Unusual Alliance
The deep forests. This was the home of many dangerous species, both big and small, but mainly ruled by two kinds with centuries of rivalry between them.
Karmen, a vampire of ten years, had been sent on a mission by the elder vampires.
“There is some kind of a looming threat, which has been killing brothers and sisters from our kind.”Feyza, an elder and very respected vampire, said to Karmen“Your mission, Karmen, is to find and eliminate that threat. Do not fail, if you do not want any more of our kind to die.”
These were the last words Karmen was told, before she was sent on that mission.
The moon had already risen, its light filtering through the tall, green pine and fir trees. The leaves of the nearby oaks and birches were rustling from the light breeze, an owl’s hoot and the cries of a crow were keeping the forest lively at that time of the day.
The moon was full, which meant that Karmen needed to be at least twice as careful, because she was definitely not the only one wandering around a forest like that. She moved silently, her long, naturally brown hair and black leather clothes blending into the night. She tried to remain as calm as possible, as well, so that her eyes, too, would remain in their natural colour - green, which has been her natural eye-colour since before she got bitten and transformed into a vampire ten years ago.
Her senses were sharp, her every movement calculated. She crouched low, fingers brushing against the hilt of the silver dagger strapped to her thigh.
Karmen had been following the trail of the looming threat, each step leading her deeper into enemy territory. But she was not afraid. Neither of the werewolves, who claimed this land, nor of the thing she hunted. Tho, she still was cautious.
The next moment a growl sliced through the silence, freezing Karmen in place. It was not the thing she was tracking. It was something else.
“You are trespassing!”a male voice rumbled from the shadows
Karmen’s eyes turned gold for a moment, looking to her left, where the faintest outline of a figure emerged from behind a tree. Tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating power, the man showed up in front of Karmen. A werewolf.
Karmen rose to her full height, her dagger now in her hand, ready to defend herself, if needed.
“I am not here for you.”she said coolly, with a hint of warning in her voice
“And yet, here you are, wandering around my territory.”Kurt replied in a deep voice, roughed by a growl“We do not take kindly to trespassers, bloodsucker!”
“Look, I am talking seriously. I am hunting something.”Karmen replied back“Something that is killing your kind as much as mine. Have you not noticed?!”
Kurt’s eyes narrowed, replacing the usual dark brown colour with amber one, his growl rising in his chest“What do you know about that?”
“Enough to know it is somewhere close.”she answered, taking a step forward, her own instincts flaring as she felt the same shift in the air that Kurt likely did
“Are you feeling it, too?”she asked him
“I think I am.”he answered
The next moment they both heard a shrill, inhuman scream that echoes through the trees, sending a flock of birds into the night sky. Kurt’s head whipped towards the sound.
“Stay out of my way!”he snapped, already moving towards the source of the noise
“Not a chance!”Karmen called after him, sprinting to catch up
For a moment, they ran side by side, the tension between them palpable, both aware of the absurdity of the situation. A vampire and a werewolf, usually rivals, united by the urgency of survival.
As they approached a clearing, the sight awaiting them made them both stop in their tracks.
A figure stood in the center, shrouded in a black, tattered cloak that seemed to absorb the moonlight. Its head tilted unnaturally, and though its face was hidden, its presence radiated malice. Around it the corpses of three vampires and two werewolves lay strewn like broken dolls, their blood staining the ground,
Karmen felt a chill creep down her spine.
“That is not natural.”she whispered to Kurt
“No, it is definitely not.”Kurt agreed“It is something worse.”
The figure turned its head slowly towards them, and for the first time in some years, Karmen felt fear, goosebumps covering almost her entire body.
The next moment the figure screamed and stretched its arms, in order to try and catch Karmen and Kurt, but, thanks to their enhanced speed, they quickly ran away, until they were far enough. They stopped in a more neutral territory, Karmen trying to catch her breath, unintentionally gripping Kurt’s arm.
“Is everything alright?”Kurt asked her
“Y-Yeah...”she answered“I... I just need a moment...”
She took a few deeper breaths, and then calmed down.
“Are you feeling better now?”Kurt asked her, once he sensed her calmness
“Yeah, I am a little better now.”Karmen answered
“Okay, you can let go of my arm now...”Kurt replied“We are in a safer zone.”
“Yeah, I am sorry about that. It was not intentional.”she replied back and removed her own hand from his arm
“My name is Kurt, by the way.”Kurt introduced himself“It may sound a little strange, considering our natures, but... Nice to meet you.”
“It does sound strange, but a bit, hey, a bit of politeness would not harm anyone.”Karmen replied“Nice to meet you, too. My name is Karmen.”
“Okay, enough introductions.”Karmen said with a hint of urgency in her voice“We have something more serious and important to deal with.”
“What do you think of doing?”Kurt asked her“What is your plan?”
“Maybe, for the first time, we will have to work together.”she answered“Instead of considering each other an obstacle to fight the mysterious creature, we could align and defeat it together. It is for the sake of our kinds.”
Kurt thought for a while, and then nodded his head“Okay. You are right. We need to work together on this.”
The next moment another wolf’s howl sounded in the distance, coming from the werewolves’ territory.
“I think this was a call for me.”Kurt said to Karmen“Something important is probably going to be said. I have to go.”
“O-Okay...”Karmen replied“Just be careful, okay?”
Kurt nodded his head, and, out of genuine care, replied back“You stay safe, too.”
Then both of them returned each to their respective territories.
Reaching her territory, Karmen was immediately asked by Feyza“Karmen?! Did you find what is killing the vampires?”
“In fact - yes, I did.”Karmen answered“But it seems more dangerous than we thought.”
“What are we going to do, then?”Feyza asked“Do you have any plan?”
“Yes, I have started thinking over it.”Karmen answered“While tracking the mysterious creature, I ran across Kurt. We agreed to align and work together in defeating it.”
“K-Kurt?!”Feyza exclaimed with a slight shock“Are... Are you talking about the werewolf?”
“Yes, that is right. I am talking about him.”Karmen answered“He was hunting the same thing. It is a threat to both vampire and werewolf species. I saw killed once from both kinds. The view was terrifying.”
“How are you going to align with a vampire’s greatest rival, Karmen?!”Feyza exclaimed“It is dangerous.”
“And how is it more dangerous than the creature that is killing both species.”Karmen exclaimed, her voice laced with urgency“If you were able to trust me with hunting it all alone, I think you could also trust me now, to combine my powers with Kurt’s werewolf powers, and eliminate the threat a lot easier.”
“Okay, let’s say he will not harm you now, as you both are focused on the creature.”Feyza said“But, how can you be sure he would not shift his focus on you, after you eventually defeat the creature?!”
“Because I saw it in his eyes, Feyza. I am capable of seeing beyond such curses.”Karmen replied“He is not someone to do harm without a valid reason.”
“Vampires and werewolves have been rivals for centuries, you know that.”Feyza exclaimed“This reason alone is enough for him to be dangerous for you, Karmen. You are still a young vampire and have little experience, but for the five centuries that I have been here, I have seen many vampires and werewolves attack each other only because of the rivalry between the kinds.”
“Yes, Feyza, but this was centuries ago.”Karmen replied“I believe that times have changed.”
“Please, Feyza, I need you to trust me on this.”Karmen added“I want nothing else but the peace of our kind. And this is almost impossible without making sacrifices. I do not think that I will be able to fight alone with the mysterious creature, and that is why I am ready to align with Kurt, despite the traditions.”
Feyza sighed and finally agreed“Okay, I will trust you. As long as you will be able to eliminate the threat and prevent the death of more people from our kind.”
Karmen responded with a grateful smile, her green eyes again turning gold for a brief moment, from excitement.
“Thank you so much, Feyza! I appreciate it!”Karmen exclaimed“I will do anything in my power not to disappoint you!”
Meanwhile, Kurt was with his pack, having a similar conversation with the current leader of the pack - Kadir.
“You are saying that this mysterious creature is more dangerous than we thought?!”Kadir exclaimed to Kurt
“That is right.”Kurt replied“It kills both vampires and werewolves, and the best way to eliminate it is if we combine the powers of the two kinds.”
“Look, Kurt. So far you have not disappointed me even once. And for this reason, I will now trust you again.”Kadir said“Do whatever is needed to eliminate the threat and prevent the deaths of more brothers and sisters from our kind. Even if this means working together with a werewolf’s greatest rival.”
“Thank you, Kadir!”Kurt replied, forming a light smile“I will not disappoint you!”
