User:Nextoy/Book of 100 Warriors/Vampires 2

Previously

The scene he walked in on troubled him. Magpie weakly laying down to heal herself, Jokin standing over her with dart in hand, and a vampire slowly turning to dust near them. It made him sad, but worry was at the forefront of those emotions.

“What happened here?” Otosu asked, immediately moving to Magpie’s side to help heal her. Though her skills at healing were better honed and focused than his, he was still the one who taught her how to do as much.

“We got attacked by that guy.” Jokin pointed to the vampire as he spoke. “Dude could just grow his nails at will.”

“And the one who held Maggie hostage had mucus that turned her invisible.” Otosu informed, focusing on his healing.

“Combine with the dude that was shooting hairs at us…” Jokin looked down and muttered something unintelligible to himself. “Who knows what’s next with these guys!”

“Keep your voice down.” Magpie hissed through the pain, not wanting to attract more enemies.

“Sorry, sorry.” Jokin looked over to Otosu, wondering what the teacher had in store for them.

“Two have been eliminated, but the third has likely already informed his master of our presence.” Otosu pointed out, looking towards the different entrances to the room he was in. “We have two choices. Leave or press the advantage. Both have their own share of problems, but either way we risk lives.”

The three looked among each other. They knew the risks and the circumstances. Though these vampires had been quiet, now that they have been attacked it was unknown how they’ll respond. If they died before the nest was destroyed the assault would be in vain.

“Why don’t we just burn this place down?” Jokin pulled a lighter out of his pocket, walking towards the drapes in the room.

“No.” The two looked at Otosu. “This must be done quietly. The less civilians know, the better.”

“Who would even notice a run down place like this?” Jokin furrowed his brow and flipped open the lighter, a small flame soon following the open top.

“A cornered rat is far more dangerous than a loose hound. They think they have power here, and are taking things lightly. Burn it down, and they will assault everyone.” Otosu and Jokin glared at each other for a moment before the student sighed and put out the flame.

“Any signs of this getting worse, and I’m torching the place.” Jokin laid down his ultimatum before helping up Magpie, who seemed better. Though not fully healed she was able to keep going.

“Let’s head upstairs. I saw nothing else down here that needs our attention.” Otosu lead the two slowly, making sure the still recovering student could keep up.

The ducks were no longer in the main room. They had left, with no signs they had been there except for uneven patches in the dust on the floor and carpet. The stairs also looked to be cleaned of dust, unlike the rest of the room. They felt like something was inviting the trio upwards.

“Come now, don’t be shy.” A voice called out to them. Nobody was in sight, but it echoed as if it had been shouted rather than spoken through an intercom. “I know you’re here. Best not to run.”

“Take her and go.” Otosu whispered, with Jokin and Magpie heading towards the door. Before they could step outside hairs flew down and assaulted them both. Jokin only had his arm hit, small streams of blood running down, but Magpie got hit in the back of the neck. She fell down, unmoving and silent.

“What did I say about leaving?” The voice was oddly sultry about the way it posed the rhetorical question. It was also different than the voice of the sniper, who was somewhere up in the rafters given the trajectory of the hairs.

The two looked at each other. A fire had boiled up in Jokin’s eyes while Otosu’s remained cold. They felt the same emotion, the same anguish, but had radically different ways of processing it. Still, they did not speak or nod. Nor did they look up to try and see their target. They simply looked back down at their friend before walking off.

Otosu suspected something, however, and sent a pulse of electricity running over towards Magpie. He silently lamented his inability to know the outcome of his actions until later, but was thankful that she had not started to fade away like a vampire.

The two worked their way upstairs, seeing a large ballroom with the ducks standing at attention along the walls. Their eyes glowed red and gazed straight at the master and his student. At the back of the room a man sat down on what looked like a throne with the way he sat down in it. One knee upon the other, his head resting upon his hand, fingers covering his cheek and the side of his eye, and the other hand resting against the other arm tapping his fingers.

Behind him stood a giant of a man. Extremely muscular, with long hair hiding much of his facial features. Unlike the relaxed stance of his master, this man was clearly prepared for a fight with his rigid stance and slow breathing.

“So sorry about your friend. I don’t think she’s actually dead, probably just fainted. I’ve told Apex not to kill her.” The man followed this with a low chuckle. He had an air of playfulness about him that annoyed both Jokin and Otosu. “But he’s a loose cannon, so who knows?”

As Jokin suddenly threw a dart at the smaller man his bodyguard caught it. Electricity rippled through the dart, showing the intentions of the two.

“As you wish.” The man snapped his fingers, with the bodyguard stepping forward. “Lars, in the name of your King, strike them down.”

“Yes, My Lord.” The gargantuan bodyguard walked forward, his pace as slow as his breath, while electricity crackled along his skin. Though Otosu was a short man, Lars easily stood a foot above both him and Jokin.

Jokin throws another dart to cover Otosu’s approach. It glowed with life energy, but the electricity from Lars’ body snuffed it out. The dart landed harmlessly in his skin. He attempted to slap away Otosu with a backhand, but found his hand going clean over the man’s head. Otosu ducked under the attack and sprung up into an uppercut with his middle knuckle landing onto the throat of the hulking man. His own electricity electrified his hand as Lars protected his body.

“That’s boring, an even match.” The self proclaimed King asked, snapping his fingers again. The ducks started to fly towards the two of them, one at a time. Jokin would do his best to eliminate them, but with only three darts left in his possession he would soon have to engage in hand to hand.

“Now, my Bingo Players, let Lars and his target fight on their own. Just keep the other one distracted.” The King chuckled and moved so his back and knees were resting on an arm each. “It’s been too long since I’ve gotten to watch gladiators.”

Otosu juts to the side of an attempt to grab him, sending a punch into the side of this hulking vampire and another into his solar plexus in rapid succession. Jokin elbows one duck that flies at him from behind, sends a jab at another from the side, and pulls his weight forward to throw a haymaker at a third duck approaching from the front. Master slips behind his target to kick at the back of his opponent’s knee, and student jumps away from the storm of ducks attacking him.

The king laughs at the show in front of him. At these humans who try to undermine his currently covert rule.

“I don’t know what you expect to gain.” The bodyguard finally lands an electrified backhand at the master, sending him flying.

“We created this town, you know.” Jokin punts away a red eyed duck before hopping away from another.

“Molded it. Bled for it.” Otosu rolls away as he sees his opponent to walk towards him. The casual stride of his opponent, the unchanging breath, and the electrical crackling had his entire focus.

“Really, without us this town wouldn’t exist.” Jokin ducked beneath another charge, rolling away as his own foes started to increase in number and frequency.

“You call us evil, but for what reason?” Otosu stood his ground. A closed fist held in front of him while the other arm was cocked back and left open. His legs were wide, but his stance narrow. One hip faced towards the slowly approaching vampire.

“We have been quiet for years. You must have known that.” A duck slammed into Jokin’s shoulder, another in his stomach, and he fell to the ground as they surrounded him. The King held up his hand, and they stopped their assault but would not let him stand.

“However, you have proven that man cannot be trusted to govern itself.” The king sighed as Lars stopped just outside striking range of Otosu. The two stared each other down, both with piercing eyes.

“You attacked an innocent man.” He snapped his fingers and Lars sprung forward. Otosu deflected a punch towards him and slammed his forearm into the vampire’s neck. This did not stop a slamming punch to his gut, lifting Otosu into the air slightly.

“What ails this town has naught to do with me.” As Otosu landed he ducked underneath a follow up punch. He was unable to follow through due to his own injury, but he avoided a punch to the head.

“But if you hadn’t came along, I could have fixed it.” Lars kicked Otosu towards the back wall. Again he casually walked towards him, everything still steady. The master accepted this change in distance, however, as now he had a plan.

“So I’m afraid you must be removed.” The King ended his speech with a playful laugh, snapping his fingers again as Lars lunged forward again. Otosu pounded his fist onto the ground, electricity crackling throughout both him and the vampire, as the floor gave way.

Lars fell through. His hand reached up to grab Otosu on the way down, but he rolled out of the way. Soon the master would be making a mad dash towards the supposed king.

“Forgetting someone?” The King smiled as Otosu turned his head. A vampire he hadn’t seen before, but immediately recognized, entered the room. Quills stood where hairs should be on his arms. He shot them at Jokin in a rapid spread.

Though the student took a few of them, Otosu jumped in the way to protect him. Hair needles riddled him. He fell, rolled along the ground, and a quiet groan was all that could be heard.

“Otosu!” Jokin shouted, getting up as he grabbed something from his pocket.

“Tell him his living nights are over.” The vampire casually spoke, continuing the lyrics from when they had first entered the mansion.

“You bastards!” Jokin screamed, lighting the open flame and throwing it at the ducks. One had caught fire and flew around the room. The more it touched, the further the flames spread in the derelict mansion.

Jokin grew a vicious smile at his gambit. The King was less than pleased.

“Last remaining Knight of Cydonia. Kill him.” The King ordered, his voice suddenly cold.

“Yes sir.” Apex rose his arms, firing hairs into the student. In his fury, however, Jokin’s energy reached a fever pitch. He charged forth with his arms covering his face. The energy minimized the damage, but he was still bleeding.

Apex took advantage of the lack of visibility, jumping to the side as he regrow the hairs. But Apex was careless. Once he landed, Otosu grabbed Apex’s ankle. Electricity ripped through him as the vampire screamed and begun fading to dust.

“How… DARE YOU!” The King stood, throwing out his arm. “Destroy them! Everyone, break them! Flatten this damn mansion if you have to!” His body shook as he roared out in anger.

The ducks flew towards the duo. A dozen were left, with both of them weakened. A rumbling from below signifying Lars was still alive and well. While Otosu could only focus on keeping his defenses up against the ducks, Jokin charged forward towards the King.

Jokin leaped forward with a superman punch. The king stepped to the side and threw a knee up into his attacker. Jokin pushed through the pain and elbowed the vampire in his exposed armpit. His opponent dropped his own elbow onto Jokin’s head.

“Kneel!” The vampire cried out, kicking away his attacker. “Kneel before King Cydonia, and perhaps I shall spare your life and make you my newest knight!”

Jokin couldn’t reply. All he could do was cough up blood and watch his master get overwhelmed by the vampiric ducks. Beneath them the rumbling increased, and the floor gave way for them all.

--

Outside stood two figures, both unknown to each other. Both saw the mansion collapse. Both felt anger and grief inside them. One could barely stand, and the other couldn’t be seen.

Both promised they would avenge their fallen lord. One in the name of Cydonia, and the other in the name of humanity. Neither would ever know the final thoughts and feelings of their leader. Neither would know what happened in that ballroom. Only that, as the sun rose over the smoldering and crushed mansion, humanity had won.