Two Beasts | Mikael

Chapter Twelve

 Mikael wasn't sure how he felt about Radu, or about staying with him in his castle. It had been a very generous offer, considering the fact that Mikael's original mission was to kill Radu. 

 He had taken some more time to think about what Radu had said. For centuries, Mikael had hunted Niklaus endlessly and relentlessly. Perhaps it was time he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, so to speak. He could use the rest, no doubt, and he had the chance to think. For over two hundred years, he hadn't found his children. It was almost as if they had disappeared off the face of the earth. That, or they were much more careful this time.

 Mikael couldn't help sorry for Radu. He had lost his entire family, and it practically made him a hermit. It was obvious he was afraid to make friends, to connect with anyone. After Camelia's death, he was no doubt afraid of hurting someone else.

 After accepting Radu's invitation to stay, Mikael spent several days roaming around the castle. Whatever magic Radu used had kept every part of it neat and clean and well-preserved, but it felt like there was something missing. To think, it was once a happy family home, and now it was simply lonely and grim.

 But after day after day of being inside, Mikael began to grow restless. He wandered around and looked and paintings and furniture and read a few books from Radu's library, but he felt the need to do something.

 Mikael was born to warriors, and was raised a warrior. He hadn't held a weapon in quite a while, and he always practiced his skills whenever he could, not wanting to fall out of practice.

 "Do you keep any weapons around here?" he asked Radu one evening during supper.

 The other man raised his eyebrows. "Weapons? Might I ask why?"

 "I want to practice. I'm restless. Anything you have will do."

 "Well, I suppose I must have something. I will look."

 After he cleared away the dishes, Radu went off in search of weapons, and came back with two swords.

 "Perhaps these will do?" he asked, holding them up.

 Mikael nodded. "Very well. But you brought two. Are you joining me?"

 "I don't see why not. I don't think anyone uses swords in battle anymore, but there's no harm in a little practice." He handed one of them to Mikael. "Shall we?"

 "There isn't anywhere else we can practice?"

 "Well, this is one of the largest rooms in the castle, and I thought it would make for a good battle ground." Radu hauled himself up onto the table, and pointed his sword at Mikael. "I hereby challenge you to a duel. Without any real killing, of course."

 Mikael smiled, and proceeded to join him up there.

~~~~~~

 For several nights afterward, they would clear off the table and spar together. They would both simple and laugh while aiming with their swords, and they genuinely enjoyed themselves.

 However, Radu found he had a trouble of his own. It took a much shorter time than he thought for his blood stores to run out, and he had nothing left to drink. Since he was growing weaker, Mikael easily bested him in every duel.

 "There's something wrong with you, isn't there?" Mikael asked, putting down his sword. "You're not this easy to beat."

 "It's my blood stores," Radu said. "I've run out. If you can beat me easier than you usually can, than that means I'm getting weaker already."

 "Oh, Radu, you should have said. Take mine."

 "No." He shook his head. "You're my guest, and my friend."

 "Oh, Radu, you're not going to let my stubbornness rub off on yourself, are you?" Mikael asked with a sigh. "If we are friends, then you should be able to rely on me. Take some if you need it."

 Seeing that Mikael meant it, Radu leaned down and sunk his teeth into Mikael's neck. It was the first time Radu had ever tasted the blood of another vampire, and it did seem to taste different from human blood.

 He lifted his head, his lips now bloodstained, and looked at Mikael, who was looking back at him in surprise.

 "I had thought you would take from my wrist," he said.

 "Oh. I-I'm sorry." Radu quickly tried to wipe the blood from his mouth. "I am so used to drinking from the neck."

 "I know. I think you ought to go out tonight and replenish your blood stores. If we only feed off of each other, we'll both end feeling rather weak, and that isn't going to make for a very fun duel, is it?" Mikael turned to leave. "Goodnight, Radu."

 "Goodnight," Radu called back as Mikael departed.

 Radu smiled to himself. If Mikael was encouraging to gout and make sure he had the nourishment he needed, it meant he had no prejudice, and probably about Radu. And that made him smile.