Well here is my nice fic of vampires after this poor girl named Dia and she doesn’t know why…but I do and you will later…living as a perhaps orphan she is hardened by her life on the streets but still has a human heart.

Blood Symphony

Chap. 1 Crimson Pools

The soft plopping of a leaky pipe solely broke the eerie silence. Small gasping breathes could be heard yet the crumbling buildings and lack of lampposts made anyone who was walking down this darker side of town quicken their pace and ignore any odd sounds they heard. Somewhere down in a dark alley containing a hidden entrance a lone figure slumped against the wall. The small cut off from the street blended into the shadows making it the ideal hiding spot. At least that’s what Dia had thought when she had stumbled across it moments ago. She knew that she would have to quiet her breathing if she didn’t want to be caught. Midnight hair covered her face and her dark clothing almost completely camouflaged her into her dark surroundings.

Her breathing slowed and was almost inaudible when the sound of pounding footsteps broke the stillness. Barely stifling a gasp Dia tried to squish her small frame tighter against the damp brick wall as if to melt into the granite surface. Her heart pounded in her ears as the footsteps slowed. Her fear paralyzed her so that even if they found her now she would not be able to flee again. Even more, her body was exhausted and she doubted she could find the strength to make her legs take one more step. She strained her ears daring to here over the calamity of her heartbeat to make out the now muffle voices as another pair of threatening footsteps joined the first.

“We HAVE to find her you know what the boss will do if we fail…” trailed off a gruff voice. Judging by the fact that the man up-held a steady flow of words she guessed he was the first footsteps not the ones that had just ran up.

“Don’t know why ...inhale…some brat is worth …inhale…so much damn trouble.” Wheezed out the second voice slightly lighter then the first. His voice held the soft whine that showed he was not used to the job of hunting down hostages. Even though Dia’s mind was plowing thru overtime she spared the thought to roll her eyes at the obvious young novice that was sent to ‘capture’ her.

Thinking about it she didn’t even know what these strange people wanted with her. She just knew from her experience of on and off living on the street that when a bunch of large angry men cornered you ordering for your cooperation that one had the best thoughts in mind to run. Like. Hell. Which led her back to the current situation in which she had temporarily outrun her pursuers only to be standing a mere 10 feet from them. Her hunters seemed to have stopped to form out a different strategy then ‘grab the defenseless street girl and report back to home base.’

Once again her eyes rolled in a mighty arc at the thought of her being defenseless. It just didn’t happen. Even if she lacked a weapon in her hands she would willingly fist fight anyone to insure her safety. Being a girl she was apparently entitled to “Scrappy Fighting” which included nails and biting. At times she objected to that kind of discrimination against her, yet given the current situation she would scratch either of these guy’s faces off if it meant a clean get away.

However back to the current situation somewhere in the distance the crash of a metal garage tin clanging against the pavement reverberated through the dark streets. Even though she still couldn’t see the two men she could almost feel the energy rise as their attention rounded on the sudden noise. The sound of their retreating footsteps she welcomed gratefully as it signified the two men’s obvious interest in anything other then the small alcove that was her hiding spot.

As the pounding footfalls grew faint she risked a sigh before straightening herself back up to a standing position. Using the wall as a guide she felt her way back out of the dark alley and cautiously into the open street. Sensing no immediate danger she walked in the opposite direction that the two men had just run off in. As inviting as some of the hiding places this street contained looked, she knew that there was a high possibility that the men would return to research the area when they couldn’t find her.

Keeping to the shadows she slinked her way through the abandoned streets. The lack of lighting blended her form into the buildings she clung to. Yet the impairment on her vision caused her to be more jumpy then usual. In addition to her growing nerves her imagination kept forcing her to look over her shoulder. She felt as though somewhere behind her, slightly overhead someone was following her. Their steady gaze was giving her goose flesh yet her quick glances granted her no unwelcome visitor that her instincts kept supplying.

She reached an intersection where the lack of sound and people made her situation all the more intimidating. Not wanting herself visible out in the open she knew that sticking to the sides of the buildings would conceal her. However the creepy feeling of being followed supplied her with the incessant need to have some space between the looming terraces overhead. Settling for dashing across the street onto the adjoining side of the parallel road her subconscious seemed to settle slightly.

She seemed to walk endlessly while some growing part of her expressed the necessity to keep moving yet her aching muscles and tired mind protested the more wary and logical side. The fact that she hadn’t seen a street sign for at least a dozen blocks frustrated her because although she would never admit to being lost the scenic route was rapidly loosing its appeal.

Wanting nothing more then to slump next to the nearest dumpster and simply sleep away her anxiety she settled for stopping ironically close to a flickering lamppost. Her wary eyes scanned the streets under the blinking light. The feeling of being watched returned and she could almost feel the pressure of their intense gaze on her shoulders. Spinning around swiftly she searched meagerly into the dark. Yet the darkness provided no answer and the limited lighting began to make her feel largely exposed. Just as she began to move again, still feeling the burning gaze, the sound of someone’s panting breath caused her to freeze.

She rigidly turned around pivoting on her right foot; however before she could see what hit her she was lying back down on the ground with a heavy weight situated on her chest and waist. Forcibly wrenching open her eyes ready to viscously attack the unknown weight she merely growled instead.

“Dante you had better get off of me right this instant!” she screamed. His triumphant smirk only fueled her anger. Her wounded pride from being so skittish because of this lumbering oaf was not so quick to heal.

“Ah D, are you sure that’s really what you want?” he said, his eyebrows arching suggestively. She grimaced in disgust and quickly shoved him over sideways so that she could drag herself out from under his dead weight.

“Ug, you’re such a cow Dante.” She complained as she lifted his particularly heavy black booted foot. Somewhere her mind recognized the fact that Dante was not in fact fat at all. His frame was coated in a thick layer of muscle. He too adorned obscure colored clothing except his short-sleeved shirt revealed his long arms. The contrast between skin and cotton made him look unhealthily pale. His hair stood in short spikes that had dyed black tips. His roots grew through mercilessly and it became obviously apparent that he needed to re-dye the brownish-blonde hair that grew thru.

He ignored her ‘fat’ comment long since accustomed to her verbal bantering. With cat-like grace he seemed to lift himself up by pulling on an imaginary cord fastened around his waist. She could only stare on in jealous awe at his smooth fluid movements.

He offered her a hand for help up which she made a point to rudely ignore before pushing off the ground herself and dusting off the back of her clothing. Once again unfazed by her obvious quarrelsome behavior he said,

“Shall I escort you then madam?” he finished with a quirky bow and straightened with a pointed elbow as if to lead her dignified to their destination.

“You are so full of it.” She scoffed. She then proceeded to lead the way without him although she slowed her step so that they could walk side by side. She still had no idea where she was let along where Dante had come from.

In fact that really described her whole relation with anyone she had met on the streets. When she had first ran away from home she still retained an innocent heart and untainted mind. That was quick to fade however as the trials of life suffocated any kind of childhood she might have had. Her first coming onto the streets had been a nightmare and Dante’s older brother Ryan was actually the one who saved her from any sort of possible cruel fate.

Being a young girl alone on the streets was dangerous enough yet add in the part that she happened to wander onto Tiger Gang territory only meant that she truly longed for a wild dance with danger. The memory was fuzzy in her mind as years of training had taught her to block out the weak moments of her life and to only depend on her stronger side to keep her safe. Yet at that young age she couldn’t hide behind any stronger side and her only ally was the darkness and her luck. At least that was what she had thought.

Her evasion had only led her so far until she trapped herself in a dead-end ally. As the members of the Tiger Gang closed in around her she remembered squeezing her eyes shut and ducking her head between her skinny arms. Yet the pain never came because before she her attackers could pounce the Dragon Gang led by Ryan had appeared and rescued her.

Their gang consisted of a fair amount of members but all were closely tied together and willingly to give their life to save any part of their ‘family.’ She had been scrawny and covered in grime. Yet Ryan had ignored her filthy appearance looked into her eyes and drawled out in his baritone rumble,

“She wants to live I can see it in her eyes.” She looked at him quizzically through her vision blurred by tears and wondered what he saw to look at her with such appreciation. In all of her short life no one had ever looked upon her with such admiration and she found herself confused yet immensely comforted by this kind stranger.

She didn’t remember the exact order of events but that had been the start of her membership on the Dragon Gang. Not as a full member of course but as a sort of little sister to all the members. They had been the ones who taught her the skills she needed to live in the world. The true world that lived on the streets, a world where she needed to learn to defend herself and the others around her.

It had been only a few short months since Ryan had suddenly disappeared. This left Dante as leader of the Gang and most thought him ready to take control, however Dia had come to see differently. Perhaps it had been Ryan’s last words. She had seen him the night before he had disappeared and the message of caution he had stressed into her still echoed thru her mind on an album like player set to repeat.

“Dia, soon I won’t be here to protect you. I need you to do two things for me when I leave can I trust you to do this for me?” She remembered the intensity of his gaze and the seriousness in which his voice rang, “Remember Dia, to trust your instinct above all else. We have taught you how to fight but not how to think, you have that power already inscribed within you and you must learn to harness it to your benefit. Also please help Dante. I realize you might not get along with my brother but he’ll need all of the help he can get please, please support him, be his guiding strength when all else abandon him.”

That was the last any had heard from Ryan to her knowledge and she was only beginning to realize the truth behind his serious words. She regressed to her thoughts of Dante and knew that he was just like her. A child that was stripped of his childhood, even now he such great things were being expected of him and he was only seventeen!

“DIA STOP IGNORING ME!!” Dante’s sudden shout broke her out of her memories only to find that their faces were mere inches apart and his deep brown eyes were glaring straight into her black ones. She gave a startled little squeal and tried to jump backwards only to find that Brent was standing right behind her. She spun around after backing up into his solid mass and put a hand to her chest trying to regain a normal breathing pattern for the second time that night.

“GUYS! Leave me alone!” She half whined but their smiles were mirrored on her face as she hung her head in ashamed defeat and slowly shook it from side to side.

“It has been a long day…” she muttered rubbing her temples as she turned to find somewhere to sleep. Throwing a hand in the air as a sign of departure she made her way into the Gang’s area of stronghold to find a safe and hopefully dry place to curl up and rest. She had not yet been assigned watch duty and she planned to be asleep before anyone came around to recruit the insomniacs as guards. The warm spot underneath the apartment windows was vacant and she quickened her pace to claim her sleeping spot for the night.

Making herself comfortable she settled into the silence of the night. The slow sounds began to fade as the talking of others drifted away and the slow churning of the heaters overhead began to lull her asleep. Her mind floating somewhere on the brink of consciousness she was suddenly lifted and seemingly cradled into someone’s muscular arms.

“Dante…let me sleep...” she sleepily murmured batting away the hand that was cradling her neck.

A rumbling chuckle vibrated hollowly through the chest she was being supported against followed by a silvery voice that split the air.

“Sweet Dia right now some mortal should truly be the least of your worries.” Suddenly feeling very awake her eyes bolted open only to be faced with pupils a deep shade of crimson in close proximity to her face. Before any of her reflexes had the time to kick in she was lifted off her feet and knocked unconscious.

Her last thoughts before she slipped into the enveloping darkness marveled at the beautiful sadness radiating from those crimson eyes.

END

Ooo I tried to be suspenseful haha… don’t you just hate those days where everyone you run into is trying to get you? Haha poor Dia, anyways please review!!