"Yes, I was still human when the Dragons came, that song was one of those they brought." She said handing me a pack. "Have a good trip to the End!" I blink and then laugh.
"Thanks Jade have a good day!" I said leaving the cellar. I head back top my room to pack. After packing my gear and headed out. Using the shadows, I get out of the castle I sigh as the sun hits my face I start heading northeast toward the End. After about a half hour I came to the Northern river and I stop looking into the river it was a lot easier to see if that damn beast was in the area. Taking a deep breath, I went back a bit and take off running then at the bed of the river I jump with as much power I can. I land just on the edge of the river with my one foot and reach out and grab a branch to pull me forward I sighted as I start moving again. I cover my eyes as I moved though a clearing the sun getting high in the sky.
I stop as I look up at the large gate on the horizon. I started climbing a tree. This part of the trip is very dangerous. I start leaping from tree to tree. I stop as I shift to sit on a branch pulling out a bottle of blood and pop the cork. I started sipping it grimacing at the taste. I hear a rather large bang that makes birds fly away from the gate. I cork the bottle and put the bottle back in my pack as I keep moving as do the band get louder. I look down hearing two heartbeats.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Humans really should not be here."
"Who is there." The smaller male said whipping around.
"Calm yourself." I said as I dropped to the ground. "I am Lady Diana of the Northern Clan." I then pushed the gun out of my face. "Please leave." I sigh.
"I am sorry, but why should we leave?" The tall male asked. I raised my eyebrow.
"What do you know of these lands?" I asked him to try to keep myself in control.
"That these lands were used for experiments about 3000 years ago." The tall male said.
"Yes, but what else do you know these woods are…" I stopped as I heard crashing. "Shit get up in the tree!" I tell them as a strong smell of muck and decay fill my nose.
"What why?" They asked.
"Not time up." I tell them. I tell them the roar got them moving. I climbed up behind them and placed my finger to the lip to keep them quiet. I looked down at the bear-like creature. It stopped sniffing the air, it looked up the decaying face and orange eyes looked up at us. It roared again and snarled. I covered my nose as the smell made me want to be sick.
"What is that." The small male asked.
"One of the beasts that was made during the experiments." I whisper. "Not sure how it's still alive. Grab onto the trunk its going to slam into the tree." I said gripping the tree as the thing slammed into the tree. I wrap my legs around the trunk as I reach into my pack trying to find the bit of meet that I brought.
"May I ask what you are doing?" The small male asked.
I dropped the meat down into the things mouth. It starts chewing the chunk of meat and starts moving away from our tree. "When going to the end always be prepaid for the decay bears." I whisper looking at them. "I don't suppose you can jump from tree to tree, can you?" I asked.
"No." They both said I sighed and nodded.
"Ok I will take you back to the End but you will listen to me if I tell you to climb a tree do so without question." I hiss.
"The End?" The smaller male asked.
"The gate." I speak softly. Wincing I cover my eyes again.
"You ok?" He asked again.
"Yea it's just really bright my kind are normally nocturnal." I explained.
"Oh here." He said handing the glasses off his head. "These should help a bit." I put them on and blink.
"Oh, wow that cuts the majority of the glare off." I said. "With the sun setting things are going to get more dangerous for you so we need to move as quickly as possible." I tell them. "Though if I could get your names it would be nice since calling you tall male and short male would be confusing."
"True I am John." The short male now john said. "And this is Hubart."
"Thank you now come on." I said taking off at a jog I keep an ear on their heartbeats I skidded to a stop as I sniff the air.
"What is it."
"Shhh." I tell him then I gasp as I push them back as the snake bites into the tree. Quickly my knife severs its head.
"How did we not run across these things coming in?" John asked.
"It was daytime. Most creatures are nocturnal a round here." I sighed, tapping my thigh. "It's too dangerous to stop." I sighed. "Come on." I said moving around the snake. We move until the sun is gone; I pulled the glasses off blinking as I looked at them.
"Can we take a break please?" John asked, panting as he leans on a tree.
I looked at the gate. "Yea we are close at this pace we should be there in an hour or two." I leaned back against a tree pulling out my bottle of blood.
"What is that?" Hubart asked.
"Blood." I tell him as I start drinking
"Wait you're a vampire!" Hubart squealed.
John smacked a hand over his mouth. "Shhh man we don't need to attract animals."
"But yes, I am a vampire." I rolled my eyes. "I have never had human blood and I don't want it. I was turned after all."
"There are different types of Vampires?" John asked.
"Turned and born." I tell him. "Turned vampires are more temperamental Father is an original vampire he's seen them go insane due to the long life we have." I take a drink. "Where born vampires were born into this eternal life." I looked up at the stars. "There are some turned vampires that stay sane but most fine their Hotara within three to four hundred years.
"What is a hotara?" John asked.
"Our lifemates." I tell him. "The Hotara is a bond that you and another forge." I start drawing the consolations in the air. "Each pair is different just like the stars are different. To find your Hotara bond is one of the greatest things in a vampire's life." I said tilting my head back as I drank the last of the bottle. I slide the empty bottle back into my pack.
"Can I ask what type of blood that is." John asked.
"Boar." I scrunched up my nose. "I love boar's blood but cold it has a bitter note to it."
"Sounds like coffee." John said.
"Coffee?" I asked.
"You never had coffee?" He asked. "Not even when you were human?" I wince and look down at the ground.
"I have no idea who I was before I came here." I sighed. "About 230 years, give or take, my father found me injured almost to the point of death." I tell them.
"Why are you telling us this?" Hubart asked.
"Humans to my knowledge do not like vampires or at least that is how it was before they left so I figured being open and honest would be the best course of action." I tell him.
He opened his mouth then closed it. "Wow that the first time I have seen you be silenced." John laughed then Hubart smacks him in the back of the head. I snort before the wind shifts as the scent of smoke fills my nose. I turn to scan the skyline.
"What is it?"
"Smoke." I said tilting my head. "But I don't see it. I smell it but not see it." I started to get worried.
"With that time, the squad probably started a fire." John asked.
"Then I hope they are outside the wall. These trees burn far too easily."
"Yea no see we got sent in as scouts." John said. "We were to see if we could find anything that would be edible for the trip in."
"Why?" I asked. "Why know after so long?"
"From what we got told the dragons are missing an heiress." Hubart sighed. "They have been looking for her for 250 years and they finally were able to feel her magic from here."
"Okay what is a dragon?" I asked. "It's not the mythical beast, are they?"
"No Dragons are a mutation in the witches and the familiar bond. The familiar develops as a dragon." John said.
"A witch?" I asked.
"Another experiment that can use the energy of both themselves and nature to do some things." Hubart said. "My sister is a witch she has a hyena for a familiar."
"Oh, but how would they know of a dragon?" I asked.
"The dragons tend to come from one bloodline and because of their connection with a dragon these witches live for a thousand years." Hubart explains.