The deep sky was blanketed with a plethora of heavy gray clouds, looming over a cold and still forest. A midnight moon hung low and close in the sky, even admist the endless amalgamation of dense, murky clouds, its piercing white light shined down to illuminate every region of the forest along with all of its inhabitants. In a clearing at the center of the forest, the hill sloped down into a shallow stream. Amongst all of the animals hiding from the deep of the night, a single deer found its way to the stream, dipping its head down to drink from its waters. Meanwhile, several yards away the woman named Meg was leaning up against a tree, hid behind its cover as she spied at the lonesome creature.
Meg reached into the pocket of her sturdy, long coat, producing a vial of green liquid. She stared down at it hesitantly for a moment, but inevitably placed it back into her pocket. She then reached into her cloak, substituting the green vial for one of the four engraved daggers attached to her belt. Leaning ever so slightly out of cover, she clenched the dagger tightly in her hand, closed her eyes for a moment as she positioned herself in front of the deer. One of the three shapes engraved on the surface of the dagger, a rune at its center with three horizontal lines, began to glow with brilliant turqoise light. Moments later, energy surged through the knife, with ribbons of lightning coiling it like a snake, converging at its tip to form a cone around the blade. The static emitting from the blade crackled sharply. In the distance, the deer's ear began to twitch.
Meg flung the knife, sending the electrifed projectile slicing through the open air at top speed, but it was too late. The deer had already leaped out of the water, bolting away from the area in seconds as the dagger sailed harmlessly into the bed of the stream, casting a net of electricity across its surface. Meg swore audibly then proceeded to walk over to collect her knife.
"Oh, so close." said a voice carried across the clearing. Meg turned around in an instant towards the direction of the voice, unsheathing a new blade from her cloak before recovering the one embedded in the stream.
Meg looked up to see a woman with legs crossed sitting comfortably along a tree branch. With apple in hand, she stared down at Meg from atop the tree with a blank yet amused glance.
"A fine night for hunting isn't it?" She said, taking a crunch out of her apple.
Meg said nothing, staring at the woman in the tree with cold caution in her eyes.
"Do you prefer deer or rabbit?"
Meg replied once again with silence.
"Sheesh, I'm asking you that question as if you could catch either." She continued, taking another bite from the apple. "If you were actually capable of hitting something other than the river then maybe that question would apply to you."
The woman tilted backwards and allowed herself to slide off from the high tree branch, turning her body upright during the vault as she descended. She landed from the 30-foot fall on her feet. Meg produced a slight twitch at the sound of the impact.
"I mean all night you couldn't catch a single thing." The other woman said as she began to walk forward. Meg took a step back from her, holding out the newly drawn blade at a reverse grip in front of her.
"Would you give it rest and just end her already, Velle?" Another voice called out.
Meg instinctively jumped, turning around to see another figure emerge from under the darkness. A man in a black cloak with his face hidden under its cowl along with a single-edged long sword strapped to his side.
"You give it a rest." Velle shot back. "I'm not sharing the score with you, Majin. You've been coat tailing for too long now. Have you even managed to catch something during this entire season? Talk about pathetic. You're barely a step above this one in skill." she continued, pointing at Meg.
The one named Majin dipped his head low upon hearing Velle's response. "I would like to leave soon. It's late, it's cold, and your words wound me."
"Oh the baby wants to go home and cry over his inadequecies. Per usual." Velle replied. "Just tough it out like you try to do every night. Maybe if Carson pity's you he'll share."
"No." Majin said, deflating even further. "You don't know him at all if you think he shows pity."
An enormous whooshing noise could be heard in the distance. Around the same time another black figure emerged, this one much larger and bulkier than Majin.
"I don't know what's taking so long here. If you all want to leave, then leave." The new figure said, approaching the area. "Leave her to me if you lot are too chicken shit to do anything."
"Hey, that's what Majin said." Velle countered. "Don't lump me in with him. I'd never lose to the likes of you, Carson."
"Well you spent all of this time here. You clearly saw her, but chose not to do anything." Carson stated. "Seems to me like you were too scared to act so, yes, I think I will be lumping you in with the likes of Majin."
"The likes of Majin is still within earshot." Majin cut in.
"Shut it, lowlife." Carson and Velle said simultaneously.
"Okay." Majin agreed, then turned to Velle specifically. "What's the actual reason it took you so long anyway?"
"Well you know..." Velle said as her eyes became fixated on Meg.
Up above, some of the clouds in the sky began to part. At the same time, Velle's mouth opened wide as she brought the apple to her face. The low moonlight shined down, revealing a set of ivory white fangs as they sank deep into the apple. Juice trickled down as Velle bit into the fruit, inviting a long slender tongue to trace across her chin before returning to her mouth.
"...I love to savour the meal." She said.
"Shall we make it a contest then?" Majin suggested. "To be the first to capture the human before 2 o clock?"
"That sounds fine by me." Vella responded with a sinister smile stretched across her lips.
Meg turned instinctively towards the three new foes appearing before her.
Majin adopted Vella's facial expression face as he slowly walked over to Meg. "Scared are we? Don't worry. I'll be gentle."
Meg about-faced and instantly bolted in the opposite direction. Within moments she was already several yards ahead of them.
"Oh how I love it when they run!" Carson exclaimed, exploding into a dead sprint; Vella and Majin darted forwards as well, following several yards behind Carson.
Meg's eyes didn't stray from the path ahead. From how she moved her body one could tell that her thoughts were only of running. The crunching of leaves got louder and louder as the pursuers began to close the distance on her.
"Over here, girlie." Carson screamed from behind. "I don't bite."
Meg dipped right and set her gaze straight ahead. A hundred yards away was a single white birch tree. Meg focused in and gripped her dagger tightly. Within moments the three-lined rune produced the same blue glow as before. Another cone of electricity surrounded the knife as Meg dove to the side and flung it at the birch tree. The lightning dagger soared forward like a bird, producing a whistling noise as it cut through the air in a straight-line before eventually sailing into the tree. Its energy fizzled out in an instant, causing smoke to lift from the black spot in the tree where the dagger made contact.
Carson was closer now, merely yards away. Meg turned to face him, drawing her third knife into a reverse grip with both hands. With fangs bared, Carson took an enormous leap forward, rapidly closing the distance between them. The 'X' shaped rune engraved into the top of the knife began to glow with light. Meg closed her eyes and took a deep breath inward then plunged the dagger down into the earth.
Carson's claws struck an inch from Meg's face before the field of light surrounding her instantly emitted outwards. After the flash of brilliant light, Carson was immediately flung backwards, landing to the ground with a thud. Meg dropped the knife for a moment after Carson was stunned. Closing her eyes and pausing to reclaim her breath. At the same time, Majin and Velle were beginning to catch up as well.
Meg focused once more as the two other vampires began to approach. Meg pulled out her last knife. The third and final rune, a 'C' shape, on the knife began to glow. With another flash of light, Meg disappeared in an instant.
"Where did she go?" Majin asked.
"No idea." Carson answered, wiping the blood off of his brow. "Don't care either. Is anyone even going to ask if I'm alright?"
"You'll be fine, you big baby." Velle answered.
Majin walked over and removed the knife that was staked to the ground, manipulating it in his hand as he analyzed it.
"What is the deal with these knives anyhow?" Majin asked. "What kind of tom-fuckery was that?"
"That human's got magic." Velle answered. "I think that much is pretty obvious don't you think."
"Great." Majin said. "A young magician. This is going to be too big of a hassle. We should just go."
"Now just hang on." Velle said. "I've watched her all day. It's clear that she can't just keep using the spells over and over again. It takes alot out of her. And from what I've seen she only has three of the same runes on each knife."
"So what do they do?" Carson asked.
Velle held out her hand for the knife, Majin handed it to her. Upon recieving it she pointed to the rune at the center with the three stripes. "Well it looks like this one charges the blade with electricity increasing its lethal potential." Velle moved to the X-shaped rune. "This one looks like it creates a shield of some kind used defensively to repel attacks." then proceeded to the C-shaped rune. "And this one probably warps the user to another location."
"Any idea where to?" Majin inquired.
"She can't have gone far. It can be reasonable to assume that the farther she travels the more stamina it consumes. Let's split up and find her quick."Velle said. "I'll carry the knife."
The other two nodded in concurrence then proceeded to split off into three directions.
***
With palms pressed firmly against the birch, Meg gasped desperately for breath. She leaned her body against the white birch tree, taking out the knife she threw at it earlier. Looking down at the ground. A single drop of blood fell onto a leaf. Meg felt her face with her hand then looked down to see the red along her fingertips. Carson's attack from earlier must have managed to cut her before she warped. Meg stiffened. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a dark figure approaching and the loud crunching of footsteps in the distance. It didn't appear to notice her, but that was likely to change in a matter of moments. No time to rest now; Meg prepared herself. Meg wiped the blood off her fingers then reached into her cloak again for the vial of green liquid.
"Here goes nothing." She muttered to herself before unscrewing the cork and downing its contents.
Several yards ahead the sound of footsteps grew less distant. Majin looked over to the white birch tree and noticed the blood running along its trunk. Majin smiled, unsheathing his sword.
"Did Carson hurt you? Don't mind him." Majin said. "Whenever Carson hurts me I always comfort myself. I can comfort you too, if you'd like."
Majin stepped forward, surveying his surroundings. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air then averted his gaze down at the base of the tree.
A branch snapped from above. Majin instinctively looked up as Meg descended from the adjacent tree. Majin snapped his sword arm up, intercepting Meg's blade; the moment her feet landed on the ground, his sword was already in motion producing a barrage of precise cuts and slashes. Meg leaped back to distance herself and escape from the blows. Majin held his free hand out, motioning for her to come forward.
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"Come on." Majin beckoned. "This wolf's long since lost its bite."
Meg darted towards Majin, blade in hand. Majin took his sword up into a defensive stance. Meg struck low towards his abdomen. Majin drove his fist down, deflecting the blade then cut swiftly with his long sword. Meg dipped backwards, causing the sword to produce a sharp whistle as it passed cleanly through the air in front of her chest. As Meg dipped she drove in for a counter strike. Majin blocked the blow.
Meg lunged forward and kept slashing, grunting audibly in frustration as Majin deflected each and every one of her blows. Meg swiped left at him with her dagger but the vampire swatted it away once again, allowing his sword to lick along the flesh of Meg's wrist. Meg winced in response; upon breaking her guard, Majin kicked forward with his leg at the opening he created, sending Meg spiraling backwards into the air before tumbling hard onto the ground.
Majin sighed impatiently. "I can really see that you mean to give this your best effort."
Meg groaned as she failed to get to her feet, she clutched her stomach tightly, then covered her mouth with her hand before leaning over and vomitting onto the ground. Meg weakly stumbled over onto her back, struggling to get back up.
Majin produced another exassperated sigh. "You can't be serious. Is that really all you've got? You disappoint me..."
Majin took a few steps closer to her and lifted his sword up closer to his face examining the blood left on the blade from the wound he gave Meg. Gently, he dabbed his finger along the blade, then inserted it into his mouth. His eyes closed with splendor for a few moments before fluttering back open again.
"Your blood is fresh." He said with relish. "Like strawberries."
Majin gripped his sword with both hands once again and brought it high into the air. The blade fell like a guillotine. With precise timing, Meg twisted her body and managed to intercept the strike with her leg, kicking the flat of the sword with her boot and sending the blade spiraling in the opposite direction. With Majin's weight suddenly thrown out of balance, Meg got to her feet, driving a clenched fist into Majin's stomach and sending him flying backwards like his weapon. Landing on his feet he held his mouth with his hand and coughed. He looked down upon his hand to see blood.
"Now I like that." Majin lips quivered as a smile stretched across his face. "You might make me sweat."
Majin's shadowy figure became a blur as he flew forward with blinding speed. But with equally impressive reflexes, Meg took a single step forward with her left leg as she flung the dagger forward in a split second, breaking his momentum completely. Majin's body fell to the ground with a thud after the dagger pierced his chest. Majin tried to grab the dagger. At the same time Meg reacted faster. The three-lined rune on the dagger began to glow at the clenching of Meg's fist. Majin's entire body jolted as the electricity suddenly coursed through his entire body. A stream of smoke began to rise up from the body as Majin stilled. Meg walked over and collected her knife, but Majin let out one final cough before she could touch it.
"Looks like you managed to get me afterall." Majin smirked. "I guess I should be thankful. Now this wolf can finally rest in peace."
Majin's eyes closed shut as the color seemed to drain from his entire body. Meg produced a harsh cough several times before letting out another viscous wrench as she vomitted onto the ground once more.
Recovering, she coughed a few more times before pulling out the empty vial. "Ouf, that kicks like a mule." she said patting her stomach with a clenched fist. "Never ordering that at the tavern. Alright then. One down. Two to go."
Meg crouched next to the dead vampire and grabbed the handle of the dagger while it was still in the body. The shine of the third rune glowed and she vanished in a flash of light.
***
Carson traveled back to the forest clearing, sniffing like a hound as he scanned the area inquisitively. He immediately turned when his eye caught something in the distance. He approached the object and picked it up, immediately producing a groan.
"Good lord." Carson muttered tossing Velle's half eaten apple aside. "That woman has a horse beat."
A splashing of water could be heard from the nearby creek.
Carson flinched at the sound. Turning around he cracked his knuckles and carefully walked towards the creek. Carson saw a mass and quickly jumped towards it. Something in the water. Carson grabbed at it and turned it around. He gasped.
Majin's lifeless eyes looked up at him.
"Majin..." Carson breathed.
Up above, Meg charged the lightning rune into her dagger and lobbed it at Carson. The vampire wasn't quick enough to dodge in time.
"Gah!" Carson screamed in pain as the knife bit into him. He looked down as warm blood streaked out of the wound. He pulled out the dagger, throwing it to the ground.
"It's so cold..." Meg's voice beckoned from beyond the stream in the forest clearing.
Amidst the bleeding, Carson's lips slowly creased into smile. Getting to his feet he pulled out the dagger and began walking towards the trees.
"I could keep you warm, you know." He said, extending his hand in front of him. A ball of flame erupted from his opened palm.
"Oh, I'm sure you could." Meg continued.
A twig snapped. Carson immediately spun himself backwards and threw the fireball at a nearby tree. The entire trunk snapped in half as the fireball connected, combusting into splinters of wood.
Carson chuckled slowly, "Little birdie knows how to play."
"You can drop the act." Meg said. "You don't have to pretend to be strong."
"And what makes you think this is only an act?" Carson challenged.
"I know you're sad that I killed your friend..." Meg began. "Majin was it?"
"It was only a matter of time before that dead weight became dead." Carson scoffed. "Hell, that sick bastard probably wanted you to kill him."
Carson traveled deeper into the forest. Away from the faint light of the moon into the darkness. Another twig snapped in the distance in front of him. Carson threw a second ball of flames at it, destroying that one too. Then another and another until a new clearing was made in the forest. Finally Meg was visible at the center of it.
"There you are." Carson said with delight, throwing an inferno of flames at her like a dragon's breath. Meg held the blade out in front of her and activated the X-shaped ward rune, holding it steady with effort as the relentless combustion from Carson's fire pounding against it. Carson stepped closer and closer as he forced Meg further into submission. She dropped the veil the moment her back was against a tree. At the same time Carson's flames began to cease.
"Nowhere left to hide." Carson stated, igniting the fire in his hands once again. "And I know that you're low on magic too.I know it's exhausting for you to use that knife of yours."
"Not if I just use it to slice you up." Meg said.
Carson scoffed. "I'm not like Majin. You won't be able to even scratch me with that thing at close proximity."
"Won't know until we try will we?" Meg began, then grabbed the knife and proceeded to slit her palm with it, allowing the blood to trickle along her wrist.
Carson licked his lips as the bloodthirst began to visibly take him over. He darted forward, fireball in hand. At the last moment Meg dipped to the right. As Carson came closer to the tree the light of his flames began to illuminate the tree and all of its features his eyes widened as he saw it.
A three-lined sigil carved into the tree.
Meg clenched her fist, remotely activating the sigil. Lightning surged outwards from the tree, creating a new fire along its trunk and completely incapacitating Carson in the same fashion as Majin.
Carson muttered. "I should have seen that one coming." Carson muttered. "You've been warping this whole time, haven't you? Just to get me to this spot?"
"Bingo." Meg answered, squatting down next to him.
"But how..." Carson said. "You can only warp to where your other daggers are..."
"Now, now." Meg said, dangling the dagger left and right as if to shake her head with it. "Think it over."
Carson stopped in hesitation for a moment and then his eyes widened. "If you used the lightning sigil then you could have also carved out warp sigils as well. And the only reason you would do that is because your other daggers aren't with you-" He paused for a moment as the realization hit him. "Velle..."
Meg plunged the dagger in between Carson's eyes and then proceeded to warp again.
***
"Great. Did those two idiots get lost." Velle uttered. "Whatever. That just means that I'll kill the bitch myself."
Velle stopped for a moment. She looked around for a moment in confusion but then pulled out the dagger from her belt.
The C-shaped rune was glowing blue.
Before she could even turn around Meg's dagger was embedded into her back.
"I'll be taking that back thank you." Meg said, reaching slowly into Velle's hands for the dagger. Velle fell to her knees the moment Meg removed the other knife from her back. She grunted in effort as she desperately crawled away from Meg.
"I really thought you'd put up more of a fight." Meg sighed before getting in close and reaching for Velle's collapsed body.
Velle spun onto her back in an instant, peering directly into Meg's eyes. The hunter froze as she met her gaze, becoming as still as a statue. Velle's eyes slowly clouded into pure darkness like ink corrupting water. The world suddenly became swathed in seas of red color. Meg looked up to the sky to see a moon filled with blood and looked down to see Velle gone. Time became as deliberate as Meg's body, with the falling leaves drifting down to the earth in slow motion as if stilled by the wind. The autumn leaves fell from their trees. As the first one came crashing down to the earth the collision could be heard from miles away like the deafening roar of thunder. The sound became increasingly distorted as the moment carried on, diluted by the stillness of time. Fire suddenly cast onto the grass from the moment the first leaf fell, spreading across its blades, extending to the adjacent shrubs, twigs and other greenery surrounding it. The falling leaves in the air that were yet to touch the ground also burst into flames as well. An apple hanging by a nearby tree was pulled to the earth by the relentless gravity, splitting perfectly in half from the moment it touched the ground before spontaneously erupting into an explosion of flame.
Motion slowly returned to Meg's limbs, gradually as she strained in resistance against the slow-motion but not with enough speed to escape the fast spreading flames. Meg's eyes darted frantically, scanning for any escape from this sky of raining fire until she saw a figure in the distance standing next to a flowing river. The figure's image was likely a blur at that distance, but its silloutte could still be seen. Meg darted towards it, her limbs moved slowly and fluidly as she were running underwater. She let out a deafening scream as the burning leaves came into contact with her body. She dived left, leaping onto the grass as another exploding apple fell to the ground next to her. The rapidly spreading flames began to chase her, devouring every blade of grass in its path, accelerating with every step that she took. The blurred figure in the distance began to notice Meg approaching, frantically attempting to move away from her and the path of fire following her. As she came into proximity, Meg instinctively leaped forward, tackling the figure and causing both of them to sink into the cooling currents of the river bank.
Meg blinked. The red light of the blood moon had faded away, washing back into pure white. The flames around her had dissapaited, the grass turned back to green and time flowed once more, undistorted. Suddenly she was back in the clearing of the forest, standing over Velle after having knocked her to the ground, knife in hand, ready to plunge it into her. Velle's eyes began to flood with black once more. Meg reacted instantly, activating the shield rune on her knife, causing Velle to violently jolt backwards as the ward clashed with her magic. Meg got close enough to grab hold of Velle, dropped the knife, and punched her square in the face. Then again. And again, until the only sound permeating throughout the silence of the still forest was the whip-like crack of Meg's fist connecting with Velle's flesh.
The noise ceased. Meg let go of Velle's collar allowing her body to fall limply onto the ground once again. The vampire's face had swelled drastically, to the point where anyone could tell just by looking that it was a fight just for to keep a single eyelid open.
"I have to say I'm impressed. I never expected you to get past my illusion." Velle commented before coughing up fresh blood. "Curious how a human could keep up with us. Even one with magic."
Meg pulled out the empty vial from her long coat for Velle to see.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Beats me." Meg shrugged.
Velle chuckled. "You drank a potion without even knowing what it is? Tsk-tsk. Bad move..."
"It helped me kill you all didn't it?"
"True." Velle conceded. "You know for a shitty hunter you make an excellent murderer."
"I love to savour the kill." Meg said before producing a scoff. "I'm not going to lie to you. It was extremely satisfying killing your friends."
"What, Majin and Carson? Please." Velle scoffed. "As if those two could ever be considered my friends."
"Pity that you'll have to die alone then." Meg said before stabbing Velle in the throat.
Meg looked down as Velle's body became lifeless. The color drained from it, in the same manner as the other vampires. Cleaning off the blood from her knife, Meg looked up at the sky once again. All of the clouds had parted, allowing pale white light to wash down on her.
"What a brilliant moon." She said.