Poison: Origin

The feedings continued. After each time, I'd fall asleep - too tired to do much else. Leon would leave me weak each time, and though I constantly reassured him that I was fine, he limited himself to just once, sometimes twice a week. Of course, sometimes there were slip ups, and he'd bite a third time and I would fall asleep for hours at a time. Leon was on much better shape than I was. Once again could Leon walk in the sun, and it made me happy that he could. He still had to wear all the dark clothing since no one could know why he was getting stronger. It's funny, Leon grew stronger, while I grew weaker.

Sleeping came more than easy for me now. I'd fall asleep at seven one night, wake up at twelve and still feel tired. Fatigue and dizziness became so common, I carried some Tylenol in my pocket to counter every time it happened. All this because Leon was drinking more blood than my body could make. He was very slowly killing me. I couldn't tell him that though. After what I did to him, I couldn't tell him why I was being so lenient towards the rules that Dr. Redson had been so strict about.

I had cheated on him. Much more than just physically. I knew that emotionally, I felt something for Ez too. I couldn't allow this small 'something' grow into something else. My heart cried out for Leon, but why couldn't I just obey? Every time I was near Ez, my cheeks would flush as I remembered what I did with him, and how much I wanted to continue where we left off. I couldn't ever be alone with him. It was because of this reason that every time I saw him I would run away from him. After each of these short lived encounters I would come to Leon to remind myself why I was resisting my urges so much.

At school, Emily kept pestering me about my current state of weakness. She was convinced I was some type of whore. "You sleep during classes, you're tired all the time. You're having sex aren't you!" she took the liberty to declare this during lunch. In front of everyone. They responded by casting me disgusted glances. A few of the more perverted guys looked at me with smiles, one even winked. That single sentence was like a siren alerting all the animals that a female was in heat.

The rest of that day was spent with random guys coming up to with cheesy pick up lines. I didn't have the nerve to rudely reject most of them, so I simply told them that I was in a committed relationship - of which was partly a lie. At this, a few gave me their numbers and told me to call them when it was over. Some even had the nerve to say they didn't mind being the 'other'. Suddenly, it was like I was popular; all because apparently I was having sex.

It was here that I realized; it wasn't about how popular, how rich, how pretty, how much of a loser you were, or whether you were 'preppy', 'emo', or what ever the hell was in at the time - most guys only wanted one thing. If you weren't willing to provide that then they'd most likely move on to someone who will. Jaime was a prime example of this. Obviously, she was having sex, but a single mistake caused her to get pregnant. It's animal nature to exclude the females that are already carrying the child of another from the courting games and that's all we really are; animals.

Jaime was already beginning to show, and I think she never looked happier. For some odd reason, Jamie had began to hang around us; or rather Emily. During the time of Jaime's banishment from the popular clique she and Emily had developed a close friendship. To be honest, I was a little jealous. First of all, Jaime almost beat me to Leon. Now she couldn't have my best friend either.

"If you need anything, Eli here will probably do for you," Emily said to Jaime putting a friendly arm around my shoulder as we were walking home. Disgruntled, I shrugged it off. I wasn't too happy that Jaime was somehow becoming a very suitable replacement for Emma - who had seemingly disappeared today.

"No I won't," I said mutely once I had removed Emily's arm. I was especially unhappy about how nice Jaime was towards me. How dare she offer me her last cupcake; what a bitch.

"Sure you will," said Emily. "You're such a pushover, anyone can walk all over you." she said with blunt honesty.

"That's not true. . . " I rebutted but I remind silent after that. I didn't want start something with Emily. She was my best friend, we weren't supposed to argue. . . . .

Jaime split ways with us first. Once she had left, Emily kept chatting about my seemingly new found popularity with the boys at school. I knew, like Jaime, this would only last a few days. According to Emily, though, I was supposed to 'fix all the wrong that had occurred during Morgan's reign and unite all the cliques under a fair and honest rule'. I think she was hanging around Emma to much.

Once Emily left to go her own way, I was left alone. I had told my parents I had detention after school, and I did, I just didn't go. I had to go to boot camp at Ragnarok. That was more important, right? It sure helped make up my mind when I knew Leon was at Ragnarok. I'm not sure how I got there. One minute, I was at a stop light, the next, I was at the front doors of Ragnarok. I'm not sure how, but I think I might have slept while walking; if it was possible. That had been happening a lot lately.

I changed into the ugly uniform that our trainer made us wear in on of the empty cubicles in the medical ward. Nobody, luckily, came to during the time I was changing. I made sure that Leon was away before I put my bag with my clothes into his room. I knew that this was the time when he would go to the isolation chambers to get his small dosage of the medication that at made him so sick. I would have to beat him back after to make sure he didn't see me dressed this way.

Our trainer had something else planned when I entered the arena. The course she had us do nearly every day was now gone. She said she was going to 'evaluate our hand to hand combat'. I think our trainer didn't like me very much. In fact, I think she had it out for me. So it didn't come as much of a surprise when she picked me out first. I think I might have stood up to fast because my head ached with a head rush. I shook my head as if to physically shake away the dizziness and it temporarily eased my head.

There were only six of us left, out of the original 23. There was Amy, me, and four other girls who I only knew as Seventeen, Ten, Twenty one, and Four. They all ranged in ages, but I think the youngest one was Ten. She look just a year or so younger than me. The oldest was Seventeen, she was in her mid twenties. The five remaining huntresses in training watched as I solemnly made my away to the arena where our trainer waited.

Just as I neared my spot facing our trainer, my vision blurred. Once again I tried to shake it off, but when my vision cleared I got a full view as our trainer's fist came towards my face. My counter failed miserably, but manged to doge it none the less. I was so much better now at fist fights, but others like Amy who specialized in close combat could easily beat me down.

Our trainer stood back. I took this as an opportunity to take a strike against her. Our trainer had taught us to hit using our palms, since they could absorb more shock than bare knuckles could. Yet again, my vision fogged, and hindered my abilities. I realized - when my hand made contact with open air - that I had struck to early. I stumbled forward a bit, and as my vision cleared yet again, I saw a knee coming straight at my face. I was too sluggish so an another attempt at a counter was too late. I just blocked it by quickly bringing my arms across to my face.

The impact still rattled my bones, and rung in my ears, but I knew it would have been much worse had I not blocked it. I stepped back to regain my ground, and to try and focus a bit. As soon as I did my head began light, and I felt like I was floating; like I wasn't even there. I hunched forward in an attempt to clear my head. This wasn't good. Our trainer seemed to sense my distress, as she didn't immediately try and kill me in my moment of weakness.

"Seven, don't come to battle when you're sick. It'll be the death of you," She warned from a distance. To exhausted to do anything else, I simply nodded in agreement. "Go home for today, and get well." She said surprising me with her generosity as she waved a dismissive hand in the air and turned away from me towards the remaining huntresses. I took her disdain as permission to leave and sulked out of the arena.

Once outside, I tried to shake away the dizziness away but it didn't work the same way as before. This time shaking it only made it worse. Each time I moved it was like my brain rattled inside my skull. I yelped and stopped immediately. Suddenly, it was like the white light of Ragnarok escaped the walls and attacked me. It whirled around me and I felt myself floating in mid air; like the moment just before falling asleep. Such a beautiful feeling.

My eyes felt heavy, so I thought about closing them, but I was still in the corridor outside the arena; I couldn't sleep here! Sleep felt so good now. . . My very slowly blinked open, then closed. One last time they opened, I saw a looming silhouette standing over me before my eyes closed.
_______________________________________________________________________

Rancid, burning plastic. That's the first thing I smelt. The first of my senses to activate. This awakened sense pestered my other senses, forcing them awake. Next came my hearing. The only thing that could be heard was the nearby beeping of a machine. Then I could taste it; that overbearing taste of new plastic in my mouth. Disgusted by the taste, I sluggishly opened my eyes to figure out what was going on.

I was in the hospital ward. The sound of the distant nurses in a squabble reminded me of that. Lazily, I raised my hand up to my mouth to try and figure out why the taste of plastic was so strong. As my hand neared my face I felt a stiff plastic mask over my mouth and nose. Without really trying, I pried off the mask - which was held to my face by a thin rubber band. Almost immediately, that taste and scent of plastic left my senses. The only thing that remained was a very feint, but nasty after taste.

I sat up on my bed - the curtains to my cubicle were pulled shut - feeling better than I had ever felt in days. I stretched as though I just woken up from a year long sleep. As I did, I felt a tugging on my arm. A needle was stuck in there, with tubing filled up with a dark red substance. A blood transfusion. It was kind of ironic. The needle that gave me a stranger's blood, had been placed in the same arm where Leon had given me a small sample of his that day in the woods of Roslyn to heal my wound. A pale spot was the only thing that remained from that injury; nothing but a simple discoloration.

Seeing as how I was attached to this machine, I reached out for the small button that called for the nurse. A voice over the small intercom told me to 'Please hold and a nurse will be with you soon.' In just a matter of seconds a nurse came - was slightly disillusioned when the nurse turned out to be a female nurse. "What happened?" I asked having no recollection as to how I ended up here, but a faded memory of shadowy figure standing against the Ragnarok whiteness.

"I just clocked in. I'll go get who's in charge," she said sweetly as she smiled before she turned on her heel and left. I remembered that lie, they told us that at the hospital, when my sister was sick. They told us they didn't know, when in reality they did, they just didn't have the heart to tell us that she'd be admitted into the hospital.

To my surprise, Medic came to my attention. Dr. Redson was out, and Dr. Shadow was out in a field experiment somewhere. "Grim found you and brought you here," he explained when I asked him. Grim? Really? I always thought he hated me. I unintentionally brought my hand up to my neck where he had savagely bit me without my permission. "Even though he's over a hundred years old, he still has the mentality of when he was turned." Medic said like a teacher casually talking about a student. Imagine, being a teenager for the rest of eternity. I'd kill myself. "Poor kid. He came here, with you as an excuse, looking for Dr. Redson. Seems after all this time he can't let 'er go."

Dr. Redson was the only reason why Grim stayed aligned to the Company. He stayed only on the promise that Dr. Redson would be kept safe. Grim was tied for a lifetime to the Company, and I wondered, would Leon suffer the same fate because of me? Would he stay even after I've moved on? After I've married and had children? Would he stay just like Grim had? I hoped not. I loved Leon, I really did. But I didn't want him to sacrifice his happiness so that he could spend time with me, even after I found someone else.

I wished, I could spend my lifetime with Leon, without being deemed inappropriate. Leon would always have the mentality of a seven teen year old, but I would mature. I would eventually out grow him. Unless, I sacrificed my humanity to spend an eternity with him. An eternity is such a long time. That's the problem with forever. With a time span of forever, people were bound change and he and I could possibly drift apart. Within forever, there could be someone else. Someone he liked better than me. With an eternity at hand this was very possible. Then, when all my friends and family were long gone, I'd have no one to turn to. No one to comfort me and my so called selfless sacrifice would be in vain.

I couldn't change to what he was. I feared the future to much, so I'd settle with the short time I had with him. I could only wish, and hope for Leon to be human. If only Leon had been born a century later, that way he could have been together, not forever, but for the time we loved each other. Grim, when Dr. Redson died, would be forced to move on. Their 'true love' would account for nothing if Grim found this same true love with someone else. He had, after all, an eternity to look for a replacement.

"And you're here because apparently you had a blood deficiency problem." Medic said breaking my train of thought. "Anemia," he said when I responded with a blank stare. My sister had that for a while from all the intense chemo she had to go through. They would giver blood transfusions and she would be all better again. "Your blood counts are too low to be normal, but you're done with your transfusion." he finished then turned and asked. "Is there a reason why your blood counts were that way?" he asked.

This was it. If I told him that I had been giving Leon my blood they would send him away to the isolation chambers, and I'd be left alone, with no one to distract me from Ez. I would do something horrible if I was ever left alone with him. Leon had to stay, and I had to spend as much time as possible with him. Medic began removing the blood bag from the machine which pumped it into me. Leon would agree to return to the isolation chambers once he found out the state he had left me in.

"S-stress!" I stammered quickly. Stress is always a good excuse. It seems to be the cause for everything; depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and many many more. Apparently, stress was also a cause for blood deficiency because Medic seemed pretty convinced by my answer. "How long will I have to stay here?" I asked hoping that Leon wouldn't find out I was here. The bag containing the blood that was being pumped into me via the catheter was now empty. I wouldn't have to stay much longer would I?

"Right now, we're waiting to see if you have any reaction to the transfusion. If you don't then we'll proceed with the other unit that will be administered overnight. So I'm think you'll be free by tomorrow afternoon," he told me what I feared. I had told Leon I would come visit him today, so he would be expecting me. I could only hope he wouldn't get all paranoid and come looking for me.

"Don't worry." Medic reasured when he saw my worried expression. How could I not worry!? If Leon came to see me, he'd see me dressed in the training uniform - which I couldn't change out of with the i.v. in my arm. "You'll have company," Medic said pulling back the curtains revealing a pale and sickly Nathan. He was casually chewing a twinkie while watching Cops on a television that had been brought next to his bed. Nathan smiled at us - particularly at Medic who had all the drugs. "Seems he can't stay out of here." Medic frowned at Nathan's carefree attitude. "We had to pump his stomach because of all the alcohol he consumed this past week. I hope you learned your lesson." Medic said to Nathan who responded by smiling falsely.

"I sure did!" he said as fake as he had smiled. Medic rolled his eyes, but do much else.

"Why? After we just got you to quit smoking." I whined after Medic had left.. It would be another long and tiring process to prevent Nathan from becoming an alcoholic. Nathan dropped one disgusting habit and picked up another.

"Well the man who raised me since I was eight, just died six days ago. I think I'm entitled to a few drinks, don't you think?" he snapped putting down his twinkie down. I didn't respond. I couldn't say anything. What could I possibly say to that?

"I'm, I'm sorry," I finally tired. Nathan scoffed and changed the channel on his television. I couldn't relate to him. Sure, I had lost my sister, I loved her but Alyssa didn't raise me. Now, I wished Medic hadn't left. It would have made things much less awkward. "Drinking wont bring him back you know," I tired again.

"It sure helped me forget," he added quickly. The sharp edge he had used before faded and I was glad he wasn't so mad anymore. It least he had some kind reaction to Arthur's passing. Not like Ez.

Nathan had one of the nurses move the television set near the center so that both me and Nathan could watch. I let Nathan pick what we watched since I was feeling a little tired and would probably take a nap soon. So I watched a skinhead bash his bald head through a fence to avoid arrest, and an overweight woman struggling in handcuffs on the floor before falling asleep.

"Eli!" I heard Nathan shout what felt like just a few minutes later. I tried to ignore him to see if he'd stop. Then I could just fall asleep again and I would have had a nagging bickering kept from it.

"Stop it! You'll wake her up!" a second voice said. I knew this voice all too well. I didn't want him to see me this way; which is why I pretended to be asleep for a while longer.

"Don't you want to ask her?" Nathan said. This I dreaded, I really hoped he didn't ask what had happened. Though I was getting good at lying, it especially to him, it always made me feel horrible after. Then I had to come up with ways to make it up to him.

"Yes, but she needs her rest!" I heard him say. I thought about pretending a for a while more - I didn't think I was ready for what was coming - Nathan, however, had other plans. I heard a crack before I felt him hit me hard with something on the stomach. It's safe to say that I practically jolted awake. I rubbed my belly; there had been, thankfully, a few layers of blankets to protect me from what I now realized to be the plastic tubing with Nathan's Iv fluids in them. He had whipped me with it!

"Hey!" Leon yelled sharing a similar sentiment that I had as he caught the tubing before Nathan could pull it back. Nathan noticed Leon's evil smile too late. Leon yanked the plastic tubing with a slight tug. That was enough to detach the needle like tube which was in Nathan's arm along with the tape which held it in place on his skin. Nathan let out a short yelp as the tape tugged on his skin, and painfully pulled sensitive hairs.

I laughed at Nathan's pain. He deserved it. I completely changed my mind when I saw a bit of blood coming out of the small wound on Nathan's arm. It was just a little bit, hardly enough to entice Leon to do anything; having been already full on me. Perhaps Leon had been to rough on him. He had to remember that at his weakest, Leon was still stronger than most of us. I heard Nathan grumble under his breath as the nurse came and stuck him again. This time on the opposite arm. "Watch yourself," he warned before dramatically shutting the curtains that separated our cubicles as if to give us privacy; even though he could clearly hear us.

I knew this because we could clearly hear Nathan angrily batter the poor nurse. He went on about how he hated 'the useless Ragnarok hunters' who could do nothing but 'idly sit by' during the Ouroboros Massacre. Of course he added a few other nasty words in there too. I had a good right to feel angry, but I think the anger he felt towards the Ragnarok hunters was a bit unjustified. They had, after all, done nothing but come to their aid when they had needed it most.

"You wanted to ask me something?" I asked breaking the awkward silence after Nathan had been successfully sedated. I dreaded anything he had to ask me. I wondered what I could do to make up to him if I once again chose to lie. There was no point in lying to him now when the evidence stared at him blankly in the face. I couldn't runaway from this one anymore.

"Eli, what are you wearing?" He suddenly looking at me up and down. I looked down at myself; the blankets had long since untangled themselves revealing the ugly uniform our trainer made us wear. I remained silent at first. There was no need for words. He already knew what the jumpsuits meant. I still felt the need to answer his question.

"Ragnarok training uniform, standard issue." I said lowly, hoping that he wouldn't hear me. I knew he'd have to find out eventually, I just didn't want it to be so soon. Now he knew, that I was training. Training to kill his kind.

"Do you really have to do this?" He asked sitting on a chair next to my bed and took my hand in his. He looked at me straight in the eyes, probably hoping for a straight answer. "Whatever comes our way, I'll protect you." He said so sincerely it almost broke my heart. He probably thought that I thought he couldn't take care of me. That I felt the need to seek my own protection because he couldn't fulfill it himself.

"I know you will," I said reassuringly squeezing his hand tighter in the process. He had to understand that I just had to do this for myself. "I just don't want feel useless every time something happens." I said as he looked down in thought.

"You're not useless. . . " He mumbled before looking up at me. In his mind, he seemed to come to an answer. As he did, I looked down too. I didn't want this to cause a rift between us. If he prohibited me from doing this, then. . . . then I'd. . . to be honest, I don't know what I'd do. I really wanted to be with him, but I wanted to be with him as his equal in all matters. I didn't want to feel inferior when ever I was confronted, then wait to have him come to save me.

"But I feel that way and I don't want to." I determinedly said looking up at him with my answer. I took his hand in mine tightly trying to make my point clear. "I want to always stay by your side, no matter who it is that stands against us." I finished strongly sitting up straight on my bed.

Leon responded with a smile and my previous fierceness faltered with that simple gesture as I hunched down a bit. I looked down to hide an ever increasing blush. He put his hand under my chin lifting up and brushing his thumb against cheek softly.

"If this is what you really want, and it makes you happy, then I'm okay with it," He said placing a kiss on my forehead. I smiled; he was always so good to me. Leon then brought his lips down to mine in a soft kiss. Our kiss slowly began to deepen. I wrapped an arm - catheter and all - around him, and he did the same to my waist. Utter bliss was the only way to describe it.

A sudden clanking sound made us pull away from each other. Ez was leaning over a small metal table where numerous medical supplies where now in disarray. He had his back to us, did that mean he was leaving? I didn't even hear him come. In his hand he had a bouquet of roses which were now cluttered together from the result of the impact.

"Ehhh, these are for you," Ez said nervously abruptly extending the roses forward causing a few loose petals to fall off. He was always so moody and distant, it was a breath of fresh air to see him act this way. Ez had actually gone out of his way to get me flowers, then bringing them personally to me. I smiled at the gesture. I caught myself and stopped. I couldn't see him that way.

"Eli's favorite flowers are orchids," Leon snapped back at him. I had completely forgotten that he was standing next to me. His facial expression was tight and his eyes were in a dangerous glare. It was no secret that Leon and Ez disliked each other. Ez had, after all, tired to kill him for the past three years. Ez had no choice but to lock away his hate, until that day when it would be allowed for him to use it again. Leon, however, I thought he didn't even see Ez as a threat anymore.

"Oh," Ez muttered lowly bringing the flowers down. Why did he do this. I didn't want him, I wanted Leon. I told myself this over and over; why didn't I wholly believe it? Ez looked at the flowers at his hand and his soft glance then suddenly turned into a hardened glare. "Then maybe you should have gotten her flowers then." At this comment Leon scoffed.

"When I heard what happened I didn't waste any time going to flower shops. I came straight here." Leon said. Ez didn't say anything and neither did Leon. Was it possible that Leon now saw Ez as a different kind of threat. He had good reason to. What would he do if he ever found out why Ez had suddenly become so bold?

What had happened between us, didn't happen. I could easily suppress things I didn't want to remember; like my sister death, or when I saw my father with that woman. It was what I was good at. Sure, it all came back ten times worse later, but pretending it didn't happen worked for me. Why couldn't Ez do the same?

Pure unrefined hate emanated from both of them. Like a wild animals before a battle for territory, they glared at each other; sizing each other up, deciding weather a fight would be worth fighting. Soon, things would be beyond control. I had to do something, anything, to distract them from the imminent disaster that would come from a fight between these too. Worse yet, Nathan was in the cubicle beside me. I'm sure Nathan didn't severely hate Leon, not like Ez did, but if a fight did break out, I'm sure he'd be more than willing to defend Ez. They were after all like brothers.

A plan suddenly formed in my head. Evil and manipulative I thought twice before enacting it. Then I saw Leon move forward towards Ez and all deliberation ceased. I brought my hand up to my head and winced in false pain. I even let out a fake groan of pain for added effect. My evil plan worked as both boys shifted their attention from each other to me. "Go get a nurse," Leon demanded and Ez, shockingly, obeyed in getting a nurse to treat a false pain.

The nurse asked me what my pain level was, and I responded by telling him a six or risk revealing my lie to Leon and Ez. I went along with my lie, up until the nurse came back with syringe telling me that it dull the pain. I didn't want any drugs, so I tried telling him that I had changed my mind and that I just wanted to be with my friends. He gave me a full dosage of what I figured out to Benadryl - the medicine that always made me sleepy. I had successfully avoided telling Leon the reason why I was here, and that made me happy.

The nurse shooed away both Leon and Ez after, telling them that I would go to sleep soon and that visiting hours were almost over. The nurse laid down my bed as he said this. Just before Leon left he came up to my bed and gave me soft kiss on the lips. Ez was still standing there as this happened. Leon was my boyfriend, why did I feel so guilty kissing Leon in front of Ez.
_______________________________________________________________________

It was much easier now that I didn't have to sneak around Leon to go to the training. Of course, Nathan found out - probably through Ez - and told Elle who was constantly 'testing' my abilities, and my patience, by repeatedly surprise attacking me. Thank god Leon was there to pull her off most of the times. I kept my uniform in Leon's room now, instead of lugging it around each time. I changed without fear of him walking in and seeing me and walked the hallways proud that I had worked so hard.

Leon didn't question me about the reason of why I was at the medical ward. At least not at first. After the first few days, he began to ask. Each time he did bring it up, I would simply kiss him and he would be silenced. I was horrible - for manipulating him this way - but I knew that if he found out that I was put in that bed because he sent me there he would get noble on me. He'd want to return to isolation chambers, because he was hurting me and I just couldn't allow that.

Something odd was going on as I neared the arena doors. Our trainer was there, leaning against the door with her arms crossed. Amy and the other trainees were there too. Confused, I approached them; they held the same expression I did fixed on their faces. "Nice and healthy now are we Seven?" our trainer said to me once I had joined the group. I warningly nodded, I could sense a foreboding was in her voice. I could already tell she had something evil planned for me since I was excused last time.

"Listen up girls." she said and all of us huddled closer like a football team before the game. "They've caught one of them - a newborn, freshly turned - and it's due for execution today." she explained. I didn't have to question what 'them' was. I knew it was a vampire, since that's the biggest problem the hunters have today. "Now I've pulled some strings and one of us is going to have a shot at it before anyone else does." she said. I never knew how executions went. I did know, however, that Leon was sentenced to one before. "Since Seven was sick last time, I think we should let her demonstrate her skills now don't you think so?" she said towards me.

Killing a vampire. I didn't think I was ready. Or that I even wanted to. This vampire had done nothing to hurt me, but I was supposed to go in there and kill it? I couldn't do that. However, looking at our trainers smug face, I couldn't say no. I couldn't let her think I was weak. I nodded with an angry glare. I would have to kill a vampire eventually anyway, if I ever wanted to be a real hunter. Our trainer smiled before opening the door to the arena. I noticed it immediately; the arena was buzzing with activity.

There were a few people on the bleachers now. Though I didn't know them, I recognized a lot from Ouroboros. Some of them still had bandages that covered stitches. The resentment that they held for vampires must have been renewed with the Ouroboros massacre. They must come to see a bloodbath. I recognized Elle holding Luxuria in her arms on the bleachers. On the arena, there were some of the Ragnarok huntresses setting up what looked like rings on the ground. I hardly realized that Ouroboros was populated mostly by men, while Ragnarok was the opposite.

"You'll be allowed two, select wisely." Our trainer said leading me to a small table were a whole bunch of weapons were laid out. I knew, without a doubt, that I'd be using a gun. I also knew that would not be enough to kill a vampire. The most efficient way of killing one was to get it to lose enough blood at one time without it gaining it back; this was what our trainer taught us. However, since vampires were living breathing creatures, they also had a beating heart. A gun wasn't strong enough to penetrate the hard vampire bone that made up the ribs that encased the heart - I learned this with Dr. Redson - so I would have to stab it's heart to get it to stop beating. That could kill it too.

Since they didn't have my preferred model of handgun, I chose a small submachine gun. A Skorpion. I didn't know exactly what I was going to be faced with so I made sure that all the cartridges were full. Next I had to pick a second weapon. I wasn't skilled enough to use a blade, or fast enough to use a pair of gold knuckles that I strangely saw on this table as well. I settled on a small gold plated knife that I could use in close quarters, just in case I lost my gun. I put the knife in my pocket for the time being, and walked towards our trainer with the gun in my hands.

"You set?" our trainer asked when I approached her. I nodded meekly. Our trainer told me to wait while they arranged everything, which I was more than happy to do. In fact, I wished I would have to wait forever. There was no turning back after this. There was no going back to the way things were. I could feel the knife in my pocket, pressed tightly into my thigh as though it belonged there. The gun, my gun, it never felt this heavy before. So heavy it made my hands tremble. "Stand straight," were the last words our trainer gave me before she departed to the safety of the bleachers were everyone watched from. She left me alone in the center of the arena, waiting for my would be victim.

The door opened to the arena and I saw it. The vampire. She was being brought in by four huntresses, each one holding a separate thick chain attached to a collar. Horrible, this metal contraption. It had sharp metal spikes that angled downwards so that if she tired to make a move against one of her restrainers, they would cut into her flesh. She wasn't like Leon, or Grim, I quickly noticed. Her eyes were wide and crazed, her lips in a distorted smile. She clearly didn't posses the sanity that Leon had. An excited mummer reverberated through the arena once the vampire had been brought in. I was to kill this woman - vampire, or not - and they had not only come to watch, but also to enjoy it?

The huntresses began to attach the chains to the rings that had been set up before as a second prisoner was brought in. This new vampire was a bred vampire, very much like Leon. A serf. I wouldn't be able to tell it's class by just looking at him. Shaggy blond hair partially hid sad green eyes that looked down at his wrists, where he wore a similar contraption to what the female vampire wore. If he tried to escape these handcuffs, they would cut into his wrists. This one had much more security; a lonesome Grim stood solemnly by the other vampire's side, watching it's every movement.

The he looked up, and I froze. His gaze on me only lasted a few seconds before he turned to the other vampire - the woman - with what I could only recognize as longing and regret. He looked so tortured, and in so much agony; I was only here to make it worse for him, for them two.

Clanking metal cut through my mind. It took me a moment to figure out that the woman was rushing at me with incredible speed - the chain to which she was still attached to clinked behind her. I didn't even have time to raise up my gun before she tackled me to the ground. The gun flew out of my hands and I instinctively brought my arm over my face. Immediately, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I opened my eyes - I had unintentionally shut them closed - to see the woman gnawing painfully on my arm. My arm was the only thing keeping her from my neck where the vital veins were. I pushed her away, but she pushed back with much more force.

The first thing I did was look for my gun. As I searched, I saw it way to out of reach. Using my spare hand, I reached down - wincing as she bit deeper onto my arm - for the pocket which held the knife. Easily within reach, I quickly pulled it up and blindly slashed in front of me. I felt warm liquid on my face and she jumped right off me. I stood up as fast as I could, before I gave her the advantage again.

She stopped for a few moments, licking her lips, savoring the taste. A deep cut across her face; she didn't even seem to mind it. I had to get my gun back, but I couldn't give her my back. I side stepped towards it. Hopefully she wouldn't notice me doing this, but this is me, of course she noticed. She charged at me again, and I bolted for my gun. She was too fast, she caught me just before I reached down for my gun.

This time, I manged to catch her arms. She was a newborn, so she wasn't that strong, but she was still stronger than me. I tired to push her away, but she kept coming closer and closer. I felt my knees buckle under her, and my left knee collapsed. This gave her an advantage over me, since now I had to put up with her weight, along with the force she was exerting. She came closer and closer, I had her arms against her chest, but she somehow managed to lean over them to me. I didn't know what to do! If I let one of her arms go she would bite me on the neck, but I had to get a weapon in my hands.

Just when she was so close to me I could see the pupils of her eyes wide with excitement, she suddenly screeched and came off me. With the sudden weight off me, I fell down. I watched as the vampire slowly pulled out a small knife off her shoulder. While I was down, I quickly searched for my gun, which was now conveniently within reach. Suddenly a hand came down right in front of my face. Startled, I looked up to see Amy with a blade in her hand.

I took her hand as she helped me stand up. I silently thanked her and she nodded in mutual understanding. "Just give me an opening." was all she said before she moved forward. So I was on defense. I didn't care, I wasn't good at close range anyway. With Amy at front, the vampire focused on her. I moved away, giving myself some distance, just in case.

The woman charged at Amy, but she didn't panic. Just as she was within reach, Amy struck out her blade straight out. The vampire almost ran into it. She had to completely change her course to avoid it. In the process, the vampire gave Amy her back, and she took it. One long swipe slashed at her back. I winced when I saw all the blood begin to pour out. The vampire howled in pain; the audience cheered.

By the doors, I saw the second vampire take a step forward, but his advance was quickly quelled by Grim - who put a firm grip on his shoulder preventing him from moving. He brought his cuffed hands to his miserable eyes and looked down. Why would they make him watch? . . . .

I heard metal hitting metal so I turned toward back to Amy. She had brought down her sword hard but had missed completely hitting the chains that bound the vampire. Clever, she was, as she grabbed the chains that limited her and looped it over the blade then pulled. The sword came flying out of Amy's hands. A malicious grin appeared on the vampire's bloodstained lips, Amy was defenseless now. I was supposed to be her defense; I would have to act.

"A little assistance, would be very much appreciated!" I heard Amy say urgently as the vampire slowly came closer to her. I brought my gun up and lined up the invisible lines in my head for the perfect shot. Wind wouldn't be a bother here in this indoor arena so the bullet would follow it's normal trajectory. It only took a few seconds to get the shot, but why couldn't I fire the trigger?

The vampire loomed closer still on Amy. She saw me frozen in and she instead pulled out her second weapon instead of relying on me. A knife, very similar to the one I had used, rested in her hand. I didn't realized I had dropped it when I had picked up my gun, or that Amy had picked it up. I didn't doubt that she could defend herself, even with such a small knife, but my stomach lurched at the thought of seeing her get hurt because of my hesitation.

Clinking metal; I learned to associate that with danger at this point. The vampire hunched down, to prepare another rush at Amy. Without her longer blade she wouldn't be able to counter it so easily. In fact, I don't think such a powerful charge from any vampire could ever be countered - just dodged. If I didn't do anything, Amy would get seriously hurt. I closed my eyes, it was too hard a choice. I couldn't kill anything, but I had to defend Amy. I had to. . . . I had to!. . . .

I heard the raid steps of the woman begin to rush towards Amy. I made up my mind. I squeezed that trigger as hard as I could. Rapid fire. All of it spewing out of the barrel of the machine gun. I could see them, just for an instant, the small faded brown cartridges lingering momentarily in the air in front of me before whooshing away. Then a short silence, like the calm before a storm.

Bullets hitting flesh, like the wild sea against jagged rock. I knew exactly where I had aimed. Her knees. She collapsed to the floor mid run, withering in pain; something I had caused intentionally. Amy wasted no time. She was on her in an instant before the vampire could heal up her knees. With her small knife she proceeded to stab her in the back just where her heart would be. The vampire, the woman, didn't move or make a sound after that. The audience in the bleachers roared with cheering.

I couldn't move. Not when I saw the face of the other vampire, who was being led away by Grim. So broken and blank. I had been a willing accomplice to the murder of something. . . someone. . . . . . something. I couldn't hear anything. I think it was the roar of the crowd that kept me from listening to our trainer's congratulating words.

We waited for everyone to leave. Elle gave me a thumbs up before being ushered out the door with Luxuria in her arms. Only our trainer, her trainees, and a few authoritative figures were left behind. We were called, all of us, to the center, and disturbingly close to the body. As I walked past, I saw it and it made me sick to my stomach. Her skin was no longer had that milky alabaster color. Now her skin looked held an ashen gray color, very much like an old statue. Her eyes, once wild, where now dulled over with lifelessness. She looked so fragile now, like if I touched her she would break.

"I do commend you Miss. Atwell. You have very fine students here." said a woman I've never seen before. Her hair in a tight long braid and dressed a blue dress suit. Authority and a demand for respect radiated from her. Around her were two others; a meek girl with a chlipboard in her hand, and a bulky boy; a body guard most likely.

"Why thank you Helios," our trainer responded with a sly smile. I wondered who Helios was exactly. In greek mythology Helios was the god who drove the cart that pulled the sun back into the sky every morning. His counterpart was Artemis, the moon goddess. Then it hit me. Artemis was the name of the manor leader back at Ouroboros, so his counterpart here at Ragnarok must be Helios.

"What about that other one, by the doors?" Amy interjected their conversation. I'd never have the nerve to ever even try to get on our trainer's bad side. Much less with her superior. Luckily, the others didn't mind.

"Ha! Bloodthirsty as well. This type of perfection can only come from you Nata." the bodyguard said with a haughty laugh. Perfection. Were really that perfect? Maybe Amy was - she didn't even hesitate, not even once - but not me. They just killed someone, and no matter how many times I told myself that what I had killed was something less than human I just couldn't see it that way. Not after being with Leon.

"Grim has his own from of judgment." a soft voice came from the girl with the clipboard. Judgment. Is that what they were passing? I'm sure God doesn't cheer when he sees someone he condemned to burn for eternity in the deepest pits of hell. A judge doesn't laugh in the face of a guilty criminal. Were the vampires truly evil, or were the hunters? "When will we be enlisting them?" the girl said looking down at her clipboard.

"I think they're very capable now." our trainer said. "Especially my Six here. Did you see how she took initiative when one of her comrades was in danger?!" Our trainer exclaimed. I always knew she had favorites.

"You have high hopes for her I see." Helios said, then added, "I'll check our other training units and see if any are near completion. We'll prepare a graduation ceremony." A graduation ceremony?! We were done? I'd be a full fledged hunter after this ceremony. Why didn't I feel like a hunter. I felt more like a murderer.

"Sophie, have someone clean this up." Helios said to the clipboard girl and causally pointed at the corpse on the floor as she was leaving. Sophie stayed behind as she called someone on her phone.

After Helios left, our trainer explained that there would be no more sessions after today. Boot camp was over. We would have one more final evaluation before we would be listed up. This evaluation would be near our graduation date, and it didn't matter if we failed it or not since we had all, already passed. It was to asses our abilities so that we could placed in a squad. I was so close to becoming a hunter, but only one question remained. After what I saw today, did I really want to become one?

A group of people entered the arena as we were leaving. Sophie instructed them to clean up the body. Just before I closed the door, I saw them near her body. They touched her, and she crumbled like broken glass. I quickly shut the door, but the damage was done. When a vampire died, they shattered into broken pieces. What would remain of their body was nothing but a pile of ash.

Jolted, I went directly to Leon's room. He always had a way to make me feel better. I opened the door, but didn't see him. Hearing running water in the bathroom I headed for it. Inside I found Leon emptying one of the harvested blood bags. This was a common practice for him; we had to make Dr. Redson fully believe that he wasn't taking any fresh blood. I smiled when I saw him, but then the image of that dead vampire - cold and hard - flashed in my mind. If Leon died, that would be what he would look like and that made me feel sick.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked concerned coming to my side. That's all I took. I bent over and vomited. At least I made it in the toilet.