As Lucian continued away, tuning out the man's voice behind him… He had a constant, deep frown as he returned home.
The Boneless… a cursed seeker-creature. The words gnawed at his mind.
But how… and why?
The man had only spoken a few vague sentences, but they'd struck something. A memory… something that never truly left. Lucian had encountered those creatures far more than most ever should. More than any human or beast would ever want to. The Boneless terrified both sides. They were monsters out of nightmares.
He placed his fresh books onto the bed and moved toward an old, cracked shelf barely holding itself together. "Damn it… they've really unleashed those things here."
His fingers skimmed across the spines until, he stopped on one with a large, glaring eye etched into its leather cover.
He sat on at corner of his bed, flipping through the pages, until a smudged entry caught his attention… his heart sank.
June 13th. Year Unknown.
Proof. Malgrith encounters rewrote his past.
I don't know how I put up with them for so long… I won't let those creatures endanger humanity here to.
The description matched perfectly with the man's words, it made him worried. His gaze traced his written about the creatures experience.
"Malgrith," Lucian muttered, his lips twitching constantly. "Vile beasts that drain a person's life force, strength, bone, and memory, feeding their master's ambitions. They exist only to recover humanity's lost relics and hand them over to the nighly sins."
He slammed the book shut and hurled it onto his bed. He came to a realization, this could only mean one thing… Halcyon and the Crimson Covenant arrived here at the same time.
"But what relic could be that valuable? Why haven't I heard about it?"
For now, he layed back in bed, closing his eyes. Just yesterday, his life had been ordinary. Now he was caught in a spiral back into the past. He needed rest, even if only for a moment.
Lucian had planned to speak with Sam's pack the next day… but something gnawed at him. He couldn't wait. Tonight, he had loose ends to tie up. Before the dawn, he had to move.
Still, how was such a creature made? Does it only target humanity? How long has it been in the world?
…
Late That Night…
Deep within a black forest, sounds of dripping water echoed between trees, occasionally overtaken by distant howls, monstrous roars.
There was a shadow darting off between the branches, blurring like wind. A flash of lightning cut across the sky… brief illuminating the darkness, like a calm before the storm.
The shadow moved faster than any human should, than even a cheetah. Faster than most creature could do. It leapt from one branch to the next, then somersaulted down, landing silently atop a moss-covered wooden beam overlooking a small village.
The moonlight reflected, exposing all who was in the forest behind them either watching or chasing.
Lucian gaze dropped below, at a large logged campfire center of the settlement, surrounded by villagers… But something was wrong?
His dark gaze narrowed.
"…Veydran?"
His head tilted, lips curled into a cold smirk. "To think the Sanctum members would dare hide among the living…"
He instantly see throught them, the members of the Crimson Sanctum, had disguised themselves as Veydran, and while they were actually inside.
But why would Veydran allow such people here?
In fact, they didn't, they couldn't do anything. These imposters had come to disturb their peace… He remembered, that Veydran were cursed isolationists after twisted by the forest, they wouldn't allow outsiders in willingly.
"Too bad I can smell through your disguises," he muttered. His nose was far sharper than any human or creatures.
"Swish-swash!"
As the rain began to fall, slipping off his cloak. He closed his eyes.
Don't lose control… This is only one night.
Does Lucian fear becoming what he hunts, or has a part of him already crossed that line?
When Lucian eyes opened, the forest crows erupted, their wings flapped into the sky… Stepped forward, he dropped silently from the beam, landing without a sound nor mudd. The rain masked his movements even further.
Because of the rain he wasn't able to keep a lock on the scent on the members, as the earthy, rancid smell became fresh, however his gaze had already locked them and knew who were members.
He even blocked sound, of rain softly dropping against the rooftops and muddy ground.
Shadows twisted and danced by the firelight. He moved like a ghost, between the houses, his hood drawn lower. His fingers brushed his cold steel throwing knife strapped at his waist.
It felt nostalgic, as he spotted the first target, a lone member standing between two houses, adjusting his cloak. Without hesitation, he let his blade fly. It spun silently through the air before sinking into the man's throat, who choked, and stumbled back.
Lucian moved swiftly, caught him mid-fall and slipped the body into the dark.
He advanced toward the village entrance.
Two member stood casually talking.
The rain started picking up, masking his already silent footsteps more. He closed the distance behind them, drawing his knife.
In a single fluid motion, he drove his blade. One blade to the spine. One hand over a mouth, arcoss thier throat.
Both bodies soundlessly slumped into the mud, the rain washing away their blood.
He moved to a creaking rooftop beam, he spotted two more. With a single leap, he soared above them and dropped like a hawk. The first died before he could scream as he dropped on their neck, the knife entered there head.
Using the momentum, he twisted his legs around to his left at the second guard's neck, yanking him down. The impact stunned him just long enough for the Lucian to drive hjs dagger deep into his chest.
He vanished into the shadows once more. Behind a corner stone wall, melted into the darkness.
A lone member patrolled nearby. As he stepped forward, the Lucian blade met his throat. A quick drag across the flesh, and he was gone. He pulled the body around the corner, the scene reflected in the shifting shadows cast by the campfire's light. The silhouette of the blood spray flickered like a macabre dance against the wooden wall.
As he finished, to his right a door creaked open nearby. A man stepped out, catching sight of the body too late. Lucian actually had not anticipated him.
Time seemed to be frozen in Lucian's vision his black eyes flashed crimson, as he only saw the constant blood flowing all through the man body, however he manged to pull back…his thirst.
As the member inhaled sharply, about to scream…
Two silver light flashed, before him.
A throwing knife buried itself in the man's forehead. His head snapped back, a lifeless expression frozen in place. The second dagger struck his throat mid-collapse, ensuring no final cry escaped. The body slumped onto the wooden planks.
Lucian exhaled, blending once more into the rain and shadows, he didn't needed the Veydran come to see him, as they already saw most of the member dying…His smirk faded before it could be formed.
That was bad…can't belive I almost made such a stupid mistake.
He of course being, back into a normal society for so long, he had reason to what happening now. So his skill…specialty regressed but it will come back to him as it's natural or something else?
Either way he went over what just happened, he killed the covernant member he had to deal with Sam the pack leader and the creatures all in one night.
"But there also more crimson sanctum member somewhere as they all come in twelve six humans and six vampires to protect each other and spilt there searching and control over humanity…" Lucian muttered.
As said before they also try there hold on humans, that also how most of humans know about the Sanctum but they a fall on secretive organization.
Despite, them used to serve vampire as a source of food. Humans make up for the majority of the earth's population… he remembered vampires are one of the creatures that currently inhabit the world, catching up to the third or forth earth population.
When all twelve cells gathered and the sky bled shadow.
Lucian shook his head and focused back, his brows relaxed as he looked around the village, to see if there anything left before heading, back into the forest on the look for pack leader Sam.
Sam last led roaming lycan pack known as The Howling Circle before it was decimated.
As before his pack rose, Sam was a back-alley gambler who accidentally inherited lycanthropy…slowly making his way up, now that his pack was slaughtered, he nearly starved to death before the Sanctum found him.
Does Sam feel guilt for surviving when his pack did not?