GOLDEN BLOOD

Dear Brother,

We’ve missed you, let’s have a family get-together—Your favorite step-brothers, Devin and Kevin.

PS: We have your precious Angel.

~:*:~

The Vampire could hear a fit of malice laugh at the end of that note. He punched his fist into the metal door, as the pain swelled in his chest. A piercing cry erupted like a long-suppressed volcano. He had never felt such an intense burn in his chest.

“Terence,” Alexander called, his voice disturbingly low.

Terence appeared on his call. The air in the apartment gave out a tense feel. Terence’s eyes went to the Vampire and saw him sitting on his knees, head held low—eyes bleeding and heart pleading.

“I’m slow.”

“You’ve just recently gotten healthy. The poison had lagged you and blocked your ability to use your skills for a long time, so don’t blame yourself, Master.”

“They took her, and I couldn’t save her.”

“What are you talking about, Master?” Alexander gave him the note and Terence began to read.

“We’ll find her. I’ll begin my inquiry,” Terence said.

The Vampire lifted his head. Blood-red eyes glowed brighter, and a surge of rage flowed in Alexander’s body. “This was their biggest mistake. They’ve no idea what’s coming next?”

The wounded Vampire was fuming; anger bubbling in his veins.

“I know exactly where they’ve taken her, and I’ll have to go there alone.”

Terence froze in surprise. “Alone!” He was sure that he would accompany him on this undertaking. Alexander had never gone far without him. He has always been alongside his Master.

“I know you want to stay beside me and fight with me—” Alexander said.

“Then take me with you, Master.” Terence blurted out eagerly.

“This is my fight, Terence.” The Vampire stood up. “I’ll have to do it myself.”

“I can help, too.” The thought warmed Alexander’s heart. He felt terrible that he would be leaving without him shortly.

Hundred and fifty years ago, Alexander had recused this creature—Terence. When Alexander was poisoned, his condition became worse. Terence fed him his own blood and helped control the poison temporarily. He took care of Alexander. After the Vampire got partially well, Terence left, without saying anything. He’d served him and saved him. A few years later, they met again, and Terence was happy to see Alexander. Alexander offered him a job, and he agreed to stay with the Vampire.

“I know,” the Vampire noticed the dissatisfaction in his confidant’s eyes. “If I run out of options, I’ll call you.”

Terence pouted then sighed. He wanted to help Alexander and fight with him, but he kept his disappointment to himself. “Is there anything I can do in the meantime, Master?”

Alexander picked up Paris’s shawl from the sofa and brought it to his nose to inhale her perfume. He felt his eyes sting as tears threatened to fall. He wrapped the scarf around his neck—in her absence, he wanted to feel her presence.

“Yes. Move every personal item of Paris to my bedroom. She’s moving in with me.” Alexander ordered him. He decided he will not let her stay alone anymore.

“Very well, Master.” Terence waited for Alexander to tag along, but the Vampire didn’t move.

“You go ahead. I’m going to get the Relic.”

“Master!” Terence said the shock in his eyes was apparent. “You cannot kill your own brothers.” Terence’s voice trembled.

“I have no choice but to use it. They blamed me for their mother’s death when I did nothing. Poisoned me, and I did nothing. But now they’ve gone too far, capturing the love of my life! My mate!” A sharp pain shot through his heart when he thought about Paris and how she was taken away from him. The anger from earlier rushed back into his veins.

“So no, I’m not just going to fight. I’LL KILL THEM... BOTH OF THEM.” Alexander snarled, making his declaration.

Terence could feel the anger radiating from his Master.

His brothers wanted him dead, and Alexander had thought numerous times of getting back his revenge, but this wasn’t about him; this was about his love, his beloved Paris. A perfect motive to punish for perfect justice.

He’d already made his decision and decisiveness to resolve it. Alexander didn’t wait for Terence’s opinion, suggestion, or advice.

He left.

~*~

Deep into the woods, Alexander sniffed the fresh air before he took off running. He followed a particular fragrance, a secret scent, a unique navigation left on the trees in the woods, and only he could detect it. He ran with lightning speed. He’d missed running wild in the woods; he was happy he’d gained his power back—Paris’s blood had restored those powers.

Alexander slowed down and soon came to a halt in front of a hidden caravan. His eyes glowed red as he walked into a quiet, cold, and very dark cave. Flaps sounded in the air, as the mass cloud of black Vampire bats flew erratically and swirled around to welcome, ‘The Desmodus Draculae,’ as he stood tall and proud in the middle.

The ditch filled with bats up-raised him from above the ground. “You want me to fly with you?” he said, communicating with them. The small bats chirped back happily.

“Alright,” Alexander chuckled and opening his very long spread-out wings-membranes, which stretched over five feet long, the whole colony went wild emitting high-pitched squeaks. They flapped their small wings in celebration.

Like a dragon, Alexander looked powerful. His red eyes glowed like fire, his muscles showed strength, his mind showed courage, and his heart desired to kill the two who took his love away from him.

His beast took over him, and he growled and commenced flying with the thousands of mammals in the cave. Roamed from corner to corner, swish swash went his wings in the air. The action looked so fluid, flying was his second nature, and he’d missed his wings so much. His heart sang warm praise for his Paris—who gave him what he’d lost. The mammals communicate with him again, and now they’d like him to roost with the group.

Alexander the Dracula turned himself into a bat and hung himself upside down from the cave ceiling, wrapped in his wings, and stayed with the group—roosting.

After a while, looking down to the ground, he emitted ultrasonic sounds to produce echoes to detect an object in darkness and waited. Receiving the echoes back, he dropped and opened his folded-up wings, to set into motion, and glided at greater speed towards a particular location in the cave.

He found what he was looking for.

Alexander picked up an old dusty wooden box. Opening, the light blinded him for a moment. He picked up the Relic Dagger and held it in his hands. A dagger, where souls can be trapped inside forever.

“Paris, I’m coming to get you, my Angel.”

~*~

On earth, where the Sun swallows all dew; the ground covered with small grains and so spoiled, so barren that it never allows a speck of life to bloom—The Cataclysm desert was a place hot as hell. And it was where his evil brothers took Paris and held her captive.

It’s true that vampires hate heat and sunlight. BUT... they can still bear it; they may not dissipate heat with high temperature and could get burned painfully, but they CAN indeed heal after.

There in the dark, he waited. He planned to wait longer before attacking. Alexander tried to control himself and forced himself to calm down and focus on all the minor details in his plan.

To rescue Paris, the best move would be to attack after Sunset. The small window of six hours would allow Alexander to rescue his beloved before the Sun shone brightly again. But the clever tactic would be to attack during the daytime—in the scorching afternoon when they were least expecting it.

Either way, he had to deal with it, and either way, it was going to be dangerous.

He calculated the men on the roof and at the front gate, guarding the entrances. Alexander captured one of the guards and took him alive to grill him—to get the blueprint of the fort and the location where Paris was kept and where his brothers were residing.

After interrogating the weak one, Alexander decided to rescue Paris after dealing with his brothers first.

~*~

The next day:

Alexander met with the blistering heat of the desert. The Dracula felt a bead of sweat trickle down his sideburn and a trail on his back. The Cataclysm desert climate was a lot hotter than expected; if he stayed any longer than wanted, he was sure to burn in this heat.

Alexander’s favorite color was black but he had covered himself in a white hooded cloak, which keeps the body cool, unlike black which tends to absorb heat.

Alexander glanced around, taking in the view. He scrutinized closely, there wasn’t much to see; no matter how far he looked, all he could see was sand for miles and beyond. He spotted the pink stone fortress in the middle of the desert. He determined it was perhaps a few hundred feet away from his vantage point.

Before departing, Terence had given Alexander a flask filled with Paris’s blood. Now and then, he would take a sip to boost his energy.

He examined it closer and noticed no guards were on the roof. Of course, no one wanted to get burned sitting in the full Sun, he guessed. This was a perfect plan.

He landed on the roof; opening the flask, he gulped down every last drop of her blood; smacked his tongue, and threw the empty flask away.

As soon as he entered the dwelling, The building was more than a hundred years old, he kicked and tore open the front door. Every fiber in his body howled for Paris to go and rescue her first. But before he had a chance to finish his thought, a man came charging at him. The seethes of rage raised hell.

One, then two, and three men came along, he slashed them, punched them, hit them out of his way, with no feeling or any emotion. He fought boldly. His power had never been more substantial.

He was focused and had one mission—to destroy everything here and now, so no harm could come to Paris or him afterward.

It didn’t take him long to get through the bodies of men that came his way, trying to stop him. He used his lightning speed.

And after what seemed an eternity, his monster’s step-brothers came into view.

“We thought you’d join us for supper, Brother.” Devin’s malicious grin was plastered on his face.

Alexander clenched his fist, wishing he could slash their throat in sudden death.

~xXx~