Brimo immediately released sharp claws to prepare for what the man in the black cloak might do. He was called Mr. Hidrith of the people, and that only means one thing.
"Mr. Hidrith!" Yza's uncle was still smiling broadly at him, but Mr. Hidrith looked at Brimo.
Halia's heartbeat quickened. She worried that in a flash, Mr. Hidrith would attack Brimo. She knew that the vampire standing in front of them now was the king of vampires.
If Torth was strong, he would surely be stronger because he is the king.
"Despite being the prince of your race, I did not expect that only mortals would be able to bring you down," Mr. Hidrith said insultingly.
"P-Prince?" one of the people startled.
When people noticed that there was something strange about Mr. Hidrith they stepped back to get away from him. Halia pulled her arm from Yza's uncle. She quickly adjusted her bow and pointed it at Mr. Hidrith.
"What are you? Are you a werewolf too?" a man asked Mr. Hidrith, and it’s remarkable that he’s just trying to be brave.
Halia's sweats seemed like a faucet dripping down her forehead and her chest moving up and down rapidly. Her knees also trembled due to the intensity of her fear, accompanied by the calm standing of Mr. Hidrith.
If she didn’t know he was a vampire, she wouldn’t be too scared. But she knew that behind his normal posture, he had something ferocious hiding. And at any time he can come out to hurt them.
"You're not going to hurt them, vampire," Brimo's voice insisted as he spoke and even groaned as he tried to release his power.
But Mr. Hidrith slowly neared to the people, and Halia was aggressively pointing an arrow at him. She knew that the slow action of Mr. Hidrith was the opposite of agility when he attacked people.
In her anguish, she let go of her arrow. But it did not sink into Mr. Hidrith's body. The people were stunned when they saw the arrow held by Mr. Hidrith's hand, and they were even more taken aback by the shock.
"You're a vampire!" A man shouted and threw the sharp bamboo at Mr. Hidrith.
Mr. Hidrith caught the sharp bamboo, and everyone saw the redness of his eyes, as well as his fangs, come out. They saw his fangs, and Halia was even more worried for them.
"Don't ever make a mistake, Vampire! You'll nothing to hurt—" Brimo shouted because of the pain he felt from his wound.
Halia seems to want to blame Yza's uncle for shooting Brimo. Because if only Brimo had no wounds. This vampire will not have a chance to hurt them.
Mr. Hidrith took a step towards the people. Halia became even more alert as her arrow aimed at him.
"Don't come near them!" she warned the vampire.
Mr. Hidrith stopped but the people are stepped back. Others fired guns but the bullet that hit Mr. Hidrith wasn't even that weak on him.
He seemed to be just exercising muscle control, and at the same time the bullets buried in his body came out. They floated in the air and fell to the ground. The people were just startled at what they saw.
“Once you hurt one of us, I will use the power of my bow to finish you off, Vampire!” Halia shouted at him. "Stay away from them!" she screamed as she released the arrow.
Mr. Hidrith caught the arrow as he continued to approach people.
"I said, stay away!" she shouted and gasped as she looked at Brimo. He tries to change as a werewolf form to save people.
"Look into my eyes," said Mr. Hidrith.
"No! Don't look him in the eye!" Halia shouts but still, people keep looking into his eyes.
"Brimo!" Halia cried as she spoke to Brimo who was resisting the change of his werewolf form.
"Halia, I can't!" Brimo shouts and forces to transform.
"You need to be healed," Halia said and because of that idea, Brimo forcibly got the bullet that was buried in his arm.
He screamed in pain. Halia looked away from Brimo because of what he was doing. But people are already out of themselves.
"You have no reminiscence of what you found out and saw today." She was surprised by what Mr. Hidrith said, and even Brimo looked at him as well. "Go back to your home and don't go back to this forest," he added.
The people who came under his power took refuge. With a nod, they simultaneously turned and walked away from them as they seemed out of themselves.
Brimo just stared at Mr. Hidrith, and Mr. Hidrith just looked at Brimo. Halia stepped back but in a flash, Mr. Hidrith left in front of them.
With the departure of Mr. Hidrith, Halia couldn't act immediately. She was still shocked and when her mind back to her sanity she remembered that Brimo had a wound.
"Brimo."
She quickly approached Brimo and sat down next to him. Brimo was holding a bullet he had gotten in his arm. He dropped it to the ground, and forcibly took another bullet from his leg. He cried out loudly in pain.
Halia's tears flowed because of her great pity for Brimo. Brimo got the bullet in his leg which was already weakening. She was filled with sweat, and it dripped from his forehead.
Halia wiped Brimo's wounds with her tears. Soon, Brimo's wounds narrowed slowly and closed.
Brimo remained silent as the pain he felt has disappeared. He lay down on the grass and took a deep breath.
"You're my life, Halia," Brimo whispered and looked at her.
She wiped her tears and then hugged Brimo. "Next time, don't catch the bullet," she requested and stared at him. "What if it's not the arm or leg that's hit?"
Brimo adjusted his seat and held her in her arms. "I can't fight when they attack me using guns, especially that you're with me. I'll be stuck between both of you that I don't want to get hurt," Brimo explained.
Halia just bowed her head and cried. "I'm afraid that next time, I'll lose you forever," she said emotionally.
"You won't lose me," Brimo whispered to her and just wiped away her tears. "Because I can't lose you," he added while holding her in her arms.
Halia continued to cry, but she remembered about the vampire. She broke free from Brimo's embrace. "The vampire! He's their king, isn't he?" she asked while staring into his eyes.
"Yes, he is," Brimo replied and stared at her as well.
"But why did he help us?" she asked.
It was a long time before Brimo shook his head. "That's also what I'm asking," he said softly.
They stared at each other for a moment, both of them asking in their minds. "Let's go," Brimo said eventually, and she nodded.
Brimo quickly transformed, and Halia looked as he grew up.
Brimo bowed to her to give her a signal that she needed to ride on top of him. She quickly stood up and obeyed Brimo's wishes.
Brimo ran quickly, and Halia felt the strong wind greet them. When they got out of the forest, Halia looked at the vast orchard of oranges.
She smiled at the plenty of fruit that almost every tree was full of. They also had many farmers who stood by Brimo’s passing and looked at them.
Halia wants to wonder why Brimo shows up to those people. And in the reaction of the people, they seem to be used to seeing a werewolf in their area.
At a large gate, Brimo stopped. Halia went down, and the two guards opened the closed large gate.
When it was opened, the two guards bowed to Brimo. Her smile widened at what she saw. Brimo is indeed the prince of their race. And that's when she understood that those two guards might be like Brimo —a werewolf.
Brimo stepped into the gate, and Halia's heartbeat throbbed erratically. This is her first time entering Brimo's mansion. And this mansion is like a palace.
She knew that Brimo's housemate who lived here was the king of werewolves — his father.
When they got inside, she looked around. Its wide ground is full of flowers, and she also sees maids.
They were all in uniform, and they were also looking at them. Especially to her as if someone else had just entered their place.
Inside the mansion itself, two women in maid uniforms greeted Brimo and were carrying a wide white cloth.
They covered it with Brimo's body, and in a moment, Brimo transformed into a human being.
"Good day, Dear Prince!" greeted the two women and looked at her.
She smiled at them, and they looked at the bow she was holding.
"Where is my father?" Brimo asked them.
"He is on the terrace, Dear Prince," replied a woman.
Brimo faced her with a white blanket covering his body. "Let's go," Brimo invited her, and he stepped ahead.
She followed him, and they went upstairs. On the wide terrace, that's where they go. She saw a man standing, and facing a beautiful view. When she straightened her eyes she saw a vast land. If she was not mistaken, that was the land they owned.
"My dear king," Brimo whispered to his father.
Brimo looked at her first, and she smiled at him then turned to face his father. His father acted and confronted them. His eyesight went directly to her.
"I want to introduce to you my Halia, Father king," Brimo said and then touched Halia's waist.
Noreo's gaze shifted to them for a moment. "Welcome to my home, Halia!" Brimo's father greeted her.