Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Captive (II)

"We've already arrived. It's here. Please, enter quietly," the count's son opened the door for them, and moved aside, behind his escort.

Gjaki moved her Blood Clone forward, to check the terrain, and as a precaution. Seeing it, Kerthlon couldn't help but smile.

As soon as it crossed the door, it closed and trapped the Clone. Gjaki could feel it being attacked from multiple directions at once, something that could be partly heard from outside.

The countess paled a little. She was thinking that she could have been there, inside, though their host took it differently. He believed she was scared for having lost her guardian, and being defenseless. With a triumphant smile on his lips, he approached her.

"I'm afraid your bodyguard has suffered an unfortunate accident. I think the best thing we can do is to discuss our marriage again, in a more intimate place," he wanted to grab her.

What he didn't expect was for the other escort to get in the way. Her level was far lower than his, so he hadn't even considered her.

"Move away, ant," he ordered with disdain, at the same time that he gave her a powerful slap.

The normal course of events would have been to send her flying against the wall. Hopefully, she would only have a few broken bones. However, the reality was very different.

The hand that was supposed to slap her was caught by the wrist with great swiftness. At the same time, a Hardened leg impacted just above the vampire's ankle, and knocked him off balance.

Gjaki twisted his arm around his back, thus making him fall on his face. In seconds, she had immobilized him, and a precise blow to the back of his neck knocked him unconscious.

A Mental Push sent the escort that was trying to help him over a Mirror Trap. It would keep them busy for a while. She then summoned another Blood Clone, and made it carry the unconscious vampire, after making it wear another armor. Luckily, she had brought more than one.

"Come on, it's this way," she urged, and started to walk.

As soon as she did, Kilthana reacted. Her jaw had dropped. She had heard about her, even spent time with her, but had never seen her in action. In just a few moments, Gjaki had subdued and kidnapped Kerthlon, summoned another powerful Clone, and incapacitated the bodyguards. With no time to finish processing it, she followed her.

Several soldiers followed them, or tried to block their way. However, between the threat of slitting the heir to the county's throat, and the vampiress' own abilities, they couldn't come close.

Under other circumstances, they could have used the castle's defenses against them, but not when they had a hostage as a shield. Finally, the fugitives had to stop when they reached a barrier that prevented them from entering that part of the castle.

"Open it, or I'll have to break it down," Gjaki threatened.

However, her words were ignored, as more soldiers gathered behind them, though they didn't dare to shoot at them. The first arrow had been aimed at the countess, but a Darkness Shield had blocked it. Angered, Gjaki had picked up the arrow and stuck it in the highborn's leg, where it still stood, as a reminder.

She then gave an order to the Clone, who began to hit the shield, using their hostage as if he were a hammer. At first, it was soft, as a warning, but it gradually increased in intensity. A bleeding wound showed that she wasn't joking. The next blow failed to hit, as the shield had been opened.

They crossed the barrier, but not before placing a couple of traps, into which their pursuers fell. It hadn't been able to caught them all, but a few would be trapped for a while, and the others had to take a little detour. She had delayed them for a few moments.

The silver-haired vampiress then kicked open the first door she found, left the Clone guarding the entrance, took the hostage, and turned into the next hallway. When the first pursuers arrived, they stopped at the door, facing the Clone. They didn't dare to do anything, for fear that those who were supposedly inside would harm the count's son.

"Wait here. Follow it when it moves," she told Kilthana.

She left the wounded, unconscious, and tied hostage on a hound, along with the stunned countess. Everything was going too fast for her. She couldn't help but watch as her partner disappeared into Darkness.

There was light in the corridor, so it wasn't as effective. However, a moving shadow attached to the wall wasn't easy to spot, no matter she took the opportunity to drink some level 100 blood. Besides, a Bat was supporting her.

"What's this bug? Where has it come from?" one of the guards asked.

"No idea. Let's see if I can hit it... Shit, it's fast. Let me try again..." the other was trying to reach it with a halberd.

They never knew how they were knocked out in a few seconds. The guards wouldn't even know that they had been Bitten, as well as had their mana and energy absorbed. A bit of Blood Injection had erased the fang marks.

She knocked the door down with a huge level 100 hammer. It was a matter of a few hits. A small barrier had succumbed to physical power and Dark Touch.

"Jiknha? It's time to leave," the vampiress called.

"Who... Who're you?" she asked, undecided.

If she moved and dispelled the blood aura around her, it wouldn't be easy for her to quickly summon it again. If they were prepared, they could take advantage to immobilize her, and render her helpless. She feared that it might be a trap.

Gjaki didn't answer, but looked back, and waited for the countess to arrive. As soon as she did, Gjaki pointed inside. It only took one look for Kilthana to run inside.

"Jik? Jik!!" she ran towards her childhood friend.

"Kilth? Is it really you? Wait!!"

She had no choice but to hastily dispel the aura, while her friend hugged her.

"What... What're you doing here?"

"I've come to save you, of course!" she showed off, though not that she had done much.

"Is it really not a dream? Ough! What're you doing!?" the ex-prisoner protested.

"Ha, ha. Pinch you to verify that it isn't."

"Always the same..." she complained while rubbing her cheek, although she felt extremely happy. "What's that?"

Next to Gjaki, a hound had appeared. On top of it, the bruised body of the count's son laid.

"This? It's Kerthlon. Do you want me to wake him up, so you can beat him to your heart's content?" Gjaki offered, and handed her a vial. "Here, it's a little blood of your level. It'll do you good."

Startled, she picked up the vial. Under normal circumstances, she would have been reluctant to take it, but her friend almost forced her to. She then reached over, and grabbed the unconscious young man by the hair.

"It's really that bastard... Can I really hit him?"