Author's Note:
A thousand reads!!! Ok. I'm done. Oh, and for anyone willing to give their opinion. Did I make this chapter a little too grim?
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Now side by side with the strangers who were now to be the allies who could either make or break this day. The sky, which was now long empty of the warmth of the sun was like a black hole. The moon gone from the sky behind the clouds which filled it. The air was like ice, with an eerie breeze blowing through my fur. It was the only sound, there was only silence left. No one would talk, no one knew what to say. This was it.
Jack and James were standing at either side of me, whereas the rest of my friends had spread themselves out amongst the ranks of the gathered army. Each of the men merely looked at me, and nodded in acknowledgement. There was nothing left to be said between us, at least I hoped for this much.
Kneading the ground beneath my paws, I slowly dug a hole into the ground without noticing it, we were all restless. The scents which flooded my nose were almost overwhelming, other wolves, vampires, the Fae, and the more familiar scents of my close friends. Every instinct that I had, was filling my veins with adrenaline. All I wanted to do was to get this finished, regardless of what that ending might have been.
Close to me, a younger wolf approaches, the dark grey wolf of Robert is now settled beside me, waiting in an equal state of nervousness as I am. Despite the fact that he is older then me by a decade or so, we both have the same stakes at risk. Something to lose at the end of the day, and that put a burning in our blood. The urge to protect those that we cared about, and to destroy the enemy who got in our way of doing so.
He allows me a sideways glance, but otherwise doesn't make eye contact with me, his long grey tail flicking from side to side, a tell of how much anticipation was filling him at this point in time. "So, this is how it ends, huh?" His tone completely mutual, and his expression gave nothing away as to what he might have been thinking. However it didn't take a person with the brain of Einstein to guess what he might have been thinking.
My ear twitched to the left, but my eyes don't leave the field which is to be the place of battle in mere minutes time. "Always the optimistic one, Robert." I say calmly, letting out a long breath and watching the condensation form in front of my nose. Despite the thickness of my fur, I feel the cold deep in my bones. I wonder how the older wolf with the greying muzzle was fairing, but then scolded myself inwardly for thinking about this. He was probably one of the strongest wolves on this field, just in a different way.
Once upon a time I would have pictured a smile lacing the lips of the man beside me, but not now, not today. I brushed my shoulder against his, but didn't move again afterwards, my eyes trained on some unknown enemy at the other side of the huge field in front of us. "You know me, Elliot. There's optimism and then there's realism, and I'm getting old as it is." The older man answered, a sigh rumbling from deep inside of his chest.
If it had been any other wolf, I would have comforted them, but I knew after all the years in which I had been friends, if that was the right term for the relationship that we had. Had I so much as moved to say something comforting, I would never have heard the end of it. Even if the end wasn't particularly far away.
A moment or two passes, and neither of us say another thing, when again the silence is filled instead with the sound of soft footsteps. Or rather paw steps, and from my right hand side suddenly is the wolf of Ron. He sits there for a moment without saying a word, then opens his jaw to speak. "You two ready?" His growl is low and careful, as though he feared that their might be someone listening in that we didn't want to.
Shrugging my shoulders with a slight sigh, my eyes trained on the line of trees which are scattered across the furthest corner of the field. "As I'll ever be, probably." I answer in a tone that surprises even me, it is strained and painful. It was all I could do to stop myself from lunging at the first person I saw, be it ally or enemy. My control was slowly wavering, and if I didn't get my claws into something pretty soon, I would probably lose what little grip I still had on it.
With a low tone, the younger wolf said with a rumble coming from deep within his chest, he too seemed to be staring into the distance, at some invisible enemy. The blood lust was running deep in our veins, we needed a kill. Our animalistic instinct to protect was becoming more and more overwhelming to the point where we were both shaking where we stood. I didn't understand how Robert could stand so calmly in comparison. "It will all be over soon, and I'm sure soon enough you will be praying for it to end." Robert's voice was deep and solemn, it sent a shiver of fear down my spine.
He was the alpha, he was the rock of a pack which was meant to keep them together through thick and thin, regardless of what might happen. To hear him so hopeless, and pessimistic, even if he hadn't been my alpha at any point, for fourteen years he had been the closest thing to an alpha I had ever had. It scared me to hear him so on edge, even if he displayed a great deal more of control then myself and Ron.
By the time the sun set once again later today, everything would be very much different. All that any of us could pray for, would be that it would be a change that wouldn't ruin the lives of thousands. That what we did today, would not end in chaos and death. Few of us would pray simply for ourselves to make it out of the other end of all of this, but instead regardless of what happened to the individual, but for the world to remain positive when night fell once again in a few hours time. That our children and our families would be able to live in a better world. A better tomorrow, no matter what the cost may have ended up being.
If it had been silent before, now I could have heard a pin dropping amongst the grass as everyone suddenly seemed to stop breathing in one single turn. A man had emerged from the treeline, not a man. A vampire. At his heels walked a wolf, its every movement was defined and careful. Tensing its muscles needlessly, this was a show of power and carelessness. He wanted us to feel scared, and I would have been lying to say that I didn't feel a little scared.
Slowly the pair made their way towards the center of the field, and it quickly became apparent that they certainly were not alone. Amongst the bushes and trees on the other side, were glittering eyes of all colours. Staring at us, as a hawk might have stared down at its prey from its perch on a branch, hungry and excited. Pointed muzzles and pointed guns showed through the treeline, but little else. I didn't have a clue how many of them their might have been standing there, but I could guess with ease that it outnumbered our own numbers.
No one spoke a single word, nor did they dare to breath a single breath as we watched and waited for something to happen. Then without a signal, three men and a single woman stepped forward. A male werewolf, Robert, a male Fae, by the name of Joshua, a female vampire by the name of Caroline, and a troll who was named Amos. Four of the strongest members of their individual kinds, though none would have called themselves leader outright. They were well known, and terrifying. Each known for their temper, and power. They were good choices for those to negotiate the terms, though I didn't think their would be a great deal of room in which to negotiate.
Every single person there leant forward just a little bit, straining to hear what was being said. The wolves had it easier then most, with their increased sense of hearing then the rest of the species present, and dotted across the group a few of them were repeating what they were heard to whoever would listen. Everyone was concentrating harder then any of them had ever done before in their lives, it may have been rude. But no one was about to pick another one up on their manners at this point in time.
"Good morning, Kai. Oliver." It was Robert who was the first to speak, as I had expected. The collectiveness to his tone, how calm his voice sounded couldn't help but make me feel a little hopeful. Praying that he wasn't just a good actor, and his feelings actually mirrored the expression and tone which his voice took. When he said the second name however, a little of his true feelings showed through. He spat out the word as though it was made of poison on his tongue.
The alpha only let out a low grin, in the form of his dark brown wolf he stood an inch or so higher then Robert, and Joshua, and the Fae hovered at eye level but a few inches away watching with a cautious gaze and Amos was a footstep away from the rest of them. Watching everything that happened with a careful gaze, listening to ever word as were we. The large man was probably one of the most intelligent trolls that I had ever met, and though that wasn't saying much in comparison to how low the bar was set with the rest of his race.
"Robert. Others." The alpha replied, blatantly offending the other men and women there, his voice like ice. He did nothing to keep the hatred from his tone, I was thankful the four supernatural beings had a stronger self restraint then myself. A growl had torn from my throat at his words, I would have ripped his throat out then and there.
He had heard what had been said, that much was pretty obvious, but he gave no signals that he had done and simply carried on talking. No change to the tone which took his voice. "I'm not going to sugar-coat it, Alpha Kai. If things carry on as they are going at this rate, people are going to die today. On both sides of the line, no matter how well trained those mutts on your side are." All of us smile just a little bit at the line about the mutt, though we wouldn't have admitted it had we been asked the truth.
In a tone which was almost humbling, it was completely honest and frankly painfully so. The vampire spoke up this time, crossing his arms in front of him. Though his face remained neutral, his pursed pink lips showing heavily against the pale white of his skin. His voice was "People are going to die, and we cant pretend that this isn't going to happen. And by the time the sun is at its highest point, we will be burying many friends. What are the chances that we can negotiate peace?" The older man spoke like a true gentleman, his eyes unwavering as he stared the alpha male in the eye without blinking.
The wolf laughed a cruel and ice like laugh, his tail raised above his flanks in a show of anger and aggression, but otherwise he was expressionless. "I think we've gone a little too far for something like that, wouldn't you think?" He asked, his fangs showing just a little through his lips, glittering in the dimly lit field.
Blinking calmly, almost in a way which was casual. As both wolves tried to do what they could in order to make it seem as though they were not shaken, I knew that in both cases it was probably complete lies. I knew Kai could be insane, but even he had to have some feelings at some point, no matter how unlikely it might have seemed after everything that had happened.
Kai tilted his head to the side, pricking his ears forward in a fake gesture of confusion, maybe even a joking attempt to look cute. "We're a little past that, at this point don't you think, Robert?" He said with another laugh, his eyes lit with a certain level of amusement which sent a shiver down my spine as I watched and listened with a degree of nervousness. My eyes concentrated on their every movement, from the twitch of their ears to the flick of their tails. A bomb going off wouldn't have taken my attention away.
Patience was not a commodity amongst myself and my allies as the conversation carried on, they were all obviously trying to keep their tempers as the alpha carried on insulting them all relentlessly. He acted as though he was fearless, and had nothing to be worried about whatsoever with what was about to happen. I massively hoped that he would find out soon that he was completely wrong with this impression. I desperately hoped so.
Joshua opened his mouth, as though to begin arguing but the older of the two alphas pushed him backwards a little, placing the palm of his hand across the cold creature's chest and stopping him from doing something that he was likely to forget. Joshua looked annoyed, but he didn't speak up again, allowing the werewolf to carry on the conversation as calmly as he was able to do so, which was not very easily. "Are you certain? We may be able to save an awful lot of lives today, if you weren't so... Stubborn." I could tell that he was struggling to stop himself from using a slightly stronger insult then the word stubborn.
Looking at the wolf, he didn't seem to even both to acknowledge any of the other people who were close to him, as though they simply did not exist. So much so, it was obvious that he was being blatantly rude. His hatred for everything but those who were a part of his own species, was almost painfully obvious.
"Don't pretend as though you didn't have any option to stop the loss of life, Robert. You had plenty of opportunity to stop this from happening to your pack, to your species. Even now, you could change your alliance to the right side, to the winning side. And you would be able to stop the death of your friends. Regardless of what you say, this is happening today, and no matter what you say. You know in your heart who is going to be the winner after all of this, I have the stronger army." His tone was low, and the disgust clear to his tone.
Stepping forward just a little, he made himself as large as he could. And considering that Robert was already a pretty huge wolf, the sight alone for a smaller wolf such as myself was intimidating, it was a threatening thing to see. I was thankful that I was his ally, for I knew how much of a strong fighter Robert was capable of being.Every part of the wolf I had known since I was young, the only alpha figure that I could truly remember ever having, showed through with every movement. He was more alpha then those ten times stronger then him. "Never, Kai. You may believe that you will win, but you must also know that you are on the wrong side. You are fighting for the wrong reason, for personal reason. We fight for the greater good, not just the good of my pack. And for this reason, I will do everything that I can do in order to kill you. To stop you from doing all of this."
I smiled just a little bit, he was an alpha who I would have died for if the circumstances needed it, and it appeared as though this day would be those circumstances. If this was the losing side, I wouldn't be making it out of this day with my life. I knew that much, and I accepted it.
Alpha Kai smiled a low hateful grin, which would have made the devil himself turn tail and run away, it was clear that he was expecting this much, he wasn't an idiot in this way, though frankly in many others if he thought all of this was worth it. "Very well."
Then he lunged.
Within moments the rest of us had reacted, but I didn't notice anyone else move. I was already running towards the centre of the battle field as fast as my legs would possibly take me, everything around me seemed to slow till I was the only person in that field. I was the only one, and all I could here was the sound of my paws hitting the ground, as each step takes me closer and closer to my first enemy.
I collide with the body of another wolf, but already the familiar metallic tang hits my nose, within seconds first blood has been drawn. I barely noticed the men and women fighting around me, the sound of gunshots was somewhere in the back of my head. The sound of fangs tearing through flesh and the howls of pain, both human and otherwise littering the battlefield. Which was already beginning to become drenched with blood.
Crying out loudly, as my opponent lands a heavy hit to the back of my neck, thankfully nothing that could be overly dangerous or fatal. Blood is now dripping from a wound and crawling across my back and into my fur, leaving it slightly matted and I let out a groan as I swat out at the enemy as hard as I possibly could have done, and biting down on any bit of fur that I could get my fangs onto. When I at last here a screech of pain, I guess that one of my hits managed to get the target as best as they could have done. Pinning my ears back to my head, I let out a low growl. The wolf in-front of me is younger, but her fighting is good, she is more experienced then her age would have made me expect. But she is smaller, and I would have to try and take advantage of that. Something I would not be used to, considering the fact that the vast majority of wolves were larger then myself, and most of the time I relied on speed. However for once I was faced with a smaller, probably faster wolf, and that meant a change in tactic.
The younger wolf was circling around me, she too was now bleeding from a fresh wound on her now torn ear, and a nasty scratch was torn across one of her hind flanks. She was staring at me, like a vulture watching a dead carrion. Waiting for the opportune moment to strike, it was my job not to give it to her.
Again we collide at a great speed, in a flurry of biting and slashing as we fight like a pair of hungry dogs in the street. Now I manage to get my fangs around the scruff of her neck and drag upwards as hard as I was able to do. That was when her inexperience showed through, as she squirmed in a state of panic. My grip turned to steel and I shook her as hard as I could, biting down hard on the back of her neck. Though not hard enough to kill, this pup was no threat in truth to me and I wasn't Kai, I wouldn't kill those who couldn't do the same to me unless necessary.
She screamed loudly, kicking out at my chest and leaving me winded for just a moment, but I manage to keep my grip on her neck, and refuse to let go. Leaving her panicked as she is trapped in my jaws, then came the words that I had been looking for. She screeched at the top of her lungs, "I surrender, I surrender. Don't kill me." She begged.
I let go and she fell with a thump to the ground, and set off running, but rather then turning tail and running from the battlefield. She only ran deeper into it, if I met her again in this battle. I wouldn't be so kind.
Taking a short moment to attempt to catch my breath, and recover a little bit from the pain and blood loss. However it is quickly cut short when someone tackles me from the left, and there would be no luxury in this fight. It was a second wolf, at least twice my size in muscle, and if I didn't think quick, I would be screwed.
With as much force as I could muster, I scrabbled at the larger wolf's now exposed underbelly, scratching and tearing at the sensitive skin of his stomach with all the strength I could find. He barely seemed to notice, but when the blood began to drip from his wounds, I knew that at the very least I had managed to injure the wolf.
Stifling the scream of pain which was working its way up the back of my throat, I manage not to cry out and show how much agony the sudden blow managed to take my by surprise. I groaned loudly, as the larger wolf tore his fangs into one of my legs. I was thankful not to hear the horrible sound of a snap. Which would have ended this battle for me, though maybe not in the way that most of us would have wanted to.
Concentrate, concentrate. I repeated to myself as pain flooded my senses and I felt my control beginning to fade and my vision turned red. I could not afford to lose control, not at this crucial moment. It could have easily ended in the loss of my life, and frankly that would not be preferable, so early on in the fight anyway. The larger wolf repeatedly bites down on my fur, he is more playing then he is fighting now. He knows this is a fight for him to win, and he can take his time playing with his prey, I can tell.
I fall still, and stifle the heavy breathing and flatten my ears against my head, praying that he would fall for the trick that I was planning to play. Then I allow myself a small grin when I feel his grip relax, though only slightly. As he pulls away to go down for the killing blow, and I kick out as hard as I can. And the body is taken off of me and he is flung away, and I am more grateful then anything else in the world that I managed not to.
Leaping to my paws once again, then I pause as realisation hits me as a scent makes its way up my nostrils. The wretched stench of death, this fight was over. The wolf was dead, he had hit its head on a rock as he fell. The first death of the battle was mine to boast. Though it was not something I would exactly take joy in, I dip my head to the wolf. Had it not been for pure luck, this would have been his battle to win. I was thankful it wasn't my death, but I would be respectful and give my thanks for the fact it wasn't me but I was sorry it had to be someone else so that I would not find myself dead on the ground.
Turning away from the body, away from the stench of death which now seemed to be sticking to my fur. To find a vampire standing in my path, the foul reek of its breath, the stench of blood. Freshly drawn, overwhelmed my senses, and thankfully the stink of death which now clung to the air and to the battlefield. It may have been the first, but it wasn't going to be the last at any rate.
Without another moment to think about even the most minor of details, the vampire is running at me at a great pace. Swinging a punch at my muzzle, and I am lucky enough to dodge out of the way before the blow removes my head from my shoulders and I skid to the side and take off running at my opponent. The vampire, now unable to set off running at a great enough pace to avoid my fangs and pick up speed to send another punch. I dig my fangs into his hand, causing a scream to come from his throat.An inhumane sound, which reminded me of the sound of scraping metal against metal, a sound which hurt my sensitive ears. I growl lowly, shaking my head to try and remove the ringing sound from the back of my mind. Baring my fangs with a snarl, I hesitated before stepping sideways and twitching his ears from side to side. Watching the enemy carefully,
"Hello little lone wolf, oh how much I have heard about you." He said with a laugh, similar to the sound of his scream, it was horrible to listen to. Proof of a recent kill and a recent drink, he had drained a body of its blood, and that only gave me more of a reason to tear this man limb from limb. No man here, ally or enemy, deserved to be drained of their blood in death, after fighting for the cause they believed in. It did not seem fair, and I would teach him to think differently. To think more about the fallen. I hoped it would be a difficult lesson to teach.
Being called lone wolf was an obvious dig at me, and I disliked it but I wasn't about to show how annoyed the words had made me. Having another wolf call me such was a norm to me, most wolves who were of higher ranks, and therefore pretty much every other wolf who had ever lived. But being called it by a vampire, was pretty much a personal dig. Something I wasn't about to go and accept without being even if it was a small insult, today was not a good day to get on my bad side. Plus, the fact I despised vampires right now, did not help.
Turning around I start to circle him, and he too begins to copy my actions as we watch one another, waiting for who would be the first to shoot forward. My heart seemed to be beating so loud, that it was audible to those around me. But I didn't concentrate on that, my eyes trained perfectly on the man standing in front of me. Watching his every movement in caution, I was careful with every step. Trying to take in as much as I could of the enemy I would face within seconds, I had to concentrate. I had to win.
Each step burned as I struggled to put pressure on my injured leg, but it was all that I could do to ignore it as all of a sudden the other man lunged straight for me. Picking up speed with suprirsing ease, despite the uneven surface beneath my paws. And I lunge forward at the same time, and we collide at a massive speed. I leap for his throat in an attempt to bring the man down. But he shoves me away with the advantage of his greater speed, however I wasn't about to be put off for such small advantages.
He swings hard, not pulling a single blow as we battle on and on, wishing that I had something silver which might have given me an advantage, but now was not the time for wishing as I struggled to fight against the larger man, as he did everything he could to remove my head from my shoulders. In wolf form, my height reached just above his chest but not by much. Even speed wasn't my vantage point for once, so all I had to rely on was wit and luck alone. Neither of which was something which was at the forefront of my brain at this point in time.
Finally I manage my fangs manage to find their way onto his flesh, it was like biting into a solid block of ice. The bone was like steel, and I couldn't make it break but I didn't have to second guess that my actions would have caused him some form of pain. Even if he didn't cry out, he was trying to be brave, but I wasn't stupid. At least I prayed to the moon goddess that for once I wasn't just guessing and hoping.
Then I caught the lucky blow that I had been hoping for, and I manage to rip my fangs into his leg and bring him to the ground with a loud thump. Now I don't hesitate, I don't stop twice to think about my actions. And I tear his head off with a single snap, and toss it like a Frisbee into the air, the body jerks for a moment or two before lying still and dead in the grass. Panting heavily, I let out a low growl, "Burn in hell you foul leech."
Little time is left however for my first true victory of the battle, as I recognise the sound of paw steps and turn around to find yet another wolf. One which is probably my equal in size, but its eyes were purely animalistic. I hesitate slightly nervous, this was a wolf. This poor soul, for lack of better word, had lost its self to its animal side, and lost all control. Like a rabid dog, there was probably little hope for one so young.
The younger wolf lunged for my throat as quickly as it could, the pitiful animal had probably assumed that I too was young as he was, rather then just having the massive disadvantage in our world of being an unusually small wolf.
Springing forward, I dodge sideways with as much speed as I could muster with my injuries, and manage to dodge the swinging of his jaws by the length of my whiskers, and I leap once again. And bring my fangs down on his throat and hold him there. I wish I didn't have to kill him, it would be an unnecessary kill of someone who didn't deserve to get himself caught up in any of this. It was Kai's fault, and none of this should have happened to any of us. I lay the body down, and waited as the light fled from his eyes.
Anger filled me as I watched, I had to kill Kai for this. Making me kill such a young wolf, for the simple fact that the circumstances his alpha had put him in, caused him to lose control. A risk I couldn't have allowed to happen, making me put him down. Something I wished I'd never have to do. As I watched the young wolf take his first breath, I made a decision. The alpha Kai had to die today.
He looked as though he was merely falling asleep, as he blinked one final time and his eyes fell shut. I knew that until the day I died, I would never forget the look which had filled his eyes. The fear, the confusion, the purely animalistic hatred and anger. I whispered a goodbye to the young wolf I hadn't known, to the young wolf I would never know. Then turned away to find the next enemy to fight, a new strength instilled inside me.
All of this, all this death. It held no glory for any of us, but simply necessity. It was not a battle for experience or territory or food, it was for our lives. For the enemy it was almost out of fun, a battle they were almost certain to win. But for us, it was to try and stop us from losing everything we cared about. This was what I hated about it. There was no glory in this war. Only blood, death, and growing hatred.
Then a bullet skimmed past me, missing me by mere inches, if my wolf hadn't heard the sound of a bullet being clicked into a chamber and forcing me to leap left. I would have been lying bleeding on the floor on my side.
Suddenly a growl rips from my throat as I turn to find a human facing me, the look of happiness on his face made me shiver just a little bit. He was looking forward to killing me, this was his glory his delight. He wanted nothing but to see me dead on the floor, to see my children, my friends, everyone I knew dead on the floor. Because we did not share the same genealogy, because I was a supernatural, and that meant that he hated me. He did not know who I was, he didn't know where I came from. But I was a werewolf, and that gave him reason enough to put me six feet under the ground.
For that reason I didn't hesitate for even the shortest of seconds before tearing his throat from his body and leaving him dying on the ground without thinking twice about it. I turned away and didn't take a second to look back.
"Hello again, Elliot."
A familiar voice fills my ears, and I let out a low growl of anger. I turn around to see him, not Kai, I would have been less angry had it been Kai, and that was saying something in its self. It was Oliver, the man who had started it all. Who had brought us all here today, for selfish reasons that would leave many dead by the end of the day.
"Oliver, how nice to see you again." My tone was low and unwavering, as I looked at the man who I hated more then anyone else on earth probably. The vampire only grinned at me, and then in one single motion, we both leap for one and other at the exact same time.
Colliding, I barely recognise the fact that he has driven his fangs down hard onto my shoulder already, thankfully though I manage to drag myself away before he is able to place any poison into my blood from his fangs and I lunge around and bite down on his shoulder with everything that I can put behind the blow. Feeling pure satisfaction in the scream of pain which tears from him the moment that I do this.
"Now we finish what we started a couple of weeks ago huh?" He asks, only further fuelling my already boiling anger as again and again we slam into one and other. Pulling away and then going in for the attack once more, I don't notice as more wounds begin to litter my body. All that I care about is that none of them are going to kill me, and therefore I keep on fighting regardless.
"Yeah, but it might not exactly end in the way that you are wanting it to end." I growl, baring my fangs in hatred as I lunge for him.
One of my ribs crack when he punches me in the side, I cry out loudly but thankfully it is only a fracture. I groan a little, then with a sudden newly renewed amount of energy I find it in me to suddenly tackle him in a move that he didn't expect. Too obvious for a man like him, in all his intelligence. He would have expected me to do something clever, to do what I could to trick him. So much so that he managed to miss the obvious, and allowed me to pin him to the ground in a matter of seconds.
I growl down at him with anger, "You see what you have done? You see how much death you have caused, of innocent men and women. For the simple fact that one day, long ago some cruel and vile creature got hungry and killed the ones you loved. You could have done something good with your anger, you could have stopped more people from suffering like you did. Tracked down men and women like that and stopped them. But instead you chose to make every single member of an entire race suffer for your pain, and see how it ended up?"
My tone is blatant and firm, the anger shaking from me. I have no sympathy for this man, not now, not after everything which had happened in the short period of time in which I had known this strange and vile vampire.
What I see reflected in the vampire's eyes however surprises me, and takes my aback in what I recognise in his dark eyes. Fear. Pure terror, but something else. Something underlying the dark gaze, regret.
His tone is pained, giving tell to the fear which is filling him with every movement and every breath that he takes. "I'm sorry." His words are surprising, almost amazingly so and I don't know how to react. Then I surprise myself as well, and I pull away and leap away from him, glaring at him without moving to grab him once again.
He quickly stands up and stares at me in a state of shock. Before he speaks, I begin to instead in a low growl. "Run, and never come back. If I see you here again today, I will not hesitate to kill you were you stand. Leave this place, and never come back."
The vampire takes off running. He doesn't need to think twice about doing this and I can understand this much as i listen to his footsteps taking him away as fast as he could go. And I don't turn back to make sure that he had left for good, I don't care any more.
With one major player now out of the game, I am thankful that one more person who was a true threat was now gone from the battle, and gave my side an advantage. Even if it was very much a tiny one and slight one. Bodies litter the ground, I watch one troll fall to his knees as a knife is forced through his back and into his spine, and I hear a howl of agony as undoubtedly yet another ally now lies dead on the ground. I don't look who it is, I know I have to concentrate on the battle, or end up dead myself.
My eyes land on something that terrifies me all of a sudden, and my heart drops. Jack has his back turned to a man whilst he fights a second, what he fails to realise. Is that the first man, is preparing his gun.
I lunge and take off running, and I leap for the man with the gun in a single movement, tackling him to the ground and killing him.
Grateful that I had gotten there in time, I stand up. Then I realise something as I watch a second body fall. The shot gun had already gone off. The man who was arguably my best friend now lay dead on the ground.
In that moment, as his heart stops, my heart breaks and I skid to a stop. I had been too late, by the briefest of seconds my reaction hadn't been enough to save his life. It was my fault, I should have gotten here quicker. I should have run with a greater amount of speed, I should have done something to stop this.
Then the realisation hits me, and it hits me like a double decker bus. It wasn't my fault, it wasn't anyone's fault but one. And now I understood with difficulty what I had to do, to stop all of this. I had to kill Kai.