25 years ago.
"Sarai, where are you?" Sarai's mother, Katrina called as she searched around the house for her daughter.
She peeped over the large refrigerator by the wall, but to her disappointment, Sarai isn't there as she always does. But the drawing papers on the ground gave Katrina the leads about where Sarai might be.
Katrina sighed and walked around the refrigerator to the corner which is littered by the drawing sheets that she easily knew was her daughter's.
She bent before it and picked the papers. On the papers were half drawn images. Like a tree that had one eye, but the tree isn't whole yet.
Katrina exhaled sharply and grabbed the other papers. All she met was the same. A tree that had eyes, but the drawing isn't completed, just like the first ones.
Katrina sprung to her feet and she strode to the stairs, ascending it in a race and then rushed to the extreme end of the upper corridor. She stopped by the door and hesitated for a second. However, she sighed and grabbed the knob before entering.
There was no source of illumination and the room was dark. But Katrina could feel the presence of his daughter in the room.
Katrina snapped her fingers and activated a magic circle. Flames burned on the floating circle and illuminated the room.
Then the figure of a 10 years old girl, squatting in a corner was revealed, young Sarai.
Katrina walked to her and knelt before her.
"Hey, what are you doing up here alone?" Katrina asked, concern was etched in her tone.
"I, I," Sarai stammered, her young voice so innocent to the ears that one would want to hear more.
Katrina couldn't get any less worried as her face dropped to the ink pen papers in Sarai's hand. There was drawing on the papers.
"Can I see that?" Katrina asked and Sarai stretched out her hands to her, giving the papers to her mom.
Katrina checked the papers one after the other, the drawing was just like the ones she saw downstairs, earlier. Incomplete.
But then her forehead ridged into a frown when she found one. It's completed.
An image of an olive tree with an eye on the trunk, stared back at her. Katrina could feel her soul lifting at the image in her grip. Of course she recognised what it was. Why won't she?
Sarai was confused as she asked. "What is this mother? I have been seeing it so much lately."
"You're seeing it?" Katrina asked to be sure.
Sarai nodded.
Katrina sighed and her gaze fell on the papers, on the image drawn on it. Then she said, "this tree, to the normal world, is called an olive tree. But to a particular tribe of supernaturals, it's known as a symbol of redemption. When something is dead, it could be said that a faithful one could make use of the tree's power to resuscitate even a dead person."
Sarai couldn't understand it much. Even though she knows about the supernatural world, as her mother had taught her since she was a toddler, she's still a ten year old girl. Her understanding capacity can't be compared to that of a teenager or adult.
"Seeing this," Katrina paused, then continues, "means you're becoming a woman soon. Not just a woman, sweetheart. You are becoming an Armadi."
*****
Present day.
Market Street
Sarai sprinted between shops and alleys, away from the glowing neon signs that lit up the night in Market Street.
Exhaustion was visible on her pale face but she didn't stop.
After escaping the hunters, she had been running for over five hours in the Market Street, with one place in mind. Macarba.
The moon, in it's half form getting out of sight slowly, and the Market getting more and more scanty, all made her know that it's getting a lot late. And her time is running.
The olive tree being the lead she has, she kept on going. Because she knows that the olive tree is strongly related to the Marcaba. That, she is sure about.
She turned a corner and swiped a cloak from a hanger, unknown to the snacks vendor who was attending to some love birds, who seemed to be less concerned of the late time. She placed it over her head and quickened her pace.
Soon, the heavy noise of the Market Street began to wane. She turned left and then, there she is, in the center of nowhere. The place was scanty and the buildings there were okay but the air that circulated the place was desolate.
But that didn't matter.
Sarai eased the cloak and it mercifully fell on the ground in a pool of fabrics.
Her eyes were filled with ease as she stared at the tree about 20 meters away. An olive tree. It was in the center of the surroundings and it was alone.
Sarai sighed and relief washed through her as she confirmed it's an olive.
Clap! Clap!! Clap!!!
Someone clapped and a voice followed. "Here you're, Sarai."
Sarai's gaze flashed up and her face turned ugly when she saw the person before her.
Vinicius and about ten of his vampires were right before her. Their deadly gaze threatened to make Sarai's heart shiver, but she's not an ordinary witch.
"Never thought I would get you so fast after your people slaughtered most of my men," Vinicius gritted.
"They attacked my people and my people fought back," Sarai's face was grim as she said. She tried her best to fight the pain in her arm as she put up a stoic expression.
"No, no, you don't need to do that, witch. I can smell the sweet scent of your blood slowly oozing out of that grazed arm of yours." Vinicius' ears elongated and his eyes took a shade of red as he added. "You're getting weak Sarai, and your life will pay for my lost men."
Sarai watched Vinicius' men transform into their vampire form too, then she scoffed. "Hmph! It's true that I'm weak now. But I'm still strong enough to make you and your men fertilizer to that tree."
Sarai pointed at the olive tree as the air around her began to distort. Energy flowed outta her body as she chanted very loud.
"mundi solis!"
A magic circle appeared below her feet and the light of a sun that could not be seen, illuminated the space forming a barrier around Sarai.
Vinicius growled loudly as bones retracted from his hands instead of claws. There were archaic runes on the bones, it makes it very powerful and being just a bones, it can pierce anything even armored vehicles.
That's his special ability as a born vampire.
Bang!
The spot on which he stood earlier shattered as he lunged at Sarai.
Bang!!!!
Vinicius was repelled and his feet formed a pair of deep, long trenches on the ground as he retreated ten meters back.
His men were repelled too, but not all survived it. Two were turned to ashes while the other eight sustained burn injuries.
Vinicius' eyes trembled in shock as he lifted his gaze to his face. His face, his heavily muscled hands were burnt on the surface.
Done by the artificial sun shield that circled Sarai.
His face lifted to Sarai's grin. His face and his hands healed like there was never any burn there and he grinned too.
"No matter what, you're dying, witch." His eyes flashed fiercely as he launched himself at Sarai again, his remaining vampires trailed him.
******
Adrian stood on the rooftop of a four story building. His eyes gazed at the street below. It's Lane street. Christa's street.
Below him, under his lingering eyes, the double lanes of the highway boomed with honks and lit up in the bright headlights of the numerous vehicles that were in a gridlocked traffic, so much that the streetlights couldn't be needed for illumination again.
The traffic was so heavy and the honks of the desperate drivers could tear an eardrum. It's night time and everyone is heading home so it's normal.
However, that was not of concern to Adrian. He was awaiting the wizard's result on finding where Kylian is.
But as he waited he could sense a familiar presence behind him. Then he said without looking back. "If you're here because my father sent you, I would say you should go back."
"Adrian," Bellerin sighed and continued. "Please come with me. Leader said, "If I can't bring you back, then I shouldn't come back home."
Adrian turned to face him. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I would say you should follow me on my quest. My father is now weak unlike before anyway. Following me could be the one best choice you'll be making in your life."
Bellerin flinched at this. Even though he knows this is Adrian, he also knows that the Adrian talking is not the same as the one he grew up to know. Adrian had never said that to him before. He has never used such language before, to him.
Bellerin's barely a century old while Adrian is already two and half centuries old. Bellerin grew up to know Adrian. Adrian was like a father to him, he was like a brother to him and finally, he was like a friend to him.
So he knows almost everything about Adrian. And he knew just what to do in this kind of situation.
"I'll follow you, Adrian."
Adrian grinned mischievously and inched closer to Bellerin. He placed his hands on his shoulder. The hands were clawed showing how battle ready Adrian is.
But Bellerin was calm, Adrian can't possibly attack him.
Adrimasy grin was unwavering as he said to Bellerin. "If you'll follow me, then tell those vampires lurking in the shadows to either go back or follow me too. Or they'll die."
Then Adrian walked past Bellerin, leaving him to wallow in shock.
But then he wondered. 'If Adrian didn't know that there are presence lurking around, then how is he the son of Caius'
Adrian is the son of a born vampire afterall ( and unknown to most, he's also a half Primordial).
Bellerin sighed then pulled his hoodie over his head as he followed Adrian with speed.
****
Sarai casted a spell and a strong wind blew, sending two Vampires flying away before slamming hard on a wall nearby.
The sun shield kept the vampires from reaching her. Even though she's powerful, she's still aware of the fact that only a slash at her throat is needed and she would be dead. So she used the sun shield to keep them off and then began to launch her attack at them.
But what the vampires began to do after a while surprised her greatly.
A vampire rushed towards her and slammed his feet at the sun shield but burned his leg.
Another did the same and got the same fate. Despite seeing and knowing what would be their fate if they made contact with the shield, the others didn't stop as they kept on doing the same.
Sarai's face held a deep frown as she tried to think of a possible reason they are doing this, but she couldn't find one. As in, who would do such thing as putting hands in the fire. Even if you're forced, you'll still try to struggle. She was confused at what their motive is.
Vinicius' watched with a slight grin as his men did this, and his red eyes glittered with pleasure as he caught the confusion in Sarai's eyes. His slitted eyes flashed viciously as he sped towards the shield too.
Bang!
The shield shook and the ground around reverberated.
Sarai's eyes flashed with shock as she understood what they were trying to do.
To break the shield with force.
No shield is so strong that it could withstand constant force for so long. No matter how large the energy reserve a witch, mage or wizard possesses, it's still going to finish when in use, anyway.
And adding that Sarai is already becoming weak, not only from exhaustion but also from the wound on her arm.
So it's only normal that she's this cornered.
The vampires surrounded her and began to hit the shield from all angles.
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!! Bang!!!!
Soon, the shield shifted inwards a little bit. Sarai knew at once that the shield was about to break.
She casted a spell and two red magic circles appeared before her palms. Flames burned furiously on the red magic circle and she lifted her hands up towards the sky as she chanted very loud.
"liberam undam!"
Vinicius paused his assault as he sensed a very high degree of danger. Every hairs on his head stood on edge as he signaled his men to stop too.
They did. Their eyes watched Sarai's curvaceous figure in the magic circle as the energy in the circle began to swirl around her at a very high speed.
Vinicius frowned deeply at this. This is what he hated about fighting witches. Though he hasn't fought many witches in the past but the little he had brawled with, he knew that a witch is not to be joked with. Not to mention that Sarai has made the top of the list already by giving him a very hard time.
Because their move is unknown and unpredictable. A spell or chant and hell will get loose but there's one thing he knows, no person with magic can stand for long. Just like vampires and werewolves get tired after fighting for too long, witches empties their energy after a long fight too.
As he stared at the swirling energy in the magic circle, he couldn't help but wonder what it's about.
As he stared, a pair of bright glowing eyes found him in the magic circle, amidst the energy that shrouded the interiors.
Then a pang of realization struck him.
"Move back!" He shrieked to his men as he turned to retreat.
But it's too late. He gritted hard as pain flashed across his face. However, his face winced with insanity. There's one he's certain of, after this attack, Sarai is done for.
A second later, even before anyone, including Vinicius, could move a meter, hell let loose. There's no escaping death!
BANG!
The magic circle exploded and a wave of sun rays mixed flames, bursted outwards.
The wave was so hot that the vampires were all turned into ashes in a flash.
The ground shook heavily and the buildings nearby shook as though they would collapse. Cracks formed on the ground and stretched up to the walls of countless structures no matter what they were built of.
Dust threatened to make the place inhabitable but soon, everything settled down.
Sarai collapsed to the ground with her face as pale as a white sheet,so much that she looked like a person who had no blood left in its veins. She looked like so miserable and weak. More like a dieing person.
She heard a thud behind her and she knew at once what it was.
She looked back over her shoulder to see Kylian's body on the ground. Her energy reserve had reached the bottom line and so the magic chair and the invisibility spell had vanished causing Kylian's body to drop to the ground.
She sighed. Nonetheless, they are free now. Since all their enemies are dea- wait!
A presence appeared in her front. She could feel a heavy murderous intent as she lifted her neck to look at it. A strong hand interjected, gripped her throat and lifted her up, slowly.
She gagged and her eyes bulged. Her vision was blurry but she could see the rage filled gaze of the vampire lord that gripped her throat. Vinicius.
He survived the explosion but one of his hands is gone and his chest and abdomen was burned badly. Half his head was like a fried chicken. And he's not healing, the damage is too much and his healing system is overwhelmed. So to heal will take a while.
"A fanabla! (Go to hell!)" Vinicius growled with so much rage as he made to pierce Sarai's neck with his bone claws.
But then he paused. His face wrinkled in pain and pale red blood spurted outta his lips.
Sarai fell from his grip and collapsed, he fell alongside and went on his knees.
He winced and his red eyes widened all of the sudden before his head was cut clean from his neck.
With a fleshy thud, the head fell on the ground and rolled meters away.
Sarai watched weakly as Vinicius' body collapsed.
Then a figure came into sight. A hoodie was drawn on its face and a dark cloak was wrapped around its body.
Sarai doesn't know who it is but she can't sense any murderous intent.
As her eyes slowly closed up and her consciousness slipped off her fingers, she heard.
"You are safe now."
*************