Chapter 4 Lost

"Run!" the two young boys ran down the streets of the town dodging the men on their heels who seemed more than determined to hurt them.

"Who are these guys Roxas?"

"I have no idea Sora but we should get away quickly since they saw us feeding."

"Yes I know that." The younger brother growled. He hated it when his food fought back.

The men seemed relentless in their pursuit of the boys. The two dodged into an alley and Sora tripped sending him sprawling onto the flagstones. The men grabbed him before Roxas could do anything. The older boy stopped out of their reach.

"Let me go!" Sora demanded struggling.

"Drop my brother." Roxas ran at the men and was grabbed as well.

"Our lucky night guys two vamp brats for the price of one." The leader said trying to get a better hold on Sora.

"Looks like it Richard." The man holding Roxas said.

A few people were gathered at the entrance to the alley so the men started to head the other way seeing the crowd the boys struggled harder and Sora cried out loudly.

A few of the people in the crowd surged toward them a red ahead and a blond came at them knocking the man holding Roxas over and forcing him to let him go. Roxas rolled away form the man and jumped to his feet the leader Richard and the other man were still standing with Sora trying to make it difficult for Richard to defend himself. Most of the crowd had scattered in case the guard caught up with this fight. The red head went for Richard and he had to let go of Sora to defend himself the boy tripped him as he moved and ran Roxas followed his brother and their rescuers fled the alley after them. Blocks away the four stopped and slumped against a wall.

"Thank you." Sora wheezed.

"You're welcome what was going on a kidnapping?" the blonde asked.

"No clue those guys just tried to grab us then chased us when we ran." Sora answered giving them his most innocent expression. They fell for it, and both obviously thought they were kids.

"Yeah thanks for your help we should go home Mom'll be worried enough it's so late."

"No problem do you need an escort? Those guys might come back."

"Sure, I'm Roxas this is my little brother Sora."

"Axel, my best friend Demyx." The red head introduced them.

The two brothers exchanged a glance and smiled slightly.

"Sure we live close by outside of town."

The four arrived at the house it was a medium manor house with only enough room for a dozen or so people.

"Wow nice place."

"Thanks it's our grandparents mom got it after they passed."

"I see well we should head back to town." Demyx said.

"You could come in for minute couldn't you? Our parents will want to know what happened and all." Roxas said looking into Axel's eyes.

"All right I'll come in you can head back if you want Demyx."

"Fine but I'm not telling the others where you went."

"I'll take care of it." Axle told him.

Inside they were met with by a servant. Who informed them their mother wanted the boys. They led Axel to the parlor where their mother waited. Axel had never seen a woman so beautiful, Sora had her hair he could see that the rest must have been their father. She smiled softly and looked the three of them over.

"Roxas what is going on here? The two of you are a mess."

"Sorry mother we ran into some trouble three men tried to grab us and Axel here helped us out. "

"Axel thank you my boys get into trouble once in a while but I'm glad someone was there to help them out."

"You are welcome ma'am." He said hypnotized by her green eyes.

Aerith looked up at her sons and smiled she dropped her control and felt Roxas use his own compulsion on the man.

"Axel I'll show you out you should catch up with Demyx." Roxas told him.

"Right I should go a pleasure to meet you ma'am."

"Of course."

Once they had left she smiled at her son.

"Looks like Roxas found a victim out there."

"Yeah after the hunters tried to kill us."

"They have tried for years my son."

Roxas smiled to himself as he watched Axel go. He needed to find someone to help him keep an eye on Sora and this Axel might be what he was looking for. He turned to go back to the room he shared with his brother to be tackled as soon as he reached the landing to the floor their room was on.

"Roxas I was sacred tonight those guys could have killed us." Sora said clinging to his brother.

"I know Sora I was too, you know I'll do anything to protect you." Roxas promised patting his back gently.

"I love you brother."

"I love you too."

The next night found Roxas alone in town looking for a victim to bring home their father had told Sora to stay home since he had nearly gotten killed so Roxas was supposed to bring him his food as well as his parents if he could. He came to a bar and saw a pair of familiar faces. He smiled and approached them.

"Axe,l Demyx."

"Roxas didn't expect to see you here where's your brother?"

"Mom made him stay home but I wanted to check out the town some more."

"Well we know this place we can show you around.,"

"Great."

They explored town getting into some trouble with a few people and even getting involved with a bar brawl. Finally Axel offered to walk Roxas home and the two made their way toward his home. As they walked Roxas smirked to himself and looked at Axel.

"So Axel what are you going to do with yourself you know your future?"

"Don't know mom's dead and dad left long ago all I really have is Demyx."

"What if I gave you an option?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I need someone to help me look after Sora he's always getting in trouble and well I cant keep him safe on my own as much as I want to."

"So you want me to like be a body guard or something?"

"Yes but you would have to join my family leave your past behind."

"Okay sounds like a good thing really."

"Great come in and speak to my mother." He led the older looking youth to the parlor wher ehis mother father and brother waited, "Every one this is Axel he has agreed to come with us."

"Did you tell him what he was in for?"

"I have to give up my past right?" Axel asked her.

"Well yes and the day light." Cloud told him.

"I was right then?"

"Right?" The others look confused.

"I never see you guys at daytime only at night and now you want me to forget who I was in town you're vampires right?" he asked her.

"Yes we are."

"Great,"

"You are willing?"

"Completely no one'll ever miss me and the only one who will notice I'm gone is my best friend can he be turned too?"

"I suppose."

"Great. So what now?"

"Now you get to join us." Aerith made a gesture and the door opened admitting her brother who held the dagger in one hand. "Remove you shirt and brace yourself." She told him as she handed Roxas the dagger the young fledgling took the blade and smiled.

"Welcome to the family Axel." He stabbed him and the pain was intense it felt like the dagger was pulling out his life force and replacing it with something else something much darker. It filled him as his blood flowed out. After what felt like an eternity he opened his eyes to look at his new master. Roxas simply smiled at him.

"I have one order for you that you must always follow no matter what else happens Axel protect Sora with your life. He is the most important person to me and to you as well." He whispered offering Axel his neck.

"Yes master." He said softly sinking his new fangs into his master's vein. Once he was done feeding he knelt before the others silently.

"Very good my son." Aerith smiled.

"Thank you mother, we should rest now it's nearly dawn."

"Sleep well my children Axel take care of both of them."

"Yes my lady." He smirked. Following both boys out of the room.

"They are growing up so fast." Cloud smiled.

"Yes they are." She kissed him gently. "Shall we go to bed ourselves?"

"I'll go anywhere you want my love."

Waking with the sunset was an odd new experience to Axel who normally slept in till noon then went and made trouble with his friends. The fact that he was naked and in between the two brothers was also interesting, as he had never really had an interest in other guys but the two had been very persuasive. not that he could have said no any way. He barely remembered being human already and they had said a lot of the memories would fade with time until he no longer thought as a human, and was one of them. He had already planned to bring Demyx here after all he didn't want to leave Demyx alone out there he had been there for the younger boy when they were younger and he didn't want abandon him. The others stirred and Sora smiled at him before leaning over and kissing his brother awake.

"Hello Axel."

"Sora." He smiled lazily. "Is there a plan for this evening?"

"You need to be introduced to the clan then we should find that friend of yours and bring him into the fold it will strengthen our numbers." Sora Yawned.

"Is that a problem?"

"Lately yes there are only two females in our whole clan right now making it hard to breed more of us and we can't just pick people up off the streets and turn them." Roxas told him.

"Wow not even just girls?"

"No only some people survive the turning there have many who died before their first night was over but you survived so you'll be fine."

"I hope Demyx can he's all I had as a human."

"Then after proper introduction we'll go find him." Sora got up and stretched before digging around for clothes in the chest at the foot of the bed tossing some clothes to his brother as he found his. And threw something for Axel to wear.

They joined the family for breakfast a few peasants were strapped to tables and being fed on by the roughly twenty members of the clan. The boys joined their parents Axel right behind them, as he had been told nothing else. Once they were there Aerith smiled and motioned for them to take a victim to feed on.

After the corpses had been cleared away she cleared her throat and everyone looked up at them.

"Everyone we have a new member to the clan Axel Roxas' first fledgling make him welcome."

There was clapping and some cheering, Axel noticed there were not many there and a few of them were injured. One man had an eye patch and a very scared face. One who sat near the high table was not a vampire but had an odd x shaped scar on his face.

After wards the three left to locate Demyx. They found him at a bar in town talking with a man who looked like one of the hunters. A blonde guy and a girl with pink hair. An odd pair but they could smell the hunters on them. The two boys hung back as Axel approached his friend.

"Hey Demyx.:"

"Axel where have you been?" Demyx asked the two forgotten.

"I think one of my friends drugged me I woke up naked a few hours ago and had to scrounge for clothes."

"Again?" the blonde sighed.

"Yep."

"This happens to him often?" the girl asked. She was pretty with long flowing hair and dark eyes but the bow on her back and the razor sharp points on her arrows spoke of weapons knowledge rather than girlie fripperies.

"Sadly." Demyx made him sit and ordered around.

"These are Maria and Firon they are passing through town."

"Yes and your friend here offered us a tour." Firon said his voice deep and quiet.

"I see." Axel smiled.

the two of them proceed to show the two around Axel flirting with Maria every step of the way. he knew the other two were shadowing them waiting for a good opportunity to strike. They flitted through the shadows like a pair of ghosts. at the edge of town they found the inn the two were using and left them there around midnight.

"Axel you've been acting odd all night." Demyx told his friend.

"Sorry distracted. How would you like to get out of this place?"

"Sure I mean this place is home but it's in the middle of nowhere."

"Great come on."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a way out of town serving at the house those two we met the other night came from."

"Oh but we'd still be near town."

"Not for long they move alot."

"Okay I'll go with you."

"Great come one." he dragged Demyx off as the other two slipped into the inn.

Roxas watched the hunters and saw them enter a room there were two others there waiting and they sat around the room to talk.

"If uncle was right they must have moved on there isn't any sign of vampires in this place." the girl said with a sigh.

"Unless they are laying low since they almost got those kids the other night." one of the other two a man who looked like the girl said with a shrug.

"Right but they do often move on we know they don't stay on one place to long unless they have the entire region under their control."

"Which hasn't happened in a long time."

"True."

They went off to bed and the two slipped into the rooms. They went for the one youth who looked like the girl as he slept with a full set of armor and a sword under his bed. Sora slipped up to him and smiled pushing his will on the man.

"Wake up and come with Me." he told him. The man stood and followed him out the window and away from town leaving everything else in the room untouched. Roxas closed the window and slipped out to meet Axel and Demyx.

They were waiting at the crossing and Roxas guided them the rest of the way to the manor house. Sora met them at the door and smiled at them. Welcome come on in every one is expecting you."

The others were waiting for them Aerith and Cloud were waiting for them the dagger on the table between where they sat. as the other elders stood in a semi circle behind them.

"Hello Demyx."

"Hello what is going on?"

"Axel joined our family last night and wished to bring you along as well." Aerith told him dragging the boy's attention to her and her alone.

"What do you mean joined your family?" he asked her feeling an odd sensation as if he were floating.

"I joined them Demyx it's really great we can be safe and fed every day and not have to put up with the idiots in town if we don't want to as long as we obey." Axel told him kneeling infront of Aerith. she smiled and handed him the dagger as Cloud stood and grabbed Demyx removing his shirt so the blood would not ruin it.

Axel turned and stabbed his friend speaking as Roxas had. he watched the blood spill out of the wound and waited the others dragged in a person for his first victim, Axel had not see n him before but he did look alot like the girl from before he walked in a daze. Once the dagger was removed Demyx was made to drink deeply from the man and once he was sated he looked up at his master.

"Axel?"

"Yeah come on you need to rest you've had a long night." He excused them both from the group and led Demyx to the room he had been given leaving him on his bed.

"Once he awakens he'll have less memory of being human won't he?" he asked Roxas knowing that his master was right behind him.

"He will." the other told him. "Come one of the others has claimed his meal as a fledgling once they learned he was a hunter."

"they were with the ones we rescued you from then."

"Yes but we will deal with them they are a small group and not that strong. It's the full moon tomorrow night Siax and Zexion will handle them."

"Very well."

Night fell and the moon rose full and bright the land was frozen in fear as the howling of wolves. As the wolves howled doors were locked and windows shuttered. The three remaining hunters did not hide though they headed for the forest knowing that there must be some clue to where Maria's brother had gone. In a clearing bathed in moonlight they found a corpse being fought over by two wolves. They were handsome animals the larger was more of a blue grey with a scar shaped like an X on it's face across it's muzzle and between it's golden eyes. The smaller was more silvery grey with odd blue eyes. Both growled as they saw the hunters and turned to them angrily. Behind them was a man with long blonde hair and cold eyes.

"So the brave hunters come, tired of chasing children?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"We go after monsters like you they only look like children at times but they are still monsters." Firon said.

"To us you are the monsters, you killed their sire, or at least your fellow hunters did." he gestured at the wolves. "They want revenge my brothers it would be interesting to watch." The wolves moved forward still growling and snarling.

Maria grabbed her bow and knocked an arrow as Firon and Gus drew their swords. The two flew at them. Siax dodged the arrow easily going for Gus, as he was the larger of the two humans while Zexion went for Firon. Vexen mearly watched the fight keeping an eye on things and making sure their orders were being followed to the letter. Gus was on the ground Siax snapping at his neck as he tried to push the wolf off of him. Firon was dodging Zexion with limited success his leg was bleeding from the wolf's claws. Maria knocked her bow to fire at Zexion and it was knocked from her hands by nother who joined the fight. a very familiar person who knocked he to the ground.

"Leon?!" she cried seeing her brother.

"Do I know you?" he asked her.

"Of course you do not know her she's a human." Vexen spoke from his place across the clearing. "kill her and the others."

"Yes." he turned to her weapon ready.

Maria stared at her brother scared of what was about to happen but he stopped as he reached her.

"Sir we need females why not allow the girl to live and simply kill the men?"

"True fine let her live but the others must die."

Saix crushed Gus' windpipe in one bite shaking the large human like a doll he tore into him making sure the man was dead. Zexion tripped Firon and ripped out his throat. Maria simply stared at it all.

"Leon how could you do this?"

"I don't know who you are that you claim to know me but I must protect my family."

"I am your family I'm your sister."

"Then join me."

"Do I have a choice? Death or joining you not much of one."

"Bring her we must report to the master." Vexen turned and the two bloodstained wolves followed him along with Leon carrying Maria leaving the hunter's corpses to cool in the night air.

The next night the town was ravaged by an attack lead by Vexen and the wolves. The others fell upon the human who had helped the hunters or had simply not told them to leave. There were few left in the town when they were done. Of the town only Axel and Demyx were turned the others were all food.

Axel looked over the destruction and smiled a little. He had come to join the carnage unlike Demyx who knew nothing of the destruction of their hometown. His own father had not been there having left his mother long ago and he wondered if he sh9uld find the man and let him know the truth. Deciding against it he merely walked away back toward the manor and his new life and companions his humanity lost in a roaring of flames.

TBC………….