina."
He closed the door behind him and left the Blood Vamirias to ponder on her own.

Translations:

Ne tal'allaspa Hathiana jos'fina: Kina says "I can speak Arthian just fine".

Chapter 4 [Part 3]

2009-09-23T22:32:00.001-06:00

Thankfully the last leg of the journey was uneventful; by the time they reached the palace the sun had almost completely vanished from the sky. The Vamirias were probably out and about already, so he didn't have to worry about someone coming to help them.
Ba'thin growled and clawed at the gate separating them from the palace, he hooked his fangs through the craved designs and tried to yank it open. A pair of guards approached the gate with their tridents pointed at them.
"Identify yourself!" one ordered.
The second guard gazed at Ba'thin, he observed the scratched armour worn on his body and immediately recognized him. He gestured for his partner to lower his weapon then started to fiddle with the lock on the gate.
"Azriel...could it be?" The guard opened the gate hastily, "are my eyes deceiving me, or are you truly the missing Prince?"
Ginto opened his mouth to speak, but no words rolled from his tongue. He hadn't felt like a Prince in ages; standing before the palace again was almost a shock to him. He had been away from home for so long, he didn't feel as though he belonged there, let alone ruled over the people that resided inside.
Ba'thin didn't hesitate to run in towards the palace, he seemed to be excited to be back on familiar territory. The female Arna sniffed around a bit before entering the grounds and examined her surroundings carefully.
"This woman is injured...she needs medical attention..." Ginto said calmly.
The guards nodded frantically then hurried to the palace entrance; they unlocked the doors and lead the Prince inside.

The Vamirias stared at the Prince in shock and amazement. They hadn't seen him in so long that they assumed that he was dead; yet there he was standing before them with an injured woman in his arms. Whispers and gasps were passed around the hall; finally someone was brave enough to approach him and ask:
"Azriel, Your Highness is that you..?"
One of the messengers ran down the hall to inform Valac and Rosier while the rest of them scattered to spread the news.
A group of nurses retrieved the woman from Ginto's arms and another pair escorted Ginto towards the infirmary. A flurry of words sputtered from them as they pushed and pulled him into the room.
"Heavens! We all thought that the Curatos had killed you! We mourned and grieved over your loss. We are so happy to see you alive Your Highness!"
The second nurse opened her supply box and started to clean up any wounds that were left untreated before he had a chance to sit.
"What happened to you Your Highness?" she asked as she dabbed at a cut.
"I will tell you all once everything is back in order again...for now I would like to know if the others got back in one piece..." Ginto mumbled.
The nurse bowed, "Oh yes, a group entered the palace just last week. Ms. Navaras and Mr. Avesys were in the group as well...they asked about you."
Ginto was relieved to find out that Denga and Sedna had made it back.
"They told us that there were tracking devices in their bodies, so we extracted them as soon as we could." the nurse continued.
The first nurse was busy feeding Ba'thin a sufficient meal as she checked his body for open wounds.
Giddy screams and chatter were heard in the halls; Ginto recognized one of the voices. Sedna suddenly ran into the room and gave him a nearly suffocating hug.
"Azriel we were so worried!! I'm so glad that you made it back!!" she sobbed, "now your Father won't pin my head on a wall."
The nurse shooed the woman away so she could get back to the wound that she was cleaning up.
"Who was the woman that you brought in..?" Sedna asked.
"I'm not sure who she is, but she's a Blood Vamirias." Ginto responded.
"A Blood Vamirias?"
"At least I believe she is one. She removed the Rogue virus from my body..."
"W-what!? Rogue Virus?!" Sedna gasped.
Ginto held onto his sister's pendant in memory.
"Yes," he sighed, "in summary, I found out that I had a long lost sister named Erithia. She infected me with the virus in an attempt to make me stay with her clan. I killed her leader after they attacked us and we escaped the village. But..."
The archer leaned forward, "But..?"
"Erithia...didn't make it..." Ginto looked down.
"I'm sorry..."
The nurses' eyes grew wide once they heard the Prince's story, they looked at each other and had the same question in their minds.
"Our Majesties had a second child??" they asked in unison.
Ginto shook his head, "No...but we do share the same Father..."
"Oh my..." the first nurse gasped, "an affair?!"
The second nurse tapped her lip, "A previous lover?!"
"I don't know..." Ginto growled.
Sedna could tell that Ginto was getting annoyed.
"Once you're patched up and rested....I think you should see your Mother..."
Sedna sounded concerned; her tone gave Ginto a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Valac was surprised when he heard the news that his son had returned to the Palace. When Ginto disappeared, the chaos and panic was a challenge to contain. It was extremely stressful for Rosier, mainly because she had lost her only son.
Unfortunately, everything was too much for her to handle and she had fallen ill.
The doctors did their best to treat her but nothing seemed to be working. She was confined to her bed and everything had to be brought to her. The new medicine for her illness was on it's way to the palace, but it would take months before it arrived. The doctors were afraid that their Empress might not make it in time to have the medicine.
Ginto's heart sank when he found his sick Mother laying in bed, she looked so frail and helpless...
He remembered her as a beautiful young woman full of energy, much to his dismay his mother had lost the warm glow that used to be present in her soft face. Instead of being decorated head to toe in expensive ornaments, she simply wore a purple silk dress and left her hair loose. She didn't even bother to apply her favorite rose coloured lipstick or her headpiece.
"Mother..?" Ginto said in disbelief.
He approached her and held onto her hand tenderly. He brushed the loose curls off her tired face.
Rose stirred then whispered, "Valac...is that you love..?"
Ginto smiled sadly, "No...it's me Ginto..."
"Ginto..?" she said weakly.
A spark of hope appeared in her wiry emerald eyes.
"Am I so sick that I'm imagining things..?" she sobbed, "what a cruel hallucination..."
"You're not dreaming Mother..."
"Azriel...oh...where did you disappear to..? I was so worried...I thought I lost my only son..." tears ran down her cheeks.
She reached up and gave him a hug.
"I'm so glad you're alright, I thought I would never see my Chei-chei again," she touched his cheek, "my you've grown..."
"Yes I know..." Ginto nodded.
Rose smiled sweetly, "Handsome like your Father..."
Her eyes shifted to the scars all over his body, she gasped in shock.
"Where did all these scars come from..? Heavens...what have they done to my son..?"
"I won't tell you only because I don't want to upset you. You're already under enough stress right now Mother...please just rest..."
Rosier sighed calmly and closed her eyes. Ginto stroked his mother's cheek sadly.
"I promise I will do everything in my power to make you well again..." he kissed her on the forehead.
Rose smiled sadly then whispered, "...I know you will..."

"You brought in a real beauty you know..!"
Denga peeked his head into the room where the nurses were tending to the injured woman.
"Have you seen her face after they cleaned the blood and dirt off of her..?" he picked at a bandage on his cheek.
Ginto shook his head.
The Taota covered his mouth and failed to contain his laughter.
"What's so funny..?" Ginto raised an eyebrow.
"No-no," Denga waved his hand, "you? No way."
"What is it?"
His friend gave him a pat on the shoulder then whispered, "You might get lucky..!"
The blow that he received from the Prince only seemed to make him laugh even harder. One of Ginto's servants scurried into the hallway, his eyes widened in bewilderment.
"She isn't in any of our records, Your Highness..." he said.
Ginto took the papers from his servant's hands impatiently, he scanned through the documents and found nothing on the woman.
"How is that possible..?" he mumbled.
Ginto glanced at him briefly then entered the room where the mysterious woman was resting, he squinted once his eyes set on her. When he brought the woman in her hair was blond, now the majority of it was a milky silver--almost white as snow. Was it possible that her hair had changed colour? Or had the dirt and debris caused the change in hue?
The old preacher Yetsika crept into the room, her cane tightly gripped in her hand, her long frizzy gray hair dragging against the floor as she walked. It was amazing how the blind woman made it around such an immense palace without ever running into anything. Many Vamirias believed that she wasn't even blind in the first place. She knew who everyone was even if they never spoke to her; she never told her secret to anyone, not even her Taotas.
Her pale pupiless eyes fell on Ginto and she cracked a wrinkly smile.
"...So you have returned..." she said lowly.
She approached the injured woman at his side and examined her carefully--as much as a blind woman could.
"...And you have brought back a visitor..."
"Yes, we're trying to find out who she is..." Ginto muttered.
Yetsika laughed quietly then brushed the woman's cheek, "Oh..? But you already know who this woman is..."
Ginto gazed at the elderly woman in confusion, "What..?"
Yetsika merely smiled at him then left the room in silence.
The woman stirred, she groaned and slowly started to open her eyes. Ginto was glad that she was finally coming to. She rubbed her head and blinked several times until her vision came into focus. Her eyes were strikingly gold, her appearance confused him more and more each passing moment.
She looked around the room with a puzzled expression then realized that she was in some sort of infirmary.
"...Where am I..?" she mumbled.
The nurses were shocked when the woman spoke in English; they covered their mouths and left the room in consternation. Ginto and Denga gazed at each other; they were the only Vamirias in the room that understood her.
"You're safe now, I brought you back with me to the Imperial Palace. Are you alright miss..?" He spoke back to her in the foreign language.
She smiled warmly then said, "Ah yes I am now, thank you."
Ginto briefly looked down at the papers in his hands, "We don't seem to have an identity file for you...would you please tell me who you are?"
The woman looked at the remaining Vamirias and she froze up.
"Is something wrong..?" Ginto asked.
"Do...the others have to be here?" she said softly.
Ginto gestured for the others to leave the room, the servants immediately obliged but Denga hesitated before leaving the room. The Prince gazed at the woman; her eyes were full of fear and uncertainty.
"Can you keep a secret?" she asked.
"Have you done something?" Ginto raised an eyebrow.
"N-no! Not me..! My...my mother." she mumbled.
Ginto sat down next to her.
"If I tell you my name, you have to promise not to tell anyone about where I came from...and what I am. Alright..?"
Ginto nodded.
"Because I am a Blood Shade and you know what we're capable of doing. I'm sure you don't want to meet that fate." she huffed and pointed at him.
"You have my word."
She gathered herself then spoke softly.
"My name is Kina Amethes. Daughter of Trinity..."
Ginto's eyes widened; Trinity's daughter had been killed, or that was what he overheard his Father talking about when he was still a child.
He had heard rumors about Trinity and what had happened to her. He remembered the time when his mother was so upset over Trinity's death that she refused to leave her chamber.
Ginto reminded himself that the woman was still sitting there waiting for his reply; he looked up and she was staring back at him darkly with squinted eyes.
"This makes you a half breed..?" he asked lowly.
"That's right."
Ginto was speechless.
"Hmm..." she sighed and stood up.
She looked down at her clothing blankly, the nurses must have changed her into clean garments.
"Well, you know me now, I suppose we're even." she stretched.
"Even?"
Kina turned around, "Who doesn't know who you are? Sure, you look different now, but you're still Prince Ginto," she made small gestures with her fingers, "hard to believe that you're that same little boy..."
Ginto looked down at the floor in thought.
"Makes me wonder how you ended up like this in the first place. Your Father treats you the same way he treats the rest of us," she spoke coldly, "doesn't he..."
He could sense an underlying pain in her voice; he didn't want an argument to arise so he thought it would be best to apologize.
"My apologies for what my Father has done to your family..." he said sincerely.
She crossed her arms and turned away from him, "When I was a little girl, I hated the royal family once I learned of what happened to my Mother and Father. I didn't think it was fair; I was so angry that I vowed to kill them when I was able to. Now I'm here, talking to the very person I hate, who happens to be the one who saved my life. How am I supposed to react to that..?"
Ginto stood up quietly.
"I trained every single day with my uncle to make sure that I would be strong enough. I was certain that nothing could stop me from accomplishing my goal."
Her hands clenched into fists.
"Then I heard about what had happened in Eriyon, when the Humans took those Vamirias away to Kaine...and did the same to them what they did to my Mother," she held back her tears, "I was surprised when I learned that you were one of them. That proves that it doesn't matter what your status is in society, we're all equally vulnerable..."
"I may be of blue blood, but that does not make me invincible."
Kina looked down at her hands, "...That made me change my mind..."
She sighed deeply and crossed her arms again, "...I was just wasting my time giving in to my rage and grief..."
Rage and Grief--the perfect words to describe his past.
His rage was what made him leave the palace that day and his rage was why he killed all those Humans in Kaine. Grief was what he felt after he murder Alexander Ruxx and grief was the last thing he felt before losing it. The thought made him feel disgusted and it was clearly evident on his face.
"Are you okay?" Kina asked.
"....I'm sure you've had a long day. My servants have prepared a room for you to stay in until you recover..." he changed the subject.
The Blood Vamirias snickered, "I feel fine, but if you insist..."

Chapter 4 [Part 2]

2009-09-19T23:39:00.002-06:00

The air was chilly and puffs of white mist escaped from Ginto's mouth as he breathed.
He opened his eyes and was concerned when he didn't see Erithia laying next to him. He sat up and felt a light tap against his chest, he looked down and saw Erithia's pendant around his neck. Confused, he got up quickly and looked around for his sister.
"Erithia?" he called.
He wandered around the forest a bit to find his missing sister.
The thin scarlet rays from the rising sun peeked through the trees; there was a bit of frost on the leaves and the ground was cold under his bare feet. Eriyon had relatively colder weather; Ginto had gotten used to the cold so it didn't bother him too much.
He heard some twigs snap behind him, he knew it was Ba'thin, the Arna wouldn't let him go anywhere on his own. He stopped and turned to face the animal; Ba'thin sat down awaiting his first order for the day. Ginto removed the pendant around his neck and waved it in front of the Arna. The feline sniffed it then trotted steadily towards the river with Ginto close behind. He caught sight of Erithia laying down underneath a white cherry tree. Ba'thin ran up to her and started to whimper. Ginto approached her and shook her arm gently.
"Erithia..?"
Her arm was freezing cold...
He rolled her over and gasped, there was a dagger driven in her heart...
Many questions rose into his mind and he knew he would probably never find answers to them.
A ball of fabric fell from her hand and there appeared to be ashy writing on it. He plucked it from her loose grasp and read the chilling words...

You're probably shocked to find my dead body, aren't you Nek'estos..? Azriel will be very upset with my decision, but he always forgives even the deepest of sins. Please don't be upset over me, I'm finally at peace with myself. Maybe one day you'll be at peace as well.
The poison spread faster than I thought it would, I've lost vision in one of my eyes and my entire left side is paralyzed. I planned this while you were asleep, you would never let me do such a thing if you were awake.
I'm so sorry Nek'estos...but I didn't want either of us to suffer anymore...
If you took me with you I would only slow you down, it would only be a matter of time before the poison stopped my heart and killed me.
I'm glad that I finally found you before I died, it's great to know that I have some blood that actually cares about me...
I'm sorry that I infected you with the virus, I was selfish and I wanted you to stay with us. I didn't think that Malphas and the others would turn on me like this...I thought that they were my family...
The only thing that I ask from you is to take the pendant around your neck to Father; show him that I wasn't killed by the Rogues and that I hadn't forgotten what he had done to me and my Mother. Find out the truth from him...that's all that I ask.
Please have a safe journey to where ever you are heading to...
I wished that we were more than just blood siblings...if only Father hadn't made such a mistake years ago...
Goodbye Nek'estos, I'll be looking after you alongside Azriel...

-Erithia.

"Rest in peace Mel'varia..." he whispered.
He sat and thought about what had happened. Maybe Erithia had made the right decision, the two of them would have been dead if Erithia came along with him. His main concern now was getting to the palace before he went Rogue.
He took her cold hand into his and held it for a moment, he sighed then got to his feet. Ba'thin continued to whimper sadly over the woman's lifeless body, his ears and tail lowered in disappointment.
"Lets go Ba'thin..." Ginto said quietly.

Erithia said something about a Blood Vamirias being seen in Eriyon, he had to find them before the Rogues or the Humans did.
They had reached the more urban area of Eriyon; Ginto hoped to find at least a few civilians but they hadn't come across any yet. The streets were so barren; he remembered how full of life they used to be when he was younger. There were always people shopping at the markets or children running around playing games. Everything was cleared out of the homes and stands. Maybe his Father had ordered an evacuation of the city during the raid?
It seemed like the only sound that accompanied them was the wind and the crunching of leaves under their feet.
He started to feel dizzy and he leaned against the side of a ruined building for support. He breathed heavily and held his head. Ba'thin whimpered and nudged his owner in the side with his nose. The Prince sensed something behind him and he quickly turned around, his swords were pointed at nothing but dusty air. Maybe it was the virus that was making him so paranoid? It felt like he was being watched by someone...
Ba'thin pressed his body up against Ginto's to keep him steady. The Prince wondered if the Arna would still be loyal to him after the virus completely infects his blood. It was working slowly; Ginto was thankful for that, but he doubted that they would be able to reach the palace in time to administer an antidote. Although the animal didn't speak, he decided to ask anyway, the Arna was very good at responding to simple conversation.
"How do you feel about a Rogue master, Ba'thin..?"
Ba'thin looked up at him with his tongue hanging from his mouth, his ears pointed upward and twitching.
Ginto grinned half-heartedly then checked his arm to see if the wound had gotten any worse; the discoloration had crept up to his bicep and prominent veins were visible. He shook his head in disgust; his flesh looked sickly.
He fell silent when he heard the sound of trucks driving by. At first he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but when he looked around the corner, his fears were true...
The soldiers that had brought the captured Vamirias back to Kaine were still in Eriyon--but why?
Ba'thin started to growl loudly, Ginto placed his hand on the Arna's head to prevent him from darting off and attacking them. Flaming arrows were hurled in the Humans' direction, many of them were wounded while the others returned fire back at their assailants.
There must have been some civilian Vamirias left in Eriyon, either that or it was his Father's army fighting off the invading Curatos.
Ba'thin's ears raised and his eyes brightened, the animal's sudden change in behavior confused Ginto. He hadn't seen the Arna act this way in a while.
The feline darted off into a ruined building once Ginto lifted his hand off, he called out to him but the Arna refused to return.
"Ba'thin!"
Ginto ran after the Arna, the animal was reluctant to stop no matter how many times the Prince called out to him. He ran deeper and deeper into the building, leaping down some stairs and continuing down a few levels. Ba'thin was suddenly pinned to the ground by another animal, he yelped in surprise. Ginto quickly withdrew his sword and swung at Ba'thin's attacker before it could bite him; the animal hopped away to dodge the blade. It was another Arna, but it was a female. Ba'thin quickly got back on his feet; the female's ivory fur ruffled as she snapped her fangs at Ba'thin, who did the same back. They hissed threats back and forth; the female backed off after Ba'thin smashed his paw across her face. He leapt at her and sunk his colossal fangs into her neck, her claws dug into his muzzle in defense. The female kicked Ba'thin off of her and roared in anger, the sound echoed through the vacant building.
Ginto noticed the band around the female's front paw, indicating that she belonged to someone. Maybe her master was nearby and she was merely protecting them?
The Arna bolted off deeper into the building and Ba'thin instinctively followed her; Ginto sighed then pursued the animals; the virus had taken away a great deal of his energy and it was becoming a challenge to follow them.
The female squeezed into a hole in the wall and Ba'thin jumped in after her; unfortunately he was too large to fit through completely.
Ginto laughed then said, "You're too big to get through Ba'thin."
After a small struggle, the Arna managed to get himself out of the hole and he shook off. An annoyed growl erupted from his throat and he wandered around looking for another way in. Ginto tapped on the surrounding walls; he kicked in a fragile looking one and it crumbled at his feet. Ba'thin rushed past Ginto to get to the other Arna, the female hissed when she caught sight of them. Ginto called back his Arna once he realized that the female no longer wanted to fight.
The female was walking around an injured woman...
There was a tranquilizer dart lying on the floor next to her and a few loose bullets. Blood covered her hands as well as various parts of her clothes and body.
She must have been attacked by the humans...
He approached her and knelt down next to her; he checked to make sure that she was still alive, thankfully she was. There was blood on her but he couldn't see any wounds. Was she a Blood Vamirias? Her scent didn't match one, it didn't even match a Vamirias.
What was she..?
He checked her wrists for an emblem but he didn't find one.
Green sparks floated from her fingers and an icy feeling shot up Ginto's infected arm. To his surprise and relief, his arm was completely healed and the symptoms associated with the virus disappeared.
Maybe she was a Blood Vamirias after all..?
If she was then he would have to get her back to safety; they couldn't afford to lose another Blood Vamirias to the Humans.
He examined her to make sure she hadn't suffered any fatal injuries, specifically around her heart, that was the most common way of killing a Blood Vamirias. She had already healed most of her wounds, but there were still a few open ones; he would have to act quickly. He gently lifted her body off the ground, he adjusted her into a comfortable position so that he wouldn't injure her more during the trip.
Ba'thin sniffed her hand and his ears pointed upward. He looked up at Ginto in excitement. The Prince wondered what the Arna was trying to tell him; did he recognize her scent from somewhere?
The female Arna bit down on the woman's skirt and tugged it the opposite way that Ginto was walking.
"It's alright, we're bringing her back to a safe place." he said.
The animal lowered her tail and let go of the skirt.
The Eriyan palace wasn't too far from where they were; Ginto didn't know what to expect once he finally made it there. He didn't even think that they would recognize him...

Translations:

Mel'varia: Older/Elder sister

Chapter 4 [Part 1]

2009-09-07T23:29:00.002-06:00

Erithia shook Ginto vigorously to awaken him; he wasn't a deep sleeper so the smallest nudge was enough to get him up. He opened his eyes and looked up to meet the Rogue's pale ones.
She smiled warmly then said, "Aya marina Nek'estos!"
Ginto sat up quickly when he realized that they were no longer in the same place they were the night before. There was a roof over his head instead of open sky. He looked around frantically then figured out that he was in a shelter similar to the ones he had rummaged through.
"Hey wow calm down you," Erithia giggled, "we're in my village now and this is my home. It's small but still nice right?"
"How did we get here?" he asked.
"I dragged you half way then I guess your Arna insisted on carrying you the rest of the way."
Ginto's left arm felt extremely sore, he examined it but nothing looked out of the ordinary. There was a fresh wound there, possibly inflicted a few hours ago. He didn't think much of it, it probably came from Erithia's dragging.
His sister handed him a portion of the bread she had brought in, before munching on some herself.
"Eat fast," she swallowed, "the faster we eat, the faster we get to see Malphas!"
Ginto didn't seem to have an appetite at the moment, he rarely ever had a lack of appetite. He could also feel a mild headache begin to develop.
"I'll...eat later..." Ginto stood up.
Ba'thin sniffed the unattended bread then took it into his mouth.
Erithia gazed at her brother in worry.
"Are you sure..?"
"Yes." Ginto stood slowly.
Erithia stepped outside and dusted off her dirtied hands.
"Malphas is this way..." she said.
Ginto followed his sister through the small village; they didn't go without stares and whispers behind their backs. The Prince started to feel uneasy and his hand slowly slid down to his sword. Ba'thin didn't seem to be bothered by the small threats from the Rogues; he happily trotted alongside Erithia with his tail wagging playfully, a gesture Ginto hadn't seen from him in a long time. His eyes shifted to a group of individuals sitting in a circle around a collection of items, they passed the objects around and examined them closely before deciding whether to keep them or throw them away.
Ginto nearly bumped into Erithia when she suddenly stopped; he turned to see the reason for the abrupt halt, Erithia was kneeling before a colossal sized Vamirias.
His skin was much darker than the other Rogues, it was covered in markings similar to the ones on Erithia's body. A necklace made of bones from various creatures dangled from his thick neck and onto his shirtless torso. A grave scar ran from his cheekbone to the bottom of his chin.
Ginto assumed that this man was Malphas.
"Master, after years of searching I finally found him..!"
The chief grinned then stepped down from his post.
"Excellent work Erithia..."
Erithia smiled proudly then motioned for her brother to step forward, he obliged hesitantly.
"You must be Prince Ginto..." Malphas huffed, "Erithia has told me much about you..."
"Has she..." Ginto said coldly.
Malphas' gaze seemed to be focused on Ginto's wounded arm. They then moved over to Erithia and a sly grin crept upon his dry lips.
"You've turned him."
Erithia blinked then said, "Is something wrong master."
Ginto frowned and looked over at his sister, "What??"
The female Rogue smiled bashfully then faced her brother, "You must stay with us until the process is complete Nek'estos. I'll take good care of you don't worry, the doctor here has the best remedy for the pain."
Ginto was shocked when he finally realized what she meant; he ran his fingers over the wound and droplets of blood came off on his fingers. His scarlet changed to a sickly black once the sun's rays beamed down upon it. Everything around him was blocked out except for the black fluid that was present on his fingertips; his breath caught in his throat and his heart felt as if it had stopped. He looked down at the pot of water below him and was horrified to see that his pupils had changed to an ivory colour.
Erithia had infected him with the Rogue Virus...
"Of course...you did the dirty work for me..." Malphas stepped forward.
Erithia coughed, "What are you talking about Master? I just wanted to find my brother."
Malphas' laugh came from the bottom of his belly and it immediately caught the attention of the other Rogues.
"You've lead him right into our trap..!"
Erithia's eyes widened when the massive Vamirias grabbed Ginto by the neck, then hurled him into a nearby boulder. The force of the impact from the stone knocked the wind out of him; the Rogue was extremely strong, it would be a challenge taking him down.
"Nek'estos!!" Erithia screamed, "Master! Why are you doing this!?"
She ran up to her leader and grabbed his arm, but she was knocked back by the brute's fist.
"Silence you wench!!" Malphas bellowed, "you are no longer useful to me!"
Erithia held her injured cheek, "What!?"
A throaty laugh erupted from the chief, "You simply made my search easier..."
Ginto held his back and slowly got to his feet.
"You bastard!" Erithia yelled.
"Kill them!!" Malphas ordered.
The cliffs above them were quickly filled by Rogues with bows in their hands, flame burned brightly at the tips of their arrows. Ginto bolted into the forest behind him before they opened fire; they then focused their attack on Erithia but she escaped as the arrows flew.

He knew that he couldn't trust a Rogue even if she was his sister; it was foolish of him to trust her. He was disgusted by her, her kindness was just a façade. Negative thoughts brewed but some part of him told him that something else was going on here. He only confused himself more when the possibility of Erithia being innocent crossed his mind.
"Nek'estos!" Erithia called.
She jumped down from the small ledge and looked around the area for her brother. She sighed deeply when he was nowhere in sight.
"I'm sorry..! I didn't mean for this to happen..."
She felt like she was only talking to the animals in the foliage, but she knew he was there among them.
She hesitated for a moment then said, "I know you can hear me Ginto!"
She jumped a bit when she heard a low growl come from above her; she looked up and Ginto was staring down at her from the tree she was standing under. She smiled but it quickly disappeared when he frowned back at her.
"I know you're angry with me but please believe me! I had nothing to do with this! I just wanted to find you..."
He dropped down from the tree and bared his fangs, "Why should I believe anything you say?!" he hissed.
Erithia looked down at the floor in disappointment, "If I was part of his plan why would he want to kill me too?"
Before Ginto had a chance to speak Malphas emerged from the foliage, along with a band of armed Rogues. Erithia gasped and turned to run, but she was greeted by the edge of a cliff.
"Sad to see it end this way...isn't it?" Malphas grinned.
The Rogues drew back their bows.
"NO!!" Erithia screamed.
The Rogues fired their weapons.
Erithia ran in front of Ginto and the arrows pierced her flesh before they could reach her sibling. Her body was pushed back into his and they lost their footing, falling off the edge of the cliff. The fall wasn't shockingly high; their descent was quick but painful as they crashed into rocks and through trees. The branches cut through their skin like knives and they hit the ground hard when they finally reached the bottom. Ginto laid there for a moment to let some of the pain pass. He managed to get onto his hands and knees, blood ran down his face from a cut on his forehead. He ignored the pain coursing through his body and got to his feet, he was a bit unstable but he forced his legs to keep him steady. He quickly looked over at Erithia; her body lay at the edge of the river bloody and limp. The ends of the arrows stuck out from her flesh like a porcupine. Ginto grimaced when he felt something pierce his calf, he looked down and found an arrow lodge in the muscle. He lifted his head and the Rogues already had him surrounded, he couldn't escape now. Malphas approached him then readied his weapon to strike; he swung the heavy mallet downwards. The blow was stopped when Ginto grabbed hold of the handle.
Malphas' froze and droplets of blood dripped onto the ground. He gazed down and was horrified to find Ginto's blade pierced into his stomach. Blood pooled into his mouth and oozed down his chin; Ginto withdrew his sword violently and the chieftain toppled to the ground in a bloody heap. The Rogues backed away in horror as Ginto stood over Malphas' wounded body and held his sword high above the brute's heart. He stabbed his sword down deep into Malphas' heart and a bloodcurdling scream filled the air. Ginto breathed heavily then pulled out his bloody sword from the dead body. The Rogues lowered their weapons and stared at their fallen leader in grief. They exchanged glances then sank back into the bushes.
Something nagged at him to check and see if Erithia was still alive. Ginto stepped over Malphas' dead body and approached Erithia's lifeless one. He knelt down and was surprised to find her still breathing, barely...
He supported her weight against his own and gently tapped her cheek.
"Erithia..." he said softly.
She weakly opened her eyes and smiled faintly.
"Nek'estos..." she mumbled, "are you okay..?"
"I'm fine, you should be more concerned about your own health..."
She coughed into her hands, coating them in fresh blood. Ginto looked over her wounds in worry, he was careful not to touch her blood too much in order to avoid further infection. She groaned in pain and clenched her teeth.
"Ugh...dammit..." she gasped.
Ginto slowly began to remove the poison tipped arrows from his sibling's body, the process was meticulous and painstaking. She would put her hand on his to stop him, take a breather, then they would start again. She screamed in agony with each tug and was relieved when the ordeal was over. Ginto washed her wounds with the water from the neighboring river and made bandages from the cleaner portions of Malphas' attire.
"I'm so sorry...I really am..." she cringed, "I...I didn't think Malphas would do such a thing. Please believe me Nek'estos..."
He thought long and hard about her words; she wouldn't have gotten herself injured like this if she was playing along with Malphas' plan...
Heavy splashes of water caused Ginto to look up; Ba'thin shook himself clean then approached the Vamirias. Ginto was annoyed yet understanding at the same time. Ba'thin was an animal, it was only natural for him to be distracted by something that he usually ate. He needed his help back there, Erithia probably wouldn't be in the state she is now if he had the extra aid from his Arna.
"Ba'thin, where have you been?!" Ginto growled.
The animal's ears flattened against his head and he sat down whimpering.

With the lack of supplies and appropriate food it was a challenge tending to someone so ill. They had to make many stops because of the arrow's poison coursing through the Rogue's veins. What ever Ginto tried to feed his sister she would spew back up in the pit he had dug for her vomit. The poison had progressed through her body and her health had taken a turn for the worse. She looked extremely pale and the bleeding hadn't slowed down enough for it to clot. Since she was unable to keep her meals down, she was famished and weak.
Although she was older than Ginto, it was as though he was taking care of a sick and helpless child.
He held her in a comforting embrace in an effort to try to get her to sleep. She was in constant pain and was delusional so this made it very difficult for her to keep her eyes shut.
"You could have died back there...why did you do such a reckless thing?" Ginto asked.
Erithia's eyes fluttered, "...Siblings are supposed to protect each other..."
Ginto felt something wet slip down his arm, he peeked at his sister's face; tears ran down her dirty cheeks and she quickly wiped them away.
"Can you at least believe me for that..." she sobbed.
He cleaned the wound on her shoulder with a cloth when it started to bleed again.
"Don't throw your life away to save mine." Ginto said.
"What am I going to do," she cried, "Malphas is dead and my clan has rejected me...where do I go now..."
Erithia was far gone with the virus, so an antidote would have no effect on her. He could bring her back to the palace with him, he was willing to take the chance; that is if he made it back. Ginto was more concerned about Erithia than he was himself. He hadn't forgotten that the Rogue virus was now present in his blood, it would only be a matter of time before the symptoms flared up again. The day's events had taken a toll on the both of them; Ginto felt the effects of fatigue and his eyes felt heavy. He forced himself to stay awake until Erithia had finally fallen asleep, he wanted to make sure that she was alright before he rested.

Translations:

Aya marina: "Good morning" in Arthian

Chapter 3 [Part 5]

2009-08-27T22:11:00.001-06:00

"Nek'estos?" Ginto repeated.
"My name is Erithia, you were just a baby when I first saw you so you can't remember who I am..."
"That's impossible...I...I don't have any siblings." Ginto stammered.
Erithia was taken back, "I...can prove it to you."
Ginto was positive that he didn't have a sibling, his mother only had one ring marked on one of her wrists, indicating that she only had one child. Ginto stopped for a moment; his Father never exposed his wrists, they were always covered by gloves or gauntlets....
"When babies are born, their wrists are immediately marked to show which family they belong to. Every family has a unique mark..." she said.
She pulled off her tattered glove to reveal an elegant looking mark on her wrist. Ginto examined it carefully then looked up at her. He unbuckled his gauntlet, removed it, then positioned his wrist next to hers.
Their markings matched...
"This...must be some sort of mistake...." Ginto shook his head.
He couldn't believe what he saw.
Erithia slipped back on her glove and laughed half-heartedly, "...It's no mistake."
"I wouldn't mind an explanation." Ginto's eyebrows raised.
Erithia smiled faintly, "We have the same Father."
"So this makes us consanguineous siblings..?"
"That's right," she nodded, "I've been looking for you for so long! Once I heard the news that I had a sibling I just had to find you."
Ginto still had a hard time swallowing the situation.
"I don't understand...what are you doing with the Rogues?" he asked.
"Master told me that Father abandoned me shortly after I was born. He told me that he murdered my mother and sent me off with one of his messengers. My clan ran into him and they adopted me. I don't understand why Father did what he did..."
She examined her sibling's expression, it was that of disgust.
He knew that his Father would never do such a thing without good reason. He would have to find out the truth through his Father once he got back.
"I don't care about Father anymore. He's a cruel man, I don't think he's changed much has he..?"
Ginto looked down at a random spot on the floor to avoid eye contact.
"News spreads quickly among the Vamirias, like a raging fire, don't you agree?"
Ginto nodded slowly, "Yes..."
"It wasn't long before news that the Emperor had a son reached my ears. Our master said I could go off by myself to find you. I was still young back then, so it wasn't too much of a hassle to reach Arthius."
She cleared her throat then continued.
"Of course I, being the master of stealth, got into the palace without anyone noticing me. You were an adorable little baby you know," she smiled, "I wished that I could have taken you back with me...but...that would be baby-napping wouldn't it?"
Ba'thin disappeared into the bushes when a wild animal caught his interest.
"Ah nevermind," she shook her head, "Master wanted me to bring you back to meet the rest of my clan. Would you like to come?"
"Your clan..?" he frowned.
Erithia nodded slowly.
"And who would your master be?"
"His name is Malphas."
Ginto thought about it for a long moment; the Rogues weren't known for sparing people, this could be a trap for all he knew. This Malphas character could be exploiting the fact that Erithia was his "sister", in order to slay him himself.
Valac was responsible for the exile of the Vamirias who had become Rogue, having his son come into contact with the Rogue leader could be a recipe for disaster. At the same time the trip could be an excellent opportunity for Ginto to kill their master. It would halt any further Rogue activities long enough for the surrounding cities and towns to prepare themselves for future attacks. His life was on the line but it was a risk he was willing to take. Maybe this could be his chance to get the other Vamirias to finally differentiate him from his Father.
"Alright...I'll go."
Erithia clapped in excitement, "Great! We can start heading back before dawn."

Sedna looked up at the dark amber sky sadly; her thoughts were racing and it was hard to focus on one thing. She wondered if they would ever make it back to safety again and if she would ever see her family. What troubled her most was that they had left the Prince behind.
What would they tell the Emperor when they got back?
As much as Denga told her that Ginto ordered them to go on ahead, she still felt as though they had betrayed him. The Taota tried his best to reassure her, but her gleeful demeanor had never returned.
The pain that they had endured had remarkably drawn the two closer; when the archer had first met Denga on their way to Eriyon, she thought that he would just be another boy trying to pick her up. The last few years she had spent alongside him made her finally see his true colours. She expected him to be smart, he was a Taota after all, but he was a valiant warrior as well. He was also the only Vamirias that had kept her sane during their imprisonment, thankfully he did not stop there. She found his ability to remain calm in the most adverse situations admirable.
Sedna was in a very fragile state and she often turned to Denga for comfort, she was glad that he was always there when she needed him. Denga used to have a very friendly and inviting face; now the few scars on his hardened visage almost made him look menacing. Sedna loved how his eyes looked, green was her favorite colour. A few years back, Denga's irises were always full of joy and warmth. When Sedna looked at him now she could see the hurt and coldness in them. The Taota was never a vengeful person, but Sedna could tell that he was plotting something in that wondrous mind of his. She was thankful that the Curatos hadn't taken away his nurturing and comforting soul.
The other Vamirias were tired from their long day of traveling and it was time for them to rest. They were thankful that the weather was fair and that it wasn't too hot where they were. They all huddled underneath a small group of trees and passed around their rations. Denga was busy plotting out the last leg of their journey on a map, he had stolen it before they left the facility in Kaine. Whenever they stopped, he would always make sure they were still on the right track, so far they hadn't strayed off course. They ran into a few obstacles on the way, one being a pack of hungry wild Arna and the other a band of Rogues who they had managed to fight off. There were a few injured but the wounds were nothing they couldn't handle. Denga had a lot of responsibility on his hands; he was the only Taota in the group, therefore he was the only one who knew about anything medical related and about the land surrounding them. He was also responsible for leading them through the unforgiving wasteland. None of the Vamirias among them were familiar with weaponry, so Denga and Sedna were depended on to protect the vulnerable group.
Sedna looked back at the other Vamirias as they finished their small but sufficient meal, she then focused her attention on the working Taota. She stood up and brushed the sand from her clothing.
"How close are we now..?" she asked softly as she approached him.
Denga looked up from the map for a moment then returned to his task.
"We should arrive in Eriyon in two more days," he pulled a list from his bag and skimmed it over, "we should have enough food and supplies to last us."
Sedna took a seat next to him and sighed, "Those will be a long two days..."
Denga smiled faintly, "Unless you would rather run."
It was the first time in months that the Taota had heard the woman giggle.
"Oh, was that just a giggle?" Denga teased.
She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"How do you do it." she asked.
"Do what?"
"How do you stay so high-spirited? After everything that's happened..."
Denga stroked her hair then whispered, "Faith."

Erithia was laying on a ripped up blanket that she carried along with her. She stared at the fire blankly and rubbed her stomach after finishing her meal.
"Nek'estos."
"Yes..?" Ginto tossed a bone into the fire.
"How did you get way out here..?"
"It's a long story that I would rather not share..."
"It's okay. Sometimes I like to keep things to myself too..."
"Why are you staying with these Rogues? They don't mistreat you?" Ginto asked.
"No, we're family..." she smiled.
"Family...I see..."
"I'm staying with them because they rebel against Father. Wouldn't you like that too..?"
"It sounds tempting...but I think I'm fine the way I am now..."
"Do you think Father was in love with my Mother, Nek'estos?"
"I don't really know..." Ginto mumbled.
"Does he love your Mother..?"
Ginto hesitated for a moment, fearing that his response would evoke a negative reaction from her.
"Yes...very much..."
There was silence; the crackling fire and Ba'thin's hefty breaths kept it from being completely quiet. Ginto could sense the tension coming from Erithia, he hoped that she wasn't jealous. What she said next was nothing he had expected.
"We're heading for Tydian soon, our master says that there was a Blood Vamirias seen near there. Their blood can be used to heal our sick and wounded!" she extended her arms towards the sky, as if worshiping it.
"You...kill Blood Vamirias?" Ginto sat up suddenly.
Erithia rolled over to look at him, "Azriel refuses to watch over the Rogues Nek'estos, why should we be loyal to him if he doesn't help us?"
Ginto was disgusted by what his sibling had said, the Blood Vamirias were direct descendants of Azriel, how dare the Rogues shed their precious blood?
He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off.
"It's fine if you're upset with me Nek'estos...I understand why you'd be angry..." she murmured in slight annoyance.
She rolled back into her original position and adjusted her arms.
"I don't know if you are aware of what's happening right now, but the Curatos have been killing off the Blood Vamirias..! You're just contributing to the genocide with your clan's selfish desires! Do you know what will happen to our people if the Curatos succeed in killing them all?!" he dug his hands into Ba'thin's fur.
Ba'thin seemed to growl in agreement with his master. Though the Arna was just an animal, he was fully aware of what was happening to his master's people.
Erithia put her hands behind her head and purred, "The Curatos. They just kill, kill and kill some more don't they, Nek'estos?"
Ginto closed his eyes and held his forehead in frustration.
"We sacrifice them for the good of our clan. It's for our survival, how does that make us selfish?" The Rogue got to her feet.
"Where do you find the Blood Vamirias?" Ginto quickly changed the subject.
"Our last one was found in Tydian," she clasped her hands together, "master said that soon Tydian will be OUR city."
The thought of the Rogues overrunning Tydian made Ginto shiver. What were they planning to do once they took over the city? What ever it was Ginto wouldn't allow it; as much as he hated it, Erithia would be his only way to the Rogue Leader...

Chapter 3 [Part 4]

2009-08-25T09:59:00.001-06:00

Once Ginto came back to his senses he told Sedna and the others to go on ahead without him. He wanted to stay behind for a bit and try to find his lost Arna. Sedna wanted to stay behind with him but he refused to let her stay with him, he needed the time to be alone.
He couldn't find a trace of Ba'thin's fur and none of the files in the building helped him track down his whereabouts. Ginto assumed that they had killed the animal; his heart felt heavy and he felt his eyes burn but no tears came...
His hands tightened into fists and he composed himself again. His main goal now was to rejoin the others and get rid of those tracking devices.
He collected as many supplies as he could from the building then traveled by foot into the wasteland outside of Kaine. It was already night time and the air had gotten cooler. He sounds and songs of night gradually filled the air and the occasional firefly buzzed past his face. He wasn't too concerned about the other Vamirias because they were traveling in a large group, but Ginto didn't have a group to travel with and this made him an easy target for any Rogues wandering the area. The lands outside of Kaine were infested with Rogues. surviving the night in the wasteland was extremely challenging. There was a great chance that you wouldn't wake up the next morning.
Ginto simply followed the trail left behind by the traveling Vamirias. Sedna had dragged a pole through the dirt to create a trail that was easy for him to follow.
He looked up when he heard something snap in the bushes. The remains of an eaten animal were scattered over the trail and droplets of blood lead into a dense forest. Judging by the size of the bite marks in the animal's flesh, it's attacker must have been big. Ginto grasped his sword when he heard a low growl come from behind him. He turned around and before he had a chance to attack, he found himself pinned to the ground by two huge paws. It roared loudly and snapped its large fangs at his face. It suddenly stopped attacking...
The rush of air that came from it's nose when it sniffed him forced Ginto to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again he was greeted by two saber fangs. Its tongue lashed out of its mouth and took up the whole side of his face when it licked him. Ginto crawled from under the animal and wiped his face. His eyes widened when he realized what the creature was.
"Ba'thin?!"
The Arna's tail swung from side to side in happiness, he was about to jump on Ginto again but he held him back. The Vamirias hugged his companion and let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that his pet was still in good shape and was still very healthy looking. Ginto nearly fell over when the animal rubbed his body against him. He felt safer now that Ba'thin was with him, he had another set of eyes to look out for him and Ba'thin's superior hearing would help them avoid danger.
He climbed on the animal's back and showed him which trail to follow. The Arna's speed would cut the traveling time in half and Ginto would be able to rest and travel at the same time. After a few hours Ginto had fallen asleep on Ba'thin's back, the feline slowed his pace to prevent his owner from falling off. Ba'thin stopped near a river and slapped Ginto with his tail to wake him. He dumped him under a collection of trees to keep him out of the bright sunlight. Ginto yawned and looked around a bit, he assumed that they were near Tydian, the white blossomed trees they were under were only found in that area.
Ba'thin climbed into the water, closed his eyes and floated along merrily. The Arna had been walking for hours and it was his time to relax a bit. Ginto decided that it was best to wash up also. He sat at the edge of the current and threw the water over his face and body. He washed his hands thoroughly to get the stain and smell of blood off his skin. The water was clean and clear with the exception of the cream coloured petals that drifted past; he took the opportunity to look at his reflection...
He had a blank looking expression, his face was angular and there was a bit of stubble present on his chin. His eyes were no longer the pure emerald that they used to be, there were red speckles near the rims of his irises as a result of his recent episode. His hair had gotten as long as his Father's as well. He frowned slightly, his whole appearance reminded him of his Father.
The shock of freezing water against his bare skin made Ginto wince as Ba'thin shook his thick fur dry, the large globules of water hit the Prince like bullets. The Arna skimmed past him as though he had done nothing wrong and laid down on his side underneath the shade to take a nap. A satisfied and refreshed purr erupted from his throat. Ginto glared at the feline in annoyance but the animal simply ignored him.
He walked over then sat down next to Ba'thin, he closed his eyes and thought about what Denga and the others were doing. He hoped that their journey was a safe and uneventful one; the last thing he needed was to find their dead bodies sprawled out over the trail he was following. The thought made him shiver a bit and he quickly brushed it off. His mind then drifted to his family. His mother was a sensitive woman, he didn't even know where to begin with the amount of things going through her mind right now. She probably thought that Ginto was dead after being gone for so long. She was also probably blaming herself for what had happened to him. Ginto hated upsetting his mother, she was too great of a woman to have such things running through her head. He wondered what his Father's reaction was once he learned of his son's disappearance.
Was he upset? Angry?
Did he even care that his son was gone in the first place, or did he just take this as another opportunity to test him?
He opened his eyes again and he was surrounded by darkness. He must have fallen asleep...
He looked behind him and Ba'thin was gone. The animal probably wandered off to take a walk.
Ginto got to his feet and looked around, he could see the faint glow of torches in the distance. They were moving, so someone must have been carrying them...
All of his supplies were attached to Ba'thin, so he would have to find the Arna first before he pursued the group. He heard a squeal from behind him and he quickly spun around. Ba'thin was wrestling with a wild deer-like animal, by the way the Arna was attacking it, Ginto assumed that he was planning on eating it as well. The Prince approached the wrestling animals and stabbed Ba'thin's prey through the neck, killing it instantly. He didn't have time for Ba'thin to be hunting animals right now. He retrieved one of the bags off Ba'thin's back and slung it around his shoulder. Ba'thin often ignored orders when he ate, so Ginto decided to let him finish up. He sighed then sat down to watch the animal eat; Arna's were fairly neat eaters compared to most animals. They would rip off individual pieces of meat, put it to the side and finish it before going for seconds. It had been a few hours since Ginto last ate and his stomach started to growl loudly. Ba'thin's ears twitched and he looked up at his owner in what seemed to be surprise, Ginto smiled sheepishly.
"Why are you looking at me like that..?" he asked.
The Arna tore off another piece of meat and dropped it into his owner's lap.
Ginto laughed then shook his head, "I can't eat this Ba'thin."
The Arna grunted then returned to eating. Ginto tossed the slab of raw meat back into the pile of flesh. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the traveling group was still near; thankfully they were.
Once Ba'thin was done eating, the two of them pursued the group back towards Tydian. Ginto was surprised when they passed right through an abandoned village. The Vamirias decided to scrounge around for spare supplies and hopefully find a bit of food.
The shine off an object inside a cavern caught his eye. He entered the small cave while Ba'thin sat patiently at the entrance with his large tongue lolling from his mouth. There was a tattered blanket spread over the slightly wet floor and a collection of handmade pottery sat in the corner. There were other items that one would find in a modern home inside the cave, someone must have lived here as well. He reached down and retrieved a broken necklace. The string was snapped but the pendant hanging loosely from it was still intact. He recognized it as one of the pendants given to palace guards. How did this one end up way out in the wasteland? Had it been stolen?
He heard someone's voice in the distance. He scrambled to the front of the cave and called Ba'thin inside. He stuck to the wall and listened closely to what they were saying, they spoke Arthian but it was laced with an accent.
"We'll have better luck next time. They'll be sure to pass through here again, they are staying in Eriyon after all. It isn't too far from here..."
"Tell the rest of the clan that we're leaving this site..."
The smell of fresh blood whizzed past his nose...it wasn't the blood of an animal...
Ginto soon picked up a familiar scent as well and he froze once he realized what he had gotten himself into. He gazed at Ba'thin and the animal seemed to have the same reaction as his owner.
"What are Rogues doing so close to Tydian..."
He peeked around the corner to see if the coast was clear; there was nobody in sight. He slowly crept towards a formation of rocks behind a group of old dried out trees. He wanted to know why the Rogues were so close to Tydian; it was unlike them to be so close to civilization.
He ducked and turned to face his Arna, he mouthed 'wait' then slowly advanced through the bushes. He made a quick gesture with his hand and Ba'thin trotted over to the opposite side of the trail. His black and green coloured fur made it easy for him to blend in with his earthy surroundings.
The two Rogues disappeared into a large cavern with ornaments hanging off the entrance. Ginto assumed that it was a pathway to a much larger Rogue settlement.
He could smell smoke and the crackling of fire wasn't too far off. He called Ba'thin over and they climbed up a rocky hill so that they would be able to see what was on the other side of the mountain pass. He peered over the tall grass and saw a collection of stick and hide shelters, similar to the ones he had rummaged through. He heard a snap in the bushes and he immediately turned around, aiming his sword at the air. His eyes scanned the area, but there was nothing in sight. He assumed that the Rogues had seen him. Ba'thin's fur raised and he started to growl. Ginto heard someone whisper and much to his surprise, the Arna backed down. There was a ruffle in the bushes and a slender woman emerged from the foliage. She was dressed in ragged clothing, a brown fur belt and had tribal markings all over her body. Her striking eyes were an infected ivory with white rims, loose strands of her silver tresses fell into her eyes while the rest was tied back in a messy ponytail. Ginto was confused when Ba'thin allowed the Rogue woman to pet him; she must have been a hunter who was able to tame even the wildest of animals.
The Prince pointed his sword at the woman's neck.
"Who are you." he growled.
She gazed at him calmly even though she was a step away from death.
"I expected you to react this way. I don't think Father bothered to tell you who I am...he decided to keep it from you..." she frowned slightly.
Ginto's scowl grew fiercer.
"Lower your sword, I'm not looking for a fight." she said.
Seeing that she wasn't armed, Ginto lowered his sword but refused to put it away. She was Rogue and he wasn't going to chance anything.
"Of all places, I didn't think that you would come to me instead of the other way around," her lips curved into a friendly smile, "it's been a while Nek'estos..."

Chapter 3 [Part 3]

2009-07-31T22:16:00.000-06:00

WARNING: THIS SEGMENT CONTAINS OVERTLY BLOODY AND VIOLENT IMAGERY

His movements were quick as he removed the blade from Ruxx's neck and hoisted him up against the nearest wall, holding him by the neck. Ginto smiled mischievously as he slowly dug his sword into Ruxx's abdomen, pinning him to the wall. Ruxx grunted in pain and tried to stop the mad Vamirias from forcing the weapon deeper into his midsection. Once Ginto turned around, the soldiers raised their weapons but they refrained from firing; if they shot there was a chance that they would hit Ruxx too. Ruxx started to cough up blood, he tried to ignore the excruciating pain and focus on what was happening before him.
Ginto raised his hand in front of him slowly; the soldiers couldn't help but wince as a thick red coloured bone rose from under the Vamirias' skin. It didn't take long for them to realize that it was a full length blade emerging from his arm. Once the blade was fully exposed, a maroon material started to cover the majority of his flesh and his tanned skin turned a ghostly gray. Long spikes started to appear on his limbs and his fangs seemed to be getting longer.
This was only the second time that Ruxx had seen his servant in this form and he knew that his soldiers wouldn't be living for very long...

Sedna was very concerned about the Prince; what was taking him so long to join them? Denga told the other Vamirias to move deeper into the bushes while he and Sedna stayed on the lookout. Sedna eventually got tired of waiting and she went back inside the building to find Ginto. She did not expect the halls to be littered with blood and dead bodies.
Had the Prince killed all of them..?
He wasn't the type of person to go on bloody massacres; if he wanted to kill someone he usually did it quickly and spotlessly.
The archer cautiously followed the source of the screams and painful cries to the second floor. She could hear Ruxx's voice and he sounded injured...
"You weren't like the other ones...that's why I chose you...I saw potential in you..."
Sedna walked into the room and was shocked by what she saw.
"You..." Alexander coughed, "you would...kill your master..?"
The markings and spikes disappeared back into Ginto's body and his skin colour gradually got it's colour back. He looked at the fresh blood on his hands then shifted his gaze to the man he had pinned to the wall.
"After...all that I've done for you..?" Ruxx wheezed.
Ginto approached him and grasped his hand around the handle of the bloodied sword embedded in Alexander's abdomen. He placed the other hand just above the wound then leaned his head forward next to Ruxx's ear.
"I don't have a master..." he whispered as he tore the weapon from the man's stomach.
Sedna covered her mouth to hold back a horrified scream, she fell back on her rear and leaned against the door frame.
Ruxx's body fell to the ground lifelessly, Ginto's swords clattered against the metal floor.
The Vamirias knelt down at his former master's side and closed his eyes, he exhaled raggedly. Sedna wondered if he was even affected on an emotional level by what he had just done. She thought it was very strange for the Prince to even be slightly attached to his master, she knew that he didn't treat him horribly like the other Curatos did.
Then why did he kill him..?
"Your Highness..?" she stammered.
The woman was positive that something was dreadfully wrong with her friend; when she remembered that he was feral, she assumed that he was going through an episode.
Ginto held his chest when the pains started to flare up again; there was a deafening ring in his ears and his head started to throb. His vision had a reddish tint to it and Sedna only appeared as a blurry figure. He breathed heavily and held his face in an effort to block out the world around him.
He had never seen so much blood in his life...
It had finally registered that he had killed every person present in the building, he was satisfied and disgusted simultaneously. He knew the slaughter had been triggered by his episode but he still had a hard time believing what he had just done.
He had done the same thing that his Father had...
He looked around at the dead bodies surrounding him and he felt nothing but emptiness, that was when he realized what he had lost. He no longer felt regret after killing...

Chapter 3 [Part 2]

2009-07-31T21:23:00.001-06:00

WARNING: THIS SEGMENT CONTAINS OVERTLY BLOODY AND VIOLENT IMAGERY

"Sir! They've escaped!!"
Ruxx stood up from his chair abruptly, "What!?"
He dropped the cup he was sipping from on the table, it tipped over then spilt it's contents over the desk before falling and shattering on the wooden floor.
"Where the hell is Ginto?!" he bellowed.
"I-I don't know sir." his secretary backed off.
Ruxx swore under his breath and slammed his fist on the desk.
"Well don't waste your time in here!! Find him!!"
The secretary nodded and scurried out of the room. The power went out just as Ruxx was about to call for his soldiers.

Ginto broke off the breaker switch, brilliant orange sparks sputtered from the live wires that were now exposed. He removed his sunglasses so that he could see, His eyes gave off a soft scarlet glow. Because of his ability to see in the dark, he had the advantage over the Curatos this time.
He had to find Ruxx to get the answers he needed. He remembered that Ruxx had asked him about the Blood Vamirias when he was young. Ginto refused to tell Alexander anything about them, they were far to valuable to lose. They were responsible for the well being of the other Vamirias and for their work they were greatly rewarded. In Yetsika's eyes they were holy, therefore they were treated much like royalty, they didn't even have to refer to the imperial family by their titles. Much to Ginto's dismay, Ruxx had sources that told him enough for the Curatos to be afraid of the Blood Vamirias, so he ordered for them to be killed.
Ginto needed to know who his sources were and what they had told him; it must have been something horrible enough to trigger a genocide.
He began his search on the top floor in Ruxx's office. There were loose papers spread out on his desk, Ginto took the time to scan every one for a clue to Ruxx's plans.
He found nothing...
His eyes shifted to the door when he saw the cool white beams of flashlights enter the hall. He heard heavy footsteps approaching and the clank of metal on metal. Judging by the metallic sounds, they must have been soldiers that Ruxx had sent off to locate him.
Ginto backed away and blended into the darkness as they entered the room. The lights mounted on their rifles cut through the dark like knives as they swayed back and forth searching the vacant room. The soldiers looked around frantically when they heard small scuffs and scratches.
"Something's in here..."
The squad leader made a gesture with his hand and two agents stepped forward. They flicked off the safety on their weapons and their fingers twitched at their triggers.
Something large fell to the ground.
The soldiers spun around and pointed their rifles at the air. They aimed their flashlights at the source of the sound and their breath caught in their throats...
Three of the six soldiers were dead; blood soaked their torsos and stab wounds were present in the left side of their chests where their hearts were located.
Two of the remaining soldiers screamed when blades thrusted through their abdomens and were forcefully ripped out. Their lifeless bodies toppled to the ground in heaps. The squad leader stared at his fallen men in horror. He shot his weapon around the room aimlessly, hoping that he had killed what ever was in the room. He breathed heavily in fear and constantly looked over his shoulder. He was suddenly swept off his feet and he hit the ground hard. His weapon tumbled out of his grip and he felt the end of a blade at his throat. He looked up and a menacing pair of glowing red eyes met his.
"Tell me where Ruxx went..." Ginto growled.
The sergaent scowled, "I knew it was you..! Ruxx was stupid to try and make a Shade his bodyguard."
"Answer me." Ginto applied more pressure on his blade.
"Whoa, whoa come on now!" the Curatos raised his hands, "he's in the monitoring room..."
Ginto didn't hesitate to force the blade into the man's neck once he got his answer.

Ruxx chewed on the end of his cigarette impatiently as his electricians fiddled around underneath a collection of computers and monitors. They were taking too long to get the room's electricity up and running again, he needed to know where his prisoners were headed before they got too far. A few small lights flickered to life, the lighting was weak but it would be enough for them to be able to get around.
One of the electricians poked his head out and opened his mouth to say something, but his original sentence was replaced by a sudden, "MR.RUXX BEHIND YOU!!"
Ruxx turned around and was immediately tackled by a fuming Ginto. He had one of his swords pressed down against the man's neck while the other pointed at the soldiers in the room.
"Have you gone mad!?" Ruxx yelled and tried to push the Vamirias off him.
Ginto bared his large fangs and hissed in rage.
Ruxx could tell by his servant's ferocity that he was no longer his former self. The scarlet glow in his eyes had spread to his corneas and his eyelids were now a sickly black colour.
Alexander grinned in interest, "Heh heh heh. Is this what you were so afraid of in your younger years?'
Ginto had already slipped so far into insanity that he had forgotten why he was tracking Ruxx in the first place, he was confused and not all at the same time. He had the strongest urge to kill this man in the most painful way imaginable, but for some reason his yearns were pushed away everytime the man spoke. Ruxx was surprisingly calm about the whole situation, even though his life was in the hands of a Vamirias who had lost his conscience.
"You did this to me..." Ginto growled, "now you are going to pay for it...'

Chapter 3 [Part 1]

2009-07-31T21:14:00.003-06:00

WARNING: THIS SEGMENT CONTAINS OVERTLY BLOODY AND VIOLENT IMAGERY

Five...
Five long and painful years had been taken from his adolescence to make him into Ruxx’s personal bodyguard.
Ginto was finally able to piece everything together: Ruxx had been so "kind" towards him because he wanted Ginto to protect him. If he was as cruel as the other soldiers then Ginto would have sliced his head off ages ago.
Years of practice made him fairly fluent in English and he was able to hold a complex conversation with someone. According to his master, his appearance had changed immensely since he arrived, to the point where he couldn’t even recognize him anymore. Ginto never had the chance to look at himself in the mirror so he didn't know what his face looked like. He remembered when he was half his Father’s size in weight and height. Now he towered over most people and was very muscular. Vamirias were naturally tall, so Ruxx wasn't surprised by his bodyguard's height. Ginto never had time to read casually so he exercised instead, as a result he gained muscle quickly. There wasn’t one inch of his skin that didn’t have a scar over it; he learned to ignore the pain as he got older and just considered them as reminders to obey orders. He felt as if he was a prisoner in his own body, the Curatos changed almost every part of him. He rested and worked in such a way that he was able to function during day and night hours for long periods of time. He loathed working during the day hours; the sun's rays didn’t irritate the Curatos that much, but the bright light for a Vamirias' eyes was almost as bad as looking directly at the sun. Their eyes were designed for night and even the light from a flashlight was enough to blind them for a certain amount of time. Ruxx tried to solve the problem by giving him special sunglasses, they helped a bit, but that didn’t change how he felt about day activity.
Ruxx had kept his word about cutting him off from blood...
He started his little experiment a little over 3 weeks ago, Ginto was suffering quietly, though he hid his pain and delusions well. His eyes were almost completely red, the only traces of green were at the rims of his irises.
Ruxx lit a cigarette and stood from his chair.
“You turned out quite nicely…” he turned to face Ginto, who was standing at the door quietly.
Alexander grinned then took a long drag from the drug, he paced the room and blew a cloud of smoke into the air. He stopped at the window that took up the whole left wall of the office and looked down at the city below.
There was a knock at the door; Ruxx turned around and gestured for Ginto to get it.
“I didn’t expect any quests…” he mumbled.
Ginto opened the door and a suspicious looking man emerged from it.
“And you would be..?” Ruxx asked.
The man smirked, “…The man who's going to turn you in…”
As the last word left his mouth, he pulled a gun from his suit pocket and aimed at Ruxx’s head. Ruxx simply stood there smiling as Ginto took off his sunglasses.
“I know what you're planning to do with those monsters you have locked up in the basement!” the man yelled, "I'm not going to let that happen!"
He glanced at Ginto, the moment his eyes met the Vamirias’ his body froze. He felt the muscles in his throat start to close and restrict his air supply. He held his neck and started to cough; after a few seconds of choking, his body fell to the ground.
Ruxx snickered, “Well done…”
Ginto's fatal gaze was a technique that his Father had taught him when he was younger. The attack only worked if their victim stared directly into their eyes. There was a variety of ways that he could kill his victim, from choking, bleeding to death and even decapitation. Ginto wanted to keep the kill as clean as possible so he chose to choke the man instead.
He put his sunglasses back on then turned to face Ruxx; what was holding him back from killing him as well..? Was it because he kept him alive and well when he was young? Because he was the only person he could get answers from?
None of them would dare ask the Curatos where they were. If they did, they would find some way to return to their homes. What would become of them if they killed their masters..?
His thoughts were interrupted when Ruxx slapped him in the arm as he laughed. He was confused, he wasn't paying any attention to the Curatos so he had no idea why he was laughing.
"Don't you agree..?" Alexander said.
Ginto grimaced slightly then nodded.
Ruxx grinned, "Good, I have a job for you then."

Ruxx had sent Ginto to take care of another one of his "nuisances". He made quick work of the traitor and came back with his bloody head as proof of the slaying. On his way back to the office he overheard some of the soldiers talking.
"Ruxx already made his decision."
"Yeah so he picked the ripest one from the tree...what do we do with the rest of them?"
"He told us to kill them..."
"All of them?"
"Yep..."
The soldiers jumped when Ginto approached them.
"Kill who..." he said coolly.
The soldiers refused to answer him. He withdrew his swords and pointed them at each man's throat.
"I am not going to ask you again..."
The militants gazed at each other then one of them spoke up.
"Ruxx already picked you out of them, he doesn't need the rest of them anymore...so he wants them dead..."
Ginto's eyes widened under his glasses; Ruxx was planning to kill the remaining Vamirias? He quickly slayed the two soldiers and kicked their bodies into a nearby room. He hastily made his way down the hallway, when he heard someone approaching he entered a vacant room and locked the door behind him. Once they passed he started to flex his muscles to check for any irregularities. He started with his legs then moved up to his arms and neck. Sure enough, he felt something shift in his left arm. He withdrew his sword from it's sheath and took a deep breath. He tore off a portion of his shirt and clenched his teeth on it. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the pain that followed. He proceeded to dig into his flesh with the end of his sword, he grit his teeth and refrained from letting any sounds of pain escape his lips. His blood pooled from the wound and dripped onto the ground. He put his sword aside and felt around inside the wound with his finger. He felt a metallic object and carefully extracted the tracking device from his body. He tossed it to the side in disgust, wrapped a bandage around the wound and put on his coat to hide his injury. Thankfully the tracking device wasn't embedded too deep in his flesh. He took a moment to collect himself then he exited the room. He had to find the devices on the other Vamirias somehow, but there were guards around their cells at all times.
He entered the hall leading to their holding cells. The door was locked by a padlock, he would have to wait for one of the staff to pass by. He hid around the corner and waited patiently for someone to come. The door opened and a soldier appeared; Ginto immediately grabbed him from behind and snapped his neck. He grabbed the door before it shut. The Prince stood still and listened for anyone else that might have been near, the halls were silent...
He quickly slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. Ginto peeked around the corner, the men weren't too far from him, he could slay them without the others noticing. He crawled and hid behind a box.
"I'm going for some lunch." a man said.
One of the soldiers walked past the box that Ginto was hiding behind. He saw the Vamirias in the corner of his eye; he was about to call out but Ginto swiped his sword across his eyes and he screamed in agony. The second soldier quickly turned around, he was greeted by a painful stab in the stomach. Ginto pulled his sword from the man's body and kicked him into the blinded militant. He retrieved the keys from their pockets and made his way to the Vamirias' cells. He approached the closest cell, Sedna's, and unlocked the door. Her once healthy burgundy hair was matted and dirty, her eyes were full of sadness instead of their strong hopeful shine, she didn't look a thing like the Sedna he remembered. She stared at him in fear after witnessing the death of the guards.
Ginto extended his hand, "Lets go Sedna..."
"Who are you..?" she mumbled.
It was pleasant to hear the words from his native language again but he was surprised that she couldn't recognize him.
"I must have changed quite a bit....It's me Ginto."
She squinted and examined him closely, when she saw the Zelcis family emblem on his wrist her eyes widened.
"AZRIEL!!! It is you!!"
She leapt at him and gave him a massive hug.
"Thank you so much!! I am forever in your dept!" she sobbed, "you came to free us?"
"Yes, but you have to remove those tracking devices from your bodies." he said.
Sedna gasped, "How are we going to do that..?"
"I'll show you once the others are free."
"How did you get this far without getting caught..?"
"I don't have time to explain. There will be more soldiers in here any moment."
He took her hand and they quickly advanced to the next group of cells. Ginto gave her a separate set of keys and the two of them began to free the other Vamirias one by one. Denga was overwhelmed with happiness when he saw his friend again.
"Ginto! Thank Azriel you're alright! What did they do with you? Why were you separated from us?" The Taota asked.
"Lets just say Ruxx had something else planned for me. We'll talk later, we have to focus on freeing the other prisoners." Ginto inserted the keys into the next lock.
He opened the last cell and approached the person laying on his side in the corner of the chamber. He placed his hand on the Vamirias' shoulder and shook him gently.
He didn't respond.
Ginto lowered his eyebrows and touched the man's neck...there was no pulse...
The Prince swore under his breath and got back on his feet, "He's dead..."
Sedna covered her mouth in shock.
"I think that's everyone Your Highness!" Denga double checked the cells.
"How many of us were taken? Does anyone remember?" Sedna asked the other Vamirias, who responded with shrugs and blank stares.
Ginto heard something shift in the room, he looked up towards the direction of the sound. His eyes narrowed when he discovered a camera peering back at them.
"We have to leave now..!" he hollered.
They were greeted by a group of soldiers with their guns pointed at them.
"Where do you think you're going?" one of the militants grinned.
The Vamirias grabbed what ever objects they could find and began to attack the soldiers with them. Bullets flew every which way and managed to down a few of prisoners, as well as soldiers. The sound of gunfire spurred the interests of some of the staff outside of the door; the moment the entrance opened a flurry of Vamirias charged out of it. Ginto made sure he was the last one to leave to be certain that everyone made it out in one piece. They couldn't stop to remove the tracking devices just yet, everyone in the building knew that they were free. They would have to escape the facility first then get away to somewhere far. They would focus on removing the devices afterwards; but the question that Ginto had on his mind was where they would escape to. The closest Vamirias territory was Tydian, which was quite a ways away.
Since Ginto wasn't confined to a cell like the rest of them were, he knew his way around most of the building. He lead them to the nearest exit and they didn't waste anytime running out. Denga was confused when the Prince didn't follow the others outside.
"What are you doing? This is our chance to escape, come on!!" Denga tugged on his arm.
"Go on ahead, there's something that I need to deal with first." Ginto said.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. Tell the others to stay hidden until night falls. I'll do my best to stall them before they are able to track you."
Denga hesitated for a moment then he followed the rest of the Vamirias into the bushes.

Chapter 2 [Part 5]

2009-07-27T23:53:00.005-06:00

Alexander had someone survey Ginto during the night hours to prevent the previous night's incident from reoccurring. After he was done his work he was locked inside of a room until morning came. Although it was plain, only consisting of a bed, a small table and a window that couldn't be opened, it was much better than the cells they had in the basement. The room actually had heat and clean bedsheets.
Ginto was surprised to find the book that he was reading sitting in the middle of his bed. He wondered if his master had finally found out about him secretly reading it. He sat down on the quilt and pulled his legs up; he flipped open to where he had stopped and found a sticky note inside:

I found this laying on the couch last night, so I assumed that you were reading it.
Keep it, hopefully this will keep you occupied instead of wasting your time staring into space.
This must be where you're learning those words from...

He recognized his master's handwriting.
He didn't feel like reading tonight, he was too worried about what his master had told him the night before. He wasn't prepared for the pain that ensued, even if it was years away, he knew they would creep up on him eventually.
He wondered how his family was doing without him; his mother was probably worried sick about him. As for his Father; he didn't know what his Father thought...
He also wondered what the Curatos did with his Arna, Ba'thin. He was his closest friend after all, even if he was an animal and never spoke back to him. He remembered when he first received the animal when he was still a cub. He was the size of a football and was a black fluff full of energy. He went everywhere with Ginto, even when his Father instructed him to stay in the palace, Ginto always found ways to sneak him along. Whenever the Imperial cooks would make him something he wasn't fond of, he would simply feed it to Ba'thin when nobody was looking. The Arna soon reached two years of age and they started to train him so that he could protect Ginto instead of play with him. The feline then got too big to carry around, so Ginto brought him to hunt for amusement. For some reason Ba'thin would always bring his findings back to Rosier, who was more disgusted by the animal's treasures than amazed.
For the first time in a while, a small smile crept onto Ginto's lips, the precious memories that he brought up seemed to raise his spirits a bit.
He wondered if his master would tell him where they had put his pet...
He heard footsteps on the other side of the door and he quickly ran up to the entrance. He was about to knock when he heard someone talking.
"...three different types then?"
"Yes sir, but this one seems to interest me the most. They'll tell the others and it'll be utter chaos."
"That's true..."
There was a pause.
"Well...we'll just have to eliminate them then...won't we..?"
"But sir--"
"No buts. I want you to locate every SINGLE one in existence...and eradicate them. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir, it'll take us some time to find an exact match though..."
What were they talking about?
Three types?
Elimination?
He wondered if any of this had to do with the other Vamirias...
"Oh and sir."
"Yes?"
"There's been an incident in the holding cells. We were forced to shoot and ended up killing quite a few of the prisoners..."
"Do I look like I care? I already picked out the one that I want, I don't care about the rest of them..! If those beasts don't cooperate then feel free to kill them..!"
"Yes sir."
Ginto backed away from the door in shock; they killed some of the Vamirias? What if Denga and Sedna were among them?
He jumped back when the door unlocked and opened. Alexander stood in the doorway, he looked angry...
He grabbed Ginto by the collar and held a photo in front of his face.
"Tell me everything you know about this..."
The picture was of a familiar symbol that he hadn't seen in a while: it was the marking that was only present on a Blood Vamirias...

Chapter 2 [Part 4]

2009-07-26T21:05:00.001-06:00

Nathaniel spent some of his nights in the guestroom adjacent to his master's office. Since his master always had important meetings during the night hours he left his son to sleep in the guestroom. Ginto was nocturnal so he was responsible for putting his master's office back in order before he returned. He usually finished the job quickly and spent his free time secretly reading the many books on his master's shelf. They were advanced for his age but he managed to learn a few intelligent English words that his tutors never taught him. His master was impressed at how well his servant was progressing in the language and he asked what the tutors had done. They told him that they had no idea where he was learning these words from.
One night while Ginto was reading an idea came to him...
He was getting sicker and sicker by the day but now he thought he knew a way to reverse the process. He would sneak into Nathaniel's room at night while he was asleep and take some of his blood. He only made incisions on the boy's wrist and let the blood drip into a small container that he had. Nathaniel wore watches so Ginto hoped that he assumed the wounds were coming from how tightly he wore them. Ginto's health gradually improved as he continued this process once a week, while Nathaniel complained about scabs that had formed on his arms.
It was the end of the week and the time where Ginto had to draw blood from his sleeping victim...
He slowly opened the guestroom door and peeked his head in. Nathaniel slept soundly as he clutched onto the flattened pillow underneath his head. Ginto took a deep breath and stepped into the room quietly. He crawled towards the bed to avoid making too much noise.
Nathan stirred in his sleep and Ginto held his breath. Once he was sure the boy was fully asleep again he crawled up to his right side. He bit his lip when he saw that the boy's hand was positioned firmly underneath his cheek. He decided that he would scratch somewhere else tonight. He extended his claws then gently scratched away at Nathaniel's tricep, he broke the skin and beads of blood came to the surface.
Nathaniel winced and opened his eyes. He sat up slowly and looked around frantically, but there was nobody there. He gazed at the fresh wound on his arm.
"Where did this come from..?"
He sat there for a moment, shrugged, then went back to sleep. Ginto laid against the floor wide eyed for over an hour. He slowly sat back up when he heard snores come from Nathan's mouth. He stared at the wound that he had created and was thankful that it was still bleeding a bit. He stuck the container under the cut and watched impatiently as the blood dripped down into the vial. He was half way done drinking the fluid when the lights suddenly turned on. Ginto spun around in surprise when he saw Ruxx standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and his foot tapping.

"You drink blood..?"
Ginto bowed his head and rubbed the new injuries that he had recieved from his punishment.
"What are you some sort of vampire then? Is that it?? Are all of you like that??"
Ruxx sighed deeply then took a drag from his cigarette. The smoke snuck out from the corners of his mouth in small gray streams.
"Well..? Explain yourself..!" he ordered.
"No, master it is just me..." Ginto mumbled, "I was sick so I--"
"I know you were sick." Alexander snorted.
"No, I need it so I do not get sick." Ginto clarified.
Alexander's expression quickly changed, "Is that so..."
Ginto nodded frantically.
Ruxx rubbed his chin, "Why didn't you tell us this before hmm..?"
"..."
He stood up, paced the room, then stopped to observe a painting on the wall.
"...Tell me what happens to you when you don't get blood..." he said coldly.
Ginto's head jerked up in surprised, Ruxx was staring at him with an interested yet smug expression.
"..." The Prince looked away from his master's eyes.
"Well...I guess we'll just have to do a little experiment then...won't we..."
Ginto swallowed hard, "...Master please..!"
Ruxx grinned, "Oh don't worry...I'll wait until you get a bit older first. What use will a sick boy be to me hmm..?"
Ginto's heart started to race; the illness accompanied with his episodes would only get worse as he aged.
He grabbed onto Alexander's shirt and pleaded.
"I'm sorry master! I'm sorry! I will not do this again! I'm sorry!"
His master cupped Ginto's chin.
"Are you scared?"
He laughed quietly when he saw the Prince's pointed ears lower.
"Good..." he let go of his face.
Ruxx smirked and pulled his cellphone from his pocket, "You won't be a child for very long..."

Chapter 2 [Part 3]

2009-07-26T21:03:00.001-06:00

How long had they been there? They couldn’t even keep track of the date anymore. Their cell walls were littered with scratches, each representing a day that they’d spent there. There were over 200 scratches on the walls, so they must have been there for a few months. They couldn't escape; they learned that the hard way when one of the captives managed to get out and away from the building. He didn't get far before they found him. The Curatos had implanted tracking devices somewhere under their skin. The Vamirias didn't know where the device was in their bodies, if they did, they could easily cut it from their flesh and escape. They were forced to be subservient to the Curatos, but unlike his companions, Ginto’s “master” was more lenient than the others. He found it strange how Alexander treated him, he wasn't necessarily treated like a slave, he almost treated him like a second son. He was well fed, well clothed, well rested and unlike his companions in their cells, he was allowed to sleep on the couch in Ruxx's office. Everyday the Prince would receive a small lesson in English; if he didn't cooperate the result was a whip against his bare flesh. He refused to be loyal to the Curatos, no matter how well Ruxx treated him, this was clearly evident by the amount of scars on his body. At some point Ginto realized that there was no way that they could escape their prison, that was when he finally started to obey their orders, hopefully reducing the amount of whippings he received.
Once Alexander believed that his servant was no longer hostile, he allowed him to practice his sword fighting in seclusion for a short period time as a reward for being cooperative. There would be odd days where Ruxx actually sat to watch him practice.
He noticed that the boy had become more and more anti-social as time passed. He only responded with short phrases or words and he also spoke with one flat tone. When Ginto wasn't carrying out orders he simply sat there in silence in his master's office.
Alexander had a son around Ginto's age named Nathaniel who occasionally came to visit his Father as he worked, but he seemed to get a knack out of pestering the Prince.
Today was one of those days...
Nathaniel approached the Vamirias sitting on the couch quietly. He grinned mischievously and leaned in front of him.
"Do you ever talk? You're so boring." he said.
Ginto stared at the boy in annoyance.
Nathaniel crossed his arms, "My Father says that you haven't been working as hard lately, do I have to get someone to whip you?"
Ginto growled loudly and snapped his fangs at the boy menacingly, making Nathaniel jerk back. Alexander walked into the room laughing when he saw his son leap.
"I wouldn't get in his face if I were you Nathan..." he snickered.
He approached the two and gazed at the Vamirias. He noticed that his skin was much paler than it usually was and his once brilliant emerald eyes were now more of a hazel colour. His appearance almost resembled someone suffering from some sort of illness.
No matter how many times Alexander had his servant analyzed, the medical team couldn't put a finger on what was wrong with the Vamirias. Their conclusion was that the boy had some sort of ailment native to his own kind. He refused to discuss any of his symptoms, which didn't make it any easier for the doctors to diagnose him.
"So...would you mind telling me what's been going on with you lately Ginto..?"
There was no way that they would be able to understand what was happening to him. They assumed that he was like all the other Vamirias, where they just needed their basic necessities and they were done with. Ginto was very different from them; his worst nightmare was slowly creeping up on him. From the moment he arrived at the building he hadn't had a drop of blood and the consequences were in dire...
Fortunately he was still in the first phase of it; he expected to get sick and have an annoying pain in his chest that made it difficult for him to breathe. In the second phase he would become extremely irritable and edgy, the pain in his chest would increase and his immune system would start to turn on him. In the third phase his mind would start to play tricks on him, resulting in a sense of paranoia and the pain in his chest would spread to his stomach. In the final phase he would lose his mind and become an insane killing machine. Once one reached the final stage, it was difficult to completely revert back to their original selves.
His Father was mad enough to try and endure the final phase for a prolonged period of time. Fortunately, he regained his sanity but he never changed back into the person that he was before. That was the reason why his Father's eyes were always that menacing crimson.
His little experiment even ended up warping his appearance in his original form, he had a much larger amount of bone growths protruding from his body, they even spread to his back. His Father's appearance frightened his son when he was a small child; his mind was still young and this made him think that his Father was two different people.
Ginto thought about what his Father had done to himself and wondered if that was the reason he was so hard on him. He wondered if his Father was a kinder person before he endured that episode or if he was always the way he is now. For a moment he felt a touch of regret, but he brushed the thought aside and focused on what was happening to him. He prayed that he would be able to stop his episode while it was still in its less potent stages. He didn't want to end up like his Father and lose a part of himself, or change into a completely different person altogether.
Nathaniel snorted, "You answer him when he asks you a question dummy."
Ginto was fed up with the other boy's negative comments towards him. Ginto just accepted them at first but once they became a daily routine they started to eat away at him. He had enough problems to deal with already and the brat wasn't making things any easier for him.
Ginto quickly whipped his hand across the boy's face, leaving claw marks in his cheek.
Alexander shook his head and sighed, "I don't think you two will ever get along..."
Nathaniel touched his cheek and looked at the small amount of blood on his fingertips.
"You stupid beast! How dare you hit me?!" he yelled.
Ginto smacked Nathaniel in the opposite cheek. Nathan kicked at Ginto's shin but the Vamirias lifted his leg up before the attack connected, making his attacker kick the hard bottom of the couch instead.
"OUCH!" Ruxx's son held his injured foot, "Dad why aren't you doing anything?! Didn't you see that??"
Alexander ignored his son's remark and made his way over to his desk. Nathaniel ran up to the edge of the bureau and pointed at his bloody cheek.
"Don't you see this Dad!? Don't you see what he did to me!?"
Ruxx pushed a box of tissues towards his son, "Well, clean it up then..."
His son stared at his Father in disbelief.
"Why do you let him get away with everything!? What is he like your pet or something!?"
Ruxx shook his head, "Not at all..."
"Then what is he?!"
"He'll be ready in a few more years...you'll thank me for it later..."
Ginto's ear twitched when he heard the word 'years'.
Nathan gazed at the Prince in disgust, "I'm not staying with him for a few more years!!"
"Well, the two of you will have to learn to get along..."
The boys glared at each other.
"Nathan, go tell Ms. Lesley to cancel that appointment on Thursday."
"Fine." his son snorted then left the office.
Ruxx sighed and moved away from his desk; he glanced at Ginto, who had his knees pulled up to his chin and his head buried in his crossed arms. He sat down next to him and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. Ginto shook off his master's hand and turned away from him.

"I would have never imagined ending up in a place like this...like those soldiers years ago...never in my wildest dreams..." Sedna mumbled sadly.
They were all very tired and very hungry. The Curatos had worked them very hard that day; there were a couple conflicts which resulted in one death and four wounded. Denga and Sedna prayed that they would never have to face the same fate as their companions.
Sedna looked over her shoulder at the Taota, "You've lost a lot of weight..."
He lifted his arms and gazed at his abdomen, "Well, they aren't exactly feeding us generously. I don't even know what the hell we've been eating..."
Sedna snorted, "Food full of fat and other junk that'll make you sick..! That's what!"
"Why do they eat such garbage..? It's so bad for you..."
"That's their problem..."
Denga pursed his lips and thought for a moment.
"Do you think that the Emperor did anything about it..? Do you think he even bothered to send people to come get us..?" he asked.
Sedna sat up from the old bed, "Of course he did, his son's up here..."
Denga sighed, "His son..."
"I wonder where they took him. Do you think he's okay..?"
"I don't know..."
The archer felt bad for her companion; even though it wasn't his fault that the Prince had ended up here as well, he still blamed himself for every bit of it.
"Denga..." she said.
"Yes..?"
"Stop beating yourself up about this okay? It's not your fault that we're here."
"I'll try to keep that in mind..." he mumbled.
Sedna crossed her legs and fiddled with her toes, "So...what do you plan on doing if we ever get out of here..? We'll probably be here for a while so you may as well think ahead a bit..."
"Those soldiers never came back the last time something like this happened, how can you be so sure we'll get out..?"
"You're the Taota, you tell me..!"
"Hey, we're intelligent but we aren't psychic."
"Mistress Yetsika is."
"She is not. Nobody can be psychic, she just makes very accurate predictions," Denga huffed, "even so, that doesn't make the rest of us that way."
"But you're one of her direct descendants, isn't she like your great great grandmother?"
"My Father says that we're related by blood but I don't exactly know what she is to me. She's a grandmother of some sort I guess."
"The Empress is related to her too, so in a sense you're related to the Prince."
"Extended family I suppose."
"You can't have naturally black hair and green eyes unless you're related to Yetsika in some way huh?"
"That's not true."
"Well everyone I've met with black hair and green eyes says 'Ohhh I'm related to Yetsika herher that makes me special..!' What's the deal with that anyway?"
Denga laughed at his friend's imitation, "No, that's just a very common trait on the Vamirias from Meladin. What a silly thing to say."
"Anyway we're straying off topic, I asked you a question before..."
Denga leaned back against the wall and clasped his hands together, "We should tell them about what happened here and how it could have been avoided. I'm pretty damn sure that those Curatos will be back for more of us..."
"No silly, about you! Your future not the whole empire." Sedna giggled.
"Oh excuse me. Well I've never been asked this question so I've never really thought about it," he tapped his lip, "Well of course like all Taotas I'll have to return to helping Mistress Yetsika with her rituals and preachings. Maybe I'll be a preacher like my Father or a weapons instructor like my Mother."
"I'd pick weapons instructor if I were you, there's a lot more action there than being a preacher!" Sedna chuckled.
"Okay, what about you Sedna..?"
"Hopefully Sire will promote me to an elite archer in his army, I'll be old enough by then. Then after I get tired of combat I'll settle down and have a family."
Denga smiled, "That sounds good..."
"I won't have to worry about finding my mate, I get hit on all the time he-he." she giggled and laid back down on her bed. The chamber fell silent once she fell asleep.
"I can see why..." Denga mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Chapter 2 [Part 2]

2009-07-23T12:05:00.003-06:00

He opened his eyes and was greeted by darkness. His eyes quickly adapted to it and he looked around frantically. His head was throbbing and he tasted the metallic flavour of blood. He groaned and tried to get to his feet, but his body refused to cooperate with him. His stomach was still sore from the massive blow he received earlier, he figured that his innards must have been damaged. He scanned his arms for any more injuries, his body was littered with small cuts and bruises. Those bastards must have beat on him while he was unconscious. He knew he was in terrible shape and couldn't bare to imagine what his wounded body looked like. His whole body was in agony; he had never experience pain like this before and he had no idea how to react to it. He could feel something heavy around his ankles, he slowly turned his head to see what it was. His head skipped a beat when he finally made out what they were, they were shackles...
He closed his eyes again and tried to breathe evenly, droplets of blood gurgled in his throat.
“...Denga…” he called attendant weakly.
“He’s awake…” someone whispered.
The sound of dragging chains approached him.
“Azriel…what have they done to you??” Denga gasped.
The Taota examined the Prince's body for serious injuries, but he didn't get far before Ginto started to moan and whine from the pain.
"They took my medical supplies, so there's nothing I can do to help you..." Denga mumbled sadly.
The Taota couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened to Ginto. It was his responsibility to keep him away from harm and he had failed him. His heart dropped when he saw tears fall down the Prince's face as he repeatedly mumbled that he was sorry.
Footsteps were heard from outside of the room. The other Vamirias in the room gasped and quickly crawled back into their original positions.
“They’re coming back..!” a woman whispered.
The door opened and an extremely bright light lit up the room. Three figures entered; the suited man closest to them said something to the other two, one of them nodded and handed him a clipboard. The tallest man laughed loudly then approached the shackled group. He said something; it looked like it was intended for the Vamirias, but none of them understood him. Ginto held his breath when the man approached him. He knelt down then took Ginto’s face into his hand; the boy kept his eyes closed and expected another set of beatings.
"What the hell did you miscreants do to this one?!"
The men behind him stood there in silence. The suited man dropped the Prince, stood up and turned around to face the other men.
"Are you sure these are the same ones that we found..?"
The second man checked his clipboard then nodded.
The tall man looked back at Ginto and smiled.
”I’ll deal with this one for myself…do what you want with the others…"
Two more men entered the room, they were about to remove Ginto’s shackles but he hissed at them threateningly. Sedna threw herself in front of them and started to scream:
“Nia'da bora! Da'ne lioran!!!” she yelled and held Ginto protectively.
The men glanced at the girl in confusion.
”Aww…she’s worried about her little friend…”
“What if they kill him?! We can’t let them do that!!!” she grabbed onto Denga's shirt, “you’re supposed to keep him out of trouble..! You told me!!! Why aren't you doing your job?!”
Denga was shocked when one of the Curatos slapped Sedna across the face. She screamed and fell onto her side when she lost her balance.
”They’re talking too much..! Split them up before they try to do something.”
Denga lurched forward and managed to sink his fangs into her assailant’s arm, the man grit his teeth then punched the Taota across the face. He was even more tangled in his chains when he fell into them.
”Shit..! It bit me..!” The wounded man clutched his arm in pain.
Denga rolled over and hissed loudly, “I won’t let them get away with this!”
The room erupted into chaos when both groups started to attack each other. The man in the suit eventually ended up calling in a group of agents to deal with the situation. It was long before the angry Vamirias were dragged out of the room one by one...

The group of captives were all separated and locked into different cells. The Curatos somehow managed to identify Ginto’s importance; he wasn’t locked up in cells like the rest of the Vamirias, the man in charge brought him with him into an office on the upper level. He didn't expect the man to offer him medical attention, but much to his surprise he did.
The man took a seat in front of a table, he gestured towards the seat in front of him, he obviously wanted Ginto to sit. Ginto glared at him; he walked over to where the man was sitting, but he refused to sit down. The Curatos smirked and folded his hands in his lap.
”You’re probably wondering why I brought you here…away from your friends..?”
He leaned forward and retrieved a paper from the table.
”Well…we can’t get anywhere if we don't understand each other now can we..?"
Ginto looked behind him; there were men standing at the door armed with guns. The man stood up and unlocked Ginto’s shackles. The Vamirias growled loudly; he was tempted to attack him, but now wasn’t the best time.
”Now…” the man sat back in his chair, ”lets start with something simple…”
One of the soldiers forced Ginto to sit, he winced when his hands pressed on his bruises.
The man pointed to himself, ”My name is Alexander Ruxx…and yours..?”
He pointed at Ginto, who jerked back defensively at the gesture.
He pointed to himself again, ”Ruxx…”.
He pointed at Ginto a second time. It finally registered that he was asking for his name. He didn’t want to share it, but if it meant getting out of this place in one piece, so be it.
“Ginto...”
Alexander grinned, ”We’re getting somewhere…”
He pointed to himself again, ”Now, do you remember my name..?”
“Alexander Ruxx.” Ginto’s English had a strong accent.
Ruxx laughed, ”Good good. At least now I know that your kind is intelligent…”
He stood up and folded his hands behind his back, ”Your friends won’t be as lucky as you are. I have something special in mind for you…”

Translations:

Nia'da bora. Da'ne lioran: Sedna wants the Humans to take her instead of take Ginto. The English equivalent is "Don't take him, take me instead."
Purple Text: The character is speaking in English

Chapter 2 [Part 1]

2009-07-21T22:27:00.005-06:00

His blood ran cold when he saw what was happening before him. The same beings that took away those soldiers years ago had returned, the Curatos had returned to Eriyon…
They were beating and shooting at the frightened citizens; some of the locals fled for their lives but they didn’t get far before getting shot down. What disturbed him even more was how some of the Vamirias were taken hostage and forced into trucks. Why had the Curatos returned to Eriyon? What did they want from them?
Ba’thin immediately charged at the nearest soldier, he growled loudly and bit into the man’s side. The man shouted something in a language that Ginto did not understand, but he could tell that the words were threatening. The other invaders turned and rushed to aid their ally. Ginto unsheathed his swords and sliced their heads clean from their shoulders. He wasn’t going to let the intruders hurt Ba’thin or any of the citizens. The Curatos gasped and stepped back; one of them took a device from his side and spoke into it. He made a gesture with his hand and the group retreated into the darkness.
Ginto wiped off his blades then slid them back into their sheaths; he approached an injured woman and helped her sit up.
“When did they get here?” he asked.
The woman’s face was soaked with tears, “My husband and I were just taking a walk! Why would they do this??” she sulked loudly.
“Miss, can you please tell me when they got here?” he asked again.
“I don’t know Your Highness…” she sobbed.
His eyes wandered next to her, there was a dead man lying beside her, Ginto assumed that he was her husband.
“Prince! Please tell your Father to send his army..! I beg you!” she grabbed onto his sleeve, the blood on her hands stained the silky material.
“I’ll get help,” Ginto stood up, “Ba’thin!”
The Arna ran up to his owner and Ginto hopped onto the feline’s back.
“Go back to the palace, quickly!” he ordered.

“Valac!!"

Rosier scurried around the palace in worry; her face was soaked in tears and her mascara ran down her cheeks.

"Valac!! Where’s Ginto!?”
Valac grabbed the frantic woman by the arms and held her in front of him firmly, “Would you calm down?! My servants are searching for him now!”
Her emerald eyes widened in fear, “What if he ran into those horrible men!? What if my Chei-chei ran into them!?”
She started to cry loudly, Valac embraced his sulking wife with a sigh, her curly head buried in his chest.
“He’s only 15..!” she sobbed, “if the two of you hadn’t argued he would still be in my sight!!”
Valac's eyebrows knit together; he wondered where his rebellious son had run off to...

“There’s more over here!” Denga hollered.
“There’s too many of them, when I kill one another takes his place!” Sedna hid around a corner to reload her bow.
A fleeing woman crashed into her as she ran, the two of them fell to the ground and Sedna’s arrows slid away from her grasp.
Sedna rolled over in anger, “Watch it!!”
The woman ignored her, she ran off and a shower of bullets pierced into her flesh. She fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Sedna reached over to retrieve her arrows but a bullet forced her to retract her hand. She cursed under her breath; those were the last of her arrows.
“We can’t stay here!” she yelled over the gunfire.
“Where can we go..? We’re surrounded...” Denga sat on the ground and held his head.
“We should wait for the army to get here.” the woman mumbled to herself.
A limp body was suddenly hurled towards them, Sedna screamed and crawled away. She was relieved that it was an invader’s body and not another citizen. Screams of death flooded her ears, the sounds tempted her to look around the corner and see what was happening. She peeked around the building; Ba’thin tore away at the attackers that got to close to him. The Arna was there so the Prince must be close by…
She took the opportunity to retrieve her arrows and cross over to where Denga was sitting. Something moved in the corner of her eye and she immediately aimed her weapon at it. She lowered it once she realized it was Ginto.
“I'm glad to see someone who isn't dead.” he ran up to them.
“So you finally decided to come back huh..? I went after you, but then they showed up,” Denga got to his feet, “we're fine since you asked. But I don’t know if we’ll be able to get out of he--"
Sedna suddenly started to scream, they turned around and were startled to see one of the Curatos holding the archer hostage.
“Sedna!” Denga lunged forward.
“Denga wait!” Ginto yelled.
The sound of a firing round cut through the air, Denga cried out and held his thigh in pain. He moved his hand to see the wound, it bled and a sharp pain shot up his leg. He grit his teeth and fell to his hands and knees. He tried to ignore the pain, he swung his head to the side then said:

"Get out of here Prince! Don't let them get you!"

Ginto wasn't the type who ran; he was fully capable of defending himself but the situation that they were all in made him carry out the Taota's order. He turned around and his first escape path was blocked by approaching soldiers. His last option was to somehow get to Ba'thin and get back to the palace. He sprinted and dodged the attacking soldiers; the hours of straight running his Father had put him through during training had finally paid off. The Curatos seemed to be stunned at the sudden burst of speed from the Prince. He was relieved that none of the invaders were able to keep up with him. He nearly lost his footing while turning the corner, once he caught sight of Ba'thin he called out to him.

"Ira Ba'thin!"

The Arna stopped attacking, spun around, then ran towards his master. Ginto breathed heavily and held his chest, his long sprint had sucked the energy from him. An arm wrapped around Ginto’s neck before Ba'thin could reach him. He instinctively dug his claws into his attackers flesh, luckily the move gave him enough time to escape from the deadly hold. He drew his sword and stabbed his assailant in the abdomen. Ba’thin’s roaring caught his attention; he was shocked to see his feline companion struggling to escape a flurry of chains. He had made a fatal mistake by looking over; he keeled over in pain when he was struck in the stomach by a blunt object. He started to cough then he was pushed to the ground forcefully, he felt his hands being bound. When he realized what was happening he started to hiss and struggle.

"NO! GET OFF ME!!"

His nose and mouth were covered by a damp cloth, he tried his best not to breathe in the powerful chemical, it didn’t take long for it to take effect. His body went numb and his vision went black…

Translations:

Ira: Means "here" in Arthian.

Chapter 1 [Part 5]

2009-06-24T02:00:00.003-06:00

Rosier knocked on her son's door lightly, "Chei-chei...are you in there..?"
No response...
She wiped the tears from her face then knocked again, "Ginto..?"
She figured that he was asleep.
"I'm coming in..."
She pushed open the door slowly and entered the empty room.
"Ginto..?"
She walked up to his bed and picked up the crown that was lying upon it. She ran her fingers over the object as if she had never seen it before. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying again.
"Now he's run off somewhere..." she sobbed, "damnit Valac!! This is tearing our family apart..!"

Ginto rested his head against Ba'thin's raven fur; he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. The Arna was laying down on it's stomach with his eyes closed as well, his slim tail swayed in the grass like a wandering snake. They were resting by the edge of a cliff; they had an excellent view of Eriyon and the surrounding villages from there. Ginto opened his eyes and watched the locals go about their business. There wasn't anything really entertaining about the people, they were very homogenous and it was extremely easy to tell who was a local and who was an outsider.
"...How long do you think it will take them to notice I'm gone..?"
Ba'thin got to his feet and shook the dead grass off of his coat. He sniffed the ground and his ears flattened against his head. He turned towards Ginto and growled in anger.
Ginto quickly got to his feet and dusted off his dirty hands, "What is it?"
His heart started to race when the air filled with screams. He turned around and looked over the cliff to see what was happening. An unfamiliar sound reached his ears; he immediately knew that it was not friendly...

"What the hell was that!?" Valac hollered.
A servant approached him, "It came from outside sire..!"
The Emperor followed his servant to the palace entrance. He looked up at the sky and was surprised to see a black plume of smoke. An older male wearing tattered work clothes ran up to Valac and bowed down to the floor.
"Your Majesty!! Please help us!!!"
"Tell me what happened." Valac urged.
The peasant got to his feet, he looked like he had seen a ghost, "I-I don't know what they are!! They forced their way into my home and attacked my family!"
"What?! Could they be Rogues??" Valac stared at the male in disbelief.
"No Sire!! I don't even think they're Vamirias!"
His last words made Valac's blood run cold…
"Azriel…they’ve come back…” Valac's eyes widened, "ready the troops!!"

When Ginto and Ba'thin reached Eriyon, the overwhelming smell of blood was thick in the air. He climbed off of the Arna's back and observed the now empty area.
"Where is everyone??" he started to worry.
The city was usually so full of life; the streets were never this empty, not even during day hours. The streets may have been barren, but the screams of the citizens were still heard in the distance. He started to run back towards the palace hastily with Ba'thin close behind. A foreign object caught his eye; he stopped in his tracks and retrieved it. He examined it closely: it was a metallic black colour and it had unknown writing engraved on its side. A trigger was nestled underneath the body and the lower portion seemed to be moulded to accommodate a hand...
He positioned the object near Ba'thin's nose, "Atuva."
Ba'thin sniffed the air briefly then dashed off into the direction of the scent. Ginto pursued the animal, what Ba'thin led him to was unlike anything he had ever seen....

Translations:

Atuva : A command in Arthian that means "Find"

Chapter 1 [Part 4]

2009-06-24T01:48:00.005-06:00

Ginto took his time walking down the barren hallway. He wasn’t used to seeing the halls so empty, the servants in Eriyon didn’t loiter like the ones in Arthius did. He was so preoccupied with the empty passage that he hadn’t realized that his Father was standing in front of his bedroom door. He was crossing his arms and he glared at his son with his piercing red eyes.
“Your Mother treats you like you’re still her little cub, you know that..?” he was clearly annoyed.
His Father’s large form blocked the doorway so Ginto couldn’t squeeze past him. The Prince was tired and all he cared about was sleep.
“…I’m not in the mood for another argument…” Ginto said coldly, “I’m tired and I want to sleep…”
Ginto jumped a bit when an angry growl erupted from his Father’s throat.
“Do you honestly think you will get anywhere with that attitude of yours??”
Ginto sighed heavily; he prepared himself for another long lecture. His Mother was usually nearby and ready to pull him out of it, but this time she was nowhere to be found.
“Your Mother thinks that you will never be ready for the responsibilities ahead of you. That’s because she’s too lenient..!”
“And you think that yelling at me everyday will change anything?” Ginto frowned.
A pair of Valac’s servants entered the hall, but once they saw the two of them arguing they decided to back off.
"I've already said it many times before; I don't want to be anything like you..! I don't want people to be afraid of me and I don't want to be seen as a monster like you!!" Ginto snarled.
Valac growled loudly and grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt; Ginto felt his feet lift off the ground.
"Listen to me you little brat!! Your Mother has made you soft! I will not tolerate any weakness! Not in this family!!" his Father yelled.
He tossed his son to the marble floor and Ginto landed flat on his back, the fall knocked the wind out of him. The Imperial servants quickly approached the fallen Prince but Valac dispelled them. He approached him and squinted.
"Don't forget what you are, Ginto. You're a fiend and you're going to act like one..! You weren't born to flatter the weaklings under you, you were born to strike fear into their hearts..!" Valac bared his fangs, "like Father like Son..."
He stepped over Ginto's body and exited the hall. With their Emperor now gone, the servants ran to Ginto's aid, only to be slapped at by his flailing arms. He stood up in anger and tore off the crown against his forehead.
"Your Highness, what are you doing??" one of the servants asked.
Ginto tossed the crown to the side forcefully; he stormed off towards the palace entrance with his servants close behind.
"Your Highness wait!"
"STOP FOLLOWING ME!!!" Ginto bellowed.
The servants jumped back, they didn't expect such a menacing voice from someone so small.

Ginto pulled his hood over his head and brought the coat in closer to his body. The winds in Eriyon were their coldest right before dawn. Ginto grasped the edges of the metal gate and pushed it upwards harder than he had intended. The gate rattled loudly when it collided with the top of the holding cells. A few of the Arnas got to their feet after being shaken from their slumber; they huddled together once the cold wind reached them. The remaining felines merely twitched their ears or rolled over into a more comfortable position. Ginto made his way to the end of the hangar; Ba'thin pawed and bit at the gate in excitement when he heard his owner approach, his tail wagged merrily. When the creature observed the expression on his companion's face, his ears lowered in disappointment. Ba'thin whimpered and licked at the Prince’s hand. Ginto unhooked the chain that kept the creature from escaping and escorted him out of the hangar.
"Ginto wait!"
He turned towards the voice and was surprised to see Denga running after him, gasping for air.
"What..!” Ginto growled in annoyance.
"Where," he panted, "where are you going..?"
Ginto answered his friend's question with a shake of his head.
"I heard what your Father said..." Denga's eyebrows knit together.
Ginto ignored him and hopped onto Ba'thin's back.
"Where's your crown..?"
"..."
Denga stood in front of Ba'thin, "Why are you doing this??"
The Prince hissed menacingly, "Have any of you ever considered giving me some space!?"
Denga was surprised by his friend's response.
"Get out of my way!" Ginto yelled.
"I've never seen you this angry before," The Taota's eyebrows knit together, "I'm not going to let you leave the palace. Your parents won't allow it..!"
Ba'thin started to growl in response to his master's annoyance.
"I don't care about what they do or don't allow!" Ginto snorted.
"You're only saying this out of rage. Go back inside and get some sleep before you do something you'll regret!" Denga pleaded.
Ba'thin stepped forward; the beast's large form easily shoved the Taota out of the way. Ginto snapped the leather rope strung to the Arna's armour, the creature sped off towards the mountains before Denga had a chance to protest. The Taota swore under his breath and ran inside the hangar to get his Arna.

"Azriel! Valac, he's your son!! Why are you always so harsh to him!?" Rosier yelled in anger.
Valac clutched the glass in his hand in frustration; he put so much force on it that it threatened to break. His claws scraped at the cup and left scratches on it.
Rose brought her fist to her lips and paced the room, "What do I need to do to get you two to get along??"
She turned around to face him and waited for a response, but not a word came from him.
"Well?!" she bellowed.
Valac rose from his chair abruptly and rubbed his forehead, "You tell me…"
Rose's mouth hung open in disbelief, "You want me to tell YOU??"
Valac glanced at her coldly, "Or even better...tell that stubborn son of yours..."
Rose stared at him for a moment then she shook her head, "I'm so tired of this..."
He could sense the pain in her voice; he didn't need to look at her to tell that she was crying. She left the room and slammed the door behind her. Valac sighed heavily, it seemed like everyone was fed up with him today...

Chapter 1 [Part 3]

2009-05-12T19:41:00.010-06:00

“That wasn’t so bad now was it?”
Denga removed the heavily bag off his shoulder and placed it on the floor carefully, he didn’t want to damage its contents. It had taken them 12 hours to reach Eriyon; when they finally did everyone was exhausted. Valac helped his wife off of her Arna; she adjusted her now ruffled dress.
“I think I’m ready to head to bed.” She yawned loudly.
“We can’t go to sleep yet, there are still some things that we need to finish.” Valac said.
The Empress looked disappointed, “But look, it’s nearly dawn…”
Most of the children that had travelled with them were fast asleep in their Mothers’ arms.
“Can we at least get settled in before you do any business..?” Rose asked.
“You can go ahead,” Valac mumbled, “take Ginto with you.”
Rose took her son by the arm and smiled, “Let’s go inside, shall we?”

“What’s the matter? Are you just tired or is there something on your mind?” Rose gazed at her son in worry.
“I’m fine…” Ginto replied.
“You always say that you’re fine when you really aren’t.”
“…”
“Well? Do you want to talk about it or no..?” she smiled warmly.
“No I’d rather not.”
Rose sighed deeply, “Nobody ever wants to talk about their problems anymore. You know it’s better for you if you share them with someone else.”
Ginto hesitated before he spoke, “…Okay.”
Rose beamed, “That’s better. Now, what’s the matter..?”
Ginto crossed his arms and sat on the counter, “I know this happened years ago, but do you remember when we first came into contact with the Curatos? Do you remember what happened that day?”
“The murder you mean?”
“That’s right.”
Rose’s eyes widened, “What are you worried about..? You think that they might come back..?”
“I don’t think that what happened was a one-time thing. What if they come back looking for the rest of us, then what?”
“Heavens..! What has your Father been teaching you..!” Rosier gasped.
“He didn’t tell me about it. It isn’t my fault that Father keeps bringing up the subject in his conversations…”
“Has he?”
“He never talks about it when you’re around; I guess he didn’t want to worry you too much.”
Rose stopped to think it over for a bit, after a brief silence she decided to speak again.
“You could be right…”
“I just have a feeling and I can’t seem to shake it.”
“We still haven’t heard from the missing few…it’s been years now.” She mumbled.
Rose thought about the Vamirias who were taken from Eriyon that day. She remembered that one of them, Trinity Amethes, had returned to the city. She did not come alone though; the person that she brought back with her had infuriated the people of Eriyon. It caused such a disturbance that Valac went down to see what was happening himself. Trinity was one of Valac’s elite spearman, one of the best female warriors in his army. But when Valac saw who she had brought back with her that day, he saw her as a traitor. Trinity had brought back the enemy…
Bringing a Curatos into Vamirias territory was one of the vilest offences one could commit. At first, Trinity was sentenced to life in prison, but her reason for bringing the enemy back with her enraged Valac even more. She claimed that they were in love and that she opposed all violence between the two races. Valac was even more disgusted when he learned that they had a child together, but the girl was nowhere to be found. The Emperor immediately ordered for the couple’s execution. The execution scarred Rose for life; she felt Trinity’s pain even though she didn’t really know the woman. She was a Mother as well, but unfortunately Trinity would not be able to see her child age like Rosier would. The other missing Vamirias had never returned and this made Rose wonder if there were others like Trinity...
“Mother..?”
Her son’s voice brought her back to reality. Valac was standing in the middle of the room and he looked at Rose in confusion.
“Having another Mother-Son talk I see…”
“We were just having a casual conversation, that’s all.” Rose smiled sweetly.
Valac frowned, “We’ll be staying in Eriyon for a month or so. One of my scouts has reported seeing Rogues in the area.”
“Rogues?” Rose gasped and stood up abruptly.
“Yes, that’s the reason why we were called here,” Valac looked over at his son, “why don’t you make yourself useful and help the berserkers take care of them…”
Ginto slipped off the counter, Rose stopped him before he left the room.
“Don’t bother Chei-chei…I want you to go get some rest.”
“Yes Mother…”
Rose smiled and stroked her son’s cheek lovingly; he sighed then left the room. The Empress put her knitting needles aside then turned to face her husband.
“Valac.” she said.
“Yes Rosier…” he took one of his swords out of its sheath and scanned the edge.
“I think you’re working him too hard, why don’t you give him a break for once..?”
Valac laughed coldly, “A break? He doesn’t need a break. What he needs to do is prepare himself for his future.”
Rose looked at her hands in sadness; although she loved her husband, she prayed that their son wouldn’t follow in his footsteps…

Translations:

Curatos: Human/Humans
Rogues: Extremely savage and violent Vamirias. They were once normal and healthy citizens, until Valac exiled them. If they wandered far enough from the safe grounds, they were at risk for contracting the rogue virus. The virus made its host suffer so much that they turned into mindless killers.
Berserkers: Elite soldiers in Valac's army; they are usually hired as royal guards and are armed with special weapons nicknamed "Diskblades". The soldiers are usually native to Raulihym. Note: Gareth Cyanight is a berserker.

Chapter 1 [Part 2]

2009-05-12T19:28:00.005-06:00

The trip to Eriyon was a long and tedious one. It was nearly midnight and the air grew colder. Rose pulled her fur coat closer to her trembling form, she scooted closer to her husband; their Arnas needed to rest for a moment and they were forced to stop by a lake.
"Heavens, I should have taken another coat." Rose said.
Valac pulled the woman closer to him, "You're so sensitive to the cold, maybe you should go outside more..."
Rosier turned her head to look at her son, who was lying against Ba'thin lazily, "Are you warm enough Chei-Chei?"
"I'm fine Mother..." Ginto responded coldly.
"Are you sure..? You've been lethargic all night."
"Leave him Rose...his attitude won't be improving anytime soon..." Valac grumbled.
Ginto scowled at his Father then turned to face Ba'thin again, his Mother sighed in frustration.
"Why don't you take a nap too Chei-Chei..? We'll be off again in an hour or so." Rose smiled warmly.
Ginto felt a sudden wave of heat against his back, someone must have started a fire. The sounds of approaching footsteps were heard from behind him, a shadow was cast over his body and he instantly felt colder. He rolled over to look at who was responsible for blocking the heat of the fire.
"Bored..?" they grinned at him.
The person was none other than his friend Denga Avesys; he hadn't even realized that the boy was travelling with them. His family came from the same area as Ginto's Mother, so the two of them shared the same raven hair and striking green eyes. They were good friends, so Denga never called Ginto by his rank. His friend was a Taota, Ginto thought that it was just a fancy way of saying that they were his Father's most honourable servants. Their bodies were littered with many piercings; a new piercing was added to a certain part of their bodies each time they passed one of their superior's tests. They were known for their honesty and reliability, they never lied, it was against their beliefs. They were extremely religious and worshipped the great god Azriel. They were also high ranked officers in Valac's army. They did whatever the Emperor told them to do, when he wasn't giving them orders, Yetsika would be. She was a frail old woman, some say that she was over 100 years old, nobody knew her exact age. She was blind and she had to touch and examine your face to tell who you were. She didn't rely on her other senses very much though; she could tell who you were merely by the strength of your aura. She may have been old and blind, but she was doing an excellent job with the Taotas.
Denga took a seat next to his friend and pulled his knees to his chest, "I'm sure you can find something to do."
Ginto sat up, "We're in the middle of nowhere, what is there to do?"
"I'd say sleep is a good idea, but you don't look like you want to right now." Denga said.
Ginto leaned backwards again and sunk into Ba'thin's fur, "I think I'll stay up and wait until everyone decides to move again."
"You know that'll only be when the Arnas wake up. They like to sleep..!" the Taota laughed and tapped Ba'thin on the snout.
The feline violently expelled air from his nostrils in annoyance.
"They've been asleep for two hours now, I’m sure they'll get up soon." Ginto said.
Denga nodded then directed his attention to the other side of the fire.
"I think this would be the perfect opportunity to talk with Sedna." Denga grinned.
Ginto smiled faintly, "Why don't you just go talk to her already..? Every time you see her you say you're going to talk with her, but you never do."
He looked over at the girl; she poked at the ground with a twig, she looked like she was bored as well.
Denga's eyebrows knit together, "Okay fine, I'll do it this time. Just you watch."
He stood up quickly and marched over to the girl triumphantly. Sedna's large violet eyes looked up at the Taota in confusion.
"Hi Sedna." Denga beamed widely.
"Hi..."
He took a seat next to the woman.
"So, do you like to travel?" he asked.
Sedna shook her head, "Oh no not at all. My parents dragged me along because my Dad is one of sire's bodyguards."
"Is that so?" Denga seemed interested, "I guess I'm here on duty too. I have to keep Prince Ginto out of trouble, he he."
He gave the Prince a brief wink and Ginto's glare pierced right through him.
"You're his escort..?" Sedna's eyes widened.
Denga spoke with a hint of arrogance, "That's right."
He jumped when he suddenly felt a hand plop on his head. He tilted his head back to see who it was; Ginto was grinning down at him evilly. The Prince only smiled for two reasons, he was either about to kill you, or he was about to make a comment. He never smiled to show that he was happy. Either way, the gesture made Denga nervous.
“On duty huh..? What are you doing slacking off..?” Ginto squinted.
Sedna quickly bowed her head in respect; Denga cringed, he was used to seeing people bow down to his friend, but it irritated him somewhat when the women did.
He sighed heavily, “I’m not slacking. The Arnas are asleep and so are the others. I’m just starting a friendly conversation with a lovely lady.”
Sedna giggled, “Well, the others are awake now. Do you think we’re leaving again?”
Denga shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“I think we should get our stuff together. Look Prince, your Father is yelling at people again.”
Ginto rolled his eyes, “When is he not?”
“He’s a very angry man in my opinion,” Denga frowned, “I’ve never seen him smile. Maybe that’s where you get it from huh?”
Ginto glared at him. Sedna got to her feet and dusted off the dead grass on her skirt.
“So Sed’, you want to hang out with us until we get to Eriyon?” Denga nudged Ginto in the side.
“Sed’?” Sedna tilted her head.
“Yeah, you don’t mind if I call you that do you?”
“Not really…”
“Okay good then,” Denga smiled, “I just think it’s better to stick with people your age. The older guys are so boring…”
“Actually, I find some of their conversations rather interesting.” Sedna said.
Denga coughed, “Well…”
“I guess he doesn’t find them that interesting because he already knows everything.” Ginto implied.
Denga laughed nervously, “Ah, well, not everything…”
“Sedna..?” a woman approached the group, “are you ready?”
Sedna smiled and nodded, “Yes Mom, I was just talking with the Prince and his escort.”
Her Mother bowed quickly then took her daughter by the arm, “Excuse us.”
Sedna waved goodbye and followed her Mother back into the crowd.
Denga sighed happily, “She likes me, I know she does.”
Ginto shook his head, "You say that to every girl that you're interested in..."
“Yeah well there's something different about this one!"
"What makes you think she likes you at all..?"
"The way she looks at me, her timid little smile..." Denga sighed blissfully, "shall I go on..?"
"No, that's quite enough..." Ginto turned around and made his way back to Ba'thin.
Denga spun around and jogged to catch up to the Prince, "I'm sure about her. Maybe she'll be my wife one day..?"
"Keep dreaming Denga..." Ginto mumbled.
"Hmm...someone's in a bad mood today."
"What was your first clue..."
"Who knows, maybe you'll get a girl someday," Denga smiled warmly, "maybe she'll cheer you up a little..?"
Ginto sighed deeply and gathered his belongings. He nudged Ba'thin in the side with his foot to wake him.
"Maybe that nap would have been a better idea?" Denga said.

Translations:

Chei-Chei : Sweetie

Chapter 1 [Part 1]

2009-05-12T19:14:00.000-06:00

It all started with a single gunshot...

One death turned into two, two to four, and four eventually turned to millions. That one single bullet, that one single death, later escalated to a full-blown war. The old woman would ramble about how history was repeating itself and that both sides would be punished for their sinful acts. Fear made people perform outrageous actions that often came with serious or fatal consequences.
His kind, the Vamirias, were never a hostile race. Any human would have thought otherwise. Their somewhat frightening appearance wouldn't make a human think twice about shooting. They compared themselves to cats; they had fangs, they had claws, their eyes greatly resembled those of a cat and they were able to hiss like one. One of their most bizarre characteristics was their ability to purr when they were content or interested. They had two forms, an original form and a casual form. Their original forms took up too much of their energy to sustain for long periods of time, so they spent most of their days in their casual forms. They only changed back to their original forms if they were in battle; their skin was tough enough to prevent anything from damaging them, like a bullet or a blade. There were three different types of Vamirias: common Vamirias, Feral Vamirias and Blood Vamirias. What made Feral and Blood Vamirias different from the common ones were their genetics. Feral Vamirias fed off of animal blood, in rare occasions they even fed off the blood of other Vamirias. Blood Vamirias were rumoured to be descendants of the great god Azriel, they had the amazing ability to heal others with their energy. The Blood Vamirias were the most mysterious; they still didn't understand everything about them.
The Vamirias had never interacted with Humans prior to the incident; they slept during the daylight and went about their business during the evening and night hours. Their nocturnality earned them the nickname "Shades".

"They are afraid of what they do not understand."
A man had told him this years ago, a man that he thought he loathed. His smug grins made his blood boil; he irritated him immensely, but he wouldn't dare strike him. Hate should be the last thing one would feel towards the half that brought you into existence...
He wasn't familiar with war; he was however, familiar with death. He was born a killer; he couldn't survive without killing someone or something. He didn't kill for the sake of ending one's life; he killed them for their blood...
He had to kill others in order to stay alive; he was one of the rare few of his kind that fed off the blood of others, his 'curse' was another reason to hate his Father. It was like an everyday routine that he had to follow, it was as important as eating and keeping oneself hydrated. If he didn't ingest blood, he would go through an episode. His body would react negatively and he would end up being mortally ill. Not only would he be unhealthy, he would slowly lose his sanity. Blood was a twisted addiction to him....

He felt something cold and slightly wet brush against his face. He opened his eyes groggily and groaned. His head was throbbing and he had trouble focusing his vision. The humid object brushed his face a second time and he turned his head slowly to identify its proprietor. A large black blur sat next to him; his vision was still foggy and he couldn't make out who or what the being was. His sight finally focused; the creature was none other than his Arnan companion Ba'thin.
Ba'thin was a young Arna native to Arthius; he was about fourteen, only a few years younger than his owner. The animal was given to him by his Father had when he was a young child; children usually received an Arna as a reward for surviving the first four or five years of their life. The animal's long thick onyx fur made him look twice his actual size and the emerald tinted hairs that littered his coat resembled tribal tattoos. His large serrated ears were pointed upwards in excitement. His massive fangs hung from his mouth, they made him seem menacing but he was playful at heart. The creature's appearance was very much like that of a lion; he was just bigger, much bigger...
Ba'thin wagged his thin tail in happiness; the cold object that he felt against his face must have been the animal's nose. The youth smiled faintly then mumbled, "Has the sun set already..?"
The feline growled lowly then trotted to the other side of the room, his tail unintentionally nudged a picture frame, causing it to fall and shatter on the floor.
"Ba'thin..!"
The boy rolled out of bed and started to collect the broken glass off of the floor. He gazed at the broken photo, it was of his parents: Valac and Rosier Zelcis. Close friends called his Mother Rose for short. They were Emperor and Empress of the Vamirias. His Mother looked like a child compared to his Father. She was small, slender and had a contagious smile. Her raven locks were in done in large curls, like she usually did them. His Father was almost the complete opposite; he was a very tall and broad man, his lengthy silver hair reached down to his thighs and his grinning mouth was framed by a trimmed beard. The picture was probably the only one that he had of his Father smiling; his Mother had a soft glow to her face when she smiled, why couldn't his Father be more like her..?
The door suddenly opened and his Mother poked her head into the room.
"Are you awake Ginto..?" she whispered.
"Yes." he said under his breath.
She stepped into the weakly lit room and closed the door behind her, her raven curls bobbed as she did so, "Good, we will be leaving soon."
Ginto sat on the floor in silence; he wasn't very fond of moving around from palace to palace. His Father owned many palaces located throughout the continent; Ginto was born in Arthius, so he thought of the Arthian palace as his home.
His Mother stared at him intensely, her emerald irises glowing in the darkness.
"You don't want to go do you..." she murmured.
"Why are we going to Eriyon..? We can't stay here..?" he asked.
"Well, your Father has business that he has to deal with in Eriyon...and---"
"He can go alone than!" Ginto interrupted her.
Rose looked taken back, she frowned a bit, "You know how it works...we go where he goes. We are a family, we must support each other."
Eriyon wasn't half as beautiful as Arthius. It was an ancient town surrounded by small villages; they were split up into four quadrants: north, east, south and west. He had only seen the north and west, which was enough for him to dislike the borough.
The town was located at the base of a mountain, the closest city to Eriyon was Raulihym, which was located high on the mountain itself. The weather in Raulihym was the complete opposite of Arthius, but Ginto still found Raulihym more attractive than Eriyon, regardless of the cold. The locals in Raulihym were known for their strength and large forms. There were a few of them working as guards in his Father's palaces. Their most distinctive features were their fiery red hair and the variety of tattoos that took up the majority of their faces. There wasn't anything special about the locals in Eriyon...
Ginto looked down at the picture briefly before placing it back where it belonged. He stood up slowly and made his way over to his wardrobe.
"Fine...I'll get dressed..." he grumbled.
Rosier smiled widely, "Perfect. Sareen will fix you breakfast."
She exited the room and shut the door behind her. Ba'thin walked around in circles by the entrance.
Ginto growled.

"I don't want to hear your excuses!"
Valac's piercing voice boomed in the hallway. His servants bowed in apology, "Forgive us your majesty!"
He bared his fangs in disgust, "Leave my sight..!"
Valac growled loudly as his servants scrambled out of the room.
"Those fools keep sending me useless servants..." he scowled.
Rose entered the hall and cleared her throat. Valac turned to face the woman.
"Did you wake him?" he asked.
Rose smiled faintly, "Yes I did."
Valac grinned smugly, "You should teach that boy how to rise early..."
His wife frowned, "It will be a long trip, why can't he sleep in a little?"
Valac didn't respond, he simply stared at the woman in annoyance.
Rose rested her hands on her hips, "The only thing I should be teaching him right now, is how to get along with you. You should be doing the same, mister."
Valac crossed his arms and paced the room slowly. There was a moment of silence before he finally decided to speak.
"Are your belongings prepared? I plan on leaving before sunrise."
"Yes, I put them together last night."
"Good." he frowned.
Rose sighed deeply, “Well, it looks like I’ll have to sit in between you two, again.”
She shook her head, gathered the bottom of her cascading dress and made her way into the main hall. Valac tapped his claws against his lips.
“Rosier…”
The woman turned around in annoyance, “Oohhh, what is it now?”
“There won’t be any need for that this time…”
Rose pursed her lips, “Oh? So the two of you won’t be at each other’s throats? Oh joy..!”
She picked up the pace in her stride, her shoes clacked against the marble flooring as she walked. Valac laughed quietly, his wife was clearly annoyed by the way the two acted towards each other. Sometimes she would take extreme measures to separate them, unfortunately the majority of her efforts failed.