The moment the crossbow bolt struck, the camp erupted into chaos. But for Kaelen, the world narrowed to the pale-faced creature that surged from the shadows where the bolt had originated. A vampire. His lizard brain recognized a predator, but his warrior's heart roared in defiance. Poison or not, he would crush this thing.
His steps felt sluggish, but he proceeded. Time was of the essence.
With a guttural roar that was half-hiss, Kaelen charged, his great sword held high. The ground shook with his steps, his powerful legs driving him forward with terrifying speed for his size. He brought the massive blade down in a cleaving arc meant to split the vampire in two.
But Willem was not there. He was fast.
In a blur of motion that defied Kaelen's tracking, Willem sidestepped the blow. T
he great sword slammed into the earth, throwing up a shower of dirt and grass. Before Kaelen could heave it free, Willem was on him. The vampire's fingers, sharp as talons, raked across the scaled hide of Kaelen's arm. They didn't pierce deeply, but they left fiery, stinging welts that seeped blood.
"HISSS", the pain immediately made the huge creature hiss.
Kaelen backhanded with immense force, but Willem simply flowed around the blow, his Agility making him a phantom. He darted in again, this time aiming for the leg, his movements a frustrating, unpredictable dance. Kaelen was a bastion of power, each swing of his sword capable of killing, but he was hacking at smoke.
Willem was a monstrous existence. For a long time, he had been the team's leader. He was the oldest too. Despite his youthful looks, he was already over sixty years of age. Part of a vampire clan secluded in the forbidden mountains, he sought the refinement of his bloodline, by any means necessary.
"Stand still, you coward!" Kaelen bellowed, his frustration growing. The nausea from the poison was a dull ache in his gut, but it was the vampire's infuriating speed that was the real toxin.
"Cowardice? This is a fight, not a spar" Willem laughed, his voice a dry rustle as he effortlessly leaned back to avoid a horizontal sweep. He had a lot of experience, more than Greem and Vanessa combined. Numerous people had said those words at him, yet only he was standing at the end.
As he spoke, a shrieking cry echoed from above. A giant bat, the size of a large dog, dropped from the night sky. Its leathery wings beat furiously as it descended upon Kaelen's broad back. The lizardman sensed the danger too late. He tried to twist, but his heavy armor and great sword made him slow.
The bat's claws dug into the thick scales of his shoulders, finding purchase. Its hooked feet latched on like grappling hooks. Kaelen roared in pain and rage, reaching back with one hand to try and dislodge the creature, but this was the opening Willem needed.
Distracted, Kaelen left his front exposed for a critical second. Willem blurred forward. This time, he didn't rake with his claws. He plunged his hand forward, fingers rigid, aiming for the softer scaling at Kaelen's midsection. The strike was precise, piercing deep. Kaelen gasped, a wet, choked sound, as Willem's hand buried itself in his flesh, not to cause a massive wound, but to inject a concentrated burst of corrupting blood magic.
A Blood Curse flooded Kaelen's system. It mixed virulently with the poison already coursing through his veins. His vision swam, his mighty muscles twitching and faltering. The strength began to leach from his limbs.
Sensing its master's work, the giant bat buried its fangs into the base of Kaelen's thick neck. There was a sickening crunch of scale and flesh, and then a horrific, sucking sound began. The bat was not just biting; it was draining him, its body swelling slightly as it consumed the lizardman's potent blood essence.
Kaelen staggered. His great sword fell from his nerveless fingers, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. He clawed weakly at the bat on his back, but his movements were sluggish, uncoordinated. The combined assault of poison, blood curse, and blood loss was too much. His yellow-slitted eyes rolled back in his head, and the massive lizardman crashed to the earth, the giant bat still clinging to him, feasting.
Willem stood over the fallen warrior, his pale face expressionless. He watched the bat feed for a moment longer before issuing a silent command. The fight was over. It had never been a contest of strength, but a systematic dismantling. The lizardman probably relied on his physical advantage too much. Had he known a spell, even if it was just a defensive one, he might have survived the encounter and drawn Willem to a corner. However, he had overestimated himself, and it cost him dearly.
Willem looked at his surroundings and frowned. This truly was a scene of horror. Agonising soldiers were lying on the ground. Most were dead, the rest were still suffering dearly in one of the worst possible way, spilling their insides out.
A quick turn allowed him to grasp the situation, and rushed to help his comrade.