Not a Vampire

"I'm telling you, it's a group. You can't deny that vampires are hiding here." Bryce said and there was a bit of head nodding.

"There is, but I think that there is something else around here as well. I can feel it, like a pulse or something. I feel this strong energy from time to time." Kendra said. She really did, she could not put her finger on it. Like she was just missing whatever it was.

"Well that doesn't help us much, and we haven't found anything to go on. There are plenty of local legends and half the town says they've seen flying demons. Doesn't help us. I think this is just a case of crazed vampires. So we'll seek them out, destroy them and head home." Riley said and there was an agreement among the group.

Kendra was happy to go home, but she was also sad to have hoped to see something as legendary as a dragon. Though hoping that something like that was real, was about as childish as believing that the world was a peaceful safe place.

"So how are we going to draw them out?" Kendel asked. A taller thinner man who was wicked with a blade. Kendra glanced at Derrick who leaned back looking bored. He wasn't really needed for this part, he was the doctor/vet and it wasn't his duty to go out hunting.

"Kendra draws them like a magnet, so we'll use her and Lee. Bryce, you're loud with natural energy, you'll draw them to you as well." Kendra made a circle on the table with her finger. She hated playing bait, more than not you ended up needing some kind of medical attention.

"The sun is just setting, they come out within the first hour to prey on us. We'll try to find their nest. We already have the area they like to find their victims ." Kendra just listened and moved off when dismissed to go and get ready. It took her a short time and she had on black slacks and a white blouse. A few weapons were tucked on her.

They had been here over a week and scoured the entire area looking for any sign that the attacks here or in neighboring areas were something other than the already known. Not one sign that something like a dragon was in the area, just a few "sightings" here or there.

A young local boy swore that he saw a man with wings come down from the mountain and land in an alleyway several days ago. But seeing he was the only one, and enjoyed comic books too much he was dismissed. Though you would be surprised children weren't normally making it up.

"Try not to drink too much hey?" Derrick said giving her a smile and she blew him a short kiss.

"I love my liquor what can I say?" She looked at Lee, who was dressed up and looked pretty hot. Bryce moved out the door before them already deciding on where he was going to go and scope it out. The rest of the team was just going to wait in the shadows and watch.

Kendra moved from the building and found her way into the town, she made a few stops moving about. She was very good at playing like she was so absorbed in looking at all the things around her that she was oblivious to others. However, time went by and nothing happened. Looked like a bust tonight. It was well past when vampires normally fed now. Kendra just sighed moving into what was like a very small bar.

She sat down and asked for a drink. Thinking that you'd manage to find them on your first try was pushing it. As much as people might think you went out, and bam there was the bad guy, you were more likely to get mugged than attacked by a vampire. They just weren't that common.

She smiled at the bartender and in the local dialect got her drink and sat there. From the corner of her eye, she was watching the others in the bar. Several were watching her and a few made comments that her ears picked up but she ignored. There was one man that caught her eye, he was thin and taller. From here she could feel oddness to him. It set off her warning so she kept him in her sights, and he was watching her. She knew he wasn't human, maybe she was lucky this time.

The door opened and a man came in and rushed over to the one that she'd been keeping an eye on. He leaned close and they were talking. It could barely be called a whisper but she heard it like they were speaking out loud.

"Taj found one that isn't a human." This caught Kendra's attention instantly. Confirmation that obviously, these two weren't human with a line like that. Or they knew something.

"What another shifter or werewolf?" He mumbled still watching her and she just played with her nails. "they don't give the same high anymore."

We'll that told her that this group was indeed killing because they enjoyed it and the high that they got from it. Vampires were odd and rare in the fact that if they drank from those that were psychic or nonhuman, their powers increased with the influx of whatever blood they drank. Depending on the creature it could be a few hours to several days of increased power and ability. Though humans were their main diet.

"No, he's not sure what he is. He can feel it though, he might be a very old one of us. In that case, we need a good number to overwhelm and take him down." The man looked away from her and seemed interested in what had just been said.

"Then let us go see." With that, he got up and moved toward the door. No one paying them attention. Kendra tossed some money down on the counter and moved to leave. She made at scratching her head for a second.

"Inbound." She mumbled into the mic that was in the bracelet she wore at the moment, and moved slowly down the street. She didn't need to keep them completely in sight, she could smell them. Out here she knew that they were indeed vampires. Good, this would be fast and taken care of quickly. She took in a quick breath of crisp air and followed them. Here was the benefit of being inhuman, her senses would tell her where to go. So she did not have to be so close. Plus her curiosity was peaked, just how old did they think the one they were going to attack was? Might be a serious fight in a few minutes. Possible damage control with the normal population. After all, normal people just couldn't handle the things that went bump in the night.

__Xerxes__

'That one is still following us.' Zani stated via the mind. Xerxes moved down the dark street with the hood up on the sweater that he had on. His shoulders were hunched like he was trying to keep the cold out. Not that it was that cold, but to humans perhaps it was. He didn't know, what did it matter. So long as he looked unassuming. Plus they were being followed and Xerxes like fucking with others that thought to get the jump on him and Zani. It would be the last thing they ever did.

'He's been following us for a while, he's a vampire. I'm sure one of the groups we can do without.' Xerxes responded to Zani mind to mind. Xerxes could easily get away from this one. Compared to him this one was but a small child. He was drawn to the scent of power clinging to Xerxes. Xerxes wasn't trying to hide it either. He just held back enough that they would underestimate him.

This place had originally been his home. He'd just returned here to it. He didn't want to leave the mountain range, but he knew that there was a group of humans looking into the goings-on. So he and Zani had to be overly careful with how they went about feeding. Plus a group like this was just too dangerous to their health to let them live. Going around and slaughtering humans without covering it or even good reasoning wasn't something he condoned. It would just make the humans attack them more, try and destroy them that much sooner. Supernaturals had to be smart and this group was not.

Xerxes sensed the three that were up ahead before they even appeared. He just made it like he was going to ignore them and moved on. They stepped out of the shadows with an eerie grace. However one stepped into his path blocking him and he just stopped where he was. An excitement hit him then, what could he say? He loved confrontation and it had been a while since he'd met one that could give him a good fight.

"Hello." The man said and Xerxes barely glanced up.

"Can I help you?" Xerxes asked in a bored tone.

"Perhaps, who are you? We don't recognize you and this is our area. We know you aren't human so you can drop the act." Straight to the point, they had decided his fate in a heartbeat.

"Who said I was acting?" Xerxes said to the unknown male. Raising his head a bit, above them on a building Zani sat. No bigger than a cat and watching. It was Zani's turn to hunt this night. He was starving, vampires didn't taste the best, but they fed you well. All that energy bounced around their cells after they were full of blood. Zani would change size when he needed to. He could be nearly as small as he wished, but couldn't get any bigger than he was naturally growing. Every year he grew just a bit bigger, and he wouldn't stop either. He was a mythical creature, some rules did not apply.

'How about we just take care of them now, I think the last have arrived of this group.'

'I don't know, I'm kind of bored. I like entertainment, we don't get to talk to others much.' Zani made an annoyed sound to Xerxes. He just liked to play with them, that was all.

"Well no matter, I'm afraid your time has run out here." The one in front of Xerxes said. Completely unaware of the danger he was in. To Xerxes, this was just a bit of fun. A kind of smirk twisted his features.

"Has it?"

"Yes, see we feel the power you have and want it. There's more of us than you. I think the odds are in our favor." One from his left moved fast, just a flash of movement really to the human eye. Even to the vampires, he seemed almost a blur. It spoke of his power and that he was well-fed and not a fledgling learning his talents. One of the strongest attacking first.

However, Xerxes saw it all in slow motion like he wasn't moving any faster than your average human. The eyes of a dragon were different. He pulled out a thin blade they didn't see before it was too late. Xerxes sliced up and into the vampire and then with his free hand gripped and crushed his throat. The vampire hit the ground not moving. He was mortally wounded and near death right now, but that didn't mean he would die.

"Pathetic," Xerxes stated with a sneer and a show of teeth.

"Kill him." The main vampire said and the rest came at him. There were at least ten to his one and he got four of them before they could lay a hand on him. One managed to jump on his back and sank his teeth into his shoulder. He was ripped off a second later and slammed to the ground. The vampire got one brief moment where it felt the rush of power from the blood it got from Xerxes, and then nothing as he was torn apart by teeth sharper than knives. Devoured by a larger beast.

Xerxes felt the blood coating his shirt and exposed skin, there were more vampires now. He was surprised at the number here. More than he thought, but it wasn't like he'd actually inventoried them, he just wanted them out of the way. A nuisance that would not help obtain his ultimate goal. He hated humans but he knew that they were needed either way.

They came at him again but were a bit more leery and smarter about it as Zani's presence had been made known. Zani was gone again having changed size and they didn't know where he went. Xerxes grabbed one vampire and moved back biting into his neck and draining him fast. The infusion of blood was good, and this one had fed well.

"What is he?" One asked their leader and he was clearly at a loss. He didn't move like them and his scent was all wrong now. Plus they had no idea what that creature was with him. They watched as he dropped the vampire and he writhed on the ground in horrible pain. The venom he had was excruciating to them.

"We're leaving." The lead vampire said looking at those that were down and of no use. This was very wrong and they needed to regroup. Several vampires were dead and this group was not a group of fledglings. They turned to run but flames erupted before them stopping them from going forward. Every way they turned flames raced across the ground that burn incredibly hot. Xerxes just stood with his one hand held slightly from his body controlling it. The vampires flinched away at the sheer heat.

"This is not your territory, and if you are going to issue a challenge you will see it to the end." Xerxes reprimanded. His hand extended up, his arm bending. Zani was resting on his shoulder at the moment just watching. He was excited that he was about to get a large meal. Zani's claws kneaded into Xerxes' shoulder with excitement to hunt and eat.

Xerxes made a motion with his hand again in the shape of a circle. A thick ring of fire engulfed the area around them. These vampires weren't leaving, and if they tried they would be a pile of ash before they could take two steps. The wall of flame obscured them from view and was spreading through the buildings. Xerxes wasn't concerned he didn't care what happened to the human dwellings.

"Have your fill." He said and Zani leaped from his shoulder. In the blink of an eye, he was far bigger than any of them, and they had nowhere to go. Zani was fast and deadly snapping them up in his jaws to feed.