Memento vitae || Jongsang

7| Taint

A painful moment of held breath passes when the hooded figure turns around at the voices down the alley. Yeosang's fingers are quivering from anticipation, but the knight clutches the fabric of his cloak before he can move from his spot. Flaring eyes crosses with his, faint features are covered by long strands of dark hair, and Yeosang would have sworn if it is not for how his heart seems to wake troublesomely in his chest at the sight; for he can smell the distant note of familiarness.

Not a beat later, the figure darts away, bucket quickly fetched from the edge of the well as he turns down another alley. Yeosang pulls at his arm only to find that Jongho is still keeping him close to him. The boy hisses sharply and he can feel the sharp pinch of his fangs at the inside of his mouth.

"Jongho! Let me get to him before he is off our limits again!"

But Jongho's eyes are stern, drawn sharply as he aims all the reasons why he shall not be running after one who can just as well be a stranger. "No, Yeosang. You must start to control your strong and unreflective urges to act. What if that person is not who we seek?"

Clenching his teeth, Yeosang glares at the other, determined that he is indeed not wrong, "And we will never know if we do not look for it ourselves. Come on!" He pulled at the other again.

Eventually, Jongho gives in, sighing deeply as so, "Fine, last time, then," he grumbles before letting himself be pulled forward.

The boy's sight refocuses on his surroundings, legs sprinting across the ground as he lets his nose catch up on the distinct memory. His newborn body is moving quicker than any human would ever be able to, and soon, with only a few turns down corners of the alley, stonewalls are trapping the running figure on both his sides, the hood haven fallen down his head in the run and the bucket in his hand now scrambling across the ground. Something feels off.

Yeosang presses himself the last bit, feet seemingly gliding through the air as he decisively catches up on him. Walls are stretching up about them and Yeosang doubts that he will get away. Suddenly, a shadow throws itself past him, boots striding across the ground as Jongho blocks the runner's way further down the alley. Fear strikes the air, and without many thoughts to it, the figure presses into the slight space between the wall and a tall cart. As he finally reaches the place, Yeosang expects to be met with the pull of harsh panting, but to his surprise, no such thing is heard. When his eyes fall upon the face, body harshly pressed into the wall, a threatening hiss tears the man's features with revulsing, long teeth. Jongho growls in response, eyes pricking with every last strand of patience he has left.

The boy has lost his words.

In front of him stands a man whose corpse should have withered a long time ago, the remnants of a soul's spirit staring him right in the eyes with the glow of redness. Yeosang's limbs start uncontrollably shaking as his sight wavers.

"Sander?"

The knight's voice is full of fright and Yeosang does not know if he shall act the same. He is too startled to say anything when the face of the knight he supposedly should have killed is being right in front of him, baring his own set of fangs as red is glaring him down. The boy shudders. A moment passes before he recollects himself, but there it is already too late.

Jongho shoves him away when the other vampire leaps forward, the impact so strong that he trips over his own feet and tumbles across the gravel. His heart nearly sparks alive again at the sound of guttural growling and Yeosang turns himself around to see how Jongho fists the other's clothes, forcing his limbs around as he hisses and kicks and resembles nothing else than a wild untamed beast. A punch collides with the side of Jongho's face before the knight stomps his heel down into San's foot and sends a knee straight into his groin. San lets out a deep groan of agony before attacking Jongho another time, throwing his entire body weight forward onto the other. Their counterparting strengths force them both down to the ground with gravity where they tumble around, arms and legs kicking and beating around even when Jongho's head pounds the wall and San seem to have cornered him. Yeosang gathers himself and hurries to their side, pulling San's arms away from where his claws are cutting into Jongho's throat.