Blood Wars

A week after Morgan's arrival at the Northern Lycan territory, things seemed to have settled down in Allegra. Less rogue attacks were reported in the city and it's surrounding areas. Nonetheless, citizens were still on high alert as the heir to the throne has not returned yet. There were rumors regarding Reed's disappearance, that he changed allegiance, or that he completely abdicated his right to the throne. Count Gladstone has been keeping silent, while he dispatched his royal guards to scour the perimeter, looking for the rogues' nests. There was a report that mentioned the sighting of Zenon's army near Allegra, but when the troops got there, no trace of vampires were left at the spot. So, the search continued.

Meanwhile in Norfolk, Reed and the group has returned from Sir Varkey's land back into town. They continued to stay at the chief's house, as it offered the most protection for Reed. Killian and Damon decided to stay at the chief's neighbour's house, as their old room was given to Morgan. The Oracle nursed Morgan back to health and continued to teach her healing techniques and some other witchcraft related skills, such as potion brewing. Reed recently learnt of Morgan's dream of the red thread, which was similar to his dream. As they took the time to decipher the meaning of it, Yeri and the other werewolves continued to patrol the perimeter of Norfolk, watching for signs of rogues. 

Since Morgan's arrival, Yeri had been keeping her distance away from Reed. Her gut felt sick, as if the inside of her stomach had been twisted and turned around. There was a mix of jealousy and curiosity, but Yeri tried to appear nonchalant and push her feelings aside. She was trying so hard to be the Chief's daughter, the leader of the pack. To her, love life was not her priority, especially when it was her responsibility to keep the peace and safety of her people. Morgan was walking towards the small creek near the outer perimeter of the village when she passed by Yeri, who was spacing out. Her right foot was resting atop a fallen log, as her slender fingers examined the stain on the wood, she appeared to be lost in her thoughts.

"Excuse me." Morgan approached cautiously. Yeri blinked and looked towards the source of the voice.

"Hey, Morgan." she greeted her, her voice calm and cool.

"Are you alright?" Morgan came closer and found that Yeri had a blood stain on her right cheek, a long scratch across her neck down to her left shoulder that looked quite recent. Sweat trickled down her face.

"Yeah, why?" she replied awkwardly, feeling Morgan's scrutinising gaze all over her. Yeri moved away, trying to hide her injury when Morgan put her hand on her shoulder.

"Stop, let me take a look", Morgan said, but Yeri pulled herself away.

"I'm fine."

Yeri pulled her torn t-shirt up, trying to cover the red scratch that stung her everytime she moved.

"Was there a rogue around here? Did you fight them alone?" Morgan continued to pry, as she traced a finger on her wound, Yeri flinched. "It's... a vampire nail mark."

"I said I'm fine."

Yeri swatted Morgan's hand away and turned her back on her, started to walk away.

"Are you angry at me?" Morgan yelled out a little as Yeri walked further.

It stopped her on her track as Yeri felt a little pang in her chest, thinking that maybe Morgan was Reed's true mate.

"Why would I?" she responded without turning around, secretly biting her lip.

"Because of Prince Reed." Morgan answered.

At that time, another deeper voice came from the woods, "What about Reed?"

Yeri quickly changed her stand and scurried towards Morgan, standing in a protective stance in front of her. Morgan's eye widened as she took in the sight in front of her... another vampire. Not just a vampire, not just a rogue, but a pure-blood. The glistening golden ring on his left little finger showed a distinctive 'Z', which meant that he was a Zenon.

Yeri hissed, her eyes narrowed and the gold swirls in her black eyes darkened, her wolf was awaken.

The stranger smiled mysteriously, dragging his tongue across his red bottom lip, his sharp fangs peeking from his mouth.

"Don't think that your little dog pack would stop all the rogues from infiltrating the lycans, little miss..." he spoke to Yeri, taunting her. His playful gaze moved between the two girls, as Yeri stepped back, one of her arm pushing Morgan behind her.

"Leave, I've alerted the pack." Yeri snarled as soon as she finished her mind-link. They could hear a distant wolf howl, a warning sign sent by another patrol man.

"Give me the crown Prince and we will leave you wolves alone." the vampire bared his fangs, threating Yeri by showing her his long sharp nails.

"Over my dead body." Yeri let out a deep growl and shoved Morgan backwards. In the blink of an eye, her human formed disappeared and her majestic wolf form materialised in front of Morgan. She gave Morgan a look, and Morgan seemed to understand her as she turned on her heel and started running back into the village. Morgan sent a message to Reed telepathically, hoping the friendly vampires would hear her warning.

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Killian and Damon were splitting logs when Morgan's voice echoed in their heads. They looked at each other, their pale faces turned even whiter as there was only one thing popped up in their head ; REED. They quickly dropped their tools, as the other wolves received their own message from Yeri and one by one, they transformed into their wolf form to carry them faster. As they near the Chief's house, they saw Reed rushing out of the house, zipping his jacket up with Lilo on his tail.

"Yeri's in trouble." he snapped as he quickened his pace. He looked up at the moon, let out an annoyed huff before leaping off his feet, swinging from tree to tree towards the fight.

"DO NOT LET REED COME ANY CLOSER!!"

Yeri's voice boomed inside Lilo's head, as she somehow knew that her sister would be in close proximity to Reed. Lilo's wolf snatched Reed's body off the tree immediately, despite his protest, Lilo threw him onto her back and ran the opposite direction.

"Lilo!! Turn back! I gotta help Yeri and the others!" Reed screamed into her ear but Lilo only growled without slowing down. As she jumped over the shallow creek, Morgan joined them.

"Morgan!"

Reed stretched out his arm and grabbed Morgan by the waist and placed her on Lilo's back as they went further away from the forest.

"My prince, reinforcements are on their way." Reed heard Abley's voice in his head and Morgan leaned forward to speak to Lilo, "We should turn to Allegra and reconnect with the Royal Guards."

Lilo blinked in understanding and skidded, turning towards the outer perimeter of Norfolk, overlooking Allegra.

As they made their way, more Zenons appeared from the woods, trying to block the road towards Allegra. An existing battle had been going on for a while, between few Zenons and lycans. Lilo recognised her friends and she was battling her own urge to help her fellow wolves, but at the same time she had to get these vampires to safety. ZZZIIIINGG! Lilo felt something sharp and hard penetrated her thick wolf skin. An arrow buried itself into her flesh, weakening her wolf as she felt the sting of silver from the tip of the arrow.

"Silver arrow... archers!!!"

Morgan jumped off her back, followed by Reed who digged his nails into the other vampire's neck, ripping his trachea out in rage. Lilo choked on blood as the arrow hit her lung and blood started filling up. Her wolf weakened and she returned into her human self, bared and injured. A second later, Killian appeared from nowhere with his big velvet coat and threw it over Lilo's body.

"Lilo!!!" his cry was amplified amidst the ongoing battle, as Morgan tried to use her healing magic to stop her bleeding.

"Wol..fs...bane." Lilo groaned weakly as she applied pressure on her punctured wound. Killian broke the arrow to shorten it and put his hand on it, trying to increase the pressure as they were not supposed to pull it out.

"Shit." Morgan muttered as her magic could only slow down her bleeding as the wolfsbane venom had entered her bloodstream.

They started to get cornered as more lycans fell, few of them fatally injured as soon as the archer started to shoot them with wolfsbane tainted arrows. Luckily, they could hear the Royal Guards stomping the ground from afar. Their war cries sent shivers down everyone's spine as the troops set foot into the lycan territory. The Royal Guards took over the battlefield and soon they captured more Zenons soldiers and even killed the archer. Abley approached Reed, sent the troops to make a circle around him and protect him from the enemy. Killian pulled Lilo's weak body into his arms and carried her away from the bloody battle ground. They laid her against a tree, just at the entrance of Norfolk, where some non-warrior lycan females came out to dress her wound. The Oracle limped as she approached her granddaughter, wounded and gasping for air.

"Grandma..." she spoke softly as her lips turned blue. The Oracle knelt down next to Lilo, quietly sobbing as her wrinkled hand caressed her messy hair.

"I'm so sorry, my dear..." she quietly whispered into Lilo's ear as she could feel air escaping her lungs.

"Do something!! Please save her!" Killian grabbed the Oracle's shoulder, as the old woman broke into tears.

"There's nothing else we could do... her lungs have been punctured and the arrow went thru her body...." she looked at her precious grand daughter apologetically, as Lilo continued to gasp for air.

Morgan shed tears as she watched the heart wrenching scene in front of her. The noisy sound of war drowned out in her own sadness, knowing that her friend was lethally wounded. A second later, Abley dragged Reed, who was covered in other vampires' blood, towards them. Reed was panting heavily as he recovered from the fight.

"R-reed..." Lilo called out to him weakly, catching his attention. He scampered towards Lilo and took one of her hand.

"Lilo, what happened! Those bastards!!!" Reed was about to get up and rejoin the fight.

"Reed... listen to me..." she mustered up the rest of her strength to hold him down and pull him closer as she could no longer speak loud. Killian was sobbing, while hugging the Oracle next to her.

"Please... take care of my sister. She is everything to me... do not let anything hurt her." Lilo stared into Reed's eyes, and he returned her gaze back.. watching as the light of life started to dim.

"No... Lilo..." he whimpered, he tightened his hand around hers.

"Promise me, Reed. She would give her life for you.... please, protect her as I can no longer fight beside her." Lilo did not look away until Reed nodded in agreement and whispered, "I promise.".

A weak smile formed on her face as she withdrew her hand from Reed and placed it on Killian's cheek, wiping his tears away.

"I'm sorry, we are not meant to be together in this life, but if I were to be reborn, I would look for you in the next life." Lilo softened her gaze as Killian pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, Lilo. You're my mate." he murmured. Reed's eyes widened. He was not the only one with a werewolf as a mate.

"I know." she forced a laugh as she returned his hug with whatever strength she got left. "I love you, Killian."

Everyone burst into tears as Lilo let out her final breath. Her arms lost its strength around Killian's body and went limp. Her eyes closed and her face was at peace, at last. Killian wailed in grief as more gathered around Lilo's body, the chaos has been contained. Damon and the Chief came rushing in from the village, blood staining their clothes and their bodies were covered in scratches.

"Lilo... my daughter...."

The Chief put his arms around his mother, as he broke into tears, at the sight of her daughter's lifeless body. Reed gritted his teeth, his icy blue eyes narrowed as he tried to focus his senses to figure out where Yeri would be. Damon approached Killian and tried to console him, allowing Reed to slip away. Abley confronted him before he made his escape, 

"My Prince, you should come with us to Allegra."

Reed shook his head, "Not without Yeri." and he took off running into the dark forest towards the outer perimeter, where another fight broke out and Yeri was trapped in the middle of it.

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At the same time, as soon as Lilo drew her last breath, the 'gganbu' (korean) bond, a close bond between her and Lilo began to fade. Yeri felt something was not right and tried to reach Lilo through the mind-link but she got nothing. Slash!! another Zenon sliced her back open with his sharp nails as Yeri was distracted for a second. Yeri flinched and growled at him, she lunged at him and tore his body into pieces with her teeth. More vampire body parts were thrown around, the forest was painted in red. That was the last living intruder and the wolves turned back into their human forms, covered in wounds. They stumbled over piles of dead vampires on the ground and Yeri was the last one to transform.

Reed reached the battlefield right when the noise died down. He saw how bloody was that fight, most vampires were eviscerated by the wolves and thankfully, none of the wolves were badly injured. His eyes locked onto the only important figure on the sea of red - Yeri, in her human form, covered in dirt with a  large gash across her back, currently oozing blood.

"YERIIII" he called out her name and rushed to her aid as her energy was sapped away and she felt weak. He caught her just in time, took of his jacket and draped it over her battered body.

"Where's Lilo?" she asked. Reed could not answer immediately. 

Yeri noticed that Reed stopped breathing for a split second after her question and she straightened herself.

"Reed, where's my sister?" her voice got louder as the rest of the wolves reconvened.

"She didn't make it." Reed locked his gaze at Yeri, watched as colour drained away from her face and tears started to swell up in her beautiful eyes. Yeri stood frozen on the ground, as if struck by lightning, she was paralysed. A piece of her broke that day and she could not help but dropped on her knees and sobbed.

"Yeri.. we gotta go."

Reed tried to pull her up but Yeri threw herself back down, grabbing dirt with her hands and buried her face in tears, sitting in a child's pose (a yoga pose) wailing Lilo's name. Her whole body shook in pain, her blood stained Reed's jacket and her cry was so heartbreaking to anyone around her. The other wolves started to cry, sending howls up into the sky. More wolves joined in and soon after, almost every lycans in Norfolk started howling at the moon, grieving the loss of their pack member. 

Lilo was not the only casualty that day. Many wives had to bury their husbands, children lost their parents and some husbands lost their wives. Parents mourned over the bodies of their young children, teenage soldiers who barely learned how to fight, and those non-combatant wolves who died as collateral. The lycan population of Norfolk was halved in one night, it was the bloodiest war ever happened between the vampires and the lycans in the northern territory.

Reed returned to the Chief's house close to dawn, with Yeri in his arms, swinging her limp arms and refusing to speak. Her eyes were empty and her face painted in agony. The Oracle just finished cleaning and dressing Lilo's body, which had started to stiffen as rigor mortis set in. She wiped away a stray tear as Reed brought Yeri inside.

"My sweet girl..." the Oracle was holding back her tears as she received Yeri; Reed put her down on the bed, moved her just enough to expose the wound on her back so Morgan and the Oracle could tend to it. Morgan brought a bowl of herbal remedy and forced Yeri to drink it. Despite her resistance, Morgan managed to make Yeri swallow half a bowl, which quickly warmed her body and restored her strength.

"Reed, please have a sit and let me look at your injuries..." Morgan pulled out a white cloth and proceeded to dab his wound when Reed grabbed her by the wrist.

"Were you there?" Reed questioned her, "Were you with Yeri when the first intruder was spotted?"

"Yes."

"Why did you leave her alone? She could've died fighting alone!" Reed raised his voice.

"She told me to get you! To warn you!" Morgan tried to wriggle free but Reed tightened his grip on her wrist, leaving distinct red marks on her skin.

"You're lucky, she's alive." Reed scoffed and dropped her hand. Morgan massaged her wrist slowly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save Lilo." Morgan spoke in a soft voice, her face twisted in remorse and angst, secretly hating herself for failing at healing magic when she was needed the most.

"Tell Killian that." Reed curtly replied, "You've only found your mate once in a lifetime."

He swiped his gaze around the room and found Killian kneeling next to Lilo's body, his eyes blank and dried tears streaks were visible on his face.

"I should have been the one who died out there." Reed clenched his fist, "All these wars.... all these bloods... all the lives we lost tonight... all because of me."

Chief Han heard him and got up, as the Oracle tended to Yeri's wound.

"It was not your fault," he spoke as he looked at her daughters lying on the beds beside him. "We were ambushed. It was nobody's fault."

"IF.. if only Lilo did not have me on her back.. she would not have been a target." Reed tried to hold back her anger and guilt, his fists trembled in fury.

"It was an accident; an act of God. We never know what would happen during a fight, and Lilo knew that. She took on that responsibility because she was a warrior; a protector and she was protecting those who mattered to her." Chief Han was choking back tears as he placed his hand on Reed's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Nobody should die for me. I am not worthy."

"Shut it, Reed, you are our crown prince! We cannot lose you!" Damon jumped up from his seat and put both of his hands on Reed's shoulders, "You mean everything to us!"

"BUT LILO DIED BECAUSE OF ME!" Reed burst out in tears of rage. Damon pulled him into a tight hug, one that Reed could not escape from as both of them finally shed tears. Chief Han patted the boys on their back before walking out of the house. He stood still on his porch, watching his pack members laid their dead relatives on the ground in front of the house. There were about 100 lives lost that night and the Chief had to plan a mass funeral.

Killian let go of Lilo's cold hand and walked up towards his best friends. He joined their hug and muttered to Reed, "You must live, so that Lilo's sacrifice won't be in vain."

Reed squeezed Killian's body as grief consumed him, "I'm so sorry.. you lost your mate..."

"I will be fine." Killian forced a smile as he patted Reed on the back, "I know I will."

The dawn had broken and Chief Han had ordered his pack member to burn the dead bodies; a warrior send off. It got brighter and brighter as more bodies burn and the sun moved to its highest. By midday, most of the warriors have been cremated and Lilo was the last one. They waited till nightfall before placing her on top of a stack of wood; a podium to symbolise her rank in the pack - the chief's daughter. Yeri was barely walking, but she insisted to attend her sister's funeral. Reed, Killian and Damon stood in the shadows as the procession continued under the Chief's guidance. The Chief was holding onto the last torch of the night, but he could not seem to do it as he stared at Lilo's sleeping face.

"Father..." Yeri dragged her feet over, wincing every now and then as pain seared through her body.

"Let me."

Chief Han handed the torch over to Yeri, who received it with one trembling hand. A second later it was holding steady in her hand as Reed stood beside her, steadying her body, lending his strength to her and held the torch together.

"Together." Reed murmured, and Yeri nodded. The two of them began to move in unison towards Lilo's podium and lowered the torch onto the lowest point of the podium, setting up flames on the grass that quickly engulfed the wooden podium and Lilo's body. Reed took the torch away from Yeri's hand as she began to cry and pulled her closer to him, feeling her every sob, every tears and most of all, her pain. They continued to watch the flame that turned Lilo's body into ash.