Aya's POV
The clash of steel rang throughout the compound. The silhouettes of the fighters locked in a deadly dance. "Fight one wit beneath your abilities and I'll give a good scar to remind you!"
Steel scraped against steel as I pushed him back, noting that Master Liu was getting slower due to the darkness and his lowered level of stamina. Lowering my sword and moving it slowly to the left, my right foot slid sideways. A smile started on my lips that lightly creased the corners of the skin; where my black eyes glittered with mischief in the moonlight. "Aww.. Feeling your mortality, Master Liu?" The cool air of the night moved against my warmed skin and I felt so alive.. Well, as alive as I could be.
We circled each other just as predators do. He raised his sword vertical to his right; knees bent. I countered, and we engaged. Steel clashed; screeching against one another again and again.
Until one sword went flying in circles in the air only to land blade first in the grass outside the dining hall. The other blade however, was at Master Liu's throat.
"But how in the hell.. " He started off, but my words stopped him. "Easily. You are tired and have need of food. Which made you lose your focus, plus your stamina is much reduced. You also forgot that I am weakened by light of day, and I am about one hundred and fifty percent times stronger and faster by dark of night." Quickly I lowered my sword and we both laughed.
To the left of us we could see dots of light forming through the tree line. It was part of the parameter night watch that had come running. A man called Cheng that I had met earlier in the day was leading them and headed toward Master Liu on the training field.
Cheng was wearing deep colors to help conceal him by night. ( As if it would help. ) Heaving with the exertion of having run such a long distance; sweat stained his clothes so I took a step back, finding the scent repugnant. "Master Liu!.. Master Liu! Three of the men's groups are engaged in fighting with the vampires. We only have two more groups of five available to help us defend the compound, and the Elder. Oh, and her. What are your orders, Sir?" At Cheng's words, Master Liu and I both knew it was all a diversion to keep the men busy. We saw this coming..
"Miss Aya please stay here in the compound while we deal with this." With a knowing smile Master Liu winked and nodded to me and walked off with Chen and the men, barking orders.
Carefully I sheathed my sword and walked back slowly toward my hut, listening.. There was a low glow coming from Mako's hut letting me know that he was 'supposedly' asleep by his fire. Good.
I knew Jin had reported the
torture of Lord Kai's men and the girl that got away; to Master Liu, and to Mako when we first arrived here.
Reaching my dark hut, I took out some fresh clothing from the small cubby holes in the wall near the fire pit. Setting the clothes aside, I got a good fire started in the pit, picked up the clothes and left through the leather flap at the door.
The fabric of my cloak trailed behind me as I passed through the trees. Opening my senses completely, I could feel a doe not to far ahead that I knew would scamper off as I arrived. The scent in the air was fresh and clean with the scent of the trees, moss, and the earth that they grew out of.
More and more I could feel the presence of a vampire across the river. His aura was very strong. Setting my clean clothing down on an old fallen tree, I slowly stripped out of my soiled red hakama.
Putting my sword aside, I untied the belt on the red material of the hakama pants letting them slowly slide down the paleness of my shapely legs. Untying my shirt at the side, I separated the shirt exposing breasts and my naked body to the air as the shirt slid off my arms to the ground.
Facing the lake, I slowly raised my arms and untied my long black hair; allowing it to tumble down my pale moonlit body, swinging gently at the backs of my thighs.
Just as I was about to jump into the water, I saw a glimmer of something across the river. Not bothering to strip a tree of its bark; I dove high into the water instead, going deep enough to use the sand there to scrub my body down.
While in the water, I felt the aura of the vampire change and lessen. This was unexpected, so I surfaced the water and simply floated as the aura moved beneath the river its self, went beneath me then almost disappeared in the same direction as my clothing. Thinking as fast as I could, all I was able to come up with was the probability of a tunneling system.
Diving down several times, I could neither see nor feel anything odd about the floor of the river. Giving up, I raised my eyes to where my clothes were, and they were gone.
Coming out from the shadows with my clothes dangling from his hand was an extremely handsome vampire. He was tall, all dressed in black, and was very alluring. His eyes never left mine as he moved to sit on the end of the fallen tree, a sweet smile on his lips; though there was mischief in his eyes. "Are these yours?" He held out my clothes daring me to come out of the water.
Taking my sweet time, I swam to the shallows and walked slowly out of the water. Moving right up to him as naked as the day I was born, I leaned forward and took my clothing from his tightly holding fingers. "Yes, they are mine as you well know. And to answer the question you haven't yet asked; No, I am not ashamed."
The deep tones of his laughter were very pleasant on the ear. "So, you do not fear what I could do to you and that body of yours?" He asked me with an amused smile.
He gave up his grip on the clothing and I placed them down for the moment. "I know what could be done to me if I were a weak vampire, but I am not one. Should I advertise my aura as you have?" I ask as I reach beneath my hair to bring it all over the one shoulder that it may be twisted to squeeze out the excess water. "Uh.. You can stop staring at me now."
I felt the full weight of his aura for a brief second there and it was much more then had been anticipated. He was about as old as I was! Only he stopped his physical aging at a later time. He grinned at me and shrugged. "You can't fault me for being a male.." Quickly I pulled on the blue hanfu dress to cover myself.
His mind was totally blocked off to me. For once in my life, I actually felt a bit vulnerable. It must have showed as he grasped me by the upper arms and his lips crashed onto mine with great passion, most of which he held in check, to a point. God's knew I wanted to melt into him knowing this would probably be the only kiss we would ever have, but I didn't. Instead, I pulled away a bit, and he rested his forehead to mine. "See me again.." He asked soft and seductively. Though what he was trying to lure me into, I couldn't say..
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Author's Note:
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