Aperial

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Drake

Drake’s blade whistled through the air, severing the monster’s head from its body. It immediately stopped moving, and fell to the ground, twitching slightly. He wiped the beast’s innards on the grass, and kept walking. Where are you hiding gargoyles, Drake wondered as he walked through the forest. They’ve got to be around here somewhere… ah ha! He crouched low to the ground as he spotted a glimmer of gray green skin moving in the bushes up ahead. He moved forward slowly, careful not to disturb the branches and leaves underfoot.

 “Please don’t eat us.” A rasping voice said behind him. Drake swung around, and saw a gargoyle three feet away from him, staring at Drake with beady black eyes. He sighed, giving up the hiding game, and stood up.

 “You really shouldn’t ask me that, you know nothing is going to stop me from killing you.” Drake said, swaggering forward a few steps. It retreated hastily.

 “We were just appealing to your merciful nature, Death Blade.” It said, a dark purple tongue flickering out of its beaked mouth. Rows of black teeth flashed.

“Well you should know that I don’t have a merciful nature.” He said, and continued advancing. It shrank back, hissing madly. “But you can’t hurt us!” It shrieked, and Drake paused. “And why is that?” He asked, suddenly wary. “Because if you do, you die!” It screeched, and cackled. Drake grew tired of letting this scrap of meat mess with his mind. “Well I’m just going to have to take that chance.” He snarled, and swung his blade toward it. The blade swept through its neck, and the head rolled off its body.

“Ha, that’ll teach you-“ He cried out in pain as claws dug into his back. “We tried to warn you, Death Blade…” A voice hissed in his ear. Drake gasped as the claws were shoved deeper, and black dots filled his vision. With a grunt of effort he staggered over to a tree and smashed the invisible assailant against the trunk. It screamed and let go, and Drake turned to see a gargoyle lying stunned on the ground.

After he finished it off he grabbed both dead bodies and slung them into his game sack. Then, ignoring the bursts of pain in his back he walked back to his village. Drake felt his fangs coming out with each new wave of pain, and walked faster.

Vampires, for that was what he was, naturally healed faster. But gargoyle claws and teeth were covered in poison, poison that would soon destroy his insides. If he could get to the healer in time she could cure it. Vampire fangs came out whenever the vampire felt rage, excitement, hunger, or pain. And pain was definitely what he was feeling now, throbbing pain that racked his whole body. Vampires are gifted with superhuman speed, strength, and senses.

Their worst weakness was the vampire kryptonite, fire.

 You might think that’s not so bad, fire is not easily moved. But the Light had found a way around that. The elves had experimented, trying to find a way to battle the vampires, one of the most dangerous Dark beings. What they had come up with was the Pyruby.

The Pyruby was the precious stone ruby, but imbued with essence of fire. If a vampire smelled it, or if it even was around the Pyruby, he was immediately weakened. Oh but the worst, Drake shuddered even thinking about it, the worst was if the Pyruby was injected into a vampire. You don’t want to know, because it was pretty grisly. And Drake would know, because he had once witnessed a vamp die of that cause, and it had not been pretty.

Drake neared his village, and slowed to a creeping slink. He dreaded meeting anyone and having to explain how a gargoyle had managed to sink its claws into him. He was supposed to be the Death Blade, for The Pit’s sake, he thought, saying the name of the place where all Dark go when they are killed.