Shade
We had been traveling for five days and had taken camp in the forest. "You think one of those mirage with sexy Elvin women will ever happen to me?" he asked and I scowled at him as soon as I got the fire going. He was leaned back against a tree. "Hey what happened to you boy Fred?" I asked him and he shrugged "He didn't like my wolf so I dumped his sorry ass" he said it so confidently but I knew that was far from his truth. I hit his leg and he whined pulling his feet up to his chest. "Your mate is bound to be around here somewhere, who knows maybe they're stuck in a bush?" I asked and he hummed thinking about it.
"And about the Elvin women, I already got myself one and I don't need another ten to distract me" I said earning a laugh from Shadow. Then that reminded me about purgatory which I had entirely forgot about since I was planning to skin Dasmon alive and use his skin as a rug, then hook his skull above our mantle place. "You're named after a girl!" I shouted at him. His face turned completely red with embarrassment "You don't know that!" he growled and I began to laugh falling over onto the grass "You're named after a girl, you're named after a girl!" I began to sing that until he lunged at me but I was rolling away and climbing up a tree. "The oh so manly Shadow named after a girl! I mean I saw this coming it is a girl's name" I said and he threw a rock at me just missing my face. As I looked down he looked hella mad. "Oh what are you going to do? Shake the tree until I fall?" I teased him "You're too girly for that" I said and he scowled at me "You know you're a girl too!" he shouted and I then swung upside down so we were face to face with my legs wrapped around the branch the only thing keeping me up.
I poked his nose "Yes but I'm butch so it doesn't count, and just so you know you just referred yourself as a girl. Something you're hiding down there Shadow?" I asked raising a brow looking down but I quickly swung up to avoid his fist. I was laughing at him and he actually did begin to shake the tree.
I was holding onto the branch I sat on tight and held in my laughter as I watched a young female elf emerge from the bushes. She had no weapon so I remained silent. "Hello?" I heard the innocent young girl say and my brother stopped turning around and I crept along the branch over so I was right behind this women. "Oh hi" my brother stuttered. "I heard you from a mile away, why were you shaking the tree?" the women asked and she sounded offended and my brother was stuttering for some reason. I mean he was usually such a flirt? "Oh no reason" he said and before their conversation could continued I hung upside down behind the elf and began to feel the pouches at her hip trying to look for money but I think it was just herbs and shit. "Shade!" Shadow hissed and I pulled myself up as the girl looked back. "Who?" The women asked and my brother shook his head "She's up in the trees" he said and I turned invisible letting the shadows cover me like a blanket. It felt so nice yet cold. As the elf looked up she was confused because I wasn't there. "I... see" the women said and my brother looked lost as he didn't see me either "I swear she's up there" he said and the elf was slowly walking away "Yes, well good luck finding her..." she said as she backed away and I decided it was time I really start fucking with them so I jumped down landing on the elf while screaming.
She screamed as well throwing her hands up to defend herself as I then stumbled back laughing. "Shade you idiot" Shadow growled at me throwing me to the side as I was now on the ground laughing my ass off. "You should have seen her face!" I said as I laughed and my brother helped her up. She was now glaring at me but I was still laughing as my brother joined in glaring. "Ignore her, she is insane" he said as a excuse but I shook my head "I'm fucking hilarious, admit it, It was very funny" I growled at him taking a serious tone as I looked at my brother and he had to hold back his laughter. The young girl was fed up with us and left with my brother chasing after her as I remained laughing on the ground.
When my brother returned he looked at me frustrate and I smirked at him. "Well you got your sexy-" I started but he held his hand up "Not another word tonight, I can't handle you" he said and I gasped. "You're even acting like a girl!" I said and he lunged at me but I couldn't move fast enough from my comfortable laying position. He was on me and began to put me in a choke hold. I was hitting the top off his head and suddenly I heard the cocking of a crossbow. Shit. Now I really started hitting him.
"Hands up!" a man came out from the bushes in a loincloth, with a wolf skin over his head. There were four more men with crossbows aimed at us. Their leader had a staff in his hand with a sharp rock attached to it. These weren't any type of Shadow released me and I rolled away from him and jumped into the leader's arms. He dropped his staff catching me and holding me bridal style as I swooned into his manly chest. "Oh you saved me! I thought he was going to kill me!" I said acting way too dramatic for any of this to be real. But the man in the wolf pelt held me and patted me on the back "There there, I wasn't going to let that savage have his way with you" He said and I looked back at shadow winking. "Savage?" he breathed but he remained kneeling on the ground. I then took the leaders face in my hands forcing him to look at me. "You know what? Why don't you help me on my adventure?" I asked him and he got this creepy smile on his face. "Oh you're out here on a adventure? Well I know this forest like the back of my hand, I can show you a nice quite place" he offered and I felt his hand that wasn't holding me go to my thigh. Then all the humor and fun of this little play was over. I pulled out my knife shoving it in his throat and jumping off him throwing my knives at the others hitting their marks at each of the woodman's neck. As they all fell I shivered violently "Ewww" I hissed as I was mentally trying to get the image of that man's face out of my head.
"That's enough random encounters for tonight" Shadow said and I rolled my eyes. "The first five days are always quite" I mumbled as I then went collecting my knives from the bodies. "Best make camp somewhere else, blood attracts things" I said and shivered again. Shadow sighed getting up from the ground. "I forgot how fun you are when you're away from business" my brother had said and I picked up my last knife. "Yes I'm quite fun when I don't have to worry about a cult trying to open the gates of oblivion" I said and sheathed the throwing knives back at my arm band. My brother sighed and raked his hand through his black hair "Maybe we should travel more. Get away from things? How about it? We just live off of what we pinch? Like old times?" he said and smiled at the thought. "How about, when we get done with all this, we start traveling. I mean I don't know how Sage will react to me telling her this but I'm sure I could get her to agree" I said but as I watched my brothers face I saw his smile go down when I mentioned Sage. He didn't expect me to leave her did he? I mean... I'm pretty sure I was in love at this point. Maybe if we do find his mate we could do that. "ya" my brother said not as excited as he usually sounded. I sighed and we dropped the topic as we continued to travel.
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We arrived at the edge of the forest. Well living forest that is. Before us was a dead burned down forest with a dark spooky castle a mile away. We couldn't just walk right in, no they could see us as soon as we walk into that dead mess. How the fuck were we going to do this. "We could always... I don't know, act like I'm a slave trader and your-" I smacked his face "No" where my only words to that idea. Never again. Shadow huffed "Wait! He had contacted us before? Remember? Said to go to him with news?" he said and I rolled my eyes "Ya and he made me kill myself remember?" I asked him and his excitement drained. "Wait but I could still sell her out and have the whole mindset of 'she killed my sister'" he said and I nodded. That definitely could work. I would just have to sneak in which wouldn't be hard considering I could blend into shadows. "Alright, we agree to attack together? Use a whistle?" I said and he nodded and I pulled up my hood "See you on the other side" I said and he repeated back to me as we then went our separate ways.
I was scaling the walls when Shadow walked in through the front door. They didn't try to attack him or anything. Hell they even where showing him around. Guess where expected. I hope he doesn't know I'm still alive.
Sneaking in was easy being invisible I kept high up and out of sight even though I was invisible. Eventually I was sitting up on a chandelier above the 'kings' throne where he sat watching as my brother came in. "Shadow Nox... Lose something?" Dasmon asked and Shadow glared at him. "Found what you were looking for" he said grimly and I watched as the king stood from his throne. "Yes I know where she is, the question is why isn't she in chains with you?" he asked and my brother scoffed "I want to change the deal" he said and I whistled vary softly like a door creaking. The vampire king turned looking up and my brother sent his sword to the vampire's neck. Only to be stopped when the vampire snapped his head back at my brother. I jumped from my position, landing on the vampires back sending my dagger into the back of his neck and the other into his shoulder. He knocked me off easily and through my brother across the room.
He turned to me glaring as the shadows melted off me. "You were dead" he growled his bright red eyes staring into my soul as if tearing at it. His short black hair a bit too wavy and girly for my taste. Gods he looked like the type to rape women with that mustache. He was big though, and tall. And let's not forget the purgatory blade that was now in his hands. His eyes locked on my own purgatory daggers. "Storm has a new champion" I told him as I lunged. He backed away slicing the sword at my hip but I spun on my heel around him and sending my dagger into his thigh. Was it just me or was this easier than that younger vampire Malcolm? This didn't make much sense? Wasn't he supposed to be a vampire king? He then backhanded me as I was thinking and I staggered back. He raised his sword to deliver a blow but my brother slashed his arms off. Literally, once one fell he slashed the other and it fell. I then sent my dagger under his chin into his skull. He stood there arm less and brain dead.
I looked at my brother and he looked as confused as me but we both turned back to the task at hand. "Stand back" I warned my brother and he took a few steps back as I sheathed my daggers and took the crossbow off my back. My supposedly 'fire breathing' crossbow. I loaded a empty crossbow and aimed it at the vampire's head. Then fired.
My feet skidded against the floor back a few feet as a massive fireball shot forth through the vampire's head and hitting the far stone wall. The head of the vampire king was no more but ash and the body fell.
"This was... too easy" I mumbled trying to see the trick to this. My brother shrugged "Decoy?" he said and I shrugged "I never saw him before so I guess it could be?" I said and before we could continue our conversation in the throne room we were suddenly surrounded by black knights. Vampires of course with large shields and swords aimed at us. Now this was more like it.
Me and my brother where back to back and I loaded the empty cross bow again and aimed it at the vampire in front of me holding a shield up. This would either backfire terribly or be awesome. I shot.
I was grounded by my brother back this time so I didn't move, but the vampire on the other hand was screaming as his armor and shield melted into his flesh. I swung the crossbow on my back and took out my daggers as they all stabbed forward. I ducked under and my brother jumped high and landed sending his fist to one's face and his sword through the chainmail that covered ones neck.
I jumped over a shield landing behind the vampire as I sent my sword into the back of their neck cutting their spinal cord so they dropped instantly although not entirely dead. Two more were on me from my left and right side. I slid under one's shield send a dagger into his thigh as he then swiped his shield around and hit me in the back as I staggered up to my feet another one lunged. A sword slashed my right shoulder but the spitting pain didn't stop me from sending my dagger into the exposed heart. These daggers cut through the armor like nothing and killed the vampire instantly. Another one was attacking from behind as I then did a backflip over him using my hands to push off the vampire as I was halfway over him. I then sent my dagger into the back of this one's neck though didn't have time to block the sword coming down at my right hand.
I screamed as pain erupted in my right arm. Shadow was there killing the vampire who had hit me. But now I was looking shocked at my right arm. My forearm laid on the floor and I went into shock. No no no, I can't feel it. That's not right. Shadow pushed me avoiding another incoming blow and I woke back up as I hit the floor. My arm gone and I had tried to use it to get up only for my elbow to not reach the ground. I relied on my left hand to get up and dodge another incoming attack from the fast vampires. I then rolled around one of them on my heel and sent my dagger into their neck but quickly aware of everything. Five more vampires remained three were on shadow but he was fine. Two now approaching me seeing as I was... maimed.
One stabbed their sword forward but I dodged and sent my left dagger into their heart. Then I turned using the body of the vampire I just killed to hide from the blow to my neck. I then jumped around the body lunging my dagger into their heart.
I then became logical again taking off my cross bow and cutting the strap off using my teeth and left hand to tie a knot over my arm trying to cut off blood flow. I was bleeding heavily and had nothing to really stop it. I wanted to scream out of agony. I wasn't ready for this. I didn't want to be crippled, I didn't want to have to rely on help.
I knocked myself out of the helpless feelings and looked to my brother who finished off the last vampire. His eyes wide as he looked at my arm. He howled and I knew he was going to shift from anger. He hasn't shifted in a long time though. Before he could though we heard clapping echoing off the walls. We turned our attention to the stone throne that now sat a man in big black armor. He looked exactly like the decoy. I guess this one was the real one. But could we do it? I was on the edge of going insane and into shock. Before whatever snarky ass comment he was going to back my brother roared running at him shifting in mid step and jumping out off his skin into a giant black wolf.
The vampire king stood with that purgatory sword in his hand and he smiled and I knew he was going to kill my brother. I threw my knife catching the vampire off guard and grabbing the knife from air before it pierced his skull. But now he had no time to prepare for the oncoming wolf who tackled him to the ground. I noticed my arm on the floor. A piece of me now no longer? I pried the purgatory knife from my dead hand and went back to aid my brother as he was thrown off the vampire into a wall. I heard cracking of bones and I went into my own frenzy. Lunging at him with all the power left in me. He grabbed my wrist before my dagger could sink into his heart. He smiled at me showing fangs "I think you lost a piece back there" he said and backhanded me so hard I flew back into the pile of dead armored bodies and groaned from impact. The floor would have been nicer then this.
I got back up looking at the king who know grabbed my throat lifting me off the ground. "Is this yours?" he asked holding up my dead arm. "I think I'm going to beat you with it" he said with a amused smile but my brother had quietly come up behind him and bit into his neck. I was thrown back to the ground as he tried to get the wolf off his neck. I then threw my dagger at the vampire skipping the edge of his heart with the knife. He gasp and my brother released the vampire's shoulder and bit into his arm tearing it off with one snap of his neck. I then stood up grabbing the arm of the king. "I think I'm going to beat you with it" I said back spitting my own blood into the vampire's face before swinging the arm into his head. Then I began to use his arm like a club and my brother watched till I was down and threw the arm to the ground and then he lunged in taking the head off the vampire.
I then kneeled breathing heavily. I watched as my brother shifted back his clothing in pieces but at least his pants were still together. He came to me taking off his ripped shirt and pressing it to my stump arm and I screamed in pain from the contact. He cradled me in his arms telling me it was going to be ok but we both knew that was a lie. I lost too much blood, we were both seasoned warriors and knew that I was on the brink of death. "Tell sage, I love her" I said into my brother's shoulder and he shook his head "Stay with me" he told me and I closed my eyes "Fuck off" I mumbled as I began to fall asleep in his arms.
I believed that when Storm had said I couldn't die yet, she meant I was supposed to die here, I suppose I did fulfill her wish to my last breath. I doubt she'll be nice enough to offer the same deal again.
That's when I was suddenly pulled out from my brothers loving arms and onto the floor. I saw Sage crying over me again. For a moment I thought I was having djavo and this had all been a terrible dream. Then I felt her cold blood in my mouth bit I turned away spitting it out not wanting her to waste it on me. She then made me look at her. "Do you want to live?" I had heard the question as clear as day. "yes" I whimpered though my throat burned and everything hurt to move. I then felt her lift me and suddenly her fangs were in my neck. I tried to scream from all the pain but nothing would come out. That was when I felt something cold move into my blood like a snake moving it's way to my heart. Thankfully I passed out from the pain.