Humble dutches of Gradenhill

Nathan creased his brows at this unpleasant sound. A growl? What could possibly be growling? But as it was,the growling stopped all the heard now was a loud and disturbing laugh.

.

Slowly he turned,only to his surprise to see person. He was tall and had that outstanding beauty of a man he'd once seen when he was younger. This man's eyes were bright and red as he stared mockingly at Nathan. He flashed a smile and Nathan creased his brows even more when he sighted slightly longer and sharper canines. Where those fangs?! Around the strange man was a smoke like darkness. Visible to the eye. Only his seen and pale flesh had a different color for the rest was dark. Even his clothes were a deep black.

"So you're our target?." He asked. His tone was still ever so mocking.

"Who are you?! What do you mean?!." Nathan asked as soon as he got the chance. But in a blink of an eye,the man was hovering over him. The dark myst covering them both. He stared deep into Nathan's silver eyes as he smiled widely. He brought a finger. His nails where dark and long. He trailed it down to Nathan's chin.

Everything seemed strange. Nathan felt paralyzed. He couldn't move. What was this? An energy binding him from doing anything. He'd felt this before but only when death was testing him.He was just five and had gone sight seeing with Vivian at the hills during winter. While he stood at one place she kept running around. Everything had seemed fine but not until the ice broke. Letting Vivian fall into the ice cold lake. He was immediately alert and jumped in after her. Lucky enough he grabbed Vivian and pulled her closer to him. It took a while for them to be found but they where anyway. They found it that Nathan's embrace had kept her alive but he was frozen and almost dead. Only he knew what had happened while he blacked out.

It was the same energy that had surrounded him then that did same now. He found him self alive but felt dead.

"You know,i and the others had a little bet on who would be finding you first. Well want to guess?.." He chuckled. "Found you." He said with a smile. Even wider.

Nathan felt something hot run down his nose. He coughed. What was happening? He thought as he crumbled down,falling to his his knees. "Now,we have the opportunity to play games after such a long while so I'll come back for you. After all,i already know the scent of your blood." The man's smile seemed to never fade.

Suddenly,there was a horrifying scream from inside the mansion.

"Oh goodie,the party has already began. Till we meet again." He waved as he became one with the myself which now disappeared from the garden.

Nathan was in utter confusion but had not enough time to think. All the screams coming from inside the mansion. He couldn't help but think of the people inside that mansion. He seemed to think if his mother screamed too.

Nathan closed shut his eyes. Strange enough he saw an image of her. He watched as his father pushed her into a door. He was fighting something. It was human for its terrifying nature denied that fact. Was that...a demon?

Nathan immediately lost the image. He wanted to think but time wasn't enough. He had to get his family to a safe place.The bodies of the servants and their blood splattered everywhere couldn't leave his mind. He couldn't help but see them in that position.

He groaned in pain. A pain he felt from inside. Nathan supported himself with the fountain as he stood. He was going to save his family. Surely. He staggered into the mansion as the screams got louder. He looked around him the bodies and servants. Everything was just so hectic. Was this really where he'd grown up? The whole place was disgusting.

"Nathan?!Nathan!!."

He turned to see his mother. She was running down the stairs and looked terrified. There was a bit of blood on her as well. She ran and held him.

"Nathan we have to go." She said in panic.

"Where's father?!." He asked.

"He locked the doors. We have to go now!!."

And before he could say anything more she dragged him out of the mansion. Nathan could tell that nothing was alright. She rushed him out. He couldn't help but follow her. She was so much in rush. What about father? Weren't they going to save him? Were

they leaving him there? Nathan was confused not just at the sudden invitations but at the fact of leaving his father behind. What had come over his mother. That one who loved his father so much....

There was the woods. Not so far from the mansion. Jane and Nathan sat behind a big boulder. They were panting and tired. Looking dirty even. It was really hard to understand anything that was happening. Nathan turned to stare at his mother as she leaned her head back with her eyes closed. He noticed tears leaving them. Slowly,he felt her palm hold his and tight.

"We'll get through this. Your father will be okay. We'll be fine and happy again."she whispered to herself and probably him as well.

There was a thick tension in the air. Nathan could hear his heart pounding and threatening to fall out. All that was happening kept him confused,from living and everyday life he was suddenly facing an invasion from what? Creatures? What were those shape shifting things and what did they want? The man in the garden had called him a target. Was it possible all this happened because of him? If it was so then why didn't they just take him? Why did they have to threaten his family and wipe his whole mansion of all its liveliness?!! Was taking him not enough to wipe their happiness?.

"Found you." A voice echoed in the dark woods.

Nathan turned to see his mother's eyes wide in alert. Yet she stayed still. Motioning for him to do same. For a moment,everything went quiet. It was almost as if the man had given up on searching for him and his mother. Her grip on his hand didn't losen even for one bit. She still held on tight. As if speaking in an unheard tone that there was still hope. That if they waited a little longer then the dark and mighty shaddows would fade away. That was the message he felt she was trying to pass to him. By just holding his hand he felt the hope he needed to keep them steady.

"Hiding behind a boulder isn't enough to keep you away from....." But as the man looked behind the boulder his brows knitted into a pattern of confusion,his ever so wide and enthusiastic smile faded immediately as he slighted just a woman staring back at him. There wasn't a Nathan by her or behind the boulder. Just her staring fearlessly at him.

"You..you aren't my target." He said. In quiet a questioning manner.

"My son is not your target!!!!." And with this,a hand full of sand was sent to the man's eyes as Jane made a run for it. Now if it where just any body then the sand was sire to would have affected his sight. And since this man wasn't just anybody, the sand seemed to would have frozen just in front of his spread out palm.

He immediately shifted his gaze from the distraction to the lady as she ran as fast as she could. He raised and the swept back his hair.

"If you really want to play then i won't be the one stopping you milady." He smiled as he then,with inhuman speed and movements found himself now in front of Jane who had tried to get away from him as fast as she could. He smiled at the terrified look she had before making another run for it and running all the way back.

Jane had not been half way through when she felt her self being way lighter. Her feet weren't touching the ground anymore and all the control she had over herself was immediately lost. She found her self unmoving and in quite an uncertain pain. What was happening to her?. She was probably under the control of the demon man that was for sure. Just the way out was uncertain. She groaned in pain as she was being lifted higher and higher up above the ground.

From the corner of her eyes she could see Nathan peeking to see what was happening. She'd made him promise not come out no mater the circumstances. Now she only prayed and hoped within her that he would keep that promise and stay hidden. To her didn't matter if her son soul was the devils and all this was happening because of him. He was stil her little boy and it was going to remain that way. She only wished he would stay hidden. Even if she was dying right there and at that moment,she wanted to make sure he survived. To know even in death that her little boy grew to be a prestigious man like his father.

"Sigh."Said the demon as he was beginning to get bored at moving his fingers and making the woman feel pain. This wasn't what he was here for. Where was his target???!!! The expression on the demons face hardened as he spoke. "This boring. You are just wasting my time lady so if you don't mind,play times over." He finished as with a wave of his hand Jane found herself flying over. Time seemed like infinity before she finally hit the boulder. A striking pain spread all over her as she fell to the ground. She felt something warm and thick find its way out through her nostrils. She was bleeding. Even as she coughed,out came nothing but blood.

"No!!!."

Jane was suddenly alert. Even in pain she knew. She knew who that voice belonged to. Was that Nathan??!! As thought,it was him. Why was he coming for her? What about the promise? He was just risking everything by coming out.

"Nathan." Her faint voice tried to warn him. To yell and ask him to go back.Now this fight wasn't about him. To her it was a fight between a mother and a demon. A demon who tried to take her son from her. Nathan interfering just worsened it all. He was never meant to. Why was a little boy interfering in the fights of the elders?? It wasn't how she trained him! Why wasn't he using those good morals now??Jane clenched her fist against the ground. She held her side as she struggled to stand. She needed to get in between those two.That way the demon would focus on her and leave him out. Her son was not a target and she would stop at nothing to make sure he wasn't.

"Nathan!!!!!!!."

The scream was made hunting by the sight that followed it. The sight of blood dripping from that demons terrifying and long nails. The same nails that pierced through her chest. Through the chest of the woman who beared the title of his mother. He was horrified at the sight of her. At the sight of the most graceful woman he'd ever know hanging in the air. Blood dripping from her chest as her head hung low. Her hands slowly fell as they dangled. Her body was lifeless and only the sight made sure to leave a grave wound in his heart. Slowly,he fell to his knees. His lips quivered. He couldn't even cry. It was almost as if his whole world was shifted turned upside down and placed back. His whole life was being toyed with at the moment. What horrible fate was this?? All her memories flashed at once in his mind as he stared down at the body that rolled over finding a limit at his knees. It was her.

Janet Wilkinson. The dutches of Gradenhill and mother of the silver haired young duke. Laying dead on the dirty and unkept floor of the woods. She was blood stained all over and still bleeding. Now tears found it way to his eyes as they immediately raced down. The bead of tears falling down on the back of his hands. He always knew a day was coming when he would see his mothers body lifeless but little did he know it was so soon.

Slowly,his shoulders shook as he sobbed hard. He couldn't control it any more. All that he felt and all that found it's way out of him. How was such a good soul taken this easily?? Just like that?? Why??

"Tch. I missed. She was such a beauty. Dying so soon?? I wish i had a night with her before it happened. My mistake." Said the demon as he stared at his nasty blood covered hands. Nathan then grabbed his attention. He turned to stare confused at the sobbing boy before a loud laughter covered the echo of Nathans tears. The demon was laughing. At who??Nathan?? "Are you crying?You've got to be kidding me. How can a man such as you be crying? You're not a baby." He said mockingly.

A sudden anger swept through Nathan as he stood up.It replaced all the grief he was feeling. Why did this demon have the guts to speak in such a manner after what he'd cost? Who did he think he was??

Nathan stared at his mothers blood in his hands.

"You killed my mother." he said. Without looking up from his hands. "And yet you disrespect me because i have spared you your last prayers??Your speak rubbish of my mother and standing infact in the presence of her body?."

For a moment the demon wasn't smiling. He listened to Nathan, The expression on his face was untold.

"I will kill you." Nathan said in low tones. His aura darkened and now one could see that dark myst surrounding him as well. Everything was different about him,his aura was dark and his hair. There was something so different about his hair. It was almost as if it was getting shinier and longer. At first the demon was unsure but by the looks of things..he was sure he'd provoked the anger of what lay deep within that boy.

Nathan clenched his fist. Blood dripping from his hands. The blood was now forming a pool. It wasn't just his mother's blood but his. A result of his now long and dark nails. Now he was feeling pain. Not because his palms were bleeding but because what was his was tempered with. How quick was it before his hurt switched to an unending rage. A rage to kill....

In swift and inhuman motions,Nathans dark myst transported him to the demon. The one he now yearned to kill. The demon froze. He didn't have a heart but felt something pounding in his chest.

"What now? You'll kill me?." he asked refusing to change his tone of speaking. Nathan chuckled. It was dark and for sure he wasn't him. The once quiet boy he was just seemed to be a shadow right now.

"You're smart to would have guessed right." He said an evil and wide smile spread across his face that instance. His hands piercing through the chest of the demon. Blood immediately splattered as he fell to his knees. Nathan turned to him. His eyes were red and possessive. His skin was pale and the dark myst was unwilling to go away.

The demon sat on his knees. He was bleeding non stop. Soon he felt him self slowly rising in middle air. His whole self wasn't under his control. What was happening to him? Had his own power betrayed him? Why was he under someone elses control?

"Now,you die." Where the words he heard last as a sudden blade sliced through his neck. Leaving his head without an owner on the floor. The demon was dead.

Everything being finished,Nathan walked slowly to where she lay. He knelt by her. If he took her then he wouldn't give her a funeral proper enough. She deserved the best and so he would leave her here. Where she would be recognised and given a proper and grand funeral. Beside her he left a dark thorn rose. Standing he turned to go.

He would only return to pay his last respects when he finished what these demons had started. On the eve of his birthday. Under the shining moon....