Monster Index:

Vetala: Monster that always hunts in pairs because they do not possess the supernatural strength or speed of vampires. Appears beautiful to seduce unknowing victims. Possess the ability to temporarily paralyze prey with the non lethal poison in their claws. True form shows when they feed (reptile eyes and fangs). These monsters drink blood and the fang marks they leave are identical to vampires. Killed by a silver blade to the heart.

The pain in his neck is the first thing Kyungsoo noticed when he wakes tied up to a chair. The part of his neck where he was bitten feels as if it were on fire and there's a pounding on the left side of his head where he was knocked out. She or rather they were definately not vampires. Vampires don't have the ability to temporary paralyze someone, nor were they immune to holy water.

"Well, looks like lunch has woken up"

Kyungsoos looked up the fair red haired Vetala in front of him. He vaguely remembers allowing her to touch his arm, pretending to go along with the seduction. Huge mistake. Apparently those claws were laced with poison. Dully noted for future hunts.

"Where's your friend" he ask calmly. He's been doing this for 10 years, he's very used to these situations.

Iron's eyes locked onto the Vetala as she walked across the room. From what he could see, he was most likely in a hut isolated in the woods. Screaming for help wouldn't be very useful. 

The Vetala took her time deciding whether or not to answer. Finally she replied, "shes buying supplies for when we leave"

"Moving out of the nest already? But we've only met last night" 

The Vetala rolled her eyes as she selected a knife off the wall. "Quite the charmer aren't you? Well it's your fault we have to move. No doubt more of you hunter will be showing up after we kill you" She snarled.

If Kyungsoo was weary of the knife the Vetala was holding, he certainly wasn't showing it as he closely watched her walk to the other end of the room.

"why would you have me for lunch then? Don't you want to leave as soon as possible?"

The Vetala hummed as she picked up a bucket off the floor and carried it over to Kyungsoo, placing it under his arm. He hissed in pain when the Vetala sliced his wrist open with the knife. Kyungsoo finally realized what was happening as he watched his blood drip into the bucket. 

"Well, we need to pack a lunch for the road don't we?" She smirk and headed for the door

She turned around and smiled sickeningly sweetly at him, "I'm going to take a bath. I thought you'd like to die alone".

"How considerate of you"  Kyungsoo murmured dryly after her. If the Vetala heard him, she didn't respond.

Sandara was extremely good at keeping her emotions in check. So when Kyungsoo, her best friend and partner for 10 years, the only family she had left, failed to return, she only had a minor mental breakdown. After that she immediately went to work. 

Sandara walked through the doors of the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon was the bar where the first victim was picked from. It was still early in the morning and the only other customer in the bar was an unconcious man sleeping under a table. 

Reluctantly, Sandara took a seat on a stool and called for the bartender. 

"What can I get cha?"

Sandara looked over the source of the question. He was possibly in his early 40's, bald, very beefy in a gruff way. 

"Strong tea please" 

The bartender poored hot water into a cup and added a teabag. "To early to drink, eh?"

"It's never to early to drink, but I need to stay sober right now", Sandara's reply got a chuckle out of the bartender.

The huntress took a sip from her tea before she asked, "You wouldn't happen to know about the red headed woman would you?"

"O' er?" he raised his eyebrow "Why, do ye know er?"

"Oh my friend ran off with her last night and I'd like to collect him before we head off". It wasn't a complete lie. Honestly Kyungsoo was much better at this questioning thing. She wasn't nessasarily bad at it, she just prefered not talking to people. 

"I'd like to help ye out, I really do. But I've never talked to the red head" 

"Do you know anyone who she does talk to? Someone who might know where she lives"

The bartender thought for a while. Sandara looked at her watch. Every second she lost Kyungsoo might be closer to dead. Finally the bartender said, "she ain't got friends, the red headed maiden, none that I know of. No family either. Honestly, she don't talk to no one in this village. You should just wait for ye friend to come back"

This vampire was practically a ghost then. No house, no friends, no family. She wouldn't be living in the village. If Sandara wanted to find the vampire she would have to find the vampire's den. In the forest. 

"Of course. Thank you for your help" she paided for her half drunken tea and quickly left.

She knew there was only one last reasonable option. She was going to have to look for the den.

Exactly 14 minutes have passed since the Vetala left and Kyungsoo knew he was going to blackout soon.

"So", he thought to himself with an amused smile on his lips, "This is how I'm going to die huh?"

It was almost funny. He was Iron for s sake. He could raid a full vampire nest at midnight with only 2 other hunters. He could take down a werewolf on a full moon with nothing but a silver coin. He's killed Lamias, Walkers, Sirens, you name it. Every hunter who wasn't an amateur knew the names, Silver and Iron. There names were said amoung the hunter community like a prayer. 

Of all things he could die to, it was going to be to a Vetala. A monster so weak it needed a friend to take down prey. 

If Kyungsoo had the energy he would laugh at the irony. But he didn't have any left. His vision was starting to blur and his eyelids were getting progressively heavy.

They say when one is about to die, thoughts of regret will always be present. Every moment that could have been played differently, the "what if"'s. But Kyungsoo wouldn't take back any of it if he were given the chance. He doesn't regret saving lives for the cost of his own. He doesn't regret becoming a hunter. 

No, Kyungsoo only regrets leaving Sandara alone in this world. He finally lets his eyelids drop. He thinks of Dara when she was ten, scared and covered in blood, the image vivid as ever.

And then everything is black.

Sandara doesn't find the den, but what she does find is a trail of blood. It's faint against the dirt, but it's fresh and most likely, hopefully, Kyungsoo's blood. The leaves and sticks on the ground are misplaced, almost as if Kyungsoo had to drag himself through the forest ground. 

Sandara wasn't religious, yet she caught herself praying as she followed the red trail.