Promise

Chapter 2- Reunited at long last?

~10 Years later~

The gentle pattering sound of rain on the cobblestones filled the streets of the town. A figure dressed in a black cloak glanced back into the darkness as he turned into an abandoned alleyway. A faint smirk painted his lips as he turned around, unclasping his cloak, folding it and placing it on the ground. He leaned his back against the cool wet stone wall, his white shirt gaping open, leaving the figures long swan like neck bared to the eyes staring from the darkness.

What appeared to be animal fang scars decorated the otherwise flawless pale skin. Dark brown hair dripped with rain water, as footsteps began to echo, splashing faintly in the puddles of water as the hidden creature approached him, another shadow enveloping his form.

A dark and sensual, wealthy looking man stepped out of the darkness, dark grey eyes glowing red for a moment as he approached the young teen, whose dark looks and pale skin wrote him off as a pretty prostitute. The man reached out with lightening quick speed and grabbed his chin pinning him to the wall. The man smiled widely, baring a pair of sharp fangs.

The teens eyes widened in fear, the scent of it overpowering all other scents around them. The man took a deep breath and smirked in pure amusement. “You’re such a pretty little thing…” he purred, his voice a low musical tone. “Do ye have a name, fair lad?”

“Aye, sir” the teen whispered, trembling beneath the mans gaze, chocolate eyes unable to turn away from red ones. “I am known as Tsukiyo….”

“Moonlit night,” the vampire purred, not noticing the odd glint in the boys eyes, nor that he no longer was smelling of fear. “So pretty….and you’ll be a pretty corpse as well, I’ll wager. Let me see if I am right.”

The man smirked and with quick speed bent his head, fangs bared and ready to sink into Tsukiyos throat. It happened quickly, for the moment the vampires fangs grazed the teens throat he pushed all his weight forward, startling the vampire and moving them away from the wall. His knee moved with blinding speed, landing a forceful blow to the vampires ribcage, his hands flying to either side of the monsters face, his thumbs slipping inside the lips of the vampires open mouth.

He shifted wickedly and a sickening snap rose up as he twisted the vampires head, breaking his neck with ease. He released the vampires face, it’s body falling to the ground with a thump, twitching with shock.

“I imagine I won’t make such a pretty corpse after all,” he whispered, his voice deadly soft as he knelt beside the fanged creature, pulling out a sharpened stake from the inside of his boot. He raised it up and rammed in inside the vampires chest, black blood bubbling up frothy for moment before the body spasmed and burned into ash within a matter of moments.

Tsukiyo tucked the stake back into his boot and stood gracefully, an uncommonly graceful aura surrounding him. His chocolate dark eyes stared at the spot, but unlike most of his kind long past, there was no gleam of hunger or pride, but a deep sadness and mysterious pain.

He turned away picking up his cloak snapping it out. As he did, a silver pendent flashed around his neck, falling out from beneath the thin white shirt. He started slightly and touched it with a touch of uncharacteristic gentleness before sliding it back beneath his shirt, tying the cloak around his neck.

A soft laughter rose up from the shadows behind him. “who would have guess such a gentle creature would turn into one’s worst enemy. Surely not I,” a voice cooed from a distance.

Tsukiyos head jerked up, his face emptying from a gentle longing glance to an empty palate, dark sad eyes searching the darkness. His heart beat loudly in his ears as it always did when he sensed their presence. “Show yourself,” he said, his voice soft but held a very strong tone of command. His eyes continued to search every inch of the darkness. “Be you friend or foe, dark one? Be wary of your answer…”

“I doona know. You tell me, am I friend or foe?” a man deep voice danced through the air, musical. The voice was a weapon alone. Not many vampires could be spell with their voice, but Tsukiyo recognized the pull of power and blocked it turning the alley entrance as a figure dressed in a black hooded cloak swayed it’s way around the corner, keeping its distance.

The hooded man posted against a brick wall, arms crossed for a moment before he reached up removing the hood, revealing a beauteous man in his early twenties. Though he looked young his skin pale as if ill and his eyes…

His eyes were oddly familiar and spoke legions. The icy blue orbs darted directly into Tsukiyos heart, making it dance with an odd feeling of joy and pain. Strands of silver hair fell out of the hood, a smile creeping onto the mans face showing, slightly curved white fangs, but they disappeared after that faint glimpse.

Tsukiyo frowned deeply as he stared at the strange man. The pendant around his neck seemed to grow warm as if it recognized the man. He swallowed slightly. Those eyes…that odd half smile…that hair…why did it all seem so familiar?

‘Promise you’ll come back…’

He frowned slightly, a face entering his blank subconscious. A child’s face. His eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat. He pulled his cloak around his rain drenched body, shivering slightly, once more raising his eyes to meet those icy blue mirrors.

“Do not play mind games with me, dark one…” he whispered coolly.

Irihi….the name suddenly echoed from the depths of his mind. He shoved the name away, pain flashing in his dark eyes. His friend Irihi was long dead and had been for years.

“You look as though you’ve seen the dead,” the man cooed. “I am here as promised, but I wonder…was it the right choice, Tsuki…?”

Tsukiyos heart stopped frozen, his body suddenly refusing to work. His eyes widened as his heart suddenly sprang to life, beating as fast as a hummingbirds wings, beating so fast he feared it may explode. There was only one person who had ever called him by that name.

The very person he’d feared for dead so many years, that he’d buried away most of his memory to quell the unnatural pain and anger. Was it truly him? Was it?

“Irihi?” he whispered, his voice suddenly meek and quiet, almost choked as if he was holding back tears. When no answer came he lifted his eyes, a ferocity gleaming in his eyes. A hunger for the truth.

“Answer me,” he said, his voice quickly going from meek and soft, to hard and cold. His eyes moved to lock onto those icy blue ones. There was a pleading long buried, deep within those nearly dead brown eyes. The playful life that had once inhabited them was long dead.

The stranger closed his eyes and nodded. “Seems you didn’t forget me completely. That’s good, but I’m a bit worried after seeing your little display.”

Irihi cast a glance at the lingering ash that was left from the once physical being. He removed himself from the wall turning to disappear down the path he’s came from.

A strangled gasp escaped Tsukiyos lips. He began to run after Irihi, turning the corner, his eyes wide and saddened. There was no one there. He glanced behind him and around before pulling up the hood of his cloak. A lone tear fell down his pale cheek as he huddled in the cloak, a strange hot pain suddenly tearing at his heart.

“You come back now,” he whispered mournfully. “when my heart is caged and my soul near a bitter death….Oh Irihi…why now?”

He started down the streets, vanishing into the night, the rain slowly coming to a stop.
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Tsukiyo stared at one of the walls, and then glanced around the old room, deep within the hidden catacombs his clan had built. A door laid close to his left, one that would lead to the cellar and further in led to the house several feet above. To the right lay another door, leading into the catacombs which traveled for miles leading into the woods.

His dark eyes moved the a dusted wall of weapons. Weapons that had once belonged to his father and clan mates…but now belonged solely to him. He placed the spike he’d carried that evening on the table and hung up his cloak to dry.

He swiftly tore off his soaked clothing before pulling on dry pants and running a hand through his hair. The silver jeweled pendant lay glimmering against his pale gently muscled chest. He pulled on a black silk shirt, buttoning it up, allowing it to fall over his hips as he tugged his leather boots back on. He shook his head, strands of dark hair falling over his eyes. He went to smooth them away but froze when the dull echo of footsteps over his head sounded, heading towards the area that was once his childhood bedroom.

He narrowed his eyes picking up a silver edged dagger from the table slipping it into the waist band of the dark slacks. He moved to the stairs that led to the cellar making sure to secure to door to the catacombs and covering the entrance with an old and frayed woven mat, before moving through the door that led into the house. His feet made little sound as he walked through the seemingly empty house, not hearing the figure approach from the darkness behind him.

“So this is how it looks inside. I always wondered how mortals lived.”

Tsukiyo turned around, the dagger drawn quick as lighting but his grip loosened when he saw it was Irihi who stood behind him. He mentally cursed himself, he hadn’t replaced the spiritual wards on the door that kept the beasts out. But what caught his attention was a young woman.

Her hair was dark as black gold and her eyes, red as blood rubies. She appeared to be around the same age as Irihi, but what tugged at Tsukiyos heart oddly, was that she had her arms wrapped securely around Irihis’ waist, as if she belonged there. The pendent hidden beneath his black shirt grew hot as a flash of black jealousy raced through him, darkening his eyes.

“How did you get in here?” he demanded, his voice light and empty. Though he knew the answer, he wished to break the silence. He lowered his arm to his side, his hand easily clenching the dagger.

“You don’t seem happy to see me at all. I keep my promise to you and this is what I return to?” Irihi smiled mockingly. The black haired woman blew a slow breath along Irihis’ neck, nipping at his ear, her eyes watching Tsukiyo hungrily. “Perhaps he doesn’t wish us to be here, my love.”
“Is this the childhood friend you spoke of?”

The woman’s voice was practically a purr and it oddly disgusted Tsukiyo. His spine went rigid at her tone and his grip on the dagger tightening. It was then he noticed how far from the hilt he’d grabbed, the blade cutting into his hand, creating a shallow cut. He did not even bother to look at it as dark red blood welled up, dripping to the woodened floor.

“Your promise was made 10 years ago,” he whispered softly. “Irihi…why have you decided to come back now?”

“I’ve been in a tight corner, being hunter by humans. More and more seemed to come as the times changed and I would not have wanted to bring that upon you. But as I see…should I have not returned my dear friend?”

Irihi seemed to be ignoring the woman, who seemed to be unable to control her wandering hands, teasing his skin with breaths and whispers. Tsukiyo watched the woman with a great unease, his hand suddenly itching the throw the dagger at her, if only to make her retreat from the other mans side.

He lifted his eyes from her to meet Irihis eyes, his own softening slightly as they met. “I believed you dead…,” he whispered. “I prayed for years for your return…even after my clan met a foul end….I…”

Irihi moved forward, leaving the woman behind him. Her ruby eyes narrowed glaring at Tsukiyo as the vampire embraced the teen. “It wasn’t easy finding the right time to come back. But I’d crawl to you in my own blood, refusing my bodies last breath…if only for the chance to see you.”

The woman suddenly coughed and grabbed onto Irihis shoulder. The blue eyes vampire turned with a cool smile on his face, chuckling seeing the full pout on the woman’s lush lips. “forgive me…” he whispered kissing her hand and turned back to the teen who stared with an empty and cold appearance. “Tsuki…this is my friend Ruby. Dear Ruby…this is my dearest friend, Tsukiyo.”

Ruby smirked coldly, letting out a small hiss. “Oh that’s all? For a minute there…I believed you two to be lovers,” she mused in a cold teasing tone.