Ingredients for Disaster

[Jealous]

Ingredients for Disaster​

There is an ancient legend which tells about a brave human King and a vicious vampire Queen. Under their Queen, the vampires' reign was strong. However, the human King was just as powerful for he possessed knowledge of magic. During the great war between the two races, the two leaders engaged in a life and death struggle, for there could only be one victor of this war. But the King knew of only one spell that would kill the vampire Queen - an ancient spell that required the sacrifice of the spellcaster's life. Following the death of their Queen the vampires disbanded and disappeared into the shadows of the night. The humans laid their King to rest and prayed that the war between humans and vampires was finally over. This was a foolish hope, for the Queen swore that she would return, and hunt down the King's soul to exact her revenge.

After all, no one stays dead forever. Souls return to the cycle of reincarnation. Humans travel along the simple path – abandoning their memories for a chance to live life with surprises. Vampires, in order to maintain their memories and power, must wait long enough as a spirit to make a deal with a mother in order to obtain a body.

The time for the Queen's reincarnation is at hand. She positioned herself to be born into a family of vampire hunters - her plan to take out the enemy from the inside. However, her plans for revenge are skewed as upon her birth the ancient spell seals her powers and memories. Now a skilled vampire hunter, she meets the reincarnated King. who just happens to be a vampire. Their encounter is fated and the tensions between humans and vampires are reaching a boiling point once more. Mix in the King's current mentor and the Queen's best friend and you have the ingredients for disaster.

 

[Starbleme]

It was nearly dark out as Sol's car crawled up the gravel road. By the time he pulled up to the small, red-brick house, Easter dinner had long since concluded.

When his parents greeted them at the door, there was a look of timid hope in their aging eyes. It had been a year and a half or so since he'd last visited. They exchanged pleasantries – the "how've you been"s, the gossip about old classmates and neighbors, the mild complaints about how his big-city job never gave him days off, not even for the holiday. They sat him down in the dining room, the pastel-colored tablecloth slightly stained from whoever they'd hosted previously in the evening. He had mashed potatoes and ham from a Tupperware. His mom told him to eat up; he looked so skinny, so pale, not like he did when he used to always be outside with his football…

Sol's head was buzzing. The crosses on the walls burned his eyes. He was glad to move into the dining room, where there were fewer of them.

His mother looked at him expectantly. She gave up threatening, preaching and begging long ago. But she seemed to expect that sooner or later he'd finally crack; he'd tell her why he disappeared nine years ago and refused to come back.

His father, meanwhile, had hardened as the years went by. Any hope he still had was for the sake of his wife. He knew that Sol was undoubtedly an apostate. And he'd never forgive him for what he did to his mother – constantly play at reconnection with her only to, once again, crush her hope of finding the truth.

Tonight, nothing about that would change. Sol was friendly, but cold as a stone. He gave all the same vague, placid answers to their questions. He thanked them for the meal and, after a few short hours, retrieved his car keys from the counter.

"Wait, Solomon. Please."

His mother pulled him in for an embrace, and Sol suppressed a hiss as the silver cross around her neck brushed against his skin.

"Did I ever tell you how I knew you would be special?" She smiled, rubbing his back the same way she did when he was a child. "I prayed every day before I had you. I prayed with all my heart. And I swear, before you were born, I saw an angel by my bed."

He let her hold him with excruciating closeness for as long as he could bear, feeling his flesh blister beneath his shirt. It took all his effort not to shove her away, to madly thrash and claw his way through her.

"I saw him, and I knew you'd grow up to be good. There's an angel by your side, Solomon. Don't forget it." Her arms finally released him.

Sol choked out a sob and crumpled over, folding his arms over his chest.

***​

Outside, Sol lit a cigarette. He was lucky that this was one of only a few vices he'd picked up in the city. Anyway, it was better than... other things.

He slowly inhaled the smoke, trying to calm his nerves and dampen the pain of the burn. He reflected on how much guilt he used to feel at the thought of using nicotine. Now it was the least of his worries. He was immortal, anyway; whatever damage the cigarette was doing, his lungs were already mending.

Feeling a bit better now, he pulled out his phone to call Bastian. He could use the companionship of another vampire once he made the drive back to the city. God willing, he'd be available to sit down for a drink…

 

[Jealous]

Sebastian sat at his desk, his fingers weaved together under his chin as the light of his computer provided illuminated his face. He had stepped into the office to make sure that the business plans for tomorrow would go smoothly. The merger needed to happen as smoothly as possible. He needed to make sure that he continued to provide jobs to the vampires employed beneath him while expanding his reach to help others. He also needed to make sure he didn't upset any human employees in the process. Humans were so high maintenance. Obsessed with their what they perceived as their personal happiness and oblivious to the truth around them. Oblivious to the fact that they were nothing in comparison to he and his people. Then again, vampires weren't the brightest crayons on the box.

Green eyes scanned over pictures and names. The slayers were relentless in their goal. The list of the lost was greater than he had expected. Evolution had given his kind the advantage they needed, yet they were unwilling to unit until the right woman arrived.

To his right, his phone lit up. The number upon the screen one he recognized as one of he was trying to mentor. Bastian reached out to the laptop before him closing it as he answered the phone. "I assume things didn't go as well as you had hoped, Sol," he greeted the young vampire. He grabbed the suit-coat off the back of the chair, swinging it over his shoulder as he gracefully left his office behind. "I'll meet you down on 7th, drinks on me."

Bastian pushed open the staircase door and descended down the many steps. It was far quicker than waiting for the elevator, definitely when no one was around. During is unusually quick descent he ended the call, slipping the phone back into his pocket before slipping his arms into the suit-coat. He pushed the doors to the building open as he stepped out onto the dark streets. He slowed his pace only when he sensed that he wasn't alone on the streets. Instinct told him someone was targeting him. A small tugged at the edge of his lips, "Lovely night, isn't it?"

+ + +

The blonde repeated curses within her mind as she tore down the street, her feet hitting the pavement. She caught the edge of a building, helping it to make a sharp turn without losing all of her momentum. She was late, just like the notorious white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. She lifted her left arm, glancing at the time displayed on her watch. Maximilian lifted her head to the half moon that lit the night. They worked so hard to make tonight the night to attack the vampire known as Sebastian. Their scouts had informed them that he had spent his Easter at his business headquarters. But Maxi had been too involved with reading through old texts containing ancient stories and spells. Trying to glean anything she could to help defeat her enemies. But she had missed the text informing her that the vampire was on the move. And her best friend was most assuredly on the task. She was not going to miss this.

 

[Starbleme]

***​

"Easy, there."

Shortly after Bastian hung up, Sol was outside in the dark once again, albeit in a different place. He'd decided to make a short stop before he met the other vampire for drinks. There was a small ranch not far outside of his hometown. As he drove by, his headlights illuminated a fenced-in pasture with a small group of cows. Quickly, he'd pulled over and hopped the fence. He crouched beside one of the creatures now, a friendly old dairy cow, stroking her neck. He felt his fangs already beginning to emerge. He wasn't particularly thirsty, but that was par for the course; Sol was proactive about his feeding. As ashamed as he was of his feedings, experiencing intense cravings made him feel so much worse. Besides, it would help a bit with his injury. And cows were always a great option when he could find them. They could stand to lose a bit of blood, and he had perfected the art of feeding and tying a bandage around the bite area, all within a few minutes. Just a quick drink, and then he'd join Bastian...

***
​

Diana stopped in her tracks as the vampire in front of her acknowledged her presence.

Damn it! This guy is the biggest target we've had in months... Maxi, where the hell are you?

She was trailing her mark down the street, dressed inconspicuously -- an over-sized military jacket covered with patches, black baseball cap, cargo pants, a mess of choppy, fluorescent-green hair. Of course, underneath this fairly normal-looking outfit, she was absolutely loaded with weapons. Silver weapons. Even in her socks...

But things were looking a bit grim right now. Sure, she was an experienced hunter, but even she knew that she probably didn't stand a chance against one of these ancient, powerful bastards one-on-one. The way he was speaking to her... he had to know something was up. Yeah, there's no way that a guy like this was making small talk just to be nice. Not to her. She smiled in her usual lopsided way and shrugged. Her hands were stuffed in her deep jacket pockets, each hand grasping a loaded pistol.

Guile had never been her strong suit, but her best bet was probably to try and stall this guy until she caught sight of Maxi. Hopefully, he wasn't fully aware of her intentions. If she survived this, then she was going to have to chew her friend out a bit -- that's for sure.

"Yeah? And why are you askin' me, huh? You look like you have more important things to do than talk to strange girls on the street, Mister CEO."

***
​

Sol's car glided through the city streets. The roads were fairly empty tonight, given the holiday. He was making good time -- he'd probably be at the bar on 7th in a few minutes. Getting advice from Bastian, a much older (though he certainly didn't look it) and wiser man, always made him feel better.

He was fiddling with the radio when he saw the young woman. She seemed to be running for dear life -- her long brown hair whipping behind her, her wide eyes full of panic. And she was directly in the path of his car. Sol's heart skipped a beat as he slammed on the brakes and swerved.

 

[Jealous]

"Praesidio!"

The Latin word might have sounded louder if it wasn't mingling with the sound of the screeching wheels. Maxi hadn't had much time to prepare for the impact. She lifted her arms to cover he head as she tried to make herself as small as possible, her back smacking into the glass of the windshield before physics took her over the top of the car and down over onto the road. Her vision went white with pain. Though she was assuredly alive. The spell of protection having taken the brunt of the force. It also gave her a moment to curse her weakness. A stronger hunter probably would be able to pop back up on their feet after than encounter. But she felt her body ache as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She had expected to get in a fight tonight – just not with a car.

Maxi shook her head as she tried to rid the flashes of light that marred her vision. Whether she was hurt or not, she had to get up. She was needed elsewhere. "Why weren't you watching where you were going? Are you drunk?" she snapped towards the car and the driver. The vehicle had stopped – this wasn't a hit and run. At least not yet. There was still a chance for the car to speed off. Then again, that might have been the best option for Maxi. She wasn't dead, and she didn't have time to swap insurance or go to a hospital or deal with police.

When she finally felt like fireworks weren't going off, she focused her vision on the man who had stepped out from the driver side of the vehicle. Her forehead wrinkled. She knew him. But her memory couldn't provide a name or any memory of why she would know him. It was not a calming feeling, and it was just fuel to add to her anger.

"I could be dead thanks to you!" Maxi shouted.

+ + +

Bastian turned as he heard the footsteps behind him stop at his words. He remained relaxed, carefree and most of all obviously unafraid. The emotions that fluttered behind the woman's eyes were fascinating. She was trying to remain calm, but she was obviously worried and stressed. He allowed his eyes to drift away from the girl, doing a quick check of the area. She was alone. He was always so underestimated.

"Oh, I believe you may be a little more than strange," he countered. "Besides, who else would I ask? There's no one else around."

He began to take even steps forward, closing the space that was before him. His shoulders back, his eyes narrowed. Would she attack, or would she become a nice little snack for the night?

 

[Starbleme]

Damn it -- rub in the fact that I'm all alone, why don't you? She grinned at the man through gritted teeth. With that slick suit and piercing green stare, he looked like he could have been the Devil himself.

As he took calm, leisurely paces towards her, Diana's eyes glinted. Might as well get to the fun part. Hopefully, this should slow you down. Unflinching, she moved to yank both pistols out of her pockets, pointing for the chest of the imposing businessman in front of her; before she even had time enough to steady her aim, she was discharging two full magazines of silver bullets.

***​

"Are you all right?!" The question was a bit stupid; he'd just hit her with his car. Hell, she'd gone over the top, and his windshield was badly cracked. "Please -- try not to move! You could be in shock. You might be more hurt than you feel. And I -- oh God, I'm sorry." She was at least well enough to talk, and now it looked as if she were struggling to pick herself up off the ground. He hadn't expected that. Even though he'd braked, there was no way she should be able to move and speak this much. Maybe it was just adrenaline running through her system. But, then again, did she shout something before he'd hit her? Was she a vampire, or--?

A strange shiver ran though him. Her face, her voice. Sol knew her from somewhere, but he hadn't the foggiest idea where. He had a feeling it was sometime long ago. Maybe she was from Thorn Valley High School, but his graduating class was so small, he was sure he knew everyone. Maybe from senior year Bible camp...

His hands were trembling as he fished his phone from his pocket, crouching down next to the young woman. Rationally, he knew that the accident was partially her fault for running across the road like that, but he still blamed himself entirely for not managing to stop in time. Her harsh words stuck him like a dagger. "I can call an ambulance. And I can also, well... hold still." He took a deep breath and reached out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. "Sanatio." It was a healing spell; though he was so nervous and unfocused, he wasn't sure how well it would work. He usually only used it to patch up bite wounds for the creatures he liked to feed on, in the case that they struggled and a bandage wasn't enough. "Do you feel any--"

A volley of gunshots rang out, interrupting him. It sounded like they came from a few blocks over, closer to the bar.

 

[Jealous]

A barrage of bullets was not surprising. Bastian was surprised that she had initiated the attack. He had hoped for a bit more banter. Perhaps he had even hoped she would reconsider her life choices and just go about her day. She was just a human, she only had so many minutes to spare. The vampire dropped any facade of being human, using his superhuman speed to dodge to his right, trying to avoid the damaging blows of the bullets. He felt the sting as they grazed his skin – the burn from the silver. If he retaliated, it would only be in self-defense.

He curled his hand, his fingers gripping an invisible baseball. An incantation was not required, as a flame sparked within his hold. He tossed the fireball through the rain of bullets. Using the distraction of the fire, he closed the physical distance between them. His aim to grab the back of her neck and force her into the ground.

+ + +

"I don't need a--" Maxi cut her sentence short as she heard the incantation. The warmth of the healing spell relieved the aches that she felt. It was a familiar feeling, like she had been dunked in a warm bath or given a good shot of Novocaine to numb the pain.

Her mind spun, as she studied his face. She traced his jawline, and stared into his blue eyes. His voice was so familiar. He could use magic. That would say that he was a hunter. So her first instinct was to believe that perhaps this was just a hunter she had not met in a long time. Something didn't seem right about that. She knew and remembered all those she considered her family. Did that make him a vampire? That idea made her head spin even more. Why would he heal her? Hit a person with a car and then make them your next meal – that was what a vampire would do.

Her head snapped in the direction of the gunshots. Maxi had to make a quick decision – pick a fight with the vampire or hunter who had eased her wounds or go save her friend. Obviously that was an easy decision to make, but it was going to leave her open to an attack as soon as she turned her back to this stranger. She ground her teeth together.

"Look I don't. Just. Whoever you are."

Her mouth was moving before her mind was fully processing her complete thoughts. She took a deep breath as she struggled to her feet. She wavered on her feet the sharp stab that came from her left ankle. The shock and perhaps the whole body aches had hidden the wound that was there. The healing spell at down wonders, but it was not going to heal that sprained ankle. Perhaps a few seconds ago it had been broken, she wasn't sure. Either way that wasn't going to stop her.

"Don't follow me."

 

[Starbleme]

Sol stayed in place for a moment, puzzled, as the young woman ran off towards the direction of the gunshots. He was glad his healing spell had worked -- he could tell from the way she seemed to relax at his touch. He also had decided now that this girl wasn't normal; from the way she knowingly accepted his healing spell, she at least knew about magic.

He stepped back towards his car and entered the driver's seat. By now, a few onlookers had been watching from the street, though they were now distracted by the chaos happening in the distance. The right thing to do would be to call the police. But it sounded like the gunshots had come from 7th Street, and Sebastian was there. That's not to say he was involved -- but Sol had a sinking feeling. Trouble always seemed to stalk vampires like a shadow. Even if Bastian could handle himself, it didn't seem right to just sit by. And that girl was going into the thick of it.

"I'm not following you," he murmured to himself. "I'm meeting my friend for drinks."

He restarted the engine and swung onto a side street, planning to take a more discreet route to the origin of the gunfire, straining to see the road in front of him through a spiderweb of cracked glass.

***
​

As soon as Diana fired off all her ammunition, she flung the now-useless pistols behind her and reached for one of her pants pockets, her fingers closing around the well-worn handle of her combat knife. She had the benefit of being unfazed by the vampire's superhuman speed, though his pyromancy did throw her for a bit of a loop. And as he dodged the bullets, she realized that this guy was even nastier than she'd expected. The details on him were shadowy and well-protected -- if she knew he was this quick, she would have insisted on bringing more of the family.

She managed to dodge the fireball, but its blast of heat and blinding effects still dazed her for a moment. She regained her senses as he lunged towards her -- just enough time for her to begin slicing deftly at him with her knife, stepping back, trying to ward him off. It was a strategy that she knew wouldn't work for long -- he still had brute strength on his side.

 

[Jealous]

Bastian always enjoyed close quarter fights. Probably because that was what had sustained him as a young vampire. He had learned to fight by fending off swords and shields. The fights had definitely changed once mechanized artillery was more common. But it was so much more exhilarating to be up close to his enemy.

He dodged the knife strikes. Striking out with his fists to keep her off balance. He had to give her credit. For being us a young human, he abilities were commendable. She'd make a great vampire if she survived the transformation and accepted her new life. He made a grab for the wrist that held the knife, drawing the hunter closer to him as he twisted her arm to get her to release the weapon.

"Did you actually think you could take me on alone, little hunter?"

+ + +

The world seemed to slow around her as Maxi ran once more. She ignored the complaint of her ankle. The pain her running caused would be worth it if she made it to her friend in time. This was more than a simple error today. This was a complete mess.

Coming out of the alleyway, her heart leap at seeing her friend alive. It was time to provide back-up. She pulled out her gun, aiming up the shot so that she wouldn't hit her comrade. Her luck seemed have completely ran out today, as she gun malfunctioned – jammed. Some mechanism had probably been knocked loss when she had been hit by that car.

"Radius Soles," Maxi conjured a spell. It wasn't powerful, just a second or two flash of light. Enough to hopefully temporarily harm or weaken the vampire to give her friend an opening. And it would give Maxi a bit more time to get closer to the fight.