Part11

A figure crouches on a huge boulder in the middle of the forest. The man has honey, hazel eyes and hair, wearing ripped purple pants, revealing a six-pack in his muscular torso. A gold earring glints from one of his ears and has stubble on his slight cleft chin and high cheekbones. He glances at his side as he hears rustling within some bushes.

First, goat horns emerge from the leaves, which are attached to a human man’s face that has a goat beard. The satyr sidesteps its hairy, cloven hooves away from the man. He smiles as he watches the faun run away; it knows what he is.

The man catches a scent ahead of him; the evening sun shows two deer among the trees. He gets ready to pounce, laying his palms flat against the rock, and his legs ready to leap. The stags seem to sense something, their heads searching, but they can’t find out what it is, they so back to grazing on ferns.

A loud growl erupts from the man’s mouth as he straddles one of the deer’s back, grabbing hold of the antlers to stay on. He watches the other stag lope away as he dodges the flailing hooves of his victim. The man turns his arms in a hundred-eighty degree, too fast for the deer to follow. After hearing the neck snap, the man lets go of the body to crash onto the grass, which the dead stag kicks a few times.

“As cruel as nature might seem, friend,” the man speaks to the corpse, “your life must sustain others,” he throws the body onto his shoulder.








***

“Hooray, the Leader is here!” several children cry out as the man approaches.

The Leader stands still as he glances over the Gypsy camp. He sighs as he hands the deer carcass to a man. The Leader’s eyebrows knit together as he looks for something-or someone. He stops when he sees a hammock at the edge of the campsite. Someone is sleeping in it, the leader smiles as he walks to it.

The Leader pulls back the black cape, which serves as a cover, to reveal a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl. Her golden, shoulder-length, feathered hair frames around her small face, under her tiny chin, brushing against her high cheekbones. The Leader traces his finger against her button nose and her little, rosebud lips. Her eyes flutter open; two big, blue eyes stare up at him.

“Oh,” she says as she sits up, showing a white, puffy-sleeve shirt and a hint of purple pants, her voice like silver bells. “Hello, Tefan.”

“Hello, Elizabet`…” Tefan’s grin grows wider, “Love.”

Elizabet` rolls her eyes as she throws her legs over the hammock and cross her legs. “How did your hunt go?”

“We would have had two stags if you had come with me,” Tefan answers, leaning close to her, almost as if to kiss her.

“If I had come,” she replies, “you would’ve paid more attention to me than your prey.”

“My love,” Tefan cups her face with his hands, “when will you trust your heart to me?”

Elizabet` pulls her face away, and then stares furiously at the ground. A scream of alarm comes from the other side of the camp. Her head snaps up. Tefan starts running toward the distressed sound. Elizabet` gallops by on a black stallion, yelling, “Giddy up, Nuwkco!”

As they both get closer, they see a man, of pure white skin with matching grey-white hair and eyes, in black, formal clothes, grasping a Gypsy girl by her wrist, about to partake from her neck. The male growls as a small, silver knife zings into his stomach. The vampire shows his sizable fangs as Elizabet` swings her bronze broadsword. She cuts a deep gash in his arm, causing him to let go of the girl. The vampire slashes a row of scars on the horse’s flank, making Nuwkco buck and kick, with his forelegs, the monster into a tree.

The tick starts to run away; Elizabet` flips the reins and gently, yet firmly kicks the stallion’s side with her spurs. When the vampire is a couple yards ahead, he turns abruptly. Elizabet` prepares for his attack, seeing him pull the knife out of his belly. The vampire throws the knife. It is too quick and she doesn’t have time to think. A hand blocks her face for a moment; then it disappears as Elizabet` hears a groan and sees a body crash into the ferns.

The parasite continues running but Elizabet` stops Nuwkco and dismounts. Tefan is lying on his back with his hand clutching the other that still has the knife through it. Elizabet` kneels next to him as Tefan slides the knife out.

“Why did you stop?” he asks, growling like a dog, glaring up at her. “You could have had him!”

“I-I…uh…I…” she stammers as she watches the blood drip down his arm. Elizabet` hears the worry in her voice and knows that she cares about him. But he shouldn’t get hurt because of her, he means so much to her. Why does he always have to save her? He had done it so many times, even when she didn’t need it. She feels like fussing with him, but that won’t help, he’ll do it anyway.

Tefan stares at her with an expression that is indecipherable. Then his eyebrows arches for a second, as if he understands something, and then quickly knits together in anger, “That vampire, I know the scent, he filled my father! He must die!”

“Tefan…,” Elizabet` says calmly. She runs her fingers through his silky hair until she feels something damp and warm. Thinking that it is sweat, Elizabet` pulls back her hand. It is not sweat; it is Tefan’s blood. She stares at the place where his head had hit a rock.

Tefan stands up’ wincing as he ignores the searing pain in his head and healing hand. He hears a slick, sucking noise as the hand heals. Tefan howls as his body lurches forward, changing into a huge, hazel wolf as his paws touches the ground.

Elizabet` glances at her hand after she remounts Nuwkco. The image of Tefan lying on the ground reminds her too much of that dreadful, yet intimate night…

Part111

A cloaked figure on a black stallion with a large, honey, hazel wolf, with a gold earring in one ear, at its side, travels through a dark forest. The person pulls back the hood to reveal a young sixteen-year-old girl. Her eyebrows knit together in thought as her big, blue eyes scan the trees. Her button nose wrinkles as her little, rosebud lips frowns. She sweeps back the golden, feathered, shoulder-length hair that is brushing against her high cheekbones and lightly touching the collar of her white, puffy-sleeve shirt. She places her hands on her hips, near her purple pants. She pats the mane of the horse, “Come on, Nuwkco,” her voice like tiny, tinkling bells, urging the stallion forward with the silver spurs on her black boots, she glances at the wolf, “Do you still smell your father’s murderer, Tefan?”

The wolf meets her eyes. His eyes match the color of his fur, making him look like an artistic wood carving. Tefan nods once, the trots gracefully ahead of the horse and the girl. Suddenly, the ruff of his neck bristles, Tefan bares his canines and growls, the girl reaches into her black, leather belt for her metal crossbow. The horse snorts and prances a few steps back.

“The vampire had passed by,” the wolf says in a human, growling voice, “but there’s something else here, Elizabet`.”

“What is it?” she asks.

It’s a…” Tefan doesn’t get to finish, a raptor-like creature bulldozes into the wolf, making him slam into an old, gnarled tree. The monster hisses at Tefan as he slowly stands up. The raptor animal has batwing-like ears atop its lizard head, a flap-like ribbed mane around its slender neck, two tiny wings on its back, and four sharp spikes on the end of its long, whip-like tail. A small dragon is blocking their path.

Elizabet` raises her crossbow, aiming for the throat, a place where, usually, a dragon’s heart is found. The raptor dragon sees this action, hisses at her, turning its attention away from Tefan.

Tefan growls as he lunges for the dragon’s throat, not noticing that Elizabet` shoots a bullet. He sees the bolt racing toward them, and then twirls in midair, missing the projectile by inches. Tefan hears the thud of the arrow hit home, but a force, following by pain in his tail, pulls him backwards. The force quickly releases as he lands on his paws, but the pain is still present. He grimaces as he glances over his shoulder to look at his bloody tail.

“Oh no, Tefan, are you okay? I thought you were a goner!” Elizabet` shouts as she dismounts Nuwkco, exclaims as she kneels and hugs Tefan’s neck.

Shock overcomes Tefan as Elizabet`’s arms wrap around him. She had done that on the day that she had almost died, and as quickly as that brief embrace was, she pulls back with a shocked expression, the blushes as she turns away. Tefan secretly vows, from that moment on, if the next time she places her arms around him that he’ll return the embrace and kiss her.

“Come on Tefan,” Elizabet` pats his head. “That vampire will gain some distance if we lag around here,” she says as she remounts Nuwkco and flip the reins.















***

They nearly stop when they smell the salty, sea air of ocean. The soft sound of waves roars as they get closer to a cliff top. Jagged rocks prod from the edges of the cliff face, and sea foam lap against the bottom. Only a rickety, wooden bridge connects from the cliff’s edge to a mountainous rock with an abandoned castle on top.

Tefan’s back arches as he turns into a human. Elizabet` looks away for his benefit and fetches a pair of purple pants from her saddlebag. Has stubble on his high cheekbones and slight cleft chin and a six-pack in his torso. As Tefan puts on the pants, Elizabet` ties Nuwkco’s reins to a nearby tree.

“What’s the plan, Tefan?” she asks as she stands at his side and stare at the castle.

“We storm the castle,” Tefan growls.

Elizabet` starts onto the bridge, testing its strength, its sturdiness. Tefan follows after her, determination on his face. “The sun is coming up pretty soon,” she informs, “He may hide but can’t run.”

“It’ll have to do,” Tefan replies, “As long as I kill him.”
The heroes continue on the dangerously rocking bridge until they reach a black, wrought- iron gate. Tefan breaks the chain that holds the gate together. A flock of crows gather in a cemetery of dead, twisted trees and ruined statues. The black birds rouse from their nests as the heroes approach the gruesome, stone castle. Tefan’s nose twitches as he stares up at the many, tiny windows of the large building. Elizabet`’s hand creeps to her belt until she finds the hilt of her bronze broadsword, her face rigid. She pushes on the dense, wooden door, it doesn’t budge. Tefan grasps her shoulder, “We won’t be coming in that way.”
Elizabet` merely gawks at him for a fraction of a second before Tefan slings her across his back as he leaps ten feet to the first window he encounters. While in midair, Elizabet`’s arms locks a choking-hold around Tefan’s neck as her legs wrap around his hips, trying to stay on his back, feeling the wind against her face.
As Tefan lands inside, Elizabet` takes a glance at his profile, she does not like what she sees. She has seen that expression, in the reflection of a puddle; it was once her own on the night that she had almost died. Curiosity had killed the cat, Ambition had killed Caesar. “Tefan…I’m concerned.”
“About what?” he retorts, Elizabet` jumps back as if she had just received a blow.
“Remember…? That night?” she touches his arm tenderly.
Tefan’s eyes soften, but only for a second, his face hardens again, and then asks rudely, “Yes?”
“I’m not letting that happen again,” Elizabet` says firmly, “not to me…nor you.”
“Aw, how sweet,” a cruel voice interrupts, Tefan growls and Elizabet` pulls out her sword.
The vampire grins as his steps forward, fingertips pressing together; he stands like a skinny, twiggy insect. His grey eyes and hair are as arctic as his frosty, white crust. A serpent would shy away from such evil.
Tefan charges at the leech, but it is too swift for him. Tefan falls headlong and slides across the stone tiles. Elizabet` swings her weapon at the blur, but receives a slap instead, causing her to collapse backwards, the steel clattering on the floor. The vampire towers over her, crouching as he reaches for her face. Tefan jumps him from behind, which releases a fury of growls and snarls, then a yelp.
Gasping and getting to her feet as Elizabet` sees a knife prod from Tefan’s abdomen. She raises her crossbow and fires a dart, aiming for the leech’s heart. He catches the projectile but not before it runs through his palm. Distracted by the pain, the mosquito doesn’t realize that Tefan is crawling
towards him. Tefan opens his mouth and bites hard into the vampire’s calf.
The tick screams in anguish; it is too late for him. His skin bubbles as if he is boiling inside, falling to his knees as he claws at his festering face. The leech’s head start to cave in as his body crumbles into dust. Nothing, but a formal evening suit, wingtip shoes, and a pile of dirt remain.
“Elizabet`…” Tefan groans.
She crawls close to him while he pulls the blade out of his tummy. There is a strange, bittersweet perfume coming from the green glow of the knife. Elizabet` recognizes the smell; the dagger is poisoned, just like the one that almost killed her. The victim could survive if she or he receives his or her True Love’s kiss, or else, they would die, an evil witch which had told her the secret as Elizabet` was dying before Tefan saved her. She loves Tefan and doesn’t want him to depart this life, but would it get worse after this? Tefan’s arms slacken and Elizabet` knows what she must do. She cups his face and descends her lips upon his. A light, white radiance shines from Tefan’s body as Elizabet` does this, his weakened arms find enough strength to wrap around her, pressing her body against him…












***
Elizabet` tries not to seem nervous as she holds the bouquet close and under her chin. Everyone is staring at her, but she had dealt with worse, much, much worse. The feeling of running away scares Elizabet` but the sight of Tefan and the Bishop and Nuwkco’s encouraging whinnies urge her to proceed. When she is at Tefan’s side, the Bishop opens the Holy Bible and loudly, firmly states, “We are gathered together, to unite this couple in marriage…” the huntress and the werewolf smile as the Bishop makes his speech….