'Orange colored eyes. Amber vampire.' His hand faced towards their direction and Hunter immediately dodged the fireballs thrown at them. A wolf tattoo with a shade that resembled Yin and Yang peeked through the Amber vampire's palm. Vivian quivered with anger.
"It's them," she jumped off from Hunter's grasp and bolted herself towards the Amber vampire. Holding the vial containing a green liquid, Vivian charged towards the vampire with no regard for whatever attack directed at her.
Vivian darted left and right. Scorching fire seeped through her shoulder. Another fiery arrow grazed her side, and blood trickled down her waist. Half. She was only able to dodge half of his attacks. Once in a while, an encirclement of fire would appear on the ground. Vivian jumped and flipped at the signs of it.
The tattoo. She would not be mistaken. The same tattoo she had been researching for years. The tattoo on the chest of the vampire who stole her mother's life. As her final desperate attempt to preserve her life, Vivian's mother stabbed her holy sword against his chest. His clothing around the wound scrunched up as a reaction born from his blood and the sword.
Vivian remembered vividly how he pulled out the sword from his chest with his overcast eyes, and sunk his fangs into her mother until her sword turned into a floating light. She remembered the vampire's chest showing only that bloody wolf tattoo with a shade that resembled Yin and Yang. His deep wounds had been patched up by her mother's blood. She was only eight years old at the time.
She could never forget that tattoo. Vivian jumped on a barbecue stand to dodge the Amber Vampire's attacks, causing it to tumble over. Her foot slipped and she nose-dove to the ground. Reflexively, she went on all fours to stop her falling momentum.
The bottle she held shattered in her hand. Minuscule shards of it pierced her skin, and she winced. Vivian curled her hands against the cement, hoping to catch her breath and for another spike of adrenaline.
"Did you finally tire yourself? Damn, you're so annoying." When Vivian looked at the Amber Vampire, he already had his foot trampling against Hunter's back, who was struggling to get himself free. Hunter's sword had been kicked outside of his reach.
The Amber vampire shot four different flaming arrows into Vivian's flesh. Liquid gushed down her body, with the same stickiness she could feel on her lip when she bit it to keep herself from yelping. Panting, Vivian glared at the orange orbs above her. How she wished she had some magical power to blast this vampire into pieces.
"Hey. Are all noble vampires like you!?" she stopped and controlled her breath when she started hyperventilating. "No regards about the lives you think are below you?"
"Pretty much," he smirked and gestured towards someone behind her. "No one in this tribe has any value except for your friend over here. You should be thankful I'm not destroying everything. I can wipe all of you here off Lüna if I feel like it."
Hunter squirmed under the vampire, aiming to create an opening for both of them. He flipped himself, wrapped his arms around the vampire's leg, yanked it, and caused the vampire to lose balance.
Hunter turned his body so he could kick his dagger in a circular motion, back to his reach. The vampire threw a ball of fire to send the dagger further from him, but Hunter turned his back in time to protect the dagger and take the hit. Then, he turned his body around to stab the vampire on the back.
The Amber vampire stood still, as if paralyzed, and dropped with his knees on the ground. The orange hue on his eyes seemed to have drained itself, showing pure white irises. Hunter panted as he looked towards Vivian. His heart sank.
A Jade vampire with the blue face paint held her by the neck with his claws protruded. He had his arm wrapped against her neck and used her wounded body as a shield for any of Hunter's attacks. "I-if you don't want to see her dead, throw your dagger close to me." Hunter glanced at the vampires him and Vivian tied up. They were now being untied by another Jade vampire.
'Are you fucking serious?' Hunter looked further towards the Main Hall and recognized Isabelle and Matthew among the people sprawled on the ground. The Amber vampire had already gotten away from his reach.
'You're not really strong unless you use underhanded tricks, huh Matthew?' Hunter remembered arguing with him right in front of the Main Hall when he drew his sword and stabbed him in the stomach.
The holy sword did not just absorb a vampire's abilities, it also greatly fatigues the body upon contact. It was similar to getting blood drawn from a human. They would feel fatigue and it would take some time for their body to adjust to the loss. Vampires, of course, take a quicker time to adjust. Matthew continued to punch and stab him in the sword during that recovery period.
"One condition. In her front pocket, there should be a vial with blue liquid in it. Get her to drink that and I'll give you my sword." Seeing the Jade vampire hesitate, Hunter added, "even if you kill her, your master over here might as well be half dead. I can kill him easily and come after all of you next. And you won't get me or my sword. It'd be a lose-lose," Hunter ignored his scorched back as he sneered at the Jade Vampire in front of him.
The Jade vampire looked away, searched Vivian's pocket with his free hand, used his mouth to uncork the bottle, and let Vivian drink the blue liquid in it.
"Vivian, I know you're still conscious. Make sure to drink it properly," Hunter struggled to fight off the fatigue in his body. He relaxed a little when he saw her gulp down the fluid. At least he was sure she would be safe. His knees wobbled to the ground after throwing his dagger to the Jade vampire
The vampire snatched Hunter's dagger as if someone would steal it from him if he wasn't quick enough. The other Jade vampires had been untied, and some of them helped their injured accomplices walk. Hunter suddenly remembered his first kiss with Vivian. As corny as that sounds.
It was just like any other day, at their special spot, a view at the edge of the forest where the water reflected everything above it with a stunning shine. The forest had a refreshing scent of a mixture of salt lake water and leaves from the trees. Hunter flopped himself down on the grass, his sweat dripping like crazy.
"I," he stabilized his breath before continuing, "I don't know why I can't get the sword into the long form. Maybe it's because I'm a half vampire?" he said unwittingly. Vivian looked up at him from recording the things they've tried like swinging until his stamina runs out and mental meditation with the sword. People from the tribe said that the bearer of the holy sword would start to hear its voice once it reaches its final form.
"Dummy. Of course not. If the sword cared about you being a half vampire, it shouldn't have picked you," Hunter sat up and looked at Vivian.
"Maybe it's stupid. Cause if it was smart it should have picked you instead of me," he didn't take his eyes off her. Once in a while, she would drop comments about not being the chosen one and how her life would be easier if she was chosen. Hunter knew it made her feel insecure.
"No. Your sword is smart for picking you. Matthew's sword is dumb for picking him," Vivian grinned. Hunter couldn't help but gawk at her. She had been making him feel things lately. He adored the simplicity of her beauty and obsession with knowledge. One day, when she hugged him, all he could think about was: 'ah, how much she've grown'. He never said it out loud though. He didn't want her to call him a pervert.
"W-what?" she commented after they've had their staring contest and he continued to keep his mouth shut.
He reached for her hand and clasped his fingers in the space between hers, "you're very beautiful."
"Stop flirting with me Hunter Garcia," she was trying to keep her poker face but her eyes gave her away. She was at least caught off-guard with his remarks. He knew he had an effect on her.
"I'm serious," without breaking eye contact, he sat her down next to him. "I was thinking it's about time we get to the next level," he kissed her on the cheek, looking for her green light.
Vivian tightened her grip on Hunter's hand, "okay." Her simple okay gave his heart a burst of joy, and right then and there, at their favorite spot, he kissed her on the lips, properly, for the first time.
'As long as she's safe, I don't care what happens to me.' Hunter thought to himself as he stared at the now unconscious Vivian.
Meanwhile, one vampire's pure white eyes loomed behind Hunter, as his body strode towards Vivian. His long and scarlet coat embroidered with golden patterns fluttered against the wind. The cut on his back from Hunter's sword stained a part of it in a deeper red color.
Hunter caught the vampire's snicker as he held on to Vivian behind her. The Amber vampire's now gloved hand lifted her chin. "Damn, my back stings! Let me show you a quick way to heal from a scratch by the Holy Sword," the vampire's blank eyes glowered at Hunter. He heard the Jade Vampires call him Dimitri.
Dimitri licked Vivian's neck deliberately. Hunter blinked, fighting away the drowsiness trying to overcome him. "With how much blood she's already lost, I doubt she'll be able to survive after I drink from her. How does it feel to waste your efforts in protecting her, hero?" Dimitri taunted. Hunter itched to wipe the stupid smile off this vampire's face. He tried forcing himself back up, but his body betrayed him.
The vampire traced Vivian's neck as he gazed at Hunter, his Amber eyes darkened in color.
Hunter scowled, not maintaining his gaze at Dimitri. Then, his frown turned to a chuckle.
"Oh noble vampire, by all means, partake in her blood. However, it would serve you well to know that the liquid she ingested contained a formula that turns her blood to poison when consumed by vampires like us. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try."
The Jade vampires glanced over at Dimitri, uneasy. Some of them attested to Hunter's claims. They were who fought with Vivian and stayed conscious when she forced that strange yellow liquid into their accomplice's mouth
Dimitri was not stupid. He would not lose his life or sacrifice the lives of his mistress' servants to test whether this hero kid was telling the truth. He threw Vivian's body to one side and flashed in front of the first unconscious human he saw.
He drank until he was able to heal and recover his abilities, and threw the limp body on the ground.