Standing Before Monsters (Vorans and Vampires)

by Donald Wigboldy

  Taking her taste, Lenora pricked her finger on a fang to bring a few drops of blood to the tip. She rubbed her blood on the wound and watched it begin to disappear before her eyes. Vampire blood was a magical thing and wouldn’t turn a human used like this. She was willing to obey Marek’s rules and through him Nick, but the girl wanted to have some fun and make sure that she had the skills to survive when she left the coven.

  More and more, Lenora knew that she would leave. They didn’t understand her and, quite frankly, she just didn’t like very many of the ancient fossils living in the Lair.

  “There good as new,” she stated before giggling. “Well, nearly anyway.”

  Ready to enjoy some fun closer to what Paul had hoped for, Lenora’s nose suddenly picked up a smell. Frowning as she tried to understand what it was; the woman heard a thump on the ground from her right. She turned to she a man dressed in black. His eyes were as dark as the leather coat he wore. It was Spring and unnecessary. Lenora’s thoughts of fashion aside, she knew a vampire when she saw one, but the black eyes meant he was a reaper.

  A second reaper landed almost on top of them from the left. He was so close that when he slashed Paul’s throat open, Lenora was caught in the spray. She screamed, even though logic told her that humans shouldn’t see vampires, instinct told her self preservation came from her ability to get help.

  The reaper from the left was on the girl so quickly, as he swung her with one hand by her neck to crash into the far wall, that Lenora hadn’t even had time to hear his steps. She was choking in his powerful grip. Her shoes clacked to the ground as she left her feet from the tremendous speed.

  “Well, pretty, this is an interesting treat,” the reaper said with an English accent. If she weren’t so scared out of her mind, his voice would have been almost sexy to Lenora; but her lack of air and the black eyes stripping away her soul made no mistake that he only terrified her.

  The second reaper was joined by a third in her vision, but he ignored the other vampire as he drained Paul of his blood. A human’s blood was nothing to him, though they all ate them when there was nothing better. The smell of Lenora meant there was certainly a better meal nearby. His senses which had led him to this place also told him that two more were inside.

  “Where are the rest of your coven hiding?” the man asked the choking female.

  A choking sound was all he received and the reaper scolded the one crushing her windpipe. “Put her down, Carl. She can’t answer if you break her neck.”

  “She would heal. It’s only a broken neck,” the Englishman replied lowering the girl and lessening the pressure on her throat.

  “I don’t want to waste that kind of time for her to rejuvenate. Now, pretty girl, you are obviously a weak little morsel; so if you want to live, tell me where the rest of your coven is hiding. I smell a strange scent on your blood and from the two inside as well. It is the same as those sword wielding bastards that turned the tide at the nest awhile ago. We’ve been looking for them and now... we have you.”

  “If you promise not to kill me, I’ll call them for you,” Lenora said quickly in her desperation. She didn’t care what happened to Marek and his people. If they beat these reapers, she’d be rewarded; and if the reapers won the girl simply wanted to live through it.

  “That was quick,” her addresser said in surprise.

  “Maybe we can just use her phone and I can snap her neck anyway, Lennart?” the one holding her suggested.

  Humming to himself as Lennart placed a thumb beneath his chin thinking of his options, the man suddenly raised his pointer finger along the side of his jaw as if coming to some unseen conclusion. “Well, if this girl is so quick to turn on her coven, then she is certainly untrustworthy. Why don’t we speed this along and let her make the phone call?”

  “They’ve been looking for you anyway,” Lenora stated trying to gain favor with their leader. “If you want them, then this gives both of you what you want.”

  “And what do you want, little pretty?” Lennart asked picking up on Carl’s pet name for the blonde vampiress. If he was still human and bound by his loins so easily, the vampire would certainly find her looks quite swaying in his opinion of what to do with her; but pretty vampire women were easy to find so she had little more to offer than her information.

  “I was thinking of leaving them anyway, so just let me go and let me run away,” she said.

  “Give her the phone,” the leader nodded to the reaper holding the girl by the neck. “Let’s see if she is a liar as well as a traitor to her coven.”

  “They killed my first coven,” Lenora admitted taking the cell in hand and pressing the number for Marek. “I don’t really owe them anything.”

  “Ah, then you can get revenge on those who killed your clan,” Lennart nodded suddenly finding her motives more interesting. “Maybe if you prove interesting enough, we will show you how to become a reaper and you can stop playing with these pathetic humans.”

  The phone clicked as Marek picked up and the voice asked, “Lenora?”

  “Marek, I’ve found the reapers.”

  Chapter 30- Evening the Score

  Three figures waited on the dance club roof standing over a fourth when the kasha arrived. Alad and Lamassu were the first to get there after a quick call from Nick. He had promised them a chance for revenge and extra fighters to deal with the reapers made sense for all factions involved.

  Alad wanted to race to the roof and challenge the creatures responsible for the death of their comrade, but Lamassu refused to be so foolhardy. They numbered only two and these creatures had fought dozens at once. They both knew that these weren’t simple untrained vampires either. The reapers that they had seen fighting at the nest knew battle tactics and how to fight. They were also confident enough to take on groups of vampires with just one reaper. After clearing most of the nest with individuals, they had chosen to finish them as a group and only the unexpected arrival of Marek’s coven and the kasha had ruined their plans.

  “We can use the silver grenades and other silver weapons without those other vampires, Lam. They’ll only hold us back,” Alad contended as they snuck up to the roof of the building to the west. The strength of their arms could easily throw the grenades from this side of the roof to the far building, but they waited for reinforcements.

  “You know that the grenades do little more than slow a normal vampire down and blind them for a short time. We have no idea whether reapers have the same weaknesses or more strengths than we already know. For once, just have a little patience so you don’t get us killed. We already lost Shedu, so stop pushing it,” the smaller woman complained with a frown that was barely noticed in the dark.

  While the two argued, they missed one of the reapers run forward launching across the street in a single bound. The thump as he landed on their rooftop barely preceded an amused, “Well, what have we here?”

  Masks moved to their faces in an instant releasing their true spirits. The tiger and gray striped cat each drew a grenade preparing to hit the vampire with silver hoping that it would be strong enough to give them an edge. He sniffed the air and sneezed even as he said in amusement, “Well, you’re not werewolves that is for sure.”

  Both grenades were thrown into the air. Lam’s went a few feet forwards while Alad’s toss went towards the reaper. Assuming the worst, the vampire tried to split the difference as the two canisters of gas went off simultaneously. He cried out as the stinging spray of silver nitrate got onto his skin. Once used to cleanse wounds, the chemicals tried to destroy infections and disease. Such properties were the bane of the undead.

  Like silent shadows, the kasha leaped into the fog heading for the reaper. One against two, Lamassu was willing to risk an attack, though it wasn’t like he had given them a choice. Claws struck out at the reaper caught between the two clouds of silver. Alad struck first, but the vampire’s reaction time was impressive as he blocked the claws with his forearm. Claws meant to pull dead spirits from the
undead didn’t care what part of a body they struck and the creature growled in pain as they tore at the fragile bonds between soul and body.

  Alad passed from one cloud to another even as Lam attacked in a low pass going for its legs. Forewarned of the danger, the reaper narrowly avoided the woman’s attack.

  Knowing they had both crossed between him and the dance club, the reaper turned looking for the next attack even as his skin itched. His nose tried to smell them, but only caused him to sneeze. Black eyes had reddened lids as silver, kasha pheromones and dander worked to weaken the dangerous beast.

  They were still a block away when sounds like firecrackers in a cardboard box made their dull thumps. Gray smoke with sparkles catching the light within the cloud soon covered most of the roof of the western building. For Nick, it was obvious that the kasha had beaten them there and begun the fight. Whether they had attacked or merely been spotted getting too close, he didn’t know; but it mattered little as they would be outnumbered if the two dark figures standing on the roof of the club dared attack.

  Not wanting to split the group but worrying that two kasha, even with their toys, might not be up to fighting one reaper; Nick said to Marek and the other seven vampires running across the rooftops, “I’ll go help the kasha. You’d all be at risk from the silver and their natural defenses.”

  He felt Nicola’s eyes on him as he split off crossing to the west side of the street to assist their allies. She was worried about him, but the man knew the feeling as he had wished that they could have left her to babysit the under twenty-one girls left in Charlotte’s charge. These reapers were too dangerous and their abilities still unknown. He didn’t want her anywhere near such potential for death.

  As he reached the rooftop, the voran watched as Marek’s coven attacked the two reapers across the way. It was eight to two and his friends were all armed with silver swords. While it gave them better reach and a dangerous weapon, a trained fighter might have the ability to take the sword to use against the wielder. It was one of the potential dangers of using weapons that could kill your race, since it could also kill the vampire holding them.

  His focus returned to the roof before him. The breeze was beginning to dissipate the smoke, but he could sense that both it and the kasha had worn the reaper down in time for it to matter less. Nick drew his silver sword before calling an aura blade to his off hand. He stepped onto the roof from the air conditioning unit that had helped him see more of the action.

  The glowing blade was in use for two reasons. One, it let the kasha know that he was there giving them notice. Second, it could draw the vampire’s attention as well.

  Sneezing and coughing could be heard from the reaper and suddenly he was lunging through the remaining silver fog towards Nick. His black eyes looked to be in pain. His face was red with the burning of silver in the air and allergic reaction to the kasha. Seeing Nick, it thought to attack; but the voran thought it looked like the act of a desperate man.

  Torn pieces of clothing on the arms and legs proved that the kasha had been scoring attacks on the creature in the fog. Their ability to steal the strength of an evil spirit and weaken its bond to the flesh it inhabited had weakened the reaper to the point that he attacked the voran without thought. While his attackers still hid in the smoke, the reaper decided that he would rather fight the newest opponent. It was a foolhardy move and Nick had hoped for it.

  He slashed with the silver sword and the vampire dodged faster than Nick could adjust the weapon; but it been used as a feint to get the vampire to shift towards Nick’s left. The aura blade was in place and cut into his chest as he used his power to stun the reaper.

  Two forms appeared out of the fog and sunk their claws into his arms and shoulders. A scream of pain came from the vampire’s mouth. He couldn’t escape the three as the kasha used their powers to split the creature’s spirit. Torn between the two beings, the reaper’s essence was ripped apart and destroyed in seconds.

  “Marek’s group is on the other roof. Give them a moment to fight these reapers, but keep an eye out. If they look like they will try to escape again, use what you have to slow or stop them,” Nick ordered the two felines. He wasn’t their official leader or even one of their race, but Nick had established his dominance over them so they obeyed without questioning him.

  Looking down to check for humans out front of the club that might see a crossing, Nick thought that it was safe. No bouncers or customers were in sight, so he backed up for a running start. Leaping powerfully, it was his control over his body in relation to gravity and the earth that made such a leap possible.

  The action was intense and already there were injuries. Tony’s left arm was covered in dark blood, his own. Jake had his leg raked by one of the reapers’ claws, while Nicola’s dress had been torn. She looked more angry than injured, so he had a feeling it was her party dress that had suffered most.

  With two of the men fighting with her injured, Nick chose to help Nicola with her opponent. He was the closer of the two reapers besides, so she wouldn’t complain about him being overprotective of her. Nicola liked being feminine and to be treated like a lady, but she hated to be treated like an inferior or a baby. She could fight and he knew that, and while the reaper might know how vampires could fight he was unlikely to know about a voran’s skills.

  Nick had approached at a run, but didn’t move within sword’s reach of the man making him think that the voran was simply gauging when to attack with his sword. Instead of using the silver coated sword, he instead attacked with his offhand. Lengthening his aura blade to near his max, even as he strained to do so, Nick swung a nine foot long blade of light catching the reaper’s near leg hobbling the creature. In its surprise, the vampire turned to see what had injured him and lowered his guard.

  With near blinding speed, Nicola bolted forward driving her sword into its chest leaving the silver blade to burn the reaper to dust as she conveniently joined Nick taking his offered weapon. She would recover her personal sword later. For now, Nick and the four vampires turned to see Marek and Audrey working with Derek and Sophia to contain the last reaper.

  He stood over a body and Nick saw the drained corpse of Lenora. She had been one of two calls to Marek’s phone and apparently hadn’t been alone when the woman had talked to him. Whether she had been coerced or not the vampire had called them to save her life.

  The reaper began to laugh and it was the nervous laughter of someone who had watched all his brothers fall around him. “Well, this is new,” he said though black eyes looking surprised by their failure. “We hadn’t expected anyone trained to kill other vampires.”

  Marek replied, “We have been protecting humans from mindless vampires for a long time. For now, this is our city and we won’t permit others to kill humans to the point of revealing our kind.”

  “‘Our kind’ you say. I can smell that there is something different about your kind. You do not smell of human blood, but how is that possible?”

  “We only use one man’s blood and that takes care of our needs. We are more human and less of the monster that the others are. Now that I have answered you question, answer one of mine. Why are you here? Too many things have happened in this city recently to believe that your arrival isn’t by plan.”

  “Well, if you know that it is a plan, then why should I tell you what it is?”

  Marek sighed in frustration and he offered, “We can make this easier on you. Now tell us why you are here.”

  “We were sent to cleanse this city when Cyrus and his vanguard obviously failed.”

  “Cyrus was part of this?” Nick asked joining the circle. “He was an elder vampire, but you make it sound like someone was controlling him.”

  Sniffing the air, the reaper glanced to Marek ignoring the question, “So this is the one man? He has a power I haven’t seen before.”

  “Answer the question,” Marek added as if he were translating Nick’s words to the reaper.

  “Make me,” the man sa
id with a laugh. Outnumbered eight to one, as the kasha remained across the street leaving the remaining vampire to them only because they knew that their scent would affect Marek’s people as much as the reaper, he still acted like he could win. Perhaps not giving up his knowledge meant that he simply wouldn’t lose. It was hard to pry information from a vampire, but the hardest part was taking him alive to pry the information free.

  For all his bravado, the combination of the vampires and Nick were more than enough to subdue him. Nick felt his strength and guessed that the reaper was older than Marek and therefore more powerful. They approached him carefully. Swords swiped in mostly to feint and distract, though he was old and skilled enough to know that fact. Knowing that you are being pushed where your enemy wants and being able to do something about it were sometimes two very disparate things.

  A silver blade clipped his arm and then another caught his leg bringing hisses from the reaper. He looked up and thought to leap over them in desperation. Nick’s aura blade reached out catching his leg to pull him down like the chains the kasha used. Swords staked his arms while Nick forced a second aura blade into his shoulder as he released the leg.

  Forcing him to kneel, the vampires held him fast. A moment later, most of them were sneezing or were fighting the impulse as the kasha crossed the expanse from the west side of the street. Silver chains with spikes were in their hands and the kasha moved into the circle, which gave way save for Marek and Nick. Wrapping his arms and legs in the chains, his skin burned where it touched. It was painful and would prevent the reaper from moving, while freeing Nick from having to hold the vampire with his blades.