HELLO!!!!! Wow, it’s been a very long while since I’ve updated! Now for the story progress: last chapter was crap!! I’ve looked it over and I want to slap myself for posting that monstrosity as an excuse for a “good” chapter. (Although, I really do appreciate every single review I get :D) I really have to stop writing fillers :/ It’s bad…real bad. So, maybe now I can actually write good…enjoy.

All I Ask For

“I wish this damn snow would stop. I’m sick of staying locked up in this place like some animal,” spat Turel, facing towards the front window in the living room. “How any of you tolerate such confinement is madness in itself.” Rahab closed his book and stood from the sofa by the fire, making his way to the bookshelf.

“Such complaints escape from your mouth, brother. One would think you were suffering, being tormented by the very guests inhabiting here.” Rahab placed the book in his possession back into the slot it belonged, and wiped his hands of dust as he faced his older brother. “Enjoy the soft tranquility while you can; once this snow slows down, father will, with no doubt, put us through vigorous training,” he added. “Conditioning will commence in order for us to endure the freezing temperatures, and thus, we will be experiencing cryogenic solidity.” Turel turned his back to face his brother, a puzzled expression on his face.

“To put it plainly, he means we shall be frozen solid,” Zephon said from afar. “Though as cold as it may be here in Uschtenheim, I think you over exaggerate, Rahab. Humans survive in such conditions, therefore it would not be trouble for us to adapt to such harsh temperatures. We would not freeze.”

Rahab smiled. “Of course, Zephon, I just wanted to prove my point.”

“And so you have,” the red-head reassured, “but must you always grace us with your all-knowing abilities? You’re not father.” Rahab frowned.

“I was not trying to be,” he replied defensively. “I was merely acknowledging the wrath of mother nature. Such destruction should be taken into consideration.” Dumah, who was resting on the couch, added:

“Shut your mouth, Rahab! When the time comes for us to train with the master, we will. Until then, keep your weather reports to yourself! Nosgoth is not falling into oblivion. By God, it’s no wonder father ignores you.” The room was filled with laughter, and although he wasn’t too keen on being made fun of, Rahab shrugged off Dumah’s comments.

“Alright, Dumah, let’s not get carried way. Nosgoth may not be set to fall in a century, or in the next millennium, but heed my words something will happen in the near future. It may not be the ‘storm of the century,’ but I feel that someday…things will change for the worse.”

“Let’s not be hasty when predicting the future, shall we?” Heads turned towards the voice of their master as his figure, along with Raziel’s, entered through the door. “You needn’t fill the minds of your brothers with such speculations, when you, Rahab, know nothing of what is to come.” Kain stripped off his cloak and tossed it on the vacant sofa. “I find your predictions insulting to my intelligence.”

“Mhmm,” agreed Dumah from the couch. Rahab gave a sideways glance at his brother and scowled.

“From now on,” instructed Kain, “I will be the only one to speak of Nosgoth’s fate. Do you understand?” Rahab bowed.

“Yes, Lord Kain. Forgive me for my incompetence. It shall not happen again, I assure you.” Satisfied with his son’s answer, the master vampire walked past his fledglings and up the stairs to his room. Raziel removed his jacket and placed it on top of his father’s.

“Did you have your fill, brother?” asked Turel from behind. Raziel stopped in his tracks. “Your skin looks much better than before, so I’m assuming you did.” The elder sighed.

“I am satisfied if that’s what you are getting at,” said Raziel, his voice filled with annoyance. “You’ve insisted numerous times that I should feed. And now that I have,” he turned around to face the younger, “you should get off my back.” Taken aback, Turel snarled.

“Or what, Raziel? Shall I cower in fear of my elder’s warning, run into my room and hide under my blankets? Maybe ask Father if I could sleep in his bed tonight? No…I’m not afraid of you.” Raziel growled and lunged at Turel with powerful force, knocking him on his back; the two wrestled on the floor, clawing, biting and punching each other.

“You bastard, Turel! How could you ever think of taking my place?” The eldest placed his right hand around Turel’s throat, squeezing tightly, while his left held down the opposing arm. “Why do you envy me so? Don’t you know this is how we were meant to be?” Raziel tightened his grip. “Father raised me first above all for a reason.”

“Fuck…fuck you…Ra-Raziel,” Turel managed to say. “Father…he cares nothing for you…” He finished bitterly. Raziel’s brows furrowed as his grip around Turel’s neck tightened.

“A lesser being would say that. I suppose I can’t blame you for your ignorance.” Raziel put more of his weight down on his brother to hinder his movements. “Having no one care for you often gives reason for jealously. How humiliating that must be for you, Turel.” The younger bared his fangs and used what energy he had to pull Raziel’s hand from around his neck.

“Go to hell,” Turel snarled, and shoved Raziel backwards onto the living room table. The other siblings standing around moved out of harm’s way before Turel had a chance to body slam Raziel, who rolled off the table in time.

“Get Father!” yelled Rahab as he jumped on one of the sofas, being cautious as to not get into the fight on the ground. Zephon, being closest to the stairs, raced off to alert their master of the destruction going on in the living room. Dumah attempted to pick Turel up from the floor, but was stopped by Raziel.

“Stay out of this, Dumah,” he warned, clenching his fists in anger. “This matter does not concern you.” Not paying heed to his brother before him, Raziel was dragged down to the floor and pinned down by Turel.

“Why don’t you burn, Raziel? Make life as we know it easier for us all, won’t you?”

“That can never be,” Raziel growled, attempting to claw at Turel. “Your life is nothing but a waste; you are nothing but a twisted soul, who happened to receive the gift of immortality in this heap of flesh you call a body…” Before he could reply to Raziel’s harsh words, Turel was thrown off of his brother and sent backwards into the wall, cracking it, and falling to the floor. And before Raziel could react, he found himself held aloft by the throat against the cracked wall, struggling for a breath, while Turel to his left had barely begun to register the events that just occurred.

“Haven’t you played enough games, Raziel?” Kain said, locking eyes with his son. “When will you learn that insolence is not allowed in my house?” Raziel gripped Kain’s wrist with both hands to prevent anymore cuts along the tender flesh of his throat; he could feel the blood trickling down his collar bones, and hear the light ‘splat’ as the drops hit the floor. “Answer me,” Kain ordered and squeezed tighter. It was true…his claws could cut into flesh easier.

“What…what games, sire? I-I have done nothing wrong…” Raziel turned his head towards the recovering vampire on the ground. “Turel…,” he pointed a finger, “it was Turel.” Hearing his name, Turel looked up with squinted eyes and furrowed brows, trying to focus the blur in his vision.

“What do you mean, Raziel?” asked Turel, agony in his voice. “You attacked me first, and it was only right that I fought back in order to protect myself.” The vampire rubbed the back of his head and groaned. “I don’t deserve punishment, yet I receive it while you go free.” Raziel wanted to lunge at Turel but was stopped by Kain’s sharp claws. Any more movement and he’d rupture an artery.

“Use your eyes, man. Can you not see where I am? What position I am in?” Raziel said lightly, not wanting to provoke his master with his threatening tone. Turel blinked.

“I…my vision is not clear. I can hear you but,” he shook his head, “I cannot make out anything visually.” Kain raised a brow and released Raziel, who dropped to the ground, clutching his throat.

“Can you see me?” Turel’s eyes followed his master’s voice and he squinted once more. He shook his head.

“No,” he replied sadly. “I see a blurred figure of you…but I only know it is you because I can hear your voice.”

“What about your brothers?”

“I cannot hear them; I don’t know where they are.”

“Here, Turel,” Rahab aided. Turel’s head immediately turned towards the voice. He nodded.

“Yes, I can hear you now.” He sighed. “But I cannot see you. In fact, I can barely smell you.” Kain knelt in front of Turel and grabbed his face.

“Stay still,” he instructed when Turel resisted, and looked into his green eyes. “They look fine to me. I don’t see any irreparable damage.” Kain’s placed his claws behind Turel’s head and pressed. Turel flinched. “Hurt?”

“Very much, sire.”

“Did you see stars, brother?” Zephon said, trying to contain a smile.

“Silence,” ordered Kain. Zephon pressed his lips together and said nothing more. Kain sighed. “You are not bleeding,” he said to Turel, “so the swelling should go away within a few days. Perhaps next time you and your brother will rethink the consequences before you take action.” Kain rose and looked at his eldest. “You should’ve known better, Raziel. I am disappointed.” It won’t be the first time, Raziel thought.

“So what am I to do, Lord?” asked Turel from his kneeling position.

“Nothing. You have a temporary blindness, and I will respect the fact that you cannot see. But that does not mean you are unable to hear, or use your other senses, and so I do not pity you. Your ignorance caused this.” Kain looked out the window. “Dumah. Get your brother a blindfold.” Dumah went off to fetch the cloth and Raziel rose from his spot on the ground. “Help him up,” Kain ordered, not taking his eyes off the outside.

Raziel nodded and wrapped his arm around Turel, pulling him to his feet. When Dumah returned with the blindfold, Kain tied it around Turel’s eyes. “From now on,” he began, “you will wear this until your vision has returned. It will give your eyes time to recover and keep them safe from light. Do not take it off in the darkness either. I want you to develop your other senses, strengthen them. Understand, Turel?”

“Yes, master,” he replied dryly.

“Good. Raziel, lead your brother outside; then follow me. And do not ask questions,” Kain added when he saw Raziel open his mouth. Without any objections, the firstborn walked with his brother outside, and was bombarded with razor-like cuts from the wind; the cold burned his face and he tried burrowing it into Turel’s shoulder. Trying his best to see, Raziel looked for his master’s pale form up ahead, but could not find him. His body nearly blended in with the snow, and having long white hair didn’t provide much help either. And so Raziel followed the footprints in the snow, hoping, with some luck, he’d find his father.

OoOoOo

“We should abandon the plan, Sebastian,” advised Marcus. “There is no possible way you, me, Faustus, and some demented girl could ever win against Kain and his sons.”

“Not to mention that they most likely control another force, an army perhaps,” added Faustus.

“It’s not like we have much of a fortress either.” Marcus put his arms up, gesturing to Sebastian’s home. “What? Are we supposed to fight back with cushions and candlesticks? We don’t even have a secure position to attack or defend from. Besides all that, Sebastian, we don’t even know where Kain is! How do you expect us to fight when we have nothing?” Sebastian leaned forward on the wooden table; his blue-grey eyes glowed in the candle light and white fangs glistened as he smiled.

“I don’t expect you to do anything, Marcus, Faustus. My home is obviously not fit for any kind of warfare. But instead of complaining about it, why don’t you give some insight on what you want to be done? I was a lieutenant many years ago as well; I think I know what is needed to engage in war. But the question is: are you willing to help?” Before either vampire had a chance to reply, Sebastian continued. “Before you say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” he said, holding up a hand, “you must think about it. In order to fight, we need weapons, a secure base, and lots of soldiers. Now the weaponry and shelter we can get, but reliable soldiers to join our army, that is going to be tough,” he finished, settling back in his chair and folding his arms.

“How would it be tough, Sebastian?” asked Faustus. “All we must do is find suitable lads that have some experience in combat, and we got ourselves some men. I don’t see the difficulty in that.” Sebastian shook his head and gave a light chuckle.

“Faustus, it’s no wonder you were the lowest of the lieutenants; you have lots of empty space in that head of yours, don’t you?” Faustus balled his fists, but remained seated, when Marcus gave him a sharp look.

“So then what do you propose we do?” Marcus asked. Sebastian licked his dry lips.

“Well, it’s quite simple. We can either take turns creating vampires, which would eventually drain us of our own lives, or we use humans that would willingly fight for us…well, on Amaryllis’ behalf.” Faustus did get up this time.

“Why must we fight for a worthless child that cares nothing for us? All she wishes to do is avenge herself, and you know as well as I that he efforts will be wasted.” Faustus lowered his voice. “You’ve seen her during her training. She could barely hold a steady telekinetic grab; she couldn’t even push Marcus away. And let’s say we do get an army together. What do you think they will do when they find out who they are fighting for? Hm? Give her flowers and ask for her hand in marriage?”

“You are both taking this too far-

“Are we?” interjected Marcus. “Is it not the best way to determine the outcome? We would like to consider the consequences before getting killed…again.” Marcus put enough emphasis on his last word that he made Sebastian stop and think. They were given a second chance to live, a gift that no other could ever obtain, vampire or mortal. Somehow Sebastian overlooked his second life; he was immortal, but that did not mean he could not die.

“Well…what else do you have in mind?” Sebastian asked, frustrated. It was Marcus’ turn to chuckle.

OoOoOo

“I think my strength is increasing, Nightwing. You get much easier to wield the longer I hold you.” Amaryllis remained outside to practice her sword stance and her attacks, while the vampires made plans inside. The wolf never liked making plans; she was a spontaneous person. When her father would set out maps and charts full of information and cities, Amaryllis would leave the room before boredom took over.

“You have changed…you are not a child anymore. The darkness inside you is growing, Amaryllis, and your heart is having trouble resisting. But in order to become stronger, you must let it consume you…” Nightwing closed its eye and out from its body, seeped darkness. Amaryllis dropped the sword and backed away.

“What is this, Nightwing? Tell me!” Amaryllis watched in horror as the dark cloud coiled around her, tightening its grip and pulling her to the ground. “It burns,” she cried and tears started to form in her eyes. “What is this?! Why does it burn?!”

“It is darkness…give in to it.” Nightwing opened its eye and saw that Amaryllis was putting up a fight. “You cannot win against darkness, Amaryllis. It will turn you evil and harden your heart. All will fear you…but until you learn to control it, it will control you.” Nightwing allowed more of the black cloud to flow from the blade. The sword watched Amaryllis slowly lose her strength to the cloud, and watched her flesh get destroyed by it.

“Ahhhhhh! Help! Help! Sebastian! Sebas-rrrrmmm…” her voice was muffled, and soon after, silenced. Now all that was left was a dark cloud of evil. The darkness had entered Amaryllis’ body. At last, her transformation was complete. Nightwing had succeeded in allowing evil to be planted; now it only needed time to grow.

“It is done…” The darkness immediately disappeared, and all who was left was Amaryllis. She sat there with her head down, occasionally breathing out wisps of darkness that emerged from her mouth and faded within a few seconds.

“Was that your plan all along?” The sword narrowed its eye.

“Plan?”

“To destroy the good in me; was that your plan?” Amaryllis looked up at the sword and smiled. Her blue eyes had nearly turned black.“It’s a shame. I was never really good nor was I capable of doing good things. But you see this darkness you purposefully planted in my body is not pure on its own. My spirit is divine and does not like to share the host it thrives on. So really, I am only half-way consumed. It will be difficult now to get rid of the darkness, thanks to you.”

OoOoOo

“Make sure you get enough wood for the fire; there’s going to be a blizzard tonight,” Kain informed his sons as they struggled to carry the amount of logs that were cut. Turel was having a hard time to begin with, due to his blindness, but made it much more difficult for Raziel. Kain had tied a rope to bond both of his sons together, more so to aid Turel in finding his way. But Raziel, being stubborn and angry with his younger brother wanted to make things difficult. He led Turel into trees, and occasionally tripped him, claiming he hit a fallen branch or stubbed his foot on a stump. After having his laughs, Raziel felt pity for his brother and instead of prolonging his torture, he decided to just get the job done, and avoid his father’s wrath.

“Come. The winds are harsh, and the sun is going down. Let’s head back.” Kain carried what wood he had and lead the way through the forest, and back to the cabin. Turel dropped about two logs on the journey home, but nonetheless, still brought a good amount. Rahab brought out his stones and struck them together numerous times before igniting the dry wood. Melchiah, having awoken from his slumber, joined his family by the fire and sat next to Dumah on the floor. Rahab placed his stones above the fireplace and joined Zephon on the loveseat sofa. For once, there was no friction between them. Kain sat between Raziel and Turel, a vacant expression on his face as he stared absentmindedly into the flames, thinking as he had done so all morning. He would soon have to teach his sons how to make vampires of their own. The process itself was not so difficult, but both tiring and time-consuming. Save for Raziel and Turel, Kain wasn’t sure if the others were ready. Making a vampire takes patience, a great amount of energy, and responsibility. But time called for desperate measures; within the next century, Kain wanted his empire built. By then all his children would have fledglings, their own land, and a spot in the royal council.

“Amaryllis,” he whispered, hoping no one had heard him. Cautiously, he glanced on either side of him and saw that both his sons had fallen asleep. He sighed and closed his eyes, eager to join the others, to rest his body from a hard day.

“We leave tomorrow,” Kain muttered from under his breath. Raziel opened one eye and stared at his father. They would be on the move again. To Raziel, it seemed like they were running from something rather than trying to establish a rule. But he knew that his father would not run from anything; the idea itself was preposterous. Not wanting to get himself worked up over nothing, the firstborn sighed and closed his eye, and moved closer to his father, resting his head on his shoulder. He waited for a reaction from his father, but did not get one. He released his held breath and fell fast asleep.

Ok, so it’s not much, but there is some foreshadowing here. I’ve hinted at things numerous times…do you know what parts? So Amaryllis is getting ready to round up some soldiers (gotta love her spunk :D) and the vampires are thinking of hiring humans. Wow…well you won’t know what’s going to happen until the next chapter. Oh, and I thought I’d add some family time at the end. Look at it the way you want, but everyone needs a break. Anyways, let me know how I did please. Comments, opinions, suggestions, all are welcomed. Just be honest…-Lil V.