Through my Blood

Chapter XXVIII: Darkness Rising

One of the vampires gaped in horror as he saw the head of their leader blown into bits by a thunderbolt spell cast by Serana.

The other vampires were also taken aback as they stared down at the vampiress standing in the clearing. She had her hood on to conceal her face.

"You dare come inside this glade and desecrate its beauty with your wretched presence." Serana said as her hand crackled with electricity. "And you dare... you dare hurt him...! I'll show you... I'll show you wretched fools what it means to be a true-blooded vampire."

The vampires aimed with their crossbows while the others prepared their ward spells and conjured several gargoyles.

They felt it. The extra-ordinary aura Serana was emanating. The vampiress is holding in an impressive amount of magicka.

She needs to be dealt with immediately.

Upon signal, three of the vampires fired at the vampiress.

But, the crossbow bolts bounced right off as an even more powerful ward spell protected Serana.

She slowly removed her hood. Her skin is now gray and scaly, similar to that of a gargoyle's. Her eyes are pitch black... and they throbbed with anger. Even her hands are slowly transforming into razor-sharp claws. Her fangs were bared... in a sinister smile.

It wasn't even a full transformation to being a vampire lord. But, the power she possessed had already increased exponentially.

With a snigger, she spoke again. "I've decided... you're all going to die down here."

In a blink of an eye, Serana assaulted the vampire closest to her with a burst of speed. She gripped him by his head, dangling him in the air. Another vampire swung her sword towards her, but to no avail because of her powerful ward.

With her other hand she blasted him with a lightning bolt, while squashing the head of the vampire like it was fruit within her grip.

The gargoyles were attacked her up front, but Serana easily dealt with them using her magic.

The wards prepared by the vampire mages were useless before her powerful destruction spells. The ambushers were either blasted off by powerful lightning or have their limbs forcefully torn off from their bodies by Serana's claws.

The glade's greenery is soiled, little by little, with the dark red blood of her enemies.

She didn't even have to cast multiple spells to put them down.

Doing that would be too easy.

She wanted to deal with these low-lives up close... and personal.

The surviving vampires stared, their weapons trembling in their hands. They knew it's a fight they couldn't win as they watched their comrades scream for help or for mercy.

Then there was a signal. The Elder Scrolls were retrieved by one of them while the vampiress was distracted.

It was time to go.

One by one, the vampires started to run. Most of them were killed by Serana in pursuit. The remaining few were able to escape.

Serana coquettishly called out. "Where are you going? Get back here. I'm not done with you."

All of a sudden, she was short of breath.

She slumped down the ground with labored breathing. Her greyish skin was starting to shed. Her claws were slowly turning back to how they used to be. The pitch-black color of her eyes started to fade, reverting to her feline ones.