Watching Bhaan sleep peacefully was not something I've expected to happen. Yesterday, after meeting him, he explained why he was alone in the first place. His group of adventurers, his teammates, and mentors - have been murdered. Three adult men, turned into corpses, on the forest floor.

  A sixteen-year-old kid, left to watch, as the only witness.

  What should I do with that information? No idea.

  I could have sworn to him, that I'd find the culprits, and deliver them to justice. I was no hero.

  I could have sworn to him, that I'd find the bodies, and give them a proper burial. I was no saint.

  I was a vampire. A bloodthirsty abomination.

  My claws were extended, yet I didn't hunger. It was midnight, yet I didn't tire. I was vigilant, sitting on a wooden log, observing the kid. He slept peacefully, by some miracle. Any other would've suffered from the nightmares. But Bhaan? He just slept, like a baby.

  Snap!

  My thoughts had been silenced, as my head swung to the side, eyes locked in the direction of the sound. Silhouettes of people, clad in dark cloaks of leather. Thick collars around their necks, and silver chains informed me of their professions.

  There were three of them, and they stopped dead in their tracks, the moment my gaze landed on them. It was the last one, who had stepped on a branch, alerting me to their approach. We all remained motionless, none daring to make the first move. The two in the back might've thought, they were hidden from me. But the one at the front?

  I could see his eyes. Dead on me, sharing eye contact. He already knew, but dared not break the silence.

  Should I attack? Risk of getting the boy intertwined with these maniacs?

  I didn't want it. But if not that, then what? Run away, hoping that Bhaan could keep up with me, when awoken so suddenly?

  Just the idea of running away, reminded me of Abigail's leg. How it broke on a branch, as I dragged her to escape. That memory filled me with rage, at my own mistakes. It was too late to run, and these men, walked up to a vampire, expecting an easy kill. I'd give them a painful reality check.

  An enraged vampire doesn't think - it acts. First idea - execution.

  I slid off the log, digging my claws into the dirt. It gave me enough grip, to launch myself forward, with full force of both my arms, and legs. The hunters expected an attack from a beast, not a skilled fighter. So when I've landed in front of the first, his pre-planned attack was already about to connect. A silver chain slapping roughly against my forearm, coiling around it, burning.

  I flinched, but did not give up. I've grabbed onto the chain with the same hand, braced with the other, and pulled. He moved immediately forward, his chest stopping dead in its tracks, as both my feet braced against it. A drop kick later, he was lying on his back, 10 feet away, the chain completely out of his hand. Apparently, it was connected to his belt, or some other piece of equipment, as the forceful pull, ripped the links of the soft metal apart, cluttering the ground in silver.

  The other two hunters stared at me, bewildered. The silver was on my bare skin, faint smoke emanated from each point of contact. Yet no open flame, no skin melting, no screams of agony. I was in pain, and discomfort, but my mind did not realize it yet, filled with rage at myself, adrenaline, and bloodlust.

  I wanted to kill them, drain them empty, from every drop of blood. Three of them, would give me so much fuel, I could run non-stop for a week, probably. A quick look at Bhaan, slowly stirring up from his slumber.

  That gave me enough resolve. This kid has seen the needless bloodshed of his teammates, for reasons unknown. I would not murder more, just because I was hungry. Instead, I've strained my muscles for a moment, pulling on the chain. One half wrapped around my left forearm, the other half in my right palm. Then the links finally gave, the sound of sanctified metal, screeched in an unholy cadence across the woods. I did not challenge the Divine, but I would not let myself be consumed by emotions.

  Two broken halves of a single chain. What else could I have done, if not wrap them around my palms, like punching tapes?

  Of course, I'd prepare for a proper beating.

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  I had no idea why the two didn't attack me. Were they terrified? Stunned? Shocked? Whatever the reason was, now it was no more. Seeing me rip a silver chain, and use the holy metal as an improvised weapon, was enough to wake them up. The shortest of the three charged at me, short sword in his right hand, preparing for a stab. When I've moved into his range, I've dodged to the side, just to witness him performing a faint. I've seen the blade slowly move towards my face, after changing the trajectory mid-stab.

  I've raised my guard, feeling how the steel sparked, when coming into contact with the silver. Two metals sparked, illuminating both our faces, but for a split second. He tried to pull back his weapon, to attack again. Just then, did he realize I've had two hands, as a fist had crashed against his side, forcing him to bend sideways.

  I was about to follow up with a right hook to his face, when a crack roared behind me. It was the second man standing. He used the chain as a whip, and we both noticed how effective it was. The pain that shot through my nerves, has pierced the veil of adrenaline, waking up my mind to an agony. All I could do was fall onto a knee.

  I wanted to get up, when another crack roared. Again, my back was in pain, as I've felt the thick, hot liquid, splatter across my skin. I've already accepted it must've been my own blood, until I heard gurgling, and wheezing. In front of me, the hunter who's been punched, struggling to get up, yet looking behind me. I've followed his eyes, to notice the second hunter, short blade sticking out of his chest, right through his lung.

  The disgusting sound, of a man choking on his own blood, stunned the hunters, and Bhaan himself, who was holding onto the sword. Then the stabbed man fell to the ground, with a heavy thud. Bhaan stood there, hands empty, letting go of the weapon. From the beginning of the fight, till now, it was a silent combat, not a word spoken. But first to break the silence, was the leader of the team. The one I had kicked away.

  He screamed at the boy, already up, but now running to him. When he was close, he charged through Bhaan with a shoulder tackle, ending on top of him. I wanted to get up, to intervene, but I had no choice. I felt a blade slide into my flesh.

  I've forgotten about the guy I just punched. He had a short sword.

  The sword, which now, was embedded in my back, right in between my left set of ribs, and pinning me to the ground.

  The bastard didn't even bother to finish me off, he just ran to his buddy, as I've felt yelps of pain, thuds, and curses. They were beating him up.

  Red... The world has turned red...

  I was no longer feeling pain. I braced my hands against the ground, pushing myself up. It was more difficult, than I could've imagined. But when I turned around, the kiddo was on the ground, one hunter sitting on his stomach, and beating him up, while the other watched, thinking what to do.

  He had no chance to act, my fist already landed on the side of his head, caving it in. I still had the chains wrapped around my hand, of which I've already forgotten. I wanted to follow with another punch, but he was already lying on the ground, motionless. His head looked like a squashed pumpkin.

  The last hunter turned to me, seeing what I've just done. He stood up, and fell down to his knees immediately, when a fist smashed into his solar plexus. He tried to breathe, but couldn't. He looked up at me, as I approached. Now, Bhaan, the hunter, and the blade sticking out from my stomach were visible. I've grabbed the hunter's head, moving it towards my stomach.

  He braced his palms against my hips, trying not to be impaled on the blade, but he had no chance against my strength. The blade moved in through his chin, and after a quick moment, his body went numb.

  The death has been delivered, and that's when I awoke from the trance. The situation disgusted me, and I once again allowed myself to be controlled by blind anger.

  I relaxed my hands, and the chains slid off of them. I reached back, and quickly pulled out the sword from my back, as the hunter's corpse fell before my feet. The pain shooting through my torso, brought me to my knees. And then I've noticed Bhaan. Face bloodied, small cuts from the firsts connecting on his cheeks. I crawled over to him, to see what was his state, and if he still breathed. I placed the side of my head on his chest - a beat. And then a second one.

  I then moved my cheek towards his mouth, and I felt soft breath against my skin. He was alive, and breathing.

  The rest of the night, was spent on mending each other's wounds. The kid was in no state to run, and neither was I.

  I've received heavy damage, but it was nothing, my regeneration wouldn't erase in a few days. His face was bruised, and he had cuts in a few places, where the knuckles broke the skin on contact. But I had to admit, he had good reflexes. He managed to block most of the hits with his arms, ending with the most damage on them. But by some miracle, no broken bone.

  We left the bodies in the forest, letting the wild beasts feast on them. But their equipment was useful, especially their clothes. I had gained a heavy, leather coat, a new shirt, and two short swords. I will use only one at a time, but seeing how often I need to change, or improvise weapons, I might as well carry multiple.

  Bhaan, on the other hand, got himself new boots. He felt bad looting the dead, but after all the beating, I've managed to convince him to take at least that.

  "Shouldn't we have buried them? We're all believers, it feels bad to just let them rot." The kid spoke, with a tone far too innocent, for what he had just gone through.

  "Animals also have to eat something. All these adventurers and mercenaries scare the prey. Poor wolves will starve."

  "You're so petty."

  "They tried to beat you to death, and I've been stabbed through. I'm allowed to be petty. Especially, after they attempted a night ambush."

  He was about to interject, but stopped himself. He had no good riposte for that, and simply accepted his defeat. Instead, he slowed down, to let me catch up to him. He constantly struggled to keep a steady tempo of marching. The uneven terrain was difficult enough, but with his injuries, it had to be especially difficult for a rookie, like him. I was simply used to receiving damage, so I somewhat kept the same tempo, despite how my entire left side burned from the stab. I could physically feel how my body stitched itself back together, layer by layer. I wondered, would holy metal, like silver, leave a scar behind? Or would it seamlessly heal?