Twisted Blood
The Barnyard

The former fort that was the headmaster's residence looked eery under the predawn blue filter. The dark brick exterior gave the former mansion a bone-chilling air. Along what remained of the east wing, was a round tower that had the top three floors demolished and replaced by a tiled roof that levelled it with the rest of the house. The second floor of the tower made up Ridley's gloomy bedroom. Her walls were white lined with dark grey carpet and thick matching curtains. There were dark mahogany closet doors that curved along the walls. The bed too was grey.

Since Clarke made it explicitly clear that all the guardians were now hunters and that they always had to be on guard, Ridley didn't fall asleep. She entered the hunter's sleep, which stops the body from being paralysed during REM sleep, while also heightening the senses to be more alert.

That's why, as silent as a mouse, Renee appeared from the shadows. Her jett black pixie cut was swept aside, revealing both her blue eyes. Under her black suit, she wore a dark green Victorian bustier. Ridley laid motionless before her mother yet Renee knew she would hear a pin drop. Sticking out from underneath the dark grey pillow was the karambit knife Ridley kept in her garter.

A karambit was a small Indonesian knife that was curved like a claw. It is held with the blade pointing downward from the bottom of the fist, usually curving forwards. While it is primarily used in a slashing or hooking motion, karambit with a finger ring are also used in a punching motion hitting the opponent with the finger ring. Some karambit are designed to be used in a hammering motion. This flexibility of striking methods is what makes it useful in self-defense.

Proponents allege the biomechanics of the weapon allow for more powerful cutting strokes and painful ripping wounds, and because its usability is hypothesized as more intuitive, but very difficult to master than a classic knife.

Another reason Ridley enjoyed keeping it on her was the ring knife. The finger guard makes it difficult to disarm and allows the knife to be maneuvered in the fingers without losing one's grip. The curved sheath was a part of the garter that laid on the bedside table. The entire karambit was black which meant it blended into Ridley's aesthetic. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Renee tilted her head lightly then aimed her index and middle fingers at the sleek-sharp curve. The karambit knife didn't look to be doing anything but every few seconds it was more visible. Once it was freed from compression, the karambit hovered, in the air, towards the eldritch. She twirled the knife playfully on her finger - by the ring - before purposely slashing her palm.

The faint slashing sound turned Ridley towards her mother, still not awake. Her lips parted lightly while gold blood flooded out of Renee's hand. Effortlessly the goldblood let her blood trickle into her daughter's mouth. The knife, now hovering next to Renee, vanished into a puff of smoke before Ridley's eyes spewed open.

She gasped before she bolted up right to take in her empty room. Without her eyes wavering from her bedroom door, the guardian reached under the pillow and pulled out her karambit knife, still where she left it. Ridley exhaled roughly before getting out of bed.

Her pajamas were a red plaid shirt over her underwear. After changing into more versatile apparel, Ridley went for her usual early-morning jog. The air was still cool and the sky still dark when Ridley exited the former mansion. The hunters on nighttime patrol were hiding their fatigue from their long night.

They took in the young guardian stiffly before they returned their positions. Ridley coolly disregarded them as she modelled down the brick path towards the main courtyard. In place of jogging, Ridley ran towards the stables. Not only could she feel something was wrong, she woke up from a bone-chilling dream. While 'asleep', Ridley relived a thirteen year old memory:

She and Ryan were five years old, brand new to their hunter training. It was Richard Axel's birthday and Richard Axel is the twins' grandfather. He lived in Asteria City with his wife, Barbara. The twins' grandmother. The twins spent their grandfather's birthday doing training exercises with him.

Though it was their very first training day, Ridley and Ryan were well-informed about how things would work. After a hard day's work in beginner's mental training, Ryan and Ridley were tuckered out. They were too exhausted to wait for the cake Barbara went to collect. While Clarke and his parents were indulging in conversation, Ridley woke up from dehydration.

Unbeknownst to Richard and Clarke, Barbara had been bitten by an ampyra when she was fetching the cake. Obviously being a veteran hunter herself, that grandmother could defend herself. She could also hide the bite wound on her shoulder. Bite wounds were not made from just the canines; an ampyra bite was a wound made up of a mouth of teeth. The same way a non-ampyra bite mark made in an apple.

A bite-to-kill make was a dangerous one; that's how non-ampyras turned into Class E and if the wound went untreated, Class F. Though the process of fazing to Class E took some time, Barbara was susceptible to it. She was older and weaker and her resilience wasn't the same anymore.

Five year old Ridley carefully descended the flight of stairs while Barbara went amok. She attacked Richard first because, despite his age, he was more potent in combat than Clarke. Class Es were violent and more durable than they were before and Richard was not expecting Barbara to go rabid, he was easier to take down.

Clarke gasped his surprise from the clattering in the living room. From the kitchen, he pulled out a stake knife while Ridley crept down the stairs behind him. The smell of toddler blood was dangerous in the nostrils of Class Es because they could be ravenous!

The deranged grandmother lounged for the staircase but Clarke pulled her back. When Barbara spun towards him, the knife was planted into her. Ridley curled up on the stairs while her father removed the soapy knife from her chest cavity. The father of two merely exhaled defeatedly before he tossed the knife aside.

Barbara's eyes rolled towards her granddaughter as her sanity returned. "My little harbinger," was all she said.

He looked up at Ridley who stared back at him with tears in her eyes. "Go back to bed, Riddles," was all he said and she nodded mutely before racing back up the stairs.

While in the horse stables, Ridley collected herself from the dream. Some of the horses were already awake and eager to see a familiar face. Ridley unlatched one pen and gathered her arms around a brown mare with a black man and tail. The horse nestled its nose into her chest.

"Mako," Ridley purred.

"Stand by," a patrolling hunter whispered from the door. Carefully the hunter pried it open, with his handgun raised defensive. He saw Ridley and Mako then relaxed. "Stand down, Eyes. Student active."

Mako huffed then neighed into his rider's chest, gently shoving her away from him. "Fine," Ridley stated with her pinched face still unchanging. She let go of Mako and the demanding horse returned into his pen before Ridley latched it shut.

The guardian sighed then combed her hair to neaten it. She jogged back home through the main part of the school. The moon students were still wandering around. It was a little before seven in the morning, which meant they were either coming from late after school activities and waiting for dinner or coming from detention.

Ridley coolly slowed her pace by her usual water fountain. Dane and his roommate Marcus were sitting at the marble table, not far from that. With them was Simon-Paul and Kenneth. They had their books spread on the table but the conversation was far from educational.

Simon-Paul's school shirt was pulled out from his trousers and unbuttoned, revealing his beige torso and the dragon tattoo on his pec. Marcus stood with his hands in his pockets, laughing with Simon-Paul at Kenneth's comedic performance. Dane was leaning into the table, laughing.

Kenneth bowed dramatically and when he straightened up, he saw the young hunter and perked up. "Hey, Sorensen, enlighten me because I'm curious. How long does it that ice pack to defrost," he asked slyly and everyone turned to Ridley, still quenching her thirst. "I have a popsicle she can suck on."

"She'll slice it off then slice you up before that ever becomes a remote possibility," Marcus replied. "Ea est letalità."

"Meaning," Simon-Paul countered with a raised eyebrow.

"She is lethality." Dane folded his arms while taking Ridley in and Marcus noticed. "Besides," the goldblood went on without looking away from Dane, "I think there's a different popsicle wanting to be sucked on."

Kenneth smirked while Ridley whipped back her hair. "I'm open to the two-for-one option."

"Come on, boys," Marcus sang while packing up his belongings. "We've got shit to do." Ridley exhaled then glanced over to the group of boys but made nothing of them.

The jog back to the manor was met with traces of the sunrise filling the garden. On the other side of the front doors, Ryan was already awake and frying bacon for herself. Not even Esmeralda was awake yet and she, by definition, didn't sleep at all. Ryan was usually buzzy but never so early. She was humming to herself while bouncing on the spot.

Ridley ignored her and went to shower, feeling her dream fade away like the water in the shower. After clasping her karambit knife back into her garter, Ridley put on her black skirt. With that, she wore a black tank top and black thigh socks and her Van's high tops. After brushing out her black hair, the hunter took out her piles of homework.

The round room was deadly silent and unnerving to any normal person. To Ridley, it wasn't. There was music humming in her ear that kept her company. Unfortunately it didn't take long before the music was cut out by Ridley's door barging open with Ryan on the side. In her hand was her plate of bacon and scrambled eggs and fried tomatoes and toast.

Ryan gagged from the interior of the room. "Urg! Only you could make white walls depressing," she commented. Ridley made nothing off it. "Daddy and Essie want to see you."

Ridley licked her top lip then put down her homework to follow her twin sister downstairs. Clarke was fixing himself a mug of coffee while Esmeralda was munching down on an energy bar. Clarke's head was out the window, on the birds in the tree.

The twins paused in front of their parents and their dispositions showed the difference between them. Ryan leaned against the doors that led into the parlour. Ridley stood straight with her hands behind her back. Esmeralda pursed her lips at her stepdaughters.

Clarke took a sip of his coffee without turning into the kitchen. "During the week, a few senior ampyra students came looking for special sign out privileges. They're throwing a party for one of their own at the Barnyard and they want the entire school there. Sun and moon dorms," he stated. Only then did he look into the kitchen, specifically at Ridley. "I approved, only because it's an opportunity to investigate the property for any more breaches," he admitted. "Ryan wants to go and I will only let her go, if you go with her."

"What," Ryan roared. "That's not what you said! Daddy, I-"

Clarke held up a hand to silence her. "Either you're with your school or you're helping the investigation."

Ryan looked expectedly at Ridley, who merely replied, "I have homework."

"Fine," Clarke replied. "Ridley, homework. Ryan, investigation."

"That is so not fair," Ryan hissed. "I had plans for that party. I have to be there!"

"You're the one who wants to be a fulltime hunter," Esmeralda pointed out. "You can't do that from a party. Whether or not the intruder is Renee, you two are in just as much danger as anyone else. You either have each other's backs out there or you stay here where it's safe. Your choice."

The outraged twin turned to her cool sister. "Please! For once can you not be an icy island and be normal." Ridley folded her arms but said nothing. "You owe me! I volunteered to cover your patrol duties."

Ridley raised an eyebrow. "Keyword: volunteered," was all she said.

"Ridley Dominique Axel, I never ask you for anything! Please just do this one thing for me, please. Please!" Ridley rolled her eyes then turned her parents. They too said nothing. "And what is your deal? Homework is for Sunday," Ryan jeered on. "You don't even have to do anything! Just... just stand in the corner, like you do at all the dorm parties." Ridley exhaled then turned to Ridley mutely. "Thank you," Ryan replied sourly before going to tear down her closer for something to wear.

"Stay together," Clarke stated to Ridley. "That's an order."

The Barnyard was a damp dimly-lit bar in town that looked like it was inches from caving in on the inside. The music was always too loud and there were always groups of people smoking so the interior was cloudy. The smell of burning firewood outside overtook the otherwise sweaty odor.

The interior was trying too hard to like an American western. The wooden stools, the wooden tables, the ceiling frames, the faded wall decor of cowboys, the light shades that had Native Americans on them and even the bartenders dressed like cowboys.

The bar was probably the only exception to the cowboy theme. The counter was black granite and the black steel framed wall unit that house the alcohol had glass shelving with blue LEDs. Next to the lengthy shelf was the door leading into the kitchen.

Passed that, were more sitting areas but those chairs were higher up. Beyond, by the door, were pool tables, the deejay's station and the blood bank. Even with the whole of Dunon Academy in the cramped space, there was plenty of room to manuever.

Over the roaring music were clusters of conversations that covered an array of topics. By one of the pool tables, were Dane and his fellow ampyra friends. The four boys had the entire table to themselves and were drinking bane brew. Bane brew is a caramel-coloured carbonated soft drink. It has been the signature drink of the Barnyard since 1712, when the Barnyard first opened. The drink, obviously, has been adapted over the years but was still a local favourite. The locals describe the flavour as rosy vanilla.

The Barnyard even had their own glass bottles to serve bane brew in; a type of brown beer bottle with a shorter neck and wider body. There was even a label on the bottle! 'The Barnyard's Bane Brew', it said. Underneath it was simply captioned 'not for p*ssies!'. Ironically even children enjoyed bane brew.

Simon-Paul made a corner shot, earning jeers from Marcus and Dane. Kenneth patted him on the shoulder then shook him vigorously. "Like I said," Kenneth sang as he collected the purple notes of money on the side. "I only make gambles I guarantee win. Hmm! I should be become a professional gambler."

"I thought you were in the seventies," Simon-Paul stated.

"Listen here, white boy," Kenneth countered, "my people and the seventies don't go together! As far as history knows, I did nothing in the seventies."

"That's Kenneth for 'I did some stuff that was majorly illegal for Black people'," Marcus countered. "What d'you do? Get a couple of white women?"

"That is a secret I will take to my grave!" Marcus sniggered while Dane shook his head. "But on the topic of white women, seven 'o clock." They all turned to where Kenneth was looking and chuckled mockingly at the girl leaning over the bar with her black skirt riding up. "Hmm. Black skirt, black silk panties."

Kenneth slammed a single 100 note onto the pool table. "Ha! Those are red lace," Simon-Paul countered, matching Kenneth's bet.

"When you've lived as long as I have, you learn that women are not a money-making sex trinkets. You boys should be ashamed of yourselves! 'Black silk' and 'red lace'. Shameful," Marcus began while digging in his pocket. "My money's on blue cotton."

"Dane," Kenneth sang.

Dane nodded slowly to himself after taking in the girl. "I don't know. I feel like white silk but at the same time, she doesn't look like she wears underwear," he stated pensively while massaging his money. He hummed deeply, weighing out his options. "What the hell," he concluded then slammed his money onto the pile. "She leaves nothing up to the imagination."

"All bets are in, the bidding is closed," Kenneth stated. "Now, who's brave enough to go find out?"

"No need," Marcus stated. "The fan is on our side," he stated with a head gesture to floor fan that was nearby. The fan's head turned towards the girl but didn't raise her skirt high enough. Three of them groaned and growled defeatedly. "Hold on, gentleman," Marcus cut in. "You're going to be alive for a while; you need to learn patience."

The fan came around and Marcus narrowed his eyes on what was to come. As he predicted, the fan blew the black and revealed a seahorse tattoo on the woman's bare buttocks. She spun around to see who would have punked her so cruelly but saw nobody. All she saw were four young men at the pool table, nearly across the room, shamelessly cheering at what they saw. Disgusted she bolted out of the joint.

"Nice," Marcus directed Dane as he collected his money. The goldblood then flagged down a waitress with an empty tray. "Hey, er, can we have another round of brew, on my good friend, here," he ordered while shaking Dane excitedly. Coolly Dane handed the woman Kenneth's note. "Another game, gents?"

"Easy, grandpa," Simon-Paul countered jokingly. "Didn't you do anything interesting in your time other than gamble?"

Marcus merely shrugged. "The only thing fun to do was go to the brothel and beat the slaves. No offense, Kenneth."

"I'm very offended," Kenneth replied but didn't show it.

The waitress returned with a second round of bane brew. Kenneth, Simon-Paul and Marcus handed her their empty bottles while Dane was still on his first. Simon-Paul took a long swig of his second bottle then his hazel eyes went wide. "Oh my Lord," he commented. "Are you sure there's no alcohol in this?"

"Yes," Marcus replied. "I was there when they invented it. Well I didn't actually see them invent it but it was a time I was around and... hang on. Why would you think so?"

"I'm seeing double," Simon-Paul replied. His friends were confused so he pointed towards the door. Both Axel twins were in the doorway.

"Well, that's new," Marcus commented.

Ryan could barely contain herself from getting her way. She wore a denim skirt with a thick black leather belt. Above her belt was her pierced navel that was visible from her mid cut green top. Beside her, the ever dark and stormy Ridley was hating changing her mind.

The two didn't attract attention from their presence. Although the people who did notice were confused about why both Axel sisters were there. Ryan scanned over the establishment and Moonbeam waved her down from their table near the back.

Instantaneous Ryan forgot she was a twin and abandoned her counterpart. Ridley took in the corners of the Barnyard, only to see them cornered off or occupied. A nearby group of three girls were laughing at her while Dane's pool table were watching on. Unfortunately for Ridley, her father said it was an order for her to stick by her sister's side.

Orders are not optional.

"Now that's a lost puppy, if ever I've seen one," Simon-Paul commented then laughed to himself.

Dane picked up his second bottle of bane brew, along with his first, before crossing the lanes of pool tables for Ridley. She sized him up as he approached her. He was wearing those horrific grey ripped jeans again along with a plain white shirt.

There was a glimmer of pity in his eyes as he squirmed through the patrons. "Clarke," he asked when he reached her. She said nothing and instead took in the pumping place. "You're welcome to join us," he offered, handing her his second bottle. "That's assuming you don't mind delinquent guy shit."

A bearded man brushed passed them and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke onto Ridley. She shook her head, already ready to leave. She sighed to herself, her face still unbending. Slowly she reached for the bottle Dane offered her. He clinked the side of his into hers before taking a sip.

The twin merely looked down the neck of her bottle then gathered it in both hands. Dane swallowed another mouthful of the vanilla soft drink before beckoning Ridley to follow him to their pool table. Simon-Paul huffed as he leaned on his pool stick while Kenneth, by his side, mutely downed his bane brew.

"Marcus, this is Ridley," Dane began. "Ridley, this is my roommate, Marcus."

"Ah, yes. I remember the last time we met, you had me pinned to the banquet wall with knives," Marcus stated. "I never did apologise for that night. Sorry, Ms Axel."

Kenneth rolled his eyes then went on, "okay, boys. Opening bet. This time is thirty. My money is on Marcus and a combo shot."

Marcus was more focused on Ridley stiffly between him and Dane. "I have a better one," the goldblood argued. They all turned to him, except Ridley. "I heard Ms Axel broke the record for most targets hit, over the summer. I also heard Jakob say that Dane shot a squirrel square in the eye from two hundred meters." He held up more purple paper money. "Fifty on Dane."

"I will raise you twenty on three straight shots from our boy," Kenneth stated then joined Marcus' side.

"I'm down," Simon-Paul added, "seventy on Scary Axel and a round of chips from the loser."

"Whoa, whoa. Not even I would gamble on me against her," Dane countered. "Ridley's the best hunter the school's produced in, like, fifty years."

"Forty-eight, actually," Marcus corrected. "Either way, I have the utmost faith in you, young man."

Dane turned to Ridley between them, who kept her eyes fixed on her drink. "She's not really the showy type," Dane added.

"What are you? Her lawyer," Simon-Paul jeered. "C'mon, Axel. What're you scared of? It's just money. And maybe public humiliation."

"No."

"Ax-el! Ax-el! Ax-el," he started chanting and the rest of the ampyra boys joined in.

The chanting earned attention from the surrounding pool tables and they too joined the chant. Across the Barnyard, Alex, Moonbeam, Carson and Ryan were laughing about Carson's mishap with sugar and salt at the coffee themed restaurant she works at over the summer.

Alex was the first one to stop laughing when he heard the chanting. He exited his chair and followed the chanting to see Ridley surrounded by men with Moonbeam and Carson hot on his heels. "That looks interesting," Carson stated and Moonbeam nodded.

"She looks scared," Moonbeam stated and the two started laughing.

"I'm going to get her," Alex stated then descended the steps ahead.

He stammered backwards into the table near Moonbeam and they all saw that Ryan pulled him back. "Leave her. Maybe they'll get her to rip out that stick that's so firmly rooted up her ass."

Simon-Paul conducted the chanting audience as they chanted on. He circled around while conducting then turned to Ridley with a wicked grin. He directed his choir to stop. "What d'you say, Axel? Give the people what they want," Kenneth persisted. "Be warned, you've got an audience so..." he whispered.

Dane turned to Ridley, faintly pale but the girl among the boys did nothing. Simon-Paul started clucking and Dane's dark eyes went wide. Subtly he stepped away from her. He turned to Marcus, who raised an eyebrow at him. Dane gestured for him to get away from the composed guardian. Her composure was evident on the outside but inside was a different story.

Still Ridley tried to swallow it while the clucking spread to Kenneth and the tables on either side of theirs. Simon-Paul flapped his bent arms, mimicking a chicken while Kenneth did the chicken dance to the beat of their clucking. Simon-Paul spun around and Marcus looked over at Dane again, only to see a black blur between them.

Ridley reached across the pool table and pinned Simon-Paul on the green felt surface. In a flash of lightning, she whipped out the dagger in her armband and stabbed the surface he laid on, mere nanometers from Simon-Paul's ear. "No," Ridley repeated.

"Hey," Vachel, the owner of the Barnyard, roared. He was a bald and plump man with grey in his brown beard. He usually worked the kitchen but sometimes he made his rounds on the floor.

He was marching towards them with his rifle. Ridley threw the dagger at the rifle and it plunged straight into the barrel. Like an agile cat, Ridley leaped clean across the two tables that were between her and Vachel. She retrieved her dagger with her left and with her right, she pulled out a matching dagger and sliced the barrel clean off.

Using both daggers, she sliced up the rifle all the while Vachel backed into the pillar behind him. Ridley impaled both daggers inches away from the barkeeper's face. Only then did she noticed the deafening music was cut off and the entire establishment had its eyes on her little overly dramatic performance. There was still a volcano worth of eruption inside the hunter and she huffed towards before removing her blade belongings. Ridley swallowed her outburst then stalked outside to calm down.

Ryan raised an eyebrow at her sister, knowing fully that Ridley shouldn't have been able to leap across the length of two whole pool tables and the spaces between them for the players. She looked down at her hands thoughtfully. "So that's what gold blood does," she muttered under her breath. She smirked evilly to herself while her friends were whispering about what they witnessed. "Nice."

Dane picked up his jacket and tailed after Ridley while Marcus watched on with concern before joining his Danish roommate. He saw Dane and Ridley vanish behind the rear of the establishment and followed on while Simon-Paul and Kenneth were too scared to join them.

Ridley leaned into the wall with her usual unchanging pinched face staring at the brick wall across her. The back door to the Barnyard led into the kitchen, where the smell of sweat and the pizza oven escaped. Not far from Ridley was the outdoor grill that was powered by gas. One of the kitchen employees was timidly trying to light the gas grill, to no avail.

Dane caught Ridley blankly staring at the wall in front of her, unfazed. He exhaled lightly while Marcus caught up to them. "Everything well, Ms Axel," the goldblood began. "Ignore Kenneth and Simon-Paul; they're children at best and mediocre at worst."

Dane cautiously stepped closer towards her, whispering, "Ridley?"

Beyond them, the timid employee brought back a more seasoned Barnyarder to aid with the gas grill. He tried turning up the gas and even turning it off to turn back on again. "Huh. Why won't this thing light," he jeered loudly. "C'mon, man."

Ridley merely exhaled before turning towards Marcus and Dane. "You good," Dane went on.

The two employees started banging on the grill and the gas container. The outburst was clearly surfacing because her face was burning redder by the second. The pounding in her ears was unbearable. She snapped. She marched over to the two men and swung her hand towards the grill, with a frustrated groan. Raging fire escaped her palm, sending flames up passed the roof.

The two men jumped back in surprise but kept their eyes on Ridley as she stormed passed Marcus and Dane. Her shoulder slammed into Dane's while she continued back into the Barnyard, subtly fuming. Her stardom was over and nobody made anything of Ridley's return into the bar. Her intention was to drag her sister back home (knock her out, if need be) and pretend the fiasco never happened.

Dane grabbed her wrist before she could get further than the pool tables. "Hey," he called sternly. His other hand was massaging the shoulder she rammed into. "Cool it."

Ridley spun to meet his gaze and even then, Dane couldn't deny that he wasn't madly in love with her. He stammered on the words that were hardly coming out, with Marcus at his side. "Maybe something to eat," Marcus suggested. "Of some of the neologisms I've learned, in this time, 'hangry' is one of few I understand. Not to call you angry, Ms Axel."

"I got it," Dane stated then released her wrist and hurried over to the bar to place the order.

Marcus gestured to a vacant table and mutely the enraged guardian stiffly followed him. Chivalrously he pulled out her seat for her but Ridley aided herself to the empty seat next to him. They didn't say anything the whole time Dane was away while Kenneth and Simon-Paul were scarce.

When Dane returned, Marcus excused himself for the restroom, near the deejay's corner. Dane looked down to avoid her stunning dark eyes and slowly reached for his helping of fries. "Margherita," Dane stated while Ridley continued to scowl at him. He turned to her slowly. "I-I remembered it's your favourite."

Ridley lowered her eyes to the pizza in front of her. There was fresh basil and stretched mozzarella that wasn't completely melted. She hummed her confusion as to how he would know that but said nothing. Marcus returned to find them both mutely eating while he was sipping more bane brew.

"I'm sure you two have your secrets as hunters and so on," Marcus began, "but, what happened with the fire?"

Ridley ignored him while Dane went wide eyed in reply. "Fire," he echoed. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a black tubular object. It was Oliver's retractable sword. Slowly he looked up at Ridley who nonchalantly continued with her pizza. "H-hey, Marcus, would you mind..."

"More bane brew," the goldblood cut in. That's not entirely what Dane was getting at but Marcus had an idea of what was going on. "Got it."

He stood up and went to the bar and stayed there, doing nothing. Dane furrowed his eyebrows at his roommate. "Okay," he replied the focused on Ridley. "Look, I know you're the quiet twin but... Jakob told me who Renee is to you. Biologically speaking, as a non-ampyra, you shouldn't have inherited goldblood traits. That's what makes you a non-ampyra." Still Ridley said nothing. "How sure are you that you and Ryan aren't ampyra?"

Ridley looked down at her pizza for another slice before she whispered sullenly, "we don't coyl."

"Well, that was actually my next point," Dane replied. "As blackbloods, you've inherit certain ampyra traits but not the ones trademarked to goldbloods. Since eldritches are still goldbloods, you shouldn't be able to do eldritch either," he explained. "A-at least, that's what I hypothesise. More than that, goldblood coil has been shown to be hereditary to their blackblood offspring." Ridley shook her head before taking another bite of her slice. "Show me," Dane ordered. She stopped chewing and raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean it. Here and now. Coyl."

The huntress didn't bother swallowing the mouthful in her mouth. She opened her mouth, revealing the masticated dough and cheese in her mouth. Coyl - also spelt as 'coil' or known as gold drool - was, basically, a goldblood's thickened saliva. Coyl was only found in goldbloods as their teeth were sharper, which meant they pierced their victims deeper.

Since goldbloods were part of Generation 0, meaning they were the original ampyras, they were 'purer' than the other bloodlines. A goldblood ampyra born in present times would still be considered Generation 0 just because they are a goldblood. Also time was sort if irrelevant to ampyras because of their prolonged youth.

Prolonged youth could settle in at any age and lasted for any number of years from one to wherever. Goldbloods were an exception; they were 'pure' so they lived longer. Anywhere from a minimum of a century. Immortality was fictional. The idea of ampyra immortality started with propaganda by non-ampyra, before the two races ever made peace.

Dane sighed while Ridley continued her mouthful. "Do you know anything about your mother," he asked. "Anything you'd be willing to share, at least." Ridley whipped her hands off with the paper towel, leaving a quarter of her pizza on her plate. "Or anything about eldritches that the rest of us might not be aware of?"

"She's not my mother."

The blackblood ampyra nodded mutely then turned to Marcus, with a subtle nod. While he finally ordered another round of bane brew, Dane put away Oliver's sword. "I can't believe Oliver. He..." Dane sighed heavily then turned to see Ridley massaging her jaw. "He didn't want to be hunter. After high school, he was just going to get a proper job and-- what's wrong?" She moaned softly then covered her mouth. "Ridley?"

"Nothing," she sang sourly.

Marcus returned with the drinks while Ridley pulled Dane's bowl of fries closer. "Xavier's certainly enjoying his day," he stated. Dane glanced over to the birthday boy and saw he had a woman gyrating on his lap. "That's you in a hundred and eighty-three years."

"Two hundred is a massive milestone," Dane agreed. "That's both World Wars, the death of Napoleon, the rise and fall of slavery, the discovery of aluminum and the fall of absolute monarchies."

"Huh. Now I feel old," Marcus commented.

Ridley peeled off the dried melted cheese off Dane's chips before eating them with him. Dane chuckled before turning to Ridley. That pinched scowl she always wore was lightened to a square pout. Marcus looked between the two then raised an eyebrow at his roommate, who was ogling his fellow hunter.

Across the bar, Ryan was laughing with Moonbeam and Carson. Axel came back to their table. Cradling a large bowl of fries and chicken wings in one hand and calamari rings with a lemon wedge in the other. Moonbeam held Carson's let down hair up to her own when Alex sat down.

Ryan was so red with laughter that she buried her face in the table with a hand wiping away her tears. Alex furrowed his eyebrows as he sat across from Carson, who was also dying from laughter. Moonbeam let go of Carson's hair then took another sip of her iced tea.

"Yeah," Moonbeam sang. "Ye just gotta whip it back and forth." Carson's fit of laughter returned as did Ryan's while Moonbeam puffed up her afro coolly. "Damn, I need to wash my hair," she complained then dug into the calamari rings.

"That had to be the best karaoke night of your lives," Ryan replied. "It's moments like this I wish I was in the boarding house. Not to mention I'd be lightyears away from Bitter Betsy, over there," she added then dug into Alex's chicken.

Moonbeam laughed then turned to Ridley's table. She saw Ridley's hand engulfed in Dane's and flared her eyebrows. "Damn. Ms Thing has a man," Moonbeam blurted out.

Carson dropped her calamari ring in surprise. "Holy shit! That thing has a heart?"

"Fuck that! It's human?!" Alex turned to Ryan in soft disgust. "What? She calls our parents 'Axel' and 'Mrs Axel'."

"You were serious," Carson hissed.

"Wow. I really thought you were kidding about that," Moonbeam replied. They turned back to see Ridley's hand freed from Dane's. She was back to nibbling on her pizza. "What is the world coming to?"

Alex shook his head at his female friends then turned back to Ryan. "Hey, um, isn't there a rule about hunters dating?"

Ryan nodded in reply. "Yeah. We have to earn our mana gradus before we're allowed to date or even have sex."

"What," Carson replied.

"You have a censor on sex? What if you never get your mana, what then? Become a nun and join a nunnery?"

"It's pretty easy to get a mana," Ryan replied. "More than 98% of new hunters get their mana within a year of getting their hunter gradus. The rest don't pursue hunting passed their first hunt so..."

"Still. No sex until I get a dumb tattoo for... um..."

"Acts of civil service," Ryan stated.

"... exactly! What that means is if you're a firefighter, you can't have sex until you put out your first fire. That is ridonculous," Moonbeam jeered.

"Actually it's technically your second fire," Ryan stated. "A hunter gradus is your first hunt and your mana is usually your second. Or even rescuing a kitten from a tree."

"So in order for you to have sex, you have to kill two people. Well damn! That's worse!"

"What if you want to stop being a hunter but you don't have a mana," Carson wondered.

"Then you're not a hunter and you don't have a mana. You forfeit the benefits."

"Abstinence is a benefit," Moonbeam jeered. "Lies!"

Ryan could only chuckle in reply while she subtly enjoyed being the center of her friends' attention. Her uncertainty over being as good as Ridley was halted and there was only Moonbeam, Carson and Alex. The three seniors were Ryan's only exception to all things Ridley. She would do anything to preserve what she felt with them. Anything.

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