Twisted Blood

The epic buzz at the Barnyard faded with the sunset and slowly, in small bundles, the students returned to Dunon Academy. Ridley towed behind Ryan and her friends. Moonbeam and Carson were singing off key to Rihanna's 'Please Don't Stop the Music' that was softening from their distance from the Barnyard. While Ryan was bobbing along to them, Ridley kept a keen eye out for any danger. Her bicycle ticked while she cycled behind them. Ryan was guiding her own bicycle between her and Alex. The uphill trek back to the school grounds still matched the buzz of the Barnyard.

The school was still, apart from the party that went on into the dormitories. The hunters, though they were scarcely around, were walking around purposefully. While Ryan bounced off to the dorms with her friends, Ridley returned home. The building was usually quiet however there was a presence in the air.

Ridley soundlessly crept through the foyer and ducked into the kitchen to inspect it. Unassuming Esmeralda was doing the dishes while dinner was steaming on the stove. Wordlessly Ridley left her stepmother unaware of her presence. The was someone else in their house.

It wasn't Clarke; he didn't create uneasiness in either of his daughters' constitutions. The young hunter ascended the grand staircase of dark varnished wood. On the second floor - near the mezzanine stairs that led to Ridley's room - was a soft creaking. So soft that it was audibly invisible to untrained ears. The stealthier sister aligned herself to the wall.

After tugging out her karambit knife she arched it along her neck, bracing herself for her attack. She was right on top of the creaking source and still its creaks were invisible. A puff of cigarette smoke came out from the corner leading to the stairs. The huntress listened.

The intruder barged off the stairs and made way to strike Ridley with his fist. Her swift agility effortlessly guided her across the right wall of the hallway to the left. Her karambit made for the man's throat but a wrinkled hand gripped her at the wrist. He smirked evilly at her and Ridley match it. She fell to her haunches and flipped the man over her shoulder.

The loud thud alerted Esmeralda, who pulled out a rifle from behind the refrigerator. Meanwhile, Ridley was back on her feet while the older man coolly flipped over himself to get to his feet. He charged for Ridley while Esmeralda was racing up the stairs, with the sunset seeping in through the glass wall around the stairs.

Ridley sidestepped and flipped the man back onto his back. The man pulled out the sword sheathed on his back. Ridley spun her knife over her hand. He smote relentlessly at her and she either avoided the blade or blocked with her karambit. The man smote with his sword and simultaneously cupped his foot behind his young but worthy adversary.

The grey-head man flipped the young huntress onto her back with his sword arched over his head. He aimed straight for her neck but Esmeralda loaded a round into the chamber. Ridley and the man gasped in surprise.

The huntress sprung to her feet while her stepmother open fired. Singlehandedly sliced up each and every bullet that came their way. The halves were redirected. They spewed into the centuries old walls and paintings that lined them. Esmeralda gasped and halted her fire.

"Impressive," the old man replied. "Your accuracy is deadly, little harbinger."

"Richard," Esmeralda replied breathlessly. She leaned the rifle over her shoulder with a relieved exhale. "We weren't expecting you for three more days."

"My alma mater is in danger," Richard replied. "Which means my hunters and Clarke's hunters are in danger." He placed a firm hand on his granddaughter's shoulder. "Although how much danger could Dunon be in with such a precise killer." He leaned into Ridley's ear. "Well done," he whispered.

Ridley turned to face him with her neutral scowl unchanging. "Master Axel," was all she said before heading up to her room.

"You've taught her well. You should be proud of the harbinger of death she'll become."

Esmeralda exhaled heavily. "You have a knack for bringing out savagery in people," she jeered. "Don't antagonise my daughters," she ordered sternly.

"Your daughters? That's a first," Richard replied. "From my intel, they won't be your daughters for much longer. I hear Renee's hereabouts."

Esmeralda narrowed her eyes angrily on the elderly man. She rested the rifle in both hands as she returned to her housework. "Clarke is doing perimeter work," was all she said.

Richard smirked to himself while watching his daughter-in-law storm off. He looked back up the mezzanine stairs to the closed door where his granddaughter undoubtedly was cooling off from her sudden burst of adrenaline. He knew Esmeralda was right; he wasn't ashamed of it.

Had he not drilled Clarke the way he did, the veteran hunter greatly doubted his only surviving son would have as many gradus as he did. The old man straightened up and sheathed his sword. He shrugged his shoulders and the sword and its sheath vanished threw his black shirt.

Outside the sun dormitory, Ryan was high fiving her friends crazily, while still singing off key. Moonbeam covered her face that was reddening from her endless laughing. Jason hurried up to them, with Jakob not far behind. Breathlessly Jason wheezed out incoherent words while waving his arms around weakly.

"Is that a hunter thing," Carson jeered.

"Is it true," Jason finally got out.

Ryan tugged her lips to the side after she folded her arms. "If it is," she replied sourly, "I probably wouldn't know because I wasn't here, Jason. I was in town, with everyone else."

"Richard Axel is here," Jason blurted out excitedly. Ryan's lips parted and she looked down ruefully. "Is it true he has more gradus than any other hunter in history? How many series does he have? Does he really have a scar that looks like wolf? How do you know that he...?"

"Shut up," Moonbeam and Carson yelled together. "Good Lord, dude, you're a hunter," Moonbeam jeered. "Act like one!"

Jakob paused beside Jason and smote him on the back of his head. "We've got an update," he stated.

His eyes darted to the two girls and Alex behind Ryan, who sighed heavily. "I'll see you guys later," she concluded.

"Still waiting for that autograph," Carson stated before she mutely waved while Moonbeam gave a peace sign and Alex nodded understandingly before heading into their respective dorms.

"Status?"

Jakob handed her his tablet. "The entire perimeter's been covered thrice. Canine units have been stationed around the exterior walls. Every blindspot is now covered around-the-clock."

Ryan was skimming through the tablet and the surveillance cameras that were covering every inch of the school's enclosure. "Is it true that Richard Axel can draw out his tattoos to-"

"Shut up, Jason," Ryan cut in suddenly angry. She exhaled her fluster then handed Jakob his tablet. "Where's my dad?"

"I need a twenty on C. Axel," Jakob directed into his earpiece. "En route home."

"Terrific," Ryan jeered then stiffly stalked off home. Lazily lounging in the parlour with the doors wide open was Richard Axel. He sat skew on the settee with a cigarette pressed between his lips. "H-hi, oupa," she greeted sullenly.

"Ryan," he replied coldly. He took another puff of his cigarette then patted the space next to him. Ruefully the hunter obeyed his soundless order. "How have you been?"

"Good," Ryan replied awkwardly. "I, er... never mind. How have you been?"

He shrugged nonchalantly then replied casually, "I've been offered the supreme chairman position on the Council of Chains."

"That's amazing! Congratulations, oupa! You deserve it," Ryan replied, genuinely thrilled. "What an honour! The Council of Chains runs the The Hunt! They've written every rule and protocol there is. Supreme chairman Germain Dubois and high chairman Xiu Li wrote the orginal Blood Peace. The supreme chairman is such an honour and-"

Richard merely turned to her mutely. After that Ryan said nothing. "I said they offered me the position," Richard began after an intense pause. "I have no intention of sitting in a room of old men and trying to resolve problems with rules and laws. 'Honour' you say? Ha. You know nothing, you pathetic little girl."

His youngest granddaughter nodded mutely without looking away from her flat pumps. It was a safe to assume that Ridley was his favourite since she shared similar opinions with Richard. Also, Ryan was a lot like Clarke and Clarke was Richard's least favourite son. Surprisingly, Clarke was also his only surviving son.

"Here's a dribble of advice: if violence doesn't work, you're not using enough violence."

Ryan swallowed hard then dared look to the grey hunter beside her. "Yes, oupa," she replied downtrodden.

"Dismiss. And close those doors."

Ruefully Ryan stood up to leave, feeling more insecure about herself than before. She sniffled softly then wiped away her tears when Clarke exited the kitchen. "Rye," he called as she closed the parlour doors but not before Clarke saw a distinctive silver of his father. "Oi," he sighed. "Rye..."

"I'm okay," she lied sadly.

Still the hunter gathered his daughter in his arms. Ryan nestled into his shoulder. "You know he's always been that way. Try not to listen to what he says," Clarke whispered. "If he does get to you, come talk to me. Promise?" Ryan nodded mutely into his chest. She sniffled again then wiped away her tears. "Okay," he concluded then kissed her crown before letting go of her. "Go get Riddles. Dinner's ready."

"'Riddles'? It's been, like, ten years since the age of Riddles."

"I never stopped calling her Riddles. I just stopped calling her that to her face," Clarke replied and Ryan gave a small smile. "There's my little huntress," he purred then kissed her forehead.

Ryan went to get Ridley while Clarke and Esmeralda were setting the table. Richard finished his cigarette before leaving the parlour to take in the Gold Scourge murals painted across the dining room walls. A gruesome event to be painted on the walls of an eating room.

Dinner was silent more than usual thanks to the head Axel's presence. The former mansion was normally unbearably silent but the added tension between Clarke and Richard made it stiff and uneasy. Esmeralda didn't bother to pour out Clarke's blood into a mug and drank it straight from the pint bag.

Ridley was barely eating the bowl of soup in front of her. Ryan, however, had downed her entire bowlful in seconds and was stuffing her mouth with her dumplings. Richard ate mutely and slowly without looking away from Clarke, who ate in synch with him.

The head Axel smirked menacingly at his son then rested his elbows on the table. "I'm curious, Clarke," he purred, "what is bothering you much? You called me, no?"

"You're three days too early," Clarke replied faintly annoyed. "We needed those three days to prepare ourselves for your..." the principal paused while his father raised an eyebrow "... brutality."

"Blatancy, you mean," Richard corrected.

"I'm well aware of what I said, Richard. I stand by it."

Richard picked up his napkin to dab his mouth. "That's not what's bothering you."

"We don't appreciate how you treat our girls," Esmeralda stated coldly. "The way you push them, the way you fight them, the way you set them against each other."

Richard looked to Ridley next to him and Ryan next to Esmeralda. "Nothing wrong with an old-fashioned sibling rivalry. Our line of work is survival of the fittest. They're not just fighting against anyone and anything that stands against the peace; they're fighting each other for rankings among The Hunt."

"That's not true," Clarke directed his daughters. "You're not fighting each other for anything."

"Oh, Ridley and Ryan beg to differ," Richard sang.

"Actually, I'm with Daddy on this one, oupa," Ryan replied nervously. "I don't want to fight Ridley for anything."

"He meant Axel's brothers," Ridley stated.

"What an idiot," Richard commented. "Not a very sharp knife, are you. Is that why you prefer guns? Loud and dumb, like you."

Ryan lowered her chopsticks back into her bowl with her remaining dumpling. "That is my problem with you," Esmeralda hissed as she stood up. "You will not talk to my daughters like that ever again!"

"Esmeralda," Clarke called softly. Slowly the redblood ampyra sat back down, her eyes piercing daggers into Richard. "I let you tear a rift between my brothers and I but you will keep your mouth shut around my daughters. I don't want to see or hear anything about you making any form of conversation with them and that is an order!"

Richard merely smirked menacingly at them as he coolly replied, "I do believe I outrank you. I have more..."

"Not in my territory," Clarke hissed. "Have I made myself clear?" Before Richard could even consider a reply, the principal went on, "you are here to consult on the issue at hand and you are only allowed in the field under my explicit instruction."

The grandfather nodded with a small smirk before turning back to his bowl of Chinese soup. "Dinner is lovely, Esmeralda. You simply must give me the recipe."

"It's easy," his daughter-in-law replied stiffly and Richard turned his dark eyes eagerly towards her. "Seventy years in Guangzhou, with a friend." Richard said nothing and merely took another spoonful of soup under Esmeralda's soulless glare. Slowly the redblood turned to her eldest daughter to see her bowl was still full. "Ridley, you've hardly touched your dinner."

Ridley said nothing with the dry chopsticks still in her hand. "Not hungry," Clarke asked. Ridley lowered her chopsticks to rested her hands in her lap. "You haven't been eating since you were released from the infirmary. What's going on?"

"She ate pizza earlier," Ryan stated. "Although, I think she had more in her mouth after that."

"What's that supposed to mean," Esmeralda replied.

"Her and Dane," Ryan replied nonchalantly and all eyes turned to Ridley. "They were holding hands and walking together. There was a brief moment when they left the bar and-" the unlit candles around the dining hall spewed flames upwards. Matching Ridley's annoyance for Ryan. She didn't intend on setting herself off like that; it just happened.

Clarke stood up and ripped out his handgun while Esmeralda pulled out the sword that was strapped under the table. Richard merely remained seated with Ridley and Ryan. Esmeralda turned to Clarke slowly. "Would she try and attack head on?"

"That wasn't Renee," Richard replied. "If it was, she's merely letting us know that she's around. That woman is strategically focused; she wouldn't dare trying and attack us on her own."

Clarke pressed his finger into his earpiece, still stiff with his gun in hand. "Perimeter check. All sectors." He relaxed then sheathed his gun before sitting back down. "All clear." Esmeralda clasped the sword back under the table.

"I see you weren't exaggerating about the eldritch thing," Richard stated.

"What do you know," Esmeralda asked, still unforgiving towards the living legend.

Richard shook his head with the corners of his lips arched downwards. "Not much more than you, at this point," he replied. "I do, however, know that eldritch has limits and weaknesses. For some goldbloods, they're limited by distance or visibility. But the one weakness they all have is depletion."

"Depletion," Clarke echoed. "What's depletion?"

"Eldritch is derived from the life force," Richard replied. "The more they use it, the faster they die." Ridley looked down at her hand. She stroked her palm and relived setting the fire on the grill. "In theory, a twenty year old eldritch would look eighty if they used it endlessly."

Ridley let out a heavy breath before turning to her grandfather. "Master Axel," she called softly. "How do you know?"

Richard smirked at her mischievously. "Knowledge is just as deadly as a weapon," was all he said.

The quieter twin looked back at her hands then turned to her bowl of soup and slowly began eating. Ryan looked between her sister and grandfather with scrutiny. "Is there any way to counter depletion," she asked on behalf of Renee. Richard furrowed his brows at her.

Despite Richard's reaction, it was Esmeralda to ask, "why would you want to know that?"

Ryan clearly her throat uncomfortably, "well," she stammered, "s-so I know whether shooting an eldritch would kill it or just... reset... it."

"Hmm," Richard commented. "That wasn't entirely a weak question to ask, when you put it that way," he admitted. "And if you must know, there is a way to counter depletion."

"How," Ryan egged on.

"Look it up," he concluded. Clarke huffed defeatedly while Ridley started with her dumplings. "I think I'll turn in for the night. Too many books and hunter sections to handle." Slowly the old man eyed his granddaughters to emphasise his meaning. "Goodnight," he concluded with a small smile when Ridley's lips parted.

"What did that mean," Ryan began, turning to her parents. "'Books' and 'hunter sections'."

"This is Richard Axel, Rye. Best not to ask questions," Clarke replied. Ridley also mutely left the table with her dinner in her hands.

She hurried after Richard and caught him at the foot of the stairs. "The hunter's section of the library," she stated.

"Clever girl," he replied with a nod. He dug in her bowl for a dumpling before ascending. "Goodnight."