Chapter 6 - An Encounter with Vampires

"Get off of her, demon!" Nuada seethed while he swung his spear violently. The tip would have sliced through Lacrimosa's neck like knife slicing through butter but the vampire evaded the attack swiftly. He didn't bother to hide his displeasure and surprise at Nuada still being alive though. He had sent his own men to kill the elf prince while he had his way with the destined girl.

"How is it that you're still alive?" he raged, his tall and powerful body bending slightly as he took a defensive pose.

"Fool, your friends are a millennium too early to try and stop me," Nuada smirked arrogantly, "They're all dead now and the only one that's left is you, Vampire!"

Lacrimosa smiled grimly at Nuada, "You do not deserve to have the little virgin for yourself, Elf. From what I hear, you're not exactly a paragon of virtue either, eh?"

Nuada growled and leapt forward at the speed of lightning. The first strike was eluded but Nuada knew the vampire would be able to avoid that attack. Despite how angelic looking the vampire may have been, when it came to hand to hand combat vampires were vastly superior to normal human beings. Of course Nuada was no mere mortal and he didn't plan to die any time soon.

"Tell me something, Elf," Lacrimosa cried as he threw his arm in a series of quick slashes, his abnormally sharp nails effectively slicing whatever he touched. "You were also planning to rape the little morsel yourself and impregnate her with your seed…So why go so far as to bring her out here, exposed to every thinkable danger? Were you trying to woo her with your charms? An old elf like you? How laughable!"

Nuada side stepped, successfully avoided being sliced by those dangerously long and sharp finger nails. Vampires moved with the speed of light and when they were in motion they may even disappear from your eyesight. It seemed as if the creatures could vanish for a split second before reappearing somewhere else. It was a very dangerous and effective gift, one that had killed many who oppose them.

"I am no saint but to simply take an innocent like her by force is far too despicable even for someone who has lived through four millennia of dark times of war," Nuada replied calmly before he twirled gracefully and stabbed his spear into the ground only to spin on the long staff and use it as a pole to deliver a powerful kick with both his legs.

"Oho! I am familiar with this way of thinking…What is it called again? 'Even evil has standards' or something such?" Lacrimosa laughed loudly, blocking the elf prince's kicks. "Don't make me laugh even more, Elf Prince. You were willing to commit genocide on the human race and was even willing to kill an infant for your cause…You have no standards!"

Nuada stared hard at the vampire. Creatures of the night such as vampires were always very difficult to reason with since they too were immortals. They were also highly intelligent and far more superior in strength compared to Man. It had always been known to elves that if one encountered a vampire, it was best if you kept away from them. Confrontations with these beings were best avoided lest they use their wicked reasoning and 'charm' to seduce their victims. It also did not help that vampires were very beautiful creatures. Their physical beauty rivalled even angelic beings and had a disarming effect on elves particularly because elves were a species who were just generally attracted to anything of beauty. And vampires had plenty of that and they knew it. They wielded it better than any other gift bestowed upon them.

"Yes, well, how can we not?" Lacrimosa said bitterly as he read Nuada's mind, "Our beauty is what made us what we are." The vampires were also given the gift of telepathy but few were able to use such an ability during a fierce battle. Nuada knew immediately that Lacrimosa was very old and very powerful.

Within a split second, the vampire disappeared from Nuada's line of sight. Nuada turned left and right quickly but he still could not see his enemy. It was as if the vampire had vanished into thin air. Nuada frowned grimly as he scanned his surroundings.

Vampires were known for their lightning speed. They could disappear from your sight in less than a second, moving silently within shadows like a silent killer that sprang upon its prey when they were least aware of it. It was a familiar trick for Nuada as he had actually witnessed it during battle once. The incident may have been several hundred years ago but Nuada's memory was still as sharp and vivid as ever. His decision to engage a vampire in battle was regarded as one of his near-death run-ins and he certainly would not underestimate any vampire after that encounter.

"Come out, Vampire," Nuada called, lifting his spear and getting into a battle stance, "There's no use playing these tricks on me."

Just as soon as the words left his mouth, Nuada heard a light 'whoosh' sound behind him and he turned just in time to block Lacrimosa's sword with his spear. The vampire had somehow taken a weapon in the moments he'd vanished and was now trying to stab the elf prince with said weapon.

"I will not treat the girl with hatred, Elf," Lacrimosa grinned wickedly, "I may have wanted to ravish her a few moments ago but that was only to secure that she will carry my child instead of yours. I do, however, want to treat her with love and care once she's become mine."

Nuada dodged the vampire's furious strike, waited for the right moment and brought his arm down to slash at the vampire. It worked and the elf prince was slightly relieved to hear the sound of torn clothing and flesh.

"A violent rapist has no right to utter words such as 'care' and 'love'," Nuada replied in deadpan, "This evening will be your last, demon, for I swear on my life that I will put my spear through your eye and push it right through your skull before this night is over!"

Lacrimosa blinked at his injury but he put up his arm and just licked the blood that had spilled from it where Nuada had cut him. He smiled wickedly at the elf.

"You're very skilled for an old elf," Lacrimosa said casually, "But I despise a sickeningly depraved soul trying to pretend he is one of the good people…You're not some noble hero, Nuada, you're just a psychotic being who wants to watch the world burn simply because it is run by humans. You are evil and cannot be reasoned with. The prophesized child will suffer at your hands if she were to become yours. You'll never know what it means to have a wife and love her with all your heart and soul! You'll never know kindness and the decency that human beings are capable of! You and all of you are ill in the head so do not judge me for what I am and what I was about to do, Elf Prince. You're no better than the humans you claim to hate so much!"

The vampires words struck a chord in Nuada and it made him burn with fury. Nuada yelled out loudly as he rushed forward trying to kill the vampire by aiming his spear at the demon's eye but the vampire was too fast and he evaded the attack.

"How would you know anything at all about loving a wife?" Nuada raged, "How would you know about what the damned humans are capable of?"

Lacrimosa held off the elf prince's spear with his sword. He artfully twisted his blade at the right angle for him to deliver a hard kick into Nuada's sides. The elf prince staggered backwards and Lacrimosa used this as an opportunity to stab Nuada in his chest. Nuada saw the attack and even though he managed to avoid being killed, his sides were damaged and he was bleeding heavily.

The vampire pointed his sword directly under Nuada's chin and tapped lightly at his Adam's apple.

"You seem to forget, elf," he said calmly, "That vampires are made not born…"

"Then why do you want her?" Nuada bit out, panting heavily, "If all vampires are made and not born from a mother's womb then what could you possibly do to her even if you bed her?"

Lacrimosa smirked evilly as he bent to stare deep into Nuada's eyes.

"The prophesized child is an exceptional one," he explained, "Her body will birth the child of any man as long as he is the first one to take her virginity. So it doesn't matter if my bodily fluids are dead or not because in her special body, it will come alive and I will rule the world."

The two engaged each other in a battle glare, not one averting their gazes. After some time, the vampire drew back but Nuada knew it was not because he was tired. Something was not quite right and he spied a dark shape moving in the sky as if a winged creature were approaching.

"Oh, well, it seems that our fight will have to be put on hold tonight," Lacrimosa drawled lazily, he waved one arm elegantly above his head as if to say good bye but Nuada growled loudly when he saw the great winged bat that flew from the dark sky. It swept the vampire up in a smooth fluid motion.

"I'll say goodbye for now…Take care of my bride for me, Elf, for you can be sure she will be mine!" he called from above.

Nuada ran after the winged beast but he knew that whilst he was fast on the ground, he could never catch up to the speed of those huge wings.

"You will not win her, demon!" he roared to the heavens, eyes gleaming like molten amber. To Nuada's irritation, the vampire merely laughed softly at the elf's anger, his own eyes glowing intensely in the night, leaving behind an after image that lingered even when the rest of him was shrouded in darkness.

Nuada stood and stared for a moment longer before his anger ebbed away and he came to the realization that Kim still laid sprawled somewhere on the ground. He quickly sheathed his sword and turned on his heels to his soon to be bride.

"Kimberly," he called gently, concern lacing his voice, "Kimberly, wake up!"

The young elf maiden groaned heavily, twisting her body awkwardly, brows furrowing in restlessness. Nuada did not want to admit it but he certainly felt a sudden lurch in his heartbeat. It was an emotion he was quite familiar with for it plagued him at times when he was in battle and he feared for his sister's well being. He knew if he was hurt, she would be too and if he lost his life, she would have as well. It was a fear and concern that he had always felt for his sister. Sometimes their psychic link was more like a curse than a gift but Nuada's ruthlessness and determination to pursue something could also make him overlook the physical link they had. He would and had hurt his sister before because she stood against him even if it meant hurting himself. However, this time, it was very different. He was completely worried for the elf maiden and it was genuine selfless concern. He had subconsciously forgotten the fact that she was the prophesied child or that she was means for him rule the world. He was just concerned for her. Kimberly. The elf girl who had caught his eye.

"Dearest," he called out, knuckles grazing her cheek lovingly, "Wake up...Open your eyes."

The young girl groaned once more but this time her eyes fluttered open. Those enchanting blue orbs turned to gaze upon him and Nuada felt his heart slam into his chest. The way she looked at him at first with fear because she could not comprehend what had happened and then her eyes settled with a look of relief and a hint of happiness.

"You saved me...," she whispered, hoarsely, "I was so afraid...I thought you weren't going to come...but you did..."

"Of course I would rescue you!" Nuada replied fiercely, "I would not let anything harm you! Ever!"

Kimberly eyed him sadly then, turning her face away when she could not bear to look into those amber eyes. She knew the real reason why he had saved her and it was only because she was "The Prophesized Child". He wanted to use her to fulfil his own needs. Once he had his son born from her, he would soon cast her aside and not bother about her any longer. She would become a nuisance to him, some wimpy child bride with her petty wants and emotional needs. Kimberly felt her heart break a little at that thought. Oh, how could she submit herself to such a life? Would she be willing to just accept Nuada's advances knowing that he would ultimately treat her that way in the end?

"What's wrong, cailín beag?" the elven prince muttered softly, "Why do you look so forlorn all of a sudden?"

Kimberly shook her head and blinked as she tried to get up. She winced and groaned when she felt the sharp pain in her abdomen where Lacrimosa had punched her. Mentally, she cursed the gorgeous looking vampire for being such a callous and horrid creature. If ever they crossed paths with him again and Nuada was by her side, Kimberly thought she might just enjoy the idea of seeing the elf prince tear off the vampire's head. Lacrimosa had not only punched her in her stomach but he had also tried to force himself on her and rape was definitely something Kimberly was ultimately against. Kimberly had hated the idea of rape or any form of sexual harassment from when she heard that her Aunt Mouda was raped when she was a mere sixteen years old by their neighbour. Aunt Mouda was her mother's only older sister and after the incident, she had become mentally unstable and she now resided in a mental institution.

In her eyes, anyone who could destroy a human being's sanity by forcing himself on another and doing horrid beastly acts was someone who was inhumane. She didn't think she could find it in her heart to ever forgive someone who took her virginity away like that…

"What happened to that demon?" she asked sharply.

"The vampire?" Nuada said, "He left. I wish I could tell you that you have nothing more to fear and that I had already slain him in battle. He's gone now but he will return. He is set on making you his bride."

Kimberly frowned and made a comically disgusted face. Nuada smirked at her in return.

"Ugh! Isn't one suitor enough?" she asked, rolling her eyes, "You're already a handful, 'your highness'. I don't think I can manage an elven royal and a vampire prince of dickology!"

"Dickology?" Nuada raised a brow at this.

"Yes, well, y'know? A complete dick!" Kimberly stated matter of factly, "He tried to rape me and then he punched me in my stomach like a total asshole! I have never before been so scared in my entire life! I thought The Exorcist was mentally traumatising…God knows, I didn't cuss or swear for a whole year because I didn't want to be possessed by the devil…But my god, I was so frightened just now. I didn't think I would live."

A large calloused hand came down upon her head and Kimberly felt him stroke her gently. It was a kind gesture, meant to soothe and comfort her she realised. It also made her feel a warm happy feeling that began in the pit of her stomach and travelled all the way to her toes and up to her face.

"I understand your fear, my dear," he said sweetly, bending down to kiss her temples, "You have every reason to fear a vampire such as he. Lacrimosa is no mere vampire, he is a prince amongst his people and he was transformed into one by other vampires of the old which means he has traces of being a descendant of those who actually traded their soul to the devil in exchange for immortality and a lifelong of blood and treachery."

Kimberly gasped when she heard this.

"No! You mean it's true, all those stories about Dracula turning into a creature of the night because he sold his soul to…?" Kimberly shuddered at the thought, her heart beating in fear.

Nuada nodded gravely. He did not enjoy talk of demons and such but he knew that he was alive himself only because of the trade he had done with the devil. It was true that he had come back to the world feeling even more violent and malevolent. His physical and mental connection between his sister and him had also significantly waned. He had an uncanny suspicion that it was probably due to the fact that his sister was, in nature very gentle and prone to kindness as opposed to his bloodlust and hatred for humans. It was slightly unnerving not to hear her thoughts and feel her feelings as much but it was also very liberating.

"Yes," he agreed, "It is perhaps not a tale fit for a maiden's ears such as you but the truth of vampires did not come from this person named Dracula that humans are so fond of saying. It is, in fact, based upon the inspiration for the Dracula character…Vlad The Impaler. I don't know if you've heard of him but he was indeed the first born vampire to walk this earth."

Kimberly put up her hand and shut her eyes. She quickly placed both hands on her ears as if to shut out everything that he was about to say.

"Stop! That is enough! I know about Vlad The Impaler and I have heard about the countess who killed her servants because she wanted to bathe in their blood! I think reading about them gave me the creeps for more than a day…It was so sickening…!"

Nuada chuckled lightly and he reached her hands again, pulling at them gently. Leaning once more he placed his forehead to hers in a very gentle manner that made Kimberly's young heart flutter.

"Yes, it is a very grisly tale is it not?" Nuada stated, "The story of Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed is indeed very well-known even amongst us fae folk. Some of us even say that the countess received aid from the hell hounds of the devil himself. I saw her actually."

Kimberly widened her eyes in shock at this little bit of information. She quickly withdrew to stare into the eyes of the male elf.

"No way!" she cried in disbelief, "You met that- that evil witch!?"

"I did indeed," Nuada drawled, "She was physically a beautiful female as mortals can only be to an extent…However, she did possess a certain dark aura surrounding her. I despised her on sight. But she was killing other humans and I knew better than to meddle with human royalty. It cannot end well for us fae folk."

Kimberly chose to ignore his comment regarding the prolific female serial killer killing other humans but instead focused on the fact that he had actually met her.

"You saw her from afar or did you actually speak to her?" she questioned, eyes bright with curiosity.

"I spoke to her under the guise of a normal human, of course," Nuada explained, "It was only for a brief moment. I needed to infiltrate her castle for the purpose of seizing a rare artefact crafted by our people. I pretended to be a scrupulous man who wanted to sell fresh young girls for her use. It did not turn out as neither she nor I expected."

Nuada seemed to close his eyes in satisfaction as a look came over his face that indicated he was remembering some sweet long ago memory.

"What happened?" Kimberly said impatiently.

"Oh, well, she was more interested in my person than the persons I would sell to her," Nuada said, winking at her, "The lady, if you can call her that, was…quite adamant to have me in her bed…"

Kimberly gasped loudly at this, eyes growing even wider, as wide as saucers and the prince laughed at her expression. She looked as if she could not stand to hear any more of the story but at the same time, she was dying of curiosity. Her reaction made him laugh once more at her childish innocence and her spirit of inquiry.

"Alright, cailín! I'll tell you the entire story," Nuada said, as he helped her to her feet, "But first, we should probably get a move on. I'll need to find War Bonnet."

Kimberly felt her whole body flush when she stood up wobbling a little and the prince had to hold onto her waist as he held her. The feeling of his fingers gripping her soft flesh made her remember everywhere else his hands had been on her body. She shook her head to chase away those thoughts and hide her flushed skin from him.

"Okay, so tell me what happened next," she pressed once they'd found War Bonnet. The griffin looked a bit nervous when they approached but some soothing elvish words from Nuada soon made the beast calm. The prince continued to stroke the griffin's neck as he sang in ancient elvish softly.

"Well, you know already the fact that I hated her on sight," Nuada spoke calmly as he continued, "To be truthfully honest, hate is too soft a word for what I truly felt for her. She was a disgusting human being; the true epitome of a greedy, lusty, power hungry and shallow human who swayed the wrong path and became a completely evil entity. So you can tell the idea of going to bed with a woman such as she was to say the least, not at all what I would do gladly."

"Ugh!" Kimberly wrinkled her nose at the notion of anyone sleeping with a being as evil as Elizabeth.

"Yes," Nuada agreed, "I denied her immediately. I told her straight away she was insane if she thought she could have my body for her own sick pleasure. Elizabeth grew into a rage and before she could even utter her commands to her guards, I stepped forward and crushed her face with my fist. It was very quick; it didn't even look like a punch to anyone else there in the hall, had there been anyone else. I had requested a private meeting with her and she complied that. She crumpled to the floor and I swiftly searched her castle undetected. It is very easy to take back something that initially belonged to you from human thieves…Mortals are incredibly blind when they do not believe in something."

"To be honest, I actually was not planning on going into the dungeons where she kept her victims," Nuada explained further, "But I wanted to see the extent of her barbarism. You may call it curiosity on my behalf but I think it went beyond mere curiosity. I wanted to see what humans could do to each other, would do to each other when they had power, too much power. I think I looked to reassure myself and of my quest to destroy every last human on earth when I made my way to the dungeons..."

Kimberly was listening intently, completely enraptured with his story. Nuada had a calm and soothing voice that dripped like gravel and gold mixed together. It was alluring yet it still had that hint of masculine sensuality. She marvelled over the attractiveness of Nuada in general. He seemed to be beautiful in everything he did. Or was it just her? Perhaps she was the one who was completely besotted by him because he was her first kiss. It was rather incredible to think that she noticed every attractive feature of him when she had never noticed any one from the opposite sex the way she did with him.

"What happened then?" Kimberly asked, unable to contain her need to know the ending of his tale.

"I went there and I saw…Very ugly things. Very hideous things indeed…It was not something anyone should see, I think, but I was relieved to see that my hurting the beautiful countess was more than justified. It also rekindled my vengeance and fierce hatred that I felt for the woman. She was no woman; she was most definitely a demon. A creature so evil she tortured her victims in the most vile and inhumane way. I had never before seen the likes of it. It also served to tell me that my goal to destroy humankind was the right thing to do."

Kimberly's eyes narrowed when he said this. It was not the ending of the story that she had been hoping for.

"I read that some of the girls she tortured were not killed immediately," Kimberly said primly.

"That is true," he nodded.

"She bit some of them in the face and the girls had missing flesh from their cheeks?" Kimberly queried further.

"This is also true."

"And she burned their hands…Some she also gave very severe beatings," Kimberly continued.

"Yes," he said, curtly.

Her anger at him burst forward then. Kimberly couldn't control her raging emotions at him at that very moment. She felt her suspicions rise and she dared not hear his answer to her next question. But she needed to know. This was vital information that she would use to shape her perception toward him. Before this he had talked of how he hated all humans, how he was willing to kill infants and women as well as the elderly but she had not seen him actually doing any of these things. Nuada could talk about what he was going to do with the humans all he liked but if she had not actually seen what he was truly capable of then she would still reserve judgement of him.

His answer for her next question would determine her perception of him.

"And you did nothing for them?" she asked sharply. Her dark blue eyes flashing quite dangerously as if daring him to answer her with a reply she did not like.

Nuada saw the look on her face and he knew what it was that she wanted him to say. He sighed wearily. She was persistent in her love for these humans and nothing seemed to change her mind at all.

"No, I did nothing for them," he answered, his voice straining with a sigh.

"Then I think you are no better than Elisabeth Bathory or Vlad the Impaler," Kimberly said with finality. Her voice was not loud for she spoke calmly but Nuada did not miss the edge in her voice. The elf maiden was disappointed in him and he felt his heart call out to her. He wanted to tell her otherwise. He wanted to tell her she was wrong. But he stood still and stared down at her blankly.

"You are no better than the vampire who had tried to rape me," Kimberly whispered, her voice shook a little then, "You don't care at all. You watch as evil is done upon innocents and you care not for them. You let it go. You just walk away without trying to help those who need it most. I think you're just as evil as all of those demons you hate so much."

"Nay, little one," he replied, his voice cold and hard, "You know nothing of the world and what humans are truly capable of. However, I will give you this. You can believe what you like but remember this; All that is gold does not glitter."

Nuada looked at her steadily for another moment and then he turned, walking away from her. He could not stand to hear her speak of him in such a negative tone. It was depressing and he desperately felt the need to turn around and just tell her the truth but it would give her so much hope. It would give her so much power over him. She'd go out of her way to cure him with her love and make him whole once more. should the knowledge be revealed to her

A soft heart was not what he needed in his goal to create the world as it should be. The elfin prince cursed himself again when he remembered that he had had a similar conflict with his inner self at Bathory's castle. It had been a moment in his long life that he felt very unsure of himself and a little afraid. He regretted saving those meddling in Bathory's affairs but there was also a part of him that felt glad for justice had been served.

"Regardless of what you think of me," Nuada called over his shoulder, "I think it is not safe for you to be here. We should make back."

The warrior prince listened to the girl behind him as she trailed after him and brushed her dress lightly. He felt his heart clench when he felt her cold gaze on his back. Nuada was very tempted then to simply turn back and face her and tell her the truth of what he had done but again his mind warred with his heart.

'She mustn't know!'

'She should know! How would she love me if she thinks I'm no better than a monster?'

'But your mission to rid the world of human filth! It will be all for naught!'

'But she will never accept me now...And I am not a beast to take her by force!'

Nuada sighed deeply but when Kimberly reached his side, he was surprised when he felt her hand reach out for his. Nuada's heart felt a lurch. He could not comprehend why she would do such a thing when she had just claimed that he was evil. His eyes sought hers and he saw her looking away from him albeit a little sulkily.

"I don't like what you did to those poor girls," she explained in sulky tones, "But you did save me tonight…At least, I know you don't always turn a blind eye when evil is being done."

"You are very wise for your age, my lady," Nuada told her, bowing low as he kissed the back of her hand, lips softly grazing her sensitive skin. It was a sweet kiss, gentle and not at all lusty like his previous kisses but it still made Kimberly blush nonetheless.

"W-Well! W-Whatever!" she flustered, "I guess I'm still willing to see where this goes, seeing as you're sort of my guardian now. I really appreciate that you at least try to get to know me first rather than just rape me to get me pregnant."

Nuada gave her a curt nod.

"But next time, I'm calling the shots on our dates!" she cried, grinning at him cheekily, "I think I should decide where we should go next! I mean, no offence, this forest is pretty and all but look what nearly happened to me."

Nuada lifted his eyebrow at her but he refrained from saying a word. He did indeed brought her out here and she had been in grievous danger.

"I know!" she cried happily, "We could go to the movies the next time we have a date! I heard there's a really nice movie that's showing at the theatres! 12 Years of Slavery, was it? Maybe it was 12 Years a Slave? I am not so sure but it stars Michael Fassbender in it and a lot of people say it's gonna be nominated for the Oscars! We should definitely go see it!"

The elf prince grimaced at this but he didn't say anything because he was just glad that for the time being Kimberly had chosen to give him a chance instead of simply brushing him aside and hating him for what he did (what he said he did, really). He was just glad that he could still feel her fingers entwined with his as they got on War Bonnet's back. He decided that watching a film made by those humans would not be so terrible as long as she was willing to still give her trust. With that, the pair left The Enchanted Forest to return to the BPRD.

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long! Forgive me! I went through writer's block and I was just starting out with my work during the time I stopped updating this...This chapter had been in my documents folder for so long but I could never finish it. There was also a point where I wrote something I decided against and deleted the whole thing and wrote a new version. After much revision and rewriting I think I am quite pleased with how this chapter turned out. I hope people managed to get the little LOTR hint at the end given by Nuada there. I love LOTR so much and right now part of my block for this fic is definitely because I have my head wrapped up in the Middle Earth universe...Oh, damn, that Legolas...

If you people love Legolas and LegoxOCs, do read my new story Pagan Songs and Heathen Poetry. I have tried my very best not to have a Mary Sue.

Yay! More shout outs for films that I've seen! 12 Years A Slave which was just awesome! The Exorcist which I will not ever watch again! *shudders*

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I write this not for profit but for pleasure and reviews.