(Cora part of the story)
"What were you saying, child?"
A question from Cora to Adeline sprouted out again and the persistent stares from all the turns compelled her to give a fast response
But this was not so. First, she took a deep breath as she wondered if all of these were worth it in the first place.
"Why must I have thought they would even listen to me?" This question she asked herself as she began to regret her action now.
She should have just entered into the coven silently like an insect, undetected or unnoticed until her presence might have been demanded.
"You! I speak to you! Answer me this now!' Cora spoke with such strength to Adeline which caused a smirk for Cyrus because he knew at that moment, that it can only get worse for Adeline and he would be so pleased to watch her execution.
****
(Adam's Part of the Story)
It was the echoes of the remaining Vam hunters Adam heard which travelled to him. As soon as he heard this, after a satisfactory breath, he led his foot in the direction of the echoes.
Just as the words of Adeline had instructed, he had been careful of the north. Although he knew not what happened there, he was also not ready to find out.
Though as a Vam hunter, he had been to many places in a different direction he had not been to the jurisdiction of the vampires because he knew verily that when he and his people shall do so, the numbers of the vampires were stronger than theirs and their swords and daggers though forged with the ashes of the curse will not help them overcome the numbers against them.
He understood that to war with the vampires, he needs a lot of strategies. Tactics may only deal with the formation of numbers but strategy deals with the numbers, topography, period, and positioning that the war must happen.
And in this sense, he knew just and right that in the territory of the bloodsuckers is their grave which he must not step in. To kill them, he must find the perfect situation for a head-to-head, strength to strength and one-to-one.
This strategy he had always used and always proved to work since over ten years he had been the head of the Vam hunters. Maybe just after he stopped being their leader, another strategy may prove to work but for now, it is all they got.
****
(Cora's part of the story)
"That is what I thought too. Take her into the Open belofte" Cora ordered immediately as Adeline failed to say anything unto her.
"To speak ill of your fellow brother is a sin unto the coven and such an act is immediately frowned at," Cora addressed the coven
"And it does not matter even if you were my daughter and particularly a weakling. The punishment is the same." She concluded.
****
(Adam's Part of the story)
At this moment, Adam and his rest were able to unite again. The truth remained, that even when they found him and expected him alive, they had not expected that he would be alone and whole.
It had been expected that Adam would be injured and barely be able to stand on his feet by now but the good news shall be that he would be with the head of the bloodsucker and her body would have been left for the birds anywhere in the woods. Or simply his own dead body lying in the woods as they would bury him.
But it had not been so. Adam was neither with her head nor a bruise was seen on his skin. And he was also not dead. He was yet very whole and sound. The only obvious was that his hair had been scattered and to them, that was even non-significant.
"What happened Adam?" Edith asked.
He was a dwarf and a lukewarm. But one of the bravest among the Vam hunters. With his humble height, he had killed more turns than Barnabas; who was yet the tallest.
"I don't expect to see you alive... Adam?" Edith babbled again as he expected a response.
But he had not been disappointed, a question he asked and an answer he received and if the answer was not a surprise to them all, it was a lie including the one eye Frederick, who exploded in tons of surprises at the news he heard from Adam was unbelievable.
It happened that Frederick was as brave as Edith among the Vam hunters; such bravery was displayed in the woods of the south at midnight when he was attacked by the turns in their speed.
The story was that the turns had targeted him as he was alone and both of them in their strikes hopped on his back as if they were going to ride him like a horse and almost bit his neck as their fangs already grew.
But he was a mighty man of battle and his strength allowed him to shake them off. Until he was attacked yet again by the third turned who sped out of nowhere and his claw deepened into his left eye.
****
(Adeline's Part of the story)
The open belofte was a term used for the type of prison Adeline was thrown into. It was such a cave with an open surface that allowed Adeline to view the mountains.
Since they knew that no vampire in Petra can walk in the light lest their blood will burn and their skin will become ashes, the prison was a language yet to mock her of her limitations.
Different types of prisons had been built in the north of Petra: the coven of the vampires. First was the one called the darkroom.
This type of prison was such as its name. It was thus that no matter the time of the day, the prison would be dark and a fainted light would struggle in through the hole they called a window.
But this was even the best prison every erring vampire would prefer than the open belofte. The open belofte was more torment to the vampire as such that it shall be dark in the night but bright as the sun in the day.
The open belofte was a cave which they crafted to become a prison with only an iron door that restricted the vampire prisoner from freedom. The unimpeded cave was inverse to the movement of any vampire prisoner.
Thus, Adeline who had looked down from the cave saw the deepest ground as if she was looking down from heaven to earth. The breeze alone was enough to trigger her fall and she knew that if she had fallen, even by mistake, she would only cause herself her death and her death would not even serve any goal to the coven. She knew this as she was just another piece of shit to them.
In the daytime, the ray of the sun, and the brightness of the day was such torture for Adeline as she froze herself in the dark corner of the cave and dare not leave that position unless she wants to be burnt like a burning offering.
****
(Adam part of the story)
To their camp, Adam led the rest of the hunters as they spoke yet on their way. They still cannot believe a bloodsucker would let a human filled with blood like Adam survive without touching a single hair on his head.
Though the reason for her decision had not been clear to them, few had believed she had let Adam live because she believed in a righteous fight. But to others, no vampires had been concerned about being cold-blooded. It is either they eat or they eat yet again.
Adam inside of his tent had flashed back to the event again and again. Especially when he had almost been slaughtered by the cold and the bloodsucker handed him a cloak. That cloak he still looked at.
The more he studied the cloak as his mind wandered in thought, the more he found out more meaning to the bloodsucker who let him live.
He at this moment pressed his fingers more on the cloak and he streamed the earlier event to mind. When they were gathered against her and almost trapped her.
Yet, at this moment, he realised a difference. She had not been affected a bit by the forged ashes of the curse.
"Who are you, bloodsucker? Why are you so different?" Adam ground the silent words out of his mouth.
This time, his vision was no longer interrupted by his mind and he could now see the design knitted on the cloak. It is the head of an eagle and not a very happy eagle but a frowning one.
"This is so old" Adam mumbled.
The last time he had seen something like that was in the days his grandmother was still alive. According to what his grandmother had said. That was passed to her from her mother and again, it was passed down from generation to generation.
Only that what her grandmother owned was not a cloak but a hand towel with the same design and such, Adam went into his locker and brought out the towel for comparison.
"She is of the old!" He confirmed.