The Red String

In Loving Memory

Wen Kexing sank into the leather seats of the car while he waited for Gu Xiang to finish. His eyes flicked up to the human chauffer, his eyes narrowing in thought. Nobody knew he was back in town yet, but they would soon. "Send someone out to clean up this mess when we reach the estate." The chauffer nodded obediently and without a word—not that he could in the first place. Wen Kexing had picked him because of his inability to speak. The bare light from the moon made the darkened scars stretching the male's lips all the more vicious. Humans truly were the nastiest of all creatures in his opinion, for they were callous in their torment. At least other creatures killed for pleasure and did not keep the victims alive for further torture. Well, for the most part. 

Kexing flicked a dried flake of blood off his fingernail and looked up when the door opened. After years of serving her master, Gu Xiang knew of Wen Kexing's penchant for cleanliness and had cleaned the blood off from her arms at some point. Her heavy buckled boots clinked on the metal of the car step as she climbed in, and they drove away without a word. 

The lights of the Rolls Royce cut through the darkness as they departed from the far outskirts of the vampiric side of town. Wen Kexing rubbed his fingers together then slipped his glove back on while Gu Xiang hummed to herself in the seat beside him. "Have we had word of other movements?"

Gu Xiang stopped humming and faced him, her face glowing from her meal earlier. "I have some leads, Master, but nothing certain. Although, there have been some uprisings in the nomad territories lately. Something seems to be going on there. I have recieved reports of the vampires sectioning off into groups and fighting internally."

Wen Kexing raked a hand through his jet-black hair and gazed out the window ahead. "Interesting...could he be gathering the rogues together in a plan to resurface?" 

She shrugged and then noticed some crusted blood on her silk shirt. While rubbing it off, she leaned back, completely relaxed. "I will look further into it, but it remains to be seen." 

To one side of the car was brightly lit lavish buildings, all reaching towards the sky with manicured lawns and guards roaming the grounds. The other side held dark woods that went on for miles, and they held the vampires that had been banished or were not part of a clan. That was were Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang had come from. His creator was hiding somewhere in the wilderness, no doubt seething from the lack of luxury there, and Kexing intended to root him out like the rat he was. No matter the blood spilt, no matter the lives ended, he would find and end the man who had taken away Kexing's freedom of choice. 

A light glowed deep in the forest, catching Gu Xiang's sharp eyes, and she patted Kexing's arm excitedly. She so loved possible trouble because that meant she could murder to her hearts content. "Master, look!" 

Wen Kexing peered past her at the illumination in the depths of the uncolonized land. He tapped on the roof lightly in an unspoken signal to the chauffer, who slowed the car to a stop and pulled off to the side. The headlights were shut off and they sat there in silence while Ke Xing lowered the window to listen carefully. He concentrated, his enhanced senses weaving through the forest sounds to a small clearing in the distance where the disturbing lilt of chanting could be heard. His brow furrowed and he lowered his head further. "How curious..." Rituals were not of the norm in the vampire community, yet here they were on rogue territory. It tasted of something his old master would encourage. The mixture of vampires and witchery was not permitted in this world because of the old wars, and Kexing did not intend to let such things run amok. 

He was about to open the door when the purr of motorcycles came from the distance, and for some reason he halted and leaned back into the plush leather seats. 

Three motorcycles came into view, their exposed bronze pipes and gears glinting in the light of the moon. He noticed they were of fine quality and well crafted, the sounds throaty and pure. These were obviously no ordinary travelers so he sat and watched as they passed. The person in the lead slowed his bike when the three rode by the car, but when he turned and saw the vampire emblem on the hood of the car he sped up, the other two following closely behind.