Bloody Memory

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Forgive me for misspelling...
Okay, this chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones. Enjoy!
Please give me your review; supporting ones are gratefully accepted :D

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Chapter Four

Richard Callahan was a stern yet cold-hearted man. He handled every business he owned with strong-willed determination and steely mental, which made his expansion larger and more successful. His casino and other legal businesses owned by him were appraised highly both by his customers and his competitors. However his ‘other’ businesses were rapidly inclined, thanks to his keen sense of dealing and handling obstacles; if you were meant truly what kind of obstacles he could handle.
He never feared anything, everything, even law and its vassals; he knew exactly how to avoid them and evenly, control them.
Money. That was the answer. Oh yes, he knew that everyone couldn’t resist money. Every time he crossed paths with law vassals, say polices and judges and other law men, he just only offered them a bribe. How much? It depended on how disastrous the problem was or how easy the law men were convinced of. Sometimes he just wiped them out if he didn’t really want to deal with them, especially if they were stubborn ones.
Oh yes, Richard Callahan never feared anything in his perfect life. Never until right now.
He watched intently at the person sitting on the chair right in front of him, across his large desk, feeling unreasonably afraid. The person wore a dark brown hooded robe, which covering half upper of his/her face. Callahan could only see the tip of the person’s nose, and lips, which curved upward forming some kind of wicked smile; at least that was what he thought of. He/she leaned neatly at the chair looking somehow comfortable and relaxed. The person twined his/her slender, pointed fingers before his/her feature, still wore same evilly, slyly smile, and spoke slowly, “You’re Richard Callahan, right?”
His voice was velvety and smooth, somewhat melodic; as if he was singing or poetizing. Callahan was now sure that person was a he; considering how he spoke and his tenor, smooth voice. No doubt his voice was an enchantment, leaving a strange, entrancing impression for whoever listening. Callahan felt it right now; uneasiness mixed with thrilled excitement lingering his mind after hearing his strange guest’s voice.
Callahan gulped and slightly nodded, pretending to be looked tough and untouchable, then he barked, “Yes, I’m Richard Callahan. Who are you and what problems that brings you here?”
The hooded man widened his twisted, wicked smile and retorted calmly, “I’m here for your own problem.”
Callahan inwardly surprised. “And what do you think exactly my problem is that makes you come here for?”
“Ainsworths.” The mysterious guest simply stated.
Callahan snorted loudly, unimpressed. “That’s what you called problem? I can handle them by myself, thank you very much. It will be their biggest regret of fate for entwined with me.” He waved his hand, dismissing them.
The hooded man was only chuckling lightly. “Off course you can, you high-and-mighty, wealthy skunk of a human. I wasn’t mentioning about them exactly. I was going to tell you about the problem you would have been got from their person in guard.”
Callahan scowled, feeling suddenly angry. How dare this stranger call him as a SKUNK?! Not in a million years someone would be so foul-mouthed about him freely without loosing his punishment. Restraining his anger, he gritted his teeth and grumbled, “AND what do you mean by that?”
The hooded man smiled and leaned forward, his chin rested upon his twined fingers, and whispered slyly, “They hired, well…a special body guard.”
Callahan frowned, feeling slightly interested now. “What kind of special?”
His guest made some nonchalant motions like tilting and waving his head, as if he knew something the casino boss didn’t know; and it annoyed him much. “Tell me, Mr. Callahan, what do you know about vampire?”
Callahan almost burst out laughed in disbelief. “You don’t mean that they hired a vampire as their bodyguard?! That’s nonsense! Vampire doesn’t exist.” He waved his hand rudely, completely dismissing them. “You’re wasting my precious time, stranger. Get out of here as fast as you can, before I blow up your head for your insulting me on the first moment.”
His guest only chuckled coolly and calmly replied, “Can you?”
“What?!”
“Can you blow up my head first before I kill you instantly that you will never recognize my movement? Do not underestimate nor insult us, Mr. Callahan. We’re not as monstrous as folklore creatures we have resemblance with; but not as tamed as a dog. We are well-mannered beasts; you can say that; dangerous yet beautiful creatures ever lived. You have no idea about us, yet you say that you are powerful and intelligent, most fearsome and respectable species on this planet.” The hooded man shook his head and snorted indignantly. “Such a lowly, filthy trash of you, human, I’ve known from the beginning that you’re not worthy to be joined with.”
“Wha--?!”
Callahan stared in fear and disbelief, somehow in amazement, at his guest who revealed his face for the first time, moving his hood backward. He had such terribly beautiful pallid face; instead of his gender; with arced, delicate dark silver brows; long and small-formed perfect nose, which its tip was delicately unhindered by his previous hood; full and sensual lips, that looked strangely red-hued despite his paleness and always performing sly, wicked yet graceful smile; although now it was gone, replaced by a rather-disgusted-than-angry scowl. His hair was silvery white, which trimmed somehow strange, short as usually men had, save long bangs that somewhat longer at his right side, dangling around his right frame of face. His orb of eyes were the most dazzling features he ever been endowed with; silvery yet multi-shaded colors of irises, glistening like some gemstones, preferably opals; and he had cat-eyes-like slits. He also had long eyelashes, pointy ears, and; Callahan gasped to his dismay; long, sharp, and pointy fangs which were clearly visible when he smirked evilly toward him.
“You-you are…” the casino boss stuttered in fear; he felt his body shivered uncontrollably and then went boneless. Callahan suddenly felt regretful sending his own guards out on the first moments; not he really believed they could win against this …monster.
“…Vampire, yes, I am. Symbion vampire for true.” His devilish yet cold smirk grew wider, fed on the human’s fear. His expression of disgust and angry was faded, replaced once again by his sly and evil-gleeful-smiley expression. “I may explain to you, what we are exactly, in case you don’t have any idea of our existence in the first place.”
He purred when he stood from his seat walking towards Callahan with torturously slow movements. Callahan was looked like he was shrinking on the spot, quivered at the vampire’s approaching. He came by his side, smirking evilly and cooed, “Oh, you’re afraid now, aren’t you? The high and mighty skunk are now peeing his own pants, all because of my being.”
He suddenly laughed heartily, mockingly at the casino boss’ cowering. His laughing still sounded melodically, enthralling people with its enticing charm.
“Do not be afraid, human, for I am not going to hurt you purposefully. I have my own dignity though; attacking humans who are cowering and peeing themselves are not as gratified as hunting them down.”
He chuckled mockingly then backed away and sat again on his previous seat. “We have business to talk with after all.”
“Wh-what business?” Callahan meekly asked.
“About this Ainsworth’s guardian.” The silvery vampire shrugged nonchalantly
“Ah, I almost forgot. My name is Opal. Well, that’s not my true one however; we have code names which both made us easily distinguished without revealing our true nature. You know, for us, Symbion vampire, our true names are our roots, our true nature. Once your true name revealed to your enemy, you’re doomed.
We, Symbion vampire, were early human beings once; but our genes were twisted and mutated, you can say that, changed us into what we are right now. The source was unfortunately unknown till nowadays; our researchers are still conducted a hypothesis about that.
Unlike what usually traditional and folklore vampires had as their natural traits, we don’t have any weaknesses against trivial matters vampires usually afraid of; such as crosses, holy water, or garlic. We don’t tolerate silver though; for it will cause severe wounds when those weapons made from silver are embedded through our body. We also do feel irritated when we’re exposed to sunlight, due to stinging ultra violet caused to our sensitive skin; but we’re not burnt away like some cheap craps you called as vampires in your horror stories.” He snorted mockingly.
“We are born as vampires, Mr. Callahan, not tainted nor infected by some viruses. Tracing our ancestors’ bloodlines, we are already born with such power and capabilities that humans don’t have on their own. Raw inhuman yet superhuman strength, combined with supernatural abilities like psychokinetic, pyrokinetic, and other traits, along with our enhanced speed and senses, making us a great and amazing race, compared to you, humans.
We’re also born with our blade spirits altogether. Blade spirits are spirits that resigned within our body which are somehow linked with our blood and souls. When we reached our first decades of age, the blade spirits within us manifested themselves as a piece of special metal that we forge into weapons. Our unique, living weapons that linked spiritually with us, how neat, aren’t it?”
Opal halted his explanations with his wide sly smile, and then reached inside his robe to take out some kind like a three-parts-divided lance. The blade was three-point-forms, like Neptune’s trident; shining silvery brilliant with beautiful ornaments graved its center; an opal gemstone embedded on the core of the blade. The silver vampire reconstructed the lance to her full length and waved the lance at the quivered man.
“Now, now, Mr. Callahan, don’t be afraid, she won’t strike you …yet.” He chuckled lightly looking at his fearful companion’s face; and then he caressed his lance lovingly.
“Meet my blade spirit, Ariadne. I won’t tell you about her real form though; you won’t expect her to transform back to her own gorgeous form; you won’t like it. Her weapon form is a yari, three-point edged lance; which is forged based on traditional Far East kind of lance; Japanese, for specific. There’re many kind of weapon forms the blade spirits which are forged to, namely claymore, katana, etc. If you’re lucky enough, you will see many of them.” He winked slightly, still caressing Ariadne cheerfully.
Callahan froze in his fear, watched every movements the silver vampire made. He chirped faintly, “W-w-why did you tell me all of these?”
Opal turned his attention back at the pathetic human and said swiftly, “Because the Ainsworths hired the very one same being like me as their guard, for your bad luck; which is luckily, the one I’ve been charged to be ‘cleaned’ for.
He is my prey, Mr. Callahan; and as for you, I think that it would be our advantage if we worked together to get rid of them. You get your targets out; I get my own. How’s that sounded?”


***


It had been a week since Scarlet worked as Jamie’s bodyguard; and nothing happened since then. Neither attacks nor ambushes happened. Both cops Allan Barrymore and Tyler Johnson felt very, very bored by now; they passed their time watching football matches or playing video games they brought themselves. Sarah Stoke were busy volunteering herself helping Emily preparing for next week Jamie’s twelve-years-old birthday party.
Arthur shook his head in disbelief looking at his team’s messy forms.
“You know,” he blurted out after clearing his throat; successfully gaining attention from his subordinates and their wards. “If all of you keep slacking off like this, we will easily get ambushed by any seconds.”
Allan scoffed. “Oh come on, Cap’n. Nothing harmful will be happened. Maybe they run away slipping tails between their legs seeing us here.”
“Don’t get yourself bigheaded! They do nothing doesn’t mean we can get slacken and unprepared.” He snapped back at the big guy.
“Arthur, you don’t have to be so scruffy about that.” Sarah retorted casually. “Even though I have to agree with you for the last thing; we have to get ready all the time in case enemies attacking.”
Arthur huffed, and then went to take a seat beside Sarah when they heard rushing sound from the front yard. Before they could manage what was happened, the rushing sound banged into the house, made them startled. Arthur and the other pulled out their guns and hurried to the front door, while Frank and Emily were hugging each other in anxiety, following behind them. They found a very exhausted Jamie, sprawled on the floor. His body was sweating badly soaking his clothes; he panted like he was chased by some kind of demons.
Emily yelped and hurried supporting his son up and asked what had happened.
Panting, Jamie replied frantically, “Attack… Scarlet… wounded… told me… to run here… as fast… as possible...”

***

Three hours ago…

Scarlet was doing his usual task keeping an eye on Jamie in his class when the attack happened.

Jamie’s classmates had been getting along with him, even though some times they would look at him and giggled faintly; definitely talking about him. He didn’t care much; as long as Jamie was safe.
He sat silently on his usual seat at the back corner of the class; he specially requested this spot to ease him watching Jamie. He kept watching Jamie studying along his classmates while reading a newspaper; when suddenly he felt an uneasiness feeling jabbing his senses. The feeling sent cold shivers down his spine made him abruptly stood up from his chair; unintentionally slamming it down on his way. The entire class turned their eyes on him, startled. Jamie stared at him, suddenly felt worried.
“Scarlet? What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer his meek question. He swiftly pulled out Kayura and cocked it; the sight of his huge long-barrel gun made the children squawked. The entire class panicked and quavered before Scarlet commanded in tight voice, “SILENCE!”
They fell to silent after hearing Scarlet’s command and the tension arose among them almost unbearable for Jamie. He stood from his own seat and launched himself to his bodyguard who instantly hugged him possessively, then blurted out, “Scarlet! Enemy’s attacking, isn’t it?! Tell me! SCARLET!”
“Hush,” Scarlet hushed him softly and he went silent, clutching him more tightly in his sudden fear.
Scarlet looked around while increasing his heighten senses, trying to relocate the chilly feeling; his right hand gripping Kayura twitched with anxiety. He could figure only one reason why he felt this anxious; the enemy hiding right now was the same like him. A vampire. Or maybe something else.
Suddenly he sensed something, no, SOMEONE, right behind him. He abruptly turned around; swiftly and effectively hiding Jamie behind his back while moving. He cocked Kayura and pointed it forward, straightly towards someone’s throat.
“Opal,” he hissed hatefully. Aforementioned man just smiled slyly, like usually he was.
“Scarlet.” His voice was flawlessly, melodically smooth; sending cold shivers once more down Scarlet’ spine.
The silver vampire tilted his head a little, turning his gleaming eyes to the fearful boy peeking behind Scarlet’s back. He looked back at the younger vampire and spoke velvety, “Playing a hero-saving-damsel-in-distress, do you? Scarlet?”
“None of your business.” He snapped coldly. He then cocked his gun once more, tilting it to the older vampire’s heart. “I can shoot you in an instant, Opal. Go away.”
Opal laughed softly; his fangs modestly hidden behind his lips. Scarlet eyed him in full awareness. He knew exactly how strong he was. And he didn’t want to get lost awfully by underestimating his opponent.
“You’re kidding, right? You know, you’re not my level of opponent, Scarlet. You’re just too young.”
“Even if I was younger than you, I still could shoot you right here, silver assassin.” He tilted his gun’s tip against Opal’s chest once more. The remark ‘assassin’ alarmed the other class occupants; which instantly shifted themselves on the corner far away from both confronters; especially Jamie, who quickly hid fully and clutched Scarlet’s coat tightly in anxiety and fear.
“I’m faster than you.”
“No wonder.” Opal shrugged nonchalantly, suddenly grabbing Kayura out of Scarlet’s hand, who surprised by his sudden act; and pointing his gun back at its owner’s head; Jamie yelped in fear looking at the scene.
The silver vampire smirked gleefully and whispered, “Who’s faster now?”
Both of them stared at each other with intense heat and hatred. Scarlet broke their stillness by swiftly launched his daggers one-by-one towards Opal’s temple, who quickly dodged them, unintentionally releasing his grip on Kayura. Scarlet caught back his gun, wrapped terrified Jamie within his arm tightly, and flew across the room towards the door.
But before he could grab the door knob and opened it, Opal had reached his spot once again, pulled out a silver knife and stabbed it at Scarlet’s right shoulder. He muffled his own scream of pain by biting down his lower lip; grunting and clenching his jaws against stinging feeling of his fresh wound. Blood was flowing out rapidly from his opening wound.
“No running wild, Scarlet. My assignment is to ‘clean’ you away. Direct order from His Excellency himself.” He cooed dangerously.
Scarlet glared death at him and then shifted Kayura to his left hand and pointing it at Opal’s head. Pulling the trigger, the loud bang of his shot was enough to make the entire class screaming out in the beginning uproar. Scarlet used the opportunity when Opal covered his sight while dodging his bullet using his knife in flash movement, to kick him right in the gut. The older vampire stifled a yelp when he felt himself was sent flying across the room, crash landed at one of the student desk, ruining it.
“FUCK!” he cursed angrily when he recognized that his prey had slipped away. In his anger, he had already bared his fangs and claws. He stood up abruptly, took out his still-bent Ariadne, flexing her up straight and began to chase down his target.

***

Scarlet panted hoarsely when he felt he ran out of blood. He kept Jamie tightly on his embrace while they fled. But now supporting Jamie had totally exhausted his worn out body. He thought suspiciously that the knife used by Opal to stab him with had been applied by anti coagulant venom.
He suddenly stopped running when he felt he couldn’t take the loss of blood any much longer. He turned his attention to the human boy in his embrace and said hoarsely, “Jamie, listen to me! Flee from this place, run as fast as you can until you get safely at home! I will keep him here. He is targeting me instead of you any way...”
Jamie looked at him frantically; eyeing his wound with genuine worry flashed in his chocolate-doe eyes. He shook his head hastily and yelled, “No!! I won’t leave you here! Not with that gravely wound! I won’t!”
Scarlet sighed heavily and decided to reveal his secret. Baring his fangs, he scowled at Jamie who stared at him; startled and afraid. “Jamie, I’m not human, you can see at my fangs here. That assassin isn’t human either. He’s vampire same like me. I’ll be fine. All you have to do is running fast to your home and stay still. Arthur and the others will protect you...”
Jamie stepped back a little, still stared at him intently with sudden fear, unconsciously shook his head while mumbled that it wasn’t real at all.
“RUN, JAMIE!!” he yelled loudly, snarled at the human boy; successfully made him jumped with a yelp. Jamie terrifyingly looked over him for the last time before stood steadily on his feet and began running through the school yard towards his home. Scarlet sensed Opal arriving behind him so he slowly turned around to face him.
The other assassin smirked smugly and chirped, “How sweet... you let him flee by his own. You do care a lot for him.”
“Shut up, you jerk...” He panted heavily while trying his best to keep Kayura on his grip when he harshly pointed it to Opal.
“You couldn’t stand any longer on your feet, boy. The venom worked well, I see.” Opal got closer; Ariadne on his hands steadying for any shot launched by the younger vampire. “You have to use your blade spirit to fight me.”
Scarlet grinned. “Kayura is one of my blade spirits.”
Opal’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean you have more than one blade spirit...?! That’s impossible!!”
“Try me...”
He shot twice at Opal, who dodged them easily with Ariadne, then launched two more daggers to his right side while he rolled over. Opal also dodged them easily and swiftly, not before noticing the third dagger had been launched towards his temple. He startled and stepped back while caught it with his left hand; abruptly let it dropped onto the floor with clinking noise momentarily after he felt his palm’s flesh burnt painfully.
He glared at the burned wound formed on his palm and then at Scarlet who smirked triumphantly. He hissed angrily, feeling pissed off for sure. “Silver dagger!!”
“Same score... that’s for stabbing me back then...”
He started to walk backward while launching all of his loads to the older vampire. Party of bullets was proved difficult to be avoided even for a vampire as senior as Opal. He dodged some with Ariadne, but some other was slipped passing by his body; slightly scratched him. One of the bullets hit him on his right thigh, making him groaned in pain. He dropped on his knee onto the floor, wincing; he realized that the bullets were also made from alloyed silver.
“Fuck... silver bullets...” he gritted his teeth, restraining his stinging pain.
Scarlet grinned faintly looking at him kneeling before fled away; he knew that he wouldn’t stand any longer fighting Opal. He was much older and more experienced than him; he could easily tear him apart by his yari. Scarlet remembered the basic element of his blade spirit and asked inwardly to himself why the silver vampire didn’t use it for killing him with easiness.
I could easily burn him down if I had any strength left, he thought grimly. Pyrokinetic; flame was the basic element of his blade spirit, Navalm. He felt slightly regretful for leaving her behind at Jamie’s house. His main reason was that he wouldn’t want to make any ruckus bringing Navalm around. She was so much long and heavy to be carried around unnoticed. He just could bring Kayura along. At least Opal was fallen to my lie, he inwardly appraised himself. Kayura isn’t one of my blade spirits any way.
He breathed heavily and panted, nearly fainted to the ground. The sunlight made his skin irritated, and with his exhausted condition, the irritation and stinging-burned feeling by being exposed to the sunlight were multiplied; it was too much. He struggled to stay conscious, sensed Opal grew closer and closer, and dragged his feet to keep moving along the school yard. He reloaded his Kayura, turned around and after made sure that Opal was up to his sight, he unloaded the bullets ragingly towards him.
Feeling not enough just by firing at his enemy, Scarlet reached a silver dagger from his strap wrapped around his left thigh and launched it to Opal while he threw himself forward. The dagger went unnoticed by Opal; who busy dodged the raging bullets from Scarlet’s previous attack; and jabbed him right through the soft flesh between his throat and collarbone. Opal screamed in pain and agony as his blood spurted out rapidly; he recognized how deep his wound was so he decided to retreat. For now.
Sensing his enemy’s retreating, Scarlet let out a deep breath. He tried to stay conscious, but the urge to lie down and sleep kept bugging him. Giving in completely at last, he finally staggered on his feet and fainted to the ground.

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The fifth will come, well, not in a short time though...
I have much to do with my school. So be patient... :)
While writing this down, I have been influenced with many mangas and animes, sometimes movies, such as Underworld, Hellsing, a bit of XBlade (especially about the 'living' blades :D), etc. To be remembered, I don't own them all; I just love them, admire and idolize their characters, and do whatever things every fans do : fantasize them and write down a based-on-them fan fiction. But truly, the making of these ori fic, aside the influences of previous series, is purely and originally from my own messy brain hahaha...

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