All the remaining mortals, a dozen people including ritt, gather around us to witness our untily argunt. I frown at Nami's display. Our arrangent is clear, she may be my elder and a Master but as long as the year of service is not ended, I remain in charge. This has worked so far in part due to my lax approach to 'service' and our friendly relationship. That is why I did not expect insubordination from her, not at this ti. I hiss softly, baring my fangs to her alone.
"You said those monsters hunted mages?" asks rritt with a hint of worry.
I turn my attention away from Nami who only seems amused by my display. I'll show her… later. Focus, Ari. Ignore the THIRST.
"Yes. Do not use spells. You will be fine, we will ride on tis and…"
"What happens if I do run? Will they stop at so point? Before sunrise? If they lose us will they go for the nearest mage after ?"
"I don't know… If you run…"
"What if they go after my kids?"
Ah. Yes, her children. They already have an aura, even though they cannot use it yet. rritt realizes that I know very little about the beasts when I do not reply.
"What if they rampage through the countryside unchecked? Can they reproduce?"
David King, whom I bought and released and who joined the squad cos forth as well.
"Miss Lethe, we know you and Naminata try to purge the world from evil despite your curse. We will help you on this and, God willing, we will end this scourge before it can cause harm to the population."
The other mbers of the squad nod in approval, white, black and native united in purpose around God apparently. When did that happen? Did I create a new order of Gabriel? An order of Ariane, so to speak?
In the background, John's simple smile is unerring. If I say we leave, he is the only one who will obey without complaint. Mistaking my intention, he frowns in an attempt to show he is serious. The ghastly result could send a prison warden running.
"I shoot for you miss Lethe!" he adds while waving around the heavily modified wolf slayer. The ominous crossbow looks like a normal-sized weapon in his hands, aning it would be otherwise mounted as a fixed piece of artillery on so castle wall. I sigh in resignation. I have been outvoted. , the supposed vampire master of Marquette. Ah well.
I pat tis, dismount and jump over the barricade and pass between the group to the armoury below, adding as I go:
"Fair enough then, I'll get changed, keep your eyes peeled for flying horrors and breaking trees."
I rush into the main room currently covered in sleeping bags and personal effects, to a corner where my own gear lays. I change into my most heavily armoured gown, with an enchanted heart protector and add a knife belt, two pistols, and a long dagger made after Jina's gift but without the enchantnts. I also pick up my spear, my rifle, and a mining powder charge which I place in a bag at my back. A knock on the door makes look up just as I am done loading and priming the last firearm.
"Co in."
John enters and closes the door behind him with asured movents, just as I told him to do after he broke too many pieces of furniture back in the Dream. He looks at with shyness so I ask.
"What is it, John?"
"Miz Nami said you were too thirsty. She said you need a bit of blood. I want to help."
I consider. They are both right, of course, but I have always considered John to be in the list of people I would not drink from. According to my own set of rules, I cannot take the blood from people I am currently cooperating with, supplicants before the deal and children. I hesitate. Is an offering the sa?
"Miz Nami said if you say no, if you are hurt later then you will lose control and take blood anyway. She says you have a choice now, but you won't later."
That is fairly accurate, and yet…
"I say, why you don't want my blood? Is my blood bad because I'm dumb?"
"What? No, no that's not true at all."
Sohow, I find the big oaf endearing. I do not want a follower to suffer needlessly. He is mine.
"Then take blood and help protect Marquette. I help too. I will always help."
I sigh and smile softly, disard by his helpless look. Denying him would feel like kicking the world's ugliest puppy.
"Alright John, you win."
The man extends his wrist and I realize that there is a small logistical issue with feeding this ti. His wrists are as big as my leg.
Five minutes and a painful jaw later, I co out of the cabin fed, ard and feeling like a brand new woman. The troop gathers around , covered in weapons and prid for bloodshed. I feel a bit of pride at the sight. They are here because of what I built over the past two decades. Ti for a plan, and as those things go, easier is usually better when we have so little ti to prepare.
"Alright listen up. Those are magic-hunting creatures so rritt, don't throw magic at them, keep the beacon going until they find us then switch to guns. Now, there are three kinds of monsters. The first is small, flying ones, don't shoot them unless you're sure of your shot. Let Nami and handle them, and if they attack you stab them in the chest, not the head. The next is big hound-like creatures the size of small ponies. Those are your priority, use everything you can to stop them from overwhelming us. Finally, the pack is led by a huge creature the size of a small barn, do not get close to its tentacle mouth and let Nami and I handle the close-quarter fighting. That is all. You two get inside and grab all the muskets we have and load them. The rest, take your positions and good luck, everyone."
I turn around and take position at the tip of the barricade line. Behind , mutters erupt in the group.
"Tentacle mouth? Did I hear that right?"
Welco to the party lads.
A few seconds later I turn around when Nami leans on the earthwork besides .
"How are you feeling Ariane? I have never seen you so out of sorts. Is there a worse danger that you have not ntioned yet?"
"No, nothing in the short term at least."
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Are you hurt then?"
"No. I… ca to a terrible realization concerning my condition."
"Ah yes, 'tis terrible indeed to be a virgin at your age."
"…Excuse ?"
Naminata nods knowingly, trying to act mature. It is laughable though I appreciate the effort.
"You do not know the embrace of soone you are intimate with, the rhythm of sex and their skin on yours. You do not know about working together towards that sweet release, of your moans and theirs, of the taste of their lips and the scent of their arousal. The satisfaction of lying on the comfortable mattress wracked by the aftershocks of your orgasm afterwards. Tragic, really."
"That is… What… Why do you… Arg!" I sputter. "First of all, I am not a virgin."
"Are you referring to what lord Nirari did to you?"
"Yes?"
"Really? Did you have anything of what I listed just now?"
"Hum, no?"
How did this conversation start anyway? I have never felt so out of control in two decades.
"You don't take a lover because you want your first ti to be special, yes? Your first ti making love?"
"Ahem, is this the right ti to…"
"It is. Answer ."
"I, yes. But…"
"See? Virgin."
We remain silent for a few monts after that, but Nami is not done.
"Do you want to talk about what makes you sad my lovely little virgin?"
"I will hit you."
"Ah, better. Now you are finally yourself."
"I am always myself. I appreciate your attempts to distract Nami, there is just a lot for to think about, and that is not related to my sex life thank you very much."
"Then do it so other ti. Co on, we are the first to face those creatures on earth! And one of them is as big as an elephant if you are not exaggerating. Don't you feel so asure of excitent? This is the hunt of a century! Vampires everywhere will envy us this prize. Let go of what you cannot control and embrace what you are, for this is our way."
"I… Yes. Yes, of course you are right. I shall enjoy the mont for who knows what tomorrow is made of? Thank you Nami, ruling the city taught to see the greater picture, and now I need to learn when to focus on the details. Tonight, we hunt."
"That's the spirit. I call dibs on the big one."
"Not a chance."
We continue our friendly banter for a mont and I find that I bet twenty dollars with her that I would fell their alpha. In a few minutes though, the drone of fliers interrupts us.
"rritt, drop the beacon and help us reload. All of you hold fire," I yell as I take one of the five muskets King dropped by my side. Soon enough, the first scout enters the halo of torchlight surrounding our camp.
Aim, shoot, switch musket. The first creature falls into the trees with its sternum turned into a smoking ss.
Aim, shoot, switch musket. rritt is by my side reloading with chanical precision. Fearless, this one.
Aim, shoot, switch musket. Nami takes a shot as well and gets one in the wings. Should have spent more ti at the firing range, though I suppose I should be grateful she learnt at all.
Aim, shoot, switch musket. By then, several fliers are zipping around us and the baying of hounds grows closer. Nami switches to her pistol and takes down one creature that had drifted a bit too close.
Aim, shoot, switch to the Talleyrand rifle. The first hound steps into the light and howls with a nightmarish sound.
"Hold!" I scream, though the gasps of fear and surprise suggest they would have hesitated.
Aim, shoot, switch to a pistol. Two other hounds join the first one.
"Fire at will!"
The crack of muskets and clouds of spent powder fill the air. Two of the hounds fall imdiately, pierced by nurous bullets. The odd squad is well trained and at this distance, they won't miss. The third one yelps but still charges forward. Four other hounds enter the fray as we switch weapons and shoot as fast as possible. I empty my remaining pistol into a flier and send knife after knife into glittering wings. All the remaining scouts descend upon us just as the first outrider jumps over the barricade. Nami is already there. She stabs up and into its brain with her spear, before throwing the twitching corpse on the ground. Her war cry rouses the rest of us and we throw ourselves at the creatures with fury. The thrill of battle takes and I rush into the lee. Screams of pain from humans and beasts rge into a glorious din. FIGHT WITH THE SENTINELS. LEAD THEM TO CARNAGE.
I dance from group to group, slicing necks and appendages with my dagger to help and save wherever I can, while Nami focuses on taking out the hounds in innovative and exotic ways. Despite my efforts, one of my n is already bleeding out from a missing throat and one of the Creek is holding his scratched face and bleeding eye. FASTER. The Thirst returns as I force myself to move in long sequences. The last scout falls to the ground and I turn to see a hound savage a bearded man on the ground as the hermit stabs it repeatedly. I grab the creature's maw and force it open. It yelps first in surprise, then in pain as I break its jaw. SAVAGE? YOU DO NOT KNOW SAVAGERY. I WILL SHOW YOU. I claw its eyes off and stab into its brain. DIE. Then I dodge a flying piece of wood.
The brood leader is here. It crashed against the barricade, sending debris and a few n sprawling including poor rritt. Do those things know no fear?
A slick barbed tongue shoots out and encircles King who screams in pain. I move and slice the filthy appendage. THIS MORTAL IS MINE TO DEVOUR IF I WISH. I will not share with you, stupid INVADER. KILL IT. I move to the side and hack and slash into the dense epidermis. The creature roars in pain and flays around with its many tentacles. I step aside.
Then it pushes itself away from the barricade, great bloody gashes spurt blood from its chest as it turns around and flees.
Oh no you don't!
"tis!" I roar in delight. The charger gallops from the treeline and I jump on her when she goes by. The behemoth crushes its way through trees with surprising deftness. USELESS. We ride after it. Nami is rushing as well, I will NOT LOSE. TROPHY.
We gallop after it, following the path of devastation it left behind. Stumps and splintered trunks litter the ground, and great tracks were raked through the undergrowth. A blind man could follow this. In no ti I catch the creature. tis weaves through pines and rocks in the wooded valley, over ridges and down narrow paths full of pebbles and vegetation with a supernaturally sure foot. At the sa ti, I harry the creature's flanks but the spear now works against . Its reach is long but it has two prongs used to keep boars away, or in this case house-sized tentacular abominations. It also prevents from stabbing deep enough to inflict critical damage now. I dare not move on top of it in case I fail to cause a mortal wound and get hurt as a result.
Nami does not share my concerns. As we reach a clearing, she jumps on the hound's back and runs to its head before stabbing down where the brain is supposed to be. Her own pike digs at least halfway through the creature.
Nami's triumphant expression turns dismayed when the behemoth screeches to a halt and smashes the shaft with a slimy appendage. I smile and take my own secret weapon from the bag on my back.
Why bother precision when you can blow everything up? Those are the words I live by. I light the powder charge's fuse and jump off tis' back, right in front of the brood leader's maw.
"Hey, ya ugly bastard!" I scream, channeling my inner Loth.
It extends its tentacles and for one precious instant, its gaping maw is uncovered. My timing is impeccable and the sparkling herald of military engineering disappears in the creature's gullet.
You're dead now, PREY.
I dance away from the reaching appendages and turn my back to it, crossing glance with a stunned Nami.
The charge explodes.
With one last whine, the creature falls. I WIN. With class and pyrotechnics, as it should be.
I smile smugly and address the loser of tonight's competition.
"Hah, right down the ha…"
The creature spasms and projectile-vomits a disgusting soup of saliva, blood, bile and half-digested body parts that covers completely.
For one precious second, the valley is perfectly silent, then it begins. It starts with a long drawn out yelp of incredulity then chuckles that quickly turn into a full belly laugh. Naminata runs out of breath and needs long, winded respirations to keep cackling her ass off while I sigh in defeat and remove gnawed fingers from my hair.
tis snorts, bends down to pick up a severed tentacle and trots off into the night.
Traitor.
"Tis… truly your… glorious victory… fearless leader!", she manages to say between hiccups of hilarity, "Best twenty dollars I have ever spent."
I find myself smiling at the absurdity of it all. Here I am, ankles deep in eldritch gastric fluid wondering what it ans to have no soul while my friend is mocking , and my horse just fled with a snack. I raise my gaze to the Watcher and feel the sa tacit approval and comforting presence as before. I have been through a lot of unfair things, and I will certainly face even more desperate battles in the future, and that is fine. It should not prevent from smiling now.
Nami interrupts my musings.
"Have I ntioned that we ran out of water at the safe house?"
Nevermind. Soone please just stab in the heart.
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