What are you?

  I look into the dark corners of the room.

  Piercing red eyes glare at me. The hulking shadow of a monster is surrounded by chunks of cold bodies. Obviously vampire related.

  I faintly remembered the screams as I passed by here only to be cut out by the sounds of shattered stone.

  I ran in here as soon as I could down the sharp decorated hallways to only find blood and cold remains. The blood was not vampires’ because they never bleed therefore it could only be their pet.

  The Grey Dog.

  The Lycan strigoi stood in a hulking, bleeding form before me.

  I readied myself, feeling the bloodlust of the beast rippling towards me. My hands burned with frost as I stepped back from the creature.

  It stepped forward, revealing its deformed, scarred wolffish face in the moonlight that shone over us from the ceiling glass.

  Grey, thick strands of hair spread out like a lion's mane behind their large bat-like ears. The rest of its body lay bare revealing its gnarled flesh except for the silver strands on its back and the tail. The fur sticks high like a porcupine’s needles. Thick black claws dripped with blood as the abomination creeped towards me.

  Click. Click. Click.

  It gnashed its maw glistening with remains stuck between its white teeth.

  I didn’t hesitate to attack and blast an ice shard toward the beast. It was a direct hit as it penetrated its chest.

  The creature stumbled but did not falter, blood pooling from the shard embedded into it.

  It let out a horrible howl between a scream and a growl and leaped toward me.

  Fear exploded like fireworks. I spread my arms wide and call the frost to flame. Heat lighted my feet before me and a blockade of fire erupted from the flooring.

  As I stepped back to the entrance of the room, light illuminated my surroundings. A large shadow formed behind the wall. I heard a loud beating of something.

  Are those wings?

  The flames departed to see the beast had grown large bat wings, countering my defense and flying over the fire that nearly touched the ceiling.

  “Shit!” I cursed.

  I gasped as it lunged toward me. I dodged into the hallway as it crashed into the nearby wall. Blood splattered on the floor as it reared its head toward me, skin broken, an eye swollen.

  Pieces of the damaged walls fell to the floor as cracks attempted to reach the ceiling. Well placed decorations are now covered in blood and gore or are broken by the impact.

  In the dim, red hall, all I could see was its red eyes almost matching the layout.

  I shivered as a low, pained growl rumbled down the hall, into my bones.

  This thing will kill me.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  I turned to run, flicking my wrist in its direction. Fire burned into my veins as a ball of it erupted from my hand.

  I didn’t turn around to see if it landed. My skin felt hot as I fled around the corner to the double doors.

  I didn't hear anything as I pushed them open and fell into the open room. I turned around and shut the door, bracing for any impact.

  Nothing happened.

  Just silence.

  I sighed and backed away. I looked around the dark room to find a chair. I sit in it and wait.

  And wait.

  Again, nothing.

  Maybe I killed the beast.

  I laid back into the uncomfortable wooden chair and sighed once more.

  How could the Council have that thing running amok in their army? They should’ve killed it once it was conceived.

  I laughed bitterly and placed my head into my hands.

  What are we going to do now that the Council is dead? They have no viable replacements at the moment, only young broods.

  I chuckled to myself as I stood from my chair. I walked toward the door and leaned my ear on it.

  Silence.

  Well, the only way to find out is to check.

  I opened the door to see that the fire had spread into the hallway. My eyes widened as a small form was splayed on the floor right in front of the flames, blood pooling from underneath them.

  Is that their pet? A child?

  Disgust threatened to push through me but I remained calm.

  I rushed down the hall. The small body was still motionless and bare. Smoke bellowed over us making it hard to breathe or see. I reached for them and noticed the blood and gnarled skin of the child. Red and glistening. The skin almost looked akin to a painful rash. The only thing remaining was their wild, unkempt silver hair that was cut short and unevenly against their scarred scalp.

  I turned the child over and gasped. What was left was no more than near bone. There wasn't any skin, or a nose. It’s like it was all burnt away. It’s not recent, thank the Hells.

  Terrible thing the Council was doing to this poor child. No wonder they changed into that thing.

  Heat pressed against me and I looked toward the fire that was slowly creeping forward and collapsing the walls.

  I sighed and picked up the kid. Warmth spread onto my shoulders from the wound on their chest and lacerated face. I hurried it out of the hall, into the room, and out of the estate.

  It didn’t take me long to get to my car. Evergreen trees swayed in the cold wind as the full moon illuminated our surroundings. The only sound was the crickets, the hoot of owls, and the burning building behind us.

  I loaded the child into the passenger. Blood covered my hands as I wrapped the seatbelt around them, avoiding the wounds already present. I cringed at the sight of blood soaking into my passenger seat but quickly made my way into the driver's side regardless.

  As I started the car and strapped my seatbelt, I heard a groan beside me. I looked to my right to see the kid staring at me. Black eyes so dark and devoid you could mistake it for a pair of holes drilled in their skull.

  “Who are you,” the kid croaked. The child’s voice was scratchy and raw. They winced slightly as they began to take in deep breaths. “Did I do something wrong?” They attempted to move their hand to their naked chest but seemed to barely budge a muscle. Slight confusion and frustration found a home on their face as they looked down to find the hole still freshly bleeding.

  “Kava,” I answered lightly. “What about yours, kid?” I gripped the wheel, the slightly warm blood feeling like a weight on my hands.

  “I…” their words get caught in their throat as they begin to cough ruggedly. “I don’t have one,” they attempt to breathe. “What happened,” they asked painfully. They turned to look out the car window to find the burning house and I flinched as I watched them begin to shake.

  “I’ll explain that to you later. How about I give you a name for now.” I gave them a look of concern.

  The kid looked at me with somewhat of shock but nodded quietly. Some complex emotion was brewing like a storm in their eyes.

  “Gratier. That’s what I’ll name you.”

  They made a face and winced. “That’ll do,” they agreed almost dejectedly.

  I put the car in drive and began to make my way down the dark, windy road. Gratier stared out the window at the burning house as it disappeared, only showing signs of smoke above the trees.