Enough, Rasmus," he started softly. "You need to stop this madness." He stared directly into Rasmus's eyeballs, a pleading look present in his eyes.
"Kallion! What are you doing here? You left two... two centuries ago," Rasmus said, pointing his finger at him, his voice breaking.
"And now, you are back, just like that."
"Yes, I left," Kallion said in a solemn voice. "I had to find my path, but now I'm back to stop you because I cannot watch you descend totally into the darkness. You are on the path of destruction, Rasmus, and I'm here to stop that... no matter what it takes."
"Stop what? I'm only helping to get rid of filth... of that accursed race called the witches."
"We are not a cursed race, you goddamn bloodsuckers," a woman from the crowd said, then spat on his face.
A slashing sound was heard, and a head rolled, blood spurting like a fountain, staining Kallion's face.
The vampires are not a damned race, woman," Kallion said sheathing his blood stained dagger, appearing behind the headless body.
He licked the blood that had splattered on his lips.
He turned to look at Rasmus. "Rasmus, you are blinded by your rage. I understand how you feel, but ..."
"No, you don't!, Kallion," Rasmus interrupted.
"No one does. Do you know what it feels like to see the love of your life die by your sword, her blood flowing down your arms?
"Don't blame yourself for that day, Rasmus. It was never your fault. The witches were the sole cause of Elara's death.
"Elara, her name resounds in my mind, reminding me why I have to take this path. Why I have to make those who did this pay?
"Revenge is not the way, Rasmus. Make peace with yourself and move on. You carry the burden of an entire race on your shoulders. You are the prince of the vampires, the future king of the race at the top of the food chain. And how do you lead your people?
Rasmus averted his gaze from meeting Kallion's.
"The vampires may have another king if they wish."
He turned to meet Kallion's gaze again.
"But all I know is that witches took the world from one man; me, and I'm going to do the same."Whoever tries to stop me will suffer the same fate as they did." He pointed at the dead bodies lying on the floor.
"So it's gotten to this point; you wouldn't even hesitate to take my life."
"You became a traitor the moment you walked out on the vampire court and left to find your own way. You are right," Rasmus smirked.
"I am the vampire prince, and therefore I should have the interests of the vampires at heart."
Kallion's poker face turned dark the moment he heard that.
"You are a traitor, Kallion, and traitors are meant to die!"
"If this is your choice, then so be it." Kallion Ires turned crimson as shadows enveloped him. The shadows soon dispersed to reveal a new Kallion.
His silver hair, which was usually loose, was now tied into a knot.
His blood-red eyes gave an ethereal feeling, and his poker face remained unchanged.
He was clothed in silver armor that shone under the moonlight, with runes engraved all over the armor.
Sheathed at his waist was a sword which gave an eerie, powerful aura that screamed one word.
Danger.
He held a dagger in his hand, with patterns and runes carved into it.
One could feel immense power just by looking at the blade.
The runes on the sword became nonexistent on the blade but started to appear on his arms.
Shadows soon surrounded him and covered him. From the shadows, only his blood-red eyes were visible, along with his dagger and the runes on his arms.
The rest of his body looked like a mass of moving shadows.
"All right, let's do this, just like old times," Kallion said. A smirk on his face. The shadows enveloping him spread out and formed wings at his back.
Rasmus had a look that revealed no expression as he got into a fighting stance.
A red aura started swirling around him, and a portal appeared in front of him, directly hovering around Rasmus.
He stretched forth his hands into the portal, and when he brought them out, he had a sword in his hands.
The sword gave off a mystic aura and had an appearance as majestic as the aura it gave. It had a silver blade with vein-like crimson patterns and a blood-red hilt.
Rasmus lunged forward and struck at Kallion, who simply sidestepped, letting the blade hit the ground.
Cracks immediately appeared on the ground and started spreading.
Kallion went for a lethal strike to his neck, but Rasmus ducked and parried with a slash to Kallion's side, which Kallion used his daggers to deflect before getting hit by a punch square in the face by Rasmus.
Kallion staggered but quickly regained himself, he jumped and threw a punch at Rasmus who rolled away and the punch hit the wall, then the whole building came crashing down.
All the remaining witches who were scared out of their pants after seeing thier leader die and could not move started to panic.
Blocks after block came crashing down and shards of glass raining down piercing them all in different parts of their bodies.
"Aargh!!". Kallion screamed. A shard of glass pierced his shoulder. He removed it, and the wound closed at an unbelievable speed.
In that moment of distraction, Rasmus made a diagonal motion with his sword, and a red aura shaped like a line came out, heading for Kallion. Turning at the last second, just when the attack was about to hit him.
Shadows enveloped him, and he vanished without a trace.
A dark portal appeared at Rasmus' back, and Kallion stepped out from it.
Rasmus turned back immediately but was too late as his head had already been severed from its body.
Rasmus' head immediately reattached itself to his body, and Rasmus smirked. He levitated into the air and flew towards Kallion.
He executed a palm strike that sent Kallion crashing out of the window.
He crashed, creating a deep crater in the ground.
Rasmus flew after him and landed softly, pointing his sword at Kallion.
"So this is how it ends, huh Rasmus," Kallion said.
"Do it take my life". His eyes face showing no expression but the tinge of pain in his eyes.
Rasmus stared at him, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind.
My one true friend, I can't bring myself to kill you. He thought.
" I won't kill you, for the sake of old times, but every witch of the Nightshade coven dies here today," Rasmus said.
He turned back to look at the collapsing building, his crimson red eyes shining.
He pointed his palms towards the building and a red aura the size of a ball hit the building.
**********************************
Two men could be seen walking down the lonely road devoid of cars, people, and conversations.
Stopping by the side of the road at a T-junction, Rasmus faced Kallion.
"So, enough talking about me. Kallion, where have you been all this while" ?
Rasmus asked, looking Kallion in the eye.
Kallion embraced Rasmus for about two seconds and pulled back.
"That question will be answered should we see again."
"Farewell, old friend," Kallion said, and shadows enveloped him. When the shadows dispersed, only the chilly wind remained.
Exhaling, Rasmus looked at the sky, a dejected expression on his face.
Once again, he felt.... Alone.