"Stop"
Eyes glowing a menacing crimson, his command rolled through them like instincts itself–absolute, irresistible. They froze midmovement, caught in his grip. In unison their eyes ignited with the same crimson burn, a perfect reflection of his authority.
Frederick held them there till the scent completely disappeared, releasing them only after he was sure there was not a trace of the human scent anymore.
Derick also realising that the humans were gone released the ones he held in his grasp.
"You brats couldn't even show a little restraint" Derick scoffed as he looked at the two whose arms began to slowly bend back into shape.
"It wasn't our fault lord Derick, the scent felt so irresistible, our instincts overwhelmed our thinking" one of the two he had held voices out.
Derick bent low to meet his height as they were still in the ground and whispered into his ear.
"Keep making excuses and your arms wouldn't be the only thing you'll have to regenerate"
The young vampire gulped down hard as he watched Derick's retreating figure.
Frederick still stood in place as he looked at the nobles who were trying to recuperate themselves.
"It felt strange, like I had lost all sense of reasoning." one of them said while starting into his palms.
"That's what we're here for, before the next week you all most be able to resist. Fight the instincts that claw at your mind and sanity." Frederick voiced out, addressing the crowd.
"I want you to enter a state where spilled blood means nothing, human blood no longer becomes a necessity to you but a choice" he added.
"Better get used to it".
The noble vampires looked at each other, their minds resolved, they aimed to overcome instincts and defy their natural order.
Frederick had his eyes on one of the nobles, a tall and slightly busty blonde, her golden hair swayed across her cold but beautiful face. She turned to face his direction, her golden eyes aligning with his grey ones for a split moment.
Frederick nodded at her, acknowledging her presence before she faced another direction. While the rest of the nobles had acted out she was the only one that stood in place, from the distance he could feel how the space around her was different. She had used all her strength to contain herself into a single spot.
"To control space has always been a rather unique cursed technique…it's a shame that among us curses only the dalores clan can possess it" he said internally.
He walked forward, eyes scanning the surroundings.
He passed by Derick and let out a small remark. "Try not to break thier legs next time brother, we don't want them to slow us down."
"Even regeneration has its limits".
The words struck Derick like venom, how could he allow someone younger than him to ridicule his choice. His hand instinctively reaches out for his battle axe that hung on his back but he remembers his father's words and they froze before dropping back down.
"Thought as much" Frederick snickered before walking forward.
"We shall camp out in a cave for the meantime, I don't want any of you turning this town into a slaughter house" Frederick voiced out loudly, finger pointing at a part of a mountain that had been carved out by nature, outside the city.
The mountain was quite a distance away, a small forest surrounded its perimeter and other larger mountains disappeared into the horizon behind it.
He dashed forward, the others following behind him. Derick being the strongest among them quickly creates a gap between himself and the nobles, steady but still far enough. He turns his head expecting to see Frederick some meters behind him but his eyes spot him behind the nobles.
"Tsk…how does father expect him to lead if he can't even dominate them in agility" he said internally, brows creased from clear irritation. They moved fast and precise, their fast steps inaudible and their black clothing made them look like a cluster of moving shadows.
Frederick who was behind them all wasn't really focused, his body just moved on instincts able to keep up even though he wasn't trying.
He kept on pondering on what had occurred, there was something different here, something had changed and he noticed it even though the others didn't.
When the humans had passed he didn't just sense their presence but also saw them, they moved fast, faster than anything he had anticipated.
It had been long integrated into vampire history that humans didn't have the physical prowess that they did.
But now he wanted to question history itself because the humans he had slightly encountered could rival some commoners in the vampire society when it came to speed.
Things were definitely wrong and he needed answers, quick.
His body that had been running on auto pilot for a while finally came to a halt that brought him back to reality, they had arrived at the cave.
Eyes darting around the dark space that didn't affect his sight, it was wide enough to hold them. Most of the nobles had already begun to offload some of their belongings.
Friedrick walked towards a corner where Derick was resting against the wall, his cold eyes hung low.
"I'll be going back to the city, something's not right" he voiced out when he was close enough.
"And what do you want me to do? Breastfeed these shit heads" Derick replied, his words cold and vulgar.
Frederick didn't answer his question but responded just as plainly, "just informing you as my second in command".
"Second in command" Derick muttered under his breath, his hand gripping his battle axe tightly, the weapon's handle squeaking under pressure.
Frederick turned around and began to head for the cave's entrance. Derick looked at his retreating figure and laughed bitterly, his hand loosening on his weapon.
'Soon.. little brother" he said internally, a cold glint flashing across his eyes as his figure retreated into the dark.