[Inimicus]

((OOC: THIS IS AN OPEN THREAD BUT BE WARNED...THERE WILL BE A FIGHT WITH A HIGH LEVEL ROUGE VAMPIRE WHO WOULD HAVE NO ISSUES KILLING! ENTER AT RISK))

Inimicus stopped before the faint shimmer in the underground, it was hard to see...but he was looking. He took a deep breath, what he was about to do was something he had done once before, and not to this extent. He had his weapons with him, but he wouldn't need them, his nerves were not of an iminent danger to himself but of one to his psyche. He had hid himself from this danger for far too long, it needed to be resolved, he was a king now and he needed to be strong for his people and for those who loved him.

He wanted to be a warrior for Xanth, but how could he be when he couldnt even face his past. Pulling his cape tighter around him he looked at his apperance, dressed as when he left, it was time. He stepped through thinking of his home, his family home and concentrated soley on that.

---------------
BERLIN, GERMANY
11pm
----------------

Inimicus felt his feet hit ground somewhere in the Zoologische Garten, people saw him but he was in the area of major drug users so they probably passed it off as the drugs. Looking around he smiled, he missed his home often. The bright signs of the area, the language so dear to him, it made him smile. However this wasnt the time for that, he had serious business and sight-seeing would have to wait.

-----------------
1am
----------------

Reaching the gate to his family house he looked up the imposing walkway. Twin dragon's emblazoned with the family seal flanked the gate, the marble eyes staring unblinkly at anyone who dared to enter. The gate was closed, the path was darkened and the lights were off. However the lawn and gardens were well manicured, the gardener continued his devotion to the family it seemed even when only one was left alive. Inimicus sighed and lowered his head, so many bad memories, so much blood, so much horror. He thought of the thieves who must have come through here on their night of blood and murder, the night his life ended. Shaking his head he threw the thoughts away, he couldnt think of that. Pushing open the gates he wandered up to the imposing house. The security system blinked red in its activated state, Inimicus recoiled from it. His idiocy in leaving it unarmed caused the death. He punched in the keycode quickly and wandered into the house, closing the door behind him.

He didnt need lights to be on, he could see perfectly fine in the darkness as a vampire. Inimicus walked towards the stairs and began the climb up to the place where true horrors lay.



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

Hereward Alaric, Level 7 Rouge Vampire Charmer

Elysia was one world, Earth was another the man knew this. He had gone by many names and almost no one knew his true one, he had been alive for centuries on Earth and in Elysia. He could never choose one world or the other, but if he was forced Earth was his favorite grounds. He was a man, a vampire of such charm that the minds of the people were his prey, he loved feeding but more than that he loved bending people to his will. Even leaving them alive it was fun to have the knowledge of what he did to them. Elysia was a hard place to get away with that, on earth the people were weak willed and easy prey. For centuries they had been conditioned not to believe in vampires and now they had no defense.

He had been on earth for a month now, in his old home. The people didnt question him, they liked him. He loved this house for the relative closeness to Berlin and also...the fact that it looked on the site of his greatest triumph. He looked over at it now in his bedroom, the Malus mansion...where he had turned the last member of one of the premier german families...ah Inimicus's blood had been so sweet and unaware of what was in store. He looked down the walkway and noticed something with his keen night site....so the boy had come back to home.

The man known as Elder smiled and stood up, grasping his glass of blood by its stem, his thin white fingers wrapping around it.

" Perhaps the boy has come to seek his master...once again "

Laughing lightly to himself he descended his staircase and walked out the door, heading over to the Malus mansion.

[Inimicus]

REFERENCES TO SEVERE INJURY AND GORE

Memories like drops of rain heralding a storm had begun falling. Just as in a storm, first a few....the security alarm and the lifeless draconic sentinels. Then more, and more, until a flood of drops and a flood of memories comes upon you ready to wash away the infirm and unprepared.

Inimicus leaned clutching his head at the door to his parents room. The portraits of his grandfather Uwe and his wife Emilia starring across the room hanging over the fireplace, lifeless but ever vigilant of now the empty house where once there was life. The sheets in the room, they hadnt been touched, the police had not needed to invesitigate, there was no mystery save what had happened to Inimicus.

The gardener, and the other servants, had been quick to protect him it seemed without even knowing what had happened...he came back to germany quickly once and found that the police assumed he had suffered a mental breakdown and had fled to tibet to meditate. The sheets, where he remembered curling up with his parents as a child, were still stained wtih their lifeblood...months old the dark stain seemed to taunt him, reminding him of what he had done and failed to do.

Inimicus shook his head, tears were stinging his eyes and he knew tonight many more would fall. He turned away from the lifeless room with a sigh and moved down the hall, his room was the last one and many more memories awaited him in the rooms to follow.

He stopped at the next door clutching his stomach in pain, not physical, but emotional made physical. His sister's room...his darling Phoebe. She was so beautiful, kind, generous...if women could inherit a name she had earned it. Not only was she the eldest...but the kindest and greatest of the children. As a child Inimicus had always been jealous of his sister's seeming perfection...but he also loved her for how she was kind to him. She was the jewel of the Malus family, much of Germany had known her and loved her as his parents....of the family Inimicus had been the black sheep...but the eldest male child.

She had been engaged...2 months....2 months and she would have married Marc...2 months and he would have had an older brother and she would have been gone. If the thieves had just waited 2 months the line could have continued if not directly, at least indirectly....but it couldnt now. His beautiful sister was dead when he should have been the one to die. He couldnt carry on the family past himself...he was dead...his body was dead, and it would never be alive again.

Tears started falling down his white face, but sobs wouldnt come...he couldnt start now. If he started now...he wouldnt be able to continue living at the next room. He moved down the hall clutching his stomach against the pain of held back sobs.

His brother's room....his younger brother. Fun loving, kind, loved, clever...his younger brother was such a great kid. He hadnt even graduated to Gymnasium yet...one more year and he would have....one more year and he would have been in Secondary School. The dark stain on the bed and trail on the carpet....they hadnt killed him well.

The smallest and youngest and he had to endure life for a few dreadful moments unable to scream because of the cut on this throat...the lines ended with one last hand print as he had tried to pull himself one more inch, one more inch forward in life that he had to hope would make the difference.

Inimicus couldn't take it anymore...the carefully crafted facade of a calm exterior crumbled. He had let doubts through his facade...but never his true feelings, never his memories. He fell down the wall his back scrapping against the corner to his brother's room as he fell onto the carpeted floor. Sobs racked his body and tears flooded down his eyes, the memories in this house were too much to bear. He knew he needed to do this, to get it out, but he felt as if he could die again from the pain.

Why had he been left alive, out of everyone in the family he was the worst. His parents gave money, time, and resources to help anyone in need...people could come up to them and ask for money and not be turned away. His sister chaired several charities, gave her own money and hours upon hours of time to help everyone from the poor, to the sick, to the criminal. His brother helped the people in town with work that needed to be done without asking for anything in return.

Inimicus however...he drank...smoke...and tried to have his way with as many women in town as possible. He had been haughty, sure of himself, proud of who he was. He had helped the townspeople but he expected to be able to ask for favors...he hadnt done it out of altruism. He was known for getting drunk and starting fights, hurting people in the process...he was known to break the hearts of women he seduced...he had not been a good person.

That night he had been out drinking…again. He had drunk his wait in beer it seemed and hit on all the women in the tavern. He waved his rudeness in everyones face and was proud of it. He had gotten home and forgotten to turn on the security alarm after he deactivated it…one simple button…one simple button to press inside and all would have been alright.

However he forgot to in his drunken self inflated haze…crawling to his bed he had let death into the house for everyone but the one who called it near.

Why had the thieves done this, anyone could simply ask for money and get it...why did they need to steal, there was no reason. They had gone room to room killing everyone in the house, his father than mother as they slept. Then his sister as she dreamed of her soon to be husband. Then his brother...whom they left horribly alive...why hadnt they been able to kill him and spare him carrying this Atlas like burden.

He broke down into sobs putting his head in his lap...a door could have been opened and he would not have heard it....just like that night long ago.

" Mother...father...Phoebe...Jubal...I'm...I'm so sorry...please....please for...forgive me...."



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

Hereward Alaric, Level 7 Rouge Vampire Charmer

He could hear the boy crying from outside, really it was quite pathetic. He had never cried, not in centuries, all he had known was dead and did he ever cry? No he did not, he took delight in the pleasures of living...the pleasures of taking a person's control from them and bending them to his will...of taking their life bit by bit and growing stronger because of it. This Malus boy, he had honored his oath to the family and saved the runt...sure in his own fashion Valorem had never been clear on what he meant so the man had taken his liberties...but he had done his duty nonetheless.

This boy should really be stronger than he was acting, he was a vampire and here he was sobbing over something that had happened over half a year ago. Sure the boy had gotten his family killed, but honestly he needed to grow a backbone. Still Elder smiled as he pushed open the door, that just meant he could warp the boy again. He had been doing this for centuries, though most of the idiots he turned were dead by their own stupidity or his boredom, Inimicus was one of the few left alive. Normally he didnt like to turn, rather feed little bits from peopel and mess with their lives with his powers, leaving them begging for his help, he didnt turn people often.

"Mother, Father, Phoebe, Jubal, forgive me please "

The broken sobs washed down the railing and Elder rolled his eyes.

" Oh now stop that boy! "

Elder said to Inimicus as he used his vampiric speed to quickly climb the stairs and walk down the hallway

" get up, this is pathetic and you are disgracing the memories of your family "

This boy was weak, Elder would play the nice mentor and work Inimicus back to his side. He focused on Inimicus's mind, to tweak it as he had months ago. He almost physically recoiled as he felt a...a protection around his mind, one he could not even begin to penetrate. Where had this come from...

[Inimicus]

Inimicus hadn't heard Elder enter, hadn't heard the door, hadn't heard the footsepts. The horrors of his past in this the place where they came from were all too much for him, he was only 22. His head buried in his knees he was letting out all the pain, the sadness of his shady past. He had killed his family, not directly, but he caused it...he was the reason that a family begun before Rome had fallen with an unbroken line of male descendants to carry the name...he was the reason it had ended despite having two healthy sons.

He couldnt feel his parents with him, he didnt belive in Heaven, not now that he knew Xanth was the goddess, he couldnt feel his family at all. In some way he wished he could feel their presence, even if hatred, better than the empty world that he was in. In one night of mistakes everything he had known for 22 years had been ended and his future along with it...he could live forever but there would be no more Malus children....he wasn't capable. He had no notice of Elder until he heard the all too familiar voice. It had been months since he had seen the elder vampire but the voice was imprinted in his head as were the faces of the men who had killed his family.

As the Elder vampire stood beside him Inimicus jolted, jumping he stood up and turned quickly to face the vampire. He listened to the man talk, what was he hoping....that Inimicus would still consider him his master? He was being far too nice, did he not know Inimicus knew everything about him? Inimicus stared at the man, then felt a twinge in his mind, as if someone was trying to push aside curtains of his memory and feelings. It didnt get far however, and Inimicus knew who it was.

" Elder...you pathetic old man why did you come here? Did you think I would just come back to you? Did you think I wouldnt find out about you being a rouge? Leave now you pathetic disgrace for a vampire and I won't kill you. Your tricks are no good with me your King! "

Where had this energy come from? Inimicus didnt know himself, his whole body was shaking with anger he was suprised wasnt visible. A moment ago he had been crying his eyes out a wreck of a man, and now his hatred had propelled him to a feeling he had never expierienced before. It wasn't adrenaline...he didnt know what it was. Every fiber of his being was coursing with what felt like liquid anger, all he knew is he wanted to tear this man apart. In his weakest moment this man had tried to turn him into the ultimate disgrace, and now he said Inimicus was disgracing his family.

" GET OUT OF HERE YOU WRETCH OR I WILL THROW YOU OUT! "



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

Hereward Alaric, Level 7 Rouge Vampire Charmer

The man had not expected this, not at all. Inimicus was not even a year old vampire, weak, unsteady, and apparently unsure of himself, how had he supplanted Scarlett as the vampire Royalty. Were the council becoming even more deluded, they had always been weak and unwilling to accept the true strength of vampires, but now...putting Inimicus in the throne? He felt for all the new vampires, he would have to gather some fellow Rouges and truly teach these new ones what it meant to be a vampire.

The boy stood, Elder wasn't stupid, he knew the boy was trained in fighting. That was the whole reason he had been forced into protecting the family by Valorem, the damn man had come into his house to return some tools that Elder had leant out and caught him drinking blood. Before Elder could even blink that damn silver family sword had been at his throat, even with all his strength and speed Valorem was better trained that he could have thought possible, he had no time to react. That and his mind had been so strong, it was far beyond what he had expected in humans, but it was true that the Malus family had done something to keep its line unbroken for over a millenia. He had been forced to protect the family, to protect Inimicus who had the bad habit of doing stupid things, to not let him die. He should have said keep him alive, but he hadnt, and this was the result.

Elder knew that likely this boy had become a warrior vampire, it seemed to suit what he knew of the men of the Malus family. If what he had trained as a human was combined with vampirc abilities it was something Elder did not want to see.

" Hmmm, so it seems you are not as stupid as I took you for. Honestly I was suprised you lasted as long as you did as a human, the things you did. What makes you think you will be a good king? You can't even protect your own family "

but he was still weakened from the rush of memories it seemed this place brought to him, and Elder knew he was still far older. With lightning speed as he finished speaking he rushed forward swiping with all his strength at Inimicus. He hated resorting to the physical side of being a vampire, but he couldnt let Inimicus get the first drop.

[Inimicus]

He wasnt moving, not in the slightest. This man knew how Inimicus felt and his anger and still he wasnt moving, was he that foolish? Inimicus had become the Vampire King, that had to prove to someone he had reason to hold that throne. Still this man, the horror from his past wasn't moving, in fact it almost seemed as if he was taking delight in this. The man spoked to Inimicus, calling him an idiot and questioning his strength. Elder reminded him of his past, of the stupid things he did...which was true. How could he be a good King...could he be a good king? He got his family killed because of a stupid mistake and now he believed he was ready to take on the protection of all vampires?

Inimicus lowered his head in sadness...how could this person he hated so much be pointing out things so true. However the point was that he was right. Inimicus couldnt help but wonder what he had been thinking, and that was a problem. He didnt even notice the split second he had to notice the movement from Elder. Before he realized it the vampire's arm had connected with him with strength Inimicus had never imagined possible, it was like nothing he had ever felt before.

Inimicus was sent flying backwards his back crashing through the banister of the second floor landing. The strength of the blow sent him flying still, he fell to the story below him, at least an eight foot drop and skidded into the carpet which was sent flying with him attached into a bookcase in the hallway. The bookcase was too heavy to fall over but books cascaded down from the heights falling onto Inimicus's form. He put his hand to his head and leaned forward. Where had that strength come from, Inimicus knew he didnt have that strength...was Elder really that much more powerful. If that was the case he would die here.

Grunting he pushed himself into a sitting position and books fell of his lap.

" Ugh...my dear sweet Xanth..."

Inimicus put his hand to his head and covered his eyes, that had hurt quite a lot. If he had been a human he would likely have been severly if not irreperably hurt. As it was his arms, legs, and back hurt a lot right now..he needed a moment.



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

Hereward Alaric, Level 7 Rouge Vampire Charmer

The man had lived for a long time and in general insults slid off his back, it took a lot to get him angry because he just didnt see the point. If someone made him angry generally he could just emotionally torture them and leave them miserable, thus extracting his revenge. However sometimes people did make him angry, usually they died quickly for as much as Elder liked using his mind he was a very old vampire and was living as a human when might was rules by the sword.

Inimicus was really annoying him, this boy, this wretch he had saved his pathetic existence. Sure he had been forced by his promise to do so, but the point remained he had done so. Now this boy came back condeming his beliefs, the ones that were the true beliefs to the vampire race? Vampires were and always had been hunters, born in blood born in death, born to always need blood and to be exempt from death. This life, this existence was one meant to wallow in blood of the weaker people, it was who they were. Vampires had shyed away from this truth for far too long, Elder had done Inimicus a great favor in showing him this truth and now he threw it back in his face, that was enough.

Roaring in ager his brown eyes blazing with barely concealed hatred he ran forward and leaped from the broken banister landing softly and firmly on his feet with a resounding thud on the floor below. His legs took a jolt from the jump, but he was old and expierienced and this wouldn't bother him. Inimicus had taken the hit hard, he was still young, and was resting under the cascade of books from the bookcase. Elder glared at him and reached to his neck, with a flourish he threw off his jacket and revealed the saber strapped to his back.

With a scrape of metal against metal the small curved sword was pulled from its sheath resting in front of elder.

" You will throw me out boy? Who do you think you are? Do you think the words of that pathetic weak group of a council would make you a king and suddenly everyone would bow down at your feet? Is that what you thought? You are out of you depths you pathetic wretch, I gave you this life and now I will take it away! "

With a roar Elder flew forward swinging his rapier in a slash at Inimicus's throat, no human could see the speed he was moving at, he was so far beyond them his speed was unimaginable.

[Inimicus]

OOC: All Threads after this will be tagged for blood, gore, and violence. Read on knowing this

His muscles were starting to feel a bit better, as a hunter he found his simple wounds, wounds of exertion didnt take long to fix. Still, if what he had just seen was going to be commonplace in this fight, it wouldnt be so much a fight asa beating. He rubbed his head and neck as he heard Elder land with a resounding sound on the first floor, the scrape of metal against metal alerted Inimicus as to what was going to happen. In his knowledge of elder as a charismatic charming mentalist he had forgotten that he was very old and had been raised easily during the time when you had to be able to defend yourself at a moments notice, Inimicus had learned the same thing from a perspective of just knowledge. This was bad, Elder had the advantage of learning the same skills for survival.

The elder vampire spoke, taunting Inimicus and casting his strength into doubt. He had no respect it seemed for the vampire council, probably from their refusal to condone feeding off of humans, and he had no respect for Inimicus as a King, something he would have to get used to. Inimicus's strength was not proven, not shown, Xanth had pointed that out to him though far more kindly, he could not be a king until he could defend himself.

Elder moved quicker than most people would think possible, but Inimicus wasnt one of those people. As he felt Elder approaching he reached down quicker than Elder was moving and grabbed the only thing not pinned by his current position, the dagger given to him from Xanth. It was carved into an intricate dragon design, the cent on the blade was the head raised in a roar, the hilts were two flarred wings curving up into a perfect position for parrying. As the saber came forward Inimicus raised the dagger catching the blade in the curve of the wing. However elder was tricky, and Inimicus found a bit too late that Elder must have lengthened his blade in some way, his parry helped but not perfectly.

The blade of the elder vampire cut a gash in Inimicus's neck. Inimicus was lucky, it had missed the carotid like it was aimed at, but had still hit the soft flesh of the neck which was bleeding now, not mildly. Inimicus screamed in pain but threw the saber to the side with his dagger. Using his hunter reflexes he jumped up, throwing the books off himself, before Elder could even respond, he hoped, he had sheathed his dagger and drawn both of his swords. The wound in his neck hurt so badly, this fight needed to end soon because even as a vampire he needed blood in his veins.

" I will not let you take away my life! I have people I can't let down and I will not let my family down again! "

With a very beastial roar Inimicus bolted forward, easily as fast as elder if not a little faster with his warrior's training. This was something different for Inimicus, his hair was flying like a dervish and his eyes were blazing with pure hate. He slashed the two swords at a diagonal angle aimed at the base of Elder's neck, if he hit it would form an X that would severly hurt if not kill the elder vampire.



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

Hereward Alaric, Level 7 Rouge Vampire Charmer

It seemed Inimicus had gotten faster, and stronger, which was somewhat annoying for Elder. The council was a bunch of old fools, he knew this. They didnt understand the duty and privilege of being a vampire, of crushing the lesser races beneath your feet, this was the true nature of a vampire and none of them understood it. Their kings, queens, royalty....were all equally pathetic. Scarlett, the last one was a joke, and Inimicus would be no better. The royalty were all so wrapped up in refusing their true strength that they would never be strong, still this speed from Inimicus was to say the least unexpected.

The boy brought up an intricate dagger from his waist blocking most of his saber blow, still Elder had bought a saber a few centimeters longer than normal to trick people in this situation. The blade missed its intended mark, but didnt miss Inimicus completley and he smiled in pleasure as he smelled the blood seep from the slash in his neck. He had to remark, the boy was lucky, the cut had started a centimeter or so after the carotid on the left and ended a centimeter or so before the juggular, very lucky. If the cut had hit either Inimicus would have been dead in minutes, now he had much more time to fight....annoying.

Elder was not a fighter, he could fight, but he didnt like it. He enjoyed mentally defeating people, weapons were all so...barbaric. Still, however, if it needed to be he would fight. The boy leaped up drawing two very intricatly carved swords...must be that Red Dragon's work he recognized some of the craftsmenship. Shouting something he ran forward with speed Elder had truly not expected slashing his swords at his neck from two angles, that was bad. However elder was not so easily taken down, as soon as the blades were swung he dropped to the ground, but felt the pain of the swiftly swung swords nick his face as he fell. Growling in anger he swung his legs out at Inimicus's hoping to trip him and at the same time swung his saber at Inimicus's lower leg.

" Boy you arent going to take Hereward Alaric down so easily! I have lived through challenges much stronger than you! "

[Inimicus]

This fight needed to end soon, Inimicus could feel the blood seeping down his neck from the wound in it. It wasn't a deep wound, but it was a badly placed one and it hurt with every breath, if this fight didnt end soon it would end Inimicus. As he rushed forward his mind was working through the various things he could do to take elder down, what he would need to do to end this. As he roared, swinging his blades he smiled, he felt the impact of the blades making contact...but something was wrong.

The contact was brief and not strong, he hadn't hit where he intended. As he thought he felt an impact on his legs and before he could realize what was happening he had been taken down by the oldest tactic in the book. As he fell his arms waved uselessly trying to keep upright, and then he felt another extreme pain. Elder's saber pierced through the skin and flesh on the back of his right leg slicing down the length of the lower leg leaving a gaping gash in his leg which began to bleed out as he hit the ground.

"AUGHH!! YOU OLD censored! DIE! "

Roaring Inimicus thrust his right arm forward jabbing the Falling Phoenix aiming to put it into Elder's right shoulder hoping to take out his strong arm. All he had left were his daggers and the Rising phoenix with its rubied hilt. The pain in his leg was unbearable, he wouldnt be able to move on it if he could even stand, this would be a fight on the ground now it seemed.

" I dont care how long you have lived Hereward! YOU WONT BE IMMORTAL! "

With a roar he thrust the rising phoenix forward aiming to stick it into Elder's leg, this one he wasnt going to let go of though, if he hit he was pulling it right back out.



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

Hereward Alaric, Level 7 Rouge Vampire Charmer

He hadn't fought in far too long, he had become far to used to the comfort afforded to him by his race and the modern age, he was becoming weak. In the past, centuries ago, this fight would have been over quickly with Elder on top, Inimicus would have been dead. Elder fought to live when he had been alove, Inimicus fought for sport, there was no comparison and this fight should not have been going like it was going.

Inimicus was taken down by the oldest trick in the book, and Elder's sword pierced even deeper than he had intended completley hamstringing Inimicus, he would not be able to move anymore. Even if elder for some reason died Inimicus would die here too. The boy screamed in pain as the blood seeped from his leg, at this Elder laughed and began to rise...but then the boy did something wholy unexpected.

Elder had expected a man who learned to fight for sport would be unable to fight for life, but it appeared he was more like Valorem than Elder had initally assumed. As the elder vampire began to rise the boy's arm thrust forward sticking his long sword straight through his shoulder and into the floor sticking him to the ground, the pain was unbearable but he had not severed the arm entierly.

The boy shouted at him than thrust his other sword in a quick jab into the unprepared elder's leg cutting it through the side severing the muscle and making it useless. This was pain like he had never expierienced before, the blood seeping from his leg and the muscle completley useless, he had never felt this before.

" YOU FOOL! I AM IMMORTAL YOU ARE JUST SOME TOY WHICH HAS LOST ITS PURPOSE AND I, THE TOYMAKER, WILL END YOU!"

With a roar he pulled the sword from his shoulder and swung both his saber and the long sword at Inimicus in an x fashion leaning forward to make sure the wound was severe. The distance was too close, he doubted Inimicus would be able to block and even if he could he was just pulling his sword back, far too quickly to pull off a good block. If the blades hit he was prepared to twist his wrists and push both swords into the boy's chest.

" Who is the fool now bo...oh...no"

As he prepared to thrust his swords to finish the move he realized something...Inimicus was too close to block with his blade, and his arm was useless for a slash at this position, which left him with only one choice given his ruined leg. He couldnt move, couldnt block...but he could stab.

[Inimicus]

He had missed, he had not hit the shoulder correctly. The attempt had been a throw of the dice, either it would make his arm useless or it would provide him with another weapon, it was a close attempt. To do so he had to sever the muscles in the shoulder completley which would render the arm useless, but it seemed he had stabbed between some of the muscles...Elder was still armed. Still both attacks had gone through, the man's leg was useless and his arm was injured in addition to the face from earlier, but elder was stronger and better trained than him. At this point with that attempt gone he had little chance of escaping this alive, even if he did he would probably die before anyone could do anything.

He had made a second mistake, he hadnt moved away. He had in fact closed the distance with the stab to elder's leg, he couldnt do anything against the attack he barely saw coming. As he pulled his blade from the vampire's leg he saw Elder rip the sword from his shoulder and with a roar swing them at Inimicus. Reacting as best and quickly as he could he fell back against the floor, it didnt do much but it did enough. Elder's blades raked across his chest forming a slash in the shape of an X perfectly quadresecting Inimicus. If he hadn't leaned back the swords would have sliced through his ribs and into his organs, as it was it cut deep enough into the chest. The pain was unbearable and it wasn't over, as the slashes finished Elder thrust the swords into the sides of his lower chest missing, intentionally it almost seemed, his lungs to make him hurt more and longer.

Inimicus wanted to cry, but he couldnt yet. Elder had made a bad mistake, without a sound his strength fading fast Inimicus thrust his right arm forward at Elder's throat. As he did so he pulled the dagger from his waist with his left arm and thrust it at the vampire's unprotected heart. He was likely not going to make it out of here, but at least Elder wouldn't either.

" I guess neither of us is....is going to be....immortal Hereward. Enjoy...Enjoy hell with all....the people you....put there! "



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[NPC]

censored...

This was the last though of Hereward Alaric. The turn of events had been, to say the least, unexpected. This had been something he had never expected to face in a fight, death from his own incompetence...he had always been so good with swords. His blades at least made their mark, Inimicus wasn't going to get out of here alive he would die along with Elder, but still he would have prefered if just the boy had died. He felt the blades of the boy enter his body, he knew it, the boy wasnt stupid just foolish. He had seen the same opening and had taken it.

The swords pierced his throat and his heart at the same time, blood splurted from the wounds as Elder's eyes widened and looked down.

" bu...but...I.............................. "

He was trying to figure out how Inimicus had beaten him. How had this pathetic weak wretch whom he had found crying and cradling his brother's dead body come to beat him. It wasn't through Inimicus's own skill, but Elders laziness, it was his own fault now that his stretch of immortality was ended. Leaving such a gaping opening when his opponent was still armed, Inimicus was foolish but not that foolish. This boy, if he survived miraculously here, he would never survive in the future as King. He was not strong, that was a lie, he was strong, but not strong enough.

" You...are...weak. You will....die....by your own....foolishness eventually.....Ini....mi..cusssssssssss"

With that the vampire slumped backwards against the floor his eyes closed.

[Inimicus]

It was over, finally, the nightmare was over. Sure it had ended in a way Inimicus had not hoped for, but not an unexpected one. Elder slumped to the floor dead with a final mocking warning, but at least he was dead. Inimicus dropped the sword and dagger which both clattered against the floor, his strength was fast leaving him. He looked down and laughed a little, he was going to die here he knew it. His chest was sliced open by two deep slices from shoulder to waist on either side forming an X at his sternum. While they were not deep enough to hit bone, they were still quite deep and he didnt have much time left.

Add to that his right leg was sliced, at least the lower part, there were two swords sticking in his chest a few centimeters below his lungs and his throat was cut. He had maybe 10 minutes left which was odd since that was about as long as the fight had taken. He laughed and looked at the clock in the drawing room, its dials showed the fight hadnt actually even lasted 10 minutes, their vampiric speeds had made a fight take very little time. He laughed, at least the nightmare was over before the sleep would end. However he couldnt just give up, he coughed and projected a thought in his mind, it was weak, but strong enough he hoped.

" Nym...Nymphadora....help....me...please...."

He didnt have much strength left, he wasnt going to try and move. Every move he made would only increase the blood loss and he had little enough time as it was, he hoped Dora would hear him because he needed to get to Suka or Xanth and fast. He loved the aide, she was comforting and her very presence calmed him down, in a way it was much like being near Xanth. If he was going to die, he wanted to die in her arms rather than those of Dazadi...not to slight the angelic aide.



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[Nymphadora]

Vicious' reaction to her gasping out Inimicus' name was something she probably would have noticed in any other situation. She'd not known V to be possessive, at least not of her, but then again, they'd not been in a situation that would give him much of an opportunity to. It might have been flattering, if it wouldn't cause issues. And she knew very well that it would cause issues. It would have to be one of those things that, he'd have to learn to trust. She'd not yet realized her lust for other men had simply been for Vicious, but in time, it would become more clear to her. Her relationship with Chenoan had been amazing, and he an amazing first boyfriend. But it simply didn't work out. With Vicious... though they hadn't actually officially become anything, it was different. And he would have to learn to trust her if they did become closer.

Ignoring his comments, her thoughts solely on getting to Inimicus, Nymphadora's hand was bypassed, his arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her to his side. Unaware of her current lack of full clothing, Nymphadora reached her hand to Vicious armed wrist, attempting to close her delicate fingers around his thick bone, her eyes squeezing closed as she focused her energy to teleport them both to the Vampire King's whereabouts.

Finding herself standing in a large mansion, its older decour giving off a rustic sense, Nymphadora's eyes washed over her surroundings, attempting to locate the injured Vampire. Seeing the damage immediately, books strewn about the floor, shards of wood everywhere, her breathing slowed. Whatever happened... it was no wonder Inimicus was injured.

Widening her eyes with the thought, she pulled away from Vicious, her strength kicking in should he find himself forcing her to stay. Stepping forward quickly, her gaze landing on the body mere feet from Inimicus, she turned toward the governor, her hand flinging to her mouth to cover her gasp. Compared to his body, the room around him looked spotless. Looking down in horror, her body trembling as nausea set in, Nymphadora looked away from the vampires body, shock completely taking over. She knew she needed to help him, she knew he'd die if she didn't pull herself togther, but the sight of his mangled form was too much.

Forcing herself to look back, her eyes searched out his, locking with them. Looking no where else, Nymphadora made her way past the room, her bare feet slipping on pools of blood as she walked. Kneeling down beside the vampire, not once looking away, she reached blindly for his hand. "Inimicus, it will be ok." She said, her voice shaking slightly, her fear for his survival evident, despite her courage. Tearing her eyes from him, more so for his sake than hers, as she was sure he could see right though her words, she saw the swords sticking out from his stomach. Cringing, her body wanting to feel his pain, without really feeling it, she reached a hand to pull out the weapon, pausing before she touched it. The blood around her was immense. Her bare legs were seemingly covered in it as she knelt beside him. Shaking her head, knowing all to well what could happen to a vampire, she didn't want the same thing that happened to Piper happen to Inimicus. She saved Piper, despite the fact that she probably shouldn't have. She couldn't save Inimicus.

Looking back into his eyes, her own intense with a new found courage, Nymphadora sucked in a breath. "Inimicus, I need to get more blood into you, and quickly. You have to drink from me." Looking to the floor, she reached for a nearby weapon, moving to slit her wrist. With luck, this would help him until Suka could prepare. "Suka, I have a vampire in need of major healing, please be prepared for when I port him in."

Piper's Boutique & Nymphadora ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality ¤ Kate Beckinsale

[Evischoul]

V didn't need to slice the censored from gut to throat. It looked like someone had beaten him to it. And made a damned mess in the process.

Unfazed by the blood or the damage Inimicus had taken, Vicious followed Dora across the room at a much slower pace, glancing around with what seemed like casual interest. It was only the way his fist flexed around the hilt of his sword that gave him away as being more than a lazy-assed muscleman, his gaze and his senses tracking the entire house for movement. Dora's words and actions faded into the back of his mind as he made sure this wasn't some kind of ambush for her but the other body was the only one in the vicinity.

"I need to get more blood into you, and quickly. You have to drink from me."

Vicious swore and shot around, his hands whipping out to clutch her wrists. "Don't! censored hell, Dora." There was no real bite to his words, though, his gaze softening as he saw the panic in hers. "I don't know what the censored this guy is but you have no idea how your blood will affect him." V may not know the ins and outs of creating Aides but from what he'd seen he'd gathered they were more than average and he knew enough about his own people to realise you didn't get to be a demigod by accident. Xanth's blood had to figure into this somehow and if it was swimming in Dora's veins then putting her blood in someone else's mouth really wasn't a great idea. For a whole bunch of reasons.

Not least being the fact he was a guy and Dora was a half naked girl. His half-naked girl. He didn't want the censored's mouth anywhere near her.

Aethereality † Piper's Boutique

[Inimicus]

Twice in his life, most people felt death once in their lives and Inimicus had felt it twice not including being turned...and he hadnt died yet. It was an odd feeling approaching death, the pain started to lessen, to become not so important, things that once made sense made no sense and you almost felt...happy. People talked about your life flashing before your eyes and it wasnt so much like a movie, just...memories. Things that you never usually can remember become as clear as what you can see in front of your eyes. Inimicus wasn't smiling though, he felt like he should just give up and join his family wherever they are, but he knew he couldnt.

Still it was taking most of his strength to stay awake, he knew if he fell asleep he would never wake up again. Too many people cared for him to just give up, too much blood had been spilled for him for him to just die like this. He was immortal and by all the stars in the sky he was going to live his life for the people who died for him. A haze seemed to settle around his eyes, his eyelids became heavy and it took all his will to keep them up, he was having trouble seeing anything clearly anymore but he felt the presence and guessed who it was when Dora entered.

While not as outright a presence as Dazadi she still had a very strong presence, maybe from being an Aide or maybe from just being a powerful Nymph in her own right, whatever it was he knew she was here. He wanted to chuckle a little at the white lie she told, it would be alright heh. He knew how badly he was hurt and he didnt have the miracle of a vampire to save him this time as he was the vampire. Add to that chuckling, speaking even, hurt, it wasnt something he would really choose to do. He noticed another person in the room, someone very strong, he didn't know who but they seemed to be with Dora.

He heard Dora tell him he needed to drink from her, it was amazing that he could think clearly this close to Death's doorstep but in that moment he did. He was about to reach forward with some of his remaining strength and try to stop her but whoever was with her beat him to it. He smiled as the man stopped her, but weakly. He opened his dry lips to speak, he coughed a bit and blood foamed from his mouth, spitting it aside he spoke very weakly each word seeing hard. At this moment it would be much easier to speak German, english he had to think about, but he didnt know if they could speak German and time was of the essence.

" Dont...worry....M'L...lo....lord. I would....wouldnt dri...nk from....her...even if....my lif...life depen....ded on it............Irony... "

He wanted to sit up, but it hurt to move even slightly. It was ironic he was about to die under his family tree, which he realized as he looked up. He tried to speak one more time as more blood foamed from his mouth

" Tell...Xan...th...I'm...sorry...please..."



• Piper's Boutique • Dafont • The Beast • Starry Sky • Model • Obsidian Dawn •

[Nymphadora]

Nymphadora looked up desperately at Vicious as he grabbed for her wrist. Feeling his grip tighten around her, she searched his eyes, pleading with him to let her free. Inimicus had lost too much blood. If he didn't replenish what he had now, she didn't know if he'd survive the port. "Vicious..." What he said made sense, it really did. She didn't know how her blood would effect it. She didn't know if it could somehow turn him into an aide, or something of the sort. It could even kill him for all she was aware. But... what was the alternative? Let him die anyway? Or take her chances?

She was about to argue with V, telling him exactly what she'd just thought, when Inimicus' halted words captured her attention. Leaving her hand in Vicious' grip, her eyes gazing down at the vampires, her brow furrowed with his words. He was in pain... dying. But he'd not take her blood? Shaking her head with his words, flinching as he coughed up blood, Nymphadora looked away. Dropping the sword, knowing she'd been overruled two to one, she looked back to Inimicus as he spoke of Xanth. Locking her eyes with his, she shook her head. "You'll be fine." This time, she said it more for herself than for him.

Moving her hand to lock onto Vicious', Nymphadora reached forward, aiming to take Inimicus' hand as well. Focusing her energy yet again, she aimed to port all three of them directly to Sukas ward, hopefully directing the vamipre into a gurney.

Piper's Boutique & Nymphadora ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality ¤ Kate Beckinsale