Vaympyre Chapter Seven by: Lazuli I looked around, my eyes darting around, seemingly unaware of any danger around me, posing as an innocent young girl, incapable of defending myself. I was just beginning to learn that that was far from the truth. That no matter how slow I seemed to myself, I would be incredibly fast to my attacker. I was trying to get my food tonight. I felt in in my bones again, the need to feed. I did not want to jump anyone though, but to punish those who dared to harm someone. Endymion had turned me loose, with his eyes fierce. His words echoed in my head still, as if the connection between us was active. "You must learn to be merciless in the face of your enemies. We can not have you cowering over anything you see, be afraid to attack with your full power and speed. You must not assume the good always conquers evil, Serenity. Please, for both of our sakes, remember that. I do not wish to lose you yet." So I waited for my prey to come. I thought of how I must resemble a spider waiting for the fly to drop into her web. We had much in common. We both drank blood to fufill our thrist, and we wrapped up victims in a binding so that they could not escape. I was to use that power tonight, so that it would build up for me, and become habit over the years. I fixed on a target a few yards away, and I blended further back into the shadows, waiting for my moment to come. As soon as he was in range of hearing, I ran to him, clinging onto his shoulders, letting my eyes focus on his, letting them fill with fear and doubt. Making sure a few false tears trickled down my cheeks. "Good sir! Thank goodness you are here! I was so frightened!" I pretended that I did not smell his quickening interest. his untruths ready to form on his tounge. That I did not feel his bond of hatred towards women. I bowed my head into his chest. I could break that bond too, as easily as I could end his life. His hand came up to rest on my head gently, and I tightened my grip on his shirt. "It will be fine, sweet lady. A delicate woman such as yourself should not be out so late at night unescorted. Come, I will take you to your dwelling. Are you new here? I am sure I have not seen you before. I would have remembered such a lovely woman." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He was playing it up very nicely. At least he did not try to rape me in the streets. That earned one point in his favor. Perhaps he would not die tonight. "I am new, sir. Will you escort me to the Galen Inn? I would be most happy that you returned my safe to the arms of my husband." I had hoped that his attitude would change then, but he seemed all the more eager. I sighed, and led him towards his destiny. Later, starting at the body on the bed, I felt some sort of pain that the man had to die, but he had chose the path himself. He chose his ways. It was the cycle of life. If he did not fare so well in this life, perhaps another time he would do better. He had chosen to try and rape a married woman. My eyes closed for a brief second as I recalled the look on his face when he saw that his intended prey had just become the predator. I looked more carefully at the body, and realized that the soul was still around, and it still held the connection to life, barely. He still held the bond of his hatred for woman. I stared at where the soul was, and smiled. "I have relieved you of the pain of this world, and you will be guided into the next. Yet you still cling to life? What is the answer for this? There must be something keeping you so boldy clinging to life when I have all but severed it completly." I eyed the bond of his hatred, and I held the thin cord in my hand. With hardly a thought, I snapped the cord in two, and the lifecord vanished as well. With the soul truly gone, I knelt by the body to start his rites into the next life. I knew that in the future I would not have the chance to always do this, but for a life that I had taken, I knew that my own soul would rest easier if I made peace with myself for this killing, and the ones that would surely lie ahead. Including my father. Endymion and I met up the next day, as he requested. I knew that he viewed my conquest, but I did not know his opinion of my method yet. There were several things that could have happened to me if he had been more of a sadistic man than he was. Any number of things could have gone wrong, but still, I was slowly learning the ways that I had to live by if I wanted to survive. Endymion knew of the Master that held the mysterious girl Leda under her control. She was a child-like creature, her looks bringing in more victims than my act would. She was dangerous. Very. Endymion had stated that there was no way that we would win a fight with her unless we started gaining our allies before they became too connected to her, too far under her spell. I was to set as many bonds to each one we met, a bond that was unbreakable by anyone but myself. We were taking care of unfinished businness first. I was the one who had feared that if the girl had gotten a hold of my father, there could be many more things she could hold above us. Not my father being a hostage. I was not dumb enough for that, but the ties of blood could set any number of spells aganist us. I could use the same ties of blood, though, to use it to our advantage. Never to kill by magic, and I was not going to kill him, but he would not bother us any longer. Pallas tilted her head to the side as she observed the quivering woman in front of her. Such a waste. Had humanity degraded so far since her time? The peasant woman weeped and prayed to her god. Pallas smiled. As if that would change her fate any. It would not win her any sympathy either. As if she deserved any. "You expect your cross will make me hiss and cry out in pain? That the holy light of your God will harm me? I am afraid I have to change your mind, child." She leaned foward to grab the chain, twirling it in her hand, choking off the woman's air supply. "Your kind is new here. I will not put up with these... insults from such a low race. I should just kill you now. That wouldn't be any fun, now would it? It would be over too quickly, for you are mortal." Pallas giggled suddenly, her laughter echoing badly off the walls, making the few prisoners in the room wince from the sound. "What if you were not mortal anymore? What if you became what you despised so much? How would you feel then? The torture could go on for eternity, now couldn't it?" The girl's eyes widened, and she tried to back away, her cries stuck in her throat. Palla smiled, and licked her lips. I watched Endymion carefully now. He only showed his gentle side to me, but he still did not show that often now. I wished that we could just stop, and be like we once were before. I told myself that if he got too cold, that I could just leave him. It would be as simple as that. He taught me the basics. He was teaching me to be more cautious, and to be more ruthless when it came to my victims. I didn't even see why I would have to involve myself with this Master. Endymion turned to me at the moment, and the look in his eyes froze me to the spot. It was type of desperation, hurt, and a deeper look. He smiled suddenly, and his words seemed to wrap around me. "Do you not remember the first day you joined with me, beloved? What I said to you? I mark you as mine. I have chosen you. You could stay with me, if you wish. Or, if you desire, you can be thrown back to that pack of wolves you call friends. Which do you choose?" I shivered, and I walked toward him willingly. I, out of all people, could not deny the bond that was between us. I put my hand in his, and his free hand reached up to cup my cheek tenderly. We were enclosed in darkness, and I leaned up to touch my lips gently to his, and his response matched mine. I sank into his embrace, leaning aganist him as we kissed over and over again. His kisses eased away from gentleness into tenderness and then deeper. As if he was telling me that he loved me... that he was sorry for his behavior earlier. I made no protest as I fell more into him, our minds joining more firmly than before, our bond and powers combining. I felt it in the back of my mind, but all distractions were shut out as I focused on him. Pallas leaned close to the now imobile Leda and smiled. "Oh, Leda... Leda.. wake up, dearie. You must answer to your Master." Leda stirred, whimpers coming from her throat. Pallas glared at her, then slapped her across the face, hard enough to almost make a dent in her face. "Wake up! I command you." She shouted, and Leda's eyes opened and focused on Pallas with growning horror, and to her own shame, growing hunger. She lowered her eyes, ashamed, and not wanting to see the satisfied look in Pallas's eyes. She wished more than anything that she was safe at home, before any of this ever happened to her. The child in front of her wavered, and her own home flickered into her vision. It was wrenched out of her sight, though, by a strong grip on her hair. "So, you think that you can escape me so easily? You who will shun magic in your thoughts use it so easily to escape me. That will never do. You belong to me now." Pallas smiled, and Leda knew that there was no more hope for her as the grin widened on her new Master's face. I lay in Endymion's arms, my mind now focusing on the bond between us. It had grown, and I wondered at the limits of it now. Endymion smiled at me. "Our powers have grown, and combined. You now can heal as I do, and I can now sense and create the power of bonds. Our thoughts our connected more than before. Nothing can break us apart." His gaze focused on me. "Not even if we were to lose our minds and wish to break it, we do not even have the power to break our bond." My eyes widened. He had picked all of that from me.. .it was not like that for us before. I lay my head down on his chest. "That will serve us well in the future, will it not?" I murmered to him. He nodded, his hand stroking my hair. "If we cannot not break the power of a bond, then nothing can seperate us. We can heal eachother at a thought, create any type of bond that we wish. Those are our greatest powers, beloved. The powers of Master vampires. It will be a great advantage to have when we fight Pallas." Pallas leaned in her throne, her feet not quite touching the floor. She absently thought of what was to be done with that new pet of hers. She didn't expect Leda to have a such a strong power. She could escape her at any time. The ability to travel through time. Pallas frowned. That could put her at a serious disadvantage one of these days. She would have to ensure that it did not happen. In the meantime, she continued shape the walls around her Universe, protecting it from the outside world, and trapping those who had been so foolish to make enemies of her and her own. Leda would not be able to escape to get help from here without a long period of time passing and alot of energy. Pallas smiled. She was looking foward to the day when she would those who would be so foolish to side with Leda. They would first on her list to die in the own private abyss of her world. What do you think, minna?? Please, I would love feedback for this story! I know it has taken a dark turn, but it is finally getting somwhere, and had an actual plotline now! *grins*