Feros and the Underworld Prince (2 page)

It’s a rookie qualifying match between a vampire and a centaur. Both of the fighters aren’t very talented and they tire fairly quickly. It’s starting to look like this match is going to end in a quick draw, but then the centaur jumps and kicks the vampire into the spike wall that surrounds the Citadel and divides the spectator stands from the battle grounds. The fame and fortune that comes with being a gladiator isn’t always worth the price of the consequences, especially when dying in the Underworld causes you to fade out of existence, even if you were alive; there is no afterlife for those living in the Underworld.

“
Ooh, looks like he’s out. I swear, if it weren’t for that championship brand that allows you to port to any district in the Underworld, no one would participate in these fights.” Archer says.

“
You are forgetting about the money, fame, and women.” I remind him while finishing the drink that he handed me during the match.

“
Well yeah, those too.” Archer replies.

“
Well I’d better start doing something that is worthy of payment. Here’s to my lost memories and the hopes that alcohol won’t hinder my recovery of them, despite the massive amounts of empirical evidence that claims otherwise.” I toast and finish my drink.

Just then, a blood covered Latina woman runs into the
Cas
bar. She makes it about three steps before her legs collapse and she starts to fall to the ground. I rush over and catch her before she makes an impact. She’s very pretty with straight, shoulder length, black hair and light blue eyes; slim and about 5’5” with a nice bust that is noticeable through her blood-soaked knit dress. I cradle her when she suddenly bites into the base of the left side of my neck and starts drinking my blood.

(5.6 Liters remaining. Concentrate your blood that is in her body and force her head to explode)
a feminine voice inside my mind says.

“
What!? Who are you?” I ask it. No response.

Archer grabs a gun from under the bar and takes aim, but I hold up my hand to stop him. I grab her shoulder and something inside her sings out to me.

“
Sleep,” I tell her and her body relaxes. That was pretty cool; I didn’t know I could do that. I scoop her up, take her over to a booth, and lay her down. Five vampires walk into the
Cas
bar and fan out in front of the entrance.

“
Give us the girl.” the front most vampire demands.

“
Why do you want her?” I inquire.

“
That’s none of your fucking business!” One vampire says as he rushes forward with a blade aimed at my stomach before his head explodes.

Archer is holding the ‘smoking’ gun as another vampire flanks him. Archer doesn’t see him coming! He’s going to get stabbed!

(Not if you have a say in it)

I flash forward and throw myself in the way. I get this strange feeling of Déjà vu as the six inch knife plunges into my stomach.

“
Cole!” Archer shouts as he blows the head off of the second vampire.

Suddenly, vague memories come rushing back to me; a best friend that I killed after an event similar to this one, but I can’t recall his name or his face. Fragments of older memories return and in almost all of them, that silver haired girl is there… who is she?

(
I’ll take over from here)
the voice says.

A silver liquid envelops my head and then everything flashes red. I feel my right hand clap over my stomach as I pull a three foot long blade with a trapezoid-shaped pommel from it. I rush forward and slice the heads off of the remaining three vampires before they even know what’s happened. I stand there holding the blade as blood showers down from the necks of the vampires.

(Don’t you just love the tingly feeling of fresh blood being rained down upon us?)

“
Cole? Are you alright?” Archer asks cautiously.

I feel the helmet retract as I collapse to the floor with my vision fading.

…

Chapter 3: Executioner meets Azeman

“
This is so not cool!” I hear a female voice say with a light Spanish accent as I awaken.

“
Just keep counting the coins, Azeman.” Archer replies. An azeman is a female vampire from South America that can change into a bat and also has a severe obsessive compulsion to count things; Archer must be using the coins to keep her preoccupied so that she doesn’t run off.

“
I have a name you know! It’s Reyna Reyes, not that you’re interested…” Reyna says.

“
You’re right; I’m not interested so just count the coins until Cole wakes up.” Archer replies.

“
I’m awake.” I groan as I sit up.

“
Welcome back buddy, thought we’d lost you there for a second.” Archer replies as he hands me a glass of water.

“
Thanks Arch, how long was I out?” I inquire.

“
About three hours.” Archer answers.

“
Okay, I still have some time before Kita gets home. Alright Reyna, could you please tell us why those vampires were after you?” I ask politely.

“
Well, my father was Alejandro Reyes…” Reyna says quietly, as though that name holds weight.

“
I knew I should have shot her…” Archer mumbles; I give him a puzzled look. “Alejandro Reyes was the leader of The Kings, the vampire gang that the liche from Irkalla took over. Supposedly, he was also the ex-husband of the Azeman Queen. She’s a vampire princess Cole.”

(What is it with you and princesses?)

“
What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask aloud.

“
I’m just the daughter of the head of a vampire cartel… former head.” Reyna replies, thinking that my question was directed at her.

“
Alam, the liche, kept me around as a trophy. I escaped with the help of my friend Ernesto. We were on our way to the Mictlan district, where my mother is, when we were caught. Ernesto sacrificed himself to allow me the time to escape, but the other vampires caught up to me anyway. I was stabbed from behind before I ripped out my attacker’s throat and continued running. I was partially delirious from blood loss when I got this strange compulsion to come in here…” Reyna says and starts crying when she mentions Ernesto. I move towards her and I give her a hug.

“
Hey… do you really think that Ernesto would be happy to see you like this?” I ask her softly.

“
He sacrificed himself for you! Do you really think he will be happy if he sees that you’ve killed yourself!?”
The memory of a familiar female voice rings through my head.

“
No…” Reyna cries into my right shoulder at the same time as another voice, one I recognize as the silver haired girl, replies with an identical answer.

“
Umm… Reyna?” I ask.

“
Hmm?” Reyna responds, muffled from my neck.

“
You need to stop now.” I tell her.

“
Hmm…? I’M SORRY!” Reyna exclaims with surprise after detaching herself from my neck.

“
You just smell so good!” she explains while looking at the ground and using her finger to play with the left fang that is protruding over her bottom lip. That action makes her look pretty cute and her eyes are definitely doing something for me…

“
I guess I’ll take it as a compliment then! By the way, how old are you Reyna?” I ask, purely for curiosity’s sake… I SAID PURELY FOR CURIOSITY’S SAKE!

“
I’m twenty-two.” Reyna replies as I put my fist behind my back and Archer inconspicuously ‘pounds’ it.

(No, you are already cheating on her with that other girl)

The voice explodes inside my head.

“
AHH! WHAT OTHER GIRL!?” I scream aloud as I try to work through the sensation of ‘brain freeze’ that I am currently feeling.

“
AH! Other girl?” Reyna yelps with confusion.

“
Dude, are you feeling alright?” Archer asks.

“
Yeah, just got this sudden headache, that’s all hehe.” I nervously laugh.

“
Alright, so what we obviously need to do is to find some way to get you to Mictlan.” I say. I feel some strange need to help this woman.

“
Good luck with that. You know how it is Cole; the Gates have been shut down for the past nine months. The only legal way to get through is to have a championship brand...” Archer reminds me.

(When do we compete?)

“
Can we do this?” I ask the voice in my head.

(Yes, and it will aid your remembrance)

“
Well, I guess I’ll just have to become Champion then, won’t I?” I say aloud.

Chapter 4: I really hope that foxfire isn’t real…

“
Cole, I know that you’re strong, and I know that you’ve seen plenty of Citadel matches, but did you forget that the battles at higher ranks are fierce and that if you die, you go poof?” Archer reminds me, trying to talk me out of it.

“
Yeah but very few gladiators ever go poof. I’ll be fine Arch! Can you get me signed up for a fight?” I ask.

“
*Sigh* Yeah… but you have to tell Kita!” Archer insists.

“
That’s what I was planning on doing right now. Do you have any clothes for Reyna to wear that aren’t so… conspicuous? And a bag that I can wrap this in?” I request while holding up the sword in my hand. Archer leads us upstairs to his three bedroom penthouse, grabs some clothes for Reyna, and shows her to the bathroom so she can change.

“
Thanks Arch. Oh, and if any more vampires come looking for her, just give them a description of me and say that I killed them all.” I tell him.

“
Sure, just be careful Cole. Oh, and watch out for Kita’s foxfire!” Archer exclaims as Reyna and I exit the
Cas
bar. We walk the six blocks and then up the three flights of stairs to the apartment.

“
Welcome home Cole! How was… your… day?” Kita says with a wide smile that falls as she sees me, and further when she sees Reyna. I look down and see a red stab wound in my clothing, at stomach level.

“
COLE! WHAT HAPPENED!? AND WHO IS THIS!?” Kita shouts.

“
Do you mind if I use your shower? Changing clothes didn’t help the blood that is on my skin.” Reyna asks.

“
Sure, it’s right over here. I’ll tell you the story in a second Kita.” I grab a towel for Reyna and I show her to the shower. I regale my tale of events that have occurred since Kita left this morning while Reyna is in the shower.

“
Cole! What are you thinking!?” Kita asks angrily.

“
Kita… when I was fighting, I had this strange sense of déjà vu. I think this is the key to getting my memories back and it’s apparent that the ‘old me’ knew how to fight. Plus, with the money I make from the fights, we can move into a bigger apartment!” I say while leaving out the part about the voice in my head because hearing voices is never a good sign. I’m not worried about it because it somehow feels right to me, but Kita would most likely freak.

“
Alright Cole… as long as you’re sure that you’re up to this. I don’t want to see you go
poof
!” Kita says after a moment.

“
I’ll be just fine Kita,” probably. “Now I have two questions for you. First, is foxfire real?” I ask.

“
For red foxes, yes; I’m an arctic fox so no, I can’t use foxfire.” Kita replies as I hear the bathroom door open.

“
Okay, second question: can Reyna stay here for a few nights?” I ask. Kita’s eyes narrow in response and suddenly my genitals get very cold.