heir5

PART TEN

We finally found Nick sitting alone at the outskirts of the town, his eyes scanning the ground as if intrigued by its mystery. He looked almost sad, until he raised his eyes to gaze upon us. "You're back!" he started as he ran up to me and hugged me a little too tightly. I felt him shake a little. Probably he was scared that we would desert him. I gave him a light hug in return, just because I felt so bad that he was left out here in the cold while we were sitting in the tavern, feeding and exchanging stories about him.

Kevin smiled at Nick rather dryly. "You sure made quite an impression on her last time, didn't you NIck?"

Nick smiled sheepishly, that boyishness coming into play, just like when we used to be BSB. I felt my stomach churn wildly from disheartening thoughts. How could it be? Why does fate play such a cruel hand, to create someone so perfect on the outside, so vile on the inside? My thoughts ended when Nick replied, "Yeah. I guess she wasn't too happy when we kinda borrowed some of her stuff." With that, he gave us a nervous chuckle.

"So where are we headed now?" AJ asked to no one in particular.

Nick stopped smiling and looked to us pleadingly. "Can we leave this place? I don't feel very welcomed here," Nick said sadly. His lips were drawn into a small pucker as he looked towards the city of Rencid. He had this faraway look that made me, Kevin, AJ and Howie disturbed. I wanted him to stop that, to stop these little displays of helplessness. I didn't need this to weigh on my conscience.

Kevin intercepted. "If it makes you that queasy, we can leave right now." Kevin's voice had that drawl to it. He was satisfying Nick for now, just to give us more time to analyze Nick. We had, in the tavern, spent a lot of time discussing what to do with him . . . how to stop him from hurting both the vampires and the Almans. Most importantly, we needed to find out where Nick was headed, and why?

As if answering my thoughts, Nick nodded. "If we keep on heading West, we should slowly move into the Murien Mountains. Once we pass the mountain range, we will all be safe. No one could reach us over there."

Kevin nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. Why don't you lead the way?" Kevin gazed at Nick with a strange new air in his voice that was both commanding and yielding at the same time.

Nick's eyes widened in pleasant surprise, as if he didn't expect us to yield so willingly. But then, after stealing a few glances at Kevin, Nick turned around and starting walking. Once Nick had turned his back to us, Kevin nodded for me to follow him.

I nodded at Kevin, signalling that I understood and I quickly turned around to catch up with Nick. I had no clue what I was doing. I felt as sick as a man on his death bed. Yet, I held all my emotions at bay, repressing the overwhelming voices in my head to tell me to stop all this nonsensical action. But I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to my vampire race. I didn't want to be the one to watch passively as my race became destroyed by a creature that I had a chance of destroying. Funny how guilt works. It seems to be waiting for me around every corner.

The night was still young, and the moon was magnificent, despite the fact that I was completely not at peace with myself. Perhaps it is a theme for me. Beauty is so deceiving.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" I finally asked Nick. I didn't want to jump into the heavy duty stuff just yet.

Nick let out a soft laugh, but he did not reply. I took that as a no.

"It's a pretty night tonight," Nick commented softly. "I hope it will be like this for the rest of our trip."

"Mmmmm," I murmured, trying to reorganize my thoughts.

Nick smiled gently. "It has been so long since I've had such a wonderful time. I'll always remember these days, no matter what." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Even the air smells so wonderful!"

I felt my heart being tugged five different ways. "Yeah," I reluctantly agreed. "I will definitely remember this trip." I knew my voice sounded less than enthusiastic, but Nick just ignored the troubled tone of my voice.

I felt something warm in my fingers and realized that Nick had placed his hand around mine. I looked up to see him staring at me, and my heart nearly stopped. "Let yourself relax, Brian. You're too stressed. You look like you're about to kill your prey. Just take some deep breaths and let it all out. You'll be able to feel your environment so much better!"

I grumbled a little and didn't do as he told me. But he smiled at me and pulled my hand up. "At least pretend to be happy, for my sake! I don't want to see you like this, Brian. Don't let the tavern lady spoil your mood." For a moment, I almost thought that Nick knew about what we discussed back in Rencid with the tavern owner. I widened my eyes a little. Could he have known? But if he had, he wasn't mentioning anything.

"Uhhhh," I responded unintelligibly.

Nick suddenly looked away and ran off with lightning speed, frightening my already wimpy body. But just as fast as he disappeared, he returned with a bunch of fireflies in a bag, placing them in my hand. Amazingly, the fireflies remained docile and clutched my fingers obediently.

Nick laughed gleefully at my shocked face. For a moment, I didn't know what to make of this sudden change in temperament. It was freaky. It was spooky. Yet it was so enticing. I felt my spirits lift that night, oddly enough. I smiled for the first time in hours and forgot about everything that I had promised the others. I had forgotten my mission that night, lost it to Nick's silly, but lovable charm. It was a side of him I had never seen before, even back in the days of BSB.

I let out a sound that seemed to be a laugh and played with my fireflies. But soon, Nick called them to him, and they all spiralled around him, giving him this beautiful halo, illuminating his features. He laughed at their playfulness as they danced around his body. I smiled. If he had only channeled his powers into playful games such as these . . .
I once again couldn't help but laugh. It was a bittersweet laugh, but it was less bitter, more sweet.

*************************

We had finally made it to the foot of the Murien Mountains two days later. All of us noticed an abrupt change in the atmosphere. There was a heavy tension in the air. All the green that we had seen coming here, all the fresh brooks and streams, were now replaced by a dull, lackluster color in the soil, in the air. Even Nick's smile was fading as he scanned the base of the mountains. He didn't look skeptical. He just had a look of longing, as if he wanted to get across the Murien Mountains right away.

By now, Kevin, AJ and Howie seemed like their butts were in flames. They were frantic. They wanted me to get some answers from Nick soon because they didn't think that waiting a few days would be smart. I guess I was procrastinating, or rather, Nick had made me forget my duties to my people. He had made me laugh so many times in the past two days that everytime I brought up a touchy issue, he would make it fade from my mind with a flirtatious smile here or a not-so-innocent touch there. It was impossible for me to focus.

But seeing the base of the Murien Mountains was like a slap to the face. I sensed a deep evil that lay within the air, and I started to hit myself for my folly. What had I been thinking these past two days? Here we were, ready to ascend into G-d knows what horrid place, and I had gained absolutely no ground with Nick. This overwhelming feeling of despair was what drove the knife home. It gave me the power then, to resist Nick's advances.

Kevin, AJ and Howie had strategically left to go find food and firewood. I was left with Nick alone to rest. We sat on a lone rock quietly. He made no attempt at conversation, so I had to begin myself.

"You've been pretty quiet these past few hours," I started while twiddling my fingers.

Nick sighed. "This place is kind of a bummer, isn't it?"

The way he said that, it reminded me of his teenage years. I nearly laughed, had the situation not been so humorless.
"What is it that you're truly running away from, Nick? The vampires . . . or the Almans?"

He suddenly looked up at me, and I saw something in his eyes that startled me. I saw distrust.

"I'm not running away from anyone." He lowered his eyes to the ground. "I'm just trying to find a way out so that they never hurt me again."

I gulped and felt my heart racing a bit wildly. I placed a hand on his thigh. "I know that you will find your way."
Slowly, but cautiously, I rubbed his thigh. I tried to make my movements seductive, lulling. "So . . . what is it about these mountains that will protect us?" I asked curiously, my hands starting to roam a little.

I felt his muscles tighten at first, but then, he relaxed, welcoming my touches. I could feel the barriers in his mind softening quickly. Nick smiled. "At the other end, there is an ancient volcano full of hot lava. It's a dangerous journey, but once we pass it, nobody lives on the other side. We could settle there. Who knows. Maybe you'll like it there so much that you would never want to leave the place." Nick then placed his hand on mine suggestively. He gazed straight into my eyes, and continued, "Will you always remember me this way?"

I felt scared, staring into those lavender eyes. They suddenly appeared mysterious, haunted. I leaned into him and kissed his lips, lightly sucking on them. I smiled, but didn't reply.

Nick seemed taken back by my lack of response. He looked, if anything, startled. Quickly, he stood up and walked away, his fingers nervously fumbling. I walked up to him from behind and wrapped my arms around him. "Oh geez, I'm sorry. I do love you! Nick, I love you so much!" I clung on to him desperately. These past few days, the sadness in my heart had been accumulating. I kept on thinking about the prophecy, about what Nick was to become, and I couldn't take it. I felt myself wondering just how evil could Nick get, looking so innocent right now.

I was so consumed with my sadness that I nearly missed Nick's next words. "So, do you believe it?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

Nick's voice turned deadly cold. "Do you believe in the prophecy that she told you?"

I quickly turned my head up to stare into Nick's crystal blue eyes. His face remained ever so angelic.

Then, he looked away, as if not being able to bear the look on my face. "It's not true, you know. It's just a story that people make up. You shouldn't believe them." But even as he said that, he was not convincing at all. He bit his lip and stared at the stars. Then, without warning, he grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the ground with him, forcing me to straddle him. His eyes twinkled in the night sky as he pulled my upper body down to his. I felt his body become suddenly very warm, exuding with a certain aura, and all my self-control went out the roof. My heart rate rose and I was starting to think with my hormones. It was all so intoxicating. He was weaving a web of sex in my mind, making me bend my will to his.

"I won't let you believe them!" he whispered into my ears. It was as if he were using his body to gain my trust. He gave himself to me completely, allowing me to access his most intimate areas. I knew I was sold. I willingly accepted his offer without a second thought. Within seconds, I was hard and delirious. I finally acted out what my fantasies had envisioned for so long. I finally rummaged through his body, claiming it as my own. And the best part was, he let me do it. And finally, the mating ritual was performed. Nick had succumbed to me . . . or was it the other way around.

After one intense hour, I pulled out of him from mere exhaustion. He seemed even more exhausted than me, though. He tried to sit up, but fell backwards immediately, groaning as he hit his head against the ground. This was odd indeed. I sat up and watched him.

"Uhhh," Nick moaned as he tried to move across the ground to a sitting position.

"Are you okay, Nick?" I asked him warily.

Nick managed a weak smile. "I think I put in too much energy into that little session."

Another interesting point. "Does intercourse drain that much out of you?" I asked, a little out of breath, but still high with ecstasy myself.

Nick groaned again. "Did you have to ask? I pour my heart and soul into that." Then he smiled sheepishly. "For you."

If I had the guts, I could have destroyed him then. I could have wrenched his body, drained his life, and then the evil wouldn't ever have a chance to grow anymore. He looked as if he were going to pass out from all that energy expenditure. He would have been an easy target, had I the will to destroy him.

I knew what I saw in his eyes prior to our intercourse. I saw, if for one fleeting second, the danger that he harbored. He was trying to wipe away my suspicions with his promise of sex, but in fact, he had put too much energy into selling this image of innocence.

Something held me back, though. I did not know why I didn't take advantage of him at that moment, but it was as if I felt too drawn into Nick to do something horrible to him then. Nick slowly rolled over to where I was, and after looking at me, gauging my thoughts, he cuddled up with his head in the crook of my neck. Then he went to sleep, as if he didn't have a care in the world. I had to admit, he looked rather innocent.

Kevin, AJ and Howie came back to find us in that 'compromising' position, and they too decided to fall asleep by our side.

****************************

When I awoke the next morning, I was surprised to find that my arms were empty, that Nick was no longer lying beside me. It wasn't hard to read my thoughts. I was damn afraid that Nick had ran away to a place we could not reach him . . . to a place we could not destroy him. I quickly jumped up and kicked the others awake. "Guys! Nick! Where is he?"

The others jumped up in alarm as well, each conjuring worrisome thoughts about Nick's whereabouts. Kevin was the first to voice his anger. "Wasn't he on top of you last night? How come he left without your knowing it?"

I felt my anger slowly ascend into maddening heights. "Don't you dare point any fingers at me! I never once let the thoughts of the vampire's safety out of my mind!"

AJ looked at me and Kevin tiredly. "Stop it! Both of you! Now let's start using some brain cells here! So Brian, what have you and Nick discussed last night that freaked him out?"

I stared at the others belligerently. "Nothing!"

Kevin pushed AJ aside. "I'll tell you what they didn't discuss while they were so busy with each other!"

I shoved Kevin back, not even attempting to hide my fury with his attitude. "I've tried, damn it! But you guys aren't really helping out. So there, I haven't found out a single thing about him. Happy?"

Howie quickly stepped in. "Kevin? It's not Brian's fault that Nick is so elusive. Let's just put our heads together and think for a moment. Maybe he ran off into the Murien Mountains on his own. Maybe he sensed our reluctance, and he wanted to find safety first?"

Aj only nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that kid could be so sneaky sometimes. Maybe he doesn't want us to follow him and know where he's hiding. I mean, he has one messed up mind there."

"Exactly my point," Kevin remarked dryly. "But we can't let him out of our site. He's a threat to anything living!"
I cussed under my breath, although I had started to forget what I was angry at. Kevin glared at me, but remained quiet. We were so caught up in our own turmoil that we almost failed to see Nick standing behind a tree quietly.
Howie was the first to notice after a long five minutes. "Uhhhh, hey Nick!" he exclaimed rather shocked.

Nick stood behind the tree, his face suddenly revealing nothing but coldness. His lavender eyes suddenly darkening to a gray, then midnight blue. I felt a cold wind slap against my face and had to take a few steps back to balance myself.

Slowly, Nick stepped forward to reveal a bundle of live animals in his hand, breakfast for me and the guys. He tossed the animals onto the ground before the four of us and stared at the animals. One by one, the rabbit, the fox and even the boar became sedated as they lay on the ground quietly.

I felt my blood go cold from this sudden display of power on Nick's part, and I had no doubt that Kevin, AJ and Howie were just as discomforted. Nick raised his eyes to stare at us with distrust. Then he slowly walked over to a rock and sat down, not even bothering to converse with any of us.

After the awkward moments of silence, Kevin stepped forward. "Nick, listen . . . "

But Nick immediately cut him off. "Eat!" he commanded in a chilling tone.

Kevin shut up without an argument and looked uncertainly at the rest of us. AJ gulped before attempting to start a decent conversation with Nick.

Before he was even able to let a word slip his mouth, Nick silenced him with a death stare. AJ squeaked a little, but didn't complete that attempt.

"Uhhh, that's nice of you to feed us this morning, Nick," Howie tried to close the gap between us. Strangely, that managed to soothe Nick's bruised emotions. He turned away, as if the sight of us was unbearable.

Then Nick nodded softly and repeated his earlier command. "Eat." His voice was gentler this time, but I could tell that every word of our earlier conversation had seared him. We all ate in silence, each one taking our turn to cast some surreptitious glances at him.

When Nick was finally bored with our anxious glances, he summoned a twig to him with some strange force field of his and began to draw designs in the dirt. I was curious as hell, but damn me if I were going to walk over there to find out what he was drawing. He had established his disdain for us very clearly. I felt my heart sink at his lack of familiarity. I kept on wondering whether he had thought last night's lovemaking any special.

Just when I thought he was tired of us, he started to talk. This time, his tone was soft, but it reeked of an soulfulness that made all of us nervous. "I'm going to continue this trek whether you guys want to or not. I will give you two options. You can turn back now to wherever you came from. Or you can accompany me. I'm warning you, though. It only gets more dangerous from here. I can't promise you that I'll get you to the other side in one piece, unscathed."
I heard AJ gulp once more. Kevin still had some wits and responded to Nick's statement. "What are you seeking then? What lies beyond the Murien Mountains?"

Nick continued to stare at the ground. "My escape," he replied quietly. "Don't you want me to be free? Why do you guys wish so much that I get destroyed? Does the prophecy frighten you that much?"

We all froze in shock. Well, at least the other three did. At this point in time, NIck's words no longer drew out any shock from me.

Nick closed his eyes, just as the tavern owner had when she recited that prophecy. "No peace, no friends, no love, no home. No family to claim his own. Darkness shall embrace him only then, beyond the Mountains of Murien." Then he turned to us with a startling gleam in his eyes. "Do you like those four lines? I made them myself, hoping to add them to those prophetic sayings that your vampire race so cherish and believe. Personally, I think your ancestors had so much time on their hands that they had to write these idiotic stories to pleasure themselves." Nick's voice was harsh, unforgiving.

My voice wavered, but I had to say something. "Nick, please don't bear a grudge against us." I pleaded in earnest. I couldn't stand the cold shoulder he was giving us. I had never been at the receiving end of Nick's anger before, and it was very tasteless and gut-wrenching.

Nick turned to meet my gaze. That was the first time this morning. He looked hurt, betrayed. It almost seemed like some tears were going to slip from his eyes, but he caught them just in time. "I don't bear any grudge. I'm just downright fuming!" He wrinkled his eyebrows before turning away again, our presence annoying him immensely.
Howie tried to once again ease the awkward conversation. "We're sorry. It's just that you're so much of a mystery to us. We can't help it but be suspicious."

Nick cringed. "How difficult is it to believe in me? Have I ever done anything that deserves to be analyzed right and left? And if I had done something out of anger, would you attribute that to the evil within me? Just go on and forget about my right to be angry with your race! I mean your race never did anything bad to hurt me!" I could feel the sarcasm flow throughout his veins.

Kevin stepped in. "Don't forget that in your veins flows our blood. And you yourself are half vampire, half Alman."
Nick gazed at Kevin with disdain. "I don't feel like I'm treated that way. I feel like some trash that you're trying desperately to rid of.."

This was getting out of hand. I didn't want us to continue this line of reasoning. "Nick! We'll go with you past the Murien Mountains!"

AJ, Howie and Kevin gaped. "What the hell?" AJ blurted at me without thinking, his eyes glinting at my brash response to Nick's offer.

Nick raised one eyebrow, as if amused. "Someone wishes to object," Nick said to me with sarcasm. I felt my heart sinking even deeper. That sweet Nick . . . the one I dreamed of night and day . . . there was not even a trace of him. I could only feel his powerful presence. What about those fireflies that we were playing with the other day? How come he had seemed so gentle then?

Nick didn't bother to wait for a witty response from any of us. He simply stood and took off swiftly. Without any further negotiations, Kevin, AJ, Howie and I tried to catch up with him. That was when I realized that he could have left us far behind. Our speed was no match for him. He could have abandoned us. He didn't have to suffer through that irrational conversation we just had with him.

But he had waited for us. Why? Why was he doing this? He had known our suspicions, had felt our distrust. Yet he chose to let us follow him. I was more confounded than ever, and that troubled me deeply.

Quickly we struggled to follow Nick, and the more we did, the more we realized that we could not tame his heart. He wielded too much energy, bore too much distaste in our actions. And though we felt every last bit of contempt in his heart, we continued to follow him.

I followed because I was hurt, and I longed for some rational reason why I couldn't let him go, both physically and emotionally. The faster he moved, the more desperate I became . . . and the more I realized that he had taken me too far into the relationship. I couldn't let go, not now, not when my feelings are all jumbled into one wicked mess. And these weren't only my hormones coming into play either. These were real, thought-provoking feelings that I had.
No, I wouldn't let Nick go, despite his coldness . . . and despite his disgust. There was a sudden tug in me, a sudden hunger for his love. It wasn't just the wonderful night or the little moments that he made me laugh and cry all at once. It was this act of drawing away from us that was like a refreshing slap in the face, forcing me to realize that his identity no longer mattered. I didn't even want to care about who he was or where he came from. All that consumed my mind was where I stood in his heart.

And that was a fantastic power that he wielded over me. As these thoughts raced through my mind, I started to reexamine why Kevin, Aj and Howie had followed Nick, and couldn't help but feel very disturbed. What could their reasons be for trailing after him like a herd of cattle? What if their reasons were similar to mine. No, stop that. I'm thinking too hard. Maybe their reasons were more noble than mine. But that didn't stop me from feeling a bit of possessiveness over Nick. It was an odd and queasy feeling. I just hoped it would go away. Because whatever reason that pushed them into following Nick, it probably was just as selfish as mine. And goodness knows what I would probably do in the name of jealousy.

And that was when I realized that the line between rage and sanity is just as fine as that between good and evil. For one inopportune move from them would tip me over the edge if and when it came to Nick. I'm afraid that I don't even know my priorities anymore. Is that what love does to you? If it is, then love is far more wicked and teasing than I had imagined it to be.

PART ELEVEN

For one half the day, we did nothing but struggle to follow him. I had scars all over my body from the tree branches searing my skin. I'm pretty sure that Kevin, Aj and Howie weren't doing that much better.

The soil beneath us began to feel hotter, less stable. Even the trees had started becoming scarce. The only organisms in the ground were actually strange looking insects, probably adapting to this dead land after thousands of years of evolution.

Nick didn't slow down, though. At first, I thought it was because he was angry, but after a few hours, another idea struck me. He seemed almost desperate, as if he really wanted to get past the Murien Mountains soon. Something about the way he moved, about the contradictions in his actions, had made him seem far less threatening than before.
I mean, on the one hand, he had this look of exasperation on his face, as if the sight of us caused pain to his eyes. But he would every once in a while, gather enough water and blood to feed us properly while all of us just lay on the ground, defenseless like little chicks waiting for our mother. These brief moments of affection from Nick were beginning to mar my judgment.

Once the afternoon settled in though, he looked tired while the rest of us seemed more well-rested. It was almost as if he were struggling really hard to keep up his energy level. He started to slip on the rocks beneath him more often. Yet he barged through the land like a bulldozer. I started to notice that the soles of his feet were bleeding, but he paid no attention to these minor details. He himself didn't eat at all. Nor did he drink any water. His soul was yearning for something, but what?

Just when I thought that he would faint from exertion, he gathered a newfound source of energy and barged on. It wasn't until late in the evening that we approached a brook in the middle of the Murien Mountains. This definitely brought a smile to AJ, who was ready to jump into the water . . . had it not been for Nick.

Nick sent a magnetic field, dragging AJ back onto the land before he completed his dive. AJ cussed under his breath while Nick stepped forward and stared into the waters suspiciously with one hand tightly clamped around Aj's arm, making Aj squirm in pain.

"Dude, Nick. There's plenty of water for all of us!" Aj tried to lighten the mood and wincing in pain at the same time. Howie walked up cautiously to the water and his eyes narrowed.

"This water has a tint of red in it," Howie commented quietly.

"The Stream of Doom," Kevin whispered, mesmerized.

Nick nodded slowly, finally letting go of Aj's arm. Aj massaged his arm bitterly, but did not speak. I slowly sidled up to Kevin and asked, "Why is it called that?"

Kevin looked at me in a fatherly way. "Anyone who drinks these waters will be bound to the course of this stream. And they will continue walking until they disappear into the mist. No one who had followed this path had ever returned, and the only remnants that they had existed is their blood that mixes with these waters."

I widened my eyes, absorbing this haunting story into my mind. Aj only stiffened, now feeling shamelessly grateful for Nick's interception.

I turned to gaze at Nick, and to my shock, he was looking at the waters as if he wanted to taste them real badly. However, he held back and stared at the rest of us. "I had followed this path once before," he said all too softly. "It leads to an abandoned swamp full of degraded, rotten bodies. There was poison in the waters, rather like acid, that sears your skin until it falls off. The air wreaked of such a foul smell that your lungs burn from contact. It is rather depressing to witness."

"How . . . how did you escape?" Kevin asked, confused.

Nick looked at Kevin, his eyes full of humility. "Someone had held my hand and led me out of the swamp. I don't remember his face. I don't know his name. I only know that he was very angry. But I don't know what had angered him."

"So you have been here before?" Aj asked, his mind starting to register Nick's story.

Nick looked at the far edges of the stream. He nodded complacently. "A long time ago. It should have ended then."
Howie raised his head to meet Nick's eyes. "What should have ended?"

Nick ignored Howie's question and stepped into the stream, making all of us jump from anxiety. Finally, Nick stopped in the middle of the stream and turned to us expectantly. "Don't step into the waters. Try to jump onto me and then I'll throw you to the other side."

I felt my body shake. Why was he doing this? Why was he trying to protect us while at the same time, he was not even paying attention to his own body?

Kevin slightly rolled his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Don't you think, Nick, that we could have just used our vampire powers to glide over there without any problems?"

Nick just gazed at Kevin with amusement. "All right, go ahead."

Kevin nodded confidently and started to jump, calling forth his vampire skills to aid him. He gracefully lifted his feet off the ground and flew to the other side of the stream. But just when he was about to make it, a big wave appeared out of nowhere and twisted into the form of a hand, ready to grip Kevin's feet and drag him back. I felt my heart race and was about to jump out and help Kevin when Howie held me back tightly. I gazed in awe as Nick ran towards the hand and jumped into it's clutches in place of Kevin, allowing Kevin to land on the other side without a single drop of water on him. On the other hand, Nick's body was soaked from head to toe as he struggled to stand still. Slowly, the waters calmed down again and me, Aj and Howie remained frozen in our spots, amazed at the entire event.

Kevin stood on the other side, speechless. He looked at Nick's form. Besides being a little wet, Nick appeared to be okay. Nick breathed a little harder and turned to me. "Wait until I'm dry. Then you go next." Nick's voice was a little wet, but he looked okay to me. So what's such a big deal about this Stream of Doom besides that awesome show of power?

Nick closed his eyes tight and willed the waters of the Stream of Doom to glide off his body. Finally, Nick opened his eyes and looked at me expectantly. He opened his arms wide, motioning for me to jump. I closed my eyes and willed all my powers to help give me a boost. The stream was actually quite wide. Quickly, I lifted my feet and aimed for Nick. As I had feared, I was about to miss Nick by a whole five feet. I braced myself to fly head first into the waters when I felt Nick's strong arms softening my land and preventing me from even touching the waters.
I was actually relieved and let out a breath, but I felt myself tighten when I realized how cold his body was. "Are you okay?" I whispered to Nick, which he ignored. By now, I think he was just impatient with all our questioning because he didn't reply. I wish he had. Right now, I feel like I don't matter to him, which hurt . . . a lot. I know I felt a little childish, but I wanted him to comfort me, to at least let me know how he felt. Not to leave me guessing like a dork. I mean, I know his demeanor towards us showed that he still cared for us, but he didn't have to hide it with such a cold facade.

Once again, as if reading my thoughts, he gazed into my eyes. "Never been better." Then he threw me to the other side. This time, no gigantic hand popping out of the waters to pull me back. One by one, Nick tossed Aj and then Howie to the other side of the stream before he himself crossed it.

And just as he stepped out of the water, I noticed that his calves were trickling with blood. Sensing my eyes on his lower body, Nick answered, "Don't worry, it's not my blood. It belongs to those men who had died in this Stream." I tried to feel more comforted, but couldn't. The bleeding didn't stop.

Kevin, who until this time had remained quiet, began to speak. "The blood . . . their blood seeps into your body, doesn't it? And with their blood, their souls . . . their agony also become absorbed into your own blood."

Nick smiled softly at Kevin. "I'm glad you recognize that. Because trust me, it's not the greatest, most elated feeling."

"The blood drives people to insanity . . . " Howie said in awe, as if finally realizing what the waters in this Stream did to people.

Nick only smiled again. "I guess I'm already to that point, huh?" With that last remark thrown into the air, he slowly walked away from the stream and led us forth.

*********************************

That night, we finally rested in a place that had scarcely two leafless trees and a few rocks that settled in the dust. The sky was a sullen gray and the air full of silence. There were no winds, just a disturbing stillness to the entire landscape. All of us were so hungry and worn out that we dropped to the ground, desperate to regain our strength. Nick looked at us, disappointed by our weakness.

Knowingly, he walked over to me and held out his hand to my mouth, offering me his blood. I looked at him, bewildered. He gazed at me with this analytical look before saying, "Don't worry, I had cleansed myself of that blood earlier. Nothing impure in it now."

I dumbly nodded and reached for his wrist shakily. I slowly dug my fangs into his soft skin, all the while looking straight into his eyes, and I drank that rich and filling blood that I had almost forgotten existed. I must have been very hungry because I kept on drinking and drinking until Nick finally pulled his arm away. "Leave some for the others," he said sternly before turning around and walking over to Aj.

Aj just stared at him as if Nick had lost his mind, but instantly pulled Nick's wrist to his mouth as well, drinking nervously. He had a little more self-control than me and stopped after about a minute.

By now, I felt refreshed and ready to continue our trek. It was an amazing feeling. I didn't think I even needed any sleep. I watched as Nick walked over to Howie. Howie gratefully and gently held Nick's arm and dug his fangs into Nick's wrist. He closed his eyes, as if relishing the moment and he sucked slowly, tentatively.

At last, it was Kevin's turn. I looked on in worry as Nick approached Kevin, who had looked away, refusing the blood. Nick then whispered something to him, which I could not decipher. Kevin continued to stare away stubbornly, until after a few more moments and a few more convincing words, Kevin grudgingly gripped Nick's arm and sucked for about half a minute.

We all felt rejuvenated. All of us . . . except Nick. I could tell that he was looking paler every minute. It had seemed to me that we were more of a burden than anything else. And once again, I was afraid that he would leave us behind.
Nick walked over to the fire we had made and lay down next to it. "Tomorrow, we shall have reached the edge of the Murien Mountains. Our trek will be at an end after all. You guys should rest. It will be a big day. Not like today."

After having expunged that from his system, he quickly closed his eyes and dozed off while the rest of us just sat around the fire. His blood was like a boost of sugar. We all were too awake, too energized to sleep. But we had realized that it was not the case for him. Nick looked, if anything, too tired to continue that night. Kevin, Aj, and Howie sat close to Nick, cautiously looking around for anything dangerous that could suddenly appear out of nowhere. I, however, watched Nick's face as he slipped into his deep sleep.

To my sadness, I saw only melancholy and worry in it. He looked unsettled. His features seemed to ache for relief, as if he had traveled too far, had outlived his welcome. I felt sorry for him then. My thoughts wandered off to the prophecy and I suddenly felt the unfairness of it all. I wondered about the nonsensical nature of this entire ordeal. Nature has worked wonders in my opinion. Then why couldn't it work it's magic on Nick, change his entire outlook on life.

Because the world didn't work that way. Because destruction was always the easier, more instinctive route. Just as splitting an atom released energy, so did destroying life. In order to create it, energy had to be absorbed. And goodness knows there was not enough power on this Earth to sustain Nick's life.

I traced a wrinkled line on Nick's forehead. It was the first time I had noticed that his skin was starting to look less fair, his hair less bright and more disheveled. He no longer looked immortal, but very vulnerable.

He started shaking in his sleep, and to my amazement, all four of us--me, Aj, Kevin and Howie had each tried to remove our shirts to cover him up. Strange how despite all our suspicions, we still felt this inherent desire to protect him. Kevin had gotten to Nick first so the rest of us simply stood there awkwardly, deciding whether to put our shirts back on.

And that was how we pretty much remained until the crack of dawn, when there was a slight hint of sunlight signalling for us to start what was the end of our trek.

**************************************

I felt a warm hand gently shaking my body. I opened my eyes, disappointed to find that the hand belonged to Howie. "Wake up, sleepyhead. Time to get ready."

I sat up, expecting to see Nick's disheveled figure. Oddly but surprisingly, he looked refreshed. His skin fairer than ever, his eyes a really rich lavender now. Even his hair looked softer than before. There was a gleam in his eyes that radiated with hope. His eyes would ever so often widen as if a lost child seeing his mother. He didn't wait for us as he started off West.

Aj, Kevin, me and Howie all four took off after him, already accustomed to this habit of his. We knew not to talk so as to conserve our energy to keep up with him.

Nick was not kidding when he said that today was worse than yesterday, because I was constantly dodging obstacles right and left. Nick spent less time mothering us today as he devoted all his energy to plunging forward. The soil kept on rearranging itself so that one wrong move would lead us into an abyss or send us sprawling on the ground, bruised and bleeding.

The soil was now replaced by a strange rock that resembled obsidian, but was far more slippery. The air burnt like acid, forcing me to squint. I felt the gravitational field weigh heavily on my body and soul, making each step more difficult. The soles of my feet were burning like mad, but they dared not stop in fear that they would just burst into flames. We ascended and ascended until I could not take it anymore. And then, we started descending and I sighed in relief, because we simply just slid down the slope. However, I encountered so many sharp pieces of rock jutting out of nowhere that I nearly lost a limb on the downward slope had Nick not pulled me out of the way.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally saw the ground level off. All of us rolled down towards the stretch of flat land and I stopped with a thud as I crashed into Aj.

"Dude, aim!" Aj snorted.

"Sorry that your butt is in the way," I replied sarcastically.

I got up, disoriented. But it didn't take long to see the tip of the volcano not far in the distance. I traced the slope of the volcano to where we were and realized that we were in the path if and when the lava were to spill from the volcano. I gulped, fearsome for all of us.

"Uh, Nick? That volcano looks like it's going to erupt any minute," Kevin stuttered.

Aj looked at Kevin exasperated. "No kidding, Einstein."

Howie gasped from the extrenuous exercise it took to get this far. "Guys, if we continue West, we should have enough time to leave this volcano far behind. Until now, Nick had remained silent.

I looked to Nick a little disturbed by his quietness, surprised to see the awe in his face. That was when I recognized that look of yearning in his face again. He stood rooted in the ground, mesmerized by the looming volcano that was spitting so much fire.

I felt my feelings unsettled by Nick's lack of fear at the entire situation. I walked up to him, sensing the change in his demeanor. I placed my hand around his arm. "Nick?" I asked timidly. "We should get going before we don't have the chance to." I nudged his arm pleadingly, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as my thoughts started to clear. My heart was getting heavy as I suddenly started to realize that Nick perhaps had already reached his destination.

I shook my head obstinately. No! I'm going crazy from all the energy expenditure during this trip. My mind was being clouded by stupid, senseless thoughts. Nick was heading to the West to escape. This isn't his destination. It couldn't be. Once we left this volcano, we would all be safe.

Nick swiftly turned his head in our direction and there was a sense of inner peace in him. His eyes look content as the lavender was replaced by a midnight blue. He nodded to the West. His voice was unnervingly gentle. "Like Howie said, if you keep on going West, the trees will become more abundant. The soil will become less deadly, the air less acrid. Until you encounter a stream that looks very fresh and clear. Don't drink from it. Just cross over it in the shallow areas. Once you cross it, you'll be safe."

I didn't fail to notice that he used 'you' instead of 'we'. I felt myself shaking from the sudden realization. MY stomach was twisted into quite a few knots as I began to despair. Never in the past few weeks did I imagine this type of ending to our trip. This was not how I had intended it to be. Everything was happening too fast, and Nick's words were biting me mercilessly. I shook my head desperately, the tears burning my eyes. I felt my jaw quivering, but only silence escaped my lips.

This was not happening. Nick was not saying those words. I was hallucinating all of this. Nick took a few steps backwards, towards the volcano. "I've reached the end of my trip." He looked at us and laughed a bitter laugh.
Kevin looked as shocked as I did, not trusting the words that were coming out of Nick's mouth. Aj gazed incredulously at Nick and verbalized what I had so wanted to say. "You are not f---ing serious!" And he trembled from desperation. He cared! He had cared for Nick all along! Despite all our talk about destroying Nick, we never once envisioned that his death would materialize in front of us.

I object to all of this. Like Nick had said a few days earlier, if we continue past the volcano and escape the hot lava, he would be free. He would escape . . . and we could live there happily.

Only Howie remained frighteningly calm, eyeing Nick skeptically. Damn it! Why was he being so rational now! Say something damn it.

My voice wavered, but it spoke forcefully. "Nick . . . you don't know what you're saying. You're delusional. That's a freaking volcano. Hot lava is not good!"

Nick shook his head, his eyes tracing my features. "Eyes of lavender shall mark our fate; behind sheer beauty lies evil's gaze; no friends, no love, no peace, no home; there is no child worse than Darkness' own . . . "

My lips shook violently, but now Nick continued reciting what appeared to be the second half of the poem. His voice was calm, just like the rest of his features. "He whose body evil has claimed; can be Weakened by fire, burnt by flames; and the Heir to the Darkness shall end His reign; beyond the mountains of Murien."

Nick's eyes moistened. "Is this not how it ends?" He took another few steps backwards as me, Aj and Kevin advanced. "If you don't start heading West now, you won't make it," Nick said, his voice now starting to waver.

"Why did you bring us with you then?" I felt my anger rise exponentially by the second. "How can you be so selfish? Just because you wanted some company so that you could make it here and then just desert us like that!" I was bitter to no end. My tears were falling freely now, and I didn't care if I hurt Nick because he hurt me so bad.

Nick looked at me sadly. "Do you regret now?"

I was stung by his statement. Leave it to him to remind me of our little conversation back in that cave.

Kevin had to grab me, to prevent me from collapsing right there. Aj was also wet with tears by now. Only Howie . . . only Howie was the only one who did not say a single word.

Nick was by now quite far from where we stood. "I can't control it anymore . . . this bad feeling inside me. I feel like it's feeding on me every second that I exist. I feel so cold inside. I can't control it anymore. It feels so strong. It feels so comforting to succumb to it. If I didn't have your presence to remind me of those things that I cherish most, I would give in in a heartbeat."

Nick took a few large steps back, his eyes apologetic. Then without another word, he turned around and started running towards the volcano, his steps desperate, his body shaking. My feet suddenly found the strength to support my body, but Kevin and Aj held me firmly in place, both shaking with despair, but both taken by Nick's bold and honest confession. I screamed at the top of my lungs for Nick to stop.

We were so involved with our own desperation that we failed to notice Howie slipping past us, his hand holding onto some golden object that I did not recognize. He chased after Nick with a look of determination on his face, and suddenly, he didn't look like the Howie we knew. His face was filled with a malevolence neither I, Kevin nor Aj had seen before. He moved swiftly as he slowly, but surely closed the gap between Nick and him. I think Nick had sensed it as well because for one fleeting moment, he turned his head to look.

Then Nick's eyes widened in some sort of recognition as he stared into Howie's face. He ran faster, confounding me, Kevin and Aj even more. I was completely clueless as to what the hell was going on . . . that was until Howie morphed into . . . Vincent!!!!

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