***
Jasmine looked at the pulsing brown stone before her. It was almost heart shaped, just without the valves that would usually be found on a heart. It was a rustic brown that resembled fossilized blood. Emerald eyes shifted to the sleeping male in front of her.
Kain was still unconscious- She recalled seeing Myriah extract something from Kain's chest- their eyes met, and her world became black. Jasmine put a gentle hand to her head as she recalled the burning gold that was in place of Myriah's gentle lavender...
Golden Irises with ruby red pupils...
Angalo appeared behind her, making her jump and nearly fall onto the heart. "Have you figured out what it is?" He asked as he stared at the brown stone, "It's a dragon heart." Jasmine whispered. Anglao's eyes widened. "The Dragons are since extinct." Jasmine shook her head and shrugged, "That's what she called it: A Dragon heart."
"Who called what a Dragon Heart?" Axel murmured as he slowly walked into the room. "We only ever heard of the dragons..." Angalo took in his brother's appearance, Axel was ghostly pale, as if he hadn't fed in weeks instead of moments. He was rigid and his movements were stiff. In his left hand was an unopened bag of blood... "Brother..." Angalo started as he moved toward Axel who leaned into his older brother, "You should be resting-" "I've rested." Axel murmured as he allowed his brother to guide him into a recliner. Axel took that moment to bring the bag to his lips and he hesitated, "Will this help?" A whispered thought meant for the confines of his mind. Angalo tilted his head when Axel's fangs lengthened on their own accord, thus answering his question, he watched Axel give into temptation and tear into the bag before going to fetch some more. Mika sat beside an unconscious Tyler.
"What is his condition?" Axel asked as he tore the empty bag from his mouth. With the bag pasted to his lips the question came out as "Was is condiptopm?"
"He's stable. Myriah got the toxins out in time, but could not heal him." Mika whispered, "There is only so much-" "I wish I had more power so that I can-" Jasmine sighed when Mika leaned forward to kiss Tyler's forehead, "He will be okay, he just needs rest." "By the time Myriah got to Tyler, she had already revived Atoli, she healed you, and the elf..." Angalo murmured as he made his way back into the living room. Axel sighed as he watched Mika tend to Tyler.
"What should we do about them?" Anglao asked as he handed Axel one of the bags of blood that he carried. "That's their choice to make." Axel replied with a sigh as he eyed the bag with contempt. His body was aching, it took all he had to not visibly wince. To feel so much emotion that it's physically harming your body... why...
But then he already knew the answer: Myriah was a little girl before she was brought to the labs at her own fathers hand. Adopted or no, a parents duty is to protect their child... Axel sighed as he let himself wallow in the emotion he was feeling: sadness, pain, heartache, anger... there was so much anger..
"You look worse than when I left you brother." Anglao observed, looking his brother over. There were no visible wounds on Axel, he was completely healed... so why-
"He absorbed darkness from Goddess's heart." Edymond explained as he stepped into the room where everyone but Myriah and Atoli resided. "I saw the act with my own eyes." The elf murmured, not wanting to believe it himself. Had he not seen it happen... he probably wouldn't believe it either...
Angalo's wide eyes clashed with his brother's closed ones. "What-" "She would have died." Axel sighed as he grabbed at his chest. "Axel-" "I'll be fine with some rest." The younger vampire ground out as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "After all, it proves that that what you believe is true, brother. This isn't just a curse for me..." Axel muttered the last part of his statement. While Angalo wanted to be happy for his little brother... his worry out weighed his happiness. How could Axel be so reckless?
Axel hissed through his teeth. 'This pain is hell.' It was worse than the starvation he endured at his parents hand. It was worse than seeing that woman and child burning at the stake. Axel's hands balled into fists, his nails dug into his skin making him bleed. Angalo crouched beside his brother... would this kill him as well? "Brother... what have you done?" Angalo whispered, "Yes only a vampire can absorb the darkness in ones soul, however-" Edymond listened closely, so any vampire with enough power could perform this act? "It is done." Axel snapped, "I will not let her die." The younger vampire whispered. "She has to live..." Axel's eyes changed from silver to onyx and back as he tried to stand, "Bagged blood is since old and is of no help to you." Angalo observed, his own silver eyes narrowed in concern. HIs brother was a fool being driven by his infatuation by that cursed girl they called "Goddess". "Though valid, it will not sustain us as well as fresh blood. Especially since-."
"Are you saying-"
"No." Axel snapped, making Edymonds eyes widen again. Any other vampire would not hesitate to take what they need, yet this one...
"Axel, the darkness can infect you if not kill you. Yes we can absorb and harbor it but we are not immune to it." Angalo snapped. "If the bagged blood isn't helping you, you need fresh blood, you know that." The elder vampire ground out, his concern fueling his anger more than his frustration. Why would-how could his brother be so stupid....
"I just need rest." Axel sighed. "We cannot afford..." he left the sentence in the air as the pain gripped at his body again.
His onyx eyes widened when a pale wrist appeared before him. Axel growled and he slapped the hand away, "Are you stupid?" The angry vampire ground out. Edymond narrowed his eyes to his rejected offer. "I can kill you." Axel sighed as he tore his eyes away from Edymond's angry white ones. "Do not be so eager to underestimate me, Vampire."
In that same moment Edymond was pinned to the wall across from him with a hand wrapped around his throat. White eyes wide as the air left his body. His hand moved for his dagger, but Axel had since sliced it away.
"I've fought far better warriors than you, elf." Axel snarled as he allowed his fangs to lengthen. Anglao opted to watch. Had Axel wanted to kill the elf, he'd be dead.
Jasmine stepped forward while Mika angled her body towards the fight. Her eyes wide in fear or admiration, she couldn't say. From what she heard of vampires, they were an elegantly savage race. Corrupted by the lust for blood and the allure of darkness. However watching this trio of vampires, one was a motherly figure, affectionate and doting. The second was an aloof romantic that catered to his mate. And the third, Axel, was an anomaly at best. He was like ice, cold and harsh. Also clear but not completely see through. Axel was a warrior through and through, bound to ancient warriors code it seamed. Myriah brought out the humanity in him. While atoli brought out his fraternal side.
Edymond was about to cast when Axel leaned close to him, So close the elf could feel the warmth of Axels breath on his cheek. Part of him was intrigued another part of him felt the pricks of fear digging into his chest.
"Your offer is admirable." Axel complimented as he shoved himself away from the white haired male. Who stared past him wide eyed, "but you are clouded by your arrogance." Angalo guided Axel back into the chair he was sitting in and kept a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him in place. Part of him was worried, but he favored the elf in the moment, "You're an elf, the purest one here besides Myriah." Angalo murmured, "Can you just heal him?" Edymond bowed his head, "There is no spell to cure the darkness, once it is inside a being." Angalo bowed his head. "The darkness has to be released or relinquished. And then the creature can heal from it." Angalo sighed, "I'm sure there is a spell I can place on my blood that can help the vampire heal… in theory." Axel ground his teeth as the pain ate at him. Her nightmares started to plague him, he had to see her. He had-
No, wait... that was ridiculous.
She was safe. She was resting.. he just laid her in her room...
Axel was standing before he knew what he was doing.
He needed her.
He needed her at his side, in his arms... the pain wasn't as bad when she was with him.
Axel halted his stride and he put his hands to his head, was this what she felt? Like he was the only one who could save her from her nightmares? Did she feel as if he would save her from the darkness that was slowly eating at her? Axel's eyes widened and then squeezed shut again. 'Am I going mad?' Was the darkness infecting him? His mind?
Ice cold fingers wrapped around his heart and squeezed, nearly taking the breath out of him.
Axel's eyes widened...
Fear.
This was the ice cold grip of fear that kept him frozen in place, lost in spiraling thoughts. He was wondering in shadowed dreams and drowning in whispered nightmares...
Axel looked at his brother with helpless eyes, and Anglao was taken back to their childhood when he returned to see his brother rabid, clawing at the front door to their home. He called out and his brother looked at him, with wide helpless eyes...
"Nāṉ ippaṭittāṉ cākiṟēṉ... Tampi (Is this how i die... brother)?"
The question, from pure emotion, lurched at Anglao's heart. He had his brother in his arms and unconscious before anyone could register the situation. Angalo effortlessly lifted his brother and he walked to Axel's room, eyes void of any emotion.
"Uṉṉai cāka viṭamāṭṭēṉ...Aṇṇē (I will not let you will not die...little brother)." Angalo promised.