Bloodlust: Sliver of Moonlight

15

Damien's father stood dumbfounded at the sight of his son standing in front of him. Damien smiled, a small tear welling up in his eye.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Damien said, his voice cracking, "I didn't know what was going to hap-" Damien's father leaped forward and hugged his son tightly. Damien buried his head in his father's shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably. Rosalina smiled, still holding Damien's hand tightly.

"I was so worried about you, Damien," his father shuddered, "I thought you were dead..."

"I know, Dad," Damien whispered, "I know. But I'm alive and I'm...ok." Damien pulled away and smiled, "This is my...girlfriend, Rosalina." Rosalina waved to Damien's father.

"Girlfriend?" Damien's father asked, raising an eyebrow. Damien laughed and put an arm around his father's shoulder.

"Dad..." Damien laughed, "I'd sit down if I were you. There's a lot we have to catch up on. Like a lot." Damien led his father and Rosalina into the house and used his foot to close the door behind them. Damien sat his father down on the couch in the living room while Damien and Rosalina sat on the opposite side.

"Ok Dad," Damien said, pouring a glass of water, "What I'm about to tell you will sound far-fetched. It will sound out of this world. But you have to trust me when I tell you. Ok?" Damien's father nodded slowly. Damien sighed and looked over to Rosalina. When she nodded, Damien began to explain to his father everything that happened-from when he fell down the mine to meeting Rosalina to his transformation. Damien's father sat in silence, nodding. When Damien finished, his father sat farther back into the couch.

"So Dad," Damien said, "I need you to go. Get as many people as you can to evacuate the city as fast as you can."

"And you?" his father spoke, "Where are you going to be?" Damien and Rosalina looked at each other and sighed.

"Dad..." Damien said, "I have to stay and fight them off. Long enough to get you guys safe and out the city." Damien's father slammed his glass of water on a coffee table between them, shattering the glass.

"I made that mistake with your mother," his father choked, "I'm not making that mistake again. Not with you..."

"Mr. Masters," Rosalina interjected, "Damien is much stronger than you think. I know your son is capable of defeating..."

"I'm not," Damien's father interrupted, "Losing. My son."

"Dad," Damien said, "Believe it or not: I have to. It's the only way I can ensure your safety. This is how it ends. All or nothing. Everything goes." Damien's father sighed and stood up. Damien shot up with him and walked to his father.

"Dad, I have to," Damien began, but then his father turned around hugged him tight.

"You have to promise me that you'll come back," his father mumbled in Damien's shoulder, "You'll come back when this is all over..."

"You have my word, Dad," Damien said, embracing his father tightly. His father pulled away and smiled, a single tear falling from his face.

"You know," his father said, "Your mother would be proud of you. Speaking of your mother..." Damien's father ran into a back room and pulled out a black sheath with a dark black hilt sticking out of the top.

"I found this when I found your mother," he said, "It's a silver sword that was forged with the pieces of the True Cross." He handed the sword to Damien, who slung the sheath over his shoulder. Rosalina smiled and walked next to Damien and slid her hand into his. Damien's father saw her and beamed.

"You know," his father said, "You two are cute together." Damien smiled as Rosalina blushed a deep red.

"Get people out of the city," Damien said, "I'll see you at the end of this." Damien let go of Rosalina's hand and gave his father another embrace.

"I love you, Dad," Damien said.

"Love you too, Damien," his father responded, "And I'll see you soon. When this is over." Damien pulled away and slid his hand back into Rosalina's. He led her to the door of the house.

"Your father," Rosalina said, "He's a good man."

"Strict as hell," Damien joked, "But yes. He is a man of virtue." He opened the door, looking at the sky and groaned. The sky began to swirl into a deep shade of red.

"Fucking hell," Rosalina said, "They're here. Come on!" Rosalina ran towards the inner city and Damien sprinted after her.

Am I ready for this? Damien though, his new sword bouncing on his back. He sped up, running next to Rosalina.

"Rossie," Damien said, "Are you ready for this? If we let even one bloodsucker alive, we lost..."

"Are you?" Rosalina responded. Damien looked down, but nodded slowly. Rosalina smiled and and ran to the center of the city. Civilians started running the other way, trying to escape. In the distance, Damien could feel Marcus and Alex's presence. Sure enough, in the distance, Marcus and Alex floated ahead of a vast army of vampire soldiers. They looked exactly as Damien pictured them in his dream: both donned blood red armor. In Marcus's hand was a huge dual-headed axe and resting on Alexandra's back was a long katana blade. They floated farther until they were right in front of Damien and Rosalina.

"Well then, sister," Marcus smiled, "Look at what we have here. The human and his halfbreed girlfriend."

"I'm surprised," Alexandra said, "I did not expect you two to be here as our opposition. But a thousand hands are better than four." Just then, the entire vampire army rushed forward, standing in rows in front of their leader. Damien gulped and clutched the sword hilt tightly. Rosalina's eyes flared again, looking at Marcus with murderous intent. Marcus and Alex laughed, a chilling chuckle that echoed through the streets of citizens running for their lives.

"You efforts will be futile, Damien Masters," Alex cooed, "Tonight, you and your friend will die. And a new age shall begin atop your bones. Welcome to the end of your world, and the beginning of ours."