Secret Fire

~Chapter 2~

About a month later...

"Where's Aegus?" I ask as me and Addy train. I keep finding myself trying to get close enough to grab her and pin her down. And I haven't eaten in days, I've just been living off of... fish... not filling to vampires at all it's more like eating a rock than eating actual food. She stops and looks towards some trees as she ponders, exposing her neck... No! Stop Ingressus! I think to myself as I keep staring at her neck. I look at her face instead, pondering...

"I think he went to go do something in the further cities, he'll probably be back tonight." She says and nods as she turns back towards me with a smile. I drop the training sword with an open mouth.

"T-tonight?" I stammer. How am I supposed to hold back from biting them if he's not coming back until tonight?! 

"Yes, maybe sooner. Is something wrong?" She asks and pauses in an offensive position like she always starts dueling in with a concerned expression.

"I'm starving..." I manage and slump down more, breathing out and in several times. 

"Well there's some fish over there." She says. "I personally don't like it but you and Achillean seem to. Maybe that will help."

"No... I need a mammal or bird or something..." I mutter and she nods quickly.

"Do you think you'll be ok with a bird for now?" She asks and I nod quickly.

"Yes, anything with b--" I start then cut myself off and pin my ears. 

"Alright I'll see what I can find just stay here." She says and I notice her worried expression as I slump down on a rock.

Addy Pov.

I dart away from Ingressus quickly. He really seemed hungry, like more hungry than Achillean when he refused to eat that one week because fishing was going low and he said it was his fault. Man that was a strange week... 

"Achillean?!" I yell, calling for my brother as I slow into a walk and look around. He walks out of our sleeping cave and looks over at me.

"Yeah?" He yawns and blinks several times.

"Ingressus really needs something to eat, like a bird. He is like starving, it's actually really weird." I say and Achillean shakes his head and furrows his eyebrows after as I go over to the spears and start digging through them. I throw a spear to him and he looks over it with a dull expression. 

"So we're just going to throw these spears in the sky and hope they get something?" He asks dully and I nod.

"Pretty much." I say and take a spear of my own.

"Alright let's go."

Ingressus Pov.

About 30 minutes later...

I look down at the ground and moan slightly as my throat starts burning again. If they don't get back soon I might just bite someone random at this point. Someone who has no consent... I see a dead seagull thrown to my feet and look up to see Addy and Achillean standing there, Addy with a bloody spear tip and Achillean holding a net, showing that she killed it and he caught it. I pick up the dead bird quickly and look at them.

"Thank you... you might want to look away..." I say and Addy and Achillean look at each other and shrug before walking off.

"Why does he care if we watch him eat?" I hear Addy ask.

"He's probably self concious." Achillean says and I look back down at the dead bird, looking around once more then biting the bird's neck, starting to drink it's blood while watching around me. Ugh... it has sour blood... not the most appetizing. I finish drinking the blood as Achillean and Addy walk back. I throw the bird away and get up and stretch while licking the blood off of my fangs and lips, so they don't notice.

"Alright I think I'm good now, still hungry but it's ok." I say and Achillean looks down at the bird as Addy watches me.

"You didn't even eat any of the bird, that's probably the reason why you're hungry." She says and I grumble then walk forward and tear a wing off of the bird.

"There I'll eat this." I say and she nods approvingly. I follow behind them and rip chunks off of the bird's wing, Addy glances back right as I see a bit of blood dripping out of the wing.

"Does it taste alright?" She asks and I nod quickly. Come on and look away so I can drink this! I think and she finally looks away allowing me to dig my fangs into the birds wing and drink all of the blood from it before I look up and see Master Aegus walking back towards his cave. I immediately drop the wing and run towards him. Addy and Achillean stop with wide eyes and confused expressions.

"Master Aegus!" I yell causing him to look over at me. I stop in front of him and feel my eyes flash red. Aegus grabs my arm gently and leads me into his hut, shutting and locking the door behind him then sitting down with me in front of him.

"Did you bite anyone?" He asks with a stern expression. I shake my head quickly. "You haven't eaten for hours you must be starving..." 

I nod again and Aegus tilts his head slightly, exposing his neck for me. I quickly go over and bite his neck putting more effort into being gentle. I start gently putting on more pressure and hear him suck in a breath. I continue drinking his blood for longer than I have been, I glance over at his arm and see it going pale, quickly pulling my fangs out and pinning my ears, stumbling back with a panicked expression.

"Fear not young one." Aegus says and he slowly gets up, gripping his arm. "I will be fine."

I nod then pin my ears still ashamed of myself.

"Maybe try to bite more gentle next time, you might need it later..."

"For what later?" I ask.

"If you ever really really really need to bite someone like Addy or Achillean, which let's pray it never comes to this, but if I ever have to enter the war with the Nether you may bite one of them. But make it subtle and unoticable for a while at least, but only if it is necessary." He sighs and I perk my ears before shaking my head. I can't be happy that I now have permission to bite my friends. It's not all a good thing. And it's only if it's necessary... only if it's necessary...