Crimson

Prologue: Moon

"To the right!" Screamed my father as I thrust my sword to the side and struck one of the monstrosities straight in the heart. Crimson red eyes stared into my soul as the body of the once had been person burst into dust and was swept away by the light August wind.

"That's my girl..." My father walked towards me, one hand holding a wooden stake, the other holding a mahogany sword that seemed to simply be a larger version of my own. I was drenched in blood, my long black hair sat in knots down my back. My chest heaved as I wiped my forehead with my right hand and stared at the moon. Training in the heat of the summer was hell. The black gear that had to be worn during battle weighed down on my small frame, the humid and high temperature of the season not doused whatsoever by the night and it's welcomed darkness. As I was about to put my sword away, I heard a scream in the distance. My father and I took off running up the large hill to our home.

With every step the immense shouting became more unbearable. We arrived in front of our house to see my mother dead on the doorstep, and my brother in front of her body holding out shaking hands that were carrying one of our fathers wooden stakes. I couldn't bring myself to scream, I couldn't bring myself to do anything but look. My mother stared lifelessly into the sky, green luminescence erupting from her body and into the night air. More shrieking bursted through my brothers mouth as he lunged clumsily at the vampire who's mouth was crimson with my mothers blood, his eyes glowing red. Cursing, my father ran at an almost inhuman speed towards the now laughing bloodsucker and thrust his wooden stake into its chest. Rather than his eyes widening in surprise or fright, he simply continued to smile, teeth wet and bloody, fangs extended.

"This is the beginning..." Whispered the vampire as he burst into dust and floated away through the air.

My knees buckled underneath me and sobs wracked my body again and again. Both my father and brother were staring at my mothers dead body lying in front of the small house that no longer felt like home. Though my brother was five years older than me, he had never taken after vampire hunting, he was rather a healer like my mother. Her magic ran stronger in him than it did in me, and my fathers hunting skills ran strongest in me. How ever many hours he trained, now matter how hard he tried, my brother had never killed one vampire in his life. And though my mother was proud of him for being able to master giving life rather than taking it, my father shunned him for his lack of ability to protect. With all of the pent up anger and rage that my father held within his heart towards my brother, he grabbed him by the arm and threw him to my mothers body.

"Heal her Demitri! Heal her now!" My brothers hands shook, tears falling from his eyes, he shook his head.

"No father, I can't, she's gone." I could barely understand my brothers words through his sadness. My father cursed and walked into the house, slamming the wooden door behind him. My brothers screams for forgiveness could be heard throughout the hills of Italy, and into the heart of Rome.