Heirot

Stalker pounced through the army, picking demons off left and right almost merrily. But, there came another wolf and it was heading from Vlad and the vampire he was fighting. It had thick brown fur and wild green eyes. The wolf leaped and claws caught the enemy vampire, dragging him out of Vlad's reached and taking him down. The werewolf bit into the throat of the vampire, and pulled his neck clean out.

Artanin, who stood waiting and watching all too calmly, smirked at the sight of the new ally. "Raider. I think you missed. You're target is the other vampire."

The werewolf turned, growling at him. His lips curled back in a snarl and he paced back and forth.

"So betrayal it is," the red skinned demon sighed. His black eyes twinkled gleefully. "I will dispose of you as a traitor."

Vincent charged the demon, and Artanin smiled as he took a step back with one foot before driving his fist into the ground. A wave of power skittered for to the wolf and he skipped nimbly out of the way. It clattered across the ground until it struck the exterior guard wall of the monastery, sending a section of it crumbling.

Vincent looked back at the wall, growling furiously. He leaped for Artanin, and just as he was about to wrap claws about the mans body a black force struck the wolf. He flipped backwards, and skidded to a stop at the base of the trees. Damn, pure demons. Vincent lumbered back to his feet, lowering his head, his mind calculating how to get around magic and rip his face off.

It took a moment for Vlad's eyes to recognize Tenele's father, but his other senses recognized his scent immediately. The no-life king turned a hostile grin on the demon who'd started all of this, coming to Vincent's alliance. He teleported directly beside Artanin and lashed out to attack. At about that moment, his vision went red. He sucked in a gasp and spun to his knees, completely missing his target. His chest throbbed beside the holy pendant he was wearing, enough to raise bile in the back of his throat. "Not now," he snarled to himself. Stalker, he commanded his familiar as he realized he was completely defenseless.

Artanin tilted his head at Vlad. "Something the matter?" he asked Vlad, his eyes going livid. His fingers twisted at his side and spindly black hands sprouted from the ground to wrap about Vlad to hold him firmly. "One down," he muttered, looking back at the monastery. "Now, for the woman."

Stalker swiped a claw across Artanin's back. The demon lurched forward, his concentration on the spell wrapping firmly around Vlad faltering. Vincent swooped in from the other side, biting into the demons thigh and shaking his head fiercely. Then Stalker went for his arm. The two of them managed to get him to the ground, breaking his hold on Vlad completely.

He didn't utter a scream or cry as they tore into him, ripping limbs away. A force exploded from the center of his chest, knocking the two wolves from him. The remnants of his body began to piece back together.

Vlad collapsed to the ground as Artanin lost his grip. He gripped the snowy turf under him and shoved himself upright, staggering. He stared at the reconstructing demon as Stalker collected himself and came to stand next to him. The vampire clutched a hand to his throbbing chest and gripped the pendant tightly. He couldn't take it off. He had to prove to the church men that he could marry Tenele. Only a sign from God would grant them their blessing, and being burned alive by his pendant was not a good sign for God to send. He cursed Thar under his breath as he focused on his opponent.

Vincent growled, going in for another attack, not waiting for him to collect a single limb. A second force burst from the demon, this time sending Vincent hard into a tree. The wolf crashed to the ground, whimpering. He lumbered to his feet, staggering on his paws, and shaking off the dizziness. The tree, cracked in half behind him.

Artanin sat up, turning eerily calm eyes to the monastery and then to Vlad. His eyes focused on his hand. "The human soldiers will make it through. Those monks are armed, but not trained in battle and Arken soldiers were born and bread for war. You probably planned for that." He reached out and grabbed the arm crawling back towards him. He reattached it. "So I'm assuming you've hid the women and children somewhere. Possibly the drainage system or basement."

Artanin's bones crunched together as he reattached his leg.

Vincent growled, pacing back and forth, glowering at the demon.

"When the army gets through, and they will. Everyone be slaughtered." Artanin looked closely at Vlad. "You're body is conflicting with that holy pendant. How do you think it will conflict with the monastery? Save yourself the pain brother, and their lives. Order their surrender."

Vlad managed a painful smirk as he righted his posture and forced his hand away from his chest. "Are you kidding? This pendant's my lucky charm," he strained, drawing out his claws. His magic obeyed him. He could still fight.

He needed to fight. Because he was the only one who could get inside that monastery if things got nasty.

"Vincent. Stalker. Defend the gate. And don't get shot," Vlad said stiffly. "I will take care of this eyesore."

He launched in at Artanin's neck, aiming to slice him apart.

That same black substance that had reached out and wrapped around Vlad to hold him shot up as a shield. Around Artnin's neck he wore a file of black liquid that glowed whenever he used the magic. Artanin dropped the shield and swiped his arm out, claws sharpening to points as they stretched towards him.

Vincent let out a gruff snarl, and in wolf talk it must have meant "follow me", because Stalker bounded off after the werewolf towards the gate.

Vlad's claws rebounded of the black material, jarring him. He tried another angle, only to be blocked the same way. Then the black spikes stabbed toward him. He had just enough time to notice the attack coming, but not enough to dodge it. His eyes swirled bright red as he conjured his Blood Shield to deflect the blades. He could feel the drain of energy, like his body had taken on weight. Defensive magic was extremely taxing. He needed to stay on the offense.

"Cute little power you've got there. First demon I've met who could do that," Vlad mused as he teleported to the other side of him and was again met with the black shield. He attacked again and again, looking for some sign of how he could get past the shield without being stabbed.

"Maybe if you succumbed to the will of our Father you would have the same gifts?" he offered joylessly. The vile dangled around his neck from a gold chain, but the more he used his shield the emptier the vile got. With each glow a portion of it drained away. He paused to look back at the monastery, with his gate blown wide open and the hole he'd made while trying to rid himself of Vincent. The army was getting through, but not easy. Not a lot either. The wolves could do nothing about those who had breached the wall, but it was tearing through the ones who hadn't like spider silk.

"If you beg his forgiveness I am sure he will grant it," Artanin mused. "He is excepting of those who willingly serve him. And for those who won't... I'm sure you've experienced his way. Tell me vampire... when that pendant wears you down will you be able to deny him? How strong shall your will be then?"

"I'm not an easy date, if that's what you're asking," Vlad quipped. He dodged another swipe from the man's claws. And that was when he finally spotted it. The vial hanging from the man's chest. "Looks like you have your own lucky charm," the no-life king sneered. "Not strong enough to fight without daddy's mojo?" He drew back his fist and slammed it into the shield with all his strength.

Vlad's fist plowed through the shield, and struck Artanin in the chest. It shattered the glass vile, spilling black liquid down the front of the demon's shirt. The liquid fizzed and sizzled and Artanin began to beat his chest like he was putting out a fire. He growled, the first show of emotion he'd displayed since the fight began.

"Oh, don't be a baby," Vlad scolded, pointing a thumb at the searing pendant on his own chest. "I'm getting sympathy pain just watching you." He grabbed the demon by the collar and slugged him with a fierce upper cut that would have cleanly broken a human's neck, if not ripped it from its body. His other hand let go of the demon's lapel and drove swordlike claws straight through Artanin's chest. Vlad tightened his arm and jerked it upward, slicing through the demon's vital organs like he was a pinata.

Artanin's head swooned, and his mouth filled with blood. He lay at Vlad's feet and gurgled a chuckle. "You are playing a losing game," he sputtered out, his body dragging to heal. It didn't heal around where the black liquid leaked into his wounds. "You don't belong... with them. Fight it all you will. Eternity is a long time to fight." Black blood leaked from the corner of his lips. "And she hasn't got nearly as long as you." He chuckled, fading into a fit of coughs.

Up a head Stalker and Vincent had made fine work of the humans, and the bodies littered the front of the monastery wall. They waited, growling at the intruders who had managed to make it inside the walls, some having fought their way past the defenses.

* * *

"Lady! Their breaking through!"

Tenele scrounged around for anything to block the hatch, or a back entrance, but further down the sewers path the only thing she found was the den the creature who'd nearly eaten her had made and some dead ends. She rushed back to the door. "Go... hide," she whispered down the hall. "All of you hide!"

There were plenty of nooks and crannies, but even hiding was a poor solution. Her heart tugged. If these guys had made it through... what did that mean for Vlad?

"What about you?"

"Just do as I say," Tenele muttered, trying to force her voice to be as strong as she possibly could. She pushed on the women and the mass of bodies that had filled the small space began to disperse into the darkness beyond where she could see. She put her hands up to the hatch above her and pushed with all her might to keep the weight out. Her weak arms shook.

A sword stabbed down through the wood, narrowly missing her hand. The sword pulled up, and drove back down. Tenele jumped out of the way. Then, the blade was gone and with a huge thud the wooden hatch gave way and light filtered up from the opening.

Tenele shielded her eyes from the light, and ducked out of site.

"Wow. That's not even slightly your business. Demons are so catty," Vlad grunted as he drove one last slash straight into the demon's face. He dropped the demon to the side. There wasn't time to see if he'd finished Artanin off. He glanced back at the monastery and teleported straight for the entrance to the sewers. The gate was thrown aside, and soldiers were climbing down into the confined tunnel.

Crap. How many had gotten down? Vlad's arms felt heavy as he disposed of the soldiers flooding into the room and fought them back. The scent of their blood wasn't even appetizing. "Man, holy magic is such a mood killer," the vampire lamented as he tore into his opponents. He frowned at a man who managed to stab into his waist from behind. "Really, manners," he muttered, pulling the sword loose and casually pegging the man to the wall behind him, straight through the neck. The wound closed slowly as he went on fighting them off.

"Tenele?" he shouted down the gate as fresh soldiers kept pouring toward him.

A soldier scrambled up from the tunnel, oblivious to Vlad. He reached back down, tugging on a rope that was tied around slender hands. As soon as Tenele had footing on the surface she launched herself at the guy, completely flipping over behind him, and took the rope he'd wrapped around her wrists and pulled it around his neck. She braced his back against her knees and tugged as hard and as tight as she could.

The next soldier popped up, clamoring to help his buddy. She kicked her foot out hard, striking him clean in the nose. He fell back into the hole, catching the rim awkwardly.