"It's been centuries, big brother", A familiar voice spoke. A teenage boy came into view and gave Darwin a hand.
Darwin looked up to the owner of the voice. He blinked his eye a few times just to check if he's just hallucinating. But reality kicked him hard that a genuine smile crept into his face.
"Hubert!", He pulled himself up and wrapped the guy in his arms. The guy hugged him back as they exchanged smiles with each other.
Darwin felt so glad meeting an old friend that he forgot about the hellhounds and Stephen fighting the odd sensation. They turned around and looked him down.
"Can we spare the reunion?", Stephen looked up to them still struggling to fight the effects of the death praying spell.
"Small one, listen. I need you to remove the odd spell so we can fight", Darwin grabbed Hubert by his shoulder and looked into his eyes, requesting for a back up.
"Ok then. I'll fight alongside with you", Hubert gave him a smile before pulling a small vial from his shirt pocket. He clicked open the small tube and yellow dust started spewing out. Darwin nodded at his gestures and flipped back dashing towards Stephen. The odd sensation had been washed out and they are back to their natural senses.
Hubert's eye turned golden yellow and yellow aura started to form behind him. He stretched his left arm while his right arm above the air. He moved his arms in a clockwise motion and a magic circle appeared in front of him. He enchanted a spell in the air and stretched both of his arms.
"Dalmao!", He screamed as a giant phoenix hovered upon him and landed at his back. He threw his arms forward and the phoenix spewed scorching flames that burned everything on its way.
"Careful!", Stephen shouted as he evaded the tunnel of flames coming from their back.
"Just shut up and fight idiot!", Darwin grabbed his arm and threw to the horde of hellhounds. Stephen danced to the strike of the whip as sparks and embers rose up to the air.
Darwin pulled his wings and lanced straight upward. He released a very malicious strong vibe that affected the movements of the enemies. He looked down to see Hubert throwing golden orbs towards the doglike creatures and smiled. He catch his glare and nodded about something that seemed like a mutual understanding.
"I'll enhance your Arachnea!", Hubert threw his palms forward and yellow magic circles appeared in front of it.
Darwin felt a strong surge of power that his eyes went pitch black with red light circles forming. He rocketed down in a speed of lightning and faced the horde with a demonic face. He took a step forward and uttered a few words.
"Fear thy progenitor of fear", He whispered like mist in the air.
Hubert looked at Stephen struggling to take down the horde on his side.
"I'm sorry but you have something that contradicts with my magic", He tried to explain , "But anyways...", He moved his hands as a spines rose up from the ground and pierced through the hellhounds.
"I'll back you up!", he added on.
Darwin stunned half of the horde with his Arachnea but they keep coming four times in number. He hissed at the sight of another wave coming after them.
Dalmao spewed another destructive tunnel of flames which wiped half of the new wave. But something off has come to him after seeing something coming from the east. He stepped back screeching at the sight of something moving forward towards them.
Stephen dancing with spark and flames with his whip and Darwin stood up not threatened by anything at all, he knew someone is coming so he kept guards up.
Stephen looked at Darwin but he's looking straight towards something that hasn't been on sight yet.
The attack halted at the moment. The pack of hellhounds pulled back growling at them. It seemed like someone is controlling them.
"Silence before bloodbath", Hubert snapped his finger and Dalmao disappeared. He walked towards Stephen and casted a healing spell at him. They moved to the side watching Darwin standing like a lion in front of a pack of hyenas, wearing a deadly expression and a strong eerie vibe.
"I don't like it when he's like that", Hubert jokingly whispered to Stephen.
"Me too", Stephen replied.
Darwin gestured his hands at them to stop moving. It looked he's calculating a movement from a mile away.
Silence. A drop of time.
Five figures launched at him from different directions at the same time. Their eyes glowing red and fangs so sharp like razors. They move like a glitch in space but Darwin is something you'll never expect.
They stuck in the middle decapitating a dead hellhound that they thought to be Darwin. They looked at each other in confusion and alertness but he is faster than anything. He dashed downward in a flash so fast that electric spark started to appear on his body. He lunged them one by one in a speed that made him appear like he is multiplied by five facing them one at a time.
"Keep your eyes open", One of the five suggested.
"Once I'm inside you can't shut it down", Darwin whispered as he appeared on his back. He grabbed his neck and smashed him backwards, so hard that his bones cracked and his blood sprayed.
Darwin looked at the other four and gave them a deadly smile.
"So, the vampire assassins of Jaguar. So glad to meet you again", He told them as he dramatically dusted his suit off.
"We should go save the a children", Stephen suggested to Hubert. They nodded at each other as they ran towards the alter.
"Will he be ok?", Stephen added on.
"Of course, he's not called the Calamity of Valhr for nothing", Hubert assured him with a smile.
"The guy's got so many monikers", Stephen replied with a short laugh.
"Blood Winter, the Apex of All Predators, Calamity of Valhr and the Waver of Death. He got it all", Hubert then returned with a smile.
Stephen looked back at Darwin brawling with fangs and claws with the five vampire assassins. He wore his usual nightmarish expressions as he effortlessly playing along with the enemy.
Hubert casted a spell and the fire went out. They immediately untied the children and carried them to the side. They are about to get the last of them when a loud ear busting pitch broke off. Hubert and Stephen fell on their knees covering their ears at the brain toasting sound.
"The banshee...," Hubert uttered in between pain.
"Shit, another one", Stephen replied.
A silence passed by for a short moment then a wailing scream so loud that their ears bleed roared in the air.
"Don'y you dare touch my childreeeeeeeeen!", The voice screamed obnoxiously.
Hubert helped Stephen get up.
"Go take the children to a safe place. I'll deal with this one", He said as he casted a healing spell on him.
Hubert stood up and faced the incoming figure from the dark. A woman wearing a dirty victorian dress and a messed up face appeared walking like groggily. Her palms stuck in her head crying like a widow. Her lips shaking from her whimpering state and her cries lingering in the surrounding like death.
"What do you want with this innocent children?", Hubert asked straight into her.
"I want my children. I want my children", The woman replied in between sob.
Darwin on the other hand already slaughtered three out of the five vampire assassins.
"So, which one of you want to go first?", Darwin playfully tapped his chin with his thumb and looked up. He rolled his eyes after getting no replies from them.
"Well then", He flickered in front of them and grabbed their necks. He looked at their eyes one at a time, " Go try killing each other and the one left breathing shall have the honour of my last strike. Ok?", His voice crept like a mist inside their minds, a compulsion from a vampire who has the ability beyond any vampires they can imagine.
He snapped his hand and the two of them faced each other. Their muscles moving without intent as they burst each other with fangs and claws, breaking each other's bones. Darwin walked away like a boss and towards Hubert who is facing an unknown face that came out all of a sudden.
"Just give him the children then", Darwin bobbed his face as he turned towards Hubert. He gave him a weird look.
"Just kidding", He added , "Where's the other one?"
"Took the kids in a safe place", Hubert replied.
Darwin just nodded at him. He stood there unbothered by what's happening. He just tapped Hubert's shoulder and gestured him to finish it off.
"Death. You will die", the woman opened her mouth. So big that her messed up teeth disgust that hell out of Hubert and his lips cracked like a field in drought. Her eyes turned pitch black as force throbbed like a heartbeat with her brain toasting scream.
Her scream moved them a bit but they are not bothered at all.
Hubert and Darwin shared a look with raised eyebrows.
"Death is actually my specialty", Hubert ignored the sound force of the wailing woman as he look straight to her with his glowing eyes.
"And I am death himself", Darwin then turned to her through his shoulder with his glowing crimson eyes.
Darwin moved his feet ang launched forward in a lightning speed, so fast that the scene went slow motion with his movements. He flickered in front of the woman.
"This is for the mess that you've done", He whispered as he slid his hands on the woman's neck and twist her pulling her head out. All in a matter of seconds.
Darwin stood there holding the head. Tilted his head and teased Hubert with a mocking expression.
"The old one never dies", Hubert gave him a genuine smile.
"I still have one last thing to do", Darwin looked straight to the clash of two vampire assassins through Hubert's shoulder. His wore his furious expression once again as he watch the other one fall down to the ground. He flickered once again and in front of the victor vampire.
"Well well, seems like we have a victor already", Darwin looked at him from head to toe.
The guy, one of the remaining assassins looked at him with dread and fear and still unable to talk because of the compulsion.
"I'm gonna ask you once. You'll answer me right away. Is that good?", Darwin looked at him with a malicious look ,playfully fixed his coat and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I doubt you work for the hellhounds, so who sent you here?", Darwin started interrogating.
"I won't say", The guy tried to fight the effect of his compulsion.
"That's too bad. I thought my compulsion is absolute", He gave him a short smile before digging his hands through his stomach and grabbed his liver.
"Here's a little game. Every unanswered question is equivalent to an organ that I shall destroy. And oh wait, I just told your mind to stay alive so you will taste the pain and agony over and over again 'coz you know, death would be so kind. You know how charming I am", Darwin gave him another chilling smile.
"Tell me your name. At least let me address you properly", Darwin added on.
"Michael. Michael Kleiton", He replied.
"Alright Michael darling, who sent you here?", Darwin asked once again.
"No one, no one sent me here", Michael replied plainly.
"Wrong", Darwin smiled as he crumpled down his liver. Michael screamed in total pain, unable to let go of his life because he was compelled to stay alive and suffer.
"I'll ask you again. Who sent you here?", He went on.
"Over my dead body", Michael replied again.
"Well, too bad you can't die", Darwin's fury made his hands dug into his stomach again to grab his lungs, "Once I destroy this little thing you will live your life breathless through eternity", he threatened again.
"And again, who sent you here?", Darwin tilt his head impatiently at his face.
"You'll never have the answer that you want", He cursed at him as Darwin crumpled his lungs. He looked up screaming without sound as he struggled to catch breath.
Darwin grabbed him by neck and checked him out like he was some kind of stuffed toy. There he found a locket hanging on his neck.
"Ahhhh that's why my compulsion cannot be fully blown. Vervain locket? How old news", Darwin pulled the string on his neck and threw it away. He bit his lips at the little burn he got from touching the locket.
He dug his hand on his neck again, taking a grip on he very inside of throat. He pulled him closer to him.
"One last time, who sent you here?", His voice crawled like an avalanche inside Michael's head.
"Do...Don...Donald Mezhr", Michael said in between gurgle and breath.
"Well that could have been so easy", He crashed Micheal's throat and pushed him away from him.
Michael went on his knees with his eyes wide open. His jaws dropped at the lack of air coming in to his body. His hands shaking in pain and fear and tears slowly dripping down from his eyes.
"Spare my life...", Michael whispered.
Darwin looked at him once again with a mad reaction. Hubert walked towards his side with a concerned look. He gestured his hand and his appearance changed. From a handsome teenage guy to a young bouncy child clinging on Darwin's side.
"Sure. You can die now", Darwin's words shut the life out of Michael as he finally meet his end.
Darwin looked at Hubert and they both nodded. They walked out of the building and saw Stephen carrying the children one by one into the street.
"There he is, hey Mr. Stern!", Hubert jumped happily as he saw Stephen on the roadside.
"Who is this jumpy kid?", Stephen looked at Darwin with confusion.
"I don't know either, I just met him on my way out", Darwin rolled his eyes as he joked about Hubert.
"Hey! That's rude!", Hubert frowned at him.
Stephen walked towards Hubert and carried him like a cat. He checked him inch by inch before realizing it was him.
"Hubert?", He asked.
"Yissh?", Hubert gave him a closed eyed smile sticking his tongue out to him. Stephe just laughed at his face.
"You should stay like that", He tapped Hubert's head as he opened the car door for him. He jumped inside the car and fastened his seatbelt.
Stephen looked at Darwin standing in the middle of the road, his clothes a little messed up from the fight and little smudges on his beautiful face.
"You need this", Darwin threw the Banshee head to him.
"Ughhh that's a mess", Stephen looked away.
"You do mess for a money then", Darwin rolled his eyes at Stephen as he looked at the other end of the road. A light coming from afar slowly going to their direction. He looked back at Stephen and gave him a bye signal with his face.
"Hubby let's go home", Darwin turned his head towards Stephen's car.
"Okih dokieee!", Hubert slid out of the car and pulled a vial out. Gold dust sprinkled out as he blew it. He moved his little hands and shut his eyes.
"Dalmao!", He said with his little voice and a red bird the size of a dog appeared from his back. He stepped in and ride the bird like a horse and gave a wink at Darwin.
Darwin nodded and pulled his black wings on. He looked at Stephen from his head to toe and turned around. Flipped his wings on and flew away with Hubert who is riding his bird.
Stephen just looked at them fly away. He looked back to the road and cars pulled over to the site.He nodded at them and opened his car door. He slid himself to the driver seat and started the engine when he felt something different on his back. He ran his hands through the part and felt something like a scar moving in circles, his markings. He looked up to the road and to the mirror and saw his eyes turned blue again, with lights moving in circles like a snake biting its own tail.
He drove home and felt that someone is inside. A very familiar vibe welcomed him as he stepped into his front door.