Skull And The Fangs

Accusation.

..The Archipelago..

"Caius!"

Heads turned as a voice called.

Caius' head swiveled to the entrance and he saw the person.

"Hunter, what's it."

"It's Aro, he left."

Gasps flew outta fanged mouths as the hunter said this.

"He left?" Caius' asked again to be sure.

"Yes he did."

"And why will he do that?" Bones the old took a step forward.

"Don't know, but he left."

The surprise Caius is feeling didn't let him see the relief that watched through his men. He's confused at this.

Bones the old was the first to respawn from the shock as he turned to Caius.

"That's a relief, leader?"

"Absolutely." Caius took a curt look at Bones before facing the crowd of bloodsuckers before him.

"My brothers, perhaps, this is the end of the meeting. I hope we see each other in the next few months."

The Vampires didn't even wait any longer, they all zoomed off to their various places.

"Let's go." Heald nudged Kylian, who stood transfixed without moving.

"I'll go." Kylian remained, his eyes solely on a spot.

Heald followed it and he found what he's staring at.

Adjacent to them, the figure in scarlet cloak still stood, fixated.

The eyes under tge cloak and Kylian's eyes gazed into each other. Just as they did when at the beginning of the meeting.

Then all of the sudden, the figure moved and vanished from sight with a whistle of the wind.

Kylian then turned to Heald. "Let's move now."

They both sped outta the cave.

As they left, six burning eyes watched them. Bones the old, Caius and the wizard.

"What do you think?" Caius' raised his brow.

"What else should we think? Aro's gone." Bones shrugged.

"I haven't felt this restless in a few centuries, not since the Tribunals had their mark on my back," Caius frowned deeply. His thick black eyebrows are gaining current in the frown.

"Aro left but I don't think that's just the case," the wizard reasoned.

"Yes, I think so too. That old hunter never leaves a job undone, does he?"

"We shall see," Bones the old said and they dispersed.

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Kylian's body flashed through the woods in a speed that left behind only the whistling breeze.

Heald followed him.

Soon he was by his side.

"Hey, what do you think happened there?" Heald started as they continued their sprint.

"I don't know."

Heald's face took on a frown at Kylian's reply. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Kylian wanted to sprint past Heald but he couldn't outrun him.

Then his mind flashed to the crest on his wrists. He took a glance at it and saw it's glowing.

'this fucking ink' he growled inwardly.

"You've been avoiding me since a day ago, why?"

Kylian didn't reply.

Heald clenched his fist and increased his speed, easily surpassing Kylian.

All of the sudden, he landed before Kylian and grabbed the flying collars of his cloak.

This bought Kylian to an abrupt stop as the resulting force made leaves nearby swirled into the air.

"What do you want?" Kylian barked.

"I want you back, you knocker head," Heald snapped back.

"I'm sorry but I'm not available for now." Kylian snapped his collars from Heald's hold and brushed past his shoulder.

Heald's jaw dropped.

"Please let me be."

A mutter was all he heard from his back before the swoosh of the wind.

Heald stood on the spot, in thoughts. 

The sad song of the birds around not even reaching his ears.

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From the top of tree, Adrian stared from within his scarlet cloak at the distant. The young vampire, Bellerin was beside him and he was looking into the distant too.

Their eyes were on Heald as he wallowed in thoughts at what his friend Kylian said.

Bellerin's unsure gaze turned to Adrian. "Are you sure? Have never heard of a vampire eating flesh."

"Some do. Rogues, according to lores." Adrian's voice was firm, he's very sure of it.

"But-"

Adrian's face cut to Bellerin shutting him up. "You shouldn't worry yourself, I'll find out with my own hands."

Then he melted from the treetop. The winds tell tales of how far he's gone.

Bellerin sighed heavily, and he too disappeared with speed.

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Kylian appeared beside a building, his gaze was on the bar across the street.

A sad smile graced his lips as he recalled what he said to his friend. "I'm sorry friend."

The loud laughter of the drunken dudes heading outta the bar made him look at the place again.

Then he slittered from behind the building and headed for the bar.

Honks roared as vehicles sped past.

He watched the traffic before trotting past the road.

Then he bent into the bar. 

🎶Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head

And as I climb into an empty bed

Oh well. Enough said.

I know it's over - still I cling

I don't know where else I can go

Oh...

Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head

See, the sea wants to take me

The knife wants to slit me

Do you think you can help me?

🎶

The cool beat and rhythmic tune of 'I know it's over by The Smiths' welcomed him.

He slipped into a seat as the barman strode to him.

"You again."

"Three bottles." Kylian didn't even spare him a glance.

The barman stared at him for a while before walking away. "Your pleasure." 

As Kylian waited, he sank into the waves of the song with closed eyes.

"Mister." 

Kylian's eyes flung open.

It's the lady. Her Auburn hair ponytailed this time.

'not again'

"Hope I didn't interrupt something."

"Miss Christa," Kylian called tiredly.

"Bon après-midi (good afternoon)," Her tone in French appeared to be fluent.

"What are you doing here?" 

"Just passing by tho. Then I saw you soaked in this music. Then I knew something was bothering you." Christa leaned forward. "What could that be?"

Kylian sighed, then closed his eyes back.

Christa waited for a while, and when she got no response, began. "Sad, I know. That was how I felt too when my friend in the woods, that always tells me stories left without a trace. It's been five years now but he hasn't shown up again."

"Do you know why?" Kylian asked, his eyes still closed.

"No." Christa looked down at her fingers on the table and continued, "I looked for him for weeks. I still go to the spot where he tells me the stories but he's nowhere to be found."

Kylian sighed again. "Do you wish to hear a story now?"

Christa's face lifted with a smile on it. "Really?"

Kylian didn't reply. Then he began, "Centuries ago, a warrior lived. He fought many wars as a mercenary and was the conqueror in all. King's from all nations would call on him in times of battles and he would heed to the call which he deemed worthy."

"He reigned among other mercenaries and warriors across the seas and the mountains. He always win. He makes his master the ruler of all wherever he goes and whichever side he takes. They gave him a name. Rexmaker. A Latin word meaning kingmaker."

"But one day, the leader that hired him, now made a king, think for himself. 'If I let this man go, an adversary might hire him and that would be my doom'. Then he decided to kill the warrior."

Kylian stopped. Hesitation flashed across his eyes.

Christa, whose attention was solely on the story and where it ended, arched her brows. "Don't tell me that's the end of the story."

"You find out the rest yourself." Kylian stood up and dropped some bill notes on the table.

Christa's jaw dropped.

But Kylian paid no attention. He walked past the barman who was just coming with the three bottles in his grip.

The barman stared at him as he walked out then strode to his table, his face rippled in a rising vexation. When he saw the bill notes, he grinned. That's money. Without selling a bottle.

Christa on other hand had her eyes on Kylian as he walked out. Her cheek was red and her forehead creased. "You're the worst storyteller I ever had!"

Kylian didn't stop despite hearing this. Then he said over his shoulder, "passe une bonne journée. (Have a good day)"

Soon his silvery haired figure melted from Christa's sight.

"Aish."

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Kylian raced through the woods. His figure flickered amidst the thick trees and their extending branches.

Iron. The scent of iron kept getting stronger as he pressed in more.

After sprinting for minutes into the woods, he found something.

The trail of blood on the ground.

Thick trail at that. Dried and coagulated.

His eyes flickered red and his throat burned. The crest on his wrists glowed and the eyes shade returned to the normal silvery.

He stopped.

'what is this'

No doubt this is human blood. He could tell.

He sprang to his feet and his figure became a blur as he followed the trailing of the blood.

From afar he could smell it in great intensity. So strong this time.

The crests glowed more brightly and his vision blurred. 

'This crests are overdoing their job, gosh!'

He thought as he staggered all the way through. His hand grasping trees for support as he went.

Then He found the main source.

Right before him, in a pit filled with dried grass and leaves all tainted in red blood, almost a dozen human bodies laid limp.

There's one thing he would never forget that he had seen before, and that is now here.

This thing had almost gotten him in trouble in the coven. It was just a breaths move away from landing him in trouble.

And that thing was that, all the bodies had no organ left in their shredded abdomen.

It's taken away.

"The day is red, I see."

Kylian swiveled around.

"Who is that?" He growled.

"You don't need to growl. I can see I met some party on the ground. Tsk!"

A figure emerged. Scarlet cloak wrapped around the cold body.

'I have seen this cloak before' 

Then it clicked in his mind.

Adrian.

A dry smile was on his lip as he emerged from behind a tree. "Two hundred and fifty years, uh? You're such a hardworking vampire. Appears the old vampire needs to satiate his hunger."

"Uh?!"

......