Dark Calling

[Cara]

(I modified your last post, Dark, just a little bit, but that part where Keneth is rambling on about how he found and tracked Aleron and became a vampire, that's a little jumbled and confusing. If you could get a sec to just go back...
Oh, and just a note in general for everyone. Try (maybe even overly so) to use names more often than "he, she, him, her..." so it's clearer on who's saying and doing what. ^_^)

[Cara]

Aleron felt him leave, and only then did he relax his stance. He looked back at Nefara, who seemed at a loss.
"Who was that?" Nefara asked. She had such a headache from her attack. That had been a bad idea. She wasn't strong enough for that...
"Keneth..." Aleron said, pacing. "He was... a boy many years back. Carden and I came upon him in Germany. We were hunting together. Carden had wanted to kill his family... he wanted to have some fun. Even back then, I hated killing children."
"You didn't..." Nefara said, a knot forming in her stomach.
"I didn't. Carden did. It's not something I like to remember. But when he brought me inside the house...
Suddenly Nefara was there, seeing what had happened, as a vision swept in front of her eyes:

“I don’t want to…” Aleron snapped, as Carden stood before him, arms crossed.
“Oh please… Not this ‘oh, I have morals now’ sh*t…” Carden hissed back, as he grabbed the woman from the floor, lifting her up. “Doesn’t she look delicious?” Carden asked, smiling, as he drew her head aside.
Aleron could see the vein throbbing beneath the skin. He felt his fangs come down. Shaking his head, he turned away. He saw the carnage that his brother had made.
“Don’t be so daft! I saved her special for you…” he said, bringing her over to Aleron. The woman moaned. She must have fainted earlier. Carden tilted his head, a cruel smile on his face. “Fine then… More for me,” he said, biting into her throat.
The woman woke with scream, as she struggled in vain. Carden’s arms locked around her, trapping her. Carden looked up, blood dripping down his chin. He laughed. “Catch!” he said, tossing the woman towards Aleron, who automatically caught her.
The scent of the blood washed over him. “See you do enjoy it…” Carden said, as Aleron bent over her his eyes only on her neck. The woman had fainted again, as Aleron bit over the place where Carden had. There was no struggle, no fight for survival, only submission. Nefara, viewing from Aleron’s eyes, felt what he felt: only the need and the satisfaction.
Aleron looked back up to see a little boy standing there, peaking around the corner. He dropped the woman’s body quickly. It hit the floor with a sickening thud.
Carden put a hand out to the little boy. "What's your name?"
The boy hesitated. "Keneth..." he whispered, his eyes wide as he stared only at Aleron.
“Carden…” Aleron hissed.
“Shut up, Aleron!” Carden hissed back. Suddenly his eyes went black as he turned on Keneth and snarled. The kid screamed and ran. Carden laughed.
“Get him! You have to make him forget…” Aleron snapped.
“Why? He’s a child. Who would believe that a vampire killed them?” Carden asked.
“It’s sloppy… And… I didn’t want to kill her. Why do you always have to be an ass?” Aleron growled.
“You’ll thank me later,” Carden said, “or do you want me to kill him?” he asked as he left. “I’ll deal with him…” Aleron whispered, as he just stood there, watching the blood coagulate on the floorboards, until he heard Carden run off.

Nefara blinked, seeing Aleron watching her.
“You back?” he asked, giving a weary smile.
“What happened? How did you deal with Keneth?” Nefara asked.
“What?” Aleron asked, confused. Then he saw what she meant. “Oh, you had a vision of me… then…” he said, sighing. “I found him and erased his memory. Or so I’d thought. At that time, it was usually Carden who did that job. I was better in other areas, but Carden was good at manipulating the mind. I guess I left some blanks or something. That’s probably one reason why Keneth thinks I killed his family… I never meant to kill his mother…” Aleron said. “Damn Carden. Whatever it is, it’s always his fault.”

[Darkness Song]

He bounded through the trees and leapt between two of the large boulders, the sun hit his skin and burnt it. He rolled to the side and ran into the tunnel. He lurked in there and balled up. He liked his feline state, the world was new to him, unexplored. He needed to get used to it. To be as powerful as Aleron...

Lauren walked around a bit and then headed back to bed. She closed her eyes just as the sun peaked into the window. She sighed and threw her mind towards the window shutting it and the blinds mentally. She fell back asleep. Wraping herself snuggly into the sheets and mentally in her mind drowning out the sirens the screams and the panic that now infected the town.

Dexter was home. He turned on the TV and saw the news. Every Channel was about the same. The vicious murders, the police were stumped. He had gotten several calls, saw the messages the reports. The time it would take to do what he did, would have taken hours, if he was human. They were stumped. Especially since the only witness ran off. They sent out search parties but he doubted they would find her. She was running off to find Aleron... Dexter hated it. Her mind was only attracted to Aleron. Any scent, any left behind step, she would follow until she died. Covered in the scent of all that blood... Blood. That was the major issue, there was more blood then there was for all those bodies. Each of them were completely drained too. It was just impossible. Purely impossible. There was twenty bodies worth of blood in that room. Only eight were from that night. The rest of the blood was still warm. He heard something on the news.
"Police suspect eighteen people were killed... Eight of the bodies were found brutally murdered at the scene. The other ten are, not found. In other lighter-"
He turned off the TV. He sighed and laid on his couch and closed his eyes. Sleep never came easy but he felt it drain upon him instantly.

[Galadas]

For the first time Chris was a bit disappointed in Carden. He wanted to fight, but his Vampire teacher didn't want anything to do with his brother's... mess. Seemed like there was nothing else to do for him now, if Carden wanted to keep himself out of it, that meant probably that they shouldn't be in the crowds, stay low. For the first time that he was with his teacher he was bored, he wanted some more, more action, more killing. If the humans were their cattle, why couldn't they rule over them? Kill all the Kriivada and everything that would want to kill them.
Chris waited for further instructions from Carden, but he had nothing. So, he sat down on a bench and started in front of him. How boring would life get if it continued like this. Eternity was a long time. He sighed, the sun was high in the sky and they were hiding back at Carden's home. "OKay, I'm going to get some sleep." He said and took off.

Cecelia stared outside at the sun, and she lay down on the bed, she hadn't slept for more than 36 hours, she was completely exhausted. She needed some rest before starting the hunt on the vampire that doomed her friend.

[Cara]

(long post! oh and Dark, re-review the Kriivida Info. Kriivida have solar-sourced magic and enhanced senses, but not real mental ability. It's more defensive. Just keep that in mind with Lauren )

Carden had to figure out what was going on. Even for a vampire like himself, this was too much. If in the least, too undisguised.
He changed into his wolf-form and paced the floor. How would Aleron get into the mess? Should he really try to search Aleron out? If so, what would he do? Aleron hated him, despised his life. Aleron wanted to be human! Carden turned and smashed his fist into the wall. He felt the pain lace up his arm, but it was immediately dampened as it started to heal. "Fuck it... Fuck Aleron..." Carden said, angry, "if he wants to be like a human, I should let him. He deserved the sh*t that's happening to him..." Carden said, cursing. Once again, Aleron had managed to somehow tamper with his life! Carden felt like running, but it was daylight.
In his animal form, he would be protected from the sunlight. (yea, Dark, if Keneth is powerful enough to be a shapeshifter, then he'll be able to be out in the daylight, but only as that animal. If he changes to his human form, he'll die otherwise) Chris wouldn't notice if he was gone for an hour or two. Jumping from the window as a midnight wolf, he loped through the trees until he was sprinting, only a black streak through the forest. Running always helped.


Nefara rested back against Aleron in her room. They'd made it there to escape the din of the confusion and chaos. She closed her eyes and imagined hearing a heartbeat or the feel the rise and fall of lungs. It was nice just to relax in the quiet of the moment. Nefara's mind roamed, knowing what would lay ahead of her when she ended her life and started one as a vampire. They both knew that it was the only choice now. And that option was even closer now that Keneth was here. They had talked about it before.
"Your mother wouldn't want this for you..." Aleron whispered, as he looked at the ceiling.
"Just because she had a bad experience doesn't mean I will," Nefara responded, hoping that what she said was true.
"Perhaps. We don't know how you'll react though. What about your Kriivida blood?"
"The other half is stronger," Nefara said, knowing that at least that part was true. She could feel it.
Aleron sighed, leaning over her. Nefara smiled. In the dawn light, Aleron seemed even more the Adonis than he had been before. It was breathtaking to see how the sun didn't scorch his pale skin. The red-orange swept over them, casting a golden sheen.
"Forever and for always, right?" Aleron said, giving a half-smile.
Nefara laughed. "That phrase is overdone," she said, as she kissed him. She felt Aleron's lips travel from her lips to her throat. School hardly seemed to matter any more. There was so much more at stake. Her foster parents wouldn't miss her much. Her best friend hated her... Lauren. The thought made her tense.
Aleron paused. "What?" he asked, feeling her tension.
"Nothing," Nefara murmured. "It's just that Lauren... Oh, it doesn't matter. This will just give her a reason to hate me more."
"It was never your fault," Aleron reassured her. "Pass the thought from your mind. It will only make you worry more. Or think about it if will help you focus on something else....." Aleron said. Are you sure you're ready?. Nefara nodded, as she dropped her head back. Her heart was beating like a fist in her chest. She closed her eyes as she felt Aleron's teeth pierce her skin.

Aleron felt a wave of power fly through him, even stronger than he had before. Now, even more so, he could taste the Kriivida blood. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. Prehaps because he was near death and not observatory.
It was the strangest, most enchanting taste he ever had. Even in his years when he murdered humans with Carden, blood had never tasted this...intense. Aleron sealed the wound, moving so that Nefara could be more comfortable. She gasped, her breathing coming in quick spurts. Taking his own wrist, he cut it open on his teeth before putting it to Nefara's lips. He felt the pull at his veins as she drew it away from him. He plyed his wrist away from Nefara's vise-like hold.
"No..." she moaned. "More..." she complained, reaching like a child for something that a parent had taken away, before slipping into a state of semi-consciousness. Aleron grimaced, knowing what he had to do next. This was the part that was the hardest for him. To complete the change, Nefara had to die.

(ohhh! good idea! Galadas, I got a good idea for one of your characters... just follow the lead!)

Cecelia walked down the hall, trying to think. She wasn't the best tracker in the world, but going through the intense Kriivida training for a good part of her life was worth something.
There were more vampires in the area, too many... She bet it was Aleron who had done that to Scarlet; it had to be him. Besides, he could walk in the sunlight now. He was too powerful, and if she didn't stop him... What he had did he have to do with Nefara though? Cecelia rubbed her head, her thoughts running everywhere.
Cecelia made her way back to her dorm, when she paused. She felt a vampiric aura lingering to the walls. Aleron had been here. She recognized it, though it wasn't the same one that had been in her dorm. Or was it? It was sometimes had to tell, as old and experienced vampires were good at disguising themselves and their auras.
Taking her Solis blade out she went up the next flight of stairs and down the hall. She paused outside of Nefara's room. They had been watching Nefara's room, but she hadn't come back for a while. She definitely felt something. If she were in the field, she'd call for backup, but no, Aleron had made this personal...

Aleron turned just in time as the door snapped in. The Solaris blade just missed his neck. Hissing, he attacked, trying to avoid being struck by the blade. He quickly sent his mind out to see if there were others, but she was the only Kriivida. He could feel Nefara's blood flowing through him like electricity. He hadn't tasted human blood--or had that amount of human blood--in centuries. It was like being drunk. His body was trying to get used to the change. The room swirled, as he blocked her next blow. It would not be a good fight.
Aleron looked over to Nefara. It would be a few hours at least before Nefara would wake.
Cecelia laughed, her eyes full of fury. She saw Nefara lying there dead. So he had killed her? That was something that could be dealt with after she'd dealt with Aleron. "You will pay for what you did!" she shouted, as she plunged the blade through Aleron's chest and into the wall. Aleron gasped, as he stared at the hilt protruding from him.
Cecelia smiled triumphantly, as she stood before Aleron who had a look of surprise on his face. "My friend's death will not go unavanged..." she said, her eyes cold. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Turing she saw Nefara standing there, her eyes of lightless rage. Before Cecelia could react, Nefara had grabbed her and flung her against the wall. She had grabbed Cecelia again before Cecelia could recover. Baring her teeth, Nefara picked Cecelia up by her throat, trapping her. As much as Cecelia struggled, Nefara's grip was too strong. Nefara was newly changed and pissed.
"How dare you... I kill you..." Nefara hissed into Cecelia's ear, as her hand tightened around Cecelia's airway. She tried to scream, but it camed out chocked. Blue and black spots sparked across her vision from the lack of oxygen.
"Nefara..." Nefara turned to see Aleron pull the blade off the wall and out of his chest, as his would healed "I healed like the Solaris blade wasn't anything..." Aleron said, his face a mask of amazement. "You're awake...but so soon?"
Nefara smiled, flashing sharp teeth. "Yup! What do you think we should we do with our little friend?" Nefara asked, shooting Cecelia a predatory smile.

[Galadas]

(yeah, sure)

Cecelia had lost her anger, the moment she felt there was no way out for her. "Please, let me go." She begged.

Chris had enough time to think now, he structured everything that flew through his head in a way that it was again understandable. He didn't know how old he was, but some memories went back to the time of pirates, or at least that's what he thought. He saw water, and ships, and beautiful girls, and dark castles. He was older than he thought, yet, not older than Carden. He thought about the Kriivada, the people that killed them, his race. He hoped that in such a way he could recover more and more, thinking. And to his excitement, it worked.

A memory, a fragment of a long and lasting one, finally more than just flashes. He saw through his own eyes, into a dark room, windows closed, just for him. Figures were around him, strong figures with strong auras: Kriivada. Each of them were wearing clothes that had been “in” during the 18th century. That was a long time ago. He felt good around the enemies, smiling from the inside and outside.
“My dear friend.” A kriivada said to him, laying his hand upon his shoulder. “I assume you're here to grant us the information.”
“But of course I am.”
“Good, then. Where is the hide out. Their hide out, your friends' hideout?”
Now Chris felt like a traitor, was he really giving the Vampires away.
“Ah, sure. At the cliffs, the castle there, that's where they are hiding. You should come around midday, tomorrow, that's when their security is less though, or not though at all. The change of guards give you enough time to kill all of them.”
No, this was impossible. In no way he could have done that, even while it was history. It was all a fact, he was a traitor to his own race, to Carden...
“Well done, Gabriel. You'll stay here, as part of our agreement.”
And the memory ended with Chris walking out, or it was Gabriel, no he would never want to be that person again. He was now more eager to find out about this Gabriel, what more had he done to deserve the loss of memory.

He opened his eyes, disturbed, he had recovered this, this weakling that he once was, this traitor. He couldn't tell it to Carden, no way he would ever trust him again. This memory was misleading, what was at the castle, how long had he been helping the Kriivada. He didn't believe it, and else, he couldn't live with it. That wasn't him, that was a man called Gabriel, and this man was what he used to be, but he had changed.
Chris walked down the hall, he needed something more to recover from his lack of memory, a good fight, an other bite, anything. He wanted to learn how to shape shift. "Carden?" He yelled, but there was not answer.

[Cara]

(opps! another kinda long post! ;D)

Nefara only laughed, her gaze as frigid as ice. "Fine," she said, dropping Cecelia to the floor. Cecelia sat there, gasping for air like a fish, rubbing her neck.
"Is that all you got?" Nefara snarled, whipping her aura at Cecelia. A streak of blood appeared below her cheek. "How dare you intrude!" Nefara said, standing over Cecelia.
"Aleron killed Scarlet!" Cecelia cried.
Nefara raised a thin eyebrow.
"You're wrong," Aleron said, coming to stand by Nefara.
"No! You two were angry that Lauren sided with us!" Cecelia defended, "so you took my best friend as revenge!"
Nefara gave Cecelia a twisted smile at Lauren's name. "Right. That's totally the case," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Good idea though," she said with a bitter laugh. "Now get up."
"What?"
"You heard me. Stand," Nefara commanded.
"What are you going to do with her?" Aleron demanded, whispering harshly. "The Kriivida are probably on their way right now!"
Nefara shook her head. "No, our friend here came alone." She grabbed Cecelia by the hair and pulled her to her feet, when Cecelia didn't rise. "I said stand," Nefara hissed. She looked very much the same, but her eyes were a frigid blue, and there was something fierce and dangerous about her. Nefara pinned Cecelia against the wall.
"How could you let him do this to you?" Cecelia whispered, glancing at Aleron who had walked over to the window.
Nefara looked at her and laughed. "I think you would know why," Nefara whispered back. "Isn't it obvious?" she said, clicking her tongue. "You know, I am feeling quite famished..." she said, smiling. "Oh it won't hurt--much," Nefara reassured her, as she pulled Cecelia's head back. Nefara felt Cecelia's heart quicken as she struggled against the pressure of Nefara's mind as well as the pressure she had on her arms.
"No!..." Cecelia whimpered.
Cecelia gasped as felt Nefara's teeth skim the surface of her throat. The lethal points brushed the skin with only the slightest of pressure. Cecelia tensed, closing her eyes, preparing for the pain that would follow. After a second, nothing happened. She opened them, aware that Nefara hadn't bitten her, but was looking at her.
Nefara smiled, showing sharp teeth. "You should have seen the look on your face," Nefara laughed. "Ah..." she said, sighing. "But really, what should I do? Aleron?" she asked, Aleron flitting by her side in a second. "What about a hostage?" she said. "The Kriivida are family, they care for their own," she said, knowing this to be true.
"But they also care about our death," Aleron said. "We don't have time to fool with her. She is a novice, not even past 100 years," Aleron observed, as if Cecelia wasn't even there.
"We should kill her then," Nefara said with cool indifference. That was another change in her.
"Her death would just cause more problems."
"But she knows..." Nefara hissed. "It's either she dies, lives, or becomes a Forsaken."
Cecelia whimpered at the word, Forsaken. "Please... I'd rather die than become a Forsaken!"
Nefara shot her a cruel smile. "Oh?" she said, her eyes sharp.
"Nefara!" Aleron snapped. "You know what Forsaken are. That won't be an option."
"Just a joke," she said, putting her hands up. "Besides, I'm not that crazy..." Nefara said. Kriivida couldn't become vampires. If they were bitten and forced to take blood, it would change them into something entirely else. Not an in-between, not a vampire, not human. The Forsaken were what humans thought 'zombies' were. The Kriivida became mindless creatures, only focused only on killing for blood and flesh. It was the worst fate for any Kriivida, the change depending on how strong the blood was. For others, it would be a torturous death.
"Erase her memory..." Aleron offered.
"You must," Nefara said, hesitant. The dead couldn't talk, but mind manipulation had it's troubles. Only the most powerful could do it without any fault. Aleron had that age, but human blood was needed to sustain the strength of the power.
"You can do it, Nefara. You have that ability even though you're new. You must. Then we must leave. The Kriivida are on their way, and we need to find sustenance for you soon."


Carden blurred past students walking with groggy feet to their morning classes. He felt the freedom that only came with this form. Turing he circled back to his house. It was getting late. Chris might be wondering where he was.

Carden bounded through his window in his huge wolf form, just as Chris walked into Carden's room.
"Holy f*cking Chr*st!" Chris cried, immediately crouching into a defensive position and giving a hiss. Chris watched as the wolf stood and changed into Carden who stood there, arms folded, with a smirk on his face.
"Sorry, I wanted to get some exercise..." Carden said. Chris still looked at him with wide eyes.
"How... how?"
"How was I able to shape shift? Oh, yes. We have yet to get that part of our lesson..." Carden said with a laugh. "It's something that usually is an innate ability. It's the only way that vampires can venture into the day unscathed..."
Chris suddenly saw a flash in front of his eyes. A fight, a battle or something. Vampires and Kriivida. He saw a few change into animals...
"Are you alright?" Carden asked.
"What? Oh, yea..." Chris said. But he remembered now. "Lets do something..." Chris said.
"It's daytime..." Carden said. "So it'd have to be here. I'm up for anything," Carden said. He needed to place his mind elsewhere.

[Cara]

Cecelia woke with a scream. She sat up, looking around the room. Her clock read 9:00 PM. Great she was late for class. She let her breathing calm down enough for her to focus and think. It was only a dream, she thought to herself, remembering the fleeting images. She sat there, trying to remember what it was about: Nefara. All she could recall was the image of Nefara's eyes. The glacier, inhuman eyes that froze her, paralyzing her. She took a breath, getting out of bed. It was only a dream. She sighed. It was just in her head. She remembered leaving to go hunt for Aleron, but it had been a silly idea, so she went to bed. It had been a silly, rash idea. He was one, way too powerful for her alone, and how did she know it was really him? She didn't. Cecelia felt like crying. As she brushed her hair out she tried to think about her dream. Dreams were important, especially to the Kriivida. But she couldn't remember a thing. Only the image of Nefara's vampiric eyes. She shivered as she grabbed her coat and walked out the door. (ok, you can resume, Galdas. Sorry! XD)


Nefara stood outside the doorway, right before the sun hit the floor. She reached a tentative hand out into the sunlight, holding her breath. Nothing. She only felt the warmth across her palm.
"Aleron..." she whispered, trying now to jump with glee. The sun hadn't burned her!
Aleron hugged her. "I had a feeling that it wouldn't hurt you!" he said. "Lets go..." he said, taking her hand.

As they walked through the campus, Aleron asked, "so what exactly did you instruct to Cecelia?"
"I told her that searching for you... for us was stupid, because it wasn't a possibility at all that you could've killed her friend. And I reconstructed her memory so that she would think she just got tired and went to bed when she got home... I'm not sure how well I did it though."
"If anything, well enough. She might have some images come up...but she won't remember anything and even if she does, it will be hard for her to place things together. You need to take blood though."
"Yup..." Nefara said, frowning. "But it must be human blood..." she said. The first time it must be human blood. After that, it didn't matter.
"I know. I'll make sure you won't kill them," Aleron said. "My worry is more about the Kriivida and about Keneth. They won't notice that you've changed necessarily as you're a Daylighter. Lets just try and keep a low profile for now. Attend classes, hang with friends. I've enrolled as a student here, so that should help."
"What? Really?!" Nefara said, trying not the smile. "Will you be in my classes?"
"Most of them..."
"Great... I'm famished though, so lets go," she said flitting off. "Catch me if you can!" she said, laughing.
"You got a head start!" Aleron shouted. "Not fair!" he called, as he flitted off too.

[Darkness Song]

Keneth lurked in his cave and shapeshifted. He bounded out leaping from one tree to another using his vampiric body in the feline's state to jump easily through the trees. He landed and rolled up in the sun to soak up a few rays. He licked himself and smiled. It was all so much fun. But he needed prey. He stalked the brush and listened. A biker... He smiled and waited. The biker rode past and he pounced. He swiped the man's arms away and bit into the neck. The man went limp. The large fangs easily cutting him and sufficating him and instantly snapping his neck. Keneth drew the body back and home. Leaving a nasty streak of blood all the way. He shifted again and began to work.

Lauren sat back in her room. There was a knock at the door. They let themselves in seeing Lauren at the window. "Lauren..." It was Zac. "Are you hungry?"
Lauren sighed. "No." It was simple. They knew she was sad. But she would not let it out. He stayed at the door.
"Can I get you anything?" He said politely.
Lauren gave him the half turn. "No..." She looked back outside and stared at the forest. She felt something was out there... But what?
Zac put a hand on her shoulder. She felt the warmth pass into her body and she half-shut her eyes. She opened them released from the trance and looked at him. "Lauren... Can we talk."
"About what?" She said stoically.
"You." Zac sat next to her on the floor. The floor that was covered in bits and fragments of the wall. "I know you must be going through hell-"
"You have no idea what the hell I am going through. You never had th-" Zac put a finger over her lips and looked into her eyes.
"Lauren... Do you always speak. It is easier to listen. Words, they complicate things." His voice was smooth. "Please... May I speak. Then you can say whatever you wish and I shall listen."
She nodded and he let his finger down.
"I have been through the same..." He looked at her and then pulled up his sleeves. Along his forearms were a few dozen railroad tracks of scars. And there was one running straight down the center. "I have lost a mother... I was about three. She was taken, by creatures... I saw them myself. It was our kind though... My mother was the prey of the Forsaken. A cruel death... I saw them kill my sister, and my father. Though I was happy my father was gone." Lauren smirked and looked outside. Zac sat up and tapped her shoulder. She turned to look and he brushed a few fingers under her chin and lifted her head towards his, his lips pressed against hers. Lauren relaxed and wanted so much more. Then Nefara's face poped into her head. She pushed Zac away and turned away.
"Just get out..." Lauren gave him the finger as he left.
He watched him leave and shut the door. She blushed and hid her face.

[Galadas]

"Shapeshifting?" Chris asked, at which Carden frowned. He felt weird talking to his Vampire friend now, after his betrayal. His was still in a fight with his conscious, was it his betrayal, or Gabriel's. He was Gabriel, but his mistakes weren't Chris'. "I'm a good learner!" He thought that if he was just a bit more older than he thought, he might have been a shapeshifter as well.

Cecelia walked down the hall, she knew that people might ask her about Scarlet, but Zachary and Sam had probably arraigned things for her. She sighed deeply, now she only had to find the real killer, not on her own. She scouted over the field, hoping that Jorge was at the place they were supposed to meet. Even after all she had done, running away from the mission, she was put back on the job. She had to join Sam and Jorge on their hunt for Aleron and Nefara, but she didn't want to see Nefara again.

[Cara]

Nefara and Aleron spotted a young man walking through the park that lay a few miles away from the school. Nefara swallowed, as they stalked him silently.
"Who's there?" the young man said, stopping. Nefara stepped out from the trees. The man smiled, his eyes widening. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss, I didn't see you."
"That's fine," Nefara said. "I'm a little lost. Do you know how to get to the East entrance?" she asked.
"I'm headed there myself, I'll show you there myself," he said, eager. It was obvious that he had not been going there.
"Oh, thank you..." Nefara said, stepping closer. She paused for a second, as she entered his mind, before grabbing him, sinking her fangs into his throat.
Aleron walked over. "That's enough for now..." he said. “Nefara! You’ll kill him,” he snapped, as Nefara looked up. "You'll learn to tell how much you can take. Listen to the heartbeat," he said. Nefara could only nod, as she felt the warmth flow through her. She had never tasted anything so...satisfying. She ran her tongue across her teeth. She closed the wound, cleaning it. It was an easy task to erase the man's mind. Humans were much easier. She felt invincible, her face flushed.
"That was amazing..." she said. "Aleron, why can’t we take more human blood if we won't kill them?"
"I don't think its right. Only for the change and that's it. We'll work with animals now," he responded. Nefara frowned. She doubted that they tasted that good.
"Fine," she grumbled. "Let’s go back and change, I guess.

Carden sighed. “You aren’t old enough as far as we know. I only learned to shapeshift only two centuries back.”
Chris looked down. He couldn’t tell Carden that he might be older without opening Pandora’s Box. “We could always try,” Chris offered.
“Sure, fine. Lets go to the living room…” he said.
Sitting down on the couches down there, Carden thought for a second. “Many times, you subconsciously create your own animal form. The usual animals come from the feline and kanine family, but also birds.”
“You’re a wolf,” Chris said.
“Yea. The only other shapeshifter I know of is my brother…” Carden said, frowning at the thought. “He…he could change into a crow or raven,” Carden said, uncomfortable. He rather not think about Aleron. Whenever he saw a crow or raven, he always thought of Aleron though. There had been a time when he was angry at his brother, that he killed any crow or raven he saw. “Anyway, many times your own experiences choose what animal you are. You can’t just ‘change’ like poof. Even if you can shape shift, which I highly doubt at this point in time, it takes a long time to refine. It is true that it’s easier to become your animal under the full moon at night. It was true when people associated the full moon to werewolves, but it’s not just wolves.”

Nefara was glad that today was no classes. It gave her a change to experience all the changes. The world looked so much clearer. Her ability to control everything seemed innate. It had to be from her mother. She felt like she could fly. Skimming over the ground, it was like she had wings. Lauren had always wish to fly. Nefara stopped short, Aleron almost shooting by her. She felt the twisted emotions flash through her. Nefara was glad that she could no longer cry, though she felt the itchness in her eyes. She rubbed them, angry at herself for thinking about her ex-friend--her enemy.
Aleron took her hand, and pulled her fingers open. Nefara had been clenching her fingers so hard, her nails had punctured her palms, making bloody crescents in the skin. Aleron brought her hand to his lips, as he kissed the blood away. She smiled. She watched the skin heal over.
"Lauren," Aleron said, knowing it was true. Nefara nodded. "Let it go. We will meet her again and when we do you can't be hesitant, as she will not hesitate. That precious time will get you killed," Aleron said. "She is a Kriivida."

[Darkness Song]

Keneth drained the man of his remaining blood. He felt the surge of power rise into him. He felt faster, better, but he still needed more... He would drink himself silly today. He bounded out of the cave leaping into the air and shifting. He got slightly better but he landed on his real knee and shook it until it shifted. He sighed. It took too long. Aleron could shift almost instantly. He needed to train. He unshifted and shook off his feline features and then reshifted. He sighed and once satisfied he had gotten the kink out he bounded off and ran into town. He stalked in the brush and the backyard trees. He would find something more satisfying then a biker...

Lauren sat there and felt something. It was close by. She looked outside and saw a large cat. It was almsot black but it shone more purple. It had large paws and then it looked at her with black eyes. She felt an aura shoot at her and she tried to block it but something pushed into her mind. She cried as the images of that unfaithful day came. But it was not her eyes. It was her friends... As she was torn to shreads. Lauren cried and sobbed. The images were too clear, and they wouldn't go away. She felt a dark chuckle in her head. The same face popped into her mind. The panther... it was Keneth... The name echoed in her head and she began to sit back on her chair. Staring back at him controlled by him. She felt him raid her mind. Pillage through the memories. He left her mind and she passed out. Black spots dotted her eyes. She couldn't move. She felt her breathing stop. She forced her mind to think again. To breathe. She felt her lungs inflate and she gasped for air. What the hell just happened.

Dexter Shook awake and looked around. How long had it been since he fell asleep. He saw the sun. It was not too long. But he knew every second he slept they spent living...

[Cara]

"Holy sh*t. Aleron, look at this..." Nefara said, as she took a newspaper from the stand. It was the local Times....




Aleron's eyes were black as they skimmed the numerous articles. "Someone is being sloppy..." he growled. "Even the humans are noticing. With everything going on, there are too many vampires in the area. Too many human causalities..." he murmured. "This is not good. The Kriivida are probably trying their best to keep things covered. It would not be good for either of us if our secret was found."
"What is going to happen?"
"Nothing for now. When the human's start noticing, they call in the Mercy."
"The Mercy?"
"It's their special guard. Think it like the Special Forces. The Mercy, also known as The Troop, is a group of the most highly trained, the most talented Kriivida; usually their most powerful members..." Aleron said. "They use numbers though to their advantage though, because person to person ratio, vampires are always stronger."
"And if this 'Mercy' comes?"
"We will know about it and we must be wary."

[Darkness Song]

Keneth broke into a basement. He closed the doors and shifted back. It was a fairly large basement. He looked around. There was only three people left. They were locked away in the freezer, he had the decency to turn it off. He cranked it open and the three people looked at him. He walked in and shut the door. Feasting on his meal that was nicely cooled just for him...

[Cara]

Nefara moved through the student crowds with ease. She took note of how people unconsciously parted. It was their instinct, predators were amongst them, but through time, that instinct had died away.
"We need to do something about Keneth," Nefara said, itching to do something.
"He could do something very risky if pushed..." Aleron said.
"He'll do it anyway!" Nefara hissed. "He's dangerous, but he'll be even more so if we don't take him down now..."
Aleron sighed. "It might take a while to track him down, but ok."
"I've been practicing," Nefara said. "If I concentrate hard enough, I can see where people are. It's not always in the present, maybe it's the future, but I usually will know."
Aleron sat down on a bench. "Alright, give it a go."
Nefara sat there, her eyes distant. Aleron watched with fascination as he saw her eyes go all black and her aura stretch out in a way he'd never seen. She had been practicing. Nefara shook her head.
"He's here. Close by. He's just fed. There's... freezers?"
"We'll have to try again when we can get a better hold on where he is," Aleron said, relaxing back. He still hadn't gotten used to the fact of being able to walk in the sun.