Veridian Shores

Chapter 27 - Blood for Blood

Capper faced the Baelock force, axe hanging loose in one hand, his knuckle-duster wrapped around the other. For a moment he let his gaze wander sadly across the skyline of the city, taking in the shadow walls of buildings and the glitter of stars above them. So this was it. Veridian Shores and its clans, condemned to death by a single act. He felt strangely numb. Questions churned in the back of his mind that he couldn't answer. How had Arcil traced the theft to Glaive? They'd left no clues for him to follow.

But that didn't change the fact that the Baelock warriors were here now.

They hadn't quite reached the Glaive grounds yet – Beel's scouts had done just enough to give the clan warning; time to prepare a defence. But he could see them out there, dark shapes flitting from building to building like bats, weapons glinting and harsh orders barking gutturally through the night. Just inside the main wall the Glaive guards were frantically assembling, grouping around the armoured, powerful figures of their Elder-Bloods. The Elders themselves would remain safe within the mansion, only sullying their hands with combat in the most dire of circumstances.

On his left, Beel shouldered his bolt-thrower and shook his head, disbelief clearly etched on his rugged features. "Can't believe they're actually going to do this."

"That makes two of us."

"What Brooke said – about you guys not being as stealthy as you thought – what did she mean by that?" the guard asked.

"It's a long story."

"Is it one you're allowed to tell me?"

"When this is over I'll tell you everything, you have my word on that." He clapped Beel on the shoulder. "But right now, we need to deal with these lunatics."

"Sounds good to me." Beel checked the sight of his weapon, exhaled a long breath, and strode away towards the main gatehouse. Capper watched him go, anger and guilt chewing at his insides. Then his gaze turned outward again.

With everything that had happened, Capper found that he just wanted it to end, for better or worse. He scanned the dark ranks of Baelock warriors that were scattered through the streets facing the Glaive mansion. He took in a heavy breath, gently swaying his axe back and forth with a languid motion of his wrist.

Then the bolts started flying.

He couldn't see them straight away, but his amplified hearing picked out the unmistakable thunk of their fire. No immediate casualties were inflicted, but he spotted more than one Glaive guard crumple, crying out in pain as a bolt found its mark in a non-lethal area. He tensed and glanced at Gliss.

"Get ready," he whispered harshly as the Glaive guards started to return fire, popping up and down over the perimeter wall like ducks on a firing range. Gliss thwacked the duelling sticks together and slowly sank into a fighting stance.

Capper was moving the instant he saw the first dark shapes come hurtling over the perimeter wall. A handful were smashed from mid-flight by well-aimed bolts. He saw one guard leap from the wall and slam into one of the attackers in the air – both of them came crashing to the ground in a mess of limbs.

As one of the enemies landed, Capper was right there to meet them. With a snarl born out of all the frustration of the past weeks, he swung his axe in a savage upward stroke, cleaving the Baelock vampire's head off in one blow. The body tottered drunkenly for a moment before slumping to its knees. Then it contorted, as though folding up on itself, before a shrieking wind boiled around it and it turned to ash.

The battle exploded around him as the Baelock attack force came piling over the walls, a mix of two dozen Elder-Bloods along with a force of guards. Bolt throwers were tossed aside as the Glaive guards drew their duelling rods, while their counterparts fought with their heavy forward-curving short swords. And then vampires on both sides started dying.