Half Blood Moons

"How would you define the word 'love'?" She muttered as the crisp, cool air turned her breath into a white mist. "I think the word isn't best defined by any group populace....Rather with each person comes a new meaning." His voice shattered the winter silence, deep enough to echo through the snow topped trees that surrounded them. As she looked up at his pale face that remained stern and centered on the open patch of snow infront of them, her face began to scrunch up with questionable curiousity. "What I mean to say is from my perspective, love is something felt by a person and sometimes multiple people who have encountered each other. The reality to me is that no one will ever enter your life without reason, being that there is always something that causes them to become a part of your life be it by your hands, theirs or natures." Rambling on he coughed a couple times as the cold began to get to him. "Well....what if there was someone that sayyyy was running and tripped into you as they we're attempting to pass you?" Her question brought a slight pause of uncertainty before he began to respond "Well, if he or she tripped by accident that would be a case of nature's will trying to push them into my life. Now, had they of purposely tripped themselves and fallen into me it, their personal reason is at work." Crickets chirped in the distance as the two sat beneath one of the many tall evergreens providing the scene of a typical winter night. "Oh, I think I understand..." She stated not sounding too sure of herself leaving her open to questioning, "Is that so? Well tell me, how would you define it?" Startled, she popped up and began to stare into his eyes that still seemed to be lost in the snow. "Huh!? Well uh....I think love is defined by two people or animals that like each other very much
to the point where they always get a warm and fuzzy feeling around their partner!" She exclaimed making it seem like she knew the exact text book definition. "Hmm...." His voice hummed out once more leaving a dry echo in its wake. "Let's get moving alright?" He resumed as he pulled himself up using a long blade that had been resting upon the tree beside him. The girls face changed from a look of certainty to a strong feeling of disdain as it seemed her friend felt too macho to accept her explanation properly. Before she knew it, she was caught off guard thinking to herself while blankly staring at the hand he had offered in order to help her up. "Theresa, let's get a move on." He stated coldly managing to snap her out of the void pitch she called thoughts. "Wha!?....Oh right, sorry!" She exclaimed before quickly grabbing his pale and cold hand that almost made it seem like he was made of stone. Once again to her surprise, he pulled strongly causing her to literally fly a few feet into the air before he jumped with great force. In his arms she began to realize what was happening as the two sped through the trees at a breakneck speed for traveling by foot, they were being chased and possibly attacked by said pursuer(s). "I know what you're thinking, so don't
alright?" He quickly stated in a hushed tone as not to make too much noise in their current situation without even making a single gesture or attempt to look at her. At this point arrows had begun to zip by and pierce nearby trees marking an attack by whomever it was that was on their trail. Making an abrupt stop behind one of the larger pines in the area, he set Theresa on her feet and began to speak quickly in a hushed tone, "Listen, as soon as I draw their attention you put your hand on your weapon and run as far as you can. They don't know that there are two of us, but they surely have the man and firepower to take us both so don't you dare chance it." Shocked and apalled by his seemingly endless deduction skills, Theresa stared at him with a frightened lost puppy look. "B-but Med, I can't just let them take you!" As soon as she finished her statement, Med had already begun to push her with one of his feet as he stepped around the tree with his hands ready to draw his sword, "Just GO damn it!"

Surrounded by blood stained snow and screams of anguish, Med panted heavily as he continued to fight off what seemed like the endless number of hunters that were out for his head. "How many lives are you going to take before you realize you can't win you freak!?" "Just look at you, you're a disgusting parasite with no concern for anyone but yourself!" "Just die already would you!? Nobody wants you here!" Multiple voices of hate called out to Med as he swiftly cut down his enemies making it look almost like a dance of blood and death. His face covered in blood was near impossible to see or read under the shade cast by his hair blocking the moonlight, but his scowl and blood red eyes burned in the darkness like an omen. "No matter how you feel about me, I'm not going down without a fight." He stated calmly making it seem as though he was near eternal bliss by being covered in blood and surrounded by bodies. As their numbers dwindled down to a mere couple dozen from the few hundred they had brought, the hunters decided that one last all out attack was the key to victory and they all began to charge at once. With a blade finally in full swing just a few inches from his chest, Med's head snapped up before he let loose a grin leading to movements so quick they nearly burned false images into the hunters brains. Within a few more seconds, eleven of the last twelve men were on their knees and stomachs spraying blood from various parts of their bodies leaving the last hunter to be held in the air by his collar. "I don't care who sent you or what it is they expected, but you all made a large mistake tonight. It's a two way crescent moon up above, and as you all may have just witnessed that does not impair my abilities rather augments them greatly. Oh...and don't think that because I'm telling you this that I'm letting you get away." Refusing to look the hunter in the eyes, Med kept his glare downwards as he spoke before lightly chuckling and then biting into the neck of his victim. Drained of its blood, Med dropped the body amongst its peers that also laid on the ground in silence. Hiding back in the shadows, Theresa held back a scream before she quickly stood up and finally began to run as far away from Med as she could get. Realizing the girl had witnessed the entire event he sighed before flicking his wrist in order to clean off some of the blood running down his blade before sheathing it. "Things can never just go nice and easy for me can they?" He rhetorically questioned one of the heads he had severed. The 'man'
began to pace slowly in the complete opposite direction he had heard Theresa heading as to not run into her anymore.

Finally making it to the nearest town, the girl searched frantically for an inn to stay at for the night. Alas, luck was in her favor as she found one a small walk down the central path. As she barged in through the door of the cabin she collapsed to the ground alarming the few patrons and owners of the hospice. Before she knew it, she was waking up in a bed all wrapped up in blankets. "My dear, you look almost as though you seen the devil 'imself but I s'pose that is to be expected of someone who just woke up after fainting upon entering the inn." An elderly woman spoke softly to Theresa hoping to help calm her nerves before questioning the reasons behind her dramatic appearance. "I'm sorry ma'am, I
didn't intend to be such a bother....I-i'll go as soon as I am capable." The girl felt mortified that not only had she witnessed the man she thought she knew best murder an entire village worth of people, but that she had also shocked the unsuspecting people of this current village. "Ohhhh don't you worry so much dearie, we get our fair share o' spooks in these parts with the warfront being so close. Damned soldiers can be just as harmful as them vampires to our entire existence." "You know about the war and these vampires!? And you still live to speak of it today?......Please, tell me anything you can ma'am I would greatly appreciate it." Theresa quickly responded at the chance to gather info on what it was exactly she got herself involved into. "Don't be so hasty to question someone you don't know well honey, that's the first thing I could tell you." The woman remarked with a chuckle. A frown quickly placed itself on Theresa's face before she sighed and nodded to the kind womans words. "I do apologize, it's just that I've seen something I don't believe I could manage to forget." "Ohhh? Is that so? I'm not one to prod at a girls experiences but I'd be more than willing to listen." Feeling a little bit of relief, Theresa began to vividly describe the previous nights occurences up until she had fainted. "Oh my, that is quite the story dear but if you don't mind an old coots curiousity, could you paint a mental image of this man?" Lightly blushing at the thought of Med's appearance, Theresa began to 'spill the beans' on her no longer certain crush. "Well he's moderate in height, I'd say about a few ticks above my own line. He's extremely pale with a nice light hazel eye color, although last night they were a bright red like the color of a not too ripe strawberry. He has long curtains of jet black hair that I've seen him wear in a few different ways. I've only seen him dress in black, and usually the garments being long coats. He just seems so elegant but after last night, I'm just not so sure anymore." With a low hum, the old woman stared daggers at Theresa before responding "You listen here, don't ever give up on that man you hear me? I realize what you went through last night but that is not his true nature. He simply took such action as to protect not only you, but this village here as well. Dear old Medarith never meant any real harm upon those who respected him, but his curse also has some responsibility for the bloodshed." Baffled by the womans almost 180 flip, Theresa looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "You know Med...and you know what he is capable of?" "Of course I do girl, that gifted young man was born and raised here before the curse changed everything in his life. He isn't a full blood vampire nor is he a soldier, he is a rogue that stands for those of us who can't stand for ourselves. If you were to abandon him, it'd be like joining the Immortal Bloodline in spite of life itself." Her wrinkled face remained stern as she explained Medarith's background to the girl. "I had no clue....he'd never spoken of his past other than that he was consistently on the run....He's not here is he? He didn't die did he!?" Theresa began to get hysterical as she thought about what she had been told. "You told me yourself that you witnessed him kill everyone young'un, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion so fast." Comforting the girl she continued to speak, "Don't worry girl, just clean yourself up and grab your gear. You must make haste and catch up to him, he'll need you more tonight than you him last night." With a quick nod and hum of acknowledgement Theresa followed the woman to the bathing room. "I'm sorry ma'am but may I know your name before I soak? I have a lot to think about and the least I could do is greet you properly." "Ahh, about time you asked....The boy knows me as Mother Yuna." She answered with a chuckle. Theresa nodded once more before closing the sliding bamboo door behind her as she entered the bathing room.

Later that afternoon Theresa was finishing her preparations to head after Med. "Ohhh dearie don't you just look gorgeous! I'm quite sorry we didn't have something more....battle oriented." Yuna praised the girl for her beauty, knowing she'd never have hers back. Blushing from the compliments Theresa spoke up, "O-oh thank you Mother...." She had donned an outfit comprised of a corset covered by a short black dress with slight red trim. Fastening her sword on her belt, she took one last deep breath before bidding farewell and leaving the inn. To the residents of the villages surprise, Theresa quickly ran down the road and out the gates in heels that matched her dress. 'I have to find him and make sure he's okay...if what Mother Yuna told me is true he could be in grave danger all becuase of me.' She thought to herself as she sprint through the forest, attempting to keep to the main road in order to avoid thick patches of snow. A few miles away Medarith had made himself a small shelter under a large pine tree. "Hopefully Mother Yuna knew what to do with the girl..." He muttered to himself as he resumed to cough in the cold. He sat still in a patch of snow, wrapped in his cloak and leaning against the tree as he continued to speak to himself, "This is not at all how I planned
for things to turn out....but being who I am and of course who she is, there was no helping it I suppose." He let his head fall as he stared at the clean and white snow between his legs... "Let's get going okay?" A familiar and soft voice called to him. He looked up slowly to the figure standing infront of him, and nearly blinded by the light from the sun he squinted to make out who it was offering him a hand. "Hey...am I just that beautiful?" Theresa joked with him, still offering her hand to help him up. Realizing who it was, Med's face went straight from squinting disdain to a wide-eyed shock. "Theresa!? What in the seven hells are you doing here? Why aren't you with her right now?" He bombarded her with questions over taking her hand and standing up. "I met Mother Yuna...and she explained a lot but I don't think she told me everything. But from what I know now, you need help and I'm here for you like you were for me since the day we met. I'm not going to let what happened last night destroy everything we've, rather you've built so are you going to take my hand or just sit there and mope?" "That coot...." He sighed before continuing, "Well if that's the truth, I hate to break it to you but there isn't much you can do to help me now....There's a poison in my veins that
is starting to paralyze me from the feet and slowly moving up....rather it will turn me into stone that will burn into ash upon contact with sunlight." Smiling with a slight chuckle, Theresa leaned down next to his neck and bit him. She then proceeded to drain the poison from his system using her mouth then spitting it into a jar. "Yuna told me about the curse. I know exactly how to help you, so hold still" She explained to Med with another chuckle at her subtle joke. "Very funny, you're lucky I can't move or I might just wring your neck for that one...." He responded. "Oh that's no way to talk to a lady that's currently saving your life!"The hours began to pass as the two waited for Med's paralysis to wear off and before long nightfall approached. As he began to stand up they looked at each other before speaking in unison, "Let's get going okay?" Med was beginning to really grow on the girl, more than ever even though they had just seen two different sides of the coin the night before.

As the two reached the inn back in Med's home village, Mother Yuna was there for a warm welcome. "Ahhh dearie, welcome back and you sir....my my we must get you cleaned up quick! Everyone is anxious to begin the ceremony, you mustn't keep them waiting young one." Yuna had hugged Theresa upon arrival then quickly turned to Med and started shoving him towards the bathing rooms. "Thank you Mother, I'll be sure to make my soak quick." Med's words left his mouth with an oddly different tone, resembling his comfort and relaxed mind around Yuna. "As for you girl, sit tight and once he is finished we will get you two on the road to the village square." Theresa nodded slightly as she proceeded to sit down for her wait, but before she knew it Med had re-entered the room looking brand new...only with a little bit of missing clothing and a towel around his waist. "Start getting ready Theresa, I'll be out the door in a short minute." He drifted into his personal room to clothe himself for the occassion, shortly returning in an odd black outfit lined with white trim all around. "Let's get going." The phrase of the year rolled off of his tongue except with a more disinterested feeling this time rather than in the past. In order to make Theresa a little more comfortable, Yuna gave a brief explaination of what the ceremony was about and what it resembled as they made their way to the village square. "I know it is quite the timing for the two of you to make it back just in time for the ceremony, but you see here Medarith my dear has a key role in it and was supposed to show here last night rather tonight. Anyways, the ceremony is a representation of how our village came to be and what keeps us moving on through all of the hardships we face, including the curse that has run down his family line. You'll enjoy it I am quite sure of it!" She finished off with a hearty chuckle as they began to enter the gardens that surrounded the square. In the center there stood a stage with a large stone statue of a man whom closely resembled Med but with a bit more age in his eyes. As they entered the main square, the residents stood up from their seats and formed an isle for Med to walk down. Sitting in the front row of wooden seats, Theresa and Mother Yuna watched as Med made his way onto the stage and begin to talk to the town. "Good evening everyone...It's surely been a while since I've seen some of you and for others, this is the first time. I apologize that I had to arrive later than expected, but I ran into some trouble on the way here...y'know hunters, those 'Burley men full of wisdom and power in the forest'. Well on the bright note, we have one less neighboring village to compete with for food considering I was sadly forced to kill all of their capable men for my own survival. On that topic, I'd like to point out that tonight is indeed the second night of the double crescent moon, an occurance that only happens once per year and for three consecutive nights. During this time my powers are augmented greatly during the night, but I suffer during the daylight hours....it's a fair trade I suppose. Without this event, our village would surely not be standing as it is today, rather all of us could very well have ceased to exist. My grandfather....the forefather of our humble abode made great sacrifice in order to keep our homes stable. So today...our homes stand but at the cost of his own life, his sons life, and a part of mine. I am the only half-blood vampire in existence to this day, but that may very well change with time and effort because hell....who wouldn't want a super human ability enabled friend to watch their back? My kind may come into existence on a larger scale, but to this day only because of one special person....that person being none other than Theresa, the Princess of Nightfall." He pointed and signaled to Theresa, asking her to make her way onto the stage with him. Once she had made her approach, Med whispered to her before turning her to the crowd. "It'll be alright, don't worry." The small crowd nearly all gasped with shock in unison at the sight of her face and whispers began to make their way through the crowd as they all gossiped about Theresa. "Thanks to her of all people, I was able to survive the first day of the double moon practically alone. Because of this, I was able to return to the village after spending my strength the previous night in order to protect my life and the village. And finally, because of this....we shall see a turn in the tides of the war with my soon to be newly found power!" The villagers began to scream and cheer at the announcement that Med had made, and shortly after they surrounded what looked like a coffin perched on top of a firepit in front of the stage. Standing her on the edge of the stage, Med turned Theresa back around to face him and spoke "It's all over now...thank you." as he stabbed her in the chest and proceeded to bite into her neck, draining her body of blood...and power. As he carried her body down the steps of the stage and towards the coffin on top of the fire pit, Med's skin slowly began to change through shades of pale white and grey. With slow and elegant form, he placed her body into the coffin then flipped the top over in order to shut it before taking a torch from a nearby villager. "All I have left to say is, I couldn't do it without your help." He spoke softly as he held the torch down to the base of the stack of wood, liting the pit and eventually the coffin on fire. During this violent bonfire, the rest of the village began to hum a chant together as a sort of way to seal the deal and finish the ceremony in order for Med to fully harness and utilize the powers of the Nightfall family.

A few years of rebuild and advancement passed by before anything was heard of Medarith again. His home village had expanded into an empire with the Immortal Bloodline and Trinity of Light nearly at their doorstep on a daily basis. As the sun rose up to the sky, preparations for the annual ceremony were underway and this year with many more attendants as compared to the previous years. "My boy, you have come such a long way in such a short time....as dissatisfied as I am with your actions three years ago, I still can't help but acknowledge your progress." A raspy voice carried its way over to Med who was currently polishing one of his blades. "Well without your daughter's sacrifice, none of us would be standing here today.....err rather, none of you would be I should say." Med responded full of confidence and distaste for the man he was speaking with. "Renga, you need to realize that some of your bloodline still lives to this day and without my existence, that would be a complete different story. I don't live to kill or rule, I just perform the dirty work that I must in order to help the people as a whole. If we had of continued to let the Bloodline and Trinity grow in strength as well as numbers, there would have been no hope by this time. The final goal is to purge the world of those faithful to the Bloodline and to unite the Trinity under our rule in order to finish these damned wars and be done with it for good." "I never stated that I couldn't see the end game of it all son, I just....disagree with your choice of action from the previous years although it has led to a possible offensive for once. Amongst vampires, you're still a mere child and you're only a halfblood at that, you need a whole lot more strength in order to succeed but I just don't see where this strength is to come from. You may have an army, but none of them with your own level of power so how could you even imagine that we'd win a war with the Bloodline? Need I also mention that with Yuna's passing, we don't have some of the connections with the Trinity that we used to therefore that limits our numbers and firepower even more." Renga, Theresa's father, made an attempt to tear into Med and give him a lesson which didn't seem to work at all. "Listen old man, Mother Yuna did everything she could for us before passing and these connections were no longer her own but mine as well. On the other hand, I have plenty of power in order to kill a few hundred vampires therefore if our men can't kill the other couple hundred then they deserve to die. On another note, what I'm more worried about is the possible invasion from the surrounding nations....Once I claim the throne over Lorude, there will be plenty of people ready to launch all out assaults with us being in a weakened state therefore what I want out of you and the rest of my council is for you all to put your incompetent brains and wills together in order to manage a contingency plan got it? Now get out of my sight before you end up like her." Med resisted the mans words with an almost stoic ambition before discharging him with a rather bloodthirsty look. Realizing Med wished to hear none of his opinions, Renga quickly nodded and left the room to leave the half blood with his own thoughts. 'You know I dislike it when you talk to my father like that....Be easy on him, he's just trying to get you to think a bit more outside the box.' Theresa's voice cut in but only Med could hear them as he still carried her soul within himself. 'He may just be trying to help but the fool is damned ignorant to his own bloodlines' culture and magic. He still blames me for your immenent death and has yet to realize what will come of it in the next two nights. I refuse to stoop down to a fools level of mental brain power and look past the truth of it all.'