He shot down, quickly exhausting the dozen bolts he’d stuffed into the weapon moments ago. Barros’ knife belt was empty and he had little else save for several vials of Vampire blood hanging off it. They would be needed later, if he survived.
The first Vampire clambered over the wall, hungrily sniffing the air, growling with delight at the scent of Hunter blood.
“I’ve got this one.” Barros stepped forward, sword hanging loose by his side once again.
He strode towards the Vampire as it saw him and crouched. Less than a second later the Vampire’s head was a smoldering ruin, severed from its neck, sailing over the wall into the Vampires that waited below.
Their ranks were finally beginning to thin and an end seemed in sight.
“Keep killing them! We’re nearly there!” Barros said.
Maria rammed her spear through two Vampires, sending them sprawling back over the ledge into the angry masses below. Black blood burst from one of the fiends as Rico spilt it open with his axe, its innards spilling across the battlements.
“Persistent little fuckers, aren’t they?” Grayson said. He laughed as he danced around a Vampire and slicing through both its arms before ramming his sword into its mouth. As the Fyndfire connected with the Vampire’s flesh for the final time, it turned to ash, disintegrating all around him.
“Just make sure they’re dead, otherwise you’ll find your neck bitten open,” Barros said.
“Nothing’s bitten me yet, Barros. Why would that change anytime soon?” Grayson toppled another, jamming his sword through the vile creature's heart.
“Grayson, your arrogance is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met before. If I was a Vampire, I’d be begging at a chance to take you off the face of this earth.”
“Good thing you’re not then,” Grayson said.
“When I’m dealing with Hunters like you, I sometimes wish I was,” Barros said.
“Oy!” Piero said interrupting their conversation as he sliced his way through a Vampire skull. “Finish cleaning up before you stand around looking pretty.”
Barros shook his head and walked over to Piero. As the old Hunter sheathed his sword, Barros grabbed his arm. “This is my hunt, I’m going after Sophia and I need a little time to recuperate. You weren’t in any danger of being overrun and I need to be at the top of my game to kill her.”
“And you aren’t in any condition to kill a Countess, Barros,” Piero said taking note of Barros clutching his side.
“Didn’t I just tell you, this is my hunt?”
“I’m not letting you die today. I’ve been a Hunter for too damn long and I’ve seen too many younger Hunters die before their time. You warned Grayson about his arrogance? I’m telling you to calm down, before you do something that’s going to get you killed,” Piero said.
“I don’t take orders from you,” Barros said. “And you sure as shit are not going to stop me exacting my revenge on the bitch that stole my life from me.” Piero’s hand gripped his sword, ready to fling the weapon out at a moment’s notice. Barros laughed. “Go on, draw your sword, I’ll have killed you before you can make three strikes. You know I’m one of the best swordsmen in Taagras.”
Piero scowled at Barros and turned away. “Get it done, but don’t fuck this up like you’ve done with everything else.”
“Piero, this is my chance to redeem myself. Thank you for understanding what I need to do. I won’t let you or the Huntrey down,” Barros said.
“If you let us down, you’ll be dead,” Piero said. “You don’t seem like the kind of man that wants to die, Barros.”
“I plan to live forever, Piero. If there’s a way to become immortal, I’ll find it. Sophia will die by my hands today, one way or another,” Barros said.
“Kill her and put this behind you. Death is the only way to eliminate this threat.”
8
The Heart Stopping Plummet
Despite the chaos outside, the Ambassador’s Tower in central Rhorn was rather quiet. It was a large structure that towered high above the rest of the city and was one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Sauria. It was commonly known as the White Tower as its bleached rock reflected the sun’s rays, but now, as the Red Sky gathered around Rhorn, the tower changed to match the colour of the sky.
Sophia slipped inside the building, removed her hood and surveyed the lobby. Blood and human bodies were splattered across the room. The Countess smiled to herself, proud with the work of her kind. Sophia climbed the stairwell of the White Tower that led up to the levels where the Ambassadors from each country, tried to maintain the peace.
The fourteenth floor was clear and there had been no struggle this far up the tower. Sophia made the familiar journey down the marble corridor that led to the Renori Ambassador’s office. For many years the Countess had visited this floor to meet with Melrowe, who was in charge of making peace between Sauria and Renor. Needless to say for the ten years he had been here, he had been rather unsuccessful.
Sophia rounded the corner that opened onto Melrowe’s office. Outside was a circular foyer that contained the desk of his aide, Thomas. The young Renori boy sat behind it, oblivious to the Red Sky. He continued diving into stacks of paperwork, his long pointy nose leading the way in the pursuit of a certain file.
The Countess pressed herself against the front of the desk running her manicured nails along the counter, tapping them gently on the surface. She cleared her throat loudly before Thomas finally looked up from his work. Not even the time he’d spent working here could disguise the fact he’d been a lowborn in Renor. His sun kissed skin, testament to his years working in the deserts as a child.
“Yes, how may I help you?” he asked. “Ambassador Melrowe is currently in a meeting and is unable to speak. Oh, Countess Sophia, it’s a pleasure to see you again!”
“Surely the Ambassador is not in a meeting, Thomas. He always has time to see me.” Sophia smiled sweetly.
“Of course, wait here one moment please.”
Thomas rose from his velvet backed chair and knocked on the large wooden door that stood a few feet behind him. Sophia heard an angry voice from inside, dismissing the boy. Once her name was mentioned, Sophia heard the tone change.
“Ambassador Melrowe will see you now.” Thomas smiled, holding the door open for her.
Sophia stepped past the aide and into where Melrowe was busy dressing himself, throwing a robe over his naked body, tying a knot to hold it in place. A woman was huddled in a corner, rapidly pulling on clothes, trying to avoid Sophia’s eye. The Countess focused solely on the Ambassador.
“Sophia! What a pleasant surprise!” He greeted her warmly with his arms outstretched. “What brings you here on this glorious day?”
The Countess returned the embrace. Her friendly smile turned into one full of malice. “Your death and war between our two countries. The conflict between Renor and Sauria will continue with a renewed ferocity. For far too long men have stood idle on the borders and your negotiations will have been for nothing.” Her claws dug through Melrowe’s flesh, making him jerk forward, blood spilling out of his mouth, eyes wide, filled with pain.
There was a gasp from the door. Thomas stood transfixed, his mouth as wide as Melrowe’s eyes. Sophia snarled as she grabbed the knife from the belt of the deceased Ambassador and, without looking, she flung it. The blade sliced cleanly through the assistant’s neck. The woman remained huddled in the corner unable to utter a sound.
Sophia strode over to her and knelt down. “Your existence is pathetic. Join me and become immortal.”
“What are you?” the woman asked.
“I am a god,” Sophia said.
“A god or just a monster forged by hate and suffering?” Barros asked as he stepped over Thomas’s body.
“Hate is a strong word, Barros.” The Countess smiled.
“Yet it is one that I have become all too familiar with. Now that I have been freed from whatever wicked deception you cast over me. I am fortunate that I
saw the error of my ways and that my brothers are here with me now. Your true purpose will never reach its full potential, Sophia.”
“Don’t forget, you chose me over them.” Sophia took a step closer. "And my plan will work no matter the cost to humans or my own kind. I will raise Tal'davin."
“And we know how that turned out. History will repeat itself this day, Sophia.” His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword, stained with Vampire blood.
“Why?” Sophia asked. “Are you going to kill me, Barros?”
“This farce ends now, Sophia, as does your life,” Barros said.
She let out a wicked cackle and spread her arms wide, “If my life ends here, come and take it, dear Hunter.”
Barros stepped into the room, cautiously examining it for any traps or other Vampires. He slid two knives slowly from his belt, the same pair he had used back in the house. They hung loosely by his side, one pointing in front of him, the other in a reversed grip. “Something tells me I'll enjoy this, like I used to in the old days. You've put me through so much and now it is time to pay for it."
“Lay down in front of me, Barros. In the end it is what the remaining Hunters will do,” Sophia said. “Over the years I accessed your memories and I know exactly how you fight. No Hunter will be able to defeat me.”
“I submitted to you five years ago. If I submitted to you again, I would be no better than the man I was five years ago. This ends, Sophia, regardless of what you do, or do not do. I'm glad I left the order because I'm not a Hunter anymore. You're dead.”
“Bring your best then,” Sophia said. She started to walk forwards towards him.
Barros strode across the room in complete control. Sophia’s skin began to shed, becoming the all too familiar grey colour Barros knew. Her claws dripped with the fresh blood of the Ambassador; eyes hungry, pupils red, face full of rage.
The Hunter feinted, pretending to throw the dagger overhead. Instead he reserved the throw, only to thrust the second dagger into Sophia’s stomach. The Countess blocked the blow, grabbing the dagger with her left hand, she twisted her wrist to send Barros spinning away. He stumbled, thrown off balance as the bloodied claws missed his skull by an inch. Barros ducked away to regain his ground.
“The five years with me, haven’t left your skills in ruin like I expected,” Sophia said.
“When you’ve been trained for something as long as I was, you keep your knowledge and you keep your form. Regardless of what you do, the memories will always be there,” Barros said. “I’ve swung a sword since I could walk, something like that doesn't fade.”
“Memories will not serve you well against the terrors of flesh and blood.”
“My sword and the blood of those you once called kin, begs to differ,” Barros said.
“Of course. I wonder how your Hunters are doing outside? Our strength grows stronger, the longer the Red Sky is alive.”
“Then I shall have to strip your power from you.”
Barros rushed at Sophia, taking her around the waist. Her claws dug into his back as he lifted her off the ground. He charged, with no thought of what lay on the other side, until glass shattered around him and both Hunter and Vampire were in free-fall. Sophia let go of the Hunter, laughing as she braced for impact. Barros drew another knife and plunged the blade into the Countess’ chest. Its Fyndfire coating burned the fiend to the bone, tearing a wild scream from the Vampire’s fanged mouth. The other dagger swiftly followed, slipping underneath her shoulder.
As they continued to tumble towards the ground, Barros was flipped onto his back. The snapping red jaws of the Countess hovered dangerously above his face. Barros glanced at the ground beneath them. It was dangerously close and in this position he would take the brunt of the impact. Barros gripped the daggers tighter and reversed their positions in the air. Gaining control over the Countess once again, he drove his knees into the monster as she smashed into the cobblestone, sending debris in every direction.
Relieved he was still alive, Barros withdrew his daggers and rolled off the Countess. His body protested at the force of the impact and he knelt on all fours, gasping for breath. He had barely a moment to recover, before a hand clasped around his arm.
Sophia raised her head, mouth hanging open, attempting to latch onto the Hunter’s neck. Barros rolled out of reach, ignoring the stabbing sensation in his arm as the Countess’ claw drove his knife into him. Pulling the blade from his arm, he thrust it into Sophia’s chest. Again and again he rammed the blade into her. Chest, arms, stomach, he continued with his frenzied attack. With each stab, black blood splattered from new wounds and the Fyndfire seeped into her butchered flesh.
The Countess screamed with each hit. Writhing in pain, she tried to escape the Hunter. After no less than a dozen strikes, her grip on Barros’ arm lessened. As the countess’ body grew limp, Barros looked at what he had done. A myriad of stab wounds punctured her skin, each surrounded by the unique orange ring of Fyndfire.
The Hunter stood shakily, taking in his surroundings. Above him the Red Sky loomed as menacing as ever, the result of Tal’davin’s amulet. He knelt to search for the amulet but a shout just up the road interrupted him. Barros looked up warily.
Grayson was running from a horde of Vampires, each of them thirsty for a drop of the Hunter’s rich blood. As he fled, Grayson shot the Vampires as they neared, most of them dropping dead with a crossbow bolt between their eyes. One pack followed him, while another pack of two dozen leapt across the rooftops.
Barros ripped open Sophia’s robe. Seeing the amulet against her bare skin, he snatched it off her and tucked the jewelry into his inside pocket. He leaped forward to join the fray, his own crossbow at the ready, firing as he went to the aid of his brother in arms.
Grayson held his ground as Barros joined him. Together they fought back against the hordes, shooting them down as they ran forwards. One fiend, focused on killing Grayson, slipped under a crossbow bolt fired from Barros. The burly Renori Hunter lashed out with his foot, narrowly missing the Vampire. Within a split second, its razor-sharp claws came down on Grayson’s leg, ripping it cleanly off. Grayson fell to the ground, roaring in pain, shooting the Vampire dead.
“Fuck!” Barros yelled as he ducked down to examine Grayson.
The younger Hunter sighed, breathing heavily as he fought through the pain, continuing to shoot down the Vampires. “We’re bred strong but there’s no way I’ll live through this. You’re not a doctor.”
“Shut up and lie still. There’s no way I’m letting you die. You’re destined to leave this city with me,” Barros said. He fumbled for a vial of blood that would be able to help stem the blood flow.
“Barros, stop,” Grayson said. He shrugged him away. “The Vampire blood will keep me alive long enough for me to help you kill these shits.”
“But your leg,” Barros said. “I have to do something to stem the blood loss.”
“Nothing more than a flesh wound. Sure, it’ll kill me, but I still have a few minutes left on this forsaken land,” Grayson said. “Besides, didn’t anyone tell you, that the more Vampire blood we have in our bodies the thicker our blood is, so the less we lose? That’s why my whole time at the Huntrey, I took as much as I could. I've got about twelve minutes left. Don't worry about me.”
“Did it turn you into a stubborn asshole as well?” Barros asked.
“Really? I’m on my deathbed and you want to joke around? Give me a mag,” Grayson said as he shot another Vampire down.
“Why didn’t you grab some when we were under the windmill?”
“To be honest?” Grayson said. “I didn’t think we’d last this long. A well-established Countess in a city this big, we were always outnumbered, Barros.”
“Yet you fought all the same. Thank you, brother,” Barros said.
“How very touching,” came a soft drawling voice from behind them.
Barros didn’t pay the Countess any attention, remaining firm behind his crossbow he continued to fire at the t
hinning hordes. “I left you so you could flee, Sophia.”
“The city is in my hands,” she said. “Why would I give that up?”
“Keep it up, Grayson. We’re nearly through this.” Barros dropped his crossbow and turned to face her. “This war started with you, and it will end with you.”
“No, Barros. This war began with Tal’davin and who knows who it will end with? We are but two pawns trying to change the course of history, ensuring our respective race comes out on top. This battle between you and I, however, will result in your death,” Sophia said.
“Come and deliver it to me then,” Barros said, slowly drawing his sword. “I knew this day would come."
9
The End of Love
Sophia let out a snarl, hissing a challenge at the defiant Hunter that stood before her. Barros stood with his legs apart, steadying his stance, ready to leap into attack. Grayson finished the last Vampire and turned slowly, his face a manic grimace. Once he was settled, he picked up his crossbow and trained it on Sophia.
“Want me to end it, Barros?”
“No,” Barros said. He waved the Hunter away. “This is between me and her. If I can’t kill her, I don't get my vengeance. If she kills me, you're more than welcome to the spoils my friend. Don't let this world become even more fucked than it already is.”
“The world’s been fucked for years, just not with a Vampire ready to take it by the throat,” Grayson said. “If you fall, I will kill her.”
“I won’t fall,” Barros said.
“Barros, we both know that you are weak,” Sophia said, beginning to circle him like a shark. “You will fall and the rest of humanity will follow like the sheep that they are.”
“Humans are stronger than you give them credit for,” Barros said mirroring her movements. “If you defeat me here, the Hunters will rally every human behind them to stop you.”
“I hate to admit this, Barros. But you were the most skilled Hunter I have ever faced,” Sophia said. “None of the others that I killed held a candle to you. Once you’re dead, nobody can touch me.”
The Toldar Series Box Set Page 6
