• Cool refreshing ocean air turns to a looming grief when you are upset, I had just figured that out as I was flying. It was a rather long flight to my cave. By now I guessed that Criezon was almost back to the castle. I looked back at the castle and sighed.
    “I wonder what he is going to tell my father.” I asked myself. As I looked back towards my cave I had to stop and bank real quick. I wasn’t paying attention to how fast I was flying and almost collided with the cliff walls. Thankfully I was able to turn and land in my cave quickly. I left my wings unfurled and turned back towards the castle. The group of lights I had guessed was my group of friends was slowly heading into the castle. I just stared at it absent mindedly for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly a cold breeze brought me back to reality. I shivered and sniffed the air, something wasn’t right but I already knew that. I turned around and gathered some twigs and such for a fire.
    “Farza.” I said, and the fire started. I sat down and started thinking while staring out at the waves crashing against the shores. I felt so at peace… until a picture of Kain in his tent, flashed in my head. I started to cry at the thought of him. It was a long time before I noticed a light walking back to the castle and Criezon, completely obvious in the starlight sky (because of his white wings), flying towards me. I just crawled to a corner of my cave and curled up into a ball. A giant gust of air made me gasp when Crie landed in the cave.
    “Damn fire” he mumbled to himself as he walked to the fire spot. “Farza.” He said and the fire came to life. He walked over to me and sat down. We just sat there leaning on the cave wall, after a long time of me crying about what happened, I was finally able to speak.
    “How could he have done this?” I asked with tears running down my cheeks.
    “Well,” Criezon started while slowly wiping the tears from my face, “He could by… becoming a traitor and a Hume general.” He said chuckling, I laughed.
    “I still have you, that I am grateful for.” I sighed.
    “You will always have me…” Crie said soothingly, “I will never hurt you.”
    “Thank you Crie, I will never hurt you either.” I said half asleep and reassured.
    “I know you wont.” He replied, dozing off himself. And there we slept the entire night, curled up holding each other.

    There I was… sleeping so peacefully. Then the sun rose just over the top of the cliff, and reflected on the still sea’s surface into my eyes. Criezon had been awake for a while, and was humming the lullaby he created for me long ago. I grumbled.
    “What is it Lillia?” he asked with his enchanting voice.
    “The light.” I sleepily replied.
    “Ah.” He maneuvered his wing around me, “That better?”
    “You don’t have to do that for me Crie.” I said, getting up and stretching, “It’s time we should be getting back to the castle anyway.”
    “Well, I guess you’re right…”
    I started to crouch for a good leap, “Well then, were…”
    “Wait!” Crie said. I turned around, “When you get there go straight to your Father.”
    “Of course… I have to report on the mission.” I said finally awake.
    “No, your father wanted to talk to you… something important.” Crie replied.
    “Really? Ok then.” And I crouched getting ready for a leap… then Crie being funny, pushed me out of the cave yelling after me, “Nice jump!”
    We flew down low and were splashing water at each other, playing aerial tag, and attempting to catch flying fish… it didn’t work to well. Criezon and I were too busy having a fun time to let me remember the previous night.

    When I landed, I noticed that it was unusually quiet. I turned around and looked at Criezon. He was looking at the castle with confusion.
    “Oh no…” I said frightened. I started running to the castle at full speed. Tears staining my cheeks, I kept saying to myself, “Father don’t be dead. Father don’t be dead.”
    When I got to the castle, I burst through the stone doors and ran down the foray to the throne room.
    “No…” I stood there helpless. There was blood splattered on the walls, Windows shattered, seven of my friends dead, then my father on the throne. I ran to him sobbing.
    “…Lillia…”My father mumbled.
    “I’m here dad.” I whispered.
    “Lillia, there is… something important… I… have to tell you.”
    “Yes Father?”
    “I’m not… your real father.” My jaw just dropped, “Your father’s name… is Greinov.”
    “Okay that’s impossible, Grienov is the Hume King.” I said thinking out loud.
    “But it is true… he is a Vampe… like us. But no matter what… I will always love you… as my daughter.” He managed
    “And I will always love you as my father.” I said with a tear running down my face.
    “Just think… I will be in a place… of endless peace. Watching you.” He said taking my hand.
    “Wow, a stalker.” Criezon said kneeling next to me. My former Father laughed.
    “Criezon, take care of her… for me.” He whispered.
    “Of course.” Criezon replied.
    “Lillia I bid you a final farewell.” He said.
    “Father…” I said, King Azer closed his eyes, and breathed his last deep breath, and peacefully passed on. We heard a voice laughing the most insane laugh I have ever heard.
    “Well well, what do we have here, two alive and eight dead.” The voice chuckled.
    “Who’s there?!?!?!” I screamed, “What kind of sick joke is this?!?”
    “You don’t get it do you?” the voice asked still laughing. A swirling cloud of black fog appeared, wind roaring. Black fog. It only meant one thing in this world, Death. There was only one recorded sighting of it, and the man died soon after writing about it. All of the stories about Death were written soon after this record was displayed.
    “Come on! We have to get out of here.” Criezon pleaded.
    “You go ahead, I’ll catch up.” I said not budging from my spot.
    “You stay you get killed!” He yelled at me.
    “Not me, not this time. Go I don’t want you to get caught up in this!!!” I yelled at him shoving him towards the end of the hall. “Trust me I know what I’m doing.” I told him. He looked at me with his worried look.
    “Stay alive!” he yelled, the wind getting louder. I nodded. He turned around and ran for the door. I whirled around looked at the Black Fog, and stared at the fog… waiting for what was coming.

    Here it came. Death, the only thing that we could trust as the truth in this world. The fog suddenly stopped. I glared at it knowing the thing that was coming. A black figure appeared and the fog surrounding it all got sucked into the figure. It gained shape and color. Oddly it gained the shape of tiger.
    “You know, I kind of expected like a grim reaper or something.” I criticized Death.
    “Oh, and why is that?” Death asked.
    “You know, the stories.” I replied.
    “Ah. So why did you send off the other one?”
    “Because he doesn’t need to see this.” I said staring at Death. “I’m just keeping him from being so intrigued by you that he longs to see you again.”
    “Okay, then why do you face me?” Death asked so many questions.
    “I don’t have a reason, except for that I can control myself.” I said leaning against one of the black marble pillars.
    “Oh, I see.” Death replied turning towards the end of the hall.
    “Now may I ask a few questions?”
    “Of course.” Death turned back to me.
    “Are you a girl or a dude?” was my first question.
    “I am both but at the same time neither.” Death replied.
    “Is that your only form?”
    “No.” and Death turned into the mist again briefly before turning into a man. Death turned into a golden shorthaired man, wearing a black shirt, black pants and stood there staring at me. “Would you like to test your abilities against me?” Death asked me.
    “What?” I replied awestruck.
    “You try your fighting skills against me… I wont kill you I promise.” Death looked at me anxiously. He snapped his fingers and the bodies all disappeared, though I didn’t notice them.
    “This is going to be tricky, after all look at what I’m wearing.” I said chuckling. It would have been tricky; I was wearing a long leather skirt (slashed on the side for good movement), a black chain mail tank top, and my black silence boots.
    “I can fix that.” Death said, and he snapped his fingers once again, but this time I was the one surrounded with the black mist. I felt as if I was being lifted into the air, and nothing else was there like I was dead. I finally realized that I was back on solid ground. Looking down at my clothes, I jumped. Black form fitting shirt, and black pants, but I was still wearing my silence boots. I looked at Death he was smiling, “I told you I could fix it.”
    “I guess so.” I looked at him, “So are you sure you want to do this?”
    “Of course.” Death replied with a chuckle.

    I crouched down preparing for a leap, and Death did the same thing. I lunged at him with enough force to snap and ordinary Vampire in half. He mirrored me and we collided. Some how I got on top of him and did something he didn’t expect me to do in midair. I shot myself up and with this I got enough force to make him crash into the ground. Ending in a back flip and landing gracefully on the ground, Death got up and stared at me in a boiling rage. He lunged again, this time for my throat. I tried something I hadn’t done before and waited until the last second. Dodging his attack with a sidestep, I turned and made three pinpoint strikes to his back. He collapsed like a rock. I smiled at him with surprise when he got up again.
    He was not giving up, well he was Death, and Death never lost to anyone. This time, I shot up into the air close to the wall, and he did the same. I used the wall to push off of. Death was finally learning and used the other wall to shoot off of. When we collided we got a little of course and smashed a pillar to pieces. He swung me by the arm into another pillar, completely destroying it. When he let go I was able to right myself in a position and land on the wall like I was crouching on the ground. Glancing at Death who was probably thinking about killing me right now, I lunged at him and he dodged it making me smash into the floor. I got up and looked for Death, little did I know, he was right behind me. I heard something and looked behind me… he smiled and laughed. Death kicked me in my stomach, and got enough force to send me straight to the other side of the room. When I hit the wall, I fell to the ground and looked like I was dead. He came over and just stared at me. I was waiting for an opportune moment to get in another strike. Here it came… he kneeled down so see if I was still breathing, I punched him with a precise strike that would have snapped anyone else’s neck. He stumbled back and I shot off to the other side of the hall, where there were still intact pillars. When Death regained stability, he looked at me in confusion. I just smiled and laughed. He ran for me once again. I jumped into the air and used the pillars to kick off of. We lunged at each other, him from the ground, and myself from the air. I quickly did a back flip, causing him to crash into the ceiling. I landed near a pillar and leaned on it. When Death got up again and looked at me, I was chuckling to myself. He realized that I might in fact be stronger than him, stronger than Death. He looked at me wide eyed.
    “What’s the matter?” I said, “Give up already? I like having a challenge.”
    “Oh, I’m not through yet.” He replied, and then the moment I had been hoping for. Wings shot out of his back. Midnight black, just like mine. I unfurled my wings and flew out the hall the way Criezon went. When I shot out of the castle, I looked around for Criezon, know he was bound to be out here somewhere. I spotted him no more than thirty feet away. I went to him and told him to run
    “There is no way in hell that I am leaving you.” He told me.
    “Well guess what, hell is coming through that door.” I pointed at the open door to the castle, “If you don’t get yourself out of here, you will be killed.”
    “How did you survive this long anyway?” he asked.
    “No time for questions.” I replied, “Go, I’ll be fine.” He turned towards the mountain and flew to safety.
    Death flew out of the castle and hovered there staring at me. I flew up and hovered in front of him. We lunged at each other, crashing into the castle wall. I got up and hovered waiting for him to regain stability to fight. When Death pulled himself up he shot into the air. I flew up after him. Gaining on him, I saw him look back to see where I was. We were heading straight into a dark rain cloud. I saw my chance and flew of to the right. He looked back again and when he didn’t see me he stopped and hovered looking around him to try and track me. I shot down behind him and hit him in his back making both of us tear towards the ground, full speed. He tried to free himself by writhing in my arms, but I held tight. There was no way I was going to let him go. Faster and faster I plunged until we could see the castle. It was down pouring by now, with thunder and lightning surrounding us. We got about a hundred feet way from the castle when I let Death go and made a sharp right to avoid colliding with the castle. I hovered some seventy feet away from his collision site. He got up and looked at me… he was stained with blood.

    Death collapsed where he stood. But how could this be? I flew to him and picked him up. I jumped down from where we were and darted into the castle. When I got in there I laid him down.
    “What happened Death?” I asked frantically.
    “Oh, this… I’m all right. Did you think that Death couldn’t bleed once in a while? It is the only thing that keeps us attached to this world.” He replied getting up.
    “What?” I asked him in confusion
    “All gods were once human…” he started to explain, “Being able to bleed is the only thing the keeps us from becoming fully godlike and destroying all life here.”
    “Oh, that does make sense.” I replied, “How about I go get you some Seoknith root from the infirmary?”
    “That would be great. Lets both go.” Death tried to get up but collapsed again.
    “Here let me…” I said picking him up I rushed to the infirmary and laid him down on a bed.
    “You know, you are the first human to actually beat me.” He said.
    “Don’t you dare classify me in with those pathetic Humes!” I growled at Death, “I am a Vampe not one of them!” I felt a tear running down my cheek.
    “Why are you so against them?” Death questioned me.
    “My brother.” I said wiping the tear from my cheek, “He betrayed me for them. Here eat this it’ll help.” I gave him the Seoknith root, and sat beside him cleaning his wounds with a damp cloth.
    “Seoknith root is supposed to speed up healing.” I said. He looked up at me.
    “What is your brother’s name?” Death inquired.
    “You ask a lot of questions.” He stared at me and I sighed, “His name is Kain. I also have another brother and a sister… Auron and Lencia.” I told Death.
    “Why do those names sound familiar?”
    “We were the ones who slipped through your fingers once already. That is why I sent the man who was with me away.” I explained, “I figured you were there to kill me.”
    Death stared at me with a blank expression. Then he got up and looked at the castle around him. I sat there wondering what he was up to. Then he said a name.
    “Grienov.” He said with a hatred filled voice.

    When he said that name I new exactly what he meant. Grienov, my real father was the one who caused everything here. My father was the reason my friends died, why my castle is stained with blood and horrible memories, all in his objective to keep ruling this world. This thought made me stand and start running for the exit hall of the castle. I ran past Death, the ruins of the castle throne room, and start running for the mountain pass so I could get to my father and kill him for what he’s done. I got a good running start and soared into the downpour of rain. I flew as fast as I could and Death was flying right beside me. Surrounded by thunder and lightning, I started flying lower. We needed to find a place to wait out the storm. In the distance I spotted a cave with a fire glowing in it. Death followed me when I banked and headed towards the cave.