The Bait

The basement area of the State Building was cut off from the rest of the building and it was covered with a greasy, wax-like substance. The thing was made into a huge buildup in front of the main entry of the basement area. Starting from there the whole area was covered in those, right up to the last level, which was four levels down. As the area was completely isolated from the outside, even during the normal times no sunlight could have entered. There were muffled snarling sounds all over. It was like a nest. The only way from the basement was to climb through the adjacent staircase area, but that too was almost closed up, except a small space of opening, wide enough for a human to enter.

Among the four legged beasts which were crawling the whole place was a black hooded vampire, entered from the staircase, standing watching the area which was once a parking lot for the building, now turned into another worldly place. He then pressed hold of the  ear piece and said ,

“Bring in the barrels and throw them in all the levels. These need to feed.”

As he ordered a bunch of vampires and werewolves came out with barrels and took them to the levels down throwing them at the creatures. Soon the humanoid beasts sprang towards it drinking the blood voraciously.

A sorceress appeared out of nowhere suddenly. She was as beautiful as a white swan, with snow like skin. Her reddish brown hair was in short a-line bob cut. Her nails were painted black. The face was small with red lips and deep brown round eyes. She gives off a demeanor so evil that it hits whoever looks at her. With a wicked smile she approached the hooded figure and stood beside him. A rough course voice spoke,

“Lady Euphenia!”

Euphenia, smiled and greeted back, “Prince Rhain!”

They both stood and watched the beasts feed on the blood, the sound of which can send chills down the spine.

Euphenia, taking Rhain’s right hand, “The bracelet. How is it working?”

Rhain, “Fair. But without the Eye of Life the efforts are useless”

Euphenia, “I am on my lookout. Will find a way soon. Ohhh, I have a good news. I will be soon dispatched as a part of the Queen’s envoy here to aid the Nightshaders.”

Rhain, removed his hood, revealing his face, “Wonderful, you are well aware what to do then. Remember, do not hurt Nez. She is mine.”

The look on his face was like an obsession laden maniac. Euphenia, noticed this yet did not further nudge him.

Outside of the area, a black and red bike stopped. Nezeira and Lily took off their helmets and came to the gates. The guards immediately opened them. After stepping in Nezeira, turned towards Lily and said,

“This is your last chance to turn around if you do not want to do this.”

Lily, with heavy breaths of nervousness said, “I’ll do this.”

She was nervous yet somewhere down, there were determination and confidence. Nezeira and Lily walked up to the entrance of the building, right where the lady in the footage was attacked. Nezeira then spoke,

“Remember, you need to run once you see them approaching.”

Lily nodded her head. Nezeira the proceeded to unsheathe her katana sword Requim. Lily stretched out her hands and she made two deep cuts on both of her wrists. Blood started to gush out of them. And as Lily stood with her hands down, the stream of warm blood started to pour down. Within a few seconds, faint snarling sounds can be heard. Soon, the beasts started coming out of the building towards Lily. The smell of fresh human blood drew them out. Nezeira was on alert just behind the last huge pillar of the building and she sprang, before the beasts could take their steps outside the building. She swung her sword like the wind cutting off their heads. In the meantime Lily ran, clutching her hands towards the gate. Nezeira, was swiftly killing the beasts one by one and when she stopped, two dozens of head severed bodies were lying around. She was about to turn away and leave when she paused and listened. This time Nezeira wasn’t wearing contacts and her vampire senses were on full mode. Her ears twitched and the look on her face became bewildered. She, clutched Requim tightly as the sounds became louder. Within seconds a hoard of beasts rushed towards her snarling. Nezeira might be super powerful but even that moment she doubted how far can she win against this big hoard of beasts. Looks like she made a huge mistake in expecting the numbers of these creatures. Just when the hoard was about to pounce on her, huge UV lights were switched on from the ceilings of the entrance, charring away the creatures, with ear deafening  shrills. The few who managed to reach Nezeira were beheaded by her swiftly. Surprised she, took a stumbling step back to look what happened and then a panting voice called,

“Princess!”

She turned around, Ywain was standing with the rest of the Nightshaders. He informed, that Lily is safe with the royal guards and is being treated. The tension and stress drained away from her face with the news and she sheathed away Requim. She then asked Ywain,

“How did you guys catch up?”

Ywain, giving out a sigh, “Princess you never tell us your plans, so we have learned to read between the lines. Yesterday when we heard that you paid a visit alone here again, with the human we sniffed something was cooking.”

Another vampire came forwards and spoke, “So we hatched our own plan, We set up these UV solar lights late last night. It was a decision based on hunch because we didn’t know what exactly you were up to.”

Nezeira, gave a mild smile and thanked them. She then instructed to visit the basement and the Nightshaders geared up again. With their weapons and UV guns they came in front of the staircase entrance with those wax like things all over the place. They carefully entered and gasped with horror at the sight. Blood spilled everywhere. Floor seemed like it’s been washed with it. They proceeded into the basement area more and suddenly a movement was heard. As soon as they turned they saw a beast running towards the exit of the staircase. Nezeira, gasped,

“It’s  escaping. It will be mayhem if it slips into the city.”

She then turned to Ywain and said, “Check every corner of this place, I will follow it.”

Ywain nodded and Nezeira with her supersonic speed ran out behind it and with one powerful leap she came up and landed into the entrance hall of the building. The bloody footprints stopped just before the light’s edge and then there were none. Looking at it Nezeira knew that the beast surely could not go beyond the edge, through the light, outside. So she paused for a second and then looked up to see it perched between two lights. Behind it was the glass ceiling. Nezeira instantly knew what was going to happen. It opened its mouth and the long slender tongue out gave out a beastly screech before turning around, escaping breaking through the glass. Nezeira immediately followed. She leaped up and landed on the roof through the broken dome ceiling. She ran behind it on the roof, and after a minute the creature leaped and landed near a grassy area and continue to run towards what can be called from a distance, a grove of trees. Nezeira soon remembered that the whole area was supposed to be wired with high voltage electricity, so she was expecting that the creature would be caught and burn. But to her utter shock it pushed through a small opening in the concrete base of the fence and escaped on the other side. Nezeira, without losing a fraction of the second followed it. It was like a small opening through the fence, almost undetected. She squeezed out of it and reached a broad street. She could see the creature crossing the road and running away towards residential areas. Nezeira, fanatically pursued it without thinking of anything because if she loses the creature it will be mayhem within the humans.

The Galaxy Arena was hosting the entertainment awards function, which Yihan was attending. He wore a suit; black trousers and shirt with a black jacket that had golden criss-cross designs all over. His hair was dyed dirty brown ,messily styled with locks falling on his forehead. He accessorized it with a long silver pendant. His name was called as the Artist of the Year award. Receiving it, he started his winning speech. All the eyes were on him, especially the actresses and other women. Yihan was used to this savoring attention, except that day there was something which made all these somewhat unappealing to him. An unspeakable bothering thought lingered in his mind like a virus invading a software system, causing it to malfunction. Yihan nevertheless finished his speech and went down the stage to sit on the front row seat where his name was written. A performance followed after that. While the performance was half-way, shocking everyone, a part of the ceiling arrangement fell apart on the stage, with sparks as wires were torn in the process and following it to everyone’s horror a humanoid monster like creature jumped on the stage. Its fangs were sharp with a long slender tongue, muddy yellow eyes and blisters all over the body; and feet bearing sharp claws. It snarled and slowly started to proceed towards the audience area. The stage was huge and grand, so the area was quite a bit. As the beast went forward a few steps snarling at the crowd which went in shock and froze, the pin drop silence was pierced by what sounded like huge boots hitting the ground. A figure landed squarely just where the beast had a few moments ago. The figure was of a woman. Clad in leather turtleneck fitting top and black jacket and calf length long boots. Her hair was iron-straight, up in a high ponytail with two sleek locks falling on her face, Nezeira landed on her feet and slowly stood up, lifting her head. The crowd gasped, with Yihan’s heart almost choking as he saw her. The piercing icy blue eyes with slightly showing fangs from her little gaping mouth. She looked at the beast who now faced her, circling around snarling. She slowly unsheathed her katana samurai sword and charged at the beast. After quite a few moves Nezeira, along with a witty fighting tactic managed to slice off the beasts head.

Yihan, stood like a statue, his heart thumped against his chest at a dangerous speed. His eyes were glued to this woman, or vampire. He thought to himself,

“So it was you. I saw you back then. But, the eyes? How are they blue? ……….who are you?”

 Security men poured in swiftly and surrounded Nezeira. She sheathed away her sword, went up to the in-charge and showed the royal i-card. Then she spoke,

“Please call the royal guards right now. I will escort the Prince to safety.”

The security in-charge had a quick conversation with the Chief and after that allowed Nezeira to escort Yihan. Nezeira walked up to him, and he could feel his knees going weak with each step she took towards him, a feeling which was strangely out of his control. With much difficulty he managed to maintain a straight face. As Nezeira now stood facing him, his dark brown eyes met her electric blue ones and he felt a unknown pull towards her, a feeling which his ego simultaneously vehemently rejected. Conflicted within himself about this vampire, he was searching for the past few days thinking her to be just another woman, he slipped the question involuntarily,

“Who are you?”

Nezeira, looked straight at his eyes and replied, “Nezeira, Your Highness. I am with the Nightshaders. Let me escort you safely to the palace.”

Yihan, “No, call the Chief, I will go only with the royal……”

He didn’t finished his sentence when Nezeira cut him off mid-way, a blatant daring act considering Yihan was never cut off mid-sentence by anyone in life ever given his attitude and demeanor.

Saying she turned around to leave when Yihan almost sprang and caught hold of her arm to stop her as he wasn’t finished speaking saying,

“How the fuck you dare to cut me off?”

But Nezeira being a vampire and far more stronger than him, caught his hand instead and with just another move, incapacitated him, holding him by his collar hoisting him a few inches in the air. Then she coldly spoke,

“If His Highness tries to do anything funny I will have to have him restrained. Now listen to me Prince, I am not someone who is ruled by your arrogance and pig-like male chauvinism, so you got two choices. Either you come with me civilized way or I take desperate measures.”

Yihan, was so dumbstruck that he could not even utter another single word. Nezeira, let him go and asked him to come, which he obediently followed. As they came outside the Arena, she again asked,

“Where is your car?”

Yihan pointed towards the valet parking boy and after a few minutes his red Ferrari was there. Nezeira asked Yihan to be seated on the passenger’s seat while she took the driver’s. In sometime they reached the palace. By this time the King, Queen and Crown Prince Constance were informed about the attack and that Nezeira was escorting the Prince back home. They were eagerly waiting near the portico. As the car reached Yihan went out and the Queen came running holding her son, crying her eyes out. Yihan consoled his mother softly, something which Nezeira never expected to see on a person like Yihan. The King then spoke,

“Princess, you have my sincere gratitude. Royal house of Cresia owes you a great debt.”

Nezeira, bowed her head and spoke, “Kindly do not say such Your Majesty, it was my duty, as I have pledged to keep everyone safe. Now that I have escorted the Prince, I will take my leave, I have things to sort out with the investigation.”

King Xavier, “Ahhh, very well have you found something?”

Nezeira, “Your Highness, Ywain just sent a message that a werewolf has been apprehended as they were raiding the building. I will start interrogating him asap.”

King Xavier, “Very well Princess, we all need some answers soon. Carry on.”

Nezeira bowed and left for the outhouse. A few seconds later voice called her out and she stopped to look back. Prince Yihan came running towards her. He stood facing her, saying,

“So? It’s Princess huh? Princess of Valdmore.”

Nezeira, unmoved by Yihan’s gestures and body language, coldly replied,

“It is.”

Yihan, “So why didn’t you say so before.”

Nezeira, “If I did, then what? Your pig chauvinism would have disappeared?”

Yihan gave out a laugh, “Chauvinism? What do you mean.”

Nezeira, “Look, Your Highness, I am here for a mission. I do not have time or interest in your annoyingly frivolous ways. So unless you have something to share about the present crisis your kingdom is facing, I would like to excuse me.”

Yihan opened his mouth to say something, which Nezeira again cut off saying, “Ohh!! I forgot you are a selfish, egomaniac chauvinistic pig who cares only about how to sleep, use and throw women as if they are your playthings, and who gives a two shit fuck about his responsibilities as a Prince, of a kingdom which is under a serious threat.”

She paused and spoke again,

“You should be ashamed of yourself and do me a favor, from now on kindly, do not try throwing your garbage ego on me. Consider this a subtle mild warning. Have a good night Your Highness”

Finishing her sentence she turned around and stomped off towards the outhouse, leaving Yihan petrified with shock.