FellPoth Short Stories and One-Shots

From the Murky Depths: Chapter 1

Have a FellPoth Vampire AU~

Chapter Warning: Swearing

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"So what are we expecting this time around?" Lotus grunted, clambering over a fallen log.

"Three, maybe four rogues," Rurik answered, easily jumping over a dead tree while turning to watch his companion overcome the obstacle with a grin. Rogue vampires had recently begun stirring up trouble in the area near their coven, which was now disrupting supply transports. Unfortunately, the interlopers had garnered a reputation for being strong, so Rurik became the one to accept the task of finding and getting rid of them since he was known for being one of the better fighters... if only things were so simple.

Lotus slid down the other side of the trunk as he snarled, "You know, we'd be able to move faster and cover more ground if you wouldn't be an asshole for once and give me a hand; it's not like this kind of terrain's tough for you."

"Hmmm...," the vampire seemed to contemplate the idea for a few seconds before shrugging, "Nah, I need to save my strength for all the fighting I'll be doing later."

"Then why don't we use a trail or something? I would think climbing over rocks and shit would waste more energy," the smaller groused.

"Trails are prime ambush territory. That's the reason everyone else is having problems dealing with the rogues; they've been relying on the trails too much," Rurik explained, strolling away once Lotus got within arm's reach, "Besides, it's good exercise... it's also fun to watch my cute little blood servant struggle sometimes."

"Jackass," Lotus spat, willing his glare to burn a hole in Rurik's skull.

"Only for you, though I would recommend 'Master' once we get back; otherwise you might be punished for being disrespectful," the vampire quipped playfully; he snickered when his servant's dirty look intensified.

Coming upon a stream, Rurik easily crossed the distance in one leap as Lotus was forced to pick his way across the slippery rocks. "How far out are we supposed to search anyway?" the smaller skeleton huffed, catching his breath as he finally made his way across.

"We've already covered a lot of ground; it shouldn't be too long now before we find them," Rurik said with a dismissive hand wave.

"You said that hours ago," Lotus complained, "There's no problem for you traveling during the day; the woods are heavily shaded by the trees and you have your hat to protect your eye lights, but I won't be able to see a damn thing if it gets dark before we find them; and why even bring me along? I can hold my own against most mortals, but I'll be more than useless against a group of vampires."

"You're here in case I need a boost after the fight cause everyone else was too chicken to come along for a rogue hunt," Rurik specified, tacking on, "Plus you're my blood servant; where I go, you go."

"Mavis is your blood servant too," Lotus snapped, "She isn't having to do this... why?"

Rurik snorted to cover a laugh, "Can you really picture Mavis sneaking around? She's as girly as they come, not to mention loud as all hell." Lotus scowled, hating to admit that his master had a point. Mavis had plenty of energy to spare and was a hard worker when it came to her duties, but she was definitely not suited for anything requiring stealth; she would likely give away their position by accident if she came along.

In what Rurik probably thought was a reassuring tone, he remarked, "Anyway, we sprayed ourselves down to hide our scent before we left, so no one should be able to smell us even if we're right on top of them for a good twenty-four hours. You'll be perfectly safe as long as you stay hidden and don't cut yourself on anything."

"Great, so I'm nothing more than your walking unscented energy drink," the skeleton grumbled sarcastically, throwing his arm up in exasperation, "Just fan-fu-" A hand slapped over his mouth as another snaked around his waist, cutting him off. Before Lotus could even think to do more than struggle, he realized the hands belonged to his master as Rurik made a soft shushing sound. Once he nodded along, the vampire let go and chucked a thumb over his shoulder, stealthily taking the lead with the servant following close behind.

A tense minute later, Lotus could hear muffled voices in the distance. Stopping behind a thick tree, the pair peeked around it and spotted their targets. Three rogue vampires; two male monster-like and one female human-like laughing while exchanging stories of their latest conquests.

Now that they were closer, even a mortal monster like Lotus could smell the stink of old gore coming off of the trio. The smell made him want to gag, but he refrained since the noise or smell would give them away; he could only imagine how bad it was for Rurik since their senses were much sharper, but they seemed to be hiding their revulsion well.

Giving a signal to stay put, Rurik began scaling up the tree, careful not to rustle any leaves as he stalked his way across the branches overlooking the clearing like a panther stalking its prey. Lotus's soul pounded in his chest as the vampire moved into position over their targets.

Without warning or preamble, Rurik dropped from the branch, driving one of the rogues into the ground and severing their head at the base of the neck with his knife, then advancing on the others while they were still reeling. The servant silently cheered him on as he overwhelmed his next target, producing multiple wounds before the enemy could even retaliate. As the second one dropped from a stab to the brain and he rounded on his last adversary, a shadow managed to catch Lotus's attention; peeking out farther from his hiding spot, he could just make out a glint of red from the foliage behind his master.

Inhaling sharply as the leaves shifted, Lotus screamed out, "Rurik, behind you!"

Rurik managed to spin around just in time to intercept the oncoming attack, but he and Lotus both knew the damage was done; the enemy that had been abandoned made a beeline for the smaller.

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Word Count: 1,042