Wyatt Tepes made his way through the Tepes family archives one day to find his son Brendan writing down notes in a familiar spot of his. Wyatt took a deep breath and sighed seeing his son sitting there alone. Sometimes Brendan was joined by Vlad and Lisa in his family research or studying the family legacy which they helped him out with, but both had gone to the kitsune realm to visit Lord Tatsu and Lady Shizen. Brendan's siblings were also all gone doing something with a respective loved one. Andrew was still traveling with Lady Roseblood back to her home and he had sent his parents letters as to how he was doing and of course spoke passionately of 'Eveline' in his letters. Meanwhile both Andromeda and Nyx were having a good time visiting with their boyfriends. Kyra was especially happy that her daughters were in love, although Wyatt did still miss his daughter being away from home for so long. Duncan was still home in the realm as well, but he was spending a lot of his time having fun with his girlfriend, Princess Isabella.
"Hello Brendan, have you come across anything new in your family research?" Wyatt said trying to strike up a conversation with his son.
"More of the same dad, sometimes it gets a little tedious, but I like to read between the lines to see if I find anything new that I missed. It's like discovering a new fact about our people and the other cultures that I didn't know before." Brendan answered.
"You know Brendan, your siblings are all out doing something fun, why don't you and I go out of these archives and try having a little fun of your own?" Wyatt suggested trying to sound excited.
"Are you trying to spend some father/son time with me? Or do you just want to take me out in the hopes that I might find myself a boyfriend?" Brendan asked raising an eyebrow to his father.
"I didn't say you had to find a boyfriend, but....if you wanted to, you could find a boyfriend too." Wyatt said as Brendan sighed and went back to reading.
"Come on now Brendan, I just....I thought you might have been lonely down here was all." Wyatt said putting a hand on his son's back to comfort him.
"Did you just remember I was down here again, or did mom remind you?" Brendan asked knowing that he didn't always stand out amongst his siblings.
"Maybe it was your mother, or maybe I just wanted to spend some time with my son." Wyatt replied not directly answering Brendan's question as Brendan shook his head.
"You know Brendan, I do see a lot of me in you. Or at least the me that I was before I became a vampire." Wyatt admitted to his son with a little smile.
"I thought...or at least I assumed you were like Andrew back in school with all the girls going after you and acting all proud." Brendan assumed.
"Heh, no, if anything Andrew is what I almost wish I was back before I became a vampire. But he does still remind me of the young vampire I was back then. Boys didn't really care to be my friend, girls didn't really seem to notice me. The only girl who really ever thought about me before I became a vampire was your mother. Like you, I was the quiet one in school, I had barely spoken to anyone else at school besides your mother and then the only other girl I really spoke to at all was Cassandra and then, well....I think you know how the rest of the story goes." Wyatt explained.
Brendan looked around at the shelves of books and then down at the book he was reading from before taking a deep breath and nodding.
"Alright dad, you've convinced me, what do you want to do?" Brendan asked his father as Wyatt thought for a moment.
"Let's see how you are in your hunting skills." Wyatt replied as the two proceeded to leave the archives.
Not far away from their home, there was a large forest that the two went to for hunting. The forest was filled with good memories in survival skill training and one bad memory for the Tepes siblings which they never liked to discuss, especially in front of Nyx. But as the years had gone on, the Tepes siblings all became very formidable when it came to hunting wildlife. Andromeda didn't care much for hunting and only did it as a last resort since animals seemed to love her a lot. But now, Wyatt and Brendan had changed into their hunting clothes that was better accustomed to the outdoors.
"Tell me....what do you see?" Wyatt asked Brendan as they crouched beside a tree.
"Some squirrels, a rabbit or two, a stag, and far off in the distance, I can make out a bear." Brendan answered.
"Good, now which do you want to strike?" Wyatt asked interested in seeing what his son might try to get his teeth into.
"Well....Andromeda would hate me if I told her I went after a rabbit or a squirrel, the bear is a little too far, and I see it leaving now. So that leaves the stag, it's a male and fully grown." Brendan said as his father just nodded.
Brendan carefully made his way through the grass at first before he saw that the stag's ears perked up thinking it heard something. Now Brendan proceeded into the trees so the creature's guard was lowered. It was something Lancelot had taught them all to do, so catching prey was easier. Brendan took a deep breath, extended his vampire fangs, then jumped below onto the stag's back. The stag tried bucking him off, but Brendan held firmly onto the stag as best as he could before biting his fangs into the stag's neck. The stag gave out a scream of pain as it fell down onto the ground. Other animals were running away in fear away from Brendan and the stag, including the bear. Wyatt now came over and stood beside Brendan as they both looked at the stag, it was still clutching onto life as it squirmed its legs trying to stand as Brendan now kneeled down in front of the stag and Brendan placed his hands on it.
"You have to finish it. You cannot let it live in suffering." Wyatt said to his son who nodded.
"I know, but it's sometimes hard to see an animal like this." Brendan said.
"The stag are known to be herbivores, but that are not above eating other animals like rabbits, and on occasion they have been known to eat human remains. Stag may be seen as gentle, but any animal, even stag came become aggressive if they feel threatened. I had thought you knew that already." Wyatt explained to his son.
Brendan now proceeded to kill the stag as it slumped to the ground finally dead. Wyatt put a hand on his son's shoulder and patted it.
"You did very well, I'm impressed." Wyatt said as Brendan gave his father a smile.
The two now heard the bear they had seen from before screaming before the animal went silent. They watched as it looked like the bear was coming towards them, however they saw that the dead bear was being carried by Little Ann holding it over her back.
"Hello Ann, I see you decided to have your own hunt today as well." Wyatt said as Little Ann nodded and then pointed towards the stag.
"Oh, no, you're welcome to it. Brendan and I were just hunting." Wyatt said as little Ann smiled and then grabbed the stag by its antler and pulled it away for another meal.
"What do you say we go grab a drink?" Wyatt suggested putting his hand on Brendan's shoulder as Brendan nodded.
Wyatt and Brendan now made their way to a tavern in the village. Most of the tavern folk looked at them with surprise and smiles, happy that they were being graced by the presence of royalty.
The male bartender was a tall young man who didn't look that much older than Brendan. He proceeded to fill up two drinks of beer for Wyatt and Brendan as they took a few drinks at the counter.
"Dad....uh....thanks for doing this with me. I know that Andrew's probably most suited for the throne next and Duncan....well, Duncan usually just needs to be watched with all his pranks. But thanks for giving me the time of day." Brendan smiled at his father.
"I love you just as much as your brothers and sisters. Not one of you is more important than the other." Wyatt said giving his son a hug as Brendan smiled at his father.
They were surprised when another two sets of glasses were placed in front of them.
"I don't believe we requested another glass yet." Wyatt said to the bartender.
"Don't worry your majesty, it's on the house. For you and your beautiful son." The male bartender said as he gave Brendan a wink making Brendan blush a little bit as the bartender walked way.
"Do you want to ask his name or should I ask for you." Wyatt asked slightly joking.
"Dad, come on, let's just...let's just enjoy our drinks for now. I just want to spend my time with you." Brendan said he went back to sitting and drinking with his father, although Wyatt did catch Brendan glancing at the bartender a few times.