Excerpt: Project Black Sun

***The MC, Steopa, is a vampire. He has agreed to help with the exploration of the portal for his own reasons, he has convinced most of the other creatures to go, except one. She is a Harionago, a Japanese ghoul, that can rip people apart with her hair. ***

He wanted to make sure all of them could go, it would be a chance to get out of here. They could escape, all of them could. But Steopa knew that to really make a good attempt they would have to work together. That meant all of them, including Moriko.
She was going to be trouble. She hated Runa, because Runa was so generous with her feminine wiles. Moriko hated almost all the rest of them because they were men, or had been men. She was seething in hate. But yet, she was still here. The kobold left with in a mater of hours, Moriko stayed.
The doors opened. Steopa waited. He heard Jeremiah go into Perun's room. Then Navarro joined them. Vindar did not leave his cell today. When the hall was quiet, Steopa got up and walked to Moriko's cell.
He knocked on her door frame. Her cell was sparse. A mattress sat laid on the floor, raised slightly by a little platform. There was a small chest against one wall, and nothing else. Moriko was sitting on her bed, her legs tucked underneath her. She looked up and snarled.
“I need to speak to you,” Steopa said.
Moriko stared at him for awhile, then stood up. She walked so carefully, she seemed to float to the door. “What about?” She asked.
“Do you want to stay here?” Steopa asked.
Moriko's eyes narrowed. “Do you?”
Steopa leaned in to her room. “There might be away, but everyone has to go.”
“Why should I believe you?” Moriko asked. “You haven't tried to escape.”
“That is true,” Steopa said, “But I have my own reasons for staying. But we cannot stay here forever.”
Moriko's hair began to climb up her body and snake around her head. “I don't think I can trust you,” She said.
“Because I am a man,” Steopa said, “If that is the case, you know nothing about vampires.”
“And you know nothing about the Harionago.” Moriko said.
Steopa nodded, “That is true.”
“You want to know why I would stay here?” She asked, her eyes flashing red, “Because when they can destroy millions what chance do we have?”
“We are not here to destroy anything.” Steopa said.
“You hunt them,” Moriko said, “Why bother when they can wipe themselves out? Animals have more sense.”
“Humans have been killing themselves for centuries,” Steopa said.
“You cannot stand here and tell me that what they did during that war did not affect you too.”
Steopa stepped into her cell. Moriko's hair fanned out behind her, making her look like a snake about to attack. Steopa growled. “I saw an entire city brought to the brink of starvation for years, because a trumped up German fascist wanted to rule the world.” Steopa stepped closer to Moriko, “Navarro and I found one of those camps. In both places it would have been so easy to hunt. But we did not. Do you know why?”
Moriko's hair was poised to rip Steopa apart, but Steopa tilted his head and said, “Because there are times, you let humans become more of a monster than you are.”
The barbs of her hair began to pierce his skin. Steopa did not flinch. “When they are done playing monsters, we come out of the shadows and show them what real monsters are.”
Moriko smiled. This one was almost pleasant. “I may have misjudged you.” She said.
Her hair was still poised to strike. Steopa leaned closer, “Do not let your guard down,” Steopa said.
“I don't.” Moriko said. Her hair slashed Steopa across his face.
Steopa wiped the blood of his cheek. “Are you willing to behave, if it means escape?” he asked.
“Yes,” Moriko said, “But only for that reason.”
Steopa left her room.