Vae Victis - Chapter 22 (Patreon)

The Second Hunt

When I was a child, I used to play hide and seek with my friends. Other poor children from the village. I always won. I always had a knack for finding good hiding places, as well as spotting those who were trying to be sneaky. It was funny how this situation reminded me of my childhood. I hadn’t thought about it for such a long time. I was free of all burdens back then, just a child playing with my friends. Life had a way of robbing children of childhood far too soon. We should’ve been allowed to be young and innocent for longer. I don’t even remember my friends’ names, I barely remember my family even. My life had been filled with dark eyes and faces of grim people, criminals who did terrible things. Not that I was one to judge, I was terrible as well. I’d learned long ago that you needed to be ruthless in order to be able to survive. That the only way to gain anything was to take it.

Perhaps that was why my Mask manifested as it had. Why I had to take power from others. It was something to think about, though I didn’t see any other way forward. What would Khalil think if he knew who I had become, I wondered? A monster the same as the ones that we learned about in class. A monster skulking in the jungle, waiting for its prey. I was so divorced now from who I was in the States that I doubt he would even recognize me. The vampires had done horrible things, of that there was no doubt. But there was a beauty in who we were, in how we endured. My sire taught me that. We patroned art in all its forms, we built things that stood to this day, we liked things that endured. Where humans were violence and imagination, the shifters the wrath of nature, vampires were brutality, coldness, and elegance in all its forms. We elevated, or at least that is what I thought. I’ve read private journals from vampires long since passed, who had lived in the age of the Pharaohs, who he ruled empires. I knew the wickedness that we were capable of, but I’ve also seen the glimmers of good.

When the world was at threat, we had stepped forward from the shadows. I had to believe that I could be good.

I realized that my thoughts were getting away from me and that I was losing focus. I knew why it was happening, and I tried not to think about the wound around my neck. Silver was poison for vampires in more ways than one. I was not yet fully recovered from it and won’t be for at least another week at this rate. I pulled my rambling thoughts back, cleared my head, and focused back on watching the river.

I had found a spot in between the roots of a large tree on the bank of the river. Close to the ground and the area where the animals came to drink. My last hiding spot, high in the trees was good, but it was also too far away. The animals here were quick and attentive. Jumping down from a branch on top of them would alert them by the sound of me falling, and I couldn’t exactly control my fall once I execute the jump. Being on the ground was better.

I had made a plan with Saia, and hopefully we should be able to execute it. The dragon’s constant presence was a reminded about just how I was changed. Saia could not survive without me, and by keeping her I had been granted a great advantage. I knew that she was nowhere close to what she was supposed to be capable of, perhaps she was even defective. She was not made for the rules this universe operated under, but I had somehow not found myself thinking about getting rid of her. Perhaps it was my fascination with magic, or perhaps it was the few memories I had of my childhood, when I used to sit at my mother’s table and draw in my little coloring book. The book was a hand-me-down from my father brought over when he moved from Mexico. Not fully colored in, so I had room to play too. I remember one of the drawings, my father had started it, and I finished it. It was a drawing of a big feathered serpent, the Quetzalcoatl. I was young, and I couldn’t say Quetzalcoatl properly, so I always called the drawing Zal. I loved it, it had filled my dreams with magic and dragons.

Perhaps that was why I hadn’t been more adverse toward Saia and her presence. She was a childhood dream come true

I turned my attention back at the jungle. Shimi had given me an overview of the animals and which I should avoid, for now. The first animals to come to the river were a pack of dozen reptilian looking creatures that I had seen before. From my description Shimi had given me a name for them, kiji. They had long legs that ended in wide clawed feet, their bodies covered in scales. At the back they had short tails, and at the front a long snout that reminded me of wolves on Earth, filled with sharp teeth. They were definitely pack animals according to Shimi, and my decision not to mess with them was correct. They were on the lower end at around mid-Second Investment, but they were vicious and dangerous opponents even for people of high Investment. They fought like a pack to take down stronger targets and had skills that helped them coordinate. They would’ve torn me apart.

I waited in my hiding spot for them to leave. Hiding for vampires was easy, we had no scent and our hearts beat slowly and quietly. And I had no issues sitting still for hours on end.

After the kiji left, an hour passed before another creature arrived. I had seen this one before as well, a large animal that had a build of a bear and the head of a wild boar. The gurion, they were scavengers, mostly, but no less dangerous for it. Another animal that I should keep away from for now.

I remained in hiding, as more animals came and went. Finally, a herd of okolon arrived. As large as a moose, with blue tinted fur and a head that was squat and fat looking. I watched them carefully, looking for a chance. According to Shimi, their first instinct would always be to run, so I didn’t need to fear the herd that much. If I caught one off guard, the others would try to escape, leaving their poor fellow on its own to buy themselves time to escape.

I waited for the most opportune moment; the fingers of my right hand tightened around the hilt of my dagger as my left traced along Shimi’s.

The okolon were just a few steps away from me, a group of four drinking from the river, while the rest milled around. I picked my moment. With great care, I slowly stepped out of my hiding place, my dagger ready. One step, then another, I got closer to the okolon than the last time I jumped one. This time would be different, I was certain about it. The animal in front of me probably wasn’t the one that kicked me, but right now I had beef with them all.

My eyes were dead set on the blue furred animal towering above me, its head was dipped as it drank, its front legs spread wide to let it get low enough. And then I stepped on a root. Shit, I hadn’t even realized that it was a root! I was not yet familiar with the terrain here. I heard it snap under my weight and saw the okolon’s ears twitch, then I pounced.

I kicked off the ground and stabbed with my right. In an instant I crossed the distance, and my blade caught the okolon’s shoulder as it pulled back from the water. I grimaced; I had been aiming at where its neck was. Still, I felt the dagger sink in, for just a moment, and then the animal turned to mist. I landed on the riverbank and skid across the rocks, my legs twisting and absorbing my momentum as I turned around. The mist moved away from me quickly, the other okolon around it doing the same and scattering, most of them already a few meters away. I ran after my target as it reformed, then leapt. I focused as I caught up, counting its steps. Two, three, four, and I was just behind it, close enough to slash. I restrained myself and watched. Its fifth step pushed it off the ground to the side, and it turned into mist.

Five steps then. Shimi said that it could be anywhere between four and eight. What did he say… Fifth step would mean that it was on the Third Investment. That also meant that it would be strong enough to crack my ribs again, or stomp my skull in. Their first instinct might be running, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t dangerous. I followed the mist as I rushed to get closer to it. I leapt after the mist, getting on its side. As the mist started to take a roughly animal shape, I drew my left hand and threw the dagger.

The okolon reformed and my dagger sunk into its side. It released a whine and jumped to the side as I closed the distance, it wrenched and lashed out with its legs. I dodged to the side, rolling on the ground and getting up quickly. It leapt away, taking advantage and already gaining distance. I cursed, and followed after it, running as fast as I could, blood pumping through my veins. My neck burned and I could feel the exhaustion slowly creeping on me. I could not move this fast for much longer.

Then, the okolon turned to mist, leaping out from amongst the trees and into a small clearing. Seeing my chance, I slid my dagger into its holster, then yelled.

“Saia, chain!”

She shifted quickly, between in two breaths I held a silver knife reflecting the moonlight from above in my right, and I grabbed the chain in my left, immediately spinning it around. I threw the ring, letting the chain fly by me. The okolon reformed and the ring flashed before its eyes. It reared back, raising its head to avoid it. With a firm grasp I caught the chain ending the ring’s forward momentum, with a flick of a wrist I sent it in an arc. The okolon was too surprised by the unfamiliar to react. The ring and the chain wrapped around its neck, once then quickly again, and I pulled. It opened its mouth and keened, making a step in my direction.

—One

I jumped forward, my knife extended. It twisted, stepping to the side and turning its back.

—Two

My eyes widened as it kicked back with both legs, faster than I expected, for a moment it looked like the air around its legs shook. I brought my arms over my chest, crossing them to block. The two hoof-like clubs smashed into my arms, and I felt the bones in my left arm crack and splinter apart, tear through my skin as shards of bone exploded outward, and I was sent flying back. The chain wrapped around my broken arm caught me mid-air tearing flesh, stripping it from the bone, stopping my flight and making me scream in pain. My voice echoed through the jungle as I fell to the ground.

I didn’t have much time to react as the okolon leapt.

—Three.

It pulled me with it, the rope still tied around its neck. I bit the side of my cheek and tasted the blood oozing into my mouth as I felt agony in my left hand. A moment while the animal was soaring through its leap I reached forward with my other hand, dropping the dagger to trail behind me. I grabbed the chain and pulled myself forward and off the ground for long enough to twist and get my legs beneath me. With all of my considerable strength I wrapped the chain around my shoulders, braced, then pulled as I found purchase on the ground. The okolon’s neck twisted mid-air, followed by its body. It crashed onto the ground and I leapt on it. I collided with it and wrapped my good arm around its neck and pushed my clawed fingers into its shoulder, holding tightly. I opened my mouth to bite its neck when it shook and got back to its feet, ripping me free along with a handful of blue fur in my mouth. Mid-air, I saw it take another step, one more and it would turn to mist and be gone.

[Debilitating Wave]

The okolon stumbled to the ground, its muscles spasming. I steeled myself and then twisted my left shoulder and hips, pulling myself with my broken arm back toward the animal. My shoulder popped out of its socket, but it worked. In one shaky movement I reached down and pulled out my holstered dagger. As I crashed into it, I stabbed it in the neck, then wrapped my legs around its torso and pulled the dagger back out only to slash at its leg. It stumbled, and in the fall, I leaned forward, stabbing its head and pulling myself in the position beneath its neck. I opened my mouth and bit down at the side of its throat, blood and fur filled my mouth. The thirst roared in my head, and the power of the blood sang in my ears. I repositioned my legs around its shoulders, and I squeezed as it thrashed on the ground, hitting me against the earth and rocks. I felt the clothes on my back tear and the skin scrape against the rough surface. It leaned its weight on me and I felt my bones cracking, but my jaws were closed tightly, blood seeping through my throat. It sang to me of freedom and power, and as the animal stilled images flashed through my mind.

I followed my herd, cautious, always cautious, looking for threats. More now than before. We could all smell the change in the air. Danger lurked everywhere. Attacks against the heard had intensified, and we had lost more than any time in the past. We made our way to the river, fearful.

The blood slowed as I got my fill and pulled my head back. I cleared my head and pushed the okolon away then pulled myself from beneath its body. I glanced at my hand, there I saw bone peeking out from my blood-soaked shirt and grimaced. My arm was ruined. I could feel the power of the blood healing me, but bones always healed slower, especially with the wound around my neck. I decided to take advantage of the effect while it lasted. I knew from experience that it wouldn’t last for long. I untied the chain from my hand, nearly blacking out as I did so. I had to focus on my mind, and push all pain aside, relegating it to a dull ache in the back of my head as I worked. I ripped the shirt apart to look on my bare limb and saw that it was nearly torn. One piece of bone was pulled away from the skin, and just a tiny strip of it was keeping my hand attached. I pushed the bone back in its place, hissing all the while. It started to heal, flesh reigniting itself, but the bone would be harder. I couldn’t even move it, the nerves were severed. I grabbed the chain from the ground along with a dagger tied on the other end then I started wrapping the rope around the limb and the dagger which I pressed at the bottom, making a makeshift splint. Then I shook my head at my stupidity.

“Saia, can you make me a splint?” I asked.

“Feedback: Affirmative,” she shifted, changing shape into a makeshift splint around my arm. “This Unit’s [Repair] engram is currently engaged in the repair of nerves, estimated repair time at the current rate of regeneration: 37 hours.”

I grimaced, but nodded. My body would priorities the bone, I knew from experience.

I made sure to keep my ears and eyes open on my surrounding. The fight had made a lot of noise, and there was always a chance of me getting ambushed. Once the splint was done, I looked around. Blood had spilled on the ground, some of it mine, most from the okolon. I didn’t bleed too much, even though my wound was severe. My blood bled slower than that of a human, and it regenerated faster, especially after sating the thirst. Still, I turned and just as I was about to head back to camp something at the edge of my senses alerted me. A deep penetrating chill took hold of my bones, and before I could even consciously make a decision my body moved all on its own. I shoved myself into a small hollow in between the roots of a nearby tree, hiding. I heard a sound of breaking branches, of something dragging across the ground. A hissing noise followed, and I kept my eyes open, staring from my hiding place.

The thirstwas something that all vampires fought against, it was our primal nature, the part of us that wanted to demonstrate our supremacy over everything else. I had never felt the way I felt now. It was as if my entire body had turned against me, I didn’t think that I could move even if I wanted to. This was… terror, and not just mine, but that of the thirst inside of me. I felt like I was on the verge of panic, and it was taking everything that I had to keep quiet.

Through the small opening I saw something massive arrive. It slithered over the ground, its head went by too fast for me to really take a good look. The only thing I saw was a sinuous body slithering across the ground, breaking everything in its way, as thick as the trunk of the tree I was hiding beneath.

I watched the corpse of the okolon shift as something out of my view grabbed it, then it lifted the body with casual ease until it disappeared from my viewpoint. I heard sounds that I couldn’t quite identify, wet and strange. Then something that I was pretty sure was the sound of bones breaking. The giant monster moved, slithering around, getting closer. I didn’t dare move. A giant head moved into view, it was almost flat and triangular, vaguely snakelike, but also completely alien to me. It had two eyes on the side that I could see, both moving independently of one another. Once it was just above me, it paused and opened its mouth showing two rows of thin but sharp teeth. It hissed in a way that was unlike anything I had ever heard, a deep sound that terrified me. It was brown, gray, and green in color, its body covered in what looked like thick hide with bumps all over.

Just as I was nearly certain that it knew I was there, it moved away. The cracking of bushes beneath its weight filled my ears for a long time as it was leaving. I didn’t dare move until it moved so far away that I could no longer hear its passage, only then did I leave my hiding place. The body of the okolon I killed was nowhere to be seen, only blood on the ground remained.

* * *

I sat with Shimi back at camp, I was too frightened to speak or care to keep Saia away from him. I told her to move as he asked to inspect the wound, very clearly not asking questions, yet. Saia shifted to rest near my wrist without responding, and Shimi was able to see the wound. I tried not to wince as the splint no longer supported my arm. He looked over my wound, an open box filled with bottles next to him along with his aid kit. I was breathing deeply, feeling tired, the thirst was there at the edge of my mind. The healing of the wound had made me hungry again, and so soon after I drained the okolon. I would need to feed again soon.

Shimi asked me questions about what happened, and I explained it in a mechanical tone.

“Sikiri…” he said slowly once I was finished, grimacing. Whether at the wound or at what I just told him, I wasn’t certain. “Yet another animal that is where it should not be.”

“It’s from the inner ring?” I asked, that thing was... I struggled to describe the feeling I had when I saw it. Whether it was a skill or just its presence, it didn’t matter, it instilled pure and abject dread in my heart.

“Yes,” Shimi nodded. “One of the stronger dwellers of it actually.”

“What Investment?”

Shimi glanced up to meet my eyes for a moment before returning his gaze to my arm. “Young? Fifth or Sixth. A mature one will be in the Seventh Investment, one of the most powerful beings in the world. Even I would do all in my power to avoid such an encounter.”

“The way that I felt when it got close, was it a skill?”

“It could be,” Shimi answered slowly, his eyes looking me over. He opened his mouth and then closed it as if he had thought better of it. After a while, he continued. “Animals of that high Investment all have something unique to just them. Perhaps it was its aura, though if that is the case then we are dealing with an elder Sikiri and we have no chance of survival. I do not immediately recognize what you described, but that means little, it could have unique skills. Or, it was just your instincts screaming at you about the danger.”

I tried to remember if there was anything that I knew about the vampires that might give me an insight. I realized suddenly that what I knew of my own kind was… lacking. I knew what the humans knew, what was public information, and I knew what my sire taught me. Though he had always been a man of a few words, seeking to instruct me in things that I could make use of now instead of what I would be capable in the future.

“Incredible,” I heard him whisper.

I glanced down to see him studying my arm closely. The flesh had knitted over the wound, but I knew that the bone and nerves hadn’t regenerated yet.

Shimi picked up a bottle from the box near him and opened it. It was the one labeled with the symbol that looked like a teardrop. “This is a healing potion,” Shimi said. “I am unsure if it will be able to help your kind. They have slightly different effects on each race, but they work for them all.”

“What kind of effects?” I asked.

“The potion basically encourages the body to heal faster, it does not do anything on its own,” Shimi answered. “It takes a lot from people, makes them feel tired, so they use them very carefully. It can also cause issues, using it when bones aren’t set can have it heal wrong. Or if there are other issues it can exasperate them.”

I tilted my head. “Will it heal my bone?”

“It will help it heal faster.”

I gestured for him to go ahead, I could not afford to have a useless arm. He slowly hovered the bottle over where the break was, then dripped a single drop on my skin. Immediately it sizzled and was absorbed by the skin, spreading warmth through it. The warmth pulsed, and I could feel some of the pain go away, leaving only a dull ache. Then, as the warmth subsided, I suddenly felt… hungrier. I clasped on the thirstimmediately, but it wasn’t fast enough. I could feel Shimi’s blood pumping beneath his skin, I could almost taste its power.

“Marianna?” His voice was a distant thing, a distraction.

Drain him, kill him, feed on him. His power should be ours. The thirst pulsed beneath my skin, in my blood. I pounced.

Something hit me faster than I could see, I flew through the air and crashed into the wall, blacking out for second. I opened my eyes, staring at Shimi within the wall of light that made me squint. The prey was creating noise, waving its limbs at us. We smelled its weakness as we prowled around it. Slowly, the prey picked up something from the ground. It was reflecting the light, it smelled of metal, in the back of our head we knew that it could hurt us. We—I shook my head, pushed the thirst down and felt it fight me. I was hungry, so very hungry. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to hold it back for much longer. With the muster of all my willpower, I turned around and ran through the gap in the far wall leading out into the jungle. I sped as fast as I could, all the while keeping the thirst at bay. My neck burned and I could feel myself slipping. Finally, the thirst roared up from within and took over. As my mind was pushed aside, only thoughts of blood and the hunt filled my mind.