The Taste of Blood chapter 9

The Taste of Blood chapter 9

Under his gaze I drink my last toxin medicine sighing in relief when it finally was over. Piccolo had brought me the last medicine behind the front doors. He didn't came in now that Vegeta was back home and that was a good thing. Vegeta didn't like it when strangers came in his home without his permission.

"Ah, you so seem to love that toxin."

I saw his nasty and playful smirk on his lips before I tried to slap him gently but he dodged it easily taking a step backward.

"Shut up. You have no idea how bad this taste like."

"True, but judging by your expressions it's very 'tasty'."

"Ha ha... very funny."

"Hmph. You have no sense of humor, Hunter."

"... Don't call me that."

"Hm?"

"Call me Kakarot. I'm a vampire now, not that human who hunt vampires."

"As you wish, Kakarot."

He accepted my new name just like that? Then maybe he would allow me to start to call him with his real name.

"Master..? May I call you with your original name?"

"Why? Why you still keep going on about that. That man, who's name we don't spell, died so long time ago. How many times I need to repeat that to you before you believe and stop that?"

"I'm sorry, master."

"... Let's make a deal. You may call my human name but after a word 'master', got it?"

"So does that mean that I really, REALLY, can call you Master Vegeta?"

And he nodded. I felt this joy in me and it made me smile so widely. It was so nice finally have his permission to use his real name.

Vegeta stared me for a moment clearly wondering something before he walked in front of those huge windows in great hall, allowing moon's light shine on his pale skin.

"Is something wrong, Master Vegeta?"

He closed his eyes smiling, taking a deep breath inside before his dark eyes turned to look at me.

"Are you feeling better enough to fly?"

"Fly? Are we going to go to hunt?"

"No. We will go see our own peoples."

"... You mean another vampires?"

And once again he nodded. So there was more vampires! I just had knew it all this time!

"What about this castle and bats?"

"We will abandon this castle and bats will come with us. Simple."

"Then, when we will go?"

"Right now."

--

So we left. I watched behind us as that familiar castle was left behind and huge bat group flew after us. We flew over my old home town and I couldn't feel more than sorrow. Maybe because of my human memories and time what I lived there. It had been good time but it was a past.

My gaze finally rose from my old home back up forward on my master who flew in front of me leading the way toward the unknown to me.
I soon saw movement right next to me but it was only my own female bat who kept her eyes on me, never leaving my site.

We flew whole night and I felt how my wings had start to turn painful and slightly sore. If the morning wasn't coming, we surely would have flew some more but thanks to morning, we flew in this big cave what smelled like bat's pee and poo. It was obvious that bats stayed here in their trips or then they lived here.

One after another found their own place from the ceiling and soon the silence filled the cave as everyone of us fell asleep soon. I took a look of Vegeta who was right next to me wrapping his wings around him, hiding his head under those leather wings so that he could sleep in peace. I looked at my other side and all the other bats had done the same thing.

I opened my wings as much as I was able to looking at them and it took few tries before I managed to place my wings right around my furry little body and fell asleep.

--

"Kakarot. Kakarot! Wake up! It's time to go."

I heard his voice in my head and when I slowly woke up from my slumber and moved my wings a little, he was flying right in front of my face staring at me. I looked behind him and sure thing, sun had set already and the sky was beautifully mixed with orange, yellow and red colors. It was our time to move on.

Vegeta gave me some space as I opened my wings fully letting go from rocky ceiling starting to flap with my wings. They felt little bit slow because of the last night's fly but they would get on their normal movement after some time.

I watched how Vegeta started to fly outside where everyone else were waiting and I was the last member of the group and when we all were there, out trip continued toward the far away mountains.

For weeks we flew forward every night and finally, FINALLY, Vegeta gave us a sign that we started to be there. When we got closer of the entrance bats suddenly flew inside very fast when Vegeta turned back to his own form landing on the hard ground, I right after him.

Now I had better changes looking around. This huge black mountain was seriously in the middle of nowhere and strong mist cloud surrounded the top of it as the entrance and inner side of the cave shined blood red color. I didn't understand how it was possible...

When the sound of steps started to echo in the air I turned to look my master over my shoulder seeing him heading inside. I turned around on my heels walking after him, still looking at those blood red walls and floor.

The more deeper in the cave we went, the more darker the tunnel turned. Of course there was torches to light our path but still there was something creepy and that smell... it was like rotten human flesh. I was staring at my feet but when I raised my gaze on the wall next to me, I almost screamed.

There was humans remaining on the wall, partly hanging inside of the wall and part of the body was outside. The flesh was rotten and the smell... It made me feel sick.

"Can't handle the smell, Kakarot?"

"It's so strong."

"No wonder. These bodies have been here for years and as you can smell, here's no fresh air in here what would take this smell away from here and another thing is that this horrible smell keeps everyone outside but those, who dares to come inside, ends up on the wall like these few bodies here."

"So humans have found this place?"

"By accidents or then when master hasn't been here to keep the barrier on."

"Barrier?"

"Hm. That way we are safe. He's so powerful that he can make a barrier around the whole mountain and make it invisible."

"Ouh. So he's very strong then?"

"Strongest."

"Um, Master Vegeta?"

"What is it?"

"Why these walls are red?"

"Hm, hard to say but I think that it's centuries old blood mixed with new fresh blood. Somehow these walls of this mountain have suck that blood in them over the centuries. And some part of the red color also comes from the time when these tunnels were lightened by red candles."

"I bet it has look creepy in a good way."

"Heh, maybe."

Then he suddenly stopped and I almost walked over him... almost. There were these doors where was huge skeletons as decoration and when Vegeta touched the doors, those skulls moved to look at us and soon the doors opened slowly as those huge skulls were clickering their teeth together as we walked past them.

I couldn't believe what my eyes saw! Huge population here! Inside the mountain and all of them were vampires! Vegeta and I were soon noticed and we were surrounded by other vampires who's attention turned more on me than on Vegeta.

"Who's this? A new vampire?"

"He looks kind of familiar to me."

They all talked so much on each others studying me so much. Vegeta took few steps away from us keeping his eyes on me and surely making sure that I would be alright.

"Now I know where I have seen him! It's that legendary vampire hunter!"

When someone yelled that out loud, this whole place turned in chaos but Vegeta's loud voice stopped them all.

"You fools! He's not that anymore! He became a vampire some time ago!"

"Ouh, and how do you know that?"

"I was there."

"When?"

"When our master transformed him. If you don't believe me, ask that from Master."

The silence landed in the cave and it became clear to me that if this Master had done or say something, no one didn't dare to doubt it or protest against it. So he really had to be something powerful in all ways!

"So if you excuse us, we would like to keep going."

Everyone moved away from our way as Vegeta kept going forward and I had to run a little to catch up with him as we really seemed to be heading at the end of the cave. When we were there, our next mission was to climb up few long stairs and then, finally we were there.

It was a huge rocky cliff on other rocks and there was this huge black throne but still there wasn't any living thing.

"Who's chair is that?"

"Our Master's."

"But can't anyone sit on that chair while he is away?"

"Only he, who controls madness and darkness, may sit here."

"Heh, that fit so well to you, Master Vegeta."

A amused smirk with closed eyes and a little down pushed head. He looked so gorgeous like that. But then something happened. I heard a sound like someone landed right behind me with kind of strong force and the feeling when someone stands behind you.

Vegeta turned around next to me and he bowed down right away, hitting me hard on the side with his elbow and I of course followed him. I turned around fast and bowed down. It was kind of weird to bow and show respect to someone who I hadn't even seen first.

"Don't get up before I give you permission, Kakarot."

I heard his whisper before I saw him standing up straight from the corner of my eye. My ears picked up Vegeta's whispering sound as he talked to this person so silently but the person, who he talked to, didn't answer.

"Kakarot. You may stand up now."

I stood up slowly... so slowly that it scared even myself before I saw this person standing right next to Vegeta. My eyes went wide and my mouth opened but I couldn't say anything.

In shock I turned to look Vegeta who smirked to me a little, introducing his master to me.

"Kakarot. This is my master."

"It has been a while, now haven't it... Goku?"

I still couldn't get a word out of my mouth when I stared this green and tall familiar person right in front of me. I--- it couldn't be...!!

"P-PICCOLO?!?! B-but how...?! Why--!?"

"Hm, ouh, Goku... Or should I call you Kakarot? I don't look like a vampire, now do I?"

All I could do was shake my head slowly and little.

"That's one of my good points. I don't look like a vampire because I'm green, I can live without sucking blood and most important, I can stand sunlight."

"Impressive, isn't it, Kakarot?"

"... So.... So... So all this time your master was... Piccolo?!"

They looked at each other smirking a little before they turned to look me. All this was too much to me. I didn't understand anything.

"Then why did you help me in the first place, Piccolo?!"

"Why? You were so perfect, so legendary as a vampire hunter so what could have been more perfect than get the best vampire hunter ever on vampire's side."

"So... then that means that you bit me when I was dying as a human and turned me into a vampire."

"True. I'm the only one with that ability. I look carefully of those who I want in my vampire group and if they are good enough, then I come and transform them."

"Why? What for?"

"Oh, Goku. You are not that stupid. Think like a vampire. Who are our enemies?"

"... Humans."

"Exactly and what do we need to do to get riddle of them?"

"... Kill them."

"Very good! So for now on you will stay here with your own master and train with me. I will teach to both of you all my abilities and sooner or later, we will destroy humans and rule this world."

All of this was still so confusing but then I started to think Piccolo's words. Of course I got so many questions in my mind but then again, did those questions about Piccolo's life and past matter? No. They didn't so I ignored those questions and focused on this moment.

And the thought of being able to go hunt and kill peoples like I had done some time ago on my own... It made me smirk to those two vampire who stood in front of me.

"Bring it on. I'm ready to hunt."

Just like Piccolo, Master of all Vampires said, humans shall be destroyed and we should rule the world. Sooner or later, but this world would be ours. Until then we will be hiding in shadows and become stronger so peoples... Stay on your toes because your doomsday is coming.

THE END