The Six

The Leech

Blurs of brown and green flashed past Victor's hawk like eyes as he ran through the thick forrest at incredible speed. He manueverd expertly through the trees, keeping his bright, bloodred orbs fixed on the small black dot about a mile away.

He felt his covered mouth water at the promise of sustenance. Fresh blood was only moments away. The dot grew larger, signaling it's close distance.

Had he been a less experienced hunter, Victor would have thought twice about attacking a full grown black bear head on. Especially considering what beings that this particular forrest wasinhabited by.

But Victor wasn't inexperienced. He had been taking care of himself for as long as he could remember, which was about 145 years. Compared to other vampires he was young, about 16 in their eyes.

Years ago, before the fighting had escalated and Valdren was at peace, vampires had lived together in large clans. Mainly because the elder vampiresdidn't believe that the younge ones wouldn't be able to survive on their own. That they needed to be protected because they were weak.

But who is alive now? Victor thought, with a smug air about him. He was the one who had survived all this time, not them

I didn't need them them back then, and I don't need them now. Victor picked up speed, the bear was just 15 short secounds away from him.

14...

13...

12...

I've survived this long because I am smart. I didn't waste time fighting with lesser beings that aren't even worth killing. He thought, fast approaching the oblivious bear.

5...

4...

3...

I don't need them, I've never needed them. I can survive, I can fight.

2...

1...

I can kill.

Victor's rock solid body collided with the animal at full speed, sendingt flying into a nearby tree. Victor was on it before it could even blink. He sinked his sharp fangs into it's neck with ease and slurped greedily.

The warm, metallic blood cascaded down his throat, quenching the terrible burn that was even more unbearable than it usually was.

The body was half drained by the time Victor realized that the animal was still alive. Oops, Victor thought as he snapped the bear's neck, ending both it's pain and it's life. My, my, I'm certainly getting carless. That's the third time this year. Victor thought.

He looked at the lifless body that lay beneath him. He felt a tinge of pity for killing a defenceless creature, but that disappaered

when he saw the colour of it's eyes.

The pity turned into a pleased feeling almost instantly as he recognized the inmistakable golden eyes of one of his races enemies. A Shapeshifter.

Victor smirked and pulled up the black scarf that covered his ivory face, so that all that could be seen of him were his nowdull red eyes. Oh dear, that poor, poor little Mutt. He thought sarcastically.

He stood up slowly, feeling a bit lightheaded after going so long without feeding, only to overfeed. A stupid mistake yes, but it was intentional.

"See what happens when you put off your feedings?"

Victor turned around to where the honey-sweet voice was coming from. He hadn't heard it in what must have been years. But there was no mistaking it.

"What do you want Sebastien?" Victor asked into the darkness, annoyed by the new vampires prescense. Sebastien merged from the shadows, wearing a beautiful suit of black silk that matched his raven locks.

He looked down at Victor and frowned slightly at the rudeness and hostility in the younger vampire'svoice.

"Well, originally I came to aske you a question, but now I see that I have to scold you as well." Victor crossed his arms across his black robbed chest and rolled his eyes, showing his distaste towards his elder. Sebastien ignored his childish actions and gladly began his rant.

"Victor, you are 160 years old, you shouldknow by now that you cannot ignore your urges. You know more than anyone what happens to Vampires that ignore The Burn."

Victor's mind involuntarily wandered back 140 years ago. He and Sebastien had watched, completely horrified at the onyx-haired vampiress clutching her throat and screaming painfully as she burst into flames.

Mother

Victor shook the horrible image out of his head and turned his attention back to Sebastien, who had stopped talking. He looked down at Victor, sympathy in his red eyes.

"I know you miss her. There isn't a day that goes by that I wish we could have saved her. But she gave her live so that we could live ours. I do not want her death to be in vain"

Victor sighed, wishing that he could be anywhere else but here, getting lectured by Sebastien. "I don't have to stand here and let you talk to me like I'm a child." He said coldly.

So he didn't. He turned on his heel and ran in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, Sebastien had always been the faster one. He easily caught up to Victor and stood infront of him, blocking his way.

"Get out of my way, Sebastien!" He yelled, very out of character for him. Victor is what you call the strong silent type. He liked to keep to himself and rarely let his emotions get the better of him. But, tonight was different.

"No." Sebastien stated, remaining still. "Then I'll make you move." Victor replied. Just like with the bear, he slammed his body into Sebastien's sending him flying to the ground. Victor started running again but stopped dead by Sebastien's next words.

"Starving yourself won't bring Mother back!"

Victor knew this was true. About 145 years ago, there had been a shortage of animals because of a drought. Blood was very scarce, so Elizabeth gave all the blood that she found to her two sons. Victor had never regretted anything as much as drinking that blood.

So, whenever The Burn would start in his throat, he would put off his feedings as long as he could, hoping that somehow, it would cause his Mother to come back. He knew that it was stupid, but it was a hope that he clung to that helped him get through his life. An empty hope, but a hope all the same.

Swallowing his pride, he returned to Sebastien and picked him up off of the ground. But instead of another scolding, Victor recieved praise from his older brother.

"Wow, Vic. It seems you have grown strongr since we last saw each other, I'm not sure whether to be angry or proud." He smiled sincerely, making his almost wrinkle free face appear slightly older.

Victor immediately felt suspicious. Happy from the compliment, but still suspicious. After all, Sebastien was the leader of the Vampires, it wasn't everyday that he complimented someone.

"So...you arne't angry with me, for putting off my feedings, or for not killing my meals before I eat them?" Victor asked, motioning slightly to the dead bear a few feet away.

Sebastien's eyes drifted to the body and slowlywalked towards it. A smile crept onto his face when he saw it's eyes.

"You killed a Mutt, and on it's own territory no less. It'scompanionsare not going to like that." He said, with an amused tone to his voice. He spit on the bear to show his disgust for the weak, insignficant creature and gave a small sadistic chuckle.

"Next time you drink from a Mutt, don't think twice about keeping it alive.Knowing your enemy is watching you drain it of its life is...rather amusing."

Victor shuddered involuntarily at his words. He hated Shapeshifters as much as the next Vampire but when his brother spoke like that he couldn't help but feel frightened.

"Now, Victor." Sebastien started, changing his tone to be more business-like. Victor looked up at him and waited for him to continue.

"I have a...proposition for you."