Blood & Carrots Ep. 29

The eve of your final day was upon me. I had spent the last nineteen evenings acclimating you to this life, teaching you of mine and this house's past. You had learned intimate details of myself, my loved ones, my shortcomings, and my triumphs. I sat behind the polished oak desk as you walked into my study, my hands folded over the surface. You were dressed in formal attire at my behest.

"The nights have blurred and our time is quickly drawing to a close, like the sun showing it's rays on the horizon." I peak my fingertips and motion to one of the large chairs within the study, "Sit."

You obediently take a seat and I stand, moving to look upon the night sky through the window. "Twenty days, that was the agreed-upon number. You would be made keenly aware of this life and what it held for you." I saw your reaction in the windowpane, as you stare upon me with adoration, the way you had been doing most of this time now.

"Do not be swayed by the emotions you have when I feed upon you, the bloodletting and the energy, it is a small thing to consider in this." I return to the desk, blue wisps of flame drifting from my fingertips. I had donned an elegant red dress for tonight, the slip showing my leg and running clear up to my thigh.

"Tomorrow you will make your decision. You will lose everything to be with us, you will cease to be as you are now. I know this to be true because it happened to me as well. Friends, family, children, parents, and anything in-between. They are all lost to you, that is the price you will pay for this." I step to the small cabinet and withdraw a small cocktail shaker as I speak to you.

Two martini glasses go down and I shake up my favorite drink I enjoyed as a mundane. Gin and carrot juice filled each glass. I filled my own with a large helping of blood, making the orange liquid turn to a deep crimson. I garnished each with a carrot and presented the one without blood to you.

"Enjoy the effects of it, my sweet. If you choose this life, it will most likely be the last time you will get to." I sat upon the second chair next to you, facing you while crossing my legs. "When I retire in the morning, walk outside and watch the sun rise. Drink in the sounds and smells of the dawn. Listen to the creatures coming to life. Look upon the city, watch the mundane start to move as the vehicles dot the streets."

I watch you gingerly sip the cocktail and I sip my own as well, silence hanging between us for a few heartbeats. My ears fold and I shake my head. "I am not some all-knowing creature of the night, some dark mistress that can make all your problems fade away." I frown and look upon my glass, then back at you. "I am still a fearful rabbit... I fear for the safety of my family. Oh yes, I managed to keep the celestials at bay. Things have been going well for the last four years or so. However, hate always finds a way... Perhaps in the future when they feel their strength is replenished, perhaps the old ones will again decide we are nothing but abominations."

My ears fold and I grin. "Ah, I am going off on a tangent now. Let us return to the here and now of it, shall we?" I take another sip of my bloody cocktail and set you with a look. "Do as I ask you, walk the trails and forest of the property, take a car into the city. Drink in the life of the day before you make your choice."

"If you decide it is not for you, I will understand. Katrina will strip you of these memories with thaumaturgic energy and you will wake up in a hospital after being in a deep slumber for the last twenty days. Your life will be guaranteed and you will remember none of this." I see the deep frown upon your face and click my tongue. "I will not lie, I would miss you my pet. Ah but if my stories have taught you anything, I do grow fond quickly, don't I?"

I place my hand to my chest and sigh. "About six months ago, I sat in that very chair you are in now. I was about three seasons from having been with my family for a full decade. On that night... everything changed..."

"You cannot be serious, Lorelai!" Elias shouted the words towards the phone on his desk, his nails digging into the polished wood.

"I wish I were joking, I truly do." My sheep's voice came back on the speaker of the phone. "She has invoked an ancient bygone law from our antiquity. Even I was unaware of its existence. I have consulted with one of our elders and her claim is valid."

"Elders? You mean they exist?" Elias snarled the words and I saw him shudder at the thought of it.

"It is not something I speak of, I do not call upon them lightly. However, yes, she can claim the right to a house war based upon you felling her family all those years ago." Her words came through resigned and bitter.

"This is madness... if she seeks satisfaction, let her come duel me personally. We do not need to drag-"

"You think I did not push for this? The elders have spoken and I have no power, literally. I am honor-bound to follow the council's decision. If I interfere I would be stripped of all my power, my hands are quite literally bound by our laws." Her words came out in a bitter hiss.

"When does this officially begin?" Elias sighed the words, resignation in his voice.

"It already has, I recommend you call your members back to your home right away in preparation. Please remind Gloria and Alex they are not expected to stand by you. They will, but they are not required." I heard the resignation in her own voice as well and stood slowly from the chair.

"Thank you for calling me and warning me." Elias shook his head and folded his arms, stepping away from his desk.

"Elias... remember what you stand to lose. Be strong and know that at the first chance I get, I will have her to a sword for this." The call clicked off and my fox stood there staring out into the night sky.

"Master..." I spoke gently out towards him.

He looked upon me and I saw the tears in his eyes as he shook his head. "Are you not happy, my lady? You finally get your chance to settle things..." He gave a ragged sigh and jerked his gaze away from me. "I never wanted anyone to be involved in my own issues, yet now everyone is..."

My ear lifted as my phone went off, it was Lorelai calling me. Elias nodded at me and I connected the call. "Y-yes?"

"Alice... there is a loophole in the house war laws. I have zero hope of you following it, but I will tell you about it." Her voice sounded resigned like she already had her answer. "Anyone under ten years is exempt, you can withdraw from the family and-"

"You're right, you already knew the answer, my love." I hissed the words into the phone.

"I know... please make it through this, Alice. I would be lost without you, I love you." She didn't wait on my words and ended the call. I ground my teeth and put my phone away, looking back at my fox.

"Brought up the ten-year clause, did she?" Elias spoke out towards me, his tail lazily wagging.

"She did... what will we do now?" I spoke the words as I moved next to him and put my hands to my hips.

"Most of Sarnai's house is young and inexperienced. She will strike with a small vanguard, I already know who it will be." He clicked his tongue as he stared out into the darkness, the moon high in the sky.

"I will gather Katrina, Alex, and Gloria." I spoke the words and turned to walk from the study.

"So it begins all too quickly..." Elias showed his teeth as he stared out into the night.

"What do you mean my lord?" I lifted my ears curiously.

"Nevermind, go gather the others and instruct the servants to lock themselves away in the lower levels." He thrust a hand out towards me, his will commanding me to do as he said. I nodded and quickly made my way from his study.

It only took a few minutes to gather the other three and set the servants about hiding away. I returned to the study to find it empty and bit my lower lip. "Ah... where is he?"

Gloria put her hand to her rosary and focused. "Ah, I sense our lord brothers energy outside. He is within the field near here and... he is not alone."

"Fuck!" I spat out and turned to run down the stairs and stormed out of the house. The four of us made our way to the field to see the two foxes' facing one another.

Sarnai's flames flowed off her a brilliant red the color of blood, Elias's flowing forth a hot white. "Master!" I shouted out in panic then lifted my ears as I heard both the dogs behind me yelp out in pain.

I turned to see Alex and Gloria both on the ground, blood pouring from their legs, then I had a large blade to my throat. I clenched my teeth to see the small brown haired mouse from years ago, at least I thought it was the same one. I looked over to see her atop Katrina, both glaives crossed over my cat's throat.

"Did you only take out their hamstrings? I don't need them bleeding to death." Sarnai called out casually from the field.

"Yes Mistress." Both the mice called out in unison.

"Sarnai. Has madness fully claimed your mind?" Elias snarled the words looking back at the four of us.

"Not at all, I simply want your closest family to be alive and seeing this happen. Rest assured they will all go with you to the void in short order after I see the despair upon their faces from you falling." Sarnai purred the words, rolling her red flames lazily about on her fingers.

"Heh... You've put on some weight, Jen. Also, where did your tits go?" I sneered the words at the mouse holding the long curved blade to my throat.

Sarnai lifted her flaming ears and looked upon me. "Except that one. I'm going to take my time and make her beg..."

Elias showed his teeth furiously and clenched his fist. "Sarnai, you know you can't best me, so you hide behind them? I never took you as a coward."

"A coward?" The black-haired fox gave a haughty laugh, pushing a palm to her face, red flames rolling up the side of it, her eyes looking unfocused. "Battle is like chess, you don't brute force your way through it, you outthink your opponent. You already know this, my husband. I've been biding my time for years for this."

"So glad I was able to teach you that lesson, bitch!" I shouted out mockingly, then grunted as the twin of the mice dug the blade deeper into my throat, blood rolling down the curved blade.

Sarnai clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes at my commentary. "I've known the tactics of stealth and subversion before your great great grandmother was a glimmer in her mother's eye, rabbit! Jennifer, Jeremy, incapacitate them and come to me."

I felt a flash of pain and my legs caved out from under me as I hit the ground with a yelp. I tried to speak but I couldn't. Grabbing my throat I felt blood pouring out from it. I glanced back to see my legs bleeding and unable to feel my feet.

Katrina was also on the ground but her throat wasn't slit like mine. I gurgled a cough and clenched my teeth, pulling from the energy in me. Sarnai and company still didn't know how much power I could pull from life energy. I started willing the wound closed and focused upon healing my legs with the blood that wasn't spilling forth. Harold had taught me years ago to focus my blood reserves to do spot healing, a trick I had taught Katrina as well.

The white fox growled as the two mice took point next to the black fox. Sarnai offered a wide grin to him in response. "You may very well be my better, but these children are nearly as old as we are, as you know. You can't hope to stand against all of us."

"Cowards, I won't let you take any of them from me!" My master dug his heels in and I felt his energy roar forth, washing out over the field as grass set ablaze.

"You always were a dramatic little pup, Elias." Sarnai nodded to the mice and all three of them blurred towards the white fox.

"Master!" I called out and tried to rise, my legs giving way as I collapsed again and grunted my frustration, willing my blood to work faster as I started moving on my hands towards their fray.

"Alice, heal your fucking legs first!" Katrina spat the words at me, having already crawled over to Gloria. The angel whimpered and Katrina nodded at her. "Hold still..." She moved her head between her knees and started dragging her tongue over the large wounds, lapping at them to heal them.

The retriever grunted at the position but nodded and shoved her hand to Katrina's shoulder, pushing her own divine healing energies into her wounded body. "A-Alex... honey, get over here so I can heal you... I can't use this on myself."

The four of them were a blur in the field both the mice lunging at Elias with Sarnai right behind them. There was a geyser of flame as red and white energies spiraled into the night sky. I saw Elias open his palm and simply blast Jennifer in the face with a wave of white heat that sent her sprawling back, her leather and fur armor burning. Sarnai was atop him and drove a fist into his midsection, the other mouse slashing at his throat. The white fox pivoted from the swing, taking it on the shoulder and quickly distanced himself from the two.

I clenched my teeth and screamed in frustration at the scene, seeing the three of them regroup. Elias stood there clutching his shoulder, his teeth showing in a feral snarl, his large white tail furiously cutting through the air.

"Are you alright, Jennifer?" Sarnai asked the smaller of the twins.

The small mouse took a few drinks from a flask, presumably blood, "Was just a scratch, Mistress."

"You're every bit as good as always, my love..." Sarnai spoke the words with contempt and wagged her tail. "However, you're already injured, you won't stand the next one." She showed her teeth and snapped her fingers as the two mice blurred forward with her right behind them.

The white fox clenched his teeth as the three of them came for him again, then two loud shots clapped out into the night air as the two mice dropped to the ground halfway to their goal. Sarnai lifted her ears in shock, not realizing what had happened until she was atop the white fox alone.

"Heh... go fuck yourselves..." I huffed the words, both my revolvers were drawn as I stood on one good leg, my teeth showing.

Elias seized the opportunity and grabbed her by her throat, hauling the black fox to look upon him as he screamed into her face. "Stop this madness Sarnai, I do not wish to harm you or your house!"

I started slowly shuffling my way towards the four of them, each step getting easier as my blood healed me. I saw Jennifer start to rise and put another silver bullet in her side, the mouse yowling out in pain. The other wasn't moving but I shot him in the side again too, just to be safe.

"Elias you bastard! I will send you to hell!" Sarnai screamed the words, kicking her feet and clawing at his arm as he closed his grip on her throat, his own flames beginning to overwhelm hers.

"We loved one another, we don't have to go down this road. Please, Sarnai, just talk to-" The white fox yelped out as another shot rang out and he took a knee, releasing the black foxes' throat.

"Elias!" I shouted out and saw a shadow in the distance on the roof of the mansion. "Bastard!" I screamed the words and saw Gloria launch into the air like a bird of prey, her dark wings propelling her towards the house.

"Go with her, Alex." Katrina nodded to the wolf who was mostly healed now.

He looked to Gloria then back to us before nodding and shifting right away. He bounded towards the house on all fours in a burst of speed, a slight limp in his gallop.

Sarnai showed me a glare and sent spheres of fire at both me and Katrina. I grunted and had to dive to avoid the fireball, my legs still not there yet as I crumpled to the ground once more.

Katrina had also sidestepped the flame and drawn her guns, slowly closing in on the four of them.

Elias coughed out and tried to stand but his spine had been hit and he fell back to his palm with a wince. "Damn it... I should have never tried to reason with you." He showed his teeth at her in a furious glare.

"You should have thought twice before slaughtering my family!" The black fox drew forth a saber at her side and grabbed the white one by the hair of his head, baring his throat.

"Like fuck you will!" Katrina shouted the words out as she fired her own revolvers, one bullet hitting the blade of the saber making it shatter, the other clipping Sarnai's shoulder.

The black fox screamed in fury as the blessed silver tore through her. "I've had enough of you pests. Jeremy, Jennifer deal with the fox but don't kill him!" The black fox snarled the words and blurred out of sight before she was atop my cat.

Katrina widened her eyes before dropping to her rear and putting two more bullets right into the black foxes' midsection. There was a heavy thump of impact like they had struck ballistic material. Sarnai grabbed her arms but Katrina had shoved the barrel of her gun right to the foxes forehead between her eyes. In that moment, I saw something I almost couldn't comprehend, she hesitated and didn't pull the trigger despite having time to.

The black fox showed a wicked grin and grabbed the smaller cat by the elbows, there was a vicious crunching sound as she handily broke her arms at the joints then grabbed her by the throat.

"You bitch!" I screamed the words and leveled my guns at her, then lifted my ears sharply as the fox simply held Katrina between us as a shield.

"Go ahead and take the shot, little rabbit!" Sarnai showed her teeth in a cocky grin. I narrowed my eyes and aimed carefully before taking the shot as she requested. The bullet sailed right next to Katrina's chin and landed in the foxes' shoulder with a sickening thump of impact.

Sarnai yelped and staggered back, dropping my cat who collapsed on her side panting in pain. "Why do you always piss me off!" The black-haired vixen screamed the words and rushed towards me. I took my last three shots at her, the first two sinking into her chest being absorbed by the armor she was wearing, the last digging into her thigh.

She yowled out as the blessed silver burned her like it had her shoulder and she reached for my throat. Her eyes widened in remembrance and she withdrew her hand before it touched my skin. I spat out at her with a cocky grin. "What's wrong? Afraid I will give you cooties?"

The fox showed me a furious glare and drove a foot towards me to kick me. I grinned and grabbed her ankle, fixing her with a glare. "Bitch, I'm not that injured!" I shouted the words and my own red flames burst forth from my form as I hauled her up by her leg and flung her several feet.

Sarnai tumbled to the ground and I was atop her, my whip drawn and slaked in my blood. "I will hang you by a fucking tree, fox!" I screamed out and slashed the whip, the cord wrapping around her throat as I jerked against it and planted my booted foot on her chest. "Or just break your fucking neck right here!"

The black fox choked out then showed me a grin and cast her eyes over towards the two mice and fox I had lost focus on. I heard loud pained yelps and jerked my gaze to see Elias on the ground, his chest and stomach slashed open and blood pouring out of his body.

"Elias!" I screamed and dropped my whip, rushing to his side. The mice stood before me and I focused my hellfire, blasting torrents of flame at both of them, making them scatter before me.

"To me!" Sarnai shouted the words to the mice as she untangled the whip from her throat. Jennifer and Jeremy were next to her in an instant.

"Master! Brother!" Katrina sobbed out the words, limping over to us, both her arms hanging uselessly.

"Elias, Master!" I pulled his head into my lap and held him as the fox coughed blood out and blinked upon the two of us.

"Mistress... shouldn't we finish them?" Jennifer spoke out to the black fox respectfully.

"Let them have their moment, I want the gravity of the situation to settle into their souls. I want them broken and crushed before we end them." The black fox gave the three of us a contemptuous grin, her red flames rolling off her gleefully. "After that, we hunt down each and every one of their miserable lot and end them."