True words.

Shadow was biting on her lip as four girls and one boy ran out from the trees. ALl five skidded to a halt as they caught sight of Shadow and Bart. Archangel looked close to tears, Onyx looked furious, along with Twilight and Eclipse. Even Cika looked mildly annoyed.
"You," They said in unison.

Bart looked back at Shadow, twisting his muscular body around. He lifted one eyebrow, then turned back to the five children, and he pointed at himself discreetly, with one hand. "Me?" Bart asked, quietly. He wasn't sure whether if the kids had spoken to him or to Shadow. But it seemed more like they were addressing themselves to him, for some odd reason.

"Both of you," Archangel snarled, drawing a short sword from the sheath on her hip. The noise seemed to echo around the lake as the other four copied her actions, adopting battle stances.

Bart blinked multiple times, not really understand what the hell was going on. But he preferred not to ask, and to get prepared. He jumped back, turning kraferric. Brown fur shot out of his body, while a tail slipped by his back, swaying curiously in the wind. His eyes went red, and his nails turned into sharp claws. He kept his silver bracelets tightened, and went into a kraferric battle stance, one arm at the side, slightly crouched, one arm in front, back leg outstretched, and front leg flexed.

Shadow, however, didn't adopt her battle stance. She watched as the rest of the clan emerged from the trees. Vrael, Shaeman, Raven and even the small pegusi herd Shadow had raised herself. All wore identical expressions of hatred.

Bart looked at the new people that also came. He took one step back. He began to know what was going on. He remembered the prophecy, and how the members of Shadow's former family treated the 'new' Shadow. Bart jumped back, to stand in front of Shadow. He eased the bracelets that were on his forearms. His fur went purple, and he gained a second pair of eyes, as his claws grew. His tail slashed at the wind behind him. Black sparks came out of his hands.
"Don't even dare to approach!" He yelled to the Roth and Mercian family.

Shadow still made no move towards her family. A wind had started to blow lightly, forming waves on the smooth surface of the lake and blowing the demoness' hair slightly. The other demons didn't move. It was a challenge, directly, for dominance.

Bart knew he wouldn't be able to defeat all of them. Especially since he started hesitating when he saw the five children with short swords. Bart scowled at the 8 humanoids and at the small pack of pegusi. He knew that Raven could defeat him bare-handed, with much more ease than Shadow would, as she was a determined warrior. Vrael had extreme precision, and fighting against him would be suicide. Same came for Shaeman, who Bart had never seen fight, but who he thought was as experienced as Vrael. His tail slashed furiously at the air, breaking the wind.

The staring match continued unti lShadow looked away, unable to face her clan as if she wasn't one of them. Vrael nodded once. He had taken charge as the head of the clan now, and everyone obeyed his orders. He drew one arrow from the quiver on his back, nocking it into the bow, but not drawing back the string.

Bart was trying to breathe calmly, but his breathe came out heavier and louder than he thought it was at the moment. His battle stance was the same as his normal, krafferic one. His hands were tensed, and sparks coiled around his fingers. He waited for Vrael to do something with the arrow he had put on his bow.

Shaeman pulled out two throwing stars from the pouches around his waist, and Raven drew her favoured two-handed sword. Shadow reached up her sleeve, drawing her dagger. Instead of attacking, Shadow placed it on the ground, raising her eyes to look defiantly at the clan.

Bart turned around as he heard the very faint metal clink as Shadow posed her dagger on the ground. He didn't question her intents, and he turned angrily back to her clan, still defensive, prepared for anything that may occur. His tail was whipping at the air, and his red eyes glistened under his hair.

Shadow bowed, kneeling on one knee, her hand fisted over heart in a formal and respectful salute. Vrael scowled, and the three adult demons walked forwards in synchronisation towards the demoness and the Kraferr.

Bart scowled back at Vrael, taken aback. He didn't move, but his heart started beating frantically against his rib cage. He did not budge one centimeter even though Vrael, Raven and Shaeman were at a few meters from him, and were in perfect capability of piercing him through the heart.

Shadow looked up at the three demons, and then stood up. Her tail was tightly wound around her leg, signalling her discomfort.
"Vrael," She said quietly. The vampire scowled.

Bart stood in front of Shadow, ready to block any upcoming attack. He felt very uncomfortable, having three of the best warriors he had seen in his life, in front of him, acting in an exaggerated hostile way. But Bart nevertheless tried to keep his calm. The black sparks gathered in his hands, into tight spheres, where a black aura emanated.

Shadow glanced at Bart, making a small handgesture that meant that he should calm down. Vrael noticed the glance, and his hand tightened on his arrow. He turned his silver gaze back to Shadow.
"Wolf," He said curtly.

Bart noticed the gesture, and he sighed, and stood up. The breath that came out of his mouth calmed him down, and the magic stopped filtering out of his hands, as he turned back into a kraferric state. Both of his red eyes merged, and his claws became 'normal' again. His tail was still slashing at the wind, but he looked up at the vampire known as Vrael.

Shadow looked down again, her eyes narrowed. She was unarmed, and she knew that the demons would be armed to the teeth. She hadn't suspected that the clan out be there.
"What business have you here?" Shaeman asked, his eyes narrowed.
"We train." Shadow replied simply.

Bart didn't reply, and he preferred to be quiet. He left the two to speak, but he kept near Shadow, just in case things would get violent. He looked down at the ground. Being in this situation reminded him of the people at school who got insulted by him one day and come back with reinforcements the other day to beat him up for it. He wasn't used to those kinds of situations yet, and never would be. But pain was something he had to endure everyday, and he was used to it by now.

Shadow gazed at Vrael, but it wasn't dominance she was seeking, it was understanding. Vrael, however, refused her this, his gaze as cold as the metal it seemed to be.
"Vrael. Vrael Panther James Mercian, son of Syryla and Karthragan. My half brother."
"I bear no relation to you, wolf," Vrael snarled through a clenched jaw.
"Not wolf. Shadow." THe demoness corrected.
Vrael raised his bow, aiming, his eyes narrowed.

Bart quickly lifted one hand, gripping the end of the arrow Vrael had put onto his bow with his fingers. Bart scowled at the man. "Don't," he muttered quietly to the vampire, trying to make him understand, even though it seemed that the man only wanted to hear what he believed.

Vrael didn't fire the arrow, but the string was drawn back, ready to loose the arrow in a second's notice.
"Shadow perished. You are not her." He growled.

"Then why try to kill her anyways?" Bart asked, his head slightly tilted to the side sarcastically. "If Shadow's really dead, then why try to also kill the person who says that she is Shadow, but that you think not? I mean, it serves no logical purpose..."

Vrael turned his silver gaze to Bart, frowning slightly.
"We seek not to kill her, but to protect the clan. She is still a danger to us, and we wish to keep our young safe."
Shadow mentally rolled her eyes.
"You smell something Vrael?" She asked cryptically.
The vampire shook his head.
"'Cus I smell a lot of *beep*."