Darkness had fallen over Arkkukari City, but no one was ready to head to their beds. Lights of bright purples, reds, gods and blues colored the city in their vibrancy. Loud laughter and drunken banter could be heard over the strumming of a guitar and the banging on a homemade drum set all mingled into one. Trumpets sang into the night, filling the colorful sky in jubilation. People of all ages danced across the white stones that made up the many roads running through the city. The lack of color was offset by the colorful dresses that swirled upon a gentle breeze, mixing with the finely dressed men in their black trousers and pressed white tunics. 

All of it was a sight to behold, a cacophony celebratory excitement and shrill enjoyment. 

Banners flew high into the sky from houses and along the wall encasing Arkkukari City, waving to any passerby that may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them in the shadows. Pictures depicting the peak of the summer, hot sun shining down on the brightly colored wild flowers, animals frolicking through the grass while children played in the nearby streams. Along with the summer celebration, there was another celebration to be had: 

The young prince had finally come of age. 

Elisia and his parents were dressed to blend in with the common folk of Arkkukari City. However, he just felt they stuck out more than ever, which could threaten their own well being despite the Court Guards roaming the area. 

The Queen herself was dressed in a long flowing, powder blue sun dress. Her midnight black hair pulled up into a high braid where she had stuck little white daisies throughout the entirety of the braid. Elisia's father, the King, was dressed nicely in his black trousers and cream colored tunic. He had matching black boots that he was certain his father wore nearly every day, which was not surprising. 

To anyone glancing at them, they appeared to be a normal every day couple dancing through the streets. To Elisia, his parents were playing dress up just to make the people happy. 

Clad in a similar attire as his father, sunkissed golden hair shining in the colored glow of the lamps, Elisia made his way through the chaotic crowd of people. His dark black eyes scanned the people dancing around him, the band playing their music and the drunk stumbling about. Everyone was having a merry time celebrating the successful summer solstice, cheers being raised for a great rest of the year. At the same time, the people of Arkkukari City were raising a toast to him, congratulating the young prince on his birthday and praying for another great year to come for him. 

As flattered as Elisia was, he wished they would stop doing so. HIs birthday was nothing more than a marker of another year gone and another year older. 

"Your highness!" 

Footsteps stopping, Elisia let his black gaze wander back and forth through the sea of supernaturals that littered their streets. He wasn't certain if someone was calling out for him, or if it was his parents they were trying to get the attention of. Either way, he still looked regardless incase it was he who they were trying to get the attention of. 

Elisia got his answer soon enough as a young woman with long brown hair, the color reminding him of the oak trees that speckled the rolling valleys outside of their home. Her eyes were as green as the fresh cut grass, vibrant and bright like the summer light. Her dress stopped at her knees, colored a vivacious teal and swayed back and forth with each bouncing step she took towards him. To his surprise, however, she was even barefoot while walking across their white stoned streets. Her feet becoming powdered from the stones on the ground. 

"Your highness!" 

She called out once more, the panic rising within her eyes suddenly becoming noticeable, startling Elisia ever so slightly. 

The young woman stopped a couple of steps in front of Elisia and gave a curt little bow. Her head nodding in greeting before her ever green orbs found his black ones. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you on the night of your birthday, your highness, but it's an urgent matter." 

"No, no, it's perfectly fine. Tell me, what has you so distressed this evening?" 

Elisia questioned, slightly perturbed that this young woman had managed to pick him out of the crowd so easily despite hundreds filling the streets. 

Watching the young woman's eyes dart around, a sudden anxiousness could be seeing rising within her gaze. Her body seemed jittery, as if she couldn't stand still or stop fidgeting with the fabric of her gown. It had the young prince wondering what had the brunette so on edge. He thought he was going to have to prompt her to respond, but she looked back at him, those vibrant green eyes now wide with anxiety, staring at him as if she were staring right into his soul. 

"My parents, I can't seem to find them anywhere. They had been standing right next to me, but I turned to speak to them and found them gone." 

Nodding his head slowly, taking in what the young woman was saying, Elisia tried to think about the right course of action to take. He didn't want her to worry anymore than she already was, but he didn't want to brush off the matter as if it was nothing of importance -- which is definitely was important. 

"Okay, I'm sure they're fine. There are quite a few people here, maybe they walked of to speak to a friend they saw in the crowd." 

"Without saying something to me?" 

It was obvious to Elisia that she was scared for her parents, but he didn't want her thoughts dwelling on the worst possible scenarios that could happen. 

"Maybe they thought they would have returned in a short while, thinking you wouldn't notice they had left. They could be back and looking for you right this minute as well." 

"Oh my gosh, you don't think so. . . do you?" 

"It's a possibility, but even if they aren't, I will keep my eyes open and ask around for you. I will let you know if and when I see them. I just need to know what they look like so I can look for the right people." 

Hesitancy rose within the woman before him, Elisia finding the emotion rather strange and out of place for someone just asking for help in finding their parents. 

After minutes of standing in an awkward silence, the girl gave each description of her parents: 

Her mother, which he found out her name was Charlene, looked like an older version of the girl before him. Long oak brown hair that had been left to hang down in an abundance of bouncing curls. Roses had been clipped into her hair, matching the beautiful crimson dress she was wearing. She was a delicate woman with a flourishing bounce in her step. 

Elisia also learned she was of fae descent, where her father was of the woodland elves. 

Her father had green eyes and long silvery white hair. Tall and dressed in a traditional woodland robe, its trimmings and details laced with gold and teal to match her dress. His name was Arken and his stoic persona was one that couldn't be missed. 

"Alright, I'll keep my eyes open for them. How about you try and enjoy the festivities in the meantime while I work on looking for your parents." 

Elisia smiled gently, hoping he was being somewhat reassuring. He would keep his eyes open and hope that the woman before him could enjoy herself in the meantime. It would be a shame if she were to worry all night long because her parents were off enjoying themselves with their friends as well, surely she had her own friends she could hang out with for the time being. 

"Thank you, your highness." 

The young fae woman curtsied and bowed her head, but apprehension still clung to her like a vice. 

Raising back up, she turned her back to Elisia, stopping only to look her shoulder. A small sliver of a smile tugged upon her pale pink lips as her eyes landed upon Arkkukari's young prince once more. 

"If you need to find me, ask for Char." 

"Char, I'll keep that in mind." 

Elisia bowed his head, raising up only to watch Char turn and walk away from him. 

"Is everything okay my prince?" 

Not surprised by the sudden appearance of one of his family's court guards, Elisia nodded his head despite his words contradicting the very action; 

"I think so." 

Elisia's response was slow and quiet as he watched Char disappear into the crowd of celebratory people, vanishing from his view. 

Slowly, he turned to look back at the court guard standing behind him, the man's raised eyebrow and speculative look was not that hard to miss. It was pinned on Elisia, silently calling him out on his semi-lie he just offered up to the guard. 

"Don't look at me like that, everything is fine on my part." 

"Then why do you seem so perplexed by that young woman? You appeared troubled by your thoughts as well." 

A slow sigh blew from between Elisia's lips, his dark gaze drifting back over his shoulder and away from the court guard questioning him. His mind recounted the conversation he had in full with Char, still getting a rather odd feeling about the whole situation. 

"The young lady that just left, she said her parents are missing and asked if I could assist her in locating them." 

"She does realise this is a celebration for multiple reasons, right? They could have went off to go. . . celebrate?" 

Elisia's spun around, his head snapping towards the court guard. He had turned around so fast he nearly knocked himself right off his own feet. His eyes were wide at the shameless insinuation within the context of the statement given. 

"Lyras! Not out here! How could you suggest such a thing with young children running around!?" 

A cheeky grin formed upon the court guard's lips, his attention drifting off to the side as if he hadn't said anything at all. He only looked back when a frustrated sigh rolled out of Elisia. 

"There's more you haven't told me yet, isn't there?" 

A worried frown replaced the cheeky grin that had once occupied Lyras's face. His worry and questioning gaze pinning Elisia in place as if he were throwing a billion daggers into him just to keep him there long enough to explain. 

Elisia shook his head, unable to lie to the court guard that had been patrolling the festival. It was even harder to keep things from Lyras when he called him out for keeping things from him. The worry Lyras was feeling seemed to be mirrored on Elisia's face, which probably gave way to the other part he had yet to speak about. 

"I was uneasy about some of her actions during the conversation. She was rather hesitant when asked to describe her parents. To add to that, she seemed nervous, extremely nervous about the whole thing. She was always looking around as if someone was going to find her and take her away, it was all rather odd to me. It just didn't fit with someone who was reporting their parents missing and asking for help from someone." 

The contemplation was on Lyras's face, but all Elisia wanted to know was what was on the man's mind. What was he thinking and if he had any thoughts on the matter. As of right now, Elisia just felt uncomfortable, nervous, and extremely anxious about the whole situation. He knew something wasn't right, but at the same time, he couldn't leave a young woman to remain out there with her parents lost and unaccounted for. 

"I want you to go and enjoy the festival, we are celebrating your birthday as well as the success of another Summer Solstice." 

"But-" 

"No buts. Now, tell me who I'm looking for and go get to know some of the people here that are your own age. The court guards will handle the situation from here on out." 

Elisia huffed, but nodded at the gentle demand from Lyras. However, despite the demand, that didn't mean he wouldn't continue to keep his eyes open like he had promised Char he would do. 

"Okay, but let me know if you find anything out on the matter or find her parents." 

"I will, just keep yourself out of trouble and go have fun. I can't keep you safe while searching for two missing adults in this sea of happily chaotic people." 

Nodding his head, Elisia didn't feel the need to say anything more on the matter. Their conversation was coming to an end and they both had their own agendas to attend to. He only had to be careful Lyras didn't find out about his. If the court guard found out, he would never be able to search on his own, especially since he would probably be locked away the remainder of the evening if he was caught. However, something didn't feel right to him about Char and her parents. The whole situation strange, and that strangeness was beginning with Char herself. 

"I mean it Elisia, keep out of trouble and let us handle this." 

Lyras must have seen the wheels turning in his head, the sudden warning snapping Elisia out of his racing thoughts. An innocently reassuring smile found its way onto Elisia's lips in hopes that it would calm Lyras's nerves about him. 

"Don't worry, I'll stay out of trouble." 

Elisia slowly turned away and gently waved his hand as if to both brush off the warning that was just given and waving his goodbye at the same time. Both a sign that the conversation was ended and they both needed to get going on what they needed to do. 

"Just be careful out there and don't tell my parents, I don't want them to worry about anything tonight." 

As Elisia left Lyras standing there on his own, he could only imagine the look on the man's face as he vanished into the crowd. He could picture him, mouth gaping like a fish out of water and his eyes wide with disbelief about the orders given. Elisia knew it was a gamble not to tell his parents, especially when Lyras knew he wouldn't let this be until he found out what was going on. 

However, in the meantime, Elisia had some guests to entertain for a short while. What better way to keep an eye on things than by mingling with the common folk that had come to celebrate?

**** **** **** ****

The night was growing later, the midnight hour approaching quicker than anyone could comprehend. Festivities were still going strong with laughter and dancing. However, dancing had become less of an activity than the idle chatter of the citizens that stood around the city center. Children now leaned against their mothers or one another as they fought to stay awake, the late night finally beginning to wear on them. Meanwhile, the local men had congregated near the barrels of mead to see what alcohol they could drain from them. So much was still happening, yet time was ticking closer to the end of the main festivities with each second that went by. 

The moment the sun would rise, it would signal the completion of their summer festival. 

A hazy glow from the moon attempted to light up the festival down below. The only aid it had was from the dim colorful glow of the lanterns that speckled the city center and nearby streets. A light fog had begun to roll into Arkkukari City, creating an eerie haze throughout the streets regardless of what light they had or not. 

However, it didn't appear that anyone had seemed bothered by the sudden change in nightly weather. In fact, it was like they welcomed the fog and the slight chill that came with it. 

Elisia had found himself standing with a few of the local teenagers of the city, some people closer to his age. The group had drifted into idle conversation, bouncing random thoughts and stories between one another. Despite his friendly interactions with the local youth,Elisia wasn't fully into the conversation like he should have been. Instead, Elisia was preoccupied with all that was happening around him and looking out for two adults he had promised to look for. 

Among the excitement and the rising calm that was now mingling together and surrounding everyone, there was a sudden shift into panic and chaos. Groups of people were beginning to scatter, running from person to person, disturbing those both relaxing and trying to have fun for the remainder of the evening. Pleas to help find someone that they couldn't find, begging for a lost loved one that had vanished from the festivity as if a ghost had snatched them away. 

Some people ignored those asking for help while others made crude remarks and walked away. Others would snap at them, frustrated that their night of fun was being disturbed by these erratic people. It left the distressed supernaturals alone and frantically looking around, desperately searching for some form of help from anyone. It reminded Elisia of how Char had acted when she came to him for help. The entire scene made him tense and uneasy, especially since it was more than one person this time around. 

In fact, a significant amount of people had begun to panic over the same issue. It made him wonder if the court guards would be able to handle each request for help. 

"Are you okay my prince?" 

Snapping his attention back to the group of teens he was speaking with, Elisia gave a slow nod of his head in response. 

"Yes, I'm good." 

"Well, you seemed distracted or lost in thought just now."

One of the older teenage boys closer to his eighteen years stated, minor worry laced each of his inquiring words.

Elisia hadn't meant to put the young man into a worried state, but he himself was growing more worried the further into the night they got. He hadn't seen any signs of Char's parents, hadn't heard from Lyras or any of the other court guards in quite some time, and more people seemed to be disappearing by the minute. He didn't know how much more of this he could take, waiting it out and watching the people his family promised to protect vanish without a trace. 

"I'm sorry if I seemed distracted in any way, I was just watching out for my people and-" 

Once more glancing around the crowd, Elisia had been surveying  those begging others to help find their loved ones when something had grabbed his attention. It wasn't the families of those that had gone missing. No, his attention had fallen onto the young woman with the teal dress, Char. She had broken off from the entirety of the celebratory group, skipping off down a side street without a care in the world. The whole thing seemed odd, felt strange and out of place for the young fae he had spoken to earlier. 

"Actually, I have something I need to attend to. I'm sorry, maybe we can talk again before the festival ends." 

Giving an apologetic smile to the small group he had been conversing with, Elisia moved around them and made his way through the remainder of the crowd as quickly as he possibly could. The last thing he wanted to do was lose anyone else, especially if he had the ability to help them before anything did happen. 

The moment Elisia broke through the sea of party going supernaturals,  a wailing shriek forced the young demon prince to swivel around. His dark eyes darted around, scanning the people he had just forced his way through. If he didn't know any better, the crowd that had been so difficult to walk through not even an hour ago had thinned out a considerable amount. So much so, it had turned into a small gathering of people as if they were congregating for their daily shopping. 

Where did they all go and how had he missed so many supernaturals vanishing from the festival?

Elisia's gaze was once more drawn down the street and around the corner, an eerie giggling floating on a gentle breeze right to his ears. 

"Char!?" 

He called out, rushing after the echoes of giggles. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do alone, but the panic rising within him was driving his actions. He didn't want what happened to the other citizens of Arkkukari City to happen to Char. 

Elisia's footsteps pounded against the white stones that made up the streets, a soft white powder puffing up with each step he took. The panicked pleas and drunken music that mingled together in the background was becoming more distant to the point it was nearly nonexistent. 

The people and music had become more muffled, the quiet suddenly reminding Elisia that he was very much on his own out there with no one around. However, that didn't matter to him, not when one of his subjects seemed to be running off into potential danger. 

Regardless of the danger he was following her into, Elisia still followed. There was still a chance he was overthinking things and Char may just live within the current area of Arkkukari City. She might have found her parents and gone home with them, but if that was the case, why was he worrying so much over the whole situation? 

Elisia's thoughts were both contradicting and agreeing with how he felt as he turned the corner of the dark street, the shadows so thick he could barely see in front of his face. Not even his demonic sight was helping see within the darkness ahead of him. Thankfully, the moon was giving a soft silver afterglow, lighting up the streets even if just a little bit. 

Just when Elisia thought things couldn't get any worse, he turned yet another corner and came to a crashing halt. 

There in the afterglow of the moon, the white stones that made up the streets were illuminated through the thickening fog. Streaked across the stoney ground were long crimson drag marks. From the metallic taste in the air and stale stench of death, they had to have been rather fresh. It didn't bode well for any of the missing citizens that had gone missing, nor did it bode well for those that had been begging for help to find them. 

A single step was taken in the direction of the blood trails, but immediately Elisia stopped and looked back in the direction he had just come from. Safety awaited him there, crowds of people, his parents and the court guards were there. Elisia knew it was the best option for him, but there was obviously an entire group of people that had gone missing and needed help. He couldn't abandoned them in order to secure his own safety. To him, that would have just been selfish as the prince of Arkkukari City. 

Initially hesitant and uncertain to go, Elisia pushed it all down as he made up his mind on what he wanted . . . no, what he needed to do. Both thoughts had their own consequences, but only one of them had a chance of saving lives faster than returning back to get help. 

Growling at himself and his indecisive mind, Elisia turned back in the direction the drag trails were and ran into the darkness where they vanished. 

Elisia was nearly consumed by darkness, the dim orange glow of candlelight from the nearby buildings barely penetrated the shadows trying to swallow him up. The fresh scent of decay only seemed to grow stronger the further into the darkness he went. The stench was nearly suffocating and churned his stomach every which way. No amount of covering his nose or mouth could keep the putrid scent from assaulting his senses. It took everything within Elisia to keep from gagging and being sick right there in the middle of the streets. 

Just when he thought things couldn't get much worse than they were, Elisia's feet had a sudden difficulty gaining traction on what should have been hard stone. His body jerked at the same time his feet slid over something thick and slimy that found its way under his feet. It made a sickening squelching and sloshing sound that made Elisia's stomach flop and his blood run cold like ice had just been injected into his body. It was taking everything within him not to look down to see what he had just slipped on once he managed to regain his balance, especially since he already had a good idea as to what it was. 

"Looks like a little fly has found its way into our web." 

A giggle Elisia had come to recognize easily within the past few minutes rang all around him like an echo bouncing off the walls. It was quickly followed by a male's voice, gentle and elegant in its mannerisms; 

"I would say it's more of a sheep that has lost its way and stumbled into the wolf's den." 

Elisia went into a defensive position almost immediately, his left eye slowly shifting to a bright gold in color while his right remained its natural black. His body was tense and filled with both anxiety and rage despite trying not to show how on edge he truly was. Meanwhile, his multicolored eyes scanned the darkness for the two currently hidden nearby within. 

"What have you done!? You will not get away with this!" 

hy that was the only thing that came out of his mouth was beyond him, but Elisia figured it was a sudden rush of fear that built within him causing his brain to short circuit. 

Unable to withstand it anymore, Elisia risked a glanced down, instantly regretting doing so knowing what he was going to find there. 

Below his feet was a pile of crimson goo. Chunks of what used to be one of the citizens of Arkkukari City mixed with shredded pieces of clothing. The more his eyes adjusted to the shadows around him, the more he could see of the carnage that was strewn out and splattered around the buildings and street. 

"What did you do!?" 

Desperation and horror filled Elisia's voice, his body relaxing unintentionally as he looked around at what used to be the people of Arkkukari City. 

A gust of wind rushed around Elisia, stopping only when some physical form materialized and stood behind him. Elisia could feel their breath against his neck, goosebumps rising up onto his skin as the terror took hold of him like a tight vice. His heart raced in his chest as his lungs tightened making it hard to breath. At the same time, his body was completely frozen in place as if someone had placed him in a block of ice and just left him there. 

"You're standing in my dinner, that's not very proper of you." 

Elisia's body reacted before he could even think, his arm swinging back towards the man standing behind him. His hand was fisted, ready to knock whoever it was behind him away so he could get some distance between the two of them. Instead, the unknown male jumped back out of the way and like a whirlwind, vanished from the streets behind him. That meant he had to be nearby, but the darkness was doing a good job at hiding him from view. 

Giggling wafted on the summer breeze that made its way through the quiet streets. It was giggling he had heard only minutes before he began running through the streets after the young fae woman he was hell bent on protecting. It was that of Char's, but it was both a surprise to him and confused him as to why she was there in the first place. 

"Arken dear, please, it isn't good manners to play with your food like that." 

Arken? Elisia was certain that was the name Char had given him that belonged to her father. If he had been missing, why was he here with her? 

"Char, what's going on here? What did you do?" 

Elisia stepped back to get out of the goopy mess of supernatural remains he had been standing in. His eyes darting around for the young woman he had followed straight into what had ended up being a massacre. A trap he should have seen coming from the very beginning. 

"Char. . . Char. . . Char. . . you still haven't figured it out yet, but here you are, standing at the head of our dinner table." 

From the shadows, Char slowly walked out of the shadows and into the hazy silver light of the moon. She was delicately licking the fresh blood off of her fingers, amusement sparkling within her green eyes. Each step she took made a sickening squishing noise, the crimson mess working its way up onto her feet and halfway up her legs. The once vibrant teal dress she had been wearing was now dyed red from the bloodied feast she obviously just had with her partner. Even behind all her amusement, one could see the pride she felt for what she had done. 

Elisia's body went completely rigid, his fists once more clenched at his sides and a fire raging within his mismatched eyes. It was all making sense to him now. This wasn't just 'Char', this was indeed Charlene, the woman she claimed to have been her mother. The whole thing was a ruse just to get him out there alone, he was the next chosen snack on the menu. 

It wasn't going to happen.

"How could you? Our people, friends, people you-" 

"Ah, no. These are your people and we have to eat like everyone else. I don't see why you're getting so worked up." 

Charlene's voice was nothing but absolute innocence, her hands splayed out to either side as if she was proudly showing off all the carnage Arken and herself had created. 

"Ghouls, how had I not seen it before? You were supposed to have been eradicated, banned from Arkkukari City long before my time. I can't let you stay here, killing uncontrollably like you are. Like my ancestors before me, I'll make sure their actions aren't reversed!" 

Elisia's words were followed by his feet moving in such a rush, he couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to. Even when it pained him for what he was about to do, he knew he had not other choice but to put a stop to Char and Arken before the entirety of Arkkukari City was wiped out because of them. 

As if the thought hit him too late, Elisia's mind rushed to wondering where Arken had been hiding after he disappeared. The male ghoul hadn't made his presence known since he had complained about him standing in his food. 

Movement from the right had caught Elisia's attention about two seconds too late. His reactions were far slower than he wanted, but he had enough time to throw his arms up and block the rushing attack coming at him. It was enough to take the brunt of the attack from Arken, but that left his other side wide open as he flew across the street and slammed into the nearby stone building. 

Stones shifted inward and cracks webbed their way across the entire wall. Elisia's body made a sickening crunching sound before sliding to the crimson painted ground. Pain coursed through his left shoulder and arm, crimson dripped from where he hit the left side of his head on the wall. Regardless, it didn't deter his determination to stop the two ghoulse from devouring every person he vowed to protect as Arkkukari's prince. 

"No one touches my lady Charlene." 

The warning growl came from Arken, his eyes ablaze with anger and death, pinning Elisia with his stare as if he were attempting to strike some form of terror in him. 

Unfortunately for Arken, it was only fueling Elisia's own anger and determination to stop them. 

"Arken, that's enough. I will take care of our small princely problem." 

Just as she had from the shadows, Char -or Charlene- took delicate steps towards Arken. She pressed a reassuring kiss to his cheek, leaving a stain from her blood red dyed lips. However, that's when she turned those bright green eyes onto him, only this time, there was a darkness that overshadowed their emerald beauty. 

Charlene approached Elisia, the smile she once held had vanished into a scornful frown. The sudden fury she held towards the young prince was all too apparent, even as she crouched down in front of him and wrapped her arms around her knees. She balanced perfectly on the balls of her feet, eyes scanning over Elisia as if he as some piece of meat she was examining, which he wouldn't be surprised if that's what she was doing. 

"My dear young prince, you say you're going to do to us what your ancestors had done so long ago, but what is our crime? Your parents invited all who wanted to attend the festival within the kingdom, we are your guests just like anyone else here." 

Despite Charlene's gentle words, she had such a condescending smile tugging at her crimson lips. The sharp pointy teeth hidden behind them were shining just as brightly as the moon, an unspoken threat of becoming their next meal. The very look sent shivers through Elisia, forcing a pained wince from his own lips as it caused pain to shoot through his entire body. The slam into the building had caused more damage than he initially thought. 

Charlene's eyes brightened the moment she heard the hiss of pain from the downed demon prince. Her hand slowly reached out for him, but it never had the chance to get close enough to touch him. 

Like a flash speeding through the air, a gust of wind blew through the darkness. It was like a phantom rushing through the area, not a single care in the world who they were interrupting. The phenomenon happened so quickly, Charlene was startled from her crouched position, forced to once again stand and glance around her own surroundings. 

"What was that?" 

Charlene gasped, the power she felt from the being sending true fear throughout her entire being. However, even as her demand went unheard, it was Arken that addressed a different concern than the entity that blew past them; 

"I don't know what that was, but our snack seems to have disappeared." 

"What!? No, he couldn't have-" 

Panic stricken that someone had managed to escape alive, Charlene turned to face the male ghoul she had married so long ago. Her heart thumped in her chest while Arken seemed to remain in a state of calmness. 

"How are you so calm? Our whole plan has been ruined because he got away!" 

"If you were paying attention instead of conversing with our next meal, maybe you would have been able to tell he is still here, and he isn't alone." 

For the first time since looking at Arken, Charlene realized that her partner had not been looking directly at her. Instead, his attention was far over her head towards the rooftops behind her. 

"You know, you really should mind who you mess with." 

Whipping around, Charlene found herself staring into the eyes of a man ready to kill. Elisia was held close to him in his arms, the young demon prince staring back down at them as if watching their very move, making sure they didn't try anything. 

For the first time ever, Charlene was feeling a true fear rushing throughout her while it felt like ice was flowing through her veins. Normally it was her that was causing fear in others, but this was nothing she was used to and it left her eyes wide and her body trembling slightly. 

As if the two ghouls weren't even there watching them, Lyras turned his attention to Elisia. His look was stern, but it was mixed with both worry and absolute relief despite having the young prince in his arms. 

"Which one did this to you?" 

"Lyras-" 

Elisia began, but the look he was receiving from the court guard currently cradling him in his arms was enough to silence him. 

"Which one hurt you." 

Knowing he had no choice but to say something, Elisia slowly turned his head and looked directly at Arken. Keeping his arm cradled in his lap, he lifted his uninjured arm and pointed to the male for emphasis as to who had knocked him into the building. 

"He did, I think he's the muscle of the duo. She's the distraction, the one luring people back here." 

"Okay." 

Sometimes it scared Elisia how calm Lyras could be in the face of danger. 

Before he could explain anything more to Lyras, Elisia was being lowered onto the rooftop he had been swept away onto. His eyes never left Lyras's, his own worry now filling his dark orbs. 

"I want you to stay here and don't move an inch till I say." 

Elisia nodded, now left sitting on his knees as Lyras stood and turned towards the two ghouls on the ground. Death burned within his eyes as rage seemed to pulsate off of every inch of his body. 

"Be careful." 

Though it was nothing more than a whisper, it was the only confirmation Lyras needed from Elisia to leave him on the roof and take care of the supernaturals that were on a murder spree.

Lyras jumped off the rooftop, landing rather nimbly despite the sloppy carnage his feet was met with. His body was relaxed, eyes locked on the prey before him. It was as if he was an animal, a predator on the hunt that was about to claim their prize. The air around them only seemed to thicken as a light blue aura seemed to surround Lyras as he took his first steps towards the ghouls. 

"You should have never touched what wasn't yours." 

His words were the last thing that Charlene and Arken heard before the court guard vanished from where he stood. It was no more than a blink before Lyras reappeared behind Arken, his enraged presence highly felt by the male ghoul. It left him frozen, his body felt paralyzed with fear, which was odd even for him. 

"You should have left Arkkukari City alone, now it will be the last city either of you will ever torment." 

Before Arken could get his body to move, Lyras took hold of his left arm and spun the man around away from the building Elisia was perched on. Instead, he planted his boot into the man's back the moment he let go, sending Arken stumbling forward until he lost his balance completely and landed on his hands and knees. 

The terrified shrieking gasp that came from Charlene was long forgotten before the sound was even made. Instead, Arken whipped around while still on all fours, his face contorting into a combination of rage and deadly fury. His teeth elongated and sharpened along with his nails. It made him appear more like a feral animal trying to bite the hand that feeds it all because it wasn't getting his way. What Arken wasn't expecting was for Lyras to be standing right in front of him, his sinister gaze looking downward, staring at him in menacingly silence. 

"You'll pay fo-" 

Arken didn't get to finish his sentence, not before Lyras's foot connected underneath his chin. It sent the ghoul's head rearing back, blood and saliva flying from his mouth as his teeth chomped down on his tongue and his lip split from the contact. It was obvious to Lyras this was more of a one sided fight, making the whole situation quite a bore to him. However, he couldn't help that the ghoul was trying to fight out of nothing but anger and impulsiveness, making the whole situation worse for him. 

"You can easily attack someone smaller than you-" 

"HEY!"

Lyras had to hold back the amused grin trying to fight its way onto his lips. He turned his head partially and called over his shoulder; 

"Sorry, nothing personal!"

Lyras called out to Elisia, but when he turned back to Arken, he realized his grave mistake of doing so. A clawed fist caught him in the face, causing him to stumble back in momentary shock. It took everything in him to stay upright and not slip on the human remains that were littered around his feet. Blood dripped from his cheek where two new gashes were left after getting clipped by the elongated nails Arken had. 

Barely able to recover from the initial punch to the face, Lyras threw his arms up just in time to block both of Arken's fists that were coming down on him. 

Lyras could only imagine the headache that a hit like that could have caused if it would have connected with his head. The force alone on his arms was unnerving. For the shortest of seconds he was genuinely afraid the ghoul was going to break one or both of his arms with the attack. However, with Arken so close, Lyras was able to try and turn the fight around and back into his favor. 

Pushing upwards with all his strength, Lyras forced the ghoul backwards and away from him. It gave him just enough room for a return attack of his own. Lyras ran and closed the short distance between them, his knee finding the ghoul's center, knocking the air right out of his lungs. 

There was no chance that Arken was going to come back with a counter attack, not with Lyras refusing to show any mercy on the man. Instead, he threw a good punch to the ghoul's nose, a mixture of crimson and black oozing from the now shattered appendage. Arken's cries and gargled pleas went ignored as blow after blow was thrown and received by the ghoul, knocking the pleading ghoul further back into the shadows where the remainder of its feast was lying, piled in a heap of human carnage. 

Arken dropped to his knees, his face bloodied and gaze dazed from the onslaught of hits he had unbearably withstood. His left eye was swollen shut, lower lip looking as if it were stung by a bee. Arken was certain he had some broken ribs and internal damage that would need months to heal. Crimson mingled with the sweat that dripped down his face, cuts and scrapes littering his skin from the attacks he managed to survive. However, as he stared into the fury that had taken hold of Lyras, all he could do was begin to beg for his life and hope the man would be merciful. 

"Please, spare me and show mercy. This was all my wife's idea, I was just doing as I was told." 

Blank rage stared into the defeated gaze of Arken, however, Lyras glanced around before once more finding the monster's eyes. 

"Looks like your so called wife has left you, what a shame." 

There was no kindness or sympathy in Lyras's voice. Instead, there was disgust and anger that laced each one of his words. The realization that one of them had gotten away only infuriated him more than he already was. Even Arken's realization that Charlene had left him threw the ghoul into even more of a panic. He raised his hands slowly, linking them together as if he were praying for forgiveness or salvation while his eyes pleaded with the enraged man before him. 

"Please, I'm begging you. Show mercy on me, I was no more than a pawn in Charlene's plans." 

"Mercy? You want me to show mercy on you when you showed none to the people whose lives you devoured tonight?" 

For a split second, Arken thought about the words spoken to him. How could he? They were feeding on what they've fed on their entire life - flesh. What else were they supposed to do and what better place to feed than the place that exiled and exterminated their people? 

Arken's attention was brought back to the present when Lyras knelt down in front of him. A single hand came to rest upon one of his swollen and cut up cheeks, Arken's anxiety rising from the simple action. 

"You know, I'm a forgiving man. Everyone deserves a second chance to better themselves from the mistakes they've done, but. . ." 

Reaching up with his other hand and cupping Arken's other cheeks, the soft words that Lyras spoke earlier were now overshadowed by darkness and fury; 

". . . You hurt someone I care for very much and I can't just let you go after that. No forgiveness or mercy shall be shown." 

With a violent twist, the snapping and crunching of bone echoed within the silent shadows of the street. Arken's neck shattered and twisted, his body frozen in the final position he had been kneeling in. His head was now twisted to the point it faced the opposite direction it should have been. Lyras stood from his knelt position and gave the body a shove to the side so it fell over, splattering in someone's remains as it landed. 

As he calmed himself down, Lyras turned away from the ghoul and walked over to where he had left Elisia. He hoped his neglect in watching him during the fighting hadn't ended in something he would end up regretting. 

"Elisia?" 

Lyras sounded suddenly tired, but relieved that the bulk of a growing problem had now been taken care of. The female ghoul may have escaped and was still out there, but they would definitely find her and end her ever growing tyranny. 

Beginning to worry when Elisia wasn't responding, Lyras was seconds from jumping up to the roof himself to check. However, relief washed over him the moment the blonde demon prince's head popped up over the top of the roof. 

"Can I come down now?" 

"Yeah, it's safe." 

Nodding his head, Lyras reached up so he could help the young demon prince from his perch up above him. 

Elisia slowly and carefully worked his way over to the edge of the rooftop, staring down at the ground and Lyras's outstretched arms. Taking a deep breath that hurt more than it should, he jumped down and into the awaiting arms below. His own arms wrapping around Lyras, his body tensing from the pain rushing down the entirety of his left side. 

"I told you to leave this up to the court guards." 

Lyras spoke softly, eliciting a small laugh from Elisia as he pulled back enough to look up at the taller male. Their eyes met and Elisia could only smile gently, but there was a cheekiness that lingered within it; 

"And when have you ever known me to listen?" 

Laughter broke free from Lyras as he carefully set Elisia onto his feet. He did, however, keep a single arm wrapped around the young demon prince. All the while, Elisia cradled his left arm, knowing it was going to be a little while before he actually healed. 

As the sun began to peek over the foggy horizon, lighting up the rooftops around them, curiosity found its way onto Elisia's face. 

"What do we do about Charlene, she's still out there somewhere." 

"Don't worry about her, she won't get far. Even if she manages to get out of the city, we know what she looks like and can send out warnings to the other cities and towns." 

Elisia nodded in response, leaning his head against Lyras as exhaustion finally started to take over him. The previous night had been long, far too long and not exactly what he had been expecting. Adrenaline that had been running through his body was now beginning to dwindle, Elisia ready to just lay down and sleep for the next week. 

His gaze drifted over the mess of the deceased, all the people that had gone missing during the festival and would need identifying if possible. 

"May these lost souls rest in peace and forever walk the golden fields of the afterlife."