Above the group, webbed amongst the trees, the yellow eye glows a faint purple. The glow brightens and dampens like a heartbeat.

“THREE HUMANS. THREE BRAVE, FOOLISH HUMANS. HERE TO SACRIFICE YOURSELVES?”

Its voice reverberates through the web of flesh. Marina bends to the side to gag. “OH! The smell! Everything!” Bob unsheathes his greatsword.

A Parasite demon. A Controller. It feeds on the soul. Leaving the body empty to be controlled like a puppet.

“Let's keep our distance,” Drac whispers.

“THOSE VOICES. IT'S YOU!. MY HOUND’S KILLERS!”

Leaves shake.

Figures appear amongst the branches. The hundred or so slowly climb down. They fall on the ground, not minding for injuries. They rise, stumbling towards Drac and the rest.

“I have read about the Controlled. Faster than the look. Be prepared.”

The Figures walk out from the shadow of the trees into the orange afternoon sun. Grey skin, as if water was exhumed out of them. The walking corpses walk slowly to the group, growling from hanging jaws. Purple shines from the hollow eyes.

“FOR THE PRICE OF SLAYING MY PET, YOU SHALL REPLACE HIM!”

The Controlled run at the group. They surround the group, outnumbering. Marina puts up MURUS, a circle of blue wall separating them from the horde. Marina, hands up, strains against the attacks. Cracks form, the bashing of fists, feet and bodies of a hundred controlled hits all around.

“Marina! Let some of them in!” Drac Shouts to Marina

“What?” her voice panicked.

“Me and Bob will whittle them away and protect you!”

“No way No way!” Marina shakes her head.

“If not me, trust Bob!”

She looks at Bob. He nods back.

“Alright… Kill ‘em fast!” A part of the shield weakens in strength. One of the controlled pushes through. Its head flips the air, landing by Bob. Bob pushes the corpse away to stab two like a skewer. He pulls out to overhand strike another. A body separates from the collar to the navel.

Drac takes his bow from around him. With an arrow from his quiver, he aims at the evil eye. It flies through the air, blocked by a purple shield.

Ok, new plan.

Drac inserts the bow and quivers into the ground upright. Short sword out. “Let more in!”

“ARE YOU CRAZY!” Dismay falls on Marina's face. She looks back and forth at Drac and the horde.

I would like to ask the same question.

“Yes, I am.” Drac smiles. “Now hurry!”

Giving up on arguing while facing death, Marina concedes. A new weak point appears on the MURUS. An invader is welcomed with a Blade to the skull. Drac kicks it away and his sword pierces another into the skull. Three more skulls are pierced. A Controlled goes for the legs. Drac moves back, leaving it with one less hand. Two more grabs at him. He blocks with his forearm. Drac pulls one of their arms to bring it close and stabs at the side of the head.

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Many there may be, but it's only a matter of time till they are vanquished. But the Eye. It's too calm…Drac! Copy!

Drac creates a copy. A Sword comes from high. Drac’s copy blocks the strike. Holding the chipped and scratched sword is a Controlled, armoured with chainmail under a red surcoat. Helmet silver and blocky with gold embellishments.

“THIS PET WAS BRAVE. JUST LIKE YOU.”

It lifts its sword of the Drac’s blade to strike down again. The force creates a gust. The Copy kneels and holds the enemy's sword back. It disappears. Drac pops up to the right of the armoured man. It dodges the stab to the head by crouching down. A slice from under comes for Drac. Willow-like, he bends back to evade. Retaining his balance, the Man in black continued with a hurricane of pokes and cuts. The surcoat goes into defence. Attacks bounce their swords.

It's smart. It blocks weakness in the armour by compacting itself. You have to use it. AURA. I will help.

Drac pulls up his mask. Drac inhales. A different kind of warmth fills his muscles, his bones and organs. Energy builds up in him. Drac keeps the energy in check before it bubbles out of his control. A faint aura envelopes around Drac and his gleaning Short sword. The glow faded into nothing.

“STOP STANDING AROUND AND DO SOMETHING!” shouts Marina.

Drac vanishes. Dirt from where he stood flies in the air. The Controlled looks around. A bladepoint at the eye. It moves its head to the right. Drac's sword grazed the helmet. A kick to its ribs breaks the control’s equilibrium. It stops itself from falling with a leg. At high velocity, a Sword from below erupts through its helmet. Brown blood leaks through the hole Drac’s Sword leaves behind.

“NO! YOU DIRTY HUMANS WILL BECOME MY FOOD!” A wave of energy attacks the minds of the group. The blue wall weakens. Bob's knee is on the floor. The horde breaks a crack in the MURUS. Clawing at Bob. The controlled scratch at his face.

“Bob! Use it!”

Bob grunts as he rebuffs an attacker with his greatsword pommel to the floor and neck chops it with his shield. The group's minds itch as the Eye activates its wave again.

“I ORDER YOU! USE! IT!”

“Yes, Marina.” Shield in front to block, Bob puts his Sword grip on his chest. He mumbles.

A Flash.

Bright Amber light flows around Bob. It pulsates to cover the entire area. Drac Head feels free of pressure. His body rejuvenated. Marina’s blue wall grows brighter. She pushes the Controlled away, making space for the warriors.

A Priest.

“A PRIEST!!”

Bob’s shield and Sword glow amber. Enemies burn at their touch.

Drac looks at the shining Knight with awe.

Just like the stories.

“I am going for the ugly one up top,” Drac shouts

Bob nods and continues exterminating. Marina adds to the attacks with fire blasts.

Drac Crouches. He gathered aura to his legs. A pounce.

Light on his feet he moves amongst the Controlled. Grabbing arms missing the target. Flesh vines come after him. He zig past one and zags another. Jumps over vines goes for legs and cuts three from above. Like weeds, he cuts his way through the vines. He jumps up using the fleshy webs as his steps.

“DON'T COME NEAR!”

A wave hits. The effects are negligible. Drac passes cocoons. Avoiding each, he bounces off the web. Vines attack again. Drac swings the other side of the structure.

There!

Behind the Controller is a mass of flesh. It's a fatal weakness.

Use everything you got Drac.

“I’ve got an idea.”

Drac falls off the Web of Flesh. He is caught by his Copies by the feet. Grabbing on the web they throw Drac like javelin. Levitation aids his height. High in the air, the shadow is cast on the Demon’s back. Drac with weight drops on the fleshy mass.

“HOLD ON THERE. I SAW THIS BEFORE.”

A fleshy vine grabs Drac by the arm. Eyelids grow one by one on the back. They flutter open.

“I SEE EVERYTHING.” Its voice hisses. Drac hangs by his right, stared by Yellow eyes.

Not this.

A second Short Sword materialises in Drac's hand. A Copy's blade.

A Black grip. silver blade cuts the grasping vine. Drac created a Copy below him. It used aura to propel him to the eye. With two swords in hand, Drac plunged them into the demon. Aura-coated Blades ignore the demon’s magic shield. Drac slices and dice. The flesh is carved out like wood shavings. Blood rains down. The Controller shakes, it pulsates its mind magic again and again till it can no more. A Sword pokes through the front eye and Drac opens his way out.

Bloody and exhausted he looked down. The Controlled are dead on the ground, many with scorch marks.

“Two times in one day,” says Marina with her hands on her hips. Not a scratch on her. “New Record!”