Part 12
He was afraid... deathly afraid. But he was in control. They could smell the fear on him; scents of blood and sweat mingled in the night air behind him, a beacon to their senses. But his fear would work for him, it would make them sloppy; and as with anything, he would twist it to his advantage. They would smell his fear in the air, but they could not smell his control.
He yanked the reigns to the side abruptly as he saw the shadow of an alley to his left, leaping from his mount the moment they'd rounded the corner. Pausing only long enough to swat its flank, sending it galloping wide-eyed with fear down the cobblestoned path, he launched himself up with all his might, catching hold of a low windowsill there. Within moments, he'd made it to the low shingled rooftop, a short sprint to the other side. He hoped that the sweat and blood that had dripped from him onto his mount would throw them off the trail for even a moment, allowing him to reach his first goal, a dead-end alleyway just north of the central square. He dropped softly to the alley below, cursing inwardly as a rat scurried from underneath him, squealing in anger at being so rudely interrupted at its meal. He spared a moment to look down, seeing the half-chewed hand, one finger sliced clean off by whatever cutpurse had desired the ring which would have been worn there. He barely had time to stretch out with his mind, seeking his pursuers out with magickal senses, when he saw a shadow appear at the mouth of the alley, silhouetted against the street lamp which lay beyond.
"Pity. We thought you'd be much more fun..." the shadow said to Iblis, huddled wretchedly in the filth at the end of the alley. It walked softly down the alley towards him, looking like a wraith in its black cloak, a faint glow escaping the deep folds of its hood. A mocking lilt gave an almost hypnotizing timber to the soft spoken voice. "As it is, you haven't even lead us on a proper chase... Alyssa will be quite upset, and we'll need to start anew. A shame, really."
The vampire reached up to push its hood back, but as it did so its cruel smile changed immediately to a look of shock; fright and anger playing across its face. It barely had time to see the twin bolts protruding from its chest before Iblis rose like a dervish, cloak spinning about him as his scimitar flashed in the moonlight. The vampire's body fell like an ancient tree, seeming to stand defiantly even though life had fled before crashing to the earth at his feet. A second later, Iblis heard the crushing wet "thunk" as the head landed further down the alley, rolling to a stop in the debris. Jubilant, he sheathed his sword and scrambled up the opposite wall.
He'd been right, the vampire had been so arrogant in his carelessness that he'd never thought his prey would put up a fight. Iblis had held his miniature crossbows beneath his robes, and had fired almost point blank when the creature paused before him. Iblis knew not if there was any truth to the lore of vampires being paralyzed by wooden stakes, but the shock of the bolts in it's chest had been all he needed to act. 'One down,' he thought, wondering if he could catch them off guard again, and if he'd live to see the inside of the sewers. He dropped down into the bushes on the far side, torchlight coming from the gates of the castle to his left. As he made his way east along the base of the wall, he stretched out with his mind once again. The picture was fuzzier now... they knew he'd killed one of their number, and in turn they tried to mask their presence to him, caught off guard and momentarily confused. He couldn't pinpoint them, but sensed at least one had reached the body, or whatever ashes remained. He made it to the great archway, peering around the corner to see if the way was clear. Immediately his eyes fell on the bundle of rags huddled in the corner, softly rising and falling to the breath of the vagabond beneath. The plan formed full-born into his mind even as he loosened the clasps on his cloak.
With a start, he pressed his body hard against the wall, biting down harshly on his lower lip to stop the gasp which almost escaped. He could have sworn a shadow crossed overhead, but when he looked up all he saw was a swarm of bats flying across the face of the moon. 'Afraid of shadows now, are we Iblis?' he thought, chastising himself. With a determined look in his eyes, he crossed to the other side of the archway and gently draped his blood spattered cloak across the sleeping bum. 'Bait,' he thought as he merged back into the deepest shadows, only a moment's thought to the probable fate of his luck-born lure. In the darkness, a deathlike smile crept across his features as he cocked the crossbows once again.
His eyes did not even register the shadow until it was there, ripping into the bundle of cloth before he could even blink. It's claws ravaged the old bum's throat before he even awoke, and a gurgle escaped from the crimson fount where his adams apple once was. Iblis shook himself from his shock and squeezed both triggers, the bolts piercing deep into the creatures back. He dropped the crossbows and charged it, scimitar raised high, ready to strike. Stars exploded in his head as he was slammed to the ground from behind, face slammed against the pavement. His mind went blank for a moment, only to be woken from its stupor as the fingers knotted in his hear, yanking his head back. He cried out weakly as the fangs sank into his neck, the grotesque sound as the sharp teeth pierced the skin, blood pouring from his broken nose down over his lips, dripping into a slowly spreading pool beneath him. His eyes began to roll backwards, and he barely felt it when the one he'd shot sank his fangs into his other shoulder. All he felt was a momentary freedom, then weightlessness, as if an angel were carrying him away...
He vomited blood as the shock of being dropped to the stones jolted him, his knees splintering under the impact. He tried to focus through the muted pain, even as his life slipped away into blackness. He would have fallen flat, but he felt the cold hand knotted in his hair, keeping him on his knees... a hand colder even than the chill creeping through his limbs. A golden mass writhed before his eyes, it's center white like a sun blazing down from the heavens. He managed a weak smile as that sun coalesced into the image of the goddess, before he slipped into darkness once more...
He yanked the reigns to the side abruptly as he saw the shadow of an alley to his left, leaping from his mount the moment they'd rounded the corner. Pausing only long enough to swat its flank, sending it galloping wide-eyed with fear down the cobblestoned path, he launched himself up with all his might, catching hold of a low windowsill there. Within moments, he'd made it to the low shingled rooftop, a short sprint to the other side. He hoped that the sweat and blood that had dripped from him onto his mount would throw them off the trail for even a moment, allowing him to reach his first goal, a dead-end alleyway just north of the central square. He dropped softly to the alley below, cursing inwardly as a rat scurried from underneath him, squealing in anger at being so rudely interrupted at its meal. He spared a moment to look down, seeing the half-chewed hand, one finger sliced clean off by whatever cutpurse had desired the ring which would have been worn there. He barely had time to stretch out with his mind, seeking his pursuers out with magickal senses, when he saw a shadow appear at the mouth of the alley, silhouetted against the street lamp which lay beyond.
"Pity. We thought you'd be much more fun..." the shadow said to Iblis, huddled wretchedly in the filth at the end of the alley. It walked softly down the alley towards him, looking like a wraith in its black cloak, a faint glow escaping the deep folds of its hood. A mocking lilt gave an almost hypnotizing timber to the soft spoken voice. "As it is, you haven't even lead us on a proper chase... Alyssa will be quite upset, and we'll need to start anew. A shame, really."
The vampire reached up to push its hood back, but as it did so its cruel smile changed immediately to a look of shock; fright and anger playing across its face. It barely had time to see the twin bolts protruding from its chest before Iblis rose like a dervish, cloak spinning about him as his scimitar flashed in the moonlight. The vampire's body fell like an ancient tree, seeming to stand defiantly even though life had fled before crashing to the earth at his feet. A second later, Iblis heard the crushing wet "thunk" as the head landed further down the alley, rolling to a stop in the debris. Jubilant, he sheathed his sword and scrambled up the opposite wall.
He'd been right, the vampire had been so arrogant in his carelessness that he'd never thought his prey would put up a fight. Iblis had held his miniature crossbows beneath his robes, and had fired almost point blank when the creature paused before him. Iblis knew not if there was any truth to the lore of vampires being paralyzed by wooden stakes, but the shock of the bolts in it's chest had been all he needed to act. 'One down,' he thought, wondering if he could catch them off guard again, and if he'd live to see the inside of the sewers. He dropped down into the bushes on the far side, torchlight coming from the gates of the castle to his left. As he made his way east along the base of the wall, he stretched out with his mind once again. The picture was fuzzier now... they knew he'd killed one of their number, and in turn they tried to mask their presence to him, caught off guard and momentarily confused. He couldn't pinpoint them, but sensed at least one had reached the body, or whatever ashes remained. He made it to the great archway, peering around the corner to see if the way was clear. Immediately his eyes fell on the bundle of rags huddled in the corner, softly rising and falling to the breath of the vagabond beneath. The plan formed full-born into his mind even as he loosened the clasps on his cloak.
With a start, he pressed his body hard against the wall, biting down harshly on his lower lip to stop the gasp which almost escaped. He could have sworn a shadow crossed overhead, but when he looked up all he saw was a swarm of bats flying across the face of the moon. 'Afraid of shadows now, are we Iblis?' he thought, chastising himself. With a determined look in his eyes, he crossed to the other side of the archway and gently draped his blood spattered cloak across the sleeping bum. 'Bait,' he thought as he merged back into the deepest shadows, only a moment's thought to the probable fate of his luck-born lure. In the darkness, a deathlike smile crept across his features as he cocked the crossbows once again.
His eyes did not even register the shadow until it was there, ripping into the bundle of cloth before he could even blink. It's claws ravaged the old bum's throat before he even awoke, and a gurgle escaped from the crimson fount where his adams apple once was. Iblis shook himself from his shock and squeezed both triggers, the bolts piercing deep into the creatures back. He dropped the crossbows and charged it, scimitar raised high, ready to strike. Stars exploded in his head as he was slammed to the ground from behind, face slammed against the pavement. His mind went blank for a moment, only to be woken from its stupor as the fingers knotted in his hear, yanking his head back. He cried out weakly as the fangs sank into his neck, the grotesque sound as the sharp teeth pierced the skin, blood pouring from his broken nose down over his lips, dripping into a slowly spreading pool beneath him. His eyes began to roll backwards, and he barely felt it when the one he'd shot sank his fangs into his other shoulder. All he felt was a momentary freedom, then weightlessness, as if an angel were carrying him away...
He vomited blood as the shock of being dropped to the stones jolted him, his knees splintering under the impact. He tried to focus through the muted pain, even as his life slipped away into blackness. He would have fallen flat, but he felt the cold hand knotted in his hair, keeping him on his knees... a hand colder even than the chill creeping through his limbs. A golden mass writhed before his eyes, it's center white like a sun blazing down from the heavens. He managed a weak smile as that sun coalesced into the image of the goddess, before he slipped into darkness once more...
posted by Shadowsong | 10:15 AM
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