Bound in Blood

Chapter 18: Higher Learning

"So how do you kill a vampire?"

"Sunlight, wooden stake to the heart, removal of the heart, incineration, and decapitation." Drake answered robotically, but a bit short of breath.

"And to weaken them?" Kyle asked sipping on a mug of warm blood. It had a light steam coming off of it as the cold night air tried to steal its warmth.

"Wyrmwood, and the blood of a vanator." Drake said as his rope wrapped fists smashed into the trunk of a Red Wood tree that was four times as stout as Drake was broad. Despite the immense size difference Drake was still sending shudders up the tree with each strike, and sending the outer layers of bark flying.

"What about Lycans?" Kyle asked 

"What about them?" Drake asked pausing finally short of breath. He had been pounding on the two for about three hours and he was just now starting to get winded.

"Don't stop striking! If you are fighting something other than a Vampire your precious Vanator abilities wont be there to carry you through the day you will have to use your wits and pray you have the endurance to outlast it!" Kyle shouted. Drake nodded and went back to work smashing punches and kicks into the tree. His bare torso smoldering from the heat his body was generating. "Your gonna also have to think while still defending and applying an effective offence." Kyle coached.

"Got it." Drake said through baited breaths.

"Now what have I taught you about Lycans?" 

"Which type?" Drake asked smashing a round kick into the side of the tree.

"Start with telling me all the known types."

"Werewolf, werepanther, weretiger, wererat, werebear." Drake landed two punches per name.

"Good, are they all the same?" 

"Mostly. Some are faster than others... some are tougher... But they all can be killed the same way." Drake said slowing down due to exhaustion, but his punches were still packing about as much force as a jackhammer. 

"And hows that?" 

"Silver... Silver blade or silver bullet to the head or heart, will put it down for good."

"What should be your biggest concerns when facing down a Lycan?" Kyle asked sitting his now empty mug aside.

"First, I am not augmented around one SI-SI-SI!" He threw a powerful three punch combo. "More importantly Lycans... regenerate at an alarming rate so they have to put down quickly."

"Anything else?" Kyle asked standing from his seat.

 "Facing a Lycan in its true form is not a good idea... If I cant avoid it I need to put as much silver in it as possible from afar, because it will weaken it and slow it down... possibly slow enough that I can kill it without being augmented." Drake panted.

"Very good... How do you handle Fey?"

"Fey? Those exist?" Drake asked through baited breaths. Kyle laughed heartily and waved his hand at Drake.

"Enough, enough you can rest." Kyle said with a huge grin on his face. Drake fell to his knees gasping for air. "Good to know you have been fighting full blast for three hours and fourteen minutes... impressive. Your Vanator endurance is quite the sight to behold. After an hour of sustained combat I would need blood to keep going or I would slow down drastically. You my boy, went three times as long."

"Well now I can barely stand and I'm starving." Drake said struggling back to his feet and stumbling over to his shirt.

"Okay kid, lets head in the house, get you fed, and get you spun up on Fey." Kyle said folding up his chair and walking back toward his cabin.