It's Been A While {closed}

[†The Blood Countess†]

Seven months later...

Winter had finally set in most parts of Europe, bringing in inches of snow for the holidays. Right now those white, unique flakes were raining down from the sky to add a fresh layer over the trodden one. Yet, despite how much was falling, there was one thing it just couldn’t hide completely: blood. The white ice absorbed the crimson, refusing to let an evil deed to remain hidden under such an innocent shade. Off to the right stood a silver haired female, holding out her Japanese sword to the right, letting blood run down the steel.

Bowed head raised to stare at her opponent. Crimson eyes once full of bliss and endless joy were hardened, piercing, analyzing and yet so empty at the same time. ”Beings like you are fools. You awoke what should have remained dormant and it will cost your life.”

”You’ve certainly changed, Amoura. Looks like my ‘lessons’ taught you well.” a blond male a few inches taller smirked, ”I remember clearly just how easy it was to manipulate you. Break you. Then I find out that you have dared to fall in love once more. Haven’t you learned your lesson the first time?”

Amoura straightened her posture, facial features the same, ”I was a fool; I will admit that for opening myself up again. I learned my lesson and now you shall learn yours. Draw your blade.” Her katana aimed towards him.

”Very well. It seems I have to teach you a lesson in respect.”

”Respect for you…? You don’t deserve it. Taking pleasure in another’s pain to build up your pathetic form of self esteem shows just how weak you are. You’ve created a monster, Vex, and it’s about to turn its claws upon her creator. You had your chance to bring out your weapon and yet you did not…”

A spike shot forth from the snow coated earth, impaling the male. To make matters worse, he’d be unable to get himself free for the top was coated in thorns! ”Tell me, Vex. How does it feel to be defenseless and not given a chance to defend yourself? How does it feel to be at the hands of someone who only has horrible intentions on her mind? Tell me, my creator.”

The male choked up blood, holding back the urge to cry out in pain! This was unexpected! How on earth could she…?

”It seems…I’ve forgotten about this power of yours and yet it matters not. With your fresh outlook on life you will always be alone.”

A cold smile spread across her lips, ”That’s the way it should be. A vampire’s true love should be bloodshed. You told me that yourself did you not? That’s it was a fool’s dream to dare to love? I thank you for making me see the light and the error of my ways.”

”And when you’ve bled dry that desire what will you do then?”

Then her face hardened, ”It matters not for you won’t be around to see. Why? Because you’re slow. You always were slow. You’d draw your blade right when someone moves in for an attack. That, right there, was the last mistake you’ll ever make. Before I go, I have a gift for you…” From her coat she pulled out a white rose, sticking it into part of his wound. What people had forgotten in days long past was what a white rose symbolized.

Death.

”Ash to ash and dust to dust you shall return.” A sharp swipe of her katana and his head rolled off. After wiping her weapon in the snow, she left the gruesome scene, not knowing she was being watched.

[sbs]

A subtle clapping echoed through the icey terran. The crunching of snow was soon heard after the sounds of hands conecting together and sending out their chilling resinense of sound. The crunching was in that of a rythmatic combination of footsteps. A stride all to familiar to the female. One who knew the approching being well would easily be able to tell them out by the way their footsteps echoed within the vicinity. But soon the familiar rythmatic footsteps weren't the only thing that would suggest the female to knowing this... creature. The strong wauft of death and virmin, of darkness pressered down upon the female like an unrelenting torrent of remeberance. It was then the powerdery veil was distingueshed by a gale of wind that forced the pale flakes of ice away. There stood a man with a face brim with empty emotions as his face portrade nothing but a stone like expression as his scarlet eyes scaned the woman.

"So, you go missing for seven months and return to deleivering pain and gruesome fatalities to others, I must admire your tanesicity." He spoke, the darkness and venom of his blizzard like tone seeped out from his mouth, passing his lips and fusing with the words that traveled along the fridged air that hung loosely within the iced over area... The hardened, almost stone expression of emotionless void remained on the vasade of this man, not even so much as a smirk was summoned fourth as his eyes stared upon the silver haired woman. "So... how have you been. Elizabeth?" He spoke, his tone matching that of the chilling air around them.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Before the clapping had begun, the Countess already knew who was starting to slowly approach. Red, slit eyes stared at Vicious as he approached, not once did her facial expression change. Yes, the power coming from the male was overwhelming but such things no longer fazed her. So what if someone was powerful? ”If you must know why, I was taken by my second master and I’m certain you can figure out what happened. You are the intelligent type. Unfortunately, he wasn’t.”

Elizabeth moved her head towards the blood sodden spike and snow where a pile of damp ashes remained. Atop them sat a white rose partially tainted in blood, ”He created something he couldn’t control and suffered the consequences.” Upon hearing his question about how she’s been, she looked away from the male towards a few trees.

”You obviously know how I’ve been. You’ve must have heard what happened between Shadows and I. For the record…you were right, Vicious. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to fall in love again. It was a foolish decision on my part. I apologize for not heeding your warning. Had I not fallen in love…I probably would not have been missing these past seven months. But it matters not. I’ve learned my lesson.”

Then she became silent and directed her empty gaze towards the male.

[sbs]

A gaze, much like hers and void of emotion was returned as he advanced forward, his blade, his partner in everything that this demon had done, the Nagi-kinto was grasped within his a gloved hand. "Within the coming week a masterpeice will be brought out of punishment. I have spent years perfecting this boy, one hundred and seventeen to be persice. I have a favor to ask of you." He stated as he stopped his gruesome march as his position was now relocated to the left side of the woman. His facial expression was as cold as the icey powder that covered the earth below the two imortals. "Given your current state, this particular favor will not be one that you'll object to." He stated, his silver tounged skills glistening through his blackened extior.

"I shall let fourth this masterpeice unto the world, put for my plan to become in full, I must not be with the walking." He stated, his plan being to awaken a demon created by him for his personal gain, controling this... creation with his mind, though to try such a deed would only result in the destruction of his own mental strength. Unless he had a plan... "I will need one to place myself into a comatose state, much like we pure bloods are placed in when drained of our blood." His tone though cold and heartless showed a fragment, a shard, of anticepation. "Drain me of my blood, collecting a portion of it within two viles, save one and feed the other to the creation when his awakening is dawned."

Still nothing, washed over the face of the Da'vinci of slaughter. "I have my solders and my men waiting for this to happen, when this happens we shall be taken to my stead here in europe, The ancient Remains of the Neronumus Fortress and it will be up to you and my men which will soon be yours to awaken the beast lying dormant within the Ivory coffin at the last level of the dungeon." He notified as his tone became more chilling than the glacer-like area around them. "Within five months revive me, if anything goes aride, revive me." He stated before drawing his blade and marching ten steps his priceless katana glimering and shimmering within the vauge and barely visible strains of moonlight. "We shall do battle, Peirce my heart and drain my blood. the rest will be taken care of." He stated as his oldest possesion once an instrument of his own tutoring was now pointed towards the Blood Countess.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Elizabeth remained still whilst listening to the Pureblooded Killer speak. Other sounds of the world seemed to vanish into the night, being swallowed alive by an unseen force. Winds not controlled by the male glided through the night sky causing the snowflakes to dance about the ancients. Had the environment known that a fight shall soon take place? Did it delight in the very thought of witnessing such a thing? Perhaps Ares did but Mother Nature didn’t seem to be the type.

Amoura had tilted her head back to allow snowflakes to fall upon her face, watching them become entangled in her eyelashes. Since most vampires didn’t give off heat, the snowflakes remained in their original form. Gradually she lowered her head and looked at Vicious. With them being out in the snow for so long, numerous flakes had become entangled in their hair. What a strange sight.

”You are right. I shan’t reject what you ask of me yet I will not find pleasure in this.” Blade was drawn once more and pointed towards Vicious, ”Before we begin, is there anything else you would like to say? Now is the time to do so for once we start, it’s hard to put in words sometimes. Are there other orders you have for me?”

With baited breath, she waited for the male to speak.

[sbs]

A howl of wind parted between the two, russeling the pure blood's colorless strains of hair to and fro. There the two ancients stood, blades, gleaming in the moonlight seemingly crying and pleading with their masters to shed the other's blood as the wind made them hum harmonically within the nights air as the gale escaped as quickly as it came. "Never speak his real name infront of him... Draveil O' Ronin must never know his real name."

He stated before a long and ecsasperating moment passed, though it was but a second it seemed that second crawled forward at such a horidously slugish pace that the moment seemed like an eternity before the killer made the first move, flinging himself towards the blood countess, blade at the ready to strick as he spun within a full circle and slashed horizontally at her. The sheer speed of his katana made the wind whistle in a cry as is if it were being cut deeply.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Amoura watched the male, waiting for him to make the first move as he always did. The eerie silence continued to infest the darkness as if though dreading what shall soon come to pass. Without warning...it started.

As the male spun, Amoura spun in the opposite direction and blocked his attack. Arms shook slightly from Vicious' strong attack but it mattered not. With the Countess' new outlook on life such things were no longer a bother. Confidence wasn't needed, doubt was a roadblock and emotions got in the way of logical thinking.

With that, she snapped her blade up, pushing his away and executed a swift side kick to the male's stomach. Katana shot down only to find it was blocked by him.

The night had just begun. Here's where it gets fun!

[sbs]

The two stood in blade lock, their instruments of death screeching as neither one gave way. Vicious' plan was to be vanquished here however he wasn't going down by idly standing and allowing himself to be destroyed. A single gloved hand released the hilt and lashed out with a punch. A single punch that seemed to cut through the chilling wind of the night.

The punch it's self was but a ruse to get fake out his opponent as he pushed the blade that crossed his upward, knocking the blade away as in a single and fluid movement he spun towards the right and lashed out with a vertical slash. The ferocity of the slash once agian sent a scream through the air as if the weapon was slicing deeply into the heart of the wind inwhich it created.

[†The Blood Countess†]

The ruse had worked and the slice towards the female managed to make a clean cut down the right side of her body. It wasn't deep but a small amount of blood ran freely into the snow, tainting the innocent shade of white. For a moment or two, the female stood there, gazing down at the wound...

Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast. This is the darker side of me.

She flicked her blade up and shot forth, colliding with his. The ancients kept their weapons in the form of an ex, both trying to overpower the other.

A smirk appeared on her facial features while the two remained locked in this position, "I haven't had this much fun in months, Vicious..."

Both hands tightened the grip on her katana and she snapped it up, pushing his blade away. Right after doing so she executed a swift spin, slicing downwards towards her opponent.

[sbs]

As his blade was pushed up into the air and her instrument came down, Vicious shifted his body swiftly and slightly. The hiss of her blade came forth and marked it's target, though off course due to the actions of the killer it did nick the right arm swiftly, painting the icey pale canvas with more crimson. A brief smiled tugged at his pale lips as he spun with another attack became deadlocked, blade meeting blade as they stared at one another, both eyes fill to the brim with nothing. "And I haven't bled in ages." He stated with a grunted as with a harsh push of his weight he pushed the vampire back.

"Come, come, We haven't all night." He stated instead of charging fourth he launched a rounhouse kick into a headstone, the volicity of the kick itself breaking it into into chunks that flew towards the blood countess as a thick fog rolled in, a manipulation of the pure blood as he charged towards her blade at the ready as he came with an uppercut, the scream of his blade cutting through the thick veil of fog and seperating it from the two warriors' view of one another.

[†The Blood Countess†]

A rich laughter pulsed in her chest and soon the fight continued. Vicious shoved Amoura back, stating they didn’t have all night, and round house kicked a headstone. Large hunks of rock shot towards the female whilst fog rolled in. Who needs sight when you can hear and smell? Rocks always had a musky odor and not all things flying through the night were silent as the grave. Right hand tensed and swiped before her, shattering the largest of the stone with the back of her hand. Smaller portions of the now destroyed headstone rained behind her, falling into the snow.

”Why let something so fun end so quickly, Animus? Why not enjoy this to the fullest before you go for the next few months?” Her voice crooned forth from the fog. The Countess remained deathly still and allowed her nose to start working. With Vicious having a fresh wound it won’t be too hard to track him down or be surprised by an oncoming attack.

Katana shot up, blocking his attack. ”Don’t hold back on me tonight, Vicious. I know in the end I will emerge the victor. That I can promise you.” Amoura’s front foot kicked the hand that held his blade. The fog made it hard to see at the moment but she waited, hoping, for the sound of a blade to fall into the thick snow…

[sbs]

The sound of the blade clanging to the ground resinated through the thick fog however pressurized the air, making hearing a highly impossible act as his cold glove grasped tightly around her ankle gabbing her and swinging her and throwing her a few feet. It was then the gift of sound was given agian as he depresurized the air to it's original status and grabbed his blade. Rushing towards her With a slash that she ducked. With her duck came a swift kick that toppled the Pure blood. As she moved in for a thrust, the Pure blooded Killer Raised his blade in an arch pushing her blade away and launching a punch towards her lower ribs.

She instaly countered, blocking low as their single arms countered one another in a harmonious and mesmerizing dance of blocks, counters, and strikes. It was then the two deleivered hard toe kicks to one another sperating them from one another. "You're right..." He stated with an exasperating breath that created a mist to resinate from his mouth as he stood and the fog recieded. "Let's just hope this doesn't last until sunrise. Or it will be the end of us both."

[†The Blood Countess†]

Amoura felt him grab her ankle and she was swung. Of course the next part shall be a rip off from a movie but it was a natural reaction for her. The female flipped, landing on her feet against the wall. The continuously falling snow seemed to drop at a slower rate as she raised her head to stare at the male.

With a snarl, she bent her knees and leapt at him. Blocks and attacks were exchanged between the two, as did a sharp kick from both sides.

The Countess panted heavily yet her eyes remained glued on her opponent. Pale yet slender hands tightened their grip upon the long hilt of the weapon she never named. Perhaps now would be a good time to give it one? Bloodbane was a popular one (or so she figured) but it seemed to fit such a weapon. ”Should it come to that, there’s an old church we can continue at or we can wait until the sun sets once more. It will be your choice.”

Now standing at attention, Amoura, now Elizabeth once more, assumed an attack stance, ”Have at thee!” She lunged towards the male, coming very close to hitting her target but suddenly found he wasn’t there. Her weapon became imbedded in the wall. Dammit!

The Countess tugged with all her might and loosened it, just in time to block yet another attack.

[sbs]

He smirked as for once agian their blades were locked with one another yet agian. "Sorry friend, Could not resist." He stated as he pulled his blade upwards, away from hers and followed with a swift circular motion with his arm to raise an uppercut with his blade. It would seem that both their speeds had heightened as the very colision of their instruments sent sparks and screams of metal grinding through out the air. Eaches attack only met one another in a dead lock.

The two stood, pressing their blades into one another's as the grinding metal let out a low and carried out screeching tune that fractured the subtle silence that fell due to an absence of words from both sides. It was if their blades were doing the talking where their vocals lacked with will to.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Amoura’s lips curled into an amused smile, ”It’s a pity you and I didn’t spar. It would have been fun and we could have learned a few things from each other. I’ve been meaning to thank you for…pulling what you did that night we first fought with me being defeated. Had it not been you mentioning about blood on my breath, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat my husband’s killer.”

The fight continued on between them, their attacks constantly being parried aside. How on earth will this fight eventually end? For now they both seemed to be of equal skill and Amoura wasn’t using her power over earth. Why? She felt it best to use their weapons for this battle.

Blades locked again, both staring into each others eyes. Still like this they started circling, weapons still touched.

And the rain will kill us all. If we throw ourselves against the wall.

”Somehow you and I are both equally skilled. Must be either you aren’t putting your best foot forward or my confidence has grown. Which one is it, Animus?”