Beyond The Fangs

Chapter 1

IZEL

I was 19 now, and a much better Vanquisher than before. 

I had pushed myself past my limit hundreds of times, wanting to be better than I was yesterday every day. All of those years, all of that rigorous work and training paid off because I could gladly say, "I'm the best Vanquisher."

"Here we go again," sighed Aleksander.

"I am!" I stated as I pulled my arrow back and released it, hitting the bird in the tree not far from us. "So I should be allowed to go."

"You're not even 21 yet." He pointed out, reminding me of the rule that stated that Hunter Vanquishers had to be at least 21 years old.

"I'm close enough," I said, approaching the bird and removing the arrow before putting it into the sack with the other game. "I may be 19 years old, but I kill like I'm twice my age. I should be allowed to go, I'm the best Vanquisher." I said again.

"One of the best," he corrected before shooting at a squirrel with his arrow. "And it's because you're one of the best that they don't want to risk losing you."

"You mean the Roi doesn't want to risk losing me," I said bitterly. "All he cares about is his protection." I was one of the several Vanquishers who stood guard in the Fortress, protecting the Roi from whatever danger he was paranoid about. I was forced to stand eight hours in front of the door to his chambers every day so it was hard not to cause trouble. What else was I supposed to do for entertainment other than disobey the Roi? "It's like I'm tied down to him."

Alek chuckled, "as if you'd allow yourself to be tied down to anyone."

"He doesn't allow me to go with the Vanquishers," I explained. "He says I'm banned."

"And will that stop you from going?"

"Of course it won't," I admitted, "but it still sucks, he should ban you too, just so I don't have to break his orders alone."

Alek shook his head but I noticed the way his lips quirked up. He was also a great Vanquisher, he and I started training around the same time. Being three years older than me, he had been 11 years old when he started training. His drive to train hard was almost similar to mine, he had lost someone he cared about too, his older sister. She died protecting him, and since then, he swore he would make sure he didn't need anyone else's protection. Just like his sister had, he would risk his life to protect those he cared about.

I was one of those people he cared about, though I assured him many times that I wouldn't need his protection.

He approached the squirrel and dropped it into his sack. "I think I've got more than you now," he said.

"This isn't a competition, this is for survival," I retorted

"Says the one who always wants to make bets before we enter the forest," he countered, "and survival? Really?

"Just trying to make it sound cool."

"Hunting food so Lilliville doesn't die of starvation is cool."

I sighed, "of course you find that cool."

Aleksander was the responsible one of our duo. He had a kind of zeal when it came to helping others, and I did too, but I wasn't as zealous as he was.

"Do you not like helping others, Izel?" He questioned me.

"I do," I said, "but I'd much rather go on the out with the Hunter Vanquishers and hunt vampires than sit and wait like sheep all day."

"Aaand we're back to this topic."

"I can kill, and I can kill well, and I can easily sneak onto the—"