1 First Meeting

"People say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. If that's the case, why is there a certain criteria you have to fit in order to be considered 'pretty'?"

Jel Okonjo laid on the ground, staring up at a man whose deep blue eyes seemed to pierce into his soul.

"What?" The man asked, standing on top of the first man, a long sword pierced into his side as blood spilt onto the ground, staining it red. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about the sword on your side?"

"Na," Jel said dismissively, brushing the white side of his hair away from his eyes, one the colour of ambers and the other is the setting sun trapped in his iris. "You are new, aren't you?"

"W-what?" The man asked, shoving the blade even deeper into his side. "Why aren't you dead yet? I am piercing you with a holy sword!"

"Stop that!" Jel laughed, blood trickling down his mouth. "It tickles."

"W-what in heaven's name?" The man gasped, moving away from Jel, fear written all over his face. "What are you?"

"I am sure you already know," Jel said nonchalantly, sitting up as he pulled the sword from his side, staring at the blood-stained on it and whistled. "I lost quite a bit of blood. Don't you think so?"

"No, you are one of them! Those flesh eaters. I know it." The man said, falling to the ground as he pulled out a small bottle with some translucent liquid inside. He opened it and threw it at the blood-soaked man who only looked annoyed. "How?!? You should be dead!!"

"Holy water?" Jel asked, walking to the man casually before taking the bottle from his trembling hands and drank it. "Bleh. Tastes like my grandmother's cooking."

"W-why isn't it affecting you?" The man asked, crawling back while staring at Jel with horror written all over his face. "You should be dead by now. That should have burnt you! You disgusting bloodsucker!"

Upon hearing the accusation, Jel couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face, showing his sharp fangs.

"Oh sweetie no." He said in mocking pity. "You shouldn't categorize people like that. You don't know what they are and you just mind end up offending someone."

"After all. No one wishes to be known as a bloodsucker or flesh-eaters." He bent in front of the man, whispering in his ears. "Especially if they really are both."

Screams broke out from an abandoned church, overgrown with plants of all kinds, in the middle of a forest as the sounds of flesh ripping filled the surroundings.

_________________________

"Did you hear that?" A man with a cloak and a crying mask that covered his entire face asked, pausing.

"I don't know." A woman beside him said, looking around the forest. "But it sounded something like a scream."

"We should follow that direction." The man said, turning to another person beside him. "Alby. Can you smell it?"

"I can smell blood." He pulled down his hood to reveal his deep blue hair colour. The half leopard mask covering his face well.

"We should hurry then." The woman said, swinging the stick in her hands. "After you, Alby."

"Fine." The man growled. "Only if you can keep up with me."

Without saying another word, the man took off, leaving the two to stare after him, shaking their heads.

"Did he just leave us behind?" The woman asked, pointing in the direction he disappeared in. "What kind of teamwork nonsense is this bullshi-"

"Don't mind him." The first man said, looking at the direction Alby took off in. "He is very eager. That's good."

"You cannot be serious, Roy." The woman hissed. "I know he is your nephew and all but he should at least listen, even to you."

"Leave him be." The man said dismissively. "Now, you don't you take us to him, Lily?"

"Now?" She asked, putting the stick over her shoulder and hanging her arms over them. "You usually wait a couple of minutes before 'catching up' to him."

"Yeah. But I have a bad feeling about tonight." Roy said, frowning under the mask.

"Ok. Ok. I get it." The woman said, twirling the stick in her hands as it turned into a scythe. "I will just have to locate him. Give me a minute."

Alby. The man thought, staring up at the full moon. Be careful.

_____________________

"Huh? He's already dead?" Jel said, holding up the skin of the man. "That easily? Shame."

He bend down to the dried-up body and stared at the man's eyes, a smile coming on his face.

"These are pretty. Thank you." He said, casually plucking his eyes out and admiring them in his blood-stained hands. "I will be keeping these."

While the man stood under the direct moonlight breaking in through the hole on the roof, he heard movement behind him before being tackled to the ground.

"What on earth?" Jel asked, looking at the person sitting in front of him. "What is it with you people and wanting to top me all the time?"

"You. I'm going to kill you." The man growled, freezing the moment Jel casually brushed his hair back. "What are you doing??"

"Can't you tell?" Jel asked, ripping the mask from the man's face as he saw burnt skin running all the way from his right face down his shirt. "Aww~. You're not pretty."

As though realizing what the man just did, Alby jumped back, covering his burnt side with his hand, looking away from him.

"Ah sorry. Did I offend you?" Jel asked, getting to his feet. "I should I have asked for permission first before doing that right?"

"You-"

"Here you go." The man suddenly appeared in front of him, handing the mask he pulled from his face. "Really my apologies. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"Huh??" Alby asked, looking at the mask in the man's blood-covered hands. "You, aren't you scared of me?"

"Why would I be?" The man asked, the red half of his white and blue hair covering his equally clashing eye colours.

"I am a Hunter," Alby said, frowning at the man, trying to look menacing.

"Really?" The man said, unfazed as he went back to looking at the eyeballs he collected.

"I could kill you where you stand!"

"Why don't you then?" The man asked, not even looking at him anymore. "I am completely defenceless right now, aren't I?"

It sounds like a trap. Alby thought, looking at the man, smartly dressed like he was going out for a dinner date, albeit the blood that covered him was a little distracting.

"Or I can just start." The man's voice came from behind Alby and it was too late as the man already had his teeth deep into Alby's neck, immobilizing him.

Using his teeth to puncture into the skin of Alby, Jel drank the blood that flowed out, pausing before he pushed him away from him.

"What on earth?" Jel hissed as smoke rose from the parts of his skin that the blood touched. He stumbled slightly, but managed to regain his strength in no time. "You- don't tell me-"

"Alby!" Lily appeared behind Jel, swinging her scythe at him though he managed to dodge her attack with ease.

"Are you ok?" Roy appeared next to Alby who was clutching the bite mark as blood still trickled down his neck.

"I'm fine." Alby hissed, shoving Roy's hand away from him. "This is my kill. You stay away."

"Don't act so stubbo- Alby!"

The man did not answer as he charged at Jel who did not move even as he pierced him with the blade of the sword he pulled from a mark on his side.

"That was a good aim," Jel said, clapping for Alby, grinning at him while blood ran down his mouth.

"You-"

"It's a shame that you didn't aim at my weak spot," Jel said, pulling open his shirt to show a glowing mark that looks almost like a star. "Maybe next time."

"Why are you showing that to me?" Alby hissed, gritting his teeth at the man in front of him. "Are you looking down on me?!?"

"Not at all." The man laughed, pulling himself out of the blade. "Just coz I am telling you does not mean I'll let you do whatever you want."

Alby stared at the man, confused out of his wits. "What do you want?"

"I want the same thing you want." The man said, grinning at Alby. "And … I think we are more alike than you would like to admit."

"I am nothing like you." Alby scoffed, holding the blade in his hands.

"Well." Jel gave a quick glance behind him, before smiling again. "We will never know until we start to get along with each other. Don't you think so?"

"Why would I try to get along with you-?"

"Sorry." Jel placed a hand on Alby's shoulder, disappearing.

"Alby!" Roy and Lily ran to where they stood just as a bright light shot past them, followed by an explosion.