Guilty All The Same (English)

30 - Confirmations

Mikaela savoured the silence that hung in the air, soon they would be fighting humans and that peace would be over. He had become accustomed to the usual harassment of a certain vampire, but that day it seemed that the annoying Ferid Bathory had lost his usual eloquence.

He gave orders and almost growled in response; his playful manner forgotten who knows where. Not that he cared much for the turmoil that gripped the sadist's mind. The less he bothered him, the better. All he cared about was finding Yuichiro. The important thing was that Ferid didn't decide to pour out his discomfort any further.

He wasn't the only one who noticed this strange change in attitude. No one dared ask questions. As long as the seventh progenitor didn't take off any of their limbs, it wouldn't be a problem.

The vampire had actually turned his thoughts elsewhere. For the first time he wasn't thinking exclusively of humans, causing them suffering and drinking their blood. All he could think about was Yurika, his thoughts continuing to retrace the last conversation they'd had. He had regretted the words he had spoken almost immediately. He had definitely gone too far. She didn't deserve to be treated like that, especially by him.

After all he had done, he had no say in the matter. But he hadn't been able to contain himself, seeing her happy for someone who wasn't a monster like him, for a human who could have offered her maybe something better had made him boil. He didn't want someone to take her away from him. She who had become everything to him, so important that she could make him forget the thrill of being able to kill.

He was perfectly aware that it would look strange in the eyes of the other vampires, but he didn't care. The sooner they completed that odious mission, the sooner he could return home and make amends for his outsized reaction.

It wasn't really a confrontation. The members of the army they found were naturally not the strongest of the bunch, so it was really easy for them to make up for their losses. Ferid almost refrained from fighting, only intervening sporadically, and as he watched the fight, he kept wondering why he had wanted to be there so badly. He almost felt insulted in his rank as the seventh progenitor. He would at least have aspired to stronger opponents. He was still a nobleman. Krul had to stop treating him this way. He growled.

Soon the time would come for his personal revenge, so all he had to do was wait patiently. A human had the unfortunate idea of bothering him. Ferid snorted. Two others came to help the other. More bored and annoyed than anything else, he merely parried the blows for a while, playing his usual game with his prey. Too bad they didn't last long. He saw Mika fighting not far from him. He, too, fought without difficulty, knocking the humans down without a qualm. His glacial eyes, always indifferent to everything and everyone, but he knew that an untamable flame still burned within him.

That flame that had driven him to only partially accept his new nature in the hope of one day finding his dear friend Yuu. The only child Ferid had ever allowed to escape. Needless to say, he had played his part in that too. It was no coincidence that dear Yuu had been found by Guren himself. He had to try and see things from a more realistic perspective. After all, the man was living with the spirit of his ex-girlfriend.

He doubted that she would be in favour of him having an affair with someone else.

Yurika's voice came back to him as she declared her love. This helped to calm his soul. He would go home and make it up to her. That was the least he could do.

On the return journey he tried to act as he usually did, but the results were not the best. He was less convincing and lacked something. Mulling over his actions had almost become his new favourite activity. Or perhaps it was better to say that a profound change was taking place in his way of thinking. He had always known that his actions had weight. They had a bearing on people's lives. Often they changed them forever. Too often they died of them.

In some recess of his unconscious these actions were surely recorded, but never processed. It was only thanks to Yurika that things had started to change and his thoughts had begun to flow differently. The girl was an integral part of most of his thoughts and second thoughts. The only thing he trusted now was that she wasn't angry with him. Not too angry, at least. Too bad he'd have to see the queen before returning. It couldn't have bothered him more.

The streets of Sanguiniem always had a certain effect. Despair and desolation always reigned in the streets of that city. Vampires were always ready to pour out their contempt on defenceless humans, who were seen as mere livestock essential to the vampires' livelihood. Often, Ferid's watchful eyes did not miss the bite marks on people's skin. He smiled. He knew the thrill of breaking the rules by drinking the blood directly from his prey, although since Yurika had been with him his direct source had always been her, he had no longer resorted to the blood of others. At least as far as a direct source was concerned.

He too had his own personal supply of blood, children for the most part, the blood he most preferred, but sucking blood from Yurika tasted entirely different. Not only was her blood delicious, but her attitude was completely different from that of a forced child. Yurika sought him out, desired him. He sensed it from his body.

The beats of her heart increasing and her hands tightening around him. It was an act of complete pleasure, perhaps comparable to what one feels when making love. He closed his eyes. If Yurika accepted that act, if she enjoyed it, then she would soon desire more. She too would have longed to feel their skin brush against each other, their bodies coming together to celebrate an act of love. He couldn't wait to share that experience with her.

"We have won it all back, my queen. Just as you asked." "Well, well, well." Krul chuckled as he saw the vampire quite calm, perhaps just more subdued than his usual self. Was he really succumbing to futile feelings? She continued to look at him, smiling and wondering how long it would take him to smell the scent hovering around her. For Ferid it had to be perfume. He was impatient. If he reacted as she hoped she was on her way. She would find a weakness of his own.

She saw the vampire's false smile slowly disappear. She smiled; her hunches had proved correct. She sensed the vampire tense up and settle, predator-like, on the attack. He approached Krul. There was no doubt about it. The scent of his Yurika seemed to hover around the vampire. How was that possible?

"Krul. Where have you been?" "Oh, you finally noticed. You know, I was bored..." "What did you do to her?" Ferid growled. "Don't tell me it was important to you." She teased him. At these words the vampire, heedless of the consequences, took action.

The queen found herself raised on the wall, the vampire's hands clasped around her neck. It was a pity that her only reaction was a resounding laugh. Seeing him like this was a unique sight. She had never seen him lose control. Poor fool.

"You would even go so far as to avenge her? How romantic. Too bad you should have thought of that before you left her all alone."

Ferid left the vampire, gripped by pure panic. He ran home and Krul merely watched the scene in satisfaction.

21/05/2021