First fight and Maria

A black clothed figure could be seen at the highest point of the city tower.

The city is really quiet for a night. I couldn't help but look at the slums but found nothing out of ordinary. As far as I remember they said those damn vampires appear at night.

I was jolted out of my thoughts by a strange scene. A hooded figure was following a strange woman who looked anything but normal. I couldn't use my appraisal skill on them as they were far.

What caught my attention was that the people were unconsciously paving way for them. The woman quickened her pace as she entered a dark hallway, the hooded figure showed no hesitation and followed. At the end of the dark hallway she turned around.

"Why are you following me?" She asked and the figure stopped a few meters away.

"You don't have a choice here anyway. Do you think you alone can defeat me. Your blood has a strong scent don't worry it won't hurt." The man said and sharp fangs could be seen as he spoke.

She didn't appear scared at all. A long black wipe appeared in her right hand and strong wind blew.

She appeared infront of him and slashed forward. The man evaded her attack and punched her stomach. She was blown away by the force into the wall and coughed fresh blood.

"Your won't be able to fight me stop your struggles. If it wasn't for your royal blood I would have killed you already but it's priceless."

He turned around very fast and caught an ice spike but he regreted it as it exploded in bright crimson flames. Karl used this chance and sent ice spikes which cracked noisely with lightning around them. His fists blazed with bright flames as they exchanged punches at a lightning speed. He used his heaven eyes and attacked the weak spots of the man but he was really strong.

A big grin appeared on Karl's face as he had found some one very strong to fight.

[His claws are very poisonous don't allow him to scratch you.] Nemesis didn't forget to warn him, the fight had heated up with the vampire at a disadvantage due to his strong flames. For some reason the burns couldn't regenerate instantly. The flames continued to burn as if they had a life of their own.

Karl controlled the flames using his 'Will' and they infiltrated the vampire's body fiercely. He punched the man strongly in the face and was blown 4meters away.

[Target his heart, that's the weakness of most vampires.]

The man appeared in the sky with black bat wings on his back. Dark mist started covering his body and his claws sharpened as they reflected light like real steel.

Karl covered his entire body in golden lightning and perceived everything around him in slow motion. This was a dubious plan, the man was more powerful than him. Both disappeared and clashed amidst the dark hallway without holding back.

Karl was at a disadvantage but thankfully his crimson flames covered up for it, it was the vampire's weakness.

Several burns could be seen on the man's body and every passing second his speed decreased. Karl was not well either as several cuts appeared on his body but thankfully they regenerated. His flames couldn't stop wreaking havoc in the vampire's body system, regeneration wasn't possible.

Karl bent slightly and thrusted the ice spear towards the vampire's chest but the later scoffed and held it with less effort but to his utter disbelief, Karl appeared behind him and a huge hole appeared in his chest.

His heart was crushed and his chest ripped open, such a brutal way to die. His entire body turned into dust leaving only clothes behind.

Karl was not alright either since the fight was really exhausting but thankfully his powers seemed to improve greatly and he could feel it.

'Is it because I have killed or the continuous usage of my powers.'He left the matters for later as he approached the woman he had saved.

She wore tight blue genes and a black shirt. He looked closely since it would be his first time to see her face as he had been very far. He couldn't help but be surprised.

She had ink black hair and red eyes, a pale skin and a very beautiful face. Her red eyes were glowing in the dark.

"I don't mean any harm to you, I just helped you for my personal reasons. By any chance may I know your name." He said as he approached and offered his hand to help her stand up.

"Why would I tell you if I don't know yours first." Her voice was really soothing to the ears or was it a vampire's charm he couldn't understand that.

"My bad. I am Karl nice to meet you."He said but he could see that she was wary of him. Truth to be told she was stronger than him but Nemesis made it so that no one could estimate his powers. Him killing that damn vampire was a miracle in itself with the advantage of his fire which was by no means normal.

After what seemed like an eternity as they stared at each other.

" I am Maria Lordwich, nice to meet you and thanks for the help." She said but she couldn't be blamed for being cautious. He was covered in black clothes as his face was hidden.

Upon realizing this he smiled bitterly and removed his black mask much to Maria's shock. She had expected him to be a middle aged man like those Espers who hunt vampires. It was for this reason she had been wary of him. But she couldn't believe her eyes

"Why are you so young, I expected a middle aged man at best." She was tongue tied.

"That is how it is. But I didn't expect a vampire to hunt one of its kind at this time of the day. Don't quote me wrong, this is my first time encountering vampires." He said. He really felt no discomfort around her presence.

Maria sighed softly and after sometime looked at him again but this time she was calm.

"Can we leave this place first?" She asked. This place wasn't safe to have a conversion.

He nodded and they jumped over buildings heading for the highest tower where he had been. She was faster than him but that was the least of his concern.

'Why do I feel calm around him, this isn't like love but trust. Well let's see what is to come even though am stronger than him, he has killed that bastard without being seriously injured.'

Maria thought as they sat looking at the bright city.

"You already know by now that am a vampire." She said as she looked at him."But that's all you need to know. I am from the Lordwich family which rules over vampires in America."

"I don't really know anything concerning vampires as a whole so am in the dark here." Karl decided to be honest. Lying would only cause misunderstandings here.

"Not all vampires are bad but there are those who decide to live their own life by either attacking people or living among them. Sometimes I take it upon myself and eliminate the dangerous ones." She paused and looked at the dark hallway."That bastard had gone out of control. He was pretty strong for his own kind and it would have been a tough battle for me. In this world the stronger fist rules."

He listened carefully not to miss anything. "Aren't there something like hunters to take care of them."

'Being strong she is, it would be easy to kill that guy, does she think I don't know.'

Even though she was with a stranger, she was really calm as if they were friends.

He decided to leave as it was getting past 11pm."It was my pleasure to learn from you, anyway I must leave now."

Maria looked at the man with golden eyes, sliver hair and a very handsome face even for vampire standards.

"It's good if I was of help to you." She said.

He turned around and started running on roof tops. He didn't head straight home since it would be dangerous. There were many preying eyes in the city after all.

Maria remained silent and looked at him disappear in the dark. A woman materialised out of thin air. She had red hair and red eyes, her beauty was above average with a mature charm. She looked in the direction he had disappeared for sometime.

"My lady, should we track him?" She asked and looked at Maria.

"Just let him be. He didn't have any hidden motives since I would know if he was lying. Though there is something strange about him. His powers were not normal to say the least. Those flames of his burnt that bastard as if they had a life of their own." Maria said, this woman was one of her most trusted subordinates if not friends.

Mia raised an eyebrow at her to make sure it was really her young lady and not someone else.

"From our interaction, he seemed to be a newbie in this field. He will come back tomorrow anyway. Give me the information about him."

Mia gave her a summarized report about Karl mostly his personal data. 'What a surprise he has two ladies from powerful families as friends. But his current appearance is far better than this on the screen.' Her position as the vampire princess was no joke, she could get whatever she hoped for.

Mia looked at the princess in disbelief, this was the first time she was interested in knowing about someone of opposite gender mostly a 'human'.

"My lady don't be too 'curious'. Curiosity doesn't end well for women."

"Its good he doesn't know my background. Am done here lets go back to my mansion." They disappeared through mist.