Bring Me To Life | The Originals (1)

Bloodletting

The raucous sound of voice echoed around the courtyard of the Abattoir as the hordes of vampires congregated in a crowd and they chatted in small groups as drinks of alcohol and blood were passed around on silver trays like shots of tequila at a college bar.

Marcel looked down at the hundreds of vampires that he considered to be his family from over the top of the balcony railings with a smile on his lips and he swept his dark brown gaze over all of the people in attendance as marvelled his own accomplishment. He had done this. He had built the French Quarter back up from the ground after the Mikaelson's had abandoned it 1919, after he survived the massacre of vampire's that took place, after he took initiative to establish a leadership role in the French Quarter.

And now it was all his.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fight Night!" Marcel announced jovially with a massive grin on his lips as he spread his arms out in greeting. At the sound of the King's voice, all of the vampire's standing beneath him in the courtyard turned their attention to the balcony where he stood and Marcel's grin widened with satisfaction as he held his head up higher with pride. "And, the first rule of Fight Night is: The vampire left standing at the end of the night is one step closer to the inner circle, and one of these," he told them as he held up his hand to show them the vintage ring on his right hand ring finger and the crowded fell into an awed silence as all of the nightwalkers stared longingly at the chance to once again walk in the sunlight, "a daylight ring. If you can impress me with a little ultra-violence, you too can enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face. All you got to do is kick a little ass. Here we go!"

Imogen stepped out of the shadows of the balcony as the vampires erupted with deafening cheers in the courtyard below and she made her way over to the edge of the balcony where Marcel was gazing fondly down at his followers.

"Someone should be a motivational speaker." She said teasingly with a smirk on her lips as sidling up next to him at the railing and tilted her head to the side as she looked down at the vampires currently forming a loose circle in the courtyard. "Look at them, all pumped up and raring to go."

Marcel chuckled lightly as he ducked his head with an amused smile on his lips and subtly peeked at the brunette next to him from the corner of his eye. "Shut up. Do you have it?"

"Do I have it? Please." Imogen scoffed in mock indignation as she gave him an offended pout of her lips and he gave her a pointed look even though his dark brown eyes shined with amusement. The young witch let out a small laugh as she rolled her bluish eyes theatrically and reached into her coat pocket for the metal ring she had been asked to spell earlier that day.

Marcel grinned at her as he inspected the vintage style ring in her delicate fingers and then turned his attention back to the horde of impatient vampire's in the courtyard below him. They had formed a loose circle around the edges of the courtyard as they waited anxiously for their King to announce which two of them were going to get a chance to win a daylight ring.

"Our first two contenders: Felicia and Otto!" Marcel declared loudly with a smirk as he leaned both his hands on the railing in front of him and Imogen stepped forward slightly so that she could easily see the makeshift ring below.

The crowd below erupted to loud cheers as the two vampires stepped into the middle of the courtyard with large grins on their lips and Imogen bit her lower lip as she watched them move at lightning speed towards one another. To the young witch's ordinary sight it looked like a mess of blurred movements that couldn't be distinguished, much like one of Monet's masterpieces.

Marcel watched the end of the brawl with an easy smirk on his lips as he leaned forward over the railing for a clear view of the arena and wolf-whistled loudly through the raucous cheering below as Felicia landed the winning blow on her opponent by snapping his neck.