Alcuard extended his fist, believing it the appropriate way this world and its culture expressed jubilation and solidarity. He had seen it done in the countless films and stories he had watched and read during his six thousand year internment, and could think of no more appropriate gesture of respect for this cunning warrior.

Lito Cardego looked at him with the look of amused disdain that Alcuard himself usually wore. "I'm not some frat bro at a keg party. Grownups don't fist-bump."

"Apologies," Alcuard said, and he lowered his arm. "I had assumed it was custom in this world."

"Stories are also commercial products," Lito replied. "To appeal to children, they get adults to do childish things. Which is probably why you saw it so much while you binged Netflix from your coffin."

"That would also explain your son's fascination with toy aeroplanes firing foam darts," Alcuard mused.

"Huh?"

"Sorry. I think I'm filling in for Bird's metaphysical crisis," Alcuard said.

"Focus," Lito said in reprimand. And as much as Alcuard might be thousands of years older, there was a wisdom and focus in Lito Cardego that he found himself both respecting, and instinctively obeying. "He'll be back soon."

"Of course," Alcuard nodded.

Lito sat down easily and leaned against a tree. He then reached into the pouch on his belt, pulled out a small granola bar, and snacked away happily. Lito looked up and gestured with his half-eaten snack. "Sorry. I'd offer you some food, but..."

"I appreciate your restraint," Alcuard said, waving his hand. "Granola would give me gas. And hearing someone else masticate makes my stomach ache, the idea of chewing my food is revolting."

"Fair," Lito said, though it didn't stop him from continuing to chew.

They passed a few minutes in silence. Lito somehow both snacking and drinking water drawn from the tiny sack tied to his waist. Alcuard found himself wondering about it for a few minutes until Lito interrupted his wandering thoughts. "So you can levitate. Neat trick, by the way. Is that just an aspect of vampirism, or is it some sort of Atlantean science?"

"A bit of each," Alcuard admitted. "Vampirism was originally a side-effect of an anti-ageing technique where the wealthiest among us would inject the blood of young, virile peasants to reverse the wear of long years. Eventually, the dependency grew, and those that took the injections stopped being able to eat food normally, and their dead flesh could be sustained only on the vitality of others. We eventually learned to take advantage of the condition. My strength, hearing, sight, and levitation all came from those enhancements."

"I see," Lito said. "Interesting."

"Why is that?" Alcuard asked.

"It just occurred to me that I haven't seen a billionaire during the day in years," Lito said.

"That should trouble you," Alcuard said. "If the wealthy hide from the sun, your world may be repeating the sins that my people were guilty of."

"I had that feeling," Lito said. "What happened to your civilization?"

"I happened," Alcuard said.

"I wouldn't mind hearing that story," Lito admitted.

"If we live through tonight, I will tell it," Alcuard promised.

"Good," Lito said, and he turned to open the small pouch at his side. The bag itself was likely too small to hold a grapefruit, but Lito managed to reach his entire arm, almost to his shoulder, into the container.

"How?" Alcuard asked, pointing at the bag.

"Permanent portal. One of Luca's first. Saves me from having to cart around everything I could use in a night like this one," Lito explained.

"Fascinating," Alcuard whispered.

"Anyway, he's coming back up the hill again," Lito stood quickly, and set his pouch back on his belt.

"I'll take point again," Alcuard said. "I don't tire until I start exhausting the blood in my system, which can take weeks."

"Fine," Lito agreed, and he stepped back a little. "Just be careful about using the same trick twice."

Alcuard waved his hand lazily and stepped near the ravine again. He stared forward as above them Isabella bathed the wolf in the searchlight.

The dull thunder of the wolf's charge vibrated the ground, just enough that Alcuard's unnatural sensitivity could tell each distinct footfall of the powerful beast as it loped towards him. He waited, calm but brilliantly awake, even exited.

He had enjoyed each fight with Luca. Even the one just a few minutes ago left Alcuard's long-dead self feeling more alive than he had ever known. The fear of death, the terror of those powerful jaws, the cunning and rage in those red eyes, tonight was one of the most exciting nights he had ever lived.

The wolf appeared between the distant trees, still charging with that astonishing, unnatural speed and seemingly limitless stamina. The red eyes of the wolf were fixed on Alcuard, and the beast let out a long howl as he leapt into the clearing and lunged.

Alcuard dodged to the right, barely avoiding the snapping jaws. He shoved hard and pushed the wolf away, then jumped up into the air. The wolf turned swiftly and jumped to try and catch Alcuard as he rose in the air, but a hard kick to the side of the beast's head knocked the wolf back to the ground.

The wolf stared up at him, rage in its dark red eyes as it stopped and stared up at him. It watched him for a long moment, then dashed off to the side and stopped at a small tree. It snapped its jaws and the trunk shattered beneath its powerful bite. The wolf caught the tree as it was falling, holding the entire length by the end.

The wolf charged back, leapt in the air, and somehow swung the tree.

At him. Alcuard was busy gawking at the impossibly of it and didn't even raise his hands to shield himself, as the tree hit him like a fly struck by a newspaper. Alcuad's vision went blurry for a moment, which he realized wasn't dizziness but the speed he was now flying at. He then struck a tree hard, his velocity violently arrested, and fell to the ground.

Alcuard looked up to see Lito skidding to a stop in front of him, staff in hand. The wolf charged both of them, and Lito dashed forward. The wolf swung the log, but Lito dashed to the side, sliding underneath the swinging log and swinging his staff with ferocious speed at the werewolf's head. It dropped the log, but kept charging forward, towards Alcuard.

The wolf was on him almost instantly. Alcuard could barely raise his arm to defend himself as the beast leapt upon him, and drove its fangs into his chest. Alcuard set his hand on its mouth, bracing himself for when the creature would try and rip and tear through him, but instead, the wolf let go and jumped away.

Alcuard sat up, startled to see the wolf staggering away, coughing and wiping at its tongue with its paws. Lito took advantage of the opening, and kicked the beast hard in the chest, sending it tumbling down the ravine. The wolf snapped its jaws as it tumbled, but Lito saw the attack coming and punched the beast in the nose. The blow elicited one last yelp as the werewolf fell down the ravine for a third time.

A heartbeat later, Lito was standing above Alcuard with his hand extended. "Seems he doesn't like the taste of you," Lito said.

"I am dead," Alcuard agreed as he took Lito's hand, and rose to his feet. "And vampires have never liked the taste of other vampires."

"That makes a lot of sense," Lito agreed.

"I wasn't expecting the wolf to use the tree as a sword," Alcuard admitted.

"It's why I started using a staff. Just be thankful wolves don't have opposable thumbs." Lito reached into his pouch again and came out with a handful of small metal cylinders. The metal was painted dark green and had a small contraption on the top.

"I've never seen the werewolf fail to bite down once it had something in its jaws before, which gives me an idea," Lito explained. "I'd like you to take point next time. If you can, get Luca to open his stupid mouth and hold it open for a moment."

"I will," Alcuard agreed, deciding to keep his reservations to himself.

They sat back down and waited in silence for a few more minutes until the rumbling in the distance began again. Alcuard stared towards the darkness of the trees, still finding himself happier than he had ever remembered himself being.

"You're smiling," Lito said.

"I am. It feels good to be helping a friend," Alcuard admitted.

"How is your chest?" Lito asked.

Alcuard looked down at the wounds, relieved to see they were already healing. "I am on the mend. Even as we speak, the wounds close and the tissue heals over. Regenerative healing is one of those powers we managed to draw out of our condition. It takes a great deal of trauma to kill a vampire."

"Pretty much just fire and sunlight?" Lito asked.

"Decapitation will do the job. Or enough head trauma that the head might as well not be there. Or massive tissue damage. I've seen one of my kind live with just head, heart, and single lung. But only for a few hours."

Lito raised an eyebrow. "Bet there's a story behind that."

"There is," Alcuard acknowledged, as he once again began to hear the drumming of the werewolf's paws in the distance. "But honestly, how are we doing so far."

"Well, asides from being bitten," Lito said as he stood up. "Tonight's going pretty well so far. If we keep this up for another four hours, we'll be fine. Just let me know when you need to tap out to avoid the sunrise."