Chapter 29 THE CLAN IS HERE.

THURSDAY
We all just looked at each other, exchanging gazes periodically. It lasted for a few silent minutes.
"Wait—what in hell is going on?!" The tyrant yelled angrily.
"You were about to drop the bomb on 'em sir," one of his minions said, that one I had been previously locked in with in a staring match, which I apparently won because he had lost concentration and looked away at the voice of his boss.
"Oh, yeah..." he said, faking remembrance.
"Should I tell him Jereum? Or you'd rather shut me up?"
"Yeah, sure tell 'em... It's not like you all don't know it," Jereum said, shrugging and looking nonchalant.
I saw the shock and bewilderment in the tyrant's eyes. But I could also see, right behind the mask of I-don't-give-a-damn in Jereum's eyes, how difficult this was for him.
"You know what I don't care!" I said, and Jereum looked at me surprised.
"I don't care what he was or who he was before he got impurified, Jereum is a member of my clan and no matter the things he did in his past it won't change the fact that that was in his past and he has left that behind him."
"But how would you even be sure if you don't know what he was?" The tyrant asked.
"Guy's got a point," Jereum agreed with him and looked at him mouthing the words, ‘what the hell.'
"Err... I—" I started but was cut off as I heard a loud thump from behind us and everyone turned their gazes to see who or what it was.
We all spotted the tall figure of someone and there, standing on a large rock, mahogany coloured skin outlined by the grey light that shun from above was Jhan. He was angry, he face contorted with rage.
"You are interrupting my training session Dallas," He said, "that is a violation against the welfare of my clan and I would only ask you to leave once..."
The tyrant and his goons were gorged with fear that leaked from the pores in their skin. Not only did Jhan look like an angel of avengement, but he was also a two hundred year old, elite and dangerous vampire.
The fear in the lead tyrants eyes slowly dissipated and a crooked smile crept onto his lips.
"Look around us boys, it is the twenty of us versus three of them," He said, motioning with his hands.
"We are actually twenty-five, sir." Eye staring match guy said.
"Count again," I heard Tia's voice from the back and with a heavy thud she took out of the goons, who was now lying on the ground unconscious.
Surprise was the only expression on everyone's face. Except for Jhan that is, I was sure he had planned this.
"It doesn't matter, we still outnumber you all, it's twenty-four against four, that's a whole twenty goons I got more—"
"They are actually five of them, sir." Eye staring match guy said and yet again he was right and I spotted Leya lolling lazily as she stood on the branch of a tree behind us, a large lollipop in her mouth.
"Well it doesn't still matter because—just attack them already!"
The tyrant's goons took into the trees and we all followed. I could only see flashes of them as they leaped from tree to tree and camouflaging within the leaves quickly.
I was about to leap to another branch when someone knocked me down, hard. I fell helplessly and hit the ground with a heavy thud, groaning in pain I spotted above me on a tree branch; eye staring match guy.
"Traitor, I know it's because I won that match," I groaned out pathetically.
Tia landed beside me.
"Are you hurt?" She asked.
"No," I was already on my feet. I could now see that the tyrant's goons had now clung to a side of the forest, and I could see my clan on the other side. I leaped and grabbed hold of branch beside Leya who was looking as carefree as ever.
The all had red, evil glints to their eyes. We all jumped to the opposite direction, as if on command. And, from the corner of my eyes, I could see Jereum, smiling with delight.
I caught hold of one of the tyrants, punching him to the ground. I saw Tia stylishly dodge a punch, grab her opponent and send her fist into his chest, her glory was short lived as two other goons grabbed her and pulled her down.
"Tia!" I shouted. Immediately my feet touched the stem of a tree I pushed against it, speeding down towards Tia who was apparently taking several punches.
"Leave her ALONE!" I bellowed, as I sent both my fists hard into their backs. We all crashed to the ground, but luckily I had landed on something soft.
I cleared my vision and looked at what had broke my fall, I met Tia's blue eyes and she looked back at me with a sly smile on her face.
"There are better ways to lie on me Kaldar, you can always just ask," She said, before she pushed me off her body and leaped back to the trees.
"Lie on you?" I asked myself.
I saw Jereum fighting off about three goons and at a corner, on the ground I could see Jhan easily beating up about seven of them at a time.
They were all engaged in combat I was skipping branches when I saw two goons appear out of nowhere behind me. They were hissing and growling and upped my speed. We were weaving through the tree tops, avoiding thick branches and leaves. They were faster than me; they would soon catch up to me. Further ahead, I saw a little distracting reflection of light and I smiled to myself knowingly. The goons chasing me were now close.
'Wait for it... Wait for it...' I told myself.
On reaching the point of the light, I ducked and, just as I had expected, Jhan popped out of nowhere, a malicious grin on his face his arms were held as if folded and he released them to either side, knocking them down. I wondered how he had got to that position so fast.
I guffawed in amazement, looking at the vampires as they fell the long way down. I looked back in front of me and, yet again, it was too late. I slammed my head into a tree and fell the long way down as well.
On hitting the ground I was heavily dazed. I touched the softened part of my skull and groaned in pain. In no time, my skull repaired itself and I heard Jereum's frustrated grunts as he tried fighting off seven goons.
The goons were sending punch after punch with crack after crack and I knew that in no time they would exhaust him. Gathering up guts and strength, I leaped towards Jereum, kneeing one of his assailants on entering his fight. We stood, backing each other.
"Thanks, but I don't need your help," He spat.
But I had seen him receive several punched before I crashed in.
"Mmm, I don't think your previous situation could have told the same story," I said and he scoffed.
We lunged for the goons, expertly dodging attacks and beating them off. I had just finished knocking out two of them when Jereum had just dealt with three. There was one left, he looked at us with fear.
"Should we?" I asked, after a knowing glance at Jereum.
"Yeah, whatever."
I heard a dual cracking sound as we both sent our fists into the goons face. He flew a long way back before hitting the same rock Jhan had appeared on.
We were about to leave our breaths out relief, but then, ten more goons dropped form the skies, surrounding us. Jhan and Tia landed from above to the middle of the circle. I saw a few more drop from nowhere and I could see that Jhan was already getting exhausted, same with Tia whose face bore a deep ugly scar that was already knitting it self back.
They all wielded wooden stakes and were advancing slowly on us. I spotted the lead tyrant on a high tree above. He gazed down with satisfaction on us.
Ieaped at one of the goons.
"Kaldar, no!" Tia shouted but it was already too late. I was almost at him when he turned quickly and kicked me. His boots forcefully pushing me backwards. I landed just a few feet from Tia but got back up quickly, feeling and hearing a few ribs pop back from their fractures.
There was no way we could win this fight. It was over, this group seemed more skilled than the last, plus they were down to the kill.
"Now!" Jhan shouted. They all leaped into the air, Tia carrying me along and I could see the confused look ok the faces of the goons as all the trees around them collapsed inwards, and knocking them all out. There was a thunderous crash and I could see the ones that were still standing get knocked out by Jhan.
It dawned on me, where had Leya been. There was no way she could fight these guys and then I saw her sitting on one of the fallen tree stumps, her big lollipop in her mouth.
"Now that's how you fall a tree," Jereum shouted in triumph from where we stood.
Only she had done that... Wow.
"But how?" The lead tyrant asked, from his position on a tree a little distance from ours.
"Unlike you, we had a plan," Jhan said as he leapt back towards the tree we stood on and I felt betrayed as I wasn't let in on the plan. But then, my feeling of betrayal lifted as I realized that even Jereum knew nothing about this plan either.
The lead tyrant attempted at a get away but his the tree he was standing on, started to lean and fall. He leaped from the spot he stood in a hurry but was countered by Jereum who took the opportunity to leap the distance and punch him down. The both fell and we all jumped after them, I heard the falling tree crash from behind me.
Jereum pushed him down through the air with his feet and landed standing on him. We all landed behind them and I watched Jereum raise a leg into the air but stomp it beside the tyrants head.
"This is your last warning Dallas, do not try to attach me again, if not you'll have to deal with all of us. The tyrant merely scowled as Jereum raised let his boot off his chest, he dashed off in a loud crack.
We stared after his form, as he ran away in a distance. Suddenly, they all started to celebrate, jumping, shouting and chanting randomly parts of the fight I wasn't even sure could have been possible. Jhan lifted Leya into the air and they all changed her name, the girl laughed as Jhan threw her into the air repeatedly and caught her.
I joined in shouting and jumping in any direction. Slowly, we stopped and were all laughing except for Jereum, he was sitting on the stem of a fallen tree, his face with a meek sadness.
"Jereum? What's wrong?" I asked.
"I think it's time you know Kaldar, know about who I was..."
I knew where he was driving at.
"If don't wanna share it... You don't have to say anything to prove a point."
"No, no. I made my choice. But I can't say it."
"Can't say or won't?" I asked him.
Frustration flashed in his eyes and he twisted his mouth to one side.
"Then how would tell me if you don't wanna say it?" I asked.
He looked at Jhan, "Jhan would show you."
"I'll show you with mind link what Jereum's life was before his impurification."
"Okay... How does it work."
"You have not fight me Kaldar, if you do I'll be thrown out of you head and you'll experience a terrible ache. It will only take about a second but it will feel longer for you."
"Okay," I said slowly.
Jhan eyes glowed up, a low white hue, and he touched my forehead.
I started to see memories, memories that weren't mine, flash before my eyes. The feeling was itchy, but I didn't fight it. I drowned in the meaningless flashes, falling onto oblivion and landing on a white bed, staring at a cobwebbed ceiling.