The Strigoi closed in fast on us.

Rose was guarding me with her whole body, and I could see the battle fire raging in her eyes. She was determined to fight, to rip them all apart, but we didn’t know the consequences of that battle as the Strigoi had us hopelessly outnumbered.

“Rose,” I pleaded once more, “Go rescue Lissa. I can fend them off.”

“Certainly not,” she hissed through clenched teeth, “Don’t dare put on a brave face and pretend nothing has happened. Your heart knows that you can’t defeat this lot. Why do you try to make me go away? I’m the only thing standing between you and death.”

As much as I hated to admit it, it was true. I didn’t like to be vulnerable, to seek protection from her, when I should be the one protecting her. But due to the irony of fate, she was now thousand times powerful than me and thus I was the one who was in distress, not my damsel.

“So what do you propose that we should do?” I shouted to her.

“Do you still have the dynamite we had brought?” she asked, still focused on the Strigoi, who were screaming for my blood.

“But we need it to break down dungeon walls and all,” I protested.

She turned back for a moment and glared at me, “We need it now, to save you. Hear that?”

“As you say,” I whispered, letting her take charge of the situation.

I knew that she was determined to get us out.

“Take that out,” she commanded, pushing herself, and I back, till my back touched the wall, “Light it and give me.”

“I can’t” I shivered, “Fire could burn you if you plan to set up one. I can’t risk it with you being here.”

“You have to do it Dimitri,” her voice seemed distant, ‘For Lissa’s sake. Hurry up.”

I fidgeted in the pocket of my duster for the dynamite. Deftly snatching up the lighter, I held it in front of me.

The Strigoi were still advancing.

“Rose,” I said, “Get out of the way, away from me and come behind me.”

“I can’t risk you baring yourself to those monsters. They are nothing but predators,” she screamed.

“Fine,” I crossed my arms stubbornly, “With you in front, completely vulnerable to the flames, I won’t light the dynamite, even if it means my death.”

“You’re hopeless,” she screamed, snatching the dynamite from her hand, lighting it and throwing it at the advancing army.

There was a deafening explosion.

“No!” I screamed, lunging at her.

I deftly grabbed her, pinning her to the ground, covering her combustible body with the whole of my body, so that not a spark of the flames reach her.

She surprisingly didn’t protest.
I could feel the heat from the flames as it engulfed the screaming Strigoi.

Soon the screams and shouts died down and I finally let Rose stand up.

She tried to get as fast away from me as possible. Turning back, her hands on her hips, she turned to me, feigning anger, “What the heck was that?”

“Ummm…Nothing!” I looked away, trying to sound innocent.

“What if one among them had somehow escaped and come and grabbed you? What would have happened then?” she demanded.

“Since that didn’t happen, you should try to forget what happened. Moreover being with me for all these years must have made one thing very clear to you. I will protect you always, not matter what the cost,” I defiantly crossed my arms.

She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to look pissed. Finally she shrugged and relented, as her lips curled into a mysterious smile.

“I try to protect you, you try to protect me and we end up in this situation. There is no stopping this madness. I guess, as long as out life goes on, our troubles will never end,” she said, coming closer.

I moved one step towards her and took her in her arms as she buried her face in my chest, “Roza, whatever happened in life, we’re in it together.”

She mumbled something and sank further into my chest, breathing in my scent.

I knew this was dangerous. Her Strigoi self would not be able to resist my dhampir veins. Yet I felt no fear. If were in that situation it was all fate and a sickly humor of destiny.

She pulled back abruptly and my heart sank.

“Dimitri,” her voice was cold again, “You must understand that I’m still a monster, so don’t come closer to me without my permission. It is getting tougher for me, the longer I stay without hunting.

“Fine then, let’s go find Dragozera and escape from here,” I nodded gravely, “And then I’ll free you all from this state.”

“I like that name,” she gave a coy smile as we crept silently towards the castle dungeons.

Dead Strigoi lay on either side, burnt to ashes, half charred and some were writhing in their death throes.

It was becoming surprisingly easier to ignore all sights of death as the days passed by. We had actually been subjected to death so many times, that it failed to faze us off anymore.
Making out way through the sickly sight, we ultimately reached the other side of the castle.

Rose drew out the crumpled map from her pocket and we both looked into it for the exact location.

The dungeon was straight in front of us. And there was a lone guard on sight.

Seeing his relaxed posture, I doubted if he was deaf or had been commanded to not move from that place, no matter what. Because it was no way he could have missed the commotion a few yards away, with all the screaming and the fire.

More surprising was that the other Strigoi hadn’t come out. Though we killed a lot of them, it was unbelievable that there weren’t more in the castle.
Had they seen us? Were they lurking somewhere in the shadows, ready to pounce on us?

I looked around nervously, drawing Rose closer. She looked surprised but didn’t protest, sensing my vulnerability.

“What happened,” she asked, concerned.

I told her my worries. She stopped in her tracks. Her face was serious.

“Dimitri,” she said, turning on to me, “Now listen. Do you realise that once we go in, there is no going back? We may come out, we may not one of us may make it, the other may not. Promise me one thing. Today, we need to rescue Lissa. If it means choosing her over me, is it clear?”

I gulped. Could I do it? After all this, choosing Lissa over Rose would be the toughest thing in my life.

Once upon a time, in some other world, it would not be a problem, but now, once I had already attached myself to Rose, there was no going back. She was my priority.

“Rose, both of us will live. I somehow know that,” I said avoiding her question.

I was suddenly remembering the future Rose, our daughter Alexandra, praying that that very thing was our future. Rose’s words seemed to ring in my ears, ‘The future is volatile. Every choice you make in the present, affects the future.’

Was I making a right choice? Unfortunately there was no way to know.

‘Dimitri,” Rose snapped.

“Fine,” I lied, fingers crossed, “I promise you.”

“We need to take out the guard,” she said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We didn’t bother to hide as we attacked him face on.

He clearly wasn’t ready for the threat as in a few moments, my stake neatly bit into his heart. He slumped to the floor.

Leaving him, we sprinted off along the narrow dreary corridors, which reeked of death. There were skeletons with decaying flesh and rats scurrying about.

No wonder every prisoner kept there wasn’t a Strigoi.

Suddenly someone pounced on me from the back, pinned me to the floor and bit into my neck. It all happened so fast that Rose had no time to react.

I was only aware of a sharp pain followed by a drugged bliss.

Soon there was a bang, a scream and the weight was thrown off me. Still dizzy from the bite, I sat up, stunned.

“Dimitri, answer me. Are you okay?” Rose was shaking me vigorously as she helped me up. I leaned on the wall to support my still spinning head. The blood loss was taking its toll on me.

Suddenly I saw Rose looking at me in a weird way. Her eyes were burning ruby, and her gaze was at my neck.

Instinctively my hands went up to my neck. I pressed the two puncture wounds to stop the blood flow.

Rose suddenly snapped out of her trance and looked horrified.

“I’m so sorry. I have to be stronger. How could I…”

“It’s okay,” I stopped her and looking at the crumpled body of my attacker, continued, “Free flowing blood was too much to bear actually. It’s none of your fault. Come on, we need to find the others.”

I staggered a bit and immediately Rose was at my side, helping me.

“You don’t have to,” I said, “My blood must be burning your throat. I can’t see you hurting from inside.”

“I’m, actually starting to get used to your blood. Somehow it smells like love and lust to me, rather than a prey,” she deliberately bared her fangs.

I flinched, but nevertheless kept walking.

As soon as the effects of the vampire endorphins wore off, I could see and think more clearly.

Tracing our route according to the map, we reached a series of cells. We stopped short because the cells were surrounded by a deep moat, which was filled with charcoal, and there were tall flames leaping up.

“They do know how to keep Strigoi in captivity. Only fire can bar them, no metal is strong enough,” she hissed, “Lissa and Christian must be here. So what next?”

“I go in,” I said immediately, ‘You’ll stay out. This fire is too dangerous.”

She gripped my hand, menace clear in her voice, “No way are you going alone in there. They are uncontrollable.”

“I can’t let you go and get burnt. Moreover I’m a guardian and not a baby. Just once have some trust in me that I do know how to fight. You used to call me Russian God, Rose,” I shouted.

She released me, looking into my eyes.

Beyond the cruel ruby irises, I saw the depth of love, the hint of fear.

“P…Promise me that y…you’ll stay safe,” she stuttered.

“I promise,” I said with determination, pulling her into a quick kiss.

Finally I broke the kiss.

Gripping my stake firmly, I cautiously moved along the edge of the fire, searching for a crack in the tower of flames.

There was a small gap. Taking in a deep breath, I jumped. The fire singed my skin a bit, but it could have been worse with Rose.

And there was Lissa herself, kneeling down beside Christian, who looked sick.

“Lissa, I came to rescue you…”

“Dimitri, don’t come near,” a cry of pure panic from Lissa cut me off.

“But…”

I wasn’t given a chance to finish the sentence when Christian made a leap at me, going straight for my throat.

The look in his eyes was pure thirst. As a new Strigoi, they had kept him deprived of blood, turning him into a senseless monster.

I grabbed him midway, trying to restrain him.

“Lissa, come help me,” I beckoned to her.

To my utter horror, I saw the same predatory gleam. My blood was the perfect thing to satiate their thirst. I had made a big mistake by coming alone.

And at that moment I knew that I had to make a choice. It was either me or them. Rose’s choice was what mattered at that moment to me.

Who would Rose want to keep alive?

2000 words completed.

A/N Written for the brown belt of #writetorank contest by action

Hope you guys like it and tour constructive criticism is welcome.

Dedicated to KlaraSofe Meghana_violet frostwingak dracollavenore MidNight_WriteR360 JenniferJonnes JoeRover2 and all my fellow contestants and fighters. Your banters are what keeps me going .

Thanks Pipigrin teamhathaway louiseistyping
dodsley TwilightGirl32 edelmeehan
Academy8 and KashishBelikov my VA friends for loving me.