legend of the vampire (chapter 7: follow the light)

8/6/2019 Legend Of The Vampire (Chapter 7: Follow the Light)

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CHAPTER 7: Follow the Light

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The morning air was as chilly and the thick clouds were as gray as Spencer had alwaysremembered. For a child like her, the world was as big as the island she inhabited, and timehad not yet filled her with memories. The day started with the same routine of making herbed and running her usual morning business, and the night would end with her washing thedishes and praying before going to bed. With her mother, together they lived a simple life inthe small village with very little connection to the outside world. Solitude was what sheimagined her entire life would be enveloped in until that faithful day she met a strangerfrom the far mainland.

'Ssorry, ma'am but aare you available? There's a long line outside, but uh'

It was the first time Spencer met the famous fortuneteller, Madam Elle. Being such a smallchild, she sneaked into the woman's tent without waiting in the long line. Elle would soonset out on yet another journey, and Spencer knew it was her only chance to have some littlefun.

Madam Elle wasn't a native on the island, but everybody knew her. She traveled from townto town, thousands of miles for as far as she had the strength and means to do so. Shewould wear her trademark white garment with a brown, leather cloak, and a goldenheadscarf to prevent heat or frost. In her hands were always a jar of rum and a woodencane to support her weight when she was drunk, which was almost always the case. As afamous fortuneteller, Elle had read many kings' fortunes and downfalls, and she had to boltat times as a result of her unwillingness to lie. Men will always be men, and there werethings that even a king could not abide: the truth was one of them.

'Yes! Yes, come on in, child!' Madam Elle clapped in enthusiasm, knowing full well that thelittle girl had cut the line.

Spencer had her advantage of being so young and, quite evidently, appearing so ill. Her skinwas starkly white, and the veins on her cheeks and arms were visible to the point ofrepugnance. Her eyes were in such a light shade of brown that they would appear almosttransparent whenever they were touched by light. Her straight, long, platinum blonde hairfell to her back. Everything about her was described as white, and the kids in the villageteased her to no end. Not surprisingly, Elle must have taken pity on her.

'Ththank you' the little girl mumbled, briefly peering beyond the curtains to see the big

women she knew from the village staring hard at her. Quickly, she retreated back andscooted closer to the round table in the middle of the tent.

'Sit down. Please.' Elle smiled widely. In front of her was a crystal ball, though rathermurky with dirt and fingerprints.

Sitting down as invited, Shpencer eyed the ball for a while and then looked up at the oldwoman. 'Are you for real? Do you really see the future?' she asked with a shaking voice alittle too high even for a child. She could barely hide her excitement that Elle had to laugh.


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'Of course, I see everything!' Elle claimed.

'I haven't gotten enough money, but I can wash the dishes for you. Or do you prefer wildstrawberries? I don't grow them, but I can pick them up from the woods. Oh, I have otheroptions for you. Do you' The little girl was interrupted by another hearty laugh from Elle,and then realized that she had talked too much and perhaps too fast. She couldn't help it.Beside her mother, she had no one else to talk to.

'Shh. You're too young to start bargaining. Wait until you grow up, child, and you'll spendthe rest of your life bargaining. Sad, but true. We're all humans. So this is the time whenyou should be getting your way for free. Now, let me see your palms.'

'I thought you do the crystal ball?' Spencer frowned, but stretched her hands out anyway.

'I do a little bit of palm reading as well. It helps.' Elle took the tiny hands and narrowed hereyes as she read them. 'Hmm Hmm Hmm'

The little girl bent forwards, trying to imitate the older woman and read her own palms.'What does 'hmm' mean?'

'Shh.'

Spencer then bit her lips and nodded in compliance.

'Oh?' Elle let out the sound of surprise, and gently let go of the girl's hands. 'Confusing.Your palms are very difficult to read. I have never met someone like you before.'

'Special. I've heard that a lot from my mother, but thank you.' Spencer climbed down thechair and patted her white, cotton dress. The session seemed to end so fast, but she neededto go home before her mother would worry.

Elle made no move to stop the girl. Closing her eyes, her hands hovered over the crystal

ball. Spencer was about to turn to the exit, but stopped in her tracks when the ball suddenlyturned black. And if she hadn't been psychologically fooled by the old woman's trickalready, the tent seemed to have dimmed down from the absence of any sunlight fromoutside. Even though the island was always cloudy, it had never been absolutely dark likethis. Twirling leaves and twigs flew about and were suddenly swept into the tent by thestrong wind. Raising one hand to block the wind, Spencer heard little yelps and screamsfrom the people waiting outside.

Then the wind stopped, and the dark clouds dispersed into gray. And Madam Elle openedher eyes again, staring down at the girl.

'Ow' Spencer rubbed her left eye a little to get the dirt out. 'What did you do that for?'

Elle had a weird, small smile on her face, one filled with curiosity and, almost, pity.

'Wwhat did you see?'

'I saw nothing,' Elle replied.

The little girl blinked a few times. 'My life is nothing?'


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For a long while, Elle had leaned forwards a little, watching her with a gentle gaze.'Remember. Follow the light, and your life shall begin.'

Spencer frowned even more as she tightened the scarf around her neck and left the tent. Itwas the only time Elle's path had crossed with hers. She did not understand what theprophecy meant, and would not for a very long time. The meaning of those words had beenlost through years of harsh winters and centuries of solitude. Ultimately, she had forgottenwho Elle was, or even if they had ever met.

Until she heard the gentle voice again tonight, echoing distantly in the back of her mind.

Follow thelight

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Through the stony, wet corridor, it was darker than the blackest night and colder than afierce winter. Ian staggered along the path, the endless turns around the black walls

leading deeper and deeper into the labyrinth. His body began to shiver from the cold, andhis foggy breath clouded the already poor visibility. The damp air underground wasventilated so badly that he had to hold his breath at times. Naturally, a vampire's sense ofsmell wasn't as sharp as a werewolf's, and this was one of the rare occasions it had itsadvantages.

The only source of light available was the yellow flashlight in the red-haired librarian'shand, who was just a few feet ahead of him. The tiny woman had Spencer's arm drapedaround her neck, and literally dragged her along. She was considerably strong for someoneof such petite size. Even for the immortal's standard, she was a force to be reckoned with,and Ian was sure to keep an eye on her. The fact that Uriah seemed so primed with fiercevampires worried Ian to some extent, seeing how ill-equipped his pack really was. Thewerewolves were largely inexperienced in battles and were notoriously flawed with theirimpatience.

Ian trudged on, his mind heavy with uneasiness. Sam was bleeding badly, and Samanthawas in a serious condition since she arrived at the alley. They were going to need someimmediate medical attention, but the prospect didn't look too well for them. Then Ianlooked at the pair in front of him, and suddenly felt a knot in his chest. Spencer's head keptdropping and her feet weren't moving on their own accord now. With his superior vision,Ian could make out the bloody wounds on Spencer's shoulders even in the dark: two, longcuts on her back were visible through the tears on the back of the sweatshirt; blood trickleddown and along her bare legs, drenching the leather sandals she was wearing. Judgingfrom the amount of blood, there had to be more wounds beneath the garment, and theywere probably serious.

Casting his gaze down, Ian tried not to look anymore, trying to direct his mind to Sam's

weight over his shoulders instead. He left Annie's home for the First District, but hardlyexpected to see the rogue vampire in such a dire state. Seeing how Spencer had beenkeeping a low profile for long years, it was startling to see her in the middle of the fight.First District had to be important enough to Spencer to be drawn here. What exactly did thevampire want from Uriah?

What happenedbetween mom andher?Didthey

Ian bit his lips, troubled by his own curiosity about the vampire. His mind kept plowing intoclues and hints ceaselessly, his head began to hurt. It had always been an ease to slay a


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vampire, and he did so for decades without misgiving. The vampires were malicious andbrutal, their logic and behavior were expressed in a sense that made them seem naturalthis way. They were strangely disciplined but manipulative, and cold-blooded killers whocould murder their own kind without batting an eyelid. They were a mirage that possessedhuman form, but without a heart. To Ian, they were creatures, which truly belonged todarkness.

But something about Spencer distinguished her from the rest. Perhaps, it was the fact thatthe vampire defied Uriah. Or was it Annie, a confident, yet heartbroken soul, who had madeSpencer appear more humane? Having fought Spencer twice now, her uncanny strengthwas a constant reminder for Ian that she was far from being a human. Ironically, the mostcrucial hint of humanity Ian had caught from her was the rage in the vampire's eyes whenshe thought that Annie had been hurt. It was deeper than any fear Ian had ever witnessed.The anger was so blatant that the vampire had her soul so vulnerably open to scrutiny. Itwas so palpable that Ian interpreted it as lovethe kind that could kill.

Ian looked up at Spencer again. A sworn enemy was what he saw. But as much as he hatedbeing indebted to anyone, he would never dishonor himself to a low blow. For whateverreasons, Spencer did save him in the woods. Not to mention that Annie had treated himmore than a mere prisoner. If he were to kill Spencer, it must be in a fair fight, one worthy

of sacrifice and pride.

Ian took a quick look at his unconscious peer by his side, and then Samantha, who wasbeing carried by Alex several feet behind him. The echoes of their footsteps and theirragged breathing were the only things audible in the tunnel. The tension in Alex's eyes, asthey briefly gazed at each other, was evident. Time was pressing. The librarian struttedahead with no sign of when or where they would stop. The wounded were not holding upvery well, while the healthy ones were unsure how long they could carry on like this.

"We need to stop their bleeding. They're not going to make it like this," Ian finally said.

The librarian offered no response. She was a little out of breath having to drag Spenceralong after a vicious fight with a pack of werewolves. Ian frowned, but continued to follow.

For all he knew, WOOHP agents might have already rallied into the building, and theredhead was the only one who knew the way around the crypt. Sooner than he hadexpected, they turned right and walked behind another set of slimy walls and, to hissurprise, met a stairway leading to a large foyer below.

Climbing down the creaking staircase, Ian noted that there were about a dozen blackcoffins lined up along the left side of the foyer. Lit candles were placed along the cracks andgaps on the wall to his right, radiating light throughout the hall. On the long wall oppositeto the entrance, many square blocks were especially made to fit in a person each, asleeping bed for lower-ranked vampires. But the hall was empty. The vampires must haveleft the coven and their lone soldier behind.

The librarian proceeded to lay Spencer down beside a coffin and trudged towards a large,metallic container in the corner. She put her thumb up for a scan over the censor. A beep

prompted the fridge doors open, and a gush of fog briefly fumed out. She grabbed a fewunits of blood off the shelf. Tossing two units to Ian, she tore one for herself, washing itdown in one big gulp.

Ian then rested Sam on top of the nearest coffin, while Alex put Samantha on the next one.Bloodstains plastered along Samantha's arms, where Alex had cut to let the poisonoussilver-nitrate bleed out.

"The kit is on the ledge to your right," the librarian said.


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Ian scurried to grab the white box. He connected the IV line to the blood unit and theninserted the catheter through Sam's arm. For a werewolf as strong as Sam, it should takeless than an hour to regain strength, if not a little longer. But it would take much longer fora seriously wounded Samantha, who had visibly turned green. What struck Ian though wasthe frightened look on Alex's face, an expression which he had never seen before from theguard. Alex was gently holding Samantha's hand, paying no attention to how others mightthink of them. It amazed Ian that he had never noticed the bond between his personal

guards before.

Then Ian turned to see the librarian kneeling beside Spencer. She had pulled Spencer up bythe collar and poured some blood into the vampire's mouth, the crimson liquid spillingslightly onto the black sweatshirt. Spencer's eyes shot open, and she coughed as the bloodstruggled to pass down her throat. Its scent alone awakened her weak mind, and Spencertried to grab the source of life from the librarian's hand. However, the redhead shovedSpencer back down to the tiled floor, forcefully holding her by the collar. Struggling vainlyunder the strong grip, Spencer had tasted just enough blood to keep her consciousness, buthad not the strength to pull away.

"Who are you? Who's your master? What were you doing, sneaking up on us like that?Answer me! Now!" the librarian scolded. Their faces were only an inch apart, their intense

gazes locked.

Alex had picked up his weapons and came to stand guard beside the dark-haired man. Ianfelt the strange urge to intervene, but decided against it. At this very moment, he wasn'tsure who was an ally or enemy, and opted to watch from the distance. Secretly, he did wantto hear what Spencer had to say.

Glowering up at the redhead, Spencer wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of herhand. "Master Satoshi Lee was my maker. I was one of his servants."

"Satoshi Lee of the Serpent coven. Hmm." The librarian narrowed her eyes as she tried torecall. "Three hundred years ago, all two hundred seventy vampires perished that nightunder the queen's order. The separatists. They were thorns at Uriah's side." A smirk slowly

appeared on her lips at her last words. "Are you the sole survivor of the faithless clan?You're strong. You've got such an impressive progress over the years, young one. Veryimpressive, indeed."

Ian noted the indifference which had replaced anger in Spencer's eyes. The rogue vampirehad shielded her feelings behind that impassive faade, her thoughts impossible to read.For a-few-century-old vampire, Spencer had proven to be far stronger than expected. Evenan older vampire like the librarian noticed it as well.

Getting up to her feet, the librarian then tossed the half-emptied unit to Spencer. In turn,Spencer gulped down the remaining blood fast. The traces of crimson along her limbsgradually vanished, and the wounds on her shoulders began to mend. She slightly wincedas the repairing process continued. It hurt when new flesh regenerated and healed.

Pacing back and forth, the librarian eyed Spencer in suspicion. "Were you spying on us? Ihope you weren't too stupid to seek revenge because you'll be crushed again andagain andagain," she said, with a voice full of mockery.

"You're only a pawn to the queen. Completely expendable."

Boredom flashed across the librarian's pale green gaze. "Do not drag me down to yourlevel. It's not going to work."


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Spencer's facial expression remained blank. "What are you doing here in Midgardheadquarter then? Why aren't you the queen's right-hand man now? I've heard thata youngervampire had already taken the position."

Amused, Ian raised his brows when he saw a pink flush on the librarian's pale face. Theredhead was trembling, her fists clenched. Spencer's remarks must have hit homesomehow. However, Ian twitched a little when the librarian stalked back towards Spencerand thrust the vampire back down to the floor with a foot on her chest.

"That was all the blood you're going to get!" the redhead snarled.

Spencer wasn't able to turn the librarian around, a task that would have been effortless forher. The librarian had been careful enough not to let Spencer heal completely. Although theopenings of the wounds had mended and the bleeding had stopped, a mere unit of bloodcould only sustain her life, but it was unable to return her to full strength.

"They dumped you. They all drove off in their cars when I got here. It seems that aftercenturies you're still not one of them," Ian said. It was crucial to convince the librarian thatthe werewolves were not her enemy at the moment. But Ian wasn't entirely lying; Reito andthe rest of the posse had evacuated without a second thought on the mates they left

behind. It was a typical attribute of the vampires.

"Who says that I ever needed them? I'll survive those damn WOOHP agents without them!"the redhead growled. But reluctance was evident in her eyes.

All of a sudden, a deafening sound thundered just above their heads, and they all fell intosilence. The walls had shaken slightly, and pebbles fell from the ceiling like trails of sand inan hourglass. The agents must have blown up the entrance to the crypt.

The librarian instantly grabbed Spencer by the collar, pulling her up to her feet. "They'recoming! They'll find this hall soon. We must leave now!"

Ian pulled out his guns, readying himself for the coming attack. Alex noticeably appearedanxious, looking back and forth between his master and the doorway above, expectingWOOHP agents to barge in any moment. Although Ian knew that it was suicidal to stay, hecouldn't leave his peers behind.

"Are you coming with me or not!" the librarian yelled. It was clear that she wasn't planningto leave without a partner. In the least, two vampires would have a better chance againstthe agents.

"Tell them where the exit is," Spencer said.

There was a long pause before the librarian spoke again. "At the west end, swim into thetunnel. You'll find an exit there." With that, she spun on her heels and left the hall.

Ian wasn't exactly sure why he felt a hollow in his chest when Spencer glanced back at himonce more before climbing up the stairway and following the redhead out of the hall. But hequickly brushed the thought away to take care of the urgent matter at hand.

"Give me a hand here," Ian said.

The two werewolves helped putting both Samantha and Sam into those square blocks up onthe wall, intending to hide the wounded for as long as they could. As soon as Ian gatheredhis weapons, Alex moved beside his master, his face grimed with stress.


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"I would feel better if you stayed inside, Lord Ian. We came here to protect you."

"That's not going to happen, so don't waste your time trying to convince me. Come on." Ianled Alex out of the hall and looked back and forth between the passageways to his left andright. "I'll guard the left tunnel. You, go to the right. We have to try and distract the agentsbefore they find the foyer."

Alex reluctantly nodded before heading into the dark corridor, while Ian proceeded to theopposite direction. He tried his best to keep track of the turns he had made in this labyrinthof black walls. Leaning against a cold wall, Ian stared at the bricks ahead of him, a UVmachine gun he picked up from the ground floor in his hands. He had some extraammunition he collected earlier in the belt holster. The fully loaded handgun was tucked inhis right ankle holster. Thankfully, the narrow passageway prevented the enemies fromattacking him all at once, and he stood a better chance to wipe them out by taking themdown one by one.

He pressed one ear to the wall and tried to catch any sounds approaching his way. Alex'sfootfalls resonated about a dozen walls in front of him. There was still no sign of incomingWOOHP agents. But the two vampires must have gone far enough that the sound of theirmovements were completely out of range.

Westend?Yeah, that helps.

Ian grumbled at the thought. He didn't even know which direction he was facing. Suddenly,a series of gunshots blasted through the passageway only a few blocks of walls ahead ofhim. The shooting intensified with the sound of hurried footsteps and incoherent yellingfollowing after.

"Lord Ian! Lord Ian!"

Ian looked over his shoulder to see Alex turning at the far corner and rushing towards him."I'm safe! It's not me!"

The guard hurriedly moved in front of Ian, aiming his gun at the direction of the noises. Butthe gunshots stopped as suddenly as they started, and the crypt fell into silence again.

"Whatwhat were they shooting at?" Alex muttered, breathless from the run.

For a long moment, Ian stared into the darkness before him, his breathing quickened inanticipation. His eyes widened and his ears twitched to catch any sound around him.Eventually, the sound of casual footfalls came, and a slender form emerged from theshadows at the opposite end of the left passageway. Ian recognized the slim frame, butAlex blindly fired at the target.

"Don't" Ian reached for Alex, but a shadow whizzed past him, causing him to tumblebackwards. When he looked up again, Alex had halted in his post. Spencer had snatched the

gun from Alex before he could fire, and was now holding the guard at pointblank. Alex hadturned halfway, staring sideways at the barrel of his own gun pointing into his face.

Instinctively, Ian raised his gun at the vampire even though he was unsure of what had justhappened. Thankfully, Spencer lowered the gun and hurled it back to Alex without a fuss.The guard caught his weapon, noticeably astounded by the vampire's ridiculously fastspeed.


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"What was that all about? What the hell happened back there?" Ian eyed Spencer up anddown, astonished to see Spencer in a WOOHP uniform, the gas mask hanging around herneck. In the black, tight garment, she would have easily blended in with the agents. Asidefrom the change in appearance, Ian couldn't help but feel a strange relief that the vampirecame back.

"I only ripped off their masks, and they simply panicked. More squads will find their wayhere soon. They must have heard the shooting, too," Spencer said, tossing two extra masksto Ian and Alex. She then reloaded the assault rifle she took from one of the agents.

Ian and Alex readily hang the masks around their necks. Catching the curious stare fromAlex, Ian instantly looked away. His personal guard must have sensed the peculiar airbetween Spencer and him. It was odd enough for someone like Ian not to lash out at thepresence of a vampire, let alone help each other in the face of a crisis.

"Gee, you're clumsy," Ian said, pointing at his own chin. He was trying to distract Alex fromcuriosity, but failed poorly when his personal guard just kept staring.

"Oh?" Spencer wiped the bloodstain from her face. Evidently, the vampire came back tofeed on the agents since it was the only alternative for her. She looked up again, and Ian

swore to have seen a small smile curving up on her lips in the dark. She pulled out a palm-sized, steel key from her pocket and said, "You forgot this."

Ian lowered his weapon and took the item from Spencer's hand. He couldn't believe that hehad totally forgotten about it. "You came back only to give me the key?"

"I figured you'll need more than just a lousy direction to nowhere."

Scoffing, Ian proceeded to unlock the collar and tossed it to the floor. "Hah, I don't needyour help. I can take care of my people and myself. What about you? It'll be twelve hoursbefore sunset. It's going to be a long, long day for you to stay alive while eluding WOOHPmen."

Spencer blinked a few times before she said, "If I didn't know Ian Kruger better, I'd start tothink that you're worried about me."

"What you've heard about me is entirely true, because I am certainly not worried aboutyou. Where did your friend go?" Ian then found himself speaking faster than he intended to.

"There's no reason why she'd lead me out of here. So instead of being just a decoy at herdisposal, I had a better plan for her," Spencer said, shrugging lightly.

The dark-haired werewolf stopped at the hint of menace in the simple message. He watchedthe impassive crimson eyes in the face of deception and disguise. The strange serenity inthe vampire's melodic voice always concealed the dangerous motives.

"You should stay here. I'll lure them elsewhere, and your guard can do the same with theother squad," Spencer suggested.

Ian grabbed Spencer's arm before the vampire could head back into the tunnel where shehad come from. "What's this? Why are you helping us?" he asked, almost growling insuspicion.

Spencer stopped, but did not pull herself away from Ian's hold. She briefly glanced overIan's shoulder to look at Alex, and Ian turned around to his guard. Reluctantly, Alex bowed


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and ran into the right passageway, disappearing behind the blocks of walls. When Alex'sfootsteps began to fade into the distance, Ian turned to face the vampire again.

"Twelve hours in this crypt is a long time, especially with the agents after us I have afavor to ask you," Spencer said.

It took Ian a few moments before he took a step back, realizing how close he was to thevampire in this narrow passageway. The proximity had bizarrely rendered him powerless.He frowned. He didn't like the idea of making a promise to anyone. He didn't like theseriousness in Spencer's tone, which sounded almost like a plea that would not take no foran answer. He didn't like the prospect that it had the potential to be a death wish, but didn'tquite understand why he would care. Although Spencer wasn't one of the vampires fromUriah, she was still considered a potential enemy to his pack.

"Please take care of Annie."

And it was the first time Ian had seen such insecurity in the crimson eyes, and he had tolook away. "What are you talking about? You'll kick their asses and you'll go home bytonight. Besides, you can't die just yet. I've got a lot to ask you."

Spencer just stared at him for a moment, and then pulled the mask over her face as shewalked away. "Annie knows everything about your mother. They were friends. She wouldn'tlie to you."

Ian watched until Spencer took a turn and disappeared behind the far wall.

Annie Lu

Sighing, Ian decided to break his train of thoughts. He firmly held his gun up, heightenedhis senses to detect any unusual incoming sound. He would have to delay the agents asbest he could, hoping Samantha and Sam would regain their strength just enough to walkthemselves out of here. Spencer covered the tunnel to his left, while Alex had the righttunnel in his watch. The only possible open area for attack was the tunnel in front of him.Ian directed his gun at said passageway, his eyes unblinking as he stared into darkness.

Almost on cue, a series of gunshots erupted. Flashes of light flickered through the tunnel,revealing a group of men moving towards his direction. They madly fired after a figurejumping from one wall to the other, shower of shells clanking around the agents' blackboots. Ian turned to his left just enough to elude the stray bullets, which whizzed past hisand punched several holes into the door behind him. He knelt fast on one knee and tookdown two of the nearest agents, which temporarily stunned the other nine squad members.

"We've been attacked! I think we've found their nest! Copy!" the squad leader shouted intohis walkie-talkie as the firing continued.

Ian had to leap away from his spot as the jumping figure bounded from the ceiling and

plunged towards him, rolling and busting the door to the foyer open. The red-haired figuretook a less-than-graceful fall and rolled down the stairway, narrowly escaping the bulletsfrom WOOHP men. It appeared that the librarian had been wounded.

"Follow it now!" the leader ordered.

Ian hid himself behind the wall closest to him, whilst the men passed him unnoticed. Anagent tossed a grenade into the foyer and waited until the blast went off. They carefullyentered then.


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Shit!Samantha!Sam!

Biting his lips, Ian pushed himself from the floor and went behind the agents. Stopping atthe entrance, he saw nine men open fire at the librarian, who was crawling to hide behindone of the coffins. The shower of bullets gradually damaged the row of coffins enough topeel them down one by one. The redhead let out a muffled scream when a UV bullet hit herleg. She flopped forwards, unable to move from the line of fire. The point man signaled thesquad to stop, and the shooting ceased. He and another squad member vigilantly movedtowards the prone form and grabbed her wounded leg, pulling her from behind the coffin.The men flipped her up, but the vampire still managed to put up a weak fight, trying to getout of their grip.

"Fucking bitch! Stop it! Stop!" One of the men panicked, striking the redhead in the face.The two agents then repeatedly struck the vampire with their rifles, while the othermembers stood by and watched.

Ian had to hold his breath as the feeling of disgust rushed through him. He could almost seehimself in those men's acts that mirrored the savageness within his years ago. But now herealized just how easily he could be in the vampire's place, a victim to undeservedprejudice. The immortals were nothing less than animals to WOOHPto his mother.

Even mother?

Taking in a deep breath, Ian kicked the door behind him shut. There was no escaping now,not for the savages in this room. The bang prompted the agents to look up, puzzled by theappearance of an ordinary looking boy. All at once Ian and the squad leader raised theirguns and fired. Struck with a headshot, his body spun off the step and plunged down theflight of stairs onto two other agents below him. His bullet did manage to leave a scratch onIan left cheek, but he quickly turned and incessantly shot at the agent nearest to thelibrarian, and then his partner in crime.

When the ammo ran out, Ian leapt off the staircase and landed on all fours in front ofanother agent, bullets whizzing past him. He shot up into the air again, arched his arm and

struck down at his neck with his growing, thick claws, ripping his head off his shoulders.

"Shoot it! It's a fucking werewolf! Fucking shoot it!" one of the agents shouted.

Ian grabbed the headless body and threw it back to the agent by the staircase, driving himto the ground. Jumping back to hold onto the handrail along the stairway, he pulled himselfup and climbed over. Cornered by another agent, he spun around to face him and kicked thegun off his grip, upsetting his balance. Swiftly, Ian pulled his handgun from the ankleholster, and took the agent down with a shot in his chest.

"Ah!" Ian cried out a little when a bullet from another squad member hit his right arm,causing him to tumble down the stairs. Rolling and getting up to his feet again, Ian knelt atthe bottom of the stairs and shot back at the agent, three bullets were punched through his

face and forehead.

Three remaining men hid themselves behind the row of coffins, madly firing at thewerewolf. Throwing himself down beside a dead agent, Ian pulled a hand grenade off hisbelt and flung it into the air towards the men. There was a second of stunned silence beforethe agents scurried out from their hiding in fright, giving Ian clear shots at them. A bulletcaught an agent in the back, while another bullet hit another squad member in his leg,forcing him to the ground. The grenade went off, killing the other agent instantly. Then thewhole hall fell into silence again, smoke clouding the whole area.


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Breathing heavily, Ian lay low beside the still body, his gaze darting around the foyer tofind any standing target. He felt a pang of relief when it appeared that none was movingother than the agent downed with a leg wound. He was bleeding so badly that he was nolonger a threat to Ian. Slowly, Ian pushed himself up, but winced at the pain in his arm.Biting his lips, he used his good hand and cautiously clawed the shell out of the wound.

"Damn, that hurts," Ian grumbled, noting the blood gushing out and dripping along histoned arm. A UV bullet couldn't kill him, but it did slow him down a great deal. It wouldtake a while before his body could start healing by itself, and he thought it was a good thingthat he had waited and regained his strength before he left Annie's home. If the past fewdays had taught him anything, it would be preparing for the worst.

Walking towards the groaning agent, the only one left alive, Ian kicked his rifle away fromhis reach. He knelt down beside him and roughly pulled his gas mask off.

"Pplease make it quick" he pleaded, his face ashen from blood loss.

"Thanks for giving me the idea. A painful death sounds great to me," Ian spat. "How manyof you are out there? Oh, come on, they wouldn't know it's you who spilled it. You'll bedead by then."

It took him a few seconds before he looked up at Ian. Perhaps, those few secondssucceeded to remind him how precious life really was. "Eight eight squads" His bodystarted to shake.

Tossing the gas mask away, Ian eyed him up and down. Spencer had taken down a squad,and Ian himself had managed another. Six more squads sounded like a real trouble aheadof them. "Where's your headquarter? What do you do with the vampires you caught? Whatkind of experiments?"

There was horror in his eyes as he blankly stared at the floor. "I don't know We justjust do as we are told Please"

"Please?" Ian checked for the ammo in his gun. "Nah, I think I'll just leave you like this. Irather save the bullets for your friends out there."

"Please stop the bleeding" he breathed. There was a tinge of shame in his eyes, but Ianknew it was nothing to be shameful about. No matter which side they were on, life was,indeed, precious.

All of a sudden, the door was kicked open, and Ian snapped, his gun drawn, aimed at theentrance. Alex had rushed in, panting. His personal guard looked utterly relieved to see himalive.

"Thank God! Are you all right, Lord Ian! I heard crazy gunshots, but it took me a while toget in." Alex ran down the stairways and moved beside Ian.

Ian chuckled a little and looked down at the wounded WOOHP agent again. "I'm not anurse, but here's someone who could probably help you," Ian said, and then looked up atAlex. "You could take care of it. Just to keep him alive for the time being."

"What? Whatwhy don't we just shoot him? He's a WOOHP agent," Alex said. He lookedalmost exasperated, but tried to keep his tone even.


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"Oh, he might be useful to us. And if he turns out otherwise, we can get rid of him anytime.Just stop the bleeding now," Ian said, and then walked towards the redhead.

"Yes Yes, sir." Alex nodded, walking over to get the kit on the ledge.

"Brian Smith" the agent muttered, wheezing as he did so.

Kneeling beside the struggling librarian, Ian glanced over his shoulder to look at him.

"TThank you I in debt to you Your name?"

"Oh, just shut up," Alex grunted, kicking the white box open and wrapping a cloth aroundthe thigh of his bleeding leg.

Shaking his head, Ian turned back to the redhead. "I'm going to get you up to the fridge,and you help yourself. Jeez, you're a mess." Ian put the librarian's arm around his shoulderand pulled the tiny woman up.

The librarian shakily pulled the loose string of her bra back up over her left shoulder. Her

face hurt even to speak, but she still gave Ian a smirk. "Julia Spider. But no, thanks. Assoon as I have a sip, I'm going to kill that motherfucker myself."

Amused, Ian had to laugh at the redhead's defiance even when her face was twisted inpain. Brought to stand in front of the metallic container, Julia put her thumb up for the scanand the doors to the fridge opened. While Ian watched the vampire slouching down anddevouring the supply, one unit after another to heal her wounds, he snapped at the soundof a blast echoing distantly from the passageway above.

Spencer?

"Alex, stay here! I'll check the tunnel!" Ian rushed towards the bodies of the agents andsnatched a rifle from the floor. He sped up the staircase and literally flew out of the hall into

the passageway. Alex was yelling something behind him, but he didn't listen to what it was.The sound of the blast had come from the left tunnel not too far away, and Ian wasconvinced that Spencer had already encountered another squad.

Sniffing, Ian tried to catch the smell of gunpowder. He took several turns around the blocksthat he was starting to lose his own track. Gunshots could be heard and the sound of metalclanking against the floor became louder and louder with each step he took. The smell ofblood grew stronger, heavy with the damp air, as he got closer to the battle zone.Adrenaline pumping, he found himself running at full speed, almost hitting the walls at thefast turns in the maze. At the turn around the wall to his left, he instinctively leapt over acrouching body on the floor before he even saw it, sliding on his knees along the slipperyfloor and bending backwards to shoot at the agent he had just crossed.

Another agent in front of him turned around to see him in time and opened fire right away.But the agents aim was disrupted by a harsh pull around his shoulder. He was lifted up andthrown against the wall so hard that the wall shook and pebbles showered down at theimpact. Ian threw himself to the ground and covered his head with his arms as the bulletsfrom his gun spurt along the walls on both sides of the tunnel. He only looked up againwhen the firing ceased and saw the agent's still body at Spencer's feet. The vampire hadher back facing Ian as she fired at the agents at the opposite end of the tunnel, keepingthem at bay.


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Spencer then spun around and grabbed Ian by the collar, throwing them behind the nearestwall for cover. Sliding against the rocky plane, Ian rolled and got up to his knees with ease,his rifle firmly in his hand. It was when he heard a faint wince from the vampire that heturned and saw Spencer pressing the wound on her stomach with her bloodied right hand.The wound from a UV bullet didn't look particularly well for their escape, and Ian didn'ttrust that Spencer could actually aim with her damaged hand. Without further thoughts, hedove into the tunnel amidst the firing, seizing the dead agent's leg and pulling him into

cover. Panting, he plopped down and leaned against the wall, while Spencer speechlesslywatched him and then looked down at the body at her feet.

Ian didn't have to say a word. Spencer quickly bent down to take the blood still warm in theagent's body, sucking every drop from him. Watching her, Ian had no doubt now how thevampires managed to survive for millennia: blood was all they needed. Their uncomplicatedlife easily surpassed this complicated world.

However, a clanking sound pulled Ian's attention from the vampire, and he snapped to seean object rolling to stop in the passageway just in front of him. Spencer thrust the deadbody away, crawling to grab the grenade and flinging it back down the tunnel. On impulse,Ian threw himself on top of Spencer, and they both fell down to the ground, his body actingas a shield for the vampire.

The blast went off, sending shakes through the ground, and the walls started to crumble.Ian couldn't tell how long he had been lying there in the thick smoke, his head heavy andhis body numbed. There was panicked yelling and angry shouting from the survivingagents, and he could tell from their voices that their condition was grave. He opened hiseyes again to see several portions of the ceiling beginning to fall down. These walls werestrong, but not strong enough to withstand such powerful forces. The sound of hurriedfootsteps echoed through the passageway. Before he could get up from the floor, twoagents appeared from the smoke and grabbed him, pulling him off Spencer's body.

"We've got one! It's still alive!" Yelling, they dragged him back to their squad members.

His mind cleared a little from the haze. Ian twisted and kicked repeatedly, almost shoving

the men around as his strength was returning. He turned slightly and saw another agenthaul Spencer off the ground. Head sagging as if she were unconscious, the vampiresuddenly whirled off his grasp, taking him by surprise, and stabbed into his eye socketswith her fingers. His body shook and his mouth gaped open in agony, but no voice cameout. Not even a cry.

At the sound of his gun dropping onto the floor, the two agents holding Ian turned aroundto see Spencer pushing the dead agent to the floor. They quickly held their guns up andfired, but missed as Spencer jumped onto the ceiling. She drove the first agent down with akick to his chest, while stabbing the second agent through his chest with the tip of herwing, freeing Ian from their grasp. Rolling to his feet, Ian gripped the fallen agent's headand snapped it before he could get up again.

"Lord Ian! This way!"

Ian turned around at Alex's voice. Amidst the shower of bullets from the other squadmembers, he snatched the rifle from the floor and then grabbed Spencer's hand. They ranand literally threw themselves into the left tunnel to regroup with Alex.

"Why did you come here! How could you leave Samantha and Sam like that!" Ian barked,leaning against the wall as he reloaded his rifle.


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Briefly stepping out from behind the wall, Alex fired with an automatic rifle at the WOOHPmen to fend off the approaching agents. "It is my duty to protect you, and not them!"

Breathing hard, Ian watched his personal guard, partly in respect for Alex's loyalty andpartly frustrated by his willingness to leave his lover behind. His solitary path never reallyput his devotion to the pack to test, the very reason the likes of Sam never trusted him.

"We'll go back to get them now!" Ian helped fire back at the agents when Alex retractedinto cover to reload his gun.

Another grenade was thrown at them, bouncing off the wall. And Spencer quickly pulled Ianand Alex off its kill radius. They plunged backwards in a clumsy fall, coughing at the smokeand dust flying about. The tunnel could only endure so much of tremor and the ceilingcracked and collapsed onto the approaching agents. When the tunnel fell into silence again,the three of them gradually got up to their feet, gasping for air.

However, before they could regain their composure, the sound of bombing erupted fromabove. A blast after another, the whole ground shook violently, sending the three down tothe floor again. It seemed that WOOHP had realized their continued failures to capture thecrypt. The remaining squads above were now trying to tear down the building altogether.

"We we have to go back and get them" Ian tried to get up to his feet, but he waspulled back by Alex.

"That's out of the question, Lord Ian. I must get you out of here now. We must go now,"Alex said resolutely, swaying in his post. It was difficult just to stand still on the shakyground.

Ian briefly looked over his shoulder to Spencer, whose only response was silence.

"The librarian mentioned the west end, Lord Ian. Before I left, she drew me a map to theexit. Please, follow me," Alex said, turning and running deeper into the tunnel.

Although Ian had doubts, he had no choice but to go after his guard. Spencer followedclosely behind, but had not uttered a word. The deafening blasts above seemed to followthem everywhere, and the air was as heavy and clouded as her heart. Twelve hours wereindeed a really long time to survive in this crypt, and the only reason Julia gave Alex themap was because the vampire knew she wouldn't be able to make it herself.

Turn after turn, blast after blast, Ian eventually saw a pool of faint light reflected upon thedark, vaulted wall at the end of the tunnel. The three of them reached the edge of theplatform and saw the well of dark green water below. The water looked deep, and itdisheartened Alex that there was no exit around but the black wall before him.

"She lied to me. It's a dead end!" Alex grunted.

Ian had to let out a frustrated sigh. He was extremely exhausted, and wasn't in the mood totake another trick.

"She didn't," Spencer quietly said.

Frowning, Ian looked up and turned to the vampire.


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"I hope you can swim. It looks deep. But there must be an outlet below because of thesmall rings of light over there," Spencer said, pointing at the very faint, lighter shade ofgreen on the surface of the water.

His chest heaving in thrill, Ian stared into the water hard, his mind rushing to find solutionsfor Spencer. This dire situation was probably not what the vampires expected to everhappen to the First District, and the outlet wasn't especially made to shield them fromsunlight. Thinking most positively, he could probably find a shelter to hide Spencer whenthey dove out of here.

"You should see it clearer as you dive lower. Follow the light, and you you" Spencersuddenly stopped, and for a long moment, she seemed to have been lost in her own deepthoughts.

"Spencer?"

The vampire only looked up again and smiled. It was the first genuine smile Ian had seenfrom Spencer. "Follow the light, and you should find the exit."

It took Ian a short moment to realize what Spencer had meant. He shook his head and said,"What? No, you have to come with us. We could"

The walls crumbled and the debris fell to block half of the passageway they had just comefrom. As the screeching of the solid ground continued above, the three of them turned tolook at one another. There wasn't really any other choice but to move forwards, at least forIan and Alex.

"It's falling apart! We have to go now, Lord Ian!" Alex shouted against the rumbling of thebuilding, moving beside his master.

Ian took a step forward but then halted in his track. He remained still for a while,untouched by the debris falling through the tunnel. Slowly, he turned around and staredSpencer in the eyes. The vampire frowned, puzzled at Ian's hesitation.

"Did you kill my mother?"

The question came as a whisper, but it was just loud enough for the vampire to catch it.Spencer staggered at the question. There was a mixture of mild surprise and puzzlement inthe crimson gaze, but Ian didn't want to interpret it. He wanted a straight answer.

However, Spencer's silence only confirmed his doubt. It was the simplest form ofadmittance when there wasn't any excuse to mislead. In all its calm, it felt like a heavyblow for Ian. It was difficult just to breathe now, and the strong tremor from the groundalmost propelled him off his feet. But he forced himself to turn away. Moving towards theedge of the platform, he took one deep breath in and dove headfirst into the water. Thewater was cold, but his physical senses weren't registering any feeling at the moment. His

body sunk deeper and deeper, and he opened his eyes to see Alex had dived in after him.His legs kicking to drive his body forward, he glanced up at the distorted, murky view of theplatform above. The vampire was still standing at the edge, looking down at him. Iancouldn't see her face clearly. He couldn't tell what was going through Spencer's mind, andhe may never know. Debris kept falling onto the platform, and some had fallen into thewater, forcing Ian to swim away from the area.

Deeper down into the sharp cold amidst underwater echoes, Ian followed the clusters oflight and never looked back.


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legend of the vampire (chapter 7: follow the light)

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