I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 8 - Double the Companions

Hagor didn't move much with the tugging of their collars. The magic around him shimmered a moment but held. The tendrils were flowing from him and into the ground, dashing off under the loam, questing for a safe place to stay like tree roots.

Yet, when Evangeline took a couple cautious steps away from him, he disappeared entirely into Valerian's darkness.

A strange, echoing word of power whispered creepily from the dark, then the other rogue emerged from it as well, his gaze focused on the task before them. She glanced between him and the deep shadow, confused.

"It'll stay put now for an hour," he explained without being asked.

"Nice trick," she whispered.

He ignored the small compliment. "Damn, I wish I had my shortbow right now." Then he shot away, running along the ground, letting the momentum of his jump up swing his arm up then brought it all down, plunging the knife into the first goblin.

The thieves-trick had been perfect and cut that goblin completely down.

The one next to them swung around to stare wide-eyed at their fallen comrade. Evangeline took that opportunity to do her own thieves-trick on them. Hers didn't go down as easily and managed to do a weak swing at Valerian. By some luck of their dark gods, the goblin's pike caught on Valerian's sleeve as he tried to rush past.

It was a small wound, but it interfered with his next attack, making it fall short of the goblin that stood over the presumed mage.

What did end up happening was that the goblin had to turn to thwart the attack, giving the mage the opportunity to blast a bolt of power at the exposed goblin's back. The advantage of the exposed back countered the disadvantage of lying on the ground, and the bolt hit, staggering the goblin, but not taking them out entirely.

Two others were not deterred from their purpose, and they used their opportunities to attack the mage on the ground, slashing with improvised weapons at her exposed extended arms.

She cried out in pain and blood splattered in the direction of both attackers, much to their cackling glee.

Evangeline didn't think; she only acted.

With Valerian on the ground, she acrobatically rolled over him, her back over his. She stuck her knife into the side of the nearest standing goblin. It interrupted their second attack.

She finished the roll on her feet.

The goblin swung back to her.

Ducking, she leapt back in a ready crouch.

She couldn't help herself. She giggled.

"No get off me!" a cry went out, and Evangeline saw the two goblins that had gone after the second person drag them back with reckless gusto.

"Hey!" one of them shouted. "What's all this?"

And then the mage on the ground erupted.

The fire pushed them all back, ally and foe alike, knocking everyone to the ground, including Hagor.

The druid blinked and shook his head, realizing the danger they were all in, having a delayed reaction to it.

The goblins were slower to get back up than Valerian. He rolled up onto his feet. Stabbing down, he took out the one Evangeline failed to finish. Then he did approximately what she had done to him. He flipped over her to take a secondary advantage attack he shouldn't have been able to make. But he was moving so fast!

The mage's fire eruption had been very effective as well. The goblin Evangeline had been facing off with had been blasted into a fiery heap. If he hadn't been standing in front of her, she would have gotten the full force.

By this time, Hagor had accomplished standing. Stomping each foot wider, green light pulled down his limbs from inside his core, and when it reached his hands, he slammed them into the ground with a growl.

Vines and growth churned up as it burst forth from him, rushing away in a line as broad as his stance. The vines bowled into the remaining three goblins, binding them up on the ground where they lay.

And just like that the fight was over.

The goblins fought and wiggled in the bindings, but the druid's Plant Summon was strong. They weren't going anywhere.

The vines also caught up with the mage and his companion, causing both to struggle and curse.

Valerian ignored them both, however, as he went over to each of the enemies to ensure they wouldn't be a threat ever again.

Evangeline focused on the mage, who was lurching herself back and forth like a fly trapped in a spider's web.

"Hold on, just hold on. I'll cut you loose."

"Get away from me! I'll burn you to ashes!" she growled with her deeper voice.

"Look! Look, see! I'm like you, I was a prisoner too. We're here to help you," Evangeline reassured.

The mage's eyes fastened onto her collar, then her face, finally landed on Valerian as he stepped around the mage's head, crossing his arms with a cocky smile that said, "I can kill you at any time, and I'm enjoying you squirm as you realize that and the fact that I'm not actually doing it."

It was a very precise expression.

"My name is Evangeline," she continued, as she started sawing at the vines and growth.

"Sigismund," the mage said, clearly still reluctant, but accepting this may have been her only choice. "And that is my ... Artmond."

Hagor knelt next to Artmond, whose hand was the only thing Evangeline could see. It gave a little wave. "Hi!" he said with some cheer. "Thank you for saving us."

"Hart, shut it!" Sigismund snapped, just as a vine snapped in turn, released by Evangeline's knife. "Can't you just ... make these vines go away or something?"

"No. Sorry. They are part of the earth now if the earth can sustain them," Hagor said as he snapped some of the growth with his bare hands. Soon they had them both free.

Pulling back on his sleeves, Sigismund looked over her arms, both covered in crusting blood from a pair of slashes on the backs. "Dammit," she muttered, then laid one hand over one of the slashes. "Regis," she breathed, her eyes whiting out for a moment as the same light between her hand and her arm. Then it was all gone, the light and the wound.

"Oh, I see," Valerian said, cocking up an eyebrow at Sigismund. "You're not a mage. You're a cleric."

To be continued...

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