DSC: Natural Desires

Part five

We...have failed...?

Kokaku stumbled back after being punched in the face. He put a hand on the wall behind him for support and wiped blood off of his busted lip. Green eyes gazed up and met with angry blue ones. With little effort, the vampire stood straight and spat on the floor, blood coloring the stone ground. “Are you finished?” he asked, annoyed.

“What is your problem?!” Ryu spat angrily.

“Enough,” said Tsunami as she stood from her seat and massaged the bridge of her nose.
“Kokaku, as much as I do envy your protectiveness over your brother think of some other time to show your affection.”

“Brother?” Kai, Tatsuyomi, and Ryu all said in unison, looking at the vampire.

“So you knew?” Green eyes gazed at the floor, not daring to look up at all the faces.

“I figured it out,” she said calmly.

“So what’s your story?” Kyusai asked, silencing the others before they could speak. Kokaku looked up at the Emperor and received a warm smile from the white-haired mage.

The blue-haired vampire walked over to a chair and took a seat. He rested his elbows on the armrests and placed his chin atop his folded hands. Smiling weakly he began, “Like you, Kyusai, we shared the same father but different mothers. That one factor made life quite difficult. But our father didn’t care what we were—he loved us equally. I remained indifferent like I always have. It isn’t important that the blood of rivaling species runs through our veins. What I have always seen is my brother, not a werewolf.” Kokaku stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts. Green orbs were distant in the faint life that glimmered within. “Life was hard growing up. Our father didn’t make it any easier either. Being the heir to the colony of vampires, I was not permitted to leave. I don’t understand why but our father wanted Kosuke, my brother, to live with me. He was not like any beast that the myths have depicted. Kosuke was a kind person that accepted what he was but never invoked it. It’s funny, but being seen as no threat can sometimes be a bad thing. He was picked on a lot by every vampire that thought they were being brave and strong by bully an enemy that did not fight back. Since father was an important figure to our people, Kosuke only came home with an occasional bruise or two. He never complained though. He understood why and bore no hatred for something that wasn’t his fault. Maybe he should have though.” He stared lifelessly into nothing and fell silent.

“So what made your baby brother turn twisted?” Tatsuyomi flicked a long strand of silver hair over his shoulder and waited for an answer.

Kokaku turned his head and looked out the window. The morning sun was still low in the sky. They had been securing the area and tracking Zaine all night. When dawn broke though not a single trace could be found of him, as though he vanished. It had been disappointing to everyone. To Kokaku though it had been a sigh of relief. It was obvious that Ryu would have Kosuke’s head for what happened to the younger sorcerer. The vampire couldn’t blame him. He also couldn’t allow his brother to die. “We thought that everything would be fine. It truly seemed that way. Every year he was picked on less and less. Considering that he was accepted as a citizen, we hoped that people had just gotten bored and forgot about him. Only after father died did we realize that we were mistaken. The beatings came faster than ever. It even got to a point where I feared letting him go outside in thinking that I would never see him again. Well, keeping him in worked for a little while. One day after coming home from an errand I found the door kicked in and Kosuke missing. I knew who took him and also where. I arrived at my destination to find my brother being thrust into by the people that hated him. He was beaten and violated, but still his pale skin, red eyes, and silver hair framed his beauty. I still see the look on his face clearly when his lithe body fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood and their semen. The next day we were exiled from the colony. You see, watching my brother getting raped pushed me over the edge. I killed everyone that ever touched my brother and anyone that stood in my way. I didn’t do it alone though. Kosuke snapped and fed on his anger. That was the first time he transformed.”

Kai’s blue eyes concentrated on the wall that he stood by. “Last night,” the blonde began, drawing the attention of the vampire away from the window, “you said something about a promise. Care to clarify?”

An inaudible smile played across Kokaku’s face as he considered this for a moment. “Kosuke is half werewolf and half sorcerer. Sorcerer blood runs strong. But werewolf blood is thicker. Every time he changes that nature to kill overwhelms him. His soul is devoured by the need to smell of death. His bloodlines are far too different that the struggle is always decided by the nature of the killer. I saved my brother that day already knowing that one day he could end up being my enemy. Since he was so ruthless as a beast I made him promise to never transform again. He doesn’t have to lose himself to instinct. If he accepted the sorcerer within himself he would be even more powerful than me.” A grin tugged at the blue-haired man’s lips. “We were exiled two hundred years ago. Only twenty years ago me and him were traveling together. One day he left on his own saying that he would become strong so that someday he could protect me. Silly, huh?”

Tsunami stared at him for a moment. The concept of saving your sibling’s life was not new to her. It was, though, not a personal experience. She had killed her brother without hesitation or remorse. “I never asked you to kill your brother,” she said as she walked out the door and left the room.

“I understand that,” Kokaku whispered, closing his eyes. “But what was I supposed to do?”

Ryu’s blue eyes looked down at the older man with a sense of pity. “For the sake of Zaine, I’ll follow orders and keep this at a professional level. If I see a chance to kill him, though, I will. It won’t matter that he’s your brother or not.”

~Love is a token never received…fallen angels, they grieved~

“Do you fear the future, Ryu?” Tsunami asked.

“Why ask that now?” The blonde turned to face the Empress and caught a glimpse of tears making their way down her face. “What’s wrong?”

Yellow eyes blinked and another tear fell. “What’s wrong with you? All my life I’ve been empathic. Most of the time people’s emotions don’t affect me. But your sadness is so strong. I know that back there you didn’t want to hit Kokaku but hold him in your arms so that you could share your pain.”

Ryu looked at her intently, his blue orbs trying to pierce her soul. It was no use though. Even in a moment of such weakness she could still hide everything. Tsunami had been right though. It hurt to say what he did to Kokaku. The vampire was his friend. Everyone at the palace had become dear to him. Over the last six months since he had found Zaine, the people around him had shown more kindness than anyone ever had in the last ten years. Then all he did was turn around and throw it right back into Kokaku’s face. What kind of person was that supposed to make him? “I do,” he finally said, “I’m afraid that in time Zaine might find some one else. I’m afraid of watching the people around me vanish as generations die and are born again. But most of all I fear disappearing and leaving my lover alone.”

“People regardless of what they say or do are fragile creatures. No one can bear hatred for others. No one can live with the sadness of many in their hearts. That’s what time brings though. As years pass people fear being alone. Solitude causes loneliness and that brings about anger towards the people that aren’t around. Eventually, one becomes aware that they don’t want to let others get close. The price for that is that you must remain sad. In the end being alone is what you feared but cannot overcome. What many don’t understand is that we are always alone. No matter how many people you know or friends you have it’s impossible to feel complete.”

“What are you trying to say?” Ryu asked, understanding the logic but unable to grasp the meaning.

“You fear dying incomplete. Why would you fear something that isn’t true? People are whole until they lose the will to live. Even those that don’t want to die are lost. If you really want to know that Zaine won’t be left alone stop fearing the future. What happens will have been meant. When you are scared so is he. That’s why he loves you, Ryu. He knows that you’re strong and he could die at any moment. But in his last hour he knows that he would have been happy because you would be there. Zaine has no regrets and that’s what it means to be complete.” Red hair shifted as she turned her head. Tears continued to streak her face and fall to the ground.

Beyond the knowledge of not knowing this, Ryu understood and felt even worse for what he was doing. All this time he had hoped that what he thought was right. The sorcerer had even feared the fact that if he asked Tsunami she would prove him wrong. He was a proud man in general. But not proud enough to not admit that he was wrong. “Thank you,” he said in almost a whisper.

“For what?’ she asked, wiping away the tears and smiling warmly.

Ryu looked at her, surprised for a moment. “Nothing,” he said, smiling back. “I need…I need to talk to Kokaku. Do you know where he is?”

“No. Maybe you should ask Kyusai. He was with Kokaku when we left.”

“Kay, I’ll do that.” Ryu bowed respectfully and then left the room in search of the Emperor.

“Oy, Ryu,” a soft voice came from down the hall as the sorcerer walked out of the room.

Blue orbs turned to face Kai. The half mage was making his way down the hall with a soft smile on his face, blue white robes swaying gently. “Kai-san, what’s up?”

“I wanted to make sure that you were alright. You did get upset and it was easy to see that you were more sad than mad.” The older blonde stopped in front of the taller man and tilted his head slightly.

“Was it that obvious?” Ryu asked.

“It was. Kokaku saw it and that’s why he didn’t fight with you.”

“I need to talk to him and apologize. He was just protecting his brother…” Ryu went silent for a moment.

“Ask Kyusai. He’s down by the pond,” said Kai.

“Thank you.” Ryu bowed respectfully and walked towards the stairs. He was going to apologize to Kokaku and then wait until Tsunami announced their next move. That vampire was such a pervert though that he might ask for make up sex. At the moment that didn’t seem like such a bad price to pay for their friendship.

A gentle breeze blew and caused cream white hair to sway back and forth in front of kind green eyes. As water fell from the rock by the pond and into the water, orbs followed every movement. The water touched the surface of the pond and began a wave of ripples that spread and swallowed the clear liquid surface. In its depths a reflection was cast as the blonde sorcerer approached Kyusai. The Emperor turned and gave the same kind smile that was always present on his lips. “Ryu, what are you doing here?”

“I need to find Kokaku. Everyone keeps telling me that you know where he is,” Ryu said, making his way to the edge of the water. His feet halted before they could get wet and blue eyes looked out at the constant motion that pulsed before them.

Green eyes turned as Kyusai faced Ryu for the first time. “Kokaku left a little while ago saying that he had some things to take care of.”

“Oh,” Ryu looked down at the ground and then into the eyes of the Emperor. The disappointment was clear in the blue orbs. “Well, thank you anyways.”

“Are you going to be alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna take a walk to clear my head.”

Kyusai sighed and watched the sorcerer walk into the forest. He stared until Ryu’s faint shadow disappeared into the thick of the trees.

~Far beyond, the sight can’t see…who is this person screaming inside of me~

Ryu let out a silent breath that he had been holding. His feet had carried him five miles into the forest. At the moment, he stood in a boundary of the forest where not many people traveled. This spot in particular was well known for its dangerous beauty. Blue eyes swept the clearing that he approached. His gaze caught sight of a little spring that was circled with tiny blossoms that grew at its edge. Such a deceiving image. He gazed into his reflection in the water’s surface and sighed. He didn’t see the person he wanted to. No, what stared back at him was a distant form that seemed ready to break. How had he become so weak? Or had he always been this way? Tsunami had looked into his soul once again and told him that he was wrong. But he was glad when she did. Would it actually be better to live wrong than to swallow your pride and have some one tell you your faults?

A sudden noise in the forest echoed through the trees. Ryu did not turn his head though. The blonde stayed alert but continued to gaze into the eyes of his reflection. Another stick snapped and a young man left the confinement of the forest. He had pale skin, silver hair, and blood red eyes. Slowly, he walked to where the sorcerer was standing. Ryu did not move. He felt no threat from this boy.

“Strange to have your own eyes looking back at you, isn’t it?” asked the silver-haired boy.

“Yeah,” Ryu said in a hushed tone. The blonde finally turned to look at the other and found himself captivated by his eyes. Red orbs that looked like they could bleed stared at him intently. “Who are you?”

A soft smile appeared on the young man’s features. “When Zaine looked into the pond he didn’t see his own reflection, but yours.”

Ryu’s eyes widened and he went to move but found that he couldn’t. “Kosuke? What did you do to me…?”

“So, my brother has already introduced me? He always was so kind. As for you, I paralyzed you five minutes ago. Had it been any other time looking into the water would have shown you the one you love.”

“The water?”

“Hai.”

“Why? Did you come to kill me? Is it because Zaine is my lover?” Ryu grit his teeth and tried to move. It was no use. Whatever the water had done was too strong.

Kosuke fell silent and the smile that had been there faded. Now the young man looked sad. His eyes were full of pain. “You don’t need to worry,” he began, “I’m not here to kill or hurt you.”

“Then what do you want?” The blonde relaxed his body and looked at Kosuke in confusion.

“I want an isolated salvation that you can provide.”

“Huh?” Ryu was even more confused than before. Was this guy nuts? What is an “isolated salvation”?

“I envy your lover very much. There’s a lot of pain and worries in his life but he can continue on through you. You love him, make love to him, and are always there to catch him when he falls.” Kosuke looked into the pond and saw his brother’s reflection. That was always the image that appeared before him.

“What are you talking about?”

“I want to be loved.” Kosuke reverted his eyes back to the sorcerer.

Ryu gawked and bit back his tongue. Was he serious? “And you think that I can love you?”

“You misunderstand. I know that you can’t love me. But I know that you can make love to me.”

“You’re out of your mind.” The blonde held back a laugh. This is just too stupid, he thought. Does he honestly believe that I will cheat on Zaine?

“Don’t make it sound like being with someone else is anything new. I know that my brother has touched you. I can smell him on you,” said Kosuke, his kind smile returning to his face. He stepped closer to the taller man and ran a hand along the side of Ryu’s face. The sorcerer tried to jerk away but his body still wouldn’t move. Red eyes saw the feeble attempt and gave way to a malicious fire that burned deep within. “From the moment I saw you I knew that I wanted your hands on my body. You’re a beautiful man and I have often been told that my appearance is quite feminine. Is it wrong for me to want to know what it feels like to be held in someone else’s arms?”

Blue eyes shot daggers at Kokaku’s brother. “No. There is nothing wrong with wanting the warmth of another. But why don’t you find your own lover? Why did you choose to disturb our lives?”

The silver-haired boy took a moment to reflect on the question. Then in a low voice he answered, “Because you remind me of him.”

“Him”? Ryu thought. Who the hell is him?! This kid was just getting weirder and weirder. “Hey, if you want, fantasize about me until your balls are empty because I will never sleep with you.”

An evil grin appeared on Kosuke’s face. “What makes you think that you have a choice?”

~Deluded lies of love so warm…frightening images and faces form~

Why have you done this, brother? Why did you ever leave? You told me that you wanted to be stronger so that you could protect me. You always were. Kosuke, you protected me back then. Why is it that you can’t see your own strength? Was it because you cried? Is it because you’re afraid? Tell me. Tell me the truth. You’ve never been able to. Your whole life you have never been able to tell me what’s on your mind. You tried so hard to protect me from your pain. Why do that, brother? I was never frail. Did you care for me that much that you should suffer? There were many things that you could never tell me. One of the things that was never said was that you loved me, Kosuke.

Kokaku looked up and peered at the sun through the leaves of the trees. Blinking slowly, the vampire lay back on the rock that he had been sitting on. His head gently rested on the cool hard surface. Lifting a hand to rest by his head, the vampire let out a calm breath. The shade of the trees covered his body and the sound of the stream flowing filled his ears. Once again Kokaku’s green eyes looked at the sun from under the trees. “We could have avoided this,” he said to no one. “But maybe this is what you wanted.”

A set of wings spread wide and was lifted by the wind. Green orbs followed the motion of flight as the bird soared high in the sky. “How lucky we are that we can touch the sky.” A smile crept onto the vampire’s face and he stood from where he lay. Gazing beyond the trees and out in the clearing, Kokaku sighed. He viewed the great vampire empire, Konoshi. It was the object of his birthright. He was destined to inherit this mighty kingdom when his mother passed away. But due to his own actions and a little help from his mother, Kokaku had been able to postpone his rule. The vampire was not looking forward to being a royal—though he was by blood, not yet by title. This might have been a grand nation at one point but now that he looked at the colossal structure of the dark buildings fashioned into homes and the largest of foundations made into a palace, he was reminded that his people had once become tainted. Due to the efforts of Tsunami during the war, their civilization had regained its respect and put back in their place. Should he be excited about inheriting something like that?

Uncertainly, he placed one foot in front of the other and began to walk towards the home that had almost destroyed his brother. As much as he hated to even look at such disgust, he had to go back to the palace. He had to see his mother. She knew something. Kokaku was certain that when Kosuke had appeared before then the night before he had reeked of the vampire. “Now, Mother, you will tell me the truth.”

The evening sun was reaching the peaks of the high mountains and beginning to set. The vampire wanted to reach the city before night fell. It was to his advantage that he was the only vampire that could walk in the sunlight. Being half sorcerer was a good thing at times. If his mother tried something he could just throw her ass into the sun. It didn’t matter that she was the one that gave him life. The woman had never liked his brother, the one precious being to him in the world. During their childhood she had even tried to kill him for “stirring trouble”, as she had put it. But Kosuke couldn’t be blamed for the unwanted attention that always found him. He didn’t ask to be singled out nor did he want to be.

Konoshi’s opal black gates towered before Kokaku. The doors stood like the bearings of a prison cell that were unbreakable. That’s what this city was though. Some called it a sanctuary but in truth it was a quarantine. The blue-haired man had always known this. From the moment that he could breathe, Kokaku had felt a sense of confinement. He was actually happy the day that he and Kosuke were exiled. All that trial meant was that he was now free and could give his brother the salvation that he deserved.

Looking displeased with the motionless action of the gate, Kokaku sighed and cracked his knuckles. His feet carried him to the closed doors and then stopped. Gazing up and down he gave a small grunt. “Stand aside!” he yelled, gathering his strength and punching the doors once. Black slabs shook and released thousands of bits of sand that had gathered over the years. From the vampire’s fist pulsed waves of purple energy that caused cracks on the door to glow. Kokaku removed his fist and watched the cracks appear like a web. The breaking spread and finally reached the top, forcing the seal on the door to shatter. The glowing stopped and a moment passed before anything happened. The echo of crumbling rock was the only sound that cut through the silence. Slowly the doors opened slightly, allowing a glimpse of the city that it concealed. The green-eyed vampire placed a hand on each door and threw the gates open. The huge black stone slabs slammed into the walls and formed a dust cloud from the dirt ground. The thundering crash echoed louder than the previous actions. Its vibrations rang along the empty streets and scared small vermin that occupied holes and ditches. “No welcome home party?’ Kokaku looked around. “How rude.”

Green eyes looked at the retreating sun. There was still time, he thought. The sun wouldn’t be gone for another two hours or so. He wasn’t planning on staying that long. The vampire commenced towards the palace. Kokaku kept his eyes forward, not wanting to see the ground on which his brother had been abused. He could feel the gazing eyes of all that looked upon him from within their dark isolation. From the time he was born his people had admired and envied him. He was able to live life in the sun as other creatures did. The day that he was banished, though, all the admiration turned to hate. There wasn’t a vampire alive that didn’t want to rip his head from his shoulders.

Hundreds of smells hung in the air, mostly of blood, rotting corpses, and spent seeds. These were common odors here. Kokaku hadn’t been here in so long that now the stench burned his eyes and nose. The pain wasn’t going to stop him though. He continued on through the old streets and memories of his past. Neither was a delight to deal with at the moment—not with the smell of his brother’s blood still dripping from the walls and fresh in the soil…

Suddenly Kokaku jerked to the side, barely avoiding an arrow that had been shot at him. The sharp tip ran through his hair, stealing a few strands, before burying itself deep in a brick wall. Dark green eyes looked into the darkness and saw his hidden assailant. The opposing vampire took notice of his watcher and grabbed another arrow. He loaded it on to the bow and pulled back on the string. Kokaku grinned and raised a hand towards the other. “That’s not very nice,” he said. Sparks flew from his fingers and danced around his hands. They leapt into the palm of Kokaku’s hand and then shot out in a spiral motion towards the hidden vampire. A loud scream was concealed by a crash and the explosion that followed. The building caved in and a cloud of dust arose from the rubble.

The half sorcerer grunted and walked away from the scene. He resumed his direction towards the palace and forgot about all that witnessed his cruelty. He didn’t care that these were his people—if they opposed him they would die. It was sad really, his people had never meant that much to him. Kokaku had never actually felt like one of those blood-sucking murders. Unlike pure vampires he didn’t survive by feeding off of others. Maybe it was that small distance between them that set them apart though. But when he thought about it that was the same difference that plagued him and Kosuke.

“What do you want here, traitor?” an old voice asked from the shadows.

Kokaku recognized the woman that spoke to him as the one that had cared for him and his brother. She had been a kind person that didn’t care that Kosuke was part werewolf. After the massacre though she had turned her back on them and become malicious. Couldn’t really blame her. She had been unfortunate enough to lose her son. That bastard had been the leader of the gangbanging bitches that had violated Kosuke. “I’m here to see my mother.”

“You’re not welcome, prince of vampires,” she said in a nonchalant tone of voice.

“Hmph, like that matters.” Still not turning to where she spoke from, Kokaku smiled evilly. “If you want, I’ll let you walk me home.”

“It would be my pleasure, my lord.” A graceful beauty of long black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin stepped out of the shadows and into the growing darkness.

~Escape from the binds of your loneliness…thought up by the mind of your holiness~

“So then, Ryu has disappeared?” Tsunami asked in a not surprised voice. She walked away from the balcony and lay down on her bed.

“You don’t seem to care, mutt,” Tatsuyomi pointed out. He crossed his arms and turned to his two brothers who had been listening patiently.

Yellow eyes shut and rested under tender lids that concealed open doors to the soul. Placing both hands behind her head, she yawned slightly. “Don’t I? Maybe this is what I wanted.”

“You know where he is?” Kai asked.

A single yellow orb opened and gazed at the brothers. “He’s with Kosuke.”

“This is a dangerous game that you’re playing at. What did you do?” The silver-haired sorcerer slid down the wall and sat on the floor.

“Do you think me that stupid? I’m not playing a game—I’m making it. This was all planned from the start. Why do you think I allowed Kokaku to stand backstage during the concert? He was told to interfere. Zaine was expected to escape with Kosuke and Ryu was expected to let Kokaku touch him. We agreed on a little fight and that was all it took to convince you.”

“What was the mission for then?” Kai gave a timid look.

“I needed to know Kosuke’s scent and he needed to find his brothers’ on Ryu. It’s simple logic that when one brother has what the other wants he’ll take it. If Kokaku’s brother believed that Ryu was intimate with our pervert then he would take Zaine’s lover. Why, you might ask? This is going to be left in Zaine’s hands. When he sees that someone is touching his property the jealous lover will emerge.” Tsunami sat up and opened both eyes.

“So you’re gambling on Zaine?” Tatsuyomi smiled and shook his head. “Always have to make it interesting, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

~Untouched and desired for so long…sparks of life in a broken song~

Kokaku continued his quick pace, not waiting for the woman that was following in the shadows. Time had been lost with previous actions and now he didn’t have time to waste if he was to leave before a confrontation. At a moment of such urgency he prayed for the sun to hang in the sky until the end of time. Green eyes landed on the doors of the palace. They were sealed and bound with chains as they always had been. That was the thing about living as a royal—you were never allowed to leave. It had been over two hundred years since the last time light was allowed to chase away the darkness within. The blue-haired vampire cracked his knuckles and prepared to break down the doors.

“Stop,” said the woman from the shadows.

Kokaku looked at her with a stupid grin. “Why? Did you think that I came back to this place just so that I could stare at the door? You’re deluded. I’ll bring this whole palace down if I have to.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Did it sound like I was asking?” Once again he turned to the door and prepared to strike.

“Very well,” the black-haired woman grabbed a dagger that had been hidden in her robes and ran it across the palm of her hand. The steel cleanly carved into her hand, drawing out the reddest of liquids. She held her hand out and allowed blood to fall to the ground. Her eyes began to glow an ocean blue and she smiled. “Cry. I summon you. Hear my voice. Awaken!”

What little sunlight was left from the fading sunset was swallowed by black clouds that roared. Lightning ran back and forth across the sky, cutting the still of the moment. Clouds gathered and turned into a funnel that dove down into the earth. The clouds hit the ground right behind Kokaku and the blue-haired man turned to see as a breeze blew a storm of sand at him. Green eyes closed to keep the dust out and opened again only to see the funnel begin to dissolve. Black wings cut through the spinning wind and escaped from within the cycle. The motion continued to disappear as the wings flapped up and down vigorously. The vampire stared for long moments, waiting for something to happen. Finally a head broke forth from the cycle. The creature roared and snapped at the air.

“Break!” said the black-haired woman and the beast jumped out, breaking the wind, and, standing divine before Kokaku, heaved an earth-shattering scream.

Seeming unimpressed, green eyes looked the thing up and down. It was a black dragon that stood as tall as a two-story building. Sapphire eyes adorned its head and purple barbs followed a straight line from its forehead to the end of its tail. It walked on four legs and had knife like blades that stuck out of the tip of its tail. “Don’t make me yawn,” said Kokaku. “You honestly believe that lizard will stop me?”

“We’ll see,” said the woman.

“Yeah we will!” Kokaku jumped out of the way as the dragon swung its razor sharp tail at him. He side stepped as it came again and struck the ground beneath his feet. Motions like this continued on for a few moments.

The woman that had once hid in the shadows stepped out now that the sunlight was gone. She smiled maliciously as her summoned beast attacked again and again, trying to end the life of the prince of vampires. No one would feel grief or mourn the death of the traitor. Even his own mother the Queen would spit on his corpse. There wasn’t a soul living that cared for Kokaku—at least not in Konoshi. “Relinquish your grievance and just die. Unwanted men are bound to perish eventually. Save the world a moment and end your existence.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you”? The blue-haired man held his ground and watched the dragon carefully. It was growing weak. Summoned creatures are only as strong as the master. Green eyes raked over to the woman and could tell that she didn’t have the strength to sustain him. “After all, it was your son’s filthy blood that tainted my hands.”

Blue eyes narrowed with hate and burned into fury. “How dare you?! My son was an innocent child that didn’t deserve to die.”

“’Didn’t deserve to die’?” A set of powerful jaws tried to bite down around Kokaku. With brute force, Kokaku caught the dragon’s jaws and tried to push it back. “Your brat caused his own death. He was the guineas who thought that beating and raping a kind-hearted little boy was a good idea. In fact he led the assault. You think that you know sadness? I watched for years as Kosuke was abused and hated by all—some even tried to kill him. Then on that night I see your son thrusting in and out of him and then just leaving him in a pool of his own blood. That’s pain! I see those images every time I close my eyes. I hate it! I wasn’t able to stop his pain and that is an unbearable sadness. I can’t even look at my own brother because of what your son did. I see it all come back when his eyes look at mine…”

“You expect me to pity your beastly brother? He was an atrocity that should have never been conceived. But as luck would have it, he didn’t die along with his filthy mother.”

“Don’t talk like that about my brother!” Kokaku threw the dragon back, causing it to fall on its back. The vampire then ran up to it and jumped on its chest. “Those who don’t deserve to live should not be allowed to. Now die!” The blue-haired man pulled his fist back and struck down, breaking the beast’s chest bone and buried his hand within dragon flesh.

The dragon struggled and writhed as pulses of energy began to ripple from Kokaku’s hand to the surrounding area. The blue waves quickened and impacted with more force. The woman watched with terror as her summon was being broken down from the inside. Released energy that struck buildings caused the earth to shatter and walls to crumble. Even the doors that she had been trying to protect were slowly contorting under the force. Green eyes met her as Kokaku dug his fist even deeper within the dragon. It cried out and spat blood in all directions.

“Be silent!” The half-vampire’s hair changed from its majestic blue to a burning red. Flames surrounded his arm and ran the length to his hand. With one final burst of energy, an eruption of flames bit the ground and consumed the beast. Kokaku jumped from its chest and watched the glorious rage of a pissed brother. Once the dragon stopped moving the flames scattered and exploded in the air. The black-haired woman was thrown back by the force and sent through a wall. Kokaku walked over to her—to the place she had fallen and was now coughing—and smiled sheepishly. “Now we know what you can’t do. You were stupid to ever think that you could stop me. Got nothing to show for, do you?”

Blue eyes looked up at Kokaku and narrowed in anger. “You think that I am the only one that will try to stop you? Mistaken again, young prince. The wrath of a thousand years will soon be upon you—“

“Shut the fuck up, you stupid old bitch!” Kokaku spat. “God damn fossils talk way too much. You would think that in old age the ability to speak would have been taken away along with your memory. Listen, I’ll let you in on a little secret—there isn’t a sorcerer or vampire alive that can hope to even challenge me.”

“Thinking highly of yourself again, are you?” She tried to stand but was forced down by a foot on her chest.

“Like you should talk. I guess you won’t be able to for much longer though. I’m going to end your life and then your head will be thrown at my mother as a greeting.” Kokaku pressed down harder on her chest and jerked his head slightly to force the red out of his hair. When the blue had returned he grinned and pointed an open hand at her. “Let the useless fall.” A single ray of electricity shot out from his palm and killed her instantly.

~Wounded for so long we bleed…abandoned hatred is all we need~

“I want you to forget the life you once had, Zaine. The time has come for a new era to begin. I’ll need your help. Please, relinquish your former love and learn to be mine.”

Orchid eyes gazed at Kosuke with emotionless devotion. His orbs were empty voids that reflected the shadow of a trapped soul. Since that night that he had first transformed, his heart had been lost. His actions and thoughts were that of a lifeless doll. The few memories that drove him to live were like silent histories of faint truth that was slowly disappearing. “Hai. My life is yours to dispose of and my body to do as you wish.”

Red eyes looked sadly at the boy whose aqua green hair seemed to glow in the dim light. He knew that Zaine wasn’t speaking. The werewolf was driving out all will and leaving behind the nature of the dog—that of course being that the dominant male is in control. Since Kosuke was older and his scent stronger, he was seen as alpha.

~By far, your longing to live is dead…a chosen time for passing is said~

Green eyes gazed into the suspending darkness. Lasting emptiness and suppressed voices reaching far beyond the expanse of divine powers whispered in hushed tones behind doors and pillars where he knew they hid. Those that did not speak could be heard moaning and crying, screaming to come to an end. Kokaku ignored all the sounds that he heard and especially the ones that he didn’t. The blue-haired man’s objective was clear and his destination close. One way or another he had come this far with many distractions. Didn’t stop him though. For his brother and his friends he would race forward to end it all.

A calm surrender claimed the air and a defeated presence lingered in the area. “Come out,” Kokaku said, stopping in the middle of the hall and waiting for the obstruction leaned all his weight on one leg.

All at once, dozens of vampires dropped from the ceiling, arose from the floor, or came out from behind something. Their faces not concealed by darkness from his immortal eyes scolded. They began to walk towards him and bore their fangs, hissing viciously at the prince of their species. With a moments hesitation though they retreated back to their isolation, clearing his path.

“So my mother does have your nuts in a vice,” he said to himself. Kokaku brushed away some stray locks of hair with his hand and proceeded forward. He walked up to the last doors that obstructed his path. With a single hand he pushed them open and stepped inside the room. The blue-haired man did not turn around when the door silently closed behind him. He looked around the room and grimaced at its familiarity. Years ago, when he was a child, he had spent hours in this room—being forced to learn how to kill, mate, and crush the will of a living creature with words. As a royal political issues were brought up frequently. Now that he gazed at the enormous room that was dimly lit by a dieing fire, he recalled memories of everything. The huge bed that was opposite the door was where he was forced to spend days on end with partners who saw him only as quick fuck. The rugs on the floor still retained the blood stains that he had left after being beaten for being disobedient. It sickened him to still be affected by this room. The filth and disgust present here though still had its power over the mind.

A slight noise came from behind him. Kokaku closed his eyes and without turning around tossed the head he had been carrying backwards. It hit an object before landing on the floor with a splat. “Hello, Mother.”

A/N: Hope you like it. Please review.