Vae Victis - Chapter 32 (Patreon)

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The Blood Dance

I gazed down at my own reflection in the shallow pond, seeing the faint light of emerald green swimming through my eyes. The crack in my pupil was still small, unchanged from the last time I had looked, but just the fact that it was there at all was incredible. I kept thinking that it was just my imagination, yet I could feel a shift inside me. Emerald green spilled into my eyes, marking me as an Adult Vampire. A full member of my kind under the rules. If I was back on Earth, this moment would’ve been a big deal. Vampire adulthood was something that most Fledglings never lived long enough to achieve.

The color of my eyes told more than that, of course, it revealed my bloodline for all to see. There existed three vampire bloodlines: Sea, Sky, and Desert. Named so for the color of their eyes. Emerald like the seas, cerulean like the sky, and golden like the deserts. From everything that I have learned, there were no differences between the three bloodlines, though I had heard stories, rumors, and straight up racist remarks over the years. Not even vampires were immune to being assholes to one another.

For the most part, vampires didn’t separate themselves by their eye color, you could find vampires of all three bloodlines working together with no issues. The color of ones eyes was cosmetic, as far as I knew.

Most of the vampires in the cartel had the blue eyes of the Sky Bloodline, the same as the Cartel Master. The only Emerald vampire in the cartel was my master.

I didn’t know what or how my eyes had changed so fast. But I was grateful for it. I could feel the thirst being a lot more under control, I hadn’t felt my emotions spike for little reason in days. It was a mystery, but one that I would hopefully have the time to figure out eventually.

“Still thinking of your eyes?” Shadow called from behind me.

I turned, trying not to look too embarrassed. I had been spending a lot time looking at my reflection.

“You rested enough?” I walked over to him.

He sat near the fire with Saia, as she tried to convince him to allow her to consume his relic item. The head of the rod that created the spherical shield that they had been using to keep the signs of their presence and the wildlife away.

“My body is rested,” Shadow said, then glanced at Saia. “My mind though is getting more and more tired by the moment.”

“Statement: Adding the engram of this item to my list will increase my contribution to the team significantly.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes at her. “And what am I to do once I am back on my own?”

“Feedback: This Unit is sure that you will be fine,” Saia answered.

Shadow narrowed his eyes at her. He opened his mouth to respond but didn’t get to. Before he could utter the words, the ground below them began to quiver. I quickly grasped onto the trunk of a nearby tree, bracing myself against the violent trembling of the earth, riding out the quake.

“Am I wrong, or are they getting more frequent?” I asked after the shaking subsided.

Shadow glanced in my direction and grimaced, his tails waving around widely. “I am not certain,” he answered. “If I had the time and the means, I would have ventured deeper into the jungle, to the inner ring, tried to see if there is a cause. But,” he shook his head. “There is so much happening in the world, and so little time.”

There wasn’t much that I could say to that. We gathered our camp in silence, then continued on our way. We were, according to Shadow’s reckoning, at least two days out from the coast. Thankfully, we haven’t run into any problems, no monsters that could seriously threaten us, aside from a pack of kiji, the reptilian wolf-like animals that I had seen at the river what seemed like a year ago. Saia had scouted them a few days ago, though the pack didn’t seem interested in them. They spent the days mostly just walking, as much as Shadow’s state allowed, and training. And by training, I meant Shadow sitting on the ground and yelling at me. But, he had taught me two more techniques, one from each style again. I was still far more comfortable with the Scarlet Moon Style, but Shadow insisted that I should learn both. He had also told me that there were seven techniques total for each style, which seemed like a crazy high number. Though on the other hand, Shadow was very old, he probably had time to develop all of them properly.

We were within reach of the coast, and I couldn’t help but feel the anticipation building. We were getting close to the end of our journey, and we had survived.

I knew that I made a mistake the moment the thought entered my mind. Some on Earth would say that vampires were cursed, that they had turned away from Gods grace and therefore the world rejected them, that that was the reason why we couldn’t walk in daylight. It was moments like this that made me think that there was some truth to the cursed part.

The sky split apart, as if it wanted to prove my thoughts wrong, then blazed with light cycling through all the colors of the rainbow, so bright it tickled the back of my eyes. The flashes came from the east, far in the distance and so high up that I wondered if that lightshow was happening beyond the atmosphere. It looked like an aurora ramped up to a hundred. Each burst felt like a punch, splashing across my retinas and leaving white spots wherever they touched. They illuminated everything below them in blazing detail, like the world had been set on fire. And like a curtain of lights, it was coming down to the ground.

“We are out of time,” I heard Shadow say, and turned to look at him.

The light reflected in his orange eyes, making them look like a fire burning steadily as it settles into the coals.

“What is it,” I said as I turned back to look at the display in the sky.

“Your world is arriving,” Shadow whispered.

I looked at the light, trying to equate his words with the meaning behind it. That was an entire world, my world, coming down and... merging with this one? I didn’t even know how to wrap my head around it.

“East,” Shadow said. “It looks like your world will settle north of the Hallowed Plain continent.”

I remembered, vaguely, that the Hallowed Plain was the home of the Harpiem. I didn’t understand what that meant for us.

I turned back to ask him what that would imply for Earth. As I turned I froze, my hand rose almost of its own volition and pointed above Shadow’s head, behind him. “What is that?” I managed to ask, and he turned to look at the second wall of light, coming down in the distance.

Shadow frowned. “Split?” he said slowly, then shook his head. “No, two. Two worlds.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, not understanding.

“It is a second world, the Great Spell picked two at the same time,” he said, his voice filled with emotion that I couldn’t identify.

And then the jungle around us went crazy; sounds of animals filled the air, roars and growls, screams and squawks, a rumbling beneath our feet.

“We must find shelter, now,” Shadow moved.

“What? Why?” I asked as he pulled me with him, his eyes scanning our surrounding.

“The Interval, the arrival of another world. It is an event that causes a great surge of the Source. It is a time when many great feats that usually require an immense amount of power are possible with far less,” Shadow explained as he moved, but in his eyes I saw something that very much looked like panic.

He opened his mouth to continue when howls filled the air, and they sounded like they were very close to us. Immediately, my thoughts went to the pack of kiji.

Shadow glanced in the direction the howls were coming from and spoke. “It can also drive the wildlife into a frenzy.”

Finally understanding the gravity of what he was saying, I snapped into focus, looking for a place where we could hide out. If the pack was going to come after us, we needed either a place where we could hide, or one suitable for fighting.

We ran as fast as we could as the howls followed us, getting louder and louder behind us. I pushed Shadow, having to pick him up a few times when he stumbled. Saia flew ahead, scouting, searching for anything that could be of use. We ran through the jungle, and I was starting to get desperate, there were no caves or ruins that we could hide out in. After almost an hour of running I saw something in the distance.

“There,” I said, pointing at a small hill.

“That’s not a shelter,” Shadow said breathily. I glanced at him, noticing just how quickly he was breathing. His ears were slumped on top of his head; I could see the shaking in his limbs. I had moved as fast as I could to stay ahead of the pack, I had pushed him just as fast. I knew that he was weak, the fight with the sikiri had taken even more from him. I hadn’t noticed it much immediately after, as I had been injured too. But once I had healed I saw just how painful it was for him to follow at any type of faster pace. He hadn’t used a skill since the fight, and I knew that even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to.

I saw that in his eyes now, the defeat, and the frustration at his own weakness. I had felt that before, I recognized it.

“We won’t find shelter,” I told him. “I’d rather fight on top of a hill, take the high ground.”

It was daylight, I was weaker now. The sun was coming down, but we still had at least an hour before nightfall.

“Marianna,” he said slowly. “I cannot-”

I raised a hand, interrupting him. “I know,” I whispered. I would have to fight on my own.

He bowed his head, and followed me up the hill. Once there, I took a look around, it was clear of trees, giving me a good vantage point to see anything coming up at me. There was one large rock in the middle where I instructed Shadow to go.

“Climb up there, use your boltlauncher to give me cover, or at least distract them,” he dropped the chest from his back and nodded, opening it up and pulling up his rack with weapons.

I waited as it grew then approached and picked up his big serpent-tongue spear. It was the largest weapon, and the one I was most familiar with. Saia had gotten some biomass, but she hadn’t gotten back to her previous size. At best, she could turn into a smaller knife.

I took a deep breath and got ready as Shadow climbed the rock. There was no time to prepare any traps, or to think of any kind of a plan. I let myself accept the reality of the situation, acknowledging my anger at the turn of events and that I could do nothing to change it.

I settled into the opening stance of the Scarlet Moon Style technique, Veiled Mist Assault, From the Mist, Strike. Then I waited.

Saia returned first, the howls following after her.

“Statement: The kiji pack is close,” she reported, not that it was necessary, I could hear them coming up the hill.

“Distract,” I told her as the first dark shape climbed up to the top of the hill.

In the light of the day, the animal looked a lot more dangerous, it was as if a komodo dragon had a baby with a wolf. Long slender legs with an elongated head and jaws filled with teeth. It looked somewhat like the ferrorn, which I realized made sense. The two species were probably related somehow, what a jaguar was to a lion perhaps.

I didn’t hesitate, I let my instincts guide me and jumped forward, deciding to strike first. I turned into mist, crossing the distance with [Mist Step] in a flash. The animal didn’t expect it, and I reformed a step away, my swing reappearing just above its head. My spear split its head open straight down the middle, killing the animal instantly.

Two more kiji rushed from behind it, and I jumped back, using quick steps to create space and also rundown the cooldown on my skill. The two kiji rushed me, and I danced to the side and swiped at one of them, surprising it again. It had probably never encountered anything like me before, and my strength was deceptive. I didn’t look as strong as I was. It tried to dodge, but I cut open its side, from shoulder to rear.

More kiji climbed up, bringing the number up to almost a dozen. I didn’t know how many there were in the pack, we hadn’t gotten close enough to count, but from what I could see and hear, there was a lot more of them still coming. I switched to the second Kata, Tempest in the Mist, and I advanced straight into them.

The second kiji’s claws started to glow red and it jumped on me, swiping at my side. I ignored it as my focus sharpened on the one already injured. I stepped closer to the retreating animal, and the claws from its comrade burned across my back shallowly. I ignored the wound and stabbed, piercing through the animal’s throat, then I cut up, slicing through its spine.

The kiji weren’t highly invested, from what I remembered they should be around the same level as the young ferrorn that I fought when I arrived. If I was facing the pack back then, I would’ve had no chance. But now, I had changed a lot, I felt secure in my power.

The kiji behind me advanced, I could hear its footsteps, a half a dozen other kiji was rushing me from the side. I took a step, throwing myself on them and triggering [Mist Step]. I reappeared in the middle of them, and pulled at the sensation of the [Debilitating Wave] skill inside of me. I felt it swell up through my chest and into my throat, forcing my mouth open in a soundless cry that released a ruby wave of energy.

I hit them and they stumbled as they were stunned. Saia swooped down as I lashed out, never stopping, just moving my spear in a circle around me dancing like a storm. My anger swelled, and with it my attacks. I cut, spilling blood in all directions as Saia mauled the kijis, going for their heads with her claws.

I didn’t bother to see if my attacks were lethal, I just went for doing as much damage to as many of my foes as I could. Blood splashed in all directions, spill over me and soaking me in it, I tasted it on my lips.

I was smiling, feeling alive as I unleashed a flurry of attacks. Kiji around me fell, but always there were more to take their place. Saia swooped down, distracting my opponents for me, an I heard the air whoosh as a bolt flew and hit one of the kiji in the side. The kiji howled, and I felt a skill, but I didn’t know what it did. They jumped forward with greater fervor, became even more aggressive, the bodies of their packmates ignored.

I felt claws cut into my thigh and reacted, bringing my spear down blindly to cut the beast. It was day, I wasn’t healing as fast as I usually was, but I didn’t care. I ignored the injuries, I gave myself to offense, taking on wounds if it meant I killed another kiji. Wounds didn’t matter to me, if I killed them all before they inflicted enough wounds to kill me, I won. My state didn’t matter, when the night fell, I would heal.

With [Mist Step] I flanked two kiji, moving through them. They snapped their jaws on mist, then shook their heads in confusion. I reformed and lashed out, cutting them up.

Two more died in a span of seconds, but more were coming. I wished that I had a moment to grab one and drink, but they were attacking so fast.

Another snapped its jaw around my calf, preventing me from moving. I stabbed toward it, but another kiji jumped at me, hitting me in the chest and taking me to the ground, its jaws around my shoulder. I roared and grabbed my knife, pulling it out and stabbing in its side as a kiji pulled me by my leg. The one on top of me let go as I opened its stomach, and I was dragged beneath it, stabbing all the way as blood showered on top of me.

Two kiji had me by my legs, their teeth sinking deep as they pulled me across the ground. Other kiji moved for me, probably intending to rip me apart on the ground. My [Debilitating Wave] was on cooldown, and I had lost my spear. I gripped my knife tightly and used [Swap Profile].

I felt the change in skills wash over me, and immediately I lashed out. I opened my mouth and a [Sonic Screech] blasted out. The kiji around me all screamed in pain, and the two dragging me let go of my legs. I rolled and launched myself low at the closest kiji, with [Lesser Impale] I stabbed my knife, I felt it sink into its side then keep going, my arm pulling me forward and impaling it all the way to my wrist.

I knew that I had no choice now, so with my free hand I swiped at its throat with [Quick Claw], opening it up. I reached down and placed my mouth over the wound, pulling the dying kiji on top of me and drinking. The other kiji recovered enough that it attacked, biting my hip and swinging its head trying to pull me away. Blood spilled down my throat, and felt the thirstwaking up, my body trying to heal, even though the sun weakened it.

With a mouthful of blood, I pulled out my knife and started to swing it widely around me. I felt it connect, but I didn’t know how much damage I was doing. I rolled, trying to get out from beneath the kiji, and saw red glowing claws heading for my face. I twisted and slashed at the claw, redirecting it to the ground next to my face. Then I pushed off the ground and bit down on the kiji’s leg, pressing down with my teeth until I felt bones crack then splinter in my mouth.

The kiji above me howled and I got a knee beneath me, then I managed to push up. Saia fell on another kiji that was about to try and take a bite out of my face, and another was distracted by a bolt hitting it in the shoulder.

I was breathing quickly, my heart was pounding in my chest and I was tired. I reached for my chest and pulled, manifesting my Mask into the real world. Shadow had warned me about using it, he had said that it grants great power, but that it also drains quickly, especially at early Investments. According to him, even he had barely been able to use it for more than a few dozen seconds before it wiped him out. I had no choice. I looked around and saw that there were still shapes moving around me in the dim light. They were as shadows. And then the last of the light grew even fainter, I placed the Mask on my face and felt the power surge through my body. The sun crested behind the horizon and I awoke fully.

I felt the smile on my face widen as the thirst growled in my stomach, as blood fueled me, as my wounds started to close faster. As my Mask burned on my head. Wearing it was unlike anything that I had ever experienced before. It was as if liquid lightning was coursing through my veins, it the worst and the best of the thirst all merged into one. It was heavy, a weight that gave me so much, but was also dragging me down with it. I knew that I didn’t have a lot of time.

I took a wide stance, setting in the last Kata, Advance, Whirling Mist. Then I advanced.

* * *

Shadow fired another bolt, trying to distract a kiji that was preparing to leap at Marianna’s back. The fight was bloody and he had been losing hope that they would get out of this. When Marianna went down, when the kiji got on top of her and he heard the tearing of flesh, he thought that it was over. He still fired bolts as fast as he could, lamenting his weakness. His body was burning from the effort of just standing upright. Desire to use his skills burned inside of him, but so did the knowledge that if he even tried his body would give out on him. He had exerted himself too much against the sikiri, he had nothing more to give.

And then, somehow, Marianna crawled out of the pile of the kiji, and she got back up on her feet, her dragonling swooping down to help as much as possible.

Then, he realized that shadows had lengthened, that light had dimmed and that the moons shone above. He looked at Marianna, saw her clothes torn to shreds, blood dripping from her, her hair matted and soaked with it, plastered to her face. Her wounds were clear even from the distance, her calves were torn up so much that he could see bones, her side was missing a piece where a kiji had bitten off her flesh. Then she reached for her chest and pulled out her Mask. As the light of the two moons hit her face, he saw her smile widening. It was a mad grin that reminded him so much of his old self that it hurt his heart. Shadow watched as she put the Mask on her head.

The wounds on her body started to heal faster, healing at a rate unlike anything he had seen before. Through the Mask, he could see her eyes blazing with emerald light. In them, he saw a complete surrender to herself as she took a position of the last Kata in the Veiled Mist Assault.

Then she moved, attacking in a whirlwind of death and blood, dancing around and sending showers of gore and carnage in all directions. A knife in one hand, and claws in the other, she moved in a near perfect way of his school of being. All anger properly directed; all thoughts of defense abandoned. She ignored wounds and killed her foes, soaking the ground in their blood.

She grabbed the beasts and peeled their skin back in feats of strength rivaling someone of much higher Investment, ripped limbs from bodies and bludgeoned others with them. She cracked bones and pulled spikes of broken ribs to impale those still alive.

When she was done, when there were no more enemies to fight, she stood in the center of that carnage, her head tilted up at the moons and her eyes closed. She was breathing heavily as she reached up and pulled the Mask of her face, blood dripping down her cheeks, but still smiling.

In that moment he felt both pride and fear, for he knew that he had found someone who would continue on with his legacy, who would understand his teachings.

But Shadow also saw more than most could discern. He saw through to the core of who Marianna was. A moment later she collapsed on the ground.

He glanced up at the two moons above, and made a decision.