The King, The Enemy, and the Wars[Sequel to The Slayer]

Chapter 62

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Evening was racing towards us as the sun sunk beneath the earth as the moon’s white light took place. Andrew woke up an hour before everyone else and made sure everything was in position and ready. I had taught Bruce how to fight yesterday and he was promising, but I didn’t feel as if he were truly ready to be in the front lines. I don’t think Bruce thought he was ready either. From training with him, I found he was handy with a crossbow. He had incredible aim, so Andrew agreed to station him in a tower where he could shoot from over head. For the two days I’d been here, Blade trained me to use a sword. At first I found it to be bulky and hard to handle but with practice it came to.

Wearing the hunter outfit Jason had gotten me so long ago I stocked my belt with salt, holy water, and firecrackers. Andrew had the whole place booby trapped with certain patches of grass that would ignite easily. I had my bows and wood tipped arrows on my shoulder and my sword in my belt. Walking out to the courtyard the whole castle grounds felt tense. There seemed to be a hum in the air from the amount of nerves that raced through the castle.

Everyone was in position, waiting for the signal. Blade was to be by my side at all times, so if I at the last moments couldn’t fulfill my job, Blade could do it. Blade and I were hidden in a bush at the edge of the courtyard and waited. It took about five minutes before we saw the lights coming from two places in the forest across the road, and with it came howls and gunfire. Seconds after our first troop sped back onto the grounds and stationed themselves. Nick’s army and Vlad’s hunters would be coming to attack us at the same time so they were bound to run into each other on the way. Andrew knew that Nick wouldn’t hesitate to kill, and I knew Vlad wouldn’t either. If the plan works, hopefully the hunters and Nick’s army would arrive in less numbers and injured giving us the upper hand.

This was our grace period; it would give us time to double check that everyone was ready and in position. We heard screams and howls of anger and pain and could make out where it was in the woods. It was quite close to the edge of the forest. Soon we saw vampires and hunters heading our way. Everyone was braced. The hunters, since it was burned into their brains, couldn’t help but try to shoot or kill the vampires that were heading our way, and the vampires retaliated. The plan had worked, the numbers were less, and the ones coming would be injured. But not all were blinded by instinct or training, some stayed strong and sped toward us with no hesitation.

The first troop were positioned well, all hidden in the trees that were on the grounds. As the vampires and hunters charged towards us vampires dove out of trees like bombs being dropped. Hunters were dragged down while the vampires escaped the bombarding tree vampires with their super speed. Troop two came from all angles and sides of the grounds attacking anyone who slipped through the first assail.

Soon the grounds were stained with blood and decapitated body parts. Troop three, they were the shooters, and they shot the vampires or hunters who were beating our troops. Soon, though, the toughest fighters came to the castle grounds; Nick and Vlad with their number one fighters evaded each attack as they swerved through the battlefield heading straight for us. Blade and I knew to stay positioned until we got a good shot at Vlad. Andrew and his best fighters came out and stood their position, not bowing down. Andrew barred his fangs as Nick got closer and Nick greeted Andrew with the same hostility. Vlad seemed unsure once he didn’t see me anywhere, but soon covered his uncertainty with the desire to kill.

Nick leaped on Andrew, but Andrew kicked him off. Vlad was attacked on the side by a vampire, but Vlad side stepped the attack like it was nothing, and raised his sword and slammed it down on the vampires’ neck, leaving a dead body. Vlad smirked, admiring his work then lit the body aflame and walked away to seek more victories. Soon another hunter joined Vlad’s side with a gun. I was lost as to why he needed a gun though since a silver bullet does no damage to vampires. A younger vampire on Nick’s side boldly attacked Vlad, but before he reached Vlad, he was shot, and the vampire went down, writhing on the ground, convulsing. The sight reminded me of when Andrew had just turned a vampire and refused to drink. I watched as my curiosity peeked. Soon the body was motionless, and the skin grew darker. I looked at Blade and he seemed confused, but I felt like he had a suspicion of what happened.

“Is it what I think it is…” I whispered.

“Bruce’s cure? I think so,” Blade said.

“But how would they get it?” I questioned.

“I don’t know, and how did they mass produce it and get it in bullet form?” Blade asked.

“This is bad…” I said stating the obvious.

“Very bad,” Blade replied.

“But it seems that only ten of Vlad’s hunters have those guns, so maybe it’s not that bad…” I said trying to be positive.

“Maybe…anyways, we need to move, need to keep Vlad within our sights,” Blade said.

As we moved from bush to bush certain patches of the ground blazed with flames soaring high at first then from the wind, chasing the vampires within burning distance, hissing as it flew in all directions. Vlad kept his distance from the flames and started fighting vampires without the hunter loaded with that curing gun. Blade nodded to me. It was time to end this.

Vlad was distracted from fighting that vampire, so I took my blade out and ran towards Vlad. Pretending in my mind that he was a vampire, so that I could complete this deed, I swung my sword at Vlad, but Vlad saw it coming and side stepped, leaving my blade grazing the side of him, doing minimal damage. Vlad cackled with joy as he pulled out a dagger. It didn’t faze me though. I swung again, and Vlad knocked my blade aside and stepped forward, jabbing his dagger at me. I readjusted my grip and swung again, only for it to be knocked out of my hands this time. I had minimal time to react as Vlad stepped forward thrusting his dagger at my stomach. Jumping backwards, I did a back spring to gain some distance. It gave me time to load my bow and I took a shot at Vlad and it made contact, digging into Vlad’s right shoulder, making his right arm useless now. Vlad nodded to me, respecting my gain in the battle between us. He took the dagger in his left hand and continued towards me. I threw my bow and arrows to the side, to where Blade sat hidden in a bush. I took out my stake and decided it was the best weapon to use in combat.

Vlad sliced the air as I knocked each thrust he made. Our fight was like a dance, at first Vlad led, then me and now him. We were like the ocean as it ebbed and flowed. We were evenly matched with skill and technique. After what seemed like twenty minutes, we both stepped away from each other with scrapes and gashes. Blade jumped on Vlad and Vlad drove the dagger into Blade and Blade jumped off as I charged Vlad, holding my stake out, forward and strong. Vlad regaining his composure spotted me inches from him, realizing he had no time to react as my stake connected with his chest. I held onto the stake not letting go as Vlad wavered and fell, me falling onto him, driving the stake further into his flesh.

Vlad coughed blood up as I rolled to the side of him escaping the sprays. Vlad looked at me and lifted his arm to make contact with me but his arm fell before he touched me.

“You’re,” Vlad started before he coughed, “ a better,” and couched again, “hunter than,” more coughing releasing more blood, “I thought,” Vlad finished as his eyes closed and he ceased breathing. I looked at him for a moment and said his name, no response.  

“Vlad…” I said again this time tears slipping from my eyes.

Suddenly I was thrown over Blade’s shoulder as he grabbed Vlad’s body and dragged it with him. When Blade stopped we were inside the castle hall, Blade bowed and left me there to mourn.