Earlier

"Maiya!" screams Myungsoo, running as fast as his legs can take him, but one of the wooden pillars holding the tent standing collapses, slamming into him and trapping his legs underneath. A wince and then, there is no more pain. He remains unmoving for a few minutes further, no thoughts plaguing his mind. For those few moments, there are no vampires, he has no brother to worry about, no war, no pain … no Maiya. He hadn't died a couple of days before, Bonnie is not pregnant as she does not exist to him. For a few minutes, there is peace and freedom … there is quiet … there is calm and he feels … happy. But the happiness is a farce. Blinking once, twice, trice a thought crosses his mind, his slow, dazed mind. It is loud, boisterous, and clear as glass. Maiya …

The singular word strikes a chord deep inside his chest and it hurts. It aches and pulses and hurts. Tears fill his eyes that dart downward towards his legs and a scream is thorn out of his throat, his airway set on fire ad stinging from the sheer power of it. His legs are broken, mangled and bleeding, the bone visible through the gashes, a lump of wood strewn across them, digging into flesh and muscle. Cold washes over him as if he'd been thrown into a river of ice, his blood freezing in his veins. His legs are almost separated from his body, hanging from a small sinew of skin. His mouth is also on fire, burning for a taste of blood. His gums are aching while his thigh is pulsing in a dull sort of pain that seems to be growing in intensity as seconds tick by and he is suddenly, hopelessly, aware of his situation. He passes out before he can have another thought.

Present

Vladimir watches as wounded crawl their way out from beneath the debris and as unharmed vampires begin helping those still trapped. He traces his eyes over the many faces around, some familiar, others of people he'd never seen in his whole, long life, yet none is the queens. He grows worried...where is she?!

He stands from his place, perched above a young vampire that's missing an eye and has a piece of wood jabbed into his shoulder. He pulls the object as he goes, blood gushing from the now open wound and he throws a bandage and a blood bottle at the man. He swiftly approaches Bonie, whose hands are buried elbow deep into the chest of another nameless victim, trying to restart the heart by sending pulses of green energy into it. He almost scoffs at the dedication she is showing at performing an act so senseless and useless, but he stops himself in time, his mind once more drawn to the missing queen.

“Lee! Have you seen the queen?” He watches as Bonie muses over the question, confusion etched on her face, trying to remember. She shakes her head. She hasn't seen Maiya either. He growls, low in his throat, his knuckles turning white from how hard he's clenching them and he almost punches the woman that touches his shoulder. She jumps away in fear and blurts out an important clue to his problem.

“We have found the queen's consort.” A grin appears on Vladimir face then and Bonie, who'd just finished the new patient, snaps her head to stare at the messenger. She then turns her eyes to the council man, begging and pleading to let her come along. Her eyes say Please, it's Myungsoo, please … Vladimir nods, scowling, and tells the other woman to lead the way.

~.~.~.~.~

Moonsoo sat with Sora and Irene on the couch inside the throne room, waiting for news of any kind. He was worried and his state of being declared this better then if he had had a neon sign saying it. He knew his pregnant lover was outside, among the dead and the dying, her body not yet healed fully, but she was outside nonetheless as her best friend was missing, and he couldn't think anymore.

“Sora... Haru and Hyun-Ae asked to join the battle... I don't want to let them, but I realize they're not as helpless as I think. What should we do?” Moonsoo hears Irene whisper, no doubt under the impression that he can't hear and wants to laugh. The hybrids want to play? Let them play. He is aware that he might be a little callous and cold, but that is just how he is as a person. The only one he allows himself to be kind to is Bonie, not even his brother deserved such honor. It was sad, borderline cruel even, but it was what it was and there was little he could do to change it...

“Let them. It's not like they are in any way vulnerable. They're probably the strongest out of this whole clan.” he watches gleefully as Irene, the witch, pales and gasps, shock and fear in her brown eyes. He smirks as he sees Sora nod his agreement mindlessly and he almost bursts out laughing as he hears the twins shout happily at the decision. However mature those children were, they had their moments it would seem.

“Perhaps we could try it …” admitted Sora and Irene followed suit. Moonsoo smiles and returns to his innermost struggle: staying here until she is finished for the day. He has never know a worse kind of torture then waiting for Bonie this long, with no reassurance of her well-being. What if she was hurt or trapped or … Nyx forbid, dying?! Don't get so far ahead of yourself, she will be alright... but despite the positive thought, his worry could only grow.

~.~.~.~.~

Darkness, that is all she could see. Pain, blinding, unstoppable pain, that is all she could feel. Silence, a deep foreboding silence was all she could hear. Maiya Umbersangue was lost, confused and weak, unable to move. Trapped. She tried to reach her hands around, but their movement was restricted by a piece of fabric, coarse to her fingertips and thick. Her head was pounding, bursting from the headache that had taken control, her right side pulsing with agony, dry, so dry she couldn't make a sound. Where was she? She could hardly remember, yet she knew something horrible had taken place.

Breathing in once, fills with the mesmerizing taste of blood, sweet and abundant from how potent the smell of it was around her, watering, offering sweet mercy to her dry throat, the second gulp of air brings the terrifying notion of it being her own, now congealed and repugnant. Dried blood was a bad sign, it meant she'd been trapped underneath whatever was above her for a long time, it also meant she's stopped bleeding though, which was in her advantage. Now as for getting out... what could she do to release her hands?

She moves her fingers, clenching and unclenching them to test the sharpness of her nails. There wasn't much, but if she was careful, there could be enough. She extended her fingers once more, scrapping at the small pool of blood near them, getting a soft layer of the dead liquid on each nail, then she concentrates energy on the blood, toughening it enough to cut through her bindings. Finally, with the dexterity of an athlete, Maiya bends her wrist and begins slashing the material. It was a slow pace that had her sweating by the first minutes and panting withing half an hour, though she could hardly deduce how long it's been since she started cutting.

“Ah! !” she screams as one nail missed its mark and cut her shirt, reaching the skin hidden beneath and causing fresh blood to spill. Her vision was getting blurry now, it was getting darker still and she was growing faint. She had to cut through the bonds faster so she could get out. Frantically, she renewed her struggle, slashing blindly and unrestricted, careless. Soon the fabric gave out and her hands were free. A lazy grin colored her face as sweat dripped down her chin beneath what remained of her shirt and in between her s. Her body was now slicked with a thin layer of salty water.

“Ugh, I need a bath.” she muttered to herself in disgust, before she began feeling her wound. She felt the blood, dried and sticky to her fingers, she touched the open gash and hissed as it stung and caused a new wave of pain to fill her. “Damn, , !” she yelped and grit her teeth as she pushed into the opening, feeling for any damaged organs. It was deep, she realized as she fit the length of a finger inside, but it hadn't done extensive damage. It was easy enough to heal, once she had gathered some strength that is. Closing her eyes, Maiya focused on her body, let her mind map out the coils of her energy and slowly, she began undoing them, opening the flood gates as it were. She was empowered, she could sense the raw power in her vein, her muscles, her every pore.

Breathing in once, she calmed down, exhaling, she gathered all of the energy she found and with one mighty push of her hands and legs outward, she blew the debris and rocks away from her. That is when she heard them. There were yells of surprise and of pain, there was laughter of relief as they noticed her and gasps of apprehension as they assessed her wounds. Before she knew what was happening she felt her consciousness slipping away and, with one last shred of strength, she whispered his name.

“Myungsoo ...” Maiya passed out.

Sorry for the long wait, I was busy with school and stuff. Anyway, I hope you like this new chapter and review... The war is getting pretty serious isn't it?