A Century

What people thought was never possible has been so: Vampires roam the Earth. Maybe they cause havoc, perhaps they simply pretend to be humans or are something like it. People are found dead every day with reasons unknown, and only the vampires know themselves.

Joey || Aluraune || 19 (100 yrs)

Oli || Asema || 18 (100 yrs)

Aluraune meandered aimlessly down the beaten dirt road, eyes staring ahead blankly. He was unsure of how long he had been walking, or of the time of day, day of the week, month of the year; time was something that meant little to him now. He simply knew that he was moving, and that that animals saw him pass from their hiding places in the trees, and slowly crept away, stricken with the fear that he always inspired. "Too long," he murmured quietly to himself as the only answer to his thoughts. He had been walking for too long.

Asema wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, the blood a faded red, smeared across the skin. She had been in a rush whilst hunting, feeling something she didn't enjoy. She could place it as she moved nearer- though she was oblivious to her advancing until she understood that it was another of her kind. She didn't seem to like how familiar the feeling was.

A sound off in the trees caught his attention, which was a difficult thing to do. He turned his gaze in the direction of the sound, head tilted in curiosity. There was no tell-tale scent of a woodland creature, but the presence was familiar nonetheless. In fact, it was more familiar than he would have liked it to be. Releasing a small sigh, Aluraune started off towards the disturbance, his hand subconsciously moving to the slender blade buckled on his waist; a relic from some time ago, when he still had a mother and a father, let alone a real name. It was a reliable companion to one of his kind, and it caused him to slowly ease the tension built up in his nerves. "Maybe the time for walking has come to a pause, eh, my old friend?" Maybe, just maybe.

Asema's head snapped in the direction of the voice. In less than a second, she was hiding amongst the top leaves of a tree, glaring down at the other being. Why wouldn't he speak loud enough for her to hear? Though if she tried in the slightest, she could easily hear his thoughts.

She let slip a small, yet deadly giggle as she advanced to the tree across faster than before.

He continued to move forward for a few more steps, feeling out the other presence, before suddenly darting forward and around the nearest tree, drawing his ebony blade from its hilt and flashing it forward, letting the tip hang inches from a time sculpted face, staring down the female before him calmly, almost emotionless; he bore no ill will to his race, but he bore no warm feelings either. His blade remaining motionless, he spoke in his own elegant style. "Pardon the brashness, milady, but I have the keenest sense that you were watching me; am I wrong?" He flashed a casual smile, letting his blade beg for the answer.

Asema glanced at the blade, then let out another giggle as she looked at it. "Wow. Where did you come from?" She reached up and patted the vampire's smooth cheek. "If you must know, I was feeding," she mock furrowed her brow, "when I was so rudely interrupted by one who has this strange tendency to talk to himself. Or... am I wrong?"

In the back of her mind, there was a small hint of worry, perhaps of fear, but she didn't let an ounce of it enter the portion of her mind that he could read.

Aluraune sighed and turned the blade back towards his hip, sheathing it quietly, trying to ignore the unfamiliar feel of unfamiliar flesh on his face and the mocking tone of the females comment. Although the situation had put him slightly on edge, he felt no imminent danger, and made a slight bow. "I apologize. I did not mean to interrupt. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aluraune, and I'm sure there is no need for me to explain what I am. May I ask who you are?" he raised his eyebrow slightly, feeling slightly ashamed for coming off so aggressively, but feeling as if this encounter was going to take an interesting turn because of it.

Asema titled her head a bit as he spoke. Well, he didn't seem too menacing, and she was hardly afraid at the blade. Not to mention, he was a right gentleman as well. She smiled as he finished, her lips turning upward at one corner.

She pressed the tip of her finger against her tongue, then began to pick at her bangs. She decided quickly that she would fix it another time, so for the time being, pushed her hand into the front of it and pulled her hand back, causing the hair to fold over, then bounce back. "Asema... and yes, like the old woman who would drink from those in their sleep. My birth mother, ironically enough, was fascinated with our kind."

Aluraune shuddered, not wanting to believe that anyone would ever be fascinated with his kind. It was all he could do to not be revolted with his own existence, but to think that someone would willingly give their minds to it...
"Well, Asema, I cannot say that it is a completely welcome sight to see another of my kind, but it is pleasant none the less to have someone to talk to; I sadly do not know the speech of animals, and if I did, I would not wish to know the things they say of me." He blinked, realizing how idiotic he sounded as he spoke, and quickly stopping his tongue, hoping Asema would not simply pass him by as another deranged child of their race.

She looked up at him, chuckling gently. And now he was going on about animals? "Well, they have reason to hate our kind, just as humans do."

She stared, not being able to look away from him easily, but blaming it on the fact that it had been years since she had actually seen another vampire. She kept her head tilted, though, as if fascinated by the fact that he had a complicated tongue, yet simple thoughts- or at least that was how it seemed.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts before speaking again, politely keeping his eyes on Asema's, though he felt the urge to closely study the rest of this new individual--purely to put himself at ease, he told himself.

"Ah, but both those creatures and us are animals, with the most base urges that all animals have. We are not so different; the wolf hunts, the owl roams by night and sleeps by day, the deer wanders from valley to valley. We are not so different." Feeling satisfied that he had mended his awkward first impression, Aluraune turned and moved to sit on a charred tree-stump.

She looked away in thought. He was right. "And our minds, then?" she suggested, finding a seat beside him and letting her bare legs spread and slide along the dirt, grazing it. "Your's reminds me of a human's... they believe they evolved from apes-," she raised a finger, "though if you ask me, not too may of them have evolved all that much."

He laughed quietly to himself, completely agreeing with her sentiments towards humans. So much time on the earth had shown him just how much 'potential' the human race had.

"Human, you say? I suppose so. As I said, we are all just animals; time does not change this; humans are just another type of mammal, and I suppose we must be too. I make it a point to keep my mind...more human than animal."

Although he said it easily enough, Aluraune kept his eyes averted from the creature beside him; his mind was resting more with his animalistic nature. It had been quite some time since he fed--he was one of the rare specimens of his species that did not need constant feeding--and he could not deny that the concept of feeding off another with such strong blood was tempting, almost unbearable. He had certain standards to uphold, however, and was determined to try his best to uphold them.

Asema looked over at him, head tilted. She chuckled, then pulled a bow from her hair, a small clicking noise as she did. She smiled, genuinely. "Do I really smell that good?" she asked, looking away again, but only to pull a few strands from her face and clip them in the bow.

Aluraune visibly tensed, pathetically hoping she had not noticed the struggle he was enduring. Flexing his fingers idly, he waved away the comment and tried steering the conversation in another direction.

"If I am not prying, how is it that you came to wander in such a distant part of the land? I was aware for the longest of times that I was the only Hunter in the region," Thinking that his statement might have came off as threatening, he quickly added. "Though I am not territorial, mind you. I am simply curious."

Asema settled on letting her comment and his reaction slide, or rather, tucked it in the corner of her mind- maybe to hold over him later. "The animals here are quick. I like a challenge," she answered simply, standing as she did and looking down at him with her arms crossed over her chest. "And you?"

Though she'd never admit it, she didn't like being the killer that she was, but was learning to embrace it. If she had to kill to live, why not have fun with it?

He stood in one smooth, flowing movement, shrugging, truly at a loss for words. Why did he come here?

"Honestly? I cannot say. I suppose I am a wanderer in every sense of the word. I just was aware of being here one day, and will probably be aware of being somewhere else by tomorrow. I have ceased to focus upon such things."

He could still smell the scent of blood in the air surrounding Asema, and did all he could to keep himself in check. He had to bring this encounter to a quick close, or else this may be the one day he would remember, and regret.

Asema sensed his struggle, but instead of taking leave, grinned. "Mind if I travel with you?" Not only had she nothing better to do, but she was up for challenging him. He wouldn't control himself better when someone else came along that he liked the scent of even more. "Actually... I suppose it doesn't matter what you say." She smiled at him, her eyes closed in what was supposed to be a gentle, reassuring smile.

The corner of his mouth twitched, a growl catching in his throat. He knew that this would be the outcome, and he supposed she would follow him, with or without his consent. Forcefully swallowing the trapped growl, he turned agilely on his heel and walked back towards the road, leaving her to follow.

She giggled as she skipped along- literally- and grabbing her dress to pull it up although it only went to her knees. "You have horrible control," she announced, skipping a circle around him with her dress bunched in her hands.

"And your hair..." she studied. "It's very light coloured- which is strange."

His hands twitched at his side, her mocking tone wearing on his patience. He physically bit down on his tongue, the warm taste of his own blood calming his nerves slightly.

"Yes, I have received similar comments in the past. I tend to be an enigma, even among my own kind." Aluraune readjusted the black leather pauldron on his right shoulder, the cross around his neck tinkling musically as it scraped against the collar of his robe. Casting a sideways glance at Asema, he added dryly, "Thank you for reassuring me that I still am just as enigmatic, Asema."

She couldn't help but laugh as she found her place by his side, halting to a walk. "Give me a few days and I'll be able to read you like a book."

Asema was turned by one of the first vampires, a fledgling of an original and her gifts were extraordinarily advanced for her age- and she had no problems showing that.

Aluraune's hand crept to the hilt of his blade on the hip opposite Asema, clenching it lightly. This girl had a sharp tongue, as had others of his kind, and his trusty companion had ensured that his attacks were sharper.

Something halted his movement, and his hand drifted down to his side slowly but surely. Although her mere presence pushed him to his mental and physical limits, something about it also sent a foreign shudder down his spine. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew it wasn't in revulsion either.

Damn, what have I gotten myself into?

Asema glanced over his side, her eyes landing on the handle of the blade he was gripping. She pursed her lips, debating whether or not to keep speaking, but as she sensed his mental struggle, decided in favour of keeping her lips shut. She looked down at the dirt as they continued along; she knew when to stop.