Using what power I had available, I raised my own dead, including the Cardinal. He grabbed a spear from a nearby corpse along with three others and stormed the ArchBishop. Two of the bodies were missing half an arm, but they still had the other one. Short swords slashed across the clergyman's back. He jumped off me and stepped back, throwing up a shield of light as he gathered himself. I could see he was visibly out of breath and bleeding from multiple wounds.
The Cardinal darted in from the side and shattered the shield with a mighty strike. I counted myself lucky he was dead, and on my side, or I could have been in big problems. The ArchBishop let out a scream of agony and pain as the spear pierced his right shoulder, ripping a part of the arm off.
"No! Don't kill him! I need him!" I ordered. The Cardinal's body dropped to the ground along with the others as I let go of the shadows and darkness beneath us, and instead summoned a pit nearby where a score of attackers lay dead. Dracul and Bethrezen reveled in the fresh blood and meat. To them, it was a delicacy, to me, it felt like eating sandpaper. Whatever. As long as they didn't try anything, I'd provide them with sustenance.
The large man dropped to his knees as he clutched at the gaping wound, horror written all over his face. He had no idea how it had come to this, and that it was even possible that someone of his rank could lose to a mere Vampyre. However, I had awakened a third time, which was lightyears from when I faced the Captain the first time. He must have thought too much of himself. The bigger they were, the harder they fell.
"Speak!" I cursed on approach. "I want you to tell me about the guard Captain! Now!"
He narrowed his eyes on me and bared his teeth. There was still enough life in him to keep on fighting, but losing a limb was more than a Human could overcome along with the loss of blood.
"Die, you demon! I will not tell you any--"
I slapped him across the face and kicked him over as Tierney appeared above me, whipping at the surrounding enemy that was closing in. More bodies dropped to the ground creating some distance between the wannabe assailants and me.
"Tell me what he is and how to defeat him, and you will live to fight another day! Or you'll at least have an easy death if you choose!"
"Never!"
I slapped his remaining hand away and pressed hard against the wound, ripping at bone and skin. The man's face drained of all color as he screamed out in pain.
"This is nothing compared to what I got in store for you! Speak!"
"Get off me! You demon!" he kicked out, but I stepped past his blow and caught the leg. With a twist, I broke it at the knee and slammed it against the ground. Then and there I could see he was done for. He had no more fight left in him. But again, he wasn't willing to speak.
"Last time, ArchBishop! I'm doing you a courtesy because of your rank and service to the enemy! Tell me what I need to know, and I'll let you off easy!"
The wicked clergyman grinned right into my face and nodded at me.
"Why don't you ask him yourself. He's standing right behind you."
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I kicked out behind me and rose into the air, but something caught me before I could make it more than five feet. A tremendous force pulled me back and slammed me right against the ground next to the ArchBishop. I rolled instinctively out of the way just as a blade of light struck the ground beside where I lay a moment ago.
"Hello there, Vampyre. Good to see you again," the Captain snickered as his metallic boot struck my side and sent me flying right into a group of soldiers. My body knocked most of them over, but a particularly bright cleric swung an ax right down at my head and cut into the side of my skull. I slashed through his body using my spear and sent it flying at the Captain who swatted it aside like it was nothing.
"How the hell did you arrive so quickly?" I hissed and got up using the dead man as a shield, while I drained most of his blood.
"A little bit of magic, and a little bit of forced march. You see, the first group stopped long enough for us to close the distance, and seeing how you were so busy fighting him that you didn't notice us, well, there you have it."
Faint explosions drew my attention for the slightest moment. He couldn't help but laugh madly.
"Is that at Rasnov?" I asked, trying to stay as calm as possible while taking my spear with both hands. It was comforting to have something with which you could defend yourself against someone as powerful as the Captain, but knowing what he was capable of, I didn't bet on it.
"Yes, it is. About fifteen thousand are storming the fortress right as we speak, young Vampyre. Maybe you should have holed in there instead of splitting your forces. Maybe, just maybe you would have stood a chance that way."
"You have no idea, Captain. Speaking of your title, do you have a name? I'm so sick of referring to you as a Captain."
He scoffed while placing his sword back into his scabbard and stepped closer. His wolfish smile was nothing short of Bethrezen's when I met him during the standoff.
"My name is Dominiq, young Vampyre. I am the Pope's Captain of the guard and so to say, his right-hand man. I specialize in melee combat as well as in holy magic. Is there anything else you wish to know?"
"Not really. You've said even more than I wished to know, Dominiq. But aren't you too young to be the Pope's right-hand man? I mean, you can't be any older than forty," I asked trying to stall for more time. The shadows told me most of his army was already very close and had engaged with the ever-growing horde of raised dead.
"Oh, young Vampyre, I'm over two hundred years of age. To me, time has become irrelevant, something I don't even care about anymore. You see when you're immortal like me, and you to a certain degree, life loses its meaning unless we devote ourselves to a cause. Mine being serving the Pope and the holy Vatacan. What do you plan to do in a hundred years? Theoretically, of course, as you'll be dead before the sun rises."
I couldn't help but shake my head and spit on the ground.
"Rule over an empire? Even a country or a big city is enough for me, Dominiq. I don't need the whole world, only a piece of land I can call my own where no one will judge me, or come after my friends and allies. That is what I want to do, and that's who I want to be, someone who will defend those who can't defend themselves."
I went silent for a moment rethinking what I just said. It struck me odd I could even mouth such things, though It wasn't a complete lie. "Or I would engulf the world into darkness, Dominiq. Too bad you won't be around to see how it turns out in the end."
"Hah! You're an interesting one!" he exclaimed and made another step toward me. His demeanor changed sharply. "Did you like the present I left you back at Zharevo?"
I couldn't help but change with him. My knuckles turned even whiter as I squeezed the spear's shaft much harder than necessary.
"Just imagine how much the pope will like it when I send your head to him with your dick inside your mouth."
"Try me," he snickered and flew right at me with his sword drawn. I deflected his first blow and sidestepped a second, bringing me to his right side. My spear lashed out, striking against his hip armor. The metal beneath dented slightly, but that was about it. It was as sturdy as it got.
His sword sang, catching me in the arm and slicing an inch deep, but it healed even before I slammed my fist into his face. There was an audible crack as Dominiq's nose broke. He drove me back with the blade and kicked my foot from under me, bashing me with the butt end of his weapon in the temple. I saw lights for a moment, which he used to his advantage by stabbing me in the side three times.
An incredible heatwave made me want to vomit as I lay there, bleeding all over. The situation hadn't changed at all. No matter how much stronger I'd become, he still outdid me. Was it possible that he hid his real power the first time? No, I couldn't let it end like this. I needed to get out of here before everything turned into a flaming inferno.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dominiq yelled as I launched myself out of harm's way. He ran after me but stopped aft
er the first explosion rang out. Then another, and a third. The ground beneath my feet shook as debris, metal, and body parts peppered the area. Pieces of rock and light crystals struck my back and neck. Light seeped into my body as a tremendous amount of energy was released with the explosion of the crystals. I could feel my skin and bones boil and melt.
"Fucking hell! Why didn't you warn me?" I yelled over my mental link with Katya.
"You weren't replying! I had to do it, or we'd get overrun!"
"I never even heard you, Katya!"
"Well, tough luck! I called for you seven times!"
I looked back at the bastard who stood there amidst the flames with his sword and shield. A dome of light enveloped him as he stepped my way. I could feel the hatred and anger that radiated from him, the bloodlust and his killing intent were-- extreme.
"It's time to man up, Ivan," I whispered as I got up and shook my limbs awake. The heat was still extreme, and the explosions hadn't died out yet, but I didn't care. This bastard had to be dealt with right here, and now, so I charged him with my spear out. The tip crashed right into his domed energy shield, cracking it wide open. He stopped for a second and looked up as if he didn't understand how it was even possible.
"You've become stronger, young Vampyre," he chuckled and swung his sword right at my head. The edge touched my skin, melting my forehead as I ducked and leaned against shadows that launched me back at him. The butt end of my spear, a wicked and sharp stinger pierced his mail armor and dug right into the skin.
"Cursed monster!" Dominiq cried out as a wave of light left his body, and threw me back over fifty feet. I caught myself in mid-air and dove right at him. His sword met the bladed end of my spear and deflected it, and cut into my side as I passed him.
I looked down at the battlefield as I took to the sky and circled around him. There weren't many clerics left standing. The army had been decimated, but hundreds were retreating while a couple of thousand still fought on. I had no idea how the numbers came to my mind, all I knew was that I just felt the shadows carry and count them. It was a strange feeling, but one I didn't mind for the value it had.
Stopping high above Dominiq, I spread my arms and gathered all my free power into what darkness remained. The fires were going out due to the lack of sustenance, which only helped my cause. I didn't want the woods or the villages to burn along with the clergy.
"You playing magician again, Ivan?" the Captain yelled. "Come down and fight me like a man!"
"Watch what you wish for!" I yelled back as I dove right at his newly re-formed dome shield. Countless blades of darkness appeared around him as I struck his energy dome for the second time. It cracked wide open, just like it had minutes ago and disappeared. He stepped back and brought up his shield, but there was no way he could defend against every possible angle.
"Strike!" I ordered just before every single blade pierced his body. No, the majority of the attacks didn't go through, they only pierced the weakest joints. How the hell was his armor able to withstand such attacks?
Dominiq grinned as a light exit from the wounds and his armor started bulging outward. The clasps and joints snapped as his body started growing and deforming. Shit, this was the same as back then at the keep when he handed me my ass.
Noise from behind drew my attention. Seven ranking officials faced off against Tierney, Hana, and Katya, while Freya still stood atop the battlements and looked on. Maybe if I used the few seconds I had until he finished transforming-- but it never came to it as Dominiq slammed into me from behind and brought his fists down against my back. I felt my body sink into the ground beneath. My wings sprouted instinctively pulling me away from him.
My vision was blurry, but I had enough sense to summon my spear. It appeared a moment later in my hand, giving me a false sense of comfort. I had a choice to make in a split second. Was it the smart thing to do? Not really, but it was the right thing, the one thing that told me I still had some 'good' in me.
"Bind them all," I whispered while using my Telekinesis to hurl the spear in an arc at the officers.
"By the lord! What is--"
The first Bishop's words died in his mouth as the spear passed right through his temple and exit through the other side. Using the momentum, I pressed on and targeted the next in line who stood just three feet to the Bishop's left. Two more fell before Dominiq finished transforming and tackled me against a tree-trunk, snapping it in two as if it were a twig.
I could feel the pain and despair from my girls, but they knew that if they wanted to help me, the other ranking officials needed to die. It wasn't like I expected anything from them as I'd be dead by the time they could move in. I looked up at Freya who still stood at the same spot. She held both hands close to her mouth as tears streamed down her face.
I needed blood. Yes, if I could feed, I might stand a chance. I looked around but found no one except for the ArchBishop, the ones facing my girls, and Dominiq who gloated as he stood over me. He cherished this moment for some unknown reason. But no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to flee with these wounds.
"If you got anything left to give, now's the time," I said trying to call up Dracul and Bethrezen. "Either of you!"
"I'm sorry," Dracul replied. "I've been supplying you with what I had, Ivan. But my connection to the world has shut down, and I can't give you anything anymore. Not until the day when we're reborn."
"And the only thing I can do for you, Vampyre, is to take over and end it. My power is too vast for you to use. And it's not like I want you to win," he replied.
"Hah! At least you're honest, Beth!" I chuckled and turned to face Dominiq better. "Do what you want once I'm on the verge of death, but until then either help me or don't speak at all!"
Bethrezen laughed for a long moment, appearing right before my eyes. His onyx skin shimmered in the dark as two horns sat atop the crown of his head, and blade-like growths protruded from his elbows. He was all sharp edges and stone-hard skin. The only thing different in color were his fiery red eyes that glowed in the dark.
"How do you like my new look? This is what people will see once I take over, young Vampyre. Do you think I'd stand a chance against that wretched creature?"
"Fuck you, Bethrezen!" I spat. "Help me survive, and I'll be able to keep my word!"
"No, I won't. You betrayed our trust and failed to sacrifice the souls to Marzanna, so your word doesn't mean shit to me, Vampyre!"
I cursed and growled in rage. But it was all in my head. The lengthy exchange didn't even last for a second out in the real world. Lucky me, I thought. At least I knew there was no hope for me, this was it. It was either kill or be killed.
"Are you finally done?" Dominiq asked when time resumed as usual. "Or do you need a few more seconds to speak to those creatures inside you?"
"Wait, how do you know about them? That doesn't make sense!"
"Oh, it does. You see, what that guy in there," he said, pointing at my chest, "did together with Chernobog, well, Belobog did the same for me. And imagine who we fished out among the Demonkin?"
"How would I--"
"There's no way you could! But let me show you something. Once he sees this face, maybe that Demon will let you do a partial take-over just like my parasite lets me do with him," Dominiq said, sending the hair on my back standing ramrod straight. His face started morphing into an ugly, spiked mess even uglier than Bethrezen's. I froze. My body wouldn't move, not even my eyes.
"Astaroth?" I could hear myself say, but the voice was much lower and gravelly. "Son? What a coincidence seeing you here."
"Hah! That's what I call a shitty destiny!" he roared. "I defeated you once, father. I'll defeat you again for the second time, but now it's for all eternity. Your soul will be mine!"
"Too bad your mother is already gone, or she'd enjoy seeing me rip her child limb from limb! Especially after your betrayal! But that all ends today," Bethrezen roared in anger as my whole body was taken over.
Astaroth's movement w
as much quicker than Bethrezen could fully take over. He used the moment of rage to his benefit storming me. His sharp, rending claws cut into my changing flesh. In seconds, it had turned into the same onyx-black from my mental conversation. Gooey blood seeped from the wounds before they closed down forcibly, but the monster wasn't finished with us. He tore at my face and left arm, ripping off skin and muscle.
"Do something!" I screamed from the inside, but he remained silent as my body kept changing. The torn muscle and skin grew back together much quicker and was even stronger than before Astaroth tore it up.
"Heh, you've gotten quite weak, my son," Bethrezen snickered as he lashed out with his right claw. A deep gash appeared across his son's neck and chest that quickly healed up again. He followed it up with a double kick from below and sent Astaroth flying, then lunged after him and impaled him through his guts. I could feel the sensation of his flesh, which was trying to heal up around my arm. It pressed hard against my rough skin, but not hard enough.
"Fuck you, father! Because of you, she had to die! You have no idea how many demons celebrated your defeat!"
"I can only imagine, son. But let me tell you something in turn before I kill you," Bethrezen said, wearing a grim expression all over his monstrous face. "The only thing that kept the Demon world together was me. My ruthlessness and my evil nature were the only things that kept the wannabe rulers and royalty in check. Now tell me one thing before I end you, how long have you been here?"
"Little under a Human year. Why? You want to say I'm weak?"
"Yes and no. Yes, you're weak because you didn't have the time to absorb energy and power from this place, and no, you're not weak, but the fact remains that I'm much stronger."
"Hah! I took you down by myself!"
"After stabbing me through the back with an infernal blade! Speaking of which, how is it down there? Did you manage to keep your house in order?" Astaroth remained silent. "I didn't think as much. Whatever, it's game over for you, son."
Lord of Shadows book 2: Bloodlines Page 31
